New Beginnings
The rest of Octavia's journey home in Vinyl's limousine was fairly peaceful and quiet. Neither pony spoke, both for different reasons. Octavia didn't mention anything because she had a long and rough day: all she desired was to slumber contently in the back of Vinyl's limo. She appreciated that her friend had given her yet another lift home: she was definitely in Vinyl's debt.
On the other hand, Vinyl was quiet for an entirely different reason. Although there many things she could converse about with Octavia, fear kept her mouth closed as she held back the temptation to interrupt Octavia's delicate sleep. 'She deserves the rest after the events that have transpired recently.' Vinyl decided.
As a consequence of the two ponies staying silent, the journey went by very slowly, especially for Vinyl. Octavia was too busy deep within the grasp of lethargy to notice the length of the journey, but Vinyl had nothing she could do aside from gaze nonchalantly out of the limo's window. Nothing spectacular came into her field of view. With an exasperated sigh, Vinyl slunk further into her chair. The day hadn't gone badly but she felt as if something was missing; something important. The identity of this missing thing was not present in Vinyl's mind until she saw something out of the window.
The aforementioned "something" that Vinyl had seen was specifically two ponies. The ponies were sitting on a bench positioned on the pavement, placed carefully against a wall. It wasn't the two ponies that had caught Vinyl's eye, though. Instead, it was what the two ponies were doing. They were sitting side by side on a bench, gently gazing outwards whilst they watched traffic pass by. The two ponies were also holding each others hooves as they continued their drab but relaxing activity.
Something had clicked in Vinyl, but she was unsure about what it was. The sight of those two ponies indulging in life's simple pleasures and enjoying each other's company...
Wait a second. Vinyl didn't... Did she? With a brief peek to ensure she was still sleeping, Vinyl looked to his right at the sleeping lump that was Octavia. Her face showed happiness and contentedness as she pleasantly wandered through Dreamland. Over the last few weeks, Vinyl had always been there to help out Octavia but she had never thought much more of it. It seemed like a normal friendship to her. But it was the little traits that Octavia had that got to Vinyl: her professionalism, her voice, her approving smile, her empathy and understanding - just about everything about Octavia was perfect, Vinyl concluded. 'I- I think I love Octavia...' Vinyl realised, lightly blushing at the thought. Octavia stirred in her sleep, repositioning herself for maximum comfort. With one brisk motion, Vinyl broke her gaze from Octavia and back to the world outside her window: she didn't want to cause any commotion between the two companions.
Just then, it all became apparent to Vinyl. She knew what was missing, but she couldn't force it upon Octavia. Heck, she probably thinks little of me, as if I'm just an accomplice. 'There was no way she could love me back!' Vinyl reassured herself.
Still half giddy at the final realisation that she had feelings for Octavia deeper than she was previously aware of, Vinyl noticed that the limousine was slowing down, gently easing itself to a stop so the gates of Vinyl's mansion could open. They were home.
"Hey sleepyhead!" Vinyl gently remarked. "We're home."
"Ugh... What?" A groggy Octavia mumbled.
Vinyl could clearly see that the poor cellist was still fatigued and she hated the fact that she had to raise her from her sleep, but the limousine was now tactfully making its way up Vinyl's gravel driveway and they had arrived at her humble abode.
"Come on, Octavia," Vinyl said softly. "We're back at my place: aren't you hungry?" She added with a brisk chortle. Octavia looked up, rubbed her eyes with her hooves and exerted an extensive yawn. She was still tired but the mention of food had rekindled her previously hungry state. At the thought of food, Octavia belly audibly rumbled ravenously. With a bashful smile at Vinyl, Octavia blushed at her stomach's awkward outburst. Vinyl did little more than laugh teasingly at Octavia.
Vinyl promptly exited the limo and nodded at the driver to express her gratitude. In an act of courtesy, Vinyl made her way round the limo and opened Octavia's door for her generously. Octavia slipped out of Vinyl's limo with ease and smiled with appreciation at Vinyl.
The sight of Octavia's beaming face being directed at Vinyl sent her crazy inside. Vinyl's head went giddy with happiness, just as it had done earlier with the hug the two friends had shared. That hug marked the beginning of their friendship and Vinyl held it very close to her. That moment could never disappear.
"Uhh, Vinyl? Are we going to go inside now?" Octavia questioned curiously, puzzled by Vinyl's reaction. Vinyl was absent-mindedly staring out into space with a contented look plastered across her face. At the sound of Octavia's sweet but sophisticated voice, Vinyl jumped and crashed back down to reality.
Vinyl blushed and avoided eye contact bashfully. "Sorry, I- Uh-" Vinyl stammered, unable to locate the correct words to say. Octavia simply giggled gently at Vinyl's cute reaction.
"Come on silly filly, I've had a long day and I'm famished! Let's get inside." Octavia requested playfully. Vinyl simply nodded in agreement. With that, the two ponies turned away from the limo and began the short trek to Vinyl's luxurious mansion.
As the sun started to set on this Summer's evening, the birds nesting in the trees began chirping away softly. The two ponies were unhurried in their trotting; instead they were taking their time to enjoy the wondrous setting that engulfed them - above them, behind them and all around them. The moment was so memorable and romantic but neither pony spoke. Both of them just quietly looked around and appreciated the beauty of the setting.
It was the beginning of a blossoming bond...
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! There is plenty more to come because I believe I could write this story for ages. I've never enjoyed writing a story as much as I have this one. Not only that, but I can go so many places with this one and I can focuses on small events, emotions and beautiful moments.
I'll write some more when I get round to it. We will see.
This story would have been published a tad earlier but I wanted to make sure my friend did not rush his work on the cover picture. Instead of forcing deadlines upon him, I just delayed the publishing of this story. I'm sure you all understand.
Thank you if you read what I have written so far and I appreciate and welcome constructive criticism!
That is about it for now.
-FluttershyAllTheWay
Octavia snapped her eyes away from the alluring setting for a second. The beautiful sights around her had distracted her severely and she needed to regain her composure. With a brisk glance forwards at their destination, Octavia notified herself of the advancement Vinyl and her had made. Vinyl's mansion was looming ahead, coming closer with every little step. It wouldn't be long before they reached the entrance.
The moment of bliss that the two ponies experienced was far too short-lived for both of them. Both of the ponies found it mildly disappointing that their brief but brilliant trot had only lasted about a minute. Nevertheless, it wasn't awful that they had reached Vinyl's front door.
The hallowing structure that stood ominously in the middle of Vinyl's private land was intimidating to say the least. Any outsiders were sure to be frightened by the presence of such a large building in the middle of an acre of land. It truly was abnormal.
Abnormal maybe, but picturesque was Octavia's preferred way to describe the wonders of Vinyl's abode. The long and twisting gravel driveway leading from the royal gates of cold, black steel gave the whole entrance to Vinyl's land a suspicious and mysterious first impression. Further in, trees erupted from the ground and reached out for the sky, fighting to get the most sunlight. Whatever season it was, the trees always looked astounding. In Winter, snow laced the branches delicately, giving each tree a silver lining where its leaves weren't present. In Autumn, the leaves were in a multitude of bold hues; reds, browns and oranges. When they began to fall, they littered the floor neatly, still possessing their colour scheme. After the bitter coldness of Winter, warmth begins to return in Spring. The trees begin blossoming once more and rain showers allow for growth within the trees. Watching the trees be reborn truly was a sight. Summer offered a lot for the trees: it was the month in which they had the largest opportunity to prosper. Warmth was plentiful and the sun constantly prevalent, giving the trees what they desired. As a result, the trees stood their strongest and displayed the most verdant colours. Many different shades of green could be observed and admired during summer. It was also summer currently: further enhancing the beauty of Vinyl's home at that present moment.
Octavia shook her head fiercely: she was getting too distracted. 'We should get inside' Octavia thought as she noticed Vinyl glancing at her in confusion.
"After you!" Octavia stated with a polite courtesy. It was Vinyl's home, after all.
"Yeah, sure." Vinyl calmly replied. With a hefty push, the front door swung open until it brushed against the door stop inside the house. This feature was implemented on every wall by a door in the house so that damage was prevented; Vinyl was known for liking to give things a good shove to open them.
Vinyl stepped into her home and took a deep breath: she could relax now and she was free to do what we she wanted. With a glance backwards to ensure Octavia had made her way inside, Vinyl went back to the door so she could shut it. A final glimpse of the outside revealed the pure beauty of the exterior of her house.
One long stare later, Vinyl's mind clicked and an idea popped into her head. 'This was it!' Vinyl thought cheerily as she shut the door.
*********************
Octavia looked around her. She had been to Vinyl's house on quite a few occasions now but the sheer size of everything always took her aback. From the looming walls to the large photographs of popular musicians, Vinyl's house had it all. Compared to Octavia's small and homely cottage, Vinyl's house was the complete polar opposite.
This "polar opposite" trend between them was further reinforced by their music preference. Octavia, being a cellist, was an enthusiast of an older style, focussing on real instruments and their sounds. In particular, she preferred the orchestral side of the spectrum. It made for some spectacular music. Classical was another genre Octavia enjoyed - there were many symphonies Octavia enjoyed listening to from time to time. Vinyl, however, was much more into the electronic side of music; music that carried a more modern style. Vinyl also produced some of her favourite genres professionally: genres such as Hardstyle and Dubstep. The name she went by within production was "DJ PON-3".
'Wait a minute...' Octavia thought as she shrugged away her train of meaningless thoughts. 'Where has Vinyl gone?'
With a swivel, Octavia turned her attention to one of many large framed doors leading out of this room. From previous experiences and visits, Octavia had managed to deduce that the room found through there was in fact the kitchen. The door was ajar and not closed like the other doors which suggested that this was where Vinyl had disappeared too while Octavia was absently wandering her own mind.
Octavia knew she was always welcomed anywhere in Vinyl's house. Aware of this freedom, Octavia headed towards a different door; one she was one-hundred percent sure she knew what lurked behind it. With a dainty hoof, Octavia applied enough force to gently get the door open. Even though Octavia had seen what this room had to offer before, it still caused her to gasp in a delighted awe every time. Opening the door revealed a large room with some modern furniture, a fireplace and a large TV. None of the aforementioned items seemed outstanding, true; this room had a secret trick up its sleeve though.
The first thing that greeted you when you entered this room was a huge wall which wasn't a wall. In the place of a usual brick wall was a huge, thick glass wall. The glass was tended to regularly so that the beauty was preserved and the exterior could be observed. The furniture arrangement was faultless to say the least. It was organised so that each seater was able to view each other, the TV and the glass wall at all times with a good degree of comfort. It was an intricate layout indeed, but one that was as effective as it was complex.
Complex, but definitely worth it.
The view that could be acquired from this glass wall was absolutely breath-taking. The sun was just beginning to set and it was a late summer's evening.
There was no exception today.
Just as Octavia was admiring the view that was starting to form before her, the door behind her opened forcefully and a certain pony entered.
Vinyl observed her view. Octavia was stood there, miles away and caught in the complicated infrastructure of her mind. With a quick thought, Vinyl advanced on Octavia tenderly in an attempt to keep her hoofsteps muffled and not audible to Octavia's ears. It seemed to be working efficaciously, Vinyl observed.
Octavia couldn't break her eyes away from what she was seeing. The exterior of Vinyl's house always looked nice, yes - but this was so much more than just that. There were encrypted messages and memories intertwined within what Octavia as viewing. Not only that; the positioning of this glass was unparalleled . No other room in Vinyl's huge house would be able to capture such an enticing spectacle.
'Wait... What is that smell?' Octavia thought. She could smell something delightful and distracting. Eventually, Octavia's resilience gave in to curiosity. What was the source of such a magnificent scent?
With a brief peek downwards, Octavia saw a plate of appetising food. The plate had been placed perfectly south of her nose in an attempt to distract her.
Vinyl, noticing that she had broken Octavia's concentration, took this moment to gain Octavia's attention. In a playful manner, Vinyl poked Octavia in the side lightly, provoking Octavia to turn around.
"Hey, Octavia. I noticed that you were super enthralled by the scenery outside. Do you fancy- uhh, sitting together and enjoying the view while we eat the food I prepared?" Vinyl asked, blushing gently and looking at the floor in bashfulness.
"Sure! Sounds amazing!" Octavia enthusiastically replied, leaping at the opportunity to spend this pleasant sunset with her best friend; her only friend.
"Okay then. Take a seat!" Vinyl offered, glad that his idea was accepted and not rejected.
The two ponies settled down on the sofa with their food, coats brushing together. Vinyl's pure white coat was ruffling in Octavia's pale grey coat and their hooves were very close to touching. It was hard for Vinyl to resist the temptation just grab Octavia's hoof but the consequences could be negative. Instead, Vinyl refrained and enjoyed the beauty of the view and their friendship. This truly had been a good day and it was finally complete in Vinyl's eyes.
It may have been complete, but the day was far from its end...
Author's Note
Second chapter is live. Little happens in this one to do with storyline, but I don't care. Deal with it. I preferred writing descriptive, anyway. It allows me to be more fluent, I think.
Next chapter could be a while. I have a lot of important exams coming up and they will consume the next few weeks. I'll write as often as is possible, though.
-FluttershyAllTheWay
