Vinyl and Octavia: University Days

by DawnFade

Rating: Teen
Tags: Romance, Comedy, Slice of Life
Length: 71,075 words

A refined mare fresh out of high school and a dropout following her dreams find themselves forced to spend a lot of time together.

With the help of a meddling psychology tutor and their new classmates, can they find what they've been looking for?

French Translation!

Fan Stuff!

Published Jan 11, 2014 on fimfiction.net

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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The West Manehattan University grounds were impeccable, to say the least. Perched atop a huge plateau of grassland just outside the city proper, it was a marvel of engineering and art. The most obvious features were the pegasus lecture theatres and labs that floated above the rest of the campus; the large bushy court in the centre, dotted with trees and a small stream, and from which the rest of the university radiated outwards along two main paths that intersected in the middle; and of course the vast array of abstract art pieces littered at seemingly random places throughout the court.

It was the beginning of a new year, and all the firstyears were nervously shuffling about and glancing at maps, occasionally gathering the courage to ask for directions. All the firstyears, that is, except for two.

The first was an earth pony with fur like pale ash and a straight mane of charcoal. Around her neck was a pink bowtie attached to a white collar. It was the only piece of clothing she wore, but it was really all she needed to wear. Every single step she took was precise and official, and despite her comparative youth she gave off the sense that she was much, much more sophisticated than anypony else there.

That’s not to say she was conceited; on the contrary, she was exceedingly polite and friendly to all who dared speak with her. She directed other first years to their rooms, having already memorised the entire campus guide herself, and helped others feel more at ease in the atmosphere that was so vastly different from the high schools many of them had recently graduated from, herself included.

Her name was Octavia, and she was a cellist studying musical theory (classical), history, and, strangely enough, psychology.

The second pony was a white furred unicorn with an electric blue mane that spoke of a thousand parties gone by and a million to come. Covering her eyes were a pair of dark purple shades that hid everything and revealed nothing. She walked confidently but carelessly, nodding to a beat that nopony else could hear. Those who approached her received a grin and a hoof-bump, those who didn’t could only watch in admiration as she dominated the area around her without even saying a word.

That’s not to say she was controlling; on the contrary, she was extremely relaxed and easygoing whenever somepony spoke with her. She exchanged passing comments regarding bands and artists with other music enthusiasts who spotted her six hoof-bands but never stayed for long. A highschool dropout, she was here on a lucky music scholarship and knew what she was talking about when it came to electronic tunes.

Her name was Vinyl, and she was a DJ studying musical theory (modern), drawing, and, strangely enough, psychology.

They met for the first time outside of a lecture theatre, brushing shoulders as they left. Neither said a word, and they forgot about each other completely within minutes of it.

A more lasting impression was made outside a tutorial room as they waited for the tutor to arrive. Twenty three ponies, including them, were also gathered in somewhat-awkward silence.

Determined not to simply be part of a crowd, Octavia turned to face the pony nearest her, which just so happened to be Vinyl.

“Hello. I am Octavia, a pleasure to meet you,” she said pleasantly, extending a hoof.

Rather than shake it, the white unicorn slugged it and flashed a smile. “’Sup. Name’s Vinyl Scratch, you’ve probably heard of me.”

Gingerly putting her aching hoof back down, Octavia shook her head. “No, I’m afraid I haven’t.”

“Does DJ Pon-3 ring a bell?” Her eyebrows bounced as if to jog the cellist’s memory.

“No.”

“You need to hit some clubs then, my music guarantees a good time.”

“In my experience, ‘hitting some clubs’ is rarely synonymous with positive emotions and experiences.”

The DJ cocked her head curiously. “Why do you talk like that? It sounds kinda silly.”

Octavia frowned as she replied, “Talk like what? This is how I normally speak.”

Snorting back a laugh at her expression, Vinyl slowly realised she wasn’t being fooled. “Oh. Wow. So were you born in Canterlot or something?”

“No, I was born here in Manehattan. Though thank-you for the compliment.” She preened happily at being mistaken for a Canterlot citizen.

“Uh-huh, no worries.” The DJ realised they clearly had very different opinions on what being from Canterlot meant.

Thankfully, she was rescued by the sudden arrival of their tutor. He was a tall stallion with frizzy red hair and orange fur. Each step he took seemed to bounce off the ground, and his tail swished non-stop with boundless energy. Every iota of his being screamed ‘Let’s get ready to learn!’

The ponies shuffled inside and took their seats at three large tables arranged in an abstract manner. Octavia smartly sat next to her new acquaintance and pulled out her notepad and pen, while Vinyl sighed and dumped her saddlebags on the desk.

“Alright folks, let’s get the introductions out of the way. My name is Psych. Yeah, I know, what were my parents thinking?” he laughed. Alone. “Still, it turns out they had some incredible foresight because this is a Psychology course and I’m your tutor! How crazy is that?” He laughed again, and still nopony joined in. Not even the slightest bit put off, he continued, “You’re a quiet bunch, aren’t you? Don’t worry, I’ll soon fix that. Let’s do a bit of a game to get to know each other!”

Finally, an audience reaction: Everypony groaned at the same time. Octavia rolled her eyes at their immaturity and decided to opine on the subject. “Honestly, what did any of you expect? This is the first week of the course.”

Psych shrugged. “She has a point, you know. This is pretty standard.”

“Doesn’t mean we have to like it,” grumbled Vinyl, to the murmured assent of surrounding ponies.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll like it just fine. However,” he gestured to Octavia and the DJ, “I saw you two talking on the way in, so I’m afraid I’m going to need to move you. There’s no point doing a friend-making activity with somepony who is already your friend, after all.”

As the cellist started to interject with the fact that they had only just met, Vinyl quickly floated her bags across to an empty desk on the other side of the room. “So long, Octobia.”

“My name is Octavia.”

“Whatever.” The unicorn trotted to her new place.

Psych observed the exchange with great interest and a small smile. Shaking his head, he once again brought attention back to himself. “I want you all to talk to the pony next to you and learn as much as you can, then in ten minutes you will introduce them to the class.”

The activity ended up taking a lot longer than ten minutes as Psych had too much fun listening to all the different conversations. Finally, he stopped them and began the introductions. Most were fairly accurate, with the main issue being mispronunciation of names.

“This is… um… V-Vinyl Hatch,” a small mare said nervously.

“Scratch! Vinyl Scratch! Get it right!” hollered the DJ.

“I’m s-sorry!” she squeaked. “This is Vinyl Scratch, and she… um… she m-makes electronic music and performs in clubs sometimes.”

Psych stomped the ground in appreciation. “Great work Lillycup!” A general rumble of praise emanated from the class and the anxious pony sank down into her chair gratefully.

“Now, Octavia, how about you introduce your hopeful new friend there?”

“As you wish.” The grey mare stood up straight. “This is Bonbon. She enjoys making various kinds of confectionary treats. She is taking this psychology course to help her learn how to attract more ponies to her store, such as what colours are more likely to attract attention and whatnot.”

“Excellent job, Octavia. Very succinct.” The mare smiled at the praise and sat back down. “Bonbon, would you kindly introduce Octavia to us?”

With a dark blue mane and pink highlights, Bonbon looked like a stereotypical university student, the kind that would be on advertisements explaining the values of pursuing an education. “This is Octavia. She is studying musical theory and history… and plays the… violin?” she said hopefully.

“Cello, actually.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Vinyl piped up from across the room. “Hang on, I’m doing musical theory too and I haven’t seen you at the lecture or the tutes.”

“Why in Equestria are you doing musical theory?” the refined pony replied incredulously.

“I’m a DJ. Didn’t you hear little miss shy-face over here?”

“Being a DJ hardly requires extensive education-“

“The buck did you just say?!”

The tutor reluctantly stepped in. “Easy, you two. I know for a fact that there are two musical theory classes, one classical and the other modern. There’s no need to start arguing. I’m sure you have something in common, considering both of you are musically oriented.”

“Yeah, we both like modern music – oh whoops! You like classical, don’t you Octavia? Shame. How does it feel knowing a monkey could be trained to play your cello? I saw it at the circus once.” The DJ stuck out her tongue.

“Modern?! All that clanging and thumping is more akin to a primitive pony slapping rocks with sticks. You have more in common with the monkey than with me, you ape.” Clearly offended, the dark-maned pony wasn’t going to just take that insult to her music.

Vinyl stood up so quickly that her chair fell over. “What did you call me, snob?”

Rising as well, Octavia held her ground. “I called you an ape.”

“At least an ape knows how to loosen up, prude!”

“Oh yes, you would know all about being loose, raver hussy!”

A chorus of gasps accompanied the DJ’s jaw dropping in surprise but she quickly recovered and narrowed her eyes before stepping closer to the cellist. “All you do is rub strings with a stick and you call me primitive? I make music with sounds you can’t even comprehend, let alone enjoy!”

Octavia’s face scrunched up into a scowl as she stepped even closer. “What kind of charlatan are you? It takes skill to make music!”

Vinyl also moved towards the target of her anger, violently squashing the absurd urge to laugh that she always got when somepony yelled at her. It had made encounters with her high-school principal tense, to say the least. “Are you calling me a fake?” she said dangerously.

The sight of the proud grey pony swallowing before replying was satisfying. Clearly, the DJ was still able to intimidate skilfully. “I’m… not calling you a fake, but I am saying that making your ‘music’ doesn’t take even half the skill that playing the cello does!” To make up for lost ground, she took another step forward and brought herself face to face with the furious unicorn.

With her cheeks flushed from shouting and her nose crinkled in distaste, Octavia looked more than a bit amusing. Vinyl opened her mouth to say as much when the tutor finally stepped in again, clearly thinking she was about to go for the throat. “Alright ladies, let’s dial it down a notch. As much as I love having two complete opposites arguing in my class, and believe me, I love it; I feel the need to stop this before it goes too far.”

Now that the tension was broken, the two mares looked around and noticed they had captured the rapt attention of the entire class. Vinyl chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of her head as she returned to her seat, while Octavia merely adjusted her mane and gracefully re-joined her table.

Taking back control of his room, Psych clapped his hooves together. “Right! That was a fantastic demonstration of conflicting personalities. I hope you were all taking notes!” The ponies scrambled to write down anything they could remember. “This presents a very unique opportunity for our class. Real life studies go a lot further than textbooks, you know.” He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Well we don’t have time to get into anything right now, but I have an idea for next week.” As ponies started packing up, he outlined his master plan. “Octavia, I want you and Vinyl to spend time together on the weekend.”

“What?!” they shouted in unison, making the rest of the class crack up.

“You want me to spend time with… her?!” exclaimed Octavia.

“Yeah, I was planning to have fun on the weekend!” Vinyl added, earning a glare from across the room.

“Because,” Pysch explained patiently, “This is a great opportunity to study how a relationship can change over time, for better or worse. We’ll compare our notes from today with your behaviour on Monday, then draw conclusions and make predictions based on that data. In fact, I may get you two to hang out together rather frequently so we have more data points. This isn’t strictly on the set coursework, but I think it will be a fun little side project.”

“Take psychology, they said. The teacher’s nice, they said,” muttered Vinyl, violently shoving her notepad into a saddlebag.

The tutor chuckled. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad. Who knows, you might actually find some common ground.”

“I highly doubt that.” Octavia latched her bags and lifted them onto her back. “What do you suggest we do then?”

Psych shrugged. “Go to a bar, go watch a movie, walk around town. As long as you’re together it shouldn’t matter.”

“Drinking it is!” declared the DJ.

“Alcohol will either make you normal or intolerable. I’m willing to take the risk,” muttered the cellist as she followed the other ponies out of the room. “But I choose where we go!” she called over her shoulder.

Vinyl sighed and trotted after her. As they walked into the boiling sun and started climbing the hill back into the main court, she forced herself to walk next to Octavia. “Alright, let’s get one thing clear. I’m gonna give you my number, but under no circumstances are you to text or call me unless it’s about our plans, kapiche?” A pen and paper surrounded by white floated in front of her and began scribbling.

“Agreed. The same goes for my number as well.” As the unicorn tore off some of the paper and slipped it into the grey mare’s bag, she simultaneously held out the pen and pad. They stopped for a few seconds so she could write, managing some impressive calligraphy considering the pen was held in her mouth, then kept walking when she finished. “Very well. Try not to hand it out to any friends of ill repute by accident.”

“Whatever. I’ll call you sometime tomorrow and we’ll go from there, yeah?”

“Try to make it at a reasonable hour, would you? Not all of us are used to staying up until four in the morning on a cocktail of alcohol and caffeine.”

“Shove it up your flank, Octavia.”

With that, the pair parted ways on the grassy court. The cellist to her next class, and the DJ to her home.

They didn’t know it yet, but their lives were already changing, dancing to the tune of conflict, and inexorably approaching something that neither of them had ever dreamed of.

-----

There's an Allegrezza reference in this chapter - leave a comment if you caught it!

Or, just let me know what you think!

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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{[UNKNOWN NUMBER]}

>Yo it’s Vinyl, how are we gonna do this?

Octavia sighed and reluctantly added the number to her contacts, having forgotten to do so the day before.

>Pistols at dawn?

The cellist smirked at her own joke.

{[VINYL]}

>Name a bar and a time, smartass.

Rolling her eyes, she replied quickly.

>Blues’ Tavern, 7 PM

---

And so, as the Manehattan bell rang for the seventh time, Octavia found herself sitting in a corner booth watching the unicorn she despised approach wearing an equally disgusted expression behind dark purple shades.

The sounds of a lively bar wafted around them, but the two mares were cold to the happiness of others. Both were expecting nothing more than a few hours of tiring arguments that gradually grew less intelligible as the drinks piled up.

But of course, nothing turns out the way we expect.

“So,” said Vinyl as she sat on the opposite side of the booth, putting the table between them. The situation was more than a bit awkward so she defaulted to her typical conversation starter. “What’s up?”

“Absolutely nothing of concern to you,” was the short reply.

Rolling her eyes behind her glasses, the DJ floated an untouched drink over from a table with a stallion passed out on it. “Drink this. Maybe it will help you pull that stick out your flank.”

Octavia shook her head and didn’t touch it. “I have yet to reach the legal drinking age.”

“You’re joking, right? How did you get in here?”

“They didn’t ask, I didn’t tell. Besides,” she folded her hooves, “You can’t be much older than me. We both came to university straight from high school, yes?”

“Actually… I kinda dropped out a year early.” Vinyl seemed oddly reluctant to reveal that information.

“That makes sense,” smirked the cellist.

“Hey! I didn’t insult you when you refused a drink because you’re underage, which is incredibly lame by the way, so why don’t you try to be less of a snob in return?”

“Very well,” she conceded. “How did you get into university if you didn’t complete the last year of high school then?”

“I spent all of last year doing this scholarship program thingy. I don’t regret dropping out, but I knew I had to do something else or I would just become one of those ponies who waste their lives living off welfare.”

Octavia raised an eyebrow. “Why drop out in the first place if you knew it could jeopardise your future?”

Shifting uncomfortably, Vinyl looked away. “It was just… stuff, okay? Let’s talk about something else.”

“Alright then…”

“So when’s your birthday?”

“In a couple of weeks.”

“Cool.”

“Indeed.”

An awkward silence arose like a brick wall between them. DJ’s were made to smash awkward silences.

“This is such a stupid homework assignment,” muttered Vinyl. To her surprise, Octavia giggled in agreement. “Hey, I didn’t know you could laugh!”

“Oh, how funny. I’m not as boring as you seem to think.”

“Oh yeah?” Vinyl grinned, “Prove it. Take the drink.”

“I… No, I can’t.”

“Go on! Don’t be such a… you!”

“Vinyl, I am not joking around.”

The DJ sighed. “Of course you aren’t. Fine, be antisocial. See how much I care.”

Octavia gave her a flat look. “I find it a bit silly that you seem to think I can’t be social without alcohol.”

“In your case? Damn straight.” Vinyl eyed the drink mournfully and floated it back over to the other table. She turned back to see Octavia looking at her questioningly. “What?”

“Why didn’t you drink it? You’re old enough.”

“It’s not fun drinking alone, trust me.”

“Don’t abstain on my account. I was hoping your sanity would be linked with your blood alcohol level.”

“I’m not that crazy… am I?” the unicorn seemed so surprisingly unguarded that Octavia decided to respond truthfully.

“No, I suppose you’re not. I admit I made many assumptions about you based on our… rather heated discussion in class. Not many of them were positive.” She hesitated for a second before continuing. “But since we seem to be mending bridges, I must ask… am I truly a boring pony? Be honest.”

“Not really, at least not anymore. If nothing else, you’re at least fun to argue with,” grinned Vinyl.

The cellist returned it, chuckling a little. “And what an argument it was.”

“That ‘loose’ comeback was brutal, but awesome.”

“Thank you. I liked how you used the fact that your music is more technologically advanced to nullify my comment about how primitive it was.”

“I have no idea how I did that.”

The two mares laughed, the tension finally broken and replaced by a much more comfortable atmosphere.

“Hey, if it’s alright with you, can we pretend we had an awful time tonight?” asked Vinyl, leaning back in her seat to get comfortable.

“Why?”

“I kinda don’t want Psych to think he was right when he said this wouldn’t be that bad. He just strikes me as the kind to say ‘I told you so’, you know?”

“I must agree with you there. Very well, during class we shall bicker as if nothing has changed. Agreed?”

“Agreed. And what about outside of class?” A faint blush graced Vinyl’s cheeks. “Cause I don’t really know anypony else yet and it would be cool to have somepony to chill with.”

Octavia smiled warmly. “Then I’m glad Psych isn’t here right now, because that’s another thing we have in common.”

“What about all your highschool friends? Didn’t any come to university?”

It was the grey mare’s turn to shift uncomfortably. “No.” was all she said.

“Oh. That sucks. So do you live on campus?”

“Yes, in the student village. And yourself?”

“Nah, I’ve got a crappy apartment not far from here.”

“It must be annoying having to travel to the university every time you have a class.”

“Yeah, I’ve only done it for one week and I’m sick of it.”

“Well?” Octavia asked expectantly.

“Well what?” replied the confused DJ.

“What are you going to do about it?”

Her companion shrugged. “I dunno. I could try to get a place closer to uni, but I’m pretty sure they’ve all been taken.”

“The answer seems obvious to me. Just get a campus flat like I did.”

Vinyl scratched her chin. “You think I should?”

“Definitely. In fact, I think if you got in contact with whoever is paying your scholarship they could probably help you find the best option.”

“Really? I’ll call ‘em tomorrow.” She laughed. “You give some good advice, Octavia.”

The cellist laughed with her. “It seems reading thousands of university pamphlets has finally paid off.”

“You must have been pretty damn excited for it.”

“What can I say? I had imagined it for so long. Every single class and pony I would meet, all the friends I would have, and how everypony would be nice and respectful because it’s a grown-up environment. Silly stuff like that.”

“Nice and respectful, eh? I guess I kinda ruined your first week then, huh.”

With a chuckle, Octavia shook her head. “Don’t worry, you’ve made up for it already.”

“I have? All we’ve done is sit here and chat.” Vinyl frowned.

“Yes, well… I’ll tell you another time. It’s boring anyway.” The cellist brushed a few strands of dark hair out of her eyes and looked away.

“I’m seriously doubting my idea of what ‘boring’ means, so why not tell me?”

“It’s sort of… personal.”

“Oh.” A brief pause followed, yet it was understanding rather than awkward. “It’s alright, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No, you should probably hear it. I can’t just say something like that and then not explain.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.” She took a deep breath. “Before uni, before our class, I was quite… lonely.”

“Everypony gets lonely once in a while.”

“I don’t think you understand the unprecedented level of loneliness that I was experiencing.”

“Okay, okay. So why were you lonely? A mare like you must have tons of high-class friends to hang with.”

Octavia reddened and turned her eyes down. “Not really.”

“Oh.” Vinyl wasn’t sure what to say in the wake of that revelation.

After a few moments, Octavia continued quietly. “I didn’t have tons of friends. Or just a small amount of friends. Or… any friends at all.” Her eyes remained lowered in embarrassment.

“That’s…” The DJ fumbled for the right thing to say.

“Yes.” Sucking in a deep breath, the grey mare rubbed her face with her hooves, as if to scrub away the last few seconds. “Sorry,” she forced a laugh. “That was completely out of place to say. I wish I hadn’t said anything now.”

“No, it’s fine. N-not the ‘no friends’ part, I mean… uh…”

“Please, just forget it. Let’s talk about something else.”

“Alright...” Vinyl looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing. “Well, you shared something personal, so I should as well. That way you won’t have to worry about me backstabbing you and telling everypony.”

A small, sincere smile graced the cellist’s lips. “Thank you.”

“You might not be saying that when I’m done.” She took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Okay, this is a little pathetic, but I wasn’t that great at school. I sorta failed… everything. That’s why I took it so badly when you made fun of how I’m a dropout.” The unicorn leaned on the table and rested her chin on her hooves. “I spent every year trying so hard to do well, but I got nowhere. I was like the class idiot in every class. The only thing that kept me going was my music.” Her eyes were hidden behind tinted glass, but the rest of her body lit up suddenly, bursting with life. “I couldn’t analyse texts or solve equations, but when I got behind the mixing table nopony could keep up with me. I was the god of my music class, and every bass wobble was my gospel.” She grinned and raised her head from the table. “I played everywhere I could for as long as I could. The other fillies and colts could have their test scores and good grades, all I wanted, all I needed, was my music.”

Octavia held back a chuckle at the DJ’s enthusiasm. She too had felt the warmth of music in an otherwise cold world. But she held her tongue, for the story was not over.

“But…” the smile slipped away from Vinyl. “Nopony else thought the same thing. I needed a good report to go on to study music at uni, and that just wasn’t going to happen. At the end of the year, they told me they needed to keep me down a grade because I wasn’t passing anything except music. My only other choice was to drop out and try to find my own way to uni. So I did.”

Reaching across the table, Octavia touched the DJ’s hoof with her own. “Thank you for telling me. Considering I’ve been nothing but rude to you since we met, I’m surprised you trust me with all of that.”

“Like I said, it’s your insurance against me ever telling anypony what you told me. Or… yeah, trust sounds a lot better.”

“But my story wasn’t even a story. It was just a sad little fact. You… There is so much more to you than I imagined.”

Her stare was so intense that Vinyl blushed and looked away. “Well, er, thanks.”

The cellist realised how she was behaving and retreated to her side of the table, also blushing. “Please excuse that. I was caught up in your story.”

“It’s fine, really. Totally fine.”

“Nevertheless, it was inappropriate, and I’m sorry.”

Vinyl giggled at that. “We’re in the corner booth of a bar. This place has seen way worse stuff than just touching hooves.”

“What?!” The mortified expression worn by Octavia as she took a second look at the seats and table made the DJ laugh harder.

“Relax, this place gets cleaned every night. Probably.” Vinyl liked watching her squirm in discomfort.

“Still, I think it’s time for me to head back to the campus. I can’t risk messing up my sleeping pattern.” She slipped off the chair and gingerly put her hooves on the ground.

“Aww,” whined the DJ before she could think.

The cellist gave her an amused smirk. “I didn’t realise you were enjoying my company so much.”

“Let’s pretend I didn’t do that. So I’ll see you on Monday then?”

“Definitely.” Octavia hesitated, biting her lip in contemplation, but did nothing and simply trotted away.

Vinyl watched her go, even going so far as to half-climb onto the table to see the dark mane vanish out the door. When it did so, she sunk back down into her chair.

“Definitely,” she muttered.

-----

There's an obscure Avatar: The Last Airbender reference in this one, let me know if you saw it!

Or just let me know what you think of the story as a whole. That's cool too.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

-----

The dark coldness swept over Vinyl’s body, but she didn’t feel it. Her phone floated before her eyes, wrapped in a haze of white. Red lights blinked in her peripheral vision, burning the late hour into the darkness.

Her bed was soft but small, and the apartment was not much larger than it. But the DJ’s mind was not on her surroundings.

{[TO OCTAVIA]}

>Hey

She gritted her teeth at the words, but after a moment she sighed and tapped at the screen.

[DRAFT DELETED]

With a groan, she rolled onto her stomach and pressed her face into the pillow. The phone hovered patiently until she turned back over for another attempt.

{[TO OCTAVIA]}

>What’s up?

“It’s three in the morning, I’m asleep Vinyl. You’re an idiot,” the unicorn mumbled in a poor imitation of Octavia’s voice. A magical tendril fumbled for the delete button.

[MESSAGE SENT]

Her heart jumped with a lance of shock and she bolted upright. “No no no no no no no,” she whispered. “Not now, not at this time! Damn it!”

For a few precious seconds, Vinyl maintained the hope that perhaps Octavia didn’t sleep near her phone and thus wouldn’t hear it go off. Sweat trickled down her brow as a minute ticked by. Just before she started to relax, a soft ringing filled the air.

“Oh buck me.”

{[INCOMING CALL FROM OCTAVIA]}

“Oh, buck me!”

There was no way out of it; Octavia knew Vinyl was with her phone. She had to answer it. In her sleep-deprived state, the DJ considered not answering and leaving town so she never saw the cellist again. Saner thoughts prevailed.

Click.

“Hey,” Vinyl said nervously.

“Why in Equestria are you texting me at quarter-past-three in the morning?” replied an amused yet still very sophisticated voice.

“Er, I couldn’t sleep.”

“So you decided to inflict your misery on me as well?”

She winced. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry, I’m joking. As it happens, I cannot get to sleep either.”

“Why?” Vinyl rolled over and curled up, a little smile replacing her fearful expression.

“My brain refuses to stop thinking.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling. What are you thinking about?”

“Silly things. I shan’t bore you with them lest they send you to sleep.”

“Actually, that sounds fantastic.” They shared a suppressed giggle. “Go on, tell me.”

“Well… I was actually thinking about you, Vinyl.”

Her heart beat a little faster. “Yeah?” she asked, hoping her voice didn’t sound hoarse.

“I… You know what I said in the tavern? About… not having friends?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I was thinking that I was so lucky to be forced to get to know you better. It’s a strange feeling… having…” A quiet sniffle from the other side of the line made Vinyl’s chest hurt. “I’m sorry, something about being up late at night makes me more… open.”

“It’s okay. I understand that, it’s the same with me too,” replied the DJ comfortingly, followed by an almost inaudible “Please don’t cry.”

“I’m okay, I shouldn’t even be crying because this is a good thing. I suppose what I was trying to say is… thank you.”

“Hey, I should thank you too. None of my friends are very close, so it’s nice to know you’re there.”

Octavia giggled. “I’m not going anywhere, that’s for certain. My degree will take a while.”

“Heh, yeah mine too. But we’ll kick flank and take names before we’re done. You and me, got it?” She didn’t mean to sound so violent, but the thought of spending more time with her new friend got the DJ excited.

“Absolutely. Friends forever!” Octavia sounded equally excited.

Groaning, Vinyl smiled in the darkness. “That was pretty lame.”

“Oh, hush you. I’ve always wanted to say that. Now you say it too so it’s official.”

After a moment of silence, the unicorn swallowed her pride. “Friends forever.”

---

“You wouldn’t know how to mix a sub-bass if your life depended on it!” screamed Vinyl.

“And you wouldn’t be able to tune a custom cello to orchestral standards with any degree of competence!” Octavia shot back.

Psych scratched his chin with interest. “You know, I really thought you two would be fast friends. Maybe I’m losing my touch.” For a moment, the pair felt slightly guilty at making the tutor doubt himself. “Or maybe you need to hang out a couple more times!” The guilt vanished quickly.

“I think that violates my rights as a citizen of Equestria. Namely, the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.”

Vinyl made a mental note to compliment that particular insult after class. “Oh yeah? Well you were so busy talking about yourself at the bar that I could’ve left and you wouldn’t notice!” It was an average comeback, and Vinyl felt her will to continue the charade weakening.

Thankfully, Psych finally decided to end it himself. “Alright, settle down you two.” A chorus of disappointed groans echoed from the rest of the class, and the exchange of bits implied some sort of gambling had taken place. “Let’s get back on track. I’ve already gone over your coursework today but we still have half an hour before this class technically ends. So how about we have some suggestions about what our favourite pair does this week?”

Bonbon raised her hoof in the air with a smirk. “How about a candlelit dinner?” she giggled with the green mare beside her, who had a lyre on her flank. Some of the other ponies also chuckled, apparently aware of a joke Vinyl couldn’t see.

Octavia glared at Bonbon, hoping the red in her cheeks would pass as fury. Some might call her a prude, but she knew very well what was being implied.

“Maybe something a little less likely to end in homicide?” Psych suggested, yet his grin clearly said he was in on the joke too. “How about a movie? You won’t have to talk to each other much then.”

Vinyl was careful not to agree too quickly, instead scowling at the tutor for a few seconds before nodding slowly. “Whatever. At least in the dark theatre I won’t have to look at her face.”

“That’s the spirit! And you, Octavia?”

The cellist sighed as if the mere thought of going to a movie with the unicorn was exhausting. “Very well, if you insist on continuing this silly exercise. But Vinyl has to pay.”

Snorting back a harsh laugh, the green unicorn beside Bonbon whispered to her loudly, “Well it is customary for the stallion to pay for his mare.” There was a moment’s pause before the students erupted into rowdy laughter, hooting and whistling at the beet-red targets of the joke.

For once, Psych didn’t join them. “Lyra, that was uncalled for. I like a good one-liner as much as anypony, but let’s try and tone it down a bit, okay?”

“Sorry chief,” she said, snapping off a salute and eliciting more giggles from Bonbon.

“Alright class, make like it’s winter and wrap it up! I’m sure you all have classes to go to.”

As they shuffled out into the sunlight, the DJ resisted the urge to walk next to Octavia too eagerly, managing a sort of irritated trudge that the grey mare matched with a more dignified equivalent. Only when they reached the safety of the busy court did they let the acts slip slightly. Their classmates had dispersed to attend to their own lives, and nopony gave the pair a second look.

“You really gave me a run for my bits with that ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ line,” remarked the grinning DJ.

“Yes, I’m quite proud of that one. I actually thought it up during a history lecture when we were talking about ancient treaties that govern the rules of war.” Octavia blew a strand of hair out of her eyes and glanced at Vinyl. The unicorn was looking around the court, unaware she was being watched. Her electric-blue mane with cyan highlights seemed so unruly that it suited her perfectly, like a mixture of fun and beauty. The cellist almost envied her.

“Y’know, that actually sounds pretty cool. Maybe I should ditch one of my classes and take that instead.”

“For every interesting ancient warfare document we study, there are a thousand boring political declarations. You would be bored out of your mind, sweetie.”

Vinyl stopped walking and looked at the grey mare. “Sweetie?” she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“Are we not allowed to do nicknames yet? Sorry, I’m not really good at this.” Octavia shifted her hooves nervously.

“Uh, well ‘sweetie’ isn’t really a nickname, it’s more of a…” She coughed and continued in a lower voice, “Pet name.”

“Oh.” The sight of blood rushing quickly into the cellist’s cheeks made Vinyl chuckle.

In an effort to lessen the embarrassment for her friend, she resumed walking normally, flicking her tail to indicate Octavia should follow. “You want me to pretend that didn’t happen?”

“Yes please.”

“No worries. Besides, nicknames are never just chosen, they’re made. Just call me Vinyl for now though, okay?”

“Okay. So,” she cleared her throat to get back on topic, “Why don’t you leave one of your classes then? Your company might actually make the lectures bearable.”

“Well, I don’t really have any I can afford to lose. I mean, musical theory is off the table for obvious reasons, and I really like drawing so far.” The absence of her third class only drew more attention to it.

“Why not drop psychology? I’ve seen you in class when we aren’t arguing and you always look bored.”

“Well, because…” Vinyl trailed off mumbling.

“Pardon?”

“Because it gives us a reason to hang out,” she quickly finished, flushing as she looked away to scan the groups of ponies scattered on the court for any observers.

“I like spending time with you as well, Vinyl.” A mutual smile passed between them as the DJ turned back.

It soon became apparent that each pony was trying to lead the other in a different direction.

“Uh, Octavia? Don’t you wanna go to the food court?”

“My history tutorial starts in a few minutes… I thought you were walking me there?”

Vinyl chuckled. “Oh yeah, my bad. Where is it again?”

Sighing, the cellist turned and led the way.

---

There were two main reasons why Vinyl didn’t hang around after Octavia joined her class.

One, it would be awkward as hay if the grey mare looked out the window and saw her waiting.

And two, she totally had her own stuff to take care of. She wasn’t so lonely that she needed to hang around waiting for her friend to finish school. The DJ had her own friends and activities to do. Yep.

Half an hour later, her friends and activities stared back up at her from the bottom of a mug. The university tavern wasn’t as run-down as her usual bars, but it was definitely showing its age. A plaque above the door helpfully informed her that this was one of the first buildings erected when the university was being built. As amusing as it was to know that one of the priorities when building an educational campus was a place to serve alcohol, it wasn’t enough to distract her from the problem at hoof.

“Come on, Vinyl. Get it together,” she muttered before licking a final droplet of hard cider from the rim. “You’ve got plenty of friends to hang out with. Don’t get so attached to one of them.”

The words rang hollow in her ears. A little voice piped up from the back of her mind.

But she’s so interesting!

“No she’s not! I’m just bored and she helps me burn time.”

Is that why I hang on every word she speaks?

“Leave me alone.” Pushing the mug away, she rested her head in her hooves on the table.

A snort came from behind her. “I haven’t even said anything yet,” said Psych, taking the seat beside Vinyl.

She snapped to attention, looking at the teacher with wide eyes. “Uh… hey…”

“Relax. I’m not here to torture you. I come here for a drink after class sometimes.”

“Cool.” It felt so awkward talking to a teacher in this setting, like two different areas of her life were colliding.

The tutor sighed and seemed to lose some of his cheer. “You know I’m just having a bit of fun in class, right? I didn’t realise it bothered you so much that you’d spend the afternoon grumbling into a cup of cider.”

“Huh?” Quickly realising how she must look, the DJ sat up straighter and cleared her throat. “I’m not drinking about that... but you should still feel pretty damn bad though.”

Psych chuckled and raised his hooves defensively. “Hey, teaching can be pretty boring. I think it’s lucky that you and Octavia happened to take the same class. No matter how much crappy paperwork is on my desk, I can always look forward to the next showdown. I think she won today, by the way.”

“Yeah, laugh it up.” Vinyl suddenly wished she hadn’t pushed the mug away so she could splash a few drops in his face.

“Ah, don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get her next time. Maybe try something about her hair; she seems to be sensitive about it,” suggested the stallion helpfully.

She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Definitely. Or, if you want to get on her good side, maybe try complimenting it instead.”

“She has a good side?” Vinyl quipped on reflex, but her thoughts were very far from malicious.

The tutor barked a laugh. “Nice one. I guess there’s not much chance of reconciliation between the two of you then?”

“Any hope for our friendship died when she said being a DJ doesn’t take skill.” Her voice was as firm and convincing as she could muster.

“Yeah, figured as much. Ah well, good entertainment’s hard to come by anyway.”

The white unicorn slipped off the seat and stretched her hooves. “Thanks for the chat, but I gotta bail. Parties to go to, basslines to drop. Later.”

Psych just nodded and half-raised a hoof in a farewell gesture that doubled as a signal to the bartender, who began mixing the usual.

The second Vinyl was outside, her phone floated out of a pouch in her saddlebags and drifted before the purple lens of her shades. After some quick tapping, it returned there safely. As the white pony trotted away, she began to whistle.

---

Octavia heard a faint rumble in her bags as they lay beside her seat. The old tutor droned in the background as she subtly slid the offending object, her phone, out and checked it below the table, well out of the tutor’s line of sight.

{[VINYL]}

>Your mane is pretty cool :)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

-----

“You know, I’ve never been to this cinema before,” remarked Octavia.

The lobby was large, but still held the atmosphere of a small business: cosy and warm, lacking the cold commercialism of most theatre chains. It was a delightful discovery, and she couldn’t be happier about it.

“Duh, this is affordable,” giggled the DJ, floating two boxes of popcorn above them.

The cellist shoved her playfully. “You know I was joking when I said you have to pay, right? It’s only fair that I take care of the tickets since you got the food.”

For a moment, Vinyl felt the urge to insist on paying for her friend, until a mint-green unicorn’s comment from their last tutorial swam to the forefront of her mind. “Sure, I guess that makes sense,” she replied, feeling somewhat cheap.

Octavia just smiled and trotted up to the counter. “Two tickets to… um, Vinyl, what are we seeing?”

“Oh.” The unicorn quickly glanced up at the displayed titles. “Flanksplosions Three.” Her answer was greeted with a flat stare. “What? It’s directed by Cleveland Bay! He’s always good for a laugh.”

Sighing, the grey mare turned back to the bored-looking cashier. “Two tickets to… that, please.”

Now armed with a couple of little pieces of paper, the pair made their way past the ticket-checker and into a short, dark hallway. After emerging into the decently-sized theatre, they quickly climbed the stairs and claimed two seats in the middle of a back row.

Since there were barely any other ponies nearby, Octavia took the opportunity to pose a few simple queries to her popcorn-guzzling friend. “Flanksplosions? Really?”

Vinyl coughed a piece of popped corn forward a few rows and painfully swallowed the rest so she could answer. “Ow. You got something against exploding flanks?”

“I have something against bad movies.”

“You haven’t even seen it yet! Don’t judge a book by its… flank…?”

The cellist giggled at that and delicately ate a single piece of her own popcorn. “That sentence trailed off a bit at the end.”

“Yeah, it got away from me. Anyway, don’t judge it till you watch it.”

“It’s hard not to judge when it has a name like that.”

Vinyl closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. “Open your mind, little one.”

“I’m only a couple of months younger than you!”

“Shh, the movie’s starting.”

And so began a hundred and fifty-four minutes of violence and improper camera angles.

In the midst of a particularly loud action scene, as unicorns riding pegasus ponies raked the ground with spellfire and a giant robotic Luna tried to buck Canterlot off its mountain perch, Octavia glanced at her company. The reflection played over her blue hair, making the light streaks glow and enriching dark strands with deep colour. Her eyes were still hidden behind purple glasses, but it was easy to tell that they were wide open, eagerly absorbing the sensorial bombardment.

A thunder-crack made the cellist jump, and a look towards the screen revealed that the monstrous Princess of the Night had erupted into a mess of scrap metal and fire. The dirt-and-grime splattered soldiers cheered triumphantly, and Vinyl punched the air with one hoof as the other shoved more popcorn into her mouth.

The grey pony couldn’t help but giggle at the DJ’s enthusiasm. Vinyl noticed and tossed her a grin, thinking she was enjoying the movie just as much. “I told you it’d be a laugh!” she said, leaning closer to be heard.

“Oh, I’m certainly laughing,” replied Octavia as she suppressed the urge to mention that it wasn’t the explosions that were tickling her funny bone.

Later, in the penultimate romance scene between Dashing Star and Stunning Beauty on the wreckage littered slope of a volcano, the cellist noticed that much of Vinyl’s previous energy had dissipated, and she now lay across two seats with her head resting upon Octavia’s hoof rest.

“Ugh, with a body like that, she could do way better,” muttered the DJ. Her tinted shades turned slightly to peek up at the grey mare. “Am I right?”

“I suppose. I haven’t really been paying much attention to her body.”

The glasses quickly faced the screen once more. “Yeah, me neither. I was just saying, like, in general or whatever.”

Stunning Beauty’s high-pitched voice cut through any thoughts that were being formed, shrill and feminine to the extreme. “Oh, Dashing! You cannot confront the real Lunazilla! I love you!”

The stallion swept his mane back with one hoof. “Not to worry, my dear. I’ll just,” he looked at the camera, “Flanksplode her.”

Both the cellist and the DJ groaned in unison before breaking out into laughter. Fortunately, the overly dramatic score drowned them out and prevented the seven other patrons from getting bothered.

When the lights finally came up and the credits rolled, the pair left their seats in good spirits. They laughed their way through the lobby and outside before calming down.

“Oh, Celestia,” breathed Octavia, “That was simultaneously the best and worst movie I have ever seen.”

“Yeah, I hear that.” The white unicorn rubbed at her aching ribs. “I haven’t laughed that hard in months.”

“What should we do now?”

“What d’you feel like doing?”

“Maybe… go for a walk?”

A smile slowly spread across Vinyl’s face. “Sounds good.”

And so the two mares trotted merrily away from the cinema complex and through the bright streets. Despite the length of the film, it was only early afternoon, a fact for which the DJ was grateful, because it meant more time with her new friend.

Under the warmth of Celestia’s charge, they wandered freely down packed streets, observing the sights and sounds of a happy day in Manehattan. A gang of colts rushed past, hooting and laughing without a care in the world. Three old mares sat on a bench and gossiped about the other ponies around them, oblivious yet good natured. Vendors hollered their wares as if it was a country town, only instead of tomatoes and apples they had mobile phones and movies.

A cart rumbled past, pulled by an old mule. It was stacked high with flowers of every colour and kind, and every time the wheels hit a bump, a couple would fall onto the road. Seeing an opportunity, Vinyl darted forward and picked up a particularly delicious-looking sunflower with her teeth. Holding it by the stem, she turned to Octavia, who was watching with amusement.

“Check it!” the unicorn mumbled around her prize, “Free lunch!”

“That was on the ground,” giggled the cellist.

“It’s a flower; they grow from the ground. Wanna bite?”

Octavia hesitated, but decided to go along with Vinyl’s playful behaviour. It hadn’t steered her wrong yet. Leaning closer, she opened wide and bit two petals off delicately, bringing them into her mouth with a smooth flick of her tongue.

The stem broke suddenly, with the flower cut into three pieces, one of which was between the DJ’s teeth. She spat it onto the floor, reddening with embarrassment. “Whoops. I, uh, guess I held it too tightly.”

“That’s okay, it wasn’t a very good one. The petals were all papery.”

“Well, lemme buy you a drink to get the taste out your mouth,” Vinyl suggested, jerking her chin towards a small café as the blush faded from her cheeks.

Octavia tutted. “I can pay for my own drink.” After a moment of silence, her eyes widened. “Oh, but, um, thank you for offering. I didn’t mean to sound rude.”

“Come on, Octavia. I’m buying you a drink.” The unicorn’s tone was final, but she flashed a smile to show that she wasn’t serious.

The pair found a comfortable table in the back, shielded from the prying eyes of the street. After a few minutes of scanning the menu, a cream-coloured mare approached to take their order.

“Hey, what can I get… oh dear,” said Bonbon.

Sudden, intensely awkward silence expanded like a bubble around the three of them. As much as Vinyl wanted to break it, she let caution decide her actions for once. Instead, surprising both her and the cellist, Bonbon was the one to look around nervously and lower her voice.

“Listen, you can’t tell anypony about this, okay? If Lyra and C-Top found out I’m working here, I’d never hear the end of it.”

“You – wait – work – huh?” Vinyl asked eloquently.

“I just need this job to help with school. My shop is doing fine, really. The staff can take care of it while I’m here. Just please don’t tell… wait a minute, wasn’t your assignment to go to the movies?”

Octavia considered quickly insulting the white unicorn beside her, but thought better of it. The game was compromised, but not unsalvageable. “Yes, it just finished.”

Be subtle and she’ll get the hint.

“So why are you being so chummy with each… oh…” Her eyes widened. “But then that means we were right! Psych was-“

“What are you talking about? We hate each other.” Octavia leaned towards the waitress. “We hate each other, and you don’t work at a café.”

“Oh…” Bonbon quickly diverted her gaze to the table. “That’s strange. I thought somepony was sitting here. Oh well.”

Excellent.

With all thoughts of drinking forgotten, Vinyl led her friend out of the café, avoiding eye contact with a certain waitress the entire time.

“That… was weird,” she muttered once they reached the safety of crowds.

“I agree. However, I also think it went a lot better than it could have.”

“Yeah, you really saved our flanks. I was sitting there doing nothing like a tool, whereas you went all ‘sexy persuasion mode’ on her.”

“I… what mode, pardon?” Octavia wasn’t sure if she heard correctly.

“Super persuasion mode. It was pretty awesome.” The DJ didn’t seem to notice anything, continuing to walk happily onwards.

“Thank you, I think. Our next class might be a little odd though.”

“I reckon. So what do you wanna do now?”

She hated to be the one who suggests the obvious, but it couldn't be helped. “I think perhaps we should part ways for now, lest we are spotted by another classmate.”

“Oh.” Vinyl slowed to a stop, slouching slightly. “Okay. That’s cool. I’ve got a bunch of stuff to take care of anyway, plus there’s a party I’m running tunes for tonight.”

The cellist chuckled. “Sounds like you have your hooves full. Don’t forget to study, now.”

“Pshh, studying is easy. It’ll get even easier when I move into the student village.”

Octavia clapped a hoof to her mouth. “I forgot about that! So it worked out well with the scholarship ponies?”

“Yup.” She raised her head proudly. “They took care of everything, even found somepony who wants to share a dorm. Can’t wait to meet ‘em.”

Without pausing to think, the grey mare threw her hooves around Vinyl’s neck. “Oh, I’m so happy for you!”

Flushing considerably, the DJ awkwardly returned the hug. “Heh, well it’s just a dorm. Though it will make my life way easier.”

Pulling away, Octavia didn’t let her enthusiasm wane. “Imagine if you were assigned to my dorm! I’ve been looking for somepony to share with for a few weeks now!”

Vinyl’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, really?”

“Yes! Oh, how amazing would that be?” She was grinning from ear to ear at the prospect.

“Yeah… pretty damn amazing. Listen, I should really get going. All that stuff I mentioned isn’t gonna do itself.”

“Sorry, I’m holding you up. So I’ll see you… soon?”

“I’ll call you tonight at the usual time.” They shared a giggle. The ‘usual time’ was in the early hours of the morning, when neither of them could sleep. The DJ leaned slightly closer on reflex, as did the cellist. They gave each other a surprised look and backed up. “So yeah, um, bye.”

Octavia was left to her confusion as the unicorn trotted away. For a moment, an interesting possibility entered her mind. But it was fleeting, and by the time she started walking back home it was long gone.

---

“What can I help you with, Miss Scratch?” the pale mare asked pleasantly. She had a streak of grey through her mane, giving her a distinguished yet friendly appearance.

“Um, is it possible to choose which dorm I get assigned to?” the unicorn replied, fidgeting with her hooves. The office reminded her of her high-school principals, bringing back a multitude of guilty memories.

Chuckling softly, she slid her reading glasses off and placed them on the table, leaning back into her leather chair. “I get that question a lot. You want to share with a friend?”

Vinyl nodded, feeling a little bit embarrassed for not considering how common this request would be. “But I don’t want her to know we’re sharing. As in, like, I want it to be a surprise.”

“I see. And who is she?”

“Octavia. Um, grey earth pony, studies-“

The mare nodded in recognition. “Musical theory, history, and psychology, yes, I remember her. We were lucky to get her here at all. Every university from Trottingham to Canterlot was vying for that little mare.”

“Wow, really?” The DJ leaned forward in surprise.

“You bet. She’s one of the brightest young minds in Equestria.”

Sure, Vinyl had known that Octavia probably did really well at school, but she had no idea just how well! Her new friend, the grey mare with a gorgeous laugh and awkward friend-making skills, was way smarter than her. It was an odd mix of emotions running through her mind at that moment, resentment, jealousy, envy, but at the core there was only pride. One of the brightest young minds in Equestria, yeah, and also her best friend.

She couldn’t hold back the smile. “There’s a lot more to her than I first thought.”

The pony across from her cocked her head. “You seem like a nice pony, and if you’re sure Octavia wants you to share her dorm, then I can probably fix it up.”

“She does. Only, she’s hoping for a wild coincidence that puts us in the same room. I’m trying something a little more… practical.”

“Smart thinking. Well, if Octavia wants it, she’ll get it. Can’t risk upsetting her and getting a bad report.” After a moment, the mare gave Vinyl a stern look. “Don’t tell anypony I said that. Or that I’m helping you out. If the other students found out I let you choose your dormitory, there would be rioting in the court.” The unicorn started to laugh, but faltered under the continued gaze. “I’m serious. It has happened before.”

Swallowing nervously, Vinyl stood to shake hooves with the mare. “Uh, no worries, I won’t tell anypony. Thanks for helping me out.”

Just like that, the pony was replaced by smiles and cheer once again. “Not a problem. Have a good day!”

A couple of moments later and the white mare stumbled down the stairs leading away from the admin building and planted her hooves on warm grass. The main court was winding down for the day as the afternoon got later and darker. For a few moments, a light breeze rolled through, carrying the scent of sunflowers.

Vinyl looked in the direction of the student village, and began to whistle.

-----

Obscure Doctor Who reference in this one!

Leave a comment if you caught it!

Or just tell me what you thought of this chapter. I'm down with that.

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

-----

A glowing pencil twirled and skittered along the paper under the gaze of purple shades. Smooth, curving lines arranged into a certain pattern littered the entire sheet, much to the teacher’s confusion.

“Are you okay, Vinyl?” she asked, drawing the attention of the entire class.

For a moment, the pencil paused in its delicate activity, and its controller raised her head off the table slightly. “Yeah.”

The teaching mare hesitated before continuing, and a few of the students turned their heads subtly, also interested in the DJ’s behaviour. “It’s just… you’ve been drawing nothing but treble clefs since we began today. I know you’re already quite a skilled artist, but surely you could use some practice at defining texture like the rest of us.”

“Probably.” Another unbroken line, swirling around and trailing off with a little flick.

Trying a different approach, the teacher brushed imaginary dirt specks from her coat to appear nonchalant. “Last week, you mentioned that you might know somepony who would be willing to model for us?”

Finally, Vinyl stopped doodling and gave her full attention. “Yeah, I haven’t asked her yet. But I was thinking, don’t we have, like, professional models or whatever?”

Grateful for a proper response for once, the mare smiled. “We do, but they’ve modelled for my class for years now and I want somepony new to have everypony sketch. It’s not good to get used to drawing the same ponies over and over.”

The white unicorn simply nodded and began drawing yet another of the musical symbols that occupied her mind.

But the teacher was determined not to let the conversation end that easily. Vinyl had always been one of the more outspoken members of the class, so seeing her being so quiet was worrying. “So who is this mystery mare?”

“Earth pony, grey fur.”

“What’s her cutie mark? Maybe I’ve seen her around the campus.”

Vinyl subtly moved a hoof to cover as many of the treble clefs as possible. “I can’t remember. Haven’t known her for long.”

“Well, I’m certainly excited to see her. Do you think you can convince her to come in next week?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

Satisfied that all was once again right in her classroom, the mare went back to the front of the class and the other ponies returned to their own conversations and work. All except one, that is. A stallion with a narrow face and a coat of dark brown was sitting beside Vinyl, eyeing her ‘work’ with interest. His name was Shady Oaks, and he was the only pony brave enough to talk to a silent DJ.

“Yo, what’s up with you today, dude?” he whispered, nudging her hoof.

“Nothing. What’s up with you?” she hissed back, continuing to trace those silken lines.

“Wonderin’ why you’re being a zombie, mostly.”

“Stop wondering, ‘cause nothing’s wrong. Don’t you have some texture to define?”

Shady snuffed a laugh. “Come on, I only took this class because drawing is easy as hay and doesn’t have any exams. Seriously though, what’s up?”

“Don’t act like we’re best mates, okay? Just back off.”

The earth pony shuffled away, his long black hair unfurling like a shield between his eyes and Vinyl. “Whatever. You don’t have to be such a bitch about it.”

“Go cry to your mum,” muttered Vinyl without thinking.

Celestia, he’s right… what the hay is wrong with me today?

It seemed as if her years of experience making friends and being sociable were all going down the drain, leaving an angry core that couldn’t even hold a conversation.

I can’t be like that. What if I was a bitch to Octavia?

Her chest clenched at the thought, and she knew the problem had to be fixed before it got worse. Lightly tapping Shady’s hoof to get his attention, Vinyl took a deep breath. “Listen, I-“

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied instantly, brushing his hair aside.

“What?”

“I think I know why you’re so weird today.”

Heat slowly crept up the DJ’s neck as she cautiously inquired, “Yeah?”

“My little sister Lillycup is in your psychology class. She said the tutor is always picking on you.”

Lillycup? That tiny light brown mare who always looked nervous?

“She said that?”

“Yeah. Also told me that you were kinda mean to her in the first tutorial, but she forgives you.”

“Uh…” Vinyl wasn’t sure what to say to that.

“Don’t worry, I forgive you too, dude. Going to that class every week while knowing that the teacher is just gonna be a dick to you must be frustrating.”

That was it!

Pretending to hate Octavia must be messing with my head. No wonder I’m being a jerk today.

But that stopped now. This DJ wasn’t about to let Psych control how she behaved.

“You have no idea.”

“If you ever feel like getting wasted and forgetting about it all, I can hook you up with cheap booze. Keep it on the down-low, though.”

Vinyl scratched her chin thoughtfully. Drinking buddies can come in handy, after all. “I might just do that. Here, put your number in my phone.” She floated the object in question out of a saddlebag and over to Shady, who took it with a grin.

As he tapped his own digits in, it was difficult to ignore a certain other name in the contacts. “Octavia?” he whispered. “You’ve got Octavia’s number?” Blood rushed to her face and she began to stammer before being interrupted. “Half the stallions here would kill for that number, and the other half are gay. Damn, it must be awesome being a DJ and getting to talk to all those higher-ups.”

“Uh, yeah, it’s pretty sweet.” Did he not realise that the cellist was also in her psychology class? Or was he playing a game with her?

“Here.” He handed the phone back cheerfully. There didn’t seem to be anything malicious about him, that’s for sure. But how could she tell?

The rest of the class passed in an uncomfortable haze for the white unicorn. She managed to stop drawing treble clefs and did a quick sketch to demonstrate her knowledge of texture, earning kind words and a smile from the teacher, who clearly assumed that everything was now back to normal.

But the second Vinyl walked out the door, her phone was out and dialling. Constant arguing was taking a toll on her social skills, and that needed to end quickly if she was to remain good at her job.

{[CALLING OCTAVIA]}

Ring r-

“Hello Vinyl!” the slightly tinny voice of her friend greeted happily. “How was drawing?”

“Same old, same old. What’s up?”

“I am completing a history assignment at the moment. Oh, and I have some exciting news!”

The DJ smiled at how enthusiastic the normally-calm mare was. “Yeah?”

“I received a notice telling me that somepony has been assigned to my room! Oh, I hope it’s you!”

“Don’t get your hopes up, I’m probably not important enough to share with you rich ponies,” she replied, chuckling a little to make it clear she was joking.

“Don’t talk like that. Hm… darn, I just remembered that I know the student coordinator. I should’ve gone to see her and requested you as my dorm mate.”

“I don’t think that would’ve worked.” Vinyl hoped her grin wasn’t audible. “She’s probably not allowed to let students choose who they share with.” It was becoming difficult not to laugh.

“You’re probably right.” Octavia sighed. “I’ll just have to hope that they are friendly.”

“Or sexy. Or both! Then you’d never be bored.”

The cellist giggled at that. “You have a one-track mind, Vinyl.”

“I regret nothing. Hey, there’s something I wanted to talk to about.” She looked around to make sure nopony was close enough to hear. The building was almost empty now that her class was over.

“What is it?”

“You know our… pretend arguments?”

“Yes?”

“Um… I don’t know if I can do them anymore,” Vinyl said simply.

“Why?”

“Cause… I don’t like arguing with you.”

“But we’re just pretending.”

“I know, but it’s still… I don’t know, but it’s not fun anymore.”

There was a moment of silence in which she bit her lip worriedly.

“What should we do then?” the cellist finally replied, her happy mood having clearly abated.

“Maybe… not argue, instead we just don’t talk to each other during that class. We’ll act like we just can’t even stand the thought of speaking now. Like, we hate each other that much.”

“Well… okay. I thought you liked trading insults with me, but if it’s bothering you that much then I’ll agree to stop.”

Vinyl winced. “I do like trading insults with you, really. It’s just… I’m still acting bitchy even after we stop arguing, and I don’t like it.”

“You don’t seem ‘bitchy’ when we are doing our little assignments. Are you sure you’re not just being too hard on yourself?”

The DJ snorted before replying. “Well obviously I haven’t been bitchy with you.”

“How is that obvious? I’m not following,” queried the mare on the other end.

“Uh, I meant, like… well it doesn’t matter. What I’m worried about is that I might become bitchy with you, and I guess I like you too much to risk ruining our friendship.” The words came easier than expected, and for once Vinyl didn’t feel as though there could have been a better way to get her message across.

“Oh. Well, if you phrase it in that manner, I understand what you mean. Very well, from now on we shan’t talk in class.”

“Sweet.”

“And… thank you for saying that.”

“Saying what?”

“That you don’t want to risk ruining our friendship. Having never experienced one before, it feels nice to be reminded that I now have one, and that it’s with somepony who seems to value me as much as I value them.”

Vinyl felt a little awkward having everything spelt out like that instead of just taking it as a given, but when she considered that Octavia had nothing else to draw from when it came to this kind of situation, it became a lot more tolerable. “Hey, no worries. I’ll text you a hundred times a day if you want and remind you.”

They giggled together, and the DJ took advantage of the brief gap in spoken conversation in order to once again make sure that nopony was nearby. An irritatingly familiar mint-green unicorn was making her way down the hall beside an orange mare with carrots on her flank.

“Maybe one or two texts to that effect would be nice, but you don’t have-“

“Crap, sorry, I gotta go.” Without waiting for a goodbye, she exited the call and slipped the phone back into its pouch.

“She’s the one I told you about,” Lyra whispered to her friend loudly, clearly not actually trying to hide her words. “So, Vinyl, were you talking to your new marefriend?”

It turned out that there were some upsides to being forced into a battle of insults every week. Namely: a razor-sharp wit and good reflexes.

“Nope, I was talking to yours,” replied the white unicorn with a wink. Lyra seemed slightly dumbfounded, and her friend broke into laughter.

“S-shut up, C-Top,” muttered the mare irritably.

Vinyl didn’t stick around for a second bout. “I’ll leave you to whatever it is you were doing in this building together… alone.”

She let those words hang in the air and marched straight past them, heading for the exit.

Unwilling to let her get away with the last word, Lyra called out, “I’m not gay!”

The DJ mentally wished herself luck and took a stab in the social dark. “Does Bonbon know that?” she shouted back.

A brief pause, then the quiet voice of ‘C-Top’, inquiring, “What does she mean by that, Lye-Lye?”

The air outside tasted of victory. A huge grin stretched her cheeks almost painfully, but it was so worth it. Lyra would have a fair bit of difficulty digging herself out of whatever it is she got stuck in. Even without the details, it looked messy.

With success flowing behind her, as well as the knowledge that the only ponies she needed to be mean to now were those who deserved it, Vinyl was feeling pretty good about her lot in life. In a few days, she’d surprise Octavia by moving in while the cellist was in a class or something, and they’d be able to spend all night talking face to face, instead of through a phone.

And then she’d really be in heaven. All Octavia, all day long. This time, Vinyl didn’t even bother coming up with an excuse. She liked being around that grey mare, and there was no point denying it.

It was the… other things… that could use a little denying.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

-----

Octavia felt more than a little ridiculous wearing the university designed saddle. She’d so far resisted the urge to refer to herself as a walking billboard, but only out of respect for Vinyl. The unicorn was very insistent that she wear it for some reason.

It wasn’t the style that was the problem, for it was quite a cute thing that rode nicely on her flank, but rather the big ‘WMU’ on the side. Octavia tried not to be as fussy about fashion as her mother had been, but honestly, who wants to wear words on their clothes? The whole point of wearing things was to make a visually engaging statement, and having letters just seemed redundant.

Regardless of her true feelings, the cellist maintained a pleasantly unconcerned demeanour as she accompanied Vinyl into the empty classroom.

“What exactly will I be doing?”

“Um,” the DJ scratched the back of her head, “Standing still, I guess. Think you’re up to it?”

“You’re hilarious.”

The first pony other than them to arrive was the teacher, a mare with a pale green coat and grey, distinguished hair. She gave the pair a friendly smile and had a decidedly easygoing air about her. “Hello Vinyl. And you must be the mare we’ve heard so much about?”

“It would appear so.” Octavia glanced at Vinyl, wondering what exactly ‘so much’ entailed.

The teacher also possessed a remarkable ability to sense her thoughts. “That was a joke, dear. Vinyl hasn’t told us anything about you. I see that you will certainly meet our needs, however. It’s been a while since we’ve practiced on models who actually live up to their title.”

The cellist smiled and tipped her head gracefully. “You flatter me. I’m just happy to be of assistance.”

“You remind me of my niece. So polite, that one. Oh, but I’ll have to insist that you take that saddle off. We’re studying the body, not the clothes.”

Inwardly sighing in relief, Octavia slipped the saddle off and deposited it on a table. Vinyl’s mouth opened as if to interject, but before she could say anything, the rest of the class arrived en masse. The DJ slipped away to a desk far away from the grey mare, and began to unpack her equipment.

It felt somewhat awkward standing at the front of the class beside the teacher. For a brief, surreal moment, she thought it was high school once again, and she was being called upon to give a speech for which she had not prepared. Shaking her head to gain freedom from those thoughts, she smirked slightly. Unprepared for a speech? Now that was surreal.

“Alright, class, as I told you last week, we’re going to practice drawing correctly-proportioned ponies.” The teacher raised a hoof towards the cellist. “Assisting us today is the beautiful… I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name?”

“The fault is mine; I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Octavia.”

A few murmurs passed through the class, and most of the stallions sat up straighter, suddenly very keen on paying attention. Vinyl rolled her eyes as Shady followed suit. “Careful, your eyes are gonna fall out if you stare any harder,” she whispered, earning the satisfaction of seeing him become aware of his behaviour.

“Hey, I have no control over my eyes, dude. They go where they want, and right now they want some of that flank, know what I’m saying?” he hissed back, grinning madly.

Oh, you have no idea. And neither do I.

“You’re such a perv.”

“You’re such a prude.”

Vinyl snorted at that, and soon both of them were muffling their laughter. It was a good few minutes before they realised that the class had begun sketching, and they quickly got to work. Octavia looked slightly uncomfortable standing alone now that the teacher had sat down at her desk, yet she managed to remain completely motionless.

A more interesting subject Vinyl had never experienced. Three glowing pencils drew at the same time on her sheet, each at different pressures and angles, carving a monochrome cellist out of reality. Caught in an explosion of light that seemed to permeate and enhance her like sunlight shining upon clouds, her little Octavia seemed more real than the classroom around her.

The mare herself noticed that the ponies were slowly turning, one by one, to look back at the DJ, who was feverishly scratching at the paper with several white-hazed pencils. Octavia had never seen Vinyl so completely absorbed in something before. It was truly a new perspective.

Eventually, even the teacher ambled on over to her desk and peeked at the work. As much as she hated to interrupt, it was unavoidable. “Um, Vinyl, sorry dear, the sketch is supposed to be realistic.”

The white unicorn frowned and the pencils paused mid-stroke. She picked up the page and held it aloft, comparing the subject with her work. “What are you talking about? It looks exactly like her.”

Octavia desperately wanted to charge over and snatch the paper for herself, but she resisted the urge and focused on staying still.

“It’s a little bit, er, impressionistic.”

“What? How?” Vinyl asked defensively.

“Um…” the teacher leaned down so she couldn’t be overheard. “Well, to my eyes, Octavia doesn’t seem to be glowing with ethereal light. I think you might be having the artistic version of a… Freudian slip.”

The cellist saw Vinyl’s eyes widen in response to the mare’s whispers, and a dark blush flooded her white cheeks in a most fascinating way.

What in Equestria is she embarrassed about? Did she make a mistake?

The DJ closed her notepad and began packing up, accompanied by a chorus of disappointed groans as the rest of the class was denied a chance to go over her work. The teacher didn’t ask why, nor did she try to stop her. Instead, she returned to the front of the class and drew attention away from Vinyl by discussing how to position cutie marks correctly.

Octavia tried to catch the unicorn’s eye, but she seemed to look everywhere but her. In moments, she swept out the door, blue hair bobbing.

Trapped under the gaze of a dozen students, there was nothing she could do until the class ended.

“Take note of how her cutie mark is in the centre of each flank, and be careful when drawing the treble clef. Those of you who haven’t studied music might find it-“

“Oh!” exclaimed the dark brown stallion who had sat beside Vinyl. All attention turned to him and he quickly stammered an explanation. “Uh, I just realised what I was doing wrong.” A few sniggers was all the social punishment he received for interrupting the teacher, and he quickly returned to staring at the cellist’s cutie mark.

It was slightly more humiliating than she had expected. Perhaps that was why Vinyl had tried to make her wear the saddle; it covered that area rather well.

So many questions! She hoped her DJ friend was up for a very long phone call tonight. Granted, she would be tired. Vinyl had her Musical Theory class straight after Drawing. Well, tomorrow they would definitely get to chat. Friday was Psych day, and they would be putting their new tactic into action.

After that, Vinyl would have to face the music.

---

Psych patrolled the front of the class, wild red mane and tail bobbing with energy.

“Wow!” he exclaimed.

A few moments passed as he continued to pace.

“Wow!” he said again. “I mean, can you believe it? We’re already in week five! I don’t know about you lot, but I feel like we’ve really bonded over the last few classes. Especially our favourite pair!”

Instantly, all eyes snapped to both mares, who sat on opposite sides of the class as usual. They didn’t even open their mouths, showing no reaction.

Psych raised an eyebrow and gave it another shot. “So how was the movie?” Again, no visible sign that they even heard him. Finding no entertainment in silence, the tutor cut his losses. “Alright, let’s just move on. Now, the next assignment,” he launched into a list of what was expected, and the ponies quickly began writing, all thoughts of the two mares forgotten.

From across the classroom, Vinyl desperately wanted to wink or smirk at Octavia in celebration of their apparent success, but she knew it could cost them dearly if somepony noticed.

For though the majority of the class was focused on writing, one particular unicorn (who happened to have a lyre on her flank) didn’t take her eyes off the DJ for a moment. Her left eye was darkened by bruising, giving her quite a terrifying scowl. Interestingly, Bonbon sat at a different table today, and winced every time her left forehoof touched something.

With no long-winded arguments to extend the class, it lasted barely another twenty minutes before Psych reluctantly let everypony go.

“Sorry everypony! I guess I started planning these things around their arguments and now they’re clearly conspiring together to disrupt my class.” He looked between the two quickly. “No? Alright fine, same time next week everypony.” Surprisingly, he actually seemed a bit confused by their tactic.

As they dispersed, Vinyl took her usual path up the hill back towards the main court. Octavia suppressed the urge to catch up and begin interrogating the DJ. She had waited all day for this; she could wait a few minutes longer.

Unfortunately, that insufferable green unicorn was going the same way, glaring at Vinyl from behind. With her in the way, there was no way Octavia would be able to speak to Vinyl in private. Lyra seemed intent on not letting the DJ out of her sight.

With no other options, the cellist resigned herself to trying a late-night conversation. It irked her that things kept obstructing her righteous questioning, but she kept calm and changed course, heading back to her flat.

So help her, if Vinyl didn’t answer the phone…

---

{[CALLING VINYL]}

It was only midnight, but Octavia couldn’t wait any longer. She had never realised just how boring being alone was. It was so quiet! More than once she wished she could hear Vinyl snorting back a laugh, or speaking loudly and giggling between words like she did when she was feeling playful. She’d sometimes wave her hooves around excitedly when ideas occurred to her, or when the cellist confessed she hadn’t listened to certain artists.

“You’re joking, right?” she’d say, the raising of her eyebrows indicating that her eyes were wide behind the glasses.

“Not in the slightest. I told you I don’t listen to much of that… dubstep,” Octavia would reply, further inciting shocked reactions from Vinyl.

“But it’s the greatest kind of music ever-“

“Hey? Hello? Yo, Octavia, are you there or what?”

Snapping out of her daze, she quickly remembered what she was doing.

“Oh, hello Vinyl. Sorry, I was distracted.”

“All good. What’s up?”

For a moment, her mind blanked. What was so important again? There was a muffled crunching from the other end, meaning Vinyl was having a midnight snack. She always ate like a pig and still managed to stay at the perfect weight. Maybe she should ask her how she does it?

“How are you not fat?”

A pause.

“Uh, what?”

Octavia reddened and mentally kicked herself. “I’m sorry, ignore that. I keep getting distracted tonight!”

After a moment, during which Vinyl was probably weighing whether to investigate further, the crunching resumed. “No worries, I guess.”

“Um, what I did want to talk about was the Drawing class.”

The crunching slowed slightly. “Yeah?” The DJ’s voice sounded cautious.

“I was wondering why you ran out halfway through the lesson.”

“I was… done.”

“Done?”

“Done. Finished the sketch and the dude let me go.”

“Oh.” That’s it? She just finished early? But that didn’t explain her avoidance of the cellist. Although, did she really avoid her? Or am I just so needy that I require attention at all times?

“Yup.” The earth pony was slightly startled until she realised that the DJ could not, in fact, read minds, and was instead trying to continue the conversation.

“I suppose with that out of the way, what are you doing tomorrow?”

“Uh, I got a whole heap of stuff lined up this weekend. I don’t think we’ll have time to chill until Monday.”

Octavia couldn’t help but feel slightly hurt, but she did her best to squash the feeling. “That’s okay. However, we both have two lectures on Monday. There’s no way we’ll have time to… to talk and do what we normally do," she trailed off.

“Hey, this is totally off-topic, but did you know that lectures aren’t compulsory? They actually record them so students can listen to them later.”

“I… I do know that, yes, but considering I live on campus, I don’t really have an excuse to miss them.”

Vinyl chuckled lightly. “I’m glad to hear that. So, by the time your second lecture ends it’ll be, like, midday right?”

The cellist wasn’t sure how any of this was relevant. “Yes, that’s correct.”

“And your first lecture starts at eight thirty?”

“Yes…”

“What do you do during the break between lectures?”

“I’m not sure where you’re going with this, but usually I’ll get something to eat and study in the library.” Now she was really confused.

“Uh-huh… alright, that works out awesomely! I promise you Octavia, we’ll find time to chill on Monday.” Vinyl giggled a bit, but seemed to try and control herself.

“You’re being very strange tonight. Have… have you been drinking?” the cellist asked warily.

“What? No! But that does give me an idea… Sorry babe, I gotta go. Later!” With a click, Octavia was alone again.

No doubt Vinyl was off to a bar to get extremely drunk for no discernable reason. That was one activity that they would never share. Hiding behind her age might work now, but that would change in a few weeks’ time. Then… well, she’d cross that bridge when she came to it. It would be tough-

Wait, did Vinyl just call me babe?

Octavia almost squealed.

My first nickname!

-----

No references... probably.

Also, check out the sexy new cover art!

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

-----

Of all the places she wanted to be on a Sunday night, this was not in the top ten.

Stumbling half-drunk down a dark Manehattan street, leaning on Shady Oaks for support.

This wasn’t even in the top fifty.

“Didn’t know you were such a lightweight,” chuckled Shady, sliding a hoof around the DJ’s neck to keep her upright.

“You were pumping drinks into me, dude. Buck off,” replied the grumpy drunk.

The two ponies continued their awkward shuffle down the gum-encrusted sidewalk. Slowly, the dark stallion let his hoof drift along Vinyl’s back until it came to rest upon her flank. Ever so softly, he began to trace little circles on her coat.

“What are you doing?” The unicorn shoved him away, but stumbled and tripped without the support.

He laughed and helped her up. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

“Where are we going again?”

“Back to my place, like you asked.”

She frowned. “I don’t remember asking that.”

“Well you did, dude.” Shady put his hoof around her neck again and pulled her forward a few steps.

“Wow there, easy. I don’t know what you think is happening, but it ain’t happening,” she said, trying to sound as serious as possible through the haze that clouded her mind.

The stallion paused in his attempts to assist her. “Are you serious?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“So… all those bits I blew on drinks… were for nothing?”

Vinyl’s drunken brain felt absurdly guilty, and she placed a hoof on his shoulder (though that may have been for support as much as sympathy). “Sorry, Shades. When you said drinking buddy I thought you meant, like, an actual buddy.”

The stallion slumped visibly. “You’re a damn tease, Vinyl.”

“No I’m not!”

He snorted. “Hanging off me all night, pretty much grinding on me in the dance pit, doing tequila shots off my back, nah, you’re a saint.”

“Did I really do all that?”

“More or less.”

“Crap, I’m sorry. I get a little friendly after a few drinks.”

“Whatever. Reckon you can find your way home from here?”

“Uh…” She looked around at the tall, black buildings and the featureless road. “Sure, no worries.”

Shady shook free of her comforting hoof and started trotting away without another word.

Left on her lonesome, the warmth in her veins slowly chilled in the icy night air. As pretty as Manehattan was during the day, it looked downright creepy at night. Sure, there were plenty of streetlamps, but they seemed so suffocated and suppressed by the cold blackness that they provided little comfort. Sudden, crackling tendrils of panic curled around her spine.

I’ve changed my mind!

“Shady?” Vinyl turned to look at the way her ‘friend’ had gone, and only saw his tail vanishing around a street corner. “Shady!” she croaked. A night full of shouting was affecting her voice at the worst possible time. She tried to gallop after him, but only made it a few steps before falling over. The world swam before her. “Stop it… I just wanna get home…”

But her head was heavy and it felt as though the pavement was the only thing stopping her from dropping below the world. It was not a good feeling, but she had endured worse. Granted, those times she hadn’t been lying in the road.

There comes a time in every drunk’s night where they have to accept that they may not make it home.

She took some deep breaths to try and force her mind to work.

Can’t get home on my own.

Need help.

Somepony who can take care of me.

Screwing her eyes shut in concentration, the unicorn hovered her mobile out from its pouch.

{[CALLING OCTAVIA]}

As the ringing began, she let the phone rest on the side of her head, releasing it from her magical grasp.

Click.

“Honestly Vinyl, this is late even by our standards,” yawned the angelic voice on the other end.

“Sorry.”

“Are you okay? You sound a bit hoarse.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. You?” What was she calling about again?

“Aside from being awoken by this call, I’m quite alright.”

“Yeah you are. You’re always alright,” Vinyl grinned, scratching her cheek against the ground.

“Well, I suppose. Are you sure you’re okay?” Somehow, the DJ could hear Octavia frowning in concern.

“Hey, I just wanna say, cause I’ll never say it to your face, you’re pretty cool. And, and, I reckon we should chill together more because… yeah. You’re awesome.”

A pause.

“Oh sweet Celestia, have you been drinking ever since our phone call on Friday?” She ignored the words entirely.

“Nah, nah, just tonight. But, like, listen to me. I am being totally open and stuff. I’ve been having these dreams, right? And they’re like, full of those cleff things, like the one on your cutie mark. And sometimes I’ll see you in my dreams too, and we’ll hang out and go walking together.”

“Vinyl,” interrupted the cellist, who sounded more amused than irritated. “You should get some sleep. Drunken phone calls are most unbecoming.”

“I can’t, I don’t know where I am. But shush, this is really important. I think. When I think about you-“

“You don’t know where you are?!” exclaimed Octavia. “What do you mean? Are you just wandering the streets?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“That’s not safe at all! Do you see anywhere familiar at all? I’ll come and get you.”

“That would be awesome. Um, nothing familiar, but I think the street I’m on is called ‘Blueberry Road’, though I’m also pretty hungry so that could just be… hey, can you bring some blueberries?”

“Hold on, I have a map of Manehattan here somewhere.”

“And some whipped cream. Throw in some chocolate shavings too.”

“Blueberry Road is adjacent to the main clubbing district. Did you go to any clubs?”

Vinyl snorted. “Filly, please. I went to all the clubs.”

“Of course you did. Well, I think I know roughly where you are. Just stay there until I find you, okay?” the cellist sounded so serious that she managed to cut through the nigh-delirious fog clouding the white pony’s world.

“Heh, don’t worry. I’m going nowhere fast.”

---

As soon as the conversation ended, Octavia shoved her phone in a small, one sided saddlebag and bolted out of her room into the hall. The lamps were bright and made her eyes hurt, but she persevered regardless.

The cellist burst into the stairwell with a crash, leaping over the first set, skidding, and bypassing the second via rail slide. Her mane was a mess, her coat was ruffled, and she had forgotten her bowtie, but all of those things took a back seat in her mind.

A friend in need.

She had read about the responsibilities of friends, and best friends, and best friends forever. In this situation, she was bound by the rules of friendship to help Vinyl get home safely. It didn’t matter if the unicorn had brought this on herself, or if Octavia had two lectures later today. Those were the rules, and this mare always followed them.

This was, however, the first time she had ever needed to remember that particular set of rules. It was all well and good to know the code of conduct among advanced acquaintances, but if she didn’t have any, they weren’t much use.

Well, not anymore!

With determination in her veins, Octavia charged down the hall and through the final door into the night. It was cold, very cold, but she didn’t stop running. Her teeth were chattering so she clenched them to remain focused.

The student village was on campus, hidden away in a far corner. The point was to be close enough to justify living there to get to class easier, yet far enough that students could maintain their own lifestyles without being under the scrutiny of the university’s faculty.

A long, winding path through an unnatural forest led her into the main court. For once, the sheer enormity of the place didn’t excite her; rather, she felt exhausted just by looking at all the ground she had to cover.

Thoughts of a carriage crossed her mind, and she latched onto it hungrily. There was no way she could run all the way downtown!  A hired transport was the clear solution. Not only would it save her legs, but the driver would know exactly where Blueberry Road was.

It was a great disappointment then to see the empty ranks outside the university gates. Where usually there would be a couple of carriages eager for your directions (and your bits), now there was a single wet newspaper flapping in the breeze.

Running all the way downtown it is, then.

She took off at a steady trot, wisely deciding to conserve energy. After all, she might need to drag a certain unicorn all the way back.

There were few other ponies out this late, and the ones she saw were promptly avoided. A thousand tutor-taught parent-approved lessons in safety came rushing back. Don’t make eye contact if somepony looks unprincipled. Cross the street to avoid them if possible. Remember, it’s better to look rude than to get mugged. And for the love of Celestia, Octavia, don’t go into any dark alleys.

Thankfully, the club district wasn’t exactly hidden away. It was entirely possible to reach it using only main roads, no alleys required. A small comfort in a big, cold city, yet she was grateful for it nonetheless.

It was barely fifteen minutes later and she was panting. Sure, she maintained a good exercise regime as required to keep herself healthy, but that was just a jog around campus and some stretching routines, nothing that actively increased her endurance. Slowly but surely, her hooves began to get sore from slapping against the tough (and occasionally uneven) pavement.

Vinyl.

The pain that shot through each hoof when it struck the ground changed meaning, becoming incentive to pick up that hoof and push it forward. Each inhalation of crisp night air brought with it more energy, and she narrowed her eyes in conviction.

The cellist had a goal, and there was simply no time for physical limitations.

Rounding a corner, Octavia spotted the very sign that had eluded her.

Blueberry Rd

Grinning, she forgot all about the ache in her hooves and started down the street with renewed enthusiasm.

No wonder she wasn’t certain where she was. This looks like every other street.

Black silhouettes came into focus further down the road, and her heart jumped into her throat.

Her comfy little dorm was a long way from here…

She slowed her pace, keeping an eye on the group. It was two colts, probably high school kids who had snuck out. They didn’t seem very good-natured, but it was the thing they crowded around that made her heart speed up.

A white unicorn with an electric blue mane.

“Hey!” she screamed. “What do you think you’re doing?”

They looked up, slightly startled, which was a good sign. It meant they weren’t sure who had the power in this encounter, which in turn meant that Octavia could take that power.

“Get away from her before I eviscerate you!” She picked up the pace, hoping it would frighten them into making a snap-decision of fleeing.

They backed up, but one of them still had a bit of defiance. “Or what?” he shouted, voice cracking and betraying his fear.

“I know Pilates! There won’t be anything left for your parents to identify!” She had never shouted so loudly and forcefully in her life, nor had she ever been so confident in a lie.

That final threat was enough to tip the tables in her favour, and the two colts sprinted away as she reached Vinyl.

As the cellist carefully looked over the unconscious mare, she felt her panic slowly abate. The DJ was clearly unharmed aside from a couple of light scrapes, most likely from tripping over. The two colts were probably just poking a passed out drunk, as disgusting little ponies are wont to do.

Vinyl’s signature purple glasses lay beside her head, and Octavia realised with a start that this was the first time she had seen her friend without them. Now if only she was conscious…

“Vinyl, wake up. Come on now, you can’t sleep here,” she whispered insistently, gently poking her white cheeks.

She certainly has very soft skin.

Finally, a response. “Urgh, just let me die,” groaned the unicorn without even opening her eyes.

“Absolutely not! I came all the way here from my dorm to get you, so you better darn well get up and be grateful!”

Her eyes cracked open ever so slightly, but in the dim street lights Octavia wasn’t certain if they were even looking at her.

“Huh? Octavia?” Well, that answered that.

“Yes, it’s me. You called and I came. Now hurry up and move your flank!” She couldn’t help but be a little annoyed at the slow reaction time.

Vinyl reached out with a hoof, patting the ground blindly until she found her shades. Fumbling a bit, she slid them on and raised her head slightly. “Hey.”

The cellist hoped her flat look would be a suitable reply.

“Uh, right. I’ll get up.” With several curses (three of which Octavia had never even heard of), she hauled herself upright and stood swaying upon the sidewalk. Her mane was even more dishevelled than usual, and her expression was one of hung-over agony.

Needless to say, the cellist snuffed a laugh. “Oh, you look ridiculous.”

“I think if I try to talk too much I might puke.”

The earth pony took a step back. “Can you walk on your own?” she asked hopefully.

“I can try, but if I fall over again I’m going back to sleep.”

Pushing through the mental image of being covered in vomit, Octavia walked up beside Vinyl and put a hoof around her neck. “Come on then, let’s get you out of here.”

They began the awkward drunk-herder shuffle. Never in a million years did the dedicated student think she of all ponies would need to do it. Truly, it was humbling to see that the lives of other, slightly less reserved ponies were also susceptible to hardships, albeit self-inflicted ones.

At least, that was what she used to occupy her mind during the long, painful walk through the streets of Manehattan. As streets blurred together and her hooves went numb, Octavia felt her energy drain away. Now that the initial rush was over and Vinyl was safe, the very late hour was beginning to have an adverse effect on her.

Or rather, the very early hour, as the lightening horizon suggested.

“Oh Celestia, I haven’t stayed up all night since… ever!” she mumbled, now holding onto Vinyl for support as much as the other way around.

“You get used to it,” came the croaky reply.

“I certainly hope not. At this pace, I’ll never get home in time to get any sleep.”

Vinyl snorted. “Just crash at my place. We’re almost there anyway.”

“I - I’m not sure, maybe I can just catch a carriage now that it’s morning-“

“Octavia. Chill. You’re staying at my place tonight. Today. Whatever.”

“Well… if you’re sure it would be okay.”

“It’s fine. Now come on, it’s just around the corner and I think my hangover is gonna get a lot worse if I don’t sleep soon.”

For once, the use of that vague phrase was extremely literal, a fact for which the cellist was infinitely grateful. Vinyl’s flat was indeed just around the corner, and up an elevator, and down a corridor. It wasn’t the nicest looking building, nor was it host to the most refined of company, but the earth pony held her tongue, knowing that such criticism would bring absolutely no good whatsoever.

Inside Vinyl’s apartment, she could definitely see why the unicorn wanted to leave. It was extremely small, with everything in one room (except the bathroom of course, which was somehow even smaller). Cardboard boxes packed tight with belongings took up most of the floor.

“I don’t blame you for not unpacking. I would also hate the idea that I could live here for any length of time.” The words slipped out before she could think, and she slapped a hoof to her lips.

Luckily, the exhausted mare didn’t even seem to hear. She slipped free of Octavia’s supporting hoof and stumbled forward, falling onto the bed.

“Um… where should I sleep?” asked the cellist, feeling very awkward about the obvious answer.

As expected, a white hoof patted the mattress lazily.

“Can you move over a bit?”

A twitch that almost looked like a shrug passed over the unicorn’s body. She was checking out of reality, next stop dreamland.

Octavia climbed tentatively onto the bed and tried to manoeuvre herself so that she didn’t accidentally touch the DJ. It was hopeless; there was simply no way to avoid it. Wincing and moving very slowly, she lay down and held her breath as their bellies were pressed together.

This is rather nice after being out in the cold.

Vinyl was fast asleep, her breathing deep and slow. Every time her chest expanded, it pushed gently against the cellist.

Warmth radiated from the blue-maned mare, and Octavia caught herself before she snuggled closer.

Must stay alert! This is my first sleep-over; I can’t afford to make a fool of myself.

But as her body realised that the action was finally over and it was time to rest, she found her ability to regulate movements to be severely lacking.

So nice and warm…

The cellist pressed her face into the white cloud, smiling at the comforting heat. It was safe there, nice and secure, relaxing and cosy. There was no need to think. Her eyes fluttered shut and she happily slipped into a doze.

And as the pair slept, unintentionally entwined but with complaints from neither side, the sun broke through the early clouds and lit the city with its merry glow.

Sorry about being a day late! I started writing and... sorta... forgot to stop...

Still, I think it turned out alright. Let me know what you think by wielding your thumbs in a threatening manner, or leaving a comment!

First person to spot the correct shameless pun in this chapter gets a cameo!

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

-----

Being in such an unusual predicament so far outside her comfort zone, it would have been expected for a pony such as Octavia to react with stammering exclamations and embarrassed chuckles. But if the sleepy brain was one thing, it was relaxed. When she awoke in an unfamiliar feeling bed, she simply yawned and tried to return to sleep. This pony’s hours were up though, and the longer she kept her eyes shut, the more they wanted to open. Her senses returned slowly, emerging from the deep, warm depths of sleep. Hearing, the sound of a busy city, tasting, a few stray hairs that made her scrunch her nose in disgust, smelling, sweat and spice and alcohol, touching, a large heat-pillow, seeing…

The white unicorn sleeping right next to her.

Octavia would remember the moment as being akin to seeing a spider skitter across the floor, complete with the impulse to jump back and scream and so forth, but the truth was a lot less terrifying.

“Oh dear,” she mumbled.

Vinyl’s glasses were askew, revealing her closed eyes for the second time in recent memory.

Memory…

The events of last night came rushing back, bringing the cellist completely out of her sleepy daze.

Upon glancing at the unicorn with clear eyes, she couldn’t help but giggle at her friends dishevelled state. Sitting up, she reached out a hoof and tentatively brushed some of the DJ’s unruly blue mane out of her face. From a completely objective standpoint, Vinyl was really quite pretty.

In a moment of bravery, Octavia plucked the purple shades from the end of the white pony’s nose, leaving her face bare. Breathing softly, Vinyl projected an air of openness that the cellist had not been privy to before.

This was her.

Just her.

In her own home, completely unguarded, with no acts or personas, no purple-tinted shades to hide behind.

Vinyl Scratch.

Octavia’s breath hitched at the sight. If only she could draw, if only she could capture the image forever and ever. But part of her knew that to record such a moment would be to strip away everything that made it unique. Instead, the cellist did the next best thing: embrace it. She let the rush of emotions flow over her body and through the air around them. This was their moment, one that could never be taken from them or replaced. A single, defining, experience that-

Ring ring.

“Oh for the love of-“ hissed Octavia, ripping her phone out from the pouch still strapped to her hips.

Click.

“Can’t I have just one moment of artistic reflection? Who is this? What do you want?”

“Is that how the university is teaching you to speak to your mother?”

Her face dropped and she quickly climbed over Vinyl and onto the floor. Remarkably, the DJ didn’t even stir. “M-mother? Uh, no, mother, I’m sorry. H-how are you?” Searching desperately, she scrambled about for her bowtie before remembering it was back in her dorm. Being completely unclothed and messy made her feel about as unprepared for a chat with her mother as possible.

“Spare me the inane pleasantries, Octavia. I think we both know why I’m calling.” The voice on the other end sounded just as stern and commanding as she remembered.

The cellist spared a glance for her sleeping friend, but there was no other option. This phone call would turn ugly if Vinyl woke up halfway through. “I-I’m afraid I don’t know why. Is something wrong?”

“Something is indeed wrong. I spoke to a friend of mine who works at the university. He’s a groundskeeper, a stout old chap.”

Slipping out the door and closing it softly behind her, Octavia quickly descended the stairs. “Well he certainly sounds very interesting, mother, but what does he have to do with me?”

“When you insisted on staying in one of those hovels, I knew I had to take a few precautions. You are still a little naïve and suggestible, for all your talent. The groundskeeper was acquired and given a new purpose: to make sure you got home every night.”

She shoved through the ground floor doors and glared at the first pedestrian she saw, a young schoolcolt who immediately changed course. “You’ve been spying on me?!” she exclaimed, scaring a mare waiting at a carriage stop.

“Don’t go making this bigger than it is. Mares your age can often get side-tracked by silly pursuits such as romance and friendship. Those things are merely tools that you can use to advance in the world, nothing more.”

Octavia started trotting faster in the direction of the university. A whole new appreciation for what Vinyl had to deal with every time she had a class began to form, but it was not enough to distract from her fury. “I can’t believe you! So that speech about independence and ‘standing on my own four hooves’ you gave me on the day I left was completely meaningless, wasn’t it?”

“Oh, here you are going off on one of your melodramatic tantrums and you wonder why I’m so protective. You’re not as capable as you seem to think, Octavia, and the call I received from the groundskeeper proves it. You didn’t make it home after your odd early-morning excursion.”

The cellist resisted the urge to scream. “He watches my dorm while I sleep?!”

“Of course not, don’t be silly. He merely checks the campus security camera footage every morning. Now, explain yourself. Did you spend the night in somepony else’s bed?” She could almost feel the intense stare through the phone.

There was a sense of sick desperation in her forced chuckle. “I-I don’t understand-“

“You understand perfectly well. Tell me the truth.”

“I… yes I did, but it’s not-“

“Octavia! After everything I’ve taught you, you do something like this after only five weeks!”

“I swear I didn’t… she’s my friend, I was helping her-“

“She?” The line went dangerously silent. Heavy breathing distorted her mother’s voice. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying, young lady?”

“She was drunk and lost in the city so I helped her get home and she let me stay at her place but we didn’t do anything I swear!” blurted Octavia, ignoring the looks from amused bystanders.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes I’m certain!”

“So you’re not a…”

“N-no! I swe- Believe me, I’m not!”

“Good. I taught you better than that, at least. But still, I’m very disappointed in you. Don’t risk your safety like that again, especially not for some low-life drunk,” spat the older mare.

“She’s not a low-life, mother. She’s my friend,” Octavia replied quietly, dangerously. “My first friend.”

The satisfaction of silence was short lived. “Bah. We’ll see how long that lasts. Be a good filly and go to class.”

[CALL ENDED]

Octavia quickly returned her phone to her pouch to avoid stomping it into the sidewalk. Every single conversation with that insufferable pony ended like this! Constant insults and belittlement, all shred of control and independence ripped away in a matter of minutes, leaving her feeling like a ridiculous little filly.

Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks as she waved a carriage over. When she climbed aboard, the first one dripped onto the wooden floor and she tried to rub them away.

The driver turned around and peeked into the carriage. It was a small one, only meant for two ponies, and it had no roof. “Where to, darlin’?” he drawled.

“West Manehattan University, please,” she sniffled quietly.

“Righto. Uh, is everything okay?” The concern in his voice made her heart warm. Not all ponies are bad, she had to remind herself.

Octavia gave him a weak smile. “I’ll be alright. But thank you for asking.”

He nodded and began to move. They rumbled down the road to the sound of city life, shouting and chatting, laughter and anger, and as she listened, the cellist felt her own sadness trickle away. There were so many other ponies around her, all with their own problems and worries, and all of them probably more serious than an argument with her mother. It was a rush of perspective, and it was exactly what she needed.

Taking a deep breath, she dabbed at her eyes and tried to fix her mane. She would need a shower and a proper grooming session once she got home, but for now it was acceptable. With a start, Octavia realised she didn’t have any bits on her.

“Sir? I’m sorry, but I forgot to bring any money,” she said guiltily.

The tiny carriage didn’t pause for a second. “Then yer lucky I’m a sucker for cryin’ mares. No charge.”

Now that surprised her. There was being a kind and chivalrous pony, and then there was purposely wasting time that could be used making money. “No, I can’t let you do that. Stop, I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

“Nope, yer gonna enjoy the free ride.”

“Are you sure? You could be taking somepony else right now.”

“Missy, if my carriage gets you away from the source o’ yer tears faster, it’ll be worth it.” His dark brown coat glistened with sweat.

“Thank you.” It was all she could say. Such random generosity had been absent from her life until that moment. He had nothing to gain from helping her, he wasn’t trying to buy, manipulate or otherwise benefit from it. He was simply acting out of the goodness in his heart.

Now that was something her mother had never taught her about.

---

Pain.

Glorious, horrible pain.

Beams of light raked against her skull via her eyes, pounding and throbbing to the beat of consequence.

“Never again,” croaked the DJ.

She lay there, wrapped in a cocoon of misery, wishing for anything to end her suffering. As usual, the deities that were supposed to help hungover ponies were probably sleeping off their own intoxication, and thus had no time to ease her pain.

Part of her wanted to sit up and try to force her body to get over it through sheer willpower, but the feeling in her throat meant that would be a very short-lived attempt. It seems as though once again the only solution was to suffer.

In the midst of her sluggish mind, Vinyl wondered why she had never looked into finding a spell that got rid of (or prevented entirely) hangovers. The answer was as clear as it was frustrating. When she wasn’t hungover, she didn’t care.

And so she groaned and moaned and swore at the sun, rolling back and forth while trying to push herself deeper into the bed. An eternity later, she raised her head. A few more eternities later, she sat up completely, marvelling at the rotary capacity of her room. Eventually she slid from the bed and dropped to the ground.

The first thing she looked for was her glasses. They were tinted for a reason, after all, and when she put them on the light was dulled and her headache eased slightly. The shower was next, and she let the warm water wash away all the sweat and dirt that had somehow formed in her sleep. Even the purple shades got a nice clean, so when she stepped out and dried herself, they sparkled with a devilish flair that she loved.

Slowly, the world stopped being horrible, and a degree of normalcy returned.

Vinyl heard a faint buzzing sound, and cast her eyes around for the offending mobile. It was amongst the sheets, the cushioning muffling its message tone.

[3 NEW MESSAGES]

Being popular was hard work.

{[OCTAVIA]}

>Sorry for leaving, my mother called and I didn’t want to wake you up.

>Wake up, sleepy head! :)

>You’re going to miss your second lecture if you don’t hurry!

Oh horsefeathers!

Lectures! University! Those things still existed despite her bad start to the day.

Wait, she wasn’t going to go to them anyway. She had something else to do…

Wait, Octavia had been here?!

Too much stuff! Shut up, brain!

The DJ attempted to organise her thoughts.

Where was she last night? Shady! She went drinking with Shady! Vinyl remembered arriving at a bar, laughing and dancing with a drink floating before her and the stallion’s hoof around her waist, but that was it. After that, there were just blurry images and sensations punctuated with an oddly serene voice. “Come on then, let’s get you out of here.”

She flicked through her phone, looking for the call history. As she suspected, a single call had been made at about three in the morning… to Octavia.

“Oh Celestia, please tell me I didn’t do anything stupid…” she whispered. Some part of Vinyl remembered the texts she had inspected moments ago.

The cellist didn’t seem angry… in fact, there was a smiley face in the second message. What did that mean? Had something… good happened?

Like what? her mind prompted.

Nothing.

She moved on, latching on to the next hazy memory.

The lectures! The plan! Everything was still salvageable, if she moved quickly. It was still mid-morning, so Octavia would be in her Music Theory lecture. That left about an hour for Vinyl to get all of her belongings to the campus and into her new room.

This was going to be close…

---

Checking her phone was becoming something of a nervous habit. It didn’t help that the lecturer, a pudgy mare with too much makeup on, seemed to be under the weather, accentuating each sentence with a wet, hacking cough. For once, the cellist regretted sitting at the front of her class. Not only was she in the germ-zone, but it made indulging her new habit feel that much more shameful.

Surely, Octavia thought, she must be considered quite a rude student, pulling her phone out every few seconds. Yes, the other students did it too, but they were all sitting at the back of the room, far out of the bespectacled mare’s sight.

All she wanted to see was the little flash of light and those big words telling her that-

Bzzzz.

The earth pony snatched her phone up almost violently.

{[VINYL]}

>Hey, I’m awake. Sorry if I did anything dumb last night, I can’t remember much.

And with one text, the cellist’s worries were assuaged.

>Finally! You’re going to miss half of your lecture now. And don’t worry; you were no different than usual while intoxicated.

[MESSAGE SENT]

Finally, now I can focus on taking notes.

Picking up her pen between her teeth, she took a moment to peruse the mind-numbing paragraph-length dot points that were arrayed on the projector screen. This week they were apparently studying one of the greatest yet under-appreciated composers in history. Well, at least until they died.

Octavia found that a bit sad, that their worth wasn’t realised until it was gone forever, but also inspiring, that even if her own music wasn’t popular or liked during her life, there was still hope that some future classical music enthusiasts would see her merit.

As engaging as she found the idea, it was still incredibly boring to write about. Most of it she had known for years, and the notes she jotted down would never be read because of that. But she wrote them anyway, if only to distract her from other things. An idle mind can be quite a nuisance sometimes.

Another glance at her phone revealed that the lecture was drawing to a close anyway, so she started packing away her things in advance. As expected, the last couple of slides were just reiterating information she knew by heart. Yes, his first attempt at professional composing came out in that year. Obviously. Yes, he was publicly denounced by the musical associations of those times. Everypony knew that. The only thing Octavia didn’t know about this class was why it seemed to think she was a little filly picking up a bow for the first time. Honestly, if a pony made it to this class at all, it would be assumed that they’d know a little bit about musical theory and which prominent figures influenced the modern system.

Sighing with relief, Octavia slid out of her chair and took her leave as the lecturer coughed her way through a side door.

Freedom!

The smile that had been gracing her lips all day returned in full force. It had been a rather emotional few hours after that horrid call from her ghastly mother, and though the kindness of the carriage driver did much to ease her mind, there were always going to be thoughts and worries rattling around the back of her head like loose screws.

Thankfully, it was only a short trip to her dorm. They were like mini apartment buildings, two stories with six rooms on each, and two ponies to a room. In total, there could be a maximum of twenty-four students to each building, though there were only seventeen-or-so in hers currently.

Well, that was going to change soon! A roommate was going to be moving in any day now, for better or worse.

As she climbed the stairs, Octavia heard hushed voices in the hallway above. Before she could investigate, a light-blue pegasus dropped down in front of her, blocking the way up.

“Hello!” she said cheerfully.

“H-hello there.” The cellist felt rather awkward for a moment, but then her demeanour brightened. “Oh, are you my new roommate?”

“Nope! I’ve been here for ages.” Her ice-blue eyes sparkled with untempered happiness.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realise. Um, do you think I could go past? It’s been a long day.” The grey mare made to step around the other pony, but was quickly blocked by a sidestep.

“Wait! I have to ask you something first.”

Raising a hoof to motion for her to go ahead, Octavia’s ears twitched at the sound of something heavy thudding on her floor. The absolute last thing she felt like doing was helping this mare with homework, but she forced herself to be patient.

“How do you spell ‘stalling’? It’s been bugging me all day.”

“S-t-a-l-l-i-n-g. Perhaps you should invest in a dictionary?” she answered, trying to step to the right of the blonde-maned pegasus, who darted in front of her once again.

“Thanks so much! What about ‘delaying’?” That smile was starting to get infuriating. Further thuds echoed from above, plucking at her curiosity chords.

“D-e-l-a-y-i-n-g! If you would excuse me-“

“And impeding?”

“I-m-p-e-d-i-n-g! I really must-“

“What about ‘hindering’?”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but these are questions that you could easily direct towards a book, which doesn’t need sleep. Let me past,” she ordered, pushing forward irritably.

With two flaps, the mare fluttered out of the way and let Octavia storm up the last few steps. Finally, she trotted down the hallway and pushed her door open, ignoring calls from behind asking her to stop.

A stack of cardboard boxes and a pile of technical equipment.

A computer sitting amongst a tangle of wires on the second desk.

A bootstrap mixing table set up in the centre of the room.

A white unicorn peeking sheepishly at her from inside a half-sealed cardboard box.

“Uh, hey roomie!”

Woops, went over the word quota again. Oh well.

If you're enjoying the story, toss me a thumb or a comment! I'm always happy to get feedback.

First person to spot the Fight Club reference gets a little cameo in the next chapter.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

-----

“How did you-“ spluttered the cellist.

“Spoke to the student coordinator,” replied the DJ as she climbed out of the box.

“But you-“

“Told you not to do that cause it was unlikely she’d let us move in together?” Vinyl grinned and winked.

“When did-“

“Carried my stuff across town about an hour ago. I’ve never used so much magic at once in my life!” She gave a slightly breathless chuckle, and Octavia noticed beads of sweat clinging to her white coat. “Wow, I feel great!” The unicorn made to take a few steps closer but stumbled, and the cellist rushed forward to catch her.

The sound of fluttering wings came closer, followed by a thud in the doorway. “Sorry Vinyl!” said the light-blue pegasus. “I held her as long as I… oh, I’m sorry! Um, let me get the door!” She quickly pulled it closed before either of them could explain. Further muffled apologies came through the thin door, getting quieter as the odd pegasus retreated.

Vinyl seemed to have accepted the fact she could no longer stand, happily going slack in Octavia’s hooves. “This is cool. Isn’t this cool?”

“O-kay, I wasn’t aware that overexerting magic made unicorns delirious,” muttered the cellist, half-dragging her friend over to the freshly-made bed beneath the window.

“I feel pretty good about things,” the DJ informed her, nodding her head sagely as she was placed gently upon the covers.

“That’s nice, Vinyl,” giggled Octavia as she turned back to unpack the rest of the white pony’s possessions.

The mare in question let out a low chuckle as she did so. “You should walk away from me more often.”

“Get some sleep, you silly pony, lest I start writing down what you say so I can bring it up later.”

Sure enough, within a few minutes the room was flooded with soft snoring. Octavia rolled her eyes and dug into the nearest box. Unsurprisingly, she emerged with a stack of pristine records neatly stored in transparent cases and labelled with delicate consistency.

After going through a second and third box and finding nothing but records, the cellist became exasperated. “Did you even bring any clothes or personal items?” she asked irritably. It didn’t help that the only answer was in the form of a particularly loud snore.

Deciding to shake the next box before opening it, she was delighted to hear the sound of small objects sliding around.

If this isn’t her personal belongings, I’ll eat my bowtie.

Sure enough, inside there were a number of little gadgets and miscellaneous objects. Of notable interest was her phone, a small, easily concealed thing as was common to unicorns who rarely needed to physically touch their mobiles.

She rolled it between her hooves and it activated, seemingly welcoming her touch. Octavia glanced at the sleeping unicorn cautiously, then let a little smile creep onto her face.

It can’t hurt to see how many contacts is considered normal. I won’t look at any messages though, not unless my hoof slips.

Her eyes widened as the names began to scroll. “Oh my…”

There were hundreds! Although some were named That dude with the goatee and Red-maned mare, there were still a great many with proper titles, far more than the grey mare had anticipated. Compared to her own meagre list of three numbers (Vinyl, her mother, emergency services), she felt like an inexperienced player in a complex social game.

Oh dear, I’ve accidentally opened her recent texts.

Strangely enough, aside from somepony named ‘Shady Sexbomb’, she was the only pony Vinyl had texted in the last couple of weeks.

Where are all her party invitations? Does she call them instead of texting?

That seemed the most likely answer, but Octavia resisted the urge to look through the recent calls.

What if she is as bored and lonely as I am? Oh, thank Celestia she found a way to have us share a room.

Things were looking up.

Curiosity satisfied for the moment, she carefully placed the various keepsakes and such upon Vinyl’s desk. There was still a lot of unpacking to do, not to mention some shuffling of the furniture. A mixing table really shouldn’t sit in the centre of the room…

---

The DJ awoke to the soft, deep, reverberating tones of a cello somewhere to her right. Raising her head a few inches, a magnificent scene revealed itself.

There, sitting on the bed opposite her, half covered in the speckled orange glow of sunset shining through rain, was Octavia. Eyes closed, absorbed in her work, hoof gently guiding the bow across the strings, she struck a memorable sight. And in the waking-daze of the sleepy DJ’s mind, that sight became positively angelic.

Gasping, the unicorn finally remembered to breathe and in doing so unintentionally alerted the subject of her fascination.

“Huh?” Those amethyst eyes flickered open and trained themselves on Vinyl. “Oh, you’re awake! Sorry, I always practice at sunset. I should’ve gone somewhere-“

“No,” croaked the DJ. Clearing her throat and sitting up slightly, she continued. “It’s cool. Uh, can you keep playing please? I… gotta do something.”

Octavia frowned but did as she was asked, resuming the piece with the calm skill of a master.

Vinyl slipped off the bed and padded across the room, giving the cellist an almost reverent berth. From the neatly stacked school supplies that had transported themselves onto her new desk, she withdrew her sketchbook and pencils.

Upon seeing it, Octavia’s cheeks flushed red. “Um, Vinyl, I’m not very good at-“

“Shh,” hushed the white pony, positioning herself in front of her roommate as if she was in a daze.

And dazed she was, now exposed completely to the musician before her. Higher thought processes escaped her, instead replaced by an insistent, congenital urge to create.

Together they sat, one reciting and the other creating, in the dusk bloom.

As the most perfect of moments are wont to do, it ended too soon. The sun drifted completely beneath the horizon and broke the two ponies from their mutual waking-dream.

Octavia lowered her bow and stretched her suddenly aching foreleg as Vinyl looked up in surprise at her odd position on the floor.

“Why am I sitting here?” she muttered, climbing to her feet and cracking her neck.

“You were drawing.” The cellist gestured at the sketchbook, currently open on an image of a pony with a… “You were drawing me?”

“Uh… I guess I was. And you were playing for me.” They frowned at each other.

After a moment of silence, Vinyl snorted and started to chuckle. “What the heck are we doing?” She laughed even harder.

“I have no idea!” Octavia burst into a fit of giggles. The absurdity of the situation only fuelled their mirth. “Not even a day of living with you, and I already feel like I’ve been drugged.”

“It’s all downhill from here, filly!” The DJ tossed the sketchbook back onto her desk and climbed up onto the bed beside her friend.

“Oh Celestia, why did I agree to this?”

“You didn’t. That’s why it’s so awesome.” She playfully jabbed a hoof into Octavia’s side, eliciting a squeak. “Oh? What’s this?” A devious grin parted her lips.

“N-nothing, don’t do that again.” Saying that was practically an invitation, as the unicorn dived on the grey pony and brought her hooves in for full effect, rubbing and tickling her stomach with glee. “Aha! No! Stop – no – please!”

“What’s that? You trailed off a bit at the end!” Vinyl redoubled her efforts despite the mare’s struggles and hysterical laughter.

“Vinyl – I – Will – Kill – You!” With a mighty buck, she rolled the two of them off the bed, narrowly missing her abandoned cello and landing with a thud on the carpet.

They lay there, panting and staring at each other, almost muzzle to muzzle. One wore a silly grin and the other tried her best to muster a fear-inspiring glare. It wasn’t working, as evidenced by a lazy white hoof drifting up and poking her nose.

“Boop,” whispered the DJ.

“You will die by my hoof,” the cellist hissed back, though she couldn’t help the smile that grew across her face.

“Such a nice little mare, aren’t you?”

“I was. You’ve ruined me.” Vinyl let out a familiar low chuckle, but remained silent, still wearing a lopsided grin. “What?” Octavia raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing.”

Just thinking ‘bout ruining you.

“Tell me. What’s so funny?”

“You probably wouldn’t find it funny.” Her mind raced, knowing that the other mare wasn’t going to drop the issue.

“Only one way to find out. Tell me.”

“Alright, I was thinking… you think you’re ruined now, just wait. This is just the beginning.” She gave the most evil grin she could manage for emphasis.

“Oh, shush. I don’t think you’re as bad as you pretend to be.”

Vinyl moved slightly closer, glasses masking her wide eyes. “Let me show you how bad I am,” she said softly, heart pumping so hard she was afraid it might burst.

Octavia followed suit, apparently interpreting the movement as conspiratorial rather than… anything else. “How? Have you got pranks planned?” she giggled at the thought.

“Uh… yeah, sure.”

What am I doing? Was I really trying…?

“Well try not to include me in any of them. I’d rather stay off the university blacklist for as long as possible, though I suppose now I’m sharing with you it’s an inevitability.” She chuckled and brought her own hoof up to tap Vinyl’s nose. “Boop!”

The DJ forced a laugh, her brain still reeling from certain thoughts. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Well, if you don’t have any pranks planned right now, we should get something to eat. All that ‘getting tortured by you’ has left me famished.” Octavia climbed to her hooves and helped her friend do the same.

“Good idea. Anywhere in mind?” Vinyl tried to keep her tone even as she shook her head to dislodge some persistent mental images.

“Perhaps Blues’ Tavern? For nostalgias sake?”

The pair shared a warm smile.

“Sounds like a plan.”

---

In contrast to the chilly grey streets outside, the tavern was warm and brightly lit. Ponies laughed with their friends as they let the stresses of life trickle down the sides of their mugs. A group of hardhat-toting worker stallions had taken three booths including the corner one, so Vinyl instead led her roommate to a table on the less-rowdy side of the bar.

“I didn’t even know this place served food,” muttered the unicorn, floating some menus over from the bar counter.

“It’s nothing really extravagant, but it will do. My… mother took me here once, when we came to inspect the campus grounds.”

“Yeah? Sounds like you and your mum are pretty close.”

“Well… to some degree, I suppose so.” Octavia picked up one of the tall menus and hid her expression behind it. “What about your parents?”

Idly browsing down the array of greasy foods, Vinyl shrugged. “They’re lame. Kicked me out as soon as I turned eighteen.”

The cellist gasped, forgetting her own troubles in an instant. “They what?! How could they do that?”

“Pretty easily, apparently.”

“That’s horrible!”

“Eh, who needs ‘em. Besides, if I hadn’t got kicked out, I might not have been able to move in with you so easily.”

“Well… still…”

The topic slipped away as a tall, blonde-maned stallion approached. “How can I serve you?” he drawled, accent offsetting his manner.

“Large hayfries and a deep-fried daffodil kebab,” announced the unicorn, slamming her menu down with more force than was necessary.

“Excellent choice. And for the missus?”

Vinyl opened her mouth to correct him, already preparing a fake laugh to dispel the anticipated awkwardness, but Octavia spoke too quickly. “I’ll have a daisy salad, please.”

“Another good choice. Coming right up.” Marching away, the odd stallion began to whistle, completely unaware of his actions.

“Uh, Octavia… You know what a ‘missus’ is, right?”

It was the cellist’s turn to shrug. “A slang word for ‘friend’?”

“Er, almost. Well, not almost. Not even close, really.” The white mare couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Well what does it mean, then?”

“Like… partner. As in, partner-partner. Female partner.”

“Oh.” As expected, her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. “So now he thinks…?”

“Yup.”

“Oh dear. I’m very sorry, Vinyl. Is there a dictionary or something where all of these slang words are defined? I seem to be making this mistake often.”

“Don’t worry about it, you’ll get the hang of slang eventually.”

“Should I go find that waiter and explain it?”

The DJ sat upright instantly. “No! I mean, uh, it’s not important enough to bother with. Okay?”

“Alright, it was just an idea.”

Silence reigned for the next few minutes, punctuated only by the ambient noise around them. Octavia felt awful, and had yet to stop mentally kicking herself.

Vinyl must get so frustrated with me sometimes! Why must I be so awkward?!

Thankfully, Vinyl seemed to be tactful and polite enough not to make fun of her. Whatever she had done to deserve such a tolerant roommate, it wasn’t enough. A little, grateful smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. A better best friend she couldn’t have hoped for.

For her part, Vinyl was busy studying the table carefully. Only because she had an appreciation for well-built furniture, not because she wanted to keep her mind from wandering. It did that enough already.

The giddy feeling that spread through her every time she relived the waiter calling Octavia her ‘missus’.

Seriously brain, shut up.

It was a relief when the food finally arrived. They both dug in immediately, not daring to leave a moment for conversation.

As her stomach slowly filled up, the DJ felt her mood improve significantly. That was why she kept having weird thoughts: her brain was just food-deprived. It made sense.

“I’m feelin’ good. Wanna hit up some clubs?” she asked, ignoring the glances ponies threw at her from nearby tables.

“After dinner? That’s just asking for trouble.” Octavia delicately pushed her plate forward and dabbed at her lips with a napkin.

Vinyl snorted. “You’ve had half a salad. You’ll be fine. Plus we don’t have to drink if you don’t want to.”

Biting her lower lip, the cellist fiddled with her mane before shaking her head. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m honestly tempted. However, I have a history lecture tomorrow that I would rather not miss.”

“I guess I was wrong. You’re still a nice little mare.” She stuck her tongue out and the grey mare rolled her eyes. “Hey, it’s almost eight! We better get home in time for homework!”

“Oh, har har… though I really should get started on my homework.”

They stood up and walked over to the counter amidst giggles. Octavia carefully began to count out each bit until Vinyl tossed a hooffull of coins onto the counter and pulled her away with a grin.

“Pretty impressive, huh?” The DJ raised her eyebrows behind the purple shades as they walked out onto the street.

“What was?”

“Paying that much for the meal. I mean, I looked pretty cool, right?”

“I suppose so. It seemed like a waste though. You could have saved those bits for the next time we go out.”

A white hoof smacked into a white face. “That wasn’t the point.”

“Well, what was?”

The simple question hung in the cold night air. Vinyl looked at the ground, studying each step.

“I don’t know,” she muttered.

Together, they ambled into the welcoming darkness in which emotions could hide.

Sorry for being a little bit late. My own university studies occasionally intrude on ponies.

Probably no references this chapter, and thus probably no cameo contests! Sorry folks, they only happen if they happen naturally. I'm not going to just go back and plant them.

In case you are somehow unaware, Mysterious Bronie made a song based on this fic! Consider it the theme song. I recommend playing it before each chapter while imagining an opening title sequence.

As always, throw up your thumbs or throw down a comment if you're enjoying the story!

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

-----

The weather outside may have been dreary and cold, but it held no power over the grey mare grinning into her pillow. She had the warmest of thoughts keeping her happy.

Her friend, her best friend, was lying in a bed not six metres away, giggling quietly beneath her covers. The faint sound of beeping barely reached Octavia’s ears, and as expected, a few moments later her phone began to ring. It was the third time this morning; the first had awoken her and the second had made her aware of the culprit.

The cellist reached a hoof out to her bedside table and pulled her phone over, answering it with a blind jab.

“Hello?”

Tinny laughter reached her at the same time as the giggling across the room got louder. She waited patiently as the mysterious caller cleared her throat and spoke in a comically deep voice. “Is your refrigerator running?”

“…Are you really doing this?”

“Ma’am, I really need to know. Is your refrigerator running?”

“I don’t have a refrigerator. The dormitory kitchens are technically owned by the university.”

“Well you better run after… uh, hang on a sec.” The line, and the room, went silent as Vinyl attempted to salvage the situation. “Alright, is the university-owned refrigerator running?”

“I’m not sure, I haven’t used it yet.”

The DJ ripped the sheets off her head. “Damn it, Octavia!”

Sticking her tongue out, the mare in question slid off her bed and walked over to her friend. “Well, that’s why you don’t try to prank call somepony with the oldest trick in the book.”

“How do you even know about prank calls, anyway?” Vinyl casually patted the space beside her, and her friend took the hint, climbing up and lying next to the unicorn.

“Like I said: oldest trick in the book. Pranks were featured in one of the ‘university preparation guides’ I read. Granted, it was more focused on recognising and neutralising mischief rather than instigating it, but-“

“How many of those books have you read?” Maroon lenses flashed inquisitively.

Octavia inwardly cursed herself for not waking up early enough to see Vinyl without them. “I… a fair few. I got very bored, remember.”

“Did you ever try anything to stop being bored?” Reaching out, the unicorn idly started touching her friend’s slightly dishevelled mane.

The cellist frowned. “Like what?”

“Nevermind. I was just saying whatever, you know?” Vinyl’s voice shook a little.

“You can be really odd sometimes, Vinyl,” she giggled. “Why are you touching my mane?”

Pausing for a moment, the DJ’s mind raced. “Because that’s… what best friends do. One of the things, anyway. Play with each other’s manes, you know.”

“Really? What are the other things? I should start researching this.” Octavia bit her lip and quickly stuck a hoof in her roommate’s mane, making her wince.

“Easy there! You’re not supposed to rip my hair out. And anyway, you don’t need to research anything. That’s what I’m for! I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

“Oh, thank you so much, Vinyl. I wouldn’t have a clue what to do without you.” She leaned closer and planted a grateful kiss on the unicorn’s cheek before hopping off the bed. “Well, you’ll have to start teaching me later, because I have a lecture soon.”

A rush of air swept past as Vinyl rushed to the bathroom door. “I’m having a shower!” she called, voice cracking as she stepped into the blue tiled room.

“O-kay?” After a moment, the charcoal-maned mare dismissed her friend’s antics and started getting ready.

First, she would need to prepare the books and stationery needed for the lecture. Next, she needed to perform her morning exercises. Finally, as she would be rather sweaty by then, a shower would be required, followed by the finishing touches. It was all a matter of not letting anything impede her routine.

---

Awkwardness.

Sheer, immovable awkwardness.

They descended the stairs without looking at each other.

“Are we going to talk about it?” Octavia ventured tentatively.

“No,” replied Vinyl.

“But we never wear clothes anyway, so what difference-“

“I was in the shower!”

“It was an honest mistake! I was distracted and forgot you were in there!”

“Couldn’t you hear the water?”

“I… get very focused on my routine.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

The DJ pushed through the exit door and paused to keep it open for the other mare. Octavia smiled nervously. “So… are we still friends?”

That seemed to shock Vinyl out of her righteous anger. “What? Yeah! Of course we are. Just… let’s never talk about this ever ever ever again, okay?”

Smiling genuinely now, the cellist nodded. “Okay.”

“Cool. Now gimme a hug and go to class.” The embrace ended far too soon, and Octavia quickly trotted away.

Vinyl stepped back inside the building and practically skipped up the stairs. She didn’t have any classes today, so that meant finding something to do until her friend got back. The university provided many different on-campus entertainment facilities such as pool tables, movie rentals, and social hangouts like the tavern, but none of them caught her interest.

Instead, she trotted merrily back into her room, closing the door behind her. In a flash of magic, her mixing table (which had dragged itself over to sit beside her desk) came to life and whirred happily, like a pet greeting its owner. Additionally, the bulky computer beeped into being, flashing various screens at the DJ.

Plucking her glasses off and resting them nonchalantly on her head, Vinyl felt a grin tug at the corners of her mouth. There hadn’t been much time or energy for making music lately, but now here she was with a few hours and the perfect inspiration.

I hope these walls are strong.

Within minutes of starting production, the window was vibrating from an extremely low, almost imperceptible basslines, like the forceful hum of an empty room. It sent tingles down the DJ’s spine. She always started a song like this, just to get the energy flowing and keep her heart pumping. It filled the room with a restless yet focused vibe, forcing her to always stay moving and thinking about the music.

But something was slightly off today. She went for the usual tones, wondering how to give them new life, when a particular synthesised instrument caught her attention.

Maybe… just a test…

At the tap of a button and a pulse of magic, a deep, ominous tone emanated from her speakers. A cello playing a single, constant note. The sound quality was almost perfect, every minute scratch of the non-existent bow moving across virtual strings captured in jaw-dropping clarity.

And… it was good.

It gave the bass a completely different meaning, now dark and scary, almost seeming to warn of approaching doom, contrasted with the energetic feel it held before.

Vinyl seized the sudden realisation and began trying a few different notes, simple patterns, nothing truly amazing. But when the music looped and played her new additions, she practically squealed with delight. This was something she hadn’t even thought of doing before. Who knew such an old instrument would fit into modern tunes so well?

The next hour and a half passed in a haze of giddy experimentation as she brought in several other instruments from the strings section. The DJ felt as though there was a whole other world of music that she had been too blind to see before now.

And it was all because of Octavia.

As if she needed another reason to-

The music was suddenly kicked up to an even higher volume, safely blasting away any and all thoughts currently battling through the unicorn’s mind. She gritted her teeth and focused on the screen, but it was hopeless trying to concentrate now.

With a sigh, she turned the volume back down to more reasonable levels. Those traitorous thoughts crept back in slowly, whispering possibilities and confessions that she was neither ready for nor inclined to confront. But they didn’t care if she was ready, scratching as they did in the back of her head.

What if…

Maybe…

“Damn it, go away!” she yelled, slamming a hoof down on the table and making it shake. But the thoughts didn’t cease, so she buried her face in her hooves in frustration.

When would it stop?

---

The chilly air sent her mane completely into disarray the moment she stepped out of the lecture theatre. Sighing, the cellist vainly tried to restore order for a few moments before ultimately giving up, instead trying to focus on getting back to the student village.

Ahead, huddled together near the mouth of the path leading to the apartments, were two mares, one of them a familiar mint-green unicorn who raised her head upon spotting Octavia.

Heart beating slightly faster from remembered insults, the cellist tried to politely ignore them.

“Hey,” called Lyra. The other mare looked up as well, orange mane waving in the breeze. Octavia tried to keep walking, but a second shout followed after. “Hey, hold up a second!”

“I really should get home-“ she said over her shoulder, slowing very slightly.

“Only take a moment. Jeez, you act like I’m gonna hit you.” The green unicorn walked up and smiled. Her black eye had faded considerably, but was still quite noticeable.

The grey mare forced a chuckle. “Yes, that would be ridiculous.”

“Now listen, uh, you’re not a big fan of that Vinyl Scratch chick, are you?”

Oh no, oh no, we haven’t been very discrete lately, have we? Did she see us together? Does she know we share a room?

When no answers presented themselves, she hesitantly stuck to the plan. “No… not at all. She, er, really gets on my nerves.”

“Yeah, same here. She bothers a lot of ponies, way I hear it.” A dark smirk split Lyra’s lips. “Up for some revenge?”

Cold anger crackled to life within the cellist. “Revenge?” she asked coolly. “Revenge for what?”

The smirk faltered for a moment. “For… uh, for all the stuff she used to say about you in class.”

“Name calling and petty insults?”

“…Yeah. Didn’t she piss you off?”

“Yes, but only until I left the classroom. She hardly crosses my mind at all outside of our psychology tutorial. I think it’s rather childish to seek revenge for something so trivial.”

“But I bet when you two were out on your assignments she was even worse! Right?” The unicorn was quickly losing control of the situation, unable to deal with her unexpected response.

“Occasionally. But again, when she was out of sight, I forgot about her. I refused to let such negative feelings rule me.” Octavia stepped forward with a disappointed frown. “But it seems you have done the opposite, Lyra. Rather than accept your petty feud with Vinyl as just that: petty, you’re actually seeking other ponies to conspire with against her. Therefore, not only are you letting your hatred for Vinyl control your actions, but you’re setting a terrible precedent for the rest of your life. Every time a boss critiques your work or a passer-by hurls an insult, will you launch a personal vendetta on them? Tell me, do you see that resulting in a happy life?”

The green mare’s mouth worked and her wide eyes blinked rapidly as if trying to fend off the verbal blows. “I – I don’t – why –“

“You need to think about what kind of pony you’re becoming. Think hard, because if you don’t change soon, Bonbon won’t be the only friend to give you a black eye.” It was an educated guess, but it paid off, albeit only in getting a response.

“H-hey! You have no idea what happened with me and Bon, so don’t bring her into this!”

Octavia bowed her head humbly. “That is true. I apologise. But my words are still true, and you know it.”

Lyra wore a conflicted expression, defiance against acceptance. “You… you should get going, Octavia.”

The cellist turned to leave, pausing only to ask, “Will you think about it?”

“I… maybe.”

Nodding, Octavia walked away, continuing down the path. Behind her, the conversation slowly grew softer.

“Way to back me up, C-Top,” muttered a despondent Lyra.

“Way to get your flank kicked, Lye-Lye.”

“Why didn’t you help?”

“Cause she’s right.”

“No she’s not, I’m not like that… right?”

Even at a distance, ‘C-Top’s’ voice dripped with venom. “You’ve told me to shut up three times today. I don’t even know why I hang out with you.”

And the very last thing Octavia heard was a very small yet oh-so momentous word.

“…Sorry.”

She allowed herself a little triumphant smile as the apartment buildings revealed themselves.

I must have set the lie density record for a conversation, but it was worth it.

An odd buzzing noise became apparent as she stepped inside the thin-walled structure. It seemed to come from upstairs, somewhere around room ten…

“Oh dear.” Octavia’s eyes widened as she remembered the significant amount of musical equipment in her room… all of which was under the supervision of a bored DJ. “Ohhhh dear.”

She bolted past a familiar odd pegasus and into the stairwell, trying to climb quickly but carefully. About halfway up, additional sounds came into clarity. Violins, violas… cellos?!

“That’s an antique, you foolish unicorn!” she hissed under her breath, picking up the pace.

How dare Vinyl go through her most precious belongings! How dare she try to play her cello! And… how dare she be rather good at it!

Charging down the hallway, the true cellist skidded to a halt outside the door and pushed it open quickly, not giving any warning whatsoever so as to catch the privacy-invader in the act.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her cello case completely untouched where she left it, but her focus was immediately drawn to the second computer desk, which was occupied by a white unicorn.

The music… it was all from Vinyl’s computer and mixing table. All of it, from viola to violin, orchestrated entirely from the computer. How could she possibly know how to combine them with such intricacy? It was a safe assumption to say that Vinyl had never sat through an entire piece of classical music in her life, yet here she was creating one. Where did such inspiration come from?

Octavia’s saddlebag slipped from her back with a silent thud against the carpet and she slowly closed the door so as not to disturb the artist at work.

Drawing may have been more than a hobby, and she certainly had skill with a pencil, but this was what Vinyl was born to do. It was obvious beyond question. Her posture, loose yet focused, her movements, sharp with the precision of talent and experience combined, and her creation, awe-inspiring as it was, all served to prove that her cutie mark suited her more than ever before.

As the song continued, looping and changing, improving with every iteration, Vinyl became increasingly agitated. She would shake her head as if to dislodge thoughts, and occasionally muttered something to herself.

The DJ suddenly turned the volume up to indecent levels, seemingly making the entire building shake. Octavia couldn’t help but jump at the sudden explosion of bass, but there was no way Vinyl could hear her over the music.

It was too loud to truly appreciate it, and the unicorn seemed to share that opinion, turning it down once more. But she remained as frustrated as before, shifting in her seat restlessly. Octavia watched the blue tail sweep across the floor and back almost hypnotically, synchronising with the music unintentionally.

In a flash, Vinyl slammed her hoof down on the desk with a bang, and shouted “Damn it, go away!” before stuffing her head into her hooves.

An icy bolt of fear struck Octavia’s heart. Vinyl must have seen her reflection and realised she wasn’t alone. It was like being caught observing a private moment between lovers, no matter your true intentions they would think the worst of you.

“Sorry,” she said softly. “I… didn’t mean to interrupt.” Vinyl turned the music off with a desperate-looking pulse of magic and spun around to face her roommate. From the surprise painted on her features, it seemed Octavia’s presumptions were incorrect.

The cellist felt as though reality itself was holding its breath as a wondrous sight revealed itself to her. “Red…” she whispered almost inaudibly.

“No! Uh, sorry. I wasn’t, uh, yelling at you.” The white mare tried to chuckle, but her voice cracked and ruined any attempt at nonchalance.

Octavia took a few steps closer. “I heard… your music,” she said, trying to fill the air with something resembling conversation, even though her focus was elsewhere.

Red.

Of course they would be red.

Nopony had red eyes, so of course she would have them.

Vinyl looked uncomfortable from the intense, unblinking gaze upon her, but the grey mare couldn’t stop. For weeks she had wondered about them and tried to catch a glimpse. Those two, deep orbs that had eluded her for so long were now visible in their entirety.

And they were beautiful.

“Why do you wear glasses?” her own voice asked somewhere far away as she took another couple of steps towards the unicorn.

“I-I… uh…” Now Vinyl was the one who couldn’t look away, cornered as she was by the close proximity.

They stood less than a metre apart, garnet reflecting amethyst. The white mare looked almost frightened; without the shades to hide behind, there was nothing between them. Octavia reached out and touched an alabaster cheek.

The DJ felt heat creep up the back of her neck, and all sounds grew softer. Her roommate’s coat looked so soft… and her hoof, gently holding her in place, as if she wanted to move, as if she would ever want to move again…

They stood for a moment, the room around them fading like a dream after waking. Worries and doubts flitted through the blue-maned mare, but those vague, mist-shrouded fears were burned away by the light from Octavia’s eyes.

For her part, the cellist had never felt more resolute in her life. It didn’t entirely make sense, not yet, but it felt right, and after a lifetime of trusting naught but facts and measurable phenomena taught in school, she decided that was enough, at least for now.

All that mattered was the last, slow steps that brought them face to face.

All that mattered was the DJ’s shaking breath brushing against her chin.

All that mattered was closing the last… few… inches…

And all that mattered was the kiss.

...!

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

-----

Octavia pulled back, startled out of her resolve by the pressure on her lips. “I’m so sorry, I – mmfgh!”

The DJ wasn’t about to let it end, not after this long, not after all those damn thoughts! This was one dream she would never let fade. She pushed forward, wrapping her hooves around the grey mare’s neck. The heat on her face spread through her entire body like a current of electricity, sparking off every nerve and twitching every muscle.

Faced as she was with a rather passionate assault, Octavia stopped trying to retreat and instead attempted to weather the barrage. Occasionally she would reflexively try to kiss back, but it felt rather clumsy and uncoordinated, so for the most part she refrained.

Not that Vinyl was a master of lip-play; the unicorn seemed convinced that as long as her lips were pressing against the general area of Octavia’s muzzle they were in the right place. The cellist had read no small amount of guides for exactly this situation, but it was particularly difficult to recall any useful information when being subjected to such raw emotion.

Breathing heavily, they parted at last, this time for longer than a second. Vinyl’s white cheeks were flushed red and her expression was of confused surprise, as if shocked at her own actions. Octavia couldn’t help but be a little curious herself. What had started as a dazed, half-considered desire had quickly become something more thanks to her enthusiasm.

“Sorry,” squeaked Vinyl, somehow managing two voice cracks in one word.

“I… am not,” replied the cellist. Seeing her friend’s eyebrows rise slightly, she elaborated. “While I’m still not… not sure what to th-think, I would be lying if I told you I hated it. Um, make of that what you will.” She panted at the end, still short of breath.

The other mare seemed to be struggling to form any words, licking her lips as if about to start speaking but ultimately remaining silent. Only the sound of her computer gently whirring nearby kept them from descending into true stillness.

“I’m not sure-“ she finally began, but her voice cracked again and she stopped, casting those garnet eyes around the room as if looking for an escape. “I mean, I don’t know-“ Another voice crack. She cleared her throat and swallowed. “I have no idea what I’m doing.” The DJ gave a breathless laugh, apparently not addressing anypony in particular. “Ohhh Celestia, what am I doing?” Her eyes shot back to Octavia. “What are we doing?”

Shrugging slightly, the cellist could offer no adequate response. The answer eluded her as much as it did the other mare. All she could do was watch the red eyes that had captivated her to the point of near-delirium. They still held a subtle, almost hypnotising quality to them, bright as they were.

Octavia forced herself to look away. “Vinyl…” she said quietly. “When… when I’ve been unsure about something in the past, my mother- oh sweet Celestia my mother!” Her eyes widened as she recalled the content of the last conversation she had shared with the older mare. “She’s going to murder me!”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because I just kissed-“ Catching herself, the cellist lowered her voice considerably. “Because I just kissed a mare!” she hissed, looking around as though her mother was about to crawl out from beneath the bed and attack.

“How the hay is she gonna know that?” For once, the DJ was being the rational one.

“She’ll find out sooner or later. She always finds out everything sooner or later.” Her voice was quiet, almost the tone of a frightened filly.

“Wow. Okay, I think I’m getting a pretty clear idea of your childhood.”

Octavia began to pace nervously. “Whenever I did something she didn’t like, I was whisked off to a psychologist. She would stare silently at me until I spilled every one of my secrets.”

“What?! Are you serious?” The unicorn couldn’t help but feel guilty, remembering her first impression of the grey mare as a stuck-up, boring snob. Of course she didn’t have much visible flavour; her individuality had been practically beaten out of her! No secrets, no hiding places, no thought to call her own… she didn’t grow up, she was grown. Anger rose within her like a leviathan from the ocean floor, centred on the misty silhouette of the ‘mother’.

“I’m afraid so. And… I think it’s gotten to the point where that’s the only way I can find resolution when I’m… not sure about things.” Octavia deliberately looked everywhere but at the mare beside her.

Vinyl couldn’t help but feel hurt at that. As absurd as it was, it still hit hard realising that her dream might not be coming true after all. “Okay,” she said quietly.

“I’m sorry, Vinyl. I wish I could be like you and let everything slide, but… my head is just… filled with all these things and… I need to sort them out before… well, I don’t know. Before anything more.”

“It’s okay,” the DJ repeated, this time with a small smile. “I did kinda lose control there. I shouldn’t have forced… I mean, I shouldn’t be so pushy when I’m as confused as you are.”

“Yes, well… what’s done is done, and now I would like to untangle my thoughts before I trip over them again.”

Octavia hesitated in the silence that followed, but thought better of whatever crossed her mind and instead walked slowly to the door. Vinyl inwardly shouted at herself, unwilling to simply let the moment end. I can’t let her leave! She’ll never come back to me! As absurd as it was, that was the thought that made her speak. “Wait!” The treble-clef-marked mare stopped mid-step and looked back nervously. Swallowing, the DJ realised the only way to avoid stammering like a little filly was to blurt it out. “I-didn’t-hate-it-either. Uh, the kissing, I mean. It was… yeah.”

The only response Octavia dared to give was a little, oddly grateful smile.

When the door shut quietly behind her, Vinyl was left alone once more with naught but a half-finished song on her computer… and a cellist on her lips.

---

The receptionist looked surprised despite the milling groups of students in the lobby. “Miss Octavia? How may I be of service?”

Summoning her most convincing smile, the cellist stepped up to the counter. “I was wondering if I could set up an appointment with the current student psychologist.”

“Certainly!” replied the receptionist, perhaps a little too eagerly for Octavia’s liking. Most of the staff seemed to behave rather oddly around her, and she was starting to suspect involvement of the maternal kind. “We have a system that rotates all the-“

“Um, pardon me for interrupting, but I would like to make the appointment quickly.” She didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but the thought of her mother put her on edge.

“Oh of course! My deepest apologies, Miss Octavia. I’ll just call his office and see if he’s free right now.” The unicorn floated a phone up to her ear and rapidly tapped at the keypad with magic. A trickle of sweat ran down the back of her neck. “Hello? Yes, this is reception. We have Octavia here wondering when your next open slot is. Oh? Right now? Well, that’s very fortunate! I’ll send her right up.” Hanging up, she gave Octavia another slightly-too-happy smile. “Well gosh, that was lucky! Just head up the stairs over there and take a right. It’s the last room on the right.”

“Thank… you?” Slightly bewildered yet grateful for the prompt service nonetheless, the cellist followed the directions, marvelling as middle aged administration workers and highly-trained lecturers stepped out of her way politely. It was like one of those jokes from high school that everypony got except her, and just as frustrating.

Just before she reached the office, a stallion was shoved out of it. It was the same pony from Vinyl’s art class, only looking slightly more haggard. “Hey, I wasn’t done talking yet!” he said angrily. After a muffled reply from within the office, he rolled his eyes and trudged down the hall, shoving past Octavia.

While not entirely sure what to make of that little encounter, the cellist did her best to ignore it. As much as she wanted to let her mind run away on a tangent trying to figure out the rude ejection of that stallion, she couldn’t afford to avoid her own problems… especially since she was now living with one of them.

Oh Celestia, how can I even face her again after that?

The office was small, almost cramped, with most of the available space taken up by a large desk flanked by chairs on either side of it. The pony behind it was doubled over, flicking through files in a drawer. His frizzy red mane bobbed in a very familiar way, and as he sat upright and deposited a file on the desk, she saw why.

“Hey there Octavia!” Psych beamed. “Ready to knock your school worries on the head?”

“Not with you.” She turned to leave.

“Hey, wait a second! I’m just as qualified as every other psychologist on the roster,” he said defensively.

“Yes, and you also spent most of this semester encouraging me to fight with another student.”

Wincing, the tutor-cum-councillor scratched the back of his head guiltily. “When you put it that way it sounds mean, but it was all just a bit of fun! You could have told me to stop at any moment. Besides, that stopped weeks ago.”

“Regardless, I… don’t think I can discuss this particular problem with you.” Octavia felt rather guilty herself; who was she to be picky with psychologists?

After a moment’s silence, Psych leaned forward. “Does it involve Vinyl?” he asked quietly.

She nodded. Everything involves Vinyl.

“Octavia…” he sighed. “Look, I want to help you with whatever is wrong, but I’ll need you to trust me. I realise I don’t present the most… professional image in class, but I take my duties very seriously.”

The cellist looked at his face, but found no trace of mirth there. Not a twitch at the corner of his mouth nor a twinkle in his eyes. “Alright…” she said cautiously, closing the door and taking a seat.

“So.” He crossed his hooves. “What’s up?”

Oh crap, now she had to actually tell him.

“I… suppose I should explain a few things first.” The charade came crashing down. “Vinyl and I are friends. We’ve been friends since the first assignment.” She sighed and jammed her eyes shut. “You were right; we had a lot more in common than we thought.”

When no response was given, she peeked at the stallion. His expression was unchanged and he made no indication that he was about to capitalise on the confession. Encouraged by his professionalism, she continued.

“We… we’ve actually become quite close over the last few weeks. I’m not sure what you know from that file, but I didn’t have any friends in high school. Vinyl offered a hoof of friendship and I seized it with all of my might. I thought I was being a little possessive of her, but lately I’ve been wondering if she was just as lonely as me. Anyway, that doesn’t matter now.” She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. It didn’t work. “What matters is that we’ve become such close friends that Vinyl even managed to convince the student coordinator to let her move in with me.”

Octavia allowed herself a little smile. “It has been wonderful. I’ve never felt so close to somepony who isn’t family before. Or… well no, I think I feel closer to her than my family.”

Psych smiled as well, but it was understanding and genuine rather than mocking. “I’m glad to hear that.”

Her smile faltered. “But… it’s changed. I still feel very close to her, but it’s… I’m not even sure what it is. I want to spend as much time with her as I can, just like before, but now I’m not thinking about companionship or watching a movie together or joking in Blues Tavern. I find myself thinking about… about how soft her hooves are and how her coat looks like powdered diamond… and… and…” She surprised herself by sniffing back a tear. The stallion across from her pushed a tissue box forward but she shook her head. “No, it’s okay, I’m fine. I shouldn’t even be crying, this isn’t sad.”

“Ponies don’t just cry when they’re sad. They can cry from happiness, from fear, or even from love. Please don’t hold back if you feel the need. Tears can help more than you might think.” His voice was calm, kind, his tone one of simple understanding. It was odd coming from the normally-energetic tutor, but it helped nonetheless.

She took a tissue gratefully. “Thank you.” After a few seconds to gather her thoughts, the cellist soldiered onwards. “I… I’m not quite as naïve as many ponies think. I know what these feelings for Vinyl are, in essence, even if… even if I’m not quite ready to admit them yet. The problem is that I’ve never liked anypony in this way before, especially not a m-mare.”

Taking a moment to consider her words, Psych reclined back in his chair. “Realising one’s sexuality is rarely a straightforward process. Ah, pardon the pun.” He reddened slightly but the grey mare didn’t penalise him for it, instead looking out the window at the grassy court. “And coupled with the fact that Vinyl is your first true friend, I can only imagine how conflicted you must feel. However, you’ve maintained perfect composure during class despite this. I must tentatively conclude that something has happened, an event of sorts, to make you seek outside help.”

Octavia nodded, still looking away. “I… saw her without those glasses of hers for the first time. I never thought of myself as the type to be entranced easily, but…”

“Ah. Did she notice you staring? Or did you… do something?”

“I did something,” she whispered.

“What happened?” the tutor asked quietly.

“I kissed her.” Saying it out loud seemed to consolidate a million thoughts at once. She kissed Vinyl. On the lips. Her first kiss ever was with a mare, and not just that, but her best friend too.

“And… what was Vinyl’s reaction?” Psych almost seemed to brace himself.

Octavia couldn’t help but blush, remembering the sudden, insistent pressure on her lips and the taste of Vinyl and the feel of her breath as she desperately kept pushing. “She kissed me back.”

“Well, I might be getting rusty, but that sounds like a good thing.”

“It is… and it isn’t. There are too many things in play here; my mother, the other students, my studies… It’s too much to process at once.”

“So don’t process it,” he suggested simply. At her raised eyebrow, he elaborated. “Don’t overthink it. I know for a fact you are blasting through schoolwork much faster than your tutors can issue it. Your mother is all the way up at her estate, last I heard, and even if she found out the second you kissed Vinyl it would take a few days for her to get her affairs in order before travelling down here. The other students have their own problems, trust me, I’ve spoken to hundreds of them.”

“What should I do then?” Octavia dropped the tissue in a small bin and straightened her mane.

“Take a few weeks off studying altogether. Two, to be precise.”

“But exams are in three weeks!” exclaimed the cellist.

“Yes they are, and you are so ridiculously prepared for them that they might as well be kindergarten crayon colouring competitions. Trust me, you’ll be fine. Go to lectures and tutorials like usual, take notes, but leave it at that. You have more important things to put energy into.” The orange-coated stallion gave a smile reminiscent of his usual demeanour.

“I think you’re the first teacher to ever tell me not to study, but very well. What should I do in that time?”

“Talk to Vinyl. Tell her what’s going through your mind. I think she likes you quite a bit.”

As giddy as that thought made her feel, Octavia wasn’t done. “So I’m supposed to just talk for two weeks?”

He waved a hoof. “Get dinner together, go see movies, all that stuff. Just spend time with her and your conflicted feelings will resolve themselves.”

“Is it really that easy?” she asked hopefully.

“It can be, if you let it. Remember, don’t overthink everything, just do anything. Or, ‘don’t think, just do’. Let your natural response be your actual response, and you’ll see the truth.” He blinked. “Hey, that was pretty good. You can quote me on that, if you like.”

They chuckled together, and the cellist felt better with every laugh. Simply voicing all of her worries, having somepony to confide in, was making all the difference.

I like Vinyl, but there is- stop.

“I like Vinyl,” she said, starting to beam.

“Perhaps you should tell her that?” replied Psych with a wink.

I want to be with her right now, but this- stop.

“That is an excellent idea!” She slid off the chair and walked over to the door, pausing only to look over her shoulder. “Thank you.” He nodded and waved as she left the room.

When the hoofsteps had faded from earshot, he slowly opened the file. On top of several detailed pages of psychological evaluations was a little yellow sticky note, one he had noticed before but always ignored.

Psych,

You’ll let me know if my Octavia comes to see you while you’re on councillor duty, won’t you?

It would be ever so sweet of you.

-L

For a long moment, he stared at the words, their perfect hoof-written style reminding him of the mare who’d just left. Every curl and flick was flawless, every word possessing weight beyond its appearance.

Then, with a casual brush of his right hoof, the note was peeled away and sent fluttering into the air, twirling and spiralling downwards until it came to rest beside a tissue at the bottom of a small bin.

“Oops,” he whispered, closing the file once more.

No references. Probably.

A little note on chronology, in case some of you are confused. You've probably realised that fairly large amounts of time can pass in this story, between chapters or even between scenes, so let me clarify. Vinyl and Octavia have been at university for almost one full semester, which is about 13-14 weeks.

A little note on seasons: Intentionally vague most of the time, I know. It's cold and miserable most of the year in Manehattan. However, I will say that I'm planning a snowy Hearths Warming Eve, and it's going to be adorable.

And that's all for now! Throw down a comment or throw up a thumb if you're enjoying the story, I read each and every comment even if I can't reply to them.

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

-----

Vinyl had never felt more nervous in her life. Or more excited.

She hadn’t moved since Octavia left. She couldn’t move. Every muscle was frozen, each hoof rooted to the ground by thoughts.

She said she liked it.

The DJ licked her lips again, as she had been doing for the past half hour, but she tasted naught but skin.

No, she said she didn’t hate it. There’s a difference. She was just trying to spare my feelings.

But that painful thought was quickly obliterated by virtue of a simple fact.

She kissed me first.

Finally, a grin broke through her conflicted expression. As the sun finally broke through the clouds outside and shone through the window, so too did that simple reality burn away her shadowed doubts and worries. No matter what happened when Octavia got back, she would always have that knowledge.

Vinyl trudged over to the computer. She didn’t feel like making music anymore, the reason being that what had started as an escape from reality had accidentally turned into the biggest reminder in the room, so she simply saved her progress and powered down her equipment.

Without the gentle whirring of her computer, the room seemed oddly muffled. The absence of noise was just as distracting as having the volume on maximum.

“Hurry up, filly…” she said, immediately feeling stupid as soon as the words left her mouth.

Yeah, hurry up and deal with your emotional issues (which I probably caused by the way) and get back here because I’m lonely.

“Why am I such an idiot?” The unicorn whispered, smacking her face with a hoof.

Before any suitable answer could present itself, the stifling silence was broken by the turning of a handle. She held her breath as the grey mare on whom all her thoughts were focused entered the room.

The cellist was smiling, but Vinyl was too nervous to return it. Swallowing, she decided to let her roommate speak first. It was a tense few moments as Octavia closed the door and walked over to her, each second an eternity, each hoofstep a thunderclap.

But no words ever came. Instead, there was a blur of motion and the sudden feeling of warmth against her chest. Vinyl hugged her back without a second thought, finally letting a smile slip out.

“I’m guessing you feel better now?” chuckled the DJ.

Octavia squeezed even harder, pressing her cheek into the other mare’s white coat. “Mmh-hmm.”

Vinyl couldn’t help but inhale as much of the cellist’s scent as possible, trying to commit it to memory forever. There were no defining traits of the smell, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t think of enough words to describe it. All that came to mind was a name.

Octavia.

It encapsulated everything the scent meant, every feeling it induced within her, all the fury and want and innocent desire she had denied for weeks, in a single word.

“Octavia,” she said shakily, closing her eyes in order to reinforce the feeling of grey skin against her.

“Yes, Vinyl?” replied the mare in question.

“Please tell me this means what I think it means.”

They pulled back in unison so they could see each other’s face. The DJ slowly raised her head to meet the cellist’s gaze.

“What do you think it means?” she asked as Vinyl desperately tried not to get lost in the endless violet of her eyes.

Her heart pounding in her ears, Vinyl tried to form the words that had seemed so simple a few minutes ago. “Y-you… like…”

“I like you.”

The statement sent heat rushing over the unicorn’s body, but she had to be sure. “Like like?”

“Like like,” giggled the cellist.

And so the time for words drew to a close. Vinyl celebrated the occasion by pushing forward and kissing her roommate as hard as she could. Octavia squeaked in surprise, but didn’t try to pull away.

The room was quiet but for the sound of locked lips, heavy breathing, and the quietest vocalisations of happiness. It was a moment that they could never lose, one that would define their bond in the coming days.

Standing as they were in the dusty glass-filtered sunlight, it looked as though a new dawn had arrived, marking their beginning with its own.

It was only when a slightly less-than-refined noise escaped Octavia’s mouth did they recall their senses.

The offending mare cleared her throat as even more blood rushed to her cheeks. “L-let’s just pretend that didn’t happen.”

Vinyl leaned in to nuzzle her. “Not a chance,” she whispered through her smile.

Octavia stepped backwards out of the DJ’s reach, panting slightly. “I think we need to stop for a little while. I, um, haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

For a few seconds, Vinyl contemplated pushing forward and continuing. Something about the cellist’s body language told her such actions wouldn’t receive many objections. But wasn’t being pushy the reason Octavia got stressed out in the first place? No, this time she would do things right.

“Wanna head out and get something then?”

Grateful for the few seconds to catch her breath, the grey mare raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. “Do you have anywhere in mind?”

“How about we just go walking and see where we end up?” suggested Vinyl, floating her glasses over from her desk.

“That sounds perfect.” But as the unicorn made for the door, Octavia stepped in her path. “Um, do you think you could leave your glasses here?”

Huh?

“Why?”

The cellist sheepishly pawed at the ground with her right foreleg. “Because… you have very pretty eyes. They shouldn’t be hidden away.”

Vinyl’s mouth worked, but nothing came out. In her eighteen years of existence, nopony, nopony, had ever complimented her eyes. At least, not sincerely. While she had been lucky enough to escape most teasing during highschool, there had still been a few incidents.

But, at least for a moment, the DJ forgot all about those ponies from her past. Instead, she removed the glasses and set them down once more. She suddenly felt very vulnerable from the reminder of how the world looked behind tinted glass. “Really?” she asked in a small voice.

The other mare must have sensed the change in mood, for she quickly moved closer. “Vinyl, they are beautiful.” She touched Vinyl’s cheek. “You are beautiful.”

“As corny as that was… thanks.” They moved forward simultaneously for a quick peck, careful not to get carried away again.

“Well,” Octavia adjusted her mane once more, “Shall we?”

---

As expected, the streets were still cold and grey. An icy wind ripped through all who dared to venture outside, sending papers and manes alike into disarray.  Most of the stores were open, but the cafes had all moved their tables inside and closed their shutters. From behind each door, the warm glow of light beckoned.

But Vinyl was just fine where she was, walking beside a certain grey mare trying desperately to salvage her hair.

“This was an awful idea,” she called over the wind.

“Just let it go!” replied the laughing DJ.

“I’ll look ridiculous!”

“There’s nopony around, who cares?”

With a final, futile attempt to wrangle her mane, the cellist sighed in defeat and lowered her hoof. Within seconds, her charcoal hair was billowing freely behind her. “I feel ridiculous,” she sulked.

“Oh come on, my mane’s going crazy too.”

Octavia gave her a flat look. “Your mane is crazy whether the wind is blowing or not. The difference is that it suits you.”

The unicorn grinned and bumped her flank against the other mare, eliciting an amusing squeak. “You can fix everything when we get to… wherever we’re going. Until then, be free, young one!”

Though she returned the grin after a moment’s hesitation, it quickly took on a more… sinister appearance. Without thinking, Octavia darted closer and bit lightly on the DJ’s exposed ear. It took less than a second, but the results were substantial. Vinyl stumbled and fell on her chest, hind legs in the air. The treble-clef-marked mare started to giggle, but stopped abruptly as her brain caught up with her actions.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! Are you alright?” She quickly helped her roommate stand back up. Her white cheeks were red, probably from hitting the ground, but otherwise there were no visible injuries.

“That… was straight-up mean.” The unicorn tried to look angry, but she couldn’t hold back a smirk.

If the cellist was one of those ponies who had unclean thoughts, she would have wondered if Vinyl liked being bitten on the ear. Thankfully, she was not one of those ponies, and she definitely didn’t wonder anything of the sort.

Vinyl turned her attention back to the road ahead. To her relief, she saw an enticing little diner on the corner of the street. It was one of the older kinds (or made to look that way) with red seats lining little booths, a long bar in the centre from which to order, and checkered floors that gave the whole building a decidedly old-fashioned atmosphere. One that the DJ, despite her love of technology, felt instantly attracted to.

An old-fashioned date in an old-fashioned diner. I bet Octavia will love this!

“What do you think about this place?” she asked nonchalantly.

Octavia raised an eyebrow at the building in question, but soon broke into a warm smile. “It does have a certain charm about it.”

The two mares trotted quickly through the door, eager to escape the cold. As expected, it was like walking into an open room on a summer day. Octavia immediately set to work trying to restore her mane to at least a semi-presentable state, while Vinyl made a beeline for a middle booth that looked out onto the street.

Most of the tables and booths were occupied by other ponies who had also decided to take refuge from the weather. Their conversations and presence served to make the whole place feel welcoming.

The DJ sat down and scooted over so the window was right next to her, intentionally making her roommate choose between sitting beside or across from her. To her unspoken delight, Octavia sat down next to her and moved close enough that they would be muzzle-to-muzzle if they turned towards each other.

To hide her ear-to-ear grin, the unicorn looked out the window into the darkening street. Unaware of her friend’s joy as she was, Octavia cleared her throat nervously and whispered, “Am I too close?”

The high walls between each booth would prevent the other patrons from seeing, so Vinyl turned back and daringly snaked her hoof around the grey mare’s waist, pulling her close for a quick side-hug. “Filly, you can never be too close to me.”

Octavia giggled and risked a quick peck on Vinyl’s cheek, causing them both to break out in barely-stifled laughter. Only the sudden proximity of a waiter broke them out of their mirth. “What can I get the two of you?” he asked, wearing a smirk that said he hadn’t missed a thing.

“Uh, I’ll have… y’know, I don’t actually know what’s on the menu. Any recommendations?” Vinyl tried to remain nonchalant as she subtly removed her hoof from the other mare’s waist.

“Well, our dinner menu has everything from carrot roast to pumpkin soup. Or,” he added slyly, “We have a ‘couple’s special’ that might interest you.” Octavia’s ears folded back and she looked around as though somepony else would be hiding in the booth. Vinyl just gave him a flat, unamused stare. He raised an eyebrow, then blinked in understanding. “Oh, my apologies. Still… er… undercover, are you? Not that it’s any of my business, of course.” The stallion lowered his voice. “But would you like the couple’s special?”

Since the cellist couldn’t quite bring herself to look him in the eyes, Vinyl answered for her in the form of a slight nod. The waiter winked and quickly trotted out of sight.

“I’m sorry, Vinyl,” Octavia said guiltily. “I’m being rather… obvious, aren’t I?” She slid away slightly so they weren’t quite as close.

“Hey, I’m not exactly keeping things on the down-low either. We just gotta be careful.” The unicorn shuddered. “Can you imagine what it would be like if Psych found out?”

“Awful, I’d imagine.” Octavia hid her small smile under the pretence of looking out of the booth for the tutor.

“Yeah, and that Lyra chick too. She’s such a b-“

“Language! We’re in public.”

“Oh, right.” Scratching the back of her head, Vinyl grinned sheepishly. “Well, she is.”

The cellist shrugged, deciding not to take a side until she knew the results of her last encounter with the (admittedly uncivilised) mint-green mare. After all, Octavia knew what it was like to be judged without question. The least she could do was try and prevent the cycle from continuing.

By the time their meal arrived, the sun had completely vanished from view, cloaking the street outside in pitch black fog punctuated by the occasional streetlamp. But their attention was far from the miserable weather.

Two bowls of soup had been placed before them, bringing an intense, spicy aroma to the booth. Octavia had been cautious, but upon tasting it she found it was barely classable as hot. Confused as she was by the contrast between taste and scent, she was unable to name a single ingredient in it. The taste was odd, but far from unpleasant, strangely similar to her first kiss with Vinyl. The thought sent a wave of heat up her neck, which the DJ noticed.

“Spice finally kicking in, huh? Lucky, mine is pathetic.” She spooned another helping into her mouth. “Still pretty good though.”

“Ah, yes. The spice.” The cellist dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. “Well, perhaps it will keep us warm when we walk home.”

Vinyl winced, looking outside. “Oh jeez, I forgot about that. I think we’ll need something a lot stronger in our stomachs.” A thought struck her and she turned to her roommate. “Hey, when’s your birthday again?”

“Oh… soon.”

“Come on, tell me. You said it was a couple of weeks away when we first went to Blues, and that was like three months ago.”

“Well we had only just met, I wasn’t about to tell you when my birthday was,” replied Octavia indignantly, as though birthdays were somehow sacred knowledge.

Vinyl rolled her eyes. “I think we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well by now.”

The cellist reddened once more and told herself it was the soup. “Alright then, if you insist. My birthday is in three weeks, just after the exams.”

“Sweet! I’ll throw a party for you!” The DJ began to get excited at the prospect, which made Octavia feel even more ashamed of her next words.

“Um, Vinyl… who would I invite?”

After a moment, her roommate visibly slumped, only to perk back up seconds later. “It can just be the two of us! We’ll have our own party, with card games and booze.”

“A whole day with you? Why Vinyl, it’s just what I wanted,” the grey mare covered her mouth with her hooves in mock excitement.

“Hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Trust me, it’ll be awesome.”

As their bowls ran dry and the diner began to empty, the pair decided to begin the long walk home. The grey pony looked into the darkness and shivered. “W-we need to buy boots,” she whispered.

“And s-s-scarves,” agreed the white pony.

For a couple of minutes, they walked in silence save for the chattering of teeth and the slow trudging of hooves on pavement. Vinyl couldn’t help but chuckle at the silliness of their situation. “If we freeze to death in the middle of Manehattan, I’m gonna be so angry.” Octavia didn’t reply, instead moving closer to her roommate, enjoying the warmth radiating off her. “Heh, good idea. Nice old-fashioned body heat. Always good to fall back on. Can’t go wrong with it, that’s for sure.” The DJ realised she was babbling and swallowed nervously. After that weird taste-defying soup, she was starting to have some very interesting thoughts, and it wasn’t helping that the subject of many of them was practically pressed up against her.

Apparently the other mare was feeling something similar, for she moved closer and rubbed her cheek against Vinyl’s neck. Her eyes were closed and a silly smile made it clear that she wasn’t thinking quite as logically as normal.

Oh Celestia she’s so soft…

“You alright there, Octavia?” As much as she hated to interrupt, this wasn’t the way she wanted… whatever was happening.

The charcoal-maned mare seemed to snap out of her daze, quickly halting her happy nuzzling. “Hm? Oh, I’m sorry. I… lost track of my thoughts for a second.”

“Yeah, me too. I think that dude wasn’t kidding when he said ‘couple’s special’.” Vinyl forced a laugh to keep her thoughts from straying.

“What do you mean?” Octavia decided to play dumb, hoping her blush wasn’t visible in the night.

“Well… don’t you feel… y’know…” She raked her mind for the right word. “Frisky?”

“I… was blaming that on being in close proximity to you,” she admitted.

A triumphant grin split Vinyl’s lips and she puffed her chest out. “Yeah, I have that effect on ponies.”

“Oh, shush you.” Octavia lightly shoved the unicorn away.

The campus was far better lit than the city, for which they were grateful. The only sounds were from a few drunken revellers stumbling from the direction of the university tavern. Octavia shook her head and sighed. Some students just didn’t know how to spend an evening.

By the time they stumbled through the doorway into their room, most of the weird feelings had subsided. All that was left was a sleepy feeling of contentedness. This time, as she leaned against Vinyl, she yawned and tried to move closer.

The DJ chuckled and spoke so softly that it was hard to tell if she meant for her to hear. “You’re so cute.” Vinyl led her over to a bed, not really caring about who it belonged to. “Come on, I’m feeling pretty tired too.”

Octavia did as she was directed, crawling beneath the covers and curling up. Even after the blanket was pulled up, she shivered slightly.

She frowned in thought for a moment, but the solution quickly presented itself. With a pulse of tired magic, the unicorn lifted the blanket from the other bed and brought it over, giving the cellist another layer. Apparently, she wasn’t completely checked out yet, as she raised her neck in concern. “But you’ll be cold,” she said softly.

Vinyl shrugged. “Hey, I’ve slept on the street before. This is fine.”

“No. Get in.”

It took an entire millisecond before the DJ gave in to her roommate’s demand. “Well, if you insist.” She struggled to suppress her grin as she slid in beside Octavia, loving the warmth of both the blankets and the mare.

Her own questionable feelings had fled as well, but what remained was no less powerful. Here she was, cuddling with the pony who had plagued her dreams for so long. How many of those dreams had ended like this, only for her to awake and find her bed empty? She squeezed harder, refusing to let go. If this was a dream, then she never wanted to wake up.

“Do you know what the strangest thing about this is?” whispered Octavia.

Vinyl shook her head slightly. “What?”

The cellist snuggled closer to her DJ.

“It doesn’t feel strange at all.”

Super-paraphrased Futurama reference in this one!

A little note on names: In many stories, writers give surnames to ponies who only have a first name, such as Octavia or (for a canon example) Rarity. While some characters do have full names like that (Pinkamena Diane Pie), I think it’s wrong to assume that all of Equestria follows the same naming conventions.

EDIT: This chapter was written waaaay before Octavia was given a canon last name, but I stand by these notes. Her last name still doesn't exist in this story.

In University Days, Octavia does not have a last name, and neither does Psych. I actually wrote an essay-length document explaining why, as well as tackling the issues of identification and individuality in Equestria, but then I realised that people don’t read this story for the tired ramblings at the end of each chapter.

They read it for the tired ramblings that make up each chapter.

Hope you enjoyed!

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

-----

Dreamless.

As Vinyl emerged from the depths of sleep, that one fact remained at the front of her mind.

She had a dreamless night, and she knew why. For the last couple of weeks, every night had been plagued with the same nocturnal hallucinations: treble clefs amongst darkness… and a pony by her side.

A grey one, specifically, of the earth pony variety.

But last night she had slept peacefully, and it was with a big smile that she reached out to hug the reason why. When her hooves grasped nothing but disturbed sheets, the DJ’s eyes shot open, revealing the empty space beside her.

Her heart jumped, and for a moment she felt an indescribable sadness begin to weigh down on her as the events of the previous night were suddenly called into question. “No,” she whispered, eyes watering, “Not again, please…”

The door to the bathroom opened, unleashing a small wave of steam that rolled across the floor. Octavia stepped through it, her mane slicked to her glistening coat. She hummed softly, completely unaware of the red eyes watching from one of the beds.

That is, until the pony they belonged to dove across the room in a single leap and tackled her.

Octavia suddenly had to deal with a very happy unicorn lying on top of her. Vinyl didn’t care that her coat was also getting quite wet from hugging the freshly-showered mare, or that lying on the floor was probably taking away the very thing her friend had just spent a while attaining. All she cared about in that moment was knowing that Octavia was real, that the night she remembered had actually happened, that her wish had been granted.

The cellist didn’t know all of this, so she was in quite a bewildered state when Vinyl drew back slightly to see her face. “I suppose I can expect this kind of greeting every day?” she said half-seriously.

Chuckling awkwardly, the DJ had finally woken up entirely and realised what she was doing. “Heh, sorry. I sorta… panicked when you weren’t there.” It sounded so stupid to her ears now that she was thinking clearly, but Octavia didn’t seem to think so.

She pulled Vinyl down and kissed her deeply, hoping to assuage the white pony’s fears in a way that words couldn’t hope to emulate. It worked. Vinyl sighed into the kiss, her body relaxing almost immediately. They remained that way for a good few seconds, but as always it came to an end too soon. This time, however, it was for a very good reason.

Octavia pulled her lips away, cursing the heat upon her cheeks. “Um, Vinyl, not to be rude or anything, but perhaps you should brush your teeth first?”

“Oh! Yeah, right, sorry!” Vinyl said, wondering if it was possible to explode from sheer embarrassment.

What was I thinking? I’m not a movie star! I’m gross in the morning like everypony else!

She untangled her legs and stumble-tripped her way into the bathroom. As she quickly set to work brushing, she watched Octavia get up and adjust her mane. Then, to her unspoken internal glee, she watched the cellist cast a very questionable look her way. For a moment, she considered trying to say “Like what you see?” around a mouthful of toothpaste, but thought better of it. She’d embarrassed herself enough for one morning.

Once finished, she bounded out the doorway with a huge grin. “Now, where were we?” Octavia had wandered over to Vinyl’s bed and was in the process of pulling one of the blankets off. “Uh, what are you doing?”

“Reclaiming my blanket. If somepony saw my bed like that, I’d be ashamed.”

Her enthusiasm fading, Vinyl pawed at the ground with her left forehoof. “So… you’re sleeping in your bed tonight?”

“Is that a problem?” Octavia frowned and stopped to look at the DJ.

“No… not really… But, uh, I was sorta thinking we could, uh…” she trailed off, looking everywhere but at the other mare.

“Sleep together?” asked Octavia quietly.

Vinyl nodded, but upon seeing the blush in her roommate’s cheeks, she quickly clarified. “I mean, just sleep! I didn’t mean, uh, anything else. U-unless you want that. But if you don’t, that’s fine! I only meant sleep.” The situation was slipping out of her hooves now that that topic had been awoken. She couldn’t help but wonder why her impressive social skills had recently begun to desert her in times of need.

“Um, perhaps we should discuss this tonight. It’s a little early in the day to be talking about… about this stuff.” Listening to her cellist, Vinyl experienced a brief moment of relief as she realised that she was not the only one who was feeling a little uncomfortable. Octavia bit her lip. “That being said… I did enjoy waking up next to you.” She smiled at the memory. “You kept squeezing me and grinning in your sleep. It took half an hour to escape your hooves.”

The DJ chuckled and shrugged, not the least bit surprised. “I’d probably have done that whether I was asleep or not,” she admitted.

Giggling, Octavia left the blanket where it was, to be dealt with later. She wandered over to Vinyl and planted a tentative kiss on her cheek. “So, breakfast?”

Resisting the urge to smother the cellist’s muzzle with kisses, Vinyl grinned. “Starving.”

---

As midday approached and breakfast became a memory, Vinyl had been forced to grudgingly excuse herself in order to attend her drawing class. Octavia had offered her services as a model again, but the class had apparently moved on to different subjects. That hadn’t stopped the unicorn from slyly suggesting she might take her up the offer later tonight, which left the cellist a blushing wreck long after the conversation had ended.

Octavia tried to suppress her unrestrainable smile. Her cheeks ached and she was certain she looked like a complete fool, but there was no stopping it. As she wandered across the grassy court in the middle of the campus, she felt a happiness like no other flood every fibre of her being.

It was as if the universe had finally decided to go easy on her for once. After the years of loneliness in high school and the constant overwatch of her mother, she had reached the end of the tunnel, and the light was so bright. No longer would there be a little thought in the back of her mind that said you’re alone, Octavia when it was late at night. No longer would she cry herself to sleep at the thought of sitting by herself at lunchtime.

It was over.

And it had just begun.

She soon realised she was approaching the same building Psych worked in. Deciding that she agreed with her subconscious mind, the grey mare stepped inside and approached the receptionist. Psych had helped her past the barriers her mind had constructed, and was every bit as responsible for her happiness as Vinyl was. Well, maybe slightly less responsible, but he played a part nonetheless, and she wanted to make sure he knew what it meant to her.

“Hello again, Miss Octavia! How may I help you?” the reception pony asked cheerfully.

“Hello, I was wondering if Psych is available.”

“He most certainly is! Just head on up and I’ll call him to let him know you’re coming!” The mare grinned, baring her perfect teeth.

“T-thank you.” Octavia quickly escaped her rather unsettling gaze and made a beeline for the tutor’s office.

Just like before, the office workers stepped out of her way politely. She internally wondered why it was so off-putting. Yes, students were supposed to give way to teachers and workers out of respect for some unspoken social hierarchy, but maybe Manehattan University was a progressive institute that sought to abolish such behaviour. Perhaps the staff were merely doing their part to uphold a core belief or code established by the faculty; ‘making way’ for the younger, innovative ponies?

Octavia suddenly became aware she had been staring at the door to Psych’s office for slightly longer than was socially acceptable, and was holding up traffic in the hallway. Though from one glance at the waiting ponies, she could almost believe that they had all the time in the world. Not one of them made a move to hurry her up.

Mumbling an embarrassed apology, the cellist pushed through the door and closed it behind her. The frizzy-maned stallion waiting for her waved cheerfully.

“Hey Octavia! I’m glad you’re here. Sorta. If you have any problems, then I’m not glad you’re here. I mean, I’m glad you chose me to help with those problems. But I’m glad if you… don’t have… problems?” He frowned, then made a circular motion with his hoof as if winding back a clock. “Hey Octavia!” he repeated, this time not adding to it.

“Hello, Psych,” she replied. It felt odd calling a teacher by their name, but she pushed past it. There were more important things to talk about.

As she took the seat on the opposite side of his desk, he busied himself pulling out her file once more. “So, what can I help you with?” His expression was odd, caught between his default energetic mode and the serious, unflinching psychologist who had listened to a hundred sob stories.

“Thankfully, nothing.” She smiled, which collapsed him into the former state. “I did exactly what you said.” It all came rushing back, and she tried to tell the story as fast as it crossed her mind. “I went back to Vinyl and hugged her and she asked me if it meant what she thought it meant and I asked her what she thought it meant even though I already knew and she started to say ‘you like me’, but she took too long and I was so excited so I just said ‘I like you’ and she said ‘like like?’ and I said ‘like like’ and then we kissed properly and it was amazing!” She bounced in her seat a little, wearing a grin that stretched ear to ear. She didn’t even care how silly she looked.

“That’s fantastic news! I’m so happy for both of you!” Psych chuckled. “I’m always paranoid that I’ve given bad advice, so it’s good to see it turned out well.”

“On the contrary, your advice was perfect. That’s actually why I’m here. I…” She took deep breath. “I’m happier than I have ever been in my entire life.” It was a fact that brought mixed emotions. On one hoof, she had all those miserable memories. But on the other hoof, they were gone, never to return. “You helped me get here, Psych. “

She slid off her chair and walked around the desk. The stallion looked a little uncomfortable for a moment, but relaxed when she hugged him, and hesitantly returned it.

No doubt Vinyl would probably think hugging a teacher is about as lame as it gets, yet not even the thought of the DJ’s voice-cracking laughter could ruin her good mood.

“Thank you,” she whispered, pulling back and dropping onto all fours once more. To her surprise, she thought she saw a sparkling tear in the stallion’s eyes, but he blinked and it was gone.

“Only doing my job, nothing more,” he said with a warm smile. When Octavia returned to her chair, his mirth slipped away. “So… I don’t suppose you’ve heard from…”

“My mother?” She shook her head. “No, but I’m not going to count the days until she calls.”

“I’m glad to hear that. With any luck, you’ll be able to get to Hearths Warming Eve without hearing from her.”

“Somehow I doubt that… but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.” The cellist nodded resolutely. Her mother was bad enough face to face, she didn’t need the very thought of her ruining everything.

“I can definitely see the change in attitude, and I love it!” Psych laughed and clapped his hooves together. “You must like being with Vinyl a lot if you can change your thought processes so quickly.”

Octavia reddened but nodded. “I do. I feel so normal when I’m around her.” Her eyes widened. “Not that she’s abnormal or anything! I just mean that… well, I don’t feel like an outcast. She accepts me for who I am without a second thought. It’s such a nice feeling being with somepony who knows me, truly knows me, not just a group of ponies who have been forced to work with me by teachers who think they’re helping.” Psych coughed. “I remember watching all the other ponies in high school, with all their stupid groups and styles, and I used to think that if I wanted to, I could change myself enough that I would fit into one of those groups. But I never did.”

“You didn’t want to compromise what little individuality you had left,” the stallion said in understanding.

Octavia nodded again. “Yes, exactly. I resigned myself to loneliness instead of giving up who I was. But with Vinyl, I can have both. I can be myself and have somepony who cares about me. It’s quite literally a dream come true.”

“I’m proud of you, Octavia. Your file here has listed some awful things that your mother made you share, things that only you should have the right to know. Yet even after how she’s treated you, you’ve still managed to keep yourself together. I’ve seen kids break down after far less than what you’ve experienced, yet here you are, happy. It’s… admirable.”

After a long moment, Psych shook his head violently and blinked a few times. “Wow, I think that’s the most serious I’ve ever been.” He chuckled. “You’re going to ruin my reputation, at this rate.”

“My apologies,” the cellist laughed. “And thank you, for what you said.” She dropped off the chair once again, stretching her hooves. “Now, I had better get going before we get trapped in a loop of mutual admiration.”

“A wise decision, those things are never fun.”

With a final wave, Octavia left the office and made her way back through the building. The receptionist threw a plastic smile her way, which she nervously returned. Once outside in the cool air, she found herself wandering a path not often taken. It led down a slope into a less-populated area of the campus, where a series of little alcoves hid the entrances to multiple storage and maintenance rooms.

For no reason other than lack of having anything else to do (in addition to having her ‘playful curiosity’ levels dramatically increased from time spent with Vinyl), she walked down the path until something caught her interest. A voice was echoing out of an alcove further down, and it sounded strained.

Octavia slowed her movement, trying to remain silent as the hidden pony’s one-sided conversation became audible.

“No, please don’t hang up…” sniffed a familiar mare.

Lyra? What’s she doing down here?

“Please, Bon, just listen to me. I swear I’m different now.”

The cellist’s eyes widened and she retreated as quickly as she could, trying to balance speed with silence. That conversation was not for her ears.

Vinyl’s privacy was the only one she ever allowed herself to breach, and even then she didn’t really do anything bad. The DJ’s phone didn’t have anything even remotely embarrassing or personal.

At the top of the slope, just before entering back into the huge court, Octavia heard hoofsteps behind her. Trying to look as casual as possible, she stood next to the wall and scratched her chin as if deep in thought.

Lyra soon appeared at the bottom of the slope, aggressively scrubbing at her eyes as she trotted upwards. When she reached the top, rather than looking in the hundreds of other possible directions, the mint-green unicorn looked straight at Octavia.

“Uh, what are you doing here?” she asked. Her eyes were still a little red from crying, and the grey mare couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for her.

“I’m simply pondering the mysteries of life.” She scratched her chin extra hard to illustrate her point.

“Near the maintenance sheds?”

“…Yes.” Octavia dropped her hoof to the ground and quickly put a concerned look on. “Oh my, Lyra are you alright?”

The green mare scowled at her. “I’m fine. I just… I’m fine.” She tried to walk away but Octavia fell into line beside her.

“Have you considered what I said the last time we spoke?” The cellist prodded.

“Yeah… I might have.”

“And?”

Lyra stopped walking, looking around to make sure nopony was close by. “Look, I know you’re just trying to help for whatever reason, but you don’t wanna be my friend, okay? Trust me, you’ll be better off.”

Octavia couldn’t help but wonder if the other mare was angry at herself rather than any particular pony. “What makes you say that?”

“Just leave me alone, okay? I’m trying to save the friends I still have left, I don’t need another one to worry about.” She set off once more, and this time she went alone.

Standing in the middle of the court, watching the confused unicorn go, Octavia felt guilt rise in the aft of her mind. Here she was, basking in her own joy, when other ponies were still dealing with their own problems. Happiness could never be all-encompassing, not in a world with so many complex lives.

As she trudged her way to Vinyl’s class room, she couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened by that depressing thought.

What good is it to be happy if somepony else isn’t?

The white unicorn stepped out of the room amongst a flow of other ponies and yawned for a few seconds. Her eyes scanned the surroundings with bored disinterest until they lighted upon Octavia. Immediately, Vinyl’s ears perked up and she started to smile as she trotted over.

“Hey roomie! Filly, am I happy to see you!” she said cheerfully.

Octavia just smiled. That was the answer to her sad question.

It was good to be happy because she could spread it around.

Why can’t I hold all these side plots?!

In case you didn’t notice the addition to the description, somepon3 made a song inspired by this fic! In particular, Octavia’s childhood and relationship with her mother. I think it captures the feeling beautifully. Consider it the end credits theme! Recommended dosage of one (1) listen with every chapter.

You readers are crazy-awesome. Fan stuff is always welcome!

Also, I just realised I haven’t thanked my prereaders at all yet! Truly, I am a monster. So, in no particular order, I want to thank Ariamaki, Steel Resolve, TheWiselessStallion, Venatus75, Midnight-Specter, Statoose, and Starfall.

All of these people are currently or have at some point preread chapters before they were posted. Thank you all! Without you, I would never find the courage to post anything and would spend all of my days searching for flaws that might just exist in my head.

Your support is invaluable, and I truly appreciate it.

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

-----

“Octavia, I have a reputation to maintain,” Vinyl muttered, cheeks red with shame as she tried to pull the beanie over her eyes.

“Oh shush, you sound just like Ps—” The cellist stopped talking abruptly, freezing in place.

“Like who?”

“Like… a broken record, I meant to say.”

“Whatever, I still look stupid.” Vinyl tore the beanie off her head and placed it back on the hook.

Luckily, the shop wasn’t very busy this early in the morning. Only two other ponies were nearby, and they were too busy obsessing over different coloured saddles to pay the other couple any mind. Which was fortunate, because they weren’t being very subtle today.

The DJ had been so drunk on the fact they shared the bed again (innocently, of course) that she hastily agreed to the plan her roommate set out for the day. It was Thursday, so the grey mare had two tutorials in the afternoon, which meant she wanted to get as much done in the morning as possible.

Remembering the difficulties they experienced on their spicy date a few days ago, Octavia decided that proper clothing was of utmost importance in the event they wanted to venture outside again. She had already secured herself some lovely blue boots and a white scarf, and was now attempting to outfit her roommate in similar clothes.

“But it looked great! It matched your mane perfectly,” Octavia persisted, following the DJ as she walked over to a different rack.

“Hmm… well, this one isn’t too bad I guess.” Vinyl plucked a greyish beanie from a hook and pulled it over her head. Most of her mane still stuck out from underneath it in a spiky mess, making her look rather cute. Octavia didn’t dare say as much out loud, of course. “Pretty sexy, huh?” said Vinyl.

The cellist didn’t reply verbally, instead fluttering her eyelashes and smiling. She may have been new to this ‘flirting’ activity, but she was learning quickly, as evidenced by the DJ choking on air for a moment. “Is something wrong, Vinyl?” Her smile grew.

Recovering somewhat, the unicorn stepped closer. “Dammit, Octavia,” she whispered. “That was totally unfair.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the grey mare replied innocently, brushing past her roommate in order to inspect the hoofwear section. “Now why don’t you pick out some boots? You’ll need them, especially if we go out walking at night again.”

“Alright, alright.” Vinyl turned and glanced at the display. “How about these dark ones with the black rim?”

“Rather droll, don’t you think? Besides, I expected more colourful choices from you.”

“But grey and black are my favourite colours!” the DJ replied defensively.

“I’m only saying that it’s… rather… odd…” Octavia trailed off, and when Vinyl looked to see why, she found the cellist smirking knowingly at her.

“What?” Vinyl frowned.

“You’re very sweet, but I don’t mind if you want to pick brighter shades. Really, they would suit you better.”

“I… huh?”

It was Octavia’s turn to frown in confusion. “You mean you’re not doing this on purpose?”

“Doing what?” The DJ was getting rather bewildered at the odd behaviour of her roommate.

Her perplexed look giving way to a soft smile, she waved her hoof slightly to dismiss the issue. “Oh Vinyl, you’re even sweeter than you realise. Don’t worry about it.”

“O-kay…” Vinyl turned her attention back to the boots. “Screw it, I’m gonna get these and I don’t wanna hear a word against ‘em.”

“Not a word.”

On the short trip to the counter, Octavia seemed to stay closer than was really suitable in a public environment, yet Vinyl couldn’t quite summon the motivation to step away. As if standing next to each other in front of a shopkeeper was going to get them in trouble.

Still, she hated how her first thought was of what other ponies might think. That kind of restriction was something she hadn’t experienced in years. Her time in high school had affirmed her self-confidence to the point where very little could shake her.

But now she had a weakness. A gorgeous, incredible, amazing weakness, but a weakness nonetheless. Octavia was the chink in her armour; the soft spot in her psyche. She was simultaneously the most valuable and the most vulnerable part of her.

So now she had to worry about what other ponies would think, for Octavia’s sake. Before, she could ignore the opinions of others on the basis that she had nopony to answer to but herself. Her parents had long given up, and she had no siblings. It was sort of why she became so self-assured in the first place, despite her failings: The world expected nothing from her, so nothing bothered her.

This weakness, she realised, was an inherent part of what she now shared with Octavia. Whatever it was, it was absolutely crucial. It was this gap in her protection that allowed her to feel the way she did.

Vinyl paid for the clothing on autopilot, still deep in thought. They exited the shop and stood for a moment in the street, letting the steadily-growing crowds shuffle by. It didn’t take Octavia long to realise something was wrong when her DJ didn’t say anything.

“Vinyl? Are you alright?” she asked, more than a little bit concerned at the uncharacteristic silence.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” The unicorn seemed to come out of a daze, quickly donning a grin that put her roommate’s heart at ease.

“Is there anywhere else you want to visit before we go home?”

Home, as in, our home, that we share, together, home.

“Nah, let’s head back. I’m sick of sharing you with the rest of the world,” replied the DJ, cheering internally at the blush on Octavia’s cheeks. It usually meant that she would be treated to an extreme close-up of those pretty amethyst eyes as soon as they got through the door. Which, the fluttering in her chest admitted, was quickly becoming her favourite hobby.

It was fortunate then that the cellist seemed just as enthusiastic about their latest shared activity, because kissing was extremely fun. Staying up into the early hours of the morning, holding each other tightly, with nothing but the soft sounds of lips against each other to disturb the peace… it was magical. More magical than actual magic.

As they walked back through the streets of Manehattan, Octavia seemed to accidentally bump her hips against Vinyl’s a lot more than usual. It wasn’t much, but it pushed the DJ’s mind into uneven terrain. It was a topic that was bound to come up sooner or later, and she guiltily admitted to herself that she wasn’t exactly trying to stop thinking about it. If just kissing was so fun…

But those were dangerous waters to tread. Vinyl buried the thoughts under a pile of worries and did her best to ignore them for the time being. Her cellist trotted along merrily, completely oblivious to the impure thought processes transpiring in the white pony beside her.

As they entered and traversed the university campus, Octavia snuck a glance at Vinyl, who was still grinning at something unseen. The cellist knew, on some level, that she didn’t really have to ‘sneak’ glances anymore, and that Vinyl probably wouldn’t mind in the slightest if she asked to spend the rest of the day (the year(my life(eternity))) just studying her every facial feature. The only thing that stopped her was the ever-present fear of creeping her roommate out.

Sure, she had gotten away with a lot of things lately, but there was no reason to push the boundaries. Vinyl hadn’t even said a word when she woke up and saw Octavia sheepishly pushing her bed against the DJ’s so they could have more room to roll around during their… experiments, she liked to call them.

Because that’s what they were, really. She needed to find out if it was possible to kiss a pony until they could no longer articulate thoughts. It was, but further study was needed. Octavia was good at studying.

And so the cellist found herself wearing a grin not unlike the one on the unicorn beside her, while entertaining some thought processes that were also not far removed from her roommate’s.

As they wandered down the path leading to the student village, the two ponies noticed a particular secret waitress stepping out of their building. She spotted them immediately and trotted over, blue-and-pink mane bobbing with each step.

Vinyl tensed up and edged slightly closer to Octavia on instinct. For her part, the cellist summoned a warm smile while simultaneously mentally preparing herself for what could be a battle of words.

“Octavia, I was looking for you,” said Bonbon as she drew to a halt in front of them. “And, um, hi Vinyl.” The addition was as forced as it was awkward, the cellist noted.

So she is more comfortable with me than with Vinyl for some reason… interesting.

“Hello Bonbon. How can I help you?” Octavia replied, opting for a friendly tone.

“Well, you already have, actually. I just wanted to thank you.”

“I have?”

“Um, you have spoken to Lyra recently, right?”

The grey mare nodded, the surprised reaction of the white pony in her peripherals making her feel a little guilty for not telling her sooner. Lyra was as much Vinyl’s problem as hers. “Did my words influence her?”

“A lot.” Bonbon stepped closer and looked around to make sure nopony else was nearby. “She came into the shop I work at. I won’t go into detail, but she was really depressed. I went over to take her order, completely forgetting that she didn’t know I worked there. It… wasn’t my brightest moment.” The mare reddened, but pushed onwards. “As soon as she saw me, she started crying. I’ve never seen her cry at anything. Granted, I’ve only known her for a semester, but still… she’s not the type to bawl her eyes out. Oh, and please don’t tell anypony what I’m telling you.”

They nodded quickly.

“Alright, well, I took my lunch break and we went into the back room to talk. She broke down and told me all of these things I had no idea about, things I didn’t think she was even capable of understanding. At some point, I asked her how she came to all those conclusions. She told me that you spoke to her, Octavia, and your words made her rethink everything.”

The cellist tried to exchange incredulous looks with Vinyl, but the unicorn was too busy wearing a huge, proud grin.

“Which is why,” Bonbon continued, “I want to thank you. Honestly, I think you’ve saved the best friendship I’ve ever had. I can never repay you.”

Octavia was beginning to realise that Vinyl wasn’t the only pony who was more complex than they appeared. It seemed everypony had their own stories, and even if she didn’t quite understand them, she could at least be happy she helped them.

But there was one little problem…

“I’m very glad to hear that you two are friends again. However, I must ask, did you… tell her about Vinyl and I not exactly being enemies?”

Bonbon’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, definitely not! It couldn’t have been further from my mind.” After a moment, she cocked her head to the side curiously. “I know it’s none of my business, but… are you two… together?”

Octavia had lowered her defences as soon as it became clear that Bonbon’s intentions were good, so instead of replying with a carefully planned and convincing response, she spluttered a few nonsensical noises and fell silent. Fortunately, Vinyl stepped in to reply in her stead.

“What makes you ask that?” she said, trying to maintain an air of nonchalance.

The cream-coloured mare’s gaze focused very deliberately on every article of clothing the two ponies wore. Vinyl followed it, finally realising what Octavia was talking about in the shop.

Grey and black boots and beanie. How did I not see that?!

Still, part of her felt giddy with happiness at seeing her cellist wearing her colours in return. It was completely unfashionable and had a terrible contrast, but she wore them anyway.  White and blue on grey…

I could get used to that.

“Uh, so we’re wearing clothing that just happens to be the same as each other’s coat and mane. That doesn’t prove anything,” Vinyl said defiantly. It was a shaky retort, and she knew they were in trouble.

“If you say so. Everything looks pretty clear from where I’m standing, anyway.” Bonbon smirked at them both, making it clear that she wasn’t about to believe any excuses.

Octavia managed to reclaim the ability to form complete sentences. “W-well, I’m sure you’re not the type of pony who would go sharing your theories with others.”

The blue-and-pink maned mare had the decency to look offended. “Of course I’m not! Gossip was what almost ruined my friendship with Lyra in the first place.”

“Regardless, please try and be careful.”

“I won’t tell anypony, I promise. It’s the least I can do for you both.”

“Us both?” repeated Vinyl, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, yes. It’s clear to me now that you’re not nearly as bad as Lyra used to insist. Please understand, she is a very complicated pony.” Bonbon had a strained expression, as if desperate to make Vinyl see Lyra differently. “We didn’t mean anything by the jokes we made in class, I swear. She was a different pony, and I… well, I don’t really have an excuse. I thought they were funny. But we’re still sorry, though.”

Vinyl thought it over for a few moments, then broke into a grin. Ponies who held grudges never got far in the world, she reckoned. “Don’t worry about it.”

The grey mare beside her also started to smile. “I would prefer a friend over an enemy any day.”

Bonbon beamed. “Great! I admit, it was pretty daunting telling you all of that. But Psych was right, you two really are nice ponies.” Their jaws dropped, unnoticed by the happy cream-coloured pony. “Well, I’ll talk to you later, new friends!” She giggled and trotted past, heading back to the main area of the campus.

“Psych…” croaked Vinyl.

“Is there anything that pony isn’t involved in?” Octavia said disbelievingly.

Gasping in realisation, the unicorn rounded on the cellist. “What if he knows? Did he tell her to come see us? How does he know we live in this building?”

“Um, Vinyl, perhaps we should take this to our room.” Octavia knew she couldn’t put off telling Vinyl about Psych any longer. Guilt flooded her mind as she realised she probably should have told her a few days ago.

They made haste into the building and up the stairs, welcoming the warmth inside. The cold was less noticeable when they had clothes on, but it was far from gone. Once inside their room, Octavia deliberately took her time taking off each boot, trying to stall the dreaded moment for just a bit longer.

Vinyl pulled her beanie off, letting her hair resume its former shape. She slipped off the boots and approached her roommate slowly. In any other circumstances, she would move in for a kiss, but she was far too worried to be in the mood.

“Do you know something I don’t?” she asked quietly.

Octavia cringed and looked at the ground. “Please don’t get angry.”

The unicorn felt a stab of pain in her chest at the idea. She quickly moved closer and raised the cellist’s chin so she looked her in the eyes. “I’m not gonna get angry. Just tell me what’s up, cause I feel out of the loop here.”

Taking a deep breath, Octavia took the plunge. “Psych is the current student councillor. When I went to see a professional, it turned out to be him.” Jamming her eyes shut, she continued quickly. “I told him everything. How the arguments were fake, how we became friends, how… how you make me feel…” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Everything.”

She didn’t dare open her eyes to see Vinyl’s reaction, for fear of seeing those garnet eyes laced with disappointment, or rage, or sadness. It would be too much.  “Vinyl, I am so, so sorry. I-I was confused about so many things, and–”

The feeling of lips quickly pressing against hers indicated it was time to stop talking. It was a short peck, meant to silence and reassure simultaneously.

“What did he say?” the DJ asked softly.

“He gave me some advice. It gave me the courage to come back to you and… well, you know what happened.”

“He didn’t say ‘I knew it’ or anything?”

“No, definitely not. He was completely professional.”

Vinyl sighed in relief. “I’m glad to hear he’s not as much of a douchebag as I thought he was, but I’m still kinda hurt that you didn’t tell me.” She immediately found herself enjoying the extreme close-up she had been thinking about earlier in the day. “Mmfgh!” It was impossible to not immediately accept the cellist’s apology. “You know what, I’ll get over it.” With the words out of the way, she moved in to return fire.

This was something she hadn’t considered during her reverie at the shop. She had thought of Octavia as a weakness, albeit one she couldn’t do without, but a weakness nonetheless. That may have been true, but it wasn’t the extent of Octavia’s influence in her life.

As she had just felt, her cellist gave her the strength to not let the little things affect her. She was her greatest strength as well as her most vulnerable weak point. It didn’t matter that Psych knew, or that Bonbon suspected, or that everypony would probably know soon enough.

All that mattered was Octavia, breathing hard and blindly trying to pull Vinyl closer than was physically possible. At the end of the day, as long as she could come home to her cellist, nothing else mattered.

Another new addition to this story’s steadily-growing soundtrack was made by Le Soldat Pony. It’s a delightful classical instrumental that encapsulates Octavia’s mixed feelings and how they conflict with the way she was raised. I didn’t realise that part was apparently so moving!

Regarding clop: If there are any sex scenes in this story, they will be submitted in a separate story altogether and linked to from here. I understand that people like reading pony romance in certain levels, some just like the flirty, playful banter, some like the pure, emotional bond between two beings in love, and some like the full-on progression of events leading to and including sex, so I’m going to play it safe and make any questionable scenes entirely skippable by those who don’t want to read them.

That said, I believe that sex is a fairly important part of romantic relationships, and I will not be avoiding the issue in the main story. As beautiful as their growing love may be, it has manifested inside two beings who I have attempted to make fairly realistic: they have flaws, hopes and desires like any sentient creature. I can’t bring myself to completely ignore the ‘desires’ part on the off chance that a reader might find it disturbing. I hope I don’t lose anyone because of this, but it’s the way it has to be.

To summarise: there will be no clop in this main story, but the issue of sex will not be avoided.

Also this has +1800 favourites now. That’s nuts. You’re nuts. I love you.

(I swear I’ll stop writing massive author’s notes now!)

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

-----

Octavia’s first no-study-allowed week had passed far too quickly.

The old adage “time flies when you’re having fun” came to mind, and it certainly rang true in this instance. The last week had been the most fun she’d had in her entire life, and it was all because of Vinyl.

They had just finished yet another experiment, and Vinyl was now on her computer tapping buttons with feverish speed. That didn’t surprise her; the DJ always became rather inspired after kissing.

For her part, Octavia still lay on their makeshift double bed, watching the glass of water on the table beside it quaver from the bass. As earth-shaking as it was, she had actually grown to enjoy this particular type of music. Vinyl had been experimenting with many different kinds of classical instruments in addition to her usual array of synthetic sounds. Ever since that first song on that fateful day, the tracks had gotten better and better, to the extent that the unicorn couldn’t wait for her next gig just so she could show them off.

“This is gonna change the world, filly,” Vinyl had said a few days ago as one of her songs drew to a close. “Just you watch. We’re not just re-writing the rule book, we’re burning it and snorting the ashes.”

As distasteful as that sounded, Octavia couldn’t deny that their latest creations were nothing like the current trends in the musical world. She entertained secret fantasies of herself and Vinyl leading a euphonious revolution with their combined talent, though she wasn’t quite sure how to go about such a thing. Besides, she didn’t even have a degree yet.

And that thought brought her back to the problem at hoof. Exams loomed in the distance, drawing closer with each day. Her no-study tactic was starting to make her nervous.

“Do you think Psych will mind if I do just a little bit of studying?” she said loudly over the music.

The track cut off abruptly with a comical record scratch, and the eponymous perpetrator spun in her computer chair. “Nuh-uh, don’t even think about it.” Vinyl tried to maintain a stern gaze, but the seat kept slowly rotating, making her look over the whole room before rounding on Octavia again. “If he said no studying, then no studying! Don’t make me lock your books up.”

“But exams are in one week!” sulked the cellist, knowing she wouldn’t be able to change her roommate’s mind.

Vinyl snorted. “You’d probably ace ‘em even if you never went to a single lecture.”

“I’m glad everypony is so confident in my abilities, but forgive me if I don’t share your certainty.” Octavia rolled over and stuffed her face into a pillow with a huff.

Unable to resist, the unicorn helped herself to an eyeful of classy grey backside. “You’re cute when you sulk.”

The treble-clef marked mare curled up, unintentionally aiding the voyeuristic agenda of her DJ. “I’m not sulking,” said her muffled voice.

“Yeah you are, and it’s adorable!”

Octavia turned and launched the pillow at her roommate, falling short by a metre. “I am not adorable!”

Giggling, Vinyl slid off her chair and walked over to the bed. “Screwing up your nose like that isn’t really helping your case, y’know.”

“Oh, you are impossible!” exclaimed the exasperated earth pony. She dropped off the side of the bed and marched straight up to her DJ, intending to give her a piece of her mind. As usual, her treacherous body decided it would be much more entertaining if she threw her hooves around Vinyl’s neck and gave her an angry kiss.

When they broke apart, the unicorn was wearing a cocky grin as if that was exactly the response she had expected. It infuriated Octavia to no end.

Why is she so confident all of a sudden?

During their first kiss, Vinyl had been just as hesitant as Octavia, perhaps even more so, but now seeing the DJ swagger over for a bit of fun was quickly becoming an hourly occurrence. Not that Octavia really minded; it was comforting to know that at least one of them seemed to know what they were doing. Still, the sudden boost in confidence was notable enough to warrant investigation.

Letting her glare drop into one of those fluttery-eyelid looks that her roommate inexplicably seemed to like, Octavia carefully began to dig. “You’re certainly very amorous today. Any particular reason why?”

“Filly, I’m always amorous when you’re around.” She paused. “What’s amorous mean?”

The cellist chuckled. “It’s the feeling that makes you want to… get close to somepony.”

“Oh.” Vinyl’s smile grew into a grin. “Ohhhh. I getcha.”

Octavia cleared her throat so she wouldn’t get distracted. Despite seeing them up-close every day, those red eyes were still as hypnotising as the first time. “You just seem very, um, bold lately, even more so than usual.”

Shrugging, the DJ brushed a strand of blue hair aside. “What can I say? Getting to make out with a high-class pony like you does wonders for my self-esteem.”

It was becoming difficult to resist getting hypnotised, especially after such sweet words. Vinyl was quickly becoming quite adept at finding new ways to make her blush. That was one of the things Octavia loved about her: she always knew the perfect thing to say.

That particular trait was one they did not share, she lamented. Every time she wanted to say something romantic or flirty, it always came out wrong or just made Vinyl call her ‘cheesy’, regardless of how sincere she was. Sometimes she couldn’t help but envy her roommate’s raw charisma, especially now that they were getting into the habit of spending entire days together.

It wasn’t that she didn’t feel comfortable around Vinyl, quite the opposite. She felt so comfortable that she wanted to say and try new things constantly, but she could never execute them without making a fool of herself.

Oh, what I would give just to be able to tell you the things I want…

As usual, her mind quickly moved onwards to avoid that particular path. It was too early, and it didn’t make sense, and they were too young, she affirmed to herself, piling as many excuses as possible on top of the topic in question so as to hide it from her mind’s eye.

“Vinyl,” she said, mind racing to find something to say that would distract her. “Have… have you ever been in a relationship before?” Her heart skipped a beat. “I-is that the right word for what we have?”

The DJ looked surprised for a moment. “Yeah… I guess it is.” She leaned forward and pressed her cheek against Octavia’s. “We didn’t really ask each other out, did we? It just sorta… happened.”

The refined mare closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth against her muzzle. “No, I suppose we didn’t.”

“Well then…” Vinyl took a step back and straightened up. “Will you be my fillyfriend?”

Octavia’s heart immediately began to beat faster. Even though they had been together for a little while now, it was oddly exhilarating to see Vinyl be so serious about making it official. She felt a light, fluttery feeling behind her chest. Suddenly the phrase ‘butterflies in her stomach’ made a lot more sense.

The unicorn coughed. “Uh, Octavia?”

“Yes! Sorry, yes!” She dove forward to engulf her fillyfriend in a hug. “Sorry again! I got lost in my thoughts.”

Letting out a relieved sigh, Vinyl held a hoof to her own chest as if in pain. “Don’t do that to me, filly!” She laughed hoarsely. “It’s cruel!”

“Sorry!” Octavia emphasised each apology with a peck on the other mare’s alabaster neck. “Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!”

A soft, high pitched noise slipped out of Vinyl’s mouth. The cellist froze immediately, lips still pressed against skin. Several little things became apparent.

Vinyl was panting, though she was trying to hide it by breathing through her nose. She was also warm, very warm, the kind of temperature that ponies only reached in certain situations. Her heart was beating even quicker than Octavia’s; she could feel her roommate’s pulse under her lips.

“Octavia…” Vinyl whispered shakily. “You really shouldn’t kiss there.”

The cellist slowly moved her head back so she could see Vinyl’s face. Those red eyes avoided her, looking somewhat pained. Guilt flooded Octavia’s mind, and she took another step backwards, feeling a little undeserving to be so close to the DJ. “Do… do you want to talk about it?” she asked. Talking was good; she always solved her problems with talking.

“I-I don’t know. Do you wanna talk about it?” Vinyl finally met her eyes, if only for a second.

“I don’t know either.”

They stood in silence, each wondering what the other was thinking instead of mulling the issue over. Eventually, after telepathy proved impossible, Octavia decided to try and give them both an escape route. It was the least she could do after creating this situation in the first place.

“We could always talk about it later…” she offered.

As she had hoped, Vinyl leapt at the thought. “Yeah, I mean, we’re not going anywhere –”

“–and exams are coming up–”

“–I’ve got a lot of music to work on–”

“–should really start preparing our cheat sheets–”

“–the internet isn’t going to surf itself–”

“–my cello needs cleaning–”

“–parties to go to, jaws to drop–”

“–so we can definitely–”

“–talk about it later,” Vinyl finished.

“Indeed.”

After another moment of staring, they broke into laughter, dispelling any awkwardness that had accumulated.

“Wow, we’re awful at this stuff,” chuckled Vinyl.

“I know!” Octavia replied from amidst giggles.

“Maybe we’ve been cooped up in here too long. Wanna go out somewhere?”

The cellist nodded. “Absolutely. Some fresh air will do us good.”

“To the tavern!” declared the DJ, rearing in the air dramatically before charging to the door.

“Oh dear.”

---

Octavia eyed the blue liquid in the small glass before her. It pulsed softly with magical energy and illuminated some scratches on the hard, dark wood of the bar. Under the right lighting, even the most well-maintained building on campus showed its age.

It was only early afternoon, so they were almost alone in the tavern. Vinyl was grinning and nodding her head, waiting for her fillyfriend to drink.

The cellist nudged the glass away with one hoof, watching the substance swirl around unnaturally. “I told you, I’m still underage.”

Unfazed, the DJ pushed it closer again. “And I told you, it’s non-alcoholic.”

“It’s a magical cocktail! It’s probably worse than alcohol.”

“And yet totally legal as long as you’re over sixteen! Cool, huh?” Vinyl looked incredibly pleased with herself. “I figured you might need something to take the edge off all that studying you’re not doing.”

Octavia slumped on her stool. “Oh Celestia, don’t remind me. I’m going to go insane if I keep thinking about that.”

“Yup. Hence…” The unicorn pushed the glass even closer. “Go on, just a sip.”

“Did you just say ‘hence’?” giggled Octavia.

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Vinyl, I just don’t want to drink anything like this, alright? Can’t we have fun without it?”

Finally giving up, the DJ left the glass alone and tossed her fillyfriend a smirk. “I thought we were gonna talk about that later.”

“I didn’t mean that,” the grey mare insisted, though she knew Vinyl wouldn’t believe her.

“’Course you didn’t.” She sighed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t keep trying to make you drink and stuff. It’s pretty much the only thing I did with my friends in high school, so I guess I just keep defaulting to it whenever we get bored. I mean, a bunch of other things come to mind, but, uh, I’m just gonna shut up now.”

Octavia decided to let that pass, simply because she had also found her mind coming back to one particular topic. It was frustrating; the harder she tried to avoid thinking about it, the more it invaded her mind. With a sigh of her own, she decided to confront the issue, or at least set up a future confrontation that was a little bit more specific than ‘later’.

“Vinyl, I think we really should talk about it.”

The white mare waved a hoof dismissively. “We will. Later.”

“No, we need to choose an actual time and day. Otherwise we’ll be saying ‘later’ forever.”

Vinyl opened her mouth to make another excuse, but all that came out was an exhausted groan. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. When should we do it?” She smacked a hoof into her face. “I mean talk. When should we talk?”

Octavia bit her lip as she thought. “Maybe… Wednesday? That way we have a few more days before it, and if it goes badly then we have an additional few days to get ourselves together for the exams.”

“Hey, come on,” Vinyl whispered comfortingly, shifting her stool closer so she could put a hoof around her cellist’s neck. “It won’t go badly. No matter what, I’ll… I’ll stick with you. Or something like that.” She winced. “I’m not as good at this as you are. Just trust me, it won’t go badly.”

Vinyl felt like kicking herself. This was one of those times where words meant everything, yet she could never get them to come out right. Her roommate always said sweet little things that rolled off the tongue and made her feel warm inside, but the DJ just couldn’t think of anything to say back to them. How could anything she might think of possibly compare to those treasured remarks?

And that wasn’t even including all the body language tricks she seemed to know. Vinyl could barely stop her jaw from dropping every time Octavia winked or posed in a seemingly innocuous manner and then acted oblivious to the tantalising nature of her actions.

Sometimes, late at night when Octavia was asleep, Vinyl would remember it all and feel more than a little unworthy. That refined grey mare was clearly working through an intricate game of courtship or something, and Vinyl had no idea how to play.

Are there dating classes for high-society ponies? Would they let me join one?

Not a chance, she concluded, a little bit annoyed at the imaginary snobs in their imaginary classes. She’d show them. She would learn to be a great fillyfriend without their help. Screw them!

“Thank you,” Octavia replied, smiling as she planted a kiss on the unicorn’s cheek. “You’re probably right, it will be fine.”

“Maybe more than fine, if you catch my drift,” said Vinyl instinctually. Once again, hoof met face with a resounding smack. “Look, just hit me next time I do that.”

“Why? You’re doing a fine job of it yourself.” The grey pony stuck out her tongue and giggled.

The sun slowly dimmed, unnoticed for a time by the two ponies at the bar. The only drinks they ordered were two glasses of water, between which a little cup full of blue liquid remained untouched. Though the bartender knew they weren’t going to be big customers today, he didn’t have the heart to tell them to buy something or get out. Besides, that kind of behaviour was for the late night crowd, not two mares relaxing on a Saturday evening. So they remained undisturbed by staff and owner alike.

Only when the bell above the doors began to ring every few minutes did they realise that time had once again passed them by. The sun was low in the sky, and students and staff alike were finishing up with the day’s work.

When they found themselves squeezed between two burly Physical Education students at the bar, it was unanimously agreed that the time had come to vacate the premises. After all, the only reason most bar crowds were tolerable at all was because everypony was drunk off their flank. Throwing two sober mares into the mix was just asking for trouble.

The couple pushed through the door and out into the oddly clear-skied weather. The temperature was still miserable, but they were just grateful to see the sun again. However, it only took a few moments for the novelty of Celestia’s charge being visible to wear off and be replaced by an intense longing for their new warm clothes, all of which were still back in the apartment.

But before they could even take three steps down the path leading home, they were halted by the sight of an incoming psychology tutor. Vinyl prayed that he would somehow not see them and continue past, though she knew it was a futile hope.

“Oh, hello you two! Lovely evening, isn’t it?” the stallion said cheerfully.

“Alright, just get it out of your system now and leave me in peace,” came the DJ’s harsh reply, cutting off Octavia’s significantly friendlier one.

Psych’s smile didn’t falter, but he did raise an eyebrow. “Get what out of my system?”

“Tell me how you knew it all along, and all that.” Vinyl braced herself.

“Knew what all along?”

“That… uh, that…” the unicorn was quickly becoming confused, and she cast a look at Octavia, who merely smiled and shrugged.

“Wow! This has been a great chat, but I’m going to have to leave you two mortal enemies to yourselves. There’s a mug full of alcohol of some kind that has my name on it.” Psych trotted merrily between them, pausing only to whisper in Vinyl’s ear. “If you ever need to talk about how much you hate Octavia, my office is in the big building next to the maintenance sheds.” With that, he practically skipped into the tavern.

The cellist couldn’t resist nudging her shell-shocked roommate. “I told you he’s not that bad.”

An amazing piece of music has been made by Lavender Harmony! It’s a sexy drumstep track partly inspired by the scene in which Octavia walks in on Vinyl incorporating classical instruments into her music.

Random note on perspective: Did you know this story is written from a third-person omniscient perspective? It allows me to delve into what multiple characters are thinking and feeling while maintaining a broad outlook over the rest of the world.

For example, in the previous chapter we saw Octavia’s thoughts [(the year(my life(eternity)))] as well as Vinyl’s [Grey and black boots and beanie. How did I not see that?!]. Pretty neat, huh?

It also allows me to occasionally leave the main characters behind in order to describe an event happening elsewhere, something that wouldn’t be possible if it was from a limited third-person perspective.  A good example of this is in chapter eleven: Octavia leaves the student councillor’s office, yet the narrator remains with Psych.

Now excuse me while I collapse crying in a pile of assignments.

(More long author’s notes due to popular request!)

(Oh, and have some prereader commentary)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

-----

“Hey,” Vinyl whispered softly. The makeshift double bed creaked as Octavia looked up and gave her fillyfriend a sleepy smile.

“Hello there,” she replied, voice still a little croaky from not being used for a few hours.

“Has anypony ever told you how hot you look with a messy mane?”

Chuckling quietly, Octavia hugged Vinyl’s chest closer, using her as a pillow. “At least that solves the mystery of what you’re thinking when we wake up together.”

“Hey, I think about other stuff too,” defended the DJ.

“That’s not what your racing heart is saying.”

Vinyl blushed and looked away. “That’s cheating.” After a moment, she turned back slowly. “What day is it?”

Octavia’s grip stiffened almost imperceptibly. “Wednesday, if memory serves.”

“Uh huh.”

It took a full minute before one of them was able to continue the conversation. Vinyl gently lifted her fillyfriend off her chest and prepared to get up. “I’ve got drawing and musical theory today, I better get ready.”

“But you’re warm,” protested the cellist, falling into the place where Vinyl had lain. “Can’t you stay in bed for a little bit longer?”

Looking at the grey sculpture of perfection sprawled half beneath a blanket, Vinyl found herself thinking that yes, yes she could stay in bed a little longer. Only the last dregs of her self-control stopped her from diving back in. “C’mon, you know what we’d end up talking about. I want a few more hours to think it over.”

“When did you become rational?” Octavia grumbled, playing with a strand of electric blue hair dangling from her hoof.

“I guess you’re rubbing off on me,” shrugged Vinyl, poking her fillyfriend’s nose to make sure she knew the double entendre was intentional. She expected Octavia to stuff her head into a pillow or just blush uncontrollably, but instead the earth pony just smirked and winked up at Vinyl.

“Not enough, I think,” she whispered.

Being the smooth, cool-under-pressure unicorn that she was, Vinyl choked on air and found that her mouth had gone too dry to speak. Octavia quickly lost her mischievous look and sat up in concern. “I’m sorry, are you okay? Did I do it incorrectly? Oh, I knew I should have practiced in the mirror first.”

“I’m fine,” assured the DJ with only a little voice-crack. “You, uh, you did that really well. Trust me. I’m gonna be useless in class today ‘cause of that.”

“Don’t say that. Just… draw like you do when I play my cello.” They shared a smile at that.  Their joint art sessions were very occasional, but that only made them all the more memorable. Octavia was always stunned by the quality of her DJ’s artistic binges. She had carefully hidden a few of the drawings among her clothes just in case Vinyl lost her sketchbook.

Once, immediately after a session, Octavia had asked the unicorn about the drawings, specifically the ones where she was the model. They had been lying on the floor, the sketchbook open between them.

“Vinyl, the way you draw me… is that truly how you see me?” She had felt a little vain asking something like that, as if she were begging for compliments.

“It’s… it’s not just how I see you… it’s sorta what I feel as well. I dunno how to explain it.” Vinyl half-shrugged and looked away, but Octavia could see the colour in her cheeks.

It was one of those moments she loved so much, when the jokes and banter gave way to the pure, unfiltered feelings beneath. The cellist had pushed the book aside and moved closer to cuddle the DJ. Wordlessly, Vinyl had returned her affection.

Octavia sighed dreamily at the memory, but caught herself quickly. Only silly little fillies sighed about romance. Her nose scrunched up distastefully as she remembered who gave her that bit of advice. She forced another dreamy sigh, just to spite the very thought of that mare.

“Filly, are you okay?” asked Vinyl, who was in the process of drying her recently-washed mane. It seemed that during Octavia’s… vacancy, she had taken the opportunity to get ready.

“Why do you call me filly?” Octavia quickly replied, dodging the question.

“Huh? I dunno. It’s like calling ponies ‘dude’, I just do it.”

Seizing the success of her distraction, Octavia suddenly realised there was actually a question she had been meaning to ask along this train of thought. “Vinyl, around when we were first getting to know each other, we had a conversation about nicknames. Do you remember it?”

“I thought you wanted me to pretend it didn’t happen?” retorted the grinning DJ.

Giggling, Octavia hopped off the bed and walked over to her fillyfriend. She smelt of soap and flowers, as well as another scent she couldn’t quite name; a sort of sweet muskiness. “Well, things have changed a little bit since then, don’t you think?”

As expected, Vinyl quickly leaned in for a peck. “Just a bit.”

“I was just thinking about how we never really gave each other nicknames.”

The unicorn frowned. “Do we really need ‘em? I kinda like saying ‘Octavia’, and hearing you say my name is like finding the perfect sub-bass.”

Octavia raised her eyebrows. She had learned a couple of little things about Vinyl’s music lately, and the enormity of such a compliment wasn’t lost on her. “That’s… Really?”

“Yeah. In fact,” Vinyl actually looked quite serious, so Octavia kept her mouth shut, “I wanna try and be romantic here, okay? Just stop me if I sound stupid. Alright.” She seemed to mentally psych herself up. “I haven’t given you a nickname… ‘cause I can’t think of one that would do you justice. There’s only one word that really fits you, y’know? Only one word that can capture everything you are, all your perfection and grace and kindness. Calling you by anything other than your name would be wrong, like calling a beautiful lioness a cat or something. I don’t know. This all sounded way better in my – mmfgh!”

Octavia wasn’t about to let her gorgeous, silver-tongued mare spiral into self-doubt. The fluttery feeling in her chest that always appeared when they were together had intensified tenfold during those heartfelt words. Seeing the usually-cocky DJ trying earnestly to be romantic just for her sent her mind reeling with happiness.

She could feel Vinyl’s mouth smiling into the kiss and couldn’t help but do the same. When they broke apart, Octavia rested her cheek against its alabaster counterpart. “You never cease to amaze me,” she whispered.

“And I never will,” Vinyl promised.

---

It was with an understandable sense of regret that she left Octavia in her dorm. Vinyl found it easy to forget that this whole ‘university’ thing actually required a bit of attention. Now that she had the most amazing, awesome, beautiful, perfect, incredible marefriend ever, the other parts of her life seemed rather lacking in interest. Why study or attend lectures when she could hang out with Octavia?

Luckily, the knowledge that if she failed her classes the repercussions might end up hurting their relationship kept her in line… for the most part.

Today, the DJ had made the executive decision to skip her drawing class without telling her cellist. Yes, she still packed up her drawing equipment and left, but her destination was quite far removed from the art buildings.

Indeed, rather than heading toward that colourfully bland district, she took a wide circuit of the campus, rounding back on the maintenance area… and a specific building nearby.

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

This is so stupid.

What do I even need his advice for? He practically tortured us for fun!

Okay, so maybe I owe him a little bit, but…

She groaned in frustration and summoned the courage to enter the reception area. While trying to remain both nonchalant and unnoticeable, she walked over to the counter. Behind it, a bored-looking mare spared her a derisive glance. “Be with you in a moment.”

While she was a little taken aback by such a flat greeting, Vinyl understood. Working in an office all day must kill any happiness a pony has, she figured. In that frame of mind, she actually felt a little sorry for the mare.

Fifteen minutes later, she felt a lot less sorry for the mare.

“Uh, excuse me, are you almost done?” Vinyl asked, stretching her hooves, which had begun to ache from standing still for so long.

“I said I would be with you for a moment,” was the harsh reply.

Vinyl backed away defensively. “Whoa there, no need for that. I’ll just… wait over here.” She walked over to a chair and sat down.

I bet Octavia wouldn’t take that kind of crap. She’d say something really clever and make that dumb office slug stammer and apologise.

Lost as she was in revenge fantasies that were becoming increasingly violent, Vinyl almost didn’t notice when she was waved over.

Waved over! Like a pet or something!

Baring her teeth in what she hoped looked like a smile, Vinyl walked back to the counter.

“What can I do for you?” asked the receptionist in a monotone voice.

“Uh, I wanna make an appointment with Psych. Y’know, the student councillor.”

“Let me check his schedule.” Out came a stack of papers, which she leafed through at an infuriatingly slow speed. “Oh, lucky you, he has a slot open right now,” the monster informed her without the slightest tonal shift, before returning to her work.

Vinyl glanced around at the unmarked doors and hallways. “Uh, where is he?”

“In his office.”

“Where’s that?”

Heaving an exasperated sigh, the receptionist pointed at a stairwell. “Up there, last door on the right.”

“…Thanks.” The DJ ground her teeth as she climbed the short flight into a hallway. What kind of pony would get a job where she had to help others when she clearly had a personal grudge against life itself? Oh, if only she were Octavia! That mare knew how to deal with ponies who were less than good-natured.

Like that time they ran into Bonbon in that café. Her cellist had been amazing then! And Vinyl still hadn’t thanked her properly. Well, if everything went smoothly later, maybe she could thank her in a way that they would both enjoy…

And just like that, all negative thoughts were banished from her head and replaced by flustered giddiness. They would actually be talking about it later on! And maybe… maybe even…

“Are you going to stand there all day, or what?” asked Psych, raising an eyebrow.

Vinyl suddenly realised she was standing in the doorway of his office. “Uh, sorry. I was sorta lost in thought.”

I’m such an idiot sometimes.

“Not a problem. I don’t suppose those thoughts involved a certain somepony, did they?” He grinned.

“Hey, no mocking! What happened to being professional?” She dodged his question, though her blush answered him very clearly.

“I’m professionally mocking you.” When she glared at him, he responded with a knowing smirk. “So you’re not here to talk about Octavia, then?”

Vinyl opened her mouth to shoot back a fiery denial, but all that came out was a tired groan. “Fine. You win. Are you happy?” She closed the door and trudged over to the empty chair on the opposite side of his desk.

Psych frowned at her expression. “Well, no, not anymore. What’s wrong?”

“It’s… uh… personal stuff.”

Oh Celestia why did I come here? Now I have to actually talk to him about it!

He snorted. “Vinyl, I’m a psychologist. A grown stallion once told me, in graphic detail, about his obsession with a cartoon made for little fillies. There are some strange, twisted ponies out there, and I very much doubt anything you say will make me think you are one of them. Just trust me.”

Feeling slightly more confident that she wasn’t a weirdo, Vinyl took a deep breath, but still couldn’t meet his eyes. “Me and Octavia… later today… are gonna talk about… sex.”

“I see.” He leaned back and scratched his chin thoughtfully.

“Yeah…”

“And how do you feel about that particular topic?”

“I-I don’t know. Nervous.” She lowered her gaze even further. “Excited,” she whispered.

“Why does that make you feel ashamed?” he asked quietly.

Vinyl didn’t bother asking how he knew that. Heck, it was probably written all over her face. “I’m not sure. It just seems like such a big thing and I dunno if I’m…”

“If you’re what?” Psych leaned forward smoothly, like a predator spotting an opportunity.

“Good enough,” she finished, surprising herself. “I don’t think I’m good enough for Octavia.”

It was a startling realisation. Sure, she occasionally thought like that, but… well, maybe more than occasionally… okay, a lot more than occasionally. But still! Finding out it ran this deep was troubling.

She rubbed her face tiredly. “I’m gonna end up with a complex or something, aren’t I?”

Psych smiled comfortingly. “I don’t think we need to worry about that. You don’t think you’re good enough for Octavia because you feel as though you are inferior to her, correct?”

“Yup. She’s frickin’ perfect, dude.”

“Did you know that feelings of inferiority in young relationships are common? Especially in the lead-up to the first sexual encounter. Please tell me you two haven’t been constantly teasing each other. That would only exacerbate the problem.”

“Well… uh…” She reddened even more. “It’s too tempting, alright?! Don’t judge me, she’s so pretty!”

“I’m not judging you, but you may have brought these feelings of inferiority on yourself. Tell me, does she ever tease you?”

“Yeah.”

“Is she good at it?”

Vinyl swallowed. “Very.”

“Do you think she’s better than you at it?”

“Way, way better.”

“Have you caught on to where I’m going with this yet?”

“Huh?”

Psych looked at her seriously. “Simply because you’re reciprocating each other’s flirting, you’re both going to wonder if you are keeping up or ‘doing it right’. The stakes are absurdly raised, and you soon find yourself trying harder and harder to impress or seduce her, while she seems to just do it effortlessly.”

“It all comes so naturally to her,” Vinyl grumbled.

“You know her, you know her history. Do you think she has had extensive training in seduction?”

“Well… I guess not…”

“Do you know what that means?”

“She’s… probably trying just as hard as I am.”

“Bingo.” The stallion smiled.

Vinyl raised her eyes for the first time. Was it possible that the super-smooth enchantress thing was just Octavia trying her best to flirt with the first pony she had ever wanted to flirt with? That natural confidence and power… it wasn’t natural at all. She was forcing Octavia to act like that. Right?

“So I’ve been controlling how she acts?” The DJ felt guilt course through her. “What kind of fillyfriend am I?!”

“Don’t worry, it’s perfectly natural.  She has been controlling you too, but in neither way is it an extreme level of influence. It’s more of a subconscious, sexually-themed one-upping competition, as is common in brand new relationships.”

That made her feel a little better. “So… what do I do about the talk then? We’ve been leading each other on for weeks.”

Psych looked a little hesitant, but after a moment he cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “I’m going to be very frank here, Vinyl. Sometimes it’s the best way to cut straight to the heart of a matter… and sometimes it shocks the subject so much that they file a complaint. I think you can take it, though.”

“Uh, okay. Shoot.”

“Do you want to have sex with Octavia?” Her jaw dropped and he quickly added, “You don’t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable. Celestia knows I’m still not comfortable talking to kids about… wait, you’re eighteen, aren’t you?” Vinyl nodded numbly and he cheerfully clapped his hooves together. “Never mind, I’m perfectly comfortable talking to adults about this stuff.”

“Yes.”

“Hm?”

“Yes,” Vinyl repeated, unable to stop a shameless grin from forming.

“Oh. Are you certain?”

“Very.”

“And if Octavia isn’t ready, what will you do?”

She shrugged. “Wait.”

Psych hated having to be the one to explore all possibilities, but he knew Vinyl needed to be ready for whatever came of their talk. “And if she is never ready?”

Vinyl Scratch looked at him and smiled. “Wait forever.”

---

Octavia held her breath as her fillyfriend opened the door and walked inside before carefully closing it behind her. She watched Vinyl dump her bags on the ground without looking and make a beeline straight for her.

As she had seen Vinyl do before, she patted the mattress she was lying on, and the DJ didn’t hesitate before hopping up beside her.

“How were your classes?” she asked the unicorn conversationally.

“Interesting, for once. I actually learned some stuff.” Vinyl smiled. There was something about her body language that seemed so calm and self-assured. Not cocky, for once, just… content. As if she was just happy to be with her, no matter what they talked about. It filled her chest with warmth.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Do you want to talk about it now?” asked Vinyl, still completely unfazed.

“I suppose we should.” Octavia wished, as she had done a million times before, that she could be that carefree. Vinyl seemed to be about to take the lead in the conversation, so she refrained from adding anything. She had no idea what to say, anyway.

“Have… have you ever thought about doing it? With me?” Vinyl stumbled over her words a little bit. Maybe not as carefree as Octavia had thought.

“Y-yes,” the cellist replied in a small voice. Seeing how those garnet eyes lit up at her words, she continued. “Um, quite a lot. I… I can’t stop.”

“Me too.”

They looked at each other, really looked. Each was surprised to see the other wearing the very same mask of strained calm that they were struggling to present. In that one look, everything that needed to be said was spoken. They smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss.

“It doesn’t have to be today,” Vinyl said. “I’m not in a rush.”

“I don’t want to schedule it,” Octavia added. “Let’s just wait and let events unfold naturally.”

“Yeah.”

“Quite.”

The cellist and her DJ looked around the room, not really focusing on anything. Octavia counted the seconds as they passed, five, wondering what in Equestria they were going to do, eleven, with the rest of a perfectly good, sixteen, obligation-free afternoon.

“Is now good?” she asked.

If you don't mind sex scenes, the chapter continues here.

We have another bit of music by Ponybro100 so show him some love!

This chapter was stuck at around 400 words for a couple of weeks, so it was a relief to finally make some progress and get it done.

No crazy-long author’s notes today, only a request.

Continue being awesome!

EDIT: I can't believe I have to actually add this, but the little joke about stallions who like shows for little fillies being sick and twisted is a joke. I am quite clearly a brony. Why would I hate myself and my readers?

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

-----

Octavia awoke in the early hours of the morning, leaving her feeling rather disoriented at the sight of darkness outside the window. The air held a feeling of stillness, as if the world was waiting for everypony to wake up before time resumed. Their room was light enough to see more than silhouettes, yet dim enough to rob everything of colour. Everything, that is, except the bright blue mane belonging to the mare beside her.

Vinyl was snoring softly, a dopey smile on her lips. As the cellist shifted to see her better, she found out why. One of her fillyfriend’s hooves was resting gently against a very private area… belonging to Octavia.

Blood filled her cheeks as she remembered exactly what transpired yesterday afternoon. So many things had been whirling through her head, so much heat and emotion and pure, unbridled release… the very memory was enough to get her heart racing. So she ignored the white hoof that had wandered too far, and snuggled closer to her lover.

That was what they were now, wasn’t it? She would check with Vinyl later, but it sounded right. Lovers. It was such a nice word. It made her feel like part of something bigger than herself, as if she had joined the elite ranks of ponies who do things with other ponies.  Even more than that, it made her feel as though she was now half of a whole, like she and Vinyl were a single unit.

But as much as she liked the sound of that, she decided she wouldn’t phrase it quite like that if she told Vinyl how she felt. What if she scared her away by being too serious about it? What if the DJ just wanted to party a little bit? A lot of ponies did that these days.

I am not going to destroy my first relationship with my own social ineptitude!

Vinyl deserved better than that. The cellist narrowed her eyes resolutely. She would be the greatest damn lover in existence! Once she had some time alone, she decided that a major study session was in order, and not one bit of it would be related to ancient treaties. It was time to put her array of effective study strategies towards something that actually mattered.

With a little snort, Vinyl blinked awake. She had the unseeing gaze of somepony who hadn’t fully regained their senses yet, and it looked positively adorable. The unicorn shifted slightly and raised a hoof to wipe a little trail of drool from the corner of her mouth. Octavia’s eyes widened.

“Oh, hey Octavia,” slurred her oblivious lover.

“Hi.”

“C’mere, you look cute.” Vinyl slipped a hoof around Octavia’s neck and pulled her in for a short smooch. Finally, the DJ woke up enough to realise that her fillyfriend was bright red. “You okay? Or – oh wait…” Octavia could almost see the events of last night replaying over Vinyl’s eyes. “Sweeeeet.”

Despite her embarrassment, the cellist found the strength to shove her partner in the chest.

“Oof!” Vinyl winced but still grinned. “So you like it rough, huh?”

The second shove sent the white mare straight off the bed.

“Ow!” Barely three seconds passed before two red eyes peeked cheekily over the edge of their bed. “So you like it really rough, huh?”

“Vinyl! Can we just try to be serious for a few moments?” Octavia sat up and crossed her hooves.

“Hey, you’re the one who pushed me off the bed.” The unicorn climbed back onto the sheets and sat beside her cellist. At first her expression was one of playfulness, but it quickly dropped into a more solemn look under Octavia’s gaze. “Hey… you’re not, like, freaked out about last night or anything, are you?”

“Well, no, it was rather… um,” she put on her best Vinyl impression, “sweeeeet. I just… wanted to talk about it.”

Vinyl scratched the back of her head guiltily. “Sorry. I just remembered what happened and got kinda excited. But you’re right, we should talk about it.”

“I hate to look a gift monkey in the mouth, but… I like you too much to risk ruining this.”

Quickly leaning forward to hug the grey mare, Vinyl couldn’t help but chuckle at the similarity in their thoughts. “Trust me, if one of us is gonna mess up, it’s gonna be me.”

“I highly doubt that, especially after last night.”

Vinyl giggled. “So it wasn’t weird or anything? Cause if I did something dumb, you should probably tell me so I don’t do it again.”

“It was perfect, don’t worry. I do… um… feel rather bad that you didn’t–”

An insistent knock on the door broke through their private moment, and Octavia let out an annoyed groan.

“I’ll get it,” she grumbled, dropping off the bed and opening the door. Vinyl simply shrugged, as if to say ‘what can you do?’

In the hallway outside, a yellow unicorn mare was nervously pawing at the ground. “Hi,” she said with a strained smile.

“Hello… can I help you?”

“I’m not really sure how to say this, but… well, I live in the room next to you two, and I couldn’t help but, um, overhear you last night.”

A prickly heat crept up Octavia’s neck and settled behind her ears. Her face burned and for a moment she felt lightheaded enough to faint. “Oh,” she squeaked. “Is that so?”

“Yes. I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of casting a muffling spell on your door. I used to use it to listen to music when my parents were asleep… well, that’s not important. I just thought you two should know that the walls are pretty thin, and, um, you might want to be more careful.” The mare bit her lip and hesitated before continuing. “If your… friend is a unicorn, I could teach her the spell. If you want, I mean. Am I being too nosey?”

Octavia’s heart rate began to calm down. She didn’t know what she had been expecting to happen when somepony found out, but this was much more preferable to any of the vague negative outcomes her imagination had dreamt up. “Um… not at all.” She poked her head out into the hall and quickly checked either way. Thankfully, it was too early for anypony to be wandering around. “Maybe you should come inside.”

The neighbour bit her lip again but followed Octavia through the door, closing it behind her. Vinyl was relaxing on the bed in an overly casual pose, making it abundantly clear that she had been listening in. “Heeeeey…” she greeted awkwardly.

“Hi.”

“So… got a useful spell to teach me, huh?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Alrighty then.”

Octavia looked between the two unicorns and let out a very unrefined snort. She found pride in how quickly she pushed through her embarrassment, holding her head high and offering a shrug as explanation. “What? We’re all responsible ponies here. This shouldn’t be a big deal.” That was how adults did things, right? They didn’t get all flustered over sexual matters. Right? Yes, that sounded right.

It was amusing to note the speed at which both unicorns changed their attitudes. They stood straighter yet relaxed their shoulders in a probable attempt to emulate an adult at ease. Octavia found ‘adult’ Vinyl to be rather adorable, though of course she couldn’t say anything lest she break the illusion.

The accidental eavesdropper cleared her throat. “Yes, you’re right. We’re adults, there’s no need to be coy about this stuff.”

Octavia didn’t bother correcting her. The unicorns began to talk about magic, so she quickly tuned out. She had learned long ago that trying to understand magic was a fruitless endeavour. Explaining the arcane arts to an earth pony or pegasus was frequently equated with teaching a blind pony about colour. While a blind pony could grasp some concept of sight, the idea of different shades and hues hardly seemed possible.

Thoughts like these had occupied her mind a lot when she was younger. When there was little else to do but study (which was often, thanks to her non-existent social life), all subjects became fair game.

Octavia grudgingly recalled that she had gone through a rather obsessive magic-studying phase many years ago. She had told her mother and tutors that it had been because magic was incomprehensible to her, but the truth was far simpler and infinitely more shameful.

Magic could do a lot of things. It could change a pony, change her surroundings, maybe even take her far away from those surroundings. It seemed like a miracle fix for every problem. The worst part was reading about all the amazing feats that could be accomplished with magic and knowing she would never be able to do them because she was unfortunate enough not to be born with a sharp extra bone on her head.

A teleportation spell, for when she didn’t want to go back to the psychologist, or a summon spell, for those long summer weeks without anypony to talk to. There had been unicorns on the staff in her family estate, but they weren’t allowed to do tricks or talk for too long. Most were cleaners, using their talents to expunge every iota of dirt from each room.

And so she had spent many evenings in silent envy of the unicorn race. She even went so far as to wonder if all three races were truly equal. That was one of the few secrets she hadn’t minded discussing with a professional.

Over time the feelings faded, especially when she was allowed to go to school and observe how the other students didn’t seem to care about any perceived differences. Maybe her thoughts had been the result of seeing society from outside it, rather than from within?

“…and if you need to make it for a larger or smaller area, you just redo the start again,” finished the neighbour.

“I gotcha.” Vinyl reddened slightly. “It’s… been a while since I’ve bothered to learn any new spells.”

“That’s fine. Most unicorns don’t bother with anything more than telekinesis.” She stuck out a hoof. “I’m Leafy, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

Vinyl grinned and bumped the hoof with her own. “Vinyl Scratch. Also DJ Pon-3, but it’s been a while since I’ve had a gig.”

“No, I remember you. The Drowned Town club was your regular place, wasn’t it?”

Octavia smiled at the way her DJ’s eyes lit up.

“Yes! I always had my setup on the inner ring! Were you there when I last played?”

“Yes, I was on the outer ring. Did they make you pay for the subwoofer?”

“Nah, I weaselled out of it. They took money out of my pay to fix the lights though. Jerks.”

Leafy giggled and turned to Octavia. “And it’s also nice to meet you…”

“Octavia. And it’s my pleasure.” She extended a hoof as well. “Honestly, I’m surprised we haven’t met before, considering you’re right next door.”

Shrugging, Leafy turned to leave, revealing her cutie mark as a short green wand with a six-pointed star on the end. Octavia wasn’t sure what to make of it, but some ponies considered it rude to ask what a cutie mark meant, so she kept her lips sealed. “Well, if I didn’t weird you out too much, we could hang out sometime. If you want.”

Vinyl cast a questioning glance at her cellist, and, upon receiving an approving smile, floated her phone from across the room. “Sounds good to me. What’s your number?”

Once the details had been exchanged and Leafy was gone, Vinyl turned to Octavia with a thoughtful expression. “We don’t hang out with many other ponies, do we?”

“No, I suppose we don’t.”

The DJ scratched the back of her head, looking oddly guilty. “Y’know, I didn’t talk to many other ponies back when we were just friends. I kept worrying about whether we would see less of each other if we found other ponies to chill with.” Before Octavia could open her mouth to commiserate, Vinyl let out a devious giggle. “But now that we live together, you have to hang out with me no matter what! It’s the perfect trap.”

Octavia joined in the giggling and kissed the unicorn on the cheek. “What can I say? You make very enticing bait.”

It took a few seconds of blushing for Vinyl to remember where she was going with this. “Yeah, anyway, now that we know we’ll see each other all the time, we should start building a group or something. Otherwise how will we have parties?”

“I’m in no position to turn down more friends. After all, look how my first one turned out!”

Vinyl stepped closer and affectionately rubbed her cheek against Octavia’s. “You better not sleep with every friend you make. You’ll get a reputation.”

“Oh, shush.”

---

The next couple of days passed in a haze of self-indulgent bliss. Despite their mutual agreement to start making new friends and expand their social circle, it was hard to break the routine of waking up, getting breakfast together and attending classes, then spending the rest of the day wandering the city or simply lounging around at home.

Indeed, as evening approached and Vinyl led the way back through campus after another successful dinner date, she couldn’t think of a better use of her time. They could make friends and stuff later, but right now, they were content to simply enjoy their time together.

It was an odd feeling, being content. She let herself hesitantly start to believe it was here to stay, and for now nothing had proven her wrong.

They hadn’t tried the whole ‘making love’ thing again yet, but she wasn’t in a rush. That was one of the benefits of contentedness: feeling like she had all the time in the world.

“Maybe next time we should try that ‘couple’s special’ again,” she suggested innocently.

Octavia quirked an eyebrow and smiled knowingly. “I assume you just miss the taste, yes? You wouldn’t happen to be suggesting it because of the… effect it had on us?” She bumped her hips against her DJ’s as they walked down the path to the student village. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she continued, “Because you should know by now that such aids are completely unnecessary.”

Vinyl smirked. “Well somepony’s feeling feisty tonight.”

As they approached the door to their building, it opened from the inside. A mint-green unicorn stepped out, looked around with a bored expression for a split second, and then froze at the sight of the couple, who immediately did the same. Before anypony could speak, Bonbon stepped out after Lyra and gasped in surprise at the sight of them.

Considering how friendly Bonbon had been the last time they spoke to her, Vinyl shouldn’t have been surprised to see the blue-and-pink-maned mare beaming as she trotted closer. “Gosh, you two are never home when I visit! Had a night out, did you?”

Vinyl couldn’t tear her eyes away from Lyra, who apparently felt likewise. Octavia stepped in to continue the conversation, wearing a friendly smile and looking a lot more comfortable than Vinyl was feeling.

“Why yes, we did. On Psych’s orders, of course.” As soon as Bonbon winced, Octavia let out a long sigh. “You told Lyra, didn’t you?”

“I’m so sorry!” The candy-marked mare rushed forward to hug Octavia apologetically.

Vinyl’s head snapped towards her and a low growl left her mouth. The three other ponies looked at her weirdly and she blinked in surprise, realising what she just did. Her fillyfriend was very clearly trying not to smile, and Bonbon wasn’t even trying. Lyra just watched with wide eyes, remaining neutral.

“Er… as I was saying, I’m very sorry. It was a moment of weakness. She promised not to tell anypony, though!”

“It’s alright, I understand. No secrets between friends, right?” Octavia replied, regaining a bit of her good mood at the lack of bad consequences so far.

“Yes, exactly.” Bonbon looked over her shoulder at Lyra, who had yet to look away from Vinyl. “Oh for Celestia’s sake, Lyra, stop gawking like a foal in a circus and come say hello!”

The unicorn jerked at the mention of her name, breaking free of the odd staring contest and walking over to stand beside Bonbon. She swallowed and nodded at the DJ opposite her. “Vinyl.”

The DJ in question nodded back. “Lyra.”

Bonbon looked exasperated. “Really, you two? This isn’t a duel.”

Rolling her eyes, Octavia decided to refocus the conversation before anything unfriendly began. Not that she was too worried; both unicorns were remaining quiet. “So what brought you here to see us so late?”

“Oh, yes! I almost forgot. Lyra has moved in with me into the flat above my shop, and also begun working there. With her help, it’s actually making enough money to live off. I don’t have to be a waitress at that other store anymore!”

Vinyl grinned evilly. “Moved in together, huh?” she asked Lyra, who raised a hoof defensively.

“It’s not what it sounds like. I’m straight as an arrow.”

“Yeah, me too.” Vinyl winked.

“I am!” Scowling, Lyra looked to her friend for support. “Tell her, Bon!”

After exchanging an ‘I can’t believe I have to actually do this’ look with Octavia, Bonbon nodded. “Yes, she is. Anyway, since none of that would have happened if it weren’t for the two of you, I wanted to invite you both back for drinks or something.”

“Thank you, but I can’t drink yet,” Octavia explained.

Lyra snorted. “Well there goes my number one theory on how she ended up with you,” she muttered off to the side.

“How ‘bout I theorise my hoof through your face?” the white unicorn hissed back.

They exchanged glares and looked away. Likewise, Octavia and Bonbon exchanged looks of worry.

“Lyra…” Bonbon said softly.

The mint green mare clenched her teeth and turned back to Vinyl. “I’m sorry.”

The DJ’s head snapped around. “Y’what?”

“I’m sorry. For what I said. It was mean.”

“Well… uh… no problem, I guess.”

Nodding in satisfaction, Bonbon returned her attention to the cellist. “It’s getting a bit late now, and we probably picked the wrong night to do it anyway. Just… if you ever need somewhere to go, our doors are open. The store isn’t difficult to find, I’ve used almost every trick in the psychology book to get ponies to notice it.”

Octavia smiled. “We’ll definitely come by soon. I’m so glad everything worked out.”

With her goal achieved, Bonbon started trotting away with Lyra following close behind. “Oh, and I extended the same invitation to Psych, so if you’re still hiding anything from him, you may want to approach cautiously,” she called over her shoulder.

As soon as they vanished out of sight, Vinyl led the way inside the building, rubbing at her eyes tiredly as she did. “So let me get this straight. Are we friends with them now?”

“It would appear so.” Octavia skipped a little bit with each step, a silly grin on her face. “That makes three new friends, including that Leafy mare. We’re making good progress!”

“Uh huh,” Vinyl replied uncertainly.

They climbed the stairs and went the short distance down the hallway to their room. As had become tradition, as soon as they made it through the door they collapsed onto the giant makeshift double bed with two big sighs.

Octavia wrapped her hooves around Vinyl’s waist and kissed her stomach twice before snuggling closer. “Isn’t everything just perfect, Vinyl? And we’ve still got a whole week before exams! We can go visit Bonbon’s shop tomorrow, see if Leafy wants to come into town the next day, buy Psych a big bouquet of flowers the day after that–”

Vinyl raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Uh, Octavia? What are you talking about? We had a whole week left. Today’s Sunday. Exams start tomorrow.”

The cellist’s eyes widened considerably. “Oh dear,” she squeaked.

A totally kickass piece of liquid dubstep was made by Princess Addictia! Charge! Fan stuff is always welcome, and I’ll happily plug it down here in the author’s notes.

This chapter goes out to PonIver, who doesn’t think he’s a good writer. You are. Shut up.

I wrote a silly rhyme for anyone who didn’t like Leafy. Enjoy!

(Also, we seem to be on a song streak here, the last few chapters have each had a song with them. Crazy, right? We’re going to have a full album at this rate!)

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

-----

The exterior of the exam centre was painted black. All the windows were covered on the inside by heavy blood-red curtains, preventing the milling crowd of students outside from seeing what horrors awaited them. An abstract sculpture was embedded in the ground near the doorway, in the form of a mare cowering from unseen foes. An icy wind picked up, shearing through what little clothing the students wore. From atop the building, a crow cawed harshly.

Octavia swallowed nervously, feeling very small in the shadow of such an imposing building. “It d-doesn’t really fill you with c-confidence, does it?”

“No,” Bonbon replied in a small voice. “No it doesn’t.”

“You two are such babies,” Vinyl muttered under her breath, earning a nod of agreement from Lyra. Things were still a little weird between them, but the looming exams had given them a shared purpose. Namely, keeping their friends from freaking out.

“I can fail this and still pass the unit,” Octavia squeaked.

“You’re not going to fail,” replied Vinyl flatly. “If worst comes to worst, we can have Psych pull some strings about the whole ‘discouraging you from studying’ thing.”

“I doubt even he could revert a bad grade.”

With an ominous creak, the door swung open. Unfortunately, rather than an eldritch creature dripping with the blood of innocent students, something infinitely more horrifying appeared in the doorway. A middle-aged stallion with thick black glasses and a light brown coat. His monotonous voice brought hush to the nervous rabble. “All the students taking the psychology exam, please follow me. No talking. Once the exam begins you will not be allowed to leave until it is completed or time runs out.” He turned and stepped back inside the building.

The front of the crowd drifted forward uneasily, none wanting to be the first through the door. Octavia’s breathing became shallow as Vinyl shuffled forward to follow them. The cellist’s hooves remained rooted in the ground, as rigid as tree trunks. “Vinyl!” she tried to call, but all that came out was another breathless squeak. Luckily, the DJ noticed she wasn’t following and doubled back.

“What’s up? C’mon, we gotta go in.”

“I can’t.” She hoped her wide eyes would be enough to convey her terror. Almost half the students were inside now.

“Yeah you can. Trust me. You’ll do fine.” Vinyl tried to summon a cocky grin, but seeing how worried her fillyfriend was made it difficult to smile.

Octavia grimaced. “I don’t feel well.” And she didn’t; her stomach churned and twisted, making her nauseous.

Vinyl frowned and raised a hoof to take Octavia’s temperature. Sighing, she let it drop to the ground. “It’s just nerves. I promise you, when you sit down and open the booklet, you’re going to feel really silly for being worried. You’ve got this, filly.” The unicorn looked back at the quickly-thinning group of students. Only a few dregs remained. “And… if worse comes to worst, look at me and wink three times, and I’ll… make a distraction or something that ruins the exam so you get to retake it.”

“You would do that?” Octavia asked incredulously. University exams were no laughing matter. They decided the future of many students, and ruining one would bring heavy consequences.

“For you?” Finally, Vinyl managed to crack a confident smirk. “Damn straight.”

The cellist barely resisted the urge to engulf her fillyfriend in a grateful hug and settled for a shaky smile. Just knowing that she had a way out, no matter how risky, helped ease her anxiety. “Thank you.”

The DJ puffed out her chest. “It’s my job. Now come on, let’s go wreck this thing.”

---

“I have failed everything, ever.” Octavia rested her head on the table and covered it with her hooves. The ambient noise of the university tavern did little to put her mind at ease. It was full of students with shaking battle-worn hooves and sunken eyes that had seen too much. Such was the hour after a university exam.

“Am I going to have to spend all night reassuring you?” Vinyl muttered, her patience having run dry in the first five minutes of the ordeal. “If anypony fails, it’ll be me. At least you have the brains to get a good grade.” The unicorn took a sip from her non-alcoholic cider and placed the mug back on the table before adding, “I kinda wish you’d used the escape plan. At least then I could chalk my bad score up to being crazy.”

“Oh, stop putting yourself down, it’s getting tedious,” Octavia snapped.

Vinyl glared at her and started to reply, only to catch herself and take a deep breath. “Babe, we’re stressed out. Let’s just try to forget about school and chill out, okay?”

“Oh Celestia, we have our musical theory exams in an hour!” the cellist exclaimed, abruptly sitting upright. “And then my history exam is an hour after that!”

In what was becoming a disturbingly common occurrence, Vinyl took the responsible role and pushed her own feelings aside in order to soothe Octavia. “Relax. Even though we’re studying different kinds of music, our exams are in the same room. I checked. We can do the same thing we did for psychology.”

“W-well what about history then?”

“I won’t be in there with you physically, but, uh, I’ll be there… in spirit?” she finished hopefully.

“I’m doomed,” came the muffled reply as head met table once more.

Vinyl sighed and looked across the crowded room. In a corner booth, Bonbon was slowly rocking back and forth while Lyra hugged her. It was tempting to yell another gay joke at them, but in the wake of the exam, she decided to leave the ceasefire unbroken. If they were a couple, cool. If not, cool. After all, wasn’t that how she wanted ponies to treat her own relationship with Octavia?

“Look on the bright side: it’ll all be over after today.” Smiling reassuringly, Vinyl reached across the table and touched Octavia’s right forehoof. “Just get through this day, and that’s it.”

The cellist looked up and hesitantly returned the smile. “I don’t suppose you have a spell that will take us to tomorrow morning?”

“Nope,” she lowered her voice, “But if you follow me back to our room, I can make time fly.”

Octavia giggled and nodded. “Okay then.”

It took a moment for the words to register in the DJ’s brain. “Wait, really? I mean, I was just trying to be cheesy, but if you want to…”

Her fillyfriend just kept smiling as she left the table. Vinyl almost knocked it over in her hurry to follow.

---

The atmosphere outside the building where the music exams would take place was much less foreboding than the psychology building. Either that, or the massive release of endorphins had given the couple rose-tinted vision. Regardless, the two mares felt absurdly confident as they waited for the door to open.

“We have this,” Octavia stated with determination.

“Got,” whispered Vinyl as she tried to scrub the remains of a blush from her cheeks.

“Hm?”

“It’s ‘got’. We got this.”

“But that doesn’t make sense. ‘Got’ is past-tense, and–” Octavia was saved from having to launch into a full explanation by the exam coordinator pushing open the door, waving once, and retreating inside without ceremony.

This time, the pair moved forward without hesitation. Just before they stepped inside, the unicorn nudged her fillyfriend. “Say it.”

“It’s wrong.”

“Just say it.”

Octavia sighed and tried to look annoyed, but she couldn’t help but smile as she replied. “We got this.”

“Damn straight.”

Inside, a maze of desks spaced evenly apart over a large hall greeted them. Upon each desk, a small booklet rested, just like last time. Without even saying anything, they quickly found the middle of the room, where the booklets marked ‘classical’ and ‘modern’ ran parallel. They took desks beside each other and watched as their fellow music enthusiasts shuffled into the room.

Music.

If there was one subject Vinyl and Octavia were prepared for, it was music. Vinyl knew exactly what she was good at and wasn’t afraid to shout it out loud. The much more modest Octavia was also not unaware of her own talent. It was undeniable after so many years and classes, but she would always hesitate before declaring herself the best, a trait her fillyfriend did not share.

Being aware of their skill did little to defuse the tension. If ever there was a way to truly determine if their confidence in themselves and each other was well-placed, it was with this exam.

Vinyl closed her eyes and cast her mind back to her final gig before the semester started. The lights, flashing and strobing in time with the beat, the dancers, throwing themselves around the floor in reckless, ecstatic abandon, and her mixing table, with all the switches in their perfect positions and the power of the world beneath her hooves. That was talent. Nothing her exam results said could ever convince her otherwise. She was the best damned DJ in the entire world.

Octavia, too, shut her eyes and sought reassurance from distant memories. Her first cello instructor, eyes watery with emotion as he watched her perform in her mother’s study. He had choked back tears and whispered with a cracked voice, “Perfect.” The little grey filly had smiled, her mother had frowned, and the instructor had been replaced. His words, however, and what they meant to her, could never be taken away. For the briefest moment, many years ago, she had been perfect.

Backed by the confidence their recollections gave them, the couple reached forward and opened their booklets as the timer began.

Octavia was the first to realise, but Vinyl followed only moments after.

I know this!

The questions seemed ludicrous, their answers obvious. Vinyl almost started giggling when she finished the first two pages in less than fifteen minutes. This was nothing! The psychology exam had been tough but fair, and she had expected the same here. For the first time in her life, she was annihilating an exam!

The unicorn looked around cheerfully to see if other ponies were having as much fun. Sweaty brows and nervous swallowing greeted her. One mare looked to be on the verge of tears as she skimmed through the later pages, clearly realising she was out of her depth. Vinyl just couldn’t bring herself to feel sorry for the others; she was just too happy.

Slowly, she turned to check on her cellist, hoping against hope that she was keeping cool. She really didn’t want to have to use their disruption plan, but if Octavia needed it…

The desk beside her was empty. The booklet, and her fillyfriend, were gone.

Vinyl’s heart sped up. She silently scanned the room, a heavy weight in her gut. If Octavia had run out of the room because she couldn’t handle her exam, Vinyl would need to go after her. But how did she get to the door without making any noise?

Her thoughts faltered as she spotted a grey flank near the front of the room beside the exam coordinator. Was she trying to talk her way out of doing the exam? Begging for more time to study? Vinyl felt like a failure, no matter how easy the questions were. She hadn’t made Octavia feel confident at all. She was supposed to look out for her fillyfriend and help her get through stuff like this.

Just as her smile began to slip away, a surprised voice echoed from the coordinator’s direction. “Already?”

A quieter, more eloquent voice replied. “I am as surprised as you are.”

The DJ’s fading smile reignited into a full-blown grin. Octavia wasn’t running away, she was handing in the exam. Internally, Vinyl whooped with joy.

That’s my filly!

Pride welled up in her chest, tempered by a little bit of shame that she had questioned Octavia’s willpower at all. Of course the cellist was fine; there should have never been any doubt. Well, Vinyl wouldn’t make that mistake again.

In an odd reversal of her highschool tests, she gleefully turned back to the booklet. The next few pages were no more challenging than the first. Even the long answer questions were easy. She could write books about this stuff, a single paragraph was no problem. Only another ten minutes passed before she trotted out of the exam centre with a huge grin and a beat to her step.

Octavia was waiting for her as expected, and the two almost ran to embrace. They bounced around in a circle on their back hooves, each holding the other upright.

“You were right!” the cellist yelled with a gleeful lack of composure. “It was so simple!”

“I knew you’d be fine, but damn, you were out of there in the first half an hour! You must have wrecked that test!” Vinyl was grinning so hard her cheeks ached, but she didn’t care.

They stopped bouncing and held each other close, both still on their hind legs in a very tall hug. “Thank you, Vinyl,” Octavia whispered. “I honestly don’t think I would have made it through the day without you.”

Chuckling softly, the DJ kissed her fillyfriend’s cheek. “Consider it... payback for that th-thing you did before we came down here.” She almost choked on her words, the memory brought back a lot of emotions that made it difficult to speak.

Twin pools of dark red appeared on Octavia’s ashen cheeks, yet she held Vinyl’s gaze steadily. “Well, I shall have to do it more often then.”

Vinyl swallowed. “I… uh, I think we should, uh, go eat.”

“Oh?” The cellist smiled coquettishly.

“Food! I mean food!” Damn it, now she was the one blushing.

“I’d love to, but I still have my history exam in a couple of hours.”

“Oh right, I forgot about that.” Vinyl pawed at the ground awkwardly. “Do you… still want me to wait outside for you?”

“Only if you want to.” She was feeling a lot more confident now, but the extra support couldn’t hurt.

A grin suddenly split the unicorn’s lips. “Yeah, I do.”

“Y’know,” a familiar voice piped up from nearby, “for a secret couple, you two are being pretty obvious.”

The couple realised they were still standing on their hind legs hugging, and quickly dropped down to all fours.

Ignoring the comment, Octavia smiled brightly. “Hello Bonbon! How did you find the psychology exam?”

The cream-coloured mare shrugged and inspected her left hoof. “It wasn’t too brutal, though if you could hear Lyra earlier you might think we were being assaulted.”

Vinyl chuckled. “Well, you know how students get. Some ponies really freak out before exams. Crazy, right?” She could feel Octavia’s unamused eyes on her.

Worth it.

Bonbon nodded in unaware agreement. “It’s silly, really. I mean, I was nervous, but it wasn’t debilitating or anything.” She jerked as a thought hit her. “Oh, I came over here to wish you luck in your music theory exams. Are they starting soon?”

Still half-scowling at Vinyl, Octavia raised her head proudly. “We’ve just finished, actually.”

“Really? That was quick.”

“We’re very good.” Octavia smirked.

Vinyl’s eyes widened. Since when does she boast? Not wanting to leave her cellist hanging, she added, “The best, actually.”

The candy-marked mare barked a laugh. “You sound like Lyra. She’s always going on about how she could wipe the floor with most music students, even though she’s not even studying it.”

Octavia cocked her head curiously. “I was wondering about that. Why isn’t she?”

Waving a hoof dismissively, Bonbon began to move away. “Long story. Anyway, I’ll see you both later. I’m meeting her back at the shop.”

With their short rendezvous at an end, the couple meandered through the campus to the grassy court. The trees were grey with cold, and the grass was soft and slowly dying, yet study-weary students still lay scattered around the area, sleeping, talking, or simply enjoying the rare sunlight peeking through overcast skies.

Even a couple of teachers were sprawled out on the huge court. Education was exhausting on both ends, it seemed. A frizzy-maned psychologist was lying against a tree reading from a stack of gossip magazines, completely undisturbed by the giggles he elicited from passer-bys. For a moment, Octavia considered going over to talk with him, but thought better of it. They wouldn’t be able to say much in public anyway.

Vinyl must have been thinking the same thing, because she instead led the way to a clear spot in the grass and sat down wordlessly. The cellist joined her, sitting close enough that their hind legs were just touching. Vinyl’s hoof twitched, and Octavia knew without asking that her fillyfriend was resisting the urge to put a hoof around her. As much as she wanted to feel that comforting warmth, they had been far too obvious lately, so she didn’t question Vinyl’s self-control.

The only sounds were the dull murmur of conversation and the trudging of hooves on grass. Octavia felt her head getting heavy and even the thought of her impending history exam did nothing to boost her energy. The day felt as though it should have ended a few hours ago. All that stress and worry (not to mention their extra-curricular activities) had left her as exhausted as a marathon runner. Surely it would not be frowned upon if she fell asleep out here next to Vinyl?

Vinyl asked something, but Octavia’s eyelids were drooping, and her head slowly sank sideways to lean against the warm white mare. The DJ looked down at her lover, around at the other ponies, then back. Nopony was even paying any attention to them.

So, completely vulnerable yet invisible, Vinyl decided to let her guard down, and rested her head against Octavia’s. Finishing their music exam early had given them the virtue of time, a fact for which the unicorn was now infinitely grateful. Slowly, her eyes closed.

---

The estate staff threw themselves out of her way as she marched down the hall. A passing wall-sized mirror showed only a flash of dark blue as she passed. The carpet beneath her hooves was soft and yielding, a complete contrast with the owner. Guests would feel at home when they stayed here, safe, unguarded. Everything, from the warm glow of the lights to the unconfronting shade of pale blue on the walls, was designed to put ponies at ease.

At the end of the hall, she pushed through a grand double door into her bedroom. The term ‘luxury suite’ didn’t even begin to describe it, but she swept past the priceless decorations and made straight for her dresser. The wood was polished and old, carved by expert hooves, but it was the items atop the dresser that held her attention.

A small, ornate jewellery box and three framed pictures, one of which was face down. She spared a glance at the middle portrait, admiring her own sky blue coat, and a shorter glance at the one on the right, where a dull grey filly stared back at her uncomfortably. The face-down frame was ignored entirely.

She opened the jewellery box with a single, perfectly sculpted hoof, and retrieved its contents with another. An impressive silver necklace with an azure gem. She slid it around her neck with practiced ease, and smiled with satisfaction when the latch locked immediately.

Hesitant knocking from behind her quickly destroyed that smile. She turned quickly, ignoring the way her mane flicked in the opposite direction. “Yes?” she asked expectantly.

A member of the estate staff, a timid young mare with an hourglass on her flank, swallowed nervously before replying. “W-we’ve begun packing everything as you requested, madam.”

“Good.”

The mare made no move to leave. “May I ask a question?”

“You may.”

“Why are you going to Manehattan now of all times? The cold season approaches, and from what I recall, Manehattan winters are very unpleasant. Wouldn’t it be best to wait for summer to come around again?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting I miss my daughter’s eighteenth birthday?”

IT BEGINS

Keeping with our unbroken streak of having a new song every chapter, we have a sweet piece of electronic music by DJ Crash!

This chapter goes out to Nick, Future Wonderbolt, for his awesome bit of fanart, and to Pastel Pegasus for his birthday! Sorry I’m late!

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

-----

Vinyl woke from chilly tendrils of air brushing against her cheek. She shivered and tried to sink deeper under the covers, but the movement only brought the cold wind to the rest of her body. With an angry grunt, she threw the covers aside and sat up to find the source of her discomfort. It wasn’t difficult; all the light in the room came from the window, drawing her eyes like moths to a flame.

The window was wide open, letting all the heat escape into the atmosphere. Octavia stood in front of it, her face out of view as she peered out at the not-so-distant campus. Her charcoal mane and tail swayed gently in the light breeze, yet she didn’t seem even remotely bothered by it.

Seized by a curiosity that stifled her shivers, Vinyl slipped out of their makeshift double bed and trotted quietly over to her fillyfriend. Upon closer inspection, Octavia’s eyes were wide open in an attempt to absorb as much light as she could.

“Babe?” whispered Vinyl, placing a hoof on her cellist’s shoulder.

The mare in question giggled, a smile spreading across her face like fire in a hearth. “Look at the city, Vinyl. Isn’t it lovely?”

For the first time that morning, Vinyl looked out the window. It took a moment for her to realise what had changed, but once she did, it seemed so obvious that she felt a little silly for not noticing earlier.

“Hot damn, that’s a lot of snow.”

Everything from the trees to the rooftops was covered in glistening whiteness, fresh from a night of silent descent. Even the pegasus-exclusive buildings above were coated in snow that had fallen from clouds even higher than theirs. Some ponies were already out there pushing big plows to get the paths clear before the day truly began.

Outside the campus, the city of Manehattan grunted and groaned to life as dedicated unicorns and earth ponies set about pulling back the thick layer of snow, like taking the blanket away from an unwilling student before a day full of classes.

A few playful pegasi chased each other through the sky over the campus, their distant laughter giving the scene a cheerfulness that dispelled the usual uncomfortable nature of snowfall. The sight brought forth a few flickering memories from the back of Vinyl’s mind. She remembered playing in the street with her neighbours, using her magic to form the snow into funny shapes. Shock rippled through her as she realised those days were over ten years ago.

Swallowing back her uneasiness at the realisation, she tried to distract herself with monotony.

Right, what’s on the agenda?

Well, she thought, first they would need to get some breakf– Oh sweet Celestia, it’s Octavia’s birthday tomorrow and I don’t have a present!

Panic shot through her body and she stiffened visibly, eyes bulging. Almost immediately, the rational part of her brain (which had been growing stronger as of late) kicked in and reminded her that she still had an entire day to find a gift. Her limbs relaxed and she almost sank to the floor in tentative relief. Yes, there was still the matter of finding a suitable gift, but how hard could that be, really?

Vinyl glanced towards Octavia to see if she had noticed her little panic attack. It was difficult to tell, however, as the grey mare was no longer there. The sound of water splattering against tiles reached her ears, presenting the answer to her unasked question. It seemed Octavia had left Vinyl to enjoy the view while she got ready.

The unicorn smirked; luck seemed to be on her side today. She quickly trotted over to some school supplies and found a pen and paper. Thinking quickly, she quickly wrote a vague note explaining that she had to go out for a while. It wouldn’t hold up in court, but it would be enough to get her a few hours of present-hunting.

With the note left noticeably on the bed, Vinyl slipped on her greyish-purple boots and beanie and darted out the door. As she trotted down the hall, she wondered if Octavia was just now exiting the bathroom and reading the note. A slight panic overtook Vinyl’s motor functions, making her leap down the first short flight of stairs in the stairwell without a single glance. Thankfully, nopony was in her way this time. Her glorious escape from beneath the eyes of the Sexy Cellist Regime was complete.

She thanked the stars that their room’s window didn’t overlook the path leading back to the main campus as she shuffled down it. The boots helped, but nothing was truly safe from Manehattan weather. The cold seeped in slowly as she walked, though her body heat kept it from getting to her hooves at least.

The beanie, meanwhile, worked like a charm. Vinyl’s head was kept in a fuzzy warmth that brought a sheepish smile to her lips. Sheepish, mainly because she should have chosen a gift weeks ago.

Octavia’s my fillyfriend now! I can’t afford to forget this stuff!

Vinyl would never forgive herself if the relationship was hurt by something as stupid as her bad memory. She paused at the university’s main entrance to steady herself. Just thinking about what she had with Octavia being hurt in any way was enough to make her feel a little ill. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the word ‘lovesickness’ was being tossed around a lot. It was a silly thought, but part of it struck a chord with her. Namely, the first syllable.

Shaking her head violently, Vinyl refused to be side-tracked. Somewhere out in the city, the perfect gift was waiting. All she had to do was take the first steps.

---

The train rumbled along in a most undesirable way. The elegant mare shivered distastefully at the thought of her valuable luggage being tossed around by the vibrations. There was some very expensive jewellery in there. Nothing from her main collection, of course (this occasion was important, but not that important), but some tertiary pieces that would suffice if she needed to dress up. For now, she simply wore her signature silver necklace, embedded with a stunning blue gem and speckled with gold.

Another round of violent shaking set her teeth on edge. Tertiary or not, her luggage was still extremely valuable. There were some fine dresses and scarves in there as well. No gifts, of course, not yet. There was a lot of evaluation that needed to be done before she would even think about rewarding her daughter.

Sighing as the shaking ceased, she turned her attention to the window. A light flutter of snow was descending, and the landscape grew whiter by the second. She nodded in satisfaction. Manehattan was close.

---

Vinyl stepped out of the shop, feeling disheartened. It was the fifth time she’d done that in the past couple of hours. Each store was packed with baubles and trinkets of a thousand different kinds, but she still couldn’t find anything suitable. Even the more expensive gifts just didn’t seem like enough. After all, Octavia had probably grown up with gem-encrusted toys and jewellery. These things would just seem like cheap sparkly stones to her.

She rubbed her forehead in frustration. How do I buy a gift for somepony who grew up with everything? Not to mention she wasn’t exactly rolling in bits at the moment. She almost regretted all those nights they had gone out for dinner. Almost.

A childish gasp of wonder came from nearby. Vinyl turned around and saw a young filly poking at a yellow-and-pink-striped streamer wrapped around a pole. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the streamer led to a bench, then to another pole. A few more ponies were standing near it, exchanging curious theories.

Vinyl trotted to the other pole, following the streamer with her eyes. It traced a path along the street, between lights and bins and any other object that was tall enough for it to be attached to. She followed it (along with a growing number of interested ponies) much like a cat would a piece of yarn being dragged across the ground. After a few moments of this, she sheepishly chided herself for such foalish behavior. She had business to attend to!

But… as much as she wanted to get back to gift hunting, she really wanted to see where the streamer was going. So she quickly jogged after it, fully intending to return to the matter at hoof once her curiosity was satisfied.

The colourful lead reached an end at a festive-looking light pole. Tinsel and little floating pom-poms orbited around it, bathed in a faint mint-green glow. A couple of other curious commuters had stopped to investigate the odd sight.

“Is there a holiday coming up that I’ve forgotten?” asked one old mare as she balanced three shopping bags on her back.

“Not that I recall,” answered a stallion in a suit.

A little blue filly squealed in excitement. “Look over there!” Everypony followed her gaze and found another decorated pole on a nearby street corner. Immediately, regardless of age, the group gleefully bounded over to it.

Attached to the new pole was another streamer, this time leading down a different street. There was a growing hum of commotion in that direction, indicating they were on the right track. Vinyl grinned, unashamed to be enjoying the little hunt. It reminded her of old pirate stories about looking for treasure by following a special map.

Once more, the group quickly trotted after the streamer, the older members caught between curiosity and reserved dignity while the younger members disregarded any pretence of disinterest, sprinting ahead to find the next trail. Vinyl joined them, reaching the next brightly-coloured pole only seconds after the kids.

This time, rather than being tied around the middle, the streamer was attached to the top and stayed out of reach as it crossed the road and connected to the top of a two story building on a street corner. A large crowd milled about in the street before it, and Vinyl noticed that there were several other streamers leading from other streets, all drawing ponies towards this building. They must be all over Manehattan!

The DJ pushed through the crowd, something she was no stranger to doing, and managed to reach the front. A double door dominated the front of the building, constantly held open by the unending torrent of ponies gushing in and out. The walls were painted the same colour as the streamers and poles, with bright patterns and eye-catching decorations everywhere. Above the door, a sign proudly proclaimed Bonbon’s Confectionary!

Vinyl’s jaw dropped. Such a massive commotion just for a candy shop? It was ridiculous. Yet, here it was, right in front of her. Ponies were entering with inquisitive expressions and leaving with bags of candy filled to the brim, chocolate smiles on every face. Whatever Bonbon and Lyra were doing, they were doing it right. Shrugging, Vinyl let herself get carried inside by the current of customers.

The interior of the shop’s ground floor was even brighter than expected, with pale cream-green walls and a number of extravagant displays of culinary creations. There was no doubt about it: Bonbon was a candy genius. Children ran amok in wondrous ecstasy, and adults desperately tried to retain their composure as they felt emotions they had almost forgotten; the desire to once again be a kid in a candy store. Magical displays floated above it all, colourful wrappers dancing around in formation, each of them carrying a faint hint of green haze.

The source wasn’t difficult to spot. Lyra walked along the outskirts, horn pulsing occasionally to touch up or adjust one of her spells. Vinyl would never admit it, but she was a little bit impressed by how many different spells were in motion, not to mention those in the streets outside. Lyra didn’t show any signs of exertion though, just a little smile that seemed a lot more natural than the smirks she used to wear.

Turning her eyes to the counter, Vinyl stood on her hind legs to see over the crowd. She felt a little bit like a meerkat, but it worked. Strangely enough, Bonbon wasn’t at any of the registers. They were being run by several teenagers seemingly straight out of highschool plus Carrot Top, who was apparently supervising them.

With no Bonbon in sight, Vinyl reluctantly picked through the crowd in Lyra’s direction. The mint-green unicorn noticed her approach and nodded in silent greeting.

“Hey there,” Vinyl said, struggling to raise her voice over the din. “Don’t suppose you know where Bonbon is, do you? I wanted to congratulate her.”

Lyra nodded. “She’s upstairs at the moment. Here, follow me.”

Without further ado, the DJ followed her behind the counter to a flight of stairs. They trotted up quickly, the noise not fading in the slightest, and slipped through the door at the top, closing it behind them. Even after that, the sounds from the floor below remained as loud as ever.

The top floor was much less extravagant than the shop below, instead looking more like a normal flat. It was a lot bigger than Vinyl’s old place, with a couple of bedrooms leading off from the main living area as well as a fully stocked kitchen. The floor was covered in a plain yet soft carpet and the furniture looked halfway decent. It was safe to say that Bonbon and Lyra were living very differently than the rest of the university students.

Bonbon was reclining on a couch reading, ear muffs strapped tightly to her head. Upon Lyra magically poking her, she sat up and uncovered her ears, wincing at the sudden return of noise to her world.

“Hi Vinyl!” she shouted slightly too loudly. “It’s great to see you, but I’m not sure we can have much of a conversation like this!” The cream-coloured mare looked helplessly at Lyra, who shrugged as if saying ‘what do you expect me to do?’

A light bulb flickered on in Vinyl’s mind. “Hang on, I’ve got an idea.”

She turned back to the door leading downstairs and jammed her eyes shut in concentration.

Now what did Leafy say?

She channelled magic into her horn, letting it drift within her shapelessly, then opened her eyes and focused on the door. The magic took form, slipping into and plugging not only the cracks at the sides of the door, but the impossibly small ones within the wood and surrounding wall itself. She looked around the room, painting the walls and floor with the spell, letting it infuse with the structure of the entire level and cutting it off from unwanted vibrations in the air.

It was a lot bigger than her home with Octavia so she was panting slightly at the end of it. The fact that she could hear herself breathing again was all she needed to know that she had succeeded.

“Better?” she grinned at the two stunned ponies.

“Much,” Bonbon whispered hoarsely.

Lyra frowned. “That was pretty good magic. I didn’t think about finding a spell to help with the noise.”

Vinyl shrugged, determined not to be a cocky jerk today. “Yeah, well, it would’ve been hard to keep it going while doing all those other fancy spells downstairs and outside. They were, uh, pretty impressive by the way.”

“…Thanks.” Lyra hesitated before continuing, but when she did she wore that little smile again. “Do you think you can teach me that spell? It could be useful for maintaining Bonbon’s sanity.”

Bonbon rolled her eyes. “We’ll look it up later, Lyra. Vinyl clearly didn’t come here to save us from the racket.” The business owner put her book down and trotted over to join them. “So what does bring you here today? I know I invited you and Octavia around here anytime, but you have the look of a mare on a mission, so it can’t be a casual visit.”

“It’s not.” Vinyl fidgeted a bit at having to explain herself in front of Lyra. This is going to take some getting used to. “Okay… well, it’s Octavia’s birthday tomorrow and I don’t have a gift. I came into town looking for one but I couldn’t find anything good enough. Then I got distracted by your streamers and found your store. At first I just wanted to congratulate you on how awesomely your shop is doing, but now that I’m here… do you two have any idea what I should get?”

Bonbon wore a thoughtful expression but Lyra was chuckling softly. “You waited until the day before to start looking for a gift?”

The DJ scratched the back of her head sheepishly. “I was… distracted.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet you were.”

Vinyl opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by Bonbon. “Oh, don’t start you two. You were doing so well. Vinyl, I’m guessing nothing in my store would really measure up to your fillyfriend, right?”

“Well… yeah, pretty much. No offense.”

“I understand. Have you considered that sometimes the best gifts aren’t ones you can buy?”

“You sound like the after-school special.”

Lyra snorted back laughter but quietened at Bonbon’s unamused gaze. “Well, they were onto something. Lyra knows what I’m talking about, why don’t you two go walking and discuss it?” Now the cream mare looked amused.

Her roommate looked as though she was about to protest before slumping and jerking her head at the door. “Come on, we might as well.”

Vinyl didn’t see this ending well, yet she followed the other unicorn downstairs regardless. Any progress was good progress… right?

The second they were outside of the spell, noise returned like a hurricane, making them both constantly wince as they pushed through the crowd and out the door. Only when they were a full block away did the sound fade enough to allow speech without shouting.

“I swear it wasn’t that loud when I first got there,” Vinyl exclaimed, rubbing at her ears as they walked.

“Probably the contrast. We went from dead silence to utter cacophony,” Lyra replied without breaking stride.

Who says ‘cacophony’?

“Uh, yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

For a while they simply walked through the cold streets, taking turns and following side streets that Vinyl had never seen before. It wasn’t technically an uncomfortable silence, just a strange one. She half-expected them to arrive back at the store and hear Lyra say ‘good chat’ or something.

Before she could voice her thoughts, they arrived at the entrance to a park. The snow wasn’t too thick yet and much of the ground was still uncovered, mainly the path. The trees were all blanketed in white and a few quiet couples took evening strolls through the pretty scenery. It was then that Vinyl noticed that time had slipped away from her yet again.

“Oh crap, the stores have all closed!” The orange setting sun seemed to taunt her for losing track of time.

“Relax. Do you remember what Bonbon said? Some things can’t be bought.” Lyra seemed perfectly comfortable even without any warm clothes on. After finding a deserted area, she suddenly stopped under a big white oak tree and turned to face the DJ. “So what do you see in her?”

“Huh?” Vinyl raised an eyebrow.

“Octavia. What do you see in her?”

“Come on, do you really want me to get all mushy in front of you?”

Lyra squared her shoulders. “Just say what you feel. I’ll endure.”

“Alright… well…” A gust of wind blew past, carrying the scent of wood fires. “I see… nothing in her. I’m not crazy about her because of any one trait or quirk. Those are like the individual notes in a song; alone, they are meaningless. But together, they make up her perfect melody. So it’s not what I see in her, it’s that I simply see her.” The DJ blushed.

After a moment of silence, Lyra cocked her head. “Her eloquence has rubbed off on you, I think.”

Vinyl grinned in pride, her cheeks still red from embarrassment. “Yeah, well, there was a lot of rubbing involved.”

Finally, Lyra cracked a smirk. “I’ll bet.” But her job wasn’t over, so she sobered up quickly. “You’ve confirmed something for me. I know what you can give to Octavia. I was worried at first that you had already given it, but now I know otherwise.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You love her, don’t you?”

“I…” Vinyl’s brain faltered for a moment before roaring back to life. “…I do.” She knew she was wearing the dumbest ‘deer caught in headlights’ expression, yet there was no escaping the shock. The word that had been trying to catch her attention all day had finally revealed itself.

“Have you told her that?” Lyra hinted with a smile.

“Not yet.” Vinyl was grinning so hard her cheeks ached. She desperately wanted to sprint back to the university, but there was one thing left to do. “Y’know Lyra, you’re alright.”

“You aren’t bad yourself, Vinyl.”

That was it. There was no need for anything more than that. Vinyl nodded once more, then ran.

The wind rushing through her mane, a perpetual grin on her lips, and the perfect confession of love brewing in the back of her mind.

Can’t buy that in a candy store.

---

The elegant mare held her head high against the cold breeze. The train station wasn’t exactly warm but anything was better than being outside on a day like this. Her luggage had already been loaded up and was on its way to the hotel, leaving her waiting for one of the notoriously unreliable Manehattan carriages to arrive. She had ordered one to arrive almost an hour ago, and there was still no sign of it. She would have to have a serious talk with the leader of the Transportation Committee.

After an eternity of waiting, a carriage finally pulled up to the pavement. It was a pathetic two-pony model pulled by a single brown-coated stallion. He seemed like he was about to nod respectfully to her. A flash of recognition glinted in his eyes, and he turned back to face the road without saying a word.

Her upper lip twitched distastefully. Such rudeness from the common folk was unacceptable. Clearly, Manehattan was going down the drain. After a moment of annoyed hesitation, she climbed aboard. “West Manehattan University. Don’t spare yourself.”

He snorted and began pulling. The pace was painfully slow, even for carriage travel. It seemed the driver was in no hurry, despite her instructions to the contrary. The sun had set and she was in some stupid tiny carriage being pulled around downtown Manehattan by an infuriating buffoon. He hadn’t said a word, yet she knew everything he was thinking. He probably hated her for being well groomed or some other little nicety they clearly didn’t have in this city. Celestia, she could smell the sweat on this stallion!

She was grateful for exactly one thing: that she had asked to go straight to the university instead of her hotel. The university was much closer to the train station, even with the driver taking a very creative route. The plan was initially to pick up her daughter and take her to the hotel to ‘reward’ her for such ‘good’ work. In actual fact, any true reward would have to wait until she had visited some contacts within the university and determined whether Octavia was deserving of a reward at all. That would all take place tomorrow, however. Tonight she simply intended to lightly question her daughter, nothing too serious, just in case she had done well.

That was, if the damn carriage got there before morning. She drew her phone out from within her mane, a childish yet effective storage system. With a sigh, she decided to make sure Octavia wasn’t out wasting time with her ‘friend’. A couple of contacts placed at the door to her dormitory should do the trick…

---

Octavia felt lost. She’d spent the entire day in their dorm room sitting around, reading and studying. Vinyl still wasn’t back. She checked the news on Vinyl’s computer a number of times out of worry, wondering if perhaps something horrible had happened–

Stop it shut up stop it!

It was only in Vinyl’s absence that she realised how much she had come to depend on her fillyfriend for everyday life. It was the first day in weeks that they hadn’t spent together. She simply didn’t know what to do.

The sun had set a couple of hours ago. Octavia thought about going to bed even though she knew she would be unable to sleep. Anything was better than just standing there waiting for the door to open.

She felt angry at herself. She felt pathetic. One day. I can’t make it one day without her. What does that say about my strength of character?

Her hind legs wobbled and she sunk down to a sitting position. Was there a word for complete emotional dependence on another pony? Perhaps I’m a parasite?

A clattering noise came from the window. Her ears pricked up and she glanced at the frosted glass, wondering if she had imagined it. A second clatter brought a hesitant smile to her face as she got up to investigate. She forced open the window with a little effort, watching little ice scrapings drop down to the snow. A weak yet impossibly cold wind sheared straight through her, sucking all the heat out in moments.

Until she noticed a unicorn wearing a greyish-purple beanie below, that was. Her heart beat faster at the mere sight of Vinyl, warmth returning to her limbs within seconds. “What are you doing down there?” she called with a half-giggle, her previous ponderings forgotten as things returned to normal – or at least as normal as they could be with Vinyl.

“Shh!” the DJ hushed her quickly. “Get your boots and scarf and stuff! Quick!” Vinyl seemed to be a little on edge, looking in every direction as if she was committing a crime.

Octavia frowned in confusion but followed her instructions, stuffing her hooves into her warm boots and wrapping a scarf around her neck before rushing back to the window. “What’s going on?” she said as quietly as she could while still making her voice reach Vinyl.

“There are some ponies at the entrance to the dorm who won’t let anypony in or out. They must be from campus security or something. Anyway, I’m busting you out!” The unicorn grinned.

Octavia wondered if they were on the same page. “Um, why?”

“I have a present for you. It’s almost midnight, so we need to hurry!”

Midnight? What does midnight have to do–

She relaxed slightly. My birthday. Oh, my sweet Vinyl.

“What do you want me to do?” she asked, utterly convinced to go along with whatever insane scheme her DJ had planned.

“Well, uh, I kinda need you to jump out the window.”

Alright, maybe not utterly convinced. “Are you serious?!” She was having a hard time keeping her voice quiet now.

“I’ll catch you! It’s just, I can’t get you out the front door, and this is the quickest way.”

Sweet Celestia, she’s serious!

“This… I don’t know, Vinyl, this might be a bit too much. I appreciate that you have something planned… but I… I don’t…”

“Do you trust me?”

She looked down from the window at the little red eyes staring straight back up at her. Octavia bit her lip and swallowed nervously.

The damn dating guides didn’t mention jumping out of a window!

Her legs tensed.

“With everything.”

She leapt straight out the window and jammed her eyes shut, waiting for gravity to tear her down to the ground and break every bone in her… Huh? Gravity was taking an awfully long time.

She opened an eye one millimetre and found a red one right in front of it, twinkling with amusement. With a start, she realised she was already on the ground below the window, completely unharmed.

“Come on, babe. Do you really think I’d ask you to do something like that if there was even the slightest chance it would go wrong?”

Octavia slipped her hooves around her lover’s neck and kissed her cheek. “How could you be sure?”

“I carried everything in my apartment across half of Manehattan the day I moved in, remember? Compared to that, you’re a feather.” Vinyl returned the hug happily.

Suddenly Octavia felt very silly. “Well… I forgot about that,” she admitted. “To be fair, you surprised me.”

“I surprise myself sometimes. Anyway, that’s not the only surprise of the night. Or at least I hope it will be a surprise. Although I guess it would make sense if it wasn’t.” Vinyl pulled away and scratched her chin thoughtfully. “Now I’m not sure what to hope for.”

“I’m hoping this surprise of yours ends with both of us in front of a large fire or under a million blankets.” The cellist shivered.

“Baby, for you, I’ll get both.”

“That’s a fire hazard.”

“There’s just no pleasing you, is there?” Vinyl pulled her under a hoof and led the way through the campus.

By the time they stepped out into the streets of Manehattan, they were practically doing the drunk-herder shuffle just to share body heat. Vinyl seemed to know exactly where they were heading, even if she refused to share it.

“It’ll ruin the surprise. Well, actually, it’s not really part of the surprise, it’s just the setting,” Vinyl explained.

“If it won’t ruin the surprise, then what’s the harm in telling me?”

“Because it’s part of the whole package. Like individual notes in a song.” The unicorn giggled inexplicably for a few minutes after that.

The trek continued past a couple of oddly festive poles that Vinyl refused to explain. “That’s for a different night. It’s a pretty interesting story though, trust me.”

Just as Octavia was beginning to really question her decision to leave her blanket behind, Vinyl nudged her out of the walking coma she’d self-induced.

“Hey, sweet-butt. We’re here.”

She looked up to see a gigantic white oak tree. Snow-covered grass surrounded it, and trees dotted the landscape. She rubbed at her eyes. “How did we get here?”

“We walked, remember? The uni student’s pastime. This is a park somewhere on the other side of the city. Pretty cool, huh?”

Octavia glanced around and grudgingly decided it was rather pretty. “Yes, it’s very nice, but couldn’t we have just caught a carriage here in the morning?”

“It took me a while to figure out what your gift would be. This is the place where I realised it, so I figured it would be the best place to give it to you.”

“Realised what?” she asked quietly, stepping closer to her DJ. Something serious was happening, of that much she was sure.

“I…” Vinyl looked down as if unable to meet her eyes. “I had this whole thing planned out in my head. A huge speech. I would’ve won awards for it.”

Octavia smiled. “You don’t have to do a speech just to give me a present, Vinyl.”

The unicorn shook her head. “The speech is the present. Well, what comes after is.” She chuckled softly. “But I realised as we were walking here that the gift says everything for me.” Vinyl moved closer to her fillyfriend. “It’s not expensive.”

“I don’t care,” whispered Octavia.

Vinyl inched towards her. “It’s not fancy.”

“Doesn’t matter.” She was utterly mesmerised now.

“It’s just words.”

“Your words.”

Vinyl looked her in the eyes, breath shaking. “Octavia… I love you.”

The cellist felt like her heart was going to burst. For some reason, her eyes were watering and her mouth was opening and closing. Vinyl leaned in close and nuzzled her.

“You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to,” the unicorn whispered.

Octavia regained control of her mouth. “Iloveyoutoonowkissmeyouidiot,” she blurted out, already moving to tackle her fillyfriend.

---

“What do you mean she’s not here?” the elegant mare made her extreme displeasure known.

The stallion in front of her swallowed in fear. “W-we checked the room, i-it was empty.”

He was just a middle-management lackey she had scooped up for the convenience. Many ponies thought that controlling the top echelon was all that was needed to control a company, or in this case a university. Such thinking was exceedingly limited. Having a few of the middle workers in her pocket was very useful for doing work on the ground. That kind of pony was used to seeing success in the ranks above him, but tired of never reaching them. It was never hard to tempt them to perform some after-work activities.

“Where could she have gone?” she demanded. The sound of her carriage speeding away became very noticeable. She told that damn driver to wait!

“I-I don’t know, maybe out to dinner?” he suggested, still sweating icicles.

“On a night like this? After midnight?”

“Well… uh…”

“Go and call me another carriage. Tell the others to move from the dormitory entrance to here, at the campus entrance. Let me know when she gets back and who’s with her. I will not tolerate any more surprises.”

---

“It was surprising, Vinyl, honest!” Octavia giggled as they strolled down a street.

“Really? Are you sure? ‘Cause I wondered if you were expecting me to say it or something.”

“I was surprised. Trust me. It was the best start to any birthday I’ve ever had. Does that make you feel better?”

Vinyl skipped along beside her, wearing the same smile she’d had since they left the park. “Yup!”

“Oh Celestia, we have to walk all the way back now, don’t we?” The cellist could feel her muscles aching just at the thought of such a journey.

Her fillyfriend snorted. “Screw that, let’s just crash at Bonbon’s place.”

“Are you sure they won’t mind?”

“Hey, we’re all buddy-buddy friend-friends now aren’t we? They’ll be fine.”

Not for the first time, Octavia wished she shared her lover’s optimism.  “If you say so.”

Vinyl led the way once more, displaying an inexplicably accurate sense of direction as she brought them to a huge dark store within twenty minutes. The festive poles increased in number as they neared it, and Octavia found herself wishing for better lighting so she could get a good look at the shop. Even at night, it looked rather impressive on the outside.

The DJ knocked on the door loudly before cursing and muttering something about ‘stupid magic’. She took a step back and launched a stone from the curb straight up and into the chimney on the roof. Octavia watched with fascination as Vinyl made a bunch of silly faces while concentrating. Eventually, a window on the second floor opened and a very tired-looking Bonbon poked her head out.

“Whoever is down there making a rock fly around my room knocking stuff over, go away or I’ll call the guards!”

“Hi Bonbon!” Vinyl greeted her cheerfully.

The cream mare’s eyes widened as she woke up a little more. “Vinyl? What are you doing here this late? Oh, and hello Octavia.” The cellist gave her an ‘I’m sorry about this’ smile.

“We had a late night and kiiiiiinda need a place to crash since uni is so far away.” Vinyl put on her most winning smile.

Bonbon rolled her eyes and disappeared from view, closing the window behind her.

Octavia sighed irritably. Lack of sleep didn’t treat her well. “Well done, Vinyl.”

“Hey, I thought she’d let us in. Hang on, let me find another rock.” Before she could even turn around, the main double doors of the shop opened to admit them.

Bonbon yawned as she waved them in. “Come on, come on, you’re letting the heat out.”

As they passed her, Octavia gave the mare a quick hug. “Thank you for this. I hope it’s not too much of a problem.”

The shop owner closed and locked the doors again. “Don’t worry about it, I can sleep when I’m dead...” she paused, then muttered, “from lack of sleep.”

There were some dark cases and things in the darkness on the ground floor, and as curious as she was, Octavia decided now wasn’t the time. Bonbon led the way upstairs and into a dimly-lit living area.

Yawning once more, the tired mare gestured at two couches. “Bunk one and two. Kitchen is there, bathroom is somewhere else, I’m going back to bed.”

Octavia couldn’t blame her for the abrupt exit. She was feeling the call of the couch pretty strongly as well, and apparently so was Vinyl, who had already collapsed on one of them. She would have preferred to spend such an important night in the same bed, but it’s not like either of them was coherent enough to say much of importance anyway.

She settled down on the comfy, sweet-smelling couch and let her breathing slow.

From the darkness, Vinyl’s voice mumbled, “Love you, sleep tight.”

Octavia closed her eyes and smiled. “Love you too.”

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

-----

Morning in the Bon Bon household was almost militaristic in its organisation. Octavia watched through half-lidded eyes as the shop owner rushed about preparing for the day. Lyra was ushered to the kitchen counter for breakfast, then shoved into one of the bathrooms as soon as she finished. Octavia wondered what role the reformed unicorn played in the operation of Bon Bon’s shop. Surely she wasn’t in charge of serving customers? Lyra had made great progress as far as Octavia could see, but that might be a little too much for now.

Vinyl was snoring on the couch beside this one, still completely oblivious to the world and would likely remain that way for another couple of hours. Octavia felt the itch to get up and move to the other couch so they could be closer, but decided against it in review of present company. Even though they were all friends now, Octavia didn’t quite want to push the boundaries yet, and snuggling in plain view of their hosts was a sure-fire way of doing that.

Eventually, the rush died down and both Bon Bon and Lyra trotted downstairs, already discussing the day’s agenda. Apparently there was a basement below the ground floor where Bon Bon mixed up and cooked all of her confectionary delights, and she was eager to start another batch.

Left alone in the living room, Octavia finally sat up and opened her eyes properly. Everything had a nice, homely feel to it, she could see that every little decoration had been lovingly chosen with no thought as to whether it was ‘in’ or not. Bon Bon just chose things she thought looked nice, and that was far more meaningful to Octavia than all the Feng Shui in the world.

It had been a long time since she had thought about fashion or style seriously. Being away from her mother made her realise how little those things mattered to her. Appearances could only hide so much; sooner or later the heart had to shine through. And in this place, the heart was blinding.

She found herself in a very happy mood as she slid off the couch and stretched her hooves. This place shared many qualities with her dorm room that she hadn’t noticed last night. Lyra and Bon Bon’s companionship gave the whole building warmth in the same way Vinyl’s presence did. She felt safe here, at ease. There was no need to worry, nor any cause for alarm. Just the simple pleasure of a nice winter morning.

Octavia dug a hoof into her mane, only to find she had forgotten to bring her phone. She shrugged and trotted into the kitchen. No matter. It’s not like I use it often. Bon Bon had left some pancake mix ready to go on the counter, which surprised her. That mare’s thoughtfulness knew no bounds. She quickly found a frying pan and began cooking. The back of her mind wondered how much walking she would need to do to burn off such an unhealthy meal, while the front of her mind politely told it to be quiet so she could enjoy the darn thing.

Vinyl showed no signs of waking up, so once the pancakes were done, Octavia cleaned up and devoured her creation with the ferocity that privacy affords. She only barely contained a satisfied sigh at the cost of her belly gurgling in agreement. With breakfast over with, she returned to the couches, this time approaching Vinyl’s pale form. After a quick glance around to look for observers that was fuelled by habit rather than logic, she planted a syrupy kiss on her DJ’s half-open lips.  Smiling softly, she made for the bathroom to freshen up. A perfect start to what was clearly going to be a perfect day.

---

Vinyl’s eyes cracked open at the sound of the bathroom door closing. Why do my lips taste so sweet? she mused groggily, wincing at the growing sunlight shining through the window overlooking the front of the shop. She instinctually looked around for Octavia, and upon finding her missing, she groaned and let her head flop back down. Waking up next to Octavia was the only reason she tolerated mornings at all; take that experience away and all that was left was sore eyes and dead muscles.

Slowly, the faint sound of falling water made itself apparent. Vinyl turned her sluggish gaze towards the source. The thought of Octavia in the shower woke her up quickly, sending familiar little tingles down her spine. She was of the mind to charge in there and interrupt her lover when the smell of pancakes drifted over from the kitchen. Her stomach gurgled and immediately overruled the more cheeky parts of her body, and she stumbled over to investigate.

A plate stacked with pancakes had been set out for her like a gift from heaven. She didn’t hesitate before diving straight in, stuffing as much as she could into her mouth. They were never really able to cook anything great in the dorm kitchen, mainly because half of the appliances were broken, so it made a refreshing change from the usual freezing outing to a local café. Celestia, she had forgotten how good homemade pancakes tasted!

Once she had recovered from her flavour-orgasm, she wiped her mouth and trotted across the room, having heard the water stop a few moments earlier. A few wisps of steam puffed out from beneath the door, swirling as they were disturbed by Octavia on the other side. Vinyl knocked twice and pushed the door inwards.

“Oh! Um, occupied!” Octavia was in the process of wrapping up her mane with a towel and she couldn’t see the trespasser. Vinyl smirked and stepped closer, knocking the door shut with her flank so the heat didn’t escape. “Bon Bon?” The cellist’s lips pursed, confused at the lack of response. Without wasting another second, Vinyl leaned in and kissed her, holding it for a few moments just for fun. When they broke apart, Octavia was visibly trying not to smile. “That had better be you, Vinyl.”

“Nice to know you’ll think of me when you kiss strange mares.” Vinyl poked her fillyfriend’s nose.

Octavia finally wrestled the towel into place, revealing her big, violet eyes, twinkling with mischief. “I do seem to be attracted to the strange ones.” She stepped closer and brushed her lips against Vinyl’s for the briefest of seconds before turning and exiting the bathroom, leaving her DJ standing there with her lips puckered in anticipation. After a moment, Vinyl coughed awkwardly, feeling a little stupid, then followed her lover.

“It’s a lovely apartment, isn’t it?” Octavia called, standing at the large window overlooking the street below.

“Yeah. I gotta admit, I’m kinda jealous,” admitted Vinyl, joining the grey mare in her observation.

“I still like our place better though.” Octavia bumped her hips against Vinyl’s, giving her a warm smile.

“Agreed.” After a moment, Vinyl added: “I think we should head back there now. I’ve got a hankering for some sex-ering.”

“Subtle as always, love.” Octavia sighed tolerantly and removed the towel from her head, placing it on a nearby stack of laundry. “I suppose we should get going. Wouldn’t want to overstay our welcome, would we?”

Together, they pulled their winter clothes on (Vinyl didn’t even remember taking hers off) and trotted downstairs. The store was quiet, the day not yet begun. From the basement came the sounds of somepony hard at work. Lyra stood amongst the displays, using her magic to set a few of them in motion. When she noticed the couple, she nodded in greeting. “Heading out?”

“Yes, we’d best get out of your hair before the customers arrive. This place is beautiful, by the way,” said Octavia, still feasting her eyes on the colourful signs and decorations.

“Thanks. You’d best not bother Bon Bon, she needs to focus on making the products. I’ll let her know you left.”

As they passed Lyra, Vinyl paused and stuck a hoof out. After a moment of hesitation, Lyra bumped it with her own. No more needed to be said, and they left the store quickly.

Outside, the air was surprisingly warmer than expected, though snow still coated the ground. A few brave ponies wandered the streets, the unlucky souls that had errands to run this early. The couple set off in the direction of the campus, enjoying the insulation their boots gave them to the white powder covering everything. The rising sun reflected blindingly off the white rooftops, making the streets shine in a way Vinyl had never seen before.

“Should’ve brought my glasses,” she muttered, squinting at the sharp glare of light.

“I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to have my retinas melt. I suppose this is my lucky day,” added Octavia, raising a hoof to shadow her eyes.

“We’ll be blind together. We can tie a rope around our necks and lead each other around.” Vinyl giggled at the thought.

“The blind leading the blind? Knowing my luck, we’ll fall into a pit and never get out.”

“At least the company will be good.”

By the time they made it back to the campus, the sun had risen a quarter of the way into the sky, and the city had well and truly awoken. Thankfully, the angle at which they approached the university was in the same direction as the white reflection, giving them sweet relief. They watched students exiting the campus clutch at their eyes and wince in pain. Two stallions stood on either side of the entrance, their eyes welling up with tears as they stoically refused to cover them. As Vinyl led the way past them, she wondered if they could even focus on anything right now. From their bloodshot, stubborn eyes, it didn’t seem likely.

As they wandered into the main court, she couldn’t help but marvel at them. “Those security guards back there are pretty damn committed, huh?”

“Committed is one way of describing it. Stupid is another.” Octavia shook her head. “Honestly, why don’t they just get some sunglasses?”

The grassy court wasn’t looking very grassy these days. It, like absolutely everything outside, was covered in snow. As they were about to trudge across it to the student village, Octavia was struck by a thought.

“Oh Vinyl…” she asked sweetly.

“Yesss?” replied the DJ, suddenly cautious.

“Could we stop by Psych’s office before we go back to the dorm?”

Vinyl’s shoulders slumped and she gave her best puppy impression. “B-but… my hankering…”

“There’ll still be time for that. Please? It’s my birthday.” As soon as the last words left her mouth, she knew she had won.

Vinyl perked up and took her by the hoof, putting on her best Canterlot noble impression. “But of course! M’lady will get whatever she desires on such an auspicious occasion!” Barely containing their giggles, the two mares trotted primly over to Psych’s office building. Octavia felt a pang of sadness when Vinyl let her hoof go. She knew that her DJ was just making sure not to get too much attention inside, but it still didn’t sit well that they had to continue being cautious after so many carefree months together.

The receptionist was shooting them a smile as soon as they stepped inside. She seemed to completely forget about the stallion standing in front of her asking for directions to a file room. “Oh, Octavia! There you are. Head straight on up!” She beamed, but her eyes didn’t show it.

“Thank you?” Octavia exchanged a glance with her fillyfriend before approaching the stairs. They’d discussed the strange behaviour of the staff in this building before, but only in passing. She made a mental note to bring it up later so they could discuss it in more detail.

Voices were echoing from Psych’s office, but they weren’t deterred. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d interrupted a confidential. Well, technically it would be the second, but that wasn’t the point. This time, it was an adult female voice accompanying the psychologist’s. As they neared his closed door, their voices became clearer…and Octavia’s heart threatened to explode.

“I know she came to see you, Psych. Don’t even think of lying to me,” said her mother, voice slick like oily water.

Octavia’s hooves were rooted into the floor. She leaned forward and bit Vinyl’s tail as the white mare tried to pass, pulling the unicorn back to her side. Vinyl looked extremely confused until she saw the look on her fillyfriend’s face.

“Are you sure?” she whispered. Octavia just nodded. “We need to get out of here, now.” Octavia nodded again, numbly.

Not now. Please not now.

Psych’s voice piped up. “The receptionist, right?”

“Indeed. Simple, yet effective,” replied that venomous tongue once more.

“That’s always been your style. No mincing words, no wasting time so that your prey can get away. You always see through all attempts to stall you and your plans.”

Octavia realised with a start that Vinyl might have been visible for a moment when she took a few steps forward. The cracks around the door were wide enough to make out colour, and Psych would recognise them anywhere. Was it possible that, for the split second that Vinyl might have been visible, the psychologist had realised who it was and who was likely with her, and then decided to subtly warn them? Who could think that quickly?

Wait. She blinked. I just did!

Without a second thought, she let Vinyl pull her back down the hallway, both being careful not to make too much noise. Just before they reached the stairs, the office door opened and a sky-blue hoof stepped out.

“All the flattery in the world won’t stop me, Psych. I will find out what you discussed with her, even if I have to get the file myself.”

Before she could take another step, the tutor quickly replied, “You mean the file I have right here?” The remark made the frightening mare pause, giving the runaway couple enough time to duck into the stairwell and find relative safety. As they stood for a moment, trying to compose themselves before escaping through the lobby, they heard the mother sigh in irritation.

“This is just a piece of paper with ‘Ha-ha’ written on it. Stop wasting my time.”

Psych’s giggling reached them even as they trotted to the door. The receptionist watched them go, still smiling.

The second they were back out in the cold, Octavia felt like she had been drenched in icy water, waking her up quickly. Vinyl was quickly leading her across the court towards their home, but she put a stop to that instantly. “We can’t go back to the dorm yet. Didn’t you hear? That receptionist is going to tell my mother we’re back on the campus!”

Vinyl stopped and bit her lip, looking around cautiously. “What do we do then?”

“I… I need time to think this over. We need to go somewhere safe.”

Vinyl nodded resolutely. “Bon Bon’s place. She’ll understand.”

Octavia’s years of manners training screamed at her that going back there was extremely rude, but she shoved those thoughts away. This wasn’t about manners, this was about friends. And if there’s one thing she’s learned about friends, it’s that they always tried their best to help each other.

If the feeling in her stomach was any indication, she was going to need all the help she could get.

---

Psych looked out his office window, his brow wrinkled in worry. Vinyl and Octavia had shown up at the worst possible time. If he’d had an extra few minutes, he might have been able to distract that darn mare from her childish hunt, but as it was, she had left even more determined than ever. In the end, he’d ‘let slip’ that the receptionist had access to the file room, which gave him a few minutes of reprieve.

“Psych?” said a stallion standing in his doorway.

“Ah, Lush, there you are. Come in.” Psych turned back from the window to face his guest.

“I got that file for you. Octavia, right?” Lush placed the file on the desk.

“Yes, that’s right. Excellent work! Tell me, how did the receptionist react when you asked for it?”

“She was very distracted. Two students walked in behind me and it’s like she forgot I was there.”

“Oh, that’s fortunate. You’ve bought me a valuable few minutes, Lush. Thank you.”

The stallion reddened and scratched the back of his head. “I-it was nothing, Psych. Anytime, really.” With an awkward chuckle, Lush slipped out of the office.

I wonder if his wife knows he’s gay? Psych started to muse before quickly slapping himself. Focus!

“Please today, please today,” he mumbled, opening the file. At the top, Octavia’s birthdate shone like a beacon. Psych grinned, relief flooding his chest like hot chocolate staving off the cold.

Right on cue, the dark-blue-maned behemoth strode into his office once more, with lightning in her eyes. “No more jokes, Psych. She told me only you have the key to the student’s files, and that somepony else had just gone in there. I see you had one of your fool friends retrieve the file right under my nose. Give it to me.” There wasn’t a hint of request in her voice.

“Well,” Psych scratched his chin casually, knowing it would infuriate her, “I don’t really think I can.”

“Excuse me?” Hot damn this mare wasn’t used to not getting what she wanted!

“Because, as of midnight last night, Octavia is a legal adult. You can’t access her private files,” he said, keeping his tone conversational. There was no need for any provocative inflection; his words were all the emphasis he needed.

“As her mother, I–”

“–can ask Octavia for permission to view her files. Seems like that might be a bit difficult considering she’s not here.”

The mare’s lips were pursed. This wasn’t going how she expected it would. “If a child is suspected of having some sort of mental problem, the parents are allowed to go over the file with the psychologist. Octavia clearly isn’t in her right mind.”

Psych snorted. “She seemed fine to me. You know, her psychologist.”

“You’re clearly biased and unable to give a rational opinion.” She was attacking from every angle, unwilling to retreat.

“You’ve mistaken client confidentiality with bias. I’d love to help you out, but my hooves are tied on this one. Sorry, madam. It’s the law.”

Finally, the mare fell silent. She simply glared at him, those hateful eyes making him more than a little nervous. “You will regret this, Psych. I hope you don’t like working here.” With that, she turned and stormed out into the hallway, vanishing from sight.

The danger finally over, Psych sunk into his armchair, letting out a long breath he didn’t even realise he had been holding. A grin split his lips suddenly, and despite the fact he knew he was going to regret every word he said, he couldn’t help but giggle softly and recline back.

“Oh my goodness, that was better than sex!”

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

-----

Octavia was fraught with worry. She paced nervously through Bon Bon’s living room, leaving a pattern in the carpet wherever she stepped. The shop owner had graciously allowed her and Vinyl to stay for as long as they needed, saying that the look on Octavia’s face was all the convincing she needed. The worry in Bon Bon’s eyes had made her tear up a little. Seeing her mother again had brought back a lot of things she had tried very hard to bury, including a sense of isolation. Being reminded that she had loyal friends was exactly what she needed.

Vinyl stood nearby, watching her with pained eyes. It was plain to see the DJ wasn’t sure how to help her. In the minutes following their quick abandonment of the campus, Vinyl had thrown out every possible solution she could think of, hoping one would stick.

“We flee the city,” she said firmly.

“You know we can’t,” replied Octavia.

“We change our units to external and do them remotely.”

“Your computer is still in our room.”

“We fake our deaths?”

“That won’t solve anything.”

As the hours passed, they found themselves curled up on one of the couches, despair and anxiety painting pictures in their minds. Vinyl saw Octavia being dragged away by her mother to some far-off estate, plunged into loneliness and isolation once more. Imagining her sweet, creative, witty lover being locked away again was enough to make Vinyl shake with impotent rage. What kind of monster would treat her own daughter like that?

Octavia saw a cold, impersonal psychologist telling her she didn’t love Vinyl and explaining why in perfectly enunciated monotone as her mother nodded in approval. She saw Vinyl alone in an alley behind a bar, calling her number and getting no response as the night grew older and the snowfall heavier. She saw her friends wondering where she had gone and missing her for the first month or two, then slowly forgetting she was ever there. She couldn’t even muster the strength to cry at such an awful fantasy.

But most of all, she saw the rest of her life, past and present, stretching away from her in both directions. Her past was controlled and monitored like she was an experiment in creating the perfect daughter. Well-mannered, easily manipulated, completely dependent, smart, but not smart enough to think for herself… was this what her mother had been trying to do? Did she even love her, or have any kind feelings toward her at all?

Why was I even born if I’m not allowed to live?

Strangely, that thought struck something within her, like the first sparks of a fire. Why wasn’t she allowed to live? It certainly wasn’t for her safety; she’d tried it! She’d been living for the past six months without getting hurt! She’d tasted life, love, and friendship without any horrible repercussions. But the part of life that tasted the sweetest was independence. She’d experienced those things of her own accord, in her own way. The flames inside her strengthened, growing in tandem with her realisations.

Now that she’d tasted life… she couldn’t go back. Her life before university was like drowning, and every month she’d spent with Vinyl had been a gulp of air to her lungs, letting her think clearly. Her fire raged now, completely out of control and loving it. Octavia knew what she had to do now. It was the only way.

“Vinyl,” she said loudly, “I’m going to talk to my mother. Alone.”

Her love, so sweet and supportive and kind, looked at her with wide eyes. “What?! That’s the worst idea yet!”

A third, worried voice came from the door leading downstairs. “What idea?” asked Bon Bon.

Octavia motioned for Vinyl to not reply, but it was too late. “Octavia wants to go see her mother! After all the trouble we’re going through to hide from her!”

Bon Bon bit her lip anxiously. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Y’see?” Vinyl flailed her hoof at the cream mare to illustrate her point.

“I think she should do it,” Lyra said quietly, stepping into the room. They both smelled of sugar and candy. Octavia nodded her head to show her thanks. “Her mother is the source of literally all of your problems. The sooner you deal with her, the sooner you two can go back to normal.”

“She’ll drag you away from here!” Vinyl said desperately.

Octavia shook her head. “Only if I let her. And I really don’t plan on doing that.”

“I’ll come with you, then. I-I’ll fight her!”

“Now that won’t solve anything.” Octavia reached out and touched Vinyl’s cheek softly. “I love you, but I must speak with her alone. You’ve helped me so much, in more ways than you can imagine. Without you, I could never do this. So please, just trust me.”

Her words were so heartfelt that Vinyl felt her eyes burn. “I love you too, filly. This is still a terrible idea, but I love you anyway,” she said hoarsely.

Lyra cleared her throat. “I might know something that could help you understand, Vinyl.” Her ears pricking up, Bon Bon opened her mouth as if to object, but closed it at a glance from Lyra. “A few months ago, when I started uni, I was a complete jerk. You probably know that better than anyone, except maybe Bon. But that doesn’t matter. I was mean to the people around me for no reason other than to entertain my awful sense of humour. In short, I was bad.

“I slowly drove away anypony who tried to be my friend, and worst of all I didn’t even know why I did it. Fortunately for me, Bon Bon never learned to stay away from bad ponies.” Bon Bon scoffed but smiled as Lyra continued. “She helped me become strong enough to accept that I was horrible, and then she helped me change. I don’t know whether it’s obvious on the outside, but I’m not the same pony I was back at the start of the year. And… I’m guessing Octavia isn’t either.”

Vinyl was looking at her lover, seeing the truth in her former enemy’s words. “Yeah… she is, but she isn’t.”

“Exactly.” Lyra nodded. “I don’t know the full story between you two, and honestly it seems like you both just pop up randomly in our lives, but I’d wager you helped her become who she is now. What you’ve gotta do now is trust that she’s strong enough to handle this, just like Bon trusts me not to relapse into assholery again.”

“I do trust her,” began Vinyl before quickly turning to Octavia. “I do trust you. I know you can talk your mother down. What I don’t trust is myself.” She stepped closer. “You may have noticed I’m a little bit protective of you.”

“Really?” Octavia whispered through a smirk.

“Yeah. I also may have had several fantasies where I beat the crap out of your mother.”

“Ah. So you want to be the one to meet her?”

“Well, no, I’d rather never ever meet her at all. I just… damn it, I don’t even know what I want.” She stamped a hoof in frustration. “I just don’t want you to get hurt, and I know that contradicts what I said about knowing you can beat her, but–”

Octavia shut her up with a quick kiss. “I know what you mean. But I have to do this.”

“Just tell me one thing,” Vinyl said quietly, somewhat subdued by the comforting peck, “why is she such a bitch?”

The others looked at her expectantly and she sighed. “I suppose I should share what I know.” She began to pace around the living room, attempting to jog her memory. “I’ve managed to glean a few things from gossiping maids and the other working folk—hey!” she said, as Lyra and Bon Bon exchanged looks. “It’s not like it was my choice to hire them!”

“We didn’t say anything,” muttered Lyra as Bon Bon simultaneously said “We understand.”

“Anyway,” Octavia chewed her lip, thinking, “I was just a filly at the time, but I remember overhearing a conversation between two aides.”

Octavia snuck down the hall, the soft carpet muffling her steps. She hated having lessons this early in the morning! She wanted to go outside and watch the pegasus groundkeepers keep the clouds away. It simply wasn’t fair. She reached an open doorway and peeked inside. If a maid caught her hiding from the tutor, she’d tell her mother immediately. None of them could be trusted, this she knew from experience. There were a couple of stallions in a small tea room chatting idly. She recognised them as the new replacement aides. The last couple had been ‘sent away’ for giving bad advice, or something. Octavia kept herself still as she listened in.

“Strangest job offer I’ve ever had, to be sure,” chuckled one of them, “but when she comes knocking, you don’t refuse.”

“Tell me about it,” replied the second, sounding much less relaxed than his colleague. “I researched her work before accepting the job, you know. She’s cold as ice. Apparently, she used to be as starry-eyed as that filly of hers. Wanted to be an actress or artist, I don’t know, something fancy. But something happened, and suddenly she’s in business, making powerful friends and carving through competitors with insane determination.”

“Damn. What happened?”

“Beats me. Whatever it was, it messed her up bad.” He took a shaky sip from his cup.

Vinyl whistled. “Sounds like someone’s got issues.”

Lyra and Bon Bon politely kept their mouths closed. Octavia gave a tired smile. “None of this is new, though. I don’t think it will help us.”

“Well… maybe it will,” Vinyl said, scratching her chin thoughtfully. “She’s used to being in control, right? I mean, from what I’ve seen of her, that’s pretty much her entire personality. And she didn’t tell you about her past herself, did she?” Octavia shook her head. “Then she wouldn’t expect you to know any painful little details. Maybe you could remind her of a time when she wasn’t in control. It might put her on the defensive.”

Octavia opened her mouth to object, then closed it again a moment later. “That’s… a really good idea, love.” She seemed a little surprised, making Vinyl turn red.

“I got the idea from some advice Psych gave me ages ago. Back when we were arguing, he told me you were a little sensitive about your mane, and if I wanted to get to you I should try targeting it.”

“…And instead, you texted me a compliment. I wondered where that came from.” Octavia felt a rush of affection for Vinyl that made her chest ache. She cleared her throat. “Well, it seems I won’t be facing her unarmed after all.” The couple shared a tight smile.

Bon Bon licked her lips nervously. “Not to be a wet blanket, but there’s still the matter of your mother paying for your tuition, food and board, that sort of thing.”

“Oh, she’ll cut me off, I don’t think there’s any way we can avoid it. There’s no way I can keep living on campus.”

Lyra and Bon Bon exchanged a series of urgent gestures until Bon Bon finally sighed. “I’d offer you a place here, but we only have two bedrooms…” It was clear their host felt a little awkward about it.

“I know, don’t worry. I will not be a burden. I’ll find a way.”

“We need to find another source of bits,” mumbled Vinyl. It was her turn to pace.

After a minute of silence, Octavia’s ears perked up. “There is one thing I could do…” she said slowly. Vinyl stopped mid-stride and met her eyes hopefully. “I can defer for six months.”

“Defer?” asked Vinyl.

“Take a semester off and resume my studies next year.”

“How would that help? You’d still be homeless.”

Bon Bon seemed to understand. “Oh! You can get a full-time job and save up enough over six months to pay for everything!”

“Half a year’s pay should cover it,” Lyra said, adding her approval with a nod.

“Yeah, great,” said Vinyl drily, “and in the meantime you’ll just live on the street? And what happens when you go back to uni and no longer work full time? How will you pay for everything then?”

“I’ll have to get an apartment. Somewhere small, just for the next few months. But then I have to pay for food as well… and bills…” Octavia felt her confidence in the plan slipping away, and Vinyl could see it.

“I can help,” she said quickly, thinking as she spoke, “it’s been ages since I’ve done a gig; reckon it’s time I got back into the game. I wasn’t raking it in, mind you, but it should be more than enough for food and bills for one pony.” As an afterthought, she added, “I was actually getting kinda popular before I stopped. If I can get even higher than that, I might be able to pay the rent as well.”

“You’d do that? Just give away all of your earnings?” Octavia was shocked. Emotional support was one thing, but casually giving her every bit she made was a completely different matter.

Vinyl looked confused. “Well, yeah, why wouldn’t I?” She was almost knocked to the ground from the fierce hug Octavia gave her.

“You’re so lovely when you’re oblivious,” she whispered, planting a big kiss on Vinyl’s cheek.

“That’s big of you, Vinyl,” Lyra said quietly. “I respect that.”

Bon Bon beamed at the couple and hugged Lyra. “Oh, this is just so sweet!”

While their friends were talking, Vinyl couldn’t help but whisper worriedly into Octavia’s ear. “It’s gonna suck not living together.”

“I know. It’ll only be for six months, but we’ll both be busy with work… it’s going to be hard, love.” Octavia felt a great weight on her heart, yet it did little to extinguish the fire of her resolve. “It isn’t perfect, but it’s our lives now. We’ll make it. We got this.” Vinyl tightened her grip to show her agreement. As the embrace ended, Octavia gave a breathless chuckle. “I suppose I’ll need to learn how to write a resumé.”

Bon Bon shook her head, already smiling. “I don’t think you’ll need one. How would you like to work in a small but quickly-growing confectionary shop? We only have a small number of staff and could use somepony with a head for planning.”

Lyra grinned. It looked out of place on her face, but it was still a thankful sight. “Why didn’t I think of that?” She turned to Bon Bon. “You know that catering service I was talking about the other day?”

“The one we agreed was impossible because we didn’t have enough employees?” Bon Bon replied innocently, eyes twinkling.

“You are the perfect business partner, you know that, right?” Lyra was as close to hopping with joy as she was capable of being. Bon Bon simply enjoyed the praise.

Octavia felt her spirits lift. Working full-time with her friends wouldn’t be that bad at all. Their joy was a little contagious and as she glanced at Vinyl, she saw she wasn’t the only one infected. Vinyl was deep in thought, but a smile was growing on her lips. “Hey,” she said, pausing for a few seconds as though finalising the details in her mind, “You guys are gonna be running a catering service?”

“Why not?” said Bon Bon brightly. “Ponies love our treats, and we’ve already had a few requests. The only thing stopping us was finding a suitable somepony to help us run it.”

“You know, all of my gigs so far have used house food, just the standard crap you get from vendors. D’you think, maybe, we could sorta… team up? ‘Come for the music, stay for the food’?”

Octavia almost squealed. “A joint business venture! If I mediate it, I’ll get to see Vinyl a lot and still work full-time!”

“I think we hired the right pony,” Lyra whispered. Bon Bon nodded. “I believe we have a deal.”

Everything was in place. Octavia’s future was no longer at risk, and the tension in the room had faded quickly over the last few minutes. She was filled with a great love for her friends that overpowered the few fears she had left. Her mother no longer had any claim to her life, and it was time to inform her of that fact.

“We can discuss the details later, but for now may I borrow somepony’s phone?”

Vinyl’s grin faded as she took her mobile out of her mane and passed it over. “You makin’ the call?”

“Yes. I think I’ll ask her to meet me in Blue’s Tavern. Neutral ground.” She dialled the number (with some difficulty, thanks to the phone being designed for unicorns) and took a deep breath. The others gathered closer, leaning in to listen. Vinyl pressed her ear against the other side of the phone, looking worried. It was an expression that had absolutely no place on such a carefree pony, Octavia thought, and after today she would do her utmost to make sure it never appeared again.

The phone rang twice and answered. “Lapis Lazuli. Speak,” came the flat greeting.

“Hello, mother,” Octavia replied steadily. Vinyl mouthed ‘Lapis’ with a questioning look. Octavia shook her head and mouthed ‘later’.

“Octavia. Where are you?” Her tone was perfectly neutral, it was impossible to make out any emotion in it.

“I’ll meet you at Blue’s Tavern, in the city. Goodbye.”

“No, you will–” Octavia ended the call. Her hoof wasn’t shaking in the slightest when she gave the phone back to Vinyl, who looked at her with… admiration?

“You have no idea how sexy you are when you’re determined,” Vinyl said breathlessly. Lyra and Bon Bon, sensing the shift in mood, quietly excused themselves and went downstairs.

“Did I speak clearly enough? Maybe she misunderstood me.” Octavia slipped her hooves around Vinyl’s neck.

“She understood you, babe. She’s probably shaking in her dragonskin boots.” They embraced for a few minutes, squeezing as much time out as they could. Octavia took her hooves away but Vinyl stayed close.

“I should get there before her, Vinyl.”

The unicorn pressed her face into Octavia’s neck. “Are you sure we don’t have time?” she whispered.

Smirking, Octavia pulled her lover away. “For you, maybe.”

“Ouch.” Vinyl smiled too and walked her over to the stairs. They hesitated for a moment, then kissed passionately. Everything they could say had already been said.

---

Octavia slipped into the booth without a word. The tavern was fairly quiet at this time of day, just the regulars and herself. She’d ordered some wine before sitting down, though she wasn’t sure if it was for her or for her mother. The stallion at the bar hadn’t even asked for identification. She breathed deeply and tried to centre herself, but to no avail. The fire inside her flickered uncertainly. It had been a long time since she’d seen her mother, and there was no telling how Octavia would react. She might freeze up, or stutter uncontrollably, or any number of confidence-destroying things. All she could do was remember who she was doing this for and hope it would give her strength.

The door to the tavern swung open, and her mother walked in, dark blue mane as sharp as her eyes. She wore a silver necklace with a blue gem imbedded in it. Octavia forced herself to keep breathing when those judging eyes met hers. She struggled to keep her face neutral, her heart beating faster by the second.

Lapis strode over to her, cocked her head in appraisal, then sat down. Octavia couldn’t help but let a little surprise slip into her expression. She’d expected Lapis to refuse to sit and demand for Octavia to follow her immediately. From the slight smirk on her mother’s face, she had anticipated that and decided to do something that would put Octavia off-balance so she would be on the defensive–

Stop.

“No games, mother. We need to talk as a family,” Octavia said softly.

Lapis’ expression didn’t change. “You’ve grown,” she replied, and Octavia knew she didn’t mean in size.

“Yes, I have. Mother, I–”

“I have heard stories,” Lapis cut her off smoothly, “Rumours, mostly. They say you’ve taken some club harlot as your partner. I would dearly hope for there to be no truth behind them.”

The urge to snap and scream rose sharply, but Octavia fought to keep it at bay. It would only show her mother that she hadn’t matured at all. Instead, she smiled warmly. “It’s a good thing you’re sitting down then, because–”

Lapis cut her off again. “You also haven’t returned to your room for a while. One would dread to consider what sort of things you’ve been up to.”

Octavia maintained a pleasant tone. “Disgusting things, no doubt, almost as bad as spying on one’s daughter.” Finally, a reaction! Her mother’s left eyebrow twitched ever-so-slightly. She mustn’t have expected Octavia to fight back at all. Internally, she whooped for joy.

“I hardly think worrying about my only daughter, whom I’ve spent so much time and money on, is the same as wallowing in whatever cesspools your undoubtedly promiscuous playmate frequents.”

“She is not–”

“And really, if you’d hoped to change my opinion of her, you could have requested to meet me somewhere with a little more charm, hm? This place doesn’t exactly paint a kind picture of your standards these days.”

Octavia remained silent. She had to change something. If they kept going like this, she’d never get to voice her side of the story and nothing would be resolved. So she waited as calmly as she could after hearing the love of her life insulted twice in a row, and when her mother finished, she replied, “Are you done?”

And then she giggled.

It was only a brief laugh, but the reaction in her mother’s eyes was invaluable. Octavia kept smiling as she continued. “Honestly, mother, interrupting me constantly is very immature. You’re embarrassing me.”

“Indeed?” Lapis bristled. “Then you might understand my displeasure with your decisions. Being embarrassed by your family is profoundly annoying, is it not? What exactly went through your head when you decided to tarnish our reputation?”

“Love, mostly. You can imagine how it might have caught me off-guard, having never received it before.”

Octavia felt electricity crackle between them. There was no turning back now.

“Love?” Lapis spat, she wasn’t playing anymore. “I’ve spent the best years of my life raising you with every advantage, giving you every opportunity to succeed. You were supposed to be perfect, able to carry on my legacy.”

Octavia was quiet for a moment. “That’s what you think love is?” she asked softly. She felt whatever tenuous connection she still had with her mother snap suddenly, like a broken cello string. “I was just a project to you? A successor to be trained, not a daughter to be loved?”

“Daughter, successor, splitting hairs is the lowest form of response, Octavia. Do you see what has happened in your time away from me? You’re already forgetting basic discipline and manners. The sooner I take you away from this nonsense, the better. We’re leaving tomorrow.”

Shaking her head sadly, Octavia felt whatever fear she had for her mother slip away. “You’re delusional. I’m staying here, mother.”

Lapis smiled. “And how will you be paying for your tuition and lodging?”

“With the full-time job I was hired for half-an-hour ago.”

That clearly wasn’t the answer she was expecting. “And you believe you can manage to study as well as work full time?” She smiled, but it held a hint of worry.

“No, that would be unfeasible. I’m deferring for a semester to save money, and then I’ll switch to part-time when I go back.”

“You believe you’ve been thorough, do you?” Lapis said through gritted teeth. Seeing her words have such an effect wasn’t as satisfying as Octavia thought it would be. She felt nothing but sadness for her mother, for whatever had happened in her past that drove her to become so obsessed with raising the perfect successor. But it was far, far too late for her. If she hadn’t grown to love Octavia over eighteen years, she never would. It was harsh, but Octavia refused to fool herself. “Where will you stay while saving money, hm?” Lapis continued.

“My fillyfriend will be assisting me in paying for an apartment, using the money made from a business partnership with some other friends of ours that I will be mediating,” she replied simply.

Lapis Lazuli, scourge of the business world, owner of an iron heart, and undoubtedly the worst mother in existence, looked absolutely lost. Octavia wondered if she had ever experienced defeat before, such was her expression of disbelief.

“What happened to you, Lapis?” Octavia asked gently. It was time to prove she was mature enough to stand on her own, not by taunting her defeated adversary, but by showing sympathy. “I’ve heard about your past. I know you weren’t always this controlling and manipulative. What changed?” She leaned across the table, meaning to hold one of her mother’s hooves, but the older mare jerked them away, still looking as though there had been some mistake and she hadn’t actually lost.

Finally, whether it was the last dregs of compassion or something entirely unrelated, Lapis opened up. Perhaps it was the very fact that she had spent so much time grooming Octavia that made her so adept at getting into her mother’s head, but her resistance and carefully-crafted abrasive personality was fading by the second. “I wasn’t good enough,” she said.

“For who?”

“For Trottingham Music School. I used to play the cello like you. It wasn’t my talent, but I still loved it. I was obsessed with getting into that school. Even after I met your father, it was still my biggest focus. But I was self-taught, and there was no way I could compete against the other applicants. They practically laughed me out of the audition room.”

Startled at getting some insight into her mother’s past, Octavia pressed for more. “There are other music schools. Brilliant ones.”

“You don’t understand. It had to be Trottingham. It was the best of my time. I had idealised every aspect of it in preparation for my imagined acceptance and ascension to my proper place. When they turned me away, I was shattered.”

“And that’s what made you…”

“It was the start. I was angry, both at myself and the school. Over time, my anger turned to bitterness and grew into a unrelenting desire to take back what should have been mine. None of the other applicants deserved to get in, you see. They had the talent, but not the passion. Not like me. I deserved it more.” Lapis’ tone was almost desperate, as though begging for Octavia to see her point of view. She wanted her approval. It was slightly dizzying.

“What happened after?” Octavia asked, though she already had a few ideas.

“Your father left me before I knew I was pregnant. He said he would come back if I ever moved on from my failure. It’s been a long time.” She paused, staring at the table. “I… resolved to raise you alone, and make sure you never encountered the same problems I did.”

“You just wanted to live through me? That’s the reason for all the discipline and isolation? What was with that ‘legacy’ nonsense then?”

Lapis cracked a weary smile. “‘Heir to my legacy’ sounds a tad more respectable than ‘vessel for reliving my past’, don’t you think?”

“You’re unbelievable! Do you even hear what you’re saying?” Octavia couldn’t help letting her calm appearance slip away. “I knew you were a terrible mother, but this is just monstrous.”

“Your choice of adjective matters very little. You’ve gotten me to speak of things I haven’t talked about in decades. Like it or not, you’re following in my footsteps.”

It was surprising how much that thought disgusted Octavia. “This is a confession from the guilty, Lapis, not an interrogation.”

“Guilty? Guilty of giving you the best education available? Guilty of letting you develop your musical skills and hone them to perfection? Oh, I’m sure it was awful for you.” Lapis chuckled darkly. “You’re just like those other applicants, you know. Tearing everything away just before I achieve my dream.”

“Guilty of keeping me isolated from other ponies my age. Guilty of stripping away whatever privacy I had left through psychologists. Guilty of possessing a self-victimisation complex so huge it dwarfs even the self-esteem issues you gave me. You’re rotten to the core, well and truly. I’m ashamed to be your daughter.”

Lapis stood abruptly, bumping the table. “Shame? What could you possibly know about shame, running away with some harlot?”

“She’s a thousand times purer than you. She’s in university on a music scholarship much like the one you weren’t accepted for. She failed every class except music in high school, and dropped out a year early. Do you want to know why she succeeded where you failed? Because she kept trying. She didn’t give up, she didn’t go home, and she most certainly didn’t have a child and spend eighteen years brooding over her failure so she could live through someone else’s achievement!” Octavia was panting a little bit by the end, but she still kept her tone even and resisted the urge to shout.

They stared at each other for a long, tense moment, both finally having said everything they wanted to say. Octavia no longer felt any pity for her mother. If she was so determined to be an awful pony that she gave up most of her life for it, then nothing Octavia said now would change her. Lapis turned to leave. “You have everything you want. Remember who gave it to you,” she said pertly.

“I will,” replied Octavia. “Her name is Vinyl Scratch.” Her mother stiffened, then kept walking.

In the silence that followed the tavern door slamming shut, Octavia realised a few of the other patrons were looking at her. One by one, they raised their mugs. The bartender nervously approached with the glass of wine she’d ordered and placed it in front of her. “I would’ve brought it to you sooner madam, but you seemed to be, ah, busy.”

Octavia took the glass and raised it towards to the onlookers and the bartender before taking a small sip.

“This is the finest wine I’ve ever tasted,” she told him honestly.

---

Vinyl was close to pacing a trench in the living room. A thousand anxious thoughts rushed through her head, each vying for attention. Lyra and Bon Bon had tried distracting her with mindless chatter for a little while, but they had to get back to work. She’d been chewing her lip so hard it bled a little. At first she compared it with being nervous before exams, but then the exams didn’t try and take away the one pony she loved more than any other.

She said she wanted to handle this on her own, but what if that was just code for ‘hide in the rafters with a fire extinguisher and sweep in at the last moment to rescue me?’

It was absurd, and it was exactly the sort of thing Octavia would expect her to do. Was she letting her down by doing what she was told for once? Vinyl groaned and headed towards the stairs, but stopped herself before reaching them. She’d attempted to leave a few times now, but every time she almost succeeded, she remembered Octavia’s soft request: Please, just trust me.

“You’re killin’ me, babe,” Vinyl whispered hoarsely.

She cast her mind back to happier times, when they were both stumbling through the first stages of their relationship, when there was no threat to their happiness, when all they did every day was cuddle and talk about everything they could think of; but every memory only reinforced the awareness that Octavia wasn’t with her right now.

The door to the stairs opened and Vinyl nearly tripped over in her haste to turn around. Lyra winced at the sight. “Sorry to get your hopes up. How are you doing?”

“How do you think?” Vinyl growled, untangling her limbs and standing up straight again.

“Worrying about her won’t change anything, so why worry?” Lyra slipped into the open kitchen and got a glass of water.

“You don’t seem to understand this ‘love’ thing very well.”

Chuckling, Lyra returned to the living room. “I understand it well enough. It’s only worth worrying about something if the outcome is uncertain.”

Vinyl slumped on the couch. “Got the inside scoop, do you?”

“Come on, Vinyl. You saw the change in Octavia’s demeanour. She could glance at an avalanche and send it tumbling sheepishly back up the mountain.”

“Yeah, she can get pretty badass when she wants to,” Vinyl replied proudly.

“So let her be badass. I think you’ve hogged all the ‘cool’ in your relationship for long enough.” The smile was obvious in Lyra’s voice, even though Vinyl was too busy counting the threads on a pillow to see it.

“She was always cooler than me. I mean, look at us. I’m the one freaking out at home while she’s out fighting. How pathetic is that?”

“Well, if it makes you feel better,” said an amused but slightly shell-shocked voice, “we can both freak out at home now.”

Vinyl’s head snapped up, her pupils widening to take in as much of Octavia as they could. The grey mare didn’t have a single hair out of place, but she looked exhausted nonetheless. The DJ shot off the couch and tackled her in a split second. They floundered onto the soft carpet without any semblance of grace or coolness. Lyra laughed all the way downstairs.

Octavia looked up at her lover with a weary smile. “This feels familiar.”

Without another word, Vinyl kissed her, pouring all of her worry and fear into one huge display of love. They didn’t part for several minutes, using the time to feed their pent-up stress into the roaring flames of their love. When the kiss ended, all Vinyl could ask was the simplest question of all: “Are we safe?”

“Yes,” replied Octavia, squeezing Vinyl harder. “Finally.”

Epilogue

Epilogue

-----

Six months later…

The West Manehattan University grounds were joyous, to say the least. Now that the snow had melted, there were a lot more students out enjoying the scenery. The final exams for the previous semester had finally finished, and many were out celebrating their freedom. From the first-years to the post-grads, all were grateful for the temporary ceasefire in their academic lives.

It was the beginning of a new year, and all the second-years were confidently striding about, chuckling at maps, occasionally deigning to help out some first-years with directions. All the second-years, that is, except for two.

The first was a grey mare with a dark, bedraggled mane. She had bags under her eyes, but her smile made it clear she was anything but harrowed. Around her neck was a pink bowtie, and around her hoof was a VIP band with bright blue and white stripes. To any casual observers, she would appear to be your average post-concert student, albeit one with more elegance in each step than most have in their entire bodies.

That’s not to say she was stuck-up; on the contrary, she was warm and friendly to those who casually greeted her. She joked with a few of the students and even bumped her hoof against any who wore the same concert band. A year ago, most would be too scared to even approach her.

Her name was Octavia, and she was a cellist studying Advanced Musical Theory (Classical), Business Management, and, strangely enough, Extended Psychology.

The second was a white unicorn with a flat, carefully brushed neon-blue mane. On her head sat a pair of dark purple shades, leaving her striking scarlet eyes completely visible. She fidgeted as she walked, and every few seconds her hoof shot up to ruffle her hair, but was restrained by self-control. Despite this, she still managed to give an air of renown around her. Some students whispered to each other when they saw her, while others straight-up started cheering.

That’s not to say she was undeserving; on the contrary, she was responsible for the majority of post-exam parties and had won the hearts of the students through hard work and experimental music. She was happy to give high-ones to any who came to thank her for distracting them from the horrors of university. Even the teachers liked her for helping their students relieve stress before coming to class in the last few months. A year ago, most considered her presence at university a fluke.

Her name was Vinyl Scratch, and she was a DJ studying Secondary Advanced Musical Theory (Modern), Advanced Visual Arts, and, strangely enough, Extended Psychology.

The two embraced each other on the grassy court in the centre of the university. When they parted, Octavia couldn’t help but laugh at her lover’s mane. Vinyl flushed. “I thought you’d like it! I mean, this is your triumphant return after all. It’s a big moment!”

“Oh, Vinyl. You should know by now, I rather like the madness that is your hair,” Octavia chided gently, bopping Vinyl on the nose.

“Now you tell me,” she grumbled, taking a moment to violently mess it up until it returned to its natural style. “So did you like the party last night?”

“It was amazing, I feel like I just left.”

Eyeing Octavia’s less-than-pristine mane, Vinyl smirked. “You look like it too.”

“Oh, shush. I only slept a few hours and I was too excited to sit still and brush it like usual. By the way,” Octavia raised an eyebrow deviously, “did you work another of my compositions into that final song?”

Vinyl whistled innocently.

“I knew it! How do you keep doing that? The crowd loved it!” Octavia danced on the tips of her hooves for a moment, caught up in her own excitement.

“I think it’s because I’m working with something you’ve created. Like, I’m not just listening to a song, I’m listening to you and everything you’re trying to say through the song, and I can translate it in my own way.” Vinyl reddened considerably as she continued. “You’ve gotta stop me before I try talking romantically. I sound like a total dweeb.”

Octavia kissed her quickly. “A very sweet dweeb.”

They walked together across the soft grass. “It’s been a crazy year, huh?” said Vinyl.

“Indeed. I can’t believe how different things are now.” Octavia shook her head, smiling at the memories. The last few months had seen her and her friends grow closer than ever, and she felt more loved now than at any time in the past nineteen years.

“They’re gonna be even more different soon. We’re gonna be living together again, I’m getting some insane gig requests — yes, requests! They actually request me, how cool is that?! — and Lyra and Bon Bon are talking about setting up other stores in other cities.”

“Oh, I know. Imagine, stores in Canterlot, Trottingham, or Ponyville! I don’t think I’ll be short of work anytime soon.”

“Yeah…” Vinyl said slowly.

Octavia stopped walking and frowned at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, not yet. I just… I think working with Bon and Lyra is great while we study, and I love them, don’t get me wrong, but one day… I was kinda hoping we could do our own thing. Y’know, begin our ‘euphonious revolution’ we used to talk about.”

“We will,” Octavia said, touching Vinyl’s cheek. “But let’s just focus on surviving university first, okay?”

“Deal.” After a moment, Vinyl lowered her voice. “Anything new from you-know-who?”

“Just a text from this morning. Here,” Octavia slipped her phone out of her mane and handed it to Vinyl.

{[MOTHER]}

>I hear you have re-enrolled. Should you reconsider your decisions in life, you have my number.

“Well that’s gotta mean she feels something for you, right?” Vinyl said, but Octavia didn’t look hopeful.

“She probably just sees me as an asset that has been misplaced.”

“Or maybe she’s just too proud to admit she misses you.”

Octavia gave a thankful smile. “It’s okay, Vinyl. I’m not sad about it. She did give me every opportunity I could have hoped for. Even though it wasn’t her intention, she is the reason we met. But that doesn’t change how I feel about her. Maybe… maybe in a few years, if she manages to finally move on from her past, we might be able to start again. Until then, however...”

“Alright, alright. It just bothers me that you’re not that close with your parents, whereas mine were pretty cool up until they kicked me out.”

“Yes, about your parents…” Octavia’s eyes twinkled.

“What?” Vinyl replied warily.

“I think it’s time I met them, don’t you?”

THE END