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.

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.

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. Next Chapter: Chapter: 13 Estimated time remaining: 39 Minutes