Slums.  Dirty, torn and dangerous areas that every city has the displeasure of having.  They were never meant to be put in place, but they always appear.  Every town has their rich and their poor districts; their country clubs and their ghettos.  It's inevitable.  No matter where you live, there is always that one part of town that you should never come across.  The part where the drug dealers reign, the thugs enforce their 'street laws' and crime is as common as the drugs they abuse.  It's horrible, like a living hell.

And I'm stuck there.

I shouldn't be living like this.  I, Octavia Harmonious, should not have to devote myself to living in the slums of Canterlot.  It's embarrassing and terrifying.  I used to be somepony!  I used to be the talk of the town!  The livelihood of social gatherings!  The youngest musician to ever have the honor to play in the Royal Symphony for the princesses themselves!  To earn such a position is equivalent to being a god!  

Look where it has gotten me!  Fame and fortune and everything in between was in my grasp!  My reputation preceded me and my talent was well known across Equestria.  I climbed the social ladder and faced every challenge head on to get where I was at.  Even after that fluke at the Gala a few years back.  Even after that crazy pink mare left, my ensemble and I, being as magnificent as we were, were able to revive what was left of the Gala.

Look where my reputation got me then, and look where I'm at now!  Broke, in poor health, and living in a disgusting apartment that reeks due to possibly years without proper maintenance and or might have been the site of a meth lab not too long ago.  I can barely pay my rent, and my damn landlord keeps changing the fee.  Worse part is I can't fight him.  If I don't pay, I'm out on the streets.  And I have no possible way to hire a lawyer to stop him.

Even though these current conditions are near suicidal, I still won't give up.  I've worked too hard to get where I was, and because of Canterlot's 'oh so humble' system on how they run the celebrity industry, ponies can rise and fall from strokes of pure luck to the most foolish things.  The media, big corporations, and the wankers that actually fall for their lies are what put me in this position.  I was betrayed, and nopony believed me when I said they were lying.

Damn them all.  Damn the corporations for paying the media off, damn the media for running my name through the mud, damn the ponies for believing it, and damn the Makers for putting me through all that!  Why couldn't I just sit back, and live out the rest of my life rich, famous, and leaving a legacy behind for all future musicians?  I'm not a bad pony!  Sure I'm easily angered and a bit over dramatic, but that's no reason to smite me!

I sigh.  I need to stop ranting like this every waking moment, I have more stress built up then I know what to do with.  There's no one who wants, nor cares, to hear me rant, and I can't afford a psychiatrist to listen to me ramble.  The only other stress relievers I can think of are illegal, so that's ruled out.  Not drugs, heavens no.  I find it more relaxing to just take out my revenge on those who ruined me.

I roll over in bed, laying on my side now.  In the corner of this disgusting, dusty, moldy room sits a cello, delicately protected in its case.  It's not my cello.  Oh no, my cello was stolen from me from those damn lawyers!  I couldn't afford to pay the fines I 'owed' during my lawsuit, so they took my property, including my cello, as a lien.  

My jaw tightens.  Everytime I think about my cello, I start to cry.  It was so sentimental to me, so valuable.  I wouldn't give it away for the world.  Not only was it a gift from my father, it was also my mother's cello that she played when she got her cutie mark.  I've had the instrument since I was nine, and it never left my side.  Damn the courts.  I hope they all burn in agonizing pain in the fiery pits of Tartarus for what they did to me.

So against my emotions, I obtained a new cello.  I could never play it correctly.  It's not mine, it never will be.  Every time I pick up the bow, my hooves shake, and my body freezes.  The spirit is gone.  The motive to play isn't present in me anymore.  My soul has gone hollow since that day, and I can't even look at another instrument without it decaying even further.  

A harsh banging echoed through the small flat.  I groan, wipe the tears from my eyes and throw the sheets off my body.  There's only one pony who bangs that loudly on my door, and I'll be damned if I'm wrong.  And you know what?  I was right.  Opening the door, my druggy of a landlord showed his disgusting face.  Oh I wonder why he's here?  There's only two reasons he comes by my door: Wanting rent, or wanting sex.  Disgusting excuse for a pony.  I'd rather cauterize my insides than allow that disease ridden thing to ever go near me.

"What do you want?"  I say sharply.

He simply chuckles.  "It's that time of the month again, Octavia.  Pay up, or git out."

'Time of the month?'  More like 'time of the week'.  "Fine."  I toss him a small bag of bits.  "Save some drugs for me, if you would be so kind?"  I say sarcastically.  

He fiddles with the bag in his hooves.  "Yer light."

Here we go again..."Light?  There's 300 bits in there.  That is what you raised it to yesterday."

"Whelp, now it's 375."

It took all of my willpower to not rip his spinal chord out.  "Dammit why?!  Every flipping week you raise the bloody price!"

"Hey hey hey!  In the contract that you signed, the fine print clearly stated that I, the landlord, may increase the monthly rent of my tenants to accommodate for additional expenses within the building, or the individual apartments."

"'Accommodate for additional expenses', you mean crack?"

"No."  He moves to the side.  "I added new lighting in the hallways, as well as replaced the hot water heater.  Now, if you would be so kind as to help pay for these new additions, I'll be out of your mane."

I scoff.  "Sorry, but I honestly don't give a damn about your 'new lighting'.  I'll give you 330 bits, but that's all.  I'm sure if you take a week off of crack you don't need the extra 45."

He shook his head.  "No can do.  It won't be fair to the other tenants to charge them more and you less."

I sigh and look down.  Dammit, I hate admitting this to him, but I don't think I have a choice.  Maybe he'll go easy on me If I told him.  "I-I don't have anymore bits.  Your constant 'renovations' bled me dry.  I can give you 330 today, right now, but that's all.  I have nothing left."  I feel terrible for telling him that.  Like a coward begging for mercy.

He chuckles again.  "You know, if you're in a bit of a tight spot.  I know of ways that can...ease the pressure."  His eyes soon hover over my flank.

I grit my teeth and slam the door in his face.  "Bloody pig!"  I yell.

"AGH!  Dammit!"  He yells through the door.  Good, I hope I broke his snout.  "That's it, Octavia.  You have until tomorrow to come up with 450 bits, or you're outa here!"  I hear his hoofsteps fade away.  "Dammit!  Stupid bitch!  Agh!"

I took a moment to smile in light of my deeds.  By the way he was screaming in pain, it's safe to say I broke something.  It felt good.  I wish I can do more.  

The euphoria soon dies out, and the reality of the situation dawns on me.  How on earth am I going to get 450 bits by tomorrow?  I don't have that money with me.  I have nothing of value I can quickly sell to a pawn shop, and I--wait.  Pawn shop!  I can sell this cello!  Perfect!  Even though it's a cheap school theater cello, I am Octavia Harmonious; by it just being in my possession alone is enough to make its value go up!  I can get the bits I need to pay off the 'rent' for this month, and once I get more through various odd jobs, I can have an income!  It's fool proof!

I pause for a second.  I have to be real careful about this.  Pawn shops are notorious for being cheap, and there's no doubt in my mind they will try to scam me.  No matter, once they know who I am, I can sell my horseshoe for a fortune.

I quickly grab my coat, the cello, and head out the door.

(\/);,,;(\/)

Well.  This looks like the end of me.  I thought my superior plan was going to save my rump.  I thought I could get the bits before tomorrow.  I thought too much that I over-thought and failed to realize how late it is.  The pawn shop is closed and tomorrow is Sunday, meaning the shop won't be open until Monday.  

Dammit!  Damn damn damn!  What am I going to do now?!  Unless I can get away with a bank heist, or pickpocket a dozen ponies, there's no way that I'll have the money before tomorrow.  This is great!  Just flipping great!  Why is this happening to me?!  Why did fate lay its harsh hoof on me?  I've done nothing to deserve this!  I just-I...I can't believe how my life has turned out in just this last year; how much of a sudden fall I've taken.  From being a well known cellist in the Royal Symphony to...near homeless.

I start to walk away from the pawn shop.  Time to enjoy one last night in a bed before I have to sleep on concrete.  A sudden flicker of lights catch the corner of my eye.  About a block away is what looks like a nightclub.  Ah yes, I can hear, no, feel the noise from here.  Seriously, how do ponies enjoy this rubbish?!  It's just mindless bass banging your brain against your skull.  Unfortunately, I have to pass by this establishment to get back to my flat, lest I want to probe around dark alleys in this part of town.  I sigh in frustration.  Yet another thing to aggravate me further tonight.  

I stop and look at the building.  If it's a nightclub, there's alcohol.  As much as I hate nightclubs, the music they play, the ponies that are in it, the bass is what kills me.  The dreaded, heart pounding bass.  I don't know if it's just me, but every time I'm around overblaring bass, my chest constricts and my heart hurts.  It's like the vibrations pound on my muscles and make my heartbeats irregular.

Even with all the things I hate about them, alcohol makes up for all of that.  If I don't have enough money to pay the rent, I'd rather spend my last day getting drunk and waking up in my bed rather than concrete.  

Cheers to my horrible life.

(\/);,,;(\/)

"Another shot."  I say to the barmaid.

She looks me over for a second before raising a brow.  "Don't you think you had enough?"

I crack my neck and grunt.  "I'll know that I had enough when I can barely keep my head straight and my speech normal.  Another shot."

She rolls her eyes, but passed me the drink.  Ahhh, whiskey.  Life's guilty pleasure.  An escape from reality.  A way to drown out your troubles, even if it's only for a short while.  And when you're under its spell, you may snap out of it in a troubling situation that can only be solved with more of the dreaded poison.  It's a blessing and a burden.  I'm not an alcoholic, far far from it.  I socially drink only.  But, with the situation I'm currently in, why not taste a bit of that pleasure before going back?

The music finally stops, and so does my chest pain.  Thank you Celestia for giving me this moment of peace.  I quickly down the shot and bang the empty glass on the table.  From behind me, I hear a voice on a microphone, most likely the horrible DJ, saying she's going to take a break before continuing.  I have a good five minutes.

From the corner of my eye, I see a mare hop onto the bar stool and swivel around in a circle a few times before settling.  "Yo barkeep!  The usual!"  She calls out.

As the barmare hands over a drink to the mare, I ask for another shot when she passed by.  She gives me another look.  "Your speech is starting to get a little slurred there.  I don't think you can handle another shot before you can barely keep your head straight."

I groan, but say nothing.  Looks like my plans for the night are over.  Dammit, I can still partially think straight.  That won't work.  I guess I'll just go home and try to enjoy my last night of sub-par sleep.  The sooner I get out of this dreadful place, the better.

"Octavia Harmonious, if I'm not mistaken."

I turn my attention to that mare who called my name.  My hooves clench and my teeth grind at the sight of her.  I know this mare.  I've heard of her many times in many places.  She was the one who started it all.  The catalyst to my downfall.  The pony I hate the most in my life.  White unicorn, blue mane, trademark purple sunglasses.

"Vinyl Scratch, I presume."

She chuckles.  "Yep, that's me!"  She takes a gulp of her drink.  "So tell me, what's a mare like you doing in a place like this trying to get smashed?"

I quietly growl.  "None of your concern."

"Bad performance?"  She questions, obviously spotting the cello leaning on the barstool.

'More like no performance' is what I want to say, but that would only make me look more foolish than I already am.  I just stay quiet in hopes she'll just leave me alone.  With no more alcohol to drown out reality, I might as well just leave.  Cracking my neck once more, I pick up the cello case and slide it on my back.

"Leaving so soon?"  Vinyl asks.  "But the fun hasn't even started yet!"

Not even glancing at her I proceed to the door.  I suddenly feel my legs buckle up, and I stumble on my next step.  Grunting and picking myself back up, I head for the door once again only to be stopped by a white hoof.

"Whoa whoa, slow down there Octavia.  You ok?"

I not so gently push her hoof away.  "Leave me alone, I'm fine.  I'm going home."  Curse my legs.  They betray me once more as I stumble again.  And once again, Vinyl is by my side.

"I don't think you should be going home alone."

"I can take care of myself."  I say grimly.  

"I believe you, but you've had a few drinks, and at this time of night at this part of town...it's not a good idea."  She helps me get back on my hooves.  "Here, lemme just walk you home, alright?"

"I told you, I don't need your help!"  Stupid bint, why won't she listen?

She moves in front of me to look me in the eye.  However, due to those glasses I can't see hers.  How stupid is she?  Who wears sunglasses inside and at night?!  "Look Octavia, I can tell that you don't really like me, I get it, no problem.  I'm not asking to be your friend.  It's just that you're a bit tipsy, and I'd rather you wake up in your own bed alone than with one of them."  She cocks her head in the general direction of a group of stallions drinking and periodically looking our way.  "I know you're a reasonable pony.  Just let me walk you home, and you'll never see me again.  Ok?"

Dammit.  She's right.  With the way my head feels, I can't walk straight.  I'm such a idiot!  How could I not have thought this through?!  It was so simple in my head: Get drunk, feel free for a few hours, sleep it off in bed!  Oh but I completely forgot the concept of getting home after I've gotten drunk!  

First the pawn shop, now the nightclub.  You're losing it, Octavia!  Come on, where's that good old common sense?  Dammit!  Ok now.  Just calm down.  It's been a long, stressful night.  I'm usually good at dealing with stress.  Being on stage numerous times with hundreds of upper class ponies, and maybe even a few nobles, to perform to has conditioned me to cope with stress.  I can deal with just about anything on my own head on.  

That's my main way of conquering my doubts: Attacking them.  I am the one in control of my emotions.  I am the one who decides to crack under pressure, or fight through it.  And how victory taste so sweet!  It feels good conquering my fears and doubts, knowing that there's nothing to stand in my way except myself, except for the law, and other realistic scenarios that I usually find ways around.

But now...now is a whole different story.  I'm not the one in control anymore.  Everything around me crumbled, but I never caved in.  I kept fighting until the last breath.  I still am fighting, but it's no use.  I've gone too far down a darkened path to turn around.  All I can do now is keep going forward until I see a light.  

With all of that said.  My life is pretty stressful.  I've been dealing with it, albeit complaining every second of every day, but I still keep going on.  All the hatred, all the frustration in my life is building up and causing me to make irrational decisions.  I need to stop, think, and act.  Like I've always done before.

"Fine."  I say to her after a minute.  "But,"  I say sharply.  "You are not to linger afterwards, understand?  Just because I'm only working at half brain capacity doesn't mean you can take advantage of that.  Got it?  I will not be one of your one night stands!"

She puts her hooves up defensively.  "Alright alright.  Just calm down.  I don't even swing that way!  Even if I did I wasn't planning on doing anything anyways!  Sorry, but I don't sleep with drunk ponies."

"I'm not drunk."  I mumble.

"Drunk enough to not stand right."  She counters.

"And what about you?"  

"What about me?"

"I saw you chug down that drink as if it was your last."

She scoffs.  "Oh, that was a virgin.  Don't worry about me."

For some reason I doubt that.  "Just hurry up.  I want to get home."

She positions herself so that she's parallel with me.  "Lean on me."  I look at her hesitantly.  She groans.  "Unless you want to stumble around all night, be my guest."

I glare at her, but obey anyway.  She leads me out of the bar and into the darkened streets.  My vision starts to get extremely blurry.  Damn strobe lights frying my cornea.  Now I'm seeing blotches of blurry color all over the place.  I blink rapidly and rub my eyes with a hoof.  

"Whoa whoa, you ok?"  Vinyl asks.

Dammit.  Rubbing my eye caused me to lose balance and trip again.  I hate myself for agreeing with her.  Now I look like a helpless idiot stumbling around and needing a pony to keep me from falling.  And thus my reputation falls even further.  

The walk is thankfully silent.  I had warned her about talking to me after she tried to strike a conversation while asking where I live.  I merely told her the address, and threatened her if she tried to talk to me again.  Throughout the fairly long walk, my head kept getting more hazy.  Not only is my vision blurred, but now it's just getting darker and darker.  I ignore it.  I can make it to my bed, then I'll collapse there.  Once we reach my flat, I head to my door.

"Damn."  She starts.  "This place is terrible."

"Do not remind me."  I say darkly.

Unaffected by my tone, she continues to talk.  "What happened to you?"

"What did I say about you talking to me?"

She looks at me.  "Celestia, what's your problem-"

"Other than the fact that I live in a damn slum with a druggy of a landlord and no bits to pay the bloody rent?"  I cut her off.  

"-with me?"  She finishes.

The question lingers in the cold night air for a minute or two.  All the while I am giving her an aggravated glare.  She stays, stock still, with those purple glasses on to hide her facial expression.  I hope my glare is enough to get it through her thick skull that she should well know the reason why I dislike her.

"I mean c'mon, I've never met you before today, I've never done anything to you-"

I cut her off once again to holler at her.  "Like hell you haven't done anything to me!"  Dammit.  I need to keep my voice down or else I'll get charged with an additional 'disturbing the peace fee' to my 'rent'.  "You might not be the top on my list, but you're damn well near it.  You are part of why I'm living here today.  You're part of why I ended up broke.  You're part of why the media makes me look like absolute crap.  You might be indirectly linked to it all, but still linked nonetheless.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed."

I take my keys out of my coat pocket and struggle to direct them in the hole.  Dammit hooves, focus.  I stumble for a few more attempts until the keys fall from my grasp.  I close my eyes and bang my head against the door, worsening my state of mind.  It is only when I hear a metallic clank is when I look up.  There, my keys are floating in a blue aura, and the door slowly opens.

I look behind me to see Vinyl with her horn's glow disappearing.  It might be hard to tell her expressions because of those glasses, but I can see by her tucked in tail and drooped head that she's at least trying to look guilty.  Fool, I'm not falling for it.

I grunt and go inside.  "Oh no you don't!"  I say, stopping Vinyl before she goes through the door.  "I specifically told you not to stay once we've gotten here!"  I shove my hoof in front of her.  "Go."  I quickly bring that hoof to the side of my head.  Dammit Vinyl, just leave so I can sleep already!

She sighs while rubbing her snout.  "Octavia look.  I'm sorry for ruining your life even though I had nothing to do with it.  Is there-look can I just...can I make it up to you somehow?"

I narrow my eyes.  "Like you even care."  My head is now throbbing with every word.

"No really!  C'mon, you're living in this...shithole with almost nothing to your name.  You don't deserve this.  I know you don't like me, but- hey are you ok?"

My head is swimming.  My eyes are drowning.  I can barely see, I can barely think.  Her voice echos in my head, getting more and more distant every second.

"Are you ok?"

I see doubles-no...triples.  The borders of my eyes go black.

"Are you ok?"

The world goes black.

(\/);,,;(\/)

Damn head.  Damn brain.  Damn...everything.  Why does my head hurt so much?  Why does pain hurt?  What are the fundamentals of pain?  Negative stimuli in the nerve cells as a result of tissue damage?  Why does pain exist?  Is it merely a way of your body punishing yourself for careless choices?  A way of warning your body of a danger?  Without pain, we wouldn't survive.  Simple as that.

Why am I questioning pain?  Why am I questioning that question?  Can't my brain functions just settle down for a few minutes to rest?  Why is everything dark?  Are my eyes closed?  Yes they are.  I open my eyes and immediately regret doing so.  Harsh rays of sunlight punish my pupils for defying their rule.  I quickly pull the blanket over my head to hide from the oppressive ultraviolet rays.  And they say Celestia isn't a tyrant.

Something doesn't feel right though.  Blanket.  Sheets.  Bed.  I'm in a bed.  I risk taking the sheets off once again to face the light head on.  This time, though, I change tactics.  Shielding my eyes I reach for the blinds and pull the string, silencing the rule of the sun once and for all...in my room.  Mission accomplished...for now.

How did I end up in my bed?  Last thing I remember is yelling at that hooligan to go away and never speak to me again.  My hooves shoot up to my temples.  Alright...Tylenol now, contemplation later.  Damn my head.  Stupid brain thinking alcohol would help.  It wasn't even good when I was a bit drunk because of that stupid bint.  Euphoria gone, night ruined.  Rent still unpaid.  Thank you Makers.

I roll out of bed and lazily walk to the bathroom.  From there I take the pain relievers and head to the kitchen.  Let's see if I have any adequate food for breakfast.  What a surprise, I don't.  Alright, I have a small amount of bits that my landlord will not take from me.  I can either use them for food whilst living under a bridge, or I can try to find another run down slum that will take this as a first months payment.

I turn around towards my living room and nearly have a heart attack.  Laying there, on my couch, using one of my pillows, reading my newspaper, is that disgusting, worthless, useless, hoodlum Vinyl Scratch!  Why is she here?!  I told her, nay, demanded her to get out of my sight!  The nerve of that hooligan!  Sweet mother of Celestia forgive me for what I'm about to do!

"Mornin' Octavia."  She says casually.

I growl menacingly and snatch the newspaper from her hooves, rolling it up to smack her with it.

"Ow!  What the hay!"

"What are you doing in my flat you scum?!"  I shriek at her while smacking her again.

"Ow!  Sweet Celestia calm the hell down!  You frikin' passed out last night so I put you in your bed!  Damn you nobles have a funny way of saying 'thank you'!"

"That doesn't answer my question!"  I swing at her once more.

"OW!  For the Light's sake would you stop?!  I couldn't just leave you passed out, so I thought I'd stay here for the night to keep an eye on you ya know?"

"Oh you could of!"  I toss the newspaper at her.  "You could've just left me there on the floor right inside my door!  You could've just left and never came back, and I wouldn't have to see you again!  We could've just forgotten about all of this, and continue to live our normal lives!"

She stares at me for a few seconds behind those glasses.  Good Faust did she sleep with those things on?  "'Live our normal lives.'  That's what you said, right?"

I roll my eyes.  "Repeating what I just said.  Just further proves to me how moronic you are."

Vinyl glares intensely at me, at least I'm sure of it.  Those glasses tend to get in the way of her facial expressions, but I could feel that she's starting to get agitated, "Alright look.  You are living in the slums.  The fucking slums Octavia!  And you see that as 'normal'?  You're obviously hurt, alone, and broken, and you're telling me to just screw off when I'm just trying to be friendly? You know, I learned that having too much pride is a bad thing because it gets so swelled up that it snuffs everything and everypony else out.  Do you like this?  Do you really want this?"  

"Oh, so you're a psychiatrist now?"  I ask.

She sighs.  "You see that's your problem.  You're just a bitch, plain and simple.  Haven't you ever once thought that might be a reason why you're here now?"

I grind my teeth and keep a penetrating glare directed at her.  She just stares back, inquisitively, expecting an answer. I keep my gaze fixated on her for a few more seconds before I turned around.  "Get out of my house, now, before your body becomes dinner for the rats and flies living in my walls."

Before she could retort.  There is a knock on the door and an obnoxious drug dealing landlord yelling through it.  "Alright Octavia, times up!  Pay up, or git out!"

Alright I've had enough!  Between that bloody wanker demanding money or sex from me, and this bloody bint insulting me, I'm about on the verge of snapping someponies neck!  And I have just the ponies here to do that to!  I'm pretty sure prison is better than living on the streets.  Actually...if I murdered two ponies, one being a so called 'famous' DJ, I'd probably find my last moments hanging by the gallows.

So my choices are no life, or a bad life.

Fine, I'll go the 'ethical' route and just vent out my rage by yelling at them.

I go to the door and force it open.  That crackhead stallion has a disgusting smirk on his face, as well as a bandage over his snout.  Ha!  I did break his nose!  My day has gotten better.  "Deal was 450 bits by today.  Got it yes or no?"

'Deal' my plot!  "No, I don't."

He clicks his tongue and shakes his head.  "Welp, sorry to say this, but as of now you are evicted.  You have until eight tonight until I have to force you off the property."  His eyes soon move down my back.  "However, I know you're a negotiable pony.  And I have a...deal you might wanna consider."

I rear up my foreleg in preparation to slam the door in his face again.  "Get.  The hell.  Out."

He shrugs.  "Suit yourself.  Have a nice day Octavia!"  With that, he leaves.

As soon as the resonating sound waves stop making the building shake from the force of the door closing, I, once again, cause the building to shake by banging my head against the wall in sheer rage.  I would do anything just to wring his pompous neck!  Filthy, backstabbing, lower life crackhead!  He's the dirt beneath my hoof.  Nay, that would be insulting the precious soil.  Even the worms in the dirt deserve higher praise than him.  Even Vinyl deserves higher praise than him.

Speaking of Vinyl, she's still here.  "Can you just leave already?!"  I yell at her.

She slowly trots towards me.  "You don't have anypony left?  No friends or family that can help you?"

"No!  All my bloody 'friends' disowned me once my reputation began to go under and both my mother and father are long dead.  I don't have any uncles, cousins, nieces, grandparents, step-half-distant-brother-twice-removed whatever!  Just get the hell out of my house!"  

She stays silent for a minute.  "Fine I'll go.  But here's a parting gift."  She levitates a small bag of bits in front of me.  "There's 450 bits in there; enough to pay your rent."  

I look at the bag, then to Vinyl.  "Why?"  Is all I ask.

"Because you don't deserve this."  She answers.  "You shouldn't be living here with that asshole as a landlord."  She sighs and looks down.  "I'll give you a choice Octavia."  She looks around the room and levitates a pen and paper.  "You can live here in this shithole for another month, or...you can stay with me."  She tosses the paper at me, and on it she wrote down an address.  "I know you're a reasonable pony.  Let me help you out."

I can not believe what just happened.  What did she just say?  Live with her?  What is going on?  I go to a bar for guilty pleasure, come home with a mare I don't even know apart from her name and profession, and that mare stays with me all night without doing anything malefic to me or my flat, pays my rent, and offers her home to me.  This is unbelievable.

I stare at her incredulously, and she stares back with a smile.  I look down at the paper.  This address is in the Upper District of Canterlot, basically at the palace's door!  I used to live there in a grand mansion myself.  My hooves start to shake and I drop the paper.  My eyes stay glued to the floor.  My legs trembling at the reality of the situation.  

Deep breaths now.  Calm down Octavia before you forget to breathe.  I look to Vinyl once again.  She's still smiling at me, welcoming me without words.  I don't know what to believe anymore.  How is somepony like her being so...so...generous to me?  Even after I showed no interest in hiding my disdain towards her.  

What to do now?  Should I accept?  I can't stand her at all.  She took her part in ruining my career, looks and acts like a hooligan, probably does drugs herself - I mean she's a DJ for Light's sake - and may just be trying to trick me into something to further torture me.  However, I also can't stand my current situation much longer.  My landlord is a proven drug user and dealer, abuses me constantly and reaps my money, might probably rape me pretty soon, and I live in a meth-lab-turned-flat.  And in another month, if I can't sum up enough money for rent, I'm out on the streets.

I suppose 'lesser of the two evils' comes into play here, yes?  No.  As much as I want to, I won't.  I'm not taking the easy way out of this.  I'm not lowering my standards to her.  I'm not accepting defeat in allowing myself to become at her mercy.  I will continue to fight my own battles; I don't need anyponies help.

You're obviously hurt, alone, and broken, and you're telling me to just screw off when I'm just trying to be friendly?  Are you that stubborn?  You know, I learned that having too much pride is a bad thing because it gets so swelled up that it snuffs everything and everypony else out.

Damn my conscience betraying me once again.  What does she know about me anyway?  Just because I have pride in myself doesn't mean I'm an idiot!  I hold on to my dignity because it's the only thing I have left that separates me from the bottom.  Without that dignity, I would have given up long ago and begged for the Light to take me away from this cruel world.  I won't live with her.  I won't degrade myself like that.  I will find my own way to live and rise back up by myself.  And when that day comes, I'll look down on those who said I'd never make it and laugh at them.

"You know."  Vinyl starts.  "You have a month to decide anyway.  If you change your mind, you know where to find me."  With that final remark, and before I can say anything in return, she leaves.

(\/);,,;(\/)

"You know, I learned that having too much pride is a bad thing because it gets so swelled up that it snuffs everything and everypony else out."

I'm an idiot.

I really need to listen to myself sometimes.  I am declining an offer to live, free of charge, in Canterlot's Upper District with a pony who is...well it's still better than what I have now.  I would be a complete fool to not take her up on that offer but, at what cost?  I would be viewed as weak if I were to show up at her door.  She would always keep it in the back of her head, knowing that I caved in to it.  I can't stand it when ponies do that.  But what other choice do I have?  It's either streets, or Vinyl.  

I sigh and take a rest from pacing around my couch for practically an hour or two.  After thinking about this for a while, I have a clear head to look at this more thoroughly.  If Vinyl is clearly who I think she is, then a few pieces to the puzzle don't fit right.  When I couldn't walk straight, she, instead of ignoring me or laughing at my drowning head, showed sympathy and guided me home.  When I thought I'd see the last of her, she stayed in my flat to make sure I was ok and didn't take advantage of me or steal my possessions.  And last of all, she payed my rent without hesitation and offered me a place to stay.

What kind of hoodlum, vandal, hooligan, misfit, drug dealer, whore, or addict would do such a thing?

To top if off, her house is in Canterlot's Upper District, the most prestigious and rich part of the city, which shows that she either is just rich enough to live there, or she wants to seek refuge from all the terrible things that lurk in the ghettos of this city.  

And so it comes back to my last thought: Lesser of the two evils.

I quickly pack up the rest of my possessions, kick my landlord in the face one last time, and call a taxi.

(\/);,,;(\/)

My hooves shake either from rage or fear.  Obviously it's the former.  I'm not scared of Vinyl.  I don't care about her.  I just can't stand the thought that not only I have to live with her, I have to live knowing that I gave in to my weakness and accepted her offer.  Bah!  Enough of that talk Octavia.  This isn't about weakness or honor or pride.  This is about survival; Darwinism.  If it wasn't for Vinyl coming along, I would be on the streets by now or maybe even dead.

I take a look at my surroundings.  All around me are beautiful houses, lush green flora, rows of palm trees overlooking the street, and just a sense of feeling that this is where I belong.  Vinyl's house isn't as magnificent as the others.  It's on the smaller side of a two story house.  There is a beautiful front porch, however.  One where, in my old mansion, I could sit outside on a rocking chair with a newspaper and a cup of coffee in the wee hours of the morning.

Oh the irony of my nostalgia.

With another stomp of my hoof to get rid of all my pent up anger and a huge gulp to swallow my pride, I head to the door.  I can hear the bass already.  Does she run a nightclub out of her own house?  And how do her neighbors not complain?  Once I make it to the door, instead of knocking because I know for a fact she's not going to hear me, I kick it multiple times.

The bass suddenly stops, and Vinyl pokes her head out from the door.  She looks at me for a second, then takes off her glasses to rub her eyes before letting them fall back on her snout.  "Oh, hey Octavia.  You know, you didn't have to bang so loudly.  I thought the frikin guards were at my door.  Come on."  She opens the door all the way to let me in.

I roll my eyes as I enter.  Once I see the inside of the house, I almost gag.  The place is a wreck!  There's dust everywhere, clothes are piled on the furniture, dirty dishes are piled in the sink, and I swear that hole in the wall is a rat's den.  "Sweet Celestia."  I mutter.  "This place is filthy!  How on earth do you live like this!  This is simply horrid!  Worse than a pig sty!"

She scoffs.  "Better than your place."

My glare threatens to tear her in half.

"Ok ok, I'm sorry that was a little too far."  She said, "Anyway, don't worry about it!  I promise you I'll get the place cleaned up.  I know you Elite types, gotta have everything perfect and froo froo-y."

I sigh.  "I don't get it.  You're rich enough, why don't you have a maid or something?"

She shrugs, "I don't know, I'm not really that type of pony I guess.  I enjoy the simpler things, and living in a mansion with maids and butlers everywhere just makes me feel...what's the word...like a snob I guess?  It just seems like a little too much."

'It just seems like a little too much' she says.  Yeah right, I would give anything to have all my fame and fortune back and keep it that way.  How can somepony say it's 'just a little too much'?  Why would you not want a mansion?  Why would you not want to be rich and be able to buy whatever you want whenever you want?  Why would you not want to have butlers everywhere doing whatever you tell them so that you don't have to leave the comfort of your bed to get some breakfast?  Simpletons...  

Forget it.  There are other matters to attend to.  "Alright listen Vinyl.  I've accepted your offer, but there are going to be some demands first."

"Wait wait wait hold your bowtie!  I'm the one who offered you a place to crash and you're giving me demands?  I don't think that's how it works."

"Fine.  How about 'arrangements'?"

She waves her hoof at me.  "Go ahead."  

"First off:  CLEAN THIS PLACE UP!"

"I can arrange that."

"Second:  I don't want to be your friend.  While I'm...grateful for you allowing me this luxury - if I can even call it that - I'm not here to befriend you.  I'm here until I've worked my way up enough to live on my own again.

"Third:  We will live in a peaceful coexistence.  I won't bother you, you wont bother me.  Simple as that.

"Fourth:"  With this one, I narrow my eyes.  "If, at anytime, that so called 'music' ever keeps me up at night, I won't hesitate to smash it to pieces, and your skull with it.  Understand?"

She rears back at my last comment.  "Yeesh you're a hooffull.  But fine, I'll go along with it.  Your room is down that hall on the right, help yourself to whatever.  All I ask is that you clean up your own messes."

"Fair enough."

We shake hooves, and I turn around towards my room.  At least this room is decent.  I can probably settle down here quite nicely with minimal upkeep.  The only possessions I brought are this cello and some clothes.  I stare down at the cello and start to re-think my position again.  This mare...I still don't get her.  She's so nice to me after all I've done and I know she's not faking it.  I've been around those plastic ponies who say nice words, but you can tell they're insulting you.  There's nothing in Vinyl's tone to say otherwise though.  

Speaking of Vinyl again, she knocks on the door and comes in.  "Hey Octavia.  I already made dinner for myself earlier, but there's some other stuff in the kitchen if you wanna make something for yourself, alright?"

I look at her, but this time actually look at her.  There's no sign of malefic intent.  She's truly a sympathetic pony that wants to help me out.  "Alright."  I say.  "Oh and Vinyl?"  I hate my life, I hate Vinyl, I hate myself for what I'm about to do, I hate the gods, I hate Vinyl.  Why am I doing this?  Because even through the undying rage I hold for that mare, I still have my morals.  I am not a heartless brute, taking advantage of ponies who just want to lend a hoof.  I have pride, I'll admit, but there is an extent.  I take a deep a breath and look in a different direction.  "Thank you."  I say through gritted teeth.  "I might still hate you for what you did to me, but at least I know you are good at heart."  I hate to admit it, I really really do, but Vinyl isn't so bad a pony.  Well, yet.

Many ponies in the past have called me an overreactive and biased pony, but I beg to differ.  Whatever they say, I will always know that Vinyl partially ruined my life.  Sure, it's hard to believe, but it's true!  Sure it might not make sense, but it happened!  I mean, why else would ponies stop attending my recitals for no reason?  It can't be for just nothing?  Sure there have been media depicting me of someone who I'm not, but the nobles know otherwise than to believe that tabloid garbage!  It's all Vinyl's fault, all of it!  Me, overreacting and biased!  Ha!

She just smiles and turns away.  Well, at least that's done and over with.  I'm not actually hungry right now.  All this...this...sudden turn of events drained me too much.  I'll just be going to sleep now.  These sheets are so warm, and the bed is so comfy.  I feel like I'm on a cloud.  I can't believe this is happening.  Everything that has gone on tonight.  I spent nearly a year in a spiral downfall of fame.  The media ran my name through the mud so many times.  My manager screwed me over a few times.  And that lawsuit that took everything I had.

My eyes grew heavy, and plead for me to sleep.  The lids fell and I drifted away.  That is, until a certain unicorn decides it is time to practice her horrid music.  A low bass-line is being bombarded everywhere as the house shakes!  She can't be serious!  I'm trying to sleep and here she is making a racket!  She broke rule #4 and I will not stand for this!

"VINYL!"  I yell at the top of my lungs and simultaneously storm out the door towards her studio room.  "DON'T MAKE ME CRUSH EVERY PIECE OF BLOODY EQUIPMENT YOU HAVE!  TURN THAT REPULSIVE NOISE OFF BEFORE I COME OVER THERE!"