The morning began a normal one. Alarm clocks rang shrilly, showers sprayed water over the backs of drowsy ponies, and toothbrushes scrubbed away. The wake-up schedule of a certain grey earth pony and a white unicorn were nearly exactly the same as well. But this morning, Octavia Meloy and Vinyl Scratch had preparations for a special day to add to the usual. Octavia and Vinyl were holding a pre-Hearth Warming's Eve concert at Pontville's most coveted concert hall; The Sliver Stable. But this was not an ordinary assembly of party ponies jamming to the heart-pounding wubs of Vinyl's making, nor a selection of the stuffiest music critics nodding to the rhythm of Octavia's cello. This concert was a rarity, something crafted out of nights huddled over turntables and instruments. This concert was to be a mixture of the two. And it was for that reason Vinyl's phone rang at four in the morning.
RING. RING. RING.
"Ughhh...," moaned Vinyl. She rolled out of bed and schlepped her way over to the phone in her living room.
"Yo, Octi! Way too early, dude," she said into the phone, fighting to keep a slur out of her voice.
"Well, you seem awake enough at four in the morning usually, so I figured a call at this time wouldn't be too bad," replied Octavia, smoothly and with the wide-awake tones of someone hyped-up on coffee.
"Dude, that's when I'm, like, up all night."
"Weren't you?" said Octavia, who apparently knew she was asking for trouble.
"Shut up, Tav. You knew I was practicing until I fell asleep at one. Whadda you want?"
"For you to get over here at this instant. We have some last-minute practicing to do."
Vinyl muttered a cry of something between an agreement and exasperation. She slammed the phone into the holder and rubbed her eyes with a hoof.
"Why did I agree to this...," she muttered, and walked into the kitchen to make coffee. Just then, the phone rang again.
"Octavia, I will kill you."
"What? Vinyl, it's me. Meteor Shower? Your publicist?" said the voice at the other end of the line.
"Oh. Hi, Meteor. What's up?" greeted Vinyl, pouring coffee onto her hoof. She shouted obscenities silently until the pain passed.
"Vinyl, you're not going to believe it. You know Photo Finish? I just got an email from her publicist saying she wants YOU to perform at her fashion show! Tonight!" exclaimed Meteor Shower. Vinyl did not ask why she or Photo Finish's publicist was awake at four a.m., or elaborate on why she was.
"Uh...what time?"
"From six to nine. I can hardly believe it!" It sounded like Meteor was jumping up and down.
"But...Meteor...that's when Octi and I have our concert." The jumping stopped.
"Oh, that's just a little thing, just a few hundred people. But Photo Finish wants you to play for thousands! And it's at The Braided Bridle!" Vinyl gasped. The Braided Bridle...that was Canterlot's most coveted concert hall. Neither her or Octavia had ever played there.
"Could...Octi play too?"
"Uh..." Clacks of a computer's keys were heard at the other end. "No, it's the debut of her newest models...yah know...the First Pony in Space show...? She thinks Octavia Melody's music might be a bit of a buzzkill. Vin, you can't turn this down! If you do...I don't even know what Photo Finish will do to your reputation!"
"Gimme a minute, 'kay?" She hung up and immediately called Octavia. As the phone rang, she had a sudden revelation. Octavia didn't have to know, did she? She could just...not show up. Octi had the recordings of her music. All Octi had to do was get another famed party pony to play the recording. She was about to hang up, but Octavia picked up the phone first.
"Yes, Vinyl?"
"Oh...uh...never mind! Wrong number."
"Who else would you be calling at four in the morn-"
"Meteor Shower...don't ask. Bye!" She hurriedly hung up before Tav could ask more questions. She called Meteor back.
"Meteor...I'll do it. On one condition though...Photo gets another party pony to fill in after seven." That was the hour the concert started...if she teleported, she might be able to get there only a few minutes late.
More computer keys clacked. "Yeah, sure! Rolling Stone says that he'll be able to get Solid Beats- that pegasus with the mohawk always hanging around your concerts- for then! See you, Vinyl!" She hung up.
Vinyl pinched the bridge of her nose. She hoped Tavi wouldn't be too mad.