The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Eight

When Your Lover Has Gone

***

"Tavi, wait, I can explain!" Vinyl begged, tears in her eyes, cowering before the grey mare. "Please, listen to me! Don't leave!" The euphoria had faded; her body was tense and stiff now, but she didn't feel anything besides the fact that her marefriend, the most wonderful mare in the world, was angry with her, and was going to leave. Fifteen minutes ago, she'd dragged the almost unconscious Vinyl onto their bed, and stayed by her side. But now, she said she needed some time alone; alone, without her. Does she hate me now?..

"Vinyl, calm down." Octavia sighed and placed her hoof atop the mare's shoulder, lying next to her. "I'm not leaving. I'm not angry with you..." She paused and continued with a frown, "Well, maybe I am angry, but only because you didn't tell me about your problem earlier. I am just shocked and, to be honest, disturbed." She rose and trotted towards the door. "And right now, I need some time alone." She opened the door. "To think."

Vinyl felt her eyes become teary. "Tavi, I just-" she tried to say something, to apologise, to explain... but her marefriend was gone. She no longer held the urge to cry, letting tears stream freely, flowing across her cheeks, damping her fur. If only she could do something - anything! If only she were strong, strong enough to kick the addiction... But I'm not, the mare concluded.

But only because you haven't told me before, Octavia's words reverberated in her ears. Maybe... Maybe Octavia wouldn't really leave her? Maybe she honestly needed some time to think, to think about how they could overcome the problem together... Vinyl frowned. No. She knew better. She knew from experience. All of her marefriends would say the same thing, and leave, and never come back, just after they'd learned about her addiction. They would never come back.

That was the reason why she hadn't told Octavia earlier. She didn't want her to leave. For the first time in her life, she had felt something greater than attraction; something greater than excitement; something greater than music, or life itself. For the first time in her life, with Octavia, she had felt love. And it felt good. So impossibly, unbelievably good. She knew that the grey mare would leave as soon as she learned about her problem. She just wanted to delay the moment.

But now Octavia was gone, and would never come back, no matter what she had said. She simply didn't want to break her, Vinyl's, heart. But it was already broken at the thought of their love dying, their mutual dream fading away... No matter how sweet, a dream left unrealised must fade into day.

Vinyl wept and wept, until she could cry no more, and then wept some more, howling, no tears escaping her eyes. She lay on the floor for a few minutes - or hours? - and had no desire to ever stand up. She thought about how Octavia and she had been happy; what moments of bliss they'd shared. She thought about how they went to the bar, and how they were both shocked by-

Coltring. Old God Coltring.

Suddenly, the image of the blind pianist came to her mind, and the words of her wise teacher echoed in her ears.

"Vinyl, no matter what, you must follow your dreams."

"But- But what if some things -  circum... circums... things don't let them come true?"

"Then you turn round and buck those circumstances. In the face."

Vinyl's red eyes lit with flames of passion once more. She rose to her hooves, shaking slightly. She slowly moved towards the table, where her "medical box", as Octavia called it - which, in reality, was her stash, lay. She looked at it, and squinted her eyes in anger. Her horn lit up, and fires of fury began to dance in her eyes. In a moment, the box burst into flames, which consumed it whole, not touching the table, however. Vinyl was actually quite surprised that she was able to tame her magic in such a state. Looking at the pile of ashes, which had cost her a lot of bits; the pile of ashes which had been her only joy in life - before Octavia came and showed her what love was; the pile of ashes which had just been one of deadliest - if not the deadliest - drugs, she felt determination building inside her.

She would find Octavia. She would explain everything. She would bring her lover back.

***

Octavia came to a stop before a large white building, which radiated the tiny rays of the Sun, which was now peeking through the thick cloud curtain, as if it were checking whether the city was worthy of its beauty. To Octavia's mind, it was not. The only thing worth living for in Manehattan was she - Vinyl. And she needed help. The grey mare had managed to deal with her anger; surely Vinyl had a reason to hide the truth from her, and, while it was not pleasant to know, it was tolerable. Vinyl was really ill; she was more than ill: she was addicted. And she needed her, Octavia's, help.

The cellist regretted being so rude to her marefriend some several minutes ago, but she was eager to make up for her mistake. They had a problem, they both had a problem, which they needed to solve together. And she was here just for that.

Octavia entered the building and came up to a yellow unicorn mare at the reception table.

"Manehattan Clinic, how can I help you?" she asked immediately, upon seeing the concerned look on Octavia's face.

The grey pony shifted from hoof to hoof uneasily, blushing slightly. No matter what, she needed to say that, sooner or later. And it was better to speak sooner.

"Could you tell me, please..." she began, trying to avoid looking into the yellow pony's eyes. "Do you cure... buck addictions?"

"Oh my..." the receptionist mare gasped.

Octavia raised her head, only to see a look of genuine concern and sympathy on the yellow unicorn's face.

"Of course!" she exclaimed, shining with empathy. "While it is an extremely difficult, and quite unpleasant treatment, we have dealt with such cases successfully. You are very brave to come here," the unicorn praised Octavia with a smile.

Octavia's eyes widened, and she waved her hooves in the air. "Oh, no, no! There's been a misunderstanding! I'm not an addict." She smiled sheepishly. "I would like to reserve a ward for my ma- friend. For my friend, who is addicted to the drug," she finished, exhaling in relief as she saw the unicorn not to have noticed her sudden slip.

"Sure, Miss..."

"Philarmonica. Octavia Philarmonica," Octavia said with a smile, seeing the mare's eyes widen in surprise.

"Octavia Philarmonica?! As in, the Octavia Philarmonica, the cellist for-"

"The Royal Orchestra. Yes, it is I," Octavia interrupted her politely. "But about this treatment..."

"Oh, sure!" The mare placed a paper onto the desk. "You just need to sign here..." She placed a vinyl record in a colourful package next to it and blushed a little. "And here, if you will."

Octavia smiled and signed the paper and placed her autograph on the record.

Wait for me, Vinyl... she thought. I will help you.