Requiem

Harmony Sonata was one of the greatest composers the Sonata family had ever known. She composed over seven hundred works, counting just orchestral arrangements alone. She was born into the family, Treble Cleff Sonata being married into it. Of course, because the name was so great, Treble Cleff took on Harmony's name.

At least one of her pieces has always been played at every Grand Galloping Gala for the past thirty years. The only ponies in the Sonata family that had surpassed her accomplishments are Leopold Sonata, who was Harmony's great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, and Aria Sonata, her great-grandmother. Leopold Sonata composed over eight hundred symphonies and the music he wrote was still played today and was still played in the Grand Galloping Gala. Aria Sonata wrote over seven hundred and fifty orchestral pieces, and her work was still considered that of a musical genius. Which made Harmony Sonata the third most successful Sonata to exist.

But none of that ran through Octavia's head as her eyes laid on the tan unicorn with a dark brown mane with yellow streaks and mulberry eyes. No. The only thing that ran through her mind was that absolutely nothing about her mother changed in the last ten years. She still looked exactly like she did ten years ago when she cast Octavia out.

Harmony Sonata glided down the staircase, every pony in the gala stomping their hooves in applause. Even the Royal Sisters, who stood in the back with ponies crowded around them softly stomped their hooves.

Harmony Sonata's contributions to music would outlive her for generations. More so than Treble Cleff Sonata's. This gala was a filly's birthday party compared to the ball that would be thrown in her honor. Her work overshadowed any of Treble Sonata's, and everypony knew it. And while it was something they all knew, not one of them dared to voice it aloud.

Harmony stopped halfway down the staircase, addressing all of the guests that attended, her voice echoing throughout the whole room. "'Music is the great uniter. An incredible force. Something that people who differ on everything and anything else can have in common.' Melodia Sonata said those words over two hundred years again, and they still ring true today. It's why we are all gathered here, to honor and cherish a musician who has brought great music that has been heard all over Equestria. One, I'm afraid, is close to his passing. And while he may leave us physically, not only will he live in the hearts of his family, but he will live on through his music. He'll leave behind a legacy, one he knows his son, Bittersweet Sonata, is on his way to fulfilling. My handsome son, please, join me by my side."

It was then Bitter stood up, bowing as the whole audience applauded. He quickly and elegantly walked up to the staircase, stopping to stand next to Harmony. Perhaps Octavia should've predicted what was about to happen, but it still blindsided her as her mind didn't even go there.

Harmony continued, blindsiding Octavia. "And one he hopes his beautiful daughter will carry on. From generation to generation. Octavia Sonata, my beautiful, darling daughter, will you please join me as your brother has."

Octavia froze, staring at her mother before glancing at Vinyl. Vinyl seemed at a loss too, not sure what to do. It had been ten years since Octavia had seen any member of her family, and now her mother was asking her to stand by her side, as though nothing had happened.

Octavia glanced around at the surrounding audience, her mind and body at a loss, not sure what the hell she was supposed to do. What she could do. Without making the conscious decision to do so, she slowly stood up, letting go of Vinyl's hooves, and walking towards the staircase.

Vinyl started to stand up, ready to follow Octavia so she wouldn't have to do this alone, but Octavia glanced back at Vinyl, softly shaking her head. Reluctantly, Vinyl sat back down, but it was clear she was anxious for Octavia, wanting to be right by her side in case she needed her.

Octavia walked up to her mother, standing by her side, her heart racing and her breath heavy. Her mother barely glanced at her, still playing the charade of the happy family. Her father may figuratively be the head of the household, but it was her mother who truly dictated things in the family.

"Join us as we all honor a master of music." She then turned to Bittersweet Sonata. "Bitter, please continue with the music. After all, that is why we are all here!"

Obediently, Bittersweet teleported onto the stage, beginning the music once again, resuming the song he ended with before Harmony entered. Everypony else dispersed, chatting amongst themselves as they had done before.

Octavia swallowed nervously, turning to face her mother before she was quickly enveloped in a hug, caught completely by surprise. Octavia's eyes widened as she glanced down at the unicorn mare that was currently hanging around her neck.

"I'm so sorry, my love. It was a mistake to do what we did." Harmony whispered in Octavia's ear.

Octavia was at a loss for words, completely dumbfounded. Sure, the letter said her father was regretful, but this was her mother she was talking about. Her mother was a million times more strict than her father ever was. It might've been her father who said the words that cast her out, but ultimately, it was her mother.

"Mother…I…" Octavia started before Harmony interrupted her.

"Not now. This is a discussion for later. Now is not the time." Harmony pulled away, watching her daughter with kind eyes. Octavia couldn't decide if it was real, or if her mother was a very good actress. Both were equally possible.

Octavia sighed, knowing she was right though. Now was not the time. It wasn't just her mother being manipulative, it was how she was raised. There were two rules that her family operated by when it came to private life and public life: Firstly, what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors, and secondly, your private life is not something that is put on display. Though, they were all going to have a very long talk when this was over.

"For now though, I want to know, how have you been? We must simply catch up."

"O-of course. But umm…first…there's…there's somepony I want you to…to meet."

Harmony smiled. "Ooh, a special somepony? Please, lead the way."

Octavia nodded, her nerves a fraying mess. She led the way, slowly walking down the stairs walking towards Vinyl, glancing at her mother. To a stranger, she had a look of anticipation, looking around the ballroom, her eyes lingering on every stallion, as though mentally trying to figure out who it was Octavia wanted to introduce her to.

But Octavia knew that look. She wasn't stupid. She knew Harmony was judging every stallion her gaze came across. Weighing the pros and cons of adding them to the family, her face showed the briefest hints of relief if they passed a stallion she didn't approve of, or the slightest flashes of disappointment if they passed a stallion she really approved of.

Octavia's heart raced as she thought back to her life with Vinyl. It wasn't anywhere near as successful as her brother's. He had everything while she was…what? Struggling to make ends meet in a small town in Ponyville? She played in the local band? Her marefriend turned records at foals' birthday parties?

Octavia came to a stop, standing next to Vinyl who had promptly stood up. "Mother, this is…is Vinyl." Octavia could hear her own voice shake.

Harmony was silent for a moment. "Vinyl…that name sounds famili–" Harmony stopped midsentence, her eyes widening as it hit her, causing Octavia to tense. "You're Vinyl?!" Her mother exclaimed in shock, gaining the attention of the ponies closest to her. They all turned to look at the three of them, forcing Harmony to swallow her words and clear her throat. "I-I mean, how…" Harmony paused before continuing, as though searching for the right word. "Delightful."

The ponies that had turned to look at Harmony stared at them for a bit before returning to their previous conversations. Harmony clenched her jaw, leaning into Octavia to whisper harshly in her ear, "You seriously brought her here? Now? That was ten years ago, did you really have to add insult to injury."

Octavia stepped back, stepping closer to Vinyl. "I didn't bring her here just to spite you, Mother. We're…we're together." Octavia said firmly, grabbing Vinyl's hoof, who quickly stepped closer to Octavia in silent support.

"Oh. You're…together." Harmony looked at their necks, seeing them empty. "So are you just dating or is it like an on-and-off thing?" She asked, her voice full of judgment. "You know, at your age, your brother wasn't fooling around with ex-marefriends. He was already married and had a successful career."

Octavia froze for a bit, her mind grappling. This wasn't what she intended. She wanted to show her mother how wrong she was, but Octavia could practically see the thoughts going through Harmony's head. Harmony was thinking how right she was and that if Octavia had just stayed, she'd be married by now. Just like her damn brother.

Well, maybe a white lie wouldn't be too bad. It's not like Vinyl didn't want to marry. She already tried proposing. And Octavia already knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Vinyl. So, where was the harm? Especially if it'd make this trip go easier.

"Actually, no. We're married," Octavia stated effortlessly, praying Vinyl wouldn't be mad and would understand.

"You're what?" Harmony asked at the same time Vinyl said "We're what?"

Octavia gave Vinyl a play-along look before clearing her throat and answering her mother as confidently as she could, hiding the tremor in her voice and praying her mother couldn't hear its remnants. "Yes. We are."

Harmony blinked. "Well…what…what about children? How do you intend to carry on the Sonata name when you can't even bear children? Honestly, Octavia, you've never been one to think these kinds of things through. I mean, your brother was already expecting his first child when he was a year younger than you."

Octavia clenched her jaw. There her mother went again comparing her to her damn brother. Would she ever be enough? The thing about being the youngest child in the family? Her brother was always raising the bar ridiculously high.

"We can have children. Right, Vinyl?" Octavia asked, turning to Vinyl for support.

Vinyl, not yet processing anything, just nodded. "Uh…yeah. O-of course?"

Harmony rolled her eyes. "Oh, let me guess. Adoption?" Harmony rolled her eyes. "Octavia, dear, do you know what makes the Sonata name so great? It's us. We carry the gift of music in our blood. How do you intend to pass on the gift to a foal who's not even related to you?"

Octavia bit her lip before blurting, "Our foal will have the Sonata blood. Because…because we were thinking about going the donor route. Yes. I'm going to be the one carrying the foal so that…it still has the Sonata blood."

Vinyl blinked, about as lost as Harmony was, or more so for that matter. "Umm…yeah. We…were…"

"We just wanted to focus on our careers. I was just about to be offered a spot in auditions for the Canterlot Symphony. And…and Vinyl here was asked to be conducted into the…DJ hall of…fame?"

The three of them stood there in silence for a moment. "That's a thing?" Harmony finally asked. Octavia had no clue.

Vinyl leaned into Octavia. This was getting out of hoof. "Hey, Tavi, mind if we have a quick chat? You know, alone?" She asked in Octavia's ear.

Octavia nodded in relief and the two of them left the ballroom, leaving through a side entrance that led to the gardens outside. Once they were outside, Vinyl glanced around as though making sure nopony was around before turning to Octavia.

"Okay, Tavi. What the hell was that?" Vinyl asked and Octavia could tell she was on the verge of anger.

"W-what do you mean?" Octavia played stupid. She knew exactly what this was about, but she didn't know how to explain herself so Vinyl would understand.

"What the hell do you think I mean, Tavi? Marriage? A donor? DJ Hall of Fame? That's not even a thing!"

"Okay, so, maybe I panicked a bit. I'm sorry. But…they weren't all lies. I…at least, the marriage part wasn't."

"What do you mean?" Vinyl asked with a sigh.

"I love you, Vinyl. I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to have a family. I'm ready. It'll just be you and me. If you want, you can have my last name too. Vinyl Sonata! C-can you imagine it? You could be a great musician. We…we could be great together! You could be the greatest DJ in Equestria! I love you." Octavia leaned into Vinyl for a kiss.

Vinyl took a couple of steps away from Octavia, putting some major distance between them. "What the fuck, Octavia?!" Octavia flinched. Vinyl only called her by her full name when she was pissed, choosing to use her special nickname for Octavia most of the time. "Where the hell did this come from?! Just a couple of hours ago, you were worried about what your parents might think of me and now you're…what even is this? Some…some half-baked proposal?"

Vinyl was completely lost. She was so worried about Octavia being overwhelmed about…well, everything, only for her to end up the one completely confused. Everything was just happening so fast, that Vinyl could barely process any of it. One minute, they were dancing and completely in love, and the next, Octavia was telling her mother that the two of them were married and thinking about having kids when the two of them barely even touched on the subject because it'd always overwhelm Octavia whenever Vinyl tried even talking about it for the distant future, and now Octavia was proposing to her out of the blue. What the hell was going on? It was like, as soon as Harmony started talking to them, their life suddenly went full speed run.

"Vinyl, this isn't some half-baked proposal. I really do want to marry you. It…it was a realization I made while we were dancing. I love you. I…I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Octavia explained, taking a step closer towards Vinyl. "We can be happy."

But Vinyl just took a step back. "Are you sure about that, Tavi? Because I thought we already were happy. At least, I was." Vinyl stopped when the realization hit her, her eyes widening, her heart starting to crack. She took another step back. "This…this isn't about you realizing how much you love me at all, is it? This is all about getting your parents' stupid approval or proving to them your life's great or whatever it is you're trying to prove!" Vinyl yelled, trying to hold back the tears.

"Vinyl, no. O-okay, so maybe at first, but I really do want to marry you. I really–"

"No! I…I don't care about that right now! Why did you lie to your mother about our life?! Is it…is it because you don't think our life's good enough?! That you can only prove how good your life is by making up some picture-perfect world?!"

"What?! No!" Octavia yelled back, tears filling her own eyes "Vinyl, that's not true, I swear. I just–"

"Oh, no, I get it. It was because you thought I wouldn't good enough, wasn't it? That they'd think they were right about me all along because I couldn't do what they planned for you. Like…like marriage and…and kids and…a great musical career!"

"Vinyl, that is not true!" Octavia said firmly. "It doesn't matter whether my parents think you're good enough or not, because I love you. I don't care about what they think! It doesn't change how I feel about you!"

Vinyl blinked back tears. "Could've fooled me. Because if you truly didn't care, you wouldn't have made that shit up back there! You would've told the truth!" Vinyl paused as another thought came to her, breaking her heart. "Unless…unless you were afraid they were right about me all along. This…it wasn't their opinion you were worried about! It was yours! You…you think they were right, don't you? That…" Vinyl shook her head, stepping back, tears in her own eyes.

"No, Vinyl, please, listen! I…I just panicked. You have to believe me, it's not about that at all!" Octavia pleaded.

"I want to believe you. Really, I do. But, you see Octavia, if that were true, you wouldn't have needed to panic. You wouldn't have needed to lie about our life. You would've been proud of the life we already have, no matter how imperfect it is. But…I guess that doesn't really matter to you, does it."

"Vinyl, no. Please–" Octavia started, tears streaming freely down her face.

"Well, newsflash, the problem isn't me! We could've had EVERYTHING you lied about in there!" Vinyl yelled, leaning closer into Octavia's tear-streamed face, pointing towards the gala. "YOU rejected ME, remember! I tried proposing, but you said no! We could've been married and talked about having kids by now! But YOU said no, not me!"

"Vinyl, don't do this. Please. I love you! I…I don't want to lose you!"

Vinyl shook her head. "You should have thought about that before you lied about our life! I've been nothing but supportive with this whole situation, because, Celestia forbid, I felt guilty! I thought I was the one who got in between you and your parents! I thought it was the least I could do because you chose me so completely! Because you loved me! I felt honored because I thought that you loved me so much, that you chose me without any regrets. Turns out, you already regretted choosing me. I just wish I knew that, to begin with. I could've made all this easier for you."

"Vinyl, please, you don't mean that!"

"Yeah, I do! Because no matter how much you deny it, if you thought our life was worth choosing, if you thought I was worth choosing, you wouldn't have panicked and lied about it so easily. You made your thoughts on us quite clear." Vinyl shook her head, turning to walk away. "I'm outta here. I don't need this."

Octavia hurried after Vinyl, tears in her eyes, grabbing her shoulder with one of her hooves. "Vinyl, wait. Don't go!"

Vinyl pulled out of her grip. "Don't touch me. Just…just stay the hell away from me."

Vinyl stomped away, anger and heartbreak mixing in her blood. Tears streamed down Octavia's face. "Vinyl…" She cried softly, her breath hitching.

She slowly collapsed to the ground, her legs suddenly feeling weak. She tried to breathe, but with all the sobs, she couldn't seem to find air. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears, but it was useless. They'd never stop. It felt like she was broken into a million pieces around her hooves and scattered across the ground. She wished she was anywhere but there. She tried to gather her thoughts, but without Vinyl, it felt like fragments and pieces were lost.

Vinyl was wrong. She had to be wrong. She just had to be.

But, if that was true, why did she lie so easily to her mother?

But, no. She loved Vinyl. She loved her life with her, and wouldn't trade it for anything. A sob burst from Octavia. Vinyl was right about one thing. She was trying to get her mother's approval. It was just a habitual thing. Something she strived for her whole life. And now that she saw her mother again for the first time in ten years, she fell into old habits. She just wanted to prove so much that she was as good as her brother, but she failed to realize it was costing her the most important thing in her life. Vinyl.

She stood up, determination set deeply in her features. She had to make this right. She just had to. She wouldn't lose Vinyl. Not over something like this. She knew what she had to do.

She had to tell her mother the truth, no matter the cost.