//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: My perfect world // by Lonepone //------------------------------// I’m awakened by the sound of a cello, gently producing it’s sound. I flip onto my back, and enjoy the sound. It’s not my music, but it’s still good. I lay there for a few moments, taking in the notes. I like the tune, but it needs something more. It’s a melody, with no beat. I can provide that beat. I flip on the light. I stagger as all the blood rushes to my head, making me black out. My vision returns a few seconds later, and I somehow ended up on my bed. I have no clue how I got here. I should see a doctor about that, but not right now. I walk over to my beloved laptop, and boot up a program. I break into Octavia’s tune gently, starting with a simple synth. I build on that until I am perfectly complementing the melody that Octavia started with my beat, before taking it in a new direction. Octavia knows exactly what I’m doing, so she fades out, leaving my synth and bass to do their magic. I play a few beats in heavy and rapid succession, before I stop it. I let the silence hang for few seconds, before coming back, with the bass heavier than ever. Octavia immediately picks up what I’m doing, and plays along with her cello. I let the song play on for a few more moments, before letting her cello take over again. I walk down the stairs, listening as Octavia wraps up the song. I walk into the living room to see Octavia putting her cello back in the case. “Have fun last night?” She asks me. “It went okay. The manager had me hook up with these two wannabe performers, and it completely trashed how I play. The play a completely different subgenre from me, and so our styles just clashed” “Doesn't sound too good. What were their names?” “I dunno” I do know. “Two stallions by the name of Renegade Bass and Harmonic Synth, or something” A spark of recognition flashes across Tavi’s face, before it disappears. “I know one of them from somewhere, I think. We should get together with them sometime” Warning: Code red. Not a good idea. “You sure?” I ask her. “Yes, I am. It would be nice for you to meet somepony. To have friends, you know what they are?” I playfully punch her on the shoulder. “Course I do. I just don’t need them. I got my music, and I got you. What more could I want? Other than food. I fucking love food...” My stomach rumbles. Like it almost always is. I can never seem to eat enough. “While thats very sweet of you, saying I’m the only pony you need, you should still have other friends. Other people to talk to, who have other ideas and opinions then I do. Breakfast?” “Yeah. Let’s go to Sugarcube Corner. I Haven’t had a donut for a while” The thought of a donut makes me that much more hungrier. “You had one yesterday for breakfast” Octavia reminds me. “Exactly . I haven’t had one for awhile” while I’m say this, Octavia just shakes her head. We’re sitting in the cafe, waiting for our orders to come, when the door to the outside opens. In walks two stallions, a dark green one with a purple and neon blue mane, and a dark orange one with a yellow mane. ‘Please don’t notice me, please don’t notice me, please don’t...’ I think to myself. They notice me. Shit. “Hey, Vinyl, what’s happening?” Bass shouts from across the room. I sheepishly wave to him, hoping he doesn’t walk over to our table. He does. One of the waiters comes up to him, and takes his order. He orders, hands over some cash, and focuses on us again. “So, we gonna DJ together again sometime? That was awesome last night” He says with a broad grin. “Uhmm... It was ok. just, you two play a seperate subgenre from me, so it never sounds right to me. I don’t think it would work” Wow. Did I really just say it like that? Normally I say whatever I want, and fuck whatever anyone else might say about it. And yet for him, I try to say it nicely. Octavia speaks up. “I remember why I recognized your name, Synth. We went to school together, remember me?” She looks at him expectantly. He stares at her face, trying to put a name or a memory to it. He finally does. “Oh, yeah. You’re the one that played the cello, right? I thought it was amazing what you could do with it” “Yes, I still play. I’ve gotten much better since school” It’s getting annoying that I’m being ignored, but on the whole I’m ok with it, since I don’t have to talk directly to either of them. And that is also very out of character for me. I am almost never shy, and I always have to be the center of attention. “I’m gonna head home. Got an idea for a song” I say, saving myself. “Hope you three have fun” I get up and walk out the door, without bothering about their responses. Right as I walk out of the door, I look back at them for no reason. Tavi and Synth are talking animatedly (probably about their time in school), but Bass is watching me as I go. I push any thoughts out of my head, and start the walk home. I walk in the front door, and run up into my room. I slam the door behind me, turn my laptop on, and start up a simple bass and drum line. I turn it up until I can’t hear anything but it, and I let it repeat as I think of how I want my song to play. I add layer after layer, until it’s almost finished. Theres just one thing I can’t think of that it still needs, that it’s incomplete without, but I don’t know what else to add. I restart the song from the beginning, and let it play, listening to how it sounds. No matter what I add to it, it stills sounds incomplete. I hear my door creak open, and standing in the frame is Renegade Bass. “Sounds good” He says, “But it’s missing something” “Thats what I think” He walks over to my laptop. “May I?” “Be my guest” He clicks around, getting a feel for the program, changes a few things, before adding something subtle, yet important. A light melody. He starts the song over again, and I love how it sounds. I stand, loving the sound of the song. “Thanks. Sounds amazing” I say. “No prob. So this is the first song you produced?” He asks me. “Yes, and I think it turned out pretty well. You?” I ask him. “I agree” He stands for a few moments, unsure of what to say. “Have fun” He says awkwardly, before walking out of my room. I sigh, glad that that is over with. I pull up a new tab, and start to work on a new song. Six Hours Later I am working on my second song, when Tavi walks into my room. “Aren’t you hungry?” “Nope!” I say, surprising her and myself. “Really? You’d normally have a full blown raid going on in the kitchen after not eating after this long... Are you feeling alright?” “Alright?” I laugh, loud and clear. “I’m better than alright, I’m fantastic! Never been better!” Tavi gives me a weird look. “What’s up? What are you working on?” “What, this? Just a little bit of nothing! I’ve decided to produce a few songs of my own” “Vinyl, you’ve been acting weird ever since that night at the club. What happened?” “Nothing. Just got a little inspired. Now, can I help you?” I ask her, wanting her to leave. “Sorry, I was just checking on you...” Tavi replies, backing out of the room. I turn my back to the door, the smile sliding off my face. “There’s nothing you could do, even if you knew” I say to the empty room. I sigh, and sit back down in my chair in front of my computer. My mind is running rampant again. Jetting off almost literally thousands of ideas, thinking about multiple things at once. I reach under my table, feeling for the hidden storage area concealed in the back. I find it, and I pull out the pill bottle from it. I twist off the cap, and look inside. Five left. I need to get more soon. “Take me away” I say to no one, except maybe to the pills. I put one in my mouth, and wash it down with a drink of water from my water bottle. I sit back, relishing the calming effects of the drug. They bring on a feeling like no other; calming, yet invigorating. I decide to take a second, even though I’ve only taken one at a time before. I don’t know what will happen, but he never said anything about overdosing, so it can’t be too dangerous, right? I continue work on my newest song. I’m in the middle of it, when I get this really strange sensation. I feel like I’ve been dipped in water, then put in a freezer so that it freezes. This continues for a few seconds, before I feel warm all over. I start to shake. I look at the pill bottle still in my hand, and I try to return it back to its spot, as though that will somehow fix it. My arms are vibrating too much for me to do anything though, so I end up just dropping it. I stand up, hoping to make it to the sink, but the second I leave my chair, I collapse to the ground, shaking, unable to control my movements. I continue on for a few seconds like this, before It stops. I try to get up, but I don’t seem to have the energy. I just want to sleep, and the floor has never seemed this comfortable.