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... Next Chapter: Chapter: 12 Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 11 Minutes