The Snow on Her Cheek

by psp7master

Chapters

Conception
Move
Round Midnight
The Swingin's Mutual
Cheek to Cheek
Impressions
Ill Wind
When Your Lover Has Gone
I Don't Want To Set the World on Fire
Don't Ever Be Afraid to Go Home
The House I Live in
More Than You Know
Days of Wine and Roses
Two for the Road
One More for My Baby...
It's Nice to Go Trav'ling
You'll Never Walk Alone
The Thrill is Gone
How Blue Can You Get?
If I Should Lose You
Let it Snow
White Christmas
On a Clear Day
Someone to Watch Over Me
Forget to Remember
Good Morning Heartache
Learnin' the Blues
The Best is Yet to Come
On the Sunny Side of the Street
Happy Days Are Here Again
Blue Moon
Midnight Sun
Strangers in the Night
Epilogue
Afterword
I Could Write a Book
In a Cello Mood
Bonus Chapter + Prequel Link

Conception

If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:

THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED

FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

WAS MUSIC

- Kurt Vonnegut

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter One

Conception

***

White snow was falling from the sky. White snow erupting from dark clouds above, to fall onto the dirty streets of the sombre city of Manehattan and cover the dull ponies. The whole life had been dull recently, Octavia mused as she trotted along the streets, looking around, eyeing the ponies around her. Their muzzles were lowered, as if each one of them were expecting something on the ground. They didn't talk to each other; they didn't wave. They didn't see anything around them. They were hidden behind their invisble mental walls, concealed in cells of their own device.

Octavia herself was no different. She had learned to hide her feelings and wear a smile at her practice and performances. She had to establish hope in those who came to listen to her, although she very well knew she had no hope of herself at all. She'd managed to live, day by day, counting the hours she was awake, only to come home and lose herself in the uneasy night. She was lonely. Everypony was lonely. The whole city of Manehattan was one huge castle of loneliness.

War was coming, they said. The Griffins had a new emperor and he, contrary to the previous one, had established firm support in his nation using anti-equine rhetorics. The Empire had already occupied a part of Coltland and was aiming at Zebrica. But that wasn't the reason why Octavia's heart was aching of hollowness. The thing is, she wasn't sure what to live for. Life wasn't worth living for; but just as much it wasn't worth dying for.

Sometimes Octavia thought that it was all meant to be like this. Sometimes she would stand before the mirror, eyeing her dischevelled mane falling onto her grey coat and thought about what she was to do. What she was meant to do. In the past, it had been easy to anwer: she was meant to play the cello in the Royal Orchestra, as classical music was her calling in life, supported by her treble clef cutie mark. But now, she didn't know what to believe in any more. To be completely honest with herself, she didn't even want to think about it.

Sometimes she would consider simply moving on, until the war or something else would take her life.

Her parents would always tell her to find a special somepony, a stallion who would brighten up her existence. Para la Familia, they always said, and thought that Octavia was bothered by living alone, far from her family. She was not. Sure, her parents and brothers were really kind and caring, but they were... different. They were into business, while Octavia was into music. And, well, in all honesty, she wasn't that sad to move to Manehattan and live alone. Alone, without a decent mare by her side...

Octavia quickly blushed and looked around. To her relief, nopony seemed to have even noticed her presence. No, such thoughts couldn't be tolerated. Fillyfooling was a crime, and a serious one, at it. Equestria needed population growth, not love. But... the poor cellist couldn't help it. She liked mares. Like, liked mares - was sexually attracted to them. Of course, she had never told anypony about it. All the failed dates with stallions that her family had tried to set her up with resulted in suspicion; but she shrugged it off, pretending to be only interested in her music.

And her music, to her dismay, was a hypocrisy as well. Classical music just didn't do its job. She had always believed that the music must come from the very soul of the performer, and not from the cold, heartless, heedless sheet music. Sure, she played it strictly; she played it carefully; she played it as it was meant to be played. But...

Octavia reached the tall skyscraper and smiled at the doorkeeper, who bowed respectfully and opened the door. The cellist marched through the wide hall towards the lift. She readjusted the cello case on her back and pressed the button.

If only she could find a mare, a mare like her, a mare who... liked mares... and a way to play her favourite kind of music. Music that was new. Music that was fresh. Music that screamed of youthful vigour and disrespect.

She entered the lift and exhaled. She was almost there. Almost home. Just a few seconds till she could finally throw off the mask that she'd been wearing.

She left the lift and trotted towards a wooden door at her left, inserting the key. With a click, the door opened and she came in, turning the lights on and closing the door behind her.

There. She was home. She eyed the only room with some love and warmness: the sofa, the writing table, the gramophone... The room was huge but there wasn't much furniture, not that there were any unneeded items. And there was a reason for that.

Octavia marched towards the kitchen and began making tea. As the leaves floated at the surface of hot water, soothing her nerves, she sat down on the stool and closed her eyes. The evening performance had consumed much of her energy. It was hard to play it cool when she was broken and empty inside; but she had managed - the audience greeted her with a cheer and bid her farewell with flowers. She didn't take any. She didn't need any, as long as those weren't coming from that very special somepony, a very special mare...

The cellist opened her eyes, taking a sip from the mug. The hot substance slid down her throat, enveloping her insides in a pleasant cocoon of warmness. Yes... She needed that warmth, to keep her away from the grim and cold reality, to keep her mind from reeling into dangerous directions...

An image of a mare - not a particular mare, just a subconscious projection of the blind desire - appeared before her eyes, kissing her, pinning her to the sofa and then...

Octavia immediately stood up, shaking her head violently, just to get rid of such thoughts. It was a crime. It was a sin. She trotted into the room and opened the window, letting the chilly evening wind inside. She stood by the window, inhaling the vernal breeze coming from the west, every minute particle of it reminding her of freedom, which she, in reality, had never had.

Feeling significantly better, the grey cellist approached the gramophone, not forgetting to close the window beforehand. She didn't want anypony to hear... this. With a swift motion of her hoof, she grabbed a vinyl record, which had been lying atop her collection of Coltbert's works. This one was different. She lowered the needle and turned the knob, feeling her heart beating faster and faster, as if she were doing something... dirty. Well, in fact, she was.

Laaaaadies and gentlecolts, please welcome.... Mister... George "Old God"... COLTRING!

The sound of hooves stomping in approval - a lewdy sign, as opposed to gentle clapping at classical performances - drowned the voice of the compere but ceased immediately as the first notes came to life, supported by the pleasant rustling of the record.

A smile found its way to Octavia's lips as she began tapping her hoof against the floor, eyes closed in bliss. Coltring surely knew how to play jazz; he knew how to feel jazz. At that particular moment, as his hooves swung across the keys, breaking all possible rules of classical piano playing, he was jazz.

No longer able to restrain herself, the grey mare began dancing, shifting in a swing-mannered bebop, moving around the room. That's why she needed all this empty space. To break free.

As she kept dancing, on and on, a sudden realisation dawned upon her. She smiled, this time very consciously, for the first time in many weeks.

She knew where she would spend next night.

Move

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Two

Move

***

Vinyl closed her eyes, relaxed and calm, taking her time before the precious moment. She took a deep breath and a smile instantly appeared on her face. Even with her eyes closed, she could see the bar around her. She could feel the tingling of mugs and glasses; she could hear the sound of ponies' light-hearted chatter; she could sense the excitement that was swiftly building inside the visitors. This was the moment that she lived for. That was her ultimate goal in life. That was her perfect destiny - to come here, to this little jazz bar on the outskirts, not just to play the piano, but to trasmit the feeling of freedom and happiness to all the ponies who could hear her.

She pressed her hooves against the keys, feeling pleasant warmth inside as the talk went quiet, and the sound of the chord floated in the air. She lazily let her right hoof play a few notes, just to drive into it. Her smile turned into a wide grin as she began to play. Sultry block chords succeeded the bold semitonic passages, and bawdy harmony flew throughout the room.

Vinyl was happy. She was truly, sincerely happy. She was playing for herself, and she was playing for everypony. She was playing the most wonderful, rebellious, modern music there was. She was playing jazz. Her life seemed to be perfect. Everything was perfect: she was where she wanted to be, did what she wanted to do, surrounded by ponies with whom she wanted to be. Only... She winced mentally. Only there wasn't a special somepony by her side. A very special mare...

Stupid laws, Vinyl thought. Sure, she was always the one to break them, but, in this case, she had to hide her true identity. She had to hide her true nature. She had to hide herself.

Only here, in the bar, she could finally feel at home.

She opened her eyes, the song coming to an unexpected crescendo - not because somepony else had mentioned it in some sheet music or shit (the white unicorn giggled mentally at the pun), but because she wanted to.

She always did what she wanted to. When her family couldn't embrace her homosexuality, she did what she wanted to do and moved out. Sure, life used to be hard back then, with little money and almost no friends, but she's managed to get by. She'd managed to make friends. She's managed to earn a living. When nopony accepted her for the music she played, thinking it to be low, dirty and pathetic, she found a place where she would be appreciated; where she would be loved.

"Excuse me?"

Vinyl snapped out of her thoughts, turning her head towards the source of the sound, which, to her surprise, was a very good-looking grey mare with a gorgeous black mane falling onto her smooth shoulders. A treble clef cutie mark was resting atop her curvy flank and-

Aaaaand stopping right there, Vinyl! the white unicorn mentally scolded herself. You don't want to do time for fillyfooling again, do you? Besides, if she came to the club, that doesn't mean she's into mares... she thought not without a hint of disappointment.

"Hey there," Vinyl replied with a grin, waving a hoof. "How can old Vinyl Scratch help you?"

"You don't look old," the grey earth pony retorted. "In fact, you look quite... young," she added with a small blush. Mind your phrasing, Octavia. It's a delinquent act to show up at a jazz club as it is; you don't want to have problems due to your... preferences, she said to herself, extending a hoof in a greeting gesture.

Vinyl shook her hoof energetically, making the grey cellist blink in surprise. "Thanks, um... what's your name?"

"Octavia." The grey mare smiled, making Vinyl feel a hint of warmness inside. She *is** cute when she smiles like that...* the pianist mused, not showing her inner monologue, hidden behind the mask of her purple goggles.

"I must say that your performance was very passionate, in addition to being immensely beautiful," Octavia began, trying to choose her wording carefully, feeling an unreasonable attraction towards the pianist building inside her, a feeling that needed to be buried as soon as possible. "I... I've never been to a jazz performance before..." She stammered, blushing, but, upon seeing the white mare's encouraging smile, let out a chuckle of her own. "But this is totally... um... cool?" she finished unsurely. "That's the right term, isn't it?"

Vinyl laughed light-heartedly, and that sound was the sweetest music to Octavia's ears at the moment. "Filly, you sound like one of those fancy high-class ponies." She looked at the embarrassed grey mare and patted her on the shoulder, which, in fact, made Octavia blush even harder. "But you're right, that's the word."

"In fact, I..." Come on, Octavia, spill out the whole truth! You wanted change, right? So make the change! she encouraged herself, and took a deep breath. "I am one of those... fancy ponies... but I don't like it at all." Surprised at her own openness, the cellist carried on, "I've been playing classical music for as long as I can remember... but I want my life to change." She let a small smile onto her face. "I want to play jazz, Vinyl Scratch."

"Just Vinyl." Damn it, she's so hot... "So..." the white mare rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "That's great, Octavia. You just came up to say that?" she wondered, hoping mentally that there was something more to it, some more reasons - or just a single one - for the grey mare to stay with her.

"No." Octavia pondered for a moment, inspecting her hoof, her heart beauting faster at the thought of what she was going to say. Was she really...? "I would like to ask you to teach me... how to play jazz." The grey mare gulped. Did she really just say that out loud? She, Octavia Philarmonica, asking a jazz pianist to tutor her... in the ways of jazz? If anypony were to know... "Of course, I'll pay!" she added quickly, knowing very well the cold-blooded calculation of most Manehattan ponies. Money meant everything for them.

"Pfft, Filly!" Vinyl waved her hoof dismissingly. "I don't need your money." She grinned. "What I ask of ponies is friendship, 'cause, you know, money comes and goes, and friendship always stays."

Octavia was mesmerised by the way this simple mare expressed her thoughts; her phrasing was by no means refined, but what she said was not only true, but beautiful. She simply nodded, still not sure of the answer.

"Of course I'll help you, Octavia!" the pianist exclaimed and stood up, hugging the grey mare, whose face fluhed completely, matching the colour of her pink bow tie.

"I... am... honoured," Octavia let out, trying to break free, or, to be honest, pretending to be trying to break free; if she were to decide, she would have stayed in the white unicorn's embrace for hours.

"So, we're friends?" Vinyl extended her hoof, grinning.

She acts so naturally... I could learn a lot from her, not only about music... Octavia mused but stopped her trail of thought as soon as it came to more... private things that she could learn from this good-looking mare.

"Friends." Octavia smiled gently and shook Vinyl's hoof. Her first friend. Her first real friend. She'd thought that it was pointless to seek friendship in Manehattan. But, after all, in this underground bar on the outskirts, far from the eye of society, simple, friendly relations still existed.

"So, Tavi, let's go have your first lesson!" Vinyl threw a hoof in the air, trying to look cool, and, Octavia noticed, truly looking cool.

"Tavi?" The grey mare blinked in lack of understanding.

"Well, we're friends now, so I thought it was a nice nickname," Vinyl blushed as she explained. A goddamn good job, Vinyl. You are a perfect example of straightforwardness. What if she thinks I'm a fillyfooler? Which I totally am, of course, but-

"It's very cute. I like it," Octavia said with a blush, interrupting Vinyl's stream of consciousness. Amazing, Octavia. Your subtlety never ceases to astonish. What if she thinks I like it because I like *her? Which I, to be honest, **do, but-*

"Great!" Vinyl cheered and trotted towards the exit, throwing a confused look at the grey mare. "You coming?"

"What do you mean?" Octavia wondered, not comprehending what was going on. "We haven't scheduled the practice session yet, and-"

"Oh come on, filly!" Vinyl laughed and shook her head. "The night's still young, and what's better time for jazz than the night?" she asked rhetorically, even poetically, Octavia thought. "What instrument do you play? I have a piano at my place, and a couple of guitars."

"I play the cello," Octavia said, following the white mare outside. "I also have a piano, so... if you want..." She gulped, fresh air granting some courage to her. "We could practice at my place." Please say yes, please say yes... the cellist prayed desperately, unsure about why this white unicorn had struck her heartstrings so fast, and so hard.

"Sure, why not?" Vinyl tried to shrug nonchalantly, but it was a failed attempt: her heart fluttered at the very thought of being with this mare, not to mention at her place, at night... Not gonna happen, Vinyl. Not. Gonna. Happen. That's gonna be just a lesson. Just. A. Lesson. Despite her thoughts, she smiled. "Let's go. Lead."

"Oh, I love to lead!" Octavia blurted out and started trotting towards her flat. She suddenly realised what possible implications her remark might have had. "I mean, play the lead part. In an orchestra, I mean." She blushed in embarrassment, looking at the white mare, who now turned slightly pink as well.

"Yeah... Music..." Vinyl smiled sheepishly, thankful to her goggles, which concealed her widened eyes.

The two ponies trotted side by side, and, despite the cold weather, felt strangely warm. And the best thing? Not a single dark thought this night, Octavia mused. The future seemed strangely, inconceivably bright.

Round Midnight

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Three

Round Midnight

***

"Well, this is my place," Octavia said, closing the door behind the two musicians, nodding in the direction of her sofa, and the table, and the whole spacious room.

Vinyl gasped in awe. If she weren't wearing her goggles (why do I even call them 'goggles'? They're all-around awesome sunglasses!), she would have rubbed her eyes in disbelief. "Damn it, filly! As if I weren't already impressed by that sky-scraping thingy!"

"It's called a 'skyscraper', Vinyl," the cellist said with a smile as she trotted towards the centre of the room, where her friend (my first real friend) was standing, eyeing the room from behind her goggles.

"Makes sense." Vinyl nodded with a grin, looking at Octavia, who was warmed up inside by the mere fact of the pianist's presense. She could certainly get used to the feeling, its being one of the few pleasant ones she'd got to experience.

Vinyl shifted from hoof to hoof uneasily, desperately trying to stop thinking about the figure of the grey mare before her. And that was a challenge, for she was so slender, so curvy... If she ever had just a single chance to... No, no, no! Break the silence. Break the silence, Vinyl. Immediately! "So... D'you have any whisky?" she blurted out, not forgetting to give her brain a mental kick afterwards.

Octavia blinked. "Well, as a matter of fact, I do... but we've a lesson ahead and-"

"Pfft, filly! Who in Equestria plays jazz without a shot or two?" Vinyl smirked, seeing Octavia's dumbfounded expression. "I'll tell you - nopony. At least not in this town." An expression of confidence and certainty appeared on the unicorn's face, an expression that Octavia couldn't argue with. Not that she wanted, of course. Maybe, just maybe, a glass or two could easen the mood... Yes, and she would jump straight into bed with you, Octavia. Keep dreaming. The cellist chuckled at her own thoughts.

"Why, yes, I may have a bottle... Follow me, please," she said, trotting towards the kitchen, not thinking (totally thinking) about the white unicorn greedily eyeing her flank from behind. Okay, at least she's interested in *certain** parts of mine,* the cellist said to herself, smiling. In fact, throughout the night, she had smiled way more than throughout her whole life. And it felt good. And nothing seemed strange, at all. It felt as if everything was supposed to be this way. The cellist had to shut her eyes for a second, so that she wouldn't fall into one of those fatalistic mental loops of hers.

As they sat down at table, Octavia poured a glass to Vinyl and half a glass to herself.

"Uh-uh." Vinyl shook her head and grabbed the bottle in her telekinetic grip, making Octavia's glass full. "That's better." She grinned.

The cellist smiled and took a sip. A conversation. What they needed was a conversation.

"So... you live here all alone?" Vinyl asked finally, immediately wondering if she was leaving too far out of bounds.

Octavia nodded in return, feeling stinging sadness awaken inside her heart. "Yes. My family lives in another town." The two ponies remained silent for a moment, uneasiness creeping towards them. Should I tell her more? No, Octavia, that's stupid! she argued with herself. You have to be polite and ask her to tell something about herself! Sure. Ask. But what?.. "What about you, Vinyl? Where do you live?" the cellist finally wondered, smiling gently at the beautiful white unicorn.

Vinyl played with her striking electric-blue mane for a moment, before answering, "On the outskirts, not far from the bar. My folks kicked me out a while ago, so I kinda live alone too." She smiled sadly. "To loneliness!" She raised her glass in a clumsy toast. I can't tell her everything... Vinyl glanced at Octavia, staring into her beautiful, sad eyes for a moment. Not yet.

Octavia downed her glass as well. "How could they?" she finally asked in disbelief. "They're family! You're family!" Being raised as she was, the cellist couldn't get a grip at such a concept. Or... No! ...could she?

"Let's just say..." The white mare chuckled solemnly. "They couldn't put up with some... quirks of mine." She poured herself another glass, and Octavia copied the gesture. Yeah, quirks, like rutting mares... Vinyl thought, hiding her pain behind the usual glass of whisky and bawdiness.

Her 'quirks'... Octavia mused. And then she thought about her own quirks. And then-

"The fact that you... like mares... right?"

It was a blind guess. It was a sheer leap of faith, an all-or-nothing speculation. It had to be true; or else...

"Yes," Vinyl whispered, looking around fervently. Her eyes widened behind the goggles, hiding her fear. "Don't tell anypony," she added hastingly, looking at the grey mare. Dammit, filly, you're smart! she thought to herself, not without a hint of strange, unexplainable pride.

"Of course...." Octavia blushed. "You know, I..." No, Octavia, don't you- "...kinda like mares too." Did I really say that? Oh my sweet Celestia, did I *really** say that just now?!*

"Oh." Vinyl downed the glass in a single gulp. Strangely enough, her phrasing fully resembled her thoughts right now. Oh. It was a revelation, not a shocking one, but a rather pleasant and soothing one, not just because that meant that the cellist wouldn't give away her secret, but also-

If she likes mares, that doesn't necessarily mean she likes *you*, both ponies thought in unison and blushed simultaneously, pretending not to have noticed each other's dismay.

"Um... So, how about we practice now?" Octavia suggested, breaking the uneasy silence. She desperately needed to tame that growing passion of hers. There was no passion in Manehattan, she'd learned it well.

Vinyl jumped up, glad that she was in a familiar environment again. A grin once more made its way to her face.

"Of course! Let's go; show me what you've got!' She trotted out of the kitchen. As Octavia followed her with a smile, she heard the unicorn shout, "Music, I mean! Show me what you've got... in musical terms!"

The cellist snickered. For some reason, it amused her to see the pianist embarrassed. She was so cute that way... Music, Octavia. Think about music, not about her face... and flank.

As Octavia entered the room, she saw the white unicorn at her piano, playing some twiddle, just a warm-up. The cellist was mesmerised at how relaxed, how collected Vinyl was, how her hooves obeyed her perfectly. The grey earth pony smiled and took her cello, placing herself on her back hooves, taking the bow in her right hoof, while her left hoof gently slid up and down the instrument's neck. Her eyes closed automatically as she began to play, regal notes coming from the cello, stately music enveloping the whole room.

Suddenly, she felt a hoof being placed on her own, making her yelp, embarrassed, and stop playing. She opened her eyes and saw the white mare balancing on her back hooves uneasily, visibly not used to such a position, her hoof resting atop Octavia's.

"Filly, you're doing it wrong. You need to relax," the pianist cooed, stroking the grey hoof, sending shivers of pleasure down Octavia's spine. "There... all better," Vinyl concluded, feeling the tension leave the grey hoof beneath her own.

That's because you are touching me, Octavia thought, but decided to keep her speculations to herself.

"Now, play like you feel it, Octavia. Not like you know it."

Vinyl's words sounded calm and encouraging, and Octavia resolved to try. Alas, her hoof didn't obey her. Just as she tried to break the firm tempo, her senses immediately brought the melody back to its rhytmic course.

Vinyl shook her head disapprovingly, and Octavia blushed in reply. She didn't want to fail this amazing mare (Since when am I thinking of her like that?!), but years of practice were still binding her well.

"Try again, Tavi. Just let go of everything that's holding you. Feel it, Tavi. You need to drive into it."

Octavia tried again, and again, and again, but each attempt resulted in failure. She was angry at herself. She was angry at everything. Every time she tried to swing, her inner senses prevented her from doing so. Every slide was muffled, every note ended in a classical vibrato.

"Come on, Tavi, just do it! Just go wild and it will all happen naturally!" Vinyl shouted impatiently.

"Oh?" Octavia turned her face, red with anger, towards the white unicorn. "Maybe you will help me, miss I-Know-How-To-Go-Wild?" She was angry, and embarrassed, and hopeless. She simply couldn't get a slightest little grip on how to "drive into" that kind of music! But she so, so wanted to!

The unicorn blinked and took a hesitant step towards the mare, a step way too large; a step that almost brought their muzzles together. I'm not gonna do it, right? Vinyl could feel Octavia's breath on her cheek, hot and fast, with a hint of alcohol. Oh, Celestia, I'm totally not gonna-

"Vinyl, I-I-I-" Octavia stammered, her face turning red, her eyes widening. She... She's going to... Feelings of uncertainty and fear were immediately replaced with determination and desire. Everything looked so surreal; everything was happening so fast, and yet... not fast enough. Just do it already! Octavia screamed mentally, losing her mind for a second. And a second was more than enough.

"That's how you go wild," Vinyl said and, with that, brought her face closer to Octavia's, kissing the grey mare on the lips. The cellist sighed into the kiss, her body immediately relaxing, her mouth embracing the unicorn's tongue. While she herself couldn't play jazz yet, she was content that their tongues were now dancing, swinging in a bawdy, inappropriate way. And nothing could be better than this. They were playing jazz, sure, in a rather bizzare manner, but Octavia was sure that that was how jazz felt. That was how jazz tasted.

Vinyl finally broke the kiss, not wiping her muzzle, a drop of saliva falling from her mouth and onto the floor. Both ponies were panting heavily, and neither was sure what to do next.

"I think..." Octavia blushed fiercely. "I think I will need a more... detailed explanation." I can't believe I just said that! Tavi, you're making progress! she congratulated herself, using the nickname this wonderful white mare had invented for her.

"That's how you let go of everything!" Vinyl cheered with a grin and levitated the grey pony onto the sofa. Not that Octavia minded, anyway. The white pony crawled onto the sofa herself and was immediately met with a clumsy kiss from the grey mare.

Wow. She's good, the pianist made a mental remark as she let herself bathe in the feeling.

"You're learning, Tavi," Vinyl whispered into the cellist's ear in a sultry tone, due to which the grey mare turned completely red; though, still not breaking the eye contact.

"Vinyl..." Octavia moaned as the unicorn began nibbling on her ear, planting small kisses all over her muzzle, moving lower, to her neck. "I... I've never been..." OH CELESTIA! "...With a mare before and..." OH THAT FEELS GOOD! "...I don't know what to do." Amazing, Octavia. You are definitely the brightest mare this world has ever seen. You couldn't have done better... Still, such sarcastic thoughts were drowned by the overwhelming sensation.

Vinyl stopped kissing Octavia's neck and grinned, taking off her goggles, revealing her beautiful red eyes to the cellist, who immediately fell in love with them. "That's why I'm here, Tavi. To teach you."

With that, Octavia relaxed, feeling the last bits of tension leave her body. Tonight, she was going to let go of everything. Tonight, she was going to go wild. Tonight, she was going to finally feel jazz, which took the form of this sexy white unicorn, a mare who had conquered her heart.

The Swingin's Mutual

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Four

The Swingin's Mutual

***

Octavia opened her eyes, feeling the rays of sunlight penetrating through her eyelids. The furniture looked strangely book-ish, its dark frames outshined by the vivid solidity of the light. For some reason, the cellist felt warm and happy inside, though she couldn't get a grip at the reason for this. Something had happened last night. Something good... A loud snort came from her right, from a particular white unicorn - from the most beautiful mare in the world.

Oh, that's the reason, Octavia mused with a smile and gently stroked Vinyl's blue mane. Strangely enough, it remained in the same condition - spiky and rather eccentric, even after the night of... vigorous activity they'd shared together. And what an activity it had been... Which led her to a thought...

"Vinyl, dear, wake up," she whispered into the white unicorn's ear, kissing her just below the horn lovingly, admiring the beauty of the mare in the weak sunlight.

Vinyl groaned and rolled over, finding herself face to face with the grey mare, who immediately seized the opportunity and locked the pianist in a passionate kiss. Needless to say, that was enough for Vinyl to wake up at once, and, to be honest, that was the most pleasant awakening she'd ever experienced.

"Tavi..." she managed to let out weakly, bathing in the pleasant aftertaste. "Good morning." She smiled and looked into the grey mare's eyes - the most wonderful eyes in the world - with hers, this time not shielded by the ever-present goggles.

"Morning, Vinyl~" Octavia cooed and kissed the unicorn on the cheek. The two mares lay under beneath the covers, bathing in each other's presense. Both felt extremely good, and neither had the desire to do anything, until Octavia finally resolved to break the silence.

"What now?" she wondered aloud, looking at Vinyl with visible concern in her eyes.

The white mare shrugged, trying to look unamused. Play it cool, Vinyl. Play it cool. "Well, we could have breakfast or..." she began, but was stopped by the grey hoof pressed against her lips.

"You know what I mean, Vinyl." Octavia sighed. "What are we going to do now?" She looked at the white mare solemnly. Is it... the end? At the very beginning? "What are we now? Was it... a one-night thing... Or not?" she wondered, putting extra emphasis on the last word, hoping that maybe-

"For me, it wasn't," came the reply. Vinyl smiled and gave Octavia a smooch on the cheek, to which the grey mare purred contentedly. Now, choose your phrasing carefully, Vinyl. You like this mare, and you don't want to ruin the moment. "I, for one, would like this relationship to pros- prosp- continue," the unicorn finished embarrassedly, making the cellist giggle. "Hey, I'm trying to propose here!" the pianist shouted, blushing. Amazing, Vinyl. You are the awesomest orator ever. You would've bucking lost to a foal in a spelling game!

Octavia's mouth fell agape and suddenly became very dry. Propose... As in, when ponies start dating and... Oh my Celestia... Is this really happening?

"Octavia... Tavi..." Vinyl cleared her throat. "Will you be my marefriend?" she finally asked, immediately facehoofing. "I'm moving too fast, aren't I? Just, I really, really like you and- mffmfmf!"

The cellist threw herself on top of the unicorn and silenced her with a kiss, tears of happiness streaming down her face. Yes yes yes! Finally! Octavia wanted to jump for joy all about the flat, all about Manehattan, all about the whole Equestria! As they broke the kiss, Vinyl looked at her marefriend (Hey, she didn't say yes yet!) in confusion.

"So... You kissed me, but you're crying?" she mused aloud. "Is that a yes or a-"

"It's a yes, you silly pony," Octavia interrupted her, smiling through tears. "I would love to be your marefriend."

"Awesome. We're dating now!" In an instant, Vinyl was grinning again, happy and cheerful. Dammit, Vinyl, just look at yourself! You've got the best marefriend in all of Equestria! Congrats, filly!

Octavia chuckled. "We totally are." She looked through the window, at the dirty streets of Manehattan, the dark and unwelcoming city... The dark and unwelcoming streets... The dark and unwelcoming buildings... The dark and unwelcoming ponies... She sighed.

"What's up, Octy?" Vinyl enquired compassionately.

"You see, Vinyl..." Octavia sighed again. "While here, at home, we can be marefriends, and laugh, and kiss, and do..." She blushed. "...other things..." Vinyl's grin grew even wider, but was somewhat extinguished from her face by a particular grey hoof. Well, I totally deserved it, the unicorn thought, rubbing the back of her head.

"...Out there, we will have to hide. We won't be tolerated. Only at home we will be able to throw off the masks..." Octavia looked at her marefriend sadly. But maybe...Suddenly, her face brightened. "But that's just another reason for us to live together!" she exclaimed, while Vinyl blinked due to the sudden outburst.

"Wow, Tavi, and here I thought I was the straightforward one here..." she said but, upon seeing her marefriend blush, quickly added, "I totally agree, though! Your place or my place?" she asked, hoping that the cellist would choose the former, her own place being more of a den that a flat.

"I'd rather we lived at my place, if you don't mind," Octavia replied, raising her brow questioningly.

Vinyl nodded eagerly. "Sure. We can always pretend we're just two good friends living together. Besides..." She looked at Octavia with a sly grin. "The walls here are soundproof, which will be really convenient at night." She winked at the embarrassed cellist, who simply nodded.

Vinyl sat up in bed, stretching her limbs. "And I know at least one place - one little jazz bar - where we don't need to hide our relationship." She smiled at her marefriend reassuringly. "Don't worry - we have each other."

"Yes," Octavia repeated, snuggling closer to the white mare. "We have each other, and nothing else matters." She closed her eyes blissfully, feeling the aching emptiness inside go away at last, replaced with the warm projection of the white unicorn mare.

"Well, we still have something to do, Tavi," Vinyl murmured into Octavia's ear in what seemed to the cellist was a sexy tone.

"All right, but only after we have had shower," Octavia whispered back, nibbling on the white unicorn's ear. "And I'll be on top this time." Oh, Vinyl, you hot thing~

"Wow, Tavi..." Vinyl's red eyes widened to the size of saucers. "I wanted to suggest moving my things here..." She grinned. "But I like your idea better." Oh yes, I like it much, *much** better...*

Octavia blushed, her hoof slapping against her face. Failure, Octavia. This is called failure. Spell with me: F-A-I-L-U-

"Come on, Tavi! That's a good thing!" Vinyl said in an encouraging tone. "Not just the sex, I mean." But the sex was great! No, Vinyl! Stop thinking about her flank for a single damn second! ...Mmm, flank... "The fact that you're getting looser. More... free. Less restricted."

Octavia lowered her hoof and watched her marefriend in awe. Does it mean?..

"I think..." Vinyl smiled and put her hoof on top of the cellist's. "You are ready to play jazz."

Cheek to Cheek

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Five

Cheek to Cheek

***

"Listen, Tavi, it's all right. If you've failed thirty times in a row, that doesn't mean-"

A well-placed kick coming from a grey hoof finished Vinyl's tirade, still not succeeding in wiping off that grin from her muzzle.

"Good, Tavi! Now place that anger into your music!" the pianist cheered, however, taking a few precautionary steps back, lest Octavia kick her again. How does she manage to make her kicks so sexy? the white mare wondered, while Octavia took her bow once more with a sigh. Damn it, Vinyl, you're totally not into... are you?

Fortunately, before the unicorn's mind could roam into the deepest corners of her subconsciousness, Octavia began to practice again. Her left hoof was desperately trying to break the strict rhythm of the piece, and a drop of sweat formed upon her brow. Come on... Swing! she ordered her hoof. It twitched and played a few uneven notes, evoking an applause from Vinyl.

"That's the way, filly!" She clapped her hooves, cheering her marefriend happily. That's my Tavi!

Octavia smiled weakly and wanted to say something about how much she liked Vinyl, and how thankful she was for the lesson, and hey I'm playing jazz now! Two notes, but hey it's jazz!!, but something resembling a dark blanket appeared before her eyes, and she collapsed onto the floor.

Seeing her marefriend falling, Vinyl immediately rushed to her side, forgetting about her magic and telekinesis and everything else, only the image of the falling grey pony existing in the world. Fortunately, she was fast, and speed meant everything: while she couldn't catch the mare with her hooves, she managed to fall under her, softening the fall. Ouch. Unfortunately, that also meant hardening the fall for herself. This is for Tavi... she thought, grinding her teeth as the lifeless lump on her spine began to stir.

Coming round, Octavia opened her eyes and blinked a few times. She could see the ceiling... She could feel something warm beneath her... She could hear grunts and swearing... Oh my Celestia... Vinyl! The cellist rolled over, falling on the floor from her pianist's (My pianist! *Giggle*) back, releasing Vinyl from her weight.

"Vinyl, are you all right?" she immediately enquired in a worried tone.

The white mare groaned and rubbed her back. "Yes, Tavi. Are you all right? You were just standing there, and then you fainted, and then-"

Octavia immediately silenced the unicorn with a kiss, partly to express her gratitude, partly just because she wanted to. It felt so amazing, being able to kiss a mare she liked, any time, any place... Not any place, Octavia. Not any place... she added mentaly, reminding herself of the law.

"I'm fine, Vinyl," she said, finally breaking the kiss, seeing her marefriend blush from the unexpected show of affection.

"Yeah... That's great." Vinyl grinned. "But you seriously need to lose some weight." She chuckled, shaking her head.

"Vinyl, the only reason why I am not shoving my bow down your throat is the fact that you saved me." Octavia pondered for a moment. "And because I love you." She kissed the already embarrassed mare below the horn.

"Love you too, Tavi," Vinyl replied, placing a smooch on the grey mare's cheek. It all felt so natural, just to lie next to each other, kissing the mare she liked... loved. Both ponies immediately realised that they have just subconsciously expressed their true feelings to each other. And it still felt natural, as if such a course was obvious.

"My cello!" Octavia screamed, breaking the silence. Her precious instrument lay on the floor, broken in two parts from the fall, its strings severed, its neck lying solemly in the distance. She got up, shaking a little and approached the pile of wood that used to be her cello. My cello... She felt a tear crawl down her cheek, rolling down, lost in her fur.

"Hey, Tavi..." Vinyl reached her, stroking her mane with a hoof gently. "That's all right, we'll buy you a new one..."

"A new one?!" Octavia shouted, facing her marefriend but, upon seeing her frightened look, calmed down. I must look like a total mess now... "No, Vinyl, you don't understand." She shook her head sadly. "It's a one-of-a-kind instrument, commissioned by a master who is no longer among the living." She paused, reminiscing the maestro that had crafted the instrument.

"Well, you can always try a new instrument! You know, I have an electric guitar..." Vinyl began.

"Vinyl! This is a serious matter!" Octavia exclaimed irritatedly. "I need my cello repaired! And nopony in this town possesses a skill to do that..." Her gaze fell to the ground, as is she were saying her last farewell to her long-life companion.

To her surprise, the pianist just smirked and levitated her goggles from the table, putting them on. Huh?

"Filly, if you don't know anypony who can do it, that don't mean nopony can do it!" she exclaimed triumphantly.

"Doesn't," the cellist corrected her automatically, not fully understanding her marefriend yet.

"Hey,Tavi, last night you weren't so concerned about grammar," Vinyl retorted with a grin.

"VINYL!"Octavia's face immediately flushed as she remember how exactly she wasn't concerned about grammar... or anything else, for that matter - the previous night.

The white mare laughed, clapping her front hooves. Totally got her, Vinyl! If she could give herself a high-five, she would have done it now; but such a feat would certainly lead to falling down.

"All right, all right! So, I know a guy who can fix your cello," she said, her mood brightening as she saw a glimpse of hope on her cellist's face. "He plays a double bass at the bar I play each night," she explained, slightly backing down as the grey mare threw herself onto her, locking her in a tight embrace.

"Tavi... Can't... Breathe..." she managed to say, feeling oxygen leaving her body gradually.

Oh. Octavia let go of her marefriend, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry." She pondered for a moment. "So, can we take it to him tonight?" she wondered, unable to hold her concern.

"Totally," Vinyl replied, receiving a more gentle hug this time. I could get used to it... "But right now, let's get down to business." Seeing Octavia blush, she facehoofed. "Moving my things, I mean. Damn it, filly! You're a perv!" She smiled, watching Octavia's blush grow even deeper. As if I haven't thought about it too...

"I am not!" the cellist retorted, stomping her hoof against the floor. "I thought about the same thing! Let's go move your possessions." Octavia quickly trotted towards the door to hide her embarrassment, feeling Vinyl's eyes on her flank. "And save the flank-staring for the evening~" she added in a sing-song voice and smiled.

Dammit, filly! How can I when you're so hot?! Vinyl sighed and followed her marefriend outside.

***

"I wonder how all of these boxes managed to fit in your flat?" Octavia wondered with a grunt as she placed a large box on the floor of her flat, stretching her aching limbs. Home sweet home... she thought, closing the door. She just couldn't be angry at Vinyl for making her carry half of her possessions; she was too happy due to the fact that the word home had just gained a new meaning - their home, the place where they would live together from now on.

"Hey, I told you it was more of a den!" Vinyl replied, closing the door behind her with a hoof, holding a few boxes, as well as two guitars, in her telekinetic grip. "I'm still sad we couldn't take my piano."

"Mine is just as good," Octavia retorted, trotting towards her marefriend, grabbing one of the guitars with her hoof.

"Tavi, no! You can't touch things that are being-" A small box fell onto the floor and opened, revealing its contents. "-levitated," Vinyl finished. Oh crap...

"What's that?.." Octavia lifted a syringe from the floor, inspecting it cautiously. A few litlle bottles and tubes filled with some strange liquid were lying nearby.

Vinyl's pupils widened behind her goggles as she thought, for a second, what would have happened if those were to break... She wasn't to get another for a week...

"Medicine," the pianist replied nonchalantly, waving a hoof and putting the items back into the box. "You know, for that one genetic disease which-name-I-can't-pronounce." She grinned and placed the box in the corner of the room, tossing her other things away.

"Oh my!" Octavia's eyes widened in fear. "A disease? Vinyl, dear, you-"

"Don't worry, it doesn't pass on through sex," the pianist smirked. You're a genius, filly! she congratulated herself mentally.

"Vinyl, I'm being serious!" Octavia blushed. "What if..." What if it's... fatal?..

"Reminds me!" Vinyl shouted, not letting the grey mare carry on. "Need to take my meds now!" With that, she grabbed the little box and ran into the bathroom, locking herself in.

Speculating about her marefriend's behaviour, Octavia concluded that she just liked her privacy. Besides, it wasn't a pleasant sight to see somepony injecting themselves... A few darker thoughts made their way into the cellist's head, but she banished them to the Moon immediately. She couldn't let them get over her. She had to trust her marefriend... because she was the only pony that Octavia could trust. She eyed her cello, or, to be more precise, what was left of her cello. She sighed. Time was crawling so slowly; it was mere early evening, and she wanted it to be night already, not only to have her instrument repaired, but to lie down in bed with the mare she loved, with the mare who loved her...

...With the mare who had just rushed out of the bathroom, putting the box on the table, vigour and energy streaming through her body. Vinyl leapt at Octavia and hugged her, grinning.

"I love you, Tavi, you know that?" she murmured into the cellist's ear, nibbling her on the neck.

"Vinyl, I love you too," Octavia stammered, taking aback by the sudden approach. "But why are you so energetic all of a sudden? What's got into you?" Oh my, I could *definitely** get used to such fervour...*

Vinyl giggled, brushing her nose against Octavia, taking in the sweet scent of her mareriend. Hmm... I've never noticed how wonderful she smells before... Alrighty, time to drop the bass, Vinyl! "If I were you, I'd worry about what's going to get into you..." She grinned and specified, "tonight."

Octavia's face flushed with embarrassment. While she was a little surprised (and not just a little), she was also terribly excited about... ahem... what was going to get into her. Did I really think that right now?

"So, how about we dance?" Vinyl jumped towards one of her boxes, fervently seaching for something. Now where did I put this?! A-ha! She took out a vinyl record, smiling. "Here it is, filly! The very best of dancy-shmancy jazz!" The white mare placed the record onto the gramophone, grinning from ear to ear, and extended her hoof. "M'lady?"

Octavia giggled and approached her pianist, taking a classical dancing stance. What's up with her being so vigorous and jumpy? Is it... the effect of the medicine?

"Uh-uh." Vinyl grabbed Octavia by the waist, thus making them stand in a dancing stance that Octavia normally would occupy while dancing to her jazz records. The grey pony smiled. While she could play only a few notes of jazz yet, she was going to dance jazz, and, what's more important, with the mare she loved.

Vinyl put the needle on the record with her telekinesis and music began to fill the room. From the very first notes, Vinyl made sure to be the leading one. She began with rolling Octavia back and forth, eliciting a smirk from the grey mare, who suddenly began feeling more and more confident. They shifted next to each other for a few seconds, and then began marching throughout the room in a swinging-tango manner. Suddenly, just as the saxophonist hit an especially powerful note, Vinyl lifted Octavia in the air, holding her in a firm, yet gentle magical grip. The feeling of complete freedom, even from the rules of gravity, was so intense that the cellist just let her subconsciousness decide what to do from now on. And it seemed that her subconsciousness liked action, for she turned around in the air, grabbing the pianist by the neck with her back legs, her whole body jerking back, her mane almost touching the floor. Vinyl gasped, almost losing control, and placed the mare back on the floor. She immediately regained her courage and grabbed Octavia by the waist again, giving her an appreciative kiss on the neck.

The two mares danced their bawdy jazz thoughout the evening, young and free, without a care in the world.

Impressions

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Six

Impressions

***

"Aaah, I love this place!"

Vinyl sat down at table, watching Octavia sit next to her, her whole body immediately relaxing, taking in the atmosphere of the bar. There was no music yet, but the feeling of jazz was floating in the air: ponies were drinking and chatting with each other in a friendly manner, a simple way that could be seen only in this part of town. Yes, the place was by no means silent.

"Yes, it's nice," Octavia agreed with a warm smile, still reminding herself not to get lost in the beautiful unicorn's eyes, lest they be accused of... fillyfooling. The word seemed so strange to her now. I just can't understand... Why can't two ponies love each other, regardless of the gender? Does love ever have boundaries? Octavia speculated. No, she said to herself. While the boundaries had been established by the law, they were not real. They were imaginary borders between the state of restriction and the land of freedom.

"Heya, Vinyl!" a voice came from the side. Looking up, the cellist saw the barman smiling at them. She returned the smile politely, and Vinyl did the same.

"Heya, Scotch. Bring me the usual before I sit down at that piano and show you pussies what bebop is made of!" she exclaimed, proudly throwing her hoof in the air. There was no offence in her voice, Octavia noted. Just a strange way of expressing her thoughts. Maybe... Maybe I need to follow her example some day...

The bartender chuckled and shook his head. "You never change, do you, Vinyl?" He levitated a glass to the white mare, adding, "Oh, and you can hold your horses on the last one. No performing here tonight." He poured whisky into the mare's glass.

"What d'you mean, no performing?!" Vinyl was visibly shocked, even though her goggles hid her feelings most of the time. What the-

"Don't you worry," the stallion replied, placing an empty glass before Octavia. "The God's playing here tonight." Just as Vinyl's mouth fell agape, he turned his head towards the grey mare. "For you, ma'am?"

Octavia couldn't help but notice the sudden change in the pony's attitude. He was addressing her with a degree of cold politeness, not mocking disrespect. I'm still an alien here...

"The same," she said, casting a worried look towards her marefriend. "Something wrong, dear?" Oh my Celestia! Have I just said 'dear'? Has anypony noticed? She looked around fervently, but, to her relief, nopony had noticed the sudden slip, or, what seemed more possible, had pretended not to notice.

"T-t-the God is here?" Vinyl stammered, taking off her goggles - a gesture that was unique for her. "As in, the God?" I can't believe he's here, after all those years!

"Yep." The barman nodded, returning to his place behind the counter. "It's been what? Five years?" He chuckled and shook his head, cleaning the glasses.

"Vinyl, what's-" Just as Octavia began speaking, the door opened and two ponies entered the bar. One of them was a blue unicorn mare, who was holding an earth pony stallion by the hoof, leading him all the way to the piano. He was a middle-aged pony, his coat creamy white, his mane black and wavy. Octavia noticed a streak of grey in his mane - a sign of approaching old age. He was wearing sunglasses and was smiling at nothing in particular, his gaze blissfully adrift.

As the two ponies slowly moved through the tables, the visitors began stomping their hooves against the ground, cheering in approval. The white earth pony waved his hoof in the air, his gesture not directed towards anypony in particular, but to everypony at once.

"God is here, Tavi..." Vinyl whispered stately, her red eyes locked on the black-maned pianist, who had just occupied his place before the instrument, his companion opening the cover for him.

Before the cellist could ask anything, confused to the maximum, the white earth pony began to play. The song started suddenly; the pianist didn't hold a slightest pause. Blocked chords began to envelop the smoke-covered bar, while the pony's right hoof was breaking all possible laws of physics as he set and immediately broke the rhythm, sliding across the keys, his head high, the blissful smile shining upon his face. He was playing in an extermely lewdy way, disregarding all classical skills that a musician could think of; his hoof was lazy, but swift at the same time. He was not just making music; at this exact moment, he was music. He was the quintessence of jazz. He was the God.

The God... Old God Coltring! a thought rushed through Octavia's head as she remembered the familiar notes; the notes she used to dance to. That's why Vinyl was so shocked; the God of jazz was playing right before them, among the mortals.

As the song ended, the two mares sat in silence and awe, taking in the aftertaste of this heavenly music. Finally, Vinyl broke the silence. "Sorry for shushing you, Tavi. Just..." She smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "When the God is playing, the angels are silent." And you are my angel indeed...

"Oh, that's all right, Vinyl." She smiled at her marefriend, her grateful eyes showing that she appreciated the compliment. Oh, Vinyl, you are so sweet... *You** are my angel...* "I haven't seen Mr. Coltring before, but I love his music." She turned her head towards the earth pony pianist, whose ears perked at the conversation.

"Could it be..." he said, not looking at the ponies, his gaze still fixed on some spot on the ceiling. "Vinyl? Vinyl Scratch?" He smiled, raising his hoof, searching the air, as if he were blind. As if he were... But of course! Octavia realised suddenly. "He is blind!" she whispered, loud enough for the unicorn to hear.

Vinyl smirked. "So what? He still kicks all kinds of flank!" She rose from her place and trotted towards the piano, her cellist following her shortly.

"George!" she exclaimed loudly, approaching the earth pony, and put a hoof on his shoulder. The pianist placed his own hoof onto Vinyl's face, inspecting it, while the unicorn stood before him obediently, letting him "see" her.

"Vinyl, Vinyl..." the pianist chuckled, feeling the mare's face. "You're still the same, save for those goggles of yours. Have you got rid of them yet?"

"Not a chance!" Vinyl laughed and took a step back, nudging Octavia, who was just standing there, amazed by the presence of such a powerful and skilled jazz musician.

"Mr... Mr Coltring..." Octavia gulped and stepped forward, letting the amazing piano player touch her face. His hoof was tough, hardened by years of practice. "I am a fan of your work, and it is a pleasure to see you here in person." She bowed slightly, blushing, heat enveloping her face.

The cream-white pianist laughed light-heartedly and shook his head. "I'm very glad to hear that..." He raised his brow questioningly.

"Octavia," the grey mare supplied the name quickly.

"Octavia," the earth pony repeated, kissing her hoof politely, which only made the cellist blush even harder. "You know, Vinyl, you could learn a thing or two about manners from your marefriend." He chuckled.

Vinyl huffed and waved her hoof, not taking into consideration the fact that the black-maned pony couldn't actually see it. "Nah, I- WHAT?!" she yelled and staggered back, Octavia catching her before she could fall and hurt herself.

What?! How did he- both ponies thought in unison, their eyes widening.

"Oh, Vinyl, even though I'm blind, I can still see some things more clearly than any other pony." He laughed and patted the grey mare on the shoulder, probably mistaking her for the unicorn. "It is so obvious. I'm very happy for you! Love is a wonderful thing..." The earth pony became silent, reminiscing some days of his past, no less. Not to disturb him, both mares backed down quietly and soon were approaching the bar counter.

Just as Octavia opened her mouth to say something (How the hay did he know?!), a brown earth pony stallion approached them, patting Vinyl on the back. "Heya, Scratch!"

Vinyl turned round and a grin immediately found its way to her face. "Bass!" She slammed her hoof against his in a strange manner, which Octavia found rather barbaric. "Glad to see you here, man!"

"Well, I'm always around, you know!" the pony grinned in return. Octavia eyed him. His long black mane was falling onto his shoulders, almost all the way to his flank, where a double bass cutie mark could be seen. Can it be more obvious what his instrument is, I wonder? Octavia mused with an internal smirk. "And who's that sexy flank with you?" he grinned, nodding towars the grey mare.

"Hey, she's my sexy flank!" Vinyl exlaimed, her eyes casting a mocking-glare at the stallion, who erupted in laughter. Vinyl facehoofed, while Octavia hissed into her ear, "Couldn't you be even more obvious, dear?"

"Oh, that's all right..." the pony began with a grin.

"Octavia," Vinyl said, leaning closer to the cellist, making her blush and look around. Apparently, nopony around here cared about such matters.

"That's all right, Octavia. I'm no pretender." The brown stallion waved his hoof in the air, as if he were giving up any chance of hitting on the grey mare. "Though, you're swell, for a mare," he specified with a grin.

"Huh?" Octavia looked at her marefriend, confused. For a mare? What does he mean?

"Double Bass is gay," Vinyl explained, as the stallion nodded. Double Bass? Octavia thought. His parents must have been kidding!

"Oh, and we have a favour to ask of you, Bass," Vinyl continued, taking a sip of her drink. "Tavi's cello is broken into pieces and I know you do such work as easy as pie." I hope I've struck his pride... if 'struck' is the word I want...

The brown pony nodded and waved his hoof in the air. "Sure, no problem. Got the remnants with you?"

Octavia facehoofed. "Vinyl, don't say you've forgotten-"

"Hey, it's your cello!" the pianist retorted.

"You know, you're rather cute when you argue like that..." Double Bass giggled.

"Oh shut up!" both mares shouted in unison, making the stallion stagger back.

"Hey hey hey, ladies!" the stallion exclaimed in a mocking-apologetic tone. "Just be sure to bring me your broken cello next time!"

The mares nodded and continued to chat and drink, happy to have an easy, friendly conversation going.

***

"Vinyl?" Octavia said as they walked out of the bar, slightly inebriated, leaning onto each other. In fact, "being drunk" was just an excuse for them to keep close to each other in public.

"Yes, Tavi?"

"Do you think Mr Coltring will report on us?" Octavia asked, slightly concerned.

Vinyl chuckled and stroked her marefriend's mane lovingly. "Oh no, I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Well..." Vinyl smiled. "I guess I know him just too well." She paused and looked into her cellist's wonderful, mesmerising eyes. "After all, he's my teacher."

Octavia gasped and watched Vinyl trot by, following her pianist, the most beautiful and talented mare in the world, warm and content by the simple fact of being with her.

Ill Wind

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Seven

Ill Wind

***

The kettle whistled, bringing Octavia back to reality. She exhaled contentedly and poured the hot water into the teapot. Now that Vinyl was living with her, she had to kick the habit of making tea directly in the mug. It had been only a week since they had confessed their feelings for each other, but it seemed that they had been together for eternity. Octavia smiled as she reminisced all the wonderful conversations they had had; the passionate kisses they'd shared; Vinyl's extremely stupid, but still immensely funny jokes. Then she thought about Double Bass, who was nice enough to get to the task of repairing her cello for free. She remembered Vinyl saying something about "finding a good stallion" for him in exchange.

She chuckled and trotted towards the fridge, fishing butter and cheese from it, to add it to the already hot and delicious toast. She thought about Coltring - Old God Coltring. Vinyl had told her much about him - after all, she'd had the one-of-a-kind opportunity to be his pupil. And, Octavia mused, he had really taught her well. She remembered Vinyl telling a story about how a journalist once asked Mr Coltring, "How can you play the piano? You're blind!" The cellist laughed as she remembered the answer: "I'm sorry. I don't see your point."

She thought about her cello. Double Bass said that it would take him up to two weeks to repair it. At first, she was upset, unable to think about her life without her precious intrument. But it turned out for the better: she had had more time to spend with her love, and, she had to admit, it had been sweeter than any music in the world.

Thinking of her love... Octavia blushed fiercely, regaining vivid images of the nights she'd spent with Vinyl. Surely, the white mare knew how to... prove her love to her marefriend. Suddenly, Octavia felt an urge to take a shower, preferably a cold one, to deal with the approaching excitement.

"Morning, Tavi!" Vinyl trotted into the kitchen lazily, throwing her hooves around the grey mare's neck sleepily, placing a sloppy kiss on her cheek. Octavia returned the embrace and smiled, the feeling of impossible nearness giving her joy, happiness and strength.

"Morning, love," Octavia cooed into her pianist's ear, brushing her nose against the mare's mane. The cellist loved how it smelled - an imperceptible scent of spice with hints of cinnamon, as well as... well, tasted. The grey face almost turned red of embarrassment.

"Oh, look who's being nasty!" Vinyl grinned widely, seeing her marefriend's state. I bet she's thinking about how we-

"I'm not being nasty!" Octavia retorted in a rather childish manner, trying to hide the truth.

"Tavi, I know you by heart now," Vinyl said, nodding her head. "I know when you're thinking nasty thoughts." She chuckled and lowered her muzzle to the mare's ear, her soft breath falling onto Octavia's skin. "And I can help you with it..." she whispered seductively. Got her with her hooves under the blanket! she congratulated herself.

Octavia's eyes widened, and she suddenly found it very difficult to breathe. Her mouth fell agape, and she tried to say something, but only a few muffled sounds escaped her muzzle, making Vinyl burst into laughter. "Need... to take a shower," she finally managed to let out in a quiet whisper. "Yes, just a little Saturday morning shower..." She smiled sheepishly, looking at her marefriend, who was looking at her with unhidden mockery in her eyes. "You can come with me, if you want," she added with building confidence on her voice.

"Hehe, I think I really got you going, Tavi..." Wait a minute... *Saturday?!** It's Saturday already?!* Vinyl's sunny attitude died immediately, mockery replaced with concern.

"Is something wrong, dear?" the cellist enquired, sensing the uneasiness in her marefriend's state.

"Oh, no, it's okay," Vinyl said, waving a hoof dismissingly. "It's just..." Think, think, think, stupid brain! "I need to go to the doc's, you know. To get my meds," she concluded, shifting uneasily. "I'll be back in one piece, Tavi. You had a shower to take or something?" she wondered, looking at the clock. Come on... Come on!

"Um... yeah?" The grey mare raised her brow suspiciously. Something is off here...

"Great!" Vinyl squeaked and rushed out of the room, throwing the front door open. "Be back soon! Love you, Tavi!" With that, she galloped out of their flat, taking her medicine box in her telekinetic grip.

Octavia stood in silence for a few moments. Her excitement died, and she didn't feel like taking a shower any more. Dark thoughts began crawling into her mind and, no matter how hard she tried to suppress them (She is my marefriend! I have to trust her!), she couldn't.

Suddenly, she didn't feel warm any more.

***

Dark clouds above Manehattan stood prim and proud, taking in their sombre and regal beauty as Vinyl approached an old grey building, its door wide open. Always open for those in need... she mused solemnly and stopped in front of one of the windows. She saw a black unicorn filling some papers, his head held so low that his red mane was falling onto the table. She exhaled in relief. He was here.

She looked at the sign which proudly read, Manehattan Police Station - Main Hub, and went through the door, evading glances cast at her. She trotted right to the door she needed and stood in front of it, taking a few deep breaths. She knocked.

"Come in," a serene voice came from behind the door. Ever so calm... Vinyl thought darkly.

She opened the door and entered the room, closing the door tight behind her. The black stallion looked up and smiled upon seeing her. His smile was wide, but fake; fake to an unpleasant, disgusting extent.

"Oh, Vinyl!" he said in a sing-song voice, getting up. "How can I help you?" he enquired, approaching the mare.

"It's Saturday," she said simply, closing her eyes. How much I hate him... "I have the bits," she continued, levitating a few dozen bits and placing them on the table.

"Oh, so you've come for the usual, then?" The pony grinned, tossing his red mane aside.

Vinyl opened her eyes, which now radiated pain, and sadness, and despair, and nodded.

"Yes."

***

"No, no, no!" Octavia roared as she ran around the room in circles. For the last half an hour, she had kept thinking and the pieces of the puzzle weren't directly falling into her favour. She stopped and shut her eyes. She is my marefriend! She loves me! She would never lie to me! The grey mare felt a tear fall from her eye. Would she?.. Vinyl couldn't! She just couldn't! It was a simple visit to the doctor's. Nothing more. Vinyl was ill, and she needed medicine, simple as that. Octavia felt the blanket of concern fall from her shoulders, but she knew it was only a temporary feeling. To cleanse dismay, she needed to talk to Vinyl.

As if in resemblance to her thoughts, her marefriend rushed into the room, past her, heading straight to the bathroom.

"Hi, Octy, need to take meds now, talk later!" she shouted, closing the door behind her.

She even didn't stop to hug me... Octavia's face faded. She faltered for a moment. Privacy or not, she had to know what was going on. She had the right to know what was going on. And if that meant breaking into the bathroom, so be it!

The cellist approached the bathroom and decided to knock at the door at first, giving Vinyl one last chance. The answer was silence. Concerned and afraid, Octavia knocked at the door again, only to be met with silence once more. The mare panicked (What if something bad has happened to her?!) and turned round, concentrating, channeling all her power to her hind legs. She shut her eyes close and gave the door a powerful, well-placed buck, hearing the wood creak and break.

What she saw was frightening, almost impossible, as if she were dreaming, and this dream was a nightmare. Vinyl was lying on the floor, an empty syringe next to her, her eyes closed in bliss, her mouth open. She was breathing deeply and slowly, as if she were asleep.

Octavia rushed to the white mare, shaking her. Vinyl responded with a soft and lazy moan.

"Vinyl!" she yelled on top of her lungs, shaking the mare violently. "Vinyl, respond!"

The pianist opened her eyes, her gaze adrift, her pupils so wide that their blackness was almost the size of her red eyes. "Taaaaavi..." She smiled and tried to kiss the grey mare, who evaded the gesture. Suddenly, she realised what was going on, at least for a second.

"What is going on here, Vinyl?!" Octavia demanded furiously. She took the syringe in her hoof and brought it close to Vinyl's face. "What is this?"

It was no use lying any more. Before she would drift into another heavenly abyss of pleasure and illusion, Vinyl whispered, "It's called 'buck', Tavi. It's a drug." She paused and felt a wave of tranquillity and disintegration approaching her brain.

"And I'm addicted to it."

When Your Lover Has Gone

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Eight

When Your Lover Has Gone

***

"Tavi, wait, I can explain!" Vinyl begged, tears in her eyes, cowering before the grey mare. "Please, listen to me! Don't leave!" The euphoria had faded; her body was tense and stiff now, but she didn't feel anything besides the fact that her marefriend, the most wonderful mare in the world, was angry with her, and was going to leave. Fifteen minutes ago, she'd dragged the almost unconscious Vinyl onto their bed, and stayed by her side. But now, she said she needed some time alone; alone, without her. Does she hate me now?..

"Vinyl, calm down." Octavia sighed and placed her hoof atop the mare's shoulder, lying next to her. "I'm not leaving. I'm not angry with you..." She paused and continued with a frown, "Well, maybe I am angry, but only because you didn't tell me about your problem earlier. I am just shocked and, to be honest, disturbed." She rose and trotted towards the door. "And right now, I need some time alone." She opened the door. "To think."

Vinyl felt her eyes become teary. "Tavi, I just-" she tried to say something, to apologise, to explain... but her marefriend was gone. She no longer held the urge to cry, letting tears stream freely, flowing across her cheeks, damping her fur. If only she could do something - anything! If only she were strong, strong enough to kick the addiction... But I'm not, the mare concluded.

But only because you haven't told me before, Octavia's words reverberated in her ears. Maybe... Maybe Octavia wouldn't really leave her? Maybe she honestly needed some time to think, to think about how they could overcome the problem together... Vinyl frowned. No. She knew better. She knew from experience. All of her marefriends would say the same thing, and leave, and never come back, just after they'd learned about her addiction. They would never come back.

That was the reason why she hadn't told Octavia earlier. She didn't want her to leave. For the first time in her life, she had felt something greater than attraction; something greater than excitement; something greater than music, or life itself. For the first time in her life, with Octavia, she had felt love. And it felt good. So impossibly, unbelievably good. She knew that the grey mare would leave as soon as she learned about her problem. She just wanted to delay the moment.

But now Octavia was gone, and would never come back, no matter what she had said. She simply didn't want to break her, Vinyl's, heart. But it was already broken at the thought of their love dying, their mutual dream fading away... No matter how sweet, a dream left unrealised must fade into day.

Vinyl wept and wept, until she could cry no more, and then wept some more, howling, no tears escaping her eyes. She lay on the floor for a few minutes - or hours? - and had no desire to ever stand up. She thought about how Octavia and she had been happy; what moments of bliss they'd shared. She thought about how they went to the bar, and how they were both shocked by-

Coltring. Old God Coltring.

Suddenly, the image of the blind pianist came to her mind, and the words of her wise teacher echoed in her ears.

"Vinyl, no matter what, you must follow your dreams."

"But- But what if some things - circum... circums... *things** don't let them come true?"*

"Then you turn round and buck those circumstances. In the face."

Vinyl's red eyes lit with flames of passion once more. She rose to her hooves, shaking slightly. She slowly moved towards the table, where her "medical box", as Octavia called it - which, in reality, was her stash, lay. She looked at it, and squinted her eyes in anger. Her horn lit up, and fires of fury began to dance in her eyes. In a moment, the box burst into flames, which consumed it whole, not touching the table, however. Vinyl was actually quite surprised that she was able to tame her magic in such a state. Looking at the pile of ashes, which had cost her a lot of bits; the pile of ashes which had been her only joy in life - before Octavia came and showed her what love was; the pile of ashes which had just been one of deadliest - if not the deadliest - drugs, she felt determination building inside her.

She would find Octavia. She would explain everything. She would bring her lover back.

***

Octavia came to a stop before a large white building, which radiated the tiny rays of the Sun, which was now peeking through the thick cloud curtain, as if it were checking whether the city was worthy of its beauty. To Octavia's mind, it was not. The only thing worth living for in Manehattan was she - Vinyl. And she needed help. The grey mare had managed to deal with her anger; surely Vinyl had a reason to hide the truth from her, and, while it was not pleasant to know, it was tolerable. Vinyl was really ill; she was more than ill: she was addicted. And she needed her, Octavia's, help.

The cellist regretted being so rude to her marefriend some several minutes ago, but she was eager to make up for her mistake. They had a problem, they both had a problem, which they needed to solve together. And she was here just for that.

Octavia entered the building and came up to a yellow unicorn mare at the reception table.

"Manehattan Clinic, how can I help you?" she asked immediately, upon seeing the concerned look on Octavia's face.

The grey pony shifted from hoof to hoof uneasily, blushing slightly. No matter what, she needed to say that, sooner or later. And it was better to speak sooner.

"Could you tell me, please..." she began, trying to avoid looking into the yellow pony's eyes. "Do you cure... buck addictions?"

"Oh my..." the receptionist mare gasped.

Octavia raised her head, only to see a look of genuine concern and sympathy on the yellow unicorn's face.

"Of course!" she exclaimed, shining with empathy. "While it is an extremely difficult, and quite unpleasant treatment, we have dealt with such cases successfully. You are very brave to come here," the unicorn praised Octavia with a smile.

Octavia's eyes widened, and she waved her hooves in the air. "Oh, no, no! There's been a misunderstanding! I'm not an addict." She smiled sheepishly. "I would like to reserve a ward for my ma- friend. For my friend, who is addicted to the drug," she finished, exhaling in relief as she saw the unicorn not to have noticed her sudden slip.

"Sure, Miss..."

"Philarmonica. Octavia Philarmonica," Octavia said with a smile, seeing the mare's eyes widen in surprise.

"Octavia Philarmonica?! As in, the Octavia Philarmonica, the cellist for-"

"The Royal Orchestra. Yes, it is I," Octavia interrupted her politely. "But about this treatment..."

"Oh, sure!" The mare placed a paper onto the desk. "You just need to sign here..." She placed a vinyl record in a colourful package next to it and blushed a little. "And here, if you will."

Octavia smiled and signed the paper and placed her autograph on the record.

Wait for me, Vinyl... she thought. I will help you.

I Don't Want To Set the World on Fire

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Nine

I Don't Want To Set the World on Fire

***

"Vinyl, I'm home!" Octavia shouted as she entered her flat - their flat, flames of determination burning inside her. She had found a way for them to solve Vinyl's problem; all she had to do now was to explain everything to her marefriend, and apologise... and maybe they would have time to do... other stuff. Octavia blushed and looked around.

"Vinyl?" She trotted to the kitchen. Empty. She then proceeded to the bathroom, trying to overcome painful memories of what she had seen there. Empty. No sign of Vinyl anywhere. The grey mare's eyes widened in fear. What if she... What if she had left? What if she, Octavia, had offended her so much that the poor white mare had run away?

But something didn't seem right here. Something was out of place. All of Vinyl's things, still packed in their boxes, were in their places; all, except for...

Octavia ran towards the table, on which Vinyl's medi- Vinyl's drug stash had been lying. Now there was nothing but ashes there. Ashes... Did she... burn it?

Octavia pried about the room but found no other sign of any activity. She hadn't left a note; not a single trace of her departure. The grey mare felt an urge to sit down and cry; but she knew better than to give in to raw and unbased emotions. She needed to find Vinyl. She needed to apologise. And she needed to cure her.

With that in mind, Octavia took her scarf and rushed out of the flat, shutting the door behind her.

***

"Taaavi..."

The sombre streets of Manehattan lost their usual grey colour, turning white, making the unicorn almost invisible against the blanket of snow falling from the sky, covering the city whole. Vinyl was alone; she was so alone, without Octavia, with nopony around, without a dream in her heart, without a love of her own, as a song would've said.

No! I *have** a love and I must find it!*

Vinyl groaned in pain and exhauston and took a few slow steps forward. She was cold; she felt withdrawal approaching; and, what was the worst, she had no idea where her lover had gone.

"Taaavi..." Vinyl's voice dropped to a whisper, for she no longer had power to maintain it. She felt her eyes closing. Maybe just a little sleep won't hurt...

She stopped, her head hung low, her body stiff and cold. The alluring softness of the white blanket of snow on the ground called out to her, and she lay down in content. Yes, just a few minutes... A few minutes wouldn't hurt... She closed her eyes competely and exhaled, feeling darkness creeping towards her. In a moment, she would be sound asleep, without a care in the world, and-

"Vinyl!"

The unicorn felt something warm and fuzzy pressed against her, something wet and salty on her cheek, something- somepony! She opened her eyes, only to see a particular grey mare enveloping her neck with her hooves, crying into her cheek.

"I... *sob* *sob* thought you would... *sob* freeze to death..." Octavia mumbled, letting her tears stream freely: too much had happened; now she just needed to let go of it. Vinyl was here, alive.

"Taaavi..." the pianist whispered, trying to overcome her sleepiness. "You... found me." She yawned and tried to kiss the mare, but only placed a lazy smooch on her lips. "You still... love me..." She smiled and closed her eyes again.

"Of course I love you, you silly mare!" Octavia exclaimed, wrapping a scarf around Vinyl's neck. "Now, just let's get you home! Love, you're freezing! Vinyl? Vinyl, respond!"

But the pianist mare didn't notice it - she was already sound asleep, knowing that she loved, and was loved, and that love was enough to keep her warm, even if the weather tried to prove otherwise.

***

Vinyl opened her eyes. The room around her was slightly dark, which was either a sign of approaching dusk or dawn. She hoped for dawn, as she rolled over and saw Octavia lying next to her, on their sofa, in their flat; together, as it should be. Vinyl smiled and tugged the blanket beneath the grey mare; she, herself, was warm already. Not to wake up her lover, she tried to get up silently, avoiding touching the mare stealthily. Carefully considering each step, she walked towards the kitchen. Step by step... Step by step... *Screech*

"Vinyl?"

You are so amazing, Vinyl. Soooo steathy. You are like a damn pony ninja from those cheap films! the white mare scolded herself and turned round.

"Tavi?"

The cellist left their bed immediately and rushed towards her pianist, embracing her, nuzzling her cheek affectionately.

"Vinyl, I'm so glad you're all right! I was worried for you! Why did you leave?!" she bombarded her marefriend with questions and exclamatations, which, however, were mixed with kisses all about the white mare's neck.

"Tavi..." Vinyl sniffed, trying to hold the urge to cry, feeling a lump in her throat. "I thought..." She gulped. "I thought that you would leave me, 'cause I'm an addict and all... Like all other mares..." She felt her eyes watering and used a hoof to wipe off those tears.

Suddenly, she felt her head being turned around, held firm in place by a grey hoof, so that she was looking right into Octavia's bright eyes, which were filled with firmness and determination.

"Vinyl, do I look like other mares?" the cellist asked, not averting her gaze.

Vinyl didn't need any time to respond. "No," she said firmly. "You are special. You are the only mare I need in the whole world." She felt the lump in her throat grow bigger. "I love you, and know you love me... And nothing else matters."

That was the last drop in the ocean: no longer able to hold their feelings at bay, the two mares began to cry, muttering words of love to each other, they felt problems fade away, one by one.

Octavia sighed contentedly: her Vinyl was with her now; she'd found her; the beautiful white unicorn hadn't left her; she was just afraid; but now they were together, they loved each other, and Vinyl was so near, her hooves stroking her mane, neck... shoulders... fla- Oh my Celestia!

"Vinyl, dear..." Octvia half-said, half-moaned as Vinyl carried on massaging her flanks. "I... oh... have an issue to discuss with you... OH THAT WAS GOOD!"

"Mhm..." Vinyl kissed Octavia's shoulder, nudging her. "Does it involve sex?" she wondered in a sultry tone.

"Oh yes!" Octavia moaned in delight. "I mean, no! It's about your treatment!" she finally managed to let out.

Vinyl stopped abruptly. "Treatment?" Tavi, you really know how to kill the mood...

Octavia nodded, still panting. "I have reserved a ward for you in the clinic and-"

"I'm not going to hospital!" Vinyl exclaimed, crossing her hooves in a rather childish manner. "I've burned my stash; I'm cured; I'm fine!" She frowned.

"Vinyl, you know this is not true." Octavia sighed and put her hoof on the white mare's shoulder. "You need proper treatment. You need your addiction cured, both physically and psychologically." She pondered for a moment and smiled. "Will you do it? For me?"

Vinyl groaned but very well knew that Octavia was right. Besides, she couldn't resist it when the grey mare asked her so nicely... But I can still have some fun! The pianist grinned, her red eyes flashing with excitement.

"All right, Tavi... I will." She moved her face closer to Octavia's and gave her a nibble on the ear. "I will. But only if we have some fun time tonight..." she whispered into her ear, her hot breath falling onto Octavia's skin, making the grey mare pant in arousal.

"Well, it's still only morning..." Octavia felt excitement outshine all other feelings that she possessed at the moment. "So we can have fun time after breakfast..." she whispered in a sexy voice..

"You bet, filly!" Vinyl exclaimed and ran off towards the kitchen. "C'm'ere! I want to get to the sex part as soon as we can!"

Octavia facehoofed at her marefriend's lack of subtlety and followed her, sitting down at table, while Vinyl was scavenging the fridge.

"Alrighty, some hay fries for you, Tavi..." Vinyl mumbled, not seeing Octavia nod; not that she needed to - she knew her marefriend's preferences by heart. In more than one way. Which made her think...

"Oh, too bad!" she exclaimed, hiding her smile, as she faced Octavia, trying to look upset. Poorly, she noticed.

"What's the matter, love?" Octavia wondered with genuine concern in her voice.

"Oh, nothing. Just..." Vinyl grinned, no longer able to hold her attitude. "There is something I'd like to taste... But it's not in the fridge." Seeing Octavia blush fiercely, Vinyl came closer to the mare. "In fact, it's right between your le-" Huh?

"Give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't shove this knife down your throat," Octavia said, her face bland, expressionless, her hoof playing with a kitchen knife. But the little fires of mockery in her eyes gave away the fact she was joking.

Vinyl chuckled. "Because I'm so sexy?"

Octavia groaned. "Believe me, Vinyl, if you keep acting like this, you'll make a slip in the public eventually..." She sighed. "And we'll end up in prison."

Prison... The police... THE POLICE! Vinyl's eyes widened in a sudden realisation.

"Tavi, we've got a problem..." she whispered.

"Vinyl, admitting you have a problem is the first step to-"

"No," Vinyl interrupted her. "Not that problem. If I want to give up buck..." She gulped, images of the sweet, ever-so-welcoming drug shifting in her mind. "I need to stop buying it. And that will piss off my dealer." She sighed and hung her head low.

"Vinyl, we can always address the police-" Octavia began but was once more interrupted by the white unicorn.

"No, Tavi. We cannot."

"And why is that?"

"Because my dealer is a police officer."

An uneasy silence fell upon the kitchen, interrupted only by the mares' breathing.

"We can't seek support of the police, Tavi." Vinyl sighed sadly. "I'm sorry."

To her surprise, the grey mare's lips formed a smile. Huh? What's she up to?

"If we can't rely on the police..." Octavia held a dramatic pause, happy to tease the pianist. "...We will turn to family. My family." She put her hooves on the table in determination. "They are an influential house, and I'm sure they will help us out."

"Oh?" Vinyl raised her brow in disbelief.

"I'm sure of it," Octavia repeated firmly. "Now..." She smirked at her marefriend. "Let's eat those hay fries and..." She winked. "Somepony was looking forward to a fun time, am I right?" She already felt turned on, tucking all other thoughts away.

Vinyl grinned immediately. They would think about problems later. Yes, the world could wait. As for now...

"You bet!"

Don't Ever Be Afraid to Go Home

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Ten

Don't Ever Be Afraid to Go Home

***

"Warm clothes?"

"Check!"

"Socks and scarves?"

"Check!"

"Your remembering that we're just friends for the time being?"

Vinyl groaned. The perspective of playing the role of mere friend of Octavia for the whole weekend didn't really appeal to her; but she had to play along. After all, Octavia's family was their last resort; and, their being as conservative as Octavia had told her, she needed to show no signs of... filly-fooling.

"Cheeeck," she muttered and sighed. It was going to be a long weekend for her...

Seeing her marefriend upset bugged Octavia greatly; if only there were any other option... But there isn't. The cellist approached her pianist and kissed her gently, bathing in the sensation that would be off her limits for the whole two days.

"Love, I share your feeling, but we really need their help," she tried to reason the white mare, and herself at it.

"I know, Tavi..." Vinyl sighed again and managed to come up with a little smile. Hey, an idea! "Say, what if have some fun time before leaving? We've a few hours till that train and all..." Vinyl winked and wiggled her eyebrow.

Octavia replied with a flat look. "Vinyl, we did that, like, several hours ago."

"But you look so sexy!" the pianist tried to persuade the grey mare.

"Vinyl, while I do appreciate the compliment, the answer's no. You need to learn to keep your urges at bay, at least for a few days we're spending in Canterlot." She planted a kiss on Vinyl's cheek. "And when we return, I'm all yours..." she whispered into the mare's ear. As if I myself don't want it now... she mused, eyeing her marefriend's gorgeous form.

"All right, Tavi..." Vinyl agreed reluctantly, 'accidentally' whipping her tail agaist the grey mare's flank. "So, what are we up to, then?" she wondered, looking about the room, her gaze stopping on the luggage resting next to the door.

"How about some tea?" Octavia suggested, gesturing towards the kitchen. Receiving an approving nod from Vinyl, she trotted towards the kitchen. "Are you coming, love?"

"Sure, in a moment," Vinyl replied, seeing her cellist disappear in the kitchen, not able not to make a mental remark of Octavia's rear.

Just as the grey mare disappeared from sight, Vinyl collapsed onto the floor, cowering, no longer able to keep cool. Her limbs ached, as if an impossible mixture of heat and cold was applied to them. Sweat began covering her whole body, but she didn't notice it, blinded by pain. Her eyesight became blurred, and she shut her eyes tightly. This didn't ease the pain in the slightest. Her head was spinning; the whole world around her was spinning. She felt sick, tired and hopeless. She needed buck. Only one dose... She had trouble breathing, as if her lungs were refusing to work properly. It felt as if all kinds of pain united in one single arrow, which was striking her, piercing through every nerve. She groaned and tried to reach for her stash telekinetically. My stash... She remembered it was no longer here; her only cure, her wonderful box of wonders, and laughter, and happiness. She wasn't able to form thoughts properly, her whole thinking process concentrated on the so desired, but so unreachacle syringe with the precious liquid, the most amazing liquid in the world, the liquid that would make her brave, and calm, and relaxed. The only thing that would make her happy. The only thing that would make her whole...

"Vinyl! VINYL!"

She felt grey hooves shaking her violently, bringing her back to reality. She wanted to reply; she wanted to say it was all right; but it wasnt't all right! "With...drawal..." she managed to let out before another overwhelming wave of pain covered her, making her cringe and yelp.

Octavia understood everything. She knew this moment would come eventually; still, she wasn't ready for this. She simply held the white mare in her hooves, trying to protect her from everything, to soothe her, to calm her down. The grey mare felt so hopeless, realising that she wasn't going to be much help. Yet, she would do everything to help her mare.

Vinyl wanted to faint, or to fall asleep; just to stop feeling, anything at all. But she could not. The cruel withdrawal robbed her even of this opportunity. Sometimes thoughts left her head completely, and she felt as if she were staring into the very essence of pain. Sometimes the torture was so unbearable that it prevented her from crying: she opened her mouth, her rolling bloodshot eyes filled with insanity, but no sounds came out. She didn't feel Octavia hug her, stroke her mane, kiss her neck; she felt only pain, and that pain was very much dancing on the edge of tearing her apart.

She would do anything to kill the pain, to make it stop. But there was nothing to be done.

Octavia watched in horror as the white mare cowered before her on the floor, her head violently jerked aside, her whole body trembling, bathing in sweat, her eyes rolling and rolling and rolling and rolling... Octavia wanted to wake up from this nightmare. She wanted all of this to stop. But it wasn't a dream, and she couldn't do anything.

The pain ceased as quickly as it had been born. In a flashing moment, which, to Vinyl, seemed to have lasted for eternity, she suddenly could feel once more. She felt her marefriend's embrace, and breath, and her long black mane brushing against her cheek. And it felt good. She gathered all the power left in her aching muscles and smiled.

"It's gone, Tavi..." she whispered, leaning onto the grey mare, exhausted. She gulped, reminding herself that it wasn't the end. "It will be back."

"I know." Octavia planted a kiss right below her pianist's horn. "And I will do everything to make it better." Everything, Vinyl.

Vinyl looked into her marefriend's beautiful eyes, noticing how wonderfully... lavender they were. What a silly thought... Vinyl chuckled. She took a deep breath and stood up, propping herself against the cellist.

"Come." She smiled. "Let's get over with this whole reunion thing!"

Octavia smiled back and lifted their luggage onto her sturdy back, thankful that she was an earth pony, and trotted towards the doorway, keeping an eye on the wary mare, the mare who was now in complete possession of her heart.

***

"Are we there yet?"

"No, Vinyl."

The white mare looked through the window of the train, countless trees rushing ahead of her sight. She sighed and looked at her marefriend (Friend, Vinyl. For now, she is your *friend*, and don't you dare forget it!), who was now reading a book.

"How about now?"

"No, Vinyl."

The pianist groaned and stared idly at her hooves. They had been on the train for four hours already, and it wasn't exactly appealing to her impatient nature.

"How about-"

"No, Vinyl," Octavia replied firmly, not diverting her attention from the book. It was a cheap paperback novel, some science-fiction novel about Doctor Whooves. Although the cellist was somewhat taken aback by the style, it was a good read, apart from the fact that Vinyl had been interrupting her every few minutes for the past several hours. It would have been amazing to have some music to drawn the pianist's babbling. If only there were some way to take all your records with you on a portable device... she thought, chuckling at such an absurd and physically impossible idea.

"Aww..." Vinyl pouted and looked at her mare... erm, friend with her best puppy-eyes expression. "At least I hope that with a name like Chicoltgo, the town's gonna be a really chic place."

Octavia put down the book with a sigh. It wasn't like she would have the chance to read uninterrupted, anyway. She smiled at her marefriend (Friend, Octavia. She's your friend for the time being, and don't you dare forget it!) and closed her eyes, the images of her hometown appearing before her eyes. "Oh yes, Vinyl. It will be beautiful." She looked through the window, and her smile grew even wider. "Why don't you see for yourself, though?"

"Huh?" Vinyl blinked and followed the cellist's gaze. What she saw reallt struck her. Beautiful, tall skyscrapers stood next to each other, perfectly lined. The whole city was brightly illuminated, and carried the general feeling of welcomeness (That's a word, right?), as opposed to the dull and posh streets of Manehattan. It felt as it Chicoltgo had been waiting for them arrive, all this time.

"Arriving at Chicoltgo central station in five minutes!" a voice echoed from the corridor. Vinyl smiled and put on her goggles.

Octavia put her hoof on top of the unicorn's.

"We're here, Vinyl." She felt distinct nostalgia all of a sudden. "That's my hometown."

The House I Live in

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Eleven

The House I Live in

***

"Tavi, where the hay is your house?!" Vinyl exclaimed, dragging her hooves along the paved street tiredly. At first, she was awestruck, taking in the breathtaking scenery of the big city, the light and the general feeling of unusualness as passer-bys greeted each other. But now she was simply exhausted, walking through the entire town, led by the grey cellist who would greet some locals from time to time. Seems strange that Tavi knows so many ponies in such a big place, she mused.

"On the edge of town," the grey mare replied in a warm tone, without turning round. "It's not far, I assure you."

"I thought your family was rich and stuff, and you tell me you're living on the outskirts?" Vinyl raised a brow in suspicion but carried on nevertheless. Just what is-

Vinyl's mouth fell agape as Octavia stopped in front of a huge four-storey building, designed in the best traditions of baroque Canterlot architecture, made of finest stone, with what seemed to her an endless garden, and stone-paved wide path leading to the front door - no, it was a gate!

"That's my family's mansion," Octavia said simply, not affected by the glorious building in the slightest. In fact, she was affected, but only in a way that she got incredibly nostalgic. This used to be her house; the house she used to live in; the house where her brothers and she had grown up, where they had played so innocently as foals. The memories overwhelmed her and she hardly suppressed a tear that she felt in her left eye.

"That's not a mansion, Tavi!" Vinyl exlclaimed in awe. "It's a damn castle!" I simply can't believe this is Tavi's house! Just how rich *is** her family?!*

"Octavia!"

They saw a brown earth pony stallion, who apparently had just been strolling in the garden, rush to their side, wide-eyed. Vinyl couldn't help but notice his cutie mark, which was a quill, and his neatly cut light mane, which was a little wavy, despite being quite short.

"Tom!" Octavia shouted, running towards the stallion, throwing her hooves around his neck, planting kisses all around his muzzle. Vinyl frowned, feeling offended and a little jealous. Great, now who the hay is this guy?

As the cellist let go of the brown pony, she turned towards Vinyl, tears streaming from her eyes. Seeing her ma- friend's dismay, she quickly explained, "Vinyl, this is my brother, Tom." She smiled at the stallion, whose face turned soft and pleased. "Tom, this is my... friend, Vinyl." Octavia paused before saying... the word, holding just a little subconscious interval, almost unnoticeable. But was there a single time when Tom hasn't noticed something, even a little detail?

"Oh. Pleased to meet'cha!" Vinyl grinned and extended her hoof. He's just her brother, nothing more! she thought happily, her body immediately relaxing, her attitude no longer hostile.

To her suprise, the stallion didn't shake her hoof, like most ponies, or kiss it, like those high-society ponies. Instead, he came up to her and hugged her, planting three kisses on her both cheeks. Vinyl was a little shocked by such a show of affection, but an approving nod from Octavia told her that it was all right, even if she couldn't quite drive into what was going on.

"It is a customary greeting in Scoltcilia," Octavia explained, just as the brown stallion (Tom? What a strange name!, Vinyl mused) occupied the place next to his sister.

"Wait a minute? Weren't you born here in Chicoltgo?" Vinyl asked, dumbfounded. What other secrets has she been keeping from me? she thought involuntary.

"Of course I was!" Octavia laughed, waving her hoof in the air dismissingly. "My family comes from Scoltcilia," she explained.

Well, that makes sense, given her surname and all... Vinyl nodded, feeling slightly off as Octavia's brother looked at her: he cast but a minute glance, but that glance was enough to pierce her through, scrutinising her very substance, as if the stallion had immediately learned everything about her in a matter of a few seconds. What a stupid thought...

"Octavia, Vinyl, please come with me!" Tom gestured for them to follow. "Father will be happy to see you."

"Father..." Octavia whispered, watching her brother trot ahead. So many years have passed...

Vinyl put her hoof on Octavia's shoulder, trying hard to make it a friendly, supportive gesture and not a show of affection. "It's all right, Tavi. Let's go."

The grey mare smiled and, quickly looking around, planted a small peck on the pianist's cheek. Vinyl blushed very cutely and looked around as well, to see if there was anypony who could have seen the gesture. Fortunately, nopony was around, save for Tom who had almost reached the front door by now. Maybe we'll be able to find a minute alone to share a kiss after all... Octavia mused, trotting towards the door, Vinyl by her side.

Tom knocked at the door, smiling at his sister and her friend. Octavia gulped, closing her eyes. So many years...

The wooden door opened, to reveal a rather old unicorn stallion standing before it. He was black, Vinyl noted, and his hair was already silver grey, which showed either the burden of age or the weight of experience. Atop his flank rested a rather strange cutie mark - a chain. He was holding a glass of wine in his telekinetic grip, but almost dropped it upon seeing the three ponies standing in the doorway.

"Octavia?" His voice was plain, not emotionless, but just reserved; however, slight reverberation showed that he was shocked deep inside, even if he didn't show it at all.

"Father..." Octavia whispered and, no longer able to hold back her feeling, threw her hooves around her father's neck, tears of happiness and overwhelming emotion streaming down her face.

Vinyl felt her own eyes watering as she watched the reunion, her stupid brain bringing about substitute memories of her own family, which contrasted with the present tranquillity way too much. Stop, Vinyl. Don't you dare cry in front of Tavi's family!

Finally, the black unicorn tapped Octavia on the shoulder politely, and she let him go reluctantly, stepping back.

"I am very glad to see you, Octavia," he said, finally placing his glass onto the drawer in the corner of the wide hall. "As well as you, miss?" He looked at Tom, who immediately stepped in.

"Vinyl. Vinyl Scratch. She is a friend of Octavia," he provided the information.

"Miss Scratch," the black stallion confirmed. "A friend of my daughter is a friend of mine," he said, as if he were reciting a family motto of some sort. Looking at Octavia, who nodded at her father's words, Vinyl got the impression that it was a motto indeed.

"My name is Alexandro Philarmonico, without the H in the middle," he introduced himself, performing the trinity of greeting kisses on Vinyl afterwards. I need to tell Tavi to pick up this custom when we return to Manehattan...

"I'm very charmed to meet you, senor Philarmonico," Vinyl replied with a slight bow, shocking Octavia to the limit. Vinyl... is polite? She even has decent Stallian pronunciation! she mused in awe. Who are you, strange white unicorn, and what have you done with my marefriend?!

"So am I," the stallion said and glanced through a relatively small window, while the two mares followed his gaze. Only now did Vinyl realise that it had already got dark; she wasn't used to such intense illumination which reigned in Chicoltgo, so it was easy to forget they had arrived at the edge of dusk, greeted by the sunset.

"Would you like to have a meal before getting the much needed rest?" Octavia's father enquired, pointing out that they were very much welcome to go to bed directly. Vinyl's sense of politeness was aching, if senses could ever ache. On one hoof, it would be impolite to refuse a treat on the house; on the other hoof, it would be impolite to feast upon the host's hospitality. What to do... Vinyl thought painfully, considering her two equally crappy options.

"Thank you, Father, but we would rather go to sleep now," Octavia said in a gentle and loving voice, her eyes still teary from the reunion. "Could we get a room?"

Tavi, saving my flank since Celestia-knows-when! Vinyl thought proudly. I can't believe we've been together for a mere week!

Alexandro nodded and opened the door at the far wall, his telekinetic grip firmly holding the golden knob. It's real gold! Vinyl opened her mouth in awe. "Tom will show you to your bedrooms," he said calmly, but his eyes shone with unspokent content.

"Father, that would be too much. Vinyl and I are roommates and are used to sharing a room," Octavia said carefully, not to give away their secret, but still having high hopes about their sleeping together. It's not like I can sleep alone anymore...

"But Octavia, don't you remember we have only single-bed rooms?" Tom chimed in, his eyes inspecting both mares, making Vinyl quite uncomfortable about being examinated.

"Oh, sure. Silly me." The cellist laughed uneasily, almost sweating. Careful, Octavia. Be careful. You know Tom only too well...

Without another word spoken - it didn't seem like Alexandro was a pony of many words - the two mares were showed into an even wider hall, which, to Vinyl's surprise (Wow. There are still things that can surprise me in this house!) was filled with ponies. Those looked... strange, to say the least. For one, they were all dressed up - not only dressed up, but wearing similar black suits and sunglasses. Sure, Vinyl could relate to wearing glasses indoors, but...

"Who are those ponies?" she whispered, almost mouthed, to Octavia, whose face expression turned into a frown for a second.

"Don't ask," she replied... painfully? "Please. Just... don't ask."

With that, they were led to their respective rooms.

More Than You Know

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twelve

More Than You Know

***

Octavia rolled over with a grunt. No matter how comfortable the bed was, how calming and pleasant the silence of the night was, she couldn't fall asleep without Vinyl by her side. It was strange how fast she had got used to the warmness of her lover, her gentle breath, her soothing snores... Okay, maybe not so soothing... Still-

She heard the door open ever so quietly, which caused her blood to run cold. Was Vinyl so careless as to tear apart their whole plan by sneaking into her bedroom at night? Or maybe she was in need of help? Maybe something terrible had happened to her?

Octavia jerked up in bed and relaxed slighty as she saw it not to be Vinyl but Tom. Tom? What is he doing here? She voiced her thoughts immediately.

"Tom?" she said with a hint of irritation in her voice. "What are you doing in my bedroom in the middle of the night?!"

The brown stallion chuckled and approached the window, drawing the dark red curtains. Octavia squinted her eyes as countless rays of the rising sun rushed into the room, brightening it up in every way possible.

"Rise and shine, Octavia!" he exclaimed with a smile, trotting towards the bed. "It's morning already, and breakfast will be served in half an hour."

The cellist rubbed her eyes as Tom planted a brotherly peck on her cheek. She yawned contentedly, pleased to experience this simple show of affection for the first time in many years.

"I would advise you to wake up your marefriend as well, lest she miss breakfast." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm sure she wouldn't forgive you that."

"Mmmhm." Octavia stretched her limbs and sat up in bed. "Sure, I'll get to Vinyl... WHAT?" She almost fell from her bed as she realised what he had just said. How did he?... How did he?...

The brown pony laughed light-heartedly. "Oh, Octavia, please! You know very well how I can see into a pony's soul." He grinned at the embarrassed mare, whose cheeks had turned a violent red. "Besides, I guess that even a blind pony would have noticed you two were in a relationship."

Octavia felt the corners of her mouth turn up in spite of herself. A blind pony, huh? Oh, you won't believe how close you are to the truth right now! she thought, remembering their encounter with Old God Coltring.

"Wait a minute..." she said, the gears in her head slowly beginning to turn around. "You know that I'm a..." She blushed before saying the word. "...filly-fooler, and you aren't angry with me?" She blinked a few times, while Tom's grin faded gradually.

"I am not," he said calmly, looking through the window. "While I do not wholly approve of the... concept, you are still family. And who am I to question the happiness of family?"

Octavia looked into his blue, serious eyes, and felt her eyes watering up. No longer to contain herself, she embraced the brown pony in a bone-shattering hug. "Thank you, Tom. Thank you," she whispered into his ear.

"You are welcome, Octavia," he replied as she let go of him. "I just hope Father will be just as accepting." He held a small pause, lost in thought. "Go. Wake up your lover." He smield warmly. "You two had a matter to discuss with Father, am I right?"

Octavia rose to her hooves, slightly shocked. How did he know? She pondered for a moment. Oh, well, he's Tom, after all, she concluded, and, tossing a smile towards the stallion, trotted out of the room.

Tom sighed and looked through the doorway.

"Sometimes I wish I were your real brother..." he whispered solemnly and left the bedroom.

***

Vinyl couldn't fall alseep. No matter how hard she tried, the emptiness in her bed told her otherwise: she couldn't sleep without Octavia by her side. And, what was worse, the side effects of abstaining were kicking in. She felt a blanket of apathy and depression covering her for hours, playing with her mind, tangling her thoughts in an imperceptible manner. She needed her mare by her side. She needed to hug her, to kiss her, to-

The door opened with a quiet screech, and Vinyl turned her head towards the source of the sound. To her surprise and unspoken joy, Octavia entered the room, a smile on her beautiful face - her perfect face. Before Vinyl could greet her or even sit up in bed, the grey mare lay on top of her, pinning her to the cosy bed, and sealed her lips in a passionate kiss. Vinyl felt a wave of bliss and happiness cover her whole, after a whole night of not sharing kisses with her marefriend.

"Rise and shine, sleepy-head!" Octavia murmured into her ear, nibbling on it gently, warming up the white mare up inside. "Of course, unless you want to skip breakfast..."

"Breakfast?!" Vinyl jumped up in bed, sending Octavia in a fit of laughter.

"Yes, with the delicious pancakes, and jam, and biscuits..." the grey mare teased her lover as the pianist rose to her hooves, over-salivating at the mentioning of all the tasty treats. By Celestia's beard, I'm hungry!

"What are we waiting for?!" Vinyl exlaimed, throwing her hoof in the air.

"Vinyl, wait." Octavia sighed as the white mare's red eyes shone with concern upon seeing her frown. "We need to tell Father. About us, I mean."

"Huh?" Vinyl raised her brown questioningly. "Didn't you say, he was, like, all conservative and stuff?"

"I know, Vinyl." Octavia sighed again and shook her head. "But I can't keep secrets from family. If we want him to help us with your... our problem..." Octavia's expression melted a little as she reminded herself that it was their problem, that they would overcome it side by side, together. "We need to be honest with him, Vinyl. He appreciates honesty."

The pianist nodded seriously. If Octavia said that they needed to do so, they would do so. Whatever the consequences.

"So... breakfast it is, then?" Octavia smiled a little at her mare, whose face once more lit up.

"To the kitchen!" Vinyl exclaimed and broke into a gallop, followed by a laughing Octavia.

***

This wasn't a kitchen. No, far, far from it. Vinyl glanced around the spacious dining hall, her gaze focusing on Octavia, who was sitting on her left, and Tom, who had occupied the place on her right. Alexandro was sitting at the head of the long table, which, to Vinyl's mind, was carved out of the finest wood that Equestria had ever seen. The bronze plate, from which they had been consuming their food for almost half an hour, added to the impression.

Alexandro lit a long cigar just as one of the strange black-suited ponies brought tea. Vinyl was stuffed already, and so was Octavia, so they politely refused the drink, their eyes meeting for a second, exchanging It is time glances.

Octavia coughed, drawing her father's attention. "Father..." she began carefully, trying to form her thoughts correctly. "There is something I need to tell you."

Alexandro looked at his daughter in his usual relaxed manner and nodded. "Octavia, dear, I am all ears."

"You see, Vinyl and I..." she paused and gulped, feeling Vinyl's supportive hoof on top of hers under the table. "We are already sharing a flat, but..." She closed her eyes, unable to bring herself to see her father's reaction. "We are more than that. We are dating."

Several seconds - or were they minutes? - had passed in silence until Octavia finally managed to make herself open her eyes again. What she saw slightly surprised her. Her father's face was just as calm and tranquil as it had been all that time, the cigar hanging from his mouth.

"Father?" Octavia asked hesitanly. Vinyl gulped, afraid of what might come. After all, they say that the fear of the unknown is the greatest fear... the pianist mused philosophically.

Alexandro took another puff of his cigar, taking a sip of tea. He finally sighed and put the cup back on the table. "I see," he said. The silence stung; the silence hurt; it was teasing and rolling about the whole room. "Welcome to the family, Vinyl," he said finally.

Octavia's mouth fell agape; so did Vinyl's. Even Tom, as it seemed, was a little shocked. The cellist tried to form some decent thoughts, but they avoided her completely.

"T-thank you, senor Philarmonico..." Vinyl stammered, astonished and perplexed.

"Just Alexandro, please," the unicorn replied, waving a hoof in the air. "You are family now, after all."

"I... I don't understand, Father..." Octavia mumbled, looking at her marefriend, then at Tom, who by now had dealt with his amazement. "I thought you were opposed to... um... single-sex relationships..."

Alexandro smiled warmly, and that smile, coming all the way from her foalhood, immediately put her to ease.

"Octavia, there is a difference between your general views and views regarding family," he explained. Huh? Vinyl blinked, unable to predict where the grey-maned wise unicorn's trail of thought was going. "You can disapprove of something, as long as it doesn't concern your family. For example," he pointed his cigar at Tom, who was listening attentively, "Tom disapproves of smoking; but he is quite tolerant towards my smoking, simply because we are family." The brown stallion nodded in agreement. "You are right: I do disapprove of same-gender relationships, but what I want to see most..." He pointed his free hoof at Octavia, who was finally catching her father's drift. "...is for you to be happy, be it with a stallion or a mare," he concluded and leaned back in his chair.

The next several minutes were spent in countless expressions of gratitude towards Alexandro from the two mares, and tears of joy, and embraces.

"There, there," Alexandro finally said as Vinyl and Octavia hugged him from both sides. "I'm very happy for the two of you. I am sure you will make a perfect couple." He smiled and watched the two marefriends let go of him.

"Thank you!" The musical ponies exclaimed in unison for the last time, occupying their respective seats, this time holding hooves freely, not afraid of showing their affection.

"And I think I might tell my colts to bring another bed into your room, Octavia," he said with a wink, making Octavia blush and Vinyl grin from ear to ear. "Now, Tom has informed me that there is a matter you two wanted to discuss with me. Aside from coming out, I mean."

"Yes, Father..." Octavia started to feel nervous again, not sure if confessing her love for a mare and instantly revealing that she was a drug user was a good course of action.

"I am a junkie," Vinyl suddenly said, her red eyes piercing Alexandro. "I used to be a buck addict, before I met Octavia," she carried on, resolving to tell all the truth. "I don't want to make excuses, but I have had quite a hard time living in the streets, and well..." She chuckled sadly. "You get used to what most bums do, eventually."

"I see..." Alexandro said, not a frown crossing his face, smoke enveloping his face, hiding his true thoughts. "And what made you live in the streets, may I ask?"

"Sure." Vinyl nodded. "My folks kicked me out," she said with a shrug, forgetting all the made-up politeness and manners. "Couldn't accept me for who I was."

"That is... terrible to hear." Alexandro took a puff and shook his head in genuine sympathy. "Without the support of family, the world truly becomes a dreary place. Have you given up the habit?" he wondered.

"Yes, she has," Octavia answered for her marefriend. "She has even burned down her drug stash, and I have already arranged for her to undergo a treatment in a local Manehattan clinic." She smiled at her mare, who blushed slightly.

"Still, the withdrawal is killing me..." Vinyl muttered under her breath; yet, loud enough for Alexandro to hear.

"Ah... withdrawal, yes..." The black unicorn rubbed his chin. "Well, until you start your treatment, I have a special horn ointment that will help reduce the effects of withdrawal." His horn lit up and a tube appeared right before the white mare, being held in place by Alexandro's telekinesis. Wow... Teleporting objects? That's some high-grade spellcasting! "Appoint twice a day," he added, waiting for Vinyl to take it.

She looked into Octavia's eyes reluctantly. "All the ingredients are natural, Vinyl," Octavia said. "It's not a drug or medicine."

Vinyl nodded and took the tube in her telekinetic grip. "Thank you, Alexandro," she said with a slight bow of her head.

"You are welcome, Vinyl. Family helps family, after all." The stallion glanced at his daughter, who was still shifting uneasily. "Octavia?"

"Yes, Father. The problem is..." She took a deep breath. "While Vinyl and I want to start a new life... together..." She felt Vinyl's hoof squeeze hers, and felt a smidgeon of confidence building inside her. "There are certain circumstances that prevent us from doing so. In particular..." She looked into her father's eyes firmly. "Vinyl's dealer is a police officer at the Manehattan hub. And he can cause us trouble, our being... filly-foolers and all..."

Alexandro frowned and extinguished his cigar, putting the butt in the silver ashtray. Silver ashtray! Vinyl exclaimed mentally. Pure silver! "Black unicorn? Red mane?" he asked sharply, receiving a nod from Vinyl to both questions. "He's gone too far..." he muttered under his breath; but in a moment, he smiled again, his face once more calm. "Don't worry, Octavia, Vinyl; nopony will trouble you from this day on, especially he."

"Thank you, Father!" Octavia exclaimed, running towards the black stallion and wrapping her hooves around his neck.

"Thanks, Alexandro!" Vinyl cheered, throwing her hooves in the air.

"Now, now. Just forget your troubles. When you arrive in Manehattan tomorrow, you will find your problem... solved," Alexandro concluded, planting a peck on Octavia's forehead. "As for now..." He smiled. "I thought you two had some... matters to attend to?"

Seeing the mares' dumbfounded expression, he specified, "The walls in Octavia's room are soundproof."

"Oh. Oh." Vinyl blushed, realising the implication. "Shall we, Tavi?" she mumbled to the embarrassed grey mare, who nodded, her own cheeks red as well.

The two ponies trotted side by side, out of the room, eagerly anticipating some matters they wanted to attend to so badly.

As they left, Alexandro motioned for Tom to come closer. "I need that bastard to be disposed of until tomorrow. Take as many ponies as you need to cover it up," the black stallion said, emphasising each word. "Anypony who crosses my daughter's lover, be it a mare, or a stallion..." He raised his hoof and tapped it against his throat.

A nod from the brown pony showed that they were understood. "He will be dead by dusk, Alexandro," Tom promised. "By the way..." He pondered for a moment. "Did you give her marefriend the real cure or-"

Suddenly, Tom felt a hoof slapped across his face. For the first time in his life, he had been shocked to see Alexandro furious. And he was furious indeed.

"How could you think otherwise?" he hissed, blood rushing to his face. "You thought I gave her a fake... or maybe another drug?!" He spat in disdain, facing away from the confused brown stallion. "If my daughter loves Vinyl, I will embrace her with all of my heart, as I have embraced you, if you remember." He lowered his head. "Sometimes I think that all this law and business has ripped you of compassion. That you can't feel anymore." With that, he took his leave, not turning around, contempt visible on his face.

Tom rubbed his cheek. "I can, Alexandro," he whispered, looking at the spot where the black unicorn had just been standing. "I just didn't realise you could."

Days of Wine and Roses

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Thirteen

Days of Wine and Roses

***

Vinyl woke up with a yawn. She felt fresh, and vigorous, and ready for anything that might come. In fact, reminiscing the previous events, she concluded that life would serve nothing but good to Octavia and her, at least for the next few days. And nothing could prove otherwise.

The pianist rolled over, ending up face to face with her cellist, who was snoring gently, her mouth slightly open, her mane dishevelled from their recents activities. Vinyl simply couldn't help but notice how cute the grey mare looked, how the way her black mane rested on the pillow made the pianist want to simply lie next to her marefriend, embracing her, for the rest of eternity.

Vinyl lay on her back for a few minutes, taking in the precious moment. She was here, her mare by her side, and they were accepted. They were part of the family now. It all seemed so strange, and so soothing at the same time. To be accepted for who they were, to be tolerated, to be loved... That was all too much for Vinyl to bear and she began sobbing quietly, the novel feeling making her happy and sad at the same time. Happy for the future that Octavia and she would share together; sad for the past, which was full of darkened shadows lurking round and about.

"Vinyl?" Octavia mumbled sleepily, opening her eyes. Warmth immediately filled her whole, invigorating every minute particle of her body and soul, as she saw her marefriend near her, their relationship accepted by family. Wait a minute... "Vinyl, are you crying?" the cellist asked with concern. "Is anything wrong? Is it..." She gasped at the realisation. "...the withdrawal?"

Vinyl sniffed and dried her tears with a hoof. "No, Tavi, everything's great." She smiled warmly, the image of her cellist shining like a beacon of hope in her still wet eyes. "That's... tears of happiness, I guess. I'm just very glad everything turned out so well." She planted a kiss upon Octavia's cheek. However, the grey mare wasn't satisfied with that: she pulled Vinyl into a tight embrace and sealed their lips is a fervent kiss, a kiss that lasted for minutes.

As the cellist let go of her marefriend with a grin, Vinyl gasped for breath. "Wow. Tavi, that was... amazing... But why are you being so straightforward all of a sudden?" she wondered, panting. Though, I would totally prefer determined Tavi over sad Tavi...

"Because I can," Octavia replied with a mischievious smile and licked Vinyl's cheek affectionately. The way the ususally bold unicorn blushed like a schoolfilly made Octavia chuckle. She's so cute when she blushes like that... she thought, rolling over. I totally need to make her embarrassed more frequently...

"By the way, about that withdrawal, Tavi..." Vinyl said, trying to sound bored, although both ponies knew very well that the nonchalance was fake. "Could you get me my ointment from the drawer?"

"Sure thing, love." Octavia got up, three of her hooves stepping on the floor, while the fourth one was placed on top of something... rubber. Oh. Oh. Oh. The cellist's face flushed as she remembered the events of the previous night, including this particular item. That goes under the bed!

In a few moments, Octavia approached the bed with a tube in her hooves, leaning over Vinyl. "Let me apply it," she offered, and the unicorn obediently lowered her head, propping her horn forth.

Octavia began slowly massaging the ointment into her mare's horn, which, to her surprise, resulted in Vinyl shutting her eyes and letting out a long moan. "Anything wrong, love?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"It's... great... Tavi..." Vinyl replied, panting. "Just... ooooh~ Horns are very... sensitive..." This feels sooo good... "Could you use your tongue?"

"Vinyl!" Octavia exclaimed, her face flushing. "That's gross! I wouldn't do that!" she said firmly, closing the tube. She pondered for a moment, looking at her mare, and a thought occurred to her. "Until night, that is..." she whispered into Vinyl's ear with a sly grin.

"So you are a naughty filly!" the pianist exclaimed, getting up, her grin breaking all possible laws of physics.

"Only to you~" Octavia cooed, not feeling embarrassed at all. Celestia, it seems that she's got a real grip of me... the cellist mused. Not that I mind it in the slightest... "I guess we need to come downstairs," she concluded reluctantly, desipte her desire to spend the rest of the day in bed with Vinyl.

"I guess you're right, Octy." Vinyl yawned and stretched her limbs.

"Octy?" Octavia blinked.

"Well, when you're being naughty, I'll be calling you 'Octy'. Seems legit, eh?" Vinyl grinned.

"Let's stick with 'Tavi', all right?"

"Sure thing... Octy..."

"Vinyl!"

With that, the grey mare ran after the playful teasing unicorn, following her all the way out of the room.

***

Dinner was marvellous. Vinyl mused that it would be a damn good idea to pay Alexandro a visit from time to time, just to taste all those salads, and soups, and a million sorts of cheese. They were eating in silence: she, Octavia, and Alexandro. There was no sign of Tom, but Vinyl held her tongue, for she knew that something was not wholly right with this family.

"Do you have any idea when Mother will come back?" Octavia asked suddenly, wiping her muzzle with a handkerchief, instead of a napkin. "The Violinist Weekly says her current tournee is taking place across Zebrica?" she wondered in a slightly concerned voice.

Alexandro nodded with a hint of disapproval in his eyes. "I told her not to go, for reasons we both know..." He cast a glance at the mares, which basically stated, war. "...but you know your mother, Octavia. Don't worry, though - I sent my colts and Cornelio with her," he concluded, slightly relaxing.

The cellist nodded. "Yes, brother has always been a fan of her music..." If Cornelio is with her, I needn't worry...

Vinyl silently bit on the hay sandwich. So I take it this Cornelio is another brother of Octavia...

"You shall start packing your possessions, by the way," Alexandro added, glancing at his watch. "I have bought you two tickets for the 8 o'clock train to Manehattan," he explained, seeing the confused looks upon the musicians' faces.

"Father, you needn't have..." Octavia began gratefully, but was interrupted by Vinyl, who completely forgot about manners and such, having processed the information.

"But when I asked the cashier, they said those were already booked!" she exclaimed, quickly adding, "Not that I mind returning home early, of course."

Alexandro chuckled and shook his head, tossing his grey mane slightly. "Vinyl, you will soon learn there is nothing impossible for me. Besides, you ought to start your treatment as soon as possible," he said in a firm tone that left no room fo discussion. Who *is** he?* Vinyl asked herself for what seemed a millionth time.

"Thank you, Alexandro," the pianist said with a grateful nod.

"Thank you, Father." Octavia smiled at her father and put her hoof atop Vinyl's. "We would love to start the treatment tomorrow." She pondered for a moment, taking a sip of tea. "What time is it, by the way?"

"Quarter past seven," Alexandro replied, his calm expression not changing in the slightest.

"Quarter past seven?! Vinyl, we need to collect our things! Quick!" Octavia shouted, jumping up and rushing out of the door frantically, followed by her shocked marefriend, the sound of Alexandro's laughter echoing through the hall.

***

Vinyl and Octavia sat in silence, their train racing the sunset, trying to catch the inevitably setting sun. The cellist was enveloped in her novel, while the pianist stared through the window, her gaze firmly fixed on the red celestial body. Come on, Vinyl, start the conversation. It's easy - she's your marefriend, for buck's sake!

Vinyl cleared her throat audibly, drawing Octavia's attention. "Your father's a nice guy, Tavi," she said carefully, constructing the ladder of the conversation step by step.

"Yes." Octavia smiled. "He is wonderful."

"Care to tell me more?" Vinyl asked with fake innocence in her voice, which was not lost to her insightful marefriend.

"Vinyl, what's on your mind? Spill it," the cellist said, her heart beating faster. I have to tell her. I can't keep secrets from her.

"I wonder..." Vinyl looked down, inspecting her hoof idly. "He has a lot of... 'colts' around, he buys already booked tickets, he has a whole Celestia-damn castle... and he is totally going to have my ex-dealer killed." The pianist raised her gaze and looked into the grey mare's eyes. "And he's from Scoltcilia. Peculiar, huh?"

Octavia sighed and lowered her head. "Vinyl, there is a thing I need to tell you about my family..." She met Vinyl's ruby gaze with her own. "But only if you tell me about your past. I want there to be no secrets between us."

As Vinyl nodded in determination, Octavia sighed again and placed the book on the table. "I guess you ought to know that there is more than one meaning of the word familia." She blinked and looked at her mare, who was listening attentively. "My 'familia'... My family... is part of the marefia."

Two for the Road

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Fourteen

Two for the Road

***

Octavia held a dramatic pause for a few seconds. To her surprise, Vinyl just nodded and motioned with a hoof for her to carry on.

"Vinyl? Aren't you... shocked after such a dreadful revelation?" the cellist wondered, slightly perturbed by the fact that the whole theatrical effect was lost on the white pony.

"Nah." The pianist shrugged idly. "You know, it was kinda obvious. I mean, black suits? Sunglasses? All this family business?" She grinned, taking off her goggles, a gesture appreciated by Octavia, to reveal the fires of laughter in her red eyes. "I guess even George would see that Alexandro's head of the marefia." She smirked confidently.

Octavia blinked in astonishment. How come she is all right with this? "Love, aren't you... disappointed in me?" she asked, trying to break through the invisible wall of emotion that Vinyl's heart held. "Do you still love me, my being part of a marefia clan?"

The pianist almost fell on her back from laughter, and would have, if it weren't for the fact that she was in a train, for the outline of the compartment prevented her from doing so. "Tavi, of course I love you, you silly mare!" She immediately leaned in to plant a quick kiss on her cellist's lips, to prove her affection. "Hay, it's awesome! My marefriend's part of the marefia!" She grinned even wider, while Octavia bathed in the aftertaste of the kiss. "Tell me tell me tell me!" Vinyl suddeny exclaimed, activating her inner (Not so inner, Vinyl... Ah, who cares! It's the *marefia*!) foal mode. "What do you do there? Smuggling?"

"Vinyl-"

"Bribery?"

"Vinyl!"

"Gambling?"

"VINYL!" Octavia practically roared, interrupting her pianist. "I. Don't. Know."

"Huh?" Vinyl blinked. Care to explain? her look expressed.

Octavia sighed and regained her composure. "I can't tell you anything about family business because I have never been, and am not, part of it." She smiled at her marefriend apologetically. "I guess it's probably exciting, but my familia is just that, family, to me." Her smile grew warmer as memories of her foalhood made their way into her mind. "I love my family dearly, but they are only relatives to me. Not marefia, not businessponies. Just my loving and caring parents and brothers."

"I see..." Vinyl nodded respectfully, getting all contemplating all of a sudden. "Well, this is great." She pondered for a moment, speculating what to ask next, given the opportunity. "So... could you tell me more about your mother and that other brother of yours?" His name was Cornelio or something?

Octavia smiled and nodded. "Sure thing. My mother, Sofia Philarmonica..." The cellist closed her eyes, the image of her mother, regal and beautiful, appearing before her closed eyelids, smiling gently. "She is a wonderful pony. She is kind, and caring, and she loves me dearly." Octavia's smile faded slightly as she shook her head. "But she is a rather... well-known violinist, and she's always on tour..." The grey mare gulped, seeing Vinyl's mood darken a little as well. "Still, she has always used every minute of her free time to tend to me," she concluded, longing to change the subject. "As for Cornelio, my brother..." The cellist smirked, shaking her head. "He's always been all brave and determined. He always takes everything too close to his heart. I remember that one time when colts at school used to pick up on him for being Scoltcilian..." The grey mare chuckled. "He sneaked into Father's room that evening and stole his gun. You should have seen the look on those bullies' faces when he took it to school with him next day!" The cellist laughed light-heartedly at the memory. "What's peculiar, however, is that Father didn't punish him for it." Octavia rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "If I recall correctly, he only patted him on his head and started giving him shooting lessons afterwards."

Vinyl shifted uneasily. Well, I'm glad Tavi's all right with that... but *guns*? She gulped at the thought of such a concept. A colt taking a gun to school? What possible consequences could it bring about? However, her mind eagerly substituted the image with an elaborate, well-depicted scene of Octavia in a hat, a gun in her hoof, a cigarette hanging out of her mouth... A particular scene unfolded before her eyes...

"Now who's been a bad filly?" Octavia spat on the floor, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I! I've been a bad filly!" Vinyl screamed, tied to the bed, hoofcuffs preventing her from moving, and a horncuff preventing her from casting magic to escape.

"Well well well..." Octavia huffed with a smirk and a sly grin, moving closer to the bed. "It seems this bad filly needs *a proper punishment*..."

Vinyl blinked and snapped back into reality.

Oh my, that's hot. We *totally** need to buy a gun... and a hat...*

"Well, anyway." Octavia coughed politely, seeing her marefriend drift into the world of fantasy. "He is really nice at heart and soul, and he's always been protective of me," she concluded, holding a pause. "Vinyl?" she placed her hoof on the table, only a few inches from her marefriend's. "I think that now it's your turn."

Vinyl sighed and braced herself, closing her eyes. All right, Vinyl, just cut it short. Here goes nothing...

"Well, I don't have any siblings," she began her hoof drawing circles atop the table. "My folks... I guess they were kinda... tolerable..." She frowned. "...When they weren't drunk, of course. I would go to school, study, then go back home and make dinner. Then they would come round, yell at me some, maybe beat me up-"

Octavia gasped loudly, pain striking her chest. Vinyl... she thought solemnly. What did they do to you?.. But she knew better than to interrupt her marefriend when she finally resolved to unveil the curtain of her past.

"-and then they'd drift off to sleep and I would do my homework. Day by day, stuck in the same routine. Oh, and when I came home one day and said, 'Mom, Dad, I'm a filly-fooler', they threw me out of the house and threatened to call the police if I ever returned. Which I did not want to do," she concluded, a rather painful expression upon her face. "I think it was for the better that they kicked me out. Living in the streets was far better than living with those two..."

"Vinyl, if you don't want to talk about it, you needn't..." Octavia rose and moved towards her marefriend, occupying the place next to her. Oh Vinyl, you poor thing... she thought and stroked her mare's mane gently.

"Nah, that's all in the past. I did time for filly-fooling, you know?" Vinyl suddenly said and smirked at the aghast expression on her cellist's face. "Don't worry, Tavi - those were mere brief affairs." She smiled and grabbed her marefriend by the waist, dragging her closer. "You are the first mare I ever loved..." The pianist placed a gentle kiss upon the cellist's lips. "...And also the last one and the only." She smiled and nuzzled Octavia, who returned the gesture.

"Vinyl..." The cellist whispered, snuggling closer to the white mare, feeling her warmth soothing her. Together, we will overcome everything, she assured herself. I know that with Vinyl by my side, tomorrow will always be a better day...

"Hey, how about I tell you how I met George instead?" Vinyl suggested, her face brightening up at the pleasant memory.

Octavia nodded contentedly, and the white mare began to tell her story, while the sound of the train calmly jumping on the tracks supported the tale with its soothing ever-present tranquillity.

One More for My Baby...

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Fifteen

One More for My Baby...

***

"So, when my folks kicked me out..." Vinyl began, leaning back, her hoof subconsciously stroking Octavia's mane. "Let's say... things got rough." She frowned, as if in pain, as the memories became more and more vivid. "I was a fool back then, not to take any money with me, but again, I guess I just was unprepared..." Who am I kidding? I was totally ready for this... Stupid, Vinyl. Stupid.

"You know, you have to earn for a living somehow, right?" Vinyl carried on, Octavia's eyes firmly locked on her, taking in every word, every motion of Vinyl's body.

The white mare gulped and held a long pause; long enough for Octavia to see that something was wrong here.

"T-t-they raped me, Tavi... One by one..." Vinyl let out with a sob, her eyes teary, her gaze adrift, fixed on some invisible demons of the past.

The cellist gasped in fear, her mind unable to comprehend the phrase completely, but her emotions telling her that it was indeed awful, awful beyond recognition.

"W-who?" the grey pony managed to partly ask, partly squeak. No. No, Vinyl... Please, no...

"The bums," Vinyl replied with a strange, terrifying mixture of disgust and idleness in her voice. "Stallions, mostly. Never liked them, anyway. But..." She smiled sadly, and that sombre, heart-wrenching smile was nearly enough to break Octavia's heart. "I... let them... I had to make money somehow... or... for food..." Behind the sobbing, the mare's story turned into an indistinct sequence of phrases and words, each one of them, though, still bearing significance.

Octavia hugged her marefriend tightly and began stroking her mane, cooing sweet nonsense into her ear, seeing the pianist visibly relax in her hooves.

"Never... wanted..." Vinyl finally finished with a quiet sob, her body firmly pressed into her marefriend's, Octavia's warmth and love cleansing her head of darkened thoughts.

The mares spent the next few minutes in silence, neither sure of what to say. Finally, Vinyl decided to go on with the story, but be more optimistic this time.

"So, day after day, I tried to find a bar where they would accept me as a pianist, but to no avail. However, at one bar - the one I met you in..." Vinyl smiled and kissed her cellist on the forehead gently. "They let me show 'what I was made of'. And, as fairy-talish as it may seem, George was in the audience that night. At first, when he came up to me and told me about his being a jazz pianist, and said that I had 'talent that needed refining', I didn't believe him, of course." The white mare chuckled, her sadness fading away, replaced with more pleasant memories. "How can you play the piano? You're blind! I said." She shook her head with a smile.

"But he couldn't see your point," Octavia continued with a smile of her own.

"Exactly." Vinyl nodded. "Soon, he became my tutor." She smiled, and that honest, genuine smile was enough for Octavia to stop worrying. "Those were the days..." She closed her eyes blissfully. "The days of jazz; pure, wonderful jazz. I really learned to drive into music... Everything was great. Until he became popular, that is..." The white mare sighed, her face darkening slightly.

"What do you mean?" Octavia wondered, raising her head to meet her mare's gaze, which was now focused on the opposite wall.

"You see, he was becoming gradually popular with the Manehattan audience. With popularity came gigs, and he had to hire managers, and, well..." The pianist chuckled sadly. "He had almost no time for me. One day, one of the managers came up to me and offered money, in exchange for my 'soonest departure'. He said he would tell George that I left on my own and found a place in one of the bars in other town." Vinyl shifted, making Octavia change her comfortable position slightly. "I refused the money and left. I was a fool to turn down the offer, though. I knew George would be too busy to teach me anyway..."

"Does he know?" Octavia asked after a moment of uneasy silence.

"No." Vinyl laughed. "No. It would hurt him a lot, to learn that his own manager basically threw me out in the streets, again. He still thinks that I found a nice job. Well, I have a nice job now, as a matter of fact." She smiled and winked at Octavia.

The cellist nodded, and the compartment was once more occupied by silence; though, this time it was thoughtful silence; contemplating silence; philosophical silence.

Suddenly, Vinyl groaned. Her whole body was pierced by an electrifying bolt of pain. It struck like a punishing arrow of justice; the ultimate punishment for her sins. However, this time, she noticed (If I can ever notice anything in such a condition) that the crucifying torture was soon limited to one particular part of her body - her horn. While the pain was still unbearable, at least it wasn't as uncontrollable as it used to be. However, her horn being part of her head, it still prevented her from forming decent thoughts.

Fortunately, Octavia immediately realised what was happening, and opened her saddlebag, taking out the tube with the ointment. She began applying the medicine to Vinyl's horn hastingly, but gently, not to cause her even more pain. She began humming a soothing tune, which put Vinyl at ease, despite the pain. I guess the power of music is really endless... the unicorn thought through tears; though, those were both tears of pain and tears of a feeling so intense that it couldn't be described with words: a feeling of endless love, a ceaseless devotion to her lover, a feeling of awe, and inspiration, and determination, and hope...

When the darkness crawls upon the city,

I will be there by your side, my love~

Octavia sang, crying herself, unable to look into her marefriend's eyes, lest she see that painful expression that had frightened her not so long ago.

There is no such thing as pain or pity,

There is nothing to be frightened of~

Octavia's voice, deep and powerful rushed into Vinyl's ears like downstream, just as the cure began kicking in. The pianist closed her eyes, her head heavy, her eyelids closing automatically.

Because you know I'll always stay by your side~

Yes, I know I'll always stay by your side~

The cellist finished her song, looking at her mare, who was by now sound asleep. She smiled and kissed the unicorn on her forehead, just below the horn; a quick, gentle kiss, not to wake her up.

She leaned against her lover and closed her eyes. What are we going to do? she asked herself, images of the past week rushing through her head, taking her mind wholly. She sighed. The future was unpredictable. Neither she nor Vinyl knew what would happen tomorrow. But right now, she was sure only of one thing.

Whatever might come, they would face it together. Whatever happened, she would always stay by Vinyl's side.

With that, Octavia blissfully drifted off to sleep, rhythmic percussion of the train soothing her, singing her a sweetest lullaby.

It's Nice to Go Trav'ling

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Sixteen

It's Nice to Go Trav'ling

***

"Arriving in Manehattan in five minutes!"

Octavia's eyes shot wide open, the sound penetrating her ears. Not being used to being woken up so abruptly and loudly, she grunted and blinked a few times before she could finally get a grip at what was happening. Five minutes... I need to wake Vinyl...

"Wake up, sleepy-head~" Octavia murmured into the white pony's ear, leaning over her.

The pianist responded with indistinct mumbling and rolled over. I wonder how the hay did she find space to roll over?! Octavia thought, rather impressed by her marefriend's ability to do anything just for a few minutes of sleep.

"Vinyl~" the cellist cooed, kissing her mare on the neck and nibbling on her ear slightly.

"If you want sex, Tavi, I'm free on Friday," Vinyl mumbled and tried to cover her ears. "Ouch! What was that for?!" she yelped, waking up at once, upon receiving a well-placed blow upside down her head.

"You very well know it." Octavia huffed but, seeing her mare's disgrunted face, softened her expression. "Besides, I needed to wake you up somehow," she explained, stroking Vinyl's mane. The white mare pouted and looked away. I guess that wasn't enough... "I also want you any day, and not just Fridays..." she whispered into Vinyl's ear, which immediately turned red, as well as the rest of her face.

"I'll take that as a 'sorry'," the unicorn said, grinning, back to her cheerful self.

"Manehattan!" a voice echoed from the corridor.

"Vinyl, come!" Octavia exclaimed, grabbing their possessions, while the white mare grabbed the tube with the precious ointment, and trotted towards the door. What would I do without it? Vinyl thought, following her mare, looking at the cure, the cure that could really ease her pain, or, at least, make it slightly more bearable. Or without *her*... She eyed her marefriend with a grateful look, and a smile found its way to her face. They were together. They were accepted. Things were looking up.

***

The two mares walked down the dark street, whose sombre unwelcomness was only punctuated by the dim light of street lamps. The contrast between the brightly lit city of Chicoltgo and the shadowy comatose sleep of Manehattan was enough to make them silent, each mare thinking about why the world had to be so strange, and so complicated.

Vinyl looked at her cellist, who was looking down, as if she were carefully inspecting her hooves, her face fading away, its corners accentuated by the falling snow, which looked like a thousand of tiny fireflies in the rare light.

"Hey, Tavi, brighten up," she whispered as she brushed her tail against Octavia's rear, moving closer to the grey mare.

The cellist smiled and pecked Vinyl on the cheek. "That's all right, Vinyl." She sighed and averted her gaze. "I was just lost in thought."

"Things are gonna work out, Tavi," Vinyl said with determination in her voice. "It's all gonna work out, I know it."

"I know, Vinyl. I believe." Octavia smiled and hugged her marefriend, bathing in the warmth of her body, which now, it seemed to her, managed to warm up her sould as well.

"Filly-foolers! Filly-foolers!" a loud voice suddenly interrupted their embrace, making the two ponies turn round abruptly.

Behind them, an old brown unicorn was yelling at the top of his lungs, pointing his hoof towards the two musical ponies, his grey mane disheveled, his eyes rolling around.

"Filly-foolers, colt-cuddlers!" he kept on shouting, shaking terribly. "The end is near! The wrath of the Goddesses will end you!"

Vinyl pushed Octavia slightly, diverting her attention from the strange pony. "Come on, Tavi. He's clearly insane. Besides, there's nopony around but him." She followed her own advice and started advancing forward. "Nopony's gonna report us to the police. He's crazy."

The cellist nodded, turning her head and following her mare on their way home. I hope so...

The feeling of welcomeness and acceptance was gone. They were once more in the enemy's territory, the territory, which, for some cruel and ironic reason, was also their home.

The shouting followed them as they trotted side by side, its grave message caught up in the chilly evening wind.

***

"Come on, Tavi, gimme a smile!" Vinyl pleaded, eyeing her marefriend from across the table, having already finished her breakfast. "You haven't slept well?"

Octavia tried to manage a weak smile but it came out so fake that Vinyl's face faded the next instant. "I'm all right, love," she tried to assure her pianist, despite not being sure herself. "I'm just thinking about that pony, the brown one-"

"No." Vinyl cut her off abruptly, waving a hoof before her mare's muzzle. "No, you don't. You don't think about such ludic- ludicr- stupid things," she concluded, content that the grey mare chuckled at her inability to form words that have more than two syllables. I'm not stupid, the unicorn assured herself. Just... not very erudite. "He isn't worth thinking about," she added. "I bet he wasn't even pointing at us; just some random psycho running round and about." She held a short pause and carried on carefully, "I know, Tavi. I've seen many of those... back then. He's insane. Nopony's gonna find out about us." Unless we want it, she added mentally. Wait... Vinyl, since when are you into bucking suicide?!

"Well..." Octavia let out a little chuckle, and a genuine one at it; she was calmed by her mare's words, and, moreover, she had some more important things to consider. "I guess you're right," the cellist admitted.

"Pfft! Of course I'm right, filly!" Vinyl grinned and leaned back, her hooves propping the back of her head like a pillow. "I'm the definition of righteousness!"

"You're missing the point, Vinyl. Righteousness is-" Octavia started to correct her marefriend but then stopped, a sudden thought coming into her head. Hay, she is right. She is righteous. How have I never noticed it? she thought, staring at the beaming pianist, looking at her from a new perspective. She *is** righteous, even if she doesn't know what it is!* "-is what you stand for, love," she finished with a warm smile.

Something's off, isn't it? Vinyl mused at the sudden change in her mare's attitude. Well, anything to make Tavi feel better!

"Now, Vinyl, about other matters..." the cellist began and, upon seeing Vinyl grin and wiggle her brow, facehoofed immediately. "It is not about sex, Vinyl."

"Aaaaw..." Vinyl pouted and made a puppy face.

The grey mare sighed and let out a chuckle. Why can't I resist her? she asked herself, already knowing the answer. "Well, not yet." Octavia winked at the suddenly brightened Vinyl, but still tried to keep a serious face, which was a definite must for the topic she was about to touch upon.

"We need to start your treatment as soon as possible, love," Octavia said softly, taking notice of the painful expression that had struck the unicorn's face. "I know that you don't want to do it, but we have no other choice," she continued with a growing firmness in her voice. "Seeing as it's Sunday, I suggest we go to the clinic tomorrow."

Vinyl frowned and shook her head. "I know... I know you're right, Tavi, but I..." She looked up and met the cellist's gaze, her eyes sad and teary. "I'm so afraid..."

Octavia moved closer to her marefriend and hugged her, stroking her mane in soft, prolonged movements. "Shh, love. I know. I know you're scared. But I will be with you all the time," she promised with a smile. ...And walk headlong into being accused of filly-fooling... her brain inconveniently supplied. "Well, at least all day long." She winked at Vinyl and whispered into her ear, "And who knows? Maybe I can bribe the nurse not to notice my staying overnight?.."

Vinyl's mood skyrocketed at the prospect of some fun time. It actually seems better than I have thought... she mused with a grin. "Why do you always persuade me, Tavi?" she asked with a playful nudge.

Octavia laughed and replied with the same gesture. "Because you love me, that's why."

"Oooh..." Vinyl rubbed her chin, pretending to be lost in thought. "That's why! I thought it was because you have some super-pony powers of something."

"Shush, you." Octavia leaned in and kissed her pianist on the lips, trying to make the best of the moment. She was afraid as well. But she needed to be strong; she needed to support Vinyl. As they broke the kiss, she whispered, "So... What does my favourite pianist want to do today?" She began stroking the unicorn's chest lovingly, a sly grin on her face.

"Hmm... I really don't know what George is up to today..." Vinyl replied, grinning from ear to ear. Ha! Good one, filly! she congratulated herself.

"Har har har," the cellist said, mocking laughter, yet unable to hold a genuine chuckle.

"Yes, I'm awesome, I know that." Vinyl leaned back so that Octavia's head slid onto her chest, and began playing with the cellist's beautiful black mane. But not as awesome as you, Tavi... she thought to herself, though, knowing better than to voice this conclusion.

Octavia murmured something indistinct, lost in the feeling of the wonderful nearness of the most beautiful and caring mare in the world. The two mares half-sat, half-lay in silence by the table, the remnants of their breakfast getting cold. Not that they had a care in the world.

"Hey, Tavi?" Vinyl pecked Octavia on the forehead, partly to bring her back to Equestria, partly because she simply wanted to.

"Mmhm?" the cellist replied, her eyes still closed.

"Promise me..." Vinyl gulped, making Octavia forget about her snooze and open her eyes. "That if I overcome all of this... we'll play a certain song together." She smiled. "Your cello will have been repaired by that time."

Octavia smiled as well, directing a loving glance towards her marefriend. "When you overcome all of this, Vinyl. When we overcome all of this." She buried her muzzle into Vinyl's fur. "With pleasure." She pondered for a moment. "Do you have a particular song in mind?"

"Yep."

"Care to tell?"

"Nope." Vinyl smiled and dragged Octavia closer. "It'll be a surprise."

"All right." The grey mare chuckled and closed her eyes, happy to finally be home; although... she had never left home, to begin with.

Because Manehattan wasn't home.

Chicoltgo wasn't home either.

Home was where Vinyl was.

And while it's nice to go travelling, it's oh so nicer to come home.

You'll Never Walk Alone

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Seventeen

You'll Never Walk Alone

***

"Vinyl, come on!"

"Octy, I'd rather stay here..." the unicorn mumbled, backing down from the front door of the clinic.

Octavia frowned. "Octy? Again? No, don't tell me!" she shouted just as Vinyl's face lit with a broad grin and she opened her mouth, eager to remind why exactly the cellist had the honour to be called 'Octy' today. Naughty naughty naughty~ Vinyl's voice echoed in the grey mare's head and she blinked, wondering if the pianist was some kind of powerful magician, able to transmit her thoughts to other ponies. Oh, wait, it's *Vinyl** I'm thinking about.* She chuckled. Vinyl? A powerful magician? Octavia laughed, covering her mouth with a hoof.

"Thinking of last night, huh?" Vinyl enquired, grinning, and Octavia could swear she saw the fires of laughter in the red eyes, even though they were concealed by goggles. "I have to give you credit, though - you were amazing!" Vinyl winked at her marefriend, who blushed and facehoofed.

"Vinyl, stop distracting me!" Octavia exlaimed in a scolding tone, trying to push her mare towards the door.

"Hey, you weren't so concerned about being disracted last night!" Vinyl retorted, laughing, but obeyed her cellist's order and approached the door, enveloping the knob in magical energy. Come on, Vinyl... It's easy. Just open the door.

Suddenly, she felt her telekinetic grip weakening as a particuar grey hoof was placed on the knob, turning it. Vinyl looked at her marefriend, who wore a warm smile.

Octavia nodded. "Don't worry. I'm here with you."

Vinyl nodded and went through the door. All right, nothing scary here. Just a room... a reception table... some potted plants... Yep, nothing scary! she assured herself as she followed Octavia up to the reception table. To the grey pony's delight, the mare at the table was the same kind yellow pony that she'd met when she first came here.

"Good morning, miss Octavia!" the mare greeted them, smiling warmly. "And this must be..." She checked the paper. "Miss Vinyl Scratch, if I am not mistaken?"

"The one and only!" Vinyl exclaimed, trying to hide her anxiety behind the wall of boasting mockery.

The yellow pony giggled. "I guess you've come to begin your treatment?" she wondered, not emphasising the uneasy word, speaking warmly, but professionately.

The mares nodded, Octavia's expression resolute, Vinyl's nervous. The pianist shifted from hoof to hoof.

"So." The medical pony's face turned serious in an instant as she began to explain the course of the treatment. "To begin with, we will perform a short examination to see how bad your addiction is." She looked at Vinyl, who nodded, fear crawling into her head, making her heart beat faster. "Then, we will cleanse your body of the chemicals. It is an unpleasant process, but it shouldn't take long." Oh, at least it will be over soon, Vinyl thought with some sign of relief. "But to cure the psychological repercussions, we advise you to stay in hospital for a few weeks. It will be the hardest part," she concluded, eyeing the mares, whose faces faded at the mentioning of such a long time no see.

She smiled and giggled. "Of course, we will let you go home for a while in a few days." Seeing the musical ponies' dumbfounded expressions, she explained, "It'll be Hearth's Warming Eve, after all."

"Hearth's Warming Eve?!" Vinyl and Octavia exclaimed in unison.

How could I forget about it? the cellist asked herself, while the pianist thought nearly the same, although with a heavy interlaying of colourful swears. Although... Octavia chuckled. With Vinyl by my side, it's easy to forget practically everything. She cast a loving glance at her marefriend, albeit a short one, not to be noticed by anypony but the white mare. Fortunately, the unicorn managed to return it just as successfully.

"I thought you would like to spend it together," the yellow mare said with a broad smile.

"What are you implying?" Octavia asked, rather sternly. Oh no, she doesn't know... She can't know! Please...

"Well, since you are good friends, from what I gather..." the medical pony replied, not missing a beat.

Vinyl let out a sigh of relief, way too loud to her liking. "Yeah... That's right." She chuckled sheepishly. You are a master of conspiration, Vinyl. A freaking *master. A damn **expert in the art of conspiration.*

While Vinyl mentally degraded herself, Octavia regained her composure. She put on a smile and nodded at the yellow mare.

'Sure, that would be lovely." She squeezed the pianist's hoof, bringing her back to reality. "Now, about Vinyl's treatment..."

"Oh, sure!" the medical pony exlaimed, leaving her place behind the reception table, levitating the papers. "Follow me, please."

With that, the yellow unicorn led the two mares along the wide brighty-lit corridor, warmly-painted doors with two-digit numbers at its sides. Vinyl noticed, not without relief, that the lighting was far from what she had expected from a hospital. It wasn't blindingly-white, but instead a soothing light yellow, with a hint of green and purple. She considered magic as the primary source of such illumination. Well, maybe it's so smooth 'cause it's not really a hospital, she mused. It's a *clinic*, after all.

"Here's your very private ward~" the medical pony cooed, opening the door with the number 42 on it.

Vinyl took a peek inside. She saw a simple room, poorly furnished with a single wardrobe and a made bed, red curtains preventing sunshine from disrupting the peaceful atmosphere. Well, I could spend a couple of weeks here... the pianist mused as she eyed the ward, Octavia doing the same.

"I'll leave you two alone," the yellow mare said, and, upon seeing the mare's quizzical (and a little terrified) expressions, quickly added, "To unpack your possessions, I mean."

"Oh, possessions. Right." The cellist chuckled and blamed her marefriend's coat for being white, for shades of reddish pink had already found their way there.

When the medical pony left, both mares let out sighs of relief and giggled, looking at each other.

"All right, let's get down to business," Octavia said, opening her saddlebags. If I put the shades and her mug on the table, and a couple of scarves in the wardrobe...

Meanwhile, Vinyl was having a hard time deciding whether to make fun of her marefriend or not. And, as usual, the former option achieved victory in the battle for dominance.

"Wow, right here?" Vinyl asked in fake astonishment, making Octavia turn round. "You are such a bold mare, suggesting we have se-"

Alas, the pianist didn't manage to finish her tirade, for the grey hoof struck her directly in the jaw. Ouch.

"Ow, I see you're all into S and M, Octy?" Vinyl teased, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"Nothing prevents me from hitting you again," Octavia replied in a warning voice. How could she think about... Well, it's not that... I mean, sure, we *could*... Argh, Vinyl!!

"I'm gonna call the nurse!" Vinyl exclaimed, pointing her hoof at Octavia. "I'll say that this bad pony hit me!"

"Oh, in that case..." Octavia walked past Vinyl, a sly grin on her face. Her tail slapped Vinyl's flank playfully. "..,this will be off your limits for at least a week~" she cooed, moving towards the wardrobe.

Vinyl's face turned a deep shade of red, and she decided it for the best to assist her mare in arranging stuff.

After they had placed everything as Octavia had planned, the two ponies sat on the bed, the soft matress sending a pleasant shiver up their spines.

The moment was perfect, and Vinyl simply couldn't miss it. She leaned in and placed a kiss on the cellist's lips, a breezy one, lest the nurse come and see them, but a delightful one nevertheless.

Octavia's cheeks turned slightly red as they broke the kiss, and she lay her head atop Vinyl's shoulder, though, paying attention to the closed door. Vinyl... I just don't know how I will sleep alone tonight... she thought with a hint of sadness.

I guess that's it, Vinyl mused, taking a look around. Several nights without Tavi by my side... I wonder if I will manage?

"Say, Tavi, why didn't you bring the horn ointment?" the pianist wondered, not changing her position in the slightest.

Octavia sighed. "They do not accept any foreign cures."

"Foreign? I thought it's Equestrian-made?" Vinyl wondered in confusion.

"That's the other meaning of the word, you silly mare." The cellist planted a kiss on her marefriend's forehead. "I swear I'll get you a dictionary for Hearth's Warming Eve."

Vinyl didn't reply. They just sat in silence for some minutes, saying a silent goodbye, neither of them ready to call the yellow medical pony.

"Tavi?"

"Mmhm?" Octavia replied, her eyes blissfully closed.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Vinyl." The cellist smiled.

Vinyl grinned. "So... About that S and M stuff-"

"No."

The Thrill is Gone

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Eighteen

The Thrill is Gone

***

There had been many heralds of awakening in Vinyl's life. There had been times when she would wake up to the feeling of coldness creeping down her spine, from a night spent out in the open air. There had been times when a sound of a foal's laughter would wake her, bringing a smile to her face. There had been times when she would awaken from the intense light, spread by the ever-warming rays of midday sun. Today, the harbinger of the morning was pain.

If the pianist were asked what the most terrible feeling in the world was, she would reply straight away: withdrawal. And now, it proved to be true once again. The white pony woke up from a terrible bone-shattering feeling that seemed to have entered her body through the very pores on her skin, dissipating inside the muscles and bones. Her body was shaking and sweat was pouring from her forehead. She didn't feel anything around her, the surrounding world cold and numb; she felt as if only her body existed in the world, and it had submitted to the only god and devil - to the everlasting, unmerciful, punishing pain. The pain overwhelmed everything: it was greater than frendship, greater than love, greater than life itself. No matter how hard Vinyl tried not to let such thoughts into her head, she couldn't help but agree that if it meant ending the torture, she would gladly give her own life for it; and... Octavia's life as well.

She didn't hear her own screaming. While her ears were being penetrated by the loud whines physically, her brain refused to connect the feeling with the realisation of the feeling. The darkness before her eyes was so vivid that, for a second, she thought that she was already blind, or even dead. But the dead couldn't feel; she could. She envied the dead in a way: they weren't able to undergo such torture. But then again, they couldn't feel love either. They couldn't enjoy the feeling of their loved one by their side, warming them up and supporting them all the way along the trail of life.

Suddenly, Vinyl felt a needle enter her vein. Buck! a thought rushed through her head, a thought both scary and ecstasic. Of course, she had given up the drug... but right now, she couldn't care less. However, she soon realised that the liquid entering her body wasn't buck: while it gave her gradual, albeit not complete, relief, it didn't provide the trademark hot bite that the drug was famous for; it didn't give the feeling of complete perfection, and supremacy; it didn't make her head split in four parts and reunite once again, no matter in what way. It just eased her pain, and nothing more.

The pianist opened her eyes and saw a nurse, or a doctor - her vision was blurry, and she failed to make out the details - who was slowly injecting her with some liquid from a syringe; though, it wasn't a usual syringe for buck, but instead a large one with an especially long and thin needle. What Vinyl did make out, however, was the silhouette of a particular grey pony standing at her side, patting her shoulder and stroking her mane; though, not in her usual loving manner, but in a bizarre restricted way, as if something prevented Octavia from unleashing... Of course! If Vinyl could hit herself right now, she would have gladly done so. They can't find out we're dating...

Suddenly, she saw the whole idiocy of it all: a ludicrous law preventing ponies from loving each other - what for? Raising population? But Equestria was full as it was. Maybe those ponies in the Parliament were simply afraid? Afraid of everything new; afraid of everything that could shatter the solid foundations of their conservative lives. Afraid of becoming useless; for, without need for such ridiculous laws, many of them would become useless.

"I'll leave you two alone," Vinyl heard the doctor (nurse?) say, and, with that, the door shut, and Octavia and she were left alone in the ward, the thick curtains preventing even the light from disrupting their privacy.

The visibly frightened cellist acted at once. Afraid of witnessing another show of withdrawal, but immensely glad that it was over, al least for now, Octavia leaned in and kissed Vinyl on the lips with love and passion. She had been waiting for so long, and didn't want anything to ruin the precious moment. The kiss washed away all her worries, all the terrible images that had appeared before her eyes the previous night that she, Octavia, had spent alone, thinking about her mare lying in the cold and unwelcoming hospital ward.

Vinyl returned the kiss meekly, bathing in the pleasure that, somehow, eased the pain even more than the medicine she had just been given. Right now, she felt so embarrassed of all the thoughts that had rushed through her head during the terrible withdrawal; but she knew they weren't true. Pain can make anypony think anything, or do anything. But the truth lay in a different area. The truth was that she loved Octavia with all of her heart, and, to save her life, to make her happy, she would gladly give her own.

"Good morning, love," Octavia whispered into Vinyl's ear, her heart beating faster at the sight of her lover - the most wonderful mare in the world, for whom she would do practically anything... No, simply anything. The grey mare smiled.

"Morning, Tavi," Vinyl replied, nuzzling her marefriend lovingly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, love." Octavia embraced the white mare, holding her in her hooves, and prayed that this moment could last forever. "How are you doing?" she wondered, and immediately scolded herself for asking such a stupid question: of course Vinyl was far from feeling all right!

"Bad, Tavi," the unicorn admitted sadly, letting go of her cellist. "I can't stand it, Tavi. I need buck." Tears appeared in her red eyes as she admitted being weak, and unable to cope; but it didn't matter. She knew she couldn't win. She knew she had to surrender. Buck always wins, she reminded herself. The drug was far more powerful than her willpower.

"No, you don't," Octavia retorted. "The treatment has just begun. They have just cleansed your body of the chemicals; it is expected for you to feel worse than ever right now," she said sadly, repeating the same words with which the doctor had tried to calm her some minutes ago.

Vinyl shivered upon remembering the "cleansing process". She had laid strapped to her bed for hours, unable to move, watching the tubes connected to her neck rip her of her own blood and replace it with fresh, clean, unspoiled blood, which carried no signs of being infected by buck. It hadn't been painful. In fact, it'd just felt strange. But it had felt... cold. She had felt terribly cold throughout the whole process, and no extra blankets could help her deal with the feeling. Fortunately, she had fallen asleep eventually, and didn't remember the doctors disengage her body from the tubes.

"I know, Tavi." Vinyl blinked, trying to send the tears away; in fact, she had just made it worse, for her eyes now were full of salty water that made her vision even more blurry. "But I can't bear it, Tavi. I need buck. I really, really do. More than ever." She paused for a moment, looking into Octavia's eyes. "I love you, Tavi, more than anything in the world. But I don't know if I will survive without the drug."

"Of course you will!" the cellist exclaimed, trying to transmit the feeling of confidence to her mare, who just shook her head solemnly.

"I'm not so sure, Tavi. Listen... If you really love me..." She gulped, bracing herself. "I beg you... bring me just one dose. I know that your father knows some other dealers than that police officer..."

"He's dead now, by the way," Octavia said suddenly, her face bland, as if she were just stating the weather conditions. "I read in the newspaper."

"Good." Vinyl blinked, surprised by the fact that, apparently, that was the only thing that Octavia's ear had caught; and also slightly perturbed by the fact that her marefriend had taken the news so easily. Maybe that's because that guy had really tried to ruin our lives... she thought, feeling no pity for the dealer whatsoever. "But one mentioning of your name will seal the deal," she continued. "I know you can buy some buck."

Octavia frowned. "Vinyl, I know you feel terrible right now, but I am not going to make matters worse by buying more buck to poison you."

"Tavi..." the pianist pleaded. If she could get on her knees, she would have done so at once. "I love you, Tavi... If you love me, and I know you do... you'll buy me just one dose... one little dose to make me feel better. You want me to feel better, don't you?"

"I do." Octavia sighed and shook her head. "But I know that even one dose will make you feel worse, not better, love. I... just can't," she concluded.

Vinyl sighed. "Celestia knows I tried. I won't ask again. But when you come home today, and try to fall asleep, think about how I suffer here. Think about me, Tavi, and remember my plea," she said, her heart aching from what she was saying. "You know I love you so much that I'll do anything for you. Just... do what your heart tells you to do."

Octavia felt her eyes become teary as well. I do love Vinyl... But how can I? It will just make matters worse! I...can't! I simply can't! She looked at her lover, beaten down and worn out. Or... can I?

Vinyl's horn lit up, and she dragged Octavia into another kiss. "Whatever you do, Tavi, I will still love you," she whispered into her mare's ear. "I will always love you. But... think about what I said, all right?"

Octavia pondered for a moment. "I will always love you, Vinyl," she whispered back. "Always. And..." she sighed. "I will think about it."

Silence embraced the room, laying its blanket over the two mares, one tied to bed, and the other one fighting with her inner self, torn apart, unable to make a decision. Neither knew what to expect of the future, but both were sure of one thing.

She loves me, and I love her. And, for now, that's all that matters.

How Blue Can You Get?

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Nineteen

How Blue Can You Get?

***

Octavia closed the door behind her with a sigh and tossed the keys on the table. Though she had spent the whole day with Vinyl, she only felt worse and worse. Although the pianist had been rather cheerful, and even accepted all the medicine she'd been given, the grey mare knew that it was fake. Or, at least, partly fake. Vinyl was suffering, and she, Octavia, couldn't do anything about it. Anything, apart from... No, don't even think about it, Octavia. You are *not** buying buck for Vinyl.* She frowned and took off her scarf, placing it on the sofa.

The cellist trotted into the kitchen, noticing a mug of coffee, the liquid inside covered by a thin cold film, and an open newspaper, as well as some letters which she hadn't yet opened. Sure, I remember father mentioning a few points of traffic... she thought involuntary as she sat at table and took the paper, her eyes running through the pages. Politics, Economics, Sport, Music... What?..

The cellist's gaze fell upon a short passage devoted to the modern classical scene. She saw her name mentioned in it, and decided to read the paragraph which contained it. However, there are many traitors nowadays, the paper read. For example, the famous cellist Octavia Philarmonica, who has been pleasantly soothing our ears with the music of the great Beethoofen, Coltbert and Motzcolt, is said to have betrayed the classical scene. What did she do, you may ask? It's simple: she has joined the ranks of those so-called 'jazz ponies', musicians that oppose the very foundation of music, disregarding all rules and customs. Our reporter saw her in a local jazz bar one night and-

Octavia stopped reading, the blood in her veins running cold. Doomed, I'm doomed... She gulped and carefully put the newspaper away. Soon, the whole city would know about her devotion to jazz, and her ensemble... Her eyes fixed on a golden envelope with a crown on it. The letter from the Royal Orchestra! she thought, shocked. Even without opening it, she already knew the standard form: We hate to tell you, but you no longer meet the demands of the Royal Orchestra. Of course, they knew as well. Of course, they would no longer accept her. Of course, all this jazz had ruined her career... She opened the envelope, considering that there was nothing more to lose.

Having read the short message, she leaned back with a sigh. Just as she had expected. She was no longer playing for the orchestra. Being a jazz lover, she "no longer met the demands" of those conservative, old-fashioned ponies who subsidised the Royal Orchestra. She could turn to her father, she mused. He would pull some strings here and there, and she would be restored in her position. But... she didn't want to trouble him any more. And she also didn't want to play classical music any more, she thought. Now that she had got to know Vinyl, and Double Bass, and George, she knew that her heart and soul belonged to jazz.

But jazz won't pay the bills, she thought, her attitude darkening gradually. I just lost my job, and Vinyl's in the clinic... How am I going to carry on with no way to earn bits? ...How do I move on? Only now had she realised how much she had got used to her job. And now a sombre feeling enveloped her, a feeling of uncertainty about the future. The fear of the unknown. The greatest fear.

She rose to her hooves, shaking. She needed to think this situation over. And she knew exactly where to go.

***

"And I can't even tell the world 'bout my feelings!" Octavia exclaimed, slapping her hoof against the bar counter, her mind hazy due to the amount of alcohol she'd consumed. "But don't tell anypony!" she whispered to the bartender. "They will put me 'n' Vinyl in prison!" Her eyes widened and she waved her hooves in the air in what seemed to her a conspirational manner.

"Don't worry," the barman said, pouring her another glass. "In this bar, we've known Vinyl for years, and we're all happy that she found such a great marefriend as you are." He went on to clean the counter.

"I'm not great..." Octavia said sadly, shaking her head. For some reason, whisky hadn't been able to raise her spirits; on the contrary, it only sent her deeper into the depths of self-pity and disapointment. "I'm a good-for-nothing mare, who can't help her marefriend, or even earn for a living!" She exclaimed, hiccuping, hitting her hoof against the counter again.

The bartender didn't reply; he knew better than to argue with drunk ponies. In fact, he was rather glad when the mare mumbled something about "buck", or "bucking" - he didn't quite make out the phrasing, and left the bar, tossing some extra bits on the counter.

"Bans on filly-fooling, war threats... Celestia, where are we going with all of this?.." he whispered, gathering the money, and returned to his work.

***

Octavia held a spoon in her hoof, balancing unsteadily, letting the fire of the candle warm the object. The cellist knew that she was drunk; and immensely so. But at the same time, her depression had finally reached its peak. Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen... I am a worthless musician... she thought as she counted. Ten, nine, eight... I am a worthless marefriend... Four, three, two, one... Ready! The grey mare put out the fire and carefully poured the hot liquid into the syringe, holding the spoon with her trembling hooves. That should do it...

She sat down and looked at the syringe. This was for Vinyl... right? She realised why Vinyl had been so obsessed with buck. The liquid in the syringe was alluring. It practically screamed, I can help with your problems! I can help you with anything! And she sure wanted help. She wanted to forget her struggles. She wanted bliss and happiness.

Maybe she should test it? Just to make sure it was ready? She didn't want to bring Vinyl something that would be raw... if such an adjective could be applied to drugs.

No. Octavia shook her head. What was she thinking? One dose - and she would be addicted. One dose - and her life would be shattered. She looked at the syringe again, its form strangely puncuated by the moonlight. ...One dose - and her troubles would fade away. ...One dose - and she would no longer be worthless, and tired, and sad. ...One dose - and she would be bright, and happy, and brave...

Octavia inspected the syringe closely. It just lay there idly, waiting to be used. No... she can't! Or... can she? Life was terrible as it was. Maybe she just needed some change? Something to brighten up her lonely night spent without her lover. Something to raise her mood and give her an idea what to do. Something to give her the strength to go on. The needle goes into the leg vein... right?

She stood up and raised her leg, her hoof an inch away from the syringe. The wind rushed into the kitchen through the open window, making her shiver. One dose...

She took the syringe.

If I Should Lose You

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twenty

If I Should Lose You

***

"Tavi, no!"

A burst of magical energy slapped the cellist on the hoof, making her drop the syringe. What the?.. Octavia turned her head, only to see Vinyl standing in the doorway, her eyes widened in fear. The white unicorn snapped out of her frozen stance in a moment and rushed to her marefriend, slapping her cheek with a hoof. The blow was not hard, but sent Octavia into a stance of confusion. What was that for?.. she thought, her head clearing up a little, though, still inebriated, she couldn't quite put two and two together.

But before she could ask, Vinyl enveloped her in a tight embrace and buried her muzzle into her neck. Silly... pony... Tavi, why? the pianist's thoughts jumped up and down along the steep path of conscience, resembling her feelings only too well. The cellist felt her coat becoming damp from tears.

"Stupid... Tavi..." the pianist mumbled, crying, her words interrupted by audible sniffs. "How could you even... think about..."

"Vinyl? What... Why are you crying?" Octavia muttered, stroking her mare's back instinctively. She was coming round eventually, regaining the ability to think properly, which had recently been suppressed by an outstanding amount of alcohol.

"You... so... stupid..." Vinyl wiped off the tears, and looked at her, a painful expression in her eyes. "Why would you want to do it?!" the unicorn demanded, pointing at the syringe, which was now peacefully lying on the table, as a symbol of a ceaseless, pointless addiction.

"I.. I just..." Octavia began, but her feelings got the best of her, and she burst into tears herself, sobbing. "I am a worthless, worthless pony!" she exclaimed, the feeling of self-deprecation leaving a dark trail in her soul.

"Now why would you think so?!" Vinyl retorted, comforting her cellist, planting little kisses all about Octavia's muzzle. "You are the best, the most wonderful, the most beautiful, kind and caring mare I've ever met!" she said, each word carrying absolute truth, unquestionable harmony with her thoughts and feelings.

Octavia silently tapped her hoof against the newspaper, which was lying on the table, open on the Music page. Vinyl took the hint and began to dig into the passage. Now she'll definitely hate me... the cellist thought with a boulder of sadness hitting her heart.

"And that's it?" Vinyl asked suddenly, huffing and tossing the paper away. I can't believe Tavi got all weepy like that because of such a trifle!

"What?.." Octavia blinked. "What do you mean, love? I can no longer play for the Orchestra! They fired me!" she exclaimed in severe lack of understanding.

"I mean that you're silly," Vinyl concluded, shaking her head, her spirits lifted as she realised there was nothing to worry about. "You're fired, so what? You were tired of those snooty ponies in the first place; and this only means you can devote yourself to jazz!" She threw a hoof in the air, grinning from ear to ear. Seeing Octavia chuckle a little at her vigour, she added, "Jazz. And me."

While Octavia couldn't find the reason why - after all, they say that a pony's brain is an enigmatic machine - but she felt better. She really felt better. She could no longer see how she could worry about such a stupid thing, not to mention actually try drugging herself! She had an opportunity to become a jazz performer, and achieve her dream. After all, she had never liked the strict rules of classical music that she had had to follow throughout her career. She loved classical music, almost as much as she loved jazz, but she wanted to play it with soul, and love, and passion, while the mores of the high society, which was her main audience... had been her main audience, she reminded herslef, a little glad and relieved that it was all over - prohibited any show of emotion. That wasn't what music was meant to be. That was bland entertaiment, or a tool of ideological device - anything, anything at all but real music. What was more important now, however, even the most important, was the fact that she had a wonderful marefriend - the most amazing mare in the world - and she was able to help her - thanks to her, Vinyl was undergoing treatment in the best clinic-

The cellist gasped in sudden realisation. "Vinyl! What are you doing here?!"

"Well..." the pianist rubbed her chin. "Trying to calm you down - successfully, if I may add..." She grinned and wiggled her eyebrow, making her mare smile. "...and also trying to prevent you from becoming a junkie, I guess." Bravo, Vinyl. Always gets 'er!

Octavia groaned, but chuckled despite herself. "I mean, what are you doing here, away from the clinic?" She honestly wanted to make her voice sound stern, but with Vinyl, it was way too hard, gradually becoming an almost impossible task.

"Oh, that..." Vinyl's grin faded and she rubbed the back of her head. "Well, I kinda... slipped away," she admitted.

"What?! Why?!" the cellist demanded.

"For one thing, I needed to tell you that I'd changed my mind: I don't need buck. Not anymore." The pianist's red eyes shone with determination, her look mesmerising Octavia. "Also..." She paused, a slight blush covering her cheeks. "...You know, this may sound strange, but I kinda... felt you were in trouble."

Octavia nodded. Somehow, this felt right. She had to admit, she had felt the same way: she could feel a strange unity with Vinyl, as if their souls were connected in some way, transmitting emotion to each other.

"I see." Octavia leaned in and pecked her mare on the cheek. "You just don't realise how much I love you, Vinyl," she whispered into the unicorn's ear.

"I do, Tavi." The white mare nuzzled her mare gently. "Because I love you just as much."

The two mares shared a passionate kiss, Vinyl pinning Octavia to the table, their worries washing away in this instant cure - the cure for everything in the world: love. Love could cure anything. Love was the ultimate drug, to outshine the effect of all other drugs. Love was greater than death, and life itself. Love was something that both mares found salvation in; something that gave them the everlasting feeling of freedom, a feeling, which was otherwise off their limits.

As they broke the kiss, Octavia looked into Vinyl's eyes lovingly, thankful to her mare for saving her from the pit of self-destruction. But now, it was time for her to save her mare.

"Vinyl, we need to return to the clinic. They are probably out of their minds right now!" she said firmly, and, to her surprise (and delight), the unicorn nodded obediently.

"Sure, Tavi." Vinyl stood up and helped her marefriend get up as well. "But first, you have something to do."

What... Oh, right. Octavia turned round and looked at the table. The syringe was still lying there, having been the silent witness all that time. Octavia smiled in determination. She approached the table and gave the syringe a well-placed stomp, turning it into a mass of shards and sad liquid, which was pouring down the needle, only to be never consumed.

Let it Snow

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twenty-One

Let it Snow

***

The early sunlight fell upon Octavia, winking at her and raising her already high spirits as she sat before Vinyl's ward, waiting for the doctor to examine her marefriend before letting her go, at least for the time being. Because it's the day before Hearth's Warming Eve! she sang in her head, smiling. Life was good. Everything was good. Ever since the day she had brought Vinyl back to the clinic (the nurse had said it was common for ponies to run away from the clinic, the cellist reminisced), the pianist had been ever so obedient, and, for a few days already, had had no urges to do buck. And what was even more wonderful, the withdrawal was gone. Vinyl's doctor said, not without a hint of pride in his voice, that it meant that the first stage was complete: Vinyl no longer was physically addicted to the drug. The only problem that still remained was psychological addiction; but both mares were sure that they would be able to overcome it, together.

Moreover, she had a surprise for Vinyl: she had picked up her cello from Double Bass, and, to her, it seemed even better than new. She had been practicing for a few days already, and was proud to admit that she and her repaired cello had finally been able to cooperate and produce some very smooth jazz. She remembered her mare's wish to play a song together, and was ready for this.

The door swung wide open, and Vinyl appeared on the doorstep, grinning from ear to ear, her eyes radiating cheerfulness even through her goggles. She trotted out of the ward, levitating a large suitcase, followed by a brown pony in a white coat, who was smiling as well.

"Congratulations!" he exclaimed before Vinyl could even open her mouth. "It seems that Vinyl has overcome the addiction, and is ready to leave the clinic!" He checked his light green tie, visibly glad to have made an impression.

Octavia gasped. "You mean-"

"Fully and completely, Tavi! That's why I'm taking all my things back!" Vinyl hugged her mare, trying not to hold her for too long in public - an urge that was terribly difficult to suppress. "Doc says that those psy- psycho- um... what was it, Doc?" she asked, blushing a little. I swear I'm going to take pronunciation classes some day...

"As you know, the physical addiction is gone, and it was the easy part," the doctor began. "As far as psychological repercussions go, Vinyl is in a very good condition, and I see no reason to hold her in hospital for dealing with them." He ran his hoof through his black mane. "All she needs is to attend weekly meetings."

"Meetings?" Octavia asked, confused. Is Vinyl some kind of businesspony now? she wondered, chuckling at such a ridiculous idea.

"Like, My name is Vinyl Scratch, and I'm a junkie," the white unicorn explained, waving a hoof in the air. "Easy." She leaned a little closer to her mare and whispered, "Thanks to you, I no longer am one."

Octavia smiled in content. Everything wasn't just good. It was perfect. If life was a zebra, then they definitely reached the longest, or even endless, white stripe.

The doctor glanced at some kind of device, strangely resembling a screwdriver, which he was holding in his hoof. Probably some medical item, the cellist mused.

"Well, it's time for you to go! Please do remember to check out at the reception table," he reminded the two mares, urging them to go.

But, of course, they didn't need a further invitation: they trotted happily side by side towards the stairs.

The doctor sighed. "They're so happy... Now that job's definitely more rewarding than fighting those Daleks..." He glanced at his sonic screwdriver. "Well, time to save the Universe! Allons-y!" With that, he galloped away, his hoofsteps echoing through the corridor.

***

"Now, if you just sign here and here..." the familiar yellow nurse instructed Vinyl, watching the pianist put her sweeping signature on the paper quickly, her trademark grin never leaving her lips. "That's it! You are free as a bird!" The medical pony giggled. "I wish you two a merry Hearth's Warming Eve! I take it this will be your first Hearth's Warming Eve spent together?" she wondered innocently.

"Yeah!" Vinyl exclaimed, much to Octavia's fear and displeasure. "We sure will have fun!" Her eyes widened behind her goggles. Oh my gosh oh my gosh what have I just said?! "I mean, as friends, not as a couple!"

Octavia facehoofed with a groan. Great, Vinyl. You couldn't have done better. At least you already have your things with you, to go to prison...

The yellow unicorn giggled again. "Don't worry - your secret is safe with me." She winked at the blushing mares. "Besides, it was rather obvious: you would moan 'Octy, Octy!' almost every night."

Octavia's face flushed, turning the almost impossible shade of red. "She did, didn't she?"

"Totally did," Vinyl mumbled, embarrassed, sending the medical pony into another fit of giggles.

"You know, you two made quite a cute couple," the nurse said with a smile. And here I was, thinking I couldn't get any redder... both musical ponies thought in unison. "Oh, I hope I'm not intruding, but... why 'Octy'?" the yellow mare wondered curiously. "I mean, you usually call your... um..." She lowered her voice. "...marefriend 'Tavi'."

"Aaaand we need to go!" Octavia exclaimed and grabbed Vinyl by the hoof hastily. The pianist laughed and waved her hoof at the yellow pony, who stood and blinked, dumbfounded.

As the two mares left the clinic, they began laughing uncontrollably, falling snow getting onto their tongues, turning into cold, fresh water.

"Wow, that was close!" Vinyl exclaimed, chuckling.

"Yes..." Octavia looked around and, seeing nopony, nuzzled her mare affectionately. I wonder... "Vinyl, is it just me or the ponies has got more... tolerant lately?" she asked as they began trotting towards their home, covered by the falling snow.

"I guess, Tavi. It seems that filly-fooling's not that much of a deal with most ponies anymore..." Vinyl mused aloud and followed her mare, a catchy tune stuck in her head as she walked; a familiar jazzy tune that she began to sing aloud.

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful~

But the fire is so delightful~"

To her delight, Octavia nudged her playfully and took up the melody.

"And since we've no place to go~"

"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow~" both mares sang in unison, the white blanket covering Manehattan, giving the city the impression of a huge ball filled with snow.

***

"Tavi?"

"Mmhm?" the earth pony replied, rolling over to face her mare, next to whom she had been lying for the past few hours, simply bathing in the feeling of her presence, a feeling that she'd missed so much.

"Hearth's Warming Eve's tomorrow," Vinyl said, stretching her legs. She nuzzled Octavia, glad that there was no longer anything that could prevent her from doing so. "We need to buy presents," she elaborated, climbing atop the mare teasingly; but just as Octavia blushed in expectation of something intimate, the pianist jumped off the sofa, getting to her hooves. Hehe, now I know how to quickly get her going! she concluded mentally, feeling proud inside, the kind of pride fitting for an explorer.

"Who do we need to buy presents for?" Octavia got up and yawned, a feeling of sleepiness not letting her go.

"Aw, aren't you just a silly little pony?" Vinyl stroked her mare's mane lovingly. "For each other, of course!"

"Oh." Octavia blinked. I haven't thought about what I will buy for Vinyl yet... she thought, ashamed. "Say..." Think, Octavia, think! "Why don't we buy them in turn? I mean, not to ruin the surprise!" she explained, waving her hoof in the air dismissingly, not to give away the fact that she actually needed time to consider what exactly she was going to buy.

To her relief, Vinyl bobbed her head energetically. "Sure thing! I'll buy a present for you first, and then you can buy one for me. And when we open them tomorrow, it'll be a big nice surprise!" she exclaimed, throwing her hoof in the air.

Octavia mentally sighed in relief and smiled. "Good. And don't buy any candy floss!" she called out to her mare as the unicorn levitated her saddlebags onto her back.

"Sure thing, mom," Vinyl replied and began her journey towards the streets. If only my mother had ever been at least half as kind as Octavia... she mused, closing the door behind her.

Octavia sighed and sat down on the sofa. Should I have said, "Don't buy any buck?" she thought, looking around the room. Vinyl, I really hope you're over with it...

***

I hope Tavi will like the present... Vinyl thought as her hooves carried her along the snowy street towards a green building that contrasted with the usual grey colour of Manehattan. As she approached it, a certain idea stuck in her mind, she looked at the door. Even though he's blind, his studio is still bright and colourful, she thought and entered the building.

Stepping inside, she immediately spotted the reception table and, without paying much attention to the painfully familiar surroundings, approached it. Behind the counter stood a grey unicorn, his brown mane falling onto his shoulders. He was visibly busy filling in some papers, so, when Vinyl coughed, he didn't look up.

"Mr Coltring is having a session. Come later," he said, waving a hoof, holding a quill in his telekinetic grip.

Ever so conservative... Vinyl mused, eyeing the stallion. Always using quills, when we have pens nowadays... He hasn't changed at all...

"Hi, Stanley," she said, watching the unicorn lift his gaze to meet hers.

The grey stallion gulped and shivered upon seeing the mare. "Vinyl?.." he finally let out quietly, almost in a whisper.

The pianist nodded. "I need to see George," she said firmly, her tone leaving no place for arguing.

The stallion gulped again. "O-of course... He may be busy right now, so-" he began.

"I know better than to interrupt a musician during a recording session," Vinyl interrupted him coldly. "I'll wait in the guestroom."

Stanley nodded. "Of course." He paused for a second. "Mr Coltring has informed me about his meeting you some couple of weeks ago. He said you were free to come here any time..." The stallion looked down, inspecting his hooves. "Vinyl, I'm very sorry for kicking you out, back then..." he said, evoking memories of the past few years, making Vinyl reminisce everything - losing home again, losing her mentor, her guiding star...

"I'll be waiting in the guestroom," she repeated, turning her back on the grey unicorn. "Oh, and Stanley?" she asked, not turning round.

"Yes?"

Being at a convenient distance, Vinyl gathered all her power, all her pain and hatred in her back legs, giving the stallion a powerful buck to the face, sending him flying backwards towards the wall.

"You're forgiven," she concluded, trotting towards the stairs, leaving the grey unicorn, who rubbed his forehead and bleeding nose and chuckled.

"Jazz," he said to himself, smiling. "She has always been an avatar of jazz."

***

Think, think, *think*! Octavia groaned and rolled over. Thoughts didn't come easy, and neither did ideas. What would Vinyl want? she asked herself for what seemed to her the thousandth time. Her gaze fell upon the wall. Two guitars were propping the wall with their necks - Vinyl's guitars. Octavia chuckled, remembering a certain dialogue with the pianist - a dialogue that now belonged to the past, to their life before Vinyl's treatment.

"Vinyl, why don't you buy decent stands for your guitars?" Octavia asked, pouring her marefriend a cup of tea.

"Tavi, those are shitty Fendmare guitars!" Vinyl replied, taking a sip. "If I had a Coltson - Les Colt, for instance..." She sighed dreamingly. "Hay, I would buy a goddamn golden stand for it!"

Octavia's eyes widened in realisation. She grinned. Coltson Les Colt, you say? The cellist giggled, clapping her hooves. Oh, Vinyl, I know exactly what I'll buy for you!

"Tavi, I'm home!" Vinyl exclaimed, trotting into the room, shaking snow off her coat all about the room. Normally, Octavia would have scolded her marefriend for such behaviour, but right now she couldn't care less.

The grey mare smiled. "Hi, love!" She trotted towards her mare and nuzzled her affectionately. "I was just on my way to buy you a present~" she cooed, placing her saddlebags on her back.

"Yay!" Vinyl exclaimed, throwing her hoof in the air.

All right, the guitar shop shouldn't be too far away, Octavia mused, closing the door behind her. Oh, and... She grinned, remembering a certain conversation. I know another particular item Vinyl will like...

***

Having hidden the present, Vinyl gave up to the most pleasant and relaxing activity she knew: she sat down at the piano and opened it, running a hoof through the keys. Yes... I missed it so... She began to play, music flowing through her - a feeling that she had missed so much in the clinic. She closed her eyes and gave in to the precious moment. The world around her faded, all emotions gone in a flash, as if the whole foundation of reality had collapsed and the only thing left in the world was the music. Vinyl improvised, the only image before her closed eyelids being a particular grey mare, her warming smile, her shining eyes, the way she raised her brow, the way she walked... and the way she looks tonight. The pianist suddenly realised that she was now improvising withing a particular song, and a very suitable one indeed.

When she ended the last passage on a low note, she sighed and opened her eyes. To her surprise, next to her was standing a grey earth pony, her eyes gazing into her own lovingly. Octavia leaned in and kissed Vinyl, without saying a word, without explaining her motives; just following the blind emotion. And, as both Vinyl and Octavia had learned from experience, blind didn't necessarily mean, unable to notice.

As the grey pony broke the kiss, Vinyl gasped for air, her breath taken away by her marefriend. "Wow." A goofy smile appeared upon the pianist's face. "You're good, Tavi, you know that?"

The cellist smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you," she said, half mockingly, half happy that she still had the fire of passion going on in her heart. She grinned. And I'm more than eager to prove it again... "It was an amazing performance, love," she carried on, her eyes shining with honest appreciation.

"Anything for my favourite audience of one," Vinyl replied, smiling back.

"It also helped me to hide your present." Octavia chuckled, watching Vinyl groan and facehoof.

"I knew I shouldn't have closed my eyes!" she exclaimed, blaming her subconsciousness for such a deep connection with music at such an inconvenient time.

"Well, for being patient and not peeking..." Octavia got up and opened her saddlebag. "I have a present for you..." She paused, putting on a sly grin, her hoof holding the object inside the saddlebag. "A present for both of us... for tonight," the cellist whispered seductively, taking the present out.

Vinyl gasped, her cheeks reddening, her brain immediately reminiscing a certain conversation of theirs, back when she was still in hospital.

"Tavi, say, why don't you buy a hat?" Vinyl asked, gulping, the aftertaste of the medicine burning her tongue.

"Why would I..." Octavia began but, just as the unicorn wiggled her brow, understood everything. "Well..." She smiled, drawing circles with a hoof on Vinyl's bed. "I may consider it as an option..."

As Octavia put the hat on and turned off the light, slowly crawling towards the bed, Vinyl grinned, her white teeth shining in the darkness of the winter evening. Oh. Oh. *Oh*...

White Christmas

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twenty-Two

White Christmas

***

"Rise and shine, Tavi! It's Hearth's Warming Eve!"

Octavia woke up from the feeling of somepony jumping on her chest, and that somepony was no doubt Vinyl. She groaned and tried to roll over, but the weight of her marefriend upon her prevented her from doing so. She opened her eyes and saw the white mare grinning from ear to ear, her radiant red eyes uncovered by goggles, shining with foalish happiness.

"What time is it?" the cellist mumbled, having no desire to wake up yet.

"Seven in the morning, time to wake up and open up our presents!" Vinyl cheered, jumping off the bed and continuing her show of happiness all about the room. "Because it's Hearth's Warming Eve, because it's Hearth's Warming Eve, because it's Hearth's Warming-"

"I get the idea," Octavia interrupted her, getting up, her dishevelled mane falling onto her shoulders clumsily. She began trotting towards the bathroom to make her hair and brush her teeth - the usual routine, when she was stopped by a white hoof.

"Wait wait wait, Tavi!" Vinyl exclaimed, shaking her head. "Don't tell me you were going to avoid your duties as a marefriend!" she added scoldingly.

"What?" Octavia blinked, her sleepy brain slowly coming back to reality. "I thought we had se-" Seeing her mare raise a brow in surprise, she realised the implications. "Oh, you mean the presents!"

Vinyl nodded in agreement, chuckling, while the cellist blushed in embarrassment. Dear Celestia, why do I always make a fool of myself?

"Vinyl, you truly act like a foal!" she exclaimed, no longer able to be displeased with Vinyl for waking her up so early. Well, it *is** Hearth's Warming Eve, after all...* she mused, turning round, all hopes of getting a decent morning make-up lost in the white, blue-maned abyss.

"Well, you didn't say that last night..." Vinyl wiggled her eyebrow, receiving an immediate smack to the back of her head. Ouch. Well, it was totally worth it, she thought, rubbing her head as the grey mare trotted towards the wardrobe.

"Close your eyes, love," she called out, placing her hoof on the knob. "And no peeking!" she added softly, smiling at the white pianist. She was really content, as if the whole world around her ceased to exist, and the only thing that was truly real was her mare - her only key to bliss and ultimate salvation. And she really hoped Vinyl would love the present - it seemed as if her whole life revolved around this moment now.

"Aww..." Vinyl pouted, but obeyed, closing her eyes and turning round, lest she want to take just a little peek; or, as she told herself, lest her eyes want to take a little peek. Sure, those ever-so-disobedient eyes...

"You can open your eyes now," Octavia's voice reached her, and Vinyl didn't hesitate to jump around in expectation. Her mouth fell agape as she saw the earth pony holding a black guitar case, golden letters reading, Coltson on top of it. It can't be... she thought and whispered aloud, "Tavi... Can it be?.."

With a smile, the cellist opened the case, revealing an ebony electric guitar, its shape oh so familiar to the white pianist. "I hear you've always wanted this particular model so-" Octavia began but was immediately silenced by Vinyl's lips pressing into hers, the pianist enveloping her in a bone-shattering hug.

As Vinyl broke the kiss, letting her mare go and regain her breath, or at least a part of it, her eyes immediately fixed on the guitar, which lay in case, alluring, urging her to take it and play right now. "Thank you, thank you so much, Tavi!" the pianist exclaimed, undisputable honesty and gratitude in her voice, and grabbed the instrument in her magical grip. "It's a perfect guitar," she whispered in awe.

Octavia smiled and let out a sigh of relief. Whew! Congratulations, Tavi, you managed not to fail your marefriend! she mentally congratulated herself, feeling warm inside upon watching her mare's eyes shine with excitement. "Well, I'm glad you liked it," she said, planting a small kiss on Vinyl's cheek.

"Like it?!" Vinyl grinned, shaking her head. "I love it! You're the best marefriend ever, Tavi!" she exclaimed, trotting into the corner of the room. "And not just because of the present and sex, you know?" The pianist stopped to plug the guitar into her Mareshall amp, eager to try it out. "But I must admit, you're a real sex beast!" Vinyl chuckled as the cellist's face turned a crimson shade of red.

Before Octavia could say anything to protest - not that she really wanted to - Vinyl turned up the volume, tuning the guitar perfectly with her telekinesis. She played a few pentatonic scales, just to warm up. It's perfect... she thought, so grateful to her mare for such a generous and all-around amazing present. The rough, crunchy sound of her Les Colt differed so much from all the guitars she'd played previously. It was ready for any genre; it was dying to play rough passages and half-neck bends, tasty slides and hard riffs.

Vinyl closed her eyes and began to play. She started off with a tasty passage that thickened gradually as she added more notes to it and drove into the rhythm. She felt as if she were standing on a stage, with the audience gasping at her amazing performance; her band supporting her music, but never taking the lead, letting her bathe in the spotlight. But right now, she reminded herself, she was playing for her favourite audience - the audience of one: Octavia.

As the song proceeded to a more energetic sequence, Vinyl's hoof began shredding, almost turning the old pick into dust. I should pick a few 3.0 ones, she mused. After all, Les Colt demanded a better tool than those 1.5 picks of hers. Sequence after sequence, she was building up the tension, teasing the ear, which would have expected a release - a release that never came but instead turned into another passage.

Finally, she hit the last chord, letting it ring before turning the amp off with a kick of her hoof - a gesture that she didn't use very often, but which, nevertheless, was really suitable at the moment. She looked at her marefriend, whose eyes were wide, her mouth agape.

Octavia tried to say something, but words refused to leave her awestruck lips. Wow. I've never thought Vinyl could play like this... Finally, she brought herself to speak. "Wow, Vinyl." She bobbed her head in appreciation. "I didn't know you were so good with the guitar. I've always thought piano was you calling in life."

Vinyl chuckled and shook her head. "Music is my calling in life, not just the piano." She tapped her flank. "I haven't told you how I got my cutie mark, have I?"

Octavia shook her head, prepared to hear the story.

"So," Vinyl began, putting the guitar in the case with love and care. "As you know, my foalhood was rather tough. So I used every opportunity to slip away from home, and get to the guitar shop." She closed her eyes, lost in memories. "While other foals would spend hours in the candy shop, I would gaze at the guitars, and practically drool." Vinyl chuckled. "I used to help the owner from time to time, so he allowed me to play some of the guitars when there were no customers. Needless to say, I sucked at first. But as time passed," she continued, "I was getting better, Until one day, the owner let me try out a new guitar he'd got - the Les Colt." The pianist opened her eyes and smiled. "From the first chord, I knew it was the perfect instrument. I played for minutes; then I played for hours, until my hooves got sore. And, well..." She tapped her cutie mark again. "When I finished, I got this baby." Her smile faded a little. "Too bad my parents were too drunk to even notice it."

Octavia nodded in understanding. She looked around the room, trying to find a subject to distract her mare from depressing memories. But she didn't need to - in a moment, Vinyl's face lit up once more.

"Hey, Tavi, now it's your turn to close your eyes," she said, concentrating her magic on a particular box that she had stored under the bed. The cellist nodded and closed her eyes, wondering what kind of present her marefriend had prepared for her. Though... she mused, smiling. Vinyl needn't have prepared a present for me. She's the only present I'll ever need.

"You can open your eyes, Tavi!"

The cellist obeyed her mare's command and saw a very ordinary brown envelope that Vinyl was holding in front of her in her telekinetic grip. Octavia blinked in confusion. "Is it... a record?" she wondered, eyeing the object quizzically. There was no cover, nor were there any signs of who composed the music or what the name of the record was.

"Just look inside," Vinyl replied with a grin. Oh, I so hope she'll like it... the pianist thought nervously, trying not to give away her anxiety.

Octavia opened the envelope, taking a vinyl record out of it carefully. However, there was more to it than that: a piece of paper, which the cellist took in her hooves and began to read, the letters strangely resembling Vinyl's hoof-writing.

Dear Octavia,

Vinyl has informed that she wanted to make a very special Hearth's Warming Eve present for you, and I decided to lend a helping hoof. On this record you will find a single that we have composed together on the spot, using Vinyl's lyrics, the day before Hearth's Warming Eve. It is a special song, dedicated to you and only you, and it shall never be put on either my or Vinyl's recordings (if she shall ever make any).

The last few words were written rather shakily, Octavia noticed: it was a sign that either Vinyl's hoof had been shaking from laughter or from hesitation; and she was pretty convinced it was Vinyl's hoof-writing after all.

Happy Hearth's Warming Eve. I wish the two of you good luck with your relationship, and may jazz always flow through you.

Yours,

Old God~

"George asked me to write down his best wishes and what-not," Vinyl explained as Octavia put down the paper, putting it on the table to cherish it as a prized possession. "You can play it, you know?" she said nonchalantly, but beside the facade of idleness shone concern and worry. Oh my gosh, I hope I didn't mess it up...

Octavia nodded, smiling, and placed the vinyl record onto the gramophone, carefully handling the needle, and pressed the button. Music began pouring out of the device, a smooth jazz tune filled with moderate piano passages. Suddenly, the cellist's eyes widened as beautiful vocals supported the piano tune, sung in perfect pitch. Is this... Vinyl? Octavia thought, taken aback by the performance. Vinyl's voice carried all the deepness and love, but at the same time it was sung easily, without any tension, as if jazz vocals were a piece of cake for the white pianist. Vinyl was singing to her - and only to her. Each word was full of passion and sincere adoration - Vinyl was speaking to her, telling the story of their love.

Octavia looked into her lover's eyes passionately. "It's beautiful," she whispered, loud enough for the unicorn to hear, but not too loud - she didn't want to disrupt the perfect melody.

"Thank you, Vinyl," she said as the song ended, nuzzling her pianist. "It's the most wonderful present ever."

Vinyl blushed a little and scratched the back of her head. "Well, thanks, Tavi. I was trying." She chuckled sheepishly. Phew... I'm so glad Tavi liked it... she thought as the cellist turned off the gramophone.

"And it is perfect," Octavia repeated, putting the record back into the envelope. She came closer to Vinyl and kissed her on the lips. "Now that we've exchanged the gifts, I think we have something special planned..." she whispered into the unicorn's ear.

"Well, I dunno..." Vinyl said teasingly. I swear... She's a real sex machine! "I'm pretty tired after last night..."

"Vinyl!" Octavia exclaimed, blushing a little. "Can you put your mind off sex for a minute?" She trotted towards her cello, which was standing in the corner, waiting to be taken, and tapped it with a hoof. "I mean, you wanted us to play a certain song together as soon as you get out of hospital, remember?"

Vinyl nodded, the pieces of the puzzle falling into a single picture in her mind.

"Well, I guess today's the perfect day for it." Octavia smiled, tuning her instrument.

"Here we go, then!" Vinyl exclaimed cheerfully, moving towards the piano and sat down at it, running her hoof through the keys. "You ready?" she asked her marefriend, turning her head.

"Born ready," Octavia replied in a determined tone, grinning. Well, I can pick up a thing or two from Vinyl, after all... "So, where's the sheet music?' she wondered, looking about the room.

"There is no sheet music, Tavi," Vinyl replied indulgently. "Just listen to the tune, keep up with the modulation and follow my lead," she carried on, playing a few chords. "I know you're familiar with the latter concept." She winked. Hehe, *follow** my lead. You're a genius, Vinyl, you know that?* she praised herself.

"Vinyl!" Octavia exclaimed, blushing, but before she could retort, Vinyl began to play. Contrary to her usual style, the pianist pressed her hooves gently, each note reverberating across the room. The tune was by no means jazz - Octavia noticed it from the first few notes - but still very pleasant. Although the grey pony could just stay there and listen to her mare playing for hours, she quickly regained her thoughts, remembering that she was to accompany the piano. All right... It seems to be C major, 3/4... she mused as her hoof slid across the strings, waiting for a suitable moment.

Finally, Octavia joined in, her eyes closing automatically, as she put her bow to the strings, producing long, stately notes, which weren't exactly patrons of classical music, but were by no means jazzy. The song progressed, and the cellist soon drove into it, improvising, just as the pianist did so as well. They exchanged passages as if their instruments were involved in some kind of conversation. The musical dialogue resembled the ponies' mutual feelings towards each other - they were one, their lives entwined, forever, their hearts beating in unison.

They played, rays of sun falling onto them, tiny rays that managed to escape the curtain of the dark clouds above. They knew that the evening would be perfect: they would spend it together, on the sofa, sharing their warmth with each other - and maybe some silly jokes or anecdotes. The moon would rise and bathe them in its glorious light. And they would lean close to each other and say the sacred words:

"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, honey. I love you."

On a Clear Day

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twenty-Three

On a Clear Day

***

"And then he said, Old chap, it's *Byronic, not **bionic!*" Vinyl ended her story, breaking into laughter, as the two musical ponies trotted down the snowy street, their moods high due to the fact that the previous day had been, as they both had agreed, the most wonderful day in their lives - their first Hearth's Warming Eve together, as a couple. It had gone just as they had planned - and they couldn't have wished for more.

Octavia gave her marefriend an example of a perfect facehoof, groaning. "Vinyl, no offence, but this is one of the worst puns I have ever heard."

"Well..." Vinyl winked, nudging her mare playfully. "I think it's rather... ironic..." The pianist's face lit up with an ear-to-ear grin.

"Oh Celestia..." Octavia tried to sound unamused, but still found the pun a little funny ("punny", a tiny voice in her head whispered) and chuckled, shaking her head. "Vinyl, of all the mares in the world-"

Suddenly, she stopped mid-phrase as a middle-aged grey stallion with a black moustache approached them, a frown upon his face. Vinyl barely managed to suppress another pun that had just appeared on the horizon of her mind.

"Ladies, I would like to ask you to keep your voices down," he hissed to the musical mares, his face expression stern and disapproving. "Besides, I cannot understand how you can be cheerful and gay at a time like this!" he exclaimed in anger.

"Hey, we're not gay!" Vinyl retorted, already preparing for a battle of wits, or - if it should come down to this - hooves.

Octavia hit her face with a hoof again, wondering if she was going to set some kind of high score for facehoofs today.

"Gay in the meaning, happy, or cheerful," she whispered into Vinyl's ear, making the white pianist blush and chuckle sheepishly. "Sir," she continued, now addressing the stallion. "I fear I do not understand you. Why shouldn't we be cheerful when only yesterday, it was the happiest day of the year - Hearth's Warming Eve?"

The grey pony frowned, even his moustache expressing mild disdain. "Do you ponies even read newspapers nowadays?" he grunted, trotting away and shaking his head, muttering something under his breath.

Vinyl and Octavia exchanged worried glances. Without saying a word, they turned round the corner and headed home.

***

The clock was ticking, disrupting the curtain of silence that had fallen upon the room. Octavia and Vinyl sat on the sofa in each other's embrace, lost in thought; though, both of their minds were completely blank, ripped of any sign of comprehension. The rhythmic sound reverberated in Octavia's mind, filling it with something to focus on; anything at all... just... not this.

"I can't believe it," the cellist finally said, tapping the newspaper with her hoof. "I can't believe it," she repeated firmly, shaking her head. "Equestria would never partake in a... war..." The word seemed so foreign; although the talk of war had been topical lately - everypony knew that war was coming; but coming to Zebrica, to the buffalo lands... anywhere but Equestria. But now the facts spoke for themselves. War was here; and it would soon reach Manehattan, if Equestrian troops would fail as miserably as they had today: the griffins crossed the border with little to no casualties, approaching from the now-Griffin-dominated Zebrica, taking the ponies by surprise, and almost totally unarmed.

Vinyl sighed and closed her eyes, hugging her marefriend even tighter, feeling secure next to her. "I dunno what to believe in, Tavi. I mean, we all knew that there would be a war, but..." She opened her eyes and looked up, facing the cellist. "It was, like... just talk, you know? And now it's here. And... it's really hard to drive into it." The usual jazzy expression didn't sound fitting here, and both mares knew it; but before either of them could say anything else, a knock at the door interrupted their contemplating embrace.

"I'll get it," Octavia said, trotting towards the door. Who might it be? she wondered. Ponies didn't come to their place; nopony ever did. And that had been perfect for the mares: their flat was their fortress, their secure island in the sea of pain and misery; their castle.

As Octavia opened the door, she saw a visibly inebriated brown earth pony stallion, who was standing in the doorway, a grim expression on his face.

"Tom?.." Octavia whispered in disbelief as her brother nodded and entered the flat. She followed him, wondering what brought him here.

"Hi, Tom," Vinyl greeted the stallion, a shocked expression on her face. "How did you find-" she began, but then a realisation dawned upon her. "Oh, right." The marefia, Vinyl. Serious business, she reminded herself.

"Octavia," the stallion spoke softly, occupying the centre spot of the room. "I need to tell you something." He winced, his face painfully twisting. "Something unpleasant."

"The war's here, we know," Octavia said, eyeing her brother suspiciously. Something was wrong; something other than the war. "Why are you drunk, Tom? I've always thought-"

"Cornelio is dead, Octavia," Tom interrupted her softly. A tear crawled down his cheek - a show of emotion that was extremely unusual for the sturdy pony.

Silence hung in the room, thick enough to cut with a knife. Octavia's brain was hopelessly trying to comprehend the information her ears had just delivered. She blinked a few times and finally released her breath with a whisper, "What?.."

"Your brother, Cornelio, is dead," Tom repeated with little to no emotion in his voice, as if he were just stating a simple fact; though, his teary eyes were giving away the fact that the news was hitting hard on him. "When the Griffins came to Zebrica yesterday, Father sent his plane for Mother and him..." The brown pony gulped and trotted towards the table, downing the remains of whisky that had been left from the previous day. "The Griffin Police didn't let them away, so Cornelio helped Mother to get on the plane and took out his gun..." Tom closed his eyes, letting tears stream freely down his face. "Mother got away safely... She appeared on the doorstep, just as we were celebrating Hearth's Warming Eve..."

Octavia closed her mouth with a hoof, to suppress a shriek that was about to leave her lips. Mother's alive, Mother's alive, Mother's alive... the only thought revolved in her mind.

"Cornelio wasn't half as lucky." Tom shook his head, inspecting the empty bottle. "The paper says he killed four Griffins before they shot him... He was a damn good shot..."

Vinyl shifted uncomfortably: she was just as shocked as her marefriend, but there was nothing she could help with, and that was driving her crazy.

Octavia couldn't hold her emotions any more: she ran up to her brother, enveloping him in a crushing embrace. Cornelio's dead... she thought, and that was enough to make her cry, waterfalls of tears flowing through her fur, entwined with Tom's, who began sobbing as well. On one hoof, the cellist was shocked to learn about her brother's death, but on the other...

"Cornelio's dead," she stated, her voice trembling. "But Mother's alive."

Seeing Tom nod, she straightened her pose, fire of determination lighting up in her eyes. "I need to see her. Now." The grey pony turned towards her mare, who got up from the sofa. "Vinyl, are you-"

"I'm always with you, Tavi," the pianist said softly. "Wherever you go." She gulped. "Tavi, I'm sorry for your loss..." she mumbled.

Octavia nodded. "I know." She took a deep breath and looked at Tom, then at her marefriend. "We're leaving now."

With that, the mares grabbed their most essential possessions and trotted out of the door, followed by the drunk and heart-broken Tom.

Someone to Watch Over Me

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twenty-Four

Someone to Watch Over Me

***

The rhythmic din of the train resonated in Octavia's head as she half-lay in Vinyl's lap, looking at the ceiling. A lonely fly made its way across the ceiling, running in small circles, trying to escape from the prison of its own device. Always running away... Octavia thought, melancholy seizing her mind. We are all trying to run away? What for? She raised her hoof to smash the insect, but stopped. They killed Cornelio... killed him like this fly; he was trapped, unable to escape, he fought... Terrible images filled her head, and she shook it with a groan, just to get rid of the feeling. There was so much darkness in the world, and so little light. So little love. So little freedom. Why can't we just be free? She tapped the fly lightly and opened the window. Sensing fresh air, the insect flew away, out of the window, leaving no trail of its presence.

Octavia needed to occupy her head with something; something other than war, or death. She sighed, feeling Vinyl hug her tighter. Just to get her mind off the darkened areas, she needed to talk. She needed conversation, badly. She needed to talk to Vinyl, to talk about something, anything at all...

"I didn't tell you how I got my cutie mark, did I?" she asked her mare, who yawned and shook her head weakly.

"No, Tavi, but I'd love to hear it," Vinyl replied with a soft smile, making Octavia wonder whether the pianist was listening to hear with interest or just out of blind desire to make her feel better.

"So, as you're going to see my mother soon, there's a thing you need to know..." Octavia began in such a tone that led Vinyl's mind to reel. Wait, what if... she's a vampire? Or a werepony? Or a vampire werepony?! the pianist thought in fear.

"She is a unicorn, as my whole family," the cellist began her story, drawing Vinyl's attention, while Tom was looking out of the window, lost in thought. "But I was born different. I was born an earth pony, and while the doctors said it was perfectly normal from the viewpoint of genetics, my parents were rather... shocked." Seeing Vinyl's quizzical expression, Octavia waved her hooves in the air. "They were happy, and they hold nothing against earth ponies, or pegasi, mind it! Just..." The cellist exhaled and closed her eyes. "They were really confused as to what my special talent would be." The grey pony smiled. "Mother always wanted my calling in life to be connected with music; she told me that I would always sing some tune when I was a little filly, and in perfect pitch at that. But..." Octavia shrugged, making Vinyl loosen her grip. "Since I was a earth pony, my family thought there was no use teaching me to play any musical instrument, since I had no magic and all. So it was either vocals or business for me. And Father was strongly for business."

Vinyl nodded knowingly, remembering Alexandro's devotion to his occupation; but she also thought of his devotion to family - a ceaseless devotion, but not a blind one: he really loved his family, and he had the responsibility for them.

"Until one day, I found Mother's violin and bow and tried to play it. Or, to be honest, play with it." Octavia chuckled, shaking her head. "I was a foal - what can I say. But something magical happened... Well, I don't remember exactly - but what I remember for sure is that it felt as if Celestia herself helped me play and guided my hoof across the strings. I played for minutes, or hours, until I finally felt tired." Octavia opened her eyes and looked at Vinyl, who was deeply involved in the story. Wow, Tavi sure had an interesting foalhood... the unicorn mused, a tiny bit of jealousy crawling into her soul as she considered her own miserable past. No, Vinyl. You do *not** feel jealous of your marefriend,* she warned herself, banishing the feeling to the Moon.

"When I opened my eyes, I saw my shocked parent's faces, and, well, a treble clef cutie mark on my flank," Octavia concluded. "Violin music is usually written in treble clef. So you can say that my calling in life is music, not just the cello, just as yours is not just the piano."

Vinyl nodded, her mind processing the information. Something was bugging her; something seemed off, something so distant...

"Wait a minute, Tavi. You said that your whole family are unicorns, except for you?" Vinyl confirmed.

Octavia nodded. "Yes. Why?"

The unicorn extended her hoof, pointing it towards Tom, who was still fixed in the same pose, much as a petrified statue. "But... Tom's an earth pony." She raised her brow in confusion.

"That's because I'm not her real brother," the stallion replied, not turning his head towards the mares, his hoof propping his chin as his eyes were fixed on something in the sky.

What the... Vinyl blinked in confusion, but before she could ask anything, Tom turned his head towards her, his gaze bland and tired.

"Cornelio found me when I was just a little colt, and introduced me to family," he said, inspecting his hoof closely. "My parents kicked me out; I was a burden for them..." Vinyl gulped at the resemblance to her own life. "At first, I didn't entirely like him, but, you know, living in a house is better than living in the streets, you know?" The stallion chuckled sadly.

"I know..." Vinyl whispered. "I understand only too well..."

"But I soon learned to like him," Tom carried on, having missed (or pretending to have missed) Vinyl's remark. "And soon, I really began feeling a deep connection with the family. Alexandro became my father, and Sofia became my mother, just as Cornelio has always been..." He gulped. "And will always be a brother to me. And when Octavia was born, I embraced her as my sister."

Octavia rose from her seat and approached Tom, hugging him. "And you have always been my brother - my real brother, Tom," she said and buried her muzzle into the stallion's fur.

The brown pony tapped her on the shoulder, his gaze fixed on something outside, just out of the window, out of reach. Octavia raised her head, while Vinyl was already watching.

The sky was dark; but it was not covered with clouds, as Manehattan usually was. Countless pegasi were flying in the sky, manoeuvring and forming strict figures, flying in one common direction - the East. The border with Zebrica. The mares watched in awe and fear as those trained, armed-to-the-teeth soldiers marched in the sky to achieve their common goal.

"To save our country," Octavia whispered, speaking her thoughts.

Vinyl shook her head sadly. "To save our rulers." She knew better than to believe in all of this patriotic propaganda. After all, wars were fought for oil; spending souls for oil had become a terrifying tendency lately, she mused grimly.

Tom looked at the two musical ponies and eyed them for a second before speaking.

"To kill."

Forget to Remember

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twenty-Five

Forget to Remember

***

Following the familiar route to Alexandro's house, Vinyl couldn't help but notice that there were a great deal of pegasi around; much more than usual. The pianist had never thought about it before, but now it seemed strange that she didn't use to see much pegasi in Manehattan, especially compared to the number of earth ponies and unicorn that roamed the streets. I wonder...

"Tom?" Vinyl asked, turning towards the brown stallion, who trotted by her side, his gaze adrift, his mind wandering along the road of the recent events.

"Yes, Vinyl?" Tom replied, coming back to reality.

"How come there used to be so few pegasi around, and now there are so many of 'em?" the unicorn wondered.

"Oh, that." Tom shrugged, as if it were the simplest question ever. "Pegasi are a military race. Before the war, they were concealed in their training camps in Cloudsdayle, learning to love Equestria and kill her enemies in as many ways as possible." He chuckled ironically. "Now that the war is here, pegasi are in demand; no wonder they roam the streets with royalty now." His face faded. "Now they are the most important ponies around, with the right to do whatever they see suitable." He shook his head with a sad chuckle. "Anything to help the beautiful and prospering state of Equestria."

Was that... *irony*? Vinyl mused, looking at Octavia's brother. While she was no patriot herself, such an attitude was new to her. Well, at least what he's saying makes perfect sense, she concluded.

"We're here," Octavia said suddenly, stopping before the Philarmonico mansion. She closed her eyes and gulped. Mother... Here I come... She felt a hoof tap her gently on the shoulder. The cellist turned round to see Vinyl smiling softly at her, her white hoof stroking her shoulder.

"It's all right, Tavi," the pianist whispered, nodding in an encouraging manner. "She's your mother, after all. You must be happy to finally see her again." Unless there's something you're hiding away from me, she added mentally, cringing a little at such a thought.

"I am, Vinyl," Octavia replied, her gaze fixed on the magnificent building. "I love her dearly, and so does she..." The cellist held a pause, prompting Vinyl to come closer.

"But?" the pianist wondered, resting her head atop Octavia's shoulder.

"But I'm really scared to see what her current condition is," the grey mare carried on. "Her son is dead, Vinyl, and Celestia knows what such a tragedy can do to a mother. Besides..." Octavia smiled solemnly, exhanging a look with Tom. "Cornelio has always been her favourite foal. She loves me, and Tom... but my eldest brother has always had a special place in her heart."

Not a hint of jealousy, Vinyl noted in surprise. She's just stating a fact.

Octavia took a deep breath and trotted towards the door, followed by her brother and marefriend. The large doors had never seemed so frightening; the usually welcoming windows looked as glaring guardians of the past, which allowed no vernal breeze to enter the majestic building.

The cellist raised her hoof, but, before she could do anything, Vinyl knocked at the door, smiling at the grey mare encouragingly.

The door swung wide open, revealing an outstanding grey unicorn, her black mane perfectly combed, a single half note resting atop her flank as her cutie mark. Vinyl immediately recongnised Sofia, even though she had never seen her before: she looked exactly like Octavia, save for the horn; or, to be more exact, Octavia was a perfect copy of her mother.

"M-m-mother..." Octavia whispered, her lip trembled, her hooves automatically stretching in her mother's direction to form an embrace; but, suddenly, Alexandro appeared from before Sofia's back and shook his head silently, but firmly, making the grey pony stop abruptly.

"Why, hello, Octavia," Sofia said calmly, as if her daughter had just returned home from a half-an-hour walk. "How has your day been?" she wondered, motioning for the three ponies to come in.

"Um... F-fine?" Octavia blinked, following her companions into the house. She looked at her father in confusion, but the stallion only shook his head witth a sigh and mouthed, "Play along."

"Oh, I take it this beautiful unicorn mare is your marefriend, Vinyl Scratch?" Sofia wondered idly as she closed the door, enveloping the knob in her telekinetic grip.

"Um... yes, ma'am," Vinyl replied, blushing. Something felt strangely off, but at least Octavia's mother seemed all right with her daughter dating a mare.

"Alexandro has told me about you," the grey mare carried on, tossing her mane. "I'm glad my daughter has fallen in love with such a kind and caring mare, if my husband is to be believed."

"Thank you, ma'am..." Vinyl's blush grew even deeper. At least now I know where Octavia has got her manners from... and her good looks as well, the pianist mare concluded, smiling sheepishly.

"Just Sofia," the unicorn mare said, turning to the brown stallion. "Ah, Tom. You're here as well. Good, it is high time for dinner!" she exclaimed, her eye twitching slightly, and headed for the dining room.

"Just follow us," Alexandro whispered to the three dumbfounded ponies. "I'll explain later."

Octavia glanced at Vinyl, who simply shrugged. Seeing that there was nothing she could do, she sighed and followed Tom and Vinyl to the dining room.

***

Silence hung about the room as the five ponies chewed on their meals, trying not to look at each other, each lost in thought. Octavia and Vinyl were gradually getting more and more worried as they watched Sofia peacefully consume her soup, not a single trace of emotion on her face.

"I don't get it," Vinyl whispered into Octavia's ear. "You're back after such a long time no see, and she just don't care?"

"Doesn't," Octavia corrected her automatically and sighed. "I don't know, honey," she whispered back. "Something is off here, but I can't get a grip on-"

"Oh, just look at these fillies!" Sofia suddenly exclaimed, laughing. "You two look very cute together, but I'd rather you saved the hush-hush talk for the bedroom~" she said in a sing-song voice, making the two mares blush intensely. "Now... I wonder when Cornelio is coming to dinner?.." Sofia frowned disapprovingly. "That colt, always late for family matters..."

Octavia chocked on her salad, coughing, her eyes wide in shock. Vinyl came to the rescue, patting her mare on the back, despite being utterly confused herself.

"Why don't you bring a plate for Cornelio from the kitchen?" Alexandro addressed his wife calmly, not distracting his attention from the meal.

Sofia nodded and rose from her place, almost automatically, and left the dining room.

Before either Octavia or Vinyl could ask anything, Alexandro landed a pre-emptive strike. "She thinks that Cornelio is alive and well; and that you have never left home. Those pieces of her memory seem to be gone," he began, much to the shock of the musical ponies, who gasped in unison, and Tom, who expressed his confusion by raising his brow. "When Sofia came home yesterday, she told me, and Tom, about what had happened to Cornelio and her. Needless to say, we knew it already by that time..."

They have ears in many places, Vinyl mused. I wonder if there are any things that escape their hearing...

"We comforted her, but in the evening she was struck by a terrible fever and lost consciousness. We sent for a doctor, who gave her medicine and said that it was a strange, unknown illness, that probably was an effect of a severe shock," Alexandro explained laconically, mentally estimating time before Sofia's arrival. "I sent Tom to you immediately, to find you... well, before it would be too late..."

Octavia covered her mouth with a hoof, her eyes widening to the size of saucers.

"But today, she's come round, and, what surprised me, carried no signs of the illness. However..." The stallion frowned. "She seemed to have forgotten about all the hardships she'd encountered; like, Cornelio's death; your leave, Octavia... Some other things..." Alexandro looked at the ceiling and rubbed his chin. "I decided to just play along. After all, it isn't that bad... Forget the past, to remember the future..."

The door opened and a very cheerful Sofia entered the room, putting a plate and a fork on the table. She was holding a tray in her telekinetic grip. "I brought tea, everypony!"

Vinyl faked a smile and nudged Octavia, turning to see her face. What she saw shocked her to the bone. Octavia was grinning madly, tears streaming from her face, her whole body shivering. Vinyl looked at Alexandro pleadingly, who quickly nodded, thus allowing them to leave.

"Sorry, too tired, need to go, good-night!" Vinyl stammered as she grabbed Octavia in her telekinetic grip, practically dragging her behind.

As the two mares made their way towards Octavia's room, Sofia's sweet voice resonated across the hall.

"Have fun, you two!~"

***

Octavia woke up in the middle of the weary night, her eyes stinging from dry tears, her limbs aching from the hysteria that had overcome her not long ago. Finally, she'd managed to fall asleep in Vinyl's embrace, but now natural urges led her to the bathroom.

As the cellist trotted along the dark corridor, knowing every square inch of the house by heart, she couldn't help but plunge into the sombre thoughts about her mother slowly losing her sanity. But before she could give in to thinking, she heard some kind of shuffling and muttered curses from the kitchen.

Disregarding any chance of burglary, Octavia entered the kitchen slowly and turned on the light. What she saw was a nightmare; but a real one at it.

Sofia was standing on a stool, a thick loop around her neck. Her eyes were red - she had been crying, Octavia concluded - and her face was twitching uncontrollably.

"Mother!" Octavia yelled, her hooves turning in the unicorn's direction, ready to rush to her aid. However, she stopped dead in her tracks as Sofia levitated a kitchen knife, its blade pointing at her daughter.

"Sorry, Octavia. I... I can't go on any more..." Sofia sobbed, gulping. "Cornelio's dead. I ought to be dead, too. I... Remeber that I've always loved you, Octavia..." The unicorn mare smiled through tears. "My little Tavi~" she sang, her voice cracking.

"Mother, no!" Octavia screamed, hoping that all of this was just a bad dream, a terrible nightmare born by the uneasy night. However, at the same time, she realised that this was all real.

Sofia smiled one last time and kicked the stool from beneath her hooves, her body hanging limp in the air. Octavia just stood in place, shock paralysing her whole body.

The kitchen knife fell to the floor, for the spellcaster was no longer among the living.

Good Morning Heartache

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twenty-Six

Good Morning Heartache

***

Bright light radiated across the hospital corridor, white artificial light that by no means brightened up Octavia's mood; if anything, it was just making matters worse, if it could get any worse.

The cellist was sitting next to the door of the resuscitation department, her mind mechanically replaying the recent events: the terrible suicide attempt, Vinyl and Alexandro rushing to the kitchen, the hectic rush to the hospital... And now they were here - Vinyl, Tom, Alexandro and she, with no ability to do anything, no choice but to sit and wait.

Vinyl was holding her in her hooves, stroking her mane, cooing sweet nonsense into her ear. She didn't hear it, though: she was locked up behind her wall of shock, and fear, and disbelief. After all, what could Vinyl say? "It'll be all right"? "Everything will be all right"? No, it wouldn't be all right, and Octavia knew it only too well. Right now, she didn't need sympathy; because any sympathy at this point wouldn't reach empathy; empathy being the ability to actually put oneself in her, Octavia's, place; because Vinyl didn't know how it felt to lose her mother. Not that Octavia wished for it, Celestia forbid! Just... she really felt alone. Alone and lonely. The illusion of being part of something greater than herself had vanished the instant the noose tightened around her mother's neck, the metaphorical loop of life and death taking physical appearance.

After all, we live alone and die alone... the cellist mused fatalistically. We can pretend there are ponies who understand us but that is nothing but an illusion. She sighed and looked at the closed door. An illusion, she repeated mentally, her thinking process ceasing for a few moments. Is Vinyl an illusion too? a voice in her head wondered. Maybe she hasn't helped you to get on with your life? Maybe she hasn't given you the strength to go on? Maybe she hasn't comforted you and given her heart to you to possess? The cellist's ears perked up. She... totally did, she replied to herself, her depression somewhat perturbed by the realisation that, no matter how awful the whole situation was, she was not alone. At least her lover was right here by her side.

And not only her.

The grey mare looked at her father. Alexandro was sitting opposite her, a concerned look on his face, smoking one cigarette after another, thick smoke almost completely concealing him.

Her glance turned to her brother; her real brother, albeit adopted. Tom's expression was unreadable, as it usually was, but Octavia knew that behind that mask, he was suffering, and terribly at that.

The door opened, and a weary stallion in a white surgical coat left the resuscitation department, closing the door behind him, and closed his eyes with a sigh.

Octavia jumped to her hooves, throwing Vinyl off her, rushing towards the doctor. "How is she?!" the cellist demanded furiously, as if she were directing all her pain towards the brown stallion, whose striking black mane looked painfully familiar.

The doctor tossed her a tired glance and shook his head in defeat. "I am very sorry. We tried to revive her, but it was too late: the neck was broken in-"

"We see," Alexandro interrupted him, rising from his seat, glaring daggers towards the stallion. "No need for medical details. When can I take the... body?" The sturdy unicorn's voice cracked, and he gulped, trying to regain his composure.

"At the morgue, tomorrow," the doctor replied laconically, avoiding direct eye contact with any of the ponies. "I... I am sorry, I need to go." With that, he bowed slightly to nopony in particular and took a hasty leave, shutting the door behind him. It was evident that telling such news was a routine for him, but at the same time he took it close to heart; maybe too close to heart for a doctor.

Vinyl shifted from hoof to hoof uneasily, the whole situation hitting hard on her, despite her not being part of the family. Or am I? the pianist asked herself. Alexandro embraced me; so did Tom... And Octavia is my family now, she concluded. It is my responsibility to protect and comfort her.

"I wonder... Where have I seen this doctor before?" Vinyl wondered aloud, trying to break the tension. Needless to say, she received no answer: Alexandro sighed and made his way towards the door, followed by Tom, who hung his head low, obediently trotting after the heartbroken stallion.

Vinyl looked at her mare, nudging her softly. "We need to go, Tavi," she cooed, trying to comfort her mare in any possible way, even being terribly shocked and disheartened herself.

The cellist nodded and slowly began walking out of the hospital, Vinyl trotting by her side.

Just as they left, The Doctor sighed and shook his head. "Death, death everywhere... Times may change, but death will always follow..." He looked up, eyeing the flickering light of the lamp. "Maybe it isn't such a curse to be immortal?.."

***

Octavia lay next to her lover, blue moon peeking into the window of the Philarmonico mansion. Vinyl was stroking her mane, kissing her neck lovingly, but the cellist barely noticed it: she felt like a living corpse, an automation devoid of feelings. She couldn't bring herself to think about her mother, or the eventual funeral, or what she was to do, with no job and no source of income at all. Worries avoided her, creating an invisible shield around her mind. Maybe it was a natural reaction, Octavia thought. Maybe the depression and apathy were the only cures that were preventing her from comprehending the dreadful fact that her own mother had committed suicide. Maybe these dispassionate feelings were preventing her from going insane.

Octavia got up, a sudden urge hitting her like a tidal wave, drowning all other desires. She needed to get away from it all. She desperately needed to go out, and that longing acted against everything she stood for now, contradicting her nature and common sense. I met Vinyl when I just went out like this, she mused, trying to explain and justify the feeling. My intuition's never failed me before... she concluded. ...But it doesn't mean it won't fail me now.

The grey mare freed herself of her mare's embrace, rising to her hooves clumsily, the effect of the sleepless night and troublesome day making its presence known.

"Tavi?" Vinyl asked with concern. "Where are you going?" Please, Tavi, don't do anything stupid... she prayed mentally, knowing very well that she wouldn't be able to stop the stubborn mare at this point.

"I'm going into town," Octavia replied simply, having no elaborate idea where her brain was leading her hooves. Not that she cared; at this point, she decided to simply obey. Obeying was easy. Everything was easy when she didn't have to decide things herself.

"Tavi-" the unicorn opened her mouth, trying to reason her cellist, to stop her, to offer her companionship... but closed it the next instant. Tavi needs some time alone, she realised. Who am I to rip her of this privilege?

"Just promise me one thing, Tavi," she said instead, looking into Octavia's eyes seriously. "Promise me that you'll never leave me." She paused for a moment, eyeing the grey pony's dispassionate face. "Whatever happens, remember that I'm always here for you. I... I wouldn't bear it... if... you..." Vinyl couldn't bring herself to finish the phrase, her eyes stinging from approaching tears.

Octavia's face expression softened slightly, and a sad smile appeared on her face. "Don't worry, love. I'm just going for a walk. I'll never leave you," she said with sudden determination and pure honesty in her voice. "I promise." She kissed Vinyl on the tip of her horn, stroking her cheek lovingly.

Vinyl nodded, leaning back, and with that, Octavia headed towards the door, her silhouette soon vanishing in the night.

Learnin' the Blues

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Learnin' the Blues

***

"Repeat."

Octavia placed the glass on the bar counter with an audible sound. Although her mind was hazy already due to the amount of alcohol she'd consumed, she wasn't drunk yet. And she indeed wanted to bury her troubles at the bottom of the glass, drinking herself into oblivion.

The bartender poured whisky into the glass, eyeing the grey mare carefully, lest she do something inappropriate. Octavia pondered for a moment and tapped her glass - her vial with the soothing ability to pave the road to losing contact with the grim reality.

"Make it a double, will you?"

The bartender obeyed, tossing his light brown mane away as he tinkered with the bottle, years of experience providing the perfect angle, the precise amount of the liquid ending up in the vial. He opened his mouth, eliciting a frown from the mare.

I swear, if he's gonna ask something like, "Why the long face?" or something... she thought, having no desire to have any kind of conversation.

"Pardon my asking, but you don't seem the type of pony to come to a bar and down five glasses of whisky in a row," the bartender finally said, his dark brown coat shimmering from the flickering lighting provided by the lamps above the counter.

"Do I?" Octavia replied automatically, without thinking as she took a sip of her drink, shivering a little at the warm bite that Scoltish whisky provided.

"No, you don't," the stallion confirmed, looking at the grey mare. "Ponies will come to my place and get drunk till they can't form any kind of speech or thoughts, but you seem different." He trotted off to serve a drink to another customer, of which there were surprisingly few, before returning to his previous location. "Something on your mind?" he enquired.

"None of your business," the cellist brushed him off, downing the glass in one gulp. Anger was quickly replacing apathy, building inside her as she realised the whole unfairness of the situation. Why did it have to be her mother? Surely, she had done nothing to deserve it...

Silence hung in the small bar, interrupted only by the chatter of the few other visitors and smooth jazz music flowing from the speakers. Ponies are getting the hang of the new music, Octavia thought, fighting memories of losing her prized job because of some ponies' inability to put up with the fact that jazz was slowly but steadily making its way to the top of the music world. Slowly?.. The grey pony pondered for a moment. No. Jazz had skyrocketed up from the bottom of musical genres, sweeping off everything on its path, swiftly, firmly, and surely.

"You own the place, don't you?" she wondered suddenly, surprised at how her subconsciousness dragged her into a talk, despite her own desire to stay away from it.

The bartender nodded, not seeming offended in the slightest, years of experience telling him not to take anything said by the customers close to heart.

"It's very nice," Octavia carried on. "Makes me forget things." Great. Now I'm being open with a bartender, she scolded herself mentally. And in the middle of the night, no less. Congratulations, Octavia, you're officially a drunkard.

"And what exactly, may I ask, do you want to forget?"

"Stuff." Octavia moved the glass to the bartender, who filled it, mild curiosity evident on his face.

"I see," the brown stallion replied, nodding. "Some stuff just happens, doesn't it?" he posed a rhetorical question with a shrug.

"No it doesn't!" Octavia shouted, slamming her hoof against the counter angrily, drawing attention, the other customers casting her questioning glances before returning to their drinks. "...I'm sorry," the cellist apologised with a heavy sigh. "I'm really feeling terrible now," she explained, rubbing her temples. "My mother's committed suicide," she blurted out, immediately chiding herself mentally for revealing this information.

"I see." The bartender shifted uneasily and topped the glass. "On the house," he said, moving the drink closed to Octavia, who nodded and downed half of her whisky in one gulp. The alcohol tinkered with her mind, making her more open and emotional.

"My brother was killed in the war, and she couldn't bear it," she carried on, inspecting the amber liquid in her glass.

The brown stallion sighed and shook his head in lament. "War..." he whispered to nopony in particular. "War always comes side by side with tragedy. I'm sorry for your loss," he added solemnly.

"Thanks, I guess." Octavia shrugged, having no need for his sympathy. "It's easy to say, hard to feel," she added, trying, however, not to repeat her previous mistake and offend the bartender.

"It is," the stallion replied simply. "I have experienced loss of family members as well," he said, his painful, but calm look giving away the fact that he was talking about the events long swallowed by time, now mere shadows of the past.

Octavia gulped, looking at the stallion, inspecting his face closely. Only now had she noticed that he, in fact, was not old, as most bartenders were; on the contrary, he was quite young, in his early thirties, or even late twenties. "Does... does the pain ever fade away?" she asked suddenly, the question that had been bugging her subconsciousness finally taking verbal form.

The bartender chuckled sadly and shook his head. "No." He looked up, as if he were inspecting the blank unelaborate ceiling. "No," he repeated firmly. "The pain never fades away."

"I see." Octavia fell silent, thinking over the information she'd just received. Of course. It would be foolish to assume that the terrible feeling of emptiness and the weight of pain would ever leave her mind.

"But you learn to live with it."

"Huh?" Octavia raised her head, the bartender's eyes meeting hers. His gaze was tired, and he himself looked very weary, as if he were fed up with life itself and had no joy in living on.

"You lose interest in life, sure," the stallion elaborated, not averting his eyes for a second. "You lose integrity, and industry, and everything that used to make you whole. But you move on." He chuckled slightly. "You find friends, and your love, and you forget..." The bartender frowned. "No, you don't forget - you simply do not focus on the past. It will always remain. But you learn to live with it."

Octavia met the stallion's tirade with silence, lost in mental contemplation. The pain would never fade away. She would never forget - such a privilege was off her limits. But... she had found love. She had found something to focus on, to concentrate all her emotion on. Somepony to love. Vinyl.

Suddenly, she cellist felt guilt sting her insides. She hadn't spent enough time with Vinyl. She hadn't expressed her love enough. She hadn't paid enough attention to her lover's problems. And now she was determined to change it. Maybe it was just the alcohol speaking, but she knew that, although the memories would always haunt her, she would manage to move on - with Vinyl by her side.

She got up and placed a dozen of bits on the counter with a warm smile. "Thank you," she said. "For the drinks... and for everything."

"My pleasure," the stallion replied and watched the mare leave, his gaze averted, his mind lost in deep shadows of the past.

***

Vinyl rolled over and frowned. For the umpteenth time this night, as it seemed to her. Where are you, Tavi? she thought lamentably, a weary sigh escaping her lips. I'm worried...

The pianist wanted to fall asleep: the recent events were hitting hard on her, even though she wasn't directly involved in them; but, given her lover's absence, she just couldn't. She was worried sick about Octavia, and that feeling was bugging her so much that any thought of falling asleep was left out.

The door opened quietly, and a shadow resembling a pony entered the spacious bedroom, silently closing the door behind her, swaying slightly. The scent of alcohol filled the room, making Vinyl turn towards the silhouette. She saw it to be her lover, and exhaled in relief. After all, Octavia had just gone out to a bar to drink her worries away - it was natural and didn't frighten her. However, when her cellist lay next to her with a smile, kissing her on the forehead, something told Vinyl that something had changed. Isn't she supposed to be... heartbroken? she wondered idly, though, glad that her mare was feeling at least a little better.

"Tavi?" the white unicorn asked, hugging her marefriend tight, the blanket of sleep finally reaching its destination. "How are you?"

The cellist chuckled at Vinyl's sleepy haze and stroked her mane gently. "I feel better, love." She looked out of the window, the constellations winking at her, the moon smiling at the two lovers. "I honestly feel better."

***

Meanwhile, at the bar, the brown stallion closed the door and exhaled. The visitors were gone; he could finally tend to his own needs now, the main one being the need for sleep. As he passed the bar counter, he stopped for a moment, looking at a worn out photograph just behind the counter, hidden from the customers' eyes. A laughing mare was looking at him from the picture, a small colt playing nearby. A tear crawled down the bartender's cheek as he looked up to the ceiling, trying to pierce it with his eyes and reach the sky.

"I miss you, Mother," he whispered. "More than ever."

He kissed the photograph and put it back, turning off the lights.

The Best is Yet to Come

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The Best is Yet to Come

***

Octavia took a bite of her sandwich, chewing it thoroughly, concentrating on the process. Throughout the week that had passed since her mother's death, she had learned to pay attention to every action that she took: every step, every breath, every word she said. It helped her to keep her mind off any unwanted memories. Sure, maybe it sounded crazy, but this complete mental obsession made it easier for her to go on.

To make matters worse, she'd become totally lost in reality. War was raging across the country, but she couldn't care less: she paid no attention to the news, locked behind her wall. Her father would read the newspaper every morning in silence and pass it to Tom, who would do the same. Neither Vinyl nor she cared for the news; neither asked, so neither of the stallions told them anything. Something terrible was probably happening to Equestria, Octavia mused as she took a sip of tea, warm liquid giving her slight invigoration, enough to start the day. She was a little amused at how disinterested she was in the world around her; but not amused enough to actually give it a damn.

The grey mare blinked at such a thought. Since when am I swearing like this? she mused, casting a glance at Vinyl, who had already dug into her cereal (Duh, cereal... Octavia frowned), trying not to make much noise. Of course. Vinyl. A small smile appeared on Octavia's face as she reminded herself of how much time she'd spent with her mare over the week, making up for her past mistakes, talking to her, cuddling and whispering sweet nonsense into her ear, making music (The cellist was really glad for her habit of taking her cello with her all the time, as well as Vinyl taking her new guitar, "That awesome baby" with her to Chicoltgo), and, well, making music... in the other sense.

Octavia blushed and pressed her cheek against Vinyl's. Being used to such intimacy, the pianist only mumbled something indistinct and carried on with her meal. Tavi's really been... Octy-ish lately, the unicorn mused as she stuffed her stomach with the delicious treat. Not that I mind, actually... It's good she's getting better, Vinyl concluded, swallowing the cereal and nuzzling her cellist, who purred in delight.

It was good to be together, they both thought in unison. Alone, they were nothing. But together, they were everything - they meant the whole world to each other, and even more than the whole world.

"Interesting," a masculine voice interrupted their loving exchange of affection, making the two mares turn towards the source of the sound. Alexandro put down the paper on the table and moved it towards Tom, who'd already extended his hoof to grab it. However, Vinyl quickly grabbed the newspaper with her telekinesis and looked through the front page.

Octavia looked at her mare in concern as she saw a dark expression appear on Vinyl's face as the white unicorn put the newspaper down. "Vinyl, what's..." she began carefully, not sure if she really wanted to hear the answer.

"Manehattan's taken by the Griffins," Alexandro replied in her stead, a weary expression on his face suddenly reminding Octavia that her father was indeed old and worn out, tired of his hectic life; and, of course, Sofia's death added some streaks of silver to his already grey mane.

Octavia gasped and closed her mouth with a hoof in shock. Vinyl embraced her, stroking her back gently, despite being quite taken aback herself.

"What... what happened to our house then? And the bar where you work, love?" the cellist wondered aloud, receiving no answer. But none was needed: everypony in the dining room knew very well that it meant only one thing: their house was no more, and so was the bar, and everything else; the whole city of Manehattan was just one shadow of the past to them, to add to the growing collection. With the Griffins roaming about the city, their home was off their limits.

A few moments of silent contemplation had passed, interrupted only by Vinyl turning the pages in a desperate attempt to occupy her mind with something, anything at all, not connected to the war. War, war, war, sports, war, war... huh? The pianist's ears perked up and she let out a surprised yelp.

"What's the matter, love?" Octavia asked in concern, eyeing the white mare, whose expression was indeed surprised but... in a good way?.. What could possibly be good about the news? she wondered with a glimpse of hope in her eyes.

Vinyl passed the paper to her mare, still somewhat astonished by the news. It can't be true... It's just too good to be true, especially now...

FILLY-FOOLING BAN ABROGATED, Octavia read the title, her tail twitching slightly as she proceeded. Yesterday, Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia made the infamous ban on single-sex relationships, or, as they used to be referred to, "colt-cuddling" and "filly-fooling", a part of our rich history. Due to the amount of pressure coming from the younger generation, Her Royal Highness has decided it for the better to annul the laws concerning single-sex relationships. Moreover, a social experiment has taken place in Coltifornia: in this state, which is well-known for its rich number of gay ponies, single-sex marriage has become legal. The first single-sex couple have already married, and experts say that this motion will soon be taken up by other ponies as the experiment will gradually expand across the whole of Equestria. This motion has been a logical repercussion of the countless protests-

The cellist stopped reading, her eyes widening. Her mind was occupied by the only though. Filly-fooling. Legal. Single-sex marriage. Legal. This news had struck like a thunderbolt of light in the void of darkness, showing the two musical ponies that maybe, just maybe, there was some justice in the world after all.

"Vinyl?.." the grey mare whispered, a wide smile finding its way to her face, a genuine smile of happiness, a feeling that she experienced for the first time in many days. "Does that mean?.."

"Yes, Tavi," the pianist replied with a warm smile of her own, snuggling closer to her cellist. "We don't have to hide any more."

At that time, the two stallions had finished with the article themselves, and were now exchanging understanding glances. Alecandro spoke first, placing a hoof on his daughter's shoulder.

"Octavia, I am very glad that your relationship is not illegal any more," he began, his tone soft and caring. "But you must understand that, although you will be accepted in the society officially, you might not always be accepted de facto. Some ponies are still very conservative and will cling to their morals for a long time," he warned the young mares, his heart melting slightly as he praised Celestia for listening to his prayers and giving his daughter and her marefriend the chance to live their lives freely, untouched by the everpresent hoof of law.

"We do realise that, Father," Octavia replied, a happy tear crawling down her cheek. "But it's so great..." Vinyl nodded, silently supporting her mare's words. "It's so nice to finally be able to express our feelings freely, without being suppressed... I just don't understand why our ruler would do such a great favour to us... to us all," she said firmly, meaning not only Vinyl and her, but all gay couples across Equestria, which, today, sighed in relief and exchanged happy smiles with their partners.

"War," Tom said blandly, putting the paper on the table. "Equestria needs soldiers, and most soldiers are pegasi. Pegasi are much more open-minded than we are; in fact, most Cloudsdayle pegasi are bisexual, which, up to this moment, had put them against the law and thus prevented them from serving in the army," the stallion explained emotionlessly. "Now this problem is fixed. The government gains new soldiers, the pegasi gain the freedom of marrying whomever they like, for Cloudsdayle's technically a part of Coltifornia."

Octavia frowned upon hearing her brother's simple, yet elaborate, explanation. "You just had to ruin it, didn't you?" she asked sternly, glaring daggers at Tom, who simply shrugged, stood up, bowing slightly to Alexandro, and left the room.

Silence reigned over the room for a few moments as the two mares processed the information they had just received. They exchanged glanced, and no words were needed.

"So..." Vinyl began carefully. "Since we can't return to Manehattan, and we're both in need of job..."

Octavia looked at her father, who chuckled and shook his head. "I get it," he said with a smile. "I think I may have a free flat in Los Pegasus, Coltifornia..."

He didn't finish his phrase, for both Vinyl and Octavia jumped at him, enveloping him in a bone-shattering hug.

"Thank you, Father," Octavia whispered, nuzzling the stallion - a show of affection that she would usually hide.

"Thank you, Alexandro!" Vinyl exclaimed. "You don't understand how much that means for us!"

"Oh, but I do." Alexandro chuckled and stood up, freeing himself from the embrace. "I'll leave you two to gather your possessions while I make some necessary arrangements." With that, he winked and left the dining room, leaving the mares alone.

As the door closed behind him, Vinyl dragged Octavia into a passionate kiss, which the cellist gladly returned. They couldn't remember when they'd shared such a fervent kiss last, but it didn't matter now. What did matter was the fact that more would follow, now uninterrupted by anything, or anypony. They were free in expressing their feelings, and that was all they needed now.

"Things are looking up, Tavi," Vinyl whispered softly as they broke the kiss, stroking Octavia's gorgeous black mane, while the grey mare nodded happily. The sun peeked into the room, embracing the two lovers, warming them up, making them put their problems and struggles into the deep nooks of their mind and concentrate on the present. And the present looked bright, as did the future.

"Things are looking up."

On the Sunny Side of the Street

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twenty-Nine

On the Sunny Side of the Street

***

The sky chariot pierced the clouds, reflecting the glorious sunlight. The everpresent cloud curtain was broken, and light began streaming through the opening. Vinyl and Octavia lay on a pile of comfortable cushions, the cellist's head placed in her mare's lap as the pianist played with the grey pony's mane, brushing it and stroking it, and running her hoof through it, lost in the sensation.

"You know, it was very nice of your father to give us a carriage, and a flat, and some money," Vinyl said, tossing Octavia's mane. "I mean, it would take a long time for us to find a place to live," she explained, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, even though she honestly felt that, despite Alexandro being Octavia's father, he treated her, Vinyl, as his own daughter. And that felt... good. Unusual, but very, very good. The pianist was finally able to experience the wonderful feeling of being cared for, and cared about; of being part of a family, a real family. She felt slightly guilty for having felt envious before; she had envied Octavia in a way, knowing that she had a caring father, and a loving mother... Not any more, Vinyl reminded herself. The guilt had faded the instant Sofia's coffin entered the wet soil - her last refuge, the shelter keeping the dead safe from the world of the living, the ultimate frontier...

Vinyl shook her head violently. There was no place for such thoughts in her head, especially now that Octavia was feeling happy, for the first time since the terrible event.

"Yes, he's a very nice pony," Octavia replied, stretching lazily. "It's so great to have some freedom at last," she added with a smile.

"Sure," Vinyl replied. "Hey, you know what that means?" she asked suddenly, a wide grin hitting her face.

"Mmhm?" the cellist purred, bathing in the feeling of her lover's hoof stroking her mane.

"We can freely make out in the streets now!" the pianist exclaimed triumphantly.

"Vinyl!" Octavia blushed in embarrassment. "Even though it's legal now, I'm still not an exhibitionist!" she retorted, unwanted (wanted?) images filling her head.

The white unicorn shrugged. "Dunno what that word means, but hey, we should at least try!"

Octavia groaned and facehoofed. "I'll totally buy you a dictionary once we get to Los Pegasus," she grunted, not able, however, to be angry with her mare, chuckling mentally.

"Yeah..." Vinyl scratched the back of her head sheepishly, an unspoken question frozen on her lips. Come on, Vinyl... It's just a question... "So... kinda cool they legalised single-sex marriage, eh?" She began drawing circles with her hoof in Octavia's mane idly, her heart racing.

Octavia's mind froze for a second. Is she... Is she trying to...? "Yes..." The cellist avoided looking into the white mare's eyes, her heart rate increasing dramatically as well. "That's... great..." She blushed a little. Great, Octavia. When *the** moment comes, you can't even form your thoughts properly...*

"Yeah..." Vinyl chuckled. Amazing, Vinyl. Couldn't you have chosen a better place and time to propose? she thought, the last word hitting her like a tidal wave. "Tavi," she said very seriously, making the grey mare look into her eyes directly, concern and undying love shining in them. "I've known you only for a short time, but I know one thing." She coughed, trying to gather her courage. "Every time I see you, my heart explodes. Every time we kiss, I know I will never want to kiss any other lips in my entire life. When we-"

"Los Pegasus!" the pegasus, who'd been pulling the chariot, announced, interrupting the two mares. "Miss Philarmonica, Miss Scratch, we've arrived."

Damn it! Vinyl frowned. Thanks for ruining the moment. She glared at the pegasus, but took her luggage nevertheless. "Let's go, Tavi," she said. "We'll... talk about it later."

"Sure." The cellist nodded. "We've got all the time in the world. We can talk... later," she said, adding mentally, When we're both more prepared.

The mares left the chariot, avoiding looking at each other, their faces hot, their hearts racing at full speed in unison. They took a few hesitant steps forward, and finally glanced at each other. All of a sudden, they burst into laughter.

"Yeah..." Vinyl scratched the back of her head, chuckling. "I'm a real master of choosing the right time for everything..." she said sarcastically.

"Don't worry, Vinyl." Octavia kissed her mare on the horn, smiling. "I know what you were trying to say..." She looked up to the sky. "You know, we really need to save this talk for later..." She winked at the embarrassed pianist. "When you've prepared the ring."

Vinyl's mouth fell agape as her cellist walked past her, brushing her face with her beautiful black tail. Damn it, Tavi, you're *such** a teaser!* she thought, grinning widely. But she didn't say yes yet... Vinyl rubbed her chin. Well, that only means I totally have to invest in a ring... and a dictionary, she concluded, her spirits high, trotting after her mare.

***

"Wow."

Vinyl looked around the flat, her mouth open, no matter how hard she tried to close it. "Wow," she repeated, eyeing the spacious living room, whose general brown colouring was accentuated by dark red curtains, which let no light in, nor did they let any light out. And the light was glorious indeed: just a few light bulbs provided the whole room with a show of colour that reflected off the elaborately decorated furniture. A majestic red sofa crowned the composition, standing royally in the middle of the room, its back propped against the opposite wall.

"That's... That's a hell of a flat," the unicorn admitted, all thoughts in her mind replaced with a feeling of awe and admiration. I wonder where Alexandro got such an amazing flat... she mused, her eyes drifting aimlessly about the room. Marefia, Vinyl, she answered her own question. Serious business.

Octavia smirked proudly, putting the keys on the small table by the door. "That's not the only room, Vinyl," she said, a grin playing upon her lips. "This is only the living room. There's also a bedroom, a kitchen, and two separate bathrooms," the grey pony carried on, remembering the last time her father had taken her here when she was just a little filly. Unfortunately, her mother hadn't been able to make it here back then...

"But I'm sure we'll need only one bathroom..." Vinyl said in a sultry tone, moving closer to the cellist, whose face flushed the next instant. "And hey, a separate room just for making music?.." the pianist emphasised the last two words as she began planting small kisses on her mare's neck.

"Vinyl..." Octavia began panting slightly, trying to hold her arousal at bay. "The bedroom's not just for..." Oh sweet Celestia it feels so good!

"Oh, is it so?" Vinyl began nibbling on the mare's neck, while her hoof was massaging her cellist's flank. "Well, we can make love right here on the sofa..." Vinyl nibbled on her mare's ear. "Right no-"

A loud knock at the door interrupted the two lovers, eliciting disapproving groans from both Vinyl and Octavia. Of all the times somepony would knock... the cellist thought with a frown, trotting towards the door.

When she opened it, she saw two mares on the doorstep: a mint unicorn, who was wearing a grey hat for some reason, and a cream-coloured earth pony with a peculiar blue mane with pink streaks... or was it pink with blue streaks?

"Hello, new neighbours!" the unicorn exclaimed cheerfully, waving her hoof in the air.

"Erm... Hi?" Octavia blinked, watching the two mares enter their flat unceremoniously.

"Hi," Vinyl said, slightly taken aback herself.

"My name's Lyra," the mint unicorn said, taking off her hat, and pointed her hoof at the cream-coloured earth pony, who bowed her head. "This is my wife, Bon-Bon."

Octavia blinked again, her brain trying to process the information. Wife?.. As in...

"But... you're both mares," she said with a little blush, immediately scolding herself for such a straightforward approach.

"So what?" the unicorn snapped suddenly. "Got a problem with that, sexy flank?"

"Hey!" Vinyl exclaimed, glaring daggers at the mint mare. "She's my sexy flank!" The pianist put her hoof around Octavia's neck protectively.

A grin appeared on Lyra's face. "Told you, Bonnie," she addressed the cream-coloured mare with a wink. "Gets 'em every time." She turned towards the two confused musical ponies. "Sorry for such straightforwardness. Bon-Bon and I just wanted to know if our neighbours were open towards our relationship, that's all," she explained. "I meant no offence; it's just better to know where your new neighbours stand on the matter as soon as possible, especially concerning how many haters there are around." She winked at Vinyl. "But now I see you've no problems with gay ponies, given that you two are in a relationship yourselves..."

"Heh, yeah, we are..." Vinyl scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

"We are," Octavia said, extending her hoof. "And it's always good to make some new friends."

Lyra shook the grey hoof with a smile. "Something tells me we'll get along," she said, now shaking Vinyl's hoof as Octavia and Bon-Bon exchanged the same gesture.

"As long as you can put up with Lyra's strange behaviour," the cream-coloured pony said. "Even I can't always predict what that mare will do the next moment."

"Same here." Octavia nodded in Vinyl's direction, exchanging an understanding look with Bon-Bon, smiling at the new neighbours. "Tea?"

Vinyl and Lyra nodded eagerly, warming towards each other as it had been made clear that the mares meant no ill intentions towards each other.

Bon-Bon smiled and nodded slightly.

"That would be lovely."

Happy Days Are Here Again

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Thirty

Happy Days Are Here Again

***

"So, how long have you two been living here?" Vinyl broke the comfortable silence that had enclosed the small cosy kitchen as the four mares were drinking their tea.

"Four years," Bon-Bon replied, placing a lump of sugar into her cup. "We moved here from Ponyville." The cream-coloured pony closed her eyes with a smile. "The place we met." She cast a loving glance towards her wife, who smiled in return.

"Yeah, Ponyville's a nice place," Lyra admitted, taking a pack of cigarettes out of her saddlebags. "Mind if I have a smoke?" she enquired, eyeing the grey earth pony, who simply shrugged.

"So long as Vinyl's okay with it," Octavia said, moving a conveniently placed ashtray closer to the mint unicorn. The pianist nodded, and Lyra lit a cigarette, inhaling the smoke blissfully.

"Honey, smoking so much is bad for your health," Bon-Bon scolded her mare disapprovingly, pouring herself another cup of tea.

Lyra took a deep puff and grinned. "You know what else is bad for your health?" She pointed at the lump of sugar Bon-Bon was holding, ready to put it into the cup. "Eating so much sugar. I swear, Bonnie, if you keep eating so much sweet stuff, your flank is gonna get bigger and bigger till you cannot move." The mint unicorn smirked at the blushing earth pony, while Vinyl and Octavia exchanged confused looks.

"Well, our neighbours are definitely pretty blunt," the grey mare mouthed to her marefriend, who nodded in agreement.

"Oh, Lyra, dear, don't tell me you don't like my flank~" Bon-Bon cooed, swishing her tail across Lyra's face, eliciting a squeak from the mint mare.

"No, I mean, yes, I like your flank..." Lyra dropped her cigarette into the ashtray, her mouth hung wide open as her wife got up, wiggling her flanks right before her eyes.

Octavia and Vinyl exchanged embarrassed looks at the sudden show of affection from their neighbours, their faces turning red simultaneously.

"Hehe, guys?" Vinyl waved a hoof in the air, trying to draw the mares' attention, as they looked into each other's half-closed eyes, exchanging sly grins. "Could you save it for the bedroom?" she asked with an uneasy chuckle, her face hot as she eyed Octavia from the corner of her eye, seeing her mare blushing deeply as well.

"Oh, sorry." Lyra blinked as she snapped into reality. "I guess we kinda... forgot ourselves..." She chuckled, a little blush covering her face.

"Sorry," Bon-Bon said, shaking her head. "Just... we've been married for a mere day, and, well..." Before she could continue, Octavia interrupted her politely.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" The grey pony let out a fake laugh, trying to change the topic of the discussion. "Vinyl and I have read about you in the newspaper, and, well, we were..." She looked at her mare for support.

"Totally shocked," the pianist supplied. "In a good way, though. It's cool that mares like us can... well, get married..." She averted her gaze to avoid looking at Octavia, who did the same, remembering their previous... discussion.

Why didn't I say yes at once? Octavia chided herself. Now I have to wait till Vinyl gathers her courage again... or... I can propose first?..

"Yes, that's awesome." Lyra nodded, inspecting the now-deceased cigarette. "I mean, annulling the damn filly-fooling law and legalising single-sex marriage at the same time? Gimme two!" she exclaimed, making Bon-Bon mumble something about "foalish behaviour".

"It came as a surprise, actually," Lyra carried on, lighting another cigarette, letting the smoke flow freely about the room. "The thing is, Bonnie and I have been dating for so long that we have considered our relationship some kind of that of a married couple. Despite the laws and stuff, we never hid our feelings," she said with a warm smile.

"It shows..." Vinyl mumbled, exchanging a knowing look with Octavia, who nodded, hearing her mare's remark.

"Ponies have usually been quite tolerant around here," the mint unicorn continued, rings of white smoke escaping her mouth. "I mean, we have never been threatened here, contrary to Ponyville. So when the news came, I said, 'Bonnie, are you thinking what I'm thinking?', and she said, 'Yes, honey, I think so,' and then we went to the registry office and damn, you should have seen the look on the receptionist's face! And then all those journalists appeared from nowhere, and hey, we're the first same-sex couple to get married in this country!" Lyra threw her hoof in the air victoriously. "Ain't that something? Oh, and we totally made out right there in the registry office," she concluded with a proud smirk, while Bon-Bon blushed and facehoofed, muttering something under her breath, something, which, to Octavia and Vinyl's ears, included the words "strangle" and "Lyra".

"Told you it would be all right to make out in public!" Vinyl exclaimed, turning to Octavia, supporting her statement with an assuring hoof gesture.

"Vinyl!" The cellist blushed deeply, quickly turning towards Lyra and Bon-Bon. "You must forgive my marefriend, she can be-"

"No, that's okay!" Lyra interrupted her. "It would be kinda hot, you know?" She winked at the grey pony, immediately receiving a blow upon her head from Bon-Bon.

"Ouch!" Lyra winced. "What was that for?" the unicorn whined.

"You know very well," Bon-Bon responded in a calm tone, making Octavia stare at her with respect. I guess I could pick up a few things from Bon-Bon... in case Vinyl gets out of hoof... she mused, casting a side glance at her mare, who was laughing light-heartedly.

"Oh, guys, you're amazing!" Vinyl chuckled one last time, wiping a tear off her eye. "We should totally hang out sometime!" she suggested, receiving a nod of approval from Octavia.

"How about tonight?" Lyra suggested. "It's New Year's Day tomorrow, after all!" She turned to face her wife, who smiled, nodding.

"It would be lovely to spend the New Year's Eve with you two," the cream-coloured mare said softly.

"Sure!" Octavia exclaimed. Damn it, how could I have forgotten about the New Year! She looked at Vinyl, who was nodding vigorously, but sheepishly at the same time. I guess I'm not the only one here...

"Yeah, it would be great to meet the New Year with you," the pianist agreed. "But we still need to do some unpacking stuff..."

"Oh, sure thing!" Bon-Bon nudged Lyra with a hoof. "Honey, let's go, lest we interrupt Octavia and Vinyl."

The mint unicorn obeyed, trotting after her wife. As they left hastily, the two musical ponies could still hear Lyra's muffled whisper, "I swear, they just made an excuse to rut each other till they can't stand straight!"

Octavia's face flushed as she exchanged an embarrassed glance with Vinyl, whose face had turned a deep shade of crimson as well.

"You know..." Vinyl drew a circle on the table with her hoof as Octavia cleaned the ashtray. "She may have a point..."

Vengeance came swiftly as Octavia developed a well-placed blow down the pianist's head, her facial expression unwavering.

"Hey, Tavi, what was that for?" Vinyl whined, rubbing the back of her head. "I thought-"

"That was..." Octavia said as she approached her mare and dragged her into a kiss. "...For not bringing it up earlier," she finished with a sly grin, breaking the kiss. "There's plenty of time till the evening and we've not very much things and- Vinyl, what are you doing?!"

But the pianist was no longer able to put up with her mare's chatty mouth being... unoccupied. She levitated the grey pony, placing her onto the sofa, climbing after her, drawing the curtains and flicking off the light.

Blue Moon

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Thirty-One

Blue Moon

***

Octavia and Vinyl stood before a plain wooden door, the one next to the one leading to their own flat. The cellist was wearing her favourite pink bow tie, while the pianist had chosen to appear in her usual purple goggles that were shielding her "beautiful, mesmerising" red eyes, as Octavia would have said. Sure, Vinyl wasn't the pony to possess a wide vocabulary, but at least she knew how to appreciate one.

"Okay, how do I look?" the cellist asked nervously, touching her bow tie and running a hoof through her neatly combed mane. I really want to make an impression on our new neighbours...

"Marvellous," Vinyl replied, throwing a hoof around her mare's neck. She leaned in closer. "So marvellous I could take you right here, right now..."

Octavia blushed deeply and freed herself of the pianist's grasp. "I'm flattered, really, but if I may remind you, we did... 'it' a few hours ago," she whispered, tossing her mane.

"Hi, neighbours!" Lyra's voice interrupted them as she swung the door wide open, revealing a beautifully decorated, albeit not as elaborately as Vinyl and Octavia's, flat. The outlining was the same, that is, a living room; a bedroom, the door leading to which was conveniently locked beforehand; and a small kitchen which now was lacking one of its main pieces of furniture - the table.

Instead, the round table was occupying its regal place in the middle of the living room, a bright red tablecloth covering it. A single candle was adorning the table, with four plated surrounding it.

"Hi," Vinyl replied, waving a hoof. "We were just about to knock-"

"No, that's all right." Lyra waved her hoof dismissingly. "We have heard you talking," she carried on, letting the two musical ponies in, just as Bon-Bon trotted out of the kitchen, holding a tray in her mouth. Lyra winked at Vinyl, closing the door. "You know, you two can be reeeeally loud at times." She smirked, nudging the white mare, adding, "If you know what I mean..."

Octavia's jaw would have certainly hit the floor by this point, were it not for the equine physiology. Vinyl opened her mouth, her face now resembling the tablecloth in colour, but no sounds came out. The walls aren't soundproof here, are they? the pianist thought, facehoofing mentally.

Am I really... *that** loud in bed?..* the cellist thought in embarrassment, shifting from hoof to hoof as she watched Bon-Bon place the tray onto the table.

"Lyra, would you please so kindly stop embarrassing our new neighbours, thank you very much," the cream-coloured mare said with a frown, trotting towards the guests, extending her hoof.

"Aw, come on, Bonnie, I was just saying that some mares can be realy loud in be-" the mint unicorn began, but a swift kick from her wife interrupted her, just as Bon-Bon's face expression turned steely and cold.

"As if you are the one to talk," she scolded her mare, much to Lyra's embarrassment, and giggling of Octavia and Vinyl. "Now." The cream-coloured mare pointed at the table. "Would you please proceed to table to have our dinner?"

Vinyl and Octavia exchanged satisfactory looks. They didn't need to be asked twice - with cheerful nods, they occupied adjacent chairs at table, just as Bon-Bon and Lyra sat down opposite them.

"So, what's for dinner?" Vinyl asked, eagerly rubbing her hooves together. Hay, I'm starving!

Octavia groaned and facehoofed. So much for good manners... she thought, trying to send her mare a scolding look, which, however, was lost on the white unicorn as Bon-Bon chuckled and lifted the cover that had been concealing the dish.

"Spaghetti with tomato sauce and a hint of garlic," the cream-coloured mare replied, pride evident in her voice. She placed a portion onto each plate, deliberately making sure that Lyra's would be the least.

"Oh!" Octavia's face lit up as she tasted the wonderful treat. "It reminds me so much of my mother's Scoltcilian recipe!" she exclaimed before realising what exactly she had just said.

"I take it your mother's a wonderful cook, in this case," Lyra replied with a smile, complimenting both her wife and the grey earth pony.

The cellist's face faded a little. "She... She's dead."

Silence hung in the room for a few moments, uneasy silence that wasn't interrupted by any sound - the worst kind of silence.

"I'm sorry," Bon-Bon finally said, her mind reeling as she desperately tried to find any other topic to focus on. "Um... pardon my asking, but what are your current occupations? I can say, judging by your cutie marks, that they are connected to music, just as Lyra's." She smiled warmly at her mare, who blew her a kiss.

"Well, about that..." Vinyl scratched the back of her head sheepishly, receiving an encouraging nod from Octavia. "You see, back in Manehattan, I used to be a jazz pianist, while Tavi used to be a cellist for the Royal Orchestra..."

Bon-Bon gasped upon hearing the two magical words - Royal Orchestra, but knew better than to interrupt a pony while they're speaking.

"But when Tavi discovered her love for jazz, and, well, me," Vinyl chuckled, while Octavia blushed slightly, "those bastards fired her, and, well, now we both are jobless musicians, given the fact that our city's taken by the Griffins," she concluded with an uneasy smile.

To her surprise, Lyra's face lit up with excitement, her eyes shining.

"So you are jazz musicians?!" she exclaimed, clapping her hooves together. "I have been looking for jazz musicians, like, forever! So, piano and cello, is it?"

Vinyl and Octavia exchanged worried looks. "Um... yes..." Vinyl replied for both of them.

"Lyra runs a record label," Bon-Bon cleared the confusion. "Mostly recording blues, up to this point, but she's been looking for jazz musicians high and low lately."

"Yes, just because I can't play jazz myself doesn't mean I can't appreciate it!" Lyra exclaimed defensively, although nopony had meant any offence to her.

"Lyra's playing a lyre, and is very sensitive when it comes down to discussing what she can and can't do with it," Bon-Bon explained again.

"Yes, because you just can't play jazz with a lyre, you know?" Lyra said sadly, looking down at her meal.

"Hey, cheer up!" Vinyl said, winking at the mint unicorn. "Any instrument is suitable for jazz," she assured Lyra. "You just need to drive into it."

Octavia smiled, nodding in agreement with her mare. Thanks to Vinyl, she had learned what it truly meant to drive into jazz, become a part of it and let it become a part of you.

"Thanks, I guess." Lyra shrugged and raised her glass, eyeing the wine inside with a frown. "Bonnie, don't you have some harder stuff?" she asked, hope shining in her voice. "Just because you run a sweets shop, you don't need to make all the drinks you place on the table so sweet and mild."

"I second that motion," Vinyl said softly, receiving a cold glare from Octavia, who took a sip of wine delicately.

"Mmm... Is that Bordeaux, 1928?" the cellist wondered, smiling at Bon-Bon, who rose from her seat to get "some harder stuff" for Lyra... and Vinyl, apparently.

In a moment, the cream-coloured mare returned from the kitchen with a bottle of whisky, which she immediately put on the table, much to Lyra and Vinyl's delight.

"1898, actually," Bon-Bon replied to Octavia's question, sitting down at table next to Lyra once more.

"Wow." Octavia blinked in awe. You can afford it? she thought, knowing better, however, than to voice her unspoken question. She had tasted such wine only at her father's house, and only on special occasions...

"Yeah, we aren't exactly poor," Lyra said to Octavia with a wink, pouring whisky into her and Vinyl's glasses. "Chin-chin!" she exclaimed, raising the glass.

"Chin-chin!" Vinyl repeated cheerfully. "Although I don't know what that means," she admitted, however, raising her glass as well.

Bon-Bon and Octavia groaned and facehoofed in unison. Octavia looked at her mare, who downed the glass like it was pure water. And it's just the first one... she thought with a sigh, shaking her head.

***

"And then Bonnie said, 'Lyra, honey, I like your horn just like my whisky: hard and-'" Lyra began in what seemed to her a hushed tone, Vinyl listening eagerly and giggling.

"Lyra!" the cream-coloured mare exclaimed, shoving a hoof into the mint unicorn's mouth, blushing fiercely. "That's enough!" She turned towards Octavia and chuckled sheepishly. "What do you say we call it a day? I need a certain mare to talk to..." Bon-Bon glared at the visibly drunk Lyra, who waved her hoof and hiccupped.

Saying their goodbyes, Vinyl and Octavia rose from their seats and trotted out of the flat quickly, lest they be caught up in the middle of the upcoming... storm, so to speak.

Lyra's muffled cries could be heard as Octavia opened the door of their flat - their new flat, their own new flat. She chuckled and shook her head. Those two ponies... She let out a content sigh. It's true that you can find such good friends... only once in a blue moon.

"Say, Vinyl, we're really lucky to have such good neighbours, aren't we?" Octavia opened the door and almost entered the flat when she noticed that Vinyl was in stupor, lost in thought.

"Yeah... Say, Tavi..." the unicorn said slowly, alcohol making her mind weary and her phrasing prolonged. "How do you like my horn?" The pianist smirked, moving slowly towards the grey mare.

Octavia blushed fiercely. "Vinyl, you're drunk, and I-" she began, but Vinyl leaned closer and whispered something into her ear.

Oh. Oh my. Octavia's eyes widened as not only her face, but her whole body flushed, her mind already picturing some... scenes of what Vinyl had just suggested.

"How about that?" Vinyl winked. "And hey, I'm not even drunk. Just a little tipsy." In proof of her words, she closed her eyes and touched her nose with a hoof.

"Well..." Octavia grinned slyly, totally getting into the mood. "I guess... that can be arranged..."

With that, the two musical mares trotted into the flat, closing the door behind them.

Midnight Sun

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Thirty-Three

Midnight Sun

***

"Pass."

"Hit me."

"With pleasure, Vinyl."

"Hey, Tavi! Gimme a card, I mean!"

The blackjack game was in progress as the sun slowly crawled down the sky, towards its cosy bed at the horizon. Lyra and Bon-Bon's flat was extremely cosy and the atmosphere was pleasant, save for the cigar smoke that was coming from Lyra's side.

"Shall we show our hooves?" Bon-Bon asked, confident in her victory. None of the ponies really knew the rules, but each one of them knew: the closer your score was to twenty-one, the better.

"Sure, hon." Lyra threw her cards on the table with a grin. "Nineteen, babies!"

Vinyl planted her face into the table with a groan. "Twelve," she mumbled, displeased with the whole concept of the game.

Bon-Bon smiled and revealed her game.

Lyra gasped in disbelief. "Twenty?!" She threw her hooves around the cream-coloured mare's neck, dragging her into an embrace. "Bonnie, you're awesome!"

"Yes, I know," Bon-Bon agreed, freeing herself from her wife's grasp. "At least I bring some money to our household."

Octavia coughed and gently placed her cards on the table, slowly turning them.

Lyra and Bon-Bon gasped at the same time, making Vinyl raise her head and look at her lover, first, and then at the cards.

"Twenty-one," Octavia said softly and grabbed the pile of bits that had been in the kitty.

Vinyl grinned and her goggles flashed, reflecting the artificial light of the lamp. "Yes, fillies, my Tavi's amazing like that," she said with a slight artistic bow.

"More like your 'Octy', eh?" Lyra winked at the white unicorn, laughing.

"Vinyl, you didn't!" Octavia yelled.

"She didn't," the mint unicorn calmed her instantly. "Just... the walls aren't exactly soundproof, you know?"

Octavia groaned and mumbled something about trimming the walls while Vinyl blushed fiercely and sent the mint unicorn a scolding look.

"Oh, before I forget..." Lyra took out a bag of bits from her saddlebags. "Here's your pay."

Octavia eyed the bag suspiciously. "For what?" she asked, looking at the unicorn.

"The recording, of course!" Lyra exclaimed and moved the bag closer to the cellist. "Also contains your share from the sales." She grinned victoriously. "It's been only what, a week? And I've already sold ten thousand copies of your single. Time to make a full album, you know?" she suggested.

Vinyl shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. What do you say, Tavi?" she addressed her mare, who rubbed her chin.

"Well, I don't see a reason why we shouldn't." She opened the bag and her mouth fell agape. "Seven hundred bits?! For a single recording session?!" She lifted her head, her gaze meeting Lyra's. The mint unicorn shrugged idly.

"Yeah, I know that's not much." She smiled apologetically. "But I really didn't ask much for a copy of your recording, given it's a single, and your first one at it. Of course, the next one will cost twice as much!" she quickly assured the musical ponies.

"Not much?!" Vinyl exclaimed, no longer able to restrain herself. "Lyra, that's what I used to earn for half a year of daily work!" She looked at the mint pony in disbelief. "Are you sure this money is ours?"

Lyra nodded as Octavia placed the bag into her saddlebag, surprised as well. Sure, she was used to prosperity, given her birth, but... this all seemed very surreal. Seven hundred bits was a huge sum of money, after all.

"Then we need to celebrate!" Vinl exclaimed, throwing her hoof in the air.

"How about a foursome?" Lyra suggested with a sly grin, immediately receiving a punishing slap from her wife.

Vinyl rubbed her chin. "Hmm... Now that I think about it... Ouch, Tavi!" She rubbed her forehead that had been hit by the grey hoof of justice. "You ponies are no fun... All right!" The pianist quickly regained her cheerful mood, remembering that Octavia and she, in fact, had just got relatively rich. "To the tavern, then!"

With that, the white pony stood up, her hoof high in the air, pointing at the door. In a moment, she was already trotting out of the door, accompanied by her groaning marefriend. In a moment, Lyra and Bon-Bon followed as well.

***

The band played really well, Octavia noted as she sat at table with her mare and their neighbours, sipping wine. The little jazz bar wasn't exactly a clean place, but it wasn't a dirty pub either. It was just the perfect place for jazz, and the quartet really did contribute to the atmoshere.

She looked at the small stage lit by neon lights - a rather new invention, at the time. The quartet was no doubt led by the pianist, who sat at his piano royally, his hat covering his short mane, while his black coat shone in the light, adding a hint of mystery to the musician. The saxophonist supported the melodious part really well, while the drummer, a rather large bearded stallion, kept the beat lively and pulsating. The bassist, whose glasses surely didn't break the general image of bad-flankness (Octavia considered adding this word to her vocabulary), was supporting the song with short, rhythmic passages, filling empty spaces in the crazy improvisation frenzy.

"They sound really good, don't they?" Vinyl asked her mare, tapping her on the shoulder.

Octavia blinked and turned around, facing the white pianist with a smile. "Yes, they are." She planted a little kiss onto the mare's forehead, making her blush. "But you're still my favourite pianist."

Ponies who saw the little show of affection smiled; some shook their heads with an occasional chuckle; some exchanged a word with their friends; but none of them frowned in disgust, or stood and walked away, or said something about the indecency of filly-fooling. This was a great relief for both Vinyl and Octavia, especially after Manehattan.

Seeing that there was nothing wrong with showing their feelings in public, Vinyl leaned in and pecked Octavia on the cheek softly, whispering in her ear, "And you're always my favourite cellist." Not that I know any other cellists who can play jazz... But that doesn't matter. Tavi's the best of the best, she concluded firmly, bathing in her love towards her mare.

Bon-Bon and Lyra exchanged knowing looks. "Reminds me so much of us some half a year ago," Bon-Bon said to her wife, who nodded and leaned in to whisper something in the cream-coloured ear, which immediately turned red.

"Yes, I do remember that one time," Bon-Bon whispered to Lyra. "But..." She was, however, silenced with a deep kiss from her mare the next instant. In a few minutes of hushed whispers after breaking the kiss, the mares stood up, Lyra grinning widely and Bon-Bon blushing fiercely.

"We... Need to leave you for a moment," the cream-coloured mare said to Vinyl and Octavia, who nodded idly, enthralled by the performance of the quartet, which, by now, had reached the point where the piano and the sax fell silent, while the bassist sweated himself out, playing the hardest passages and harmonies, keeping the rhythm at the same time. His eyes were blissfully closed, his tense hoof ran up and down the long neck of the instrument.

Suddenly, he screamed in pain, collapsing to his knees, holding his left hoof with his right one. Apparently, his hoof was strained, and he couldn't play any more. The pianist, who was standing nearby, tapping his hoof to the rhythm (a very peculiar and unique manner, Octavia noted; while he wasn't playing, he wasn't just sitting at his instrument idly, but instead bathed in the music), now ran up to his fellow musician, bending over him.

The audience began talking in hushed whispers; the drummer looked ready to stop playing at any moment.

"The show's over," Vinyl said sadly. "Poor guy; he was playing so damn well..."

No! a voice screamed in Octavia's head. Will you really let the music die, Octavia? The grey pony shook her head in determination. "The show will go on," she whispered and got up, quickly galloping towards the fallen instrument.

She took the bass up, waving at the drummer to keep the rhythm, and ran her hoof across the neck, much to the surprise of the band, of her mare, and, to be honest, of herself. Come on, Octavia, she told herself. It's a double bass; just like a big cello. Feel the rhythm and play.

She took a few experimental plucks at the strings. Yes, they were sturdier than cello strings, but similar. She played a few scales, just to drive into the instrument. Then, with a smile, she started off with a plain, but tasty, rhythm, which was soon supported by the sound of sax and piano. She cast a side glance to the bassist, who was sitting on the floor in awe, his mouth agape, as he eyed her. He even seemed to have forgotten about the pain, looking at how well his instrument was treated by a complete stranger.

Octavia played on and on, fully involved in the wonderful feeling of being part of the music. Bon-Bon and Lyra returned to the table, but Vinyl didn't notice them: she was looking at her mare, her red eyes shining with tears behind her goggles, her very soul reaching out to Octavia.

She turned around for a moment, only to see Lyra and Bon-Bon stare at the stage in confusion and amazement. She took off her goggles and met their looks.

No matter what would happen in the future, she was sure only of one thing.

"I'm totally gonna marry her."

Strangers in the Night

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Thirty-Four

Strangers in the Night

***

"...And I'll buy a Fendmare Stratocoltster," Vinyl carried on with her list of "Things we need to buy as soon as possible", while Octavia lay by her side in their spacious bed, giggling at her mare's excitement.

"I thought you hated Fendmares," the cellist chimed in mockingly, raising her brow.

"And then we'll buy a white grand..." the unicorn continued dreamily, not listening to her mare's remarks. "And we'll buy you an amazing cello... A Coltivarius, maybe?"

"Coltivarius made violins, not cellos," the grey mare retorted with a sigh. I wonder if Vinyl will stop geeking out just because we have so much money...

A few weeks had passed since they had recorded their first single; now they were in the process of recording a full album and at the moment both mares were lying on their bed, thinking about the possible song titles; however, the discussion soon changed into a "What we'll buy when the album's done" talk.

"Whatever." Vinyl shrugged idly. "And then we totally need to buy- Mhmmmfmfm!"

Alas, Octavia was in no mood of listening to her marefriend's nonsense and simply decided to shut her up with a deep kiss. Needless to say, the cellist succeeded as Vinyl returned the kiss eagerly. Rolling in bed, they kept tongue-wrestling for minutes that seemed more like hours; but they broke the kiss eventually.

"Mmhm, Tavi, you're still good," Vinyl said, fires of mockery dancing in her eyes. "Not getting old at all." She winked at her mare, who met her gaze with a unamused expression.

"Very funny, Vinyl." She faked a yawn. "And here I was, thinking about that foursome suggestion..." She drew a circle with her hoof on the blanket, flapping her eyelashes.

Vinyl coughed as her eyes widened a little. "Oh, come on, Tavi! You know that was a joke!" She relaxed a bit, seeing her mare giggle at her success at making the white unicorn embarrassed. "Besides, I'm sure Lyra will never let anypony else taste her Bon-Bon," Vinyl finished with a grin.

Octavia chuckled a little. Then, a sudden realisation hit the white mare. Taste... Bon-Bon... Like, *taste** her Bon-Bon...*

"Tavi..." Vinyl said in a stately manner, extending her hoof. "My shades, please."

Octavia blinked in lack of understanding. "But your goggles are-" she began, only to be interrupted by the white unicorn.

"No, Tavi. My shades."

Oh, her *special** shades...* The grey mare nodded in understanding, taking her mare's sunglasses from the nearby cabinet. She sighed as Vinyl took the shades solemnly. She's being "punny" again... Of all the mares in Equestria, I fell for this one...

Vinyl cleared her throat audibly. "Tavi, did you get it?" Receiving a nod from her mare, the pianist carried on. "Lyra won't let anypony taste her Bon-Bon." Vinyl put the shades on in a rough, swift motion. "AAAAWWW YEEEEEAAAH!!!"

Octavia facehoofed, watching her mare take off the shades as a stupid grin still remained on the white pony's face. She couldn't help but chuckle and pat her marefriend on the shoulder indulgently.

"You happy now?" she asked, planting small, sweet kisses upon the pianist's neck.

"Mmhm," Vinyl responded, closing her eyes in content.

Suddenly, loud, earth-shattering roars from the outside made the musical mares jump in surprise. Something was happening in the streets: they could hear ponies shouting, and loud music blaring from the speakers.

"A parade?" Vinyl wondered hopefully.

"Or..." Octavia didn't finish her grim speculation. They both knew that war could come to the West; and it could come to Los Pegasus. In fact, neither of them had paid any attention to the news lately, both being deeply involved in the creative process.

Vinyl gulped and met Octavia's slightly disheartened gaze with her own, which was burning with determination. "We need to go see for ourselves."

"Okay," the cellist agreed without hesitation, making Vinyl blink in amazement. She... She hasn't questioned my logic, she just... agreed with me. A warm feeling crawled into the pianist's chest. She trusts me, Vinyl concluded, following her mare out of the flat. She trusts me. And that's all that matters.

***

"AAAAAND NOW THE NEWS FOR THOSE WHO'VE JUST ARRRRIVED!" a voice reached Vinyl and Octavia's ears as they made their way through the thick crowd of cheering ponies. The park near their house was full of colourful equines, who were chatting with each other cheerfully, big smiles on their faces. Confused, the two musical mares squeezed through the crowd towards the improvised stage, on which a stallion in a black suit was standing, holding a microphone in his magical grip, his happy voice beaming across the park.

"THANKS TO OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS, THE WAR IS FINALLY OVER!" He paused, letting the ponies erupt in loud cheers. "HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS CELESTIA AND THE GRIFFIN EMPEROR HAVE SIGNED A PEACE TREATY, AND THE GRIFFIN TROOPS ARE HASTILY LEAVING OUR LAND!" The ponies began stomping their hooves in approval, whistling and yelling. Octavia and Vinyl exchanged confused, and hopeful looks. "MOREOVER, HER ROYAL HIGHNESS SENDS HER UNDYING GRATITUDE TO THE SPECIAL FORCES THAT HAD BEEN FORMED BY GAY PEGASI! SINCE THEY WERE THE DECISIVE FACTOR IN ACHIEVING VICTORY, FROM NOW ON, SINGLE-SEX MARRIAGE IS LEGAL IN ALL OF EQUESTRIA! SO, LET'S GIVE AN OVATION TO OUR FAVOURITE COLT-CUDDLERS AND FILLY-FOOLERS!"

Ponies all around began applauding and cheering, making Vinyl and Octavia blush intensely. It all seemed so... dream-like. So surreal. But at the same, it was all very real: the vernal breeze blowing through the park, the sound of stomping hooves, the warmth that the ponies' bodies radiated. The war was over. Octavia cast a glance at Vinyl, who nodded, understanding her mare immediately. The war was over. Once and for all.

Off in the distance, Octavia saw Lyra and Bon-Bon waving to the crowd sheepishly. She cast a glance at Vinyl, whose face was red by that time, her beautiful red eyes covered by the everpresent goggles. Oh no, not at a time like this, the cellist thought and, taking off the white mare's goggles, threw them on the ground, drawing her marefriend into a passionate kiss. Maybe for the first time in her life, she didn't care about anything else, or anypony else, in the world. All she cared about was the wonderful unicorn mare who had entered her life so quickly, and changed it so drastically.

Meanwhile, a white unicorn trotted onto the stage, met with a thunderous cheer from the crowd and occasional shrieks, mostly from the mares, but also from occasional stallions. His short black mane was neatly cut and his blue eyes were smiling. The announcer shouted proudly, "WELCOME... THE ONE AND ONLY... FRAAAANK SINEIGHTRA!"

Vinyl and Octavia broke the kiss to look at the stage. The white unicorn took the microphone and, waving his hoof at the crowd, began to sing, exchanging a few jokes with the audience beforehand.

The musical mares listened in awe as the performer sang, his vocal range far from impressive, but his voice sweet as honey, his swinging on the edge of failing; but every time he managed to keep the rhythm. Not saying a word, Vinyl extended her hoof, asking Octavia for a dance. The grey mare obliged, and they began to dance, moving slowly around the small patch of frozen ground that was available to them as the ponies around them stepped back, giving way to the two lovers.

Vinyl closed her eyes blissfully, slowly moving around, her hooves feeling the steady, calm rhythm of the song, while her heart was beating in tranquillity. As long as Octavia was with her, nothing else mattered.

She thought about what they had experienced together: the disgusting laws; the terrible addiction; death and misery; secrets and lies. But they'd overcome. They had overcome everything, side by side, together. Now, Vinyl could swear on her soul that she would spend the rest of her life with Octavia. She didn't need anypony else in the world; and, if everything around them one day lost meaning, turned against them or just collapsed into nothingness, she knew her heart would go on so long as Octavia was nearby.

It seemed to her that the song was written about them: they had been just strangers in the night, back in the small jazz bar in Manehattan. They had fallen in love, and now it was high time for a happily ever after. The war was gone; now, she had to take one last step towards eternal happiness...

"Tavi, will you marry me?"

The very moment Vinyl asked the question, the question that would forever seal their fate, the crowd erupted in a cheerful applause as the announcer began repeating the wonderful news for all the ponies who had just arrived.

"Can't hear you, love!" Octavia shouted, but immediately realised no sound escaped her lips; or, to be more precise, the crowd's cheers drowned her words. A frown crossed her lover's face, when suddenly, a thought crossed Vinyl's mind - it was visible on her face - and she galloped off towards the stage, leaving the dumbfounded Octavia wonder what her marefriend was up to.

Vinyl pushed ponies aside, not caring to apologise. She saw her goal, and nothing else mattered; she knew that she definitely had to reach the stage. One more step... She climbed onto the stage and, much to the surprise of the announcer, grabbed the microphone in a swift motion, holding it in her telekinetic grip.

"TAVI, WILL YOU MARRY ME?!" she shouted into the mic; the sound came out even louder, for the audience fell silent the second the white unicorn appeared on the stage. "Octavia Philarmonica, I love you will all of my heart, and I want to be by your side, from now on to eternity," she said, more calmly this time, her voice firm and determined. "Will you marry me?"

Silence fell upon the small park. Ponies exchanged confused glances, until one particular grey earth pony took off towards the stage, tears in her eyes preventing her from seeing decently. She cried, and smiled at the same time. Never in her life had she felt so happy. She ran onto the stage and enveloped her marefriend in a tight embrace, placing a passionate kiss onto her lips. Breaking the kiss in a second, she smiled as the announcer, who had surely driven into what was going on and offered her a microphone with a smile. But Octavia didn't need it. Looking into Vinyl's wonderful, mesmerising red eyes, she inhaled deeply and shouted on top of her lungs, letting passion fill her voice, which resonated all around the park, flowing onto the streets of Los Pegasus.

"YES, VINYL! YES, I WILL! YES! YES!"

With that, the mares united in a loving kiss, much to the glee of the audience, who, stomping their hooves, expressed their approval with loud cheers and yells. But Octavia didn't see or hear them; neither did Vinyl. Only the two of them existed at that moment. Only their love existed at that moment. And nothing else mattered.

A particular line of a particular song resonated in their heads, simultaneously, as their lips and tongues sealed the future they had just outlined for themselves, the future that was not only bright, but blinding with its brightness.

It turned out all right for strangers in the night... Two strangers in the night~

Epilogue

The Snow on Her Cheek

Epilogue

***

"Uh... My stomach is tingling," Octavia complained to Bon-Bon as the cream-coloured mare tightened the dress around the cellist's waist. If the saying went, "to have butterflies in one's stomach", then Octavia's butterflies were devouring her from the inside. Sweat was forming on her brow and she was gulping nervously every other second.

"Just relax, Octavia," the cream-coloured pony tried to calm her, inspecting the dress closely. "It is your wedding day, after all! You should be happy."

"I am." The cellist nodded, looking into the mirror. The white dress fitted her perfectly: the little streaks of grey merged with her coat beautifully and the red necklace she was wearing resembled Vinyl's eyes in colour. Vinyl... she thought about her maref- no, her fiancée and the nervous fit subsided a little. "Just... I'm really nervous. What... What if Vinyl... changes her mind? What if this was all a mistake?" she asked with fear in her voice, even though deep in her heart she knew it was not true.

Bon-Bon chuckled and shook her head. "You know very well that's not true. I asked myself the same questions on my wedding day. Tell me, Octavia," the cream-coloured mare pierced the cellist with her eyes. "Do you love Vinyl?"

"Of course I do!" Octavia exclaimed without hesitation, the answer coming from her very heart. "What a stupid question, Bon-Bon. I'm marrying her!"

Bon-Bon smiled, and a realisation suddenly dawned upon the grey earth pony. "I love her, and I'm marrying her." Octavia grinned. "I'm marrying her because I love her, and she loves me." Her mood skyrocketed in a matter of seconds. "And it is just the way it is meant to be," she concluded, her face shining with happiness.

"Now you get it!" Bon-Bon cheered. "Now let's go," she said, looking at the clock that was adorning the wall of the room, which the registry office had allowed them to use so kindly.

Octavia cast one last look about the room. The encouraging glare of the sun radiated off the walls, building a castle of confidence inside the cellist. She nodded and opened the door.

"Let's go," she said with determination. As she left the improvised dressing room with her best mare, she couldn't help but think, I wonder if Vinyl is doing all right...

***

"Grr! Can't... breathe!" Vinyl groaned as Lyra fixed the dress tightly around her waist.

"Well if somepony weren't so fat..." Lyra hissed back, wiping the sweat off her brow. The battle with the wedding dress was won, and the two ponies deserved some rest. The plain dressing room, or, to be exact, just room, was bathing in sunlight, as the sun shone brightly in the sky. As if it could be otherwise on such a perfect day... Vinyl mused, looking around.

"I wanted to wear a suit, anyway," Vinyl mumbled, trying to hide her nervousness behind fake disapprovement.

"Heh, keep tellin' me." Lyra waved her hoof in the air. "I told Bonnie the same, but she totally shouted at me that 'in no way would she allow her bride to wear anything other than a dress' on our wedding day," the mint unicorn perfectly copied her wife's accent and manner of speech, making the pianist chuckle a little.

A few moments of silence passed before Vinyl finally wondered, "Do you think Tavi is nervous, too?"

Lyra smirked and put a comforting hoof on the white mare's shoulder. "I think she's all right, and so should be you," she said with a smile. "I bet Bonnie and she are discussing our horns right now, or something." She winked at Vinyl, who blushed deeply. Would Tavi really... Not that there's anything wrong with that...

"C'mon, Vinyl. Time to get you hitched," the mint unicorn said finally, trotting towards the door.

Vinyl took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Well, today is the day, she told herself, trying to be calm and collected. Suddenly, an idea rushed to her mind.

"Hey, Lyra?"

"Yep?" the mint mare replied without looking back.

"My horn's longer." Vinyl grinned, leaving the room. "At least by an inch."

"Keep dreaming, my friend. Keep dreaming."

***

Octavia stood before the registry table, shifting from hoof to hoof uncomfortably. To her left was located an ensemble, mostly composed of brass and wind instruments. She didn't know those ponies - her father had hired them as soon as he'd heard about the occasion. He was here too - to her left, where he sat with Tom by his side, both of them surrounded by bodyguards. A hint of sadness crawled into the cellist's heart as she thought that Vinyl had no family members to witness the memorable occasion.

She shook her head in a determined manner. No. She was Vinyl's family now. And, in a matter of minutes, it would become official.

The trumpets blared as Vinyl and Lyra entered the short room, slowly moving towards the registry table. The ensemble played solemn, uplifting music as Octavia tossed a reassuring smile to her mare, receiving a similar smile in return. It wasn't jazz, but the music was still quite pleasant. In a few moments, Vinyl was standing by Octavia's side, her purple necklace fitting Octavia's eyes perfectly, while her own red eyes reflected in her mare's red necklace. She felt strangely naked without her goggles, Vinyl mused.

"Fillies and gentlecolts!" the blue unicorn mare behind the counter announced. "We have gathered here to watch a wonderful union be formed, a union that would last forever, a union that-" she coughed and paled a little as she saw Tom tap his hoof-watch with a hoof. "Aaaanyway! To cut the long story short, we are here to witness the wedding of Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Philarmonica. VInyl Scratch, do you-"

"I do!" Vinyl blurted out, interrupting the mare, her eyes wide, sweat pouring from her brow. Octavia couldn't help but chuckle at her mare's embarrassment.

"Ahem." The blue mare frowned. "Usually, ponies let me finish the oath before I can-"

"We can say the oaths ourselves," Octavia interrupted her politely, but coldly, her eyes flashing with a steely light for a second, sending shivers down the registry mare's spine. There is no way I'm letting her make fun of my Vinyl! Octavia thought with determination. Bon-Bon gasped, while Lyra's face broke into a grin. Alexandro smirked proudly, mouthing to Tom, loud enough for everypony to hear, "Philarmonica blood, Tom. I always said that blood was thicker than anything." Tom nodded in return, and Octavia began speaking.

"Vinyl Scratch," she said, her face plain and serious. It seemed so strange to address her lover by her full name, for once in her life. "All my life, I have been searching for something. Or, to be exact, somepony." Words didn't come easy, but the cellist decided to speak straight from her heart. "I have been searching for somepony to love, and for somepony who would love me. And then I met you. As fairy-talish as it may seem, I fell in love with you at first glance. The moment I met you at that wonderful jazz bar in Manehattan, I knew I would like to spend my whole life by your side.

"There have been difficulties in our relationship, but we fought them together, and we have overcome them together. Problems would stand in our way but they would never tear us apart. We have covered a long way together, and I want to stay with you till the day I die. Vinyl?" The white mare gulped as Octavia eyed her lovingly. "Do you agree to spend the rest of your life with me, in illness and health, in sorrow and happiness, till death do us part?"

Vinyl's red eyes filled with tears as she nodded softly. "I do." She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "Octavia Philarmonica," she began with a gulp. "I am not a very clever pony..." Octavia giggled a little into her hoof, and that filled the pianist with sudden determination. "And while I can't speak so... grandi- grand..."

"Grandiloquently," Lyra whispered into her ear.

"Gran-di-lo-quent-ly," Vinyl carried on with a soft blush. "I sure know what I feel, and I know you know it too. I have never had family, in the true sense of the word. But now..." She let a smile appear on her face. "I know that I have found my family. You are my family, Tavi. You are my mare. You are my life. You are the meaning behind my existence. We both know how much we had overcome together, and yes, Tavi, I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you." She chuckled. "You know I'm not a bad pony, but even if I somehow decide to sell my soul to the devil one day, I won't be able to - because my soul already belongs to you. I love you, Tavi." She cleared her throat. "Octavia, do you agree to spend the rest of your life with me, in illness and health, in sorrow and happiness, till death do us part?"

"I do," Octavia replied, her eyes teary. She was so happy; if she were to write a book, she wouldn't be able to express the wholeness of her feelings in words. There were just not enough words in the English language.

"You may exchange rings," the blue unicorn said with a sniff.

Lyra and Bon-Bon handed the rings simultaneously, and Vinyl and Octavia put them on each other's hooves. They looked more like bracelets, but at the moment, nopony cared. At the moment, the band played once again, after a period of silence, during which the oaths were spoken. At the moment, two lovers put their signatures onto a piece of paper and united in a passionate kiss.

At the moment, Tom wiped a tear off his eye, which didn't go unnoticed by Alexandro.

"What's the matter, Tom?" the older stallion wondered with a smile. "Your sister's wedding managed to touch even your heart of stone?"

"Something got in my eye, that's it," replied Tom, although both stallions knew it wasn't true. But that didn't matter at the moment.

At the moment, Vinyl and Octavia broke the kiss for a moment, smiling at each other blissfully.

Damn, I can't believe it turned out so well, Vinyl thought. Well, after all, we deserved our happily ever after, she concluded. Just like in a sweet romance novel... she chuckled mentally.

And, surprisingly enough, or some would say, fully to have been expected, the same though resonated in Octavia's mind. It's all so perfect... Our happily ever after... Celestia, just how much we've been through! One could write a book about us, about our life...

The cellist smirked mentally at such a silly thought.

After all, who would want to write a book about it?

Afterword

The Snow on Her Cheek

Afterword

***

The room wasn't elaborately decorated: aside from a few cupboards and the desk, in front of which Octavia and Vinyl were sitting, there was nothing of interest here. Countless diplomas adorned the walls, promising that the doctor, to whom the mares had turned to, was a real professional.

A few weeks had passed since their wedding; but the "tingling" in Octavia's stomach hadn't subsided. On the contrary, it was bugging her every other day; and she would often wake up with a terrible urge to vomit. Vinyl was terribly concerned about her wife, and had practically dragged her to the doctor's to do all possible tests.

Now, they were sitting in the doctor's office, waiting for him to come. Vinyl put a comforting hoof onto Octavia's back. "Don't worry, Tavi, I'm sure it's just some sort of virus or something," she tried to calm her mare, who, in reality, needed being calmed far less than the pianist herself. "We'll deal with it easily."

The door swung wide open, and a brown stallion in a white robe rushed into the office.

"Miss Philarmonica, I presume?" he addressed the grey mare, running a hoof through his black mane.

"Missis Philarmonica," Octavia corrected him softly.

"My fault," the doctor apologised immediately, taking a folder out of nowhere, as it seemed to them. "Tend to get lost in time, you know?" he chuckled, looking through the papers.

"Do we know you?" Vinyl asked suspiciously, eyeing the stallion's hourglass cutie mark.

"Don't think so," the doctor replied. "All right! Congratulations, Missis Philarmonica!" His face beamed with a wide smile. "You're pregnant!"

Octavia's eyes grew wide, and Vinyl's jaw fell open. A few moments of uneasy silence had passed before the cellist finally managed to form her thoughts properly. "How?" she asked, her throat dry. "I have never been... with a stallion before..."

"Oh, it's not necessary." The doctor winked playfully. "I see that you two are married?" Receiving nods from both mares, he continued happily, "Then all is clear! You see, when two mares partake in a sexual activity, and... a horn is involved..." Vinyl blushed furiously and closed her eyes. "The... um... 'receiving' mare will eventually become pregnant! All it takes is love and some magic!" the brown stallion concluded with a grin.

"So... Is it true?" Octavia blinked. "Am I really... pregnant?"

"Well, since you didn't use horn condoms..." the Doctor replied, which resulted in a squeak from Vinyl. "...And since the results of the tests don't lie, you will soon become a mother!"

To Vinyl's surprise, Octavia let out a happy squee and hugged her tightly. "Hehe, Tavi? You all right?" she wondered, while she herself was on top of the world: never in her life had she thought that she would be able to become a mother, being a filly-fooler and all...

"Vinyl, I'm so happy! I would have never thought I would become a mother! I mean, I love you dearly, but Vinyl, a foal! Just think about it - our foal!"

Vinyl gasped. "Tavi, can you believe it - I've just thought the same!"

"This happens," the doctor suddenly said. "When two ponies love each other very much, their thoughts sometimes coincide."

Vinyl and Octavia blushed a little, but nodded happily. Suddenly, Vinyl's smile faded a little. "Tavi, there's one thing that's bothering me..." she said quietly. "I mean, I've had really bad parents, and you know that..." Octavia nodded sympathetically and stroked her wife's chin. "I'm afraid, Tavi. I don't know if I'll be able to become a good mother myself..."

"You will," Octavia said in a determined tone, confident in her words.

"You will," the Doctor said at same time, making the mares look at him in surprise. "Um... I mean..." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Not that I can see into the future or anything..." His eyes drifted across the room. "Oh! How could I forget! I, um, have a concilium to attend! My congratulations, good-bye!" he yelled as he moved closer and closer to the door with each word and finally slid out of the room, his hoofsteps echoing across the corridor.

Vinyl and Octavia exchanged confused looks. The cellist shrugged and planted a kiss on the tip of her mare's horn. "Thank you. Vinyl. Thank you for gifting me with our foal."

Vinyl blushed and let out an uneasy chuckle. "Um, you're welcome? I mean, I'm totally happy too." She smiled and kissed Octavia gently.

In a few moments, they got up and trotted out of the office, their moods higher than the sun that was shining brightly in the sky.

"You know, I have this feeling I have seen this doctor somewhere..." Octavia said as they trotted along the hospital corridor.

"I know, right?!" Vinyl exclaimed. "As if we've met him somewhere..."

The two mares trotted towards the exit, and at the same time, towards a brighter future. The future where there will be three of them. The future of their family.

***

Meanwhile, Doctor Redhoof entered his office, eager to break the good news to the famous Octavia Philarmonica. "Missis Philarmonica, I have wonderful news for you! You're pre- huh?" The stallion blinked as he eyed his empty office. "I'm pretty sure I asked them to wait..." He approached the desk and raised a brow quizzically, seeing the folder with the test results open on the desk. "Hmm. I guess the nurse just brought the folder, and they left happily, seeing the results. Not the first time it's happened, after all." He chuckled, looking out of the window.

"It's not like some alien came here and told them, eh?"

~THE END~

I Could Write a Book

“Please? Just a little?”

“No.”

Vinyl sighed and curled up to her wife, nuzzling the grey fur on her neck. “Pleeeaase. Just a little. Pleeeease.” Swiftly, her nuzzling evolved into tiny pecks, which travelled up and down the cellist’s neck, traversing the gentle fur and skin.

Octavia sighed and gave up under the loving, caring pressure. She rolled over, positioning her body on top of the pianist’s, her smile matching Vinyl’s lusty grin. Slowly, she neared the pianist’s lips and forced them into a kiss. Locked, entwined with each other, the mares began a peculiar grinding, feeling the heat wash over them. Just a little indeed, rushed a thought through Octavia’s mind. Not that Vinyl can’t hold out for more…

“Mom? Mama?”

Octavia yelped into Vinyl’s mouth and slid off the slim, sweaty body. “H-hi, sweetie!” she greeted their daughter, a tiny grey earth pony, whose mane was not yet long, but beautiful already, with streaks of blue and charcoal.

“What were you doing?” the filly asked innocently, trotting towards the bed and jumping onto it, occupying the small cavity between the two older mares.

“Oh, uh…” Octavia looked at her wife helplessly, prompting Vinyl’s brain to work hard. Alas, it was Vinyl, so there wasn’t a single semblance of thought or idea in her head. “We were just kissing,” Octavia didn’t exactly lie. I merely concealed the truth.

“Why don’t you two kiss me like that when I go to bed?” the filly pursed her lips and closed her eyes, expecting a kiss from her mothers.

Vinyl chuckled, while Octavia smiled motherly and pecked the filly on the lips slightly. “Because this kind of kiss is for when older ponies kiss. This is the kind of kiss,” Octavia explained, exchanging a look with her wife that was full of love and adoration, “that is reserved for a very special mare that you’ll like when you’re old enough.”

The filly scrunched her face. “I don’t like fillies. They are posh and stupid.”

“Well,” Vinyl echoed, sitting up in bed, “liking stallions is also an option.” The pianist wrapped her hoof around her wife and the other hoof around her filly. “Mama and I will support you anyway.” She pondered. “Unless you fall in love with a griffin.”

Octavia nodded resolutely. “Of course, sweetie. Liking colts is all right.”

“I don’t like colts,” the filly shook her head. “They are ugly and smelly.”

The two older mares exchanged worried looks. “Well, Glissando…” Octavia began cautiously. “I guess you’re just not at an age to-”

“I like ice cream!” Gliss’s face brightened up as she jumped off the bed. “I want to marry ice cream! Can I marry ice cream?”

Octavia giggled and patted her daughter’s head. “Of course you can. You can do whatever you want.” She sighed, realising how great it was that their daughter could have the future she desired - and the future she deserved. What if… a thought crawled into her head. What if Vinyl and I could also do what we wanted? Would we even have met?

“I can’t draw on Mom’s drafts,” Gliss objected, casting a glance at the white unicorn.

“Yes,” Vinyl nodded, “because you are a smart little filly who doesn’t draw on Mom’s to-be-book.”

“To-be-book?” Octavia enquired in surprise, getting up from the bed, while Gliss blushed and looked at the wall.

Suspicion immediately crawled into Vinyl’s mind as the white mare sprung from the bed. “Wait. Slidey. Look at me.” Gliss refused to even glance at her mother. “Did you doodle on my drafts again?”

“I…” Gliss bit her tongue - quite literally, staring at the far wall, as if it was the most interesting thing ever.

“Slidey.” Vinyl put her hoof on the filly’s shoulder, trying to catch her gaze. “Did you or did you not draw on the drafts for my book?”

“Your book?” Octavia blinked, marvelling at the scene unveiling before her.

“I…” Gliss gulped. “I refuse to comment on the grounds that it may incriminate me!” she blurted out, without fully understanding what she was saying.

Vinyl opened her mouth, then closed it. Then she laughed light-heartedly and ruffled her daughter’s mane. “You are just like your mother. Me,” she clarified, glancing at Octavia. “Okay, let’s see the state of my drafts.”

“Vinyl-” Octavia began, but her wife interrupted her swiftly:

“Yes, I’m writing a book. It’s like writing music, you know?” she confessed as the two mares looked at the stack of paper in the kitchen, on top of which there was a doodle of a six-legged pony. Vinyl sighed and patted Gliss’s head. “Good, Slidey. That’s one nice pony. See?” she addressed Octavia as soon as the gleeful filly had left the kitchen. “She’ll never be a visual artist. But she’s trying. That’s what I’m doing.” Vinyl sighed as Octavia took up the topmost piece of paper. “I’ll never be a writer but I at least want to have one printed book by my name.”

“White snow was falling from the sky,” Octavia read aloud and skimmed the paper briefly. “Vinyl… Is this book about me?”

“Not exactly.” Vinyl picked up the papers, skimming through the text. “Heh, a typo. It’s a book about us.” She looked up to meet Octavia’s wonderful lavender eyes. “How we met. How we fell in love. It’s the story of our lives.” Vinyl placed the papers on the table and took a step towards her wife, who, it seemed, was seeing the goofy pianist in a new light. “You know, when we grow old and frail, and sit by the fireplace in our countryhouse… Wouldn’t it be nice to just take a printed version of our lives and read it? Maybe read it aloud to Gliss and her marefriend… Or coltfriend,” Vinyl quickly supplied.

Octavia smiled. “Or her ice cream.”

“Or ice cream.”

The cellist reached out for her mare and drew her into a tight embrace. “Have you thought of the title yet, love?”

“Oh yes.” Vinyl smiled and took a step away. “I’ll call it… The Snow on Her Cheek.”

In a Cello Mood

The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Thirty-Two

In a Cello Mood

***

A loud banging at the door made Vinyl and Octavia jerk up in bed simultaneously, rubbing their sleepy eyes.

"Rise and shine, neighbours!" Lyra's voice reached their ears from behind the door. "We have work to do!"

Octavia groaned and got up, stumbling, wondering why it was she who always got to answer the door. She trotted towards the door sleepily, while Vinyl yawned, drifting off into the blissful abode of dreams once more.

As the cellist opened the door, she was greeted by the mint unicorn, who was already wearing her grey hat and smoking a cigarette. Octavia frowned at the smoke, but decided not to offend the new neighbour and just keep silent.

"So, are you ready? Have you packed your cello? Ooh, a Les Colt! I thought Vinyl played the piano? Or is it yours? Which of you plays the guitar?" Lyra bombarded the grey mare with questions, each one making Octavia take a step back.

"Um... We've just woken up..." Octavia began replying, not mentioning the fact that it was Lyra who had been the harbinger of their awakening. "Vinyl plays both the piano and the guitar, but since we had to move so quickly, we weren't able to take Vinyl's piano with us." A white lie can't hurt, the cellist thought, hiding the real reason behind their leaving the piano in Alexandro's house - she simply couldn't stay there any longer. The very walls were haunting her, threatening to crush her, evoking painful memories and thoughts...

Meanwhile, just as Octavia was trying to drive into what was going on, Lyra trotted towards the sofa, levitating Vinyl and shaking her in the air.

"THE SEAPONIES! THEY'RE HERE! RUN AWAY!!!" Vinyl yelled, waking up abruptly, falling onto the floor.

Octavia blinked in lack of understanding, while Lyra burst into laughter, falling onto her back. Vinyl mumbled something angrily, getting onto her hooves. She yawned and stretched her limbs. Who the hay wakes up so damn early? she thought, glaring at Lyra, who, by this point, had got up.

"Oh, that was rich!" the mint unicorn exclaimed, regaining her breath gradually. "Now get ready! We've got half an hour till my working day begins!" she urged the two mares, who, sharing disapproving grunts, began packing the cello.

In a while, the instrument was ready to be transported, and the sleepy mares were ready to set off.

"Come on! Don't be so gloomy!" Lyra exclaimed, pushing the musical ponies towards the door. "It's not my fault you didn't catch much sleep last night!" She grinned. "You were rather...invested in each other." Lyra winked at Vinyl, who opened her mouth to protest, but no sounds came out.

The pianist looked at her blushing mare, who just sighed. "Let's go," the cellist said, and with that they trotted off, closing the door behind them, the cello case held firm in Vinyl's magical grip.

***

"This is your studio."

Vinyl's tone was not enquiring; if anything, she was just stating the fact, eyeing the tall skyscraper in awe and disbelief. A golden lyre sign - Lyra's cutie mark - hung above the large glass door, shining brightly with artificial light, even though the sun had already risen and was luxuriating in the morning sky.

Lyra shrugged and opened the door, letting the mares in. "So you see."

"So I see," Vinyl repeated dumbly, while Octavia tried to suppress an urge to squee in delight upon seeing the magnificent building.

The musical mares followed Lyra through several corridors, various ponies greeting them cheerfully, portraits of musicians unknown to either Vinyl or Octavia adorning the walls. They trotted into a small comfortable room, a whole wall of which was instead replaced by thick glass - or was it plastic?

The room itself was filled by stacks of recording equipment and a large panel with buttons and knobs - a typical studio, of which both Vinyl and Octavia had seen many.

"Well," Lyra said, rubbing her hooves together. "You know the drill; get into the recording room and play."

Octavia raised her brow quizzically, exchanging a confused look with her marefriend. "But... What exactly should we play?" she wondered, eyeing the already excited Lyra with a hint of fear. That pony is sure unpredictable... she thought.

"Whatever you want." Lyra waved her hoof in the air with a smirk. "It's just a rehearsal, to see how well the two of you play along. Though..." The mint unicorn couldn't suppress a grin. "I already know that your voices are veeeeery fitting~"

"Aaand off to the recording room we go!" Octavia exclaimed, grabbing her mare by the hoof and rushed through the door, leaving the laughing Lyra behind.

***

"Okay, I'm ready!" Lyra's voice echoed through the speakers a few moments after Octavia had finished unpacking her cello and Vinyl had stopped geeking out at the sight of the grand piano, "totally white as snow, Tavi!", that she was to play.

"Dammit, Lyra, can we live here?" Vinyl asked jokingly, running her hoof across the beautiful pristine keys of the piano.

"Nope, sorry," came the reply. "I don't want my grand to be stained."

"How would it..." Vinyl began, but then a realisation dawned upon her. Oh. Ooooooooh. That's how.

Octavia's face flushed as she tried to reach her mare with a hoof in an attempt to hit her.

"Hey, Tavi, calm down!" the pianist whispered, avoiding the striking hoof of justice. "She may have a point, you know..."

"The studio has perfect acoustics~" Lyra cooed through the speakers.

"Let's begin!" Octavia exclaimed impatiently, blood rushing to her cheeks. Okay, Tavi, you can do this, she told herself. Hours, no- days of practice had to kick in now. Every free hour when Vinyl had been in hospital; every free minute back at Alexandro's mansion, when Vinyl had gone off to the bathroom with her toy submarine and a figure of Captain Colt Pigeon (although Octavia had told her that pirate ponies and submarines don't mix); every free second of her life she had spent practicing jazz.

And now she was ready to show it.

"What are we playing, love?" she addressed her mare, who, by now, had put on her goggles and turned her head towards the grey cellist.

"Jazz, baby."

Without further hesitation, the mares began to play. Their movements were perfect, their rhythm matching each other's playing. Octavia soon took the dominating role, her bow lying at her hooves unneeded, her hooves plucking the strings in a fast, rhythmic bebop manner. Vinyl was accompanying her mare with chords; but at some point she allowed herself to play a solo, which Octavia immediately copied, in her own, unique way, adding some personal touch to it. Vinyl grinned and played another solo, this time more elaborate. The cellist smiled in return and replied to it with a solo of her own. Then came the repeat, and the theme flowed perfectly, with slight variations.

Ending the song in a rather distasteful manner, from the viewpoint of classical music theory, the mares smiled at each other in content. If this was practice, then they were ready for the recording.

"Lyra?" Vinyl called out, voicing their mutual thoughts. "We're ready for recording!"

"What recording?" Lyra replied through the speakers, and Octavia could swear she could see the grin on her face, feel the sly, yet, very proud, grin. "I've just recorded this song of yours."

In a moment, the door opened and Lyra trotted inside, a grin plastered on her face, just as Octavia had expected, holding a vinyl record in her magical grip. The unicorn waved it in the air.

"And it is perfect."

Bonus Chapter + Prequel Link

The Snow on Her Cheek

The tea was getting cold.

Their second winter in Los Pegasus had proved that Manehattan winters, if actually colder, were still more bearable. The climate required getting used to, and Vinyl and Octavia were doing their best to do just that.

Like closing the window, for example.

Vinyl placed herself on the chair again, shivering a little. "Remind me to never open a window in winter." She breathed on her hooves. "Ever again."

Lyra barked with laughter, receiving a harsh stare from her wife. "You call that cold, Vinyl?" She chuckled a little louder. "You've just never been in Ponyville in winter, that's it."

Octavia frowned at the mint mare. "Lyra, would you tone down a bit? You'll wake up Glissando." She glanced at the cradle in the faraway corner with a smile, a little filly sleeping inside, tucked neatly in warm, cosy blankets. Our little filly~ Octavia cooed mentally, gazing lovingly at her wife, who seemed to be having trouble wiping jam off her chin.

The white unicorn met her mare's eyes. "What?" She raised her brow. "I have something on my face? I mean, I do, but-"

The cellist silenced her pianist with a soft kiss on the lips. Lyra made an 'aww' sound. "Do you know just how much I love you, you silly mare?" Octavia nuzzled the white cheek caringly.

"Aww, Bonnie, can we make out too?" Lyra asked her mare, only to get a firm, "No."

"Anyway," Vinyl said after succeeding in her jam-purging attempt. "How did you two meet anyway?" She took a sip of her tea. "You never told us."

"Vinyl, it isn't polite," Octavia immediately chided.

"Nah, that's all right." Lyra waved her hoof, glancing at Bon-Bon, who gave a confirming nod. "We've known each other for a while, and you told us your story. Only fair for us to share ours. After all, what are winter evenings for if not sharing stories?" For a moment, the lyrist just stared out of the window, watching the lazy snowflakes descend from the sky regally - an obvious contrast to the East-coast snowstorms.

Vinyl placed her head on her hooves, eager to listen. Octavia took a sip of her tea. Bon-Bon placed a hoof on her mare's shoulder, giving her a kind, supportive smile.

"If we start from the very beginning..." Lyra's eyes were still drawn to the outside, her tone taking an unusual, sombre tone. It seemed as if she were looking straight into the past. Her past. Her wife's past.

"It was a cold winter day..."