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

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

Vinyl nodded.  “Eeyup!  Every one!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vinyl shrugged nonchalantly.  “It’s hot.”

“How does temperature relate to this?!”

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

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

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

“Nineteen.”

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

“I heard that!”

“That was the point, grandma!”

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

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

“A-are you sure?" Octavia asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Octavia raised an eyebrow.  “Show me what?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“W-what are you t-talking about?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Perhaps she was given a second chance?

“Uh… Tavi?  You in there?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“She’s just like me…”

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