How to Disappear Completely

by shortskirtsandexplosions

Studio

If someone decided to put a gun to Flash Sentry's head, he'd be forced to admit that—yes—he once had a crush on Vinyl Scratch. But that wasn't saying much. Several boys (and girls) in class had fallen for her at one point or another—if only briefly. There was such a delightful mystique about the soft-spoken, shades-wearing, music-jamming seraph of neon and night. It certainly didn't help that she constantly kept to herself, enshrouding her own true nature in a cryptic cocoon bolstered by sonic vibrations. She was the very epitome of cool, slick, and stylish—and what made her infinitely more attractive was that she didn't seem to care what the world thought of her or what the social standard for "normal" was. She enjoyed life as a never-ending sound booth for art and enthusiasm, and nothing in that universe—temporal or otherwise—could even pretend to stop her.

So, as one would imagine, Flash's stomach should have been full of butterflies every minute that he sat there in a studio alongside the flesh-and-blood equine doppelganger of said musical maiden.

In truth, though, he was too busy being mesmerized by her music to give the mare a second thought.

Vinyl Scratch sat her cute pony butt on a stool, adjusting a soundboard with cute pony hooves, twitching her cute pony ears to the beat. It wasn't just any beat, but an orgasm of electronica conjured up by a cornucopia of otherworldly samples—none of which Flash had ever heard before. Flash tried naming off all of the techno prodigies he knew in his head: Royksopp, Daft Punk, Anoorak, Aphex Twin, Crystal Castles. But—somehow—all of those delightful talents tossed into a bowl and mashed to a pulp still wouldn't taste as delicious, as surprising, as exotic as the stuff his ears were bearing witness to now. Somehow, he knew that it was because every auditory thing he tasted in this world was unprecedented and unknown. But he also knew that—deep down—this Vinyl Scratch (whether or not she was anything like the human he observed from across the school campus day to day) was simply a master at what she did. So, in the end, it was a mix of talent and exotica.

And, in the end, Flash was finding it very hard not to drool.

"Oh... oh that's wicked cool," he wheezed like a breathless middle schooler. He felt his own ears twitching to the beat. He imagined that he resembled an orange rabbit on ecstasy. "Oh man... heheh..." He smiled dumbly to match his cooing tone, then flashed Vinyl a mesmerized look. "And you're telling me that these are all samples taken from... from... some forest?"

Vinyl nodded with a knowing smirk... a smirk that was confident yet humble. She turned a dial and she exposed several of the background overlays so that they came to the forefront of the studio speakers surrounding them. Flash heard what sounded like guttural roars forming a bass beat, looped expertly with no sign of stopping.

"What... is that thing?" Flash stammered.

"First of all," Octavia spoke from the back of the studio—jolting Flash out of the moment. She shuffled through a few music sheets he had scribbled down and casually explained: "It's the Everfree Forest. The samples taken were recorded from pioneer ponies over forty years ago."

"Is that why they sound so lo-fi?"

"Mmmm. Yes. And as for that bass sound..." Octavia's purple eyes darted up from the sheets. "I do believe that is the bellicose lungs of a hydra." She glanced at Vinyl. "Am I right, love?"

Vinyl nodded.

"Hydra?" Flash turned, teetered in his stool. "What—we talking Red Skull n'stuff?"

"Erm..." Octavia fidgeted.

"Eheh..." Flash waved an orange hoof. "Never mind." He sighed, smiling. He was delirious. Drunk. "And what are those crunching sounds mixed with the bass? Every five seconds or so—" He heard it and pointed at the speakers. "There!"

Vinyl whistled, then charaded a creature howling towards the invisible moon.

"Timberwolves," Octavia interpreted. "Not many samples of those. Vinyl's outdone herself."

Vinyl turned to smile at Flash.

"Uhm..." Flash gulped, seeing his timid reflection in her purple shades. "She's looking at me, Miss Melody. What do I do?"

"She wants to know if you approve of her work in progress."

"Oh! Totally! I mean... hell..." He pointed at his ears. "These tell you everything, right? I'm totally digging it!"

Vinyl giggled breathily and waved a hoof. Her horn glowed ever so slightly.

"She's quite amused at your enthusiasm," Octavia muttered, returning to the sheets.

"You read her like a book, don't you?" Flash asked.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't?"

Flash's mind wandered through the mirror. He recalled moments where the two teenage girls of musical mirth sat next to one another at the cafeteria or on the bleachers. As far as he could remember, their friendship was casual... a faint acquaintance at best. But here—it would seem—such an acquaintanceship was far more ardent. Unbreakable. He couldn't help but notice that it was somewhat the same with Lyra and Bon Bon as well. What was it—Flash pondered—about the mirror and the emotions that this side of the portal so delightfully refracted?

"You know, Vinyl," Octavia spoke. "I'm certain he would appreciate your most recent works. Especially with full immersion."

Vinyl instantly understood her roommate. Nodding, she spun a one-eighty on her stool and hopped off. The mare trotted casually towards the far end of the studio where a pair of closet doors rested.

As Vinyl made her way to the edge of the room, Octavia scooted closer to Flash in her desk chair. The stallion watched as the dainty mare came within whispering range. "I imagine she would be just as captivated as you are if she visited your world and listened to your audio library."

"I... I dunno..." Flash bore a crooked smile. "Not many artists I know creep into an Everfree Forest to record their samples."

"Even still, I can't quite believe what I'm witnessing myself here." Slightly breathless, Octavia held up the sheets that Flash had scribbled over the past hour. "These two songs in particular are just... m-mesmerizing..." She took a deep breath. "And so melancholic. I'm already trying to imagine them in my head, but I suspect I'll be in for a real treat once I put them to cello."

"Yes, well..." Flash chuckled slightly. "Mumford and Sons will have that effect on you."

"I suppose I will have to wait and see." Octavia shuffled to another sheet. "But I'm absolutely dying to try this most delightful tune. The harmony seems... just so invigorating..."

"Uhhhhhhhhhh..." Flash blushed deeply. "Eheheheh..."

Octavia raised an eyebrow. "Is something the matter?"

"Sorry. I was just... so thrilled to be in a music studio again," he remarked, gulping. "I-I-I sorta stopped thinking around the time that I wrote that one down. I don't even know how I remembered it so suddenly. I wasn't using my head. Sorry."

"Well, I'm certain I will be quite impressed." Octavia's squinting eyes wandered up to the top of the sheet. "Though... I am tempted to ask... precisely what is a Smash Mouth?"

Just then, Vinyl Scratch returned with an extra pair of headphones. She whistled, gesturing at Flash.

"Oh! Hey!" Flash pivoted in his stool to face her. "What do we have here?"

"Ah. Brilliant, Vinyl," Octavia said.

With calm motions, Vinyl slapped a drawer beside the sound board. A shelf slid out, layered with bright multi-colored gems. Crystals—actually—as Flash soon noticed. They were small, slender, almost cylindrical. Vinyl browsed through the tiny labels, then grabbed a bright glowing yellow gem. She slid it into an appropriate chamber housed on the right side of the headphones, then locked it into place. Swiveling in her chair, she presented the article to Flash with a smile.

"Uhhhhhhhh..." Flash pensively grasped the headphones and held them above his cranium. "Will these fit on my bigass ears?"

"Oh, don't be a silly sod." Octavia waved a fetlock. "It won't make your skull implode."

"If you say so." And Flash lowered the headphones over his ears. It was amazingly light—even with the glowing crystal that had been inserted. "Huh. That's snazzy. Uhm... now what—?"

Vinyl leaned in and pressed a button situated on the left clamshell of the device. Click!

Almost instantly, a trance track began playing, using natural samples that were even more heart-stopping and mystical than the ones Flash had just finished listening to in that studio. He felt like he was being ferried off to another world—despite the alien soundscape where he had already been sitting. His eyes closed and the teenager purred like a cat. He sailed into sonic bliss on a smile, feeling waves splash on all sides, accompanied by angelic harmonies and vocal manipulations.

"Hmmmmmmmm... Christ on a pogostick..." When he opened his eyes, they were practically rolling. "Heehee... your crystal is singing to me..."

"It's a sound stone," Octavia calmly explained from beyond the symphony. "Usually, they're utilized for multi-leyline communication. But this one houses a closed mana-circuit, so the sound that's inputted is contained within the limited leylines."

"So... it's basically a magical unicorn mp3 player."

Vinyl and Octavia exchanged confused looks.

"Uhhhhhh..."

"Never mind..." Flash chuckled, and he felt his heart leaking through his muzzle. "Just ignore me." He sighed. "I don't exist." He sighed again, relaxing in the saccharine shadows of yesterday. "I'm not here..." He felt his body vibrating inside and out. He was tired... but energetic. He felt hungry, but not for banana bread. His wingtips fluttered, and he felt more real with them than ever before. "Wish... I could fly to this shit. It's so awesome..."

Vinyl gestured something.

"Well, can't you?" Octavia asked.

Flash jolted. The music drew into the corner of his mind as he glanced across the shadows at the two mares. "Maybe..." His ears curled beneath the headphones, and he felt his tail resting between his legs. "...if somepony taught me?"

Octavia stifled a dainty laugh. "Do I look like Rainbow Dash?"

Flash's reply was surprisingly swift and confident. "No. You most certainly don't."

"Well, she's not in town at the moment," Octavia mused aloud. "Last time I checked. And Cloud Kicker is off farting about... insatiable trollop..."

"Uhhhhh..."

Vinyl tapped Octavia's shoulders. Once she got her roommate's attention, the unicorn slid her shades up and rolled her eyes in opposite directions.

"Hah!" Octavia smirked mischievously. "Oh, Vinyl, love. As if."

"What?" Flash asked.

Octavia gave him a sideways glance. "Forget about it. You... uhm... you would do well to wait for the likes of Rainbow Dash."

Flash shuddered. "No. I really can't. If somepony's in town giving flying lessons, then I'm game!"

"You... would do well to stifle such impulsiveness."

"Just tell meeeeee..."

Vinyl gave Octavia a curious glance.

Tavi sighed. "Alright... since you've been so kind to give us these delightful compositions. Although, I must warn you..." She raised an eyebrow. "You should probably pack a helmet."

Flash blinked. "Buh?"

Comments

[Czar_Yoshi]

Tavi sighed. "Alright... since you've been so kind to give us these delightful compositions. Although, I must warn you..." She raised an eyebrow. "You should probably pack a helmet."

Incoming wall-eyed muffin mare?

[DrEggnog]

cute pony butt

orgasm

I think the amount of fucks Skirts gives decreases every year.

That's snazzy.

Christ on a pogostick

You have a very Buffy the Vampire Slayer-ish quality of giving your characters similar phrases and word choice yet having them feel vividly distinctive from each other all the same.

[IceKitsune]

Oh boy I wonder who this could be? I'm going with Twilight personally but It maybe too early to bring her into the story. So Derpy is possible given the helmet line.

[pahnazd]

I really wonder how long will it take for someone to catch wind of something suspicious about Flash
He is way too enthusiastic about everything to not appear out of place. Then again, I don't think we'd fare any better.

[Leftover of Saikano]

Wait until Flash introduces ponies to 4′33″ by John Cage (is that the Mortal Kombat guy?).
Oh, do I smell chicken?

[Hap]

I've figured it out.

I know why everypony here is so cheery compared to the other, human, world.

They don't have to do laundry.

[djthomp]

You know, I think I would be more concerned that "it won't make your head explode" is the unprompted reassurance that Octavia offered, not less.

[WiseFireCracker]

"Hydra?" Flash turned, teetered in his stool. "What—we talking Red Skull n'stuff?"

Flash Sentry, you uncultured SWINE!

"These two songs in particular are just... m-mesmerizing..." She took a deep breath. "And so melancholic. I'm already trying to imagine them in my head, but I suspect I'll be in for a real treat once I put them to cello."

"Yes, well..." Flash chuckled slightly. "Mumford and Sons will have that effect on you."

...All is forgiven.

[reginaldg]

He sailed into sonic bliss on a smile, feeling waves splash on all sides, accompanied by angelic harmonies and vocal manipulations.

[belnett]

You know, I have this weird desire to hear vanilla twilight by owl city on cello now... I just feel like they'd enjoy the sound

[Damaged]

most delightful toon.

most delightful tune.

[Norad2]

Vinyl turned to smile at Flash.

"Uhm..." Flash gulped, seeing his timid reflection in her purple shades. "She's looking at me, Miss Melody. What do I do?"

That would be me, too.

[Bruno]

"Uhhhhhhhh..." Flash pensively grasped the headphones and held them above his cranium. "Will these fit on my bigass ears?"

Okay, this is absolutely great.

[ferret]

Although, I must warn you..." She raised an eyebrow. "You should probably pack a helmet."

How could this possibly go wrong?

[Sane Marbles]

8857211
I know, add in the CMC and something will go wrong.

[berrytone]

7825165
As some reading this in a laundromat, I concur.

[flutterboot]

"Well, I'm certain I will be quite impressed." Octavia's squinting eyes wandered up to the top of the sheet. "Though... I am tempted to ask... precisely what is a Smash Mouth? "

No. Do not. teh ponez muhst kheep thayer inn-ow-sense.