The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Ten

Don't Ever Be Afraid to Go Home

***

"Warm clothes?"

"Check!"

"Socks and scarves?"

"Check!"

"Your remembering that we're just friends for the time being?"

Vinyl groaned. The perspective of playing the role of mere friend of Octavia for the whole weekend didn't really appeal to her; but she had to play along. After all, Octavia's family was their last resort; and, their being as conservative as Octavia had told her, she needed to show no signs of... filly-fooling.

"Cheeeck," she muttered and sighed. It was going to be a long weekend for her...

Seeing her marefriend upset bugged Octavia greatly; if only there were any other option... But there isn't. The cellist approached her pianist and kissed her gently, bathing in the sensation that would be off her limits for the whole two days.

"Love, I share your feeling, but we really need their help," she tried to reason the white mare, and herself at it.

"I know, Tavi..." Vinyl sighed again and managed to come up with a little smile. Hey, an idea! "Say, what if have some fun time before leaving? We've a few hours till that train and all..." Vinyl winked and wiggled her eyebrow.

Octavia replied with a flat look. "Vinyl, we did that, like, several hours ago."

"But you look so sexy!" the pianist tried to persuade the grey mare.

"Vinyl, while I do appreciate the compliment, the answer's no. You need to learn to keep your urges at bay, at least for a few days we're spending in Canterlot." She planted a kiss on Vinyl's cheek. "And when we return, I'm all yours..." she whispered into the mare's ear. As if I myself don't want it now... she mused, eyeing her marefriend's gorgeous form.

"All right, Tavi..." Vinyl agreed reluctantly, 'accidentally' whipping her tail agaist the grey mare's flank. "So, what are we up to, then?" she wondered, looking about the room, her gaze stopping on the luggage resting next to the door.

"How about some tea?" Octavia suggested, gesturing towards the kitchen. Receiving an approving nod from Vinyl, she trotted towards the kitchen. "Are you coming, love?"

"Sure, in a moment," Vinyl replied, seeing her cellist disappear in the kitchen, not able not to make a mental remark of Octavia's rear.

Just as the grey mare disappeared from sight, Vinyl collapsed onto the floor, cowering, no longer able to keep cool. Her limbs ached, as if an impossible mixture of heat and cold was applied to them. Sweat began covering her whole body, but she didn't notice it, blinded by pain. Her eyesight became blurred, and she shut her eyes tightly. This didn't ease the pain in the slightest. Her head was spinning; the whole world around her was spinning. She felt sick, tired and hopeless. She needed buck. Only one dose... She had trouble breathing, as if her lungs were refusing to work properly. It felt as if all kinds of pain united in one single arrow, which was striking her, piercing through every nerve. She groaned and tried to reach for her stash telekinetically. My stash... She remembered it was no longer here; her only cure, her wonderful box of wonders, and laughter, and happiness. She wasn't able to form thoughts properly, her whole thinking process concentrated on the so desired, but so unreachacle syringe with the precious liquid, the most amazing liquid in the world, the liquid that would make her brave, and calm, and relaxed. The only thing that would make her happy. The only thing that would make her whole...

"Vinyl! VINYL!"

She felt grey hooves shaking her violently, bringing her back to reality. She wanted to reply; she wanted to say it was all right; but it wasnt't all right!  "With...drawal..." she managed to let out before another overwhelming wave of pain covered her, making her cringe and yelp.

Octavia understood everything. She knew this moment would come eventually; still, she wasn't ready for this. She simply held the white mare in her hooves, trying to protect her from everything, to soothe her, to calm her down. The grey mare felt so hopeless, realising that she wasn't going to be much help. Yet, she would do everything to help her mare.

Vinyl wanted to faint, or to fall asleep; just to stop feeling, anything at all. But she could not. The cruel withdrawal robbed her even of this opportunity. Sometimes thoughts left her head completely, and she felt as if she were staring into the very essence of pain. Sometimes the torture was so unbearable that it prevented her from crying: she opened her mouth, her rolling bloodshot eyes filled with insanity, but no sounds came out. She didn't feel Octavia hug her, stroke her mane, kiss her neck; she felt only pain, and that pain was very much dancing on the edge of tearing her apart.

She would do anything to kill the pain, to make it stop. But there was nothing to be done.

Octavia watched in horror as the white mare cowered before her on the floor, her head violently jerked aside, her whole body trembling, bathing in sweat, her eyes rolling and rolling and rolling and rolling... Octavia wanted to wake up from this nightmare. She wanted all of this to stop. But it wasn't a dream, and she couldn't do anything.

The pain ceased as quickly as it had been born. In a flashing moment, which, to Vinyl, seemed to have lasted for eternity, she suddenly could feel once more. She felt her marefriend's embrace, and breath, and her long black mane brushing against her cheek. And it felt good. She gathered all the power left in her aching muscles and smiled.

"It's gone, Tavi..." she whispered, leaning onto the grey mare, exhausted. She gulped, reminding herself that it wasn't the end. "It will be back."

"I know." Octavia planted a kiss right below her pianist's horn. "And I will do everything to make it better." Everything, Vinyl.

Vinyl looked into her marefriend's beautiful eyes, noticing how wonderfully... lavender they were. What a silly thought... Vinyl chuckled. She took a deep breath and stood up, propping herself against the cellist.

"Come." She smiled. "Let's get over with this whole reunion thing!"

Octavia smiled back and lifted their luggage onto her sturdy back, thankful that she was an earth pony, and trotted towards the doorway, keeping an eye on the wary mare, the mare who was now in complete possession of her heart.

***

"Are we there yet?"

"No, Vinyl."

The white mare looked through the window of the train, countless trees rushing ahead of her sight. She sighed and looked at her marefriend (Friend, Vinyl. For now, she is your friend, and don't you dare forget it!), who was now reading a book.

"How about now?"

"No, Vinyl."

The pianist groaned and stared idly at her hooves. They had been on the train for four hours already, and it wasn't exactly appealing to her impatient nature.

"How about-"

"No, Vinyl," Octavia replied firmly, not diverting her attention from the book. It was a cheap paperback novel, some science-fiction novel about Doctor Whooves. Although the cellist was somewhat taken aback by the style, it was a good read, apart from the fact that Vinyl had been interrupting her every few minutes for the past several hours. It would have been amazing to have some music to drawn the pianist's babbling. If only there were some way to take all your records with you on a portable device... she thought, chuckling at such an absurd and physically impossible idea.

"Aww..." Vinyl pouted and looked at her mare... erm, friend with her best puppy-eyes expression. "At least I hope that with a name like Chicoltgo, the town's gonna be a really chic place."

Octavia put down the book with a sigh. It wasn't like she would have the chance to read uninterrupted, anyway. She smiled at her marefriend (Friend, Octavia. She's your friend for the time being, and don't you dare forget it!) and closed her eyes, the images of her hometown appearing before her eyes. "Oh yes, Vinyl. It will be beautiful." She looked through the window, and her smile grew even wider. "Why don't you see for yourself, though?"

"Huh?" Vinyl blinked and followed the cellist's gaze. What she saw reallt struck her. Beautiful, tall skyscrapers stood next to each other, perfectly lined. The whole city was brightly illuminated, and carried the general feeling of welcomeness (That's a word, right?), as opposed to the dull and posh streets of Manehattan. It felt as it Chicoltgo had been waiting for them arrive, all this time.

"Arriving at Chicoltgo central station in five minutes!" a voice echoed from the corridor. Vinyl smiled and put on her goggles.

Octavia put her hoof on top of the unicorn's.

"We're here, Vinyl." She felt distinct nostalgia all of a sudden. "That's my hometown."