She tapped the ledger with her hoof. Numbers lined up nicely. Another year solidly in the black, reaping profits. Scratched Records. The top recording label in Equestria. Hundreds of artists. Thousands of shops. Millions of sold records. One star - Octavia. Vinyl leaned back in her chair, thinking about her star. And her love. She should be here soon. She left the message with the secretary. Vinyl was ready. She let go most of ponies early - a usual practice on the quarter end, when ledgers were totaled and profits distributed. Ponies deserved a few days of taking it easy.
As on cue, the door squeaked lightly, and the grey mare trotted in, her impeccably brushed mane swishing just so. Vinyl yearned to run her hooves through that mane. "Hello, Octy." - she offered, her voice suddenly taking on a husky sound. She coughed, clearing her throat and continued in normal voice - "Grab a seat... I`ve got everything ready." Wordlessly, Octavia obeyed, sitting down on the chair across the table, looking on Vinyl squarely. Unicorn pushed the ledger to her. "Here we go." - she proffered.
Just as silently, Octavia pulled the ledger closer and squinted at it. It was a token show, and both knew it. Vinyl would never mess up numbers - especially not the numbers regarding Octavia. "Everything`s in order." - she finally replied, putting her signature in the appropriate place and pushing the ledger back. Vinyl smiled. "Good. Care for a drink?" - she proffered, levitating a bottle of cognac out of her minibar, along with two glasses. Octavia raised her hoof, as if to object, then sighed. "Alright." - she offered in defeated tone.
Vinyl slid the full glass across the table, taking a sip from hers, then. "Well, here we are. Another quarter of undisputed success." - she proffered, raising her glass, - "Cheers." Octavia took a polite sip out of her glass, setting it down, then. "Vinyl..." - she offered pensively, - "Why." The answer was rather obvious to a record magnate. "Because I love you, Octy. You know that." - she offered carelessly, taking another sip of cognac.
Octavia folded her forehooves. "That again, Vinyl?" - she responded, - "Weve been over that. Many times." Vinyl Scratch shrugged - "Its not like my answer will ever change, Octy. I love you. Regardless of how you feel about me, Ill always love you." Grey mare hopped up and paced in front of table a little. "You have to stop this, Vinyl. You have to... just stop." - she finally offered, looking on the unicorn mare flatly. Vinyl shook her head. "No." - she replied simply, pushing her glass aside. Octavia slammed her hooves on the table. Even that indubitably aggressive move was delicate and gentle with her, Vinyl noted with detachment, as Octavia got practically into her face. "I cant take this anymore, Vinyl. You can`t just... buy me." - she barked.
Unicorn pushed back from her table slightly, rolling on her chair back, to the window. "Look outside, Octy." - she offered softly - "See the glowing lights? Even today, when most ponies are at home, Scratched Records glows. Its built on love - and look how big it is. How many ponies out there have the records you recorded. How many of them listen to your music right now, in love or in misery, in happiness or in despair... To the sound of hope. Because thats what your music sounds like to me. Hope. So no, I can not and I will not stop. Never."
"Vinyl... Why cant you just grasp it? I dont offer you any hope." - proffered Octavia quietly, as she sat back down. Vinyl rolled back to the table, picking her glass again. "Thats alright, Octy." - she offered just as quietly, looking on the mare across the table. Octavia turned her head away. No matter what Vinyl said, she could not bear the silent pain in unicorns eyes. "And what if I leave, Vinyl?" - she asked, her voice cracking as she did. Unicorn shrugged again. "I will not stop you, Octy. If you want to leave, you can leave." - she offered, - "Near or far, with or without me.. I will always love you."
"Why me, Vinyl? All those years, why me?" - grey mare asked - "There are many mares who would love you, Vinyl. Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Vinyl rolled her eyes. "None of them are you." - she responded simply, - "Im sorry, Octy. I cant order my heart. There are many mares out there... But you are the only one I want." Octavia made a strangled kind of noise. "I hate you." - she offered finally, - "Vinyl, I hate you. All my life.... All that I stand for, I owe to you. WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO GENEROUS?! WHY CAN`T YOU... Agh."
She slammed her head against her hoof on the table, groaning softly. "What I am wondering, Vinyl, is when youre going to collect on that investment." - she whispered softly, - "When your patience runs dry and you stop waiting." Unicorn shook her head. "Octy." - she offered sternly - "What are you talking about?" Vinyl stood up on her hindhooves, leaning on the table. "What kind of bucked up love it would be if I asked that of you?" - she inquired hotly, - "Do you seriously imagine me going some day 'Well, Octy, I put your star on the sky, now is time to put up', is that it!?" Octavia jolted back, shocked by sudden outburst, as Vinyl continued - "Well, thats sick. Understand... Im doing it for you because I love you. Im NOT asking for anything in return. Yes, I DO hope that someday you will find it in your heart to hear my love song, but if you do... Then you do it because you want to do it."
She turned away and stepped closer to the window, looking out into the dark sky. So many stars. And yet, not a single one she could touch. It was ironic, in a sense. Octavia was always her star - in many ways. And just as untouchable as the stars above. "What am I supposed to do then?" - came a plaintive cry from behind her - "Do you have any idea how guilty I feel about all that you`ve done for me?! Do you even think about how awful it feels to owe you so much and yet being unable to give you something in return?"
Vinyl offered without turning - "Oh, I do think about it, Octy. How guilty do you think I feel about the hope I dare to nurture in spite of your denial? How awful it feels to know the mare I love resents me for loving her?" She could hear some kind of scuffle behind her. Then, a hoof came on her shoulder. "Vinyl..." - came the soft whisper, - "Im sorry I cant." Vinyl continued to look out into the night. "Im sorry you cant, too." - she offered - "I dont know whats holding you." Hoof retreated. She heard nothing for a few moments. Then a door opened and closed behind her. Vinyl let out a sigh, as she continued to look out. She had no idea what was holding Octavia back. It was certainly nothing material. Feelings, then. "I`m sorry, Octy." - she whispered, pressing her cheek against the cool glass, - "But I will not stop until you love me... or hate me."