“Fillies and gentlesteeds, I give you... the best disk jockey in all Equestria... the one, the only, DJ-Pon Threeeeee!”

Neon lights and lasers shone and beamed in colourful displays, they sporadically flashed across the concert hall as it filled with pyrotechnic smoke. There was a single turntable on the decorated stage, connected to two giant grey speakers that stood taller than anypony. As Vinyl Scratch stepped out onto the stage, the crowd cheered and went totally crazy for their idol.

Two spinning vinyl’s spun on a turntable; the pin was raised magically and brought upon the disks. The second the pin touched the vinyl, techno bass boomed with power from eight equally-sized giant speakers.

She stepped out onto the stage through the pyrotechnic mist, with her signature tinted glasses on, was DJ Pon-3. That was only her stage name however, to those in the know her real name was Vinyl Scratch. She banged in time to the beat was. She was a less magically gifted unicorn with a white coat and neon-like blue hair with lighter highlights.

“Yo, yo, yo every pony! Let’s tear up dat dance floor!” Vinyl Scratch’s voice echoed when she cheered into the microphone. She waved her hoof into the air and pointed it at to the mass crowd of ponies that danced wildly below. Most of them wore their own neon bracelets and spiked up dyed crazy and mohawk manes.

The beats boomed and the bass vibrated across the concert hall under everyponies hooves. It was the loudest thing anypony had ever heard. Vinyl Scratch herself head banged with a huge grin on her face, she always loved the adrenaline and the adoration of the fans.

“Everypony stomp your hooves.
DJ Pon-3’s playing grooves.
Everypony dance tonight.
DJ Pon-3 in da’ spotlight!”

“Awwww yeeeaaahh!” Vinyl spun the disks faster than ever, using to hoof to scratch them to give the desired scratch effect to the music. She brightened up the stage with some of her horn magic and made the stage shoot smoke onto the dancers below.

In the opposite concert hall, Octavia, the silent cellist was grey in colour, with a cutie mark of a pink clef. She stood lost with thoughts that washed around her head. It wouldn't be true to say Octavia didn't hate Vinyl Scratch, it was a boiling and billowing hate with a tint of jealousy. Held within her hoof was her cello and an oboe laid by her hind hoof. Octavia’s cello was unique as it had no fine-tuning pins on the tailpiece and a hidden symbol etched onto the back.

The symbol was meant to represent something in the tongue of the Hippalectryon, but Octavia never understood it. The instrument was tuned into fifths and made from sheened bark from a birch tree. She had played it from a filly, even if somewhat by her own fathers force of hoof.

Their concert hall was empty, forgotten, even the spiders had neglected to spin webs on the corner of the walls. The rise and fame of techno music meant no more classical concerts. She stood with her fellow band member, Beauty Brass, a light blue pony with a curly brown mane.

The two illustrious ponies from the Grand Canterlot Orchestra stood silently. No words were needed. The music boomed in the opposite concert hall. Rarity’s dress parade, the wedding, everypony wanted the colourful and new age music that Vinyl Scratch provided. It was a far cry from the dull and grey sombre music she played. Octavia’s music came from the soul, from the heart, not via some device or machine which created artificial sound.

Beauty Bass placed her heavy tuba down and turned to speak, “we both know what has to be done. It’s been a pleasure playing with you, my dear Octavia.” Beauty Brass extended her hoof which Octavia took to shake with a heartfelt nod and regretful smile.

Spike tugged on some ropes down in the centre of Ponyville. The rope was too thick for his tiny claws but despite that he used his stubby legs and pulled. The rope was pulley system that helped pull a decorative banner connected to a winch. Rarity stood there and checked that it was at the perfect angle.

“A little to the left,” Rarity barked orders again as Spike the baby dragon gave a distasteful groan. He’d been doing this for several minutes. Left, right, left, right... what a pain. Of course when he had offered to help Rarity this was not what he signed up for. Rarity used her hooves to assess and measure up the banner from a distance. The banner was created via the help of the fillies from the school — especially Sweetie Belle and the cutie mark crusaders — they even held a little friendly competition to create the best one. However they may have added a tag bit too much glitter which gleamed way too brightly from the reflections from the sun. Ponyville was decorated with many interesting sown banners and flags which hung from the highest of rooftops and across the pathways below.

“Hold on just a tinkle—” She stuttered mid sentence as she turned and she realised who the pony was stood before her. He had a cutie mark of a fan with a curly mane and a pair of tinted royal glasses to finish the ensemble. “Ho... ho... Hoity-Toity!” Rarity stammered, she sounded more like a nervous wreck than an actual composed fashion designer. She swiftly composed herself; she bounced her beautiful mane against her hoof with a wry smile. “It’s an honour to have you back in Ponyville again for the presentation of the— I mean my Tour De’ Cloak.” She corrected herself. “My finest work yet. Not just everypony whose anypony is invited and by that I mean you’re not just anypony...”

“That’s quite enough dialogue. Let the dress do the talking and we’ll all be fine. I look forward to seeing a delightfully grand show. Do not disappoint me.” Hoity-Toity pulled his glasses down from his nose to give her a stern look right from his eye, and then he waft a linen-sewn fan and trotted away with his nose pointed far upward. He didn’t even give her a second glance, what a snob. Then again it was uncommon for such ponies to mingle with the commoners of Ponyville. Commoners... what was she thinking? She and her friends were far from common.

On the outskirts of Ponyville were several aristocratic cabins with golden stars etched onto the metal doors. Celebrities, politicians and anypony else that was widely known and very well paid — including Hoity-Toity — had arrived to participate or just observe the presentation.

“Well Rarity.” She spoke to herself as she watched the revered designed from Canterlot trot afar. “Today’s the big day; everything simply has to be perfect!” She could feel the excitement in the air but also that tense nervousness that everything could go wrong. An exhausted Spike had finished pulling the beautiful and perfectly aligned banner up and used the back of his claw to wipe the sweat that wept from his brow. “The snacks are ready; the catwalk is installed and shining brilliantly. The only thing that’s left is... the music.”

On the outskirts of the town where several metal cabins with golden stars on the doors were dotted around the meadows. Two fillies are stood outside one of the cabins. They bickered among themselves.

“I can’t do it. We have too much history.” Lyra replied somewhat tiredly. After the events of Nightmare Night, she was as tired as a filly could get and had black bags under her eyes to prove it. She paced backward and forward parallel to the cabin door. The golden plaque on the front read: ‘DJ Pon-3’. Vinyl Scratch was always invited to Rarity’s dress parades because she was the disk jockey.

“You can do it, besides she’ll want to see you. You were old friends once right?” Bon-Bon pushed her friend towards the door until Lyra’s face was pressed against the metal.

“I suppose.” Lyra replied glumly. Vinyl Scratch was her old friend, one from the music school. Now Lyra had to make the decision to meet again after all these years, how awkward would it be? Vinyl Scratch was right here in Ponyville. All she had to do was knock on the door. Why was it so hard? The more she waited the more frustrating it was.

“Do I have to do everything myself...” Bon-Bon knocked thrice firmly on the metal door.

“Bon-Bon! What have you done?! she might not even remember me. I’m not rea—”

“Hey it’s Lyra!” A loud obnoxious voice came from the doorway. “Super swatty Lyra!”

Bon-Bon burst out laughing. “Super swatty Lyra? Aahaa!” She had to hold her sides from laughing too much. Now she knew why Lyra didn’t want to get reacquainted, all those music school secrets and embarrassing nicknames; brilliant!

“Don’t even ask.” Lyra mumbled and blew her mane out of her eyes annoyingly. “It’s been too long, Vinyl.”

After being invited inside, it was increasingly obvious how unhygienic she was. The cabins interior is a mess, even more so than Lyra’s bedroom. Empty cans of the popular alcoholic beverage Perry littered the carpeted floor. On the walls of the cabin golden vinyl disks are hung askew from the walls upon small pins. There was a cooker covered in month’s worth of bad pizza and other food supplements that even the flies dare not eat. In the small sitting area in the centre of the cabin were soft and squidgy bean bags which were neon coloured. Apparently Vinyl Scratch didn’t believe in proper seating, although if were a couch it would assuredly be filthy as well. Vinyl and Heartstrings chilled on beanbags with squalid smiles, they both had to lay in a sprawling manner, a seating position Lyra Heartstrings was most accustom to.

“I heard you’ve become quite demandable these past few years,” Heartstrings spoke first as she glared around the unfamiliar cabin to get her first impressions.

“Aw yeah man, it’s all good I mean the music brings in the bits. Well actually, it’s still kinda hard to find work. I’ve always wondered why.” Vinyl Scratch said deep in thought.

“Yeah, it’s a mystery,” Bon-Bon replied with an eye roll and wondered if this pony had a bigger IQ than a fish. She had to tiptoe across the empty bottles and cans. She decided to remain standing and not to ‘chill’ in the last remaining beanbag which was torn in several places.

“Well... there’s another reason for me visiting you. I got a letter from an old friend of mine.” As Lyra spoke, Vinyl Scratch sat forward and listened intently. She still wore her tinted glasses; she could be sleeping for all they knew as they couldn’t see her eyes. Did she ever take them off? Maybe she even slept in them? Bon-Bon got a disgusted shiver down her spine, why did she think of such things?

Lyra revealed the small piece of parchment with the written letter on it. It seemed all her frustration was shown through the way she had tightly clutched the parchment for the past few minutes.

“From Octavia.” Lyra jabbed the paper where Octavia’s signature music note was singed at the bottom.

“What happened between is all Lyra? In music school we were all best friends, until that night.” Both of the old friends sit back and remembered back to their days of youth, a simpler time, until one night changed everything for them all.

Lyra replied honestly: “I remember bits and pieces. The music school burnt down. The fire raged for hours and hours and we were trapped inside with no hope of escape. If the three of us hadn’t worked together, we’d all be gone right now.”

Bon-Bon looked at her friend in a new light; she had never spoken of her past so honestly before. Bon-Bon and Lyra didn’t meet until after the fire, she had no idea her friend had faced such perils...

“I also remember... bright flashes of green.” Lyra said with regret. “After that night, none of us got to finish our education, Octavia became a recluse, I became a lone traveller and you... well let’s just say we all went our separate ways.”

“You should go see Octavia again an’ apologize; she's only up in Canterlot.” Vinyl replied before picking up a bottle of Perry by the side of the beanbag and greedily drinking half in one swig.

“I can’t... I just can’t,” Lyra began to tear up over-dramatically, the waterworks were back.

“Her music will tell you more about herself than I ever could. She refuses to speak anymore you know? She made herself a mute after what happened. Many thought it was because of the shock of it all. She only uses her music to communicate with others now... I think she’s still waiting for you, Lyra.” Vinyl Scratch said and then abruptly burped rudely.

“Oh at first I was like, I’ll stay in Canterlot. Then I was like, screw that! I’m sorta’ a travelling pony now, I go where the work takes me. Go with the flow, that’s my motto.”

“I know right? I’m just that goooood!” Vinyl boasted, she seemed to have trouble controlling the volume of her voice.

“If you’ve got nowhere else to go, you could, always stay with us, for a while.” Lyra finished the conversation clutching the note from Octavia, perhaps now is not the time to come to terms with the past.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!” Bon-Bon suddenly grabbed Lyra and flung her against the wall in a more private section of the cabin. “You invited the Vinyl Scratch to live in my house? She’s loud, she obnoxious, not to mention... rude.” Bon-Bon fumed but still had to whisper lest Vinyl Scratch overhear her.

“It’s not your house, it’s our house.” Lyra whispered back and continued to clutch the note from Octavia. She wouldn’t let it go that easily.

“Uhhh... don’t mind me.” Vinyl Scratch walked past them with her overly messy mane and grinned from ear-to-ear. She had heard every word but just ignored the two friends arguing, she didn’t care what other ponies thought about her, she was just minding her own business as she headed outside.

The night of the presentation wasn’t until the sun had set and the night had peaked. Until then, there was plenty of time for sightseeing. Before prepping the stage, as per her job instructions, Vinyl Scratch goes for a stroll throughout the town of Ponyville. Last time she was here for a party she had hardly any time to see the town itself. She got a few fair stares from every pony as she trotted down the pathway. Was it my hair? The way I’m walking? Maybe she’s just too awesome for her own good. She had trotted for barely a few minutes until... she was bored. What in Equestria do ponies do for fun around here... exchange vouchers?!

“Youse talking to me?” Vinyl raised an eyebrow, she was much taller than she looked and towered over the Rarity.

“You’re the pony playing the music tonight, uh, correct?” Rarity spoke, she was double-checking that everything was going to perfect.

“Well actually that job title goes to my friend Lyra, but I’m her best friend Vinyl Scratch. I suppose I could be... helping out.” Vinyl Scratch checked the rim of her hoof while she spoke before she rubbed it on her fur.

Behind Rarity the baby dragon Spike was following her every whim with a clipboard and quill, he had fallen in love with another...

“Uhh... Hi Vinyl Scratch,” Spike said coaxingly with a shy blush and corny grin. “Could you sign my tail?”

“No problem kid,” Vinyl Scratch used her arcane magic from her horn to grab a quill from a nearby pony painting a picture, who folded his arms in protest. She signed the young dragons’ tail with her initials: ‘VS’.

“Hey Vinyl, what colour are your eyes?” Spike spoke in his most shy voice. Vinyl smiled as the dragon speaks, she slipped off her glasses to jetted open her eyes to reveal they were plum coloured. They reflect gleaming sparkles that only Spike could appear to see.

“They’re... enchanting.” Spike goes weak at the knees. The disk jockey almost made Rarity jealous; she cleared her throat and dragged Vinyl Scratch away with her hoof.

“Well, that’s quite enough of that! Let’s lay down some basic rules.” Rarity suddenly dragged Vinyl by the hoof; The DJ hung onto her glasses as she’s dragged across Ponyville.

“Here is where the snacks and buns will be made for the guests, as you can see they’re all perfect,” Vinyl suddenly comes infront of the recently restored Sugarcube Corner, the smoke chugged out of the chimney Inside, Mr and Mrs. Cake were business working overtime to bake the demands for chocolate cakes galore.

“Oh, hey Pinkie Pie! What’s up?” Vinyl shouted over to Pinkie Pie who merrily marched from within the shop and toward them with a grand smile.

“I was just being shown around by... Mrs. Nesbitt here.” Vinyl said and waved a hoof over at Rarity.

“...M-Mrs. Nesbitt?! I’ll have you know my name is Rarity. R-A-I-T— wait... that’s not right, nevermind! How in Equestria do you know Pinkie?” Rarity asked.

“Hehe, silly. I know everypony who's anypony!” Pinkie Pie said with a smile that beamed as she bounced up and down infront of the two white ponies. “Vinyl Scratch is the best, the best party pony in all Equestria ever!” Pinkie Pie forgot to breath for a second and took one massive gasp. “I’m totally her biggest fan, do I get to spin the vinyls this time? Huh huh huh? Do I? Do I?” Pinkie Pie spoke way too quickly she stumbled over her own words.

"Duh, of course." Vinyl and Pinkie Pie shared in a hoof bump. She always let Pinkie Pie have a spin at her vinyl’s... that sounded wrong, she quickly dismissed the thought. Vinyl Scratch replied with a silent nod. Before they had chance to see the party pony explode with joy Vinyl Scratch was once again dragged by Rarity to the next stop. The town went whizzing by until they stopped outside the carousel boutique, Rarity’s house. It was a grand house which looked more like a carousel of beauty than an actual house.

“All the pristine decorations and banners are being made right here, by yours truly, as you can see, they’re all perfect.”

“What’s the point of all this?” Vinyl suddenly questioned and gave a bizarre look to the pony to her side. She’d being dragged across half of Ponyville and for what?

“What I’m trying to say in the nicest possible way is, this is my event and I want everything to be perfect. I know your type, don’t go overboard with the music, this is a formal event, so certainly no showboating, understand?!”

“My name is not Mrs. Nesbitt!” Rarity outburst and gritted her teeth so badly a small part of her tooth snapped off and flew away. She decided to calm down and settle. How badly could it all go wrong this time? She took a deep breath and thought of happier times.

“Just don’t mess this up for me.” Rarity pointed her hoof in Vinyl’s face with a serious look before she left the colourful ponies side. Vinyl Scratch stood with a puzzled look and got one final cute wave from Spike before he’s slaved away for more work by his companion.

The night came earlier than expected. Everypony had come outside for the Ponyville nightlife. Lyra Heartstrings strolled down the main pathway which stretched around the town in a circle. But there was still no sign of Vinyl Scratch. Where in Equestria could she be? Lyra had only conceived the thought when she stopped outside a particular building: The Dizzy Weasel. Ponyville’s own bar and nightclub, a wood-panelled building with a grass-covered roof. The building was brightly lit from the inside with neon lights which were synced to the booming music. Lyra could hear it from out here. A smile crept upon her maw. Vinyl Scratch couldn’t resist the booming of a subwoofer.

The doors swung open and Lyra was aghast by the tainted air that greeted her. The bar had its own distinctive smell and was very smoky; the low ceilings didn’t help either. It had that small-town-bar ambience and wasn't too crowded. There was an old jukebox that wasn’t switched on, but who needed the jukebox when the music next door could be heard booming through the thin walls. The entire building was separated into two sections, the bar and the dance club next door, by a half-wall. She had to choose between Vinyl Scratch’s two loves, alcohol and music. Which section would she be in?

“Hey Joker, deal us another.” A sudden voice rang from the shady corner of the bar. Lyra turned to look to the source. There was a pony who wore a jet black hat with his hooves splayed across the top of chair. He leaned forward and dealt some designer poker cards. His cutie mark was the ace of hearts and his name was apparently Joker. One to avoid.

They were ponies that gambled, conversed and burped. But still no Vinyl Scratch, at least not yet. Lyra planted herself down on a spinney bar stool. There was a golden plaque on the side of the wall near the bar which she decided to read:

‘There was a young weasel that ran around a mulberry bush,
it spun round to chase its tail and was in such a terrible rush.

When the weasel had finally caught up to his tail,
he was so very dizzy that his face had gone pale.

Then the weasel was less concerned about the tail he’d perused.
Here is where the pub was built, where the mulberry is brewed.’

“True story.” The barmaid unicorn said as she cleaned an empty mug with a white towel. She had noticed Lyra reading. “They say the weasel had spun around the bush so many times, that it mimicked the sensation of being drunk. That’s why we built this place right here. Fancy a brew?” The barmaid held out a bottle of Mulberry. The liquid inside was jet black and was almost oozed. Lyra had heard about the drink, apparently it tasted like jelly.

“No thanks, I prefer coffee.” Lyra replied with a steady smile and turned away from the bar to gag. She had only being in the bar for a few minutes, yet her eyes already began to grow heavy. This place made her tired. She didn’t even know Ponyville had a bar let alone any form of nightlife.

“Youse want a piece of this?!” A sudden shout silenced all other sounds in the building.

Suddenly Twilight Sky got thrown through the half-wall connecting the two sections of the building. He fell through the fall and into the game of poker the other ponies were playing. Bits and cards flew in all directions. Lyra turned her gaze upward to see Vinyl Scratch stood up on her two hind hooves, she panted heavily. She also had a half-empty bottle of Perry in her hoof. She hadn’t stopped drinking, she was still drunk! A heartbeat later the entire bar had erupted into a chaotic bar fight. Joker and his gang dived over the table and began to throw bottles at Vinyl. She ducked behind the half-wall and used it for protection. Each bottle smashed against the wooden wall. Lyra ducked as the barmaid slid over the bar and used her horn magic to quell the fighting, to no avail.

“Flipping tables!” A pony shouted randomly and flipped a table which crashed against the wall and sent all the mugs flying through the air. Ponies of all kinds erupted into a brawl in the centre of the building. They tried to smash each other teeth out. One pony is dragged under a table and thrown through a pane of glass. Vinyl Scratch picked up a barstool and threw it at Joker who retaliated by throwing a pair of cards so quickly they would slice the skin if they came into contact. Lyra had seen enough and rushed to Vinyl Scratch. On the way she avoided a few mug being thrown her way as she ducked, dived and dodged.

“Hey! Let’s get out of here.” Lyra said as she ducked another bottle that smashed behind the bar! She dragged her old friend away from the fight and towards the fire exit door.

Vinyl ducked as a bottle flew overhead and smashed on the wall. “Ha! You got beat up by a girl, chump!” Vinyl Scratch shouted as both her and Lyra fell out of the fire exit door and collapsed on top of each other on the grass outside. Vinyl and landed right on top of Lyra and crushed her slightly but soon rolled off. The continuing chaotic bar fight could still be heard from within. For a brief moment to two old friends laid on their backs and stared into the stars above.

After they had regained their breath Lyra helped her friend up by placing her shoulder around her back and using herself as a prop.

“Urg. Where am I?” Vinyl Scratch was clearly discombobulated and couldn’t even stand on her hooves without wobbling from side-to-side.

“The Dizzy Weasel. You got into a drucken bar fight... again.” Lyra replied and tried to help her friend down the empty pathway as best she could, luckily it was night-time and those ponies not heading for the presentation were smart enough to be already asleep.

“The Wizzy Deasel?!" Vinyl replied with a hiccup. “I once saw a pretty pony, and her name was... Lyra and she was best friend with a... spider.” Vinyl Scratch sang in a drunken mess. They had only just started to trot down the pathway when Vinyl Scratch then looked at herself in the reflection flashy windows of the bar.

“Argh, whoa, what... what is it?!” Lyra replied after she jumped out of her fur for being startled.

“I’m naked!” Vinyl screamed at the top of her lungs and tried to cover herself up in a blind panic. “And they're talking ponies everywhere!” She screamed again before she immediately lost her balance and toppled over.

“Ah geez...” Lyra groaned, rolled her eyes and carried her friend back to their cottage. “Hurry and sober yourself up. I have to play the music for the presentation in less than an hour.”

The time of the presentation had arrived. Most of the catwalk preparations including the neon lights and pyrotechnics were sorted throughout the daylight hours. Everything was ready and splayed out infront of the boutique, even snacks, including hay sandwiches, were laid out upon long tables for ponies to help themselves. The automatic spotlights shone on the catwalk. Lyra Heartstrings took her placed upon the wooden stage with her new lyre the Kerit within her hoof. She was ready to play the melody she was entrusted to write for this very occasion. The calming melody she had written for the lyre would smooth the crowd for certain.

Rarity herself stood backstage along with Spike who was wafted her air with a long feathered fan. She was the one who had to parade down the catwalk wearing the Tour De’ Cloak. It was a little too big for her because it was designed for a certain pretty princess, but she could make it work for tonight. What if they didn’t like it? What if her fears came true and she wastes every famous pony’s time? She stood nervously as the hopeful crowds began to gather. Among the honoured guests were Hoity-Toity, Jet Set, Upper Crust and even Photo Finish, many of whom have previously met Rarity in her many escapades.

There was a brief moment of silence. It all came to this... Rarity stepped from behind the royal purple curtains and strutted across the catwalk, into the spotlight with a proud look upon her face.

The dress itself was pink and blue in colour, with several bright diamonds the encrusted the edges and golden feathers which protruded out of the back to form a peacock-like style around the back. There was also a nice a furry scarf sown with hearts attached to the neckline which completed the ensemble.

“I wanted the Tour De’ Cloak to tell a tale, across the many years of beauty. A tour of fashion and how far it has evolved, as it were. It was designed and commissioned by a princess, who would wear it for formal evenings.”

Down in the crowd of masses everypony seemed, impressed. “Oh my, I simply love what you’ve done with this work of art.” Hoity-Toity smutted and pointed his fan up at the dress.

“Fabulous, absolutely fabulous!” Photo Finish took pictures of the dress as Rarity paraded to the end of the stage—

For a brief moment there was an ill and awkward silence. A high-pitched screech rang out on all the microphones that surrounded the catwalk.

“Uh, oh no...” Rarity’s eye widened and her heart sank so low in her chest it could drop out. At the far back of the crowd DJ Pon-3 had just taken to the stage.

“Letsh, get this party startededdd...” Vinyl Scratch slurred her words and suddenly the beating music boomed from the base of the turntable. She pushed Lyra Heartstrings right off the stage with a overpowered push as Lyra tumbled below into a pit of wires. Lyra got up and brushed herself off. Everypony else turned to look at the Vinyl Scratch with faces of disgust and discontent while the bass cannon shook the ground beneath their hooves. Rarity hung her head in shame, no longer were everypony looking at her work of art, but at Vinyl Scratch, now they will only remember this night for the drunken disk jockey.

“Goooood nights Ponyville,” Vinyl Scratch drunkenly shouted and waved half a bottle of Perry in the air. But no ponies cheered or danced, the place was silent, not a sound stirred apart from the booming beats of the music and the overdramatic screams of humiliation from Rarity. Vinyl’s vision then went blurry, lights fomed in the air and in her eyesight they danced around. She tried to grab one of the pretty lights but in her attempt she collapsed over the turntable, fell off the stage right on top of Lyra. As she fell her hoof got caught in the wire and dragged all the power cables along with an almighty crash. That set a chain reaction for all the wires to explode one at a time destroying the neon lights and flashlight which lit up the stage. One such flashlight leaned towards the Carousel Boutique; it creaked as it fell slowly before crashing through the upper floor of Rarity’s home.

Sparks and electricity engulfed the building and flew in all directions. All the many windows of the Carousel Boutique smashed outwards as the neon light exploded against the building. A frizzled Opalescence jumped through the smashed window and into the night. Rarity’s jaw hit the floor as her house exploded. As the mushroom cloud of smoke erupted outwards, Lyra groaned as once again her musical friend had landed on her as both she and Vinyl Scratch attempted to prize their way out the pit of wires which had them caught. Everypony fled the catwalk for their lives...

Beams of sunlight shone through the blinds attached to the windows of the cabin. The birds could be heard merrily chirping in the morning air. Vinyl Scratch groaned as she awakened to this scene. She was back in her cabin. Was it all a dream? She could only remember bits and pieces. She opened her eyes to find she had a bag of cold ice on her head and a worried Lyra Heartstrings who wafted a manuscript in her face for some fresh air. The room spun around and they were to be two of everypony. It wasn’t a dream.

“Whoa!” Vinyl Scratch got up a jolt. She was in her trailer in a beanbag. “What happened?"

“...You completely messed everything up, that’s what happened!” A snooty voice came from the other side of the cabin. Stood together in the corer were Rarity and Bon-Bon, both with their hooves folded, both with their noses scrunched up and supremely angry frowns.

“I told you so Lyra. I didn’t like to think you were idiotic enough to not notice that Vinyl Scratch has a problem,” Bon-Bon shouted at her friend in anger as she spoke. “She’s clearly an alcoholic.”

“I had one chance, one chance to show off that dress, to have some shred of hope of getting a shop in Canterlot, the capital fashion of the world, and you ruined it!” Rarity snarled, she clenched her hooves in anger, even after all her warnings and talks Vinyl Scratch had still ruined her presentation. In a way she wasn't surprised. Vinyl had not only messed everything up, but severely damaged the Carousel Boutique not to mention put everypony in danger. “Just look what you did to my dear poor Opal!” Rarity held out her pet.

A puff of grey smoke exited the cats mouth. Her fur was frizzled, twirled and covered in black soot.

“I know my limits!” Vinyl protested. Her eye also scowled in an evil way. “I can quit whenever I feel like it. See?” Vinyl grabbed a half-opened bottle a Perry and poured it all over the floor of the cabin. It did nothing to quench the smell of sweat and shame.

"You know Vinyl Scratch, you waste you opportunities in Canterlot. Anypony else would be grateful, but you? Nooooo. Everypony believes your some 'famous' DJ. But you're not, you're just a pony with a problem." Rarity squared-up to Vinyl.

"Alright! Enough!" Lyra held her hooves out to stop both ponies beating the brains out of each other.

“Urg, don’t be such a layabout.” Vinyl Scratch pushed herself away from the conflict and turned to Lyra. “Y-youse, won’t give up on me, will ya’ Lyra? After all we’ve been through?” Vinyl Scratch sank back into the beanbag, her mane was a mess, she had a throbbing migraine and she held a pack of ice on the side of her head.

When Vinyl Scratch looked, it was also at that moment she realised Lyra had a big black eye. Had she done that? Had she hurt her own friend? She landed right on top of her friend, not once, but twice. She remembered that much.

“Alright-alright! I’m sorry. Okay? I just wanted everypony to hear my music.” Vinyl Scratch apologized in regret, although everypony was sceptical to its authenticity.

Rarity and Bon-Bon had heard enough excuses and stormed out of the cabin together. Rarity slammed the cabin door with her magic on their way out. United in their rage, Bon-Bon and Rarity had become good friends after all this, they had many similar characteristics.

Vinyl Scratch turned to her last friend in the world, Lyra Heartstrings; she was her last hope for this story to end in any sort of redemption.

“What are we gonna do with you?” Lyra said with a sigh. She felt like Bon-Bon, looking after another pony like she this. As she approached to remove the cold ice bag she heard the familiar rattling of the bottles that littered the cabin floor. She looked down to see the bottle.

“...I mean look at this, look what it says on the bottle: 'May lead to extreme extremeness'.” She picked up a bottle up and pointed it at the label for Vinyl to read, but she was still seeing double.

Vinyl Scratch tilted her head to the side to projectile vomit all over her trailer.

“I think you have a problem…” Lyra turned away and then looked back at her friend worryingly. “It’s going to be okay…”

“I don’t have a problem. Don't touch me... N-no. Get away from me…” Vinyl slurred as her friend approached.

“We never got to form that band we always wanted... do you remember? That was our musical dream, to play together. Now look at us, I’m a drunk and you’re stuck with Mrs. Nesbitt and co. for the rest of yer life.” Vinyl Scratch regretted. Once again Lyra helped her intrepid but groggy friend up on all-four hooves. “We used to be so great together. We had a future and everything. What the hell happened to us?” Vinyl Scratch looked at her friend.

“That night happened...” Lyra replied as she remembered that terrible night when music school burnt down, with them trapped inside, and deadly bright flashes of green. She helped her musical friend up by placing her hoof around the back of her shoulder. “Now c’mon, there’s something we both have to do...”

Atop one of the highest towers in all of Canterlot the grey pony Octavia still stood alone in the solace and darkness of the empty concert hall. Stood up against the tall and heavy cello she picked up an oboe and played a last sad melody. A tune to show her inner feelings, her instrument played conveyed a deep and mellow tune, a melody of great sorrow. It was about a tale of a music school which burned to the ground and separated three best friends. A tale where Lyra Heartstrings had to play in the inns to get bits but eventually found a new life in Ponyville, and Vinyl Scratch got the travel the world with her popular techno music. Octavia was left with nothing, nothing else but the dark melody of her songs and the haunted memories of the foreboding past. Even her own mother had left her, left her with the instrument of her sadness and irony: her cello. The echoing notes repelled against the walls and chimed in unison. The cellist closed her eyes and let her music take her...

“We should play together,” a familiar voice echoed from across the hall. Startled, Octavia slightly missed a note as her oboe screeched across the string. She opened her greyish purple eyes. It was like a miracle, or perhaps a dream. Two ponies stood there, both of them bright and colourful, Vinyl Scratch and Lyra Heartstrings. Seeing them both brought back memories, not of all them good. Octavia was always shunned from the light while Vinyl Scratch, bubbly, popular and colourful always got the fame and popularity. Vinyl Scratch always considered herself to be... untouchable. Lyra Heartstrings on the other hoof knew everything about music, she was always top of the class, the best lyre player there ever was...

The three ponies come to a silent standoff in the middle of the desolate and cold concert hall.

“Do you have room for one more?” Lyra said with an embarrassed grin and held the Kerit up in her hoof.

It had been many years since their last meeting, in those eyes now much maturity had grown. Octavia’s shoulders slumped but she smiled silently as always and then without warning grabbed both Vinyl and Lyra in one swoop and hugged them tightly together. Her cello fell against the concert hall without an owner to prop it up. In that warm hug the and tears and friendships lost of the years past were all forgiven. She still cared even after all these years of being left alone. They were together again.

Everypony broke the hug and turned to look after they heard the familiar voice...

“Melody?!” Everypony gasped. Melody, the crazed pony from their music school stood with a sarcastic laugh and evil gleam in her eyes.

"That's right, the forgotten fourth member of the gang." Melody said snidely. She lent on the back wall while stood only on her hind hooves. She had changed much, time had not being kind to her. She was now a dark grey earth pony with a rock star-styled pink mane which if let loose would fall over her eyes. The fur on the tuffs of her ears were spiked up to make her ears look longer, she also had a golden piercing on her ear. Her cutie mark was a treble clef. A small white violin rested against the wall by her hind hooves. Melody had watched the whole scene from afar, her mulberry eyes shone in the dark corner of the concert hall.

“We all thought you were dead. W-whut do you want from us?” Vinyl Scratch said and stood on guard infront of Octavia to protect her. She knew Melody has had a long and endless rivalry with Octavia, a rivalry which had grown into a dangerous anger. “Things not working out in ‘The Rockin’ Beats’?”

“We’re not afraid of you anymore!” Lyra suddenly shouted. “I know you were the one who sold me this lyre.” Lyra threw the Kerit down onto the floor as it scraped across the marble tiles toward Melody’s hind hooves. “You almost got me killed!”

“A simple chord of disillusion.” Melody said and wafted a hoof through the air. She picked up her black oaken violin.

"Whut happened to you, Mel? You were meant to be our lead singer, we were going to form a band and become famous. It was all going so well..." Vinyl Scratch said and then remembered back to the music school fire.

“Alas, it is more than simple coincidence that we are all gathered here today. Isn’t that right, Octavia?” Melody said under a wicked smile, her spotless white teeth grinned in the darkened hall.

Lyra then remembered the letter, the letter Octavia had sent in her stead. Lyra worked it out. “It was you who got Octavia to send me that letter weren’t it? Octavia would've never of contacted me like that.” Heartstrings shouted across the hall.

“You’re blackmailing her!” A sober Vinyl Scratch neighed. Octavia gave them a worried look, but no words were needed to explain.

“And the last pony crosses the finishing line. You were always bottom of the class Vinyl Scratch, I didn’t like to think you were scum then, but you’re certainly scum now. I believe the moment has come for the final concerto. Yes, I got Octavia to send you that letter to gather you all together, here. Now we can end what we started Octavia and finish this never ending circle.” Melody placed her white violin on in her neck and scraped the oboe against the violin. It created the most terrifying and terrible screeching sound, like hooves on a chalkboard.

“Argh,” Both Lyra and Vinyl Scratch groaned and held their ears. Melody chuckled sadistically. Both Melody and Octavia were immune to the music. From Mel's violin curled green music notes that magically flew out of the instruments F-holes. She was using music magic! The ancient arcane art that forms when a magical infused instrument is played. The magical music notes twisted and turned among the concert hall before it encased the three best friends together like a lasso, they were all trapped and thwarted. If only Lyra hadn’t thrown away the Kerit she could use any magic that it had left. Suddenly another but different flair of purple musical notes fly around dispersing the green ones with a crackle of thunder. The purple notes had come from the cello of Octavia.

“I never thought that you’d have learned music magic so early.” Melody snarled. Octavia had mastered music magic as well. Since when was this ancient art invented anyway? Octavia silently stepped down the steps, no words needed to express the anger and rage that was clearly shown upon her face. Her greyish purple eyes turned evil and she dragged the cello behind herself.

“Octavia...?!” Vinyl spoke worryingly as her ears finally stop ringing. Both Octavia and Melody stood afar from each other and prepared their instruments. They began to play, one played a tune of evil the other a tune of sorrow, the magical musical notes fly from the instruments and collided in the centre of the concert hall.

The two streams of magic met in the middle and began to push against each other. They sparked and flared with colour and power as they burnt in the centre of the hall but neither pony could get the upper hoof over the other. The sparks occasionally flared off and destroyed parts of the concert hall like the wooden benches of the drapes. They faster they played their tune of music, the more powerful their magic was. Ever so slightly the green notes begin to overpower the purple. Lyra and Vinyl watched with great worry, Octavia was putting every last piece of emotion and empathy into the music...

Suddenly the green musical notes overpowered Octavia breaking through her weaker magic with an explosive and strike straight into Octavia’s chest. Everything went silent, the cello was flung upward into the air, Octavia is knocked off her hooves and against the stone stairs with a violent thud. She smashed her head against the marble stone with such impact it knocked her out. Octavia fainted, defeated.

“Aaaahahahahaaa!” Melody gave a demented but insanely cute chuckle. But something stopped her laughter when Octavia’s cello crashed against the floor and slid right to her. The birch cello was damaged and covered in black burn marks.

There it was... the symbol. The symbol etched with a carving knife into the back of the cello.

Such a simple symbol wrought such strong horror for the Melody; her demented look had changed into one of horror and discontent. Did she know this symbol? What in Equestria did it mean?

While Melody was startled and preoccupied by the cello, Vinyl Scratch sprung into action and galloped to assist Octavia and hold her head up. Lyra dived across the marble floor to grab the Kerit, her body slid along the marble tiles. The green music magic coiled around her hoof like a snake and then flung her backstage where she landed with a crash.

Vinyl Scratch used the magic from her horn. She concentrated on the lyre but she had never used this much magic before. Slowly but surely the Kerit began to shake and move, she levitated the sickly green instrument as it twirled through the air. Lyra Heartstrings caught it in mid-air and began to string notes, hopefully there was still some magic left inside it.

“Uargh!” Heartstrings groaned in pain. A bolt of green magic had snapped the Kerit clean from her hoof. She waved it in agony as it burnt from the force of the magic. Melody looked up from the cello. She wasn’t going to stop; instead she began to string more evil magic melodies from her violin. The green music notes spun so rapidly that they would cut and slice anypony that came into contact. Crazed with the power Melody realises that she had lost control. The magical music notes flew among the concert hall. She stops playing her tunes that screeched but the magic still continued to fly out of the control. It had become independent and too powerful to stop. It spun in a twister, faster and faster, until—

With a devastating flash of green light, the highest tower in Canterlot exploded. The entire hall erupted into green flame, the walls explode outwards sending bricks and mortar in all directions, the pointed roof of the tower is blown clean off and then subsides. Rubble and mortar crushed all ponies inside the hall. The explosion could be seen for miles and echoed across the moors of Equestria.

Everypony, including Melody were blasted off their hooves. Green flames erupted all over the destroyed concert hall, and crackled with magical might. Melody stood behind the green flames which reflected in her eyes, her mane now dangled down to droop over her face and over her eyes. She smiled dementedly behind the strands of her mane. Lyra, Vinyl and Octavia laid defeated on the now marble tiles which were now all cracked and covered in the rubble from the crumbling roof. Vinyl Scratch's tinted glasses were smashed into pieces, the strings of the Kerit had broke and Octavia’s cello now burnt with green fire. None of them moved, but they were all still alive, eyes open but barely breathing. Melody had gone mad, she picked up her violin again, as the green flames crackled and burnt. She walked through the flame and lifted her oboe. She was about to end it all and string the final note...

A solid surface struck upon the back of Melody’s head, her ears rang from the sudden impact and her vision went blurry. She did a twist and collapsed unconscious onto the marble tiles with a thud.

“I suppose you needed some help?” Bon-Bon said with a wry smile. She had whacked the demented Melody over the head with her silvery baking tray. Behind her, Rarity was stood and cast weak gust of magical air to extinguish the flames and dust.

Lyra, Vinyl and Octavia got up together. Their hooves shook from the most sudden experience but they each managed to stand on all four hooves.

“I don’t believe it... Bon-Bon and Mrs. Nesbitt saved the day.” Vinyl Scratch half-heartedly joked and brushed the dust out of her neon blue mane.

“For the last time, my name is not— oh what the heck. Call me whatever you want.” Rarity smiled. Royal guards, called upon by Rarity, flooded into the tower with all with their silvery armour and pointed spears in tow. The royal guards dragged the limbless Melody away to the Canterlot dungeons.

“Octavia!” Melody awakened in the guards custody. “It look like our concerto will continue to sequence. You and I are musically one and the same, but the time will come when sun sets on your creative mind." Melody was dragged away but she had the time to say one final thing to Octavia:

"To find the answers you seek, you must first find your mother's grave.”

The consort hall had faced the brunt of the battle. One wall and the entire ceiling had both been utterly annihilated and everypony could feel the fresh wind blow through their various manes. The wooden stage was reduced to a series of splinters and a layer of grey ash covered everything. All the friends come face-to-face in the centre of the ruined and destroyed concert hall.

“I guess I owe everypony an apology. Rarity. I’m sorry for showing off too much. My showboating just got everypony annoyed or hurt. Tavi, I know how much music means to you and I took all of that away. I'm sorry.” Vinyl Scratch spoke with a smile, an apology?! That was most unlike her... perhaps now that everypony was together her eyes had opened to what really mattered.

“You see Octavia, you had something she didn’t. Melody just craved power and vengeance, she couldn’t let go of her hate for us. I think that’s why her magic exploded, much like her anger. But you played with feeling and only ever used music to communicate love and sorrow. Feelings that are more powerful than anything.” Rarity explained everything.

Lyra picked up the Kerit. She had finally worked it out, the green flashes of light from when the music school burnt down. That was Melody using her music magic. It was Melody who had caused the school the burn down and separate them.

"But you know... I always remembered Melody having green eyes and a pink coat." Lyra said and pointed a hoof into the air. "Hey, I just had a thought!"

"You know while we’re all here, I think we should form our own band. Like old times right, the band we never got to make!” Lyra Heartstring said and bounced up and down in excited. Vinyl Scratch turned to Rarity with wide eyes.

“Fillies and gentlesteeds. On this presentation of the Tour De’ Cloak, I give you... not only the best disk jockey, but the best lyre and cello players in all of Equestria. One formerly in the Royal Canterlot Symphony Orchestra, the other is the greatest lyre player this side of the Silver Sea. It's the duet you've all been waiting for! It’s DJ-Pon Threee and Octaviaaaa!”

The neon lights and lasers shone for the final time and beamed in colourful displays upon the catwalk. The band stood on the stage, Vinyl Scratch used the magic from her horn to place the pin down upon one of the two spinning vinyl’s on the turntable.

“Think you can handle these sick beats?” Vinyl Scratch shouted before she placed a bottle of Perry to her mouth. But in that moment she decided to change her mind. She didn’t drink another drop instead, she threw the bottle away. No more would she be a slave to alcohol, no more would she be the drunken disk jockey.

“Vinyl, it’s supposed to be a formal event.” Lyra kindly reminded her friend with a friendly tap on the shoulder. Lyra finally got to play the song she had worked so tirelessly on... with a few tweaked improvements.

“Oh right, soz.” Vinyl turned down the music slightly to let the real pro’s play. Next to the colourful DJ, Octavia stood playing her cello, and lyre leaned against the speaker of the sound system to play the Kerit. This time, the three played together in sync.

Even Bon-Bon joint in the fun as she grabbed a microphone and sang, perhaps this was her special talent after all. She could make a great replacement for Melody. Octavia played her classical music over the techno beat, to make a different genre of music entirely. One thing was now certain; Octavia was back in business! Together they had created a new type of music nopony had ever heard before. The music played louder and louder as Rarity danced onto the catwalk in a most different fashion from before. She wore the Tour De’ Cloak proudly once more. Everypony went wild even Hoity-Toity trapped his hoof to the beat. Photo Finish took souvenir pictures of the entire event. Everypony in Ponyville danced the night away and the presentation was a huge success. They had formed a new band and fulfilled their musical dream.

Dear Princess Celestia.

‘Today many of your more, musical subjects learnt a valuable lesson. You see while showing off may feel good, it can be hurtful or otherwise upsetting to everypony else. You should always be mindful of other ponies feeling and not showboat whenever the time beckons. All the talent you have are a blessing, but there’s no need to showboat about them. Becoming dependant on intoxication ruined me morally, broke my heart and the hearts of too many others.

Music isn't about pop stars and concerts and being famous, it's about us, about everypony. We all have music inside us. And with music in your soul, Equestria is a much happier place.

Me and Tavi learnt that you should never give up on your dreams, even if things don’t seem to go your way. It only takes that one pony to believe in you and to help you when you fall to make your dream come true, to make your dream come true. Our musical dream was to form our own band, and now it is a reality. As for the name of the band, how about... the Vinyloctave.’

~ Vinyl Scratch.

Notes:

This episode is dedicated to Kelly Sheridan.

Melody was originally a pony from My Little Pony Tales: My_Little_Pony_Tales#Main_Characters

This episode marks the end of the episodes going through the six canon characters.

Originally Octavia was going to speak, but I decided to make her a mute to bring her more depth, all of Octavia’s lines were given to Melody.

Melody will return... when you least expect it.

Time is Forever

by MysteryMelt

The Vinyloctave (Musical Dreams Part 2 - 2)