"Can you bring her back?"

Octavia glanced at the bizarre creature that seemed to be taking in her begging with interest. "Please," she begged, lowering her gaze. The sun had already set, and the dark alley was silent - one of the few silent places in the whole of Canterlot. The capital truly never slept.

"Depends," the draconequus replied, inspecting his talons closely. "Do you really want it?"

"Yes!" the cellist practically screamed, instantly covering her mouth with a hoof, her eyes widening. "Yes," she repeated quietly, tears welling in her eyes. "I'd do anything to bring her back." What is there to lose? she thought with a frown. Without Vinyl, my life is pretty much meaningless.

She'd come to terms with her decision as soon as she heard about Discord's triumphant return to Equestria. He was newly-reformed, as they said, but... Deep inside, she knew that the favour wouldn't be free.

The draconequus remained silent, calmly inspecting his talons, as if they were the centre of the universe.

Octavia snapped. "You want money? I have money! I'll give you all of my money!" By now, she'd begun to cry freely. "Take my cello; take my house; hell, what do you want in exchange?!"

Discord raised his head, shaking it curiously. "I don't need money," he said with a little hint of sadness in his voice. "Say..." A mischievous fire lit up in his eyes: Octavia couldn't say if her sight was playing tricks with her or if it was real flame. "Would you like a long vacation in a hot place?" he wondered with a grin.

A hot... place? "Elaborate," the grey mare replied with a deadpan expression.

Discord sighed. "You see, Octavia, reformed or not, I still have a duty to perform..." He scrunched his face in a painful grimace. "I have to look after Tartarus; Hell, if you prefer." Octavia gulped. "With all the kindness and happiness around here, there are way too few souls in Hell..." The grin appeared on his face again, chilling, terrifying, suffocating. "Except for those who've a made a deal with me."

The cellist felt beds of sweat form upon her brow, despite the night being cool and the wind mild. "You... You want my soul," she clarified, meeting Discord's look with her own. What else were those eyes concealing?

"Not exactly." Discord cracked his claws lazily. "One soul isn't that much of a price for a joyful reunion. Make it two, and we're talking."

Octavia shot him a stare. "I have only one."

"Vinyl has one too," the Lord of Chaos retorted. "Let me have your soul and hers, and this evening, you'll see her sitting on the sofa in your flat."

The cellist squinted her eyes. She couldn't really decide for Vinyl, could she? But... the offer was so tempting! To see Vinyl in flesh once again, alive, to be able to confess her feelings to her...

"Isn't her soul already..." Octavia frowned. "You know?"

Discord laughed softly. "Oh, no, no. You see, while angels listen to Beethoofen in God's presence, they listen to dubstep in their spare time." He smiled with a wink. "Vinyl is up there." He pointed up to the sky. "And I need her soul in my humble abode, and not Heaven." Once more, the great tricksters erupted in laughter. "I need somepony to scratch the discs while the others are being boiled, you know?"

No. There had to be another option. She... She couldn't rip her love off the opportunity to spend an eternity in Heaven. She'd just have to wait, and then end up There with her. Maybe she could kill herself... But then, she'd go to Hell instead... "Maybe you could kill me?" the cellist wondered softly. "You know, I hope I've lived up to going to Heaven, too. And... then we'll meet there?" There was undying hope in Octavia's eyes as she pierced Discord with her gaze.

"I don't kill ponies," the draconequus replied calmly. "I can't change the flow of destiny in that way, you know? For one, I know you're expected to live a long life and die at the age of eighty-five, after a successful concert."

EIghty-five. No. No. She couldn't live for that long without Vinyl. She just couldn't. So... She had to accept the deal? "Can you promise me something?" she asked carefully, shifting a little closer.

"Depends." Discord raised a brow questioningly. "Ask away."

"If I agree to sell my soul - and Vinyl's soul..." A shiver ran down Octavia's spine. It's the wind. It's only the wind. "Can you promise me that we'll live a long and happy life together and die on the same day?" She pondered for a moment. "And, also, that we'll be together there, in Hell?"

Discord seemed to be considering the deal for a few fleeting moments. "Can't say anything about a 'long' or 'happy' life..." he began, "but I can ensure that you will die on the same day." He yawned, taking a glance at the watch that sommehow appeared on his wrist. "As for your second question, sure, I'll make sure you'll boil in the same copper." He laughed softly, and, for some reason, Octavia mirrored that laughter.

We'll live together... and die together, too... the cellist thought warmly. This was insanity - but she didn't suffer from it. She was enjoying it. And we'll forever be together in the afterlife...  "You have a deal. My soul, and Vinyl's soul, in exchange for my terms."She extended a hoof.

Discord shook it with a smile. "You got it."

Octavia frowned. She didn't feel different. Maybe... she needed to do something else? To seal the deal? "Don't you need a drop of my blood? Or Vinyl's permission?" she enquired, eyeing the creature sternly.

"You're living in the past, Octavia." Discord waved his hoof. "Mores have changed, and so has the procedure. Your words are more than enough for me to make the deal valid. As for Vinyl's permission..." He smirked. "Let's say, when two souls are in love with each other, one can speak for the other freely."

Octavia's eyes widened. In love... with each other. With each other... "Does that mean?.." She loves me too?

"Better get home and check, don't you think?" Discord winked.

After a few seconds of silent realisation, the grey pony turned and galloped away without a word, towards downtown. Discord chuckled, then slapped his claw against his forehead dramatically.

"Totally forgot to tell you, Octavia..." he whispered, looking in the direction the grey pony'd vanished in. "Next week, when you and your newly-acquired marefriend are trotting down the street towards the dress shop..." Discord laughed, vanishing in the night, only his voice resonating across the park in a dark whisper.

"Watch out for falling bricks."

***

The lock resisted Octavia's efforts as she frantically searched for the right key. Finally, she found it and inserted its cold metal into the hole, hearing a satisfactory crunch. The door flew wide open, and the cellist rushed into the spacious living room.

It was empty.

Almost crying, the grey mare looked around. There was no sign of Vinyl; not a slight one. How could she be so foolish? Of course, such a being as Discord would fool her! But then again... The deal wouldn't work out, in that case? What was the point of it all?

Suddenly, she heard the sound of running water from the kitchen. Her heart skipped a beat as she ran, ran, ran towards the small room, tears blocking her ability to see completely. Blinking them away, she stopped in the doorway, taking in the most beautiful mare in the word, who was filling a glass with tap water, humming a tune.

As the white unicorn saw Octavia, her eyes widened, and the glass fell onto the floor, shattering into tiny shards.

The cellist didn't care as she reached the DJ, hugging her, nuzzling her, kissing her neck, and crying into her fur. "Vinyl, Vinyl, Vinyl," she kept on saying. "I was so dumb, so dumb..."  She hiccuped, and her body relaxed as the unicorn started stroking her mane gently. "Vinyl," she whispered into the white mare's ear. "I know this feels strange, but I'll explain later. Now..." She kissed the white ear that turned red the next instant. "I love you."

Saying that was easy; it was easier than anything she had ever said. Maybe it was because she had said it countless times before, in front of the sombre grave. Maybe it was because she wanted to value every moment she'd spend with her love. Maybe it was because it was the truth.

Vinyl gulped and began to cry as well. "Tavi, you... I... There was this fire... And I was sick... And there was this scratch..." The DJ snorted, burying her muzzle in Octavia's shoulder. Now it was up to the cellist to calm down her friend. "And then I felt good, and there were angels, but-" A few more sobs escaped the unicorn's muzzle. "There was no you. And now... Did you-" She gulped. "Of course you got the letter. You... You really love me? Because I love you, Tavi, I'm not joking!"

Octavia smiled, her heart warm and content. I love you. The three words that keep the world rolling. The three words that they had now finally exchanged with each other. The three words worth selling their souls to Hell for eternity. Of course, she'd have to explain... But that would come later. Now they had their lives ahead. Their long, happy lives, entwined together. Years, decades together. It couldn't be otherwise.

"Of course I got the letter," Octavia lied. What letter is she talking about, anyway? I'd need to ask her... "I really, really love you, Vinyl."

"What happened, Tavi? I thought I was dead, and now... I am alive?" Vinyl wondered, touching her own body, as well as Octavia's; not that the grey mare minded it in the slightest. "God... You didn't sell your soul to Discord for that, did you?" The DJ laughed light-heartedly. Octavia's expression became serious.

"I did," the cellist whispered softly. "Yours, too."

Vinyl's laughter ceased. "That... That is impossible, right? I mean, I wouldn't mind spending eternity in Hell, as long as you're by my side, but..." She chuckled. "Discord's imprisoned in stone, isn't he?"

The cellist shook her head. "Not anymore. The Elements freed him. He's kinda... 'reformed' now." Octavia gulped, embracing Vinyl closer. "You really aren't angry at me for that?"

Vinyl snorted, rubbing her nose in what seemed to Octavia a very cute manner. "Dammit, Tavi... If that's true, I don't mind your selling all the souls in Equestria to spend my life by your side. I thought I'd never tell you... About my feelings, I mean," the DJ clarified.

"I never thought I'd do, too." Octavia smiled. "I love you, Vinyl," she whispered in the unicorn's ear again, nibbling on it.

"Love you too, Tavi," Vinyl replied genuinely. It feels so good to say that... And... Wait, what's that? "Woah!" Vinyl giggled as Octavia broke the kiss that she'd just gifted the DJ with. "Getting ahead of ourselves, are we?" She winked.

The cellist smiled. "I've been waiting for too long. Let's go to the bedroom, love." The word seemed to leave a pleasant aftertaste on her lips and tongue. Or maybe it was the kiss.

Vinyl sighed in content as she followed the cellist. To spend the rest of her life with the mare she loved? That was worth a million souls. She could only hope their lives would last long. But then again, why wouldn't they? "This is all a dream, right?" she whispered to herself, eyeing Octavia's flank.

But even if it's a dream... She merrily trotted after the cellist - her cellist.

I want to never wake up.