The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twenty

If I Should Lose You

***

"Tavi, no!"

A burst of magical energy slapped the cellist on the hoof, making her drop the syringe. What the?.. Octavia turned her head, only to see Vinyl standing in the doorway, her eyes widened in fear. The white unicorn snapped out of her frozen stance in a moment and rushed to her marefriend, slapping her cheek with a hoof. The blow was not hard, but sent Octavia into a stance of confusion. What was that for?.. she thought, her head clearing up a little, though, still inebriated, she couldn't quite put two and two together.

But before she could ask, Vinyl enveloped her in a tight embrace and buried her muzzle into her neck. Silly... pony... Tavi, why? the pianist's thoughts jumped up and down along the steep path of conscience, resembling her feelings only too well. The cellist felt her coat becoming damp from tears.

"Stupid... Tavi..." the pianist mumbled, crying, her words interrupted by audible sniffs. "How could you even... think about..."

"Vinyl? What... Why are you crying?" Octavia muttered, stroking her mare's back instinctively. She was coming round eventually, regaining the ability to think properly, which had recently been suppressed by an outstanding amount of alcohol.

"You... so... stupid..." Vinyl wiped off the tears, and looked at her, a painful expression in her eyes. "Why would you want to do it?!" the unicorn demanded, pointing at the syringe, which was now peacefully lying on the table, as a symbol of a ceaseless, pointless addiction.

"I.. I just..." Octavia began, but her feelings got the best of her, and she burst into tears herself, sobbing. "I am a worthless, worthless pony!" she exclaimed, the feeling of self-deprecation leaving a dark trail in her soul.

"Now why would you think so?!" Vinyl retorted, comforting her cellist, planting little kisses all about Octavia's muzzle. "You are the best, the most wonderful, the most beautiful, kind and caring mare I've ever met!" she said, each word carrying absolute truth, unquestionable harmony with her thoughts and feelings.

Octavia silently tapped her hoof against the newspaper, which was lying on the table, open on the Music page. Vinyl took the hint and began to dig into the passage. Now she'll definitely hate me... the cellist thought with a boulder of sadness hitting her heart.

"And that's it?" Vinyl asked suddenly, huffing and tossing the paper away. I can't believe Tavi got all weepy like that because of such a trifle!

"What?.." Octavia blinked. "What do you mean, love? I can no longer play for the Orchestra! They fired me!" she exclaimed in severe lack of understanding.

"I mean that you're silly," Vinyl concluded, shaking her head, her spirits lifted as she realised there was nothing to worry about. "You're fired, so what? You were tired of those snooty ponies in the first place; and this only means you can devote yourself to jazz!" She threw a hoof in the air, grinning from ear to ear. Seeing Octavia chuckle a little at her vigour, she added, "Jazz. And me."

While Octavia couldn't find the reason why - after all, they say that a pony's brain is an enigmatic machine - but she felt better. She really felt better. She could no longer see how she could worry about such a stupid thing, not to mention actually try drugging herself! She had an opportunity to become a jazz performer, and achieve her dream.  After all, she had never liked the strict rules of classical music that she had had to follow throughout her career. She loved classical music, almost as much as she loved jazz, but she wanted to play it with soul, and love, and passion, while the mores of the high society, which was her main audience... had been her main audience, she reminded herslef, a little glad and relieved that it was all over - prohibited any show of emotion. That wasn't what music was meant to be. That was bland entertaiment, or a tool of ideological device - anything, anything at all but real music. What was more important now, however, even the most important, was the fact that she had a wonderful marefriend - the most amazing mare in the world - and she was able to help her - thanks to her, Vinyl was undergoing treatment in the best clinic-

The cellist gasped in sudden realisation. "Vinyl! What are you doing here?!"

"Well..." the pianist rubbed her chin. "Trying to calm you down - successfully, if I may add..." She grinned and wiggled her eyebrow, making her mare smile. "...and also trying to prevent you from becoming a junkie, I guess." Bravo, Vinyl. Always gets 'er!

Octavia groaned, but chuckled despite herself. "I mean, what are you doing here, away from the clinic?" She honestly wanted to make her voice sound stern, but with Vinyl, it was way too hard, gradually becoming an almost impossible task.

"Oh, that..." Vinyl's grin faded and she rubbed the back of her head. "Well, I kinda... slipped away," she admitted.

"What?! Why?!" the cellist demanded.

"For one thing, I needed to tell you that I'd changed my mind: I don't need buck. Not anymore." The pianist's red eyes shone with determination, her look mesmerising Octavia. "Also..." She paused, a slight blush covering her cheeks. "...You know, this may sound strange, but I kinda... felt you were in trouble."

Octavia nodded. Somehow, this felt right. She had to admit, she had felt the same way: she could feel a strange unity with Vinyl, as if their souls were connected in some way, transmitting emotion to each other.

"I see." Octavia leaned in and pecked her mare on the cheek. "You just don't realise how much I love you, Vinyl," she whispered into the unicorn's ear.

"I do, Tavi." The white mare nuzzled her mare gently. "Because I love you just as much."

The two mares shared a passionate kiss, Vinyl pinning Octavia to the table, their worries washing away in this instant cure - the cure for everything in the world: love. Love could cure anything. Love was the ultimate drug, to outshine the effect of all other drugs. Love was greater than death, and life itself. Love was something that both mares found salvation in; something that gave them the everlasting feeling of freedom, a feeling, which was otherwise off their limits.

As they broke the kiss, Octavia looked into Vinyl's eyes lovingly, thankful to her mare for saving her from the pit of self-destruction. But now, it was time for her to save her mare.

"Vinyl, we need to return to the clinic. They are probably out of their minds right now!" she said firmly, and, to her surprise (and delight), the unicorn nodded obediently.

"Sure, Tavi." Vinyl stood up and helped her marefriend get up as well. "But first, you have something to do."

What... Oh, right. Octavia turned round and looked at the table. The syringe was still lying there, having been the silent witness all that time. Octavia smiled in determination. She approached the table and gave the syringe a well-placed stomp, turning it into a mass of shards and sad liquid, which was pouring down the needle, only to be never consumed.