The classical musician Octavia Philharmonica and one of Equestria's best DJs, Vinyl Scratch, have become a sweet, loving couple-or so it seems on the surface.
Two of the greatest musical talents in Equestria, Octavia Philharmonica and Vinyl Scratch, are summoned by the management of their music company and told that from now on they are to be a couple who can't keep their hooves off each other when not at work. No matter what they really think about each other.
Octavia Philharmonica sat and waited outside the office of one of the most powerful ponies in the world of music, Record Breaker. It was said that no pony in Equestria could aspire to be more then an unlicensed busker without his support.
Did I do or say anything wrong to be summoned here? It's not my fault that Pinkie Pie decided to run amuck onstage and sing the Pinkie Pokey Song at the Grand Galloping Gala. There were no security ponies handy because nopony expects any of those noble ponies who are normally invited to invade the stage. Maybe it's a good thing-he want's to congratulate me, or he has found some long forgotten symphony or piece of new classical music that he wants me to play in front of the great and the good. That must be it. I have nothing to worry about.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a uniformed flunkey summoned her into Record Breaker's office. Record Breaker wore several thick gold chains and his cutie mark was that of a record with a golden note on it, surrounded by gold bits. He grinned when he saw her. "Octavia Philharmonica, welcome. I want you to meet a pony that I think is one of your friends, Vinyl Scratch." The flunkey ushered in Vinyl Scratch, a pony with a note cutie mark, a shock of blue mane and a pair of dark glasses. Octavia knew her slightly; they had chatted a couple of times, but that was all. They had no reason to dislike each other, but they moved in totally different circles and different styles of music and had very little in common.
"Octavia, Vinyl, I've decided that you two are meant for each other. Just picture this, Octavia...you are at one of the clubs that Vinyl DJs at, and you fall in love with this gorgeous unicorn. Vinyl, you see this really pretty grey Earth pony and you too fall in love with her at first sight. What a wonderful celebrity couple you two will make. You'll go out on dates together at all the best places...take long romantic walks together...hoof on hoof...look lovingly into each other's eyes and kiss in front of the cameras. And you'll move in with each other too and sleep in the same bed together like lovers do. And the interviews that you will do...the interviews about how you two met and how much you love and cherish each other. And after two or three years together, when the relationship is solid...the wedding! It'll be the biggest one since the royal wedding of Captain Shining Armour and Princess Cadence-hopefully without being attacked by a changeling hive this time. And we'll make a movie about it-OctaScratch the Movie, and you two will live happily ever after together. All those bits that I can make out of your relationship-it'll make me into an even richer pony then I am already."
There was silence. Vinyl Scratch's mouth had dropped open in horror and Octavia's eyes were wide. Octavia was the first to speak. "I...I'm not homophobic, but I personally prefer stallions. And even if I was to fall in love with another mare...no offence meant to you, Vinyl, but....Vinyl Scratch is not my type. She and I have nothing in common apart from both being musical ponies. We can't become a couple."
Vinyl nodded and said "What makes you think that you can just...ship us together like this, as if you were some perverted fanfiction writer? I do like mares, but I'm certainly not willing to commit to any mare at the moment until I find my true love. I'm a rolling stone when it comes to romance, I'm a love them and leave them pony. You can't expect me to give that up and settle down with a pony that I barely know-and marry her and spend the rest of my life with her."
"Oh, but I can. Either you will co-operate or I'll take your Equestrian Musician Union cards away. Vinyl, no club will legally be able to hire you. With no more bits flowing in, how will you pay your mortgage or pay rent? You'll be out on the street, do you hear me? OUT ON THE STREET. You won't even be able to busk legally. You'll be surviving on grass and dreading the onset of winter when I'm through with you. Octavia, you're a bit richer then Vinyl, so you'll be able to live on your savings for much longer, but your concert days will be over, and I'll withdraw all your recorded music from sale. Your musical career will also be at an end. Either you two will be the lovers that I want you to be, or I will make sure that both of you never make any bits out of music again. Do you two understand?"
Octavia hung her head. "I understand." Vinyl nodded. "So do I."
"Now kiss. In front of me."
Vinyl and Octavia both blushed under their fur and Vinyl walked up and planted a quick kiss on Octavia's forehead. Record Breaker snorted and sat at his desk.
"I meant on the lips. With tongues. I want to see you two kissing like you really mean it."
Octavia's stomach churned but she did what she was told, kissing Vinyl on the lips and then opening her mouth slightly. She longed to wipe her mouth afterwards but she knew Record Breaker was watching, so she left the kiss on, not wanting to think about what Record Breaker might be doing to himself under the desk.
"Tonight Vinyl will be DJing at " Club Ponyfeathers." You, Octavia, will go there-I will have made sure in advance that the bouncers let you in-and your eyes will meet across a crowded dance floor. You will dance together and kiss and I will have arranged for a photo to be taken of you two kissing, that will soon be all over the music sections of the press. The start of your lifelong coupledom together. I will personally be watching you two-and things had better appear genuine, or else."
Octavia left the room with her stomach churning, feeling disgusted. How can he do this to me and Vinyl and get away with it? This is so wrong for both of us. Thoughts of having to hold Vinyl...kiss her...gaze into her eyes...and live with her, filled her head.
Vinyl Scratch also yearned to wipe her mouth and then cuff Record Breaker across the head for forcing Octavia to kiss her, but she knew he could carry out his threats to ruin both her career and Octavia's too, and she had a mortgage to pay. Although boiling with anger inside, she kept quiet. At least for now, I'm going to have to do what that creep wants me to do, but Celestia help him if the horseshoe is ever on the other foot. Record Breaker clopped his hooves together in delight at the embarrassment he was causing to the two mares.
"You too can go now. Octavia, I want you to be at Ponyfeathers by 10:00PM when it opens, in a pretty dress. Some clubs don't make the clientele wear clothes, but Ponyfeathers is one of the more upmarket ones. You'll have to pay to enter like everypony else, but I'll make sure that you're not stopped from entry at the door. Vinyl, when you see Octavia you'll put on a nice romantic record and go over and dance with her, and then you'll start kissing in front of everypony."
"Fine." Octavia walked out, her tail flicking around in anger. Now everypony will think I'm a fillyfooler. My family when they find out will be shocked and possibly disgusted and poor Vinyl. Why should she be forced to settle down with a fake special somepony, just so Record Breaker can make more bits? Why should I be forced to pretend Vinyl is the love of my life when I don't even feel attracted to mares? She went back to her house and selected a dress of fine red silk, a pearl necklace and pearl earrings, and looked at herself in the mirror. A few hours later, her stomach doing flip-flops inside, she was in a queue of ponies from all three pony races waiting to enter Ponyfeathers. The club had bars on the upper windows to stop pegasui from just flying up and getting in that way, and two strong earth pony bouncers on the door with cutie marks that indicated violence.
She paid twenty bits and was allowed in, and made her way to the dance floor wishing she could be almost anywhere else. Sure enough, there was Vinyl Scratch with her glasses on and a sparkly dress at the DJ booth with another DJ. Sitting at a table not far away was Record Breaker with a smug grin on his face. Clearly there would be no getting out of this fake romance, this "fauxmance" as she thought of it. When Vinyl saw Octavia she put on a song called "Pony In Red" and came out to her, and the two began a dance, their front legs around each other. And then Vinyl raised her glasses so that her pretty red eyes were visible and locked lips with Octavia, kissing her passionately as if she really did mean it. Octavia wanted to pull away but forced herself to kiss back with just as much passion, as both their careers depended on this seeming like real true love. Cameras flashed. Again, Record Breaker had cleared this in advance so the bouncers didn't attack the press ponies.
After another song or two, Vinyl whispered in Octavia's ear "Record Breaker wants us to go back to my flat and spend the night together, and I only have one bed there. I know I can trust you not to try and force yourself on me. You hate this as much as I do." The two left the club and did what they were told, near certain that somepony, a spy sent by Record Breaker, was following them.
Soon enough they had reached Vinyl's flat, and as soon as they were inside and could speak freely, Octavia said "Vinyl, I am so sorry for what I had to do to you..."
"You're a good kisser. But you're not my type of pony and it's outrageous that we should be forced to act as if we love each other. We don't. Somehow we must find a way to get revenge on Record Breaker."
Octavia looked around her. The flat was poky and messy, with books in random places on the floor, food wrappers on the desk, and the carpet had clearly not been cleaned in several years. "Yuck! This place is such a mess, that I'm surprised you don't have rats in here."
Vinyl raised her glasses and glared at Octavia. "You have only just got here and you complain about my flat? I'm not a prissy princess-like noble pony like you are. Yes, my flat is a mess, but I'm used to it and I don't make enough bits to hire cleaners. Get used to the way I am and don't try and change me. We might be stuck being girlfriends for a long time-or even wives. Bed now. And don't move about and keep me awake or I'll tie you to the bed!"
"Vinyl, that sounds sexy."
Vinyl stomped her hoof in anger. "That's not funny."
Soon enough the two of them were sharing a bed together, with each pony on their own side of the bed, thinking about how their lives would have to be until they finally fell asleep. The next morning Octavia saw a picture of the two of them kissing in the music section of the Canterlot Guardian under the headline Opposites Attract! and read the story to Vinyl. "Well, who would ever have thought of it? The pretty, prim princess of classical music Octavia Philharmonica and one of Canterlot's coolest DJs Vinyl Scratch are the latest romantic celebrity couple, as they were caught dancing and kissing all night at Club Ponyfeathers. Will this be the perfect romantic love song or will it all end up in a cacophonous break-up? Only time will tell."
Vinyl scowled. "And this is only the start. We'll be expected to play the part of the perfect romantic couple indefinitely unless we can find a way out of this. I do like you, Octavia, but the idea of having to accept you as the love of my life turns my stomach. As I said before, you're just not my type. I want someone more like me."
"No offence, Vinyl, but I feel the same way. I want to settle down with some stallion someday, I'm just not into mares like you. I want to have a foal when the time is right. We have to work together to find a way to get out of this coupledom."
There was a knock on the door and to the disgust of both of them, it was Record Breaker standing there. "Both of you did so well together. From now on you two will dance and kiss every night for a week, then when you, Octavia, have your next concert for the great and the good, Vinyl will have a seat in the front row, dressed in a Rarity Original dress, gazing at her lover. The music press will love the pictures of the wild coltish Vinyl Scratch all dressed up like a filly. After that you'll have a romantic walk together and an interview about how much you two love each other."
"But what about my career?" demanded Vinyl. "I'll lose my job if I'm not DJing. Being a DJ like me is a job, you know."
"I'm paying the manager of Ponyfeathers good bits to overlook it. Don't worry, you won't lose your job because of me, neither of you will, as long as you do and say what I tell you. Soon many other ponies will envy how close you two are. The perfect couple." Vinyl and Octavia glared at him with undisguised dislike.
When Record Breaker left, both ponies were pleased he had gone. "The nerve! Can you imagine me, Vinyl Scratch, all dressed up like a pretty young filly? So not me. My reputation will be ruined. At least he can't force us to make love to each other."
Soon enough the evening came where Vinyl found herself dressed in a pretty black and gold Rarity Original in the front row of an Octavia concert watching Octavia play the cello. She is pretty, and I have to admit that she plays music well, but I could never willingly fall in love with her. And she's straight anyway. She gazed lovingly at Octavia just as she had been told, knowing that they would have a lot more forced time together.As well as having to wear a dress, Vinyl had been given the hair style of a feminine mare and a pearl necklace to wear and felt very unlike herself.
Afterwards Record Breaker called her over to a table with the finest pony food and wine upon it. There was no meat of course-almost all ponies thought eating meat to be an abomination; but there was bread and fruit and all manner of pies and cakes. "Octavia, you played so well tonight, and Vinyl, you looked so adorable gazing at the mare of your dreams. Let us drink to a wonderful romance." As soon as Octavia drank, she felt a warm love for the adorable unicorn mare in front of her, whilst from the look she was seeing in Vinyl's eyes, Vinyl clearly felt the same way about her.
Record Breaker smiled happily. The love potion that he had brought from his Changeling contact was doing it's job already and soon, once in private and away from prying eyes, those two would be making love to each other. Publicly their love for each other would seem so sweet and so genuine and every pony would be happy for them except for the homophobic. He had been so careful to measure out the right dose. Too little, and it would run out too soon, which would be a disaster. Vinyl and Octavia might well find out that they had been drugged against their will, a very serious offence under Equestrian law. Too much, and they would be so obsessed with each other that their careers would suffer, tongues would start wagging and others might suspect that they had been given a love potion. As it was, all he needed to do was drug their drinks once a week to keep them adorably in love with each other, without it seeming over the top or forced.
Soon enough Octavia and Vinyl made their excuses and went back to Octavia's house together.
"Tavi, I am so pleased I met you, Record Breaker was right, you are my very special some-pony after all!"
Octavia replied "I never thought in my wildest dreams, when I was told that you were to be my mare-friend, that you would become my mare-friend for real."
As soon as they got back to Vinyl's flat and closed the door, Octavia gave Vinyl a big warm kiss on her lips and said lightly in her ear, "I want to show you how much I love you." When Vinyl nodded she began running her tongue slowly up and down her marefriend's horn, feeling the magical charge build up and build up until the lightest little tap with a hoof was enough to send an orgasm through Vinyl and discharge the magic into the ceiling, turning the wallpaper purple. Vinyl giggled. Next Octavia took Vinyl's glasses off and kissed her red eyes. She kissed her cheeks and down her neck and pulled her dress up, and licked all her nipples. And then kissed and licked her down between her legs and stroked her gently with a hoof until Vinyl orgasmed again.
Now it was Vinyl's turn to return the favour. Undressing her marefriend, she kissed her on her forehead and planted little kisses all over her face. She licked and kissed down her body, giving her nipples extra attention, and then placed her horn against Octavia's vagina and used her magic to massage her down there and bring her to an orgasm. The two spent the night cuddled up together and for the next three weeks stayed happily in love, giving interviews to the music press and privately planning how they would spend the rest of their lives together.
Once a week Record Breaker would meet them and arrange to slip the right dose of love potion into their wine to keep this couple together, and this went well until Derpy Hooves was hired by the restaurant management as their waitress and managed to spill the drugged wine all over the floor.A few hours later Octavia and Vinyl realised what had happened.
"Octavia...I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me, I..."
"I think I do, this has got to be Record Breaker's doing. He must have drugged us both with a love potion. I am as sorry as you are, he made us rape each other. What a nasty, horrible, disgusting thing to do. I can't bear him anymore, and I think I have a way to take him down. A small hidden tape recorder to catch the evidence we need to have him arrested and buried alive in Foalsom Prison, or even turned to stone. "
"But what if it goes wrong somehow?"Octavia asked.
"He raped me. He raped us, or rather, he tricked us into raping ourselves. Rather then trying to kill him or inciting my fans to kill him, I may as well take my chances with the law. To me he really is one of the lowest of the low. I feel filthy because of what he did to us."
"Well, how do you think I feel Vinyl? I don't even like mares in that way. One way or another he is going down."
