An Island, Two Mares and a Bottle of Rum

The Epilogue

All's Well That Ends Well, Except It Doesn't

***

The tea had long lost its desired temperature as Octavia brought the cup to her lips. The old paraffin heater did its job wonderfully.

"Tavi, please, can I stop?" Vinyl whined, sweat dripping from her brow. The heater was so close, so painfully close that she could swear she almost felt her fur on fire.

The cellist took a small sip of the tea, slowly placing it back onto the table. "No, Vinyl. It has been almost a month, and you've only got to nine thousand."

"Nine thousand and ten!" the DJ retorted, shifting uneasily on the chair, the ropes binding her to the wooden object, the heater maliciously directed, as it seemed, straight at her poor body. "Can you at least turn off the heater?! It's summer!"

The cellist just shook her head calmly. "Oh, but you just like the tropics, don't you, dear? Come on, a thousand more."

"Do you really have to do this?" Bon-Bon asked, her eyes sympathetic and gentle as she took in the sight of Vinyl tied to the chair, made to pay for her past sins.

"Yeah, at first, that seemed kind of, well, kinky, but that's too much," Lyra agreed, chewing on a biscuit. She waved her hand before Bon-Bon's face immediately. "Not that I have eyes for any other flank than yours, Bonnie."

The cream-coloured mare scowled. "That... shows."

"I won't drag my marefriend to a secluded island ever again I won't drag my marefriend to a secluded island ever again I won't drag my marefriend to a secluded island ever again I won't drag my marefriend to a secluded island ever again-" Vinyl chanted, the heat making it unbearable. "I won't drag my marefriend to a secluded island ever again Tavi I need a break please Ireallyneedtopee!"

With a sigh, Octavia untied the ropes, without taking off the horn ring that prevented Vinyl from using her magic. That definitely was one of the best investments in sex shop attire they'd made. Well, that, and Sir Morning Glory. Sure, on one hoof, the whole "island adventure" had been benefitial, if only because it brought the two mares closer (as well as introduced them to Lyra and Bon-Bon, who seemed to frequent their flat quite often), but on the other hoof...

The trip home had been short, despite Vinyl's attempts to give in to the pirates' persuasion and "go adven't'ring them seas, arr!" Instead, the mares promised Jeffrey that they owed him; and that particular promise didn't really please Octavia that much. Of course, the pirate captain could never call for that.

Vinyl returned, a look of sheer delight on her face. "You know," she addressed the mares sitting at the round table in the small kitchen, "I used to think that orgasm was the highest tier of exctasy. Bullshit. Being able to pee after half a day of not peeing is the top tier."

"Yes, quite," Lyra called out, sipping on her tea in what seemed like a polite and high-class manner.

Octavia groaned and buried her face in her hooves. The things I have to put up with... "Vinyl, nine hundred more."

The unicorn sighed, and almost reached the chair when the doorbell rang and interrupted her pathway to hell. "Celestia, thank you for doorbells!" the unicorn called out to the heavens, trotting to get the door. Musing whether she should add the doorbell to the pantheon of gods, next to Celestia, Luna and Rum, she opened the door.

"Good afternoon." The black stallion was wearing a similarly-coloured suit, and, to Vinyl's amusement, had a jet-black mane and an abyss-black suitcase. If there was any difference between jet-black and abyss-black, that is. There was not. Celestia, that's one black guy, the DJ thought, immediately frowning. No, Vinyl! That's racist! ...Although I don't get why it is so. After all, calling a black pony black was pretty normal.

"Yes?" the DJ replied, immediately feeling uncomfortable in the presence of such a, well, presentable pony. It must be hot for him in such a suit. I wonder how he's not sweaty yet. She gave the stallion a look-over. "Mmm, sweaty. I'd bang him if I weren't lesbian."

"Beg your pardon?" The stallion raised his brow.

Vinyl gulped, making a poker face. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

The stallion cleared his throat. "Anyway, I am here on behalf of Mr Jeffrey McCraken, the proprietor of Shipping Inc." He handed out a card that, indeed, read, Jeffrey McCraken, Shipping Inc. We'll ship even what the others won't ship! Shipping is our life!

So much shipping... Vinyl felt a touch of deja vu at the name. "Um... This Jeffrey McCraken... Is he connected to Jeffrey 'The Kraken', the pirate captain?" she wondered innocently.

The stallion paled, making a contrast to his usually black exterior, taking a swift look around. "Not so loud!" he hissed. "Mr McCraken is an entrepreneur. His past is in the past." He frowned and nodded grimly, as if to make a point.

Octavia trotted silently towards the doorway. "Vinyl? Do I hear the name 'Jeffrey'?" she wondered cautiously.

The stallions sighed. "Yes. My employer, Mr Jeffrey McCraken, whom you know as..." He lowered his voice. "Jeffrey 'The Kraken', has decided to call in that favour you four owe him."

"The four of us?" Lyra's voice reached from the kitchen. "That scumbag of a pirate! I would have hijacked that ship to take us home anyway!"

"Am I really that loud?" the stallion lamented.

"Your wife must be proud," Vinyl mumbled. "Or not."

"Tell Mr... McCraken that we will arrive at his office tomorrow." Octavia took down the address and closed the door, exhaling sofly.

"So..." Vinyl began carefully. "I don't need to hit ten thousand any more?"

Octavia shook her head, following her marefriend into the kitchen, where their friends waited for them, Lyra's expression bright and expecting, Bon-Bon's look more of mortal despair. "I hate to be the one to break the news," Octavia began, chewing on her lip. "But, well..." She sighed.

"It seems we are going on an adventure."

~The End~