The Music that Binds.

by Johnfreemanwepon

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Octavia, DJ P0N-3
Length: 8857

An OctaScratch story. Not much else to say.

Octavia and Vinyl Scratch meet very much by chance after the Grand Galloping Gala. What can THIS lead to?

Art by: shadow-rhapsody
http://shadow-rhapsody.deviantart.com/

Written by: Johnfreemanwepon

Ship. ALL. THE. THINGS.

Published 2012-01-27 22:38:23 UTC
Last updated 2012-03-12 22:22:35 UTC

A competitor or a friend?

Octavia watched in horror as six ponies- from her hometown, no less, destroyed the entire event, and the pink one (Pinky? Pinkie? oh whatever) even embarrassed her on stage by making her play a silly little song for fillies. She was a mare of music, real, musical masterpieces! Not little tiny rhyming songs...

As she was packing up her cello, still seething, she saw a white pony approaching her in the corner of her eye. She looked up, recognizing the deep red eyes that belonged to Vinyl Scratch- a pony she had met during her musical training. She was a talented guitarist, but she left early to pursue “Other options”- specifically DJ’ing at parties. Octavia never knew her very well, but she did know that Vinyl had been competing against her for this gig under the alias “DJ P0N-3” or something like that. She really did have strikingly red eyes.

‘Where did THAT come from?’ she thought to herself after that thought popped into her mind.

“Hi, I’m Vinyl Scratch. I heard you were still around, and I wanted to compliment you on your music. It was fantastic.”

Octavia was surprised- she hadn’t expected a “Hardcore” music lover to enjoy her classical cello tones as much as she did. Even more surprisingly, the cellist was happy to know this- mostly, she didn’t care about other’s opinions, but for some reason, the fact that a pony whose genre of choice is something completely opposed to hers.

“Thank you for that. I honestly felt bad about this gig- I didn’t do to well musically, and I was embarrassed when that.. Pink... pony requested a song.”

Vinyl smiled and nearly laughed, before saying “Yeah, that’s Pinkie Pie for ya. I DJ at a few of her parties every so often- I swear she’s made of sugar. I can’t even keep up with her!”

Octavia smirked, and before long they were going off on a long conversation. They talked for so long, in fact, that the guards had to tell them to leave and “escorted” them off the premises. They walked down the streets of Canterlot, still talking until they reached Octavia’s apartment, and Octavia ended the discussion with an “Oh.. this is my place. I guess... I’ll see you around.”

Vinyl looked surprised, before remembering something with a look of dread. “I... I actually don’t have anywhere to crash tonight. I normally don’t use hotels after I do gigs, it ruins the point. Think I could stay here? I mean, if you have a guest room or something. I’m cool with a couch, so don’t think I’m picky about where I stay.”

Octavia thought for a moment. ‘Do I really trust her? I only have really known her for one day... Although, we could be friends... You know what? Why not?’

“Sure, you can... how did you put it? ‘Crash’? Here. My guest room is rather nice, if I do say so myself. Come on in, my home is your home... For now.”

“Thanks, Octy. I can call you Octy, right?”

Octavia pondered this. Nopony but her own mother ever called her anything but “Octavia.” She assumed it was out of “Respect” for a “Celebrity”- yeah right.

“Sure, Why not?”

Octavia led her new friend into her apartment. As soon as they walked in, Vinyl blew off her “calm, cool” personality. Octavia didn’t live in the “best” part of town, but it definitely wasn’t the poorest part either. She enjoyed living where she did, the rents were low and the rooms were nice. Vinyl seemed absolutely in awe.

“This is an APARTMENT?” She said, bouncing happily on the couch.

Octavia didn’t mind, her couch was sturdy enough. In fact, the antics of her friend put a smile on her face. Was her home really that nice? She never thought much about it, but in retrospect she was probably one of the better off musicians from her school.

“Come along, I’ll show you to the guest room. It should suit you quite well, if the living room has you this riled up.”

Vinyl stopped bouncing and followed Octavia down a hallway and through a door. The room she entered was almost as big as the living room- Vinyl’s entire apartment could probably fit in this guest room.

“How about I live here and pay for your rent?” Vinyl teased, obviously amazed at the luxury that is a Canterlot apartment.

Octavia found herself seriously considering this, they had never met before today and it was obviously a joke, but it would be nice to have a pony with similar tastes as hers sharing an apartment with her. Also, the apartment WAS rather large.

Vinyl saw the other mare staring off into space, and she rolled her eyes and waved a hoof in front of her face.

“Hellooooo, Equestria to Octavia. It was a joke, man.”

Octavia snapped out of her stare, quickly coming back to reality.

“I knew that,” she almost shouted, “I was just thinking it might actually work- I DO have a rather large apartment, anyway.”

“Yeah, whatever, just show me where I can sleep. But first, why not have a cup of coffee or something?”

Octavia decided coffee would be nice, it is an excuse to continue talking from earlier.

“Sounds good. Make yourself at home- piano’s over there, if you want to play, but there’s also the TV in the corner- not sure anything good is on, though.”

Vinyl sat down at the piano bench while Octavia headed towards the kitchen. She played a song on the spot, devising and playing from the soul. She was always good at improvising, and she was lost in the music. Octavia walked back in with her mouth open. She nearly dropped the coffee before setting it down on the table in the middle of the room. She had never thought this DJ, a pony who only remixed other pieces of music and played them back, could play this well on a classical instrument like a piano.

She could feel the beat, pulsing through her like a torrential downpour. She walked to her cello and began playing with her, creating a harmony that could bring Celestia herself to tears.

After several minutes of playing, and several “call/respond” portions, the improv session ended. Vinyl turned around to see the grey earth pony smiling, before Octavia said “I never thought you could play that well- you were a good guitarist, but you lacked the precision you needed. I always thought that was why you left the music school.”

Vinyl remained silent, before changing the subject. “I see the coffee’s done.”

She walked over to the table and grabbed a cup, sitting down on the sofa and remaining silent.

Vinyl broke the silence, saying “Do you really think that little of me as a musician? Just because I enjoy doing something completely different than what anypony has done before. I didn’t leave because I couldn’t take it.”

Octavia glanced up, a hopeful look on her face. She could still salvage this... Maybe.

“I don’t think less of you, not any more. That performance was good enough for me. One question I DO have, why were you at the Gala anyway? I would think a pony like you would despise that sort of thing.”

“I would, normally. I was actually competing to do the music there, but then it would be a COMPLETELY different party. I wouldn’t have crashed it, but it would definitely have been louder; so they turned me down. I was one of two choices, though, so they gave me a ticket in consolation. You deserved that gig.”

Octavia was glad they were past the unintentional insult, and they started talking again. Deep into their conversation, Octavia casually glanced at the clock. Three A.M.

She gasped, before apologizing and rushing off to bed. She couldn’t stand being sleep deprived- she was glad tomorrow was a Sunday and she had no gigs.

Vinyl walked to the guest room, having been shown by Octavia. Usually, she was nocturnal- but today was different. She made herself wake up earlier and earlier so she could be awake during the day, so why should she stop? She went to bed. Four hours was enough sleep for her, and it would be nice if she could repay her host with breakfast tomorrow morning.

***

Octavia awoke to an intoxicating smell- this was the first time anything had happened to her since she left her mother’s house. She couldn’t cook worth a damn, so she usually just stuck with a toaster. She looked to her clock- 9 AM. Decent, 6 hours of sleep would do just fine for a day.

She got up to investigate the source of the smell, walking through her enormous living room, walking through the stacks of sheet music and instruments and eventually passing the double doors into the kitchen.

“Breakfast is ready!” a cheery white unicorn said. “Hope you like waffles!”
That honestly sounded fantastic, and Octavia sat down at the table where Vinyl had set a place for her.

“Thank you, Vinyl. This looks fantastic.”

“Bah, it’s the least I could do. You did let me stay in your room, after all.”

Octavia nodded. She DID let her stay with no charge- something not a lot of ponies would do- and had let her stay for coffee.

“Oh, Octy, I need to stay here for a while. I have a few gigs over the next few days, and I guess it’d be cool to stay with a friend.”

That last word shocked Octavia. She’d like to consider her a friend, but they had only met last night by chance.

“Umm.. Okay, I guess, just as long as you keep cooking like THIS.” The waffles really were delicious, and she was almost wolfing them down.

Vinyl smiled- she would be happy to as long as she got to stay with a friend and talk. She dreaded the day she would have to return to Ponyville.

Confession over Coffee.

(Author’s note: This chapter might be any musicians wet dream and/or nightmare [Maybe or maybe not at the same time])

Just then, Vinyl remembered she had to be somewhere. Something about setting up at a club for tonight.

As she was about to leave, a thought popped into Octavia’s head.

“One thing: if you’re going to call me by a nickname, call me ‘Tavi’ instead. ‘Octy’ sounds like you’re calling me an octopus.”

Vinyl thought for a moment. “I guess that could work. See you in a couple hours, tavi.”

They hugged before Vinyl walked out of the door, leaving Octavia to herself and her thoughts.

The grey mare sat down near her collection of music, and her eyes strayed to the small pile Vinyl had in her saddlebags the day they met. Normally, none of it would appeal to Octavia- but she needed to hear where that pony got her inspiration. Vinyl’s skills on the piano were a truly fearsome thing to behold.

Before long, Octavia was lost in the bass and drum beats of the music. She never listened to music much- let alone the dubstep most ponies seemed to like; she always wrote her own songs and they seemed to be pretty much good enough for the crowds that watched her. This was unlike anything she had felt before- the music took control of her body, forcing her to bob her head and tap her hoof, swaying in the beat.

After the songs ended, there was an exasperated silence. Octavia was amazed, and suddenly had an idea for a new song. She sat down at the piano, playing out rhythm after rhythm, the complex opposing parts creating a complete feeling of chaos. It was fantastic. Playing it out on the piano, she could feel several different collisions of genres- all fighting for supremacy and crafting an unparalleled feeling of complete chaos and all lending themselves to a sort of perverse order.

She had to hear more- but she didn’t know of anywhere to get more records. Content with the piano part, she began transposing several of the chords to cello and harp- staples of the “high brow” stage performance.

Suddenly, Vinyl walked in to the living room. The normally clean and organized room was a mess- covered in crumpled up papers, and, strangely enough, several of her record covers. Walking over to the piano that sat at the center of the room, she saw Tavi hard at work on a piece of music. It looked complicated, so she sat down next to the mare- deciphering the strange composition in front of her.

The style was unprecedented- several parts having different time signatures in the same place, and different parts of the same instruments had different key signatures.

It looked like chaos. Realization dawned on Vinyl- ‘so that’s why those records are out of their cases.’

“Whatcha workin’ on, Tavi?” she said, asking simply to clue the mare in to her presence.

Tavi looked up, furrowed brow loosening slightly. “I listened to some of your music,” she stated.

“I noticed.”

“... And it gave me some fantastic ideas. This song... It’s unlike anything I’ve ever written before.”

“I noticed.”

“So... would you like to play with me?”

Vinyl started “uh... What?”

Octavia noticed what she had just said, and blushed furiously. “The song, I mean....”

Vinyl nodded and took her place at the piano while Octavia moved over to her cello. Starting the metronome, she counted off.

“One, Two, Three, Four, One and Two and Three and Four and”

They started off on what looked like a train wreck. It ended up sounding amazing- the conflicting rhythms and times complementing each other perfectly. Vinyl had a hard time keeping up with the time changes- a part that was in cut time instantly switching to 4/4 and back again, before going into 6/8. The other part was easier to keep track of, only alternating between cut time and 3/2.

The key signature was a different beast all together, each measure holding sixteenth note runs would be in an entirely opposite key.

Despite this, the music sounded amazing. It was a perfect marriage of dubstep and classical- a paradox if there ever was one.

“What’d you think, Vinyl?” Octavia said as they finished playing the last note of the song.

“Wow.”

“It’s entirely experimental, though- I would never play this type of music at a formal event. It would be... brash.”

“Why not? If they boo you off, they boo you off. If they don’t, and they rock out to it, then you would go down in history as the mare that created a genre. I swear, some parts of that were like pure rage and others were like flying- carefree, easygoing and open. For lack of a better word, that song is like sex.”

Octavia was appalled at the crude word that was used in describing her song, before letting it go and replying “I wouldn’t know...”

Vinyl was shocked “So you’re still...”

“Yes.”

“Wow.” This mare was full of surprises.

After a long period of awkward silence, Vinyl finally piped up “Whatever, that’s no biggie. It’s not like it’s a big deal, anyway. Just to be fair, I’m still... a virgin as well.”

It was Octavia’s turn to be surprised.

“Really?” She had expected a party pony like this to have been.. around the block a few times. “How do you know what sex feels like then?”

“That’s how other people describe it to me, I never really gave it to much thought- if I ever said that, I figured it was a given that people would understand it.”

“Oh. Wait, if you figured everyone had already had sex, why didn’t you... ya know, do the deed? I’m sure you could get a few stallions lined up in a snap with your line of work.”

Vinyl blushed “I... I really don’t know. I guess I should, some day, but there’s just this feeling... I feel like I shouldn’t, even though there isn’t much of a problem with it.”

“I feel the same way, honestly... I can’t figure it out.”

Vinyl nodded. “Hey, wanna get some coffee?”

“Sure.”

They headed out- deciding it would be nice to go to a cafe instead of making it at home. The conversation would have been awkward, especially after the revelation they had both just made. Hopefully, being in public would steer them clear of any private discussions.

As they walked through the streets, neither of them talked. The friendly conversations from last night seemed to be ancient history. The faceless droves were welcoming- they didn’t have to talk, they only had to keep moving.

“Let’s stop here,” Vinyl said, nearly spitting it out. They were in front of a fancy cafe, the room nearly packed.

“Okay” was all Octavia managed to say.

‘Why is it so uncomfortable now? I’ve told others that I’m... Oh dear, I hope I haven’t scared her off... I never have had a friend who I felt as comfortable with.’

As they were waiting in line, Octavia ran over all the things she could have possibly said wrong. What happened? Why had she confessed this? Things were already a little awkward- they had simply started talking after a gig and Octavia had taken into her home... Did it seem like she was coming on to Vinyl?

Next to her, Vinyl was thinking almost the same thing. ‘I hope she doesn’t think I am weird... At least I haven’t told her I’m a.. a fillyfooler or anything. I don’t know how she would take that, even if she lives in Canterlot... Think, Vinyl, THINK! There’s got to be SOMETHING we can talk about...’

“So... About that music. Did you really write it just because you heard some of my music?”

“Yeah, I did. I guess. It was amazing- I never have felt that way about music before. Sure, I’ve played music, sure, I’ve felt emotions, but this? This was something else. I couldn’t keep myself from moving. And I just... I needed to do SOMETHING. Something... powerful. I needed to give back to the music. I don’t know- is that weird? I don’t think so.”

Vinyl smiled, relieved that the conversation had restarted. As they walked in front of a cafe, Vinyl turned and said “Tavi, I think that’s fantastic.”

Hearing her new nickname sent shivers down her spine- whatever bridges had fallen were erected again, stronger than ever and in full glory.

“That’s actually why I left music school. I felt like I wasn’t doing the music justice, playing it off the page and not changing anything. In my room, I always made new parts for the songs- remixes, improv, solos and all. I just never was able to get it just right- in full glory, playing with the rest of the band. Doing remixes of it off of a record is... so much more fulfilling. It keeps me going, and makes me feel like I’m contributing something. Everything you heard, everything you WANT to hear, I made that. I’m just glad that I made that much of an impression on somepony.”

There was a light cough from right next to them, and they looked to its source. A young colt, no older than twenty, stood there impatiently.

“May I take your order?”

“Uh.. Triple shot mocha. Tavi, what do you want? It’s on me.”

Octavia didn’t know much about coffee, so she just replied “Make it two.”

As they walked to the table, Octavia felt a new wave of relief.

“I always felt the same way- I did the same things, I just did it on stage as well. People always loved my solos, and I almost always put somepony or another in tears. I can’t even begin to imagine how many times a friend who had a bad breakup collapsed into my arms after a show. My music moves people, changes them. I guess we have that in common.”

Vinyl nodded as their coffees were being served.

“It must be hard- always seeing the effects of your music after the show. It’s kinda like writing that way- or maybe boating. You send a ship to sea, and you just wait. You literally don’t know if it’ll sink or swim, but you hope to Celestia it goes over well**.”

Octavia took a sip of her coffee. She had tasted mocha before, but this felt stronger- better, in a way. She recalled her feelings when she listened to the music- it made her cry, it made her bitter, but it made her joyous as well. The coffee was the same way. She looked down and shed a silent tear.

“Uh... Are you okay, Tavi?”

Looking up, she smiled and wiped it away. “Yes. I never thought I would say this, Vinyl, but I respect you. Your work.. It is so amazing. I’ve heard dubstep before, yes, but... Yours had so much soul. I felt closer to you, somehow.”

She placed a hoof on Vinyl’s. “I’m glad we had this talk.”

The sun was going down, and Vinyl looked up, softly. This was like a dream come true.

“I.. I have to go. My gig’s in a few minutes.”

Octavia looked positively downtrodden.

“Waiter?” she called, “Check please.”

Several minutes later, Octavia was walking alongside her. She had finally convinced Vinyl that she could handle herself, and that she wanted to go. Secretly, Vinyl didn’t want somepony to sweep her off her hooves. For some reason, she wanted this mare to herself. The reason was unclear, but she knew not to hide from her feelings. She remembered the playful tongue lashing she had gotten;

“Vinyl Scratch, I am a perfectly rational adult pony. I can take care of myself.”

Shortly after, Vinyl caved. she knew Tavi was rational, and she knew she could trust her to take care of herself. The sunset on the way to the club was beautiful.

***

Vinyl lived up to her name, remixing an old favorite on the spot- her new friend watching with great interest.

The crowd was going insane- their idol was here, and they loved every minute of it. The ponies on the dance floor were headbanging, fist pumping and everything imaginable. The bar was nearly empty, aside from one pony too interested to drink.

After a long time of epic light shows- and a little of Tavi’s new piece played via dubstep remix, Vinyl weaved through the crowd of ponies towards the bar, garnering several slaps on the rear from stallions and even a few catcalls.

“I’d say it was a success,” she said as she reached the bar.

“Ya think?”

“Barkeep, vodka martini. Dirty.”

“Alright, drinks on the house. Never seen the crowd this pumped before. They’ll be beggin’ for drinks later.”

Octavia looked up, and ordered. “Scotch on the rocks.”

Vinyl added, “She’s with me.”

Octavia and Vinyl sipped on their drinks, keeping themselves secluded in a corner of the bar.

“You looked a little uncomfortable, getting that attention from those stallions. Why?”

Vinyl had hoped to dodge this question for a while- she had already made one revelation to Tavi, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to make another one.

Octavia noticed the mare’s smile turn to a nervous look, and put a hoof on her shoulder.

“You can tell me anything. It won’t be that awkward, will it?” Octavia had an idea of the reason, but she wanted to hear it from the... horse’s mouth.

“Well... It’s.. I like mares. That’s all I can say. If you hate me, then-”

Octavia cut her off with a soft kiss on the cheek. “It’s okay.”

Vinyl’s heart fluttered. She pinched herself- not an easy feat for a pony, mind you- to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

“I guess that’s why.. well...”

“Hold it, I never said I liked mares. I just don’t mind you liking them.”

Vinyl was crestfallen. “o-oh...”

“However,” Octavia added, the white unicorn looking up after hearing this, “I’d be willing to give it a chance.”

Vinyl grinned toothily, finishing off her drink.

“How about we blow this joint?”

Octavia downed hers in one gulp, and smiled seductively.

They left, not bothering to pick up Vinyl’s pay. She left the music on autopilot- she could come get her stuff later. Now, they just needed to go home.

“Vinyl?”

“Hm?”

“I think I had fun.”

“Me too.”

(** Author’s note- like how I made TWO metaphors about my writing at once? “A SHIP” and “Writing”? Epic use of literary devices, no? :derpytongue2:)

Screw the names! chapter 4

*** At Octavia’s house***

“What?”

That was all Octavia managed to say.

“I can’t stay. I need to go back to ponyville. I’m late to get back, anyway- I should’ve left right after that gig.”

“So, what, we just make out all last night and now you’re leaving? Jeez, if you knew that, why didn’t you just go for broke?!”

Hearing the pain in Octavia’s voice, Vinyl placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“I don’t want it to end. I’ll visit as often as possible, but I have a life in Ponyville.”

Octavia turned. “Leave.”

“What?”

“Just leave.”

Vinyl was taken aback. Was this really the same mare who had just complained about her having a life? She was saddened by the prospect- she might’ve really hurt Tavi. Silently, she walked out the door.

“I love you, Tavi, and I’ll miss you terribly.”

Octavia was unmoved visibly- from the back, at least. Tears were streaming from her eyes, and she was still crying as she heard the door close.

She turned around, half expecting the white mare to have stayed. Unfortunately, Vinyl wasn’t the stubborn type and thought it would be better to leave her alone. Seeing nopony, she descended into a bout of rage. Before she did any damage, she ran to her bedroom and jumped into the pillows on her bed.

She sobbed, all thoughts of... anything instantly leaving her head.

On the elevator down, Vinyl ran through the events in her head. ‘What did I do wrong? I told her that I’d come visit. I can’t stay here forever! I have a life in Ponyville- Pinkie always needs me to DJ her parties, and I have a house there. Octavia can’t come with ME for the same reason... Can she?’ She shook her head. If Octavia wanted her to leave, she would leave. If she wanted her to come back, she would come back. ‘I’ll wait forever if I have to.’

***Three weeks later***

Octavia was in a rut. She couldn’t think of anything, all her concentration had left her in the past few days. She had scrapped her “pet project” she started when Vinyl was staying with her- she couldn’t feel it any more.

‘I need to see her again... I need to fix what I did. She... The last thing she said to me was “I love you”... I told her to leave. What the HELL have I done?!’

She heard a knock on her door.

“GO AWAY!!”

After a short pause, she heard a voice from the other side “Miss Octavia, I’m afraid we need to collect your rent. If you refuse to comply, we shall have to evict you.”

Grabbing a sack of bits and going to the door, she found it wasn’t her landlord. Staring back at her was her friend with a bouquet of flowers.

“Now that I have your attention, may I come in?”

Octavia nodded. The last thing she wanted to do right now was turn away another one of her friends- the last time that had happened, look at what it did for her.

He sat down on her pure white couch after placing the bouquet on the table.

“What brings you here today, Duke?” Octavia asked, almost rhetorically.

“I’m worried about you, Tavi.” The nickname sent waves of guilt and pain through her, and a tear started to form in her eyes.

“D...Did I say something wrong?” he asked, seeing the tear streak down her face.

“No. You... You didn’t. I’m okay, Duke, I just need to take a few days to get back into the swing of things.”

He nodded. “I think I understand now. Who was it?”

“What?”

“Who left you? From the way you’re acting, I’d say that’s just about the only possibility.”

She smiled at her friends’ acute ability to sense emotions- she always admired that about him. Sniffling slightly, she told him “I..I’ll explain over tea.”

She walked over to the kitchen, leaving him to his own devices.

He stared at her- he had always secretly had a crush on her, but now wasn’t the time to act on that. His friend was hurt- that much was obvious. He wouldn’t take advantage on her. Even so, her flanks were enticing, swaying back and forth as he watched. She was nearly done, so he tried to focus on something else. He was always drawn back to her.

‘Why shouldn’t I ask her out? She’s been dumped, hasn’t she? Now’s my chance!’ He frowned, suppressing the thought. ‘She’s your friend, asshole! Don’t do this to her while she’s down! What if she’s not over him?’

Still at war with himself, he forced a smile onto his face while she sat down with the tea.

“I made a mistake.”

He was surprised- it was obvious something had ended, but he didn’t expect her to be the one to end it- especially considering how torn up she was over it.

“What happened?”

“She... I... I DON’T KNOW! I can’t figure out what the hell came over me! She had to leave...”

“She?”

“Vinyl Scratch.”

“Oh really? I wouldn’t expect that- her being who she is, I thought you’d be mortal enemies. Also, I never pegged you for a fillyfooler.” He was good at hiding the pain in his voice. He would never get a chance to be with her.

“Yeah, it is a bit of a strange match. Anyway, we were talking, and she mentioned that she had to leave... and I... I just got so mad, I don’t really know why- I guess I just felt... lied to. She didn’t tell me about it the night before, and that just made it worse.”

Duke raised his eyebrows “How... How far did you two go? Did you...”

“No!” she interrupted, before saying “I don’t care how far we went, which wasn’t even that far, I still feel betrayed. I need to see her- she became my inspiration even in that short of a time. Her music... Her... Just being there is enough to make me need to do something creative, to do something important.”

“So, why didn’t you follow her?”

“What?”

“If someone has that much of an effect on you, why would you let them leave? They probably need you as much as you need them.”

***Ponyville, 1 week earlier***

Vinyl had lost it. She had nothing left to do- sure, she had a job in the last two weeks, but after her first gig, everypony canceled. They heard she wasn’t good anymore- that she had washed out. Of course, Vinyl thought that as well- but she knew WHY- unlike her employers. She had left on a... less than positive note with Octavia. If she had told her beforehand, maybe this would’ve been different. Although, she still overreacted- it wasn’t like she stole her virginity or anything, they had just kissed. Still, there was something to be said- it was still sorta a “one night stand” and now Vinyl was paying the consequences.

She couldn’t get into it- she was preoccupied.

‘I hope Tavi isn’t feeling the same way’

***Present day, Canterlot, Octavia’s apartment***

“So... What are you saying? Are you saying I should... Go to Ponyville?”

“If that’s what you think I said, then yes.”

He always thought of a way to mindfuck me, she thought- it ended with her learning something, though- and that’s a good thing.

“So, what, I should just pick up and run? What about my job? What about my friends? What about you?”

He swallowed.

“I just care about what is best for you” he replied, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Go to her, and the music will follow. Just be happy.”

After saying this, he pulled her into a hug. The desire to steal her away was gone- he knew this was not the time. Now, he had to worry about her. She deserved to be happy.

“I’ll help you pack.”

(Author’s note: OH GOD this was late. You guys need to tell me when I delay this much!)

The real chapter four. There, happy?

Vinyl sighed. It had been a long time since she had moved, and the stress from packing floored her. The apartment she had chosen in Canterlot wasn’t exactly luxurious, but it wasn’t backwater either- even so, it was closer to Octavia than anything else on the market. The thought of seeing the mare- and her reaction- brought a smile to Vinyl’s face. They really hadn’t known each other for very long, but there was... something that made her need more. She had to do something, and the way Octavia yelled at her before made it quite clear that she wouldn’t be the one to act.

Suddenly, a thought popped into her mind- Hearts and hooves day was in a couple days, and she had a radio gig lined up for (guess when) the very same day. Grinning devilishly, she started thinking about how many ways she could abuse THAT. A card with a radio station and a time- that’s all it would take. She might even throw in some chocolate- mares love chocolate. Her mind started to wander, first to chocolate, then to barrel rolls, then to chocolate, then to rabbits, then to Octavia. She walked off the train by rote memory, not even noticing a grey earth pony with a curious collar board her train.

***

Octavia was worried- she had spent all of last night packing, in a furious heat of passion. If Vinyl was her muse, so be it- she would follow. Any great musician would agree, follow your inspiration- maybe that’s why R&B was so popular in Manehattan...?

‘No. Focus. We can’t miss this train, Tavi.’

To anyone else, she probably seemed like a mad mare- but to her, talking to herself was as normal as breathing. Besides, isn’t every musician worth their salt at least a LITTLE bit crazy? Obviously Vinyl was- anyone who was attracted to Octavia had to be. A little.

As her train arrived, she lagged back, thinking about what she was doing. She had a life here- granted, not a very good one, but still. On the other hand.... she had a mare in Ponyville. A mare who loved her. She knew it was true now, she didn’t need to question it further. It was blind and naive, yes, but that didn’t matter. Sometimes, things needed a leap of faith. Sometimes, the most childish thing was the right thing.

Sometimes, you just needed to board the train.

As she entered, she didn’t look back. She was ready.

***

Vinyl scratched her head with her hoof, before flattening her mane. She had been standing outside Octavia’s door for fifteen minutes now, trying to work up the courage to talk to the mare. She hadn’t expected it to be this hard to talk to her- all the feelings they had were pretty well aired out, after all, and she didn’t really have anything to lose.

‘Nothing to lose... Come on, Vinyl, you can do this...’ She reached out and knocked on the door.

No answer, at least for a minute- and when the door finally opened, she was surprised. Instead of the soft curves of a mare, she was greeted with the harsh features of a stallion.

“Can I help you?” he asked politely.

“Uh... Is this where Octavia lives?”

“Yeah, normally.”

“W...where is she?”

“She’s gone.”

“Can you tell me why, or where?”

“Personal business. I’m sure she wouldn’t care for me to share.”

“... Will she be gone long?”

“Can’t say. Depends.”

“On what?”

“Depends.”

“You’re not going to tell me.”

“Not now, no.”

“Great.” Vinyl turned away. “Tell her I came by.”

“Sure.”

She walked away. Was this a coltfriend? After they had already... Well, it was sorta not to much of a thing, before... Still, she wasn’t willing to give up on Tavi. There had to be something there, how else would they have hit it off so quickly and so well?

‘Maybe I should hold off on hijacking that radio gig...’

***

Octavia was worried. She had been working on how to apologize to Vinyl for her gauntlet of shouting from the week before, but she couldn’t get anything just right. She had writers block already, and she had just started working a few moments ago. Anything she wrote down just seemed pointless and superficial, not to mention awkward and annoying.

Perhaps she should just lay low for a few days. That couldn’t hurt anything, right?

***

Vinyl sat in the cafe where they had talked the day after they met, staring at the droves of ponies walking by on their everyday schedule with their everyday worries. It sickened her, seeing all these ponies succumbing to the rote memory of routine, never bothering to take a chance. All of them looked run down, defeated, unhappy.

In a way, this gave Vinyl strength- she had something to fight for, and that is more than they can say. She had something worth her effort and time.

She stared down at her cup and sighed. Did she really? Did she really have Octavia, or was she just lying to herself? Was it really these ponies that had no emotion and no future? Or was it her?

Vinyl decided to check the local news, bring herself up to speed with what’s happening and, more importantly, give her something to do- take her mind off of Octavia for once.

After paying her tab, she left the Cafe and walked to a nearby newsstand. She payed her 2 bits, grabbing a copy of the Canterlot Examiner. Thankfully, there was no music column today.

She walked back to her apartment with the newspaper in her saddlebags and sighed. It was evening now, and the hills in the distance radiated with the setting sun. If there was any wonder as to why Octavia lived in such a crowded place like this, it was gone now. This view was to die for.

***

Octavia couldn’t sleep- the silence from this town was deafening. It was a far cry from the urban noise and general feeling of being among other ponies, and it was keeping her up. Noise pollution was a bitch.

No matter. She could tune it out. She was a musician, for Celestia’s sake, and a damn good one at that. If she could tune out a room full of bad cellists and play perfectly, she could sure as hell sleep through silence. She needed all her strength to face up to Vinyl after what she had done.

Soon, she began drifting off to the peaceful realm of dreams, with naught but a whisper outside.

***

Vinyl woke up and did a double take before remembering where she was. It had been a while since she had gotten up inside somepony else’s house before- except that the somepony wasn’t there.

‘Okay.. so I didn’t get TOTALLY wasted last night. That’s good. No hangover, in my own bed, no vomit... Alright, we’re doing pretty well.’

She got up and went to the kitchen, deciding it would be a good idea to whip up a bit of food. Hell, her kitchen was even sanitary... for now.

***

Octavia woke with a start. After tuning out the silence for so long, the rooster’s call was... abrasive. At least she didn’t need an alarm clock.

It wasn’t like she was really in a deep sleep- to many things were going through her mind for her to really fall asleep, so she was in and out the whole night. This much nervousness could not be healthy.

She needed to talk to Vinyl, it was now or never. That much was certain.

Although, there was still the question as to where Vinyl lived- that was never really a topic of interest when they were talking. At least, not the specifics.

She had a good feeling of where to start, though- the library seemed to be pretty large for such a small town.

After a few cups of coffee and a quick shower, Octavia decided it would be prudent to head out.

Walking through the town square, she did her best to blend in to the surrounding ponies and keep her head down.

“HEY! I’ve never seen you in Ponyville!”

Damn. So close. She turned to see a pink pony with a cotton candy mane, still yammering away. Octavia came to a sudden realisation as to who this is- the pink tormentor from the Gala!

“... And when I haven’t seen anypony around before, the only thing there is to do is throow a PARTY!”

Octavia blinked. For all she knew, this pony could have rewritten Equestria’s constitution in the time she had spaced out- and in a single breath. Did this pony even breathe?

“Uh... before we have a party and everything, it might be better if I... ya know, found out your name?”

“I’m Pinkie Pie and I know absolutely EVERYPONY in Ponyville. Who are you?”

Pinkie Pie. How fitting. “I’m Octavia.”

“Good to meet you, Octavia! Can I call you Octy? OOH! Or Tavi? That sounds way better. Tavi...”

“Yes, yes enough pleasantries. Wait.. did you say everypony? Do you know where I can find a Vinyl Scratch?”

Pinkie brightened- if that was at all possible. “You know Vinyl? Cool! She’s my DJ for all of my parties! Or.. Was...” Pinkie grimaced.

“Was?”

“Yeah, she kinda started to suck. Ran off a few days back.”

Ran off? “Where to?”

“Canterlot, I think. Not sure, though.”

Octavia facehoofed. Of course, Vinyl was the one who was “at fault” when she left, but Tavi hadn’t expected her to ‘come to her senses’ and apologize so quickly. Really, why did she make that big of a deal out of such a small thing?

Pinkie was staring. It was creepy.

“Uhh... do you have a phone number I can call or something? I really need to talk to her.”

“Well.. she.. She left in a bit of a hurry. Seemed a little preoccupied.”

“Heh. Yeah.”

“Anyway, Party at the Library at 7:30. Be there.”

“... Sure.”

***

Vinyl walked out of her apartment. It had been a full day since she moved in, with whatever meager possessions she had. At least the unpacking was easy.

As she neared the cafe, which was strangely becoming a fixture in her life, she stopped by the newsstand. Damn, it is easy to get into a routine.

She looked at the news and saw nothing that shocked her. At least there wasn’t anything terribly bad, no news is good news.

Honestly, the most interesting thing that had happened so far was the foam art in her coffee.

It was a heart. How wonderfully specific.. OH CRAP. Vinyl had forgotten about the radio show today. Glancing at the clock, she sighed. She still had some time. Not much, but some. Enough to at least finish her coffee.

Unsurprisingly, every other table had a couple at it. Great, just another reminder of Tavi. Maybe she wouldn’t do the shoutout on the radio. Octavia doesn’t seem like the pony to enjoy... overt acts such as that. She was a bit more subtle.

Maybe a few songs that Tavi liked? She had the same albums that she heard the day after they met, and that might mean.. something to her. Not sure if the message will get through, but it’s better than nothing.

Vinyl payed her bill and left. She had some things to get straightened out before the show. Her mind being the least of them.

Chapter Five- Redux

Vinyl was wandering, her ‘interview’ ending abruptly after the host got uppity about her being a fillyfooler and she stormed out. People who act like their opinion is the only one that matters deserve to observe that alone.

It made her see something important, though. She had to tell Tavi how she felt, no matter what- Tavi hadn’t even really been into mares when they first met, but she was willing to try. All for Viny. Even if Vinyl was the last pony she wanted to see right now, she had to find her. Over the last few hours, Vinyl had been working up the nerve to do just that- pacing back and forth, between her home and Tavi’s apartment.

Eventually, she got the courage to walk up the stairs and knock on the door.

It opened, with the same stallion as before.

“You again?”

“Yes. This time, I want answers- where the hell is Tavi?”

“Who’s asking?”

“Who’s asking me?”

He smirked. “Fair point, I’m Duke- a friend of Octavia. We were in high school together. Now, I answer, you answer.”

“I’m Vinyl Scratch”

He just stared, blinking as if he’d just had his first kiss.

In response, I stared him down. At long last, I spoke: “So, are we just going to stand around, staring like morons, or are you going to actually tell me where Octavia is?”

“... I think you might want to come in. This situation just got a hell of a lot more complicated.”

***

In Ponyville, Octavia was getting ready for the party. It had been an exhausting day so far, and she hadn’t even gotten a chance to eat today- totally unrelated to the moving here for absolutely nothing.

Hopefully, the party would have enough food and drink to make it worth it.

She sighed, noticing that this is practically the first time she had been to a party without having to play for the guests.

Hopefully, the formality of this party would be absolutely zero. She removed her collar so she would be less noticeable- her charcoal coat really helps in this situation, keeping her anonymous, and her collar would really be the only recognizable item she would’ve worn keeps her out of the spotlight.

Just to be safe, she even let her hair down to make her even more faceless.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she didn’t even recognize herself.

Perfect.

***

Vinyl sipped on her tea, noting the fact that the sun had already gone down. “So... What you’re telling me is that Octavia moved to Ponyville for me at the exact same time I moved to Canterlot for her, and you bought her apartment for a cut rate without any questions before she even put it on the market?”

Duke nodded.

“Interesting. So, do you think Tavi’s figured it out by now and left Ponyville?”

“Doubtful, she would’ve called first.”

Vinyl nodded, before saying “Okay. Thanks for the information. I guess I’ll be going now.”

“Aight, good luck. Hope you are able to find Tavi.”

Vinyl walked out and whispered under her breath “Me too...”

***

Octavia was bored. The party had plenty of ponies there, but nearly all of them were either to wrapped up in the party or to bored to worry about Octavia: In fact, the only one who had was Pinkie when she commented on her appearance. Now Octavia was content with drinking herself into oblivion- something she had never though she would do.

She sighed, feeling cold toward her surroundings. ‘So this is what it feels like to be depressed,’ She thought, downing another shot and screwing up her face. ‘Interesting, I always figured it would feel... darker. I just feel nothing.... As if I don’t care, but I know I do.’

Instead of further contemplating this, she just downed another shot.

Snickering, she thought to herself ‘Drinking myself happy. Wherever I saw myself 10 years ago, this sure as hell ain’t it.’

She hardly noticed a single white unicorn with striking red eyes enter the room. Her hair was also let down, kept in front of her eyes like a shroud over a mirror.

***

Walking in the room, Vinyl looked around. If Tavi had met Pinkie Pie (and honestly, everyone who came to Ponyville did,) she’d be at the party.

Pinkie still noticed Vinyl, despite the lengths she went to disguise herself- thankfully, she understood her situation and simply pointed to where Octavia was sitting at the bar.

Walking over, breaking through the throngs of ponies dancing to the (unfortunately) unmixed music.

Sitting down near Tavi- but not quite next to her- she sighed. Right now, Octavia looked forlorn and was staring into her drink like it was a magic mirror.

She looked helplessly beautiful, her hair mussed up and let down... she lacked the sophistication she usually carried, instead being beautiful in her own sadness. She felt like Odysseus seeing Penelope for the first time in 20 years.

After a few minutes, she stood and placed a hoof on the back of Octavia.

“What do you want? I don...’t...” She stopped as she turned around.

Vinyl smiled. “‘sup?”

Octavia jumped at her, pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her on the cheek.

When she finally pulled away, she asked “How did you know where to find me? You obviously weren’t here earlier... Pinkie would’ve noticed.”

Just then, Pinkie bounced over saying “I knew it! Pinkie sense never fails!”

“... What?” they both asked under their breath, while Pinkie smiled brightly.

“My Pinkie sense told me that somepony would be getting back together and I WAS RIGHT! You two are such a cute couple!”

They both blushed and backed away from each other a little bit. She kept smiling, seemingly ignorant to the awkwardness that they were basking in right now, at least until she giggled and said “Oh girls, you don’t need to hide yourself! If you don’t act embarrassed, nopony will notice that something embarrassing is going on!”

They couldn’t deny the logic of the pink pony. Vinyl still felt decidedly awkward, turning to Octavia and asking “... Do you wanna...”

“Get out of here? Yeah. I was just about to ask the same thing. Although, I didn’t expect you to be the one to leave, what with the party and the musi...”

“This music’s terrible. If I wanted to stay, it would be to fix this.”

“THAT’S A GREAT IDEA!” Pinkie suddenly interrupted.

Both Octavia and Vinyl stared, slightly shocked at the sudden interruption.

“Don’t you get it? If Vinyl stays and DJs the party, Tavi can help, you guys can make all these ponies happy, I pay you, you get either of your old houses back, or a better house, and everypony’s happy!”

They blinked and looked at each other and shrugged.

“Why the hay not.”

***

Vinyl stumbled along, giggling wildly.

Octavia followed, planting a long, drunken kiss on her lips. Vinyl smiled, Pressing back into it. Eventually, Tavi pulled away, still smiling at her partner. She had done rather well on the turntables, even thinking up a few puns as they went along with their routine.

They decided to head towards Tavi’s new home, which happened to be Vinyl’s old home.

It was strange- Vinyl had wanted to get to Canterlot so quickly that she didn’t think to check who the buyer of her home was, letting her agent handle everything. Little did she know that who bought it would be the most crucial piece in her search.

Now was not the time to ponder these things. She was drunk, hell, TAVI was drunk- rare enough in and of itself. Tonight could get very interesting.

***

As they entered the house, Vinyl could hardly restrain herself. She didn’t need to for long, though- Tavi made the first move, pulling her into a deep kiss; something Vinyl had missed since they parted company last time. Even though she was inexperienced, she was still a hell of a kisser.

Vinyl laid down on Tavi’s sofa- strangely close to where she had hers, come to think of it. Octavia followed, laying on top of her rather... suggestively.

“Uh... Tavi...”

“Mmmhmm?”

“You know I’m a virgin, right?”

“So am I. Is there a problem?”

“... Are you prepared to do this? It... It’s a bit of a big leap...”

“Vinyl, I would never have it any other way. I... I love you, Vinyl Scratch. I’ve never had a chance to say it... but it’s true. If you’re going to be my first, I’ve sure as hell done something right,” she said, smiling gently.

“... You have never been sexier to me than right now. For lack of a better phrase, take me. Now.” Octavia didn’t need to be asked twice.

(A/N- I’m sorry about the loooong time between the last chapter release and this. Stuff happens.)