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Symphony of the Damned

by Lord Benjamin Moorington

Chapters

Chapter: 1

Four hooves slowly treaded against the hard cobblestone road, echoing through the darkened alleyways of downtown Canterlot. The streets glistened with the soft glow of refracted light, it’s source coming from the full moon that hung overhead, aided by the soft flicker of the street lamps that lined the sides of the old road.

A single pony made her way through these empty streets, a hoodie pulled tightly over her body to keep in her warmth. The night was cold, but the air was still. The pony kept her head down, eyes glued to the cold stone that lay beneath her hooves. She needed not to look up. She knew these streets like the back of her hoof, traversing her way from memory alone.

The night was quiet but soothing. The lack of sound giving the mare in question a sense of simplicity and calm that she rarely felt anywhere else. Every night she would traverse the same path, her hooves guiding her from the nightclub she worked at to home. The mare chose to take the long way home, both to embrace the calm silence around her, and to escape from her life. This neighborhood in the city was more or less vacant of ponies, somewhat to do with it’s age, but mostly because of an old superstition.

The pony lifted her head, turning it to the right and letting her hood fall down. She involuntarily ran a hoof through her electric blue hair, fixing the ruffled mess her hood had left it in. Her gaze trailed further down the road, eventually stopping on what was left of the Melody Grand Theatre. It had been abandoned almost eighty years ago; shortly after the death of the pony who it was eventually named after.

Vinyl Scratch shook her head, ignoring the old building that she passed by every night after work. It would be another half hour before she made it back home. Once there, she tossed off her hoodie and plopped herself on the couch. She levitated the remote over to her, and turned on the television, ready to relax with some mind-numbing cartoons before she would go to bed.

However, Vinyl had only gotten a few minutes into her show before being interrupted.

“Yo, Vinny, how was work?"

Vinyl turned towards the staircase, watching as her brother descended towards her. She shrugged, turning back to the television. “Same as always, Neon.”

Neon Lights jumped over the couch, landing next to his sister. “Oh yeah? No cool bar fights? No funny drunken stories you overheard?”

“I did say the usual, Neon…”

He waved her off. "Fine, whatever." He got up from the couch and headed towards the kitchen. "You want anything?”

“Just some water, thanks." Vinyl replied.

A moment later Neon returned to the living room with a bottle of water and a can of soda levitating beside him. He sat back down beside her, popping open his drink. “So Vinny, think you could do me a favor?”

Without taking her eyes off the TV, she responded. "Yeah?”

“You know that old legend about the ghost that haunts that old theatre downtown right?”

She nodded, rolling her eyes. “Just about everypony in this part of town knows about it.”

Neon took a sip of his soda. "So, I was thinking, on your way back from work one day if you could check it out, y’know?”

Vinyl turned towards him with a raised eyebrow. “You want me to what?”

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Just take a few minutes and look around the place. I mean, you walk past it every night you work.”

Vinyl shook her head. "No, I’m not doing that.”

“Oh c’moooon!" he pleaded. “Just a few minutes! Just look around and see if you hear any music or something!”

“Why can’t you do it yourself?”

“Because there’s a curfew and I’m underage." He smirked.

Vinyl grumbled. What a bullshit excuse. “So let me get this straight, you want me to go into an old, condemned building that could possibly kill me if I step in the wrong spot, just to prove to you that an old myth is just that: a myth?”

He shrugged. “More or less.”

“The answer is still no.”

Neon groaned and slouched on the couch. After a few seconds of silence, he perked back up with a nefarious scheme planned out. “Don’t tell me you’re scared, Vinny.”

Vinyl rolled her eyes. "Not gonna work, bro.”

He put his hooves up. "Hey, you’re the one who told me that ghosts aren’t real. So what do you have to lose?”

“Possibly my life.”

He sipped his soda. "Hey, that building has been standing for for, like, a hundred years, and there’s been ponies going in and out of it all the time. I don’t care what the city says, that building ain’t gonna fall on nopony anytime soon.”

“Still not doing it.”

He dramatically pointed at her. "So you are scared!”

“No, I just–”

“Face it, you think there actually is a ghost in there and you’re scared to take five minutes to look around.”

Vinyl’s eye twitched. "Ghosts aren’t real, Neon.”

“If you’re so sure about that, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t go. I mean, unless you are scared.”

Vinyl groaned and punched her brother in the shoulder. “Fine, you little idiot. I’ll go just to prove you wrong!”

Neon smiled triumphantly. Works every time. He extended his hoof to her. “Shake on it?”

Vinyl rolled her eyes, but extended her hoof anyway. "Fine, deal." She turned her attention back to the TV. "Now go to bed, will you? It’s three A.M.”

Neon scoffed and crossed his arms. "But it’s Saturdayyyy!”

Vinyl shrugged. "Just because there’s no school tomorrow isn’t an excuse to throw off your sleep cycle." She turned to look him in the eye. "Now, go to bed.”

Neon defiantly gazed at his big sister. He would not give into such ludicrous demands on a day where he need not to wake up at such an ungodly early hour. His sister, however, was resilient. She gave him the look, the one where she would ever so slightly tilt her head down and to the left.

Neon gulped, but he did not falter.

The eyebrow was raised; the end was near.

Neon trudged up the stairs to his room.

(\/);,,;(\/)

The next day had come, and with it, the next night. Vinyl had left the nightclub not too long ago, beginning her trek through the empty streets, and towards the theatre. As the streets grew darker and emptier, they reminded her more and more of her current situation: a hollow job and an empty life.

In truth, Vinyl hated the nightclub. Sure, she had a passion for music, but her job gave her no room for passion. Instead, she has to play the same generic, boring tracks that, for some reason, seem to excite the crowd more than her own, original work. And, as such, even she began to despise her job, void of fleeting passion. It wasn’t the job she signed up for; it wasn’t the life she wanted, but she didn’t have a choice in the matter. She needed a steady source of income to support both her and her brother, and the club was the only place that fits the bill.

Vinyl had always dreamed of so much more. When she had gotten her cutie mark, she thought that her talent was to create beautiful, inspiring modern music for all to immerse themselves in. Now, however, she gets disgusted whenever she looks at the mark on her flank; a dreadful reminder of a false destiny.

Vinyl stopped, and the echoing of her hooves against the cold stone beneath her died down. She pulled her hood off and looked at the weathered building in front of her with mild surprise. Even after eighty years, the building was still standing, and didn’t even look that torn. Apart from paint peeling off, and some cracks along the wall, the theatre was in relatively good shape for its age. Earth pony engineering, there’s nothing better, she thought. Maybe I won’t die walking through it.

Vinyl shook her head. She couldn’t help but be reminded of the tragic story behind the ruined building every time she laid eyes on it, its tale instantly filling her mind with disgust. Even after a thousand years of unity, the three pony races still fought against each other for superiority; the story behind this building being just one of those examples. Although, nowadays it’s only prevalent in Canterlot, it still serves to show that old prejudices do not die easily.

The story takes place about eighty years ago. Back then, there was an earth pony prodigy. This pony had skill with a bow that hadn’t been seen for decades, her superior talent evident with the precision and perfection in every note she played. Her talent eventually became so well known amongst the lower districts of Canterlot (where the earth ponies would commonly reside) that her name had eventually made it to the Princess’s ears. Celestia herself had asked the pony to come to the castle so that she may meet her in person and promised a spot on the Royal Symphony if she was even half as good as she was known for. The princess requested a personal concert so that she may hear her talent for herself. Both the prodigy and her community were thrilled about the news, all pitching in to renovate the old theatre that had laid dormant in their community for years, restoring it to a condition that was befitting the princess that would use it.

Tragedy had struck that night, however. It was supposed to be the greatest night of her life, the night when she would perform for a princess, and earn her dream of being inducted into the Royal Symphony, earning the title of first earth pony to join it’s ranks. But alas, fate had other plans. During her recital, the prodigy was murdered by a jealous unicorn musician, furious that an earth pony could be awarded such a prestigious position in society that rightfully belonged to him.

After witnessing such a young, promising musician murdered before her eyes, the princess had decided that enough was enough with this pitiful discrimination. For the next eighty years, Celestia had worked nonstop to abolish the inequality that had been going on under her nose for so long.

Well, that’s the true story, at least.

The legend is that the earth pony, her spirit filled with sadness and anger for being denied her dream, decided to stay on the mortal plane and haunt the very theater she was murdered in. They say you can still hear her playing her ghostly song. A song that was supposed to make her dream come true, but instead remains a reminder of a dream that was denied.

Vinyl took a deep breath. That story’s nothing but story; ghosts aren’t real. Shaking her head of any ill thoughts, she approached the withered double doors and opened them. The hinges creaked under the foreign pressure, startling the white mare somewhat. Once she was inside, she had to ignite her horn to illuminate the room. Shining the light from her horn around the room, she was amazed at condition and general designs of the interior. It was a large, open room with a chandelier lying broken on the floor. There were tattered flags and tapestry that hung on the walls, as well as what looked like faded posters, the images they once held lost to time. At the opposite end of the room was a counter, coated in dust and cobwebs. She imagined there would be rubble littering the floor, parts of the ceiling missing, and the like. Instead, the main foyer was in relatively good condition, just like the outside.

Briefly the thought of somepony maintaining the old building popped into her mind, but soon fleeted. Nopony would put that kind of effort into something that would never be used again. Especially in this part of town, the poorest, run down district in the entire capital city. Even so, after the prodigy was murdered, the earth pony community lost hope, and didn’t care to maintain, let alone look at a constant reminder of a horrendous tragedy.

Vinyl slowly made her way through the foyer, mindful of where she stepped, her eyes scanning for a rat or a shard of glass that could harm her. She made her way to the back right end of the room, where there was a hallway leading further into the ancient building. Through the echoing of her hoofsteps, she could slightly make out a different sound. The white unicorn stopped, allowing the sound of her hooves to die out, and listened. There was something there, but it was too faint to be distinguishable. Could just be some rats or something, she figured, and kept moving.

The further she got into the hallway, the more she thought about the situation. Why am I doing this again? she constantly asked herself. Was it pride, or her curiosity that fueled her expedition? Of course, it was always nice to prove Neon wrong, but then again, why would such a legend of a ghost haunting a theatre last for almost a century? There was no such thing as ghosts; the prospect made up just to scare little fillies. Something like that should have died out over the years, and yet, the story survived.

The hallway ended, opening up to a larger room. Vinyl stopped, again hearing the sound from earlier repeat. She felt a chill run up her spine as the sound got louder, and more distinct. That’s definitely not a rat…, she figured, her anxiety spiking.

Her curiosity defied instinct, and she crept closer and closer to the sound. As she entered another room (the main hall judging by the chairs descending into the darkness) the sound started to form a rhythm. Vinyl gasped as the realization hit her: she was hearing music.

The white unicorn shook her head. That’s impossible. Neon must be pranking me!. It was a perfect explanation. Her little brother must have set her up. He urged her to journey into the haunted theatre, and left a speaker on playing some classical music to give his sister a spook. Vinyl grumbled, agitated that she wasted her time trudging through an old theatre just to get humiliated by her little brother.

With no more fear plaguing her body, Vinyl casually walked toward the stage, expecting Neon to pop out of the curtains wearing some cheesy ghost costume. The music had gotten louder, more intense with every step until it suddenly stopped without warning as if had been paused. Vinyl smirked, Hah, the little buffoon is here. Wait till I get my hooves on him! He’s going to be in so much trouble for staying up this late on a Sunday! When she got to the stage and climbed onto it, there was no music player, nor an annoying little brother. Instead, she noticed a single chair, oddly void of dust. The spectacle would have intrigued her more, but another object caught her eye.

Laying next to the chair sat a cello, also void of dust. Vinyl stared at it, puzzled. Neither Vinyl nor Neon owned a cello, so that means that instrument was not planted. If it wasn’t planted, who would leave a perfectly good cello lying in an abandoned theatre? Vinyl reached out for it.

“Excuse me, what are you doing?”

Vinyl didn’t have enough time to register exactly what happened before her instincts kicked in. All she knew was that she was in a dark, old, creepy building with nopony else, and that voice was not Neon’s. There was no time to look behind her to see who it was, or to think logically about the situation. The white unicorn only had enough time to jump, scream, and run behind the curtains on the stage. In her careless haste, she ended up getting tangled in the faded red curtains, and tripping over her own hooves.

She scrambled to get out of the cocoon of cloth that she managed to accidently wrapped herself into. Once she was free, she stood up and looked around, horn aglow to re-light the room. There, by the chair and cello, stood a gray coated earth pony mare.

Vinyl sighed with relief. It’s just a pony. From the distinguished way she carried herself, and the fancy looking bowtie she wore, Vinyl figured she must be a city inspector or something along those lines. Vinyl would probably get reprimanded for trespassing in an abandoned, condemned building, but at least no harm would come to her.

The pony walked towards Vinyl, her nose in the air and her eyes closed. Vinyl patted her fur, removing what dust she could from her coat and jacket, and watched the earth pony approach her. Let’s see what this one has to say.

The pony’s hoof phased through the downed curtain.

Vinyl took a step back, gasping in surprise. Did that pony just walk through the curtain? No, that’s impossible. Maybe Vinyl was just too tired and saw something that didn’t actually happen. Yes, that made sense.

There was a sandbag on the stage, and the pony once again phased through it as if it was a hologram.

That time, Vinyl knew she wasn’t seeing things. The pony in front of her had just walked through two solid objects, and didn’t even look concerned about it! Vinyl stepped back again, but hit a wall behind her.

The pony drew closer, and with every step, Vinyl felt colder, as if the air around her was being sucked dry of all heat. Vinyl stood on her hind legs, back against the wall, adrenaline rushing, breathing erratically. There was only one explanation to why there’s another pony in that building, at that hour, phasing through objects.

The pony that stood before Vinyl was the ghost that haunted the theatre.

There was no other explanation. She couldn’t be a hologram, Neon doesn’t know how to work those, especially one that looks this real. Neon certainly doesn’t have the magical skill to conjure up something like that. Oh no, this was no prank. The phantom that stood before the cowering unicorn was real.

The ghost stopped in front of Vinyl, lowering her head and opening her eyes. The poor unicorn gazed into those eyes, and noticed that they shone in the darkness. Vinyl gasped again, her entire body writhing in fear as her legs gave out and she fell to the floor. She wanted to run, to scream, but all her basic instincts had shut down. She could only sit there, fear planting her in place, and stare at the abomination before her.

The spectre extended a hoof, and on it was a familiar pair of shades. “You dropped these,” it spoke.

Vinyl didn’t react. She kept staring into the empty, soulless eyes of the creature before her. Her mind was still wracking over the fact that the pony in front of her was a ghost, and was trying to determine exactly what was going to happen to her. Would the ghost possess her body? Would she simply kill her for trespassing on her domain?

The ghost raised an eyebrow, expecting a reply. When none came, she simply rolled her eyes, gently put Vinyl’s glasses down on the floor in front of her, and turned away. “If you’re going to stand there like a frightened child all night, be my guest. The door’s over there when you feel like leaving.”

The ghost walked away from the trembling unicorn and vanished into the darkness. Vinyl’s nerves relaxed, but only slightly. She grabbed her chest, feeling her heartbeat at a thousand miles per hour. Her mind was at a standstill, unable to fully comprehend anything that just happened. She didn’t know how long she was sitting there for, but the second she came to her senses, she grabbed her glasses and bolted out the way she came in.

Her hooves never stopped moving until she reached front door of her house, pausing only momentarily to fumble with her magic for the key. Once the key had found it’s place in the lock, the frantic unicorn threw herself inside, where she promptly slammed, locked, and could have barricaded the door it if she had the means to.

The unicorn pressed her back to the door, baring it for a moment, before slowly making her way towards the kitchen. Her magic aglow, the unicorn opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, downing the bottle. Her back then slammed against the fridge, and she slid down until she sat on the floor. She put a hoof over her heart, feeling as it continued to burst through her chest. The unicorn layed there, remaining still and panting as she caught her breath. Once her lungs stopped burning, and her heart slowed to a slow, steady rhythm, she downed the bottle until it was empty. She haphazardly tossing the empty plastic container across the kitchen, curling up into a ball on the floor soon after.

She stared at the wall, motionless, with only a single thought running through her head: What the fuck was that?!

(\/);,,;(\/)

Neon lazily slipped out of bed, haphazardly smacking his hoof on his bedside table, hitting the snooze button on his alarm clock after a few attempts. He yawned, stretched, and once a few joints had been popped, made his way out the door of his room and down the stairs.

“Vinny, you awake?" he cried out, turning into the adjoined kitchen to grab some breakfast. Strange, usually Vinyl was always up to make him breakfast in the mornings, but the house was dark, and the aroma of pancakes was not in the air. He wasn’t able to ponder that phenomena, however, as he stopped and stared at the prone form of his older sister, curled up tightly into a ball and staring emotionless at the wall. Neon rushed into action, at his sister’s side within mere seconds. “Vinyl, are you okay?!" he screamed, kneeling down and shaking his sister.

She responded by jumping, turning towards him and scooting away until her back pressed against one of the lower cabinets.

Neon went to follow, but stopped once he saw the sheer look of terror that was plastered across her sister’s features, her white coat somehow seeming even more pale. It took him a second to compose himself. “Vinyl… what happened to you?”

The unicorn didn’t respond at first, her eyes wandering all around the room. Eventually, she seemed to snap out of her fear filled transe, shaking her head and stepping onto slightly wobbling hooves. “N-nothing, Neon. Just… just…” She tried to think of a lie, not wanting her brother to know of what she saw. She shook her head, composing herself as much as she could. “Just… Just a bad day at work,” she mumbled, trotting forwards and past her brother.

Neon blinked, shaking his head at the blatant lie. He turned. “Come on, sis! That can’t be it. You’re usually tired or just annoyed after a bad gig. Right now you look like you’ve seen a… a…” His eyes went wide as realization hit him. “Oh my, Celestia! You saw her, didn’t you?!”

Vinyl shuttered, pausing her walk only momentarily. “Neon, just get to school,” she replied coldly, continuing her stride into her room, slamming the door behind her. The unicorn then flopped unceremoniously onto her small bed, burrowing her muzzle into the pillow.

Neon followed his sister, stopping just outside of her room, the only thing stopping him from busting in was his sister’s icy tone. He hesitated, but ultimately left her alone. She’ll come around eventually… I hope, he figured. Besides, he had to get going before he was late for school. When he would come back from school, and if Vinyl was still acting strange, he would intervene then.

Inside the room, Vinyl was an absolute mess. She laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling, and trying once again to make sense of her previous encounter. Nothing made sense to her anymore. She stayed up all last night, curled in a ball on the kitchen, trying to wrap her mind around what exactly she saw in the theatre. She didn’t even realize how long she had laid in their kitchen until Neon woke up for school, signalling that several hours had passed.

The only explanation for what she saw was an honest-to-Celestia ghost. The story about the young cellists’ spirit haunting the old theatre was true. For almost a hundred years, that ghost must have been there.

Vinyl saw it with her own eyes. She saw the earth pony phase through objects like they were air. She saw the way her eyes glowed in the dark. She felt the chill in the air surrounding the phantom. Everything lead up to one conclusion.

Ghosts are real.

Vinyl rubbed her eyes. There was still something that didn’t make sense. The way the ghost acted was strange. When it approached her, it didn’t seem… malevolent. All the ghost stories and movies Vinyl has heard or seen always portrayed the ghosts as evil spirits that sought revenge, or to possess a living pony, or flat out just kill ponies that they came across. But this one.. this one didn’t do any of that. Vinyl remembered the first thing it asked, ‘excuse me, what are you doing?’ The more Vinyl thought about it, the more she remembered how the spirit sounded: curious. After that, the spirit returned Vinyl’s shades, politely giving them back to her. And after Vinyl was unresponsive, the spirit walked off, a little annoyed.

Vinyl jumped at the sound of knocking on her bedroom door. A meek voice quietly came through to her. “V-Vinny? Are you ok in there? I’m home from school and… just wanting to know if you’re alright.”

Vinyl blinked. Home from school? How long have I been… She looked at her bedside clock, and gasped at how fast time went by when she was laying in bed. She rolled out of bed and opened the door. Her little brother stood there, concern in his eyes.

Vinyl outstretched her forelegs and hugged her brother. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Neon, glad that his sister came back to her senses, hugged her back. “It’s fine… but… did you actually… you know?”

Vinyl remained silent. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell Neon about what she saw or not. On one hoof, he wouldn’t stop bothering her or worrying unless she said something. However, she didn’t want to tell him the truth. Not because she didn’t want to be proven wrong, but because she wished to protect him. If Neon knew the ghost story was real, he would want to go see the spirit for himself, and that’s something Vinyl would not let happen.

After a moment of silence, Vinyl spoke up, “No, I... didn’t see a ghost. B-but I did see a… a skeleton, though. Ran right into it and scared the living shit out of me." It was believable enough. Seeing a dead ponies remains ought to frighten a pony enough to keep them up at night.

Neon broke the hug and looked at Vinyl. “A skeleton? Somepony just died, and they left ‘em there?”

Vinyl shrugged weakly. “I don’t know. You know how bad that part of town is. Nopony probably cared." She patted him on the head. “C’mon, let’s just forget about it! What do you want for dinner?”

Neon smiled, seeming to accept his sister’s rationalization. “Pizza, for sure!”

Vinyl rolled her eyes, but smiled as well. “Alright, we’ll order a pizza." Truthfully, Vinyl wasn’t in the mood to cook anyway.

Chapter: 2

The doors to the nightclub burst open, and a unicorn with a black hoodie marched out. She pulled the hood tightly over her head and braced herself from the cold night air. She was tired, worn out, drained, but the night air did wonders to reawaken her tired body.

It was another empty night at the club, just like all other nights before. She would put on a fake smile for the crowd, act like she was having fun, and played her usual set. The repetition drained her each and every night, the lack of change driving her mad. She wanted to change it up, to mix in some original work, but her strict boss wouldn’t risk it. He would always tell her that what she was doing was keeping the crowd entertained, and there was no reason to change it.

But there is a reason to change it, Vinyl thought. Every night bored her to pieces. Every night it was the exact same tracks. The same generic, boring music. There was no variety, no creativity. Sometimes Vinyl would even question why she was needed in the first place. Why would a nightclub hire a DJ to just sit there and watch as she just switched the records whenever the tracks ended, when they could just automatically play the music. Was it for theatrics? Did she somehow add to the atmosphere of the club? Whatever the reason, it eluded her, and her walk continued despite her mental tirade.

Vinyl shook her head; she shouldn't complain about the reason why she was needed. She should be grateful that she even had a source of income in the first place. She can’t afford to lose that job, no matter how boring it was. She needed to support her little brother. She needed to save bits so he could go to college, get a good job, and not be stuck in the same position as her.

The street lights soon faded away, signalling that Vinyl had made it to that part of town. She looked up, spotting the old theatre in the distance. Vinyl stopped, involuntarily taking a step back and holding a hoof to her heart. She felt her heartbeat speed up, memories of what happened the other night resurfacing in her mind.

Vinyl breathed deeply for a few seconds, leveling out her anxiety and keeping her adrenaline at bay. She has accepted the fact that there was a ghost in that theatre. There was no denying that fact. She saw it walk through objects, she felt the chill of death, and her sunglasses… Vinyl reached up to the top of her head and pulled shades off to inspect them. If none of that were real the other day, then her glasses should have been lost in the theatre. However, they were returned to her by the spirit.

Even with everything that happened, all the fear, the confusion, the anxiety, Vinyl was still curious. A part of her brain betrayed her and wanted to know more about the phantom that resided within those ruined halls. Another part of her wanted to go back to the theatre and confront the ghost. Her instincts screamed at her to stay away, while the logical part of her brain begged her to just forget about what happened and move on with her life, lest she wants to lose it.  

Her mind conflicted, she didn’t even notice that she had managed to trot all the way up to the front door. She gazed upon the sturdy piece of oak and sighed in defeat.

Curiosity killed the cat, so let’s see what happens to the pony, the mare thought solemnly.

She pressed forwards and inside the haunted building for the second time, trying to retrace her steps from the previous night. Like before, the music soon came into earshot around the same point, and the full melody caught her ear when she entered the main hall.

The cello sat on its vacant perch, a bow sliding upon its ancient strings by an unseen source. Vinyl knew the source but was hesitant to confront it for the second time. Eventually, she decided to merely sit and listen, trotting up to one of the seats in the back and plopping her flank down, taking the time to listen to the ghostly song.

The tone was haunting, but its melody was held high. The song started upbeat. Happy, even, but soon began to decline. The notes got darker, the pace got slower, and the overall feel of it got more… dead. Suddenly, the song stopped, as if cut off. Vinyl raised her head and peered up at the lone cello, which now was accompanied by a familiar sector. The ghost from before made her presence known, materializing in a visible form and was slumped over the cello, unmoving.

Vinyl watched her, feeling both confused, and a little bit sad. It was strange that the spirit suddenly cut off her song without warning, but the way the ghost was slumped over tugged at Vinyl’s heart. She looked… defeated. As if she had lost the will to continue playing.

Suddenly, the chair that Vinyl was sitting on gave out. The loud noise echoed through the acoustic halls, reverberating off the walls for what seemed like the longest time. Vinyl cursed under her breath.

The spirit looked up from her position on the stage. “Who’s there?” she called out. Vinyl tried to stay hidden, but the ghost was too quick. Without warning, she materialized in front of the trembling unicorn.

Vinyl’s eyes went wide. She knew it was a bad idea to come back. The phantom had spared her once. Now, however, she may not be so kind.

But, what happened next, Vinyl did not expect at all.

“Oh, it’s you… the unicorn from the other night. You’re... back?” she said, more confused than anything else. There was no malicious intent held in her words, nor evil or malice. Only confusion and… hope?

Vinyl tried her hardest to fight back her nerves. She tried reasoning as much as she could with her brain to allow her to speak. The spirit didn’t look evil. She didn’t seem like she wanted to hurt her. She just seemed confused. She wanted answers… just like Vinyl did. As much as she negotiated with her mind, her vocal chords were not given permission to work.

The earth pony spirit furrowed her brow. “You’re still trembling like a filly?” She paused, running a hoof through her spectral mane. “You did come back, though. So that must mean you’re not that scared... right?”

Her voice was still lost, kept at bay the by unnatural sight before her.  She tried to nod, but her muscles fell in line with her voice.

The spectre’s eye twitched, a hint of anger briefly uprooting. “Why must everypony always be like this! Do you all think that I am going to… to kill you or something ridiculous like that?!” She sighed, mumbling to herself, “Pretty soon you’ll just run away and leave me alone again like… like everypony else.” She huffed. “Go on then, scurry away like the frightened filly you are!” she exclaimed, shooing in Vinyl’s direction with her hooves. She then turned around, walking through the chairs to go back to the stage.

Vinyl finally found her voice, and with as much force as she could, uttered a weak, “Wait!”

The spirit stopped, turning her head to face her. A flash of hope flickered in her eyes, but it was soon overshadowed by agitation.

Vinyl got to her hooves, breathing deeply to calm herself. “Why did you stop?”

The spirit turned her ghostly body all the way around, giving Vinyl her full attention. “Stop what?”

“T-the song,” she replied. “You just… suddenly stopped playing in the middle of it.”

The ghost sighed, disappearing for a second and reappearing back on stage. She held the bow to her cello in her hooves, a look of sorrow on her face. “I’ve been asking myself that question for years. I… I don’t know why, but I just can’t remember the rest of the piece. I can’t even remember how to play anything else.”

Vinyl walked down the center stairs to the front row, listening intently to the spirit's words. “Well, I liked it,” she said, hoping to cheer up the lost soul.

The ghost’s ears perked up. “Really?” she asked, her voice raising an octave. The ghost noticed her rise in tone, and took a moment to compose herself. She cleared her throat. “Well, of course you would. It was my original work.”

Vinyl inwardly chuckled at how quickly her demeanor changed. Weather out of genuine laughter or from anxiety, she wasn’t sure. “So, um…” Vinyl started, then paused as she tried to remember the spectator's name. “Melody, was it?”

“Octavia Melody,” the ghostly mare corrected proudly, her head held high in pride. Soon, however, Octavia quickly lowered in and narrowed her eyes, her voice turned sour. “Of course your kind would care not to remember my name.”

Vinyl blinked. “My kind...? Unicorns? Why would we not care?”

The spirit rounded on Vinyl and let out an irritated huff. “Because you bloody witches did this to me!” she screamed.

Vinyl screamed in response, scared.  The mare attempted to back up, only to trip on the tattered remains of a rug.  She then fell onto her rump—eyes wide and heart pounding.

Octavia immediately regretted screaming at the white mare and winced. She held a spectral hoof out towards her as if trying to stop her from running away. “I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you. Please, forgive me. I-I promise I won’t hurt you!”

Vinyl stood back up on shaky hooves, then brushed the dust dirt from her hoodie. Once completed, the mare then stared at Octavia for a moment and gauged her sincerity. Only once she figured that what the spirit said was true, she sat back down on the chair in the front row. “I-It’s fine…” she muttered anxiously. “I mean, if I were a ghost, I’d be kinda pissed too.”

“Ghost?” Octavia repeated. “Well, I guess you could call me that.”

Vinyl titled her head in confusion. “What? Did you think you were something else?”

Octavia shrugged. “I always thought this was a curse. A bloody spell put on me by the witch, er… the unicorn that… that killed me.” The phantom looked down in shame and sorrow.

Vinyl didn’t know what to say at that point. What could you say to a ghost to cheer them up when they have been reminded of their own death? There’s never been a scenario about that, and, as such, there was no protocol. Vinyl was at a loss for words.

Octavia spoke again after a few moments of silent tears. “I’m sorry, but... I believe I have neglected to ask your name.”

“Oh, uh… Vinyl Scratch.”

“Vinyl Scratch,” Octavia repeated with a chuckle. “Like a record?”

Vinyl laughed with her. “Yeah, I guess so. Fits nicely with the job title and all.”

“Job? You’re a musician too?”

The white mare nodded. “Yeah, you can say I am. I didn’t get a cutie mark like this for being a carpenter, y’know? Now, I don’t play the string, but I know my way around music.”

“Oooh, I get it!” said Octavia. “So, what do you play, then? Piano?”

Vinyl scratched her neck. “Well, uh, no. I’m a DJ.”

“DJ?” Octavia tilted her head. “What’s that?”

“Y’know, disk jockey!”

The spirit shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid don’t know what that is.”

Vinyl mentally kicked herself. Duh! She’s like a hundred years old! “It’s a, uh… modern… thing? I work with records.”

“Modern…” Octavia whispered, then her head dipped in sadness, once again. “Tell me, Vinyl, how long has it been? How long have I been… trapped here, like this? I’ve lost track a long, long time ago…”

Vinyl looked away, saddened at the sight of the lonely spirit. “It’s been about… eighty years, I believe, since you, uh… y’know.”

Octavia gazed at a spot in the wall, lost in thought. “Eighty years…” she whispered.

Vinyl looked around, quickly trying to think of something to say before Octavia would start to cry again. “B-b-but, even so, you’re still remembered! Hell, your death sparked a, uh, a-a cultural revolution! You basically became a… uh… dammit, what’s the word… matron?”

Octavia blinked at her. “I think the word you are searching for is ‘martyr’, and… really? That all happened... because of me?”

Vinyl nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! Princess Celestia was so pissed off after you died, she went all like ‘I’m tired of these damn ponies being racist!’ and basically changed the whole social class thingy.”

Octavia listened intently at the unicorn’s tale, and took a step closer to the mare with each second. “Goodness, is that really true? If so, are earth ponies are no longer treated as second-class citizens?”

“Yep! Well, there’s, like, a few unicorns in the higher up that still haven’t gotten the message, but besides those pricks, racism is pretty much dead.” She chuckled. “To be honest, it’s pretty much all thanks to you.”

Octavia stared at Vinyl, eyes wide in surprise. “So, I went down in history as a martyr. Golly, I wish I can see it for myself.”

Vinyl nodded, then a thought occurring to her. “So, uh, Octavia… can I ask you something?”

“Hmm? Yes?”

Vinyl hesitated. “You, uh… you mentioned that there were other ponies that came in here before, but they all ran away. Am I… the only one that, uh… y’know, came back?”

Octavia nodded sadly. “There’s been a hoof-full of ponies that came and went over the years. Five, maybe six. At first, I was scared and confused. I ran up to them, asking them for help, wanting to know what was going on. But, they would all just run and scream, never coming back. Eventually, I just got tired of it. I didn’t care who came in here because I knew they wouldn’t stay long.” She wiped her eyes and looked at Vinyl with a smile. “But you came back, and I thank you for that. Thank you, Vinyl, for not being scared of me.”

Vinyl smiled back at her and nodded. “You’re welcome, Octavia. Truth be told, I’m still shaking, but I think it’s more of the ‘holy-shit-ghosts-are-real-and-I’m-talking-to-a-ghost-right-now’ than a ‘I’m-gonna-die’ thing.”

Octavia chuckled. “Well, you won’t have to worry about that. As much as I hate my current situation, there’s no point in taking it out on innocent ponies that had nothing to do with it.” Her chuckling grew into laughter. “Can you imagine me trying to possess you or something silly like that?!”

Vinyl waved her off. “Pssh, you wouldn’t like my body. I eat way too much junk food.”

Both mares laughed at the silliness of the corporal one's joke. Vinyl looked at the spectre in front of her. Past what’s on the outside: what she’s perceived to be. The white mare felt sorry for all the other ponies that ran screaming from her, as they were never able to get to know who the poor soul really was. She wasn’t an angry, malevolent spirit out for revenge. She was merely a lonely, lost soul that just wants somepony to talk to.

Vinyl let out a yawn, then rubbed her eyes. “Hey, Octavia? I think I should be getting home now—if my brother wakes up, and I'm not home, he’ll probably call the guard.”

“You have a brother?” She frowns. “Are your parents not home to watch him?”

Vinyl frowns, her upturn expression immediately replaced with one of sadness, then anger. “My… our parents aren't with us anymore…”

Octavia gasped and clapped a hoof to her mouth. “Oh dear, I’m so sorry.”

She waved her off. “Don’t worry about it—just forget I said anything.”

Octavia rubbed the back of her neck. “Alright, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine.”

Vinyl smiled. “Thanks.” She looked behind her. “But, yeah, I really should be getting home. Thanks for not possessing me ‘n’ all that.”

Octavia chuckled, but soon her demeanor changed as she watched her new friend walk away. “Will I see you again?!” she blurted out as her face turned red. “I-It’s just that… I-I haven’t talked to anypony in such a long time a-and… I… I really liked talking to you…”

Vinyl turned around towards the flustered ghost. How does she even blush? She doesn’t have blood! She smiled at her. “Of course! I’ll be back tomorrow, and again on Friday after work. Actually, I’ll probably visit every night after work.”

Octavia beamed, then floated off the stage. “Oh really?!” she asked, her voice higher pitched than normal. “Thank you, Vinyl!” The phantom outstretched her forelegs and hugged Vinyl briefly before realizing what she did and quickly recollected herself. She adjusted her bowtie, cleared her throat, then said, “See you tomorrow, then,” and quickly disappeared from sight.

Vinyl, on the other hoof, tightened her hoodie around her and shivered. Octavia was really cold. Her coat felt like soft ice, chilling her to the core. She made her way out of the old building and trotted home happily. All-in-all, she made the right choice coming back to the theatre. Not only had she satisfied her curiosity, but she may have also made a new friend.

Vinyl stopped dead in her tracks right outside her door. A single, frightening thought passed through her head. I just made friends with a ghost… she shivered. what the hell is going on with my life?

Chapter: 3

The club was alive. Ponies jumped, shouted and danced—their collective acting as the club's limbs. The music pulsed through its thick walls like a heartbeat—each pulse bringing with it more life. Vinyl Scratch, the slayer of records, stood behind her booth, her lips curled into a smile while her hair bounced with each electric bob of her head. She was the brain that commanded the heart and body. This was the Vinyl that everypony saw.

This was the Vinyl she wanted them to see.

Deep down, the notes were hollow. The club was empty, and the music beating it like a dead horse. Sometimes, she wanted to yell at the ponies who worshiped the club; try and knock them out of their fanatic stupor.

But, she always held back.

As much as she hated it, each hollow note, she needed the job. She kept her smile on every night, practically whoring her tallents out to that Celestia damned place.

It was her who now sounded like a broken record. Each night, she reminded herself that this club was slowly killing her, but she never did anything about it. It was fine to complain, but to act would jeopardize all she had. She needed this job, more than anypony could possibly understand.

As the evening went on, the ponies slowly started to get tired and funnel out. Once the club was empty, the white mare trotted out from her booth and over to her boss to collect her pay; a smile remaining on her face until the second she stepped out of the door. Vinyl didn’t blame her boss for the repetitive style, nor did she even think of him a bad stallion. He treated her fair, and paid her fair. In the white mare’s eyes, she could see that, on a business level, repetition was good, as it provided stability.

On a music level, however, it lacked heart.

The mare let her hooves step onto the cold, hard street—her forced smirk fell once her hind hooves left her place of work. She trotted forward, her mind slowly letting go from her uneventful job and slowly fell upon her destination.

But, her emptiness left her as soon as the theatre came into view; her frown replaced by a soft smile. What once was a place that filled her with fear now held hope and curiosity. A place that was once believed to be the playgrounds for a malevolent spirit, but was actually a prison for a lonely one.

One she now called: friend.

Vinyl stepped up to the double doors and pushed them gently, only to have them creak open loudly. She rolled her eyes and trotted past the threshold, but before she had the chance to ignite her horn to illuminate the room beyond, an earth pony teleported in front of her and gripped her into a hug.

“You came back!” Octavia yelled happily as she embraced her new friend, only to release her a few seconds later. She nervously chuckled, then recomposed herself. “I-I-I mean… uh… good evening?” The spectre blinked, then noticed her living friend was shaking. “O-oh, I’m sorry! Did I… did I scare you again?”

Vinyl curled up and waved a shaky hoof at her. "N-n-no, it’s n-n-not that.” She pulled her hoodie in tighter as she shivered uncontrollably. “Y-you’re just s-so… cold.”

Octavia raised a hoof and inspected it. “Really?” She looked momentarily to Vinyl, who nodded. “Well, that is something I didn’t expect…”

“Just… just warn me next time you’re gonna hug me, alright?” Vinyl began, her core temperature now back up to an acceptable level. “I might have to bring an extra jacket… or two,” she mumbled.

The spirit blushed, a phenomenon which Vinyl still had yet to understand. “F-fine, then… I guess I won’t hug you anymore!”

Vinyl chuckled. “Hey, now, I never said that! I just don’t want to get hypothermia whenever you ‘greet’ me.” She then smirked at her ghostly companion. “So, were you waiting for me all day at the doors?”

Octavia scoffed. “Absolutely not! I have better things to do than stand by a door all day and wait for you to return when I had no doubts that you wouldn’t!”

“Pssh, what ‘better things to do’? Practice your ghostly wails?”

Octavia puffed out her cheeks. “S-shut up!”

Vinyl laughed and, soon after, Octavia joined in. Laughter reigned supreme over the desolate theatre, but soon faded, and silence then rolled over the ruined theatre. Neither knew what to say, but neither felt that they needed too. It wasn't an awkward silence, more of a calming one. Vinyl was still a little overwhelmed by the situation, while Octavia didn’t want to say anything to drive off her new friend.

Eventually, the white mare allowed her curious side to take over. "So, Octavia, how do you, like… physically grab things?” Vinyl asked, recalling how the spectral mare was able to hug her.

Octavia looked around, then grabbed a piece of broken glass from the ruined chandelier. “I figured it out sometime after this happened to me. If I focus hard on an object: I can touch it. If I ignore it: I’ll go right through it.” The glass fell through her hoof and landed softly on the carpeted floor.

“Woah,” Vinyl said, then poked her hoof through Octavia’s spectral body. “That’s coooooool.” She waved her hoof through her body, noting how it felt like waving through cold, slightly denser air.

After getting over the initial shock, Octavia blushed and wildly slapped Vinyl's hoof away. “S-stop that!” she screamed, then turned away and covered her stomach. “It feels... weird.”

Vinyl giggled. “Y’know, for a ghost, you’re not that, well... spooky.”

The specter harrumphs, then pointed her muzzle into the air. “I’ll have you know I can be quite scary when given the motivation!”

The white mare stifled the urge to giggle. She trotted towards the main hall with Octavia floating beside her. “So you can fly, too?”

“A little bit,” Octavia replied.

“So… you can walk through walls, disappear, and fly. You’re basically, like, an alicorn if you think about it.”

Octavia scoffed. “I would never want to have one of those flashy corkscrews on my forehead, thank you very much. I’m quite proud being an earth pony.”

“Heyyyy,” Vinyl mock-whined.

“Honestly, those things do more harm than good. Society would be better off without them.”

“Oh no, grandma’s being racist again!” She tried to hold an offended face, but only managed to burst out into giggles again.

Octavia rolled her eyes. She floated towards the stage and took her place at the base of her cello, then picked up her bow between a fetlock.

The white mare tilted her head. “Uh, do you always do this at this time?” Vinyl asked as she trotted up to the front row and waited for the impending song.

Octavia nodded. “Like clockwork, I believe. Hard to keep track of time, but I believe it to be at the same time each and every day.” She shrugged. “It’s strange, really, at almost the same time every night, I get this… this draw to my cello, and the notes to the song flood my head until I play it. I've tried on more than one occasion to just stop, but… It appears that I cannot.” And with that said, the ghost closed her eyes and focused on the instrument in front of her. Her bow soon began to glide across the strings, the same melody playing from the other night. Every note was perfect, spot on. Even with that’s small sample Vinyl could grasp this pony’s talent, easily living up to the legend.

Vinyl listened, her mind wandered as she listened to the ghost’s song. But, something was different about this time. It wasn't the song, as it sounded exactly the same. It was the… feeling, it gave off. Her mind was filled with soft static, as if trying to decode some unearthly message. As the song continued, so did the feeling, her mind continuing to sway until the song eventually came to an abrupt stop; all feelings and emotions dying with the last note.

The mare looked up from her perch on the stage, her head tilting at the strange face of her new friend. “Are you alright?” she asked her new friend, her attention shifting from her interment and back to her friend.

Vinyl shook her head. “Yeah, I'm okay. Your song just… gets to me, I guess,” she spoke with a shrug.

Octavia gently set down her cello and floated towards Vinyl. “So you really do like it?” She asked. “It’s the only song I can remember how to play.”

Vinyl nodded vigorously. “Yeah, totally! I just wish you can finish it.”

The spirit sighed sadly. “As do I, Vinyl,” she mumbled softly as she drifted back to the stage, perching on its edge.

“So you never figured out why you suddenly stop at that same point all the time?” Vinyl asked.

Octavia shook her head. “Every time I try to remember the notes, I draw a blank. Like they’ve never existed. And whenever I try to remember notes to a different piece, the same thing happens.”

Vinyl scratched her head in thought. What would be the reason why Octavia’s spirit couldn’t remember any songs? She mentally shrugged. Ghosts are strange. “Do you think that maybe why you suddenly stop,” she started, hesitating to continue. “Is… is because you, well… died at that part?”

The unicorn cringed and instantly regretted her words, expecting Octavia to take it badly. To her surprise, she merely shrugged. “Perhaps. To be honest, that has been my best hypothesis thus far. I just… I just wish I knew more about being, well–” she motions to her floating body “–this! How did I even end up like this? I always thought ghosts were just superstition, but now I am one…” she shook her head. “All of the old stories always made it seem so easy! Wandering free, but with a purpose.” She snorts, her face contorting in anger. “And here I am! Trapped inside of this stupid theatre, oblivious to whatever my ‘purpose’ is supposed to be.”

Octavia looked up as she felt a hoof try to run through her mane. She watched as Vinyl tried to comfort her, but it looked and felt more like she was just batting a hoof through a cloud. The ghost smiled; the gesture meaning more than mere touch to her. “Thank you, Vinyl. You do not know how good it feels to be.. to have… to not be alone.”

The unicorn smiled at her new friend. “Hey, don't worry about it! That’s what friends are for!”

A hesitant smile slowly spreads across the ghost’s muzzle. “You mean that we are… friends?”

“Well, I think so. How about you?”

Octavia outstretched her forelegs.

Vinyl sighed. "Go ahead…” She braced herself for the incoming blizzard.

Octavia lunged at her friend. She tried to keep the hug brief, as not to freeze her friend to death, but she was so overwhelmed with happiness that she didn’t want to let go. Eventually, though, after feeling Vinyl shaking more dramatically with each passing second, she had to let go.

Vinyl fell to the floor and curled into the tightest ball that her body will allow and wrapped her tail around her. “I r-regret d-doing th-that.”

Octavia laughed genuinely. She hadn’t felt that good in ages! After being alone for nearly eighty years, befriending Vinyl has, quite literally, lifted her spirits. She didn’t know how to feel, or what to say. All she could do is jump up and down and giggle, floating around (and through) the entirety of the main theatre room.

The white unicorn eventually recovered and clambered back onto her hooves and dusted herself off with one last shiver. She chuckled at the twirling spirit, and enjoyed the sight of the lifeless entity with so much, well, life.

Suddenly, the time finally got to Vinyl, and she frowned as she realized she has to leave soon. She watched Octavia take a few more laps before she flagged her down by waving her hooves over her head. Octavia noticed Vinyl, swooped down, and landed in front of the white mare. “Sorry about that… May have gotten a little carried away…”

Again, Octavia’s blush still confused Vinyl. She shook her head and returned her mind back on topic. “Listen, Octavia, I've gotta get going soon. It was fun hangin’ out, but like I said yesterday, my brother’s gonna freak If I’m not home when he wakes up.”

Octavia frowned. “Oh… alright, then. I understand. You will be back tomorrow… right?”

Vinyl nodded. “Definitely! See ya then, Octavia!” she called out, turning to walk out the door.

The spirit smiled and waved her off. “Bye, Vinyl!” She was about to turn back but blinked. “Wait!”

The white mare turned back around. “Yea?”

Octavia floated up to her friend, her spectral hooves twiddling nervously in front of her. “D-do you think that, maybe, you could, uh… pick some stuff up for me?”

Vinyl nodded, smiling. “Sure, whatcha need?” What would a ghost actually need anyway?

Octavia looked back towards the stage. "It’s just… well… it’s been so terribly boring here. I have nothing to do but play that single, unfinished song on my cello… and, I just wanted to ask if you could maybe… go to the library and get me some books? Oh, how I’ve missed reading…”

Vinyl chuckled and held a hoof to her mouth. “Seriously? Are you that old you still enjoy reading?”

Octavia raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me that the literary arts have managed to die in these past years?”

Vinyl shrugged.  “Well, not completely, but pretty close. I don't think I've even stepped hoof in a library! How do they even work, anyhow?”

Octavia scoffed. "How could you have never been to a library?! Why, when I was a filly I would spend every moment I could at the library!  Reading was a big part of my life, apart from music.”

“I guess things were different then. When I was in school, only the nerds went to the library.”

Octavia glared at Vinyl, then sighed in defeat. “So, I guess you won’t be able to get me any books? Considering you don’t even have a library card.”

Vinyl’s face screwed up as she seemed to remember something. With a flick of magic, the unicorn picked out her wallet from a pocket in her hoodie and levitated out a card. “Is this a library card?” she asked, holding it out to Octavia.

The spirit examined the card, nodding. “Yes.” Her lips curled into an ‘o’ in surprise. “And it appears that my old library is still standing.”

“Huh…” Vinyl began, the looked over the card. “Y’know, I've always wondered what this thing was for. I swear I've lost at least a dozen of them over the years, but they always seem to find their way back…”

Octavia gave her friend a quizzical look. “Huh? ‘A dozen’? If you’ve never been to a library, how have you had, and lost, multiple library cards?!”

Vinyl shrugged again. “I don’t know. Nopony knows how they get a library card. They just appear in their wallets at some point in their lives.”

“‘Just appear in their wallets’?” Octavia asked, baffled. “That makes absolutely no logical sense!”

“Says the ghost.”

The phantom puffed out her cheeks, visibly holding back a scream. She fumbled around with her mouth, trying to figure out what to say in retort, but found that she had nothing to say against such a witty, legendary zing.

Vinyl smiled. “So, what kinda books do you want me to get?”

Octavia brightened up at the question, swaying side-to-side. “Ooooh, I do love a good mystery story! I wonder if Sherlock Hooves is still going on? Oh, what am I saying, of course it is!” She gasped. “It’s been so long, there’s probably twenty, no, thirty more books published since I last read them! Oh! And maybe a good romance novel,” she squealed. “I’m so curious as to what books are like in the modern day! Are they longer? I hope so!”

Vinyl mentally checked off the small list of books her spectral friend requested. “Sherlock Hooves and romance... got it!” She turned around, walking towards the exit. “I’ll be back same time tomorrow!”

“Bye, Vinyl!” Octavia called out. “And thank you!”

Vinyl opened the old, creaky double doors and stepped outside into the cold night air. After being so close to Octavia, the cold air felt like summer and she graced it with a warm embrace.

Chapter: 4

Vinyl fumbled with her keys; the brass smacked against the wooden door with each failed attempt to reach its destination. The white unicorn’s eyes sagged and her tired body shown its lack and need for sleep. After more time than the unicorn would like to admit, the key made its mark and slid into the tumbler and allowed her entrance into her home.

The white mare stumbled inside; her tunnel vision directed her to the nearest soft object: her couch. With an ungrateful flop, Vinyl face planted into the soft material. Her body sank into the sofa, to which she smiled and embraced happily. With a yawn and a groan, she gently hugged the nearest pillow, then closed her eyes…

“Holy crap, Vinny! What the heck are you doing here so late?!”

The mare groaned, the relief of sleep's grasp ruined as her younger charge made his presence known. She groggily rose to her hooves and yawned as she tried to look at her brother.

“Oh, sorry…” Vinyl muttered, then rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?”

Neon shifted his gaze to glance at the wall clock. “It's, like, six in the morning,” he said, then returned his attention to his sister. “I gotta go to school in an hour.”

Vinyl mumbled incoherently, and flopped off the couch. Like a mindless zombie, powered by habit and muscle memory alone, the mare trudged her way to the kitchen. For a full minute, Vinyl just stared at the stove, only to wonder what she was supposed to be doing. She yawned again, then reached into the cabinet to grab a pot. “Eggs,” she muttered. “Eggs are breakfast, right?”

Neon stared at his sister, a slightly worried look on his face. "Are you okay, Vinny?”

“Huh?” Vinyl asked as she turned her head to face her sibling. She held the pot over the sink in her magical grip, though completely missed the running water. “No… yeah? Yeah, I’m fine. Octavia just kept me up…”

“Who?”

Vinyl lazily waved him off. “I’ll tell you when you’re…” She yawned. “When you’re older. Gotta make breakfast. Gotta take care of my brother, ‘cus I love him."

The pot then fell from her grasp and into the sink as Vinyl fell onto the kitchen floor, dead asleep.

Neon sighed. This wasn’t like Vinyl. She would always wake up when he did to make him breakfast before school—a pattern he has until now never seen her break. And, even though she worked terrible hours, he had never seen her this tired.

Then again, she never came home at six in the morning either.

He ignited his horn and dragged his sister’s sleeping form across the floor and towards her room.

“Holy Celestia, Vinyl!” he muttered as he struggled to drag his sister. “What the hell have you been eating?”

With some extreme effort, Neon managed to lift his sister from the floor and onto her bed. He then tucked her in and silently closed the door.

The next few minutes were filled with the colt hastily getting ready for school. Once he was fully prepared, he exited out the front door and headed off to school.

Neon regretted not asking his sister more about the odd circumstances, but he also knew she wouldn't have been any help in her current state—he would have to wait until after school to see what exactly was going on and find out who this ‘Octavia’ was.

(\/);,,;(\/)

Vinyl awoke hours later only to immediately curse herself for having stayed out so late. She had wanted to get home before he woke up, but apparently she underestimated the time she spent with her spectral friend. With a grumble, the white mare flopped out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

She stepped inside and turned on the water and waited for it to reach an acceptable temperature. Once it was, the mare stepped into the steady stream of warm liquid; her body relaxed as it was bathed in warm comfort. Though it did wonders to relax her body, Vinyl’s mind still remained a wreck of worry.

Neon must’ve been worried sick about me, she thought as she levitated over the shampoo and began to wash herself clean. And collapsing onto the kitchen floor probably didn't help… shit.

The rest of the shower was filled with Vinyl trying to think of an excuse as to why she was out so late, but, even as she turned off the water and exited the shower, she still didn't have an answer.

Vinyl sighed as she grabbed a towel and dried herself off. What the heck am I gonna tell him? she thought as she threw the soaked towel into the closest hamper and trotted out of the bathroom.

Once she entered the living room, the white mare looked at the hanging clock and realized that she would have to leave for the library soon if she wanted to have any chance of having enough time to both pick up Octavia’s requested literature and make it to work on time.

She cursed her long hours. She cursed her lack of sleep. And she cursed herself for allowing any worry upon her younger sibling.

Vinyl tossed her saddlebags over her back and trotted out the door. Now… where the hell is the library? she thought as she stepped down to the curb. Since Vinyl had never actually been there herself, she had no idea where it was.

Ponies of all shapes and sized trotted along the street in front of her that rushed to get to their destination. Lower Canterlot wasn’t exactly as popular as the upper district, as it was the ‘slum’ district of the city, but it still had it’s fair share of business. Because of the stark differences in classes, Lower Canterlot had a culture all its own that starkly contrasted that of the upper district. It mainly consisted of small, family owned restaurants and shops.

It briefly passed the mare’s mind to ask someone for directions, but she decided to simply hail a cabby.

“Taxi!” Vinyl screamed as she waved her hooves.

Eventually, she managed to catch the attention of one of the chariot-pulling ponies, who stopped on the curb just besides her. “Where to, Miss?” he asked in a gruff, tried voice.

“Uh… you know where the closest Library is?” she asked as she climbed into the back of the chariot.

The Cabby looked back at her with a surprised look. “Library? Wow, now that’s a place I haven’t been to in a long time.”

“I know, right!” Vinyl agreed with a quick chuckle. “Anyways, you know where it is, right?”

“Yeah, I do. But, is it okay if I drop you off a few blocks off? It’s a little out of my route and it’s easier to get too if you walk.”

Vinyl shrugged. “Eh, sure. Less I have to pay.”

The Cabby nodded, then began to trot towards his directed location.

(\/);,,;(\/)

True to his word, the Cabby dropped her off a few blocks from the library. She paid the stallion and trotted down the remaining few blocks.

“Wow… how did I ever miss this?” Vinyl thought as she stood at the front steps of the Lower Canterlot Public Library.

The library was massive and practically intimidating in its own right. It wasn’t the official Royal Library, which was located in the upper district, but it was impressive in it’s own right. Canterlot was a city of learning and knowledge, which was not limited to only the elite. The ‘lower class’ that called this district of town their home had compiled their own impressive collection of unique books of various types and styles. From the local history and culture, to fictional work my local authors, it was all recorded in that very building.

Vinyl snapped out of her stupor and entered the library. Once inside, she slowly began to make her way through the hallways, and tried, in vain, to figure out exactly how a library works.

Yeesh, there’s a lot of books, she thought as she looked up and down the rows of shelves. Now, where’s the Sherlock books? C’mon, stupid library! Vinyl groaned. At this rate, there was no way she could find what she needed in time. Come on, there’s gotta be a front desk or… oh, speak of the devil.

As Vinyl rounded a corner, she spotted an elderly mare re-shelving books. Assuming she worked there, Vinyl approached her. “Hey there!” she called out.

The elderly mare turned her attention to Vinyl and let out a soft smile. “‘Ello there, ma'am. How can I ‘elp you?” The mare was a relatively short earth pony mare with a grey coat and silver mane with classic librarian glasses that sat on her muzzle.

Vinyl smiled at the fact that she hadn’t just mistaken some random old mare for a librarian. “I’m looking for some Sherlock Hooves books… you know where I can find ‘em?”

“Ah, good ol’ Sherlock.” The librarian nodded. “They’re right over here. Come along, dearie, I’ll show you!”

Vinyl followed her past dozens of rows of books, only emphasizing the scale of this library. Eventually, the duo stopped in front of a particularly old-looking section. “Ah, here we are,” the librarian exclaimed, then blew off the dust that covered the shelf. “Now ‘ere is a shelf I ‘aven’t seen used in a long time,” she muttered with a smile and collected the requested books in her hooves before handing them to Vinyl. “Glad to see there’s still a few ponies out there that still enjoy ‘em.”

Vinyl whistled as she levitated the bundle into her bag. “Are they really that old?”

The librarian nodded with a smile. “Last one was published when I was but a wee filly.”

"Oh well.” Vinyl shrugged. “Thanks!”

“Not a problem, Dearie. And don't bother checking them out, as I doubt anypony else will be looking for them anytime soon,” she chuckled, then composed herself. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Vinyl was about to say, ‘no’, but a sudden thought popped into her head. “Yeah, actually... do you have any, like, ghost books? Not like, actual ghost stories, but, like… mythology or something?”

The librarian furrowed her brow in thought, then smiled. “Y’know what, I think I know what you’re lookin’ for. Here, follow me.” The duo passed by a few more shelves before they stopped at one. The elderly mare pulled out a massive tome. “Is this sometin’ that you were talkin’ ‘bout?”

Vinyl scanned the cover. "Compendium of the Fallen: a collection of supernatural stories, mythos, and information on the damned.” she read aloud. “Yeah, I think this’ll do!” She then floated the hefty tome into her bag with the others. “Thanks a lot!”

“Don’t mention it none—it’s what I’m here for.” The librarian nodded humbly. “Now, is there anything else?”

Vinyl shook her head. “Nope, I’m good!”

“Excellent!” The librarian smiled. “Now, if you’re ready to check out, just follow me to the front desk.” The mare walked off with Vinyl in tow.

As the pair made their way past more shelves of books, a particular cover caught Vinyl’s eye. She stopped and examined the hardcover book, then grinned like a madmare.

Octavia did say she wanted a romance novel.

She levitated the book to her saddlebag then continued her way to the front desk, all the while trying her damned hardest to not burst out laughing.

(\/);,,;(\/)

Many hours later, Vinyl made her way towards the theatre, a cup of coffee levitated beside her. She had made her way to the club right after checking out the books from the library, and the following night at the club had been about average. Her shift had ended about a half hour ago, and the tired mare had stopped by a twentyfour hour coffee shop on her way, as she didn’t want a repeat of the previous night. The mare carefully sipped at her misty beverage sparingly; it's warmth just as supplemental as the caffeine.

Vinyl’s hooves eventually lead her to the familiar landmark and she pressed past the large oak doors for the fourth time. This time, however, she braced herself for cold-bodied friend. To her surprise, Vinyl was not immediately tackled by the spectre. Instead, she trotted into the room unhindered—no hide nor hare of the ghost.

“Huh… strange,” Vinyl mumbled, then called out, “Tavi, you here?!”

To her surprise, again, she didn’t get a response. Where is that darn ghost? she thought, then began to search for her friend around the main lobby. Finding nothing, her search continued down the hall and towards the main concert hall. As she neared closer, the faint sound of a familiar tone began to strike her ears.

Oh, she’s playing her… uh... Vinyl’s pace slowed to a near crawl, her body and mind growing dizzy and cumbersome. She wabbled slightly, then bumped into the wall to prevent falling over. “What the hell?!” Vinyl called out through clenched teeth, her head feeling like it was about to explode. She leaned against the nearest wall, unable to stand. Her vision soon began to swim and shift, to which she had to close her eyes to prevent herself from hurling.

Vinyl slid down the wall, her eyes still closed. For an unknown amount of time, the mare just lay on the ground, her eyes clamped shut. Eventually, though, Vinyl risked opening her eyes, and found that her vision had returned to normal. Soon after, the strange feeling in her head, too, faded to nothingness. Vinyl shook her head, and slowly rose to her hooves.

Something was still off.

Vinyl tilted her head and peered from side to side, and her eyes went wide with confusion at what she saw.

“What the…?”

The previously ruined, time-worn hallway were now prestige; the once moldy carpet now a spotless red, and the walls shone as if they were painted just yesterday. Vinyl rubbed her eyes with her hooves, but found that she wasn’t just seeing things. The walls were new. The floor was perfect. The air no longer smelled of rotting wood and decay. Hell, the entire aura of the theatre had changed within an instant! The general feel even seemed newer; untouched by the molesting hands of time.

Eventually, Vinyl found the strength to trot forwards and continue her journey towards the sound of the quiet symphony—her curiosity had replaced her confusion and fear. After a short travel, Vinyl poked her head into the main theatre, only to have it filled with even more confusion. The previously destroyed concert hall was now beautifully restored to what Vinyl believed to be it’s original state: the chandelier that had occupied the floor now hung high on its proper mount, while all signs of wear were vacant of the entire area.

But, this was not what caught her attention. No, what held that honor was the fact that the hall was entirely filled with quiet, attentive ponies. Living ponies! All their eyes were focused dead on the stage where a beautiful song currently radiated like a warm summer breeze. Vinyl followed their gaze, to which her mouth fell agape when she saw just who they were so fixated on: a living, breathing, non-ghost form of Octavia!

The previously spectral mare now sat on her chair in the middle of the stage, her eyes closed as she enthralled herself in her music; all other aspects forgotten or ignored. Her fetlock gingerly, and expertly, guided her bow across the strings of her instrument, and beautiful examples of acoustic perfection radiated from each movement.

Vinyl couldn’t help but stare; her body guided itself closer to the source of the beautiful sound.

But, Vinyl was knocked out of her stupor as she tripped over her own unfocused hooves. Her face planted directly into the lap of one of the ponies in the audience, to which she instantly scrambled to her hooves and muttered, “Sorry! I didn’t meant to! I was just so… focused… on...”

Her apology was cut short as she noticed her words didn't register on the finely dressed attendee, who continued to watch as if she wasn't there. Vinyl cautiously moved a hoof forward and waved it in front of the stallion, to which he didn’t respond. What the hell? she though. “Hey, buddy, anyone home?” Vinyl asked as she went to poke the stallion in the head.

Her hoof passed right through.

Vinyl shot back as she retraced her hoof. “Holy shit!” Vinyl screamed as she continued to backpedal, only to end up through another ponies lap. Again, the mare jumped. Vinyl stopped and shook in the middle of the aisle while she eyed the attendees with fear.

“What the hell is going on here?!” the mare screamed, then turned to face Octavia. “Yo’, Octavia, you doin’ this?!”

The mare didn't respond, still entranced in her music. Vinyl shrunk down slightly, her curiosity now fleeting as her fear and unease returned.

“No… this isn’t right,” the mare muttered as she away from the stage. “This is not right at all.”

The music deepened, the tone hitt a full crescendo. Vinyl’s own feelings mimicked that of the music: fear. Am I a ghost? Did Octavia do this to me? Who the heck are all of these ponies?!The cowering mare began to contemplate the idea of turning tail and run, but halted this train of thought to replace it with a more rational one.

She took a deep breath.

Okay, let’s think this through before I have a full mental breakdown... Vinyl thought, then focused on her surroundings.

Subtle details soon became apparent the more she focused, and the less she let fear rule her thoughts. The attendees were almost all earth ponies; their attire seeming to be in an older, long since out of style fashion. The walls were lit by torchlight, with the chandelier in the center casting the most light. The more she focused, the more she came to realize how old fashioned everything was. Only a few minutes after did all of the pieces began to fit in place, and it was soon she noticed the final piece of the puzzle that brought everything together: Princess Celestia sitting on a balcony, flanked by two royal guards.

She was staring into the past.

It wasn't that she was currently in the past, but more as some past event was being played right in front of her. Was this one of Octavia’s concerts? Had she done this to surprise her, or as a gift of sorts? The white mare finally stopped backpedaling. I get it… Octavia is trying to prank me! Fear turned to anger, and Vinyl stomped forward.

“Okay, Octavia, joke’s over!” Vinyl screamed as she marched towards the stage. “I know you think this is funny, but it's not! It's creepy and… and…”

Her hooves stopped as she got closer to the stage. Her eyes momentarily switched from the target of her aggression, to a hooded, shadowy figure that slowly crept up from behind the right curtain. Vinyl looked on with curiosity as the figure snuck closer to the stage, then disappeared behind the center curtain. Vinyl shook her head and dismissed the figure, then returned her attention back to Octavia. Her lips opened, but only a scream came out as the curtains behind Octavia burst open.

The figure she had just seen lunged forward, a knife clasped in his magical glow. Vinyl tried to scream for Octavia to move, but her voice fell upon deaf ears as the knife found home in Octavia’s side.

At that same moment, Vinyl’s mind started to swim again as the word started distory. She stumbled, her ears filled with the cries of surprise and anger from the crowd. All the while, the sight of the life draining from Octavia’s eyes remained plastered in Vinyl’s mind. She barely noticed the unicorn on stage tackled by somepony from the crowd as she fell to her side, her eyes then fluttered closed.

Vinyl laid there, the noise fading to nothing within an instant. The theatre disappeared and everything faded to a dull grey.

When Vinyl opened her eyes, the first thing that came into view was the moldy carpet. She groaned, then slowly rose from the floor and pressed a hoof to her still swimming head. The mare looked around and noticed that the theatre had returned to its normal, time warn state. She regarded the rest of the room, and noticed the chandelier was once again on the ground, and there was no trace of the ponies who had just recently occupied the hall. She turned to face the stage; her eyes locked with a floating Octavia, whose face shone with shock and concern.

The phantom disappeared and reappeared a second later in front of Vinyl. “Vinyl! Are you okay?” she screamed frantically. “What happened?! You just fainted!”

Vinyl scanned the area, just to make sure everything was back to normal, then answered, “I-I don’t… I saw…” She shook her head and collected her thoughts. “I saw it happen.”

Octavia tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Vinyl looked at the empty, worn chairs. “This place was new; full of ponies! I saw you on-stage, playing. And then I saw you… saw you… die.” She shuttered, her emotions from the moment flooded back. “Th-there was a unicorn! He just ran up behind you and…” She was unable to finish her sentence, the image of a fading Octavia filled her mind and took away any words she could say.

Octavia gazed at her living friend, mouth slightly agape in both confusion and surprise. “H-how?” was all she could ask.

Vinyl shook her head and cleared it of that dreadful memory. "I don’t know,” she began. “I just came in here and felt... funny. The next thing I knew, it was like I was in the past. I was like a ghost, and couldn't touch anything. I saw everything happen, and it felt so real! It was like… it was like I was you, a ghost, watching the memory unfold.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Were you doing anything differently?”

The ghost shook her head. “I was just playing like I do every night at this time.”

Vinyl grumbled. Is Octavia’s song affecting me in some way? she thought. Vinyl remembered how she felt a little dizzy yesterday night when Octavia was playing. Were related? Maybe the more she was exposed to the song, the stronger effect it had on her? Vinyl was no expert on magic, but she knew that such trance spells existed, and that the longer one listened to a song or saw a vision, the more powerful they became. By the way she was acting, it seemed as if Octavia had no idea what just went on. Perhaps she didn’t know her song was affecting Vinyl.

The white mare sighed. Ghost are frikin’ complicated, she thought. Maybe in the book I checked out would have answers?

Vinyl slipped off her saddlebag and opened them to reveal the assortment of books she collected earlier. Vinyl grabbed the large tome and opened it on the floor between herself and Octavia. “Okay, so I found this book at the library. Maybe it can help us figure out some stuff?”

Octavia raised a brow at the sudden change of subject. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Vinyl nodded, then scanned over the pages. “I think your song is some kind of trance spell: the more I listen to it, the stronger it gets. I remember them talking about it in school before I had to drop out. Yesterday, when you played, I felt a bit dizzy, and today I saw that…” She shuttered. “Vision. Now, I’m no expert in magic, but maybe there’s something in this book that can help.”

Vinyl continued to flip through the pages and scanned over the words until she found something relevant. “‘Ghost are the spiritual entities of living creatures that exist on the mortal plane. Descriptions of documented ghosts vary widely: from an invisible presence, to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to realistic, lifelike versions of their living forms. The deliberate attempt to contact and control the spirit of a deceased pony or their body is known as necromancy.” She shook her head, then read further and continued, “Most ghosts are believed to derive their powers from their emotional attachment to ‘unfinished business’ on the mortal plane; a task or truth that they need to accomplish before returning to the spiritual plain’ ”

The spirit softly clapped her hooves together. “So… does that mean I need to do something before I can… pass on?” Octavia asked.

“I guess so. It seems about right, at least.” Vinyl shrugged. “Do you have any idea of what your ‘unfinished business’ might be?”

The phantom cast her head down in shame. “Honestly, I can’t remember much of anything from when I was alive.” She shut her eyes and scrunched her face. “It’s all… bits and pieces—fragments of memories.” She sighed. “I can’t even remember how or when I got my cutie mark.”

To see a ghost cry was like seeing sadness itself. Ghostly tears rolled down Octavia’s cheek, their wispy form fell from her muzzle and splashed down on the floor below, only to dissipate and leave no trace they were ever there. It wasn’t just like watching someone cry, it felt like Vinyl was crying herself—specter radiated her emotions to all who was present. Holding back tears of her own, Vinyl tried to comfort the spirit, her hoof batted unaffectedly as the tried to run it through Octavia’s spectral mane.

The spirit didn’t wail, nor did didn’t shriek… she only cried.

Octavia momentarily made herself corporal, and Vinyl was able to feel her mane on her hooves. The spirit leaned on Vinyl and rested her head on her shoulder. The contact practically chilled the white unicorn to the bone, but Vinyl endured so she could comfort a friend.

Eventually, Octavia stopped crying. “Thank you,” she whispered, then snuggled deeper into her embrace.

In her head, Vinyl yelled at herself for forgetting to bring an extra jacket. “Y-you’re w-welc-come.”

Octavia giggled, then gave Vinyl a bit of space to warm up. “You really should bring a blanket with you.”

Vinyl, who was curled up in a tight ball with her hood over her head, muttered, “Y-yeah. I’ll r-remember that n-next time.”

While Vinyl was warming up, Octavia decided to skim through the book herself to try and learn more about her predicament. Most of what the book had to say was generalized. Since nopony had actually done a proper study on ghost, it was all just myths and lore. It mentioned behaviors of ghost: reasons for why they manifest in the first place and how they can pass on, but none of it correlated to her situation.

Octavia sighed and looked back to her recovering friend. “It seems we’re going to have to figure this out ourselves. This book doesn’t exactly help us too much.”

Vinyl shrugged. “Eh… it was worth a shot.” She cleared her throat. “Let’s brainstorm, shall we? What do we know about you? You died, but your spirit stayed here… why?”

Octavia put a spectral hoof to her chin. “The book mentioned that ghost manifest because of extreme emotional circumstances. Maybe I was angered or saddened because of… of… some reason. Of course I would be mad that somepony murdered me… but, if that was just the case, then every pony that was murdered should have become a ghost.”

Vinyl tilted her head. “Well, I do know that you were supposed to be on the Royal Symphony before you died.  Maybe—”

Octavia’s ears stood straight up. “I was going to be on the Royal Symphony?!”

Vinyl took a step back in surprise. “Uh… yeah? You don’t remember that? Princess Celestia was in the audience during your last performance. Heck, I even saw her in the… vision. She wanted to hear you play before giving you the spot.”

Octavia looked mortified. She had been given the opportunity, the very prestigious opportunity, to play in the Royal Symphony—the highest honor any musician could ever obtain! She could have been with the elites. The first earth pony in the elites. She could have went down in history as the first earth pony to play on the Royal Symphony. The first earth pony to play at the Grand Galloping Gala. An idol for all future musicians to look up to. A representation that earth ponies can be, and are, equal to unicorns and pegasi.

But she was denied all of that on one dreadful night, cut down by one unicorn fueled by hate and bigotry. Anger flew through her ghostly veins, the dark feeling rose from a place deep down in her heart. Her eyes turned red and glowed brightly as she growled at the thought. She screamed and let out all of her anger and sorrow in a powerful wail.

Vinyl shrieked.  The ear-piercing wail was much more than just a bloodcurdling scream.  She could feel the unbridled fury radiating off of Octavia.  She could feel the hatred burning in her own heart.  As the scream continued to invade her eardrums, Vinyl swore that deep down, she could feel exactly what Octavia was going through.  

Octavia’s anger soon subsided when she heard a slight crash. She looked up to see that Vinyl had backed into a pile of ruined chairs, her eyes filled with fear at the spectator in front of her… of Octavia.

The phantom held a hoof to her chest, spectral tears welling in her eyes. “V-Vinyl?”

She didn’t know what to do at that moment. Her new friend was looking at her with the same frightened eyes that all the others had gazed upon her with before. She couldn’t let the only pony that befriended her after eighty years be frightened away. She didn’t want to be alone. Not again. Never again.

Octavia slowly floated to the frightened unicorn. She held out a hoof and hoped that she would take it and not run away. To her greatest relief, she felt a hoof hesitantly touch her spectral fur. With a quivering lip, Octavia stuttered, “I-I-I’m so sorry, Vinyl! P-please don’t be scared of me! I would never, ever, hurt you!”

Vinyl took a moment to catch her breath. “I-it’s fine. I was more surprised than scared, honestly.” She rubbed a hoof against her ear. “Damn near made me go deaf, though.”

Octavia blinked. “Deaf?”

Vinyl nodded. "Yeah, you were screaming like a… well, like a banshee…” she nervously chuckled.

The spirit grabbed her throat. “I… I didn’t know I was screaming that loudly. I-I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Vinyl quickly shook her head. “No no, I’m fine. My ears are probably gonna ring all night, but no severe damage.”

Octavia was still a little reluctant. “Are you sure?”

Vinyl trotted up to her to pat her on the head, only to have her hoof phase through Octavia’s head. “I’ve been through worse at the club, trust me. Now, let’s get back on topic, okay?” The spirit nodded. “Alright. So yeah, you were gonna be in the Royal Symphony. And judging by how, uh… passionate, your reaction was, I think that might be the reason why your spirit is here. You were so overwhelmed by anger and sadness, that your spirit refused to ‘move on’.”

“That… that makes the most amount of sense, actually.”

Vinyl nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! So, that’s the reason how you got here. Now we gotta figure out why you’re still here. The book mentioned that a ghost will ‘move on’ when they resolved their ‘unfinished business’.” Vinyl gasped, the facehoof. “The song!”

Octavia’s eyes widened as realization hit her as well. “My song is incomplete...”

“That’s it!” Vinyl exclaimed. “You play that song every night, but you can never finish it because you died before you finished playing at your performance! So, once you finish that song, I bet you can finally leave this shithole!”

Octavia smiled, but then realized something, and it morphed into a frown. "But… how are we going to do that? I can’t remember the rest of the piece.”

Vinyl tapped her chin in thought. "I’m sure there’s a copy of your sheet music somewhere. I just have to find it. Maybe I can–”

Without warning, Octavia pounced at Vinyl. The unfortunate white unicorn gasped in surprised at the unannounced hug, but accepted it nonetheless. Knowing that Vinyl’s body can only take so much heat deprivation, Octavia released her grasp quickly, tears once again occupying her eyes. “You’d do all that for me, Vinyl?”

Vinyl nodded. "Of course! It’s what friends are for! Now, I gotta get home. Last night I came home too late and Neon was awake. But before I go, I brought you your books!” Vinyl levitated her saddlebag over to Octavia and emptied out its contents.

Octavia gasped with delight upon seeing the small collection of Sherlock Hooves books. She quickly read through the summaries on the back covers of each and giggled like a school-filly. “Oh, thank-you-thank-you-thank-you, Vinyl! I’m so excited—I can’t wait to read them all!”

Snickering evilly, Vinyl pulled out the last book. “Oh, I also brought you a romance novel I’m sure you’re gonna love.”

Octavia picks up the book and looked at the title. “Fifty Shades Of Grey… huh, doesn't sound like a romance novel to me,” she concluded, but shrugged. “But, what the heck—better than nothing!”

Vinyl could barely hold herself together. “Oh, I’m sure you’re gonna have fun with that one.” She cleared her throat. “Take care, Tavi. I’m gonna head home.”

“Good night, Vinyl–wait, did you just call me ‘Tavi’?”

Vinyl turned around and nodded. “Yeah… Is it okay if I call you that?”

Octavia’s mouth opened, then closed, trying to figure out an appropriate response. Eventually, she looked away from her unicorn friend and blushed. “Yeah… I-It’s fine.”

Vinyl chuckled. “Night, Tavi. Have fun!”

Octavia nodded and watched her friend exit. One she heard the large oak wood doors close, she dove headfirst into her new collection of books.

Chapter: 5

Neon awoke to the annoying ring of his alarm clock. The colt lazily removed one of his hooves from the warm embrace of his blankets, then began to blindly smack it against his nightstand. His lazy attempt to silence the blasted machine was met with no success, as he hit all but the maker of the inferior racket.

Oh… come on.

Neon groaned and pushed away the rest of his blanket. He blinked a few times, turned towards his alarm clock, then successfully smacked his hoof into the snooze button. He smiled with satisfaction as the ear piercing whine finally came to a stop.

After a few moment of basking in the blissful silence, Neon rolled himself from his bed to the floor. He was not a morning pony, but his morning routine had become so ingrained that he could complete it with minimal cognitive assistance. He slumped over to his small dresser, threw on the first black shirt he could find, then opened his door and headed downstairs.

This was his average morning: he got up on his usual hour, got ‘dressed’ at his usual hour, and expected his sister to have breakfast cooked for him, at the usual hour. Neon took a sniff of the air, expecting to get a wiff of whatever his sister was currently preparing.

Neon smelt nothing.

He did not smell the familiar scents of eggs and toast, or any other form of breakfast nutrition. No, the hallway and house was completely void of the smell of any forms of food. Intrigued by this strange change in his morning ritual, the young colt made way to the kitchen, only to have a peculiar sight caught his eye. His breakfast was on the table, but the unusual part was the sight of his elder sister, fast asleep and snoring slightly at the table, her head folded in her hooves.

Neon sighed. His sister was a pony of routine; a creature of habit. Everything she did on a daily basis was easily predictable. It was always in a methodological order, checked off on her own mental checklist. Infact, her schedule was so consecutive and predictable that he could name it by heart: waking him up with breakfast already made, wishing him a good day at school, trotting back to her room to get some much needed sleep, spend the rest of the day watching TV or doing chores around the house or whatever it was she did and, finally, go off to work. It was strange to see this borderline OCD mare break that routine, a new pattern that he had begun to notice.

The colt sat at the table then cleared his throat loudly to awaken his sleeping sibling.

Vinyl rose from her slumber. Her head pivoted as she regained a sense of her surroundings. “H-huh? What? Yes?” Her vision slowly cleared as the sleep fell from her eye. She soon noticed her little brother on the other side of the table with a very worried look on his face. “Oh... hey, Neon. How was school?” She shook her head. “No, wait, that’s not right...”

Neon wasted no time weaving around the subject. “Vinyl, what’s going on?”

Vinyl yawned and rubbed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean,” he replied sternly. “You’re staying out later than usual. You’re tired all the time. And... who’s Octavia?”

At the mention of her spectral friend, Vinyl’s ears stood on end. “Wait, who?” she asked, making sure she heard him correctly.

Neon shrugged. “You tell me. Yesterday, when I asked why you came home at 6am, you said: ‘Octavia kept me up’.”

“Uhhh…” Vinyl started, her mind drawing a blank. Crap… Should I tell him? she thought. It would either stop his worrying or make it worse. Depending on the way he takes the news, befriending a ghost could either be a ‘cool’ or frightening thing. Octavia was not a malevolent spirit. She was just a lonely, lost soul who just wanted a pony to talk to. There was no malice towards Vinyl on her part. If she could explain that to her brother, maybe he wouldn’t need to worry too much?

Although, she would expect Neon to beg her to see Octavia for himself.

Vinyl decided there was no reason not tell him, so she would… later. Right now, she was too tired to fully explain everything. “Don’t worry about it, Neon. Just eat up and get to school.”

The young colt banged his hooves on the table in frustration. “No, Vinyl. I want you to tell me everything, now! Yesterday, you were gone when I got home, and I couldn’t talk you then. I want to know what’s going on now!”

Vinyl sighed heavily. She ran a hoof through her mane and down her face. “Neon, please. I am way too tired to explain anything right now.” She groaned. “Listen, I’ll tell you everything later, alright? I have some more stuff to do today, but I will tell you at some point. I promise. Just… get to school, okay?”

The younger unicorn growled, then scrunched up his face. “Fine…” he muttered, then took an angry bite of his food. “But, if you don’t keep your promise—I swear to Celestia, Vinny, I’m gonna throw your entire vinyl collection in vinegar.”

Vinyl’s eyes went wide, her face somehow going pale. “You wouldn’t… you know that’ll ruin them!”

Neon ate his food with a resolute stare.

Vinyl gulped. “A-Anyways, I’m gonna go and pass out on the couch. Your lunch is on the table,” she muttered, then got up and made her way to the plush couch. She threw herself on it and almost instantly falling asleep.

Neon finished his food, briefly looked over his sister, then picked up his lunch and heading out the door.

He made sure remember the promise of his older sister.

(\/);,,;(\/)

Vinyl woke up a few hours later. She rolled off the couch and onto her hooves, then looked to the nearest clock to plan out her day based on the time. Noon... alright, I can work with this. She yawned and made way to the shower.

As she allowed the hot, refreshing water to wash over her coat. Alright, gotta go to find a copy the sheet music Tavi had on the night she died. Where can I find that? Royal Canterlot Museum of History? Yeah, I think that’ll do. I know they have a music section, so they’re bound to have copies in the archives or somtin’.

Vinyl’s face contorted into a frown as she thought about her brother. She hated hiding things from him, but she had to if she wanted to keep him safe. Even though Vinyl knew Octavia was not a threat, it was still something that he didn’t need to know. Something that would make his life easier if he never knew—ignorance is bliss, after all.

Neon had gotten suspicious and Vinyl was able to control it. However, that morning he was downright demanding explanations. The white unicorn couldn’t keep her secret rendezvous with spirits hidden anymore. She cursed at herself for not paying attention to the time whenever she was with Octavia.

Vinyl stepped out of the shower and used her magic to dry herself with a towel. She grabbed her purple tinted shades and left her home. It would be a few more hours until she needed to go to work and finding a copy of the sheet music shouldn’t take too terribly long. Perhaps she would have some time to kill before she needed to go to work?

The white unicorn waved down a taxi and telled to the stallion where she wanted him to take her. After a short ride, she paid the stallion and headed inside the museum. The building was fairly vacant of ponies, having only a hoof-ful enjoying the exhibits inside. Once Vinyl paid the fee, she headed over to the musical wing in hopes of finding as much information as she could on Octavia.

Her hooves lead her down several grand halls of the hybrid halls of the museum: old architecture mixed with modern flair. Most of the exhibits she passed were filled with relics, memories of both the transition and evolution of music in the land of Equestria. All genre's of music could be found on display. From rock to blues, from jazz to country, there was, at least, one thing that pertained to that genre. This gave her hope in her search, and a quick trip to the “Music martyrs of the past” section finally yielded her some results. Along with memorabilia from other artists who had died in their fight for their music, a small section titled “Octavia” hung in the corner.

The white mare trotted over to the display, checking out its contents. It wasn’t much, most of the small display taken up but a detailed write up of the mare’s birth and death; information that she had already been able to learn from the mare herself. There was a small plaque in front of a wax statue of the young cellist, summarizing her life’s accomplishments and the legacy she left behind.

“A fan of the great Octavia, I see?”

Vinyl jumped, startled by the sudden intrusion of a new voice. She turned, coming face to face with what she believed to be a museum attendant. She let out a sigh of relief and chuckled to herself. “Yeah… Guess you could say that.”

The attendant nodded. He was a middle aged stallion, his coat a dull grey, but his animated features fell contrary to his emotionless exterior. “Yes, she is quite the special one. Did you know that it was said she performed all of her greatest work unrehearsed?”

Vinyl shook her head, curious to the new information. “I didn't. Actually, I'm here to learn more about her; any information you know would be helpful.”

The curator smiled. "Ah, then let us start at the beginning, shall we?” He cleared his throat, readying himself for a lecture he has given countless amounts of times. "Octavia was born on October of 902 to a poor earth pony family. At the time, Canterlot was deeply segregated, and anypony who wasn’t born a unicorn was destined to live a hard life. As such, she grew up in the slums of Canterlot; a district exclusively for earth ponies.

“Her father was a carpenter, and her mother was a cellist. Even though her family didn’t tend to focus on music too much, seeing as how earth ponies got nowhere in life unless they worked hard in fields such as farming or crafting, Octavia had a knack for learning how to play the cello alongside her mother.

“By the time she was seven, she had surpassed her mother’s skill. She had become a prodigy, and as the years went by, her talent only increased. By the time she graduated high school, her abilities would challenge legendary musicians such as Beethooven.”

The old stallion looked upon the wax statue, smiling. "Her name had even reached the ears of Princess Celestia. Her Majesty was so enthralled by the stories she heard, that she met with Octavia personally so that they could set up a date where she could hear her play for herself. The earth pony community was overjoyed! They were so happy that one of their own had been recognized by the princess, that they all worked together to fix up the old theatre in their district to befit the princess’s arrival—a building that still stands, last time I checked.”

Vinyl suppressed a giggle, knowing fully well about the theatre itself.

“The young mare was unstoppable, her notes touching the hearts of Unicorns and Pegasi alike, a testament to how her skill was able to surpass petty racism." He shook his head, looking down. “But, disaster struck when the star was at her highest. During a performance on the eve of 921, a member of a radical group of Unicorn supremacists culled the would-be star before she could finish her song, ending one of the most promising careers in music history.”

He looked back up at the wax statue. “Even though she was murdered, the extremist were not able to kill her legacy. Her death sparked a revolution. Octavia’s name would live on in history as a martyr for equality. Princess Celestia herself personally dealt with all forms of racism over the last eighty years, virtually ending it today. And it wasn’t just social equality that ponies remember her by. Music scholars all over Equestria study her style, a lost art that has yet to be truly mastered by anypony.”

The curator finished his speech, and Vinyl whistled at the amount of information she took in. “Damn, she really was something back then. What a shame a bunch of stupid unicorns didn’t think the same.”

He nodded. "It truly is a shame. Think about what more could have happened if she lived. She would have been the first earth pony to join the Royal Symphony. That in itself would have been a major stepping stone for equality.”

Vinyl nodded as well. "Oh yeah." She paused for a second, remembering the reason why she came to the museum. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to have a copy of the sheet music Octavia had on her last performance in your archives would’ya?”

The curator stopped to think. “As I’ve said before, Octavia never used sheet music during her performances. Everything she played was solely through emotions. However, I believe we have a written version of a few of her songs." The old stallion led Vinyl down a few corridors. “Since Octavia never used sheet music, we don’t have any complete pieces in writing, unfortunately.”

Vinyl’s face fell, along with her hope. Everything she had relied on that sheet. She was supposed to get a copy of her song, give it to Octavia, and have her finally finish the song that has plagued her death for almost a century.

But now, what will become of her? The sheet is incomplete, just like Octavia’s song. There was no other way to achieve the full song now; the only source of information was dragged down to the grave and forgotten by the spirit of the prodigy herself. But, there was still hope. Even if what they did have written down was even a little more than what she knew, it could maybe ‘spark’ Octavia’s artistic vision, and allow her to remember the rest. It was a long shot, but the unicorn saw no other alternative.

The duo wandered through the back rooms, past old museum pieces that were not ready for display, or simply too ruined. Finally, the stallion stopped when he made it to the music archives, stopping in front of a large bookshelf holding hundreds of musical sheets in various sorts of condition, some new and others bonded in special plating to stop future decay.

He lifted a few folders in his magical grasp, sifting through them to find what he needed. Once he came upon the specific sheet, he held it out to Vinyl and put the file back where it belonged. “Here we are. This is all that the Royal Historians Guild could scrape up. I hope it helps.”

Vinyl nodded, still clinging on to a small shred of hope. “I hope it does, too. Thanks, man.”

The stallion smiles and bows. “You’re very welcome, ma'am. If there’s anything else I can help you with, I’ll be happy to assist you.”

“I think I got all that I need for now." Vinyl turned to leave. “Thanks again, man, see ya!”

“Take care now." The curator said as he went back to tending to the museum.

(\/);,,;(\/)

The weathered double doors creaked open as Vinyl made her way inside the theatre. As soon as she got inside, she expected to be tackled hugged by her spectral friend, or at least something along those lines. However, the foyer was vacant this time.

Vinyl checked the time on her watch that she started wearing to keep track of how long she was staying out with Octavia. She memorized what time Octavia plays her cello, and she had about fifteen minutes before it was that time.

“Yo’, Tavi. You in here?” she called out.

Without warning, a very furious spectre materialized in front of the white unicorn. She threw down a book at her friends hooves. “What the bloody hell is this?! I asked for a romance novel, not… not pornogrophy!”

Vinyl didn’t even try to hold back her laughter, which only caused Octavia to get more agitated. “What are you talking about, Tavi?” Vinyl asked after calming down from her laughter attack. “That is a romance novel. Pretty popular one, actually.”

Octavia scoffed. “If… If that’s-” She pointed a hoof at the book as if it’s mere presence disgusted her. “-what’s considered romance in today’s age, I have lost all hope in the future of ponykind. I’m scared to think about what the music industry is like.”

Vinyl perked up and levitated her saddlebags off her back. "Oh funny thing, I actually brought my player with me. I thought you might be curious about that.”

Octavia’s ears stood on end, but her face remained impassive. “Excuse me if I’m still a bit reluctant.”

“Pssh,” Viny said, waving her hoof and levitating out a pair of speakers. “I’m sure there’s some stuff you’ll like." She turned on her device, cycling through her large list of songs. “Let’s start with some oldie stuff.”

“Hold on," Octavia said, inspecting Vinyl’s devices. “This stuff plays music?”

She nodded.

Octavia looked very confused. “How? It’s so small. And where’s the needle? The records?”

Vinyl laughed. “Get with the times, grandma! Records are cool and all, but a lot of stuff is electronic now.”

Octavia tilted her head. “Electronic? You mean like those overrated ‘light bulbs’ and ‘heaters’ that those unicorns have in their luxurious houses?”

Vinyl shook her head. “Light bulbs and heaters are literally everywhere now. Even the poorest ponies have them. But yeah, something like that. I’m no technician or whatever, all I know is that I can play songs on this little box without having to haul around a big ass record player.”

Octavia leaned in to observe the devices again. "Fascinating."

Vinyl nodded. "Now, what song to play first… Hmmm… how about… Ah ha! Johnny B. Goode!”

The white mare pressed the play button on her device, starting the song off with a guitar riff. Octavia’s ears flattened against her head the second the noise started. “What is that?” She asked, a mix of disgust and surprise.

Vinyl bobbed her head to the beat. “Rock ’n’ Roll! What, you don’t like it?”

Octavia shook her head. "I don’t even know what that is! What instrument is he, she, or it even playing?”

“A guitar,” she replied.

“That sounds nothing like a guitar!”

“It’s an electric guitar!”

“Just turn it off, please!”

Vinyl grumbled, but obeyed. “Fine, we’ll pick a different song. Hmmm, how about… Ah, the Beatles! Can’t go wrong with the Beatles! Let’s do a classic one, shall we? Come Together.”

The song started off with low pitch bass. This time, Octavia didn’t cringe at the first few notes. She kept a steady face until the guitar rift came in the chorus. “I don’t like that… whatever you called it.”

“Electric guitar?”

“Yes, it sounds so… off! So ear piercing! I like acoustic guitar… but that is just awful!”

Vinyl sighed. “Guess you don’t like rock n’ roll. What’s next? How about swing? Heard of that?”

Octavia shook her head.

“Jazz?”

She shook her head again.

Vinyl groaned. “Sweet Celestia! What did ponies listen to back then!” She cycled through her music, picking a song. “Here, we’re gonna listen to Do it Again. Have some Steely Dan!”

The song started, and Octavia actually found herself enjoying it. There was some high pitched ‘electric guitar’, but it fit with the rest of the instruments and didn’t sound overly blaring or annoying. And the singer had such a smooth voice.

Vinyl smiled at the look on her face. “Ohhh, we’re getting somewhere now!” She face-hoofed. "Oh, duh! You know what you’d like? Some good ol’ Sinatrot!”

Octavia held out a hoof and politely cleared her throat. “Hold that thought, Vinyl." She then floated away from the foyer and towards the main theatre room.

Vinyl knew what was coming and followed her. “Alright, but this time try not to hypnotize me or whatever you did last time." She shuttered. “That was creepy…”

“I’m sorry, Vinyl,” the ghost replied. “But I honestly don’t know what that was all about.”

Vinyl was about to say something in response, but stopped as she was reminded of something. “Oh hey! I almost forgot!” She rifled through her saddlebags, pulling out a few pieces of paper. “I got the sheet music for the song you always play! It’s not complete… but maybe it can jog your memory?”

Octavia gasped. “Let me see!” she squeaked as she grabbed the papers out of Vinyl’s magic. As she scanned the over the notes, her smile dropped. “Vinyl… this isn’t the song I play.”

Vinyl almost stopped dead in her tracks. “W-what? But… but that was the song you played on your last performance!”

Octavia shook her head. “I’m sorry, Vinyl, but these notes are just… they’re different. It’s not even similar to what I’m forced to play.”

The white unicorn’s entire body deflate at the news. “But… but…” Her head sunk. “I was sure that it was… it looked…” It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. Vinyl was supposed to give the sheet to Octavia, who would finish the song and be put to rest. But apparently that wasn’t the way the spirit worked. What song was she even playing, then? Why is this one incomplete? And more importantly: what was the plan now?

The duo made their way towards the main hall, Octavia floating ahead while Vinyl trailed not far behind. Once they entered the main room, Vinyl soon found a seat in the front row while Octavia sat and got ready on her stool; bow and cello in hoof. Vinyl waited, bracing for the familiar notes to grace her ears. To her surprise, a different melody graced her ears, one that she had not heard before. She looked up, her lips curling into a smile at the upbeat, happy tempo, rather than the usual low one she was used too.

But, it didn't last long, as her vision began to swim. Though the song still rang through Vinyl’s ears, her eyes deceived her as everything began to swim,changing color and shape. The experience was nauseating, and vinyl soon found herself closing her eyes to prevent her from losing her dinner.

She fell to the floor from her seat, her mind filling with pain and discomfort and the sudden change. But, as soon as it had begun, the feeling went away, and the white mare soon creaked open an eyelid, only to have the other snap open as she stumbled back, just barely avoided being stepped on by a hoof. More joined around her as the mare scooted on her rump backwards, narrowly avoiding being stepped on. That was, until, she wasn't as lucky, having a hoof step right on top of her. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to come.

But it didn't.

The unicorn cracked her eye open a second time, watching as the hoof passed right through her, as well as all others. She let out a brief sigh, chuckling to herself over her overreaction. She slowly climbed to her hooves, dusting herself off before getting a better look around.

The room around her was covered in ponies, all wearing olden style formalwear. The room itself looked sort of a like a ballroom, or what Vinyl imagined a ballroom would look like. Tables and chairs lined the outer perimeter of the large square room, with tables filled with horderves and other snack-based pastries. Most of the fancily dressed ponies stood in the center, dancing gracefully and with purpose though there was a slight hitch in the elegance. Something was slightly off about the entire scene, and it took her a moment to realize it: they were all earth ponies.

Every pony present was void of a horn or wings, and it was from this realization did more details become apparent to her. Though the room was fancy, it still held age—the floor was far since worn out, and the walls were in need of a good repainting. And the dresses and suits that the ponies wore seemed well used, some having well-hidden patches to hide their actual age.

Where the hell was she?

Vinyl trotted around, her eyes gauging her surroundings. After her first experience with the first vision, her initial shock wore off faster than last time, and she was able to get to her task much sooner than before: finding Octavia. This had to be a memory of some sort, one that held significance. She shuddered slightly, her mind briefly toying with the thought of this one holding more death.

It didn't take her long to find the mare in question, as she soon stumbled into the charcoal grey mare standing nervously near the punch bowl, her hooves gently tapping against the ground as she fidgeted, seemingly nervous about something.

The unicorn got into a better position, watching the mare from the other side of the table. Eventually, Vinyl watched as an unknown stallion trotted up behind Octavia, getting in close before tapping her on the shoulder, getting her attention. The mare jumped, turning to meet the stallion head on.

“Ahh!” she screamed. “Frank, don’t do that to me!” She threatened, giving the stallion a slight hit on the shoulder.

The stallion laughed, rubbing his shoulder. “My apologies, Octavia, it’s just that you are so adorable when you are startled.”

Octavia turned around to hide her blush, pouring herself a glass of punch. “What do you want, Frank?”

He smiled, moving around Octavia to face her. “I just couldn’t help but notice that you don’t have a partner for this dance." He held out his hoof. “May I, m’lady?”

Octavia huffed, turning more red and looking anywhere but at the young colt. She took her time to respond, contemplating if it was a good idea or not to dance with the colt. “F-fine! You get one dance, Sinatrot!”

He took her hoof, shuffling her out to the dance floor. “That’s all I need,” he replied smoothly.

Vinyl watched, her mouth agape and her eye twitching.

The two made their way out to the center of the dance floor, Octavia turning to face her partner once they came to a halt. She let him lead, their movements soon forming into a slow waltz, their steps syncing as their movements became almost as one.

Vinyl’s mouth still hung open.

The two continued their dance, Sinatrot leading and Octavia following. The mare’s nervous expression soon rose to a smile, her movements going from seemingly robotics, to fluid. A string quartet sat in the corner of the ballroom, their music ringing out throughout the entire room, filling it with a peaceful melody.The two earth ponies stepped and twirled around each other. Frank would smile coyly as he held his partner close, while Octavia would look away in embarrassment.

As the song came to an end, Frank performed one final move, holding Octavia’s back with his foreleg and dipping the grey earth pony as he stood above her. Once he brought her back up, he bowed to her. “See now, my dear Tavi, that wasn’t so bad.”

Octavia huffed, a flash of anger burning in her eyes. “Don’t call me that.”

“Why not?” he asked while gently holding her hoof, ignoring her anger. “I think it’s rather cute.”

She quickly swiped her hoof away from him. “I don’t care what you think! You don’t get to call me that! Now, if you’ll excuse me." Octavia trotted away from the young, charming colt briskly.

The scene began to change again, causing Vinyl’s head to swirl once more. She fell to the ground, clutching her head with her forelegs. Once again the nausea returned and her eyes closed in an attempt to stop the pain. Her eyes clamped shut until the feeling slowly faded, and she opened her eyes once again to the view of the theatre floor.

Vinyl groaned as she picked herself up, brushing away all the dust from her jacket. She looked up, noticing Octavia on the stage with a surprised, but distant look in her eyes. She didn’t seem to notice what had happened to Vinyl when she played her song, and the white mare climbed up on stage and next to the spirit.

“Yo’, Tavi. Y’alright?” she asked.

The grey mare didn’t respond at first, urging a second attempt from Vinyl to snap her out of her stupor. “H-huh? What? Vinyl?” She rubbed her temples. "The strangest thing just happened. I think I just… remembered part of the song? I’m not sure. It all felt so different, yet... so familiar." She looked to her living friend. "Did something happen to you?”

Vinyl nodded. “Yeah, you put me in another… trance thingy. ‘Cept this time I was in like a ballroom or something." Her expression switched to surprised as she pointed a hoof at Octavia. “A-and you! You were totally dancing with Frank Sinatrot!”

Octavia looked at Vinyl, confused. “Frank Sinatrot? Sinatrot… that name…” She zoned out momentarily, staring at the floor. Her eyes widened slowly until they were as big as dinner plates. She looked at Vinyl with those wide eyes, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Vinyl! I remember!”

“R-remember?” Vinyl asked, slightly surprised at Octavia’s sudden outburst.

“Yes, I–” She gasped. "Oh, my stars, I remember! I was at senior prom, and I remember Sinatrot asking me to dance! Vinyl! I remember everything so vividly! It’s all coming back to me!” She lunged forward, wrapping her forelegs around her friend. “Oooooh! I remember! I remember! I remember~!”

As happy as Vinyl was for Octavia, she still needed to breathe. How a ghost could restrict her airways was way beyond her. “Tavi… please… air… also cold..." Even in death, earth pony strength was still a force to be reckoned with.

Octavia winced and let go, blushing. “Hehe… sorry. It’s just that, well, this is the first time that’s happened before.”

Vinyl pulled her jacket in tighter to conserve heat. “I’m happy for you and all, but you gotta explain something to me: you went to prom with Sinatrot?!”

Octavia shrugged. "Yes, I did. Why are you so surprised? You’re acting as if you know him.”

The unicorn stuttered for a moment before levitating her music player in front of her. “I’ll show you ‘know him’.” She muttered before playing a song. She showed the device, that had a picture of a well dressed stallion, to Octavia. “This is Frank Sinatrot! He’s like, one of the most well known singers ever!”

Octavia blinked as she both listened to the music and gazed at the photo. “Huh, really?” She shrugged. "Well, he always did have a smooth voice.”

Vinyl held her hooves in front of her. “Alright, so lemme get this straight. You went to prom with Sinatrot?”

“Yes.”

Vinyl made a motion with her hoof, telling her to articulate more. “So was he your coltfriend or something?”

Octavia quickly shook her head. "Oh heavens no! I’ll admit he was charming stallion, but I was never interested in him. I just danced with him at prom.”

Vinyl wasn’t buying it. “Why not?! I mean, if Sinatrot asked me to dance with him, I’d just bend over and be like, ‘just take me here’.”

The spectre looked away. “V-Vinyl! That’s… that’s completely obscene!” she blurted out.

Vinyl shrugged. “Hey, I’m just saying. But, seriously, what was wrong with him?”

Octavia blushed, crossing her forelegs and looking away. “I just… didn’t like him, okay?”

Vinyl snickered. “Why? Was it ‘cus he was a stallion or something?”

Octavia rounded on Vinyl, scoffing at the unicorn. “W-what?! What are you saying?”

Vinyl found a soft spot. She shook her head with a soft chuckle. “Well, I didn’t expect you to be a fillyfooler, Octavia.”

The ghost lit up bright red, her face scrunching up in anger. “H-how dare you accuse of me of being such a… a scandalous, disgusting, harlot! I am not one of those… those faggots!”

Vinyl actually took a step back in shock. What was just a joke started to become more serious than she thought. “Woah! What’s with all the hostility? I was just poking fun!”

Octavia snorted, turning around to face her back towards Vinyl. “There’s nothing funny about their kind. It’s… it’s wrong. It’s unnatural.”

Vinyl’s gaze softened when she noticed the change in Octavia’s tone. What was once a furious rant became softer and sadder, until it sounded more remorseful. Vinyl carefully trotted up to the ghostly mare, sitting beside her.

The unicorn looked down at the mare beside her, noticing her ghostly sobs. Vinyl tried to comfort the spirit, but, of course, her hoof phased through her. She kept running her hoof through her friend’s spectral fur until she calmed down.

Once her friend’s sobs had died down enough, Vinyl felt that it was safe enough for her to speak. However, Octavia beat her to it. "I’m sorry, Vinyl.”

“Hey now, it’s fine. It’s not the first time you’ve yelled at me.”

Octavia rounded on Vinyl. “No, it’s not that! I’m sorry for… for being this way! I-I-I can’t help it… and I hate it! I don’t want to be like this… but… but…” She choked out a few more sobs. "You probably don’t even want to be friends with a horrible pony like me anymore.”

Vinyl looked at Octavia with the softest, most caring gaze she could muster. "There there, Tavi. It doesn’t matter if you like other mares or not; love is love. I don’t know what it was like when you were growing up, but a lot of things have changed. We don’t care about that stuff anymore, and you have no reason to hide it anymore, or hate yourself for it.”

The ghost remained unconvinced, “B-but… It’s wrong... It’s–”

“Tavi, stop.” Vinyl said sternly, cutting off the spectral mare. “Listen to me. There is nothing wrong with being gay, alright? It’s not a mental defect, it’s not a demon from Tartarus possessing you to be gay, or whatever other crazy shit ponies say. The feelings you have for other mares are no different than if you had them for stallions. It’s all the same thing: love.”

Octavia looked up at her friend, wiping her eyes. “So… I’m not a… a freak?”

Vinyl immediately shook her head. “Of course not! You’re the same as any other pony. You just happened to live in an era of idiots and conservative pricks that refused to accept things that were different. Right now, at this time, you have nothing to worry about. Be free to be who you are, and not what you think society wants you to be. You are your own mare, Octavia. Cherish what makes you unique.”

Octavia sniffles, wiping ghostly tears away with a hoof. She smiles warmly at Vinyl, her smile genuine. “Thank you, Vinyl, that means a lot. I always… I always felt like a freak for being this way, for liking ponies of my own gender. It was hard enough being an earth pony musician, and adding being gay would only have made my life even worse.” She shook her head, chuckling. “You know, I kind of feel funny now for, well, for hiding who I was. It’s still a little strange, but… I’ll try to be more open; not letting their stupid bias dictate who I can be.” Octavia then blushed, nervously shifting in place.

The white unicorn noticed this, and was about to mention it to the floating mare when she felt a pair of ghostly lips kiss her cheek, before quickly retreating. Her eyes were locked on the now furiously blushing spirit in front of her.

“S-sorry about that,” Octavia muttered, turning her eyes away. “I just… I wanted to thank you for all that you have done for me and… and it just felt like the right thing to do.”

Vinyl stood there stunned for a moment, before snapping out of her momentary daze. She gently rubbed her cheek and smiled. “No worries, ‘Tavi. I was just surprised is all, don’t worry about it.” She chuckled warmheartedly. “And it’s been a pleasure to have you as a friend.”

The ghost continued to blush, but smiled and nodded at Vinyl.

The white mare yawned, checking the time again. “Welp, I gotta get going. Last time I stayed out too late, Neon caught on to our little ‘get togethers’.” She then groaned, remembering that she still had to explain the whole situation to her brother. “Craaaaaap!”

Octavia tilted her head, mind finally removed from her previous actions. “What’s wrong, Vinyl?”

“I have to figure out a way to explain, well, you to my little brother.” She sighed. “I promised him that I would explain why I’ve been up so late these past few days. I’d tell him the truth but… then he’d beg me to take him here and see you for himself.”

The spirit chuckled. “I’m fine with that.”

Vinyl raised an eyebrow. “You sure? I don’t want you feeling like… I don’t know… some kinda haunted house display prop or something.”

Octavia waved her off. “Nonsense, Vinyl, I’d be happy to meet him. I don’t want you and your brother to be troubled because of me.”

Vinyl nodded. “Alright then. He’s still in school, so I’ll have to bring him by Friday just to ease his nerves. Well actually, seeing a ghost wouldn't help ease his nerves at all…” Vinyl grabbed her saddlebags, leaving her music player with Octavia. “Here, if you want to listen to some more music.”

Octavia looked at the object, baffled. “I-I don’t know how to work this thing!”

Vinyl walked over to her, holding the device in her magic. “Here look, hit this button to play and pause the songs, this button changes the songs, this one will replay the song if you liked it, and this one at the top turns it off. Alright?” She said while demonstrating the actions of each button.

The old spirit still looked confused. “I think?”

Vinyl shrugged with a smile. “I think you’ll figure it out. Oh, I have some classical music in there, too. You’ll recognize the names.”

“Alright. Goodbye, Vinyl. See you tomorrow!”

“See ya, Tavi!” Vinyl replied, stepping outside into the cool night.

Chapter: 6

Clink.

“Shit.”

Clink.

“Shit.”

Clank.

“Finally…”

The key made it into the lock and Vinyl flopped into her house. Her body flailed without proper guidance, practically floating on autopilot as she stumbled to her room. Luckily, the walk to her house and her respective room wasn't that far or else she probably would’ve just settled for the couch again. But, her body was lucid enough for proper movement, so she successfully made it to her bed and flopped onto the soft, inviting sheets. Using her magic, the white unicorn cocooned herself in a layer of warmth, snuggling into her pillow as she let her mind rest and sleep take over.

It felt as if she had only closed her eyes for a mere second before her alarm clock rudely interrupted her attempt at sleep. She unfurled herself from the blankets, looking at the accusing clock to make sure it was correct with the actual time. And as usual, the damned gizmo did not lie and displayed the time properly: 5:45am; the time when Vinyl wakes up to make her brother breakfast before he goes to school.

The white mare groaned. She really needed to visit Octavia during the day instead of after work—these late night excursions were going to eventually kill her. Vinyl got out of bed in a grumpy daze, yanked her alarm clock from the wall socket and tumbled down the hall.

After splashing cold water on her face, Vinyl was able to wake up enough to cook food without burning anything. After fifteen minutes of preparing, cooking, and setting the table, Neon came down the staircase and into the kitchen right on time.

“Mornin’, bro!” Vinyl said from the table. “I made breakfast without falling asleep this time!”

Neon rolled his eyes. “I’m so proud of you, sis.” He looked her over and noticed the heavy bags under her bloodshot eyes. “You were out late again, weren't you?”

Vinyl’s smile wavered. “Well… umm… a little?” She nervously chuckled.

Neon sighed, sitting down. “Why can’t you tell me what’s going on?” He paused to take a bite of his eggs. “Is it something embarrassing? Like, were you so shaken up by seeing a skeleton that you’re afraid of the dark now and it takes you a long time to get home and you’re also seeing a psychiatrist named Octavia or something like that?”

Vinyl shook her head. Neon always did tend to come up with convoluted, yet reasonable, answers. If Octavia didn’t exist, that explanation wouldn’t be too far off from the truth. “No, not like that.”

Neon drops his utensils, looking at Vinyl with a very serious expression. “Vinyl…” he said, drawing out her name to make sure he has her complete attention. He was unable to keep his gaze for long, though. He looked down, shaking his head. “Please tell me you haven't… haven’t… resorted to prostitution to provide for us…”

Vinyl’s eyes go wide. “W-wha’?! N-no! Never! Why would you even think that!”

He looks down, almost shamefully. “It’s just… I've seen those bills pile up, a-and…”

“Don't worry about that, Neon,” she butt in, cutting him off before he could continue. “Big sis has it covered.”

He eyed her nervously and unconvinced. “A-are you sure? I mean… I could get a job if it’s too much.”

His sister shook her head. “No, Neon. Focus on school and on nothing else, alright? I have everything covered. You don’t get to worry about bills till after college, alright?”

Neon looked away, mumbling, “If I even get to go to college…”

Vinyl’s hooves slam on the table, startling her younger sibling. “No! Don't you dare speak like that! I didn't drop out for you to give up, you hear?! Mom and dad wanted at least one of us to get out of this… this hellhole, and I know it ain’t gonna be me!” She then went over and wrapped her younger brother into a bone crushing hug. “Please… please don't end up like me. I’ve seen your grades. You’re a smart kid, I know it! As long as you keep those grades up, everything will be fine, you hear?”

Neon hesitated, caught off guard by his sister’s yelling then sudden hug. He returned her embrace, nodding. “Alright.” He broke the hug and look her in the eyes. “Thanks, Vinny. But… could you please tell me what you’ve been doing after work? I… I don’t want something bad to happen to you like...like... ”

The white mare hugged her brother again. “Hey, now, don’t think that way. I promise you I’m not doing anything dangerous. Look, eat up and get to school. Today, when you get home, I’ll show you what I’ve been doing, alright?”

Neon nodded, smiling. “Okay.” He then finished his breakfast. As he was packing up his saddlebags, he said to Vinyl, “Oh, there’s no school tomorrow. It’s one of those days where the teachers give the students a day off so they can work on report card stuff. So you don’t have to wake up tomorrow to make breakfast.”

Vinyl blinked, her ears perking up as she rushed over to his side. “Really? No school tomorrow?” She sighed happily, visibly relieved. “Thank the Makers… sleepy times for me!

Neon nodded. “Yep! See you later, Vinny!” he called as he walked out the door.

With her brother gone for several hours, Vinyl decided to go back to sleep for said several hours. She made it up to her room, fell onto the bed, and immediately passing out.

(\/);,,;(\/)

The school bell rang and Neon made his way down the familiar hall towards his math class. Most of the other kids were talking with their friends and hanging by their lockers. The young colt waved and said ‘hi’ to some of the ponies he knew as he weaved through the hallway. Once he made it to his last class of the day, he sat down next to his friend and started some idle conversation.

“Yo’, Neon, how’s it goin'?” his friend said.

Neon shrugged. “Nothing much, Steelwing.”

The silver coated pegasus reached into his bag and pulled out a small pile of papers. “So, dude, did you get number thirty-five on the homework? Literally spent, like, twenty minutes on that thing, but I think I got it.”

Neon looked over his friend’s work. “Yeah, it took me a few tries, but I figured it out. Well, I figured out one way. I think she wanted us to use implicit differentiation, but I just put it in a series so it would be in terms of x.”

Steelwing scrunched his face in thought. “Series in terms of X…?” He smiled. “You absolute madman! That’s, like, calc two crap. Where did you learn about that?”

“The calc two book.”

“Where did you get one of those?”

“Library.”

“We have a library?”

“Alright, class! Listen up! We’re going to be learning about some real powerful stuff today; it’s called math!”

Neon rolled his eyes. And there goes the teacher again… time to sleep. Neon zoned out the teacher, having already understanding most, if not all, of what he was saying. Even if there was something he didn’t fully understand, he would figure it out rather quickly with the textbooks he stockpiled in his room.

As the class came to an end, the teacher reminded his students about the homework and upcoming test and dismissed them. Neon packed up his belongings and made his way out of school grounds and towards home.

Neon’s silver coated friend landed beside him. “Wanna hang out tomorrow?”

He nodded. “I don’t have anything planned, so yeah. Got something in mind?”

Steelwing shrugged. “I don’t know. I just wanna do something besides sitting at home on my ass playing video games.” He perked up as an idea came to mind. “Maybe we can check out that old theatre downtown, huh?”

Neon shuddered. “My sister was already there, she said there’s nothing in there but destroyed drywall and a skeleton.”

“Skeleton?” he repeated. “Yeah... fuck that, man. I ain’t goin' in there.” He shook his head, shuddering slightly. “Anyway, what’s Vinyl been up to these days anyway?”

“Same thing: working at that nightclub six days a week.”

“Damn. It’s been that rough, eh?”

Neon let out a sigh. “You don’t know the half of it. I thought I took our parents death bad, but… she seems to be obsessed with filling their shoes. I mean, she’s been through a crap ton of jobs, and most of them I can’t believe she actually tried.”

“So… no more ‘party girl’, I’m guessing?”

He shook his head. “Not anymore. The only parties she goes to is the ones she works at. And she hates it.”

“Damn.” Steelwing paused, allowing a short silence to pass by as the two colts trotted down the street. “Y’know, you’re lucky to have her as a sister.”

Neon nodded, smiling. “Yeah, I am. I don’t know what would’ve happened to us if she didn’t drop out and get a job as quickly as she did. Hell, the house would’ve probably went to foreclosure and… I don’t even want to know what, then.”

Steelwing also nodded. “She may not be the ‘awesome party girl’ everyone knew her to be, anymore, but I still think it’s pretty fucking awesome what she does now. Wish I had a sibling like that, but my old man’s like ‘one of you is enough’.” He chuckled. “He is kinda right, there can only be one of me.”

“I agree with your dad. Sometimes even I can’t stand you.”

“Hey!”

Neon laughed. He stopped at a crossroad, the one where the two would usually part ways to go home. “Welp, see ya tomorrow then, man.”

Steelwing nodded. “See ya.” He turns to walk away, before stopping mid-stride and calling, “Oh, wait!” He looked at him and smirked. “Vinyl still is single, right?”

Neon sighed out his nostrils. “I don’t think she can afford your expensive taste.”

“Hey, I’m the stallion. I pay for the dates!”

Neon rolled his eyes. “Every time we do shit, you’re always like: ‘oi vey, goy, ten bits for a movie? Who do they think they are?!’”

“Yeah, well... you ain’t my date, so I ain’t payin’ for your shit, goy.”

“No, but it would be nice, time to time.”

Steelwing scoffed, “What, you want to be my date? Hah! I knew you were gay!”

Neon face hoofed.

Steelwing laughed. “Alright man, I’ll pick ya up tomorrow… no homo. Seriously tho, hook me up with your sister.” With that said, the pegasus colt took off, flying in the opposite direction of Neon.

“She’s the gay one, not me!” he called out, figuring his friend couldn’t hear him after he got no response. Neon shook his head, chuckling to himself as he continued his walk home. Steelwing was a good friend. Albeit a cheap one, but still good.

After a few more minutes of trotting, Neon arrived at the front door, opening it with his key and trotting inside. As expected, his sister was passed out on the couch, which was typical for her on a Thursday afternoon since today was her only day off. And, like every Thursday, it was his job to wake his sister from her borderline hibernation slumber. The colt trotted up to his sister and prodded her with his hoof.

“Yo’, sis, time to wake up,” he muttered, continuing to poke his sister.

The white unicorn stirred, mumbling to herself before eventually rolling off of the couch and onto the floor, letting out an exasperated groan. “Eh… Neon… You’re home?”

The colt rolled his eyes. “Yes, I am, now are you finally gonna tell me where you keep going to every night?”

“Eh…”

“Vinyl… you promised!”

“Eh…”

“You want coffee?”

“That would be nice…”

“Coffee then explanation?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

Neon sighed, heading towards the kitchen to start the coffee maker. “Y’know, I don’t think that the amount of caffeine you put into your body is good for you.”

“It’s worth it, trust me.”

After a few minutes of fiddling with buttons, the machine let out a stream of hot, rich, black salvation into a mug. Neon then put the amount of sugar Vinyl likes with her coffee, and levitated it over to her.

The white mare sat at the dining room table, slowly enjoying the heavenly liquid. Neon waited, a bit impatiently, for her to start explaining. After a few minutes, he decided he might as well start his homework while he waited.

“Ghosts are real.”

Neon looked up from his textbook. “Huh, what?”

Vinyl sipped her coffee. “Ghosts are real,” she repeated.

Neon raised an eyebrow. “Ghosts are real?” he repeated as if making sure he heard her correctly.

Vinyl nodded. “Last week, when you asked me to go check out the theatre, found a ghost.”

Neon was still confused. “Alright?” She’s still dead tired, he figured.

The white mare finished her coffee. “Come on, I’ll show you!” She got up, grabbing Neon’s hoof.

“H-huh, wait, what?!” he said, caught off guard as he was pulled out of the house.

“I know you won’t believe me… or maybe you will, but you’ll still want to see it for yourself. So I’mma take you to the ghost.”

Neon swiped his hoof away. “Hold on, hold on! So you actually did see a ghost? Not a skeleton?”

She nodded. “No skeletons.”

Neon’s mouth hung open, “Why did you lie, then?”

Vinyl sighed. “Because I didn’t believe it myself. But, trust me, the ghost is real, and I hang out with her after work every night.”

Neon looked at her incredulously. “You hang out with a ghost?”

“Yes.”

“B-but… why would… how… how are you not dead?!”

Vinyl stopped walking to put a hoof on his shoulder. “Listen, Neon, Octavia’s not an ‘evil spirit bent on revenge’ or anything like that. She’s really nice and really lonely. She’s been stuck in the theatre for almost eighty years, completely alone, and every time a pony would come into the building, they would run screaming from her. She just wants a friend and, well, I’m that friend.”

Neon looked at her, slightly less confused, but still a little skeptical of her explanation. Neon was a smart colt, and he would always piece things together quite well. If Vinyl has been at the theatre for a week with that ghost and she’s still there, alive, it showed that what she said about her not being evil was true.

However, he still needed to see this for himself. “Alright, alright. So… ghosts, I’ll believe. I mean, necromancy and stuff exist. But… you’re friends with a ghost? Seriously? How does that even work?”

Vinyl shrugged. “Kinda like normal friendship… except, well, one of you is dead.”

Neon was speechless.

“Look, after I went there on the first day, I came back ‘cus I was curious, and one thing led to another and… yeah. She was kinda mean at first, but I think dying, being ‘resurrected’, and being trapped in an abandoned, decaying building gives her the right to be.”

Neon still said nothing.

Vinyl sighed. “Alright look, when we get there, it’ll all make sense, alright?”

“Wait! We’re actually going to meet her?!”

Vinyl nodded. “Like I said earlier, I’m gonna show you what I’ve been doing the past week. I mean, aren’t you a little bit curious to see a real ghost?”

“Well… kinda actually.” He took a deep breath. “But, you’re sure she’s not, I don’t know… dangerous?”

Vinyl scoffed. “Of course not! I mean, she’s a li’l racist against unicorns but, other than that, she won’t hurt you.”

Neon slowly nodded, still trying to take all of this information in. “Alright… alright. So, one more time, you went to the theatre last week and saw the ghost, right?”

“Yes. To be honest, I thought you were pranking me with some weird magic illusion or hologram or something, but nope, it was a real ghost.” Vinyl took her sunglasses off her head, showing them to her brother, “I dropped my shades when I screamed, and she gave ‘em back to me. After that, I was thinkin’ she wasn’t so bad.”

Neon nodded, following along. “Alright, and you went back to the theatre the next night?”

“Mhmm! It didn’t make sense that a ghost would just be so… I don’t know, polite? I mean, if she was evil, I wouldn’t be here. So I did go back ‘cus I was curious, then we started talking and I found out she was just lonely and wanted a pony to talk to.”

The young colt was piecing everything together, understanding what his sister was saying. “Got it. You’re friends with Casper the Friendly Ghost.”

Vinyl chuckled and lightly punched his shoulder. She looked up ahead, closing in on the theatre. “We’re almost there. Just… when you see her, try not to scream. She’ll get offended.”

“No promises.”

Vinyl coughed, “Baby.”

Neon swiftly turned his head to her. “Wha’? Hey!”

“Oh, look! We’re here!” Vinyl exclaimed, throwing her brother off of his chain of thought.

Neon looked up, and he can't help gulp at the daunting building in front of him. He had known about this building, it's legend, and all that surrounded it, and even the added comfort by his sister telling him what lie ahead still didn't clear the haunting feeling that fell deep within his gut.

“Uh… Is it too late to back out?”

“I will tease you about this until the day you die.”

Neon gulped once more, then trotted forwards, following his big sister. The two unicorns reach the ruined double doors, the older pushing them open. Even in the afternoon, the inside of the building was still pitch black.

“Yo!” Vinyl called out into the empty room, “Tavi you there?!”

In an instant, the ghostly earth pony materialized in front of the living duo. Neon gasped, taking a slight step back as he looked upon the supernatural sight of Octavia’s ghostly form. Her body was slightly transparent, her eyes were glowing, and the air around him was chilling.

The spirit frowned at Vinyl. “Vinyl your taste in music is appalling! I’ve listened to so many of those so-called ‘songs’ that, if I was still alive, I’m pretty sure my ears would be bleeding! And furthermore… oh… is this your brother?” She floated over the trembling colt, extending a spectral hoof. “Hello there, I am Octavia Melody."

“Uh… Uh…” Neon mumbled, standing stock still.

Octavia’s cheerful expression fell at the look of fear in his eyes. She turned her attention to Vinyl. “Vinyl, I thought you would’ve warned him or something.”

The white mare batted a hoof at her brother. “I did! He’s just a big baby!”

Neon’s eyes went wide, and he screwed up his nose and tried to grab Octavia’s spectral hoof. “N-n-nice to m-meet you!” However, his hoof merely phased through Octavia’s, causing him to plunge further into his panic attack.

“Oops!” Octavia squeaked, making her hoof momentarily corporeal and grasping his. “My apologies.”

Neon’s sweat was freely rolling down his face. “O-okay, Vinyl… y-you showed me t-the g-ghost… c-can I go home n-now… please?”

The spectre smiled warmly. “There’s no need to be scared, I promise I won’t hurt you.”

Vinyl slapped her brother on the back. “C’mon! Just pretend she’s not see through!”

Neon gulped. “I-I have h-homework to d-do…”

Vinyl groaned. “Fine, you big baby.” Neon wasted no time in rushing out the door. As soon as he got outside, he fell to his haunches, breathing heavily as if he had run a marathon.

She wasn’t kidding, he thought. The ghost is real. The young colt’s mind was swimming. Ghosts weren’t too hard to believe; necromancy was a thing, but actually seeing one for yourself was on a whole different level. He saw her transparent form, felt the chill of death around him. It all seemed so fake, yet felt so real.

Neon jumped as he felt something touch his back. He turned around, coming face to face with his sister. “Hey,” she started, “You gonna be okay?”

Neon took a moment to collect his thoughts. “Uh… yeah… maybe… I think? Sweet Celestia, Vinyl, I just met a ghost.”

“Yeah, you did!” Her gaze softened, and her tone grew more serious. “So, this is what I’ve been doing the past week. No psychiatrist, no prostitution, no nothing.”

The colt nodded. “Alright… just hanging out with a ghost. And you’re positive nothing bad’s gonna happen to you?”

Viny reached out to hug him. “I promise, Neon.”

Neon returned the hug, trusting his sister’s words. “Alright, Vinyl. Just, don’t stay out too late, okay? You still have to make me breakfast.”

Vinyl playfully slapped Neon on the back of his head. “Get outta here!

Neon laughed, waving goodbye to his sister and returning home to finish his homework.

(\/);,,;(\/)

“So, Tavi, what’s on the agenda tonight?” Vinyl asked her spectral friend, taking a seat in one of the middle rows of the main concert hall.

Octavia floated a short distance away, rubbing her chin with an opaque hoof. “I don’t know, Vinyl. I’ve already read the books you’ve brought me, and, well, there isn’t much else to do here.”

That was going to be a problem. Considering that her ghostly friend was confined to the theatre, their options for entertainment were quite limited, along with Vinyl’s limited timeframe she could even hang out with her friend. The white mare put a hoof to her chin, deep in thought. “Well, what exactly did you do before the, well… before your ghostification?”

“Well I, uh…” Octavia stopped floating, slowly lowering to floor level and sitting down. “I don’t really know. Everything before is still quite fuzzy, and the only real detail or memory that’s still in my mind is of my prom and of that… night.”

“Hmmm…” Vinyl mumbled, putting a hoof to her temple in deep thought. A few, scrambled ideas came to mind before they pieced themselves slowly together. “Y’know… every time you play your song, something happens to me. Like, I see part of your life. And last time that happened, you remembered that part that I saw. Maybe… maybe your song is your life…. or somethin’. But, how come you only played more of the song when I was around and not before?”

Octavia shrugged. “You are the only one to stick around. Perhaps the more you are exposed to it, the more I remember. That seems to be the only thing that makes sense.”

Suddenly, Vinyl clapped her hooves together. “Magic of Friendship!”

Octavia tilted her head. “Come again?”

“I mean, it makes sense! Kinda! I think?”

“That is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard, Vinyl. That sounds like the premise behind some sort of stupid play for foals.”

“No, no. Hear me out! Okay, so Princess Twilight is always spouting about the ‘Magic of Friendship’ and all that, but–”

“Princess who now?”

Vinyl waved her off. “Twilight, she’s new. Her and her friends are like… superheroes or something. They use ‘the Magic of Friendship’ and literally saved the world like… four times. I always thought it was just some dumb, sappy shit and that the real power comes from those super magic artifacts they have, but I think I may be onto something here.

“So, you’ve played the same part of that song since you became a ghost, right? Never changed. But now since I’m here, you learned a new part of the song. A part that comes before the old part. And I’ve seen a vision of you at prom, which, obviously, came before your death. So, I’m thinking that song is connected to your life! You only remembered one part of the song, and one part of your life. Now, you remember two parts of the song, and two parts of your life!

“And that all happened when I came around. At first, your song kinda dazed me a bit. Maybe we established some kind of, I don’t know, connection there! And now, since we’ve bonded a bit more, our friendship grew stronger, and so did that connection between your song and me! So I’m thinking, every time you play, I’m gonna see another part of your life, and you’re gonna remember it until all your memories are back and the song is complete!” Vinyl took a moment to breathe from her rampant explanation. “Whoo! Holy shit! I don’t think I’ve ever thought that hard before in my life!”

Octavia opened her mouth, but then immediately closed it again. This continued until the mare realized that she was, in fact, speechless. “Could it… is it… really that simple?” she inquired, more to herself then her guest.

Vinyl shrugged. “Maybe. Who knows, maybe all you have to do is remember a decent amount of your life and you’ll be able to move on.”

“This is the most feasible theory that I have heard thus far. So, all I have to do is keep playing, you see a part of my life, tell me about it, and that’s it? It seems too… easy.”

“Well,” Vinyl began, readjusting her position in her seat. “Maybe? Like I said, I think it also has to do with our friendship. Like, the more we connect, the more your memory unlocks. I mean, when I found out you were gay, and you accepted yourself, that was probably a big connection-y step in the Magic of Friendship thing.”

Octavia shuffled nervously on the floor at the mention of her sexuality, still a little hesitant about it. She quickly collected herself. “So, what now then?”

Vinyl shrugged. “I don’t think we should force it. Just do what we normally do. I hang out here after work, talk about shit, play your song, hope for the best! I mean, if the song is connected through our friendship, I don’t think we can force it.”

Octavia nodded. “I agree.” She looked down at her ghostly form. “I’ve wanted this curse to end for so long,” she looked to Vinyl, smiling, “but, now that you’re here, I don’t mind sticking around for a bit longer.”

Vinyl smiled, and goes to pat her friend on the back, only to land face first as she passed straight through the mare, a chill running up her spine. “T-that’s the s-spirit!” she said, her words shuttering at the influx of cold.

The ghost giggled, floating in circles before helping her friend back up. “I still can't believe you haven't gotten used to that, yet.”

“M-me neither,” she began, shaking off the last of her shivers. “I should probably head back home and actually get some sleep tonight. It is my only day off. See ya’ around, ‘Tavi!” she exclaimed, turning around and heading out of the concert hall.

Octavia waited patiently for her friend to leave, listening as the hoof steps slowly faded, stopping once the large oak doors closed with a ‘thunk’. The ghost’s smile then turns to a frown, her spectral form rising as she floats over to her little corner of the stage, waiting for her only friend to return.

Chapter: 7

“So, while I was spinning my records, doing my usual thing, the stallion was walking around the entire bar with a whole bottle of Kraken Whiskey stuck around his horn!  I mean, they must make those bottles out of like bullet-proof glass because the whole bar got into trying to get the damn thing off.  And, this entire time, I had to prevent myself from laughing to look ‘professional’!"  Vinyl exclaimed, retelling another tale of drunken shenanigans from the club.

Octavia listened with interest, laughing at the randomness and stupidity of modern day ponies.  “This all really happened?" she asked, still skeptical about some of the tales that Vinyl was recounting.

Vinyl nodded.  “Eeyup!  Every one!”

“Even the one about the stallion trying to have intercourse with the barstool?”

The white mare shuttered.  “Yeah… we don’t have ‘Stallion’s Night’ anymore because of that…”

Octavia giggled.  “My, my.  It seems that the Prohibition made me miss out in viewing some of these drunken escapades.”

“Well… they aren’t always funny, more then once they’ve ended more, uh… violently."  She winced.  “Some ponies can’t hold their alcohol…”

The spirit put a hoof to her mouth.  “Oh no, you weren’t hurt, were you?”

Vinyl waved her off.  “No, no!  Well… almost, once.  But the beer bottle missed, so all’s good.”

Octavia shuddered.  “On second thought, perhaps it would have been better if Prohibition stayed.”

“Well… If it did, I’d probably miss out on all of the drunken mares making out with each other."  Vinyl giggled.  “One of the perks of the job, I guess; always have a front row seat.”

Octavia’s slightly transparent body adopted a red tint on her face.  “V-Vinyl!  That’s extremely improper!  How can you just sit there and… and watch two ponies doing… that, in public?!”

Vinyl shrugged nonchalantly.  “It’s hot.”

“How does temperature relate to this?!”

Vinyl blinked.  “Wha’?  No, that’s not what that means!  Like… ‘hot’ nowadays means ‘attractive’...  or something.”

Octavia tilted her head, confused.  “Then how do you determine temperature?”

Vinyl stuttered, smacking her hoof into her face as she tried to figure out how to word a better explanation.  “Man, look.  It’s all about context, okay?  Like, you just know which one means what at a particular time, alright?" Vinyl sighed.  “It’s hard enough teaching old ponies new things ‘cus their brains are kinda fried, but you’re like, what, twenty-something… technically?”

“Nineteen.”

“Yeah, yeah, that."  She let out an annoyed sigh.  “It’s true that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks…”

“I heard that!”

“That was the point, grandma!”

“Stop calling me that, screw head!"  Octavia blurted, immediately regretting saying that derogatory term.  She clasped both hooves to her mouth, eyes wide and moist.  “I-I’m sorry!  I didn’t mean that, honestly!”

Vinyl raised a hoof to Octavia.  “Woah woah, Tavi, it’s fine.  Half the things you say to me I don’t even know what they mean.  I mean, I can assume what they mean, but they’re kinda out-dated slang, so there’s really no harm done!”

“A-are you sure?" Octavia asked.

Vinyl nodded.  “It’s fine!  It’s gonna take a lot more than a few racial slurs to get me riled up."  She waved Octavia off.  “Anyway, what about you?  Got any good stories, or can you still not remember anything?”

Octavia took a moment to dive into her shallow memory pool, sighing as there was nothing there.  “Nothing you haven't seen already, Vinyl.”

Vinyl scratched her head in thought.  “Hmmm, what about Sinatrot?  I know you danced with him, but do you remember anything about him?”

Octavia’s brow furrowed.  “Other than the fact that he was obnoxious?  Let’s see…” She focused hard on the one memory she had of the young colt, thinking about him specifically.  She tried to remember other times she encountered him, earlier or later than the prom.  But every time she would go down one memory path, it stopped dead, as if something was blocking it.  The spectral mare groaned, looking down in defeat.  “I can’t remember anything.”

Vinyl’s expression fell for a second before perking back up.  “Hey, don’t get so down!  We’ll fill all those memories back up, I promise you!  I mean, any second now you’re gonna play, and I’m gonna see a part of your life, and you’ll remember it!"  Vinyl looked around the room, letting her mind wander.  “Wonder what it’s gonna be?  Maybe the time when you got your cutie mark?  Your first formal recital?  Whatever it is, it’s gotta be important!”

Octavia’s spectral form floated into the air.  “Well, we’re about to find out,” she said, floating over to the stage and picking up her cello.  “I do hope it’s more interesting than the last one.”

Vinyl took a seat in the front row, and closed her eyes as the first few notes graced her ears, causing her mind to spin.  But, she was prepared this time, and didn’t fight it.  The notes were played slowly and low pitched, giving off a sorrowful tone.  Oddly, that time was less extreme than the last, her head feeling a slight buzz more than full blown vertigo.  When she opened her eyes, she had to blink a few times to make sure she was seeing things right.  “Well, this seems a bit… off.”

She sat in the middle of a park, the one near the library, if she remembered correctly.  The cold air blew through her mane, and the soft grass tickled her flanks as the wind blew it back and forth.  The mare then turned her gaze to the sky, and was graced with a perfectly clear sky, free from any light pollution that the normal city of canterlot produced in a nightly basis.  Her eyes were locked on the sparkling sea of stars and distant planets, her mind in bliss at the simplicity and beauty it held.  But, her trance was soon broken as she heard the soft clop of incoming hoofsteps approaching from somewhere behind her.  

Vinyl turned, and the vision of two approaching earth ponies came into view.  One she instantly recognized as Octavia (though much younger, around sixteen, if she had to guess), and the other she had never seen before.  She was a dark grey mare with a black and silver mane, her cutie mark of crossed bows, possibly belonging to a violin, though she couldn’t be sure.  The two mares walked, each carrying an interment case on their back.  As they got closer, their conversation soon fell within earshot.

“Well, that was a better practice than yesterday,” Octavia said sarcastically to the mare who walked besides her, rolling her eyes.  “I swear, if the maestro didn’t like teaching then he should just, I don’t know, not teach!”

The other mare giggled.  “Yeah, it is kinda strange that he always complains about ‘how we are wasting his time’, and yet always comes back."  The mare then smirked, bumping her flank into Octavia.  “Well, actually, you’re probably the only reason why he always comes back.  ‘Your exceptional talent gives me hope for the future of music,’ if I remember correctly.”

Octavia blushed, looking away.  “You know I don’t like it when ponies compliment me like that, Ashie… It’s embarrassing.”

‘Ashie’ rolled her eyes.  “You honestly deserve all that praise!  You devastated all those screw heads at the Recital."  She trotted closer to Octavia, their flanks touching.  “You’re going places, Tavi.  And I’m happy for you.”

The charcoal mare’s face turned even redder as she tried to retreat into the ground itself.  “Come on, Ashie!"  Octavia said in a harsh whisper.  “Let’s just hurry home before our parents worry, okay?”

The other mare smiled.  “Actually, I wanted to show you something first.”

Octavia raised an eyebrow.  “Show me what?”

Ashie cocked her head to the right.  “Here, I’ll show you.  Trust me, it’ll be worth it!”

Before Octavia could react, her friend led her off the main path and into the denser part of the park.  Vinyl followed the two, phasing through the bushes and tree branches as if she was a ghost.  The two fillies eventually stopped in a small clearing surrounded by trees and bushes.  Ashie gently set her instrument case on the grass, motioning for Octavia to do the same.

Confused and slightly nervous, Octavia spoke up, “So… what are you going to show me?”

The filly smirked, half-lidding her eyes and trotting very close to Octavia.  She ran her hoof through the fur on Octavia’s body.

Octavia backpedals in surprise.  “A-Ashie… W-what are you d-doing?”

“Shhh..."  She softly cooed as she closed the distance between them.  “I know what you are; we’re both the same, Tavi.”

“W-what are you t-talking about?”

Ashie smiled.  “You like mares the way you’re supposed to like stallions… just like me.”

The black-maned filly gasped as she felt Ashie’s hoof sensually caress her body.  “S-stop!  T-this is wrong!"  She exclaimed, though she did nothing to stop her advances.

“Maybe…” Her friend whispered, giggling.  “But it feels so good, doesn’t it Tavi?” She closed her eyes, nuzzling her forehead against her blushing friend.  “I can’t take it anymore.  I love you, Tavi.  I’ve loved you for a long time.  Let’s be together.”

Her head tilted slightly up, brushing her lips against Octavia’s.

“N-no!"  Octavia shouted, pushing her friend away, breaking the kiss before it could happen.  “This is wrong; I’m not like you!  And… and you’re a fag!  A fillyfooling fag!"  She screamed at her friend, who had begun to back away, tears rolling down her cheeks.  “G-get away from me you… freak!”

And with that, the charcoal mare ran away as fast as she could, flying directly past Vinyl, who watched with her mouth agape, utterly shocked at the events that had just transpired.  She looked back to the other mare, who stood stone still, looking absolutely devastated.  She stared at the spot where her former friend was standing, tears dripped down her cheek and landed on the cold, empty grass.

Vinyl turned towards the direction Octavia ran off to.  She phased through bushes, trees and other obstructions until she found the young filly leaning against a tree at the edge of the park.  She was breathing heavily, exhausted from running with a heavy instrument on her back, and drained from her former friend’s advances.

Octavia collected herself moments later, picking up her cello and briskly trotting home, mumbling, “I’m not like them,” over and over before disappearing into the night.

The world shifted.  Vinyl’s vision swam as vertigo overtook her mind, the only thing that even resembled a constant was her conflicting emotions about what had just transpired.  As she fell to the ground, hooves clamped at her temples, Vinyl waited for the sensation to pass.  It soon did as she opened her eyes to see the same moldy carpeted flooring of the main theatre hall.  The still dazed unicorn slowly rose to her hooves, shaking her head as she searched for the mare that her still conflicted mind revolved around.  

Her sectral friend sat where she always did, eyes closed, and head down.  She opened her eyes, focusing on Vinyl with curiosity.  “What did you see this time?” she asked as she floated towards the white unicorn.

Vinyl hesitated, trying to decide how she should explain the depressing scene.  “You were… you were with a friend at the park.  It was night.  She… Ashie, was her name… she led you into a denser part of the park and, well, she… told you she loved you.”

Octavia’s eyes went wide as the memories flooded back into her mind, feelings of remorse, sadness and anger floated carelessly throughout her consciousness, causing the once calm mare to practically burst into tears.  She fell to the floor, curling into a ball with her hind hooves tightly pressed against her chest as she tried to process the newly acquired memory.  

Vinyl’s first reaction was to comfort her friend, but she stopped herself from getting any closer.  She stood over the mare, who had begun to cry, and could only gaze in disappointment.  “‘Tavi… that was… that was kinda mean.  Really mean, actually.  What happened?  I get that you didn’t want anypony to know that you were a fillyfooler, but she was your friend.  Did… did you even talk to her again after that?”

Ghostly tears fell down her muzzle as she laid there.  “N-no… I didn’t.  Oh, Celestia, I died before I could say sorry to her.  Poor Ashie…” She rubbed her eyes, forcing herself to stand up.  “Looking back at it now, I... I can’t believe I did that.  She was my best friend.”

Silence filled the room.  Neither mare said anything, nor knew what to say.  Vinyl tried to think of something to lighten to mood, but a different question took over.  “Did you love her?” she muttered.

Octavia looked up at Vinyl, thinking about her question and reflecting on the event.  “I… I don’t know.  I always tried to repress any feelings towards her, but it wasn’t easy when she was always so flirty.  When she admitted her to feelings to me, I just… I blacked out honestly.  It was both a dream come true, and a nightmare.  I rejected her because I thought if I didn’t, my life would be ruined."  She sniffled.  “I see now that I was an idiot.  I… I could’ve handled it differently - I… I can’t imagine what I did to her."  Her lips quivered, and her voice was shaky.  “I-I’m a horrible pony.”

Octavia felt something try to press against her chin.  She looked up, noticing Vinyl looking down at her with a hard expression.  “Look, Tavi, what happened happened; it’s in the past… literally.  There’s nothing you can do now, and, to be honest, she’s probably dead by now, but that’s not the point.  Point is, you realized your mistake and you feel bad about it.  I don’t think that makes you a bad pony, just a, well...  pony.  I mean, we all make mistakes, and I think you should accept this as one, and just move on.”

Octavia stared at her friend, the memory of her old one, crying as she was forced away from her crush, still fresh in her mind.  She still felt terrible for what she did to her, and the fact that she’ll never have the chance to reconcile did more than bring her spirits down.  

She thought about Vinyl’s words.  Yes, there was nothing she could do about it, and Octavia knew this.  But, can she really move on from such a terrible act?  She looked to Vinyl.  Her old friend was long gone, and a new one stood before her, helping her and befriending her when nopony else would.  Vinyl accepted her for who she was and, in return, helped Octavia accept herself.  Despite being a spirit trapped inside a decaying building, unable to leave, with no memory of her past, the white mare still allowed friendship to prevail and selflessly gave her time to make an old spirit happy again.

She no longer had Ashie, a pony that, a long time ago, was her best friend.  A pony that accepted her for who she was.  A pony that loved her.  But now, a new pony stood before her.  A new pony that helped her see the error of her ways.  A new pony that helped her during her time of need.  

Perhaps she was given a second chance?

“Uh… Tavi?  You in there?”

Octavia blinked, noticing that she had been quiet for some time while staring at her friend.  She quickly collected herself, blushing slightly.  “Oh, sorry.  I was just, uh...  thinking."  She cleared her throat.  “Anyway,” she hesitated, then quickly raised her forelegs and engulfed Vinyl into a freezing hug.  “Thank you, Vinyl.”

“A-a-anyt-time."  The white unicorn stuttered.  Octavia released her grip, allowing Vinyl’s blood circulation to continue.  She stood back up, wrapping her hoodie around her tightly.  Vinyl chuckled, still shivering.  “Y’know, when I came out, it wasn’t nearly this complicated.”

Octavia looked at her quizzically.  “Came out of where?”

Vinyl sighed.  “No, that’s not–” Her hoof smacked into her head.  “It means I’m gay.  Yeesh, I really gotta teach you about the new lingo.”

One of Octavia’s ears perked up at the comment, not sure if she heard it properly.  

Vinyl checked her watch, realizing what time it was.  “Well, I think it's time for me to head out, Tavi.  See ya tomorrow, grandma."  

The spectral mare waved off her friend as she exited the theatre, her happy smile remaining on her muzzle as her friend faded from view.  As the oak doors closed, the theatre was, once again, flooded with silence.  The spectral mare floated from her position on the stage, heading towards the rafters where she spent most of her day.  As she floated into place, a soft smile fell upon her muzzle as she snuggled into a comfortable position.

“She’s just like me…”

Chapter: 8

For as long as she knew, time would pass on by at irregular intervals. Sometimes, Octavia would blink and days would go by, or maybe weeks. As a spirit, Octavia need not to sleep, eat, or any other living necessity. She would only exist, trapped in an eternity of watching the world go by.

For years, the spectral mare roamed the halls of the theatre named after her. Lost, yet confined. The decaying theatre served as a prison for her restless spirit; a hell far worse than death. She was alone, utterly alone. She had nopony; all those who she had known when she was alive were long dead, and what made things worse was that she didn’t even know how, where, or why. She had seen nopony mourn for her, nor had she been given the opportunity to mourn for them. She was trapped in the tomb of her death, her only memory of the fateful night when her life was ended. Her emotions had fluttered. Anger turned to sadness, sadness turned to regret, and regret turned to loneliness.

She remembered that moment vividly, the feeling of the knife piercing her heart still pained her like a damned phantom. She did not die instantly, forced to watch her beloved audience shriek in terror as her blood spilled from her body. She could still hear the words of her murderer, cursing the earth pony race.

It was at that moment, before death had embraced her, that she scorned her life. She cursed herself for being born an earth pony. She cursed society for discriminating. She cursed the unicorns for murdering her and denying her dream. She died filled with nothing but hatred and sorrow.

And through her anger, her spirit refused to die with her body.

Octavia’s earliest memory of her afterlife was one of the most frightening moments she could remember. She awoke, laying on the very stage that she had played for the princess. The very stage that marked her death. She looked around at the empty chairs, trying to figure out what was going on. When she stood up, she noticed the spot she was laying on was stained with blood… her blood.

She was scared. Oh, so scared. She remembered being stabbed. She remembered her life slipping away. She remembered feeling so cold; so alone. But, then, she was standing, not feeling any more pain. Had she survived the attack? Had somepony resuscitated her? If so, where were they?

Nothing made sense. Where was everypony? Shouldn’t there have been a medical team nearby? Bystanders, even? Royal Guards? Something! No, it was empty. Abandoned, even! Octavia trotted through the rows of seats, trying to find some answers. Once she had made it to the entrance, she reached out a hoof to open the door.

The feeling was indescribable.

Octavia screamed and backed away from the door as if it was a terrifying creature ready to pounce her. So many emotions and feelings ran through her mind and body; she couldn't comprehend what was going on.

Cold. So cold. It wasn’t just a freezing kind of cold, but a haunting, chill of death kind of cold. It was as if her very soul was brought to a shivering halt.

Dread. Absolute dread. Even looking at the double doors gave her a feeling of unease. As if she didn’t belong outside. It gave her the feeling that outside the doors only held an endless void, dark and eternal. A place so unnerving and frightening that nopony should ever have to look upon it. Those dreaded doors told her, no, commanded her not to step outside. Reality, as she knew it, ended outside those doors.

For months, the spirit of Octavia Melody roamed the theatre as it decayed around her. She was scared and confused about what she was. She didn’t need to sleep; she never felt hunger or thirst, and she could walk through objects. And every night, at the exact same time, she would be forced to play her cello, filling the empty halls with ominous music. For a long time, Octavia tried to figure out what had become of her. But, as the days passed in instants, and her anxiety calmed down, she had figured it out.

Octavia died that night, and her spirit had been cursed.

The spectre remembered the first time she encountered another pony. He was a young, nervous colt that slowly navigated his way through the theatre. Octavia didn’t care why he was there, she just knew that another pony had entered her domain. She had rushed up to the pony, pleading for him to help her in any way he could. But, alas, the poor colt ran screaming from the spectre and never returned.

This had happened a few more times. Every time a new face showed up in the theatre, Octavia would try a different approach to not scare them off. She begged for them not to run; that she would not hurt them, but they never listened. They all saw the ghost, and ran for their lives.

Eventually, as the years passed by, she would grow tired. There was no more reason to beg these ponies for help, for they would all run. There was no more reason to feel remorse or fear—what’s the point when she’s been trapped for years with nothing to come? There was no more hope left for her, how could there be? She would watch the building around her slowly decay and rot.

And as each day dwindled away, so too would her hope.

Some time ago, she had accepted her fate: she would forever roam the halls until the end of time, playing her song that nopony would hear. There was no point in crying anymore. There was no point in fighting it. For whatever reason, the gods decided to curse her spirit—she had no say in it.

It wasn’t until recently that she had been broken out of her trance. A white unicorn had entered her domain, and, as always, Octavia wouldn’t care, for they would always leave soon anyway. She was right, of course, the mare turned tail and ran once she caught sight of Octavia.

But, that time... that one came back.

It had greatly confused Octavia. Why would she come back? What reason did she have? She didn’t forget her glasses. No, Octavia had given those back to her. Why was she there? The white unicorn - Vinyl - had explained that she was simply curious, that she wanted to come back to get some answers.

For the first time in her afterlife, Octavia felt happy. There stood a pony who was not afraid of her; a pony that came back out of curiosity. A pony that, eventually, not only befriended her, but helped her regain her memories, helped her accept herself, and helped her move on.

The spirit of Octavia floated around her domain, patiently awaiting her friend to return. Time always had a funny way of passing by quicker than normal to her, but as she waited, it seemed like the tables had flipped.

The spectral mare floated near the ceiling. She kept all the possessions Vinyl had given her neatly stacked in a special place she had made in the rafters, the closest thing she considered to be her ‘bedroom’.

She had already listened to all the songs on Vinyl’s device, most of them to be absolutely appalling. She had read all the Sherlock Hooves books and already started reading some of them again. The only thing left to do was read the ghost books Vinyl had given her.

She picked up one of the books, scanning the cover before opening the pages. “When Tartarus is full, the dead will walk the earth,” she read aloud. “Fire will flow from the deepest reaches of the earth and breach into the heavens, clouding even the holy themselves.”

Octavia rolled her eyes. “Since I seem to be alone, this doesn't help me!" She calls out, throwing the book into the slowly growing pile. She picks up the next one. “The damned and you: a guide to spirits who haven't moved on." Octavia shrugged. “Promising…”

This routine had followed for the past week and a half, Vinyl had brought her a new book about the undead, spirits, or ghosts and she would read it. Sadly, none of them had helped, most seemingly written by ignorant, crazy ponies.

The spirit adjusted her position on the rafter, getting comfy as she opened the book.

“There are many reasons why the dead can't pass on; unfinished reasons, confined to limbo, or simply cursed. For whatever the reasons, some ponies have been condemned to walk amongst the living, trapped in this endless purgatory.

“Sad, isn't it?

“But, there is hope, my spectral friend, or friend of the damned. There is always a way to move on; hope is never lost.”

Octavia smiled, this book showing promise. However, it wavered as that book turned out like the last. They all spouted the same nonsense: sugarcoated words that held no value. She tossed the book aside and rolled onto her back. The only thing left to do now was think. But, sadly, that was what she was trying to avoid. Her meeting with Vinyl yesterday had been… interesting, to say the least. Yes, she had recovered more of her memory, but it had brought her more grief than clarity. And, to top it off, it made her think of her unicorn savior in a different light, a way that brought her even more confusion.

The mare let out a sigh, her will to push off the topic finally breaking. There was one question that she needed an answer for: Did she love Vinyl?

The mare was, well, certainly attractive, her body could certainly be considered ‘hot’ as Vinyl had put it. And she was caring, understanding, kind, and sympathetic, all qualities that she would want in a romantic partner. However, there was still one huge, glaring problem.

Octavia was a ghost, and Vinyl was alive.

Maybe if that wasn’t the case, she would have a chance, but fate had other plans. Octavia would just have to use the same strategy she used with her old friend: repressing her feelings. There was no point in pursuing them, for Octavia was already a loss cause, and it wouldn’t be fair to Vinyl to have a ghost as a marefriend. Especially one that couldn’t leave the building, and gave her hypothermia whenever they hugged.

Octavia sighed sadly, pushed the thoughts away to the back of her mind, and thought about something else, and something else soon did breach her mind: what was the connection between her memories and the song? Yes, she and Vinyl had guessed that the two were connected, but why? And, while on the topic, why was she cursed? Did she do something horrible when she was alive? Would the memories all lead to her doing some awful act that would land her in this hell? The mare shuttered, the thought of such a thing practically chilling her to the bone. She prayed to Celestia that wasn’t the reality.

Okay, time to shift gears, Octavia, she thought, shaking her head. She tried to think of something happy; something positive. But, the opposite happened, a thought of great dread filling her mind.

What happens when it’s all over?

It was a fair question, one she had mixed feeling about. Yes, she wanted desperately to move on, finally die like she should have. But… the thought of death still made her shiver with fear. What was the beyond? What was it like to die? Did she just cease to exist, or would she go to some heaven like all the old religions spoke of?

She tried to remember what it was like right after she died, and before her spirit woke up. Between that time, it was just a blank spot, as if no time had passed at all. One moment, she felt death’s embrace, and the next she woke up some time later as a ghost.

Perhaps actual death is nothingness. Perhaps when her spirit ‘moves on’ she merely ceases to exist, not feeling anything anymore, not thinking about anything anymore. She will become nothing.

The thought of becoming nothing terrified her. She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay just so she can spend time with Vinyl. Just so she can feel something, know something, think something, rather than being nothing.

Although, there is a physical hell. Tartarus. A prison for the damned. A place of eternal torment for the wicked spirits that roamed the realm of the living. Though Octavia was positive she would not end up there, it still implanted the thought of an opposite to Tartarus; a heaven.

Octavia hoped she would end up there when all this is over.

The spirit closed her eyes, wishing that she had felt the need to sleep. She had grown tired of existing for nearly a century—day in and day out, without rest. She wanted to lay down and rest her weary soul, but whenever she tried, she couldn’t. She was forced to stay awake, active, alert, without quarter.

Octavia floated down from the rafter, phasing through the walls, and ended up in the main foyer. She stared at the double doors, the gateways to the outside world that felt like an empty void than anything else. She waited for Vinyl to come back, not moving for hours. She couldn’t tell how much time had past, for even blinking could allow hours or months to pass by.

What if Vinyl never came back? What if something happened to her that caused injury or, even, death? How could Octavia even tell how long it has been since Vinyl’s last visit? The ghost begun to shake, fear gripping down to her very soul. What if another eighty years passed by, and another pony came into the theatre to have the whole process be repeated? There was no way she could tell.

“Tavi! Where are you?"

Octavia’s eyes went wide, her soul lighting up at that familiar voice. Like a flash, the ghost floated down from her perch, heading to meet her friend, who had just reached the entrance of the main concert hall.

The spectral mare landed in front of the unicorn, who took a step back in surprise. “Hey, Vinyl!" She squeaked, a huge smile plastered on her face.

“Uh… Hey, Tavi?" she began, clearing her throat, “You seem… cheerful, today.”

Octavia cleared her throat, recollecting herself. There were a few things she wanted to say to Vinyl, but for the sake of not making things between them feel awkward, she held her tongue. “Oh, uh, well… I can assure you I feel just the same as I always do at this particular moment.”

Vinyl chuckled. “C’mon, admit it! You’re happy to see me, aren’t you?”

The spirit blushed. “W-well I mean… of course! You are my friend, are you not?”

Vinyl trotted towards the main hall, Octavia floating beside her. “Tavi, you don’t have to hide anything from me. I mean, if I was in your position, I’d be the happiest thing in the world just to see my friend every day."

Octavia grumbled. “Yes, Vinyl, I’m happy to see you." Her head fell, and she sighed, “I was… I was actually thinking about some stuff.”

Vinyl raised a brow as she settled into one of the seats, “Oh yeah? What’s up?”

The spirit hovered in front of her friend, looking away from her. “It’s just that… sometimes I get the feeling that you won’t come back.”

Vinyl stopped her before she could continue. “Woah, hey! Where’d you get that idea?”

Octavia winced. “I-I mean, I can’t tell how much time passes when I’m in here. For all I know, the last time you visited was last week! What if something were to happen to you, and I’m expecting you as I always do, and you never come? What if years went by and, I don’t know, your brother came by and told me you… you died. It’s just… I’m terrified that something could happen to you, and I may never know until it’s been far, far too long.”

Vinyl’s gaze softened. She took in Octavia’s words, understanding why she would worry, and why she’s so happy whenever she shows up. She blinked as an idea popped into her head. “Why didn’t you just say so? You still have my music player, right?”

Octavia nodded, caught off guard by the change of subject. She disappeared momentarily, reappearing with the device in hoof. “What about it?" she asked.

Vinyl grabbed the device with her magic, pushing a few buttons and giving it back to her spectral friend. “There’s a clock on this thing, see? It’s got the time and date, so you’ll know exactly how much time has passed!”

Octavia’s eyes went wide as she looked at the device with awe. She smiled as she read the time and date: 2:29am November 22nd, 003. Now, she has an exact presence of time.  She hugged Vinyl, but only briefly. “Thank you, Vinyl!”

Vinyl only let out a small shiver, before smiling. “No problem, Tavi. And, if I remember correctly, you’re about to be playing, right…”

Octavia began to float towards the stage.

“Now.”

The spectral earth pony picked up her bow, resting it on the strings. “I do hope this one isn’t as depressing as the last." Straightening her posture, she swiped the bow across the strings and began to play.

Vinyl leaned in on her seat, entranced by the new sound. This rhythm was dramatically more upbeat, quicker, and all around more cheerful. Actually, she thought. That wouldn’t be too bad for a baseline of a song–shit! Her head spun before she could finish the thought, the world spinning as she cursed herself for getting distracted. Like usual, her head hurt, her mind swam, and she ended up on the floor.

Vinyl eyes open slowly crack open, groaning as her ears are instantly pummeled by the worst music she’d ever heard. “On my Celestia, turn that shit off!" she screams, before the fact that nopony would hear it dawned on her. “Oh… right. Dream-thing." She shook her head, temporarily blocking out the horrible sounds to get a better view of what’s going on. By the looks of things, she was in some kind of a theatre. Not like the one Octavia was trapped in, as it wasn't nearly as big or fancy, but it was clearly a theatre, of some sort. Ponies of all sizes and races… actually, she could only see unicorns.

Vinyl paused.

“Well, that doesn't make any sense…” She tilted her head. “What would Tavi be doing in a theatre filled with unicorns?" Vinyl cringed—another scratched note. “And what the hell is making that noise!" With her resolve depleted, the annoyed unicorn trotted (literally) through the crowd of ponies, her destination the front row to give whoever was making that racquet a piece of her mind, regardless if they could hear her. She made it to the stage and observed with disdain as a young unicorn colt attempted to play a violin, but failed… horribly.

“Get off the stage!” she booed. “You suck!" Vinyl didn't care that he couldn't hear her—yelling was good enough for her.

Luckily, it didn’t take long for the judges to deem him unworthy of continuing the disaster of sounds he had called a ‘song’ before he was escorted off the stage. One of the judges cleared his throat and spoke to the crowd, “Now that that’s over, would the next contestant please step on-stage. Number: 14.”

As another unicorn trotted on-stage and Vinyl decided to go backstage to look for Octavia. She hadn't seen her so far, and considering this was her memory she had to be around somewhere.  She phased through the curtains, weaving through other ponies as they tuned their instruments, studied sheet music, or even, in one case, panic in the fetal position in the corner.

The scene around Vinyl confused her even more. Everypony present was a unicorn. Not a single earth pony or pegasus was backstage, or even front stage. What the hell is Octavia doing here of all places? Vinyl thought, continuing her search for her friend.

Suddenly, the random conversations of the young musicians halted to whispers. Vinyl looked around, confused, as she saw the unicorns all lower their voices and look off to the side of the room with disgust. The white mare followed their gazes until her eyes landed on Octavia, standing tall and proud as she weaved around the room, not letting the unicorns glares or racial slurs get to her.

The earth pony took her cello case off her back and took the instrument out. She sat down on a stool and leaned it against her body, making sure it’s tuned to perfection and her bow was adequately rossined. As the gray filly was preparing, a group of unicorns approached her.

“Hey, what’s a dirt-digger like you doing here?" one of them said, chuckling to his friends.

As she watched, Vinyl gritted her teeth. Octavia was the only earth pony there, and that probably made her feel nervous enough. But now, a group of unicorns have to come and harass her, too? The white mare wished she could intervene and kick their racist asses, but what she was seeing was merely a recording of the past. She couldn't do anything but watch.

“Yeah,” another spoke up, smirking. “Shouldn't you be at the farms growing food for us?”

Vinyl watched Octavia merely ignored them, continuing to pluck at her strings to find the right tune.

“Hey, guys, lighten up,” a new voice said. Vinyl turned and noticed a new unicorn filly trotting over. “I think she’s just lost. This is the Annual Canterlot Music Recital, not the State Fair. Sorry, sweetie.”

Octavia chose this moment to speak up, “Shhh, I can’t hear my cello,” she said to them, plucking the strings a few more time and further tuning it. “Ahh, there we go. Perfect!” Her voice was calm, collected—her resolve far surpassing Vinyl’s own.

“You’re gonna compete with that?" one of the colts said. “Looks like one of those cheap elementary school instruments that foals play with.”

“Looks more like firewood to me!”

The group laughed.

Vinyl watched as Octavia’s stoic mask began to falter. Her hooves clenched her instrument’s neck tightly, and she tried to calm herself by breathing deeply. “I can assure you it’s in working order, and more than enough to win the competition.”

One of the colts raised a brow. He smirked as he noticed Octavia’s composure giving out. “Oh-ho! Big talk coming from a mud pony. How the heck does a digger like you even play that thing, anyways?”

Octavia’s face twitched. “Better than you can ever wish, screwhead,” she muttered under her breath.

The colt narrowed his eyes. “We’ll see about that," he said, turning around and trotting away.

Before the group dispersed, however, a filly in the group used her magic to twist the pegs on Octavia’s cello tighter, a loud ‘twang’ sounding as the strings snapped.

“Oops! Sorryyyyy!" she called out, voice dripping with sarcasm.

They trotted away.

Octavia cursed under her breath as she reached into her case to pick out new strings, her eyes going wide as she found replacements for all of them but the  ‘F’ string. Her hooves clench tighter, and her face turned red in anger. “Bloody witches,” she muttered, tears glinting in the corners of her eyes.

Vinyl bit her lip. What was Octavia to do now? She knew there was no way the earth pony could find a replacement string in time, and she had an inkling feeling that borrowing a string would be near impossible. She stood besides the distraught earth pony, her face contorted in sadness. “You poor thing… How could ponies treat someone like this just because they don't have a horn?”

To make matters worse, the judges called the next competitor. “Would the next competitor please take the stage. Number: 16." Octavia slowly collected herself, putting her cello back in its case and trotting on stage, breathing deeply the whole time to calm her nerves.

“Yeah! You show them, Tavi! Show those cone headed fuckers who the true queen of the cello is!" Vinyl called out as she followed, trying to give a memory a pep talk. She had realized that she would probably look pretty silly to anyone watching, talking to something that can't even hear you, but she didn't care, mainly because there was nopony to see her.

As soon as Octavia revealed herself, the crowd collectively gasped, and soon after went wild. Some voices were yelling racial slurs, others were simply booing, and some were just screaming at her to, “get off the stage." Octavia ignored it all, keeping her trembling at bay and her expression as stoic as possible.

She took a seat at the lone stool on stage and began unpacking her cello. The judges looked at her with confusion and pity, oddly. The head judge double checked the paperwork, making sure that the filly on stage was the same filly that signed up. “You are… Octavia Melody?" he asked, slowly.

Octavia quickly answered, “Yes sir.”

The judges looked at each other, whispering and casting their gazes at the filly on stage every so often. Eventually, the head judge motioned for her to begin. The second Octavia pulled her instrument out, a few ponies in the front row that can see its shape laughed. As for the judges, they all shook their heads, one of them muttering, “Can’t even afford a fully strung instrument.”

Vinyl glared at the judges from her position, wishing she could give them a piece of her mind. She turned to Octavia. Stay strong, Tavi.

With her bow tightly held within her fetlock, Octavia pulled her bow across the strings, letting out a low tone. As she continued, her notes rose, the song speeding up as her hooves glided across the string, guiding the song as it grew in intensity. As she neared the ‘F’ string, the musically inclined ponies in the crowd waited for her to fail, give up, or make a choppy transition. To their shock, her hooves glided seamlessly as she traveled down to a high ‘D’ position, the supplanted note fitting seamlessly with the song. It was a simple move, really, and all those who played the instrument knew of this trick. But, even though they know it was possible, switching from low to high stepping was no easy feat, and with hooves, not magic, to boot. Even more impressive was how seamlessly the song sounded, the missing string not seeming to affect her play at all. The notes were perfectly executed, her timing was exact, and her technique was masterful. Her cello sung to the audience, it's unique and unheard song reflected mastery in all ways—composition and execution alike.

Vinyl was speechless.

Her jaw dropped as soon as Octavia’s bow had touched the instrument. She had seen Octavia play, but never like this. Her raw passion and emotion bled into the notes, giving it life that could never be accomplished if played any other way, by anypony else. Vinyl had never seen another cello player before, but she knew that none could compare to the mare who sat in front of her, her hoof like lightning as it switched between the notes, now like thunder as it rocket across the strings.

The song had started low, sad, but had picked up and seemingly gained hope as it went on. It played like a story, telling a tail of a hesitant pony who grew into the light.

It was beautiful.

Just as it had begun, the song ended. Octavia’s bow hung onto the last note, before letting it go, sending the theatre into silence. Her eyes were still closed, waiting for the judges to give her a verdict. When a moment passed without a word from the judges or audience, she opened her eyes to be meet with the stunned expressions on the three judges’ faces.

They sat silently, unmoving, jaws still hanging on the floor at what they had witnessed. The head judge snapped out of his stupor first, slowly writing down words on a parchment in front of him. He cleared his throat. “Thank you… young lady. That was… that was…” He shook his head and muttered something too soft for Vinyl to hear. “Would the next competitor please take the stage. Number… 17?”

The young earth pony clapped a hoof to her mouth, unsure if their reaction was good or not. She ran a hoof through her mane, shaking away any ill thoughts and packing up her instrument. Bolstering up as much confidence as she could, Octavia smiled at the judges and bowed to them, taking her leave.

Vinyl, who had also snapped back to reality, cheered at Octavia as she trotted off stage. She went to follow her, just to see the looks on those snotty unicorns’ faces, but she never got the chance as she felt reality before her crumble. The entire scene shifted, becoming a swirling mass of colors before becoming void of color entirely. Vinyl braced herself for a headache, allowing her trance to do what it usually does, letting it happen rather than fighting it.

She opened her eyes to the familiar, run down theatre, on the ground that she had not so happily come familiar with. Standing back up and dusting herself off, the white mare approached her spectral friend.

“Holy fucking shit, Tavi! That was the greatest thing I’ve ever heard in my life! You totally showed up all those snotty spellheads! I mean, Celestia H. Faust I wish I saw the looks on their stupid, smug faces when you totally kicked their asses to no tomorrow! Damn, man, how did you even play with a broken string, anyhow? I didn't even know that was possible!”

Octavia smiled, blushing slightly from the compliment. “Well… it wasn't easy, and I had to adjust the song as I played to make it flow correctly. Though I could hit most of the notes individually, compound notes were completely out of the question, so I had to edit my composition accordingly,” the ghost spoke, proud of her past accomplishment.

Vinyl, well… she didn't get it. With a shrug, the unicorn decided to accept simply that Tavi was awesome, and that was how it worked. “Still, that was fucking amazing. Those dudes showed up all like ‘hey stupid earth pony, you’re inferior to our unicorn master race’ and you were all like ‘nah, man, I’ll show you’ and then that bitch broke your string and you were like ‘whatever, I still got this’, then you went on-stage and they were like ‘what’s an earth pony doing here and look, she’s got a broken string, hah!’ but then you played, and they were all like ‘daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!’” She smiled at herself, finding her summary pretty on the nail. “You totally won, right? Please tell me you won.”

Octavia nodded. “Yes, Vinyl, I did win. And good thing, too, because Mom and Pa really needed the money.”

Vinyl perked up at that. “Hey, I just realized you’ve never mentioned anything about your parents, before.”

Octavia rubbed her head, frowning. “I’d love to tell you about my family… if only I can remember them." She lowered her head. “I don't even remember their names…”

The room went quiet, the awkward tension building in the chamber from the question, both parties now feeling uncomfortable.

“I’m sure you’ll get those back too, Tavi. It's only a matter of time,” Vinyl spoke up, having finally giving up on even attempting to physically comfort the specter.

The ghost sniffled a few more times, but didn’t burst into tears like she usually did. “Yes… you’re right, Vinyl." She sighed. “But even so, it doesn’t make the fact any more depressing.”

Vinyl bit her lip, thinking of something to lighten the mood. Her ears perked up as she remembered something. “Oh, I almost forgot!" She dug through her saddlebags, pulling out a small rectangular box. “Some dudes were playing poker at the bar, and they got too drunk and started roughhousin’, so they got kicked out, but I kept the cards!” She plopped herself on the floor. “Wanna play?”

Octavia looked at the deck, trying to remember how to play card games.

Vinyl rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me poker didn’t exist a hundred years ago.”

Octavia rolled her eyes as well. “Of course it did, Vinyl. I’m just trying to remember the rules.”

Vinyl smiled, dealing out the cards to her. “I’ll teach ya.”

The white mare did a quick run down on the basics, explaining to her the different sets and which ones trump which. As they were playing, Octavia wasn’t focused on her cards as much as she was on the mare before her. All of those compliments she spewed out after her song ended certainly didn’t help repress her feelings for the unicorn. She kept telling herself that the endeavor was moot, and that she should just forget about it.

It’s only a stupid crush. I’m only thinking this way because she’s the only pony that ever looked past my… condition. That’s all. If it was any other mare, it would be the same. She sighed through her nostrils. If I keep it under control, these feelings will go away, I’m sure of it!

But you don't want them to go away, said a little voice in her head.

Shut up, she grumbled, pushing the thoughts back into the deepest recesses of her subconscious. Now wasn't the time to think of such things. Now was a time for her to be thankful for what she had, not wanting more.

She knew that all good things eventually came to an end.

Chapter: 9

Chapter preread by: Cogwheelbrain

Vinyl woke up to the sounds of banging and clattering. She groaned and got to her hooves, ready to obliterate the cause of the ruckus that would dare wake her up from existence. She trudged down the stairs, lazily walking through the living room and kitchen, but spotting nothing that would warrant a one way trip to the shadow realm.

The ruckus continued, getting louder as she approached the basement. Vinyl slammed open the door, sleepy eyes burning with rage. As she made her way down the stairs, she found none other than her brother surrounded by planks of wood, gardening tools, and cans of food.

The white mare raised a sleepy, half open eyelid. “Neon… what in the name of all that is holy are you doing?”

Neon whirled his head towards her, eyes wide. “Vinyl, you’re awake! Good!” He tossed a small plank of wood to her. “Help me barricade the windows, alright?”

Vinyl studied the two-by-four as if it was an alien object. “Barricade the–what? What’s going on, Neon?”

Neon levitated a rake to his sister. “Preparing, obviously! If ghosts are real, do you know what other undead creatures might be real? Zombies, that’s what! I now have no doubt in my mind that there may be a zombie apocalypse any day now! And when that day comes, I’ll be ready!”

Vinyl put the rake back where it belonged. “Alright, well… you have fun with that. Next time, prepare for the apocalypse more quietly, please?”

Neon picked up a hammer, resuming to barricade the basement windows. “Pssh, well, when your brain is being eaten by the living dead, don’t come crying to me!”

Vinyl rolled her eyes and started to trot towards the kitchen. She stopped at the stairs, smirking. “But, what about werewolves?”

The hammering stops, all sounds from the younger stallion ceasing at once. “Vinyl, do we have any silver?”

“Or vampires?”

“Help me sharpen this plank of wood, would ya?”

Vinyl turned back around, trotting up the stairs. “You know what needs sharpening? Your brain!” Once she got to the top of the stairs, her path was blocked by a gray pony shaped object. Vinyl rubbed her eyes, focusing on the newcomer. “Hey, I know you… right?”

Steelwing smiled. “Hey, Vinny, how’s it going?”

Vinyl’s head turned towards Neon. “I don’t. Even. Know.”

“Steelwing? You just let yourself in without knocking?” Neon asked.

The pegasus shrugged. “You were expecting me, were you not?”

“Well, yes, but it’s still rude!”

“But you knew I was coming!”

“I didn’t know when you were coming!”

“Gee, I’m hungry, who wants breakfast!” Vinyl called out, ending their bickering.

“Breakfast?   But... it’s five in the afternoon,” Steelwing commented.

“Exactly,” Vinyl replied, moving past the young colt and into the kitchen. With a flick of her horn, she started the coffee machine and picked out a pan as well as pancake mix from the cabinet. Soon after she started, the two colts emerged from the basement and patiently waited for their breakfast / dinner at the table.

The coffee machine dinged, and Vinyl retrieved her mug. “So,” she started as she sipped her morning drink. “Steelwing, how’s it going?”

He shrugged. “Same old, same old. Doing what I gotta do, you know?”

Vinyl sighed. “Oh, I know allll about that, kid.” She took another sip. “How’s the school been?”

“Uneventful. Just hasn’t been the same since you left.”

Vinyl rubbed her eyes. “Yeah, well. ‘Do what you gotta do’.”

“Hey, you might not be the ‘awesome party girl’ anymore, but I still think what you’re doing now is pretty awesome,” he said with a smile.

Neon rolled his eyes, remembering how he said that exact thing the other day. Not gonna work, man.

Vinyl smiled, levitating plates of pancakes to the two boys. “Thanks, Steelwing. Now, pancakes for all!” As she sat down with a piece of pancake on a fork in one hoof, and her coffee in another, a thought came to mind. “I wonder if I can make a coffee pancake…?”

Neon shuddered. “With the amount of caffeine you put in your body, I think you should sit that one out.”

“Hey, you try and work the hours I do without the assist of the great goddess that is caffeine!” she spouted back.

Neon rolled his eyes, taking a bite out of his fluffy breakfast. “I’m just sayin’.  Also, you do know that you can get more efficient energy from other sources.”

Vinyl stuck her tongue out at her younger brother, trying (and failing) to hold a serious face.

“Do you guys have any ketchup?”

Both siblings turned instantly, speaking in practical unison, “What?”

Steelwing shrugged. “Hey, some ponies prefer plain, some like butter, some like syrup, and I like ketchup. To each their own, y’know?”

“That’s true, but… just gross, man,” Neon said with a mild gag. “I mean, it's just wrong!”

“I have to agree,” Vinyl added. “That is freakin’ gross.”

“Hey, I don't judge you two by what you eat!”

“Because we don't eat pancakes with ketchup!”

“You wanna go, punk!”

“Bring it on!”

Vinyl watched with rapt enthusiasm as both of the colts got into a serious slapping match. Both of them were complete nerds (both in heart and body) and were practically incapable of hurting each other. So, the white unicorn didn't mind sitting back and let to two ‘fight’ it out. It was actually entertaining, to be honest, and Vinyl enjoyed her food with a the show.

After both colts had tired each other out in their vain (and pathetic) attempt at a brawl, they both called it a draw and went back to eating their food next to a now laughing Vinyl.

“Hey, Neon?” Vinyl asked.

“Yeah?”

“When are you going to bring home a cute filly instead of this guy?”

Steelwing looked crestfallen. “H-hey… I’m cute…”

“Woah… and I thought I was the gay one,” Vinyl chided.

Neon pushed his friend away. “I-I’m not gay!”

“You’ve yet to prove that, bro.”

“It’s also not helping your case that I’m spending the night,” Steelwing added.

Neon groaned as Vinyl laughed. “Dude, are you, like, seriously gay?” Neon commented. “I don’t judge, just… do you have years of repressed feelings for me that are gonna surface tonight or somethin’?”

The pegasus gave him a quizzical look. “Uh, no, that’s gay.”

Vinyl giggled and levitated the empty plates to the sink. “As much fun as it is to watch you two bicker, I gotta get to work. Have fun you two!” She winked.

“Literally hate you, sis!”

Vinyl quickly stuck her tongue out before disappearing behind the door, leaving the two boys alone in the house for the night.

Neon turned to his friend. “So, what do you wanna do?”

Steelwing shrugged. “Netflix ‘n’ chill?”

“No!”

The pegasus scoffed. “Not like that! Jeez, you really are gay. Can’t two friends just chill out while watchin’ Netflix? I mean, come on!”

Neon face hoofed. “Fine! What’re we watching?”

“Anime… duh.”

"Who watches anime on Netflix?!"

"Bro, I'm using Netflix as a generalization for anything that's not regular TV."

Neon sighed.  “Fine.  Which anime?”

“Boku no Pico.”

Neon groaned. “No! That’s fuckin’ gay!”

“It’s not gay! They’re chicks with dicks!”

“No, they’re not! They call each other ‘him’!”

Steelwing’s eyes widen. “How would you know that? Have you seen it? Dude, you’re gay.”

Neon heavily sighed.

“Hey, man, you’re the one who’s never had a marefriend.”

Neon waved him off. “I’m too busy focusing on school for that crap.”

Steelwing snickered. “‘Focusing’ in high school? Get a load of this guy! Man, I’ve never tried and I have a 3.95 GPA.”

“And how many honors or AP classes are you in?”

Steelwing’s face fell. “Well…”

Neon smirked. “Uh huh.”

Steelwing shook his head. “Whatever man, let’s just watch Kotoura-san.”

"You have the worst taste in anime, you know that?"

"You know what?  Yes it's a shitty appealist anime that only closeted petos and mouthbreathers watch... but sometimes I don't want to indulge myself in a well rounded, deep, and soul searching anime like Anohana because then I'd get all emotional, question my life, and fall into a pit of depression because I'll probably never amount to anything and never achieve my dream of becoming a best-selling author or even cartoon writer.  Sometimes, I just wanna sit back and have a laugh, ok?"

Neon shrugged.  "Alright, man."  He then leaned back on the couch and proceeded to forget about life to watch tsundere anime schoolgirls and their antics.

(\/);,,;(\/)

Seriously?! They want more Trap?! Vinyl thought, getting the next record ready for the transition. Come on, ponies! Have some diversity!

The club was especially packed tonight—the bouncer actually had to enforce the clubs occupancy limit. Vinyl was happy to have a crowd, as it meant that her boss would be in a good mood, but when the crowd had started chanting for more Trap, well, it began to get on her nerves. It was not that she had anything against the genre, more of that it was starting to get repetitive.

The club was relatively large, a huge dance floor taking up ninety percent of the entire layout. On the far wall was her booth and the central bass speakers, while the rest hung in their respective places around the club. The bar was located on the far right wall while booths and tables lined the opposite side. It wasn’t the biggest club in Canterlot, but it was big enough to have made a decent name for itself. Currently, with the massive influx, the dance-floor was completely packed—ponies grinding together out of necessity rather than for fun.

The white mare looked at the crowd, their request track levitating beside the table as she waited for the right time for the transition… when an idea came into her head. It wasn’t anything major, more of just a small thought that briefly flashed through her head, but it was interesting enough to stick. Carefully, Vinyl levitated the, well, vinyl back into its case behind the booth, pulling out another record instead. Granted, most of the music was electronic, but all of the base tracks had vinyl copies since it always produced the greatest sound.

The transition soon came up and, instead of another fast paced Trap song, a slow, mystical music box tone emanated from the speakers. This came as a surprise for everypony—most of the dance-floor stopping to get a view of the DJ. Before anypony could object, however, Vinyl used her mixer to add an overlay: a slow, dubstep-like accompaniment that blended nicely with the music box. She began to add more and more, complicating the rhythm, while still letting the music box be heard from the accompaniment. Vinyl’s hooves were like lightning, her mind racing as inspiration struck. She was so caught in her mixing that she failed to notice it when the entire club returned to it’s dancing excitement—cheers and stomps at approval of the original mix flowed freely through the air, but never caught the attention of the white mare.

Vinyl was in the zone.

Her hooves scrambling to create the musical story that was crafted inside her mind. The notes merged together—the distance between reality and the music that surrounded the unicorn blurred as she crafted. All the while, her mind remained focused on one thing: a singular constant in her ever-changing melody of sound.

Octavia.

The mare was stuck in Vinyls head—everything she created surrounding the mare. She was her muse. The overlay was sad, yet hopeful. The song built up, only to fall into an epic drop as it hit is pique. Vinyl even mixed in the ever-so-subtle hint of a cello in the background—the instrument's notes echoing as if a phantom of the song itself.

Then, it stopped.

As quickly as the track had begun, it ended, fading off into nothingness as the club was slowly engulfed in silence. Vinyl panted, her heart racing and a huge smile plastered across her face… until she heard the silence. The white mare began to get worried—silence at the club was never a good thing. As she peeked her head up from her tables, she was surprised to see not stars of disapproval at her improved melody, but slack-jawed expressions of ‘awe’.

“Holy shit!” screamed a voice from the crowd. “Do it again!”

The rest of the crowd soon shouted in agreement.

Vinyl didn’t know what to do. She hadn’t exactly planned out what she had played before, nor did she feel she could recreate it. It just, well, happened! Hesitantly, the mare pulled out another record, placing it on the table and letting the music start. Just as before, inspiration struck her at the thought of her spectral friend popped into her mind, her hooves crafting the simple baseline into an intricate mixture of different sound from all sorts of sources—a complex symphony that truly reflected her muse. Like the last, the crowd loved it, shouting their cheers of approval as the club once again shifted back into high gear.

Vinyl didn’t know what she was doing, or where this was coming from, but she did know she liked it. No... she loved it! The once stagnant expressions and movements the DJ used to have now became animated—her body seemingly re-energized as she bounced all around her set up, mixing tracks or playing others. There wasn’t a script, nor was there a plan… there was just music. Chaotic, yet somehow harmonious, music.

It was beautiful.

This cycle continued for hours—the flow of original mixes practically radiating from the DJ booth like an assembly line. Song after song, track after track, Vinyl continued to pour her heart out. When the night came to a close and her shift came to an end, Vinyl had to all but pry herself from the equipment as she trotted off stage, the parting crowd still ablaze with the performance. Vinyl, for her part, made her way straight to the bar, ordering herself a water to cool her sweat covered body. She was exhausted, completely drained, but she loved it. The white mare greedily downed the clear liquid as soon as it reached her hooves, then slammed the now empty glass back on the counter.

“Holy shit,” she muttered to herself, out of breath, “that was fucking awesome!”

In her excitement, Vinyl failed to hear the approaching hoof steps.

The mare heard a cough from behind her and turned to come face-to-face with her boss. She smiled, flicking her sweat drenched mane out of her eyes. “Dude! Did you hear me play!”

The owner sighed sadly, a motion that confused the mare. “Yes, Vinyl, I did hear you play. But… Unfortunately, even though it was good, I want you to refrain from doing that in the future.”

The unicorn stared at the stallion in surprise, his words barely registering in her mind. “You want me to… what?! But… but I totally killed it out there!” she screamed. “Why the hell would you want me to stop?!”

The stallion sighed, shaking his head. “Look, it’s my job to think of the business aspect of this, and that’s what I’m doing. Yes, you were good, but could you keep it up? Could you repeat that exact same performance again and again every night? Once you play like this, you reset the bar at that level—everything you do from here on out will be defined by this point. Now, this would be okay if you were a performer, but not as a house DJ. Your job is not to blow their heads away with amazing music. Your job is to get them tired and worked up enough so they’ll buy our cheap booze. That’s where the money is at, Vinyl! Not in the music, but in the revenue from the alcohol we sell! Now, I have no problem with you playing like that on your free time, but not while you’re on my clock,” he finished with a curt nod, his expression commanding no argue. “Now, here is your check, and I’ll see you tomorrow night.” The stallion handed her an envelope before he turned and left, heading over to the front desk to, most likely, count the day’s earnings.

Vinyl, on the other hoof, stood in place, her jaw slack while anger filled her very soul. Before she could say something she would regret, the mare lets out a loud groan and headed back to her booth, throwing on her hoodie and saddlebags and stomping out the back door, mumbling angrily to herself the entire time. Once she made sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, the mare stomped out into the night air.

Greedy prick! Vinyl thought, grinding her teeth in frustration. If it wasn’t for the fact that she desperately needed that job, she would’ve given her boss an earful. ‘My job isn’t to play amazing music’, ‘you’re just a house DJ’. What do you know, asshole?! I’ll show you... The white mare sighed heavily, calming her mind. Who am I kidding… I need the job.

Vinyl took in her surroundings, letting the cool night air breeze through her coat, and the silence of the night steady her head. She had felt free—free from the shackles that had held her down for so long. And, as soon as she broke free, she was just locked back up again. The mare sighed, knowing fully well that she had no power or room for argument. This was a good job. The only one she could really get that supplied just enough for both her and her brother.

As her mind was further occupied, Vinyl’s unconscious took over, directing her through the winding streets of Lower-Canterlot, ending directly in front of the forbidding theatre. Her internal rant ended as soon as she stood in front of the oak doors that made up the entrance. Though she was free from her internal conflict, the mare still strolled in on autopilot, her mind just too emotionally drained.

As usual, her spectral friend was awaiting her arrival, floating down happily to meet the white mare with a smile. “Hi, Vinyl!” Octavia spoke cheerfully, then noticed her drained demeanor. “Vinyl, are you... okay?”

Vinyl shook her head, snapping out of her trance. “Huh? Oh, yeah… Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little... distracted. Nothing to worry about, though.”

Octavia seemed reluctant. “Are you sure? You looked really… down.”

Vinyl waved her off. “It’s a long walk from work to here. I just get lost in my thoughts and don’t realize where I’m at sometimes.”

The spectre eventually nodded. “Alright.” She started to float around her friend. “So what are we doing today?”

Vinyl shrugged. “My bro’s friend is staying the night, so I don’t need to be home early.”

Octavia’s face brightened up, literally. “Ooh! Does that mean you can stay longer?!”

Vinyl nodded with a chuckle. “Yep! At least until I’m about to pass out.”

Octavia couldn’t contain her excitement. She lunged forward, hugging her living friend. It didn’t last long, however, as she was forced to float on towards the stage and pick up her cello.

“Already?” Vinyl asked. Damn must’ve gotten too caught up at the club.

Octavia straightened herself, picking up her bow and resting it on the pristine strings. “Ready, Vinyl?”

The mare in question casually sat on one of the seats. “Lay it on me, girl!”

Octavia swiped the bow across the strings, eliciting a slow, sad tune. The notes were drawn out and low pitched. Merely a second after the song started, Vinyl’s vision collapsed in on itself, imploding. All light faded into white. The world spun, like usual, and her head hurt. Soon, however, the feeling stopped, and she ended up on the floor.

When she opened her eyes, she was met with a hardwood floor—old, chipped, and faded. She stood up to make sense of surroundings. The walls were close together, the ceiling small and low. As Vinyl looked around more, she soon noticed old wooden furniture. A small table a small table sat in the corner and a bureau on the opposite wall, each with a few picture frames on them.

Vinyl walked up to the pictures. There was only four, all black and white. Two of them had two earth ponies Vinyl didn’t recognize: a mare and a stallion. The third picture had the same two ponies except with a foal held the mare’s front hooves. The last one had a young mare that Vinyl recognized to be Octavia with the same two ponies that Vinyl now assumed were her parents.

With one more sweep of the room, the white mare investigated further. She went down a hallway and ran into an older mare who was delicately dusting off some tabletops. Vinyl phased through the mare, though felt a chill up her spine at the action, and continued searching the house for Octavia. She rounded a corner and phased through a door. Inside, she found the filly she was looking for sitting on her bed with a book.

The whole scene confused Vinyl. The song Octavia was playing before Vinyl was entranced sounded slow and sad. So far, in the vision, everything looked like normal. Was something drastic going to happen soon? Would this vision lead to more despair? To more death?

Vinyl shuttered at the though.

A sound soon could be heard echoing through the small house akin to an old door opening. Vinyl watched as Octavia perked her head up from her book, then jumped off the bed to investigate. Vinyl followed. In the foyer, an elderly stallion closed the door behind him and placed his hat on a nearby rack.

Octavia smiled, running up to hug the stallion. “Daddy, you’re home!”

The stallion gently patted his daughter on the head. “Good to see you, my darling daughter.” He broke the hug and made his way to the couch where he promptly sank into it, sighing with exhaustion.

His wife noticed the gloomy mood of her husband. “Everything alright, dear?”

He forced a smile. “Ah yes yes, just a long day at the shop, that’s all.” He turned to Octavia. “Tavia, did you finish your homework?”

The young filly nodded. “Yes, daddy.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t expect anything less. Did you study?”

She nodded again. “I’ve been studying for the last half hour.”

“Half hour?” He exclaimed with mock surprise. “What are you still doing here, then? Get back to studying!” He playfully jabbed.

“But, daddy!” Octavia whined.

“No ‘buts,' Octavia! You study for another half hour, then we can all have dinner, alright?”

Octavia’s cheeks puffed out, but she complied nonetheless. Vinyl followed her back to her room where she was about to lay back down in bed with her book, before suddenly stopping. She figured she might as well at least ask what’s for dinner before going back to her studies. Going back to the living room, she stopped in the hallway as soon as she saw the utterly defeated form of her father.

He was slouched on the couch with his hooves buried in his face. He looked a lot older than his actual age and tired. It wasn’t unusual for her father to come home tired, but tonight he looked like he was ready to give up.

Octavia’s mother sat beside him, gently rubbing his back to comfort the broken man. “Arpeggio, please. Tell me what happened.”

It took a moment for him to respond. “It was… honey, it was horrible,” Arpeggio replied, his voice hollow. “I-I don’t understand. How can… how can any pony in their right mind destroy a man’s property? I… I pour my heart and soul into everything I make. My craft is my life! It’s how we get by. And…” His hooves clenched and his face turned red with anger. “And those bloody witches took it all from us! Every last thing in my shop, destroyed!” His anger subsided, and he leaned against his wife.

She held him tightly. Her own anger and fear were evident on her face, but she forced herself calm for the sake of her husband. “Everything’s going to be alright. Tomorrow morning, we’ll call the Guard and–”

Arpeggio’s anger flared back up. “The Guard won’t help us! They’re all screw heads and featherbrains!” The fire in his eyes went out as he realized that he yelled at his wife. “Oh… oh, my. I’m so sorry, Emerald. It’s just… what are we going to do now? How can we pay the rent?”

Emerald Song hugged her husband, comforting him as best as she could. “Don’t worry, we’ll find a way… we always do.”

Octavia stifled a gasp as she retreated back into her room. Tears welled up in her eyes from what she heard. Vinyl stood beside her, wanting so badly to comfort the trembling earth pony, but she knew that she could do nothing.

Octavia paced around her room in deep thought. She choked back her tears, trying not to cry. Vinyl watched her with tears of her own filling up her eyes. Octavia’s life has been one big roller coaster of emotions. Every memory she sees is a pattern of happy and sad, up and down, and never seeming to take a break.

Octavia suddenly stopped pacing. She went to her desk, lit a candle, and shuffled through some papers. Soon, the desired parchment was found: a simple poster advertising for the annual Canterlot Music Recital.

Vinyl’s mood lifted. Of course! She’s gonna win that competition and probably get a shit-ton of bits! Vinyl sighed in relief, knowing that everything was going to turn out fine for her family.

The filly looked to her cello lying in its case against the desk. Octavia looked nervous as if she was having second thoughts about her musical talent. She shook her head, wiped away her tears, and looked over the advertisement once again. Turning the paper on its backside, she noticed a sign-up sheet. Nowhere did it say that earth ponies weren’t allowed to participate.

Octavia put on a determined look as she took her instrument out of its case and began to play, the song resonating from the strings mirroring her current emotion: hope.

The walls around Vinyl crumbled into oblivion. The entire scene being torn away from her, piece by piece, until only Octavia was left. The young filly played a few more notes before disappearing herself into the white void.

Unlike the time before, Vinyl didn't instantly find herself back on the theatre floor. Instead, she remained in the whited out void that had once Octavia’s childhood home. At first, the mare was confused, wondering if she had done something wrong. As the minutes passed on, she began to get worried. He hooves felt no purchase on a tangible ground, yet she still stood. Her body was there, but she couldn't feel anything else.

Then, the void flashed and her world returned to the moldy floor that she had gotten to know so well. She blinked, phantom outlines from the explosion of light still dotting her vision. When they retreated, Vinyl looked around and observed the theatre. As usual, Octavia sat motionless at her cello, the song long since over.

The unicorn rose to her hooves, shaking the daze from her head as she groaned. “Tavi, I sure hope this doesn't have any negative effects on my health—all this time spent on this old, gross floor ain't doin’ me any favors,” she mumbled, as she trotted up to the mare on stage. Curious that she had not gotten a response, she spoke again. “Tavi?”

Octavia's eyes were clenched shut, visibly holding back tears.  “All your kind brings is pain…” the mare began somberly. “Why couldn't you just leave us alone?!” the mare growled, sitting up to face the white mare, who would have been paler if her coat would allow it. The spectral mare staked forwards, pushing back her now frightened friend.

Vinyl, for her part, stared at the angered spirit in front of her with fear, her voice trembling, “T-Tavi, please calm d-down! I didn't do anything!”

A white glow overtook the whole of Octavia’s eyes that only seemed to get brighter with each second. Her mane swayed chaotically from an unknown ethereal wind. She tossed her head back, opened her mouth, and wailed. Vinyl covered her ears as Octavia unleashed all of her anger, sorrow, frustration, and all of her grief in one, ear-splitting wail. The ghostly cry not only frightened Vinyl further, but left her feeling heartbroken, almost as if the wail was a spell by itself that was meant to induce sorrow to another pony.

She could feel Octavia’s emotions.

She felt all the pain Octavia felt during her whole life and afterlife. She felt the misery of living in a deeply segregated town with nopony to trust but your own kind. She could hear her spirit cursing the gods for the life she was given. She cursed them for being born an earth pony; cursed them for the unicorns destroying her father’s life works; cursed them for not doing anything about the unending racism until after she had died. She felt the anger… the raw, unbridled hatred towards the unicorns for everything they’ve done to her family and her kind.

The anger was overwhelming.

Soon enough, though, the wail ended, and so too did her anger. All of her pent up emotions vanished from the earth pony, instantly causing fear and regret to spread across her features. Octavia looked to Vinyl, her face holding pure terror at her own actions. “Vinyl! I'm so sorry, I… I didn't know what came over me I… oh, what have I done!” The mare’s eyes watered up with ghostly tears as she flew from the stage and up to the rafters, where she promptly disappeared far from the reach of her still stunned friend.

Vinyl stood still for a moment, unsure of how to react. Once she recovered from the flurry of emotions, as well as realizing that her spectral friend floated off in tears, she sprung to action. “Tavi?! C’mon, Tavi, it’s okay! I’m not mad, I swear!”

There was no response.

Vinyl kept circling the main hall, calling out to Octavia. “Tavi, please, just come talk to me! I know you’re in here! I’m not leaving until you come talk to me! Actually… that was a bluff. I have to go home at some point… but for the next three hours or so I’ll be here!”

Still, nothing.

Vinyl sighed. Okay, next step: bargaining. “I’ll bring you some more books if you come down! No? Hmm…” Time for begging? “Pleeeease! I’ll be really sad if you don’t talk to me!” Threats? No, that wouldn't end well… “Octavia…”

Vinyl went silent, her head dipping low. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” a sad, sniffling voice replied from somewhere above.

“For how shitty your life was. I mean, I've had my ups and downs, but none of that compares to what you've gone through. I mean… I honestly feel bad for my life not sucking as much as yours.”

Soon, the spectral mare reappeared in front of Vinyl. Her tears were flowing freely down her cheeks, and her incorporeal body shivered. Vinyl smiled at her and outstretched her hooves, silently inviting Octavia for a heartwarming hug, to which she gladly accepted.

Although it wasn’t really warming, Vinyl didn’t care. Actually, although the embrace wasn't warm, it wasn't freezing like normal either. She wanted to ponder about this but decided to keep her focus on the mare who needed she support right now.

The two shared the embrace, Vinyl comforting the distraught mare until the tears stopped falling, only weak sniffles.

Soon after that, the embrace ended, Vinyl and Octavia parting as the latter wiped her nose with a hoof. “T-thanks for that, again. I just… I really needed somepony to be there for me and, well… You’ve always been here for me.” The more twiddled her hooves, her face looking guilty. “I don’t deserve a friend as good as you, what with all the mean things I’ve said to you…”

“Hey, now,” Vinyl started, her gaze soft and caring. “What you don’t deserve is being in this living hell. But this… me… us… you deserve every bit of that.”

Octavia pulled Vinyl back into another hug, kissing her on the cheek as she did so. What was expected to be another bone-chilling episode, Vinyl found Octavia to be pleasantly warm that time. And, just like last time, she didn’t care to ponder the meaning at that moment. All she wanted to do was comfort her friend.

Chapter: 10

Chapter preread by: Cogwheelbrain

Octavia had never felt so conflicted in her entire life or afterlife.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. There was a plan, a procedure, a protocol for those kinds of things. Everything was set up accordingly to happen the way it needed to happen, despite how much she wanted it to happen. It was simple, really. A simple plan to keep the natural order going as it should and always will be.

But, last night, the natural order was disturbed.

Octavia didn’t want the natural order to be tinkered with, but some outside, dark forces meddled with her and made her throw the natural order of balance. A force so powerful and seductive, that now she couldn't help but continue to rip apart the natural order thread by thread.

The spectre groaned loudly, floating around the empty theatre without a care as she phased through everything in her path. Why did she have to kiss Vinyl on the cheek, again? The first time was a mistake, a slip. She was so overwhelmed with the thought of being accepted as a fillyfooler, and accepting herself, that she couldn’t help but show how grateful she was. It was a mistake she did not want to make again and kept those feelings well in check.

Until last night, that is. She lost control of her true feelings for the white unicorn and once again ‘showed her gratitude’. What made it even worse was when Vinyl said, ‘you… me… us… you deserve every bit of that,’ Octavia knew what she meant, but she didn’t want to think of it that way. She wanted to believe Vinyl meant ‘us’ in a more intimate way. She pleaded that was the case but, alas, it could never come to light. Octavia and Vinyl would remain as only friends. That’s the way it should be. No matter how much Octavia didn’t want it to be.

That was the natural order.

What if, by some astronomical chance, Vinyl returned her feelings? As impossible as it was, it didn’t stop the thought from coming across her mind. If such a thing where possible in some alternate universe, how would they even go about ‘dating’? Octavia couldn’t leave the theatre, so there goes 90% of it. She doesn’t need to eat, so they can’t have a romantic candlelit dinner in a musty, mold-infested building.

Let’s face it… it’s impossible for Vinyl and I to be anything more, she thought grimly. If only I was still alive.

Octavia sighed. She would just repress her feelings like she’s always done during her life. It wouldn’t be so bad. Eventually, Octavia’s spirit will leave the mortal plane and, with it, her feelings. At least, she hoped. Even in whatever afterlife awaits her, it won’t matter anymore as Vinyl won’t be present anymore. Unless Vinyl’s spirit somehow ends up with Octavia, if such an afterlife exists.

Just how long will it take for her to ‘move on’? Once all of her memories are restored and her song is complete, her ‘unfinished business’ should also be complete... right? That was the current theory, at least, and it was the best one they had. Octavia had no idea how many more memories were locked away, so there’s no telling for how much longer she had to repress her feelings, or if she even can for that long.

Maybe I should just tell her. Maybe something good will come of it? But… is it worth the risk? It’s hurting me so much on the inside… but is keeping in that pain better than the pain of being rejected?

So many thoughts and scenarios played out in her head, many of them good.

If… if it works out then… then we would be… then we could… Octavia paused, floating in place. What if she said no?

That was an unsettling thought. As much as the thought of Vinyl becoming more than just a friend filled her heart with butterflies, the thought of what would happen if she said no scared her even more.

This whole situation was a gamble; high risk, high reward. Though, the odds that anything good can come out of this are astronomical. It all came down to that simple statistic: it wasn’t worth it.

So, she would keep it to herself.

(\/);,,;(\/)

Octavia stared at the clock on Vinyl’s music player, the numbers ticked forwards rapidly, the minute hand flicked by like seconds, hours like minutes. Every time she would blink, a different interval of time would pass by in an instant.

The numbers neared the time that she was all too familiar with. 3am. Vinyl was usually here a little before that, but so far the halls were not graced with her presence.

Did she… Did she forget about me? The thought filled her mind and anxiety like none other. Oh… oh, Celestia no! She desperately looked back to the clock, praying that time hadn’t advanced too far. To her relief, it didn’t skip a few hours.

But, the familiar feeling of being dragged on stage tugged at her soul. It was like a pain deep down, one that wouldn’t go away unless she played. Against her will, she floated on stage, eyes nearly tearing up as she saw no white unicorn in the seats.

She closed her eyes and began to play. The notes started off at the same spot as last night and continued in an order corresponding with each memory. There was nothing new this time. It was the same tone and same notes, up until the final verse: the one she had played for eighty years.

The song soon ended abruptly at the same spot that it always did. The same note that reminded her of her death. For the first time in what felt like forever, she was alone when she came out of her trance. Tears rolled down her cheek as she rose her head, seeing nothing but an empty theatre.

This is it… I knew it would… would happen. More tears rolled down her cheeks, her cries getting louder and louder, her cello falling from her hooves as they rose to her eyes.

“Yo’, Tavi!”

Octavia jumped in surprise, her head swiveling around the room until she came eye-to-eye with Vinyl. Her tears were shaken away as she gasped and hugged her friend. “Oh, Vinyl, you’re here! I thought… I…”

“You thought what?” Vinyl said, hugging Octavia back.

The spirit released Vinyl, looking away in shame. “I thought you weren’t going to come…”

Vinyl’s usually happy expression fell. “Oh… I’m sorry, Tavi. I just… my boss was being a dick… then I kinda got hungry on the way here and thought, ‘It won’t take that long’... I didn’t know you… aww man, Tavi, I’m sorry.”

The spectral mare shook her head. “No, don’t beat yourself up about this. I’m just being paranoid and, well… yeah.” She continued to look away in shame. “You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”

“Right!” Vinyl said, levitating her saddlebags off of her back. “So, I got somethin’ real cool for us to do tonight.” She unbuckled the bag and pulled out another one of those ‘electronic’ devices, this one being significantly bigger than the music player Octavia still had. She set the object down in front of the two, propping it up on a stand in the back. “Movies existed back in your day, right?”

Octavia raised a brow to the question. “Movies? Films? Yes, we had those. Well, the unicorns had those. They would all get together in a theatre much like this one and watch films.” She looked at the device, blinking. “Don’t tell me this little thing can project a film?”

Vinyl nodded. “Sure can!”

“B-but… where are the reels?”

“Don’t need ‘em.”

“How does a projector fit in such a small case?!”

“It doesn’t project, it displays it on this screen. All the fancy lightings and stuff are behind the screen real flat-like.”

The spirit gave up on trying to understand the future in favor of being intrigued on what cinema culture has become in the modern day. “So... what are we watching, then?”

With a cheeky smile, Vinyl dug back into her saddlebags, pulling out multiple rectangular cases. “I got a few choices. Watcha wanna watch? An action packed cool-guys-don’t-look-at-explosions, sci-fi thriller? How about a comedy?” Vinyl’s eyelids fell just a bit. “Or maybe you’re in the mood for a rrrromance?”

Even though her slightly transparent face adopted a reddish hue, Octavia’s expression did not falter. “If ‘romance’ is anything like that… that horrid book, I don’t want any part of it!”

“You keep telling yourself that, Tavinova.”

At that remark, Octavia began to wane. “W-what are you talking about?! I hated that obscene piece of literature!”

“Oh, yeah? Then why’d you finish it?”

The spirit nearly fell over. “W-w-what makes you say that?!”

“I saw the bookmark.”

Octavia’s eyes went wide, her body somehow going paler. “It was… uh… th-there was nothing else to read!”

“Mhmm?”

“I was bored!”

“Mhmm?”

“I didn’t! It wasn’t! Aaaah!” the flustered spirit threw her hooves up, covering her tomato red face. “Don’t judge me!” she wailed.

Vinyl couldn’t help but giggle, the sight of the fiercely blushing ghost was just too hilarious and adorable. After watching the mare try and recover for a little bit longer, Vinyl finally decided to take pity on her. “It’s okay, Tavi. I don’t judge you for reading porn. I mean, it’s…” Her eyes went wide, a thought popping into her mind that she would soon regret to blurt out. “Wait, are you a virgin?!”

Silence… then more silence as a flustered, embarrassed, and hysterical spirit sunk herself as close as she could to the floor, trying to become as small as possible. Vinyl stared at her, trying to find something to say to maybe change the subject. She quickly shuffled through her DVDs and picked one out at random to slide into the movie player. “H-here, why don’t we watch this one!”

The screen flickered on. Displaying the opening credits to an all familiar movie. An Equestrian classic that held a spot in Neon’s favorite movies, next to Star Wars, of course. Octavia looked up at the screen, still pouting, but curious. It started off with a stallion sitting on a bench. He wore a cream-colored suit, and a small box was sitting on his lap.  

Vinyl smiled, looking at her spectral friend. “How about we watch a movie that has action, drama, comedy, and romance all in one!” She points dramatically at the device. “Behold, one of the greatest movies of all time… Forrest Gump!”

“How does a nature film have all of those genres in one?”

Vinyl blinked. “What? No! The dude’s name is Forrest Gump! Just watch.”

And so, Octavia did. The stallion sat at a bench at the park. A mare soon sat on the bench too, and the stallion engaged in conversation with her. Even though the mare clearly didn’t want to talk, she seemed to listen as the slow speaking stallion began his conversation.

“Life is like a box of chocolates... You never know what you’re gonna get.”

Octavia furrowed her brow. “I don’t get it. In a box of chocolates, you’re going to get chocolate… that’s what it is, right?”

“Shhh!”

(\/);,,;(\/)

By the end of the movie, Vinyl had a hoof clasped over her mouth to stop herself from giggling at Octavia, who currently had her face glued to the screen, eyes wide and slightly moist.

“You understand this is the bus to the school, now, don'tcha?”

“Of course; you're Dorothy Harris, and I'm Forrest Gump.”

Octavia gave a shaky smile as the end credits rolled past her eyes. She leaned back into a normal sitting position, rubbing her eyes. “That was… that was beautiful.”

“Thought you’d like it.”

“His whole life he just… stumbled into these situations and just… went with it!”

“Uh-huh.”

“And the war and… the civil rights protest. He just went through all that without fully knowing what was going on!”

“Yyyyyyep.”

“And the part where he ran across the Kingdom for three years! Why?”

Vinyl shrugged. “He just felt like it.”

“And then he just went home?”

“Yep. He got tried.”

“And then… and then…” She began to bawl. “He spent all that time looking for Jenny, and when he finally got to be with her she goes and di-i-ies!”

Vinyl nodded, trying, and failing, to run her hoof through her friend’s mane. “There, there… it was just a movie, remember?”

“I-I know, but…” She sniffs. “But it’s still saaaad!”

Vinyl rolls her eyes. “There, there. You’ll get over it… I hope?”

The spectral mare sniffs again, wiping the ghostly tears from her eyes. “Y-yea, I will,” she began, before picking up Vinyl’s music device, which she had yet to remember its name, and looked at the time, frowning. “It’s getting pretty late… looks like you’re going to be heading home, soon,” she sighs, dejected.

Vinyl nods. “Yeah… it’s gettin’ to be that time, again. Gotta take care of the bro, bruh.”

Octavia nodded as well, even though she still didn’t fully understand Vinyl’s dialogue. The white filly strapped on her saddlebags, leaving the movie player to Octavia after telling her how to work it, and waved goodbye. Before Vinyl could leave and enter the empty void that rests beyond the double doors, Octavia called out, “Vinyl, wait!”

She stopped and turned around. “Hmm?”

Everything told her to just say ‘nevermind’ and let her go. All the logical parts of her brain argued that what she wanted to say would be in vain. But even though logic was the best choice in this situation, it didn’t stop her heart from speaking out. “Would you, um… maybe one day… spend the night with me?” she said, before adding, “if it’s not too much to ask, that is!”

She instantly regretted asking once she saw the blank look on Vinyl’s face. Her incorporeal form began to shake and shimmer.

Vinyl stared at Octavia. “Uhhhhhh.”

Good job, Octavia! Now you’ve done it! You couldn’t just keep your mouth shut!

“N-never mind!” Octavia blurted out. “I was just kidding, it was a stupid idea, anyways–”

“Sure.”

“–I mean how would—w-what did you say?!”

Vinyl smiled. “Sure. I can spend the night.”

Octavia was speechless.

Vinyl ran a hoof through her mane. “My dad used to go camping with Neon, so I got a sleeping bag somewhere. It’ll help make this place less… disgusting. No offence, but it is.” She paused, looking at Octavia inquisitively. “Do you even sleep?”

The spirit dug at the floor. “No.”

Vinyl chuckled. “Then why do you want me to spend the night? Just wanna hang with me more, eh?”

“Well...”

“Admit it: you just want me all to yourself don’t you?” she said, smirking.

Octavia was cornered. “I-in a way, yes.”

Vinyl playfully rolled her eyes. “I’m off on Thursdays, so we can have our little sleepover then, alright?”

Octavia, who was overwhelmed with excitement, could only nod rapidly. Vinyl waved at her, saying one last ‘goodbye’ before exiting her domain. For the most part, the spectre could not contain her excitement. She giggled while flying in circles. She imagined what the two of them could do with Vinyl spending most of the day and all night with her. Perhaps they could watch more movies, or maybe play a few board games? Maybe Vinyl could tell her more hilarious stories from work.

Octavia looked at the clock on Vinyl’s music player. The day was Tuesday. Dammit… I have to wait two days. She groaned. Time would pass at large intervals with the blink of an eye to her, but now when she’s actually able to pay attention to time, it goes far too slowly than she would like when she needed it to go by faster.

The excitement soon died down as she had to focus on a more serious situation. She had to control her feelings when Vinyl would stay the night. In hindsight, the sleepover was a bad idea. Octavia didn’t want to say it, but her heart did. She wanted to spend more time with the unicorn than they already do. And even though Octavia doesn’t sleep, it still feels better knowing Vinyl is there in the first place.

Octavia shook her head and floated up to the rafters. She needed a distraction from all of these emotions. Another movie would do perfectly. Ruffling through the DVD cases, Octavia picked out one at random and slid it in the device. It was a foreign concept to her, but the basic idea of the device was like a record player, just much smaller and with an auto-setting needle.

The movie title flickered on the screen, reading ‘Equestrian Pie’. The title seemed strange, but Octavia didn’t question as it was still a distraction.

After ten minutes, Octavia had turned red, and by an hour, she could pass as a fully ripe tomato. When the movie finally ended, Octavia didn’t know how to respond, only that she had enough movies for a while… or a little longer than a while. But, one thing still stuck in the mare’s mind, a question of morals and of sanity.

“Why would she shove her flute up there?!”

Chapter: 11

Chapter preread by: Cogwheelbrain

Vinyl trotted happily down the street, twin over-encumbered saddlebags hung at her sides, each ready to burst from their payload. She had promised Octavia that they would have a ‘sleepover’ tonight and, well, she planned on making the most of it. Board games, food, drinks, and everything else she would need to spend the night in the old theatre were crammed into the bags at her sides, their weight heavy, but the thought of the joy they would bring made them almost weightless.

A few hours before, she had told her brother about her plans to stay the night at the theatre, much to his disapproval. He was still a little on edge about the whole ghost thing, but he eventually caved when he figured out he would have no chance of winning the argument. Vinyl had given him charge of the house and of taking care of himself while she was gone, an aspect that the younger colt instantly cheered up at. It wasn’t that Vinyl didn’t trust him, but it was rarely she left him alone for longer than necessary and, as much as he loved his sister, Neon also enjoyed the freedom of being alone and the feeling of responsibility and trust his sister put on him.

It wasn’t long until the mare found herself standing in front of the familiar theatre, one that had almost become a second home for her over the past few weeks. She paused before entering, the thought of her routine had changed to fit around her new friend finally sinking in. Somehow, it didn’t seem as long as it had been, but at the same time it felt like she had known the long deceased mare for years. A strange contradictory feeling, she had to admit.

With her introspection complete, the mare pushed open the door with her magic, slowly making her way into the threshold as she tried not to bump her saddlebags against, well, anything. As she made her way into the main hall, she heard the sounds of conversation echoing. Vinyl’s brow furrowed, there couldn’t be anypony else there, so Octavia must be watching another movie. Once she got closer, she noticed the spirit on-stage with her eyes glued to the small screen. The conversation from the film also got more clear, and she could make out what they were saying.

“Now, say my name.”

“... Heisenberg.”

Vinyl smiled and strolled next to Octavia, who failed to notice her presence. “Yo, Tavi, enjoying yourself?”

The ghost flailed her hooves at Vinyl, her eyes somehow never leaving the screen. “Shhhhh!”

The white mare took a step back, holding up her forelegs. “Alright, alright… I’ll just wait, then...”

“You’re goddamn right.” The opening theme then started to play.

Vinyl chuckled, watching the now addicted mare all but glued to the screen in front of her. Figuring her efforts to pull the mare from her show would most likely prove impossible and only bring pain, Vinyl elected to do something constructive as she waited. Trotting away from the mare and heading backstage, her goal to scout out a good place for her to spend the night.

The back of the stage was, oddly enough, a place that Vinyl had not yet traveled. More than once she had toured the rest of the theatre with her spectral friend, but not there. A small part of her had hoped to find something interesting, something forgotten to time, or the begining piece of some other mystery. She was sad to find that it turned out to be like any other stage she had been to... except far dirtier and, well, older. Sandbags connected to ancient strings still hung in place, holding the forever open curtains in place. Open trunks and piled up theatre equipment lay sprawled with seemingly no rhyme or reason, while old, moth eaten costumes hung on their hangers.

Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to be sleeping back here, Vinyl thought, turning around as she went to search the main theatre room for a place she would lay her head. But, as she was about to trot past the dusty curtains, the mare paused when a glint caught the corner of her eye. Curiosity piqued, Vinyl turned back around and troted closer to the shine, her hooves trotting through the dust covered floor. The shine brought her to the far back of the theatre, the source coming from a slightly unearthed object, buried in years of dust build up.

“What have we here?” Vinyl mumbled to herself, her horn glowing as the object in question was surrounded in her magical glow, rising from its burial and up the mare’s muzzle. With a quick blow, followed by a coughing fit from the about of dust, Vinyl recognized the object as some sort of metal. After wiping the rest of the dust from it on her hoodie, the white mare looked upon the metal with curiosity. It was gold, though she didn’t believe it to be real, but still shone as if it had been just made. The lanyard that hung at one end was a bright red, while the metal itself held the picture of floating musical notes, the words “Best young Musician!” carved directly below it.

Vinyl tilted her head at the unclaimed award, looking it over with curious eyes. She then turned it over, her eyes going wide at the words “Octavia Melody” that was written into the back of the award. Her curiosity grew even more, her eyes lit up at her find. Oh my god, this is Octavia’s! Vinyl though, putting the metal around her neck for safe keepings so she could show her friend later. I wonder if there is anything else hidden back here...

With a purpose other than to find a place for her to sleep, Vinyl began to dig through the trunks and other containers that littered the backstage, her goal set to possibly find more belongings of her currently occupied friend.

After about ten minutes or so, Vinyl stood dejected as she looked the the yield of her search. She had managed to find several different instruments in her search, but they were far too decayed for any hope of restoration, as well as some music sheets, which had depressingly turned out to not belong to her friend. Other than that and more dust, she had found nothing of interest.

Vinyl looked down at the medal hung around her neck, bringing a hoof up to hold it up closer to her face. A question popped into her mind, something that had been bugging her the entire time.“Why did Octavia leave you there?” The mare headed back to where she found the medal.

A dust imprint of where the metal had lain for countless years remained inset into the ground, making it easy for her to find her way back. The area was nothing special, just another dusty corner in the theatre. The only thing in the corner was a… trash can?

Did Octavia try and throw this out? she thought, her curiosity finally reaching its max. Turning back towards the curtains as she headed to ask the mare herself. “Hey, Tavi!” she called, trotting around the edge of the curtains. “I just found this metal back here and I wanted to know if it was yours–”

The mare didn’t get the chance to finish, as a familiar vertigo overtook her mind as she stumbled, pressing her hooves into her temples as she fought back the waves of nausea. The last thing the unicorn saw before she fell to the floor was the outline of Octavia at her usual place on the stage, her bow and cello in her hooves.

Vinyl collided with the ground, and let out a groan as she lay there with her eyes closed, the nausea slowly fading. “I really need to make Octavia have some sort of warning system for this,” Vinyl mumbled. “Pretty soon I’m gonna fall down the stairs or faceplant into a wall or something.”

The mare let out another groan, opening her eyes and slowly rising to her hooves. “Now, let’s see where we are now…” Vinyl looked around, and was surprised, but soon worried, when she noticed that she was in a cleaner version of the theatre, specifically in the backstage she had just dug through. “Crap, please tell me this isn’t that memory, again!”

Cautiously, Vinyl trotted forwards, nervously leaning forwards to peak past the curtains, but paused as she heard applause coming from the other side, something the feared memory did not have. The mare let out a sigh of relief, her body visibly calming, and with her fears now put the rest, Vinyl poked her head past (well, through) the curtains and caught view of the stage beyond.

The entire theatre was packed, all in attendance being earth ponies, something that seemed to stick out the most. On the stage itself was a line of young looking musicians, their instruments held by their side. Vinyl could not recognize anypony on the stage other than Octavia, who was standing in the middle of the row, cello held on end as the earth pony used it for balanced. Although the mare could not see her friend’s face, she could tell by her body language that something was… off. She didn’t know what, and she didn’t get the chance to check as a final, older stallion that she hadn’t noticed before trotted across the stage, stopping in the middle and turned to face the crowd.

“Fillies and gentlecolts!” the stallion called out, his voice official and gruff. “I am glad to announce the winner of this year’s ‘Best young Musician’ award!” The crowd burst into applause, to which the stallion paused his speech to let them settle down. “Now, I don’t think anypony here has question on who deserves this award, so we might as well get right to it.” The stallion turns to Octavia. “Congratulations, Octavia!”

The crowd cheered with applause as the stallion placed a familiar looking metal around the mare’s neck, to which the mare nodded her thanks to the stallion, before turning and bowing to the crowd. All applauded one final time, everypony in the theatre standing and cheering. This continues for a while, and after a few more bows the recital begins to break up, the awards signaling the end and parents and attendance alike begin to shuffle out, intent on heading home. Unlike the rest, Vinyl noticed, Octavia packed up her internment and headed toward her, the opposite way of the rest of the crowd. The unicorn stepped back and out of the was just in time as her friend pushed past the curtains and headed towards the back of the stage.

Vinyl followed her as she wove around the props, sandbags and ropes sprawled out backstage. Octavia stopped once she made it to a small corner and sat down against the wall, the medal around her neck suddenly ripped off. Octavia held her prize to her face, glaring at it as if it offended her in some way. She muttered angrily under her breath, then tossed the medal to the side carelessly. Her eyes were shut tight, visibly holding back tears.

Vinyl looked to the discarded prize, then back at Octavia. What was wrong with her? She had won the competition, as per usual, but she was acting as if she lost. Why would she feel so bad about winning?

The sound of hooves graced Vinyl’s ears. She looked around, her eyes falling on a well dressed unicorn. Vinyl rolled her eyes as she looked over him. Everything about him told her that he was not the kind of pony anyone should acquaint themselves with. His head was held high as he trotted around backstage as if he owned the place. His coat was pristine, his mane looked like polished metal, and his face was covered with makeup.

Vinyl winced at the sight. Guys actually wore makeup back then?

The stallion made his way over to Octavia, who had her head buried in her forelegs. He stopped in front of her and cleared his throat in a very over exaggerated manner, startling the young mare. “You are, hmm…” he paused, tapping a hoof to his pampered chin. “Octavia Melancholy, was it?”

Octavia, for her part, looked intimidated by the unicorn. She tried to compose herself as quickly as she could and responded with a meek, “Y-yes? I-I mean no! I mean… i-it’s Melody… sir…”

The stallion responded in a bored tone. “Ah, yes, details…” He suddenly stiffened his pose and extended a hoof to the air. “I am Lord Exemplary Endeavor IV. Her Majesty, Princess Celestia of Equestria, has, for some reason or another, formally invited you to Canterlot Castle.”

Octavia, as well as Vinyl, stared at the noble with slacked jaws.

The noble rolled his eyes, amused at Octavia’s slack-jawed expression. “Yes, yes, I know you lessers are easily overwhelmed, so I’m going to make this easy on you: shake your head ‘yes’ if you accept.”

Still in shock, Octavia managed to nod her head up and down, to which the Lord nodded in turn. “Very well. You are expected in…” He pulled out a pocket watch, checking the time. “One hour,” the stallion spoke, narrowing his eyes and adding, “When you meet the princess, bow down to her and only rise when she gives you permission. Always address her as ‘Your Majesty’, and do not question her decisions, understood? And, most importantly, do not be late.” His horn sparked, and a sealed envelope floated out of his robe’s pocket. “This will allow you entry into the castle. Do not lose it.” With that said and done, Exemplary took his leave.

Octavia hastily grabbed the envelope from the air as soon as his magic released it. On the center was a red wax seal with the Royal Crest imprinted onto it. A hoof found its way to Octavia’s heart as she scanned over the seal, double checking to make sure it was the real thing.

Her hooves shook with a mixture of shock and excitement. The reality of the situation fully sank into her. The Princess of Equestria personally invited her to the castle? She would have asked herself why, but just the thought of meeting the princess overshadowed any questions. Octavia, an earth pony, was going to meet Princess Celestia, the leader of Equestria that has ruled for over nine hundred years.

Octavia gasped as she realized that she was expected soon. Leaving her cello behind, she rushed out the backstage door and galloped away.

(\/);,,;(\/)

Unlike normal, Vinyl found herself thrusted out of the memory, not eased out of it. Her head felt like it was going to explode, her mind raced to catch up as she went from standing and watching Octavia, to laying on the ground.

“Ugh… that one was different,” she groaned, slowly rolling onto her flank. Once stable, she used both hooves to rub her temples, desperately trying to soothe her pounding head. “Hey, Tavi, you catch that one?” she asked. “I feel like I have, like, five hangovers at once.” The white mare looked up towards the direction of Octavia, and noticed her in her usual position.

The spirit hovered up to Vinyl. “I did indeed ‘catch’ that one.” A giddy smile crossed her features. “Oooh, I met the princess, Vinyl! I don’t exactly remember the actual meeting, but I’m sure that will come along eventually.”

“That’s awesome, Tavi! Wait…” Vinyl stopped, thinking about the precise details of the last memory. “When did that happen?”

“Hmm? When the princess summoned me?” Vinyl nodded. “Well.. hmm.. it happened after prom, I know that. Why?”

Vinyl shrugged. “Just trying to find a timeline to these memories. Like, they went in reverse up until now.”

Octavia nodded. “I see. Well… my earliest memory thus far was when father’s shop was vandalized. After that… uggg, there’s a blank spot, then the big Recital.” She shook her head. “It’s all bits and pieces. Father’s shop, Recital… Ashie… prom, princess… then my… my last performance.” Octavia looked down, trying to find something to change the subject. A glint of light caught her eye, and she looked up to see that her friend had a medallion on her neck. “What’s that?” she asked.

“Hmm?” Vinyl asked, then looked down at the neckpiece. “Oh, this? I found it backstage. It’s the medal you won at that contest in that memory I just saw.”

Octavia inspected the rusted medallion, the memories slowly coming back. “Oh, yes, I remember now.”

“Why’d you throw it away?”

Octavia frowned. “It didn’t matter to me.”

“Huh?”

She sighed. “I’ve always been the top in my music classes; I’ve won just about every competition, including the big Recital, and even after all of that, everything just felt so… pointless. No matter how hard I tried, I could never amount to anything. It got to the point where I felt like wasted talent. I’ve gone nowhere after the Recital with my career, and I thought it was going to stay that way. And all of those rewards,” she pointed to the medal, “were just meaningless reminders. That’s why I threw it away; it meant nothing to me.”

Vinyl smirked. “Buuuut, that snotty noble did come in soon after and hooked you up with the princess, so it all worked out in the end!”

Octavia raised her hoof, looking through her transparent fur. “I wouldn’t say it ‘worked out’.”

Vinyl was confused at first, but it finally hit her like a sack of bricks. “Oh, shit, right…” She winced.

Octavia waved her off, not wanting to get too emotional. “You are right, though, I did get recognition. But, let’s forget about that.” She pointed to the movie player. “Let’s just relax and watch another movie, alright?”

Vinyl snickered. “Netflix ‘n’ chill, already? Woah now, Tavi, movin’ a bit fast now don'tcha think?”

The spirit raised an eyebrow. “Moving fast where? And what’s ‘Netflix’?.”

Vinyl sighed, momentarily forgetting that Octavia didn’t understand half of her jokes. She simply sat next to Octavia and started a new movie. “Nevermind.”

(\/);,,;(\/)

“Vinyl?”

“Hmm?”

“Is saying ‘like’ part of the modern dialogue? Because I hear it a lot, even though it is improper grammar.”

Vinyl blinked. “Wha’? Oh yeah yeah yeah! Well, kinda… not really… well, like, a little bit.” Vinyl paused to collect herself. “Let’s just say ‘yes’, okay? It’s more of a thing for, like, younger ponies, I guess.”

Octavia nodded, starting to get an understanding. “And also, you say ‘man’ a lot, even when you’re refering to me. Why’s that? Has Princess Celestia stepped down and Equestria is now ruled by a patriarchy?”

Vinyl’s brow furrowed. “What? No, no, no! It’s, like, the same thing with the… well, the ‘like’ thing.”

“Today’s evolution of speech confuses me…”

Vinyl shrugged. “Ehh, you get used to it.”

Octavia opened her mouth, fumbling around with her words. “... Like, perhaps... man.”

Vinyl slapped her hooves into her head. “Please… just… just don’t.”

Octavia blushed. “Pssh, whatever… dude.”

Vinyl fell over laughing.

(\/);,,;(\/)

“So I came home and walked through the door, right? Mom and Dad were sittin’ on the couch watchin’ TV and I was just like ‘Yo, Mom, Dad, I’m gay: I gotta gf’. And Mom was like ‘that’s nice, sweetie’ and Dad was like ‘What? B-but… I just polished my shotgun… my life goal has been crushed. Thanks, Vinny…’ and I was like ‘W-wha’? You’re okay with it?’ And Dad was like ‘NOOO! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS GUN NOW?!’ and Mom was like ‘sigh, sweetie, I don’t mind who you choose to love… just as long as they’re not a delinquent’. Aaand, yeah… that’s pretty much how it went.”

Octavia raised an eyebrow. “I… have a hard time believing this was what happen. I know times have changed, but… seriously?”

Vinyl nodded. “Yep. Like I said, it’s been a while. Plus that whole cultural revolution thingy that you started. Not to mention the fact that the mare to stallion ratio is, like, four to one.

“Will you stop it with the ‘like’! I swear your annoyance is going to be the death of me!”

“But… aren’t you already-”

“Shut up!”

(\/);,,;(\/)

“Do you have any three’s?”

“No, go fish.”

“You know, we could always play strip poker, right?”

Octavia blushed. “Vinyl, you do know that we’re both naked…”

Vinyl’s eyes fell to the single accessory the spirit always had around her neck. “Let me have my fun, please?”

Octavia sighed, throwing her cards down in defeat. “O-okay, you deal.”

Five minutes later, a ghostly cravat and a pair of purple-tinted glasses lay between the duo.

Vinyl let out a disappointed sigh, staring at the objects, then to the ‘naked’ mare in front of her. “Yeah, this is far less sexy than I thought…”

(\/);,,;(\/)

Vinyl yawned, looking at her watch once again. “It’s eight in the morning… I should really go to bed now,” the white mare muttered, her voice slightly slurred.

Octavia, who was still wide awake, frowned. “Oh… O-okay, I guess. Um, you finally decided on a place to lay down?”

Vinyl nodded, standing up and stretching her back. “Yeah, cleaned off a dust pile when I went to the bathroom a few hours ago behind the curtains.” She paused. “The area I cleaned off was back there, not where I went to the bathroom.”

The spectral mare nodded. “Oh, okay. I’ll just, um, wait here for a little bit and make sure nothing bothers you, then.”

Vinyl let out another yawn, slowly making her way over to her designated sleeping place. “Thanks, Tavi,” she yawned out, disappearing behind the curtains, leaving Octavia alone to her thoughts.

As time passed by, Octavia occupied herself by finishing the series she was watching before Vinyl came in. Once that was over, she absent-mindedly floated in circles, patiently awaiting for her friend to wake up.

As much as she told herself not too, she couldn’t contain herself. She knew it was weird to watch her friend sleep, but her feelings got the best of her. Against her better judgement, the spectral mare made her way behind the curtains. Once she passed through them, it didn't take long before she spotted her unicorn friend. The mare had curled herself up in her sleeping bag with a blanket and pillow next to the back wall of the stage, using said wall as an added rest for her pillow. As she floated closer, the mare could make out the peacefully sleeping face of her friend, her chest rising and falling gently.

The mare couldn't help but smile at the display, finding it both adorable and peaceful at the same time. Not wanting to disturb her, the spirit slowly floated to the mare and sat down, watching over her. In hindsight, this may seem creepy to an outsider, but Octavia didn't find it all that strange. She was just, well, watching over a friend, making sure that nothing happened to her.

The more she stared at her, the more envious Octavia became. Vinyl looked so comfortable, so warm in the gentle embrace of the thick blanket. Comfort like that was something Octavia yearned for. Even though she could ‘feel’ certain things, the need to rest was something that never came to her. She had always felt tired, but closing her eyes and trying to lay down made no difference.

Perhaps it will with Vinyl next to me.

The spectre shook her head. Stop it. Don’t think like that, she told herself. Not only would it be very awkward for her to cuddle with Vinyl without consent, she also knew it wouldn’t last long as Vinyl would surely wake up soon after being nearly frozen. It was a lose-lose situation.

Octavia wanted to leave her friend be, but the thoughts in the back of her head kept her staring. She wanted to cuddle with Vinyl more than anything at that moment. She wanted to curl up next to her and, just once, truly relax.

Once again, her emotions were at war with her brain. And it especially didn’t help her brain’s side with all of that ‘flirting’, or so it very much seemed like it, that Vinyl was doing.

Octavia looked at Vinyl, then at the curtains. She could go back and watch another movie or she could leave Vinyl to sleep at peace, and not think about wanting to cuddle with her, and feel her soft fur against her incorporeal body, and hold the mare she loved so much in her forelegs.

With a grin, Octavia gave up and gently slipped under the blanket. Her forelegs slowly draped over Vinyl, and she sighed with relief when the mare made no movements.

For the first time in a long time, Octavia felt relaxed. The need for sleep still wasn’t present, but it felt nice just to lay down with Vinyl. The tired, heavy feeling that stuck with her for so long was now a lot more tolerable.

With a pleasant smile, Octavia closed her eyes and rested her head on Vinyl’s shoulder. She thought back to all her previous contact with the mare, and questioned why, this time, she didn't seem to be affected by the cold she usually brought. It was a fleeting thought, but one she would get back to on a later date.

Some time had passed by, and Octavia decided that she should end her cuddling session before Vinyl woke up. Content with what she had done, she left the mare alone and proceeded to distract herself for a few more hours.

(\/);,,;(\/)

Vinyl yawned, rolling over and hugging her pillow that had made its way from her head to her hooves. She was warm and comfortable, despite the hardwood beneath her, and she closed her eyes shut tighter as she attempted to draw back sleep.

It didn't work.

With a groan, followed by another yawn, the mare rolled onto her side, throwing away the blanket and making her way to her hooves. She was not a morning pony. Well, more of that she wasn't a waking up pony, as she tended to go to sleep at varying hours, rarely ever actually waking at morning.

“Taviiiii,” she groaned, slowly trotting forwards. “Do you know where I put my bag? I put all my food there, and I'm starving!!!”

The spirit in question suddenly appeared in front of her. “Good morning, Vinyl! Well, afternoon actually. Did you sleep well?”

Vinyl stretched and popped her joints. “Eh… as good as I could, I guess.” She smirked. “Better question is: did you sleep well’?”

Octavia blinked. “I-I don’t sleep.”

“I don’t know, man, you seemed pretty comfortable last night.”

If Octavia could sweat, she would be. “I-I… w-what do you mean?”

Vinyl bounced her eyebrows. “Oh, y’know. When you were snugglin’ it up with me.”

And in an instant, her whole world shattered.

“C’mon,” Vinyl continued. “You didn’t think I would’ve noticed? I mean, I woke up a lot because of how uncomfortable it was sleeping on a rotten wood floor, so I kinda saw your little see through hooves around me.” She smiled. “It was weird, though. You were, like, warm actually. Well, not ‘warm’ warm, but just not cold.”

Octavia was still speechless. Her face was far beyond the color red, at that point.

Vinyl chuckled at her friend’s embarrassment. “Look, Tavi, it’s fine! I don’t mind, honestly.” She trotted up to Octavia, giving her a sultry look. “And now that I know you’re not cold anymore, we can cuddle some more if you want.”

There comes a time in every pony’s life where they break under the sheer amount of pressure put in front of them. Whether it be work related, family related, relationship related, or torture, in Octavia’s case. Everypony has a breaking point.

“Vinyl, I love you!”

There also comes a time in every pony’s life where they royally fucked up. This, in Octavia’s case, would be one of those times.

“What?” Vinyl replied.

It wasn’t a surprised ‘what’, nor was it a deadpan/disappointed ‘what’. It was more of the kind of ‘what’ somepony would say when they didn’t hear you and would like you to repeat what you said. Oh thank the gods! Octavia thought, This is the perfect opportunity to back out! Now, I’ll just say ‘nevermind’ and change the subject!

“I love you, Vinyl.” Goddamnit, emotions! I hate you all! “I-I-I just… I can’t take it anymore. You’ve done so much for me, and… and you’ve helped me accept myself and move on from my past mistakes. You took time out of your life to spend time with me, and helped me regain my memories.” With every word, her voice got more unstable, and ghostly tears dropped down her cheeks. “I tried to ignore it. I tried to get past these feelings, but… I couldn’t. I can’t! I know how foolish it sounds, and I know that it will never work out, but I couldn't hold it in nor deny it any longer.”

Her words were shaky, said as if all her inner anxiety and had held them back, but her heart had, ultimately, won over, allowing them to finally flow free. Though the weight of holding them back was released from the mare, a new, even heavier force replaced it.

The fear of the unknown.

As time was relative to the mare, this moment seemed to last an eternity. She felt each word come out of her mouth in slow succession, each she desperately tried to hold back, but failed. It was as if she was watching from a distance, unable to alter or change what was happening, only watch as it unfolded.

She was afraid.

And after all had been said, when the last words were uttered from the mare’s mouth, she did the only thing she felt she could: flee. The ghostly mare’s eyes bursts into tears as she floated up high at to her hiding place in the rafters, fearing the response of the mare she had just confessed too.

Vinyl, on the other hoof, took a different approach to the situation. She froze. It was not as if time stopped, more of that she stopped while the world continued around her. She knew what had just happened, each word of the other mare still echoing through her head and, like Octavia, she feared most her own response.

It was a lot to take in, all the emotions and information flooding the mare’s mind as they were forced into her. It overloaded her; each was failing to process, so nothing happened.

Vinyl knew how much her response would mean to both her and her friend, and how much would change based on it. It wasn't something that she could brush off, nor could she ignore. Unknowns and theories could be postponed and held back, but not what was thrown right into her face.

She had to think.

The mare paused, laying out the situation in front of her: Octavia had confessed her love to her, and she had one of two ways to answer.

Yes or no.

And it was not just a matter of if she shared her friends feeling. No, it was far more complicated than that. Even if she did, then what would happen next? Could she hold a relationship with a captive spirit? Would it eventually end in an irreversible divide, one that would leave her spectral friend alone, once again.

But, what if it was no?

Would their relationship falter and crumble from this? Would everything slowly break apart as the feelings of one continued to go unshared?

As the mare lost herself in her mind, the world around her temporarily forgotten, a single sound managed to breach the wall of her focus, a soft sound that held more power than all others.

A sob.

Vinyl shook her head, all thoughts pushed aside as the cry became the center of her attention. It only took a moment for her to spot the source of the sound of sadness, as the amphitheater allowed it to be focused, pointing her straight towards the direction of the rafters above. She could only see the outline of the sobbing mare, most of her covered by the large beams that held up the buildings roof.

She feared that she could not get to the mare.

But, her fear dissipated as she spotted a catwalk that would allow her access to her distraught friend. She trotted behind the curtains, taking a left and heading to an old, slightly rusted latter. A few good taps made it wobble, but still sturdy enough to support her weight. Hoof after hoof, the mare climbed higher, eventually making it to the catwalk. A few more test taps later, the mare hopped onto the old platform, slowly making her way towards the sobbing mare.

Octavia lay on her side on top of one of the main rafters, her hooves pressed into her face as tears flowed freely from it. She didn’t notice her friend, oblivious to all but herself, and the words she had just spoken.

Vinyl took this as her chance to get to the mare before she could escape, expecting her to flee as soon as she noticed her presence. Slowly, she inched forwards, the catwalk creaking, but not making enough noise to give her away, and soon enough she found herself standing mere feet from her friend.

Then, she paused.

Up to now she had planned on simply making it to the mare, but all thought about what she would do once she did had not yet processed. Cursing her lack of forethought, the mare could only stand there and observe her pained friend.

Crap, what do I do? she thought, nervously trotting in place.

She was at a loss, not knowing what to say, in regards to the elephant in the room, or just to simply calm her crying friend. She felt helpless, in this one moment, completely unknowing of what to do.

Then, it hit her. Carefully, she trotted forwards, getting as close to her friend as possible, before doing the only thing she could think off.

Octavia yelped, her eyes shooting opening and her body bouncing as she felt two hooves wrap around her midsection. She tried to run, to escape the grasp of the mare she was trying to avoid and, to her surprise, she couldn’t. With all her might, she tried to phase through her friend, to escape, but she couldn’t. Vinyl continued to grip to her spectral friend, somehow able to not only make contact, but also keep hold.

“How are you still holding on to me?!” the mare wailed.

“Because you don’t want me to let go!” was Vinyl’s only response.

Octavia stopped her struggle at those words, their meaning holding true. She then began to cry, her fight to get away replaced with a need to be close. She turned and wrapped her hooves around her unicorn friend, holding her tightly and bawling her eyes into her shoulder.

“Please, don’t leave me!” she choked out in between sobs. “I-I’ll do anything! I don’t care if you don’t feel the same way, just don’t leave me!”

Vinyl remained quiet as her friend cried out her feelings, being a rock for her to hold onto. The white mare tried to run her hoof through her friend’s main, and, to her surprise, it didn’t pass right through. Vinyl felt her hoof run slowly through Octavia’s wispy mane, the ghostly extension soft to the touch. Her curiosity piqued, Vinyl nuzzled her face into Octavia’s shoulder, feeling the earth pony’s soft fur gently caress her own. It was strange that she was actually able to touch her ghostly friend, but wouldn’t call it unpleasant. The opposite, actually.

After a while, the spectral mare began to calm down, her once loud cries fading into a soft sniffle, then to nothing. All the while, Vinyl continued to hold her friend, running her hoof through her ghostly mane, and even held the embrace after the mare had stopped her tears and simply held her friend, her eyes closed.

They remained in this quiet, content embrace for a while, the silence only broken for a moment when Vinyl uttered the few simple words: “I will never leave you, Octavia. No matter what happens, no matter what you say, I will still be here for you.”

Octavia didn’t respond, instead remaining quiet as she relished her friend’s embrace, a smile slowly spreading across her muzzle.

Everything, even the good things, must come to an end, and the touching moment between spirit and body was no exception. Vinyl was the one to break the embrace, her stomach letting out a bear of a growl that managed to scare both of them.

“Hehe, sorry,” Vinyl mumbled, looking away in embarrassment. “Damn thing had a mind of its own.”

Octavia chuckled, wiping a few stray tears from her spectral muzzle. “No, it's okay,” she giggled, her spirit visibly brighter since. “You go and grab something to eat, and I’ll wait here.”

The white unicorn stood up, her face showing slight confusion. “You sure? I bet I could wait a little bit,” she spoke, inwardly cursing eating all the food she had brought the night prior.

“No, I’m fine, honest. Just be back soon, okay?”

Vinyl nodded, a broad smile gracing her lips. “No problem, Tavi! I’ll be back so fast you won't even know I’ve been gone!” the mare announced, turning and carefully making her way back across the catwalk, then down the latter.

Octavia watched her friend as she rummaged through her bag (most likely to grab some bits) before giving her one more wave and heading out of the theatre proper. The ghostly mare waited until she heard the sounds of the large oak doors close before floating down from her perch, a conflicted expression lay on her face.

She didn’t answer, Octavia noted, floating closer to her make-shift tv area. Is that a good thing, or bad?

She mused over the prospect as she flipped through her current movie library, searching for something new that she hadn’t watched yet. To her dismay, she found nothing new, finally burning through her entire collection. She wasn’t surprised, as she had been watching non-stop since Vinyl had first given it to her, but it didn’t make it suck any less.

And it took away her distraction.

It isn’t a flat out ‘no’, so there is hope, right? The ghost paced back and forth on the stage. If she didn’t, she would have said it already… unless she didn’t want to hurt my feelings and chose to forget about it. But… she did say that she would stay regardless, so I don’t have anything to be worried about, right?

She trusted Vinyl, and believed her every word, so her reassurance did help a lot to calm her, but not completely. Octavia didn’t want to push her situation, but she still wanted more. She felt… well, really good when she was around the white mare, and the prospect of having her in that way just made her insides tingle. She feared the logistics, of course, but, somehow, she felt the end result would be worth it in the end.

The spirit stopped pacing, her gaze caught on an item that she had nearly forgotten about. Floating over to Vinyl’s bag, the floating mare pulled out the medal with her spectral hoof, looking it over and smiling. She had mixed memories of her past. There were parts that brought her happiness, but for every good one, there was one bad. This was one of the good memories, one that started mundane and ended excitingly, hope filling her from her core.

Then, she thought about the bad.

Growing up in segregation, her and her parent’s daily strife, and how she had taken that pain fueled anger out on those who were close to her were just a few of the bad memories that she had remember thus far, and every time she picked up her cello she feared that another would join their ranks. It wasn’t even the memories that affected her this much, it was the fact that she had no power over them. She could only remember them, and even worse was how her new best friend, Vinyl, had to watch her when she was at her worst.

Octavia replaced the medal in her friends bag, floating away from her memory of the past. As much as she feared her past, she feared her future even more. What would come next, and her constant paranoia that her friend would never return haunted her constantly. But, unlike her past, her future held hope. She could change what happened now, finally having control over her life, and so far every moment she had spent with her new friend had been the best in her entire life, and even death. To be honest, the short time she had spent with Vinyl had brought her more joy than she had felt in any of her memories thus far.

Maybe… maybe.

“Octavia! I’m back!”

Octavia jumped, jolted from her thoughts. She floated down to the stage, where Vinyl was currently pulling out a sandwich from a plastic bag. Once she was in front of the unicorn, Vinyl started to snicker in between bites.

“What?” Octavia asked.

“Oh, nothing, I just thought what would happen if you tried to eat. Like, would I see it float around in your body, or would it literally go right through you!”

Octavia rolled her eyes, blushing. The room soon descended into silence, broken only by the sound of Vinyl chewing. While Vinyl was casually eating, Octavia was trying her hardest to get the answer she’s been waiting for.

“You… you never gave me an answer?”

“Hmm?” Vinyl questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Y-you know what I mean, Vinyl.”

“Oh…” she stopped chewing, looking down solemnly. “I kinda wanted to push this ‘til later, but… yeah, you deserve an answer.” The white mare took a deep breath, her mind conflicted, but her answer simple. “Octavia, I think you’re a really awesome mare, and if you were alive I would date you without a second thought. But…”

“I’m not,” she finished for her, dejected.

“Yeah…” Vinyl admitted, starting the beginning of an awkward pause. “But… I am willing to give it a shot,” she finished, raising her her head to meet her friend’s.

And just like that, Octavia’s whole world pieced itself back together.

A smile slowly crept onto Vinyl’s lips. “It’s crazy, impractical, and just downright weird. But, fuck it! I really like you, Tavi, and I think you’re worth it.”

With that said, Vinyl wrapped her forelegs around her spectral friend, who immediately returned the gesture. Octavia nuzzled Vinyl’s cheek, happy and relieved that everything worked out perfectly fine in the end. The weight of her emotions’ persistent burden was finally gone, and she can take a moment to relish in the fact that she finally had her first marefriend. It only took a death and eighty years of solitude, but it was worth it.

Now that Vinyl was her marefriend, there was something she’s been waiting to do. “Vinyl?”

“Hmm?”

Octavia’s face turned red. “C-can I… Can I, um, h-hold your hoof?”

Vinyl tried her hardest to contain her giggles. “Sure, Tavi.” They parted from their hug, and Vinyl reached out to grab Octavia’s hoof. To her slight surprise, it didn’t immediately phase through, as well as it being warm.

“So, like, you’re not cold anymore. How’s that work? And you seem more… solid, now.”

Octavia shrugged. “I haven’t the faintest idea.” She paused. “Maybe it has something to do with…” her sentence trailed off into mumbling.

“With what?”

Octavia’s blush deepened, but she smiled at the sight of Vinyl’s hoof in her own. “Well, think about it. My song did nothing to you the first few times, but the more time you spent here, and the more we became friends, the more it affected you. And before, I used to freeze you just by standing close by. As time went on, it didn’t affect you until I actually hugged you, and now it doesn’t at all. It’s like we’re… connected in some weird, supernatural way. And because we’re… well, really close now, I’m not cold to you anymore.”

Vinyl looked at her interlocked hoof. “Gee, sure puts a whole new meaning to ‘soulmates’, doesn’t it?”

Octavia giggled and leaned into Vinyl. “I guess it does.”

“So... what now?” Vinyl asked after a moment of content silence.

Octavia sighed. “I don’t know. But I’m fine with just sitting like this for a while longer.”

Vinyl nodded, using her free hoof to pull Octavia in tighter. “Yeah, me too.”

(\/);,,;(\/)

It was several hours later, shortly before Octavia had to play her song again. During that time, the two have cuddled some more, then proceeded to play more board games and watch another movie. Octavia had said that she already saw everything on her device, but Vinyl pointed out that what she saw was her ‘list’ of favorite movies and shows, and that by hitting a few buttons there was a much larger selection, to which Octavia was beyond thrilled.

However, the more time they spend together, the more Octavia ignored the movies and games, and just focused on being as close to Vinyl as possible, to which the other mare reciprocated. For the first time in her life, and afterlife, Octavia felt right. Complete, even. Her whole life she hid who she truly was, and focused solely on her music career. She never had the joy of being in love with another mare, an act that, at the time, was greatly looked down upon. She had been given a chance a long time ago, but she blew it. However, now she had been given a second chance, and this time it all worked out.

And, like clockwork, the mare felt the familiar tug to her instrument, and she gave ample warning to her new lover. “Get ready.”

Vinyl nodded, watching as the mare floated from her embrace, heading to center stage. The white unicorn prepared herself from the usual vertigo and nausea that came with the territory, prepared to let it happen rather than fight it, and when the first few notes started to ring through her ears, Vinyl felt herself be pulled from reality, entering the void that had become the place of memory…

Vinyl peeked open an eye, her vision clearing as she stood up onto her hooves. Taking a quick look at her surroundings, Vinyl noticed that she was in front of Canterlot Castle. Okay… is this a continuation of the last memory? She turned her head to the side revealed a familiar mare standing directly beside her, seemingly nervous.

“I… I can't do it,” the mare muttered, staring at the castle with wide eyes—eyes that held fear.

“No… No, Tavi, you can do it,” Vinyl spoke, knowing fully well her words would fall upon deaf ears.

Vinyl watched as Octavia looked down to the sealed envelope held tightly in her hoof, then to the castle gates. Octavia wanted to go in, but the feeling of being completely out of place stopped her from going forward. It was Canterlot Castle; earth ponies just didn’t get to go inside. Not only will she feel anxious about being in such a regal, hollowed place, but the looks she would get from the unicorns inside was enough to scare her away.

“You there!”

Octavia yelped, swiftly turning around to come to face-to-face with a Royal Guard. The large stallion held a stoic, solid impression that didn’t help Octavia’s nerves.

Vinyl bit her tongue.

“What business do you have outside of the Castle gates?” he asked, his tone was not demanding or degrading, but it was not soft either.

Vinyl watched as Octavia tried to respond, but no words came out. “Come on, Tavi… you can do it.”

The guard inspected her, his eyes falling on the sealed envelope, and, more importantly, the Royal Seal it was stamped with. His tone adopted a calmer variant, but still held its authority. “Ah, I see you have been summoned by the princess. If you would follow me, I can show you to her quarters.”

The stallion briskly trotted towards the gates, Octavia quickly following suit. Vinyl followed not far behind. Octavia stayed as close to possible to the guard, feeling more safe around him as he led her through the majestic halls of the castle. She didn’t have much time to admire the scenery, but meeting the princess would surely make up for that.

Vinyl only hoped this memory would be a happy one.

The guard stopped at a large wooden door with two more guards flanking it. He showed the letter to the two guards, who then opened the large door with their magic. Vinyl followed as both Octavia and the guard trotted inside. Her first reaction was to look over the room, but that was quickly trumped when she noticed who else was in the room. Princess Celestia stood tall and proud, looking out a window at her kingdom, her cosmic mane flowing as it always does by an unknown force. Vinyl could barely contain her awe. Even in memory, she could still feel the princesses radiance.

The guard beside Octavia bowed down. “Your Majesty. I present to you, Octavia Melody.”

Octavia’s bowed as well, though shakily.

The princess turned to the two with a warm smile. “Thank you, Vigilant, you may go back to your post now.”

“At once, your highness.” The guard rose, then trotted out.

Octavia, now alone with Equestria’s matriarch, kept her head down in a bow until she was told to do so, just as she was ordered by the noble.

“Rise, Octavia,” Celestia said, her tone sweet and motherly.

Octavia did as she was told, and kept her posture as straight as she could. The mare stood there, awkwardly staring at the princess, not knowing what to say. What could a common earth pony say to an alicorn princess?

Celestia held an aura of regality; of power and respect. Her face was formal, but still managed to hold a warmth that was usually lost to ponies of power. She regarded her guest, looking the earth pony over with an impassive stare, one that only added to Octavia’s already on-end nerves.

Silence reigned throughout the room, none spoke as the princess stood her ground, and Octavia stood nervously. Vinyl watched the display from besides the far wall, her eyes watching intently as the memory played out.

“Leave us,” the princess finally spoke, motioning to the two remaining guards that stood at sentry besides door. Both saluted, walking almost in unison as they opened the door, trotting out as it closed softly behind them.

Octavia watched the departure, turning back to face the princess, surprised to find that she no longer held the royal mask, only the warmth that was hidden beneath.

“Please, sit,” the alicorn spoke, motioning with a wing for Octavia to take a seat besides the hearth that burned softening, her voice soft and almost motherly. The mare nodded, trotting over and taking her offered seat, holding back an expression of comfort as she sank in the plush material. Celestia did the same, taking a seat opposite the mare, her horn glowing as she brought over a tea set that rested on a table behind Vinyl (making the mare jump as it unexpectedly passed through her) and set in on the ground between the two. With practiced ease, the alicorn poured two cups, offering one to her guest. “Tea?”

Octavia nodded, accepting the cup from her host, not wanting to offend. She delicately held the finely crafted saucer and cup in her hooves, taking all the care she could managed, before taking a quick sip, once again holding back an expression of pure bliss as the heavenly warm liquid washed over her tongue and down her throat, the taste it left behind the greatest she had ever sampled. To the mare’s surprise, the sound of soft laughter caught her ears, to which she rose her head to see the princess giggling softly. Octavia blushed, muttering apology after apology.

Celestia raised a hoof, ceasing Octavia’s pleas for forgiveness. “You do not need to apologize, Mrs. Melody, I simply find your expression to be quite entertaining,” she spoke between giggles, finally stopping and collecting herself. “But, I should apologize, as I know you must be under enough stress as it is.”

Octavia didn’t know how to respond, instead simply nodding and taking another sip.

The princess gave the mare a soft smile, one that managed to make Octavia calm at the mere sight of it. Celestia was larger than her, both in size and status, but the mare somehow managed to make herself seen less imposing than her appearance should merit. “I know you must be extremely curious as to why I have called you here, and I shall not keep you guessing any longer.” The mare put down her teacup, leaning forwards in her chair. “I have heard great things about you, Mrs. Melody, your musical talents have not evaded my ears.”

The charcoal grey mare’s eyes went wide, her chest heaving as she tried to force down the tea that had managed to get caught in her throat. “Y-you have?” she asked.

Celestia nodded. “Yes, from more than a few, I might add. I know this may confuse you, but this is not the reason I have called you here,” she began, noting Octavia’s confused expression. “I have called you here in hopes that you will aid me in an issue that has plighted my kingdom for far, far too long.”

“And what is that?” Octavia questioned, mentally kicking herself after realizing that she had interrupted the princess’s speech.

Celestia noticed this, and held up a hoof. “Please, Mrs. Melody, I wish for you not to fear speaking up to me. You are here as my guest, so you need not fear repercussions of simply voicing what is on your mind. I may be a princess, but I do not wish for you to treat me differently than you would your own parents.”

Octavia nodded her understanding, to which the princess smiled at.

“Good,” she began cheerfully before her face became neutral. “To answer your question, I wish for your aid in curing the cancer that is racism in my kingdom.” She shook her head sadly. “For years I had watched my little ponies treat each other not with the respect they deserve, still fighting over petty differences that should have ended when I united the three tribes many years ago. I had hoped the issue would resolve itself, that time would allow for ponies to see the error of their ways. But I now see that I am wrong and that the issue now needs my personal attention.” Her eyes then shifted to her teacup, scanning over the brilliantly crafted material. “This was given to me as a gift many moons ago by an earth-pony artisan, one of my most favorite gifts I have ever received, and I fail to see how ponies can call a race inferior that can bear a talent that can create such beauty. The basis of this needless segregation eludes me, but I digress.” With a shake of her head, the princess returned her gaze back to her guest. “I did not request you simply from your talent alone, but on the fact that it has managed to break through the social barrier. It was a unicorn that first spoke of you, one that I had heard bash the name of the earth ponies countless times before, but when he spoke of your music I did not hear any signs of the baseless hatred. All I heard was excitement and praise, no malice or ill contempt. This is why I feel that you possess a common ground that can help reunite these three torn races, reminding them that they are, at their core, all ponies.”

Octavia was speechless, her mouth wide open, her hooves limp at her sides. If she had not placed her teacup on the table moments prior, it surely would have smashed.

“I want to induct you into the Royal Symphony, and to play at the Grand Galloping Gala later this year, headlining your very own spot as the main attraction,” the alicorn began, her face curling into a wide smile at Octavia’s expression. “And, even before that, I would be most delighted if you would perform at a concert in your neighborhood, one that would be free to all who would wish to attend, regardless of their race. Sadly, my galla is far from from being equally accepting, so I wish to allow an opportunity for all those who would not be at attendence to have the opportunity to enjoy. I will be attending, so I hope that will allow an even greater spotlight on your talents.”

When Celestia finished, she couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of the speechless earth pony in front of her. Octavia sat with her mouth open, her mind trying to decide if this was really happening, and when it finally clicked that this was, in fact, real, she was livid.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” the mare cried, jumping up and down. Out of pure impulse, she jumped forwards and wrapped the alicorn into a hug, her eyes going wide the moment she realized what she had done. She backed off, ready to mutter an apology when she felt two hooves return the embrace, holding her close before letting her go.

“You are very welcome, my little pony. I know you will do great things, and I can only apologize for my absence in addressing this issue sooner,” the princess spoke, once again smiling in her usual gentle way down at Octavia, who could only blush and smile. Giving one last giggle, the Princess rose to her hooves. “I wish I could continue our conversation longer, but I have other matters that I need to address.” Her horn lit up briefly, the doors opened and a familiar guard from earlier trotted in. “I will have Vigilant escort you to make sure you are not bothered on your journey home,” she assured, before leaning close to the mare and adding, “His wife is an earth pony, so I can assure you that he will treat you with the respect you deserve.” And, with that, the princess trotted out of the room, leaving a stunned Octavia and the awaiting guard alone in the room. The mare grinned widely and looked to the guard.

“Go ahead, there is no one else here that can hear you,” he mutters, a small smile gracing his stoic expression.

“Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaas!!!” Octavia screams, jumping up and down with pure joy.

Vinyl remained in the corner of the room, her face almost matching the excitement of the mare dancing around the room in front of her. She was proud of her friend… of her marefriend, and couldn’t help but grin madly at the display in front of her.

Then it hit her.

Through all of the excitement, one fact still persisted, one that could turn her from an expression of pure joy, to terror and sadness.

“No…” she muttered, running forwards and trying to stop the dancing mare. “No, don’t do it! You’re going to die! Please, don’t!” she screamed, desperately trying to stop the mare who she would only pass through. Again and again, the mare tried to change the past, desperately trying to get her message to the phantom of Octavia’s memory. Even as the mare stopped her celebration and was escorted out of the room, Vinyl lay on the ground where she had tried her final attempt to stop the earth pony. Tears ran down her cheeks, the cruel reality that Octavia would be torn down at her highest point finally sunk true in her mind. She was helpless to change the past; her presence only allowing her to observe, not alter.

The familiar grip of reality soon registered in the white mare’s mind, and she could slowly feel it’s grip pulling her away from the memory. She felt the nausea, she felt the pain, but both went ignored as the pain that she had witnessed trumped all that they could throw at her.

Then, she felt the ground. The familiar feeling of the cold, rotted ground returned to the mare and her once wet eyes replaced with dry ones. She lay there for a moment, before slowly pushing herself back up to her hooves. Her body was in the present, but her mind in the past.

Vinyl looked to her marefriend, who was still in her usual spot in the middle of the stage, and all she could see was pain. Pain that had been put onto a mare who deserved nothing but happiness; pain that was caused by the strong preying on the weak; pain of a dream being crushed so close to being fulfilled.

No... the mare thought, holding back the tears that had come close to falling. This will not happen again! Her sadness was replaced with determination, fueling her resolve. She thought back to Octavia’s life, shuddering at how much sadness and pain there had been, but that was going to change here and now.

The mare trotted over to her spectral friend as she shook herself from the memory, carefully laying down her instrument before turning around to face her friend. “Oh my Celestia, Vinyl!” Octavia cheered, her expression reading nothing but pure joy. “Do you see that?! Did you see that?!”

Vinyl nodded, hiding all her still lingering sadness, putting on an expression of excitement. “Hell yeah, Tavi! That was freakin’ awesome!”

Octavia squee’d, her hooves shaking in front of her chest. “Oh, I can still feel the excitement!” she screamed, before leaning forwards and wrapping her lover into a tight hug. “Thank you, Vinyl! Thank you for being here to let this happen!”

Vinyl returned to embrace, nuzzling her muzzle into the ghost’s somehow tangible form, feeling her soft fur and mane brush up against her own. Though she portrayed excitement on the outside, the mare was still filled with residual sadness; sadness at a reality that she was glad Octavia had not noticed. She hugged the mare tighter, holding her as close as she could to herself. Don’t worry, Tavi… I’m here for you now, and nothing will ever hurt you again...

Chapter: 12

Chapter preread by: Cogwheelbrain

The buzzing of an alarm clock resonated through the dark room. A teal hoof tried three times to silence it until the blasphemous noise ceased. Once it was quiet again, Neon rolled out of bed, went to the bathroom, took a shower, and walked into the kitchen.

As expected, his sister had just finished cooking breakfast and levitated a plate of eggs and toast onto the table. Neon yawned and reached for a nearby fork. “Mornin’, sis.”

Vinyl nodded once. “Yo’.”

Neon took a bite of his eggs. “So how was sleeping in an old, disgusting building without a heater?”

Vinyl didn’t answer immediately, seeming to take more time to answer than she needed. “It was, well… some parts of it were shitty.”

Neon raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You okay?”

Without moving her stoic stare from the table, Vinyl answered, “Hmm? Yeah, I’m good.”

“Really? You seem a little… out of it, I guess.” In any normal circumstance, Neon would assume she didn’t get any sleep last night, with having to sleep in such an uncomfortable place. However, he noticed that Vinyl’s coffee mug was empty, a small trace of the black liquid left on the bottom. Vinyl didn't even seem all that tired, this time. Something had gotten to her, he was sure of that.

Since Vinyl had revealed Octavia’s existence to him, she hasn’t been secretive about anything she did with the spirit. With that fact in mind, getting information out of her to explain her phased state shouldn’t be a problem.

“Does it involve Octavia?” he asked. It was a simple question, and should have a simple question.

Vinyl coughed, sputtered, and spit up a piece of her partially chewed food. “No! There is nothing wrong with me, Neon. Just eat your food and forget about it!” she called out with more force them Neon usually saw from the mare. He watched as she forked at the rest of her food, then dropped the fork in frustration and got up from the table. “I’m going out. You're lunch is on the table—don't be late to school.” And with that, the mare trotted out of the house, shutting the door hard behind her.

Neon sat with his mouth wide, fork still holding a bite of food he was going to take. He shook his head, putting the fork down. “What… What the buck was that about?” he muttered, confused and worried. Vinyl wasn't one for outbursts like this. Heck, he hadn't seen her even get mad in… well, a long time. Something was up, and something big.

As much as he would love to figure out what it was, he had other pressing matters to attend to. Whatever was going on would have to wait until after school.

(\/);,,;(\/)

Vinyl, on the other hoof, wished she could put off her problems until later. Fate, however, had other plans, and the white mare was stuck with an unending onslaught of conflicted emotions and feeling towards her new mare friend.

Everything seemed to go too fast for Vinyl to keep up with. In a single night, Octavia confessed her love to Vinyl, and she had returned her feelings without so much time to really mull it over. In truth, Vinyl wasn’t lying when she said she would date Octavia if she were alive. Vinyl honestly liked her, but the fact remains that Octavia just wasn’t alive.

Vinyl tried to not make it a big deal, but that fact can’t be avoided. It was a big deal. Octavia’s ‘condition’ restricts her life, and thus, restricts Vinyl’s as well. The obvious reasons being that Octavia can’t leave the theatre, on top of the fact that she doesn’t eat, sleep, or even age.

Still, Vinyl could make do. She always made do with the little options life usually gave her. She could spend her time in the theatre, like she has been doing, as well as the fact that she doesn’t need to take Octavia ‘out’ on a date, which, in the long run, saves her a lot of bits.

Vinyl shook her head, Enough fooling around. I need to really think about this. The most pressing issue was why she agreed to be Octavia’s marefriend. Of course, Vinyl did have feelings for her, but the fact that she was dead was a major blow in her case. With that in mind, why did she agree? Was it out of pity? Did Vinyl feel so terrible after witnessing numerous parts of Octavia’s life that she felt that the mare deserved something better?

No, it had to be something more. Even by ignoring all of Octavia’s depressing life, she was still fun to be around; to talk to, to laugh with, to play games with. Vinyl’s guilt wasn’t a major role in this, perhaps it held some, but most of it was genuine love.

Perhaps that was the reason: genuine love. Perhaps Vinyl felt so strongly for Octavia that she ignored her ‘condition’ and just wanted to be with her no matter what. Love is a powerful thing, after all.

Vinyl paused as she noticed leaves flowing in the wind in front of her. She looked around, taking in her surroundings since she left home, and noticed that her mindless wandering had led her to the Canterlot Cemetery.

As Vinyl looked over the sea of tombstones, she scoffed at the morbid irony of the situation. Grumbling to herself, she entered the cemetery, thinking that she might as well pay a visit to a couple of ponies. It had been a while, after all.

She went down the rows, turning down the ones she remembered. Vinyl then stopped in front of a pair of tombstones that were spaced closer than the others. She read them over once, then twice, just to make sure they were the right ones.

Here lies Bluebelle

Loving Wife and Mother

Her gentle heart was matched by no other.

Gave the ultimate sacrifice for those she loved

973-002

Here lies Crosley Scratch

Loving Husband and Father

A fool at heart, but a brave fool,

Gave the ultimate sacrifice for those he loved.

966-002

Vinyl had visited her parents’ tombstones many a time before, and had long since gotten over crying at the sight of them. She would come to put her mind at ease, and to keep them ‘up to date’ on what’s been going on with her life.

But, mostly, she would come for advice.

Ever since they died, Vinyl had to take charge over not only herself, but Neon. In the beginning, it was rough. She was bombarded with responsibilities that she never thought she could ever fulfill. They assaulted her at all ends at random, and without mercy, but she never gave up. She swore to herself that she would take care of her brother, no matter the cost. She wanted to give him the life he deserved, and not be dragged down by their absence.

After a while, Vinyl had learned to control the influx of responsibilities, organize them, solve them at a more efficient rate, and eventually deal with them at a pace equal to when they come. She had fallen into a routine, and so long as she kept that routine, everything was going to be fine.

However, there were some days where her legs would buckle, and the weight of her life became too much to bear. Those were the days she felt she couldn’t do it alone. And it was on those days she would visit the last resting place of her parents and ask them questions. Though she knew she’d never get a response, it helped her calm down enough to return back to her life.

And right now, she needed some advice. “Hey mom... hey dad,” she said to the tombstones, falling onto her haunches so she was at their level. “Sooo… life’s been… weird lately, to be honest.” She chuckled. “You wouldn’t believe what I’ve gotten myself into. Nothing bad, per say, but… weird.” She took a deep breath, psyching herself up for what she was going to say next. “I've got a new marefriend. She’s a, well… she’s a ghost. Yeah, I know it's a little strange, but she’s really cool and not, y’know, ‘I’m gonna possess your body’ an’ stuff. You two’d love her, I’m sure of it.” She chuckled, again. “Maybe you’ll meet her sooner than you’d think.” She stared at the tombstones, her mind at work. “Y’know… if ghost are real, I bet you two are out there somewhere. Hell, you probably are listening to me right now, for all I know.”

Vinyl sighed. “I need your advice,” she finally admitted. “I don't know what to do right now. I love Octavia, but I don't know if this relationship is a good idea. I mean, how is dating a ghost even going to work? Yes, mom, I know love conquers all obstacles… and no, dad, you can't shoot her even if she is already dead. Look, I just need to know if I should stop this while I still can, to make sure that she doesn't get hurt or…” Vinyl chokes up slightly, wiping her nose with a hoof. “I just don’t want to hurt her. She has been through so much, and… and she deserves more than I can give. She deserves somepony who can make up for all the time she lost. I… I just don’t know.”

The white mare lowered her head, looking at the cool earth at her hooves.

“I just need to know I’m not making a mistake…”

The wind blew through Vinyl’s mane, the cool breeze tossing it to and fro. Leaves fallen from the trees tumbled past her, their end destination unknown. One of these leaves, a particularly dark red one, tumbled across the graveyard, dodging through the sea of gravestone. The leave eventually found it’s place at Vinyl’s hooves, stopping just under the line of sight. The mare reached down and picked up the discarded plant matter, looking it over. She thought for a moment, wondering if she should keep it, or just get it float away in the breeze. It was a beautifully red leaf, one that she doubt she would be able to find again, if she were to ever change her mind. With a slight smile, the unicorn tucked the leaf into her hoodie, and returned her attention to her parents.

“I… I think I’ve made a decision,” Vinyl began, rising to her hooves. “Thanks Mom, thanks Dad. I’ll make sure to give Neon an extra big hug for you two,” she finished, turning around and heading out towards the graveyards exit.

On her way out, her hoof catches on something and she falls muzzle first into the cold earth. With a groan, Vinyl rubs her nose with a hoof, turning to view what had tripped her.

Her mouth hung open.

It was a tombstone, and not a fancy one either, but what stuck out was the name carved into the stone.

Here lies Octavia Melody, a mare whose talent far surpassed that of any other.

Let her sacrifice not be in vain for, with her death, she healed our Kingdom’s greatest wounds, saving us from ourselves.

902-921

Vinyl had to blink, rub her eyes, and blink again to make sure what she was seeing was the real thing. Of course, she knew Octavia’s body was buried somewhere, but seeing it for herself put an uneasy feeling in her gut. It’s almost like it made the reality of the situation that much more… real. There she was, looking at the tombstone of her marefriend and standing on the ground where her body was buried beneath. And yet, every night she talks to the very same mare and interacts with her as if she was alive.

The fact made her shiver.

Vinyl knelt now at the foot of the grave, placing a soft hoof on the stone’s top. Many feelings went through her head, some fighting against each other, but one in particular managed to shine brighter than all the rest: relief. Part of her had feared that her friend had never gotten a proper burial, or just left to rot. Looking at the grave gave her hope that, at least, her family got the closure that the mare was denied.

Vinyl stood back up, leaving the graveyard to go back home. Part of her wanted to return, at some point, and leave flowers at the newfound grave, but decided against it. Ultimately, in her mind, Octavia had never died, as she felt that death was more of a finality, while the mare was far from being completely gone.

(\/);,,;(\/)

Once she had reached her home, Vinyl unceremoniously plopped onto the couch and quickly drifted to sleep. After staying up for much longer than normal, on top of the added stress, a good night (well, day) sleep was something she felt she defiantly needed.

However, it didn’t last long. Vinyl was unsure about exactly how much time had passed, but it only seemed like an instant before she was rudely awaken by a slamming door and an annoying brother.

“Vinny, you awake?”

The grumpy mare groaned loudly. “If I say no, can I go back to sleep?”

“No.”

“Hate my life.”

Neon shrugged and sat next to her on the couch. “Sorry, but as your brother, I’m obligated to be concerned about your life, especially if it involves a supernatural entity.”

“I don’t even know what you said, man.”

Neon waved his hoof at her. “The point is, what’s gotten you so agitated?”

“Waking me up.”

“Vinyl, you know what I meant.”

Vinyl stuffed her head into the couch’s armrest. “It’s nothing, okay? I’m already over it anyway.”

“Vinyl.”

She raised her head, looking back at him. “Trust me, okay, everything’s fine.”

“Then why don’t you just tell me?”

Vinyl stayed quiet for a moment. How does one tell another pony that you’re dating a ghost? “I’m a necrophiliac…”

Neon tilted his head. “Necro… wait.” The inner mechanisms of his mind slowly pieced everything together. “You didn’t.”

“I’m sorry.”

Neon raised his hooves. “Vinyl, seriously, what the fuck!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Whyyyyyyyy?!”

“It just… happened, okay?”

Neon stood up, pacing around the room as he further took in all of this new information. “So let me get this straight, you and Octavia had sex?!”

Vinyl whirled her head. “Wha’? No! Where’d you get that idea?”

“You literally said that you were a necrophiliac!”

“So? What does that have to do with sex?”

Neon stopped pacing. “You… you do realize what that word means, right?”

Vinyl raised a brow. “Yeah… I’m attracted to dead things.”

“Sexually attracted.” Neon corrected.

Vinyl’s cheeks turned red from both embarrassment and anger. She sighed. “Look, I was just trying to word it differently than outright saying ‘Me and Octavia are dating’ okay? I don’t actually think corpses are hot.”

Neon pulled his hair and groaned. “You’re dating a ghost!” he exclaimed.

“Pretty much.”

“Why?!”

Vinyl rubbed her muzzle. “Look, you wouldn’t understand, okay? It just… happened, I guess.”

Neon’s expression of surprise suddenly turned into fear. “V-Vinyl? Do you realize what’s going on?”

“Huh?”

Neon looked dead into her eyes. “She’s a siren.”

Vinyl blinked. “Huh?”

“Vinyl, just listen!” He yelled. “She plays that same song all the time, why? To lure ponies into the theatre and steal their souls! That’s what she’s doing to you! That song mesmerized you into ‘dating’ her so she can–”

Vinyl stood up. “Neon, enough! That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard from you! How many times have I told you that she’s not evil!”

Neon resumed pacing. “B-but… it makes sense! How else could you fall in love with a ghost?!”

Vinyl huffed. “Oh gee, I don’t know, maybe the same way I’d fall in love with a normal pony?”

“But… ghost! Dead! See through!”

“You don’t think I had a hard time coming to terms with this?!” she yelled. “I don’t know why or how or even if it’s a good idea! All I know is that I love Octavia, and I don’t care if she can phase through walls, or even if she can’t leave the theatre, or any of that other crap! I love being with her, talking to her, and just being there for her.”

Neon recoiled a bit from his sister's words but stood his ground. “B-but… you’ve known her for like, three weeks!”

“Three and a half…”

His eye twitched.

Vinyl groaned. “Look, you just don’t understand what we’ve been through together. There’s like… some supernatural connection between us or something. Whenever she plays her cello, I can see her memories. I can feel what she feels. I know basically her entire life to a ’T’. I know everything about her, and because of that fact… it feels like I’ve known her for a lot longer.” Vinyl rubbed her eyes, feeling moisture against her fur. She sat back down on the couch. “It’s just… she’s been through so much… so much pain. Her life was so unfair. She never had anypony to love, and was killed at such a young age and… and she’s been alone for so, so long. I just want to be there for her. Make her happy, y’know? She deserves it.

“It might sound like I’m doing this out of pity… but I don’t think that’s all of it. Whenever we spend time together, I forget about what happened to her, and about her past, and I just focus on her now. If she was alive, we’d be together for sure. And… and I don’t really mind that she isn’t. Just ‘cus we can’t go out or whatever doesn’t mean I love her any less. Spending time with her in that theatre is all I need.”

Neon took a moment to let everything settle in his mind. One part of his brain is telling him that it’s a terrible idea; that Octavia was an evil spirit that’s trying to manipulate Vinyl in some way to do some evil thing. How else could you explain falling in love with a ghost?

However, the other part of his brain is urging him to trust his sister. The more he thought about her words, the more he thought about the situation with an open mind. Their mother always did preach about how love conquers all and whatnot. But does that apply to this situation?

Neon was a careful and calculated colt. He thinks everything through, logically trying to find the most efficient way to do things. He craved answers for everything, and hated not knowing about things; ignorance being his biggest fear. And that was exactly what was going on at that moment. He doesn’t know a thing about Octavia, other than her being a ghost. For Vinyl to fall so in love with her, there has to be something he’s missing.

And just like all unanswered questions, he would seek the answer.

“Vinyl.”

His sister looked up. “Hmm?”

“I want to talk to Octavia.”

Vinyl stood up. “What?”

Neon sighed. “You said I didn’t understand. Well… I want to understand. Maybe if I spend some time with her, I can see why you two, um… got together.”

Vinyl looked him over. “Uhhhhh, okay? I mean, the whole ‘overprotective big brother’ thing doesn’t really work here as well since you’re the little brother, but if you want, go ahead.”

Neon sighed. “Alright, look. I just want to make sure you’re safe, okay? You are all I have left and… and I don’t want to lose you.”

Vinyl softened and reached out to hug her brother. “I know, Neon, I know.”

Neon hugged her back, and the two stayed embraced together in silence for a moment. Vinyl wished she could stay like that for a little longer, but time had other plans. “Alright, bro, I gotta get ready for work.”

Neon nodded, letting go of her. “See ya tomorrow, then,” he said as he went upstairs to his room.

“See ya,” Vinyl called after him.

(\/);,,;(\/)

“Y-you told him?!” Octavia squeaked, her voice hitting octaves the mare had thought impossible.

Vinyl nodded. “He kinda has this way of forcing information out of me.”

The spirit stayed silent, processing the sudden confession. “H-how did he take it?”

Vinyl shrugged. “Good, I think? He didn’t freak out… that much.” She chuckled nervously. “It’s funny, he’s kinda playing the ‘overprotective big brother’ even though he’s not the big brother... but yeah, he wants to have that kinda talk with you.”

Octavia’s eyes, which were already pinpricks, have somehow shrunk even further.

Vinyl laughed, hugging her marefriend. “Oh, c’mon! You’ve already met him once. How can you be scared of that little nerd when he could barely say two words to you? And besides, what do you have to be afraid of? You’re already dead, so I don’t think there’s really more he could do, at this point.”

“Y-yes, but I… I… What do I even say to him?!”

Vinyl rolled her eyes. “Yeesh, it’s my brother, not my dad. Just do you, man.”

“What does that even mean?!”

Vinyl face hoofed. “Be yourself, girl. Look, he just wants to make sure you’re not gonna like do evil demon stuff to me, okay?

Octavia harrumphed, sticking her nose in the air. “I would do nothing of the sort!”

Vinyl smirked. “Are you sure?” Her hoof traced down Octavia’s back. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you went all succubus on me.”

Octavia blushed from the touch. “What’s a succubus?”

“Why do I even bother sometimes…?”

Octavia giggled and leaned into Vinyl, attempting to grab her hoof. “Perhaps, because you love me?”

Vinyl swiped her hoof before it could be grabbed. “You still haven't bought me dinner yet, just saying.”

Octavia rolled her eyes. “I’ll get right on it. Let me just find my purse.”

And, together, the two sat, finding comfort in the darkness of the old theatre. Vinyl inched closer to her marefriend, having gotten rid of most of her doubts towards dating the spectre. Even though there are still lingering thoughts of whether or not it’s a good idea, Vinyl figured that nothing is without risk, and dating a ghost, while unconventional, fell within those rules.

She knew it was weird; she knew it was going to take some getting used to, but she did it anyway.

Vinyl looked down at the mare leaning on her shoulder, prompting her to look at at her. Octavia smiled up at Vinyl, content with being snuggled up to her. Vinyl smiled back, and, for the first time, noticed how beautiful Octavia was. Her eyes glowed, shining with a beautiful purple light in the darkness of the building. It was strange seeing such a glow break the darkness of the place, but it was a welcome strangeness. Vinyl nuzzled her head against the mare at her side, feeling the no longer chilling mare’s spectral body brush up against hers. It was a strange feeling, but one she welcomed. A lot of things about this was strange, but that seemed to be part of what made it special.

Octavia shifted at the mare’s side, her head sliding down from her shoulder. Vinyl countered the change, lowering herself to her side as she pulled the ghostly made in closer. The specter closed her eyes, snuggling into her love’s embrace. Vinyl smiled at the change in position, her hoof lifting up as she began to run it through her love’s ghostly mane. Octavia practically purred at the touch; purely at peace in the calm of the situation. It was a simple embrace, but it was all the two needed to feel as one. Silence fell upon the theatre, nothing but the gentle sound of Vinyl’s breath breached the peaceful silence.

Vinyl once again turned to face Octavia, and once again was mesmerized by her eyes. She leaned down, pressing her forehead against Octavia’s. The spirit blushed, looking away from her eyes with a small smile at first, but soon after she was able to keep eye contact. Vinyl’s eyelids slowly closed and she leaned in further.

How could one describe kissing a ghost? It didn’t feel like kissing a normal a pony, but it still felt like kissing. Octavia’s lips were solid, and her body was warm, but it felt more soft than a normal pony. Almost like her lips were made of solidified air.

It was a feeling that Vinyl absolutely enjoyed.

However, her partner wasn’t on the same track.

Almost as soon as it happened, Octavia bounced backwards in surprise. Her entire face was bright red. “V-V-Vinyl! Y-y-you just… just kissed me!”

Vinyl, confused by her sudden behavior, could only raise her eyebrow. “Yeah, and?”

Octavia frantically looked around as if making sure there was nopony else around, all the while covering her lips with both of her hooves. “H-how are you calm about this?! I-I-I… It’s… w-we’ve only been… t-together for… for a day!”

“Yeah?”

Octavia began pacing. “Ohhh this is so scandalous! So improper! Mother always told me that kissing on the first date was extremely obscene! A proper lady shouldn’t do such a thing! Vinyl, how could you do such a thing?!”

Vinyl could only stare at the flustered ghost. “Uhhh… I don’t know what some of those words mean.”

Octavia shut her eyes and her mouth and screamed internally. “The point is, you should’ve asked for permission to kiss me!”

Vinyl was still confused. “Wha’? Why? That just kind of kills the mood… and is a little cringy to be honest. Do you want me to tip my fedora while asking, too?”

“What do hats have to do with this?!”

Vinyl sighed. “Nothing. Anyway… why do I have to ask?”

“Because it’s proper!”

“Maybe in like, your day, but nowadays nopony does that.”

Octavia blinked. “What?”

“Yeah… we kind of just do it when it feels right. Like I just did.”

Octavia’s eyes became pinpricks once again. “But… but… what happened to chivalry?!”

Vinyl shrugged. “I don’t know… time? Every generation changes, y’know.” Vinyl looked away. “Did it bother you that much?”

Octavia sighed, looking down and pawing the floor. “Well… a little…”

“So… you didn’t like kissing me?”

Octavia’s head snapped towards Vinyl, eyes wide with the realization of what she implied. “Nononononono! I-I-I-I didn’t mean that at all! It’s just… it’s just… I-I wasn’t expecting it and… and…”

“Sorry… I won’t do it again.”

“No! I didn’t mean to… to make you think… Ugh!” The mare threw up her hooves in defeat. She looked around again, double checking to be absolutely certain that not a single entity was inside the walls of the theatre but them. “You’re going make me do it, aren’t you?!”

“Do wha–” Before she could question further, Octavia leaned forwards and pulled Vinyl into a deep kiss. Vinyl was taken off guard at first, but soon melted in the embrace, wrapping her hooves around the ghost’s somehow tangible neck. The two remained in the embrace for a while, neither wanting to be the one to break it. But, like all good things, it came to an end as Vinyl pulled away, her face plastered in a goofy smile. “Holy shit… that was awesome!”

Octavia blushed and crossed her forelegs. “It was alright.”

Vinyl gave her a look. “Pssh, how could you say that was just, ‘alright’?”

Octavia turned her back on Vinyl. “It wasn’t… it wasn’t the way I pictured my first kiss.”

The white mare nervously tapped her hooves together. “Like… in a good way?”

The spirit continued to keep her back turned. “Perhaps. I guess I can live with how it happened.”

Vinyl snickered. “‘Live’.”

“Shut. Up.”

A high pitched beep suddenly began to fill the air, causing Octavia to jump. “What is that?!”

Vinyl rolled her eyes, clicking a button on her watch, causing the beeping to stop. “It’s an alarm, grandma. I set it so you wouldn’t catch me off guard every time you had to play your song.”

“Oh… well, I guess that is smart, then,” the spirit began, floating towards her instrument. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I do believe I have a memory to relive.”

Vinyl watched as her marefriend got into position on the stage, picking up her cello and bow, and closing her eyes. The white mare prepared as well, trotting over to her strategically placed blanket and lying down, her eyes locked on the mare in center stage as she waited for the notes to begin.

The rhythm began fast, Octavia’s bow running across the strings in quick succession. It reminded her of childhood, fast paced and slightly random, but still with harmony and rhythm. The world began to swim, and Vinyl closed her eyes as she allowed the music to wash over her, not fighting as it took hold of her mind, and pulled her into the realm of memories.

The song faded, giving way to the soft chirp of birds, and the quiet laughter of children. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted with the sight of a vast, blue sky, clouds gently floating across the horizon. The mare turned her head down and took in the sights of the world around her. She was in some sort of park. The Canterlot green, if her guess was correct. To her right was a glisten pond, the water occupied by ducks and swans happily wading across the water’s surface, while to her left stood a grassy knoll, occupied by several picnicking families, mostly earth ponies, but she could still spot at least one Unicorn family enjoying themselves happily.

Vinyl smiled, the memory in front of her seemed peaceful, happy, and didn't seem to hold the darkness that so many of the other included. Her eyes then scanned the area for her target, wondering what this memory was going to contain.

“Come on, papa! You can’t catch me!”

The white mare jumped as a charcoal grey filly trotted straight through her, followed shortly after by a stallion of identical color, scrambling after the little filly.

“I’m going to get you! And when I do you’re going to feel the wrath of the tickle monster!”

“Noooo!!!”

Vinyl can't help but giggle at the adorable display; the filly Octavia running around while her father follows closely behind her. It was nice, seeing a happy memory (one that did not bring with it haunting thoughts), and seeing the image of an adorable filly Octavia. This was the youngest she had ever seen the mare, and thus signaled this as the oldest memory.

The chase lasted for a little bit longer, Octavia’s little legs eventually growing tired and unable to continue the chase. She began to slow, and was eventually snatched up by her father, screaming at first in surprise, but then in a fit of giggles as her father assaulted her sides with his hooves.

“No! Papa, that tickles!”

The stallion chuckled, a wide smile spreading across his features. “What is that? Did I hear, ‘You are the greatest papa in the world’?”

The filly giggled again. “Y-yes!”

“Yes to what?”

“Yes-you-are-the-greatest-papa-in-the-world!”

Octavia’s father ceased his tickling assault, smiling down at his daughter as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “And you are the greatest daughter a stallion could ever ask for.”

“And here comes the greatest mother in the world,” chimed in a third voice. Vinyl turned to view a deep green mare slowly trotting over to the pair with a wicker basket balanced delicately on her back. “And the ‘greatest mother’ comes with food.”

Filly Octavia jumped up and down with excitement as her mother put down the basket, opening it and pulling out a daisy sandwich and giving it to her daughter. Octavia ate it greedily, falling onto her flank and stuffing her face with her two front hooves.

Octavia’s father chuckled at the display, leaning over and kissing his wife on the muzzle. “So, ‘world’s greatest mother and wife’, what do we have for us?” he spoke, nothing but joy and mirth escaping his lips.

The mare giggled at the compliment, nuzzling her husband. “Well, I prepared daisy sandwiches for our darling daughter, and for you I prepared something a little bit more special,” Octavia’s mother began, reaching her head into the basket and pulling out a large, submarine sandwich. “Your favorite: hay-bacon, lettuce, and tomato sub.”

The stallion's eyes went wide, his mouth drooling at the sight of the delicacy in front of him. He greedily took the sandwich from his wife, digging into it just as messily as he daughter had hers.

Octavia’s mother chuckled, shaking her head as she muttered, “Like father like daughter,” and pulled out a small salad for herself.

As the happy family ate, Vinyl sat down next to the filly Octavia and regarded her with a smile. “Damn it, Tavi, you were even more adorable as a filly…”

Vinyl then thought back to her own family, before her parents had died, and could only smile at the memories of the times they had shared just like this. Her father, the pig of an eater, would stuff his face with whatever her mother had cooked for him. She would always do the same, taking after him more than her mother, while Neon would eat neat and tidy, just like her mother. She had always teased him about this fact, resembling their mother more than her, and a long time ago she had been a lot more… mean to her younger sibling.

So many memories.

But, they were gone. Her parents were gone, and would never have any moments like this ever again. Flashback of that day the guard had arrived at her door filled her mind. She had been drunk, just gotten home from a party, and had taken more time then she should have to register the news.

Neon was not graced with the same clouded mind as her. He had heard the news again and again as she had slurred for the stallion to repeat the news.

She hated herself for that.

Tears began to well up in the unicorn’s eyes, and she held them back as she gazed upon the peaceful display. She felt guilty letting her feeling bleed through while she was supposed to be focusing on Octavia's, wiping away the beginnings of her sadness.

The filly Octavia suddenly stopped eating, putting down her third sandwich as she turned her head to the side, her eyes staring right into Vinyl’s.

Vinyl returned the gaze, shocked but excited that she was actually noticed. “H-hey, little Tavi…” she muttered softly.

“Look, momma! That stallion has a big violin!” the filly spoke, her hoof pointing right at Vinyl.

The unicorn raises an eyebrow, turning to view where the filly had been pointing. Her ears flattened as she noticed a stallion sitting at a park bench not far behind her, a cello held tightly in his grasp. The mare let out a sigh, feeling silly that she had thought the filly had actually noticed her.

Octavia’s father finished his sandwich. “Actually, it’s called a ‘Cello’,” he began, rising to his hooves. “You wanna get a closer look?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed, hopping to her hooves. “Race you!”

The filly took off, followed closely behind by her father. Vinyl also followed closely behind, though was not in as much of a rush as the other two.

Octavia was able to beat her father, getting a front row seat to listen to the stallion. He didn’t notice her, at first, focusing on tuning his instrument. Once he did notice the little filly below him, he smiled at her. “Hello there, little one. Come to hear me play?”

Octavia nodded meekly, clinging closely to her father once he caught up.

The stallion soon finished tuning, then began to slide the bow across the strings. Vinyl only half-listened to the piece. It wasn’t bad, per say, but it wasn’t nearly as good as anything she heard from Octavia. To her, it sounded more like background music.

Although that was how Vinyl felt, Octavia was clearly a different case. She looked at the cello with a curious spark in her eye. Slowly, she unclung herself from her father, eyes filled with pure euphoria.

When the stallion finished, the filly Octavia was barely able to contain her excitement. “That was amazing!” She squealed. “Can I try?! Pleeeeeease!”

Caught a bit off guard by the sudden question, the stallion looked down at his instrument with a furrowed brow.

“I’m terribly sorry, sir,” Octavia’s father said, before turning to his daughter. “Tavia, don’t be rude!”

Octavia looked up at her father with eyes that can bring gods to their knees. “But... I said ‘please’!”

Arpeggio sighed. “Yes, I know that, but you–”

The stallion cleared his throat, catching the attention of the two. “Actually, it’s not a problem. I’m always happy to help spread the joy of music,” the stallion spoke, scooting over in the seat and making room. “With your permission, of course.”

Octavia looked to her father, smiling wildly when he gave her a nod of permission. The filly jumped up onto the bench, her tiny legs dangling for a moment as she scrambles to get up. Once she did, she immediately scooted up next to the stallion, her eyes looking up at him expectantly.

“Eager, I see?” he began with a chuckle, positioning the cello in front of the filly. “Now, you need to how the bow like this…” The stallion then gave Octavia a crash course in how to use the cello, how to hold the bow, use it properly, and even how to hit a few notes. Once he felt that the filly had learned enough to actually attempt, he backed up.

“Now, remember to keep a tight grip on the bow,” he warned. “Now, show me what you got!”

The filly nodded, closing her eyes as she did as the stallion said. At first, her notes were scratchy, but began to slowly improve over time. Soon, Octavia was able to play an entire cord with minimal mistakes, much to the delight of the stallion.

“Wow! I have never seen somepony show so much improvement so fast!” the stallion spoke excitedly, then put a hoof to his chin. “Hmm… I wonder… Here, try this.” The stallion then showed Octavia the placements for the rest of the notes, backing away again. “Okay, try and work your way up from the bottom.”

Octavia nodded, closing her eyes again as she followed his instruction. Slowly, she began to make her way up the scale, starting from low G and ending on a high E.

The stallion was beyond himself, turning his gaze to her father. “I’m not lying when I say I have never seen a filly learn this fast before… you sure she has never touched an instrument before?”

Her father nodded with a wide grin on his face, beaming with pride. “Nope. First time.”

The stallion shook his head in disbelief. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I want to see how far this filly can go.”

For the next hour, Vinyl watched the stallion grow more and more enthusiastic as Octavia only continued to improve. She was still scratchy, and far from perfect, but could easily be mistaken for a filly that had been playing for years. When all was said and done, the stallion could only stare slack jawed at the happily bouncing filly, her hooves guiding the notes that resonated from the instrument.

“Wow… I just… Wow!” he began, shaking his head. “I… I have to admit, I did not expect that. I was actually expecting… I don’t know! But nothing like this!”

Octavia had managed to gather a small crowd of ponies who had heard the filly’s transition in the park, all absolutely amazed. Even the unicorn family was listening intently, not a sign of distaste on any of their features. Octavia’s mother and father stood proudly beside their child, their eyes glistening with tears.

“Well, that explains a lot,” Vinyl heard the stallion speak up, pointing to Octavia’s flank. “I do believe that is new, correct?”

Octavia looked down at her flank, squealing as she noticed the bright purple treble clef adorning it. She jumped up and down with excitement, the stallion taking the cello from her so it wouldn’t fall in her excitement.

“I got my cutie-mark! I got my cutie-mark!” she cheered, jumping to hug her parents.

“Strange,” muttered the stallion. “The cello is written in bass clef…”

Vinyl felt the memory fade as she watched the filly bounce happily in the embrace of her parents, the sight bringing a tear to her eye. As the world faded, and Vinyl felt herself being pulled back to the realm of reality, she couldn’t help but think back to that moment with Octavia and her family. It was a happy memory, yes, but she couldn’t help but be saddened by it, as well. It brought back memories, memories she had tried to bury.

Old wounds can still bleed.

When her vision returned, Vinyl blinked as she woke up on the floor next to her blanket, and not on the blanket itself. Seriously? she thought, rolling her eyes as she rose from the moldy floor to her hooves. Her face still held sadness, and she desperately tried to hide it away before Octavia could notice, but she wasn’t so lucky.

“What’s wrong?” she heard the spectral mare ask from besides her. “Did you see a different memory than me? Because the one I saw was quite lovely.”

Vinyl shook her head, putting on a faux smile. “No, nothing is wrong. I just, uh…” She mentally fumbled for an excuse, but came up empty.

“I know you’re lying, Vinyl,” Octavia spoke, floating in front of the mare and looking to her with soft, caring eyes. “Please, Vinyl, I want to help…”

Vinyl remained firm, but let out a sigh as her resolve finally crumbled. “It’s nothing, really. I just… Watching you and your family reminded of me and mine, that’s all.”

The ghostly mare furrowed an eyebrow. “Huh? Really? But, then why are… you…” Her eyes went wide when realization struck her. “Oh my Celestia, Vinyl, I am so sorry!”

The mare sniffed. “It’s cool. Just brings back some old memories, that’s all. I’ll be… fine.”

But she wasn’t.

Memories of her family, her mother and her father, flashed back into her head. Memories of the time they spent together, and then the time after they were gone. She felt the sadness of being without them, guilt of who she had been, and regret of not appreciate them more when they were… alive.

The dam broke.

In a flash, Vinyl lunged at a surprised Octavia, latching onto her for support as she began to cry. Tears fell as the usually strong mare finally broke, her emotions finally overcoming her. Octavia was stunned, at first, not knowing what to do. Finally, after snapping out of her stupor, she wrapped her ghostly hooves around her marefriend and gently lower her to the ground, letting her curl up into her as she continued to cry. Octavia gently held the crying mare, running her ghostly hoof through her main and whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

After a while, Vinyl ran out of tears to shed, instead quietly whimpering in her partner’s lap. “I… I’m a horrible pony,” Vinyl muttered through a sniffle.

“No you’re not,” Octavia assured.

“Yes, I am!” Vinyl cried out, pushing herself off of Octavia. She stood up tall, her eyes bright red with twin streaks running below them. “Do you know who I was before my parent’s died?”

“I don’t know, Vinyl, but that is no reason to beat yourself up–”

“I was an animal!” Vinyl screamed, cutting her marefriend off, who recoiled from the force of her words. “I drank, I smoked, I went to parties, I rebelled, I didn’t give a shit about school, I was a bitch to my brother, and I was an asshole to my parents! A fucking asshole!”

If there were any left, more tears would be running down the white mare’s face. She slowly paced back and forth in front of the shocked spirit, grumbling to herself. “Hell, I was even drunk when the guard came to my house to tell me my parents were dead! Imagine it, I made the stallion repeat himself, like, a hundred times because I was too shitfaced to understand! And do you know what makes it worse? It was that Neon was there, and he got to hear his drunken sister make the guard repeat the worst news of his life over, and over, and over, and over again!”

Vinyl plopped down on her rump, pressing her hooves into her skull. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” she repeated, smacking her hooves into her head. “Why couldn’t I be smart like Neon? Why couldn’t I have seen how fucking stupid I was!”

Her anger began to fade. Her body slumped, head held low as she sat defeated. “Why did they have to die…?”

A pair of ghostly hooves wrapped around the distressed mare, followed by a muzzle nuzzling into her shoulder. “Shh…” was all that Octavia said, holding her partner close.

Vinyl resisted, but eventually gave up as she returned the embrace, turning around and wrapping sad hooves around her lover’s ghostly chest. “Why did they have to die?” she asked, snuggling closer to the mare. “Why am I a horrible pony?”

“Shh…” Octavia muttered, running her hoof through Vinyl’s mane. “You are not a horrible pony, Vinyl. Horrible ponies don’t feel regret. Horrible ponies don’t learn from their mistakes and become better. Horrible ponies don’t spend day after day keeping a lonely spirit company. And a horrible pony would never, ever make me feel as loved as you do. You are a good pony, Vinyl, and I love you because of that.”

Vinyl remained quiet, but took in every word from the ghostly mare’s mouth. She remained in the embrace, holding the mare she loved tighter than she had ever done before, never wanting her to leave her. “Never leave me, Tavi… please?”

“Don’t worry, Vinyl. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

The room then fell into a comfortable silence. The two mares leaned against each other, never wanting to leave the other’s side. “Tavi?” Vinyl said after a moment, her head resting in the crook of Octavia’s neck.

“Yes, Vinyl?”

Without any hesitation or doubt, Vinyl said, “I love you.”

And with a happy heart, Octavia replied, “I love you too,” again, without hesitation.

Chapter: 13

Chapter preread by: Cogwheelbrain

“So let me get this straight… you tried to teleport but, instead, you blew yourself up?" Steelwing asked.

Neon shrugged. “Kinda.”

Steelwing did his best to hold in his laughter. His ‘best’ involved not trying at all. “You fuckin’ suck, dude.”

Neon rolled his eyes. “Hey, magic isn't easy. I can’t just cast whatever all willy nilly.”

“Why not? Don’t you just, like, think what you wanna do, then boom magic.”

Neon looked at his friend with a raised brow. “No? Do you just ‘think’ ‘hey, I wanna shoot a lightning bolt out of a cloud’ and just do it?”

“Yes." And as an added demonstration, Steelwing flew up into the air and grabbed the nearest tuft of cloud. “You just gotta have ‘the touch’." With a flick of his hoof, the cloud shot an arc of static off. “Can you do that with your Houdini stick?”

Neon smiled. “No, but I can do this." The small cloud started to condense, getting smaller and smaller. Steelwing leaned into the shrinking cumulous, trying to see if something was going to happen once it got small enough. To his surprise, the only thing that did happen was a small explosion in his face.

Steelwing rubbed his eyes. “Hey, man!”

Neon continued to smile.

The pegasus landed. “Can you do anything else besides blow stuff up?”

Neon shook his head. “Well, I didn’t really blow up anything. It was just a chemical reaction.”

“You exploded chemicals in my face?!”

Neon grumbled. “No. I bonded elements present in that cloud and, in the process, let out an excess about of energy that took the form of a concussive wave.”

Steelwing was silent.

“Why are we friends, again?"

“Because we’re both social outcasts who alienate ourselves from the rest of the local society and find sanctuary in our similar predicament… right?”

Neon sighed. “Oh… yeah.”

The two colts stopped walking at a crossroads. The very same street where they would normally part ways. Steelwing stretched his wings and prepared to take off. “Welp, see ya tomorrow man." He then promptly took off, but came back a second later with a much larger cloud tuft. With a kick, an arc of lightning shot out and hit Neon, causing him to jump. “Nerrrrrrrd!"

If Neon knew how to aim better with fireballs, he would’ve shot him out of the sky… and then went on to set him on fire. Not enough to kill, just enough to make movement for the next few weeks very, very painful.

With a grumble, Neon reassessed his life choices while walking back home. It had been a pretty boring day at school, with nothing other than what you could consider ‘normal’ happening. The teal stallion continued his walk until he made it to the front door of his apartment, finding the door slightly open. A wave of unease washed over the young stallion, making him trot carefully towards his residence. With an uneasy hoof, he pushed open the door, stopping when he found resistance. He tried this again, pushing harder and harder. When the door would finally open completely, he was greeted to the sight of his passed out sister, mumbling.

“Oh… so that’s what was blocking it…” He winced, trotting over his older sibling and making his way past her somehow still sleeping form.

Probably still tired from another ‘romantic’ outing with her new ‘marefriend’, he thought, throwing his bag into his room and then making his way to the kitchen, foraging through the fridge for something to eat. After figuring that there’s nothing in the fridge worthwhile to eat that doesn’t involve cooking, he went back up to his room to start his homework.

He stopped short of the stairs, looking over his shoulder to see the form of his still passed out sister. He mumbled to himself, then picked up Vinyl in his magical grasp. Sweet Celestia, Vinyl! Stop eating so much junk at the club… he thought as he had to put more effort into picking her up. Seeing as he was tired already from school, and walking upstairs with his sister in tow was too much effort, he put her down on the couch.

He went back to the foot of the stairs, but stopped again. He looked back to Vinyl. She’ll be out for a few more hours, I might as well… Neon did say he wanted to talk with Octavia about the whole situation, but would it be ok for him to just walk in the theatre without warning?

With Vinyl asleep, he could go to the theatre and come back without her knowing that he had left. Even though it wouldn’t matter because Octavia would tell Vinyl that he was there later. Still, he had the time to go. Then… what was stopping him?

The first time he met Octavia; he was scared. Who could blame him? Meeting a ghost isn’t something that’s normally said or done. So, when the moment came where his hoof phased through an entity of conscious mind, it did a little more than unnerve him.

Now, however, after getting used to the idea of a spirit that exist on the mortal plane, as well as Vinyl coming home every night unharmed, he’s gotten over some of his fear. Though he hasn’t had another meeting after his first with Octavia, imagining her as a normal pony that’s slightly see through and can phase through solid objects instead of a relentless spirit put his mind at ease, if not only slightly.

Maybe it was just him being nervous. Putting aside the fact that Octavia isn’t a living being, giving the ‘overprotective big brother’ speech to anyone would still put him on edge… even though he wasn’t the big brother, but it’s the thought that counts.

Cracking his neck and grabbing his jacket, he left the house and made way for the theatre.

(\/);,,;(\/)

Okay… this is it! No turning back… Well, I could. Forget this ever happened. Do my homework. Fall asleep on the couch and… Neon promptly smacked his hoof into his face. Focus! Talk. To. Ghost!

The teal stallion pressed past the large oak doors, taking a shaky step inside of the theatre. Once stepping inside, he promptly jumped at the sound of the doors closing behind him. He would never admit to it, but he may have let out a very unstallion-like scream.

Shit! Okay, it’s just a harmlessly haunted theatre… damn it, that is an oxymoron! Neon took a deep breath, steeling himself. It’s okay, you can do this. Just… just don’t think about it. Yes!

Shaky hoof by shaky hoof, he went further into the theatre, passing antique furnature, time worn walls, and the pungent odor of decay. The shadows seemed to dance, taking unnerving shapes. He jumped, meeped, and flinched at each and every one of these tricks of his mind. Finally, after a while, he had finally made his way to the main theatre hall where he remembered his sister bringing him the first time. Poking his head into the hall, he surveyed the area. It was empty, as far as he could notice. The smell of rot and decay seemed to be even more pungent in this area, and temperature dropping by at least ten degrees. A shiver ran up the stallion's back, making his let out a slight shudder.

Geez, when did it get so cold? he asked himself as he trotted into the room. It was as he had remembered it; old, broken down, and damaged by time. He hadn’t really noticed the smell or temperature change before. But, then again, he wasn’t paying attention to anything other than where the exit was. Slowly, he made his way up to the stage, seeing no signs of the spirit of his interest.

Once he made it to center stage, the young stallion looked around. The theatre was empty. There was no signs of anything living or other around him; only dust and decay. Huh… maybe she’s sleeping… do ghost even sleep? Whatever the case is, she’s not here now. Neon turned around, ready to go back home. As soon as he made his first few steps away from the stage, he tripped over the debris from a broken chair and into another chair.

“Vinyl, is that you?” called out a voice from somewhere in the building.

Neon froze up at the call. Maybe, if I just lay here… completely still… she’ll ignore me. As much as the young colt could dream, dreams don’t always come true. Floating above him was none other than the phantom of the theatre herself looking down on Neon with surprise, and a bit flustered.

“N-Neon? What are you doing here?”

Neon’s blue eyes widened as much as biologically possible. For a moment, his mouth went dry. He could only stare up at the equally surprised spectral mare above her. Forcing his tongue to work, he meekly stated, “O-oh y’know… just in the neighborhood, and… uh…”

Neither of them spoke for a while. Octavia, having been previously informed that the colt before her knew about her relationship with Vinyl, had her reasons to be nervous around him. Neon, who was scared straight out of his coat, also had his reasons to be nervous, not to mention the fact that he was socially awkward to begin with.

“So…”

“So…?”

Octavia landed in front of Neon, who was still lying on his back. “Umm… how are you?”

“Scared shitless… you?”

“Oh… same here.”

Silence.

“So… You’re, uh… dating my sister?”

“Oh… yeah…”

Silence.

“I uh… had a speech planned… but, I forgot it.”

“…I’m sorry?”

“I, uh… guess I’ll just improvise?”

“Oh… okay?”

It was at this point that Neon realized he was still laying on the dirty, dirty floor. He quickly got to his hooves, shuddering and wiping whatever contagion he picked up off his jacket.

“I, uh… Well…” he takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Look, I’m just looking out for my sister. Admittedly… it was originally because you are a ghost, but it’s equally because I am… protective, of my sister.”

Octavia smiled, finally understanding the situation. “You’re making sure your sister isn’t with the wrong pony.”

Neon nodded. “Ever since mom and dad died… Vinyl has sacrificed her entire life to make sure I was happy… I just… I just want to make sure that she is with someone who can do the same, you know? She is an amazing sister, and an amazing mare. I just… I don’t know.” He let out a sigh. “Let me just make sure of a few things, ok?”

“Alright.”

Bracing himself for whatever was to come, Neon took a breath. “You’re not evil, right?”

“No.” Octavia replied simply.

“And you’re not gonna reap Vinyl’s or my soul or bodies?”

“No.”

“And you’re not secretly a succubus or siren or…?”

“I don’t even know what those are.”

Neon let loose a heavy, relieving sigh. “Alright then… considering you haven’t reaped my soul or stolen my body by now, I don’t think I have to worry about the ghost thing… Just… Just promise me you’ll take care of her?”

Octavia nodded. “The last thing I would want to do is hurt her.”

“Good. But, uh… just remember, even though you’re already dead, it won’t help you if you do end up hurting her.” Neon did his very best to sound intimidating (and, also, slightly puffing out his chest for good measure).

It didn’t work.

Octavia giggled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

There was a new mutual respect between the duo, though both parties still had no idea what to do next. Neon, having said what he needed to say, decided it was time for him to leave. “So, uh… bye?” He kicked himself for such an awkward goodbye, but the damage had been done. He briskly trotted away from Octavia, mumbling to himself how stupid he looked in front of her.

“Oh Neon, wait!” Octavia called out, startling the young colt.

Neon jumped, turning back to face the mare. “Y-yeah?”

Octavia looked everywhere but at him, floating from side to side. “Well, umm… d-do you think you could maybe… stay? Just a little bit, I mean! I-It’s just that… well, apart from what Vinyl has told me; I don’t know anything about you and… and shouldn’t I get to know you if I’m… well… with Vinyl and all… right?”

That’s… a fair point, Neon had to admit. He was still a little hesitant around the spectre, but his fear was fleeting the more time he spent around her. He thought this over for a little but, then internally shrugged. “Sure, why not,” he said nonchalantly. “I don’t have anywhere to be.”

Octavia clapped her hooves together in excitement. She floated over to the colt, and promptly plopped her plot down next to him. “So, tell me about yourself.”

Neon’s face went red. “Uhh…” He then started to shiver at the proximity of Octavia’s frost aura.

Noticing this, Octavia floated a few feet away. “Oh, I’m sorry. This… temperature thing seems to have stopped with your sister, so I thought it would with you as well,” she muttered apologetically.

Pulling his jacket in tighter, Neon nodded. “I-it’s f-fine.” He took a moment to regain his body temperature. “Alright… well… what do you want to know?”

Octavia shrugged, pawing at the floor. “Well… what makes you unique? Are you into music like your sister?”

Neon shook his head. “Nah, I’m the ‘brains’ in the family,” he began with a chuckle. “Vinyl got the social grace, and I got the brains. She makes music, and I build the crap she uses to make the music.”

Octavia’s ears perked up at his last remark. She quickly disappeared and reappeared a second later, holding Vinyl’s music player in her spectral hooves. “So you made this?!”

Neon laughed. “Ha! I wish! If I did then Vinyl would never have to work again.” He shook his head. “I’m not that good yet; I can only tell you how it’s made, and replicate it given the proper materials and equipment. No, the coolest thing I’ve made so far is a speaker that runs on the sound waves produced from the discharge of electricity.”

Octavia blinked.

“Speaker from… lightning, basically,” he simplified.

“Oooh! That sounds magnificent!”

Neon blushed. “Yeah… it was pretty cool.”

Octavia involuntarily scooted a bit closer to him. “What else can you do?”

Neon cleared his throat and straightened his jacket collar. “Well, umm… I can bond chemicals with my magic, and recite the entirety of ‘Intro to Electronics’ curriculum practically by heart, and… other stuff that makes the other kids call me a geek…”

“Can I see?”

“See what?”

“Bonding chemicals with your magic.”

Neon ran a hoof through his mane. “Okay, umm.” He quickly thought of something relatively simple, but exciting. After getting the idea, he closed his eyes and focused on his magic. A small bubble of teal magic was created in front of him. Inside was a small amount of water that filled the bubble halfway. Neon grunted as he applied more energy to the bubble, causing the water to bubble up. After a minute, the water had completely evaporated into gas, which sat at the lower half of the bubble, completely still, as if it was a liquid.

Neon opened his eyes and smiled at his creation. “Okay…” he started, panting under the strain of keeping the pressure inside the bubble high. “This here… is really cool, alright…” he moved the bubble around, swishing the ‘air’ around. “It’s called… a supercritical… fluid.”

Octavia stared wide-eyed at the bubble. “Ooohh… what’s it do?”

Neon continued to take deep breaths to keep the pressure inside the bubble constant. “It’s basically… water… but air. Like… it’s so hot… that the water… evaporated, but… inside the bubble… is so pressurized… that the water vapor… has the consistency of a liquid. Oh, sweet Celestia!” With a heavy gasp, Neon released the bubble, causing the water inside to return back to a liquid state and splash on the floor.

Octavia continued to stare with amusement. “Golly, magic sure is something.”

Neon cracked his neck and huffed a few more times to regain his breath. “It was more science than magic. You see, magic isn’t just some mystical force that you can make do whatever. Magic, in simplest terms, is just a form of extremely potent energy. This energy, which we call ‘arcane energy’ exist in a wave… y’know, like in the electromagnetic spectrum, and unicorns’ horns are like antennas that can pick up on the waves and manipulate them. And yeah, about conjuring up stuff and how ponies say, ‘what about the law of conservation of matter and energy hurr-durr’ well, we don’t just make stuff go ‘poof’ into existence, we take the raw energy from the ley lines around the earth and change that energy into whatever we’re conjuring. We’re basically speeding up chemical reactions using this extremely powerful energy by such a rate where we can make, like, a glass of water a lot quicker than in a lab or nature.”

Octavia blinked. “Uh… electro what?”

Neon sighed. “Why can’t I find somepony who I can discuss laws of physics and magic to that can actually be able to hold the conversation?!”

Octavia looked away. “I’m sorry… magic sounds interesting and all, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully understand it, being that I’m an earth pony.”

Neon grumbled. “Yeah, yeah… so, that’s me: the nerd. Anything else you wanna know? Or is my spirit still bound to your eternal torment.”

Octavia scoffed.

Neon took a step back, holding his hooves up to his face. “Kidding! Kidding! Please don’t hurt me! I’m just a boy!”

Octavia stuck her nose in the air. “Well, if I’m that much of a pain, I guess I’ll just leave.”

Neon took a step towards her. “Wait for... hold on, can I try something first?”

Octavia looked back, curious. “Sure?”

Neon sparked his horn, picking up the water from his last experiment into another bubble. He floated the water over to Octavia, who leaned back from it. Without warning, he passed the bubble straight through her body. When he levitated it back to him, the water had been unaffected. “Huh.” He observed the water, dipping his hoof in it for good measure. When he found out that the water was not cold, he started rambling. “Dude, that’s weird. So, wait… you said you’re not cold to Vinyl, but you are cold to me. And this water here tells me that you’re not physically cold. So… how’s that work?” Neon continued to mumble theories to himself, ignoring his ghostly companion.

Octavia gave Neon a disgruntled look, to which he didn’t notice. Shrugging, Octavia simply floated towards, and through, the young colt and back to the rafters.

To Neon, he felt like he fell into liquid nitrogen for a second. An uncontrollable shiver assaulted his nerves, causing him to scream, reel back, and fall on the floor in the fetal position to conserve what little heat existed in the world.

“W-w-w-why?!” he yelled.

Poking her head from out of the rafters, Octavia smiled down at him. “I thought it would be a fun ‘experiment’.”

Neon closed his eyes and focused what little energy he had in his body to keep himself alive. Hate my life. Hate my life. Hate my life.

(\/);,,;(\/)

The front door closed with a soft ‘bang’, causing Vinyl to abruptly awake. She quickly looked around at her surroundings, noticing that she was in her living room and laying down on the couch. Assuming that the bang she heard was the door, she leaned over the couch to confirm her theory.

Her theory was proven to be correct as Neon sauntered over to the couch from the front door. He sat next to Vinyl without saying anything, staring at the blank television screen with a thousand yard stare.

Vinyl yawned. “Yo, Neon. You ‘aight?”

Neon sighed. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I’m alright.” His voice was soft, lacking any energy.

Vinyl sat up straight. “You sure? You look out of it.” Vinyl looked him in the eye. “Were you smokin’ dope?”

“No, not this time.”

Vinyl scoffed. “‘This time?’ What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Neon continued to stare, half paying attention to his sister. “I was with Octavia.”

Vinyl’s gaze softened. “Wait, you went to the theatre?”

“Yeah.”

“On your own accord?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Vinyl shrugged. It explained his lack of a sense of reality. “Alright. So you did man up and play the ‘overprotective little-big brother’?”

“Yeah.”

“You oaf,” Vinyl chuckled before she hugged her brother. The two held the embrace for a short while, then Vinyl pulled away. “So, whatdya talk about?”

Neon ran a hoof across the back of his neck. “Well… not much, really. I mean… okay, at first I wanted to make sure she wasn’t going to go all evil on you, but then it became just a, well, normal chat. Talked some science, learned some stuff about her, crap like that.”

Vinyl smirked. “And is she the bloodthirsty ghost you thought she was?”

“First of all, I never said bloodthirsty. And second… yeah, I guess you were right…”

The white mare tapped her brother on the back. “See, I have good taste when it comes to the undead!”

“Please don’t ever say that again… ever.”

“Whatever.” Vinyl shrugged. “Anyways, I don’t really have anything to do for the rest of the day, so… wanna do something?”

Neon raised an eyebrow. “Do something?”

Vinyl nodded. “Yeah, been forever since I've been able to spend some time with ma’ bro!”

Neon’s face instantly curled into a smile; excitement forming in his gut he had not felt in a long, long time.

Chapter: 14

Chapter preread by: Cogwheelbrain

Since the first day Vinyl met Octavia, she made a promise. A promise saying that she would visit her every day after work. And, so far, she had managed to keep that promise. For almost two months now, Vinyl had spent a couple hours of her night with the lonely spirit. The more time they spent together, the more the bond between the two of them grew; in both a metaphorical and literal sense.

And as that bond grew stronger, it eventually turned into something more. Something that the white mare now wondered how she could have lived without: love. Not the love of a family member, or from a friend, but from somepony who truly completed her; who shared a bond thicker than blood. Although at first, she was reluctant to accept the situation. How could she be in love with a ghost? The idea was absurd, and it would certainly never work out.

But, just as a ghost existing defies reality, Vinyl, too, challenged reality by falling in love with said ghost. And, together, they made it work out. Vinyl, much to her delight, found Octavia to be an ‘extremely cost efficient’ marefriend, with not having to pay to take her out.

Currently, Vinyl found herself drawing close to the theatre. She pushed open the worn double doors, causing the rusted hinges to squeak in protest. Doing this action usually alerted the single resident (if she was waiting in the foyer for her guest to arrive) and today was no exception.

The phantom of the theatre appeared in front of Vinyl, wrapping her in a quick hug and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Hi, Vinyl!”

The white mare returned the brief embrace. “Yo, Tavi. Waiting all night for me again, I see?”

The spectre blushed and pulled back from her marefriend. “Shut up! I do other things, for your information! I just… happened to be waiting for you this time.”

“And the last time?”

Octavia’s blush deepened.

“And the last ten times before that, actually.”

Octavia mumbled incoherently.

Vinyl chuckled and made her way to the stage, the blushing mass that was Octavia in tow. “You can admit it, y’know: you just can’t get enough of me. You’re so excited to see me every night that you wait at the door like a puppy.”

“I do not!”

Vinyl sat down on the stage. “Sure you don’t.” She winked, then motioned to the spot next to her. “Now, come here and cuddle with me.”

As much as she wanted to stay ‘mad’ at Vinyl, Octavia felt her anger slowly fade once she snuggled up to her tangible lover. “Why do you have to tease me so?” she asked as she rested her muzzle on Vinyl’s shoulder.

“Because you’re adorable when you get mad,” Vinyl replied as she lifted a hoof and brought it to her marefriend’s nose. “Boop.”

Octavia’s nose scrunched up at the contact. “You are absolutely unbelievable, sometimes!”

“Yeah,” Vinyl began with a shrug, “but, you love me anyways.”

Octavia could help but let out a chuckle. “Yes, that I do.”

Silence then reigned over the broken down theatre. Now words were said, as none needed to be said. Both parties, both living and past, enjoyed the other’s company and basked in the warmth they provided. This has become the routine, as mere touch was all that was needed for both to feel content; happy and complete.

All was right.

But, this peace was eventually breached by the familiar tug that pulled Octavia to her instrument. It was like an eternal calling that she was forced to obey by some higher power. She left Vinyl’s side in favor of her cello, picking it up and readying herself.

Vinyl, for her part, braced herself for the mental torrent that was to come as soon as the music reached her ears. But, the pain never came. The sound was familiar. It didn’t sound like a new part of the song, but rather something she’s heard before. It was slow and neutral. Ambient, almost. She stood up, regarding Octavia with curiosity, who remained in her seat and played her unearthly instrument. What’s going on this time?

Before she could voice her concerns, the corners of her vision began to deteriorate. Vinyl looked around, watching as the world crumbled to white. Everything around her broke apart, piece-by-piece, until there was nothing left but her and Octavia. The stage was gone. The theatre was gone. The world, and everything in it, had crumbled into an oblivion of the white abyss.

Vinyl turned her gaze down and dared a step forward. Her hoof held purchase on an unseen floor, one that she could not even feel.

What the…?

The white mare returned her eyes forwards, and then focused back on the charcoal grey mare, the only thing to breach the abyss of nothingness. An oasis of color in a sea of white. Suddenly, Octavia opened her eyes and looked around. Oddly, her concentration was not broken even as she looked around the fractured reality with wide eyes. Her hooves continued to guide the song that her instrument played: the music continued to play, undisturbed.

Everything had been ordered before. It was predictable; consistent. The music usually brought with it memories of her past, moments she had once thought lost forever, but not this time. Why was it different now? What had been the catalyst to this unusual shift?

Octavia was about to speak, to voice question upon the nature of what was going on, but was beaten by a sudden shift in the void. All around the equine pair, images flashed. They were all pieces, chunks of memories that went by too fast for either to comprehend fully. If they tried to focus on one, another would take it’s place before anything specific could be rendered. From what they could gather, they seemed to range from a young Octavia to a teenage Octavia, and finally to the mare just before she died.

“Are those more memories?” Vinyl asked, the first of the two to break the silence.

“Yes, I believe they are,” Octavia began, her hooves unhindered as she continued her song. “I believe they are the gaps in my memories; the pieces that connect them all together.”

“Oh…” Vinyl muttered, pausing as she tried to make sense of the situation. “So… so what’s happening? Why is this one different? How are we both here?”

The charcoal grey mare closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. In her mind, the fractured remains of her memories of her life slowly began to fill in, the missing pieces slowly, but surely, sliding into place. The experience made her feel as if she was being completed, that, once they were all there, she would be… whole.

But, this feeling did not bring with it any understanding of why or what was happening. “I don’t know,” she replied softly, opening her eyes to view her confused lover. “I don’t know…”  

The images continued, flashing across the once blank void. All the while, the song of the solo cellist continued. The song was constantly shifted and seemed to accompany the shifting images perfectly. The two went hoof and hoof, though how either of them knew this was unknown.

It just… fit.

Then… they stopped. The atmosphere around the two shifted once again, the images ceasing and the white shifting to black. Soon, the entirety of the void was a pitch nothingness—a true void. But, it was not only the images that stopped. Octavia’s song also ended as well, cut off as if suddenly silenced before it could finish, leaving both the DJ and Cellist in complete silence.

A complete void.

“Tavi… what the hell is going on?” Vinyl asked, slowly trotting around the black void. Like before, her hooves trotted on an unfelt, unseen ground.

“I don't know, Vinyl. I'm not controlling this, I swear!” the cellist responded, placing down her instrument and shrinking from the void. The emptiness scared her, reminding her of her life before the mare that now shared it with her.

“Tavi, wait there—I’m coming over to you!” Vinyl called out, noticing her lover’s discomfort. She trotted closer, but her approach seemed to haunt as her hoofsteps brought her no closer to her distinction.

What the?

Her casual trot shifted to a canter, then a gallop. The white mare sprinted as fast as her hooves would carry her, but the distance between her and her love refused to change.

“Tavi!” Vinyl screamed.

“Vinyl!” Octavia responded in turn. The mare rose to her hooves, pushing past her fear as she began to gallops towards her love.

Like her love, Octavia made no ground.

The two continued to run at each other in vain attempts to come together; the distance only seeming to get farther and farther apart. They both continued until they could no longer, each panting in exhaustion as their hooves finally said no more.

Panting and out of breath, the two spots in the void lay a fair distance apart. The cellist hugged her hind hooves and she curled herself into a frightened ball while the DJ sat on her back and cursed into the void. One was filled with sadness, while the other anger.

“What the fuck is going on?!” Vinyl screamed between breaths, finally regaining enough strength to return to her hooves. Her eyes shone death at what she perceived as the sky, her face contorted with rage. “Who the fuck is doing this?!”

Octavia lay on her side, tears flowing like a raging river from her eyes. Fear, sadness, and a feeling of being alone filled the ghostly mare; all reminders of a time in her afterlife she wished to forget.

Vinyl stomped her hoof on an intangible ground, her face scrunching up as she held back tears of her own. “What’s going on…” she muttered, her anger fading.

Suddenly, the black void flickered. The ether that surrounded the two began to shift, taking the shape of a familiar looking theatre. Unlike the images and flashes before, this one was more like the usual memories that Vinyl had walked in before. The white mare tried to take a step forwards but found herself remaining in place. She went to speak but stopped when she noticed a familiar mist run straight across her vision. A static, unstable form of Octavia wandered around the hall that had formed around her. Vinyl then turned her vision towards where the other Octavia had been and was shocked to see that she was, in fact, still there, standing on her hooves and watching the scene with wide eyes.

The static Octavia finally stopped her random wandering and made her way towards the door. She tried to push on the large oak doors, but screamed and fell back as soon as her hoof made contact. She scooted away, looking as if it had bitten her.

The scene fast-forwarded, shifting again. They were still in the theatre but in a different orientation. The static version of Octavia ran frantically around the theatre, and Vinyl could see the fear and confusion that practically radiated from her. In the image’s haste, it tripped over a chair and fell right through another. Seeing half of her body phased through another object disturbed the filly more than anything, and the horror was clearly written on her face.

The scene jumped again. This time, the static copy of Octavia seemed more somber than afraid. She sat alone on the stage, the theatre decaying in front of her as time flew by, her eyes closed and head down.

Skipping ahead once more, Vinyl found herself hovering in the air, a very depressed looking Octavia hanging from the rafters. The static copy laid on her back, staring at the ceiling and letting life go by without her. But, this didn’t last, as her head suddenly perked up, and she looked down at the stage below. Vinyl watched the mare disappear, only to reappear below her behind a pony she had not noticed until now.

“Excuse me, what are you doing?” she asked, startling the mare.

Vinyl looked at the scene with a slack jaw. She remembered that day. It was the day Neon urged her to go to the theatre. It was the day she first met Octavia. It was starting to make sense. The scenes that were just playing before her were Octavia’s memories from when after she died.

The scene shifted, showing a timid copy of Vinyl in the audience, watching Octavia play the first part of the song. The chair she was sitting in had caved in beneath her, and the spirit was instantly alerted to her presence.

Vinyl removed her focus from the memory in front of her, turning it towards the real Octavia. The charcoal grey mare watched the scenes unfold with wide eyes, several tears making their way down her cheek. Eventually, Octavia turned her attention away from the memory and looked over to meet eye-to-eye with her marefriend. No words were shared between the two; an unspoken agreement being made through sight alone. They both returned their attentions to the memories as they played out around them, smiles soon forming on each of their faces.

Memory after memory about the time the two had shared passed before their eyes. As they did, the never ending distance between the two began to shrink, slowly bringing them closer and closer. Soon, the pair were only a hoof length away, and they wasted no time to pull the other into a mutually shared embrace. The memories passed around them, but they paid them no mind. Their focus was now glued upon their lover, clinging to each other like their lives depended on it.

Eventually, the memories ended as time returned to the present, and the world around the two once again shifted to the endless black void. Octavia had stopped crying, as she was no longer afraid, and no longer alone. Vinyl embraced her ghostly partner, holding the mare who had grown to mean the world to her. Although they felt peace in each other’s hooves, a lingering feeling that something still wasn’t quite right remained in both mare’s minds.

Octavia pulled away from Vinyl, the lingering feeling growing within her. She felt a new calling, different from the one that forces her to play. This one still held the same message, but was gentler, telling her to play instead of making her play. It was warm, inviting, like a mother asking her child.

Behind Vinyl sat Octavia’s cello, waiting for her. The instrument called for its master; to be played one last time. The spirit stood up and began to approach it. “Vinyl… I think it’s time for me to finish the song.”

The white mare smiled in response. “Go for it, Tavi.”

Octavia smiled back, nuzzling Vinyl once before picking up her instrument. For the longest time, she felt empty while playing, almost like she was nothing more than a slave to her cello. She dreaded having to play it, always wishing that one day it will all end. Now, that feeling was replaced by a warm desire.

She wanted to play.

But, she stopped herself.

She couldn’t finish the song. Not now. If their theory was right, then finishing the song would mean she would move on. The one thing keeping her tied to the mortal plane would be completed, and her purpose there would be fulfilled. She would then leave; pass on to whatever awaited her.

She would leave Vinyl.

Octavia dropped her bow. “I… I can’t do it.”

Vinyl blinked. “W-what? Why not?”

Octavia squeezed her eyes shut, trying to halt the tears that threatened to fall. Vinyl was at her side in an instant, using one hoof to hold Octavia’s and resting the other on the mare’s shoulder. Octavia opened her eyes, staring deeply into Vinyl’s. “Vinyl… if I finish the song… that means that I… I might… go.”

“Go?” It took a moment for the words to register, but when they did, they hit hard. “Oh… Tavi–”

Octavia flew her forelegs around Vinyl, cutting the mare’s words short. “I-I don’t want to go! I don’t want to leave you! I-I don’t… I-I just…”

Vinyl squeezed her tighter, holding back tears of her own. “I know, Tavi. But… you gotta.”

Octavia broke the hug, looking at Vinyl with trembling eyes. “B-but, Vinyl–”

Vinyl silenced her with a quick kiss. “I know, Tavi. I know you don’t want to go… and I don’t want you to go either… but…” She wiped a tear from her eye, her words choking up. “You have to.” Vinyl let out a sniff, wiping away her tears that had begun to fall. “You weren’t meant to be here. You were supposed to go… where ever. I love you with all my heart, but I know that your place isn’t here. We have fun together, yes, but you’re still stuck here. You can’t leave the theatre; you’re trapped. A-and I can’t always be there for you every day. Eventually, I-I’m going to get old and... die. And I’m not gonna stick around like you. And if that happens, you might not get a chance like this again to move on. I don’t want that to happen to you, Tavi. I want you to be… to be free, alright? This might be your only chance… take it. Please.” Tears flooded freely from the mare’s eyes, and she struggled to get the final words out. She looked at her marefriend through her tear-filled vision, seeing that Octavia wasn’t faring any better.

“I don’t want to go… I don’t want to leave you,” Octavia muttered softly.

“I know, Tavi… I know.”

Silence.

Both remained quiet, as neither knew what to say. Octavia knew her options: move on, or leave Vinyl. She didn’t want to leave the mare she loved, but she also knew that this could be her only opportunity to move on. On top of that, Vinyl’s words still echoed through her head. Vinyl would get old, and eventually die. Then, she would be alone, possibly forever. She didn’t want to be alone. She never wanted to be alone ever again. The time she had spent with Vinyl only accounted for a tiny fraction she had been alive, but somehow managed to be better than the rest of her life combined.

That made her think.

Had I been trapped here… for Vinyl? Had she been the reason I didn’t move on, the cellist thought, looking at the mare in question who was currently wrapping her in a bone-crushing embrace. Perhaps… perhaps she was my second chance? My redemption to the pain that was my life? She remembered her life fully, now. All the blanks had been filled; all the puzzle pieces back in their place. So she knew for certain that her life had been pretty horrible. She had cursed the makers for giving her such a life. She cursed the unicorns for all the trouble they’ve caused and for ending her life. That was why she became a ghost in the first place. She died filled with rage and resentment towards her life, and those negative emotions kept her spirit tethered to the mortal world.

But then came Vinyl Scratch. Vinyl helped Octavia when nopony else did. Vinyl helped her get through parts of her life that Octavia would rather have left dead and buried. She helped her realize her mistakes and overcome them, and, eventually, the unbridled fury that occupied Octavia’s soul died down.

Octavia looked to her marefriend again, taking in everything she said. When it comes down to it: Vinyl was right. She needed to move on, and this may be her only chance.

Accepting her fate, Octavia leaned in to bring Vinyl into a deep kiss.

When they broke apart, Octavia muttered, “I’m ready,” and picked up her bow.

Vinyl let out another tear filled sob but nodded. She too, was ready.

Octavia floated over to her cello and took the instrument in her hooves. She ran her hoof along it’s still well-polished neck, almost as if to say goodbye to it as well. Bow in hoof, she began to play.

The symphony began, crying out through the void like a swan song. Each note held a purpose, telling the story of the damned soul. Vinyl listened, her mind replaying the memories she had visited so long ago. The song went on, and the melody followed the emotion of the memory it was symbolizing. Note after note, stroke after stroke, the song continued. Vinyl could feel the ending coming up soon once she heard the original tune that she had heard her first time in the ruined theatre. The white mare closed her eyes and braced herself for the ending, but stopped. The notes that followed didn’t sound like an ending but still reminded her of something.

The first time they met.

Vinyl listened as Octavia continued her song, new notes playing that reminded her of the times they had shared. The first time they met. When she came back. When they had first confessed their love. The first time they kissed. All of it Vinyl could practically feel as the song brought back the memories. Tears flowed down her cheeks, but not ones of sorrow. No, these were of happiness; of the memories of the times they shared.

Then, the memories stopped.

The song’s paced slowed, the tempo reaching its peak, then slowly fell on one last note. The note continued to ring out, and Vinyl watched as the world around her shifted once again. When it reformed, Vinyl found herself standing back on the stage of the theatre. Octavia sat on her stool in front of her, bow slowly holding the last note, her incorporeal body glowing with an ethereal light.

When the note ended, and the song was complete, Octavia looked up from her instrument. Tears flowed down Vinyl’s cheeks, but none graced the cellist’s own. No, the only thing on her face was a content smile of acceptance, and finality.

Vinyl watched as the mare she loved slowly began to fade, her ghostly body dissipating as if a falling mist. The white mare lunged forwards, grasping what was left of her lover. She said but three words, “I love you.”

The fading spirit smiled, reaching out a dissipating hoof and running it through her crying lover’s mane. “Shhh…” she cooed softly. “Don’t cry, my love. Live the life I never could. Keep my memory in your heart. Because as long as you remember me: I cannot die.” Up to her chest was completely faded away, leaving only her upper half. She used her hoof to pull Vinyl’s chin up so their eyes would meet. “I love you, Vinyl. You are the greatest thing to ever happen to me.” She then leaned in forwards and give Vinyl one last kiss. “Thank you…”

Then, she was gone.

Vinyl watched as the last bits of her lover faded to nothing, leaving her alone in the theatre. The once haunting feeling that the theatre had once held was now gone. The mare looked down, seeing the cello that had once belonged to the mare she loved, but now was orphaned without a master. She went to touch the ancient instrument, but it crumbled into dust before she could.

Vinyl let out a sigh and shook her head. She went to turn to leave when she spotted something in the corner of her eye. The DJ turned back and noticed a perfectly white collar with a bright pink bowtie laying on the stool in the center stage. Vinyl trotted over to the discarded piece of clothing and picked it up. It glowed with the faintest of light and brought with it a familiar feeling. Vinyl smiled, then used her hooves and magic to adorn the singular piece of clothing.

She then turned away and exited the theatre for the last time, never to return, leaving behind only memories.

Memories brought forth by the Symphony of the Damned.

Epilogue

The true nature of life and death was a topic that has been on Vinyl’s mind for more than a year. In the past, Vinyl never thought about what made something ‘alive’. She just knew that ponies were living creatures, plants were living creatures, and animals were living creatures. They would all behave similarly; all three needed to eat and drink, two of them needed to sleep, and one of them is sentient. Vinyl had once asked Neon what it means to be alive, seeing as how he could provide a scientific viewpoint of the subject.

Neon simply stated that to be ‘alive’ a creature would need a brain that controls a body, it would need to constantly convert resources into energy to stay alive, it would need a motive or ‘will’ to continue living, and it would have the need and ability to reproduce.

It was all simple and concrete facts. Living beings were alive and did all of those things in order to continue living. Something that was dead once did those things, but no longer does anymore. However, after Vinyl had stepped hoof into the Melody Grand Theatre that fateful year ago, her whole perception of what life is had changed.

Vinyl walked along the freshly mowed grass, traversing the field of grief to her destination. The mare soon dropped to her flank and opened her saddlebag. Gently, she levitated out a set of five roses, all wrapped up in an eloquent bouquet, and placed them on the grass with her magic. She was silent for some time after that, only looking at the tombstone with a sad smile.

“Hey, Tavi…” Vinyl began, her voice soft. “I still don’t know if you can hear me, but I’m still going to talk to you anyways.” The unicorn sniffed, but held herself firm. She would not cry; she promised herself she wouldn’t cry. Not yet. “Things have been good this past year. Neon went and got a full scholarship to the Canterlot University of Science and Engineering. He starts classes in a few months; I haven’t seen the kid this excited in years,” she smiled to herself, “I’m proud of him.”

There was a pause. Vinyl had to compose herself.

“Things have been good for me, too. A few weeks after you… after you left, some owner of a local club came in and saw me play my set. Apparently he liked what he saw, because he offered me a shot as one of his house DJ’s. I know, I know, I already am a house DJ, but… he payed me better.” She chuckled softly. “It wasn’t for a popular time slot, at first, but I’ve managed to work my way up. At this rate, the boss says I may make the prime slot in a few weeks. And that means I can play my own stuff instead of what they tell me to play.”

Vinyl paused again, this time struggling to keep the tears at bay.

“I… I miss you, Tavi. I miss you so much. There isn’t a day I don’t think about you. I… I wish you didn’t have to go…”

The dam broke, and Vinyl began to cry. The mare curled up into a small ball, head in hooves, and wept. In her distress, she failed to hear a pair of hooves slowly make their way over toward her.

“Do not cry, my little pony. She is in a better place, now.”

Slightly startled, Vinyl quickly stood up and wiped her eyes. She turned to address the newcomer, and had to rub her eyes once more to make sure she was seeing correctly. Once she was certain that the pony standing before her was the real thing, she stuttered out: “P-P-Princess?”

“I apologize, it was not my intent to frighten,” spoke the calm, motherly voice of the last pony Vinyl expected to see: Princess Celestia. Her mane flowed gracefully by an unseen wind; her face holding a warmth that soothed Vinyl’s crying.

Vinyl stared at the ruler of Equestria for many moments, shocked that she of all ponies would come to a common cemetary, let alone address a common pony such as herself. She eventually snapped out of her stupor, the white unicorn quickly bowed, pressing her muzzle into the cold earth. “O-oh! S-sorry, your highness.”

“You may rise, Vinyl.” Celestia gently motioned for Vinyl to stand back up. “It is I who should be apologizing: I am the one who is intruding on your mourning.”

Vinyl slowly rose. “O-oh, it’s fine… Wait, how do you know my name?”

Celestia’s horn glowed and, a second later, a plush velvet cushion appeared out of nowhere. She placed it on the grass and gently sat down. “I know all about you, Vinyl, and have seen what you have done here,” she smiled softly and motioned to the tombstone, “what you did for her.”

Vinyl rubbed her forehead, “B-But, how-”

“I have known about Mrs. Melody and her… unique predicament for a long time. As such, I have kept an eye on her and the old theatre. I know about what you did, and I thank you.”

Vinyl processed the princess’ words. A single fact stood out, and it made her question the solar diarch. “Wait… you knew about Octavia this entire time?”

Celestia noded sadly.

Vinyl took a deep breath. If Celestia knew about Octavia, then how come she hadn’t done anything to help in the past eighty years? The thought of the oldest, wisest, and most powerful pony neglecting a lost, lonely spirit sparked a fire in Vinyl. “But… so why didn’t you do anything? W-why didn’t you… you help her? Why did you just stand there and… and let her suffer?!” Vinyl knew full well who she was talking to, but she couldn’t help but raise her voice.

Celestia, for her part, lowered her gaze to the grass, a sadness spreading on her features. “I know you’re angry, and you have every right to be. But, know this: I have tried to help her. I did everything in my power to put her spirit to rest,” her head bowed in slight shame, “but it was all in vain. There are some things that are even beyond my control.”

Vinyl raised an agitated eyebrow. “What do you mean? You’re a princess! There must have been something you could have done!”

Celestia looked on at the angered mare with saddened eyes. “Vinyl, I know that you and the rest of my subjects believe me to be a god, but that simply isn’t true. I must follow the same rules as you. More so, actually. There are powers that are greater than I, and I know what happens when I try to meddle with their business.

“I have been alive for one-thousand and forty-three years. I have watched our kingdom rise from its ashes and flourish through ages of magical and technological advancements. I have both witnessed and defeated foes with near incomprehensible power. I have experienced first-hoof entirely new worlds beyond our own reality. And in all my years of witnessing, learning, and mastering, my knowledge of our entire existence is infinitesimally small. There are forces out there that we can hardly fathom. Forces that rule our existence. Forces that heavily impact our daily lives that we know nothing about.

“Once before, in my lifetime, have I seen a ghost, and in the past I have tried to meddle with those forces to help the poor, lost soul. That was a mistake. I brought only pain, not solice. I swore I would not make the same mistake again.” Celestia sighed. “I did what I could, making sure that the theatre was never to be disturbed until Octavia had passed. I wish I could have done more. It pained me. It still pains me. She had suffered so much, and was denied a happy and fulfilling life.” Celestia glanced back at the tombstone; a small smile crept onto her lips. “But,” she continued, “it all matters not, anymore. After years of loneliness and sorrow, her spirit was finally put to rest… and I have you to thank for that, Vinyl. You helped her see past all of the pain and hardships of her life. You helped her accept her true self. You helped her see past petty racism. Most importantly, you made her the happiest she’s ever been in both life and death.” Celestia bowed to the white unicorn, who stood slightly stunned. “I am in your debt, Ms. Scratch. You have brought some peace to this old mare, and righted a wrong which I could not.”

Vinyl watched as the princess rose, giving her a thankful smile. The unicorn shook her head slightly. She tried to form words, but failed. Eventually, the mare closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Thank you, Princess. It means a lot.”

The solar diarch gave another small smile, then spread her mighty wings. “You’re welcome, my little pony. I thank you for what you have done, and I offer my condolences on your loss. But, I also wish for you to remember what you have gained. Death is only the loss of a life, and not of what they have done.” The princess gave another bow, then took to the sky, and disappeared in a flash of magical light.

Vinyl blinked, rubbing her eyes. Her lips formed a soft smile, then she turned back towards the grave. Her horn lit up, and she carved a simple message into the top of the stone, “V+O,” within a heart.

“Thanks for the memories…”

It was at that moment when Vinyl realized the true meaning of life and death. For as long as you keep the memories of one with you, they will never truly die.

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