//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Acoustic Resonance // by Radiant Dawn //------------------------------// Prologue “Alright everypony,” I announced over the blaring beats, “with this drop, I don’t want to see a single hoof not stompin’! I hope we got a doctor in here, because this beat’s about to get sick!” I used my magic to turn the dials just the way I wanted before pushing the levels up, and when the drop hit, I could hear it through my headphones. My entire body vibrated with the beats that boomed from the speakers, and my heart ticked in time to the rhythm. I didn’t care that my eyes burned with the sweat that was trickling into them and I didn’t care that my mane was sticking to my face and neck...all that mattered was the next boom of the bass...the next roar of the crowd. The smell of sweat, arousal, and alcohol permeated the entire club, and I couldn’t have been happier. This was where I belonged, up on stage giving my energy and passion to everypony there. As much as Tavi told me it was “crude” to say, I compared it to rutting everypony there at once, and then licking the juices off of them...with a smile, of course. I wasn’t sure where that comparison came from, but I had a pretty vivid imagination. I slumped against a barstool as the last patron left the club, and Liquid Gold slid a glass to me. “Awesome job, Vinyl...like always.” she praised with a smile. I sipped the whiskey and cola before sighing and laying my head on the bar counter. “Damn, that was intense. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many ponies grinding on each other at once.” The silver-coated pegasus flicked her brown mane out of her eyes with a chuckle. “Well it is the eve of the new year, you know. You should have expected this.” “And I did expect a hay of a party,” I countered, “but nothing like this. It’s like all of Canterlot and Ponyville was here!” “That might very well have been the case.” she suggested as she began mindlessly cleaning up the bar. “You’re known far and wide to be one of the best DJ’s around, and the only one so far that plays that ‘dubtrot’ stuff. The colts and fillies go wild over it.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m still a filly too, you know. I’m only nineteen.” “And yet you’re more successful than some ponies double your age.” Gold replied as she continued her work. I sighed as I took another sip of my drink. “What am I gonna do now, Goldie? I’m moving to Ponyville tomorrow, and I have no clue what I want to do with my life.” The pegasus set a glass down and stared at me for a moment. “Um, you’re a DJ...you do shows. Isn’t that what your talent is about?” I looked down at my flank at the double eighth-notes and sighed. “I’m talented in music in general. If it can make music in some way, I can make it sound so nice Celestia would cream herself.” Gold grinned and went back to work. “Charming.” I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean. Still, I don’t want to be remembered as just a DJ...I want to do something that ponies will be talking about hundreds of years from now.” “That’s a pretty big goal there, Scratch.” she replied as she began looking through her station and writing down things on a pad. I shrugged. “I just want my life to have meaning beyond my own time here is all...like my mom.” She offered a sympathetic nod, but said nothing. I sighed and slumped in my stool again. “Whatever...I’ll figure it out later.” Liquid Gold then asked, “So where are you gonna be staying then?” I grinned and responded, “My house is still being built, so for now, with my sister.” “Hah!” the pegasus barked out mirthfully, shaking her head. “I wonder how she’s gonna take...well, you.” I chuckled and nodded. “Yeah. She loves her big sister though, so she’ll be okay.” “I love ya too, Vi, but after a few days of living together, I would probably try to strangle you.” the pegasus replied with a smirk. I grinned and finished off my drink. “Love ya too, Goldie. Anyway, I’m outta here. I gotta be up early tomorrow to meet the moving guys, and I still have to drop by storage on the way there. I don’t want to try and shove all my stuff in my sister’s house.” “Later, Vi.” she called as I left. Hours later, I pushed the last box into place and sat back, admiring the work I’d accomplished. In just under a week, I’d packed up my entire condo and cleaned the place, feeling like I’d used more magic in those six days than I had my entire life. “Finally leaving, are you?” called a melodic voice from the doorway behind me. I turned to see Octavia standing in the doorway, with a sad smile on her lips. I nodded gently, with a sad smile of my own. “Yep...tonight’s the last night I’m sleeping in this place, and it’ll probably be the first time I’ve actually slept on my bed.” Without any pretense, the earth pony trotted over and hugged me tightly, and I returned the embrace immediately. One more second, one more beat of the heart...I wanted to savor it. The gray filly and I had been friends since we were foals, and so being apart felt like losing a part of myself...and if her silent tears were any indication, she felt the same way. “V-Vinyl...” Tavi whispered brokenly. I nodded as I reached up a hoof and stroked her mane. “I know...I know.” She pulled away suddenly. “I-I mean you’re moving away after fourteen years all the way to Ponyville! I mean at first we’ll keep in touch with letters and the like, but over time those weekly letters will turn into monthly, and then yearly, and then before we know it we’ll meet up at a random party and you’ll have forgotten all about me, and I don’t want to be forgotten or pregnant, and-” “WOAH!” I shouted, stopping the mare’s rambling. I patted her on the shoulder and shook my head, trying not to laugh. “Calm down, Tavi...it’s okay.” It took her a few moments, but when her breathing was finally calm, I came up beside her and threw my arm over her withers. “Now I don’t know what makes you think I’d ever forget about you, but that will not be happening. First of all, you’re too cool to forget about...you’re probably the only pony I know that can party as hard as I can. You love music as much as I do, and you’ve got earth pony strength with nerd brains.” “Nice...” she deadpanned. “Don’t interrupt.” I ordered good-naturedly. “Anyway, it pretty much comes down to the fact that you’re too cool to forget about. If I don’t talk to you for a week, I feel like I’m going crazy...what the hay makes you think I could go for months or years without you?” At this, Octavia’s expression turned to a smirk as she asked, “You can go for an entire week without me?” I shifted a little uncomfortably and sighed. “Alright fine, like a few days, but my point’s still valid.” I smiled and continued with, “The point is that you’re a part of my life. If I were to just go off and forget about you, I’d be letting a part of me die...and I love myself too much to do that.” I felt as she pressed her cheek to mine and gently rubbed my back with her hoof. “Thank you Vinyl...for everything.” I nodded. “Sure thing. Just so you know, you’re welcome at my new place anytime...and I mean anytime. I don’t care if you wake me up on my day off before 10 a.m., I’ll gladly invite you in.” She sat quietly for a moment before saying, “I should bring coffee though...” “You should bring coffee.” I agreed. The earth pony then turned her eyes to the bed in the corner, and she jerked her head towards it. “What do you think, Vinyl? One more time, for old time’s sake?” I smirked and nodded. “Sounds like a plan, Tavi.” Some twenty or so minutes later, the two of us were laying panting and sweaty on the bed, covered in feathers. “Did you become stronger than me or something? Because I swear you weren’t this good when we were younger.” Octavia said in one breath before panting wildly again. I shrugged as I finally caught my breath enough to speak. “These skills were with me since birth. I just wanted to give you a fighting chance so you’d wanna play again.” I then looked around the room, realizing that I’d need to clean up again in the morning. “A pillow fight at nineteen...you’re probably the only pony that can make me want to do that.” “And I’m perfectly fine with that, Vinyl.” she replied with a smile before scooting over and resting her head on my stomach as we laid together and basked in the friendship we shared. At that moment, with Octavia resting against me, I wasn’t worried anymore. I had a place to stay when I got to my new home, more than enough bits to take care of myself, a huge fanbase, and my best friend. I could figure out the rest later...but for now, I was happy to know that I wasn’t losing anything worth having. Most importantly though, I was now confident that Tavi was going to miss me as much as I did her, which meant that like me, she was going to make sure we could meet and talk as often as possible. As sweet and so not-me as it sounded, I couldn’t live without her. She’d helped me out of quite a few rough times in my life, and I’d done the same for her. She was with me when my mom died, and I was with her when her dad lost one of his legs in an accident. She was with me when I got my cutie mark, and I was with her when she wrote her first symphony. We were as important to one another as the sun was to plants, and I knew that so long as she was by my side in life, I could do anything. “Promise me you’ll be there even when I’m old.” she whispered, reciting a promise we’d kept since we were fillies. I smiled warmly and nodded, though she couldn’t see it. “I’ll be around even when my coat’s as gray as yours, and my teeth have all fallen out. Celestia herself couldn’t split us apart.” I felt her smile against my coat as she settled more comfortably against me. “Thank you...goodnight, Vinyl.” “Goodnight, Tavi.” I murmured before I closed my eyes, slipping off into blissful sleep.