A Lovely Melody

by ShadowBlaze (Behemoth)

Bass and Treble

The deep booms of bass filled the air as we neared the club. I slowed to a trot, attempting to hear the music through the sound of galloping hooves and the pounding in my ears. Of course, Scratch didn't slow at all as she sped past me. She never was one to stop and smell the flowers. She preferred to whisk through life in the fast lane while I was always one step behind her.

"Keep up, slug!" she called. A smirk crossed my face and I complied. The club was now mere meters away. I gritted my teeth and pushed a full gallop. As always, Scratch was way ahead of me and she slammed her hoof to the brick wall with a triumphant grin. I panted and sluggishly placed my hoof against the wall as well. I couldn't help but notice a devilish smirk on Vinyl's face.

"I'm two for two, Beats. You really gotta step up your game, now," she ceased her panting to let a small laugh out. I sighed in mock defeat. Scratch always was competitive. Cocky too. Though I suppose that part was on account of her being better than me in just about everything. The bass was now booming in both of our ears. And I loved it. We circled around to the front of the building, passing many ponies making casual conversation outside of the club. A lot of the ponies turned to acknowledge Scratch. After all, she did practically run the place. Everyone's favorite DJ, at least. She lowered her tinted sunglasses and the reflection of a neon sign gleamed from them.

"Ready for a good time, Silent?" she asked with a wide grin.

"As always," I reply anxiously. From the corner of my eye I spot a pony with a beautiful grey coat. She was slumped against the club's front wall, a large instrument case propped against the wall beside her. She had her eyes closed and was breathing deeply. I assumed she was sleeping until Scratch swung the double glass doors open and the vibrations and chatter invaded the quiet air. Her eyelids slid open slowly, she looked up to me and blinked. I stopped between steps, paralyzed by her gorgeous violet eyes. As far as I knew, I had never looked at a mare that way before. I cleared my thoughts and put on what must have been an incredibly and stupidly endearing smile.

"Evening," the pony greeted with an obviously forced smile. i shook my head quickly and searched frantically for a reply. Her instrument. Yes, her instrument.

"Your a musician?" I note, trying to stop the blood from flowing to my face. "Violin, right?" My eyes widened and immediately facehoofed myself repeatedly. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

"Cello, actually," The pony murmured, gesturing to the size of the instrument. I chuckled monotonously. I knew that...I knew that.

"Right, right. I'm not really one for classical music." I replied as a lame excuse. I immediately found myself regretting it.

"No, really. I kind of assumed," she said with a sarcastic smirk as she gestured to the beaming "Club Scratch" sign. A bland look fell over my self as I resumed facehoofing. Scratch pulled me into the building as my face became extremely red. Many of the ponies cheered as Vinyl Scratched entered the room, flourishing to everypony.

"Here she is now!" Announced the pony currently stationed on the stage. "The pony everypony has been waiting for. The reason you all are here right now. Welcome the lovely, Miss DJ PON-3!" The crowd erupted in cheers and Scratch chuckled.

"See you after the show, kiddo," Vinyl said giving me a quick hug. A hugged her back tightly.

"Good luck, V-Scratch."

"Thanks, Beats," she flashed a smile as she turned and left for her show. The pony who had previously been announcing approached Vinyl.

"Cutting it a bit close, dontcha' think, DJ?"

"Yeah, well, y'know," Scratch grinned ear to ear as she entered the backroom to prepare. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. I had wanted to create music of my own one day. The sad fact remained that Vinyl Scratch was simply born with a talent I wasn't. It was my role to be there for her when ever she needed me. To listen to her music whenever she wanted. And to have a good time while doing it. I had no problem with this so far.

Seconds turned to minutes and eventually the famous DJ PON-3 stepped up to the stage and positioned herself behind her well-known turntables.

"How is everypony tonight?" Scratch called from the stage. The crowd went wild with jumping and screams. "Can't hear you! I said, how is everypony tonight?!" The crowd exploded in a mad fit of cheering. "Good to hear! I've got plenty of songs to keep everypony feeling like partying. Everything from sweet electronic melodies to filthy bass drops. So let's get hardcore and RAVE!" The crowd erupted once again and the show began with a light electronic intro. I couldn't help but smile.

That was my Vinyl Scratch up there. The one I had known for all of my life. Everyone in the club may have been cheering her name but we both knew who her true biggest fan was. Me. She was my Scratchy.

Now minutes had turned to hours and before I knew it, it had to have been in the early hours of the morning. My guess was somewhere between two and three a.m. I found myself at the bar, drunk on music. I spot the white unicorn down the bar on the other side of a large group of talkative ponies. I trot over to her and have a seat on a cushioned bar stool. It normally wasn't like this. Scratch and I would usually leave well before 1 a.m. Scratch perked up at my arrival.

"Oh...hey, Beats. I was beginning to think you had left me," she droned. I made a mock incredulous face,

"Why in Equestria would you think that?" I murmured, signaling a bartender. Scratch turned to me almost falling from her barstool.

"Do you . . . love me, Silent Beat?" she slurred. I cocked my head at her question, but decided to answer it truthfully nonetheless

"Course I love you, Scratchy. Since we were foals I've loved you like my own sister," Scratch downed another shot. And shook her head furiously.

"No . . . not like that, Beats. Don't you understand?" The bartender arrived with a beer for me and I nodded at him appreciatively as I tossed him a few bits. I did understand what Scratch was saying. But it wasn't her talking. It was the alcohol.

"S-scratch, stop. Y-you're drunk," I slide her beer away from her and she brings her hoof down on the table with greater force than was truly necessary.

"You see? That's just the problem. No one could comprehend . . . somepony like me . . . being in love with some pony like you. Nopony understands . . ." She hung her head and reached for her drink I slid it back over to her and lowered my own glass to my lips, letting the ice cold liquid trickle into my mouth.

"Course I understand, V-Scratch. I've always understood you, right? Now maybe we could both use a rest from the music and crowd," I point a hoof towards the door. Vinyl shook her head again.

"That's all you ever want to do is rest, Beats," she retorted gesturing at my cutie mark. A quarter rest. I had to give her credit. That was a pretty good one. "It's good to take risks from time to time." Vinyl breathed in a sultry voice. "It's good to," she placed her hooves around my neck and leaned in close to my ear. "Scratch it up," she whispered. I removed her hooves from my shoulders and stared directly in her eyes.

"Knock it off, Vinyl Scratch," I commanded. "You don't feel this way. Quit lying to yourself." I hopped from my bar stool and began to trot away from my friend. I repeated to myself over and over again in my head that what I was saying wasn't too harsh. I knew it was. I would give her time to sober up and I'd see her in the morning. What if it wasn't the alcohol, Beats? I shook my head and scolded myself for thinking that way. I thought I heard the sound of Scratch whimpering sadly behind me. Or perhaps it was only my imagination.

I swung the double glass doors open to see the exact same grey coated pony lying against the wall. I slid down against the wall as well and her ears perked up. She opened her eyes and glanced at me.

"Need something?" she asked with a helpful half smile. I just shook my head and slid my own eyes closed.

"You're kind of a shady character you know that?" I asked, attempting a light conversation.

"Yeah?"

I opened my eyes to look at her and we found that we were both smiling.I shook my head and closed my eyes again. She did the same.

"I like that," I say with a smile still on my face. I heard a small giggle escape from her lips. "Hey how good are you on your violin?" I asked, enunciating the word 'violin' very clearly. I thought I heard her giggle again. The sound of tinkling bells.

"I used to think I was pretty good. Others . . . don't seem to agree, though," she said softly. I decided not to press and to let her be.

"Do you think you could show me?" I asked hopefully.

"Thought you weren't one for classical music," I glanced up at her to see a sparkling gleam in her eye. We both began laughing loudly.

"Yeah, well, y'know," I muttered, thoughts of my Scratch in my head. I heard the click of her case opening and she produced her cello and bow from within.

"Any requests?" I hear her ask though my eyes were closed.

"Anything . . . pretty."

"Pretty?"

"Yeah. Pretty," I hear her cough as she stifles a laugh.

"You got it." A few seconds passed before I heard a beautiful sound. The most beautiful sound, actually, I had ever heard. I lifted my head to see where the beautiful sound was emitting from. Her eyes were closed and she moved her bow back and forth carefully, smoothly and gently as if she were caressing her instrument. We stayed like that, her eyes closed and mine carefully watching her every movement for a few minutes before I rested my head back against the wall. Her music made my chest swell. Or perhaps that was only me. Falling steadily more in love with her. Music. Love.

Were they really all that different from each other?