Latex and Lace

Chapters

Introductions
Professional Courtesy
Festival of the Arts
Double-booked
Secrets
Homecoming
Small Town Rumors
Bombshells
Clearing the Rubble
Pinkie Party Preparations
Housewarming
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Problems
Solutions (Non-canon, skippable)
Changes
Everypony Out!
The Reveal
The Wedding
Not An End, But A New Beginning

Introductions

Vinyl Scratch tossed her mane about, absorbed in the sounds emanating from her headphones. Her persona of DJ-PON3 was one of the most popular entertainers for the less posh crowd that made up much of Canterlot's younger generation. Eventually most of them would cease their rebellious activities and allow themselves to be groomed for whatever family business they were born into. Currently, she was poised on a stage in a darkened bar called 123⅛ nestled beneath the streets of the city. It was only accessible via a sewer grate on the sidewalk above. Nopony but the owner seemed to get the reference, which didn't matter to him. All that really mattered was that the place was hopping, the pizza was delicious, and the featured DJ did her job.

She smiled to herself behind the massive stacks of speakers and computer consoles that provided her the ability to truly express her talent. Her beats pulsed through the club with mathematical precision, perfectly balanced equations of tones and instrumental notes sampled from a dozen different musicians flowing through her system and out to wash over the crowd and move them.

Nopony could see, but her eyes were closed behind the opaque glasses she wore. Partly for style, the glasses were primarily because the unicorn could barely see the nose on her face. They also kept the comments about the color of her eyes to a minimum. The only times she ever took them off were to bathe or to sleep. Completely lost in the sounds she was producing, Vinyl snatched up a new record in her magic and slipped it seamlessly into its slot in the endless flow of her music. Hours would pass her by without notice, her mind lost in the equations and formulas of the sound. The only clue her set was about to end was the empty rack of records to her left. The entire complement had been shifted into the rack on her right. Shaking herself free of her trance, she made the same announcement she made after every show, "Thank you, everypony! I'm DJ-PON3 and it has been my great pleasure to keep you fillies and colts dancing all night! I hope to see each and every one of you at my next set!"

The crowd cheered for her as she thrust her hooves into the air, spinning the last two records on them as the digital tracks of her music thrummed down to the end. She smiled, breathing heavily as she always did after a set. Her mind may have been leading the music, but the music lead her body as it did everypony's.

The exhausted mare stepped down from her position in the booth and slipped over to the bar. A stool was vacated as she approached and she slipped onto it, the crowd of ponies rapidly thinning out now that the music had stopped. The owner came out from the back room and stood in front of her.

"Good show, Vee. Need a drink?" he asked with a bright smile.

"Thanks, just a nice cold bottle of water, please, Deck."

"No prob, here you go!" the stallion obliged, levitating a bottle over to her.

She twisted off the top and took a grateful drink. The shows always made her desperately thirsty, but only rarely remembered to actually drink during her set. The pony looked around the club and smiled. The dance floor was clearing steadily, but everypony looked happy and exhausted. She had done her job well tonight. Nodding to herself, Vinyl slugged the rest of her water and wandered over to lock up her equipment for the night. She had two more shows here and Deck always let her leave her gear. Securing it was just her OCD cropping up again. Deck was a trustworthy pony, but she never left anything out and unlocked, just in case.

Vinyl left the bar in high spirits, heading straight back to her small apartment as always. The walk was never interesting, until tonight, apparently.

"Miss Scratch?" came a slightly scratchy voice behind her.

Almost jumping out of her skin, the mare turned, horn glowing slightly to light the area. She was also ready to attack or defend as needed, no sense in letting all those self-defense classes go to waste, "Who's asking?"

"I apologize for startling you, but you had already left when I arrived. My name is Rustler Nash, and I would like to offer you a chance to perform for some of Canterlot's most prestigious individuals at a festival of the arts next month."

"You... do know all my music is electronic, right? I don't exactly play an instrument."

"I understand, Miss Scratch. We'd like to offer a full spectrum of musical talent. Please, take my card. Your tentative performance schedule is on the back. You will be compensated for your performances, of course. We're willing to offer your standard rate plus twenty percent."

"Tempting. I'll get back in touch with you tomorrow. I could use some sleep," she said, excusing herself with a yawn.

Mr. Nash bowed and turned, leaving the unicorn to her own devices. The trip back to her apartment was otherwise uneventful. Vinyl happily collapsed on her bed, dumping her covers over herself with her magic. Sleep found her swiftly as it always did after a good set, and the mare began to snore softly in short order. Dreams of sound waves and numbers wandered through her mind.

Octavia sighed and thumped a hoof off the wooden floor of the stage. The conductor was droning on about how the piece was supposed to make the listener feel and how best to express that with careful volume control and perfect play. Twirling her bow on her hoof, the earth pony cellist stared out past the unicorn conductor to the empty concert hall. In two days it would be filled with as many of the Canterlot elite as they could fit. Two more days of insufferable droning and never-ending practice sessions. Running a hoof through her mane, the mare shifted uncomfortably in the rickety metal chair she had been placed in.

Life as a session musician was something she only occasionally enjoyed. Her skill with the cello was unparalleled, and so she was in high demand. The fact of the matter remained that she was incredibly bored with classical music. She much preferred working with the small jazz bands that played the small clubs. The only reason Octavia ever worked for an orchestra was because they paid her extremely well. The small jobs were for the fun of it, and the release to go absolutely wild on her cello. The carefully measured notes of the songs she was constantly required to play for the orchestra felt restraining and while she enjoyed listening to it, playing it was insufferably dull. There was no room for improvisation. No room for true expression.

Finally, the conductor raised his wand, signalling that it was at last time to play. The cellist stood and balanced her instrument against her chest, settling her hoof onto the proper strings and lining up the bow. The elderly unicorn leading the orchestra counted off slowly and the song began. Octavia let her mind wander off, having played this particular piece at least a hundred times since her career began. She thought back to the offer she had received while tuning. A very nice gentlecolt had introduced himself as a Mr. Nash, and offered her several solo performances at the Canterlot Festival of the Arts.

It was the perfect opportunity. A smile spread across her lips as the mare thought of all the wonderful songs she could play without constraint. Different songs for each show even! This was going to be the best experience since the day she had gotten her cutie mark. She turned her purple eyes onto the rest of the orchestra around her. Not a single one had been approached by Nash other than herself. Octavia allowed her smile to take on a smug undertone while she played.

Several interminable hours later, gray coat slightly sweaty from the stage lighting, Octavia packed her cello away and slung it onto her back. She forced her way through several banal conversations on the way out, other performers hollowly complimenting her performance. Returning the majority of the compliments with false sincerity, aside from a rather attractive flautist who had done a stunning job with her performance. Afterward, the tired pony made her way out and off towards the apartment she temporarily called home. Her house in Ponyville was under remodeling, so she chose to stay in Canterlot while the work was done. It worked out well with the concert schedule she had, so why not.

Unlocking the door and entering, she carefully set her cello down in its place by the music stand in her sparsely furnished living area. A glass of wine and a small daisy sandwich were the perfect cap to the evening as she sat on her beaten old recliner and listened to some classic jazz on her record player. After tidying up the kitchen and carefully returning her record to its place on the shelf, she adjourned to the bath where she could cleanse herself of the sweat and stuck-up-edness of the practice session. The bowtie that forever adorned her neck was placed with care on its hook for retrieval in the morning.

At last clean and relaxed, it was time for this gray pony to sleep. Her temporary bed was a small futon set up against a wall on the far side of the studio apartment from the door. Making sure that her door was locked, Octavia laid herself down on the abused mattress and slowly dozed off. Her dreams were of success, a solo recording contract, and a few certain things she would never discuss in polite company.

Professional Courtesy

Vinyl woke late in the afternoon as usual. She picked up her glasses and slid them on with her magic, bringing the world back into clarity. Yawning, the unicorn fumbled around for the card that she had been given last night. The schedule on the back wasn't too packed, but it was definitely more sets scheduled than she had ever played in three days, with one on the main stage on Saturday as well. That could be her ticket to wider recognition. While she owned her own entertainment business and had released a small stack of CDs to local fans, the only work she ever got was here in Canterlot or down in Ponyville for one of Pinkie's innumerable parties. It was fun, but she wanted to go Equestria wide at some point. That and have a little profit to play with. At the moment she could barely afford to keep herself fed, as demonstrated by the breakfast of two slices of plain toast and a glass of tap water. Once in a while she would splurge on a box of cereal and some milk. Hopefully this little festival would bring in enough that she could actually go grocery shopping.

Having made her decision, she fumbled with the phone and dialed the number on the front. It rang several times before it was picked up.

The voice was scratchy and the pony behind it was obviously smiling, "Rustler Nash, Purveyor of Antiquities and Fine Arts."

"Mr. Nash? It's Vinyl Scratch. I've decided to accept your offer. It sounds like fun." she said into the receiver.

The stallion on the other ending chuckled softly, "Excellent. Your payment will arrive in about three days. Your standard appearance fee, plus twenty percent as offered. There will be somepony there when you arrive at the beginning of the festival to help you set up and find your way around."

"You're paying me in advance?" Vinyl asked, disbelief obvious in her voice.

"Of course, Miss Scratch. That way you are capable of buying anything you may need for the festival. If you have any new mixes by then as well, that would be a wonderful time to debut them."

"I've been meaning to finish a new one."

"Well, now's the time then. Nopony lives forever," Nash said, with a laugh at a joke only he got.

"I look forward to performing at the festival, Mr. Nash."

"I look forward to hearing your sets," he replied before hanging up the phone.

Vinyl sat at her table for a few moments, marking the calendar with the expected date of payment and the start of the festival. While it was next month, it was still only a couple of weeks away. She would have to plan her time carefully in order to finish her mix in time, "Well, no sense in putting it off," the unicorn said to nopony in particular, standing and heading out to the club to get to work. A few hours remained before the club actually opened, but that would be plenty of time to work on the mix a little before the customers arrived.

Octavia sat in her chair on the stage while the rest of the orchestra tuned around her. The crowd of ponies in the audience steadily grew as the musicians packing the stage prepared to perform. She spotted her parents in the audience and gave a soft wave. Her mother smiled and waved back while her father busied himself with a particularly stubborn knot in his tie. The mare guessed that her father was still a little upset about their discussion the month before, but her mother had assured her that the old colt would come around eventually.

The cellist just smiled and returned to tuning the instrument cradled carefully in her arms. Once she was satisfied that it was perfectly tuned for classical music instead of the jazz she preferred, she sat back down to rest until the concert began. The violinist next to her leaned over, smirking.

"Who you wavin' at, Octavia? Got a coltfriend in the audience?"

"Not that it is any of your business, Fiddle, but I was waving to my parents."

"Ah, came to the show did they? That was nice of them, considering the issue..."

A shocked look crossed the cellist's features for a split second before it returned to its usual serene and concentrating gaze, "Now, whoever told you that, Fiddle? I assure you my parents are completely fine."

"I heard that your father was more than a little upset when he found out his son wanted to be his daughter."

The silence in air was thick enough that those ponies who overheard had trouble breathing. Octavia turned slowly toward the violinist, purple eyes glaring at him. Her voice was cold, sending a shiver down the still-eavesdropping ponies spines, "I am going to overlook that comment, Fiddler, due to professional courtesy. However, should you bring up the subject again, I will see if you can play that violin without your horn. Do you understand?"

The unicorn felt the world grow cold around him as Octavia seemingly drew the heat from the air to fuel the flames of her anger. He nodded softly and turned away, staring at his sheet music with dead eyes. The cellist returned her face to a relaxed, professional smile. The conductor finally tapped his stand, and she stood, setting the cello against her and balancing on her hind legs. She fell into the familiar stance with practiced ease and began to play on cue. Her mind wandered off again into places she'd rather be and songs she'd rather be playing.

The music flooding the hall entertained her, so long as the pony could pretend she was sitting in the audience with her parents and not up here playing it. The long night continued to drag on as her hoof flew over the strings and the bow coaxed the beautiful sounds out of her instrument.

At long last the concert came to an end, and Octavia bowed gracefully with the other performers to the applause of the audience. She began to pack up as the curtains swung close. Her music went into the folder passed around by the conductor before she placed her cello carefully in her case. Nestling her bow in its slot, she closed the cover and latched it as a set of hoofsteps approached. She looked up to see her mother standing there, smiling.

"That was beautiful, dear," she said, pulling her daughter into a hug.

"Thank you, mother. I am just glad that this dreadful concert is over. You know how I detest playing the same thing over and over."

"I know, sweetie, but you do it so wonderfully, even your father agreed."

"Where is he, anyway?" the cellist asked as she hefted her gear back onto her back.

"Oh, he left already. Don't worry, dear, he'll come around."

"You keep saying that, but it's been months."

The older pony gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek and nuzzled her softly, "He's an old fashioned pony, dear, and stubborn as a mule. A trait you inherited."

Octavia rolled her eyes and made for the backstage exit, her mother following her to the door, "Well, I have to go home and prepare for the festival. I was offered time on the main stage on Saturday night!"

"Oh! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you, mother. I hope you and father will come?"

"Of course, Tavi. We'll be there for as many of your shows as possible."

The cellist smiled and nuzzled her mother affectionately before pushing the door open and entering the brisk night air, "Good night, mother. I'm glad you came."

"Good night, dear. I'll see you at the festival."

Octavia skipped lightly as she returned home, just once or twice. It always made her happy to see her mother and she tried to block out her little conversation with Fiddler. The gall of that stallion, to mention such a sensitive subject in such a public manner. A sigh escaped her lips as she entered the elevator of her apartment complex. She heard a shout coming from behind her and paused.

"Hey! Hold that elevator!" a panicked-looking white unicorn yelled, running toward her.

Octavia stepped aside, giving the other mare room to enter and holding down the button to keep the doors from closing. The unicorn entered, breathing heavily, "Thank you!" she gasped as the bags of groceries she was holding in her telekinesis caught up and filled the space around the mares.

"You're welcome... That's a lot of food, are you having a party?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh, no, no. I don't get paid often, so I stock up on the essentials whenever I do."

"You...don't get paid often?"

"I'm a musician, so, money is occasionally hard to come by."

Octavia searched her mind, wondering if she could possibly have seen this, rather beautiful she let herself admit, unicorn before. She knew several white coated unicorns who played in various jazz bands, but none had her mane color or wore such... interesting glasses, "I don't find it that hard. My cello is in high demand. What do you play?"

Vinyl tilted her head at the gray mare she was sharing the elevator with, "The cello? I love classical music! I'm afraid my, uh, instrument is less suited to it. I'm a DJ."

Octavia smiled, recognition showing on her face, "You're Vinyl Scratch! DJ-PON3! I didn't know you lived here. I'm Octavia, I live in 313."

"You're kidding," the unicorn deadpanned.

"No, why?"

"I, uh, live in 314."

They both blinked in silence for a moment until the bell dinged and the doors opened to the third floor. Both stepped out at once and walked alongside each other, "So," Octavia said, speaking up, "You're the mare who vacuums at 4 in the morning and crashes into her furniture?"

A smirk grew on Vinyl's lips, "And you would be the crazy earth pony who plays the cello all day and sings in the bath."

The mare glanced to the side, a slight blush of embarrassment barely visible beneath her coat. She cleared her throat as they reached their apartments, "Well, neighbor, it was good to meet you. Will you be at the festival next month?"

"Of course, I've got stage time all weekend, but they put me on the main stage on Saturday. I'm really looking forward to it."

"Oh, my! Well, I have stage time Saturday as well, perhaps I'll see you there. Good night."

"Night, Octavia," Vinyl said with a smile and entered her apartment.

Octavia caught herself staring at the other mare's flank as the door on 314 shut. Shaking her head, she entered her own apartment and set her cello down, flopping onto her futon and staring up at the ceiling for a while before finally dozing off.

Vinyl, meanwhile, was putting her groceries away and humming a tune while she did. Her neighbor was definitely cute, but something was off. Maybe it was the odd cadence of her voice, or something about the way she walked. Shrugging to herself, she returned to putting things where they belonged, glad to be fully stocked on food supplies for the month with money left over. Turned out she was being paid by the individual performance and not by the day as she had thought. Hopefully, her performances would garner some attention and she could finally move out of this tiny apartment.

Festival of the Arts

Despite the beginning of the famous Canterlot Festival of the Arts, this particular Thursday dawned with little fanfare. The weatherponies were required to hold the rain until after the events of the day, but they had already moved the clouds into place before the notice from the Princess. Vinyl and Octavia both dragged themselves out of bed far earlier than either mare would have liked. Even living completely separate, their morning routines were remarkably similar. Though her mane looked wild, Vinyl actually had to spend quite a bit of time making sure it was the right kind of wild. A quick breakfast and both ponies were out of the door, nearly colliding in the hallway.

"Whoa! Sorry... Octavia was it?"

"Good Morning, Miss Scratch," the cellist replied, positioning her bow tie back where it belonged and resettling her cello, "I hadn't expected to run into you, almost literally."

"Please just call me Vinyl. I have to get down to the festival to make sure all of my equipment arrived intact and get whatever flying monkeys they provide to set it up on the stage for my first show."

"Flying mon...? Oh, a joke... Well, I just wanted to arrive early to see the other performers and get some funnel cake."

Vinyl just smiled and started walking toward the elevator. Octavia followed close and tried to search for a fresh topic of conversation. She again caught herself staring at the DJ's flank while they waited for the elevator. The unicorn said something that completely missed the other mare's ears and she nodded dumbly before blinking herself out of her early morning stupor, "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, if you're going to stare at my flank, at least be less obvious about it."

"I-I... How..."

"The door is reflective."

"I-I'm sorry. I was just... erm... admiring your cutie mark?" the cellist suggested half-heartedly. The blush forming under her coat growing obvious.

Vinyl snickered softly as the elevator opened. She stepped inside and waited a few moments as her neighbor just stood there, dumbstruck, "Are you going to get in here or wait for the next one?"

Octavia shook her head softly and nodded, getting into the elevator next to the unicorn. The ride down was quiet, the silence only slightly awkward. The door opened into the lobby of the complex and both mares exited to the streets in short order. They walked together for a time, talking about subjects from the weather to what booths they were most looking forward to and what other performers they hoped would be playing. However, upon reaching the festival, they went their separate ways.

Vinyl made her way to the south end of the complex where her first set would be. A small stage on one of the outlying pavilions, surrounded by booths for the electronic crowd. Octavia's was far at the north end, and she took her time getting there. Passing through various sections, she purchased some new resin for her bow, and several sets of rather expensive strings for the cello itself. They were the only brand she ever used and the only time she could reliably purchase them was at this festival every year. The strings were available through pegasus post, but this was just cheaper and she was able to have a long conversation with the vendor about the merits of these steel strings over other materials and compositions.

About an hour before her first performance, Octavia found herself backstage tuning her instrument. The current performance was a trio of gentlecolts singing in a folksy style. She stole a peek around the curtain as they began a new song and marveled at their peculiar movements. The only other place she had seen such movements was at the science fair when a particularly crazy pony had demonstrated something he called humanitronics. It was incredible to see. The music was quite good too. The harmony capable by the three colts was amazing. She made a note to see if they had any recordings of their music available for purchase after they were done.

Vinyl, meanwhile, was suffering through a sonic nightmare. The music surrounding the stage she was to perform on was incredibly chaotic, and it all came from one pony with more gear than sense. Her equipment had all arrived, but there was a malfunction in one of her speakers. She traced the fault to a blown resistor and replaced it before directing three rather burly earth ponies on where to place everything on the wheeled rack she had prepared. It allowed her to move the rig from place to place at a concert such as this once it was set up. After shouting herself raw over the music to make sure they understood where everything was supposed to go, she slammed her headphones on just to drown out the music while she made sure the wiring was in place and the electronics were properly set for the beginning of the set. It was an older mix of hers, but one she enjoyed immensely. The professional was saving her new mix for the center stage.

Not long after the obviously tone deaf pony finished what could only loosely be called a set was silently glared off stage by his audience, Vinyl's rig was wheeled out to the front and she waved at a few ponies she recognized. Getting a low throbbing beat going first, she smiled, peeked out from behind her shades, and turned on the microphone, "Alright, everypony, good to see you. Let's see if I can't heal some of those wounded eardrums."

With a flashy twirl, the first record landed on its turntable and the show began. The lights on the stage flashed and blinked in perfect harmony with the sounds flowing from her speakers. She heard a slight glitch coming from somewhere and fixed it before anypony noticed. Looking out over the gathering crowd, the unicorn was surprised that so many of her fans had shown up this early. Most of them made owls look like early risers. Nodding along to the music, she let herself go and got lost in the endless stream of music.

The hours of the festival passed quickly. Vinyl spent the time between her sets setting up for the next one and getting drinks and food where she could. Octavia took a little time to browse some of the artist stands and purchase some recordings or a poster here and there. She ended up having a large bag filled with souvenirs when the events of the day finally drew to a close. The two again met at the gate as they began to head home.

"Octavia!" Vinyl shouted to the earth pony with an exhausted smile, "How'd it go?"

The cellist returned the smile with equal exhaustion, "It went well. I had a chance to catch one of your sets in the early afternoon. It was a mix I hadn't heard before."

"Yeah... I have a bunch of 'unreleased' stuff since producing recordings can get a bit expensive."

"I've just never bothered. We should hurry back to the apartments before the rain begins."

As if on cue, the clouds opened and began to drench the mares. Octavia sighed and tried to shelter her bag under her chest and wished she had remembered an umbrella. As she hoped that the rain would not last long so she could actually return home, she felt the drops stop hitting her. Looking up, she spotted the pale blue aura of her companions magic sheltering the two of them from the rain.

"If you don't mind walking home next to me, I can keep us dry."

Octavia smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Vinyl," she said before picking her bag back up as the two wandered down the sidewalk toward their apartments.

Double-booked

Neither mare slept well Friday night. The stress of the past two days coupled with the anticipation of being center stage the following night kept the two up far past their bed time. Saturday dawned bright and sunny, much to their displeasure. Exiting the apartment building together as they had, Octavia was surprised as she spotted two ponies standing nearby arguing. She approached the pair with a smile, Vinyl following behind out of curiousity.

"I told you, Berry, she lives here!"

"Nonono, It was apartment 42, 314..."

"You reversed the numbers, Punchy,"

Octavia giggled behind them as the magenta pony sighed and deferred to her ginger-maned companion. The two turned at the giggle and lit up with smiles, "Tavi! It's so good to see you!"

"Berry! Carrot! I'm glad you two could make it today. I'm so excited about performing on the center stage!"

"We're both excited too. We haven't gotten to hear you perform this entire time your house is being remodeled."

Vinyl's ears perked up, "You have a house in Canterlot!?"

Octavia turned to her unicorn friend. She hoped they were close enough now to be friends at least. The explanation of her home in Ponyville started to leave her lips before she was rudely interrupted by Berry Punch.

"Oooh, Who's this, Tavi? Did you finally find a marefriend?"

The cellist's eyes went wide and her brain and mouth got into a fight over what to say, resulting in nothing but a dumbfounded stutter. Vinyl looked at something she suddenly found incredibly interesting somewhere to the left of the group of ponies as a blush formed under her white coat, turning it pink. Carrot Top giggled and punched Berry softly in the shoulder.

Eventually, Octavia's brain got her mouth under control and managed to force it to spit out, "We-we're just friends."

The unicorn nodded in agreement and spoke in her defense, "Turns out we're both musicians and live across the hall from each other and we both have shows at the festival," she said, turning to look at her neighbor with a squint, "Now what's this about having a house?"

"Oh, I have a house down in Ponyville that's being remodeled. I was staying here in Canterlot for some orchestra concerts and now the festival."

"Why didn't you ever mention this before?"

Octavia shrugged, "It never came up."

"Well, girls, we'll be late for the opening ceremonies if we don't leave now," Carrot said, coming to her friend's defense before the conversation delayed them further. The foursome headed off in the direction of the festival grounds. They arrived just as Princess Celestia began her speech praising the performers and announcing her plan to spend more bits on artistic education in Equestrian schools the coming year. Somehow the funds had been diverted to things that some schools didn't even have access to. Luna stood next to her sister and made a speech of her own, about how she wished some of the artists she heard at night would come perform. The Princess of the Night also commented on how she was flattered that so many of the modern musicians and composers found inspiration in the night-time sky.

Octavia made a mental note to play one of her night inspired pieces at her center show. The speeches ended with some fireworks cast by the princesses themselves. The final day of the Festival had officially begun. The musicians said their good-byes to each other and the two earth pony visitors before scampering off to their first shows. Berry and Carrot wandered the grounds and partook of many of the snacks available.

After observing one of Vinyl's sets, the couple wandered in the direction of their old friend, talking amongst themselves, "They're a good match," Carrot said to her marefriend.

"Oh, definitely. Not the same, but not too different. Now the question is, will Vinyl be able to handle Tavi's secrets?"

The ginger maned mare shrugged helplessly, "Nopony can say. She looks like she has a good head on her shoulders. If the club scene is still like you used to tell me about, she's probably heard worse."

Berry got a look on her face and then nodded before proceeding to enter the line for the beer tent.

Carrot sighed and looked at her marefriend, "This early, Berry? C'mon, let's go watch Tavi play for a while first."

"Oh fine, Top."

The two continued their wandering, eventually stumbling across the cellist in the middle of a long and impassioned piece. They stood watching in rapt attention. Despite her exhaustion, the mare on stage seemed to have found a deep well of energy to pour into her music. Her face was contorted in concentration as her hoof and bow flew across the strings. Time had no meaning to the mare known as Octavia anymore. All that mattered was the music.

Hours later, the four were back together, having a small bite to eat at one of the diners that sprang up on the festival grounds only to vanish as soon as the show ended. They chatted amicably until an announcement came over the speakers, "Would Vinyl Scratch and Octavia please report to center stage."

The two groaned and stood, Octavia hefting her case onto her back as they all left for the hub of the concert arena. On approach, they noticed that Vinyl's rig was already set up, "Guess I'm up first," the unicorn smirked as they entered back stage.

Mr. Nash was there with a nervous look on his face, "Heh, hello, ladies."

"Mr. Nash," the two musicians said in unison.

"We have a slight hiccup in scheduling. Turns out you two are our last performers and you both have an hour... but you both have the same hour. Now, I really must be going!" he said, galloping off as the two stood there in stunned silence. Berry tried to follow the colt, but he managed to escape somewhere out of sight. Returning, she saw the unicorn and cellist facing off against each other. At a subtle signal from her marefriend, both of them subtly vanished off into the night.

"Well, Octavia... Seems we have a problem."

"Indeed we do, Vinyl. I submit that I should get the hour, since I play actual music."

"Actual music? You call the sound of a cat being used to play catch being pegasi music?"

Octavia's face remained stone calm, "Excuse me? I highly doubt that fiddling with old records and a soundboard really qualifies as anything other than being a wedding DJ."

Vinyl's eye twitched behind her ever-present shades, "What did you just say? I'll have you know that each and every one of my sets are mathematical perfection. Every note and tone is planned exactly down to the millisecond!"

"And you call that music? Please! Precision is another word for boring. Real musicians can simply play what comes to the heart and move pony's souls!"

The argument grew steadily more heated until they were shouting loud enough to almost be heard over the music of the current performer. Just before the disagreement would likely have come to blows, Octavia leaned in and kissed Vinyl full on the lips.

The unicorn stood there in shock before backing away with a blush covering her face, "Wh-what the hell was that?!"

"You mean... We were not flirting?"

"Flirting?! Where would you get that idea!?" Vinyl said, trying to recapture her stolen breath.

"It... It's the way my parents always did it..." Octavia said with a blush of her own, looking out toward the stage, "If... If you didn't like it... I can let you have the hour, you need the bits."

Vinyl just stuttered, trying to figure out what to say as the earth pony retreated from the room. Finally coming up with something, she chased down her neighbor, "Tavi! Wait!" she shouted.

"What is it? I thought I was perfectly civil."

"It's... It's not about that... I actually liked it," she muttered the last sentence, though the cellist's sensitive ears managed to catch it, "How about... you go on first for half an hour, and then I'll go on afterward. Even split."

"That... sounds like a fine compromise. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"It was just... unexpected is all," the unicorn said as the roar of the crowd rushed into the backstage area signaling their impending performance, "We can talk about that later. Get out there and wow those ponies, but leave some for me!"

Octavia smiled and nodded, trotting toward the stage as a trio of grungy, exhausted colts and an overly made-up mare exited the main stage. She entered the view of the incredibly large gathering of ponies of all types, including the princesses, and was greeted with soft applause.

She carefully took her cello out of its case and set it against her chest, balancing perfectly on her hind legs. They shook a little at first, discouraged after spending so much time in this position the last few days, but held. Ignoring the eyes upon her, she tested the strings with an experimental caress of her bow. Finding the tone satisfactory, Octavia begin to play. The half hour she had allotted flew by in no time at all. Her mind and body flew from piece to piece without pause until Vinyl appeared on stage next to her. She finished the song she had been playing before bowing softly and retreating back stage to applause.

Sitting in a chair and sipping some water, she listened to Vinyl's set and determined that she was being proven wrong throughout the show. Not wishing for a confrontation or an awkward discussion in public, the earth pony finished her water, hefted her cello, and took her leave.

Secrets

Octavia rose bright and early the following Monday, having spent the day after the festival packing for her return to Ponyville. Her friends had the double-agenda of letting her know that the remodel was completely finished. It was finally time to return home and bid this tiny apartment farewell. No more concerts were planned and she had absolutely no desire to stick around and deal with snobby noblecolts trying to worm their way into her pants or wallet or both. The last time she had tried to suffer through the advances of some Lord something-or-other, the date had ended with all parties involved embarrassed, covered in fondue, and unlikely to ever make eye contact again.

Her personal items were boxed and waiting for the moving company that would be arriving later. The cellist planned to take the train and return home early to make sure everything was properly done. As she exited her apartment, she heard something slam into the door on the opposite side of the hallway, followed by a loud shout of pain. Realizing she hadn't seen her neighbor since before her performance, Octavia carefully knocked.on the door, "Vinyl? Are you okay in there?"

The musicians sensitive ears could hear someone shuffling around before the door slowly opened a crack, "Tavi? Dat you?" the mare hidden in the dark asked. The smell of booze and vomit leaked out into the hall and Octavia scrunched her nose.

"It's me."

"Oh, thought it wash ponylord again."

"Ponylord?"

"Landlord. Shilly Tavi. Comin' by to get somethin I ain't got," Vinyl had slipped so far out of her usual Canterlot accent she was starting to sound like one of the ponies who sold apples in the market.

"Something you do not have? Rent? You don't have rent?"

Vinyl let the door swing open further, revealing the horrible mess that was the DJ's living space. Empty bottles of liquor and wine were strewn about the entire place, and a small pool of liquid was slowly drying next to the chair. The unicorn had smears of the same liquid on her face and her right hoof. Her glasses were nowhere to be seen and her deep red eyes were even redder from their bloodshot state. The drunk's mane was in complete disarray, though that made it look almost tidy, "Course I don't! I din git a single gorram deal last night or today! Can't pay rent if I ain't got bits, right?"

"Celestia, Vinyl, why didn't you say something? I could have helped you out."

"Pffffffft," Vinyl let out, failing to contain some drunken laughter, "Lil miss priss homeowner helpin out lil ol dj scratchy? Why in Tartarus would somepony bother helpin out a mare like me. Hell, that kiss last night was... was prolly just a big ol joke to you! Get some headlines and boost your career! Famous cellisht revealed fillyfooler!"

"N-Now see here!"

"No, you see. I've been workin my flank off since High School. I've got me own business, my own gorram fanclub, and I can't even keep myself fed on a regler bassist. Some priss miss like yerself couldn' unnerstand."

Octavia sighed and set her cello case down, "Vinyl. You're my friend, and you're obviously drunk off your plot, so I'm going to put this as simply as I can. Pack a bag, sober up a little, and come to Ponyville for a break. You can stay with me, I'll have your... equipment shipped, and you can get back on your feet without worrying about rent, okay?"

"You... you'd lemme shtay with ya?"

"Of course. Come on, wash that... whatever that is off your face... and grab your toothbrush. It's time for a vacation."

"Wuh... What about ma stuff?"

"I'll have someone on the moving crew pack up what's salvageable and bring it along with my stuff."

"O-oh... Then I, uh, should... Wait here, k?" Vinyl said with a blush before closing the door and galloping off into the apartment.

Octavia sat in the hallway, straightening her bow tie in the reflective glass of the apartment door while various disconcerting sounds snaked their way through the gaps in the door. Thuds, scrapes, bangs, and then the sound of shattering glass caused the cellist to wince. Eventually, Vinyl re-emerged from the apartment, carefully closing the door behind her. She had cleaned herself up a bit and put her opaque glasses back where they belonged. It helped to hide her bloodshot eyes as she staggered into the hallway, levitating a suitcase behind her. It wobbled just as much as she did, so the earth pony strapped it between her cello and her back to ease the struggle for her friend.

The two took the elevator down after Octavia left a note for the moving crew and one on Vinyl's behalf to the landlord. They walk to the train quickly became a trudge thanks to the alcohol coursing through the unicorn's system. The sun was not being kind either, causing her to sweat profusely, "Sweet Celestia... Why'd she have to go and make today hot..."

"It's only hot because you're drunk. We're almost to the train station, it'll be cooler down in Ponyville."

Vinyl just nodded and suffered in silence until the reached the station and boarded. Flopping onto one of the available seats, the unicorn quickly passed out, snoring loudly. Her earth pony companion too the seat next to her and tried to decide how she should feel. Part of her was happy to have a roommate. The house really had too much space for a single pony. The other part was worried that the unicorn would find out certain things that the cellist would rather be kept secret. She could sense the DJ had a few secrets of her own. The way the unicorn had acted when she packed was a bit suspicious, and the suitcase seemed rather light and unassuming for something locked so many times.

Shaking herself slightly, Octavia slid into a more relaxed position in her seat. Vinyl's head fell over and landed on her at that point, right next to her own face. In any other situation she would have found it cute, but the smell of booze and... other things coming out of the mare's muzzle ruined the image. Pushing the drunk away, she stood and hunted down the cafe car. Returning with two cups of coffee and some mint gum, she nudged the unicorn awake, "Here, coffee and something for your breath," she said with a grimace.

"Mmmm, coffee..." Vinyl said, taking a sip and grimacing like her friend, "Ugh, train coffee. Better than no coffee..."

With a sigh, the two mares sipped their drinks before Octavia forced her companion to chew the gum. It did wonders for the air quality in the train car. After the unicorn slipped back into the clutches of alcoholic nothingness, the cellist sat across from her charge and thought. She wondered if the drinking was stress related and would pass, or a sign of alcoholism. Berry Punch would know better than she would.

Letting her eyes travel over the sleeping... no, not an angel, not with her tongue lolled out and a snot bubble inflating and deflating on her nose, the earth pony again let herself consider the advantages of being open about her sexuality. The unicorn was quite beautiful, when she wasn't hammered. There was something interesting about her. The passion that Vinyl felt for her music, despite the precision with which she played, or perhaps because of it, had served to only increase Octavia's desire to be closer to her.

By the time the train had pulled into the station at Ponyville, Vinyl's situation had gone from "still drunk" to "Full-blown hangover." The poor mare staggered off the train into the bright sun, shading her eyes even behind her sunglasses before running off to a secluded location to purge her stomach. Octavia waited politely out of sight until the unicorn was finished before helping Vinyl back to her feet and nudging her along towards the main village.

"Ugh, I feel awful..."

"You drank quite a bit."

"Don't remind me..." the DJ said, spitting a little onto the grass as they walked, "I hope you have something to drink cause my mouth tastes..."

"Don't worry, Vinyl, I'll be going to the market once I get you in bed."

Both mares blushed as the cellist realized what she just said, "While I'm flattered, Tavi... I'm a little too hungover."

"I...That... You know what I meant!" she shouted, drawing a raised eyebrow from a passing pegasus.

Vinyl giggled, then gagged and swayed, "I need out of this sun... NOW..."

Octavia nodded and turned a corner, "It's right here anyway," she said, pointing to a large house situated in a copse of trees close to the market but not so close as to have noise pollution from the commotion.

The DJs jaw dropped and she stopped in her tracks, looking at the sheer size of the place, "You... You live here?!"

"Yes?"

Slightly cheerier than her hangover should have allowed, the unicorn started to trot forward, "Wow! After I wake up, I want the full tour. Sheesh, first you think I'm cute, then it turns out you have a massive house in Ponyville. What else are you keeping a secret from me?"

The cellist was glad that her friend was looking the other way as she looked down at the ground. One thought trickled through her head before she moved to catch up and enter the house, 'If only you knew...'

Homecoming

Octavia put her key into the lock of the front door of her home. It was great to finally be back. The lock clicked smoothly and the door opened easily. Looking around, she took in the view of her remodeled home. The kitchen had been expanded enough to allow for the larger freezer and bigger range. The new bar jutting out to partially separate it from the dining area had been decorated with a fruit bowl for her return. Entering, she moved into the room on the left, looking at the couches and chairs set in a semi-circle facing the fire place. Through the door in the back was the large music room, designed for acoustics, and soundproofed from the outside so she could play loudly at night without disturbing her neighbors. She placed the cello in its stand and exited, wondering where Vinyl had gone.

Trotting up the stairs to the second level, there was a room straight ahead with her cutie mark engraved on the door. Next to it sat a guest room, across the hall from another guest room. A bathroom sat next to this second guest room and a small office and study was nestled in the corner with a window that looked out over Ponyville. Vinyl had made her way into one of the guest rooms and collapsed on the bed after drawing all the curtains closed. The beds had all been made with creations from Rarity's boutique, as were all the curtains and other cloth dressings of the house. It had cost her quite a few bits, but it was worth it to turn it from the old family house of bad memories into a new comfortable home for herself and anypony who happened to move in.

It seemed that she already had a house guest before even settling in. Entering the master bathroom off of her bedroom, the cellist stretched and removed her bow tie before undoing the bobby pins that kept her mane in place. Running the water until it was piping hot, the mare climbed into the tub and stretched out. Adding a small dash of scented salts, she relaxed in the steamy room. Reaching for the cloth that was in the place she expected, the earth pony began to wash her coat clean of the scum of sitting on a train and suffering Canterlot nobility. It had been far too long since Octavia had allowed herself the luxury of a bath. An idle thought wondered if she could convince her unicorn charge to join her for a spa visit in the near future.

Thinking about the mare sleeping in the other bedroom, Octavia blushed and sunk a little lower in the tub. Vinyl was a pony with a lot of world experience, so, surely her little secret would not cause a freak out. She was still ashamed of it, however, and the thought of revealing it to someone she had become so infatuated with caused her heart rate to spike. It was an unpleasant feeling. Her parents hadn't reacted very well when she had decided to ignore that particular part of her anatomy. The rest of her body was that of a mare, why not live as one? The feminine sway to her hips, the curve of her flank, even her face and mane screamed mare to the world.

Living as a colt had been uncomfortable. Forced to speak in a lower register caused her voice to tire far too quickly. She was mocked entering the colt's locker room in school, and refused entry to the fillies rooms. It had taken constant political maneuvering on her part, as well as an audience with both of the Princesses in order to receive legal permission to live as she felt right. There remained the matter of that blasted appendage between her hind legs. It was well hidden much of the time, but had the most annoying tendency to pop up at the most inopportune times. One day, perhaps, Octavia would get up the nerve to ask the Princesses for a spell to change it. A hoof impacted her face as she remembered that she should have just asked while she was at the audience the first time. Perhaps Twilight would know a spell. The local librarian slash national hero slash Element of Magic would perhaps be willing to help.

She sighed, playing cello in front of thousands of ponies was far easier than asking one pony to help with such an intimate issue. Personal issues aside, she was glad Vinyl had agreed to stay with her. It would be a boon having the unicorn around to help with keeping the house in order and perhaps they could work on something for the Summer Sun Celebration that was coming soon. The main celebration would be in Trottingham this year, but Ponyville always held a festival in town. Cello and ... Did Vinyl's music even have a genre? It was definitely electronic, but her knowledge of the hundreds of subgenres was minimal. To her, it was all techno.

Finally extracting herself from the water, feeling physically clean for the first time in months, Octavia dried herself and returned to her bedroom to redo her hair and retrieve a clean bow tie. The moving crew was due in about three hours, so perhaps a trip to the market before her house guest woke up would be in order. Rarity had provided all the interior decorating, but surely nopony had gone grocery shopping. Retrieving her pouch of bits, the cellist penned a quick note to Vinyl and rested it on the nightstand next to the sleeping unicorn. Heading out the door, the earth pony took in the view of the town in front of her, finally home.

Small Town Rumors

Octavia entered the marketplace with her bits in hoof and a pair of empty saddlebags ready to be filled with the essential items two mares would need for the house to truly become a home. Her first destination appeared, a small stand that offered various toiletries and sundries that everypony needed, but only so often. Several dozen bits later, and with everything carefully balanced between her containers, the cellist had procured new toothbrushes, a set of manebrushes for herself and a few fresh rolls of papier de toilette.

Humming one of her tunes to herself, trying to find a spot to add in another flourish when she subconsciously began to add some of Vinyl's particular brand of backing beats. The cellist rolled her eyes and moved on to a particular vegetable stand nestled between Applejack's cart full of fresh apples and a stand specializing in herbs and spices, "Hello, Carrot Top!"

"Octavia! Great to see you. Finally back in Ponyville?"

"Indeed. I arrived about an hour ago, my possessions should arrive this evening."

"And your marefriend?"

"M-marefriend!?" Octavia shouted, perhaps a little too loudly. Applejack raised a single eyebrow before returning to polishing the apple in her hoof, "Vinyl is not my marefriend. She is a friend who has fallen on hard times."

The ginger behind the counter smirked and nodded, "Uh-huh, sure. She's just a roomie. Stop lying to yourself, Tavi. You saw what that did to Twilight last year, right?"

Rolling her eyes, the cellist grabbed a few carrots, placing them in her bag and returning the requisite bits to the table, "As much as I admit she is very attractive, I doubt she would be willing to pursue a relationship with a freak like me."

Carrot facehoofed, "Sweetie, you're not a freak. Berry can drink about 8 barrels of Sweet Apple's Own before she even feels buzzed, does that make her a freak?"

A very quiet, "Yes," came from the apple seller next door, followed by an innocent whistle. The vegetable merchant sighed and turned back to her friend, "Look, you like this filly, right? Tell her, figure it out, and go with it."

Sighing, Octavia maneuvered closer to the stand and picked up a few other vegetables she needed. Her friend's carrots were the best quality anywhere, but all her vegetables were top notch, "In a small town like this? The rumors alone..."

"Rumors? Oh, like Berry's a full blown alcoholic because she's always drunk at social functions? That's the only time she's drunk. Caramel being a coltcuddler cause of the way he hangs out with Big Mac? They're cousins! It's rumors, that's all and if you let them get to you, well, you could end up like the entire town did during the Discord Incident."

A shiver ran through the cellist, "Don't remind me!"

"Sorry. Seriously though, ignore the rumors and tell her. I saw the way you two looked at each other before your little 'show' before your show."

Nodding, Octavia waved a hoof, "I'll try and work up the nerve later. At the moment, I have more supplies to buy. Remodeling tends to leave the cupboards a bit bare."

"Right, well, stop by Berry's stand, she's got a new liquor you might like."

"I will," the gray pony said, trotting over to Applejack's stand to procure a bushel for snacking before making her way through the rest of the market towards a tent set in the shade with a very happy magenta pony standing underneath it, a still bubbling away next to her.

"Tavi! You're back!" Berry Punch shouted while getting out a bottle and two small glasses, pouring a small bit of liquid into both.

"Before you say anything about Vinyl, your wife took care of it."

"Right, right. Still, I'd like you to try my new brew. I think it almost has enough punch to be Berry's Punch..."

Octavia sniffed the glass offered to her, noting the heady aroma of a good whiskey with undertones of a multitude of berries. As the smell flowed through her nostrils, she raised an eyebrow, "Is there even alcohol in this?"

"I know, can't smell it right? I guarantee, this much?" she said, holding up the bare centimeter in the glass before knocking it back, "will knock Big Mac right on his flank."

The other mare blinked, her mind glazing over slightly, "Oh, wow, I can feel it just from that sniff. I think I'll pass on tasting it until this weekend."

"This weekend?"

"I'm having a house warming party, of course. I may be a bit 'stuffy' but I do like company as much as anypony. She's right behind me, isn't she?" Octavia asked with a downcast expression.

Berry nodded and shrugged as she slipped down behind the counter in case it came to blows. Her cellist friend was still a bit sore about the Gala incident a few years back and she did not need to be a part of this.

For her part, the gray pony turned slowly with a sigh, "Hello Pinkamena. You heard 'party,' didn't you?"

The pink party pony nodded vigorously, "Yup! And it's Pinkie, silly Tavi! I didn't know you were having a housewarming party! You absolutely have to let me cater it. You can't have a party in Ponyville without Pinkie or it wouldn't be a good story!"

"Story? What? Ugh, Pinkie, look, if you can promise me not to invite everypony in town, just mutual friends, no more than 10, and bring cupcakes that go well with Berry's new blend... Then you can plan it."

"Oh, don't worry about a thing! Also, what's this I hear about DJ-PON3 being your marefriend? Her and I go way, way back!"

Octavia sighed and facehoofed, too tired from shopping and moving to wish to deal with this pink menace, "She is not my marefriend at the moment, she is simply a guest who is down on her luck. Perhaps later, but for now... Also, how did you know she was even here?"

"Silly Tavi, Pinkie knows everything! Now hurry home, she should be waking up soon," Pinkie said, shoving Octavia out of the tent after placing two bottles of wine in her saddlebags and placing some bits on the counter. The cellist stammered out a few questions, but the party planner was already gone.

Sighing, the earth pony trotted back through town, stopping to pick up some bread and muffins at Sugarcube Corner, noting the suspicious absence of their premier salespony.

Making her way back home, saddlebags laden with the fruits of her labor, the cellist though about the situation she found herself in. She had only planned on inviting Berry, Carrot, and if Star had the time, her as well. However, now that Pinkie Pie of all ponies was involved, she had no idea how many ponies would be filling her home Saturday night. Entering the main room and making directly for the kitchen, Octavia began to put away her groceries as a moaning came from the stairs. The light clop of hooves followed as Vinyl descended the stairs. Before the DJ had even reached the kitchen, her housemate had already filled a glass of water and set it in easy reach of the unicorn.

Sipping it and obviously wishing her sunglasses were darker, she croaked out a thank you before slipping into the dining area and leaning against the bar, "Never let me drink like that again."

"Sorry to say, Miss Scratch, but Berry is bringing a new blend over on Saturday night for a housewarming party, and Pinkie is catering."

"PINKIE?!" the DJ shouted, then winced at the volume of her own voice before burying her head in her forelegs and moaning, "I love her parties, hopefully my rig gets here so I can spin some tracks for her."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be here sometime this evening. Also, you may want these," Octavia said, sliding over a small pouch of nuts.

Recognizing them immediately, Vinyl smiled and levitated them into her mouth, chewing briefly before grimacing, then swallowing, "Aaah, my headache is already fading..."

"I had a feeling you would need something and no one in town sells aspirin or any other artificial pain relief."

"Sometimes the natural stuff is best," the unicorn said taking a sip of her water and smiling. She relaxed in the chair and watched Octavia put away groceries, eyes hidden by opaque glasses gluing themselves to the cellist's toned flank. A sparkle appeared in those hidden orbs as she grinned, "You know, you do have a sexy flank."

The cellist blushed at the complement and continued putting the apples away, along with some preserves she had acquired on her way back, "Must you tease me?"

"Hey, you're the one who kissed me."

"True, I suppose. I was actually thinking about that on my way home, and I was wondering something."

"Mmm? What would that be?"

"W-would you like to go out for dinner tomorrow?"

Bombshells

"Dinner? Like, an actual date dinner?"

"Well, yes, I mean, I could cook something, but I figured you would want to go out, see the sights of Ponyville and take a nice meal at one of the higher scale restaurants this little town somehow attracted."

Vinyl lowered her ever-present sunglasses and sighed at her companion, "Octy, baby... Do I look like the kind of pony who likes eating at fancy restaurants?"

"I was hoping maybe?"

The DJ rolled her eyes and put her glasses back up, "Listen, sweets, I'd love to go on a date with you, like, an actual date, but, I'd rather go to a nice deli or sandwich shop than somewhere where I'd have to wear one of your ties or Rarity's dresses."

Octavia put on her best pout and looked into this unflinching shades, "But I wanted to take you to this new place that just opened. They cook the food right in front of you like some kind of battle."

Pondering this for a moment, the unicorn decided it could be cool, "Alright, we'll go. What's this place called, anyway?"

"Oh, well, I think it's some weird Neighponese construction between French and Equestrian. I believe it is called..."

"Allez Cuisine!" shouted a pony dressed in a striking outfit that some would believe would look better on Liberace.

"Octavia, you are absolutely right. I love this place!" Vinyl nudged her date as the chefs grabbed the ingredient of choice, this time a pile of rather rare mushrooms from Zebrica.

The earth pony facehoofed, "I had expected a hibachi grill with some kind of act, not an actual challenge between two chefs."

The unicorn was entranced by the action below her, helped along by the announcers in the background. The point, as far as she understood, was that the two chefs would each create six dishes based on the main ingredient and be judged on taste, presentation, and a few other factors. While the audience wouldn't be participating in the judging, they would be getting two six course meals. It was quite a lot of food.

Two hours later, the couple emerged from the restaurant with the rest of the crowd, everypony staggering off back to their homes, "I brought some wine we could share, help digest those delicious dishes."

"I never experienced a 12 course tasting before. That was a ton of food," replied the DJ, swaying slightly as she staggered toward's Octavia's house. The two proceeded along slowly, occasionally groaning as something inside shifted or produced a bubble of gas released shortly after as a burp. Octavia blushed and excused herself while Vinyl tried to go for volume.

Rolling her eyes, the earth pony unlocked the door to her residence and entered, leaving the door for Vinyl to close as she moved into the kitchen to retrieve the wine and two glasses. Her date adjourned to the living room, relaxing on the couch and rubbing a hoof over her belly as the cellist entered, taking a seat close, but not too close.

Wine was served, drank, and refilled as they idly chatted about their mutual tastes in music, and anything at all that came to their minds. About halfway through the bottle, the earth pony took a deep breath and turned to her companion, "Vinyl... If we're... going to keep dating... or even living together, there's something you should know."

"Oh? What's that, Tavi? Do you have an identical twin trying to kill you and take your place? Are you really a human in disguise?"

"... You've been speaking with Lyra too much, haven't you?"

"She's a good laugh when she's drunk."

"I see, well, neither of those things, but it is rather important. Not many ponies know this, after all."

"You're not secretly Princess Celestia's granddaughter are you?"

"NO! Vinyl just listen," the cellist took another deep breath, "When you look at me, what do you see?"

Blushing from a combination of the wine and the question, Vinyl carefully picked the words for her next statement, "I see a beautiful mare with an amazing talent for the cello. I see a brilliant conversationalist and somepony whose Canterlot upbringing hasn't effected their personality too much."

"So you see a mare?"

"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I? The curve of your fla... face, the way you move when you walk..."

Octavia chuckled, taking a sip of a wine, "Well, that's the problem, isn't it?"

"Tavi? You're being really vague, and I'm too buzzed for vague."

Sighing, she turned her head toward her companion, "When I was born, there was a problem. The doctors didn't know what to do. There was something wrong, and nopony knew what. It didn't really come out until I started to grow up. I was a normal, active foal with a variety of interests and a love of the cello."

"So, you have some hereditary disease? That's no big deal."

"No, it's more complicated than that. Vinyl... I was raised as a colt. My parents named me Octavian. When I became a teenager and my body started to do its thing for puberty, I grew more feminine in most aspects. Everything about me screams that I'm a mare, and I accepted that. I had always felt awkward playing with other colts and wanted to play with fillies instead."

Vinyl waved her hooves around, "Whoa whoa whoa, back up. You were raised as a colt? So what?"

"I was raised as a colt because my parents thought I was one. I may look like a mare, act like a mare, and call myself a mare, but there are certain... aspects of my anatomy that disagree."

Removing her glasses, the DJ set them on the table, sipped her wine, placed the glass carefully next to her and calmly turned to Octavia, looking her directly in the eye.

Across town, Twilight Sparkle was in the middle of studying a particularly interesting piece on the interactions between dragons and griffons when she heard a shout. Looking around, she saw only her sleeping dragon. Inspecting the rest of the library, she found it empty. Left with a mystery of who had just shouted, "What?" at her, the unicorn returned to her studies. It was entirely possible that one of her neighbors had shouted, but at this point, she didn't care.

Back in Octavia's home, she picked herself up off the floor and turned back to the stunned unicorn on the couch, "I suppose you'll be wanting to leave then. I should have figured as much. I'll set aside a pouch of bits so you can find an apartment while you get back on your feet. My offer on that still stands."

Vinyl blinked a few times and shook her head, "No, no, no, that's not what I meant! I was just really shocked. So, you have a uh... little stallion?"

"I suppose you could call it that."

The DJ took another drink of wine while she mulled this over, "Well, I can't say that changes much. I like you for you, no matter what's between your legs. We all have secrets."

"Oh? What's yours?"

Taking a deep breath, Vinyl sighed and looked over at the earth pony standing nearby. Deciding that, since they were being completely honest with each other, it was time to drop the facade, "Well... if we're revealing ourselves... Brace yourself."

Octavia raised an eyebrow and nodded, smiling in what she hoped was an encouraging manner as she sat down on the couch. Her eyes were temporarily blinded by a bright green flash. Once they cleared, she took in what her date was showing her and immediately fainted.

Clearing the Rubble

Consciousness was slow to return to Octavia. The first thing she realized was that she had been moved from the hard wooden floor of the living room to the firm comfort of her bed. The cellist blinked and sat up, looking around with wild, terrified eyes. What she had seen had been impossible. It had to have been a joke, some illusion spell that Vinyl felt like using to prank the poor mare.

"Good, you're awake," came a voice that was almost the DJs, but with a slight buzz in the lower register, "Sorry if I startled you."

"Startled me!? How... you... but..."

"Easy, Tavi, I'm still the Vinyl you met," the voice said, stepping out from behind the door to the hall, still standing in a shadow cast by the lamp, "Just... revealed, I guess."

"You're a changeling, though! How could I believe anything you've ever said."

"I'm not a changeling!" the other female spat, stepping into the light. The alabaster white coat that Vinyl usually sported had dimmed to a gray-green color. Her mane and tail were the same, as Octavia's eyes widened even further, pupils dilating until barely any iris was left. Vinyl's horn was still there, but where had previously been beautiful ruby eyes, were a pair of black eyes that glistened in the light revealing they were made of small hexagonal pieces. On the other beings back sat a pair of membranous wings that appeared to be perfectly clear until the light caught them, revealing a rainbow of colors. Her coat met with a chitinous plate protecting her underbelly and additional plates armored her legs, broken up by more of the faded coat. It was as if someone had taken parts of a unicorn and parts of a changeling and put them in a blender, pouring what was left into a unicorn-shaped mold.

"So what are you, then?"

"Are you willing to listen to the whole story before you run screaming into the night?"

"I think if I were to run screaming, I would have done so by now, Vinyl," Octavia said, scooting back a little further on the bed as her guest moved closer and sat on the edge.

"Right, well, I was born a normal unicorn in Neigh Orleans. I get that little Cajun accent back when I get drunk. Before I even got my cutie mark, I was kidnapped by a cult of Changeling worshipers. The queen of the hive was trying to find a way to bring pony and changeling together in order to form a more perfect being. I was placed in a cocoon with a drone and a group of unicorns and the queen herself cast some kind of spell.

"This... was the result. A failed experiment," Vinyl sighed, looking up and revealing the fangs that came with being a Changeling, "Fusion spells, I later learned, hardly ever work as intended, and the merging of minds tends to drive the resulting being completely insane and their body just breaks down. Lucky for me, drones don't really have minds of their own, just base instincts to feed, protect, multiply. Those are easy to control once you practice. I was rescued in a raid on the hive by the local militia after three more foals were taken."

Octavia had moved closer to the creature sitting on her bed, her fear lessening as she heard the tale. A tear dropped from Vinyl's eye as the earth pony put a leg around her shoulders, "I'm so sorry..."

The half-breed shook her head, "Don't be, there was nothing to be done. I couldn't be separated from the changeling, but I could use their innate ability to shape-shift. I used that to hide everything about me that wasn't a unicorn once I was rescued. My parents were supportive for the most part. I was able to live a normal life.

"Then the wedding of Cadence and Shining Armor happened and Princess Celestia herself found out about me. It took a long time to convince her that I wasn't a threat, but in the end I was still allowed to play at the reception. Thanks to the spell that cleared the Changelings out of Canterlot, my ability to shape-shift has been weakened. Those glasses I wear serve a double purpose. They hide it when I lose control of my eyes and they look like this, and when I'm Vinyl, they let me see beyond my own nose. I'm rather near-sighted."

"So, you're just a unicorn with some additional parts?"

"In a manner of speaking. My instincts are a little better, I'm a bit more agile, and I can live on Love or normal food. I still need to do all the other things a pony does to survive. The only other real benefit is that if I can stay awake for up to a month without any ill effect, but I have to spend a week in bed afterwards. The cons are more numerable. I can't go to a doctor other than the one in the royal castle now, before I couldn't go anywhere. I occasionally hear the hive if I've been awake too long, and I have to fight this constant urge to cocoon myself. I don't know what would happen if I did," Vinyl said, finishing her story and levitating a glass of water from the night stand to drink, thirsty from storytelling.

Octavia sat there, absorbing the information she had just received. No wonder she was so accepting of the small fact that instead of having a marehood, she had all the parts a stallion would love to put to good use on a beautiful mare like Vinyl. At least, the unicorn illusion. She sighed and looked out the window at the stars as if expecting them to give her advice.

The two sat in silence for some time while they both thought things over. Vinyl grew increasingly worried that her friend and possible romantic interest would leave immediately. The cellist was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that the mare she had found so attractive and was willing to take a risk with had revealed herself for all she truly was and what she was incredible. Such a thing could cause problems in the higher echelons of society she usually played for but, Bad, Tavi. Your image is tertiary to your happiness and your health.

Sighing, Octavia stood from her bed and looked Vinyl over in detail, sniffing occasionally, "Well... I liked your coat better before you showed off, but I'm sure Rarity could work with this shade as well. You still smell like you need a bath. You still sound like the mare I took in. It may take some getting used to, but you're still you."

The DJ looked over the earth pony like she had grown an extra head, wings, and a horn, "You... what?"

Instead of answering with words, the cellist took to heart the old axom that actions speak louder and kissed her companion on the lips, ignoring the fangs as she probed with her tongue. Vinyl closed her eyes and returned the kiss, their tongues dancing around each other for several moments before breaking the embrace of their lips, "I think that answers that."

"Answers what?" the Uniling asked with a dazed expression.

"Whether or not I still want to be your marefriend."

"Oh... So, you... But I'm..."

"It doesn't matter what you are, Vinyl. It matters who you are, at least to me. I learned, when I figured out what I am, not to judge a pony by their cutie mark. You are still Vinyl Scratch, also known as DJ-PON3, and I believe that is the part I... I admit I have fallen in love with. I'm sure you can tell I'm telling you the truth."

Vinyl could indeed, her changeling physiology suddenly inundated with the sweet tingle of love filling her belly. She blushed and concentrated, filling the room with a green flash as she took back on her unicorn shape, "If you don't mind though, I'm more comfortable like this."

"Darling, I am fine with whatever shape you want to be in."

Smiling, the DJ and cellist embraced, kissing each other passionately before curling up with each other on the bed. They silently agreed that the evening had been too filled with emotions and oddness that their inaugural session of lovemaking would have to wait. The earth pony fell asleep first while her marefriend drank down all the love she could, finding it just as satisfying as a Rose burger with hay fries and a triple thick chocolate malt. When she felt full, she nuzzled into the mane of the beautiful pony next to her, and fell into a blissful sleep.

Pinkie Party Preparations

Octavia woke early Saturday morning and extricated herself from the legs of her unicorn companion. Pinkie would no doubt be over soon with decorations and sweets in preparation for the party. The cellist had long ago given up understanding the pink menace that inhabited Ponyville and instead simply took her parties in stride, so long as the pony polkey was left at home. That detestable song flowed through her head for a moment before being banished by a shudder and some cold water on her face.

Despite everything that happened last night, things had gone rather well. The date was relatively a success even with the restaurant being insane and the confessions afterward being a bit more insane than normal. Brushing her teeth, Octavia started at herself in the mirror. She had freaked out initially because changelings absolutely terrified her. Upon hearing Vinyl's story though, her opinion of the mare had changed. The DJ had a hard life, having to hide what she truly was. 'Oh who am I kidding, my situation doesn't even compare...' she thought to herself as she worked on her mane and made sure her bow tie was perfectly level.

Descending the stairs into the kitchen, intent on some tea and breakfast, the earth pony's mind continued to mull over the situation. She still had fallen in love with Vinyl for who she was, not what. The fangs might be somewhat of an issue and having little knowledge of changeling mating habits surely didn't help. 'The hay am I thinking!? It's way too early for that, the cellist cursed herself and slammed her fridge closed with her flank, trying to distract herself from a situation brewing between her hind legs with preparing the tea pot for the stove.

Her mind began to war between itself, 'Are you sure you don't love her because she cast a spell?

'Vinyl has been nothing but kind since we met.'

'All the more reason to believe you're under her spell!'

'Please, if I were under some charm I wouldn't be having this conversation.'

'The fact that you're having this conversation means you are at least somewhat worried.'

'Fine, I admit, the thought is there, but I still love her. Besides, if she wanted to turn me into a mindless love-slave she would have by now, without revealing what she was.'

'So you think that just because you're both freaks you're meant to be?'

'Look, I am sick of second guessing myself. If she's got me under a charm, someone will find out eventually. Besides, I bet her wings tickle delightfully when she's mounted.'

'Now who's being ridiculous.'

Upstairs Vinyl stirred awake slowly, confused by the lack of a warm body snuggled against her own. Realizing she was alone, the unicorn jolted fully into alert mode and dropped her illusion, using her enhanced nose to trace the pheromones of her marefriend. Her sensitive ears twitched at the tinkling of dishes from the kitchen. Reapplying the form she was most comfortable in, the DJ exited the bedroom and sped downstairs, "Octavia?!"

"In here, Vinyl," came the sultry voice from the kitchen.

"Oh thank Celestia. I thought you'd left me."

Octavia simply raised an eyebrow and stared her companion down, "Yes, I managed to so convincingly fake my love for you that I fooled your changeling anatomy so I could escape while you slept."

Vinyl blushed and looked over at a particularly interesting wall tile, "R-right, sorry. Can't blame me for being a little paranoid."

The cellist sighed and sat back down at the table, pouring two cups of tea, "I suppose not. I admit, it will take a bit of getting used to, but, I want you to know that I'm not going to be repulsed if you ever drop the illusion, willfully or not."

Vinyl grinned nervously and sat down across from the mare, "Well, I guess that's good to know. I was worried for a moment that the fangs would scare you off from letting me-" she cut herself off with a hoof to her mouth as a blush spread over her face, all the way down to her chest. If she hadn't been wearing her shades, the cellist would have been able to see that the other pony's eyes had gone so wide as to nearly displace her forehead.

For her part, Octavia blushed as well, feeling a twitch which she denied by shifting her in her chair, "I admit the thought had occurred to me, but don't you think that would be moving a little fast?"

"I wouldn't know... This is my first relationship..."

"Oh my... I mean, I can kind of see why, but... You haven't even tried before?"

The unicorn shook her head, "The fear of them finding out I'm a half-changeling fusion spell created freak was kind of overpowering. I only told you because you told me about yourself first, and I felt your love starting to bloom so I figured I should be honest..."

"Who's half-changeling? DJ-PON3 is half-changeling!? That's cool, and terrifying, but mostly cool! Omigosh why don't you ever use it during your act! You could look like anypony. Imagine somepony showing up to see Princess Celestia herself playing set!" came a bubbly voice from the sink of all places. The two turned slowly to see Pinkie Pie leaning against the counter with a smile and huge collection of baking supplies and pans sitting behind her. All of them, even the metal, having been silently placed there at some point.

"Pinkie! You can't can't tell anypony!" Octavia shouted, looking desperate.

"Please, Pinkie. I don't want everypony to know yet..."

Pinkie made a series of motions describing a series of actions that began with zipping her lips and ended with some other charades that neither pony understood entirely, "Your secret is safe with me, Vinyl! What are friends for? OH! Can I see!?"

Vinyl sighed, and with a blast of green flame, returned to her "natural" state, raising an eyebrow at Pinkie, "Satisfied?" she asked, the buzz having returned to her voice.

Pinkie just grinned and nodded, bouncing over to the counter and tearing open a bag of flower. The DJ converted back to her unicorn form and just sighed, rubbing her forehead with a hoof.

"Pinkie Pie... May I ask... Why are you in my kitchen with what looks to be half of Sugarcube Corner's baking supplies?"

"Oh, well, Mr. and Mrs. Cake are really busy making another MMMM for Rarity and AJ's wedding and they needed the whole kitchen but I ran out of cupcakes last night for the party so I thought I would just come over and borrow your kitchen to make the treats for your housewarming party. I invited a bunch of ponies but I followed your rules and didn't invite more than 10 individually and don't worry I'll do my own dishes and make sure the kitchen is clean before everypony gets here. I already decorated the living room and moved the furniture so we could dance and set up Vinyl's kit in a corner so she can spin some tunes if she wants, otherwise I can."

The pair just blinked while Pinkie continued talking and then shrugged at each other. Octavia stood and moved over next to the party pony, only to be absorbed into the workflow, cracking eggs and separating them as needed. Vinyl stayed away. Her last attempt at baking had resulted in a collapsed wall, three injured pegasi, and a very very strange story for the other resident's grandfoals. The DJ adjourned to the living room to put together a playlist for the night. One thing stuck in the back of her mind. If Pinkie Pie of all ponies knew what she was, why not just out with it? The answer could wait until later, for now, she had some tunes to mix into one long seamless track of perfect mathematical precision.

Housewarming

The day pressed on and the smells of baking cupcakes gradually floated through the entire house and then out into the street, causing every pony wandering by to wonder whether or not Octavia had suddenly developed an incredible desire to bake or if there was a party in their near future. Either way, most of them then wandered to Sugarcube Corner in order to indulge their taste buds as their nose had been.

Inside the house, the kitchen was an exercise in controlled chaos. To any pony who peeked in through the window, they would wonder how anything could get done, but Pinkie Pie and the homeowner danced an intricate waltz of baking prowess as the piles of finished cupcakes slowly grew on the table until they had well over a gross and the sun was beginning to set. Octavia found herself shoved out of the kitchen and up the stairs to clean up before the party started while the party pony did her duty and made the kitchen absolutely spotless.

The earth pony showered relatively quickly and repaired her mane, choosing an unstained bow tie that would hopefully complement Vinyl's eyes if she could convince the unicorn to actually take off her glasses at some point. Maybe she could get the DJ to come out of her shell, as it were. Shrugging, she returned downstairs and sat down on a couch to relax while her marefriend finished putting together a playlist before the guests arrived.

"Hey," the white mare said as she took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just... staring at a computer all day..." she said and collapsed on the couch next to the cellist.

Octavia cleared her throat, "Um, sweetie. You uh."

Vinyl quickly put her glasses back on, "Thanks..." she said as the doorbell rang, "And just in time too!"

The cellist stood and moved towards the door only to be intercepted by Pinkie with two glasses of wine and ushered back into the living room. Pinkie opened the door and smiled at the couple that had arrived, "Twilight! Sunny! You made it!"

"Of course we made it, Pinkie. I wouldn't miss one of your parties, and it's one of Sunny's rare days off."

"I'm just glad to get out and stretch my wings for a while," the white pegasus mare next to Miss Sparkle said with a soft smile and a nuzzle at the lavender unicorn's neck. They entered the house and looked around, entering the living room.

"I thought I heard a familiar voice, How are you, 'Sunny,' well?" Octavia said with a small smirk.

"Never can hide anything from a musician can you?" Sunny replied and sat on a loveseat with Twilight. Vinyl levitated in the wine bottle from the kitchen and offered it around as Berry Punch and Carrot Top entered, the former laden with saddlebags full of booze.

"Hi Tavi, I heard you were horribly understocked, and I wanted everypony to try my new mixes."

"Oh? I thought you had the one?"

"I have two new blends. Berryshine and Berry's Punch," the brewer said with a smirk.

"Such original names!" Vinyl said with an affected gasp and haughty Canterlottian accent.

"Who are you and what have you done with Vinyl Scratch?" Carrot said with a grin.

"Why, you never thought that I was able to become one of the elite I occasionally play for?"

"Vi... Stop that, it's weird," Octavia said with a strange look on her face.

"Sorry... Wait, did you just call me Vi?"

"You call me Tavi, I figured it was only fair."

Vinyl smiled and nuzzled Tavi softly, "It's fine, I'm glad you can relax a little around me now."

The other couple smiled as yet another pair of ponies appeared in the living room, "Applejack! Rarity! Welcome to my home," Octavia said with a happy look on her face, "I had wanted to mention, but I had yet to get a free moment from this crazy mare in order to say. I am honored that you would allow me to play at your wedding."

"Oh please, darling. It is the least we can do after that horrible incident for which I must, at least partially, take some responsibility. I should have kept a closer eye on Pinkie."

"Now, sugarcube, don't go bein so hard on yerself. It was a bad night fer all of us."

Rarity just nodded as she was offered a glass of wine. Berry's flavors would come later after everyone had arrived. Eventually, Fluttershy arrived with an unfamiliar unicorn who was quite as shy as her date. Attempts to extract her name proved difficult and she was only capable of smiling and nodding or shaking her head in response to a question. Confused, Twilight pulled her pegasus friend aside to learn the truth before giggling and then clearing her throat to gather the attention of the attending ponies just as Rainbow Dash made her entrance, trailing a happy Pinkie Pie with a fresh bite on her neck.

The unicorn spoke up, "Everypony, before Octavia gets started on her party, I'd like to introduce you all to Fluttershy's new marefriend, Starry Skies. She's a little quiet, but I'm sure she'll open up once you get to know her."

Octavia nodded and stood, "Thank you for coming, everypony, when I told Pinkie only to invite 10 ponies, she must have decided to give you all invitiations of you + one. Still, I'm glad you could all make it and welcome me back to Ponyville."

Pinkie bounced over, "And it's also a New Pony in Ponyville party because Vinyl just moved here with Tavi!"

"Yep, I did," said the DJ, starting up the music and going over to Berry, "So, who wants to try Berry's latest alcoholic disasters?"

Berry looked like Vinyl had just ripped out her heart, stomped on it, peed on the ruins and then let a wild dog eat them, "Vinyl... How could you..."

"I'm only kidding, Berry! I'm sure they're top notch like everything else you brew."

Berry rolled her eyes and got out a bottle each of the new blend, "Now, I'll warn everypony now, before you drink any of this. This will knock you on your flank unless you are a seasoned veteran."

Mutters of "I'll pass" swept through the crowd, save for Vinyl, Rainbow Dash, and the unfamiliar ponies. Small dishes of the Berryshine were dolled out and they all looked at the clear, slightly glowing liquid with a curious expression, "Best to just do it like a shot ladies. Trust me on that," Berry said with a wink, downing her shot with an easy gulp, "Whoo! That's a good burn."

The other four mares shrugged and each took their own shots, wincing and coughing and almost falling over. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak, but her voice sounded like she had been gargling with rock salt for a week, "Damn, Berry. That's... Wow... Is that legal?"

"Only technically."

Vinyl was glad she was wearing her sunglasses, the burn of the liquor had caused her eyes to bug out in more ways than one. Sunny and Starry were quick to recover, though the latter looked to be wobbling slightly. The unicorn managed to get out a whispered, "We have not had such a drink in years..." before looking around in a daze as Berry poured out the second drink.

This viscous liquid was the same color as it's makers coat and looked tantalizingly delicious. Rainbow licked her lips and picked up the cup, "Well, ladies, down the hatch!" the pegasus said before taking the small shot. The other mares followed suit and shortly there were three flashes of light and four thuds, Berry's punch having lived up to it's name and knocking the princesses out of their illusions, along with Vinyl. Rainbow Dash squeaked out, "So... good..." before going out completely. The other three picked themselves up quickly and looked a bit flustered.

The other mares were laughing mostly as the now revealed Princesses of the Sun and Moon attempted to untangle themselves from their manes and reapply the illusion so they wouldn't hit their heads on the ceiling while Vinyl stood stock still. The laughter died down as 5 sets of hooves quickly moved into a semi-circle around the former unicorn.

Octavia shouted out a strangled, "NO!" and dove between the attack-ready mares and her marefriend, "Sunny, or Celestia, explain please!"

The white pegasus moved to stand in front of the cellist and looked around at the assembled Elements of Harmony, "Please, calm yourselves."

"Princess, Sunny Day, whichever you wanna be called, y'all are protectin' a changeling!" shouted Applejack.

"I am protecting a citizen of Equestria."

"WHAT?!" shouted Twilight, "But, Cele... Sunny! You yourself signed a law that any changelings are to be immediately captured and brought before a tribunal!"

"I did. However, the being behind me is not a changeling. She is and has always been Vinyl Scratch, your favorite DJ, or however you think of her. Something happened in her foalhood to change her into what she is. She simply wants a normal life."

Twilight processed the words coming out of her mentor com marefriend's mouth and could only stare. Fluttershy, meanwhile, ran over to join Octavia in comforting the sobbing DJ. Vinyl was covered by a small crowd of ponies, all trying to calm the sobs that wracked her form. Berry and Carrot had excused themselves to the kitchen shortly after the flashes and decided to just wait things out until Pinkie Pie shouted the all clear.

It took a while for the half-changeling to calm down enough to breath steadily again, though she still let out a small sniffle or sob as she stood and faced the admonished and shocked elements, "That's right. I just want to be the DJ you all know and at least tolerate the music of," she said with a half sob, half giggle at Octavia, "I can't change what's happened, but I'm the same pony I've always been."

"Well, ah can't rightly say I wanna know how yah got this way, Vi... but ah can say that ah'm sorry fer how we reacted," Applejack said to a chorus of nods, "and ah'd like to ferget any o' this happened... Y'all are still Vinyl ta me."

"It's okay AJ, I understand. Celestia did the same thing after the wedding."

"The wedding?" asked Twilight with a confused look on her face, "Oh! Shining's blast."

Vinyl nodded, "It knocked me out of my unicorn shape and directly into the kitchen. Luckily, the princess heard me out."

"I had heard of such things being done, but I didn't know any of the unfortunate subjects survived."

"And here I am. Now, I need another drink," Vinyl said, pinking up the bottle of Berryshine and taking a swig, coughing and shuddering as the liquid burned down her throat, "Waugh! Berry! This crap is definitely not for changelings! It tastes like EVIL."

Laughter filled the room as Pinkie sneaked her way to the DJ station and cranked up the tunes, "Well! Let's get this party going then!"

And so, the party queen had spoken, and the party began in earnest. Vinyl was unable to cover up her form thanks to Berry's little concoction, but she still enjoyed the party nonetheless. After a few glasses of wine, everypony was relaxed and getting amorous as cupcakes were "accidentally" dropped so frosting could be licked off. Late in the night, the ponies began to disperse into the night with the grateful thanks for attending and being there passing around before finally, Vinyl and Octavia were at last alone in the house.

The cellist stood at the bottom of the stares and looked back over her shoulder with half-lidded eyes at the DJ, "Vinyl, dearest. Shall we see how solid my bed is?"

Vinyl's wings sprang from her back and fluttered wildly, "Yes, ma'am!" she said with a slight tip as she wobbled over to follow the mare upstairs.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Octavia groaned as the sun hit her face, the searing blaze of Celestia's orb searing past her eyelids to burn into her brain. The hoofsteps of the ponies moving about in the outside world sounded to her like a gong being expertly struck just behind her eyes. Occasionally buzzing next to her, her partner's wings grated on every single nerve in her body. This was a hangover for the record books. Pulling the blanket over her head to block out the foul day star, another moan escaped her lips. Her entire body ached, and her muscles only sluggishly responded to her commands. She felt drained, in more ways that one. Casting her mind back to the night before, all she could remember was taking those first steps up the stairs. The rest was simply nothingness.

Vinyl struggled with consciousness, deciding it would be better to get up now and get the hangover over with before she wasted the entire day in bed. Grumbling, she sat up and blinked, looking around. She had apparently, at some point after taking a second shot of Berry's punch and following her marefriend upstairs, put on a rather lacy quartet of socks. She recognized them from her secret case and wondered what the hay had happened. Next to her, Octavia likewise rose from her slumber, whimpering at the sun. The DJ blinked and had to concentrate hard to revert back to her unicorn form, receiving a fresh burst of migraine for her efforts. Putting on her sunglasses, thankful for the light they blocked, she looked back at her bed mate.

The cellist looked down at herself, wondering why her skin felt so tight. From neck to flank and down to her hooves, she was covered in a form-fitting latex outfit with openings in certain strategic places. She blinked a few times and looked over at Vinyl, "Did you help me get this on?"

"Sweetie, I don't even know how I got these on," the unicorn said, levitating a sock off of a hoof.

"So you don't remember anything about last night either..."

Groaning and rolling herself out of bed, Vinyl sighed, "Considering how I feel, though, I'd have to say you were... vigorous at least," she said with a wince and a wobble in her walk, "Not that I'm complaining."

"That would explain why my everything hurts..." the earth pony sighed, beginning the arduous process of extricating herself from her favorite latex bodysuit. By the time Vinyl had prayed to the porcelain throne, cleaned herself up, and felt slightly more like a pony, Octavia had managed to get herself out of her suit and onto her hooves. She took her turn in the bathroom while Vinyl returned to bed. A thought occurred to her as she lay there, still feeling full despite rejecting everything she had eaten the previous day. Blaming her full stomach on love was fine enough, but there was another full sensation that was unfamiliar.

"Uh-oh..."

"What?"

"You didn't happen to find any uh, evidence in the bathroom did you? Maybe a little foil packet or some herb bits?"

"N-no, I didn't..."

"I was never good at spells when I was drunk either..."

"We didn't..."

Vinyl nodded slowly, staring up at the ceiling while Octavia joined her on the bed, resting her head on the other mare's shoulder, "I think we did... I know we had sex, but... I think we forgot protection."

"Well, you aren't in estrus, so you should be fine, right?"

"I probably can't get pregnant anyway."

A nuzzle reassured her slightly, "Well, we'll just be careful from now on anyway."

The DJ nuzzled back and gave her marefriend a kiss, "Yeah."

The two lay, cuddled against each other, for a time before falling back into the land of sleep, intent on ridding themselves of the hangover. Such a thing was not meant to be as the doorbell rang not even an hour later. Octavia sighed and stood, beginning the long trudge down the stairs. She cast her eyes about and took in the surprisingly immaculate condition of her living room and kitchen. Opening the door, the light outside filtered in and she grumbled unhappily at whichever pony had dragged her out of bed.

"Morning, Octavia!" smiled Pinkie Pie. The cellist winced, somehow, that smile physically hurt, "I just wanted to let you know I cleaned up after the party and give you guys some bagels for breakfast!"

"You couldn't have just left a note?"

"Of course not, silly. That would be rude!"

Octavia sighed, "Well, thank you, Pinkie, but if you don't mind, I'm going to return to nursing my hangover in bed with my marefriend. I'm sure we'll enjoy the bagels when the thought of food doesn't make us want to run for the bathroom."

"Okay! Have a great day!"

The cellist closed the door, sliding to the floor and clutching her head. That pink menace's cheer was like an ice pick to her brain. Finally regaining the courage to attempt walking again, she returned upstairs and entered her bathroom. Afterwards, she felt slightly less like something that had been rotting in the sun and slightly more like a normal pony. Returning to bed, she lay her head on Vinyl's chest and listened to the other mare's heartbeat as the unicorn slept. The steady rhythm gradually lulled her back into blissful slumber, taking her away from the aches and discomfort of her wretched body.

The doorbell rang again a few hours later, but went ignored by the sleeping mares. They slept until well after dusk before finally rising at the bidding of their stomachs. Partaking of the bagels Pinkie had left, they ate quietly, leaning against each other with happy smiles. Their bodies still ached and their heads still hurt, but today had been a surprisingly good day.

Problems

Days passed, slipping into a week or two before one fateful morning brought their world to a halt. Vinyl woke up and groaned, sprinting to the bathroom and heaving up what little remained of her dinner from the previous night. Octavia rushed to her marefriend's side, holding her mane out of the way.

"Vi, are you alright?" she asked, when the violent heaving stopped, the bowl coated in a sickly green ichor that was rapidly hardening, "What the hay did you eat?"

"Just what you fed me..." the unicorn said, gagging and hocking up another thick green glob, "Though, that is weird..."

"We should get you to the doctor, he might know."

Vinyl waved the earth pony off with a hoof, "No, I'm fine, really..." she said before she hiccuped. The green fire flashed and she looked like her marefriend, but with inverted colors.

Octavia watched as her love continued to hiccup, ending up in several particularly hilarious forms, including their mutual friend Rarity's colors on Applejack's form, "Are you sure?"

"Just... go to Twilight, get her to send a letter, it'd be quicker for the physician to come here," Vinyl said with a moan before hiccuping again and looking exactly like the aforementioned unicorn, only neon pink and green.

"Right, I'll be right back, you go lay down and try not to change into anything pointy," she said with a smirk and then trotted out, heading toward's the library.

Vinyl, meanwhile, went through a few more changes before ending up in her default form, that of the hybrid of changeling and unicorn she was. Looking at herself in the mirror, it seemed that a steady diet of love and regular meals was doing her some good. Her coat had brightened and her eyes were no longer insectoid. The carapace on her stomach seemed to be softening as well as that on her legs. It seemed like malnutrition was the only thing keeping changelings from looking relatively normal. The fangs were still there, though. A strange urge overtook her as she exited the bathroom and made for the empty guest room. Flopping on the bed, she began to cough up more of that strange green gunk.

Octavia reached the library in record time and entered after taking a moment to catch her breath. Twilight had left the door open to enjoy the breeze that had graced Ponyville that day, "Miss Sparkle?" she called out into the library as the unicorn mare was nowhere to be seen.

Twilight appeared from the kitchen, "Ah! Octavia! How are you?"

"I am well, Vinyl is not. I was wondering if perhaps you could send a letter to the Princess for me?"

"Sure, anything for a friend, what's wrong?" the unicorn said as she began to pen a letter.

"The castle physician is familiar with Vinyl's condition. We would like him to come down here and examine her. This morning she woke up ill and began to cough up some thick green... Ichor is the word that comes to mind. Then she began to hiccough, causing her form to shift rapidly. When I last left she had become a neon pink and green version of yourself."

Twilight blinked and finished the letter, "There, I've written down everything you told me. Spike!"

The dragon wandered down stairs, obviously still half-asleep, "Yeah, Twilight?" he asked groggily, coming over to stand next to the pair.

"I need you to send this to the Princess."

Spike nodded and took the scroll, burning it to nothing with his green flame, "Can I go back to bed now?"

"No, you can't. We have to reorganize the reference section and we only got up to B."

Octavia just grinned as the little drake pouted, "Well, thank you for sending the letter, Twilight, I should return home and see if Vinyl is feeling any better."

"Alright, I'll send the doctor right over when he gets here."

"Thank you," the earth pony said before vanishing out the door and galloping home. Upon her arrival back at her house, she heard some strange noises from upstairs. Figuring that Vinyl was being sick again, she went up.

The sounds weren't coming from the bathroom, however, they were coming from the guest bedroom. Confused, Octavia slowly opened the door. The sight before her almost caused her mind to shut down. The entire room was coated in some kind of resin, resembling how she imagined a changeling hive would look. On one of the walls, Vinyl, shed of her disguise, was hovering in the air and hacking more green slime onto the walls, spreading it around to fill in gaps.

"V-Vinyl?!"

The creature spun in the air and looked at the pony with a predatory grin before shaking its head and dropping to the ground, "Tavi... W-what?"

"You uh, seem to have been remodeling... The doctor should be here soon. Hopefully he can explain this."

"I... I don't know what happened. This urge came over me. I had to build a nest."

"A... nest?" Octavia said, blinking a few times before her jaw dropped in shock, "Vi, I think that party may have had some... consequences."

"What do you..." The DJs face quickly mirrored her marefriends, "No... No way!"

"It... would explain a few things..."

"W-Well, let's wait and see what the doctor says..."

A few hours later there came a knock on the door. Octavia opened it and saw a unicorn with a gray coat and blue mane, bearing a caduceus cutie mark, "Octavia Philharmonica? I am the Princess' personal physician House Call. I hear there is some problem with Vinyl?"

"Yes, please come in, she's upstairs in the first room on your left. Mind you, the room has undergone some remodeling."

"I see..." he said, walking up the stairs. The pair entered the room and the doctor looking around, "I see what you mean. I guess I was correct in surmising she was exhibiting some nesting tendencies... We know very little about changelings, but we do know they create their hives out of a resin they produce inside their bodies..."

"Doctor House!" Vinyl called, appearing from a little hole near the previous location of the bed, "Thanks for coming!"

"Vinyl, how are you? I heard about what happened."

"We... I... I think I might be pregnant?" she said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, looking shyly confused.

"I didn't think that would be possible... but, I have been wrong before," he said, stepping forward and setting his bag down before he began to conduct a magical scan on his charge.

Octavia and Vinyl waited in silence as his brow furrowed and relaxed as the scan proceeded. He finished and nodded, pulling out a pad of prescriptions and writing a few down before handing them over, "Well, Vinyl... You are currently hosting six eggs, all of which appear to be growing fine. Since you are nesting, you will probably be laying them soon and they will finish their development outside of your body. If not, then they may self-abort into a survivable number of foals. I really can't say. These prescriptions will help with nutrient loss, nausea, and mood swings until you either lay the eggs or give birth. If you do lay the eggs, remember to feed them some love every few hours or they may decay. However, this is all conjecture as you are the only unicorn-changeling hybrid on record."

"So, doc... I'm pregnant?"

"I believe so, yes. It's too early to tell, honestly. They may be infertile. I will return in a month to check up on you. Until then, I'd advise that you two refrain from having intercourse without a condom."

"Of course, doctor."

"Well, I'm sure you two have much to discuss, so I will see myself out. I will see you in a month."

The doctor gathered his bag and left, leaving the couple alone in the hive room. They looked at each other carefully before falling into an embrace. Vinyl was the first to speak, "I don't know whether to squeal with joy and scream in terror."

"Well, dearest, I think we should wait and see what happens. Like the doctor said, it's probably too early to tell..."

The DJ nodded, "You're right, Tavi... Let's wait and see."

Solutions (Non-canon, skippable)

Octavia slowly regained consciousness. She felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to her cranium and that wasn't far from the truth. She hesitated to open her eyes as she felt something cold and slimy embracing her. Groaning softly, she finally cracked her eyes open.

The sight before her shook the mare to her very core. She was suspended from a wall in what she could only assume had previously been her guest bedroom. Now, it looked like nothing but the inside of a changeling hive. In one corner, she could see a creature buzzing about, attaching some eggs to the floor from what looked to be its distended lower abdomen. Getting her nerve back, the cellist shrieked, "VINYL!"

The creature turned and floated over slowly, "I see you're awake, Tavi. That's good. It's so much better when you're awake."

The cellist stared, "V-vinyl?"

"Right here, dearest! I can't thank you enough for giving me these wonderful children." she says, motioning to the pile of eggs now gracing the floor of the room, "Soon, this hive will be strong. Ponyville is so full of love..."

"Vinyl, sweetie, you're scaring me..."

"Oh, but don't you see? I could never have done all of this if you didn't love me! It's so fulfilling..." she trailed off, "But, I can feel that love fading so I'll just have to... make some adjustments..."

Octavia couldn't believe what was happening to her. Her marefriend had gone around the bend and succumbed to her changeling side. What happened next was truly a shock as a sucking tendril advanced from the former DJ's abdomen and latched onto a certain part of her anatomy. She fought as long as she was able too, but the pleasure was too much.

What seemed like hours later, the tendril finally stopped, a noticeable sack having formed at the base, "This should provide plenty more children for my hive... Now you, my dearest... Can become one of us..."

Exhausted, the cellist couldn't respond as she passed back into the oblivion of unconsciousness.

She awoke with a start, her lungs full of fluid that she couldn't expel as she was surrounded by it. Panic gripped her as she realized where she was. The mare she had loved had imprisoned her in some kind of cocoon. The fluid was providing oxygen and probably served as a food source as well.

She felt strange, like her mind was going. She still loved Vinyl, didn't she? No matter what, she told herself with a smile as she began to relax. Closing her eyes peacefully, she thought of her wonderful marefriend and the gift she was giving her.

"So nice, my darling..." said Vinyl, placing more eggs around the room as the pony above her oozed love like a leaking dam. It would be enough to sustain the hive for months and hatch all of these eggs into wonderful strong drones. The new queen fluttered up to her encased lover and smiled, pressing her lips against the clear shell of the chrysalis. When the cellist was fully drained of love by the spells woven into her cell, it would begin the process of converting her into a Chosen. A special kind of changeling that served the Queen obediently, but still possessed enough of a mind to be useful for special tasks.

Sinking back down to her nest, Vinyl watched her eggs glisten in the fading light of the sun. They would be many strong children, loyal drones all, and Ponyville was ripe for the harvest. Her only worry was the Elements of Harmony. A grin crossed over her mouth, it would be all too easy, after all, they trusted her and Octavia. They were their friends.

As the queen of the growing Ponyville Hive passed into slumber, she stared up at the imprisoned pony, "Soon, my love, I will have a task for you. In a few days, you will be strong again. Stronger than ever..."

Days passed, and finally Octavia awoke as she crashed to the ground. She buzzed her wings to dry them and looked around before bowing as she spotted her queen and love, "My queen, I am ready!" she said with joy.

Vinyl looked down at the changeling soldier that had previously been her marefriend, "Ah, good, my love. Do you think you could bring me Twilight Sparkle?"

The changeling morphed into a perfect copy of her former self, "Of course, dearest. It should be simple."

"Then go, and help the hive!"

A/N: So yeah, this totally didn't actually happen, I just thought it would be an interesting twist to send this off into the, AH COME ON! :sweetiebelle: area. I hope you enjoyed reading it anyway.

Changes

Over the next few days, the guest room underwent further changes. The entire thing was now coated in a thick layer of green resin that looked black unless the light hit it just right. There were eight small alcoves big enough for a foal to curl up, padded with whatever cushioning Vinyl could gather, which turned out to be custom fitted pillows once Octavia managed to bring measurements to the Carousel Boutique.

Eventually, the guest room was finished, and Vinyl was finally able to overcome the urge to keep building the hive now that the nesting area was finished. Unfortunately, she was still unable to hold any form other than her natural one for longer than a few minutes at a time, so she decided it would be best to remain home until she gave birth or something else happened.

After a couple of weeks had passed, Vinyl had grown quite pregnant. It now could not be denied that she was going to have at least three foals, given the size of her stomach. Despite the short time, her belly had grown sufficiently that it became difficult for the DJ to move. She spent most of her time in her nest, with Octavia by her side making sure that she had everything she needed.

"Tavi?"

"Yes, Vinyl?" the earth pony asked, looking up from her reading. She had gotten absorbed in one of the newer Daring Do novels while her marefriend ate dinner.

"You're having the kids next time."

"Yes, Vinyl," she replied with a smirk, kissing her marefriend on the cheek, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like one of Pinkie's balloons."

Octavia smiled and rubbed along her marefriend's back, "If I could help, I would, dear."

"There's gotta be a spell or something! If there's one that can make somepony a colt, there's one that can go the other way."

Tilting her head, the earth pony blinked a few times, "Well, we can ask Miss Sparkle to look something up for when the Doctor comes back. I'm more than willing to help share the burden, once we find out how many foals are actually in there."

"I'm amazed I haven't exploded yet."

"It's probably part of your changeling anatomy adapting. You'll be fine," she said reassuringly before giving the mare a kiss and trotting downstairs, "I'll be back in a moment, I'll go ask Twilight."

Groaning, Vinyl tried to roll over, but found her overgrown stomach in the way, "You kids better appreciate this..." she muttered before levitating another book over in front of her. She'd read more in the past week than she had in the last three years. It's not like she had anything else to do. Well, at least Octavia kept her limbs working with resistance training once she found out she could no longer get up. It would be nice to be able to stand though, she thought.

The cellist, meanwhile, trotted her way through Ponyville to the library and the home of the smartest unicorn she had ever met and definitely one of the friendliest, "Miss Sparkle? Are you in?" she asked after entering the main room and seeing it empty yet again.

Spike appeared from behind a stack of books, covered in dust, "She's down in her lab. Can I help you, Octavia?"

She hemmed and hawed for a moment, "Well, normally yes, but this situation is delicate and requires her skills in magic."

"That's fine, I'll get her," the little dragon said, wandering towards a door in the back of the room and opening it, heading downstairs, "Twilight! Company!" he shouted once he was halfway down.

The unicorn appeared in the main room in a flash of light with a smile, "Welcome to Ponyv- Octavia! How are you? How is Vinyl, I haven't seen her in days and she always passes by the library on her way to Sugarcube Corner at least once a day."

"The pregnancy has had some unexpected complications. She's currently bedridden due to her size."

"Already? But she just barely..."

"Yes, It's probably something to do with her changeling parts. I came by to ask if you had a method of changing me into a functional mare for the rest of their gestation, if Doctor House would approve when he arrives next week."

"Functional, what do you... Oh! Right, I forgot, sorry."

"It's no problem. Actually, it's flattering."

"Anyway, that should be no problem, there is a spell that can last 10 months for use on stallions in homosexual relationships that want children. I'll be sure to look it up."

"Also, if there is a way to transfer an egg or fetus without danger to the foal or the mother..."

"I'm sure I can find something, when does the doctor arrive?"

Octavia looked at the wall calendar that was filled with important information and appointments, "He said he would arrive Thursday afternoon of next week when we last spoke."

"Alright, I'll be over around noon then to discuss the spell with you. There are a few preparations you'll need to make."

"Very well, I will see you Thursday."

"Have a good day, Octavia!" Twilight called as the earth pony left the building. She turned around waved as Twilight closed the door and began to rampage through the library looking for the proper spells.

Octavia made a brief stop at the market and Sugarcube Corner to procure dinner and a treat for her pregnant marefriend before returning to her home. Entering, she dropped off her groceries in the kitchen before bringing the slice of chocolate cake up to Vinyl, "I'm home, Vi, and I brought you cake."

"You brought me cake!?" the DJ said with an excited gleam in her eye, reaching out for the bag with her magic.

"Of course I did, you looked like you could use a pick-me-up. I'll be downstairs cooking dinner, so, save that for afterwards."

"Alright, I will," she said, reluctantly floating it over to one of the shelves she had made.

Dinner and the evening passed, much the same way they had for the last week, each day crawling inevitably toward the appointed Thursday when House Call and Twilight would hopefully be able to find some way to lessen the strain on Vinyl's body. As Octavia was serving her incapacitated marefriend lunch, she decided to poke a little fun at the unicorn.

"You know, you're eating enough for at least ten ponies."

"Don't even joke like that!" she said, putting a hoof against her stomach, "I don't think we can handle that many foals!"

The cellist giggled, "I'm sure we'd be able to handle it just fine. I'm finally starting to see residuals from the last recording I released, and your tracks are selling even better now that I have Nash properly marketing them. You are good at producing it, but you can't sell it worth horseapples, dear."

"I'm well aware now..." she muttered as she ate another daisy sandwich. She was just about finished wit the giant stack of food when there came a knock at the door downstairs, "That'll be Twilight..."

Octavia excused herself and went to open the door, seeing the familiar unicorn mare standing there with a smile on her face, "Hello, Octavia! I have a series of spells that I think will be just perfect, but the Doctor should perform a couple of them instead of me... I'm not familiar enough with internal anatomy to be able to make the correct incisions."

"That's fine, Twilight, I'm just glad you could find the spells we need. Come upstairs and say hi to Vinyl, though, do try not to flip out at the state of the room. She's had some nesting instincts take over."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be fine," she said, following the cellist upstairs, "Nothing much can shock-" her statement was cut off by the sight before her. It was a room out of a changeling hive, but in better condition than she had ever seen, "Nesting instincts... right... You're looking... Well?"

Vinyl rolled her eyes, "I look like your hot air balloon, Twi."

"I uh, didn't want to say..." the student said with a blush.

The DJ waved a hoof, "So, did you find any spells?"

"I found a few, actually, but I need to discuss them with House Call before any are performed. I think we should be able to ease your burden a little though."

"Thank Celestia! I just want to actually see the outside world again."

Another knock sounded at the door and Octavia descended the stairs yet again.

"So, Twilight, You wanna take one of these foals off my womb for a while?"

Twilight giggled, "I'd love to see my family's reaction, but I think they'd be better off with their biological parents."

Vinyl shrugged as Octavia returned upstairs with Doctor House, "Thought I'd ask. Hey, doc."

"Vinyl," the unicorn stallion said, "You're looking further along than I expected. Twilight Sparkle, how good to see you again. I trust you're sticking to the exercise regimen I prescribed before you left?"

"Yes, Doctor..."

"Good, let me examine Miss Scratch, and then we can discuss these spells you've found," he said, moving over to the bed and beginning his examination.

After minutes of silence, he stood back, "Well, it appears I was wrong initially. You're currently carrying eight healthy foals. Their growth seems to be incredibly fast, though I suspect that Changelings are capable of rapid breeding and growth like many insects. Instead of the full ten months, I believe you should be giving birth in two more months, though it may be sooner. However, given the size of you, and the growth rate of the foals... I'm going to have to recommend aborting several of them unless a suitable surrogate is found immediately."

"Doctor," spoke Twilight, stepping forward, "Octavia has volunteered to be a surrogate, and I have found a few spells to transfer fetuses from one mare to another. I'll need to use an advanced gender realignment spell on her, but she would be capable of handling at least two of the foals."

"Vinyl won't survive even with six, unless something else has been found."

"Well... It's experimental, but, I thought perhaps that we could use..."

The two unicorns spent over an hour discussing procedures, spells, and methods of transfer that left the two mare's heads (and mine) spinning. Eventually, however, a decision was reached. The two turned toward the earth pony who was in the process of nuzzling her marefriend and asked a difficult question.

"Octavia. Are you sure? The magic we are casting... You may not full return to normal, if at all."

"I'm sure. These are my foals too, and I don't want to lose any of them."

"Understood, if you would get on the... platform, next to Vinyl, we can get started."

The cellist obliged, giving Vinyl a kiss and a reassuring smile while the unicorn was still trying to absorb what was about to happen, "So, you're sure all my foals will be fine, right?"

"If we can't transplant them to Octavia, we can create eggs for them to mature in like a changeling would."

"Okay."

The two unicorns began to work, the two mares laying on the bed falling asleep as the sedative spell took effect.

The sun had gone down and the moon had come up and long ago somebody left with the cup... Wait, that's a different thing...

The sun had sunk low in the sky by the time the unicorns finished their work and roused the sleeping pair, "Vinyl? Octavia? We're done..." Twilight said softly as their eyes fluttered open.

"What happened?" Vinyl asked, looking around nervously even as she overcame the last effects of the sleeping spell.

"We managed to transfer three foals to Octavia, and we left three with you. The other two we had to construct eggs for or there would be no other way for them to survive. They're right over there," House Call explained, pointing to two glistening green eggs sturdily attached to the floor, "They'll be fine, don't worry. Would you like to know what you're having?"

Octavia and Vinyl shared a look and they both softly shook their heads before the both tried standing up. Vinyl sighed happily and then groaned as she felt the aches and pains catch up with her. Octavia simply grunted as she stood, getting used to her now swollen stomach, "This... will take some time to get used to."

"I can stand again, that's something. Thanks, Doc!" Vinyl said, giving the doctor a one-legged hug, needing the other three to support herself, "and you, Twi!" she repeated her action with the lavender mare.

"Well, I'm glad that everything turned out well. I'll be back at the library if you two need anything."

They all nodded and Twilight excused herself. House Call looked at the clock on the wall and blinked, "My, that took longer than I thought. Given recent events, I believe I'll stay at Ponyville General until you two birth your foals so that I don't have to travel all the way from Canterlot when the time comes. I'll be by to check on you every few days as the time draws near, just to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Thanks, Doc," Vinyl said with a smile. The doctor quickly excused himself and exited their home, making his way off into the evening.

"Well... Since you can move again, what say we go out for dinner?" Octavia asked, nuzzling up to her DJ.

"That sounds wonderful, Tavi!"

The cellist smiled and began to make her way downstairs, "With all this love I've been feeding you, you look almost like your old self."

Vinyl giggled and cast a spell, "And those books Twilight brought help me get the rest of the way," she said as she took on her usual public shape, save for the distended belly.

Octavia winced as one of the foals kicked, "This will definitely take some getting used to."

Everypony Out!

Several weeks passed far too slowly for the pregnant pair. The foals were rambunctious, despite their confinement, and made it clear that they were displeased with being stuck inside their mothers. Finally, the blessed day arrived. Blessed in the sense that they would soon be free to wreak their havoc on the world, even while their mothers were shrieking at the Doctor and his nurses to provide them with painkillers.

Octavia had the worst of it, somehow ending up with the bigger set of triplets. For someone who had never had a marehood before, it was a distinctly strange sensation, and quite painful, but eventually, she had passed her three wonderful foals, Earth Ponies all. She lay exhausted while Vinyl continued to push, cursing her marefriend with every other breath for having done this to her. She cursed the doctors and nurses as well, using language that nopony expected her to know and slipping back into her Neigh Orleans accent. She'd given birth to two foals already, one a beautiful purple unicorn filly with translucent wings and a colt with similar wings, and his mothers grey coat.

At long last, out came the last foal, a red-coated pegasus filly with a blond mane and deep blue eyes. The doctors cleaned up the foals and gave them back to their mothers, who lay curled up on some cushions they had placed on the resin in the hive room. They were all immediately hungry, of course, so they let them feed. While they were taking their inaugural drinks, the two eggs began to crack and crumble, their charges soon escaping from the prison of green and being lifted to their mothers after being dried off.

The two mares took exhausted stock of their foals, a mix of fillies and colts of all races. The possibility of one being a pegasus had been brought up since Octavia's grandmother was one, but it was still a surprise. Their firstborn, by Octavia, was an earth pony with a deep black coat, a burnt golden blonde mane and tail, and Vinyl's red eyes. After a discussion, he was graced with the name Bass Clef.

The unicorn with the dragonfly wings was next in line, her purple coat well matched with her shining blue mane and eyes just a shade towards orange away from the DJs. Her name was Treble Clef.

The flutterpony, for there was really no other word for an earth pony with changeling wings, with Octavia's coat, a shocking red mane, and bright blue eyes was to be known as Rush.

Rolling Drums was the name given to the Earth Pony filly with the beautiful red coat, blonde mane, and green eyes.

The last Earth Pony, a colt with one mother's white colt and the other's dark mane and purple eyes, became Jazz.

The pegasus had a red coat that faded to white along his feathered wings, a blonde mane, and green eyes. He became known as Zero Hour.

The two unicorns that had hatched from the eggs they were given over to were both covered in a hard carapace over most of their body, save their faces and horns. Their mane and tales had been able to break through as well. One, with a red carapace, gray eyes, and a striking silver mane was named after another of their favorite genres, Blues. His brother, with a bright blue carapace, brown mane and tail, and blue eyes was graced with a third genre, that of Rock.

They all lay together as the doctors and nurses finished cleaning things up and left, eventually dozing lazily after putting the foals in their little nooks that Vinyl had built and Octavia had placed cushions in. It had been a long, painful day, but now it was over, and they were a family.

"You know, Vi... Something's missing..."

Vinyl yawned, "What's that, Tavi?"

"Your hoof in marriage... Will you marry me?"

The DJ made to yawn again, but it was cut off and the wide mouth turned into one of shock, "Now?! You ask me now!? We both just spend most of the day in labor, and you ask me to marry you now!?"

"Well, I didn't want to have to worry about it while we were pregnant. Stress isn't good for the foals. Are you mad?"

"No, I'm not mad, just surprised. I was wondering when the hay you were going to ask me!"

Octavia raised an eyebrow, "So, is that a yes then, dear?"

"Of course it's a yes, you stupid mare."

"Excellent. I'll buy you a bracelet when I can walk again."

"Right, now it's time for sleep..."

The Reveal

A/N: This wonderful picture was done by RainbowShy1241 who is an awesome pony and I owe them more than I can think of.

"Are you sure about this, Vinyl dearest?" Octavia asked, pulling the cart containing her and their foals toward Town Hall. They were all under a blanket while Vinyl provided them with breakfast, thanks to yet another spell from their doctor. Without it, the two mares could never keep up with 8 foals.

"Absolutely Tavi, I can't stay cooped up in the house forever, and since I seem to have lost the ability to transform, I may as well make it public. You did send a message to Twilight, right?"

The earth pony nodded, turning the last corner to the town hall, "Yes, I did it yesterday. She's probably already waiting for us."

"I'm sorry, I'm just nervous."

"You've been DJing for years, and I've seen those pictures you 'volunteered' for in Playcolt. How ever could you be nervous?"

Vinyl blushed, "Well, back then, I wasn't really naked. I'm completely naked now..."

Octavia rolled her eyes as the building grew in front of her, "Honestly, you'll be fine, Twilight understands, you're in the Princesses' graces, and I love you."

"I know... I'm just..."

"No more worrying. It'll make your milk sour and Rock and Blues won't get any love."

"Fiiine, you always know what's best."

"Of course I do!" the mare said with a grin, "I did read every book on child-rearing in the library."

Vinyl just sighed and nestled down further under the light covering, petting over one of her children's manes. The texture and curl told her it was Zero, and then the feathery wings confirmed it. She smiled softly and then eeped as she felt a fresh set of lips on one of her teats.

Octavia giggled as they finally approached the door, Twilight and the Mayor coming out to greet them, "Octavia, Vinyl, good to see you both!" the unicorn said with a smile.

"Good to see you too, Miss Sparkle. Miss Mayor," the cellist said with a small nod.

"So what can I do for the Princess' protege and two of our more famous residents?"

"Well, Miss Mayor. Vinyl has had some side effects from having children. We would like you to hear us out before you run screaming into the Everfree."

"Of course!" the mayor replied, looking legitimately confused that anypony could tell her something that would shock her so severely. However, as Octavia and Twilight began to relate Vinyl's story, and the uniling herself removed the blanket to reveal herself, the mayor found herself becoming more and more willing to bolt until she heard about the Princesses.

Upon completion she nodded, "So, you wish to hold a town meeting to explain the situation? If she is under the Princesses' grace, then I'm sure it will be fine."

Vinyl nodded, "Yes, I'd like to have the chance to tell everypony before somepony sees me and sends an angry mob my way. It wouldn't be good for the foals."

"Foals?" asked the Mayor, "Oh yes, I had heard you'd started a family. May I see them?"

Vinyl chuckled softly at the mayor's brightly gleaming eyes and giddy smile, "Sure, mayor. One's having lunch right now, but uh, I've been in worse positions," she said with a blush as she removed the blanket.

Resting in the cart, curled up as close as they could get to their mother in a smile pile were 8 precious foals. Blues and Rock were having a slight argument over who got to be closer, until Roll rolled over and landed in between them. Jazz was curled up under Vinyl's chin, sound asleep while Rush was having lunch, his diaphanous wings fluttering rapidly and making a sound like a cicada. The other three were curled up together beneath one of Vinyl's forelegs, dozing and nibbling on each other.

The mayor let out a sigh and smiled, "Such darlings... I do hope you take good care of them."

"Don't worry, we plan to," Octavia said, staring at her foals for a moment before turning back around, "Twilight, I'd like you to make the announcement so it will be accepted more readily. As popular as her DJ-PON3 persona is, discovering she's half-changeling could lead to a riot."

"Understandable. Is this afternoon okay for you? It will take me a little while to get the summons out," the mayor said, looking up at the sun to judge the time.

"That would be fine, Mayor," the earth pony said, shifting the weight of the yoke slightly, "We were planning on stopping over to SugarCube Corner for some lunch and to handle Pinkie Pie's desire to plan parties for our wedding and such."

"I think I'll join you," Twilight said, smiling, "I haven't had a cupcake in a few days. We'll see you this afternoon, Mayor?"

"Of course, my little ponies. I'll get those summons out as fast as I can."

"Thank you," Vinyl said with a smile, laying the blanket back over them. They walked to the confection connection in silence and Twilight held the door open so Octavia could enter with the cart. The trio worked themselves into a corner table and waited for PInkie Pie to show up.

No sooner did Twilight open her mouth to wonder where the party pony was than the mare burst out of the cart, holding all 8 foals, napping peacefully, and hollar at a volume usually reserved for Fluttershy, "Babies!"

The couple blinked and Twilight facehoofed before they all started laughing. Pinkie put the foals back in the cart with a smile, giving each of them a kiss on the cheek before turning to the table with a wide grin. Vinyl smiled back, "Hey Pinks."

"Hey Vinyl! So what can I getcha today? Gotta keep up your energy to keep up with all those foals. I have enough trouble keeping up with the Cake's twins!"

The trio placed their order, Pinkie bouncing back behind the counter to retrieve it before returning in a flash with a pile of tasty pastries for the group. She pulled up an extra seat and sat down, enjoying a few herself. As the meal proceeded, she would be holding one of the foals, then suddenly holding another. If the mare could settle down, she would make one hay of a mother.

After a brisk conversation and a satisfying meal, the four ponies and cart full of foals left for the town square where the Mayor was almost finished getting the podium set up. The crowd was slowly gathering as Vinyl hid herself under the blanket and was moved close to the podium by her fiancee. As soon as every pony in Ponyville had arrived, the Mayor spoke up, "Fillies and Gentlecolts. We have a very important announcement today. With that in mind, I give the podium to Twilight Sparkle!"

Twilight nodded and stepped up as the mayor stepped down, "Hello everypony! Now, this is very important, so, please hold all of your questions until the end. As some of you may have heard, Octavia and Vinyl Scratch recently had quite a few foals. Now, this is a joyous occasion and I'm sure we're all happy about that, but it has had some complications. Vinyl's story is long and complicated and not for me to tell, but suffice to say she has always been the Vinyl we know, or the DJ-PON3 we enjoy the music of.

So, it is with the authority invested in me, by her, and by Princess Celestia of Equestria, that I reveal her secret to you all. As a complication of her birth, she has been unable to reassume the form you are all used to. Vinyl has always been part-changeling, but now she is unable to hide that fact. I assure she is no threat, and she is under the protection of myself, my friends, and the crown. Vinyl, if you could step forward please?"

The uniling did as she was asked, exiting the cart and standing next to the podium. She was wearing her trademark shades and aside from a slightly darker coat, the wings, and the carapace on her undersides, she didn't look all that different. A few murmurs of concern rustled through the audience, but nopony made a move for violence, which was good.

Vinyl stepped up to the podium and smiled, "Hey everypony," she said with that slight buzz below her voice, "It's me. I know I've hid this from all of you for my entire life, but, after having 8 beautiful foals, it seems my body doesn't want to hide itself anymore. Please don't treat me any differently than you used to, I'm still DJ-PON3."

Several ponies nodded while others murmured assent or concern, but by and large the reaction was relatively indifferent. Shrugging, she stepped down from the podium and Twilight took her place yet again, "Any questions?"

Nopony said anything, so the mayor declared the meeting over and the crowd rapidly dispersed back to their daily lives. Twilight laid a hoof on Vinyl's shoulder and smiled, "That went better than I expected. Some of the ponies in this town don't like change."

"Well, I'd have felt better with a more decisive reaction."

"I know, dear," Octavia said, nuzzling her fiancee, "But, come, we have a wedding to plan."

"Oh my gosh!" shouted Pinkie, appearing from the cart full of foals, "You have to let me help!"

"Of course, Pinks," Vinyl said with a grin, "I wouldn't have anypony else plan the reception. We're gonna handle the wedding itself though. Got some ideas."

"Okie doki Loki!" she said with a smile and hugged both of them, deciding to hug Twilight as well, "Just make sure you have Rarity do the dresses, otherwise she will freeeak!"

Octavia rolled her eyes, "That was actually our next stop, Pinkamena. We wouldn't dream of having anypony else make the dresses for such a momentous occasion."

Pinkie's eye twitched when the cellist mentioned her full name, but otherwise remained a smiling, happy pony, "Well, I gotta get back to the bakery before the muffins burn or Derpy will KILL me!" she said with a mild look of terror before vanishing in a pink blur.

"That pony..." Octavia sighed before hooking the yoke back up and beginning to walk toward the boutique, Vinyl clambering into the cart to make sure the foals didn't wake up alone.

The meeting with Rarity took far longer than either mare thought. Measurements were taken, retaken, and dress ideas were sketched and scrapped. They finally managed to escape her clutches when the foals began to demand dinner. They returned home exhausted and ate a quick meal of daisy sandwiches and a crisp salad while Vinyl fed the kids. After enjoying their meal and getting everypony settled down for the night, the two mares adjourned to their bedroom, where they snuggled up next to each and kissed warmly.

"You know, Vinyl dearest... I do believe we should invite Mr. Nash to the wedding."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Well, we would not be together if it were not for him."

"Huh, hadn't thought of it that way. I guess we could invite him."

"I'm glad you think so. So, that's my family that still talks to me, your family, the Elements, Berry, Carrot Top, Derpy, and another 58 ponies."

"Sounds right... This is going to take forever isn't it?"

"Well, the town hall is booked two months from now, so we have until then."

"Two months... Yay..." Vinyl said, looking for all the world like someone just killed her pet.

"Oh, don't worry, dearest. I'll take care of everything. What I don't handle, Pinkamena will."

"You're right. I trust you."

"Good, now, let's get some rest. It's been a long day."

The two mares snuggled up with each other, Octavia gladly being the little spoon this night and were soon asleep. Lucky for them, they had foals that slept through the night like their parents, at least for now.

The Wedding

Two months could be an eternity or a blink of an eye, depending on one's point of view. From a non-linear, non-objective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball... I'm getting off track.

Vinyl stood uncomfortably on a small dais while Rarity made last minute adjustments to her dress, mane, tail, and sunglasses. She was musing to herself how fast the time had flown. The foals were weaned, the wedding had been planned, and it was now about twenty minutes to show time. The uniling was just about to begin panicking when Pinkie Pie entered the room, followed by Rock and Roll.

"Hey Vinyl, these two wouldn't take no for an answer so they tagged along to see your dress before anypony else."

"It's okay, Pinks. Hey, kids, how're you doing?"

They made happy noises and smiled, language not quite within their grasp just yet, but soon, if their development in mind was as fast as their development in body. The doctor said they would slow down once they were the equivalent of five or six, and not to worry. It was apparently normal for changelings.

"Mom's gotta finish getting ready, so you be good little foals for Auntie Pinkie, okay?" the DJ said with a smile as Rarity tightened her corset yet again. The foals left and she sighed, "Jeeze, Rarity, you tighten that corset anymore and Tavi will have to marry both halves of me separately."

"Nonsense, darling, I still have plenty of... you... to work with here. You really need to be more active now that you've stopped feeding the foals to burn off all this flab."

"Tavi likes it when I have a little extra cushion."

Rarity shook her head and removed the DJs sunglasses to polish them to a brilliant shine, "And honestly, these sunglasses..."

"Hey, I've had those almost my whole life, they're as much a part of me as my horn."

"Fine, fine. I've done all I can. You wait right here until we retrieve you for your father to give you away."

"W-wait, Dad actually showed up?!"

"Yes he did, dear. He arrived just before I got here to get you dressed."

Vinyl began to shake. She hadn't seen her family in years, and now she was marrying another mare. She hadn't even thought to send them a letter when she got pregnant. Thoughts roiled through her head as Rarity left the room. It wouldn't do to completely freak out and ruin her wedding, but the fact that her father had actually come all the way up from Neigh Orleans blew her mind. He hadn't left town since her mother died. That thought brought a tear to her eye. Her mother never got to see this day, and it was one of those days all mothers want to see, according to her.

Taking a shaky breath, she turned toward the mirror to look herself over. Rarity had outdone herself with the wedding gown. The dress was the same shade of white as her coat, with highlights that matched her sunglasses artfully placed. Around her neck was a small broach in the shape and color of Octavia's cutie mark. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, making sure to banish the sad thoughts to a small corner of her mind to deal with later. Today was a happy day, and if her father had shown up, it meant he was okay with it.

Meanwhile, two doors down and across the hall, Octavia was pacing nervously in her own dress. It was simpler than Vinyl's and resembled a suit more than a dress, but the lines were distinctly feminine and complemented her colors nicely. Her bow tie was present, cradling a small onyx jewel shaped like Vinyl's cutie mark. Berry Punch was watching the mare pace with a bored look in her eyes.

"You know, when I agreed to be your best mare, I didn't expect to have to watch you pace around like a caged manticore."

"It's my wedding, do you expect me to be calm? I've only had two months to plan this. So many things could go wrong. The catering..."

"Was handled earlier by Applejack, myself, and Carrot."

"The music..."

"Fluttershy got her bird chorus and your jazz band mates have agreed to play along with Lyra filling in for you."

"The decorations..."

"Pinkie Pie and Rarity. Listen, before we go down the rest of the list for the eighth time," the earth pony said, putting a hoof on the bridesgroom's shoulder, "Take a deep breath, ask me for a shot of something to relax, and we'll get you married."

"Right. Right. I just need to be calm. What do you recommend?"

"Nothing too strong, how about a swig or two of your favorite bourbon?"

"That sounds wonderful."

Berry produced the mentioned liquor, two glasses, and a small amount of ice, and poured out a few measures, "To happy days passed and still to come," the brewer offered as a toast.

"Cheers," replied Octavia, sipping the bourbon, feeling it burn pleasantly on the way down as she felt herself begin to relax. She started to hum a song to calm herself down before realizing that it was probably a bad omen to hum what had become known as the "This Day Aria" on her wedding day. She stopped and began to hum something a little more upbeat.

Berry smiled, "Alright, I have to go get on stage and make sure that Lyra hasn't scared off Spike talking about hands again."

"Right, I'll be right out," the cellist said as her friend left. Once she was gone, she turned and glared at herself in the mirror, "Octavia Melodica Philharmonica, you will calm down. There is nothing more you can do to assure this day goes perfectly and worrying about it will only ruin things. You will be happily married and you will enjoy the ceremony."

Satisfied with herself, she turned and exited the room, making her way to the main room of the town hall. Regularly used for celebrations, it had been made into a wedding chapel for the day. The crowd they had invited had surprised her. Her entire family had shown up, surprising her. Her father had apparently calmed down, after a little bit of a talking to by her mother. Half the town of Ponyville seemed to have made an appearance as well. She made a few small greetings before taking her place to the mayor's left on stage. She had barely enough time to take in the sight of the hall filled with ponies she knew before the music started and her bride appeared at the end of the carpet.

Vinyl and the older stallion that was presumed to be her father walked carefully up toward the stage, led by the cutie mark crusaders giving another try at their flower fillies cutie mark. After they approached and the stallion had sat down, the mayor began her speech, "Fillies and Gentlecolts, we are gathered here today..."

The wedding had gone well, better than either of the brides could have hoped. The reception, however, could be going better. A stallion, who had come with his marefriend, had a few too many mugs of salted cider and stolen the microphone. He was now ranting drunkenly about how evil changelings were and how Vinyl was a freak of nature. Most of the crowd could only sit stunned as the anger visible on Vinyl's face slowly grew.

Blues took that moment to trundle near the stallion, munching happily on an apple he had snagged off the catering table, only to find himself suddenly hanging upside down in the stallions telekinetic grip, "She!? Thish ish what happens when *hic* when we let frrreaks like her breed! This... This... Thing here would be better off if I just snapped its neck!"

The stallion managed to finish his sentence and inhale for another one before he was hit simultaneously by seven separate beams of magical energy. He was turned into a bright green pig, flipped upside down, and launched clear through the opposite wall of the town hall only to end up covered in tar and feathers. Everypony looked to see who had done what and found seven mares catching their breath, including the bride, who was levitating a crying Blues over to her to soothe. Twilight and Rarity had both taken part in the assault along with several others, Lyra foremost among them. Everypony was silent before Octavia stood and took the microphone.

"Everypony, I know feelings relating to changelings are often not the best, as our former guest so avidly demonstrated," she said, attempting to appear calm, but the rage and terror causing her voice to quaver slightly, "However, I believe we have also demonstrated that if any pony seeks to bring harm to my wife, or my foals, they are well defended. Standing on my hind legs to play the cello has also made them quite strong. I'm sure that our... friend... was simply letting the salt speak through him, but remember, mother's are the most dangerous creatures."

Having made her statement, she returned to her seat, kissed her wife and and nuzzled her bawling foal. Their other foals soon gathered around, helping to calm their brother. The love filtering between the foals and their mothers was palpable even to regular ponies. Those whom had doubts about the nature of the marriage had them expelled, and some tears of joy were shed.

Eventually, mostly thanks to Pinkie Pie, the party got rolling again and lasted late into the night. The last of the revelers watching a tarred and feathered pig try to walk backwards up a wall as they left. Whether the spells would wear off or not was never questioned, because nopony cared.

Yawning and leaning on her new wife, Vinyl smiled, "Well, today was exhausting... and mostly good."

"Indeed, I don't think we should let the drunken opinion of one stallion have much effect on our memories of today."

"Mm, I wonder who flung the pig spell though, I just launched him out of the hall."

"I'm going to guess we have Rarity to thank for the tarring and feathering. That seems to be her style."

"Well, I suggest we get home and get some rest."

"I heartily agree, Pinkie should have the foals in bed by now, so we should be able to just go ourselves."

The two stood slowly and exited the hall, making their way home to the comfort of their shared bed. They bade good night to Pinkie, gave each of their foals a good night kiss, and adjourned to their room.

"You know, Tavi... I think I have just enough energy left for a little... fun..." Vinyl said seductively, giving her wife a kiss and a nuzzle.

"Mmm, I suppose..." Octavia replied with a grin and an ear nibble. The two rustled about under the covers before turning out the lights.

Not An End, But A New Beginning

Time marches onward, but for one family in a large house at the end of a side road in Ponyville, sometimes it seemed to go by just a little too fast. Vinyl and Octavia were dealing with eight growing foals, all of whom had grown rapidly to school age before their eyes in just six short months, picking up language and, unfortunately, the rambunctiousness of youth. Vinyl stood in the kitchen, washing the latest round of breakfast dishes. Octavia was off in Canterlot at yet another recital and then later a recording session for her newest jazz album, so it was up to the DJ to handle all of her foals. She was used to drunk, rowdy crowds, not a swarm of fillies and colts with too much sugar and not enough sense. A loud thud resounded against the side of the house, causing the uniling to take to the air and jet out the window.

"Rush! What are you doing?!" she shouted at the fluttering colt who had just bounced off the siding.

"I was racing Treble and Zero!" he said, referring to the two fillies that zoomed up behind him, one still ground-bound and the other buzzing about emitting a noise not unlike a mosquito in your ear. It seemed to be the family trait that their wings made that noise, which bugged the hay out of Octavia sometimes, but she never said anything.

"Again? I thought I told you if you were going to race to do it with a soft target at the end. You know you always over shoot," she said, landing and running a hoof through Rush's mane.

"Ugh, Mom, I know. I've been practicing!" he said, wobbling about in the air like a drunk bumblebee. His sister had managed to master the art of hovering with little practice, but he always seemed to have to go in one direction or another. He had almost as much energy as Pinkie Pie, and she was the only pony in town that could tire him out.

Looks like I'm going to owe Pinks another few bits, she sighed. Octavia was due back tomorrow, but Vinyl desperately needed a break.

"Okay, I'm going to head over to the Corner and see if Auntie Pinkie can watch you guys for a few hours this evening. Your old mom needs a break."

"You're not old!" shouted Roll as she slipped up behind her mom, "You're the coolest DJ in Equestria!" she beamed a smile up at her mom, her voice cracking in the middle of the country name.

"Whatever you say kiddo, but I still need a break. How about you go and get the rest of your brothers and sisters and we'll all go together. I think Pumpkin and Pound would like to play with you too."

They all shouted with glee and vanished in various directions. She knew Blues would be upstairs reading, but the rest of her foals had scattered to the four winds as soon as she'd given them the "Go outside and play" decree.

Returning to her dishes, Vinyl smiled to herself. So much had happened in so little time. She'd lost her ability to shapeshift, revealed herself to the town, had a clutch of wonderful children, and gotten married. Looking out the window at the approaching storm of energy-filled foals, she sighed happily. Despite the stress, the hardship, the lack of live shows (her albums still sold like they were made of compressed salt and diamonds), and ache in her horn after a long day of cleaning up after all of them, she was the happiest she had ever been.

Blues appeared in the kitchen, sniffing the air, "What's go you so happy, Mom?" he asked, adjusting the black shades he'd taken to wearing like Vinyl wore her own.

"Oh, just thinking about the future. It looks bright."

A/N: And with this short little epilogue, Latex and Lace is done. It got away from me at some point and turned out far differently than I thought it would when I began to write it however many weeks ago, but I'm happy with how it turned out, mostly. There are parts I'd rewrite, things I'd do differently, but those are all minor things to me. I'm both sad and glad to be done.

I'd like to thank all of you who've read this, RainbowShy for the art, and every single one of you that took the time to like, favorite, and comment.

There will be a sequel with the foals, but that'll be later, I have a few other fics to get out of my head first.

Also, for your amusement, I present the text file I wrote to refer to when I was creating the foals.

Alrighty... Vinyl and Tavi's foals...

Bass Clef - Earth Pony colt, black coat, blonde mane and tail
Treble Clef - Unicorn filly with flutterpony wings, Purple coat, blue mane
Rock - Unicorn Colt with a hard carapace instead of a coat. blue carapace, brown mane
Rolling Drums - Earth Pony filly, red coat, blonde mane
Blues - Unicorn colt, red carapace, silver mane
Jazz - Earth Pony colt, white coat, dark gray mane
Rush - Flutterpony colt, gray coat, Red mane
Zero Hour - Pegasus filly, red coat, blond mane blue eyes

Am I being too obvious here?