Broken Record

by Scourgeous


Mono Stereo

Vinyl Scratch set off in the afternoon when the sun was at the highest point in the sky. She had bid Octavia a fond farewell, promising to meet up with her at some point in the latter. She trotted along the streets of Canterlot, a new skip in her step, a new beat in her heart. She hummed a tune to herself, clicking her teeth together to keep herself in time.

The citizens of Canterlot paid no attention to her as she steadily made her way home. She was grateful for that, for she had no time to lose. She knew she had to get down some new beats as soon as she got home. Her career depended on it, and with Tavi's help there was a business to be blooming.

Vinyl turned the corner, but as she looked up, the smile across her face faded, and a sudden cloud of dread seemed to fall over her. A very important looking pony was looking up at her flat through his narrow spectacles, then he pulled a ring of keys from his waistcoat and locked her door, as if he'd been inside already. She hurried up to him, eyes wide with terror.

"Excuse me?" She wimpered, trying to find her voice.

He glanced at her down his nose, and he grunted snottily. "Just the mare I was looking for." He said thickly.

She shivered. "Why did you lock me out of my house?"

"Your rent is far over due Ms.Scratch." He licked his lips slowly, looking bored just talking to her. "I'm afraid this is the final time I'll let you come this scathingly close to not paying me a single bit."

She stared up at him with horror, her eyes burning and she took a shaky breath as if she could burst into tears. 'But I have no bits! I'd pay you if I did!"

He was already turning away from her and trotting away, the keys jingling in his pocket. She stared after him, mouth gaping, a few loose tears escaping down her cheeks. She took a glance at her door and the sign he had hung on it that read "Vacant", and turned and fled away as fast as she could carry herself.

With her head down and her blue mane hanging over her eyes, she just relied on where ever her hooves were taking her. A choking feeling rose deep in her chest, and she pulled in a strangled sob. She found herself at Canterlot gardens, the scowling gazes of the horty ponies burning into her. She slumped against the edge of the path, resting her head against one of the bushes.

"Get out of the way," A mare said as she shoved past, glaring down at Vinyl as if she was a rat.

She scooted off the path and lay on the bark around the flowers and bushes, dirt smeared against her white legs. More ponies that passed her sneered rude comments about her as they went by. There were an awful lot of them coming into the gardens, to Vinyl's despair. She tried to close her eyes and block them out, but soon her ears were full of chatter and gossip from nearby.

There were dozens of grand looking ponies gathered in the gardens, eating tiny morsels from toothpicks and sharing itty bitty glasses of champagne. Vinyl stared around, noticing banquet tables had been brought in and laid out with large mounds of salads and cheeses and other gourmet looking cuisine. A stage had been wheeled in, and a few ponies were setting up on it.

Fancy Pants must be hosting some sort of posh party. She thought darkly, pulling her legs under herself and sitting up a little, watching from afar.

Her gaze scoured the crowd, but the ponies all pinned up in their elegant dresses and suits were nothing familiar to her eye until she returned to look at the stage again. A stunningly familiar mare was standing there now, her gray almost slate brown fur smooth and shiny, her dark mane combed back, and a cello in her hooves. Octavia!

Vinyl wanted to leap to her hooves and race over to her and scream out everything that had ruined her day, but she knew that she wasn't invited to this party, and Octavia wouldn't enjoy her interrupting her performance. With a resigned sigh, Vinyl lay her head on her forelegs and closed her eyes, just listening to the almost violin sound that vibrated from the strings of the cello.

The night seemed to wind on forever until it was pitch black and the only light was that of candles that had been lit around. The music still droaned on lazily to a slower tune than before. Vinyl imagined herself cranking up the beat, bringing in a deep bass solo to shake the ground. But that wasn't the music the posh ponies listened to, or enjoyed. She ground her teeth angrily, tail twitching.

It seemed like hours until a voice spoke close to her. "Vinyl? Is that you?"

The white unicorn looked up groggily, then smiled at Octavia, who was staring down at her with concern. "Tavi." was all she managed to neigh.

"What are you doing in the dirt? How long have you been here?" She sounded worried, and she leaned down to help her friend to her hooves.

A lump seemed to rise in Vinyl's throat. "I haven't been able to pay to keep my flat, and when I went back I wasn't allowed in. I'll have to go back tomorrow to get everything of mine before they shovel it out on the streets."

She felt Tavi's warm fur pressing against her as she lead her out of the gardens and onto the path. "You can sleep at my place again. It'll be no trouble at all, and you look awfully sick."

Vinyl wanted to argue with that fact, but she knew it was true. She still had a fever which hadn't been aided by the incident at The Barn Mug, and her head was pounding with pain. She rested her weight against Octavia, feeling her hooves trace the same route to the Earth pony's home.

"I can't thank you enough," She sighed as Tavi unlocked the door and lead her inside.

Octavia said nothing took her straight to the guest bedroom. It was dark, but Vinyl could faintly remember where everything was. She leaned against the bed and pushed the blankets back a bit, then turned to Tavi and smiled.

"I'm forever in your debt," She said, eyes glowing.

She was about to say more, but Octavia took a quiet step forward, pecked Vinyl on the cheek, said goodnight under her breath, and disappeared from the room. Vinyl stood quite rigid, unsure of how to react. She slid into the bed, unsure if she was blushing from Octavia's sudden affection or her fever. She blinked, then closed her eyes, dismissing it, thinking it was probably just a kind goodnight of a high society pony, and drifted into the darkness of sleep.