//------------------------------// // Sudden Tone Shifts // Story: My Little Investigations: The Silent Dirge // by Metool Bard //------------------------------// April 8, 6:15 PM Lincolt Center The Bent Trumpet *** As it turned out, Vinyl did not end up joining us for dinner. I wasn't expecting her to, honestly. Vinyl is many things (and I do mean many things), but unreliable isn't one of them. Irresponsible at times, maybe. But when she says she's going to do something, she'll make sure she gets it done. No matter how ridiculous it may seem. Which made me wonder what exactly she was planning with Neon Lights. Whatever it was, it had to be big. I just had to hope that she didn't go overboard, as is her wont. As I thought this, Beauty Brass seemed to notice the nervousness on my face. "You okay, Octy?" she asked. "Mmm? Oh, I'm fine," I said. "I was just thinking about something silly. It's not important." "It looks more like you were worrying about something," said Frederick. "Which could in and of itself be something silly and unimportant, so at least you're being honest with us in that regard." He said that with such a straight face that it was nigh-on impossible to tell if he was being facetious or not. This is kind of what I meant when I said that Frederick has a dry sense of humor. "Well, it's about Vinyl," I said. "Usually when she has something special planned, I tend to err on the side of caution." "Well, there ain't nuttin' we can do about that," said Fiddlesticks with a shrug as she bit into a slice of pizza. "I know. That's what worries me," I said. Fiddlesticks shrugged again. "Well, even if she does get carried away, it should still be an interestin' show." "I suppose," I said, wanting to get off the subject. "Anyway, speaking of performances, we should probably be thinking about our own." Frederick took out his copy of the festival itinerary and quickly scanned it. "Well, we're scheduled to perform on the eleventh, so I figure we'll have ample time to practice. Luckily, all performers are going to have open access to the studios here, so finding space to practice in shouldn't pose a problem." "Are you sure there's going to be enough studios for everypony?" Beauty Brass inquired before sipping her lentil soup. "There should be," said Frederick. "Even if that doesn't turn out to be the case, we're all civilized ponies here. We can surely work something out." "Y'all will still find time to enjoy the festival too, right?" said Fiddlesticks. I had to chuckle. "Well, of course. It wouldn't be right for us not to enjoy ourselves while we're here." "Darn tootin'," said Fiddlesticks with a laugh. "So, anythin' in particular you're lookin' forward to, Tavia? Personally, Ah'm interested in hearin' these violinists right here. Y'all wouldn't happen to know 'em, would ya?" She took out her copy of the itinerary and pointed to two names on the docket that I did indeed recognize: Concerto and Symphony. They usually played alongside my ensemble; mainly when the performance called for a string trio. I never heard them on their own, so this was sure to be interesting. "I actually do know them," I said. "They're very talented." "Ah'll take yer word for it," said Fiddlesticks. "So what's everypony else lookin' forward to?" "Well, there's your band for reasons I mentioned before," said Parish. "And I'm sure we're all interested in the finale with Sapphire Shores and Pan. But I'm also intrigued by this Lyra Heartstrings." "Yeah, Lyra never fails to disappoint. At least in mah experience," said Fiddlesticks. "Ah heard her a few times while Ah was stayin' in Ponyville. It's a shame she's not that famous in the music world." "Hmm. Perhaps this will change that," said Parish. "What about you, Frederick?" "Actually, I'm more interested in Slick Licks and Ragtime," said Frederick. "It's always a refreshing experience to hear a fellow pianist play, and they say that Slick Licks is the most skilled jazz musician in Manehattan. What of you, Octavia?" Truth be told, that was a bit of a tricky question. "Well, what's there not to look forward to?" I said with a shrug. "Yeah, I'm with you on that one, Octy," said Beauty Brass. "They really snagged some good talent this year. Even ponies I never heard before like Lyra and Fiddlesticks sound like a lot of fun." "Trust me, ya won't be disappointed," said Fiddlesticks with a wink. "I don't think any of us will be," I said. "There's a little something for everypony here, regardless of genre preference. Classical, jazz, bluegrass, pop..." "Dubstep," said Parish. "Well, yes. That too," I said. "Speaking of which, we should probably finish our meal so we can get good seats." "What, in the back?" asked Frederick. I didn't respond to that. It's no secret that Vinyl's music is very, very loud. It's also no secret that she plays it at full blast every morning (to wash the dishes, no less! Don't ask me how that's possible; I honestly don't know). So one could say I was not looking forward to her upcoming set. In actuality, it's really not that simple with me. I'll, get into that in a bit. *** April 8, 6:55 PM Lincolt Center The Whinnyton Maresalis Theater *** After we finished our meal, we went straight to the theater. All of Vinyl's equipment appeared to be set up and ready to go. There didn't appear to be anything extravagant at first glance, but I know Vinyl. She always finds a way to take something to the next level; even when it's not called for. I found my seat just as the audience started applauding. Making his way onto the stage was none other than Slick Licks; this year's host of the festival. He was a dusty red Earth Pony with a dark orange mane and a clarinet for a Cutie Mark. He wore a nice grey jacket and rather fancy-looking horseshoes. He raised his hoof, indicating that he wanted silence. When the applause died down, he began to speak. "Good evening, fillies and gentlecolts," he said. "And welcome to this year's annual Manehattan Music Festival. We here at the Lincolt Center Orchestra are glad you all could make it, as we've got some of the finest talent in Equestria to perform here just for you guys and gals. So without further ado, let's get to our first performance. We've got a couple of ponies here who need no introduction. You might've heard them on the airwaves; especially a certain cool kitten with a wacky mind and a lot of heart." I would comment on that if I didn't think there was some truth to it. "So, put your hooves together for the mistress and master of modern music: DJ P0N-3 and MC W1SH!" There was a round of applause as Slick Licks left the stage to make way for Vinyl and Neon. Vinyl looked positively ecstatic as she waved to the audience. Neon was obviously the more modest of the two, but that's because I'm very sure "modest" is not in Vinyl's vocabulary. "Thank you, thank you! You're all too kind!" said Vinyl. "I hope you're all ready to have your socks knocked off, 'cause this first one is very special. You ready, Neon?!" "Always am, always will be!" Neon responded. "Good and good!" said Vinyl. "Now, LET'S SPIN THIS SHIT!" Ugh~. I hate that catchphrase. And I'm fairly certain that I'm not the only one. At least I hope I'm not. Anyway, I braced myself for the bombastic cacophony that I had become accustomed to when it came to Vinyl's work. Which is why what I heard next was far more surprising: "Alright then, ladies. From the top..." I-I couldn't believe me ears. W-was that my voice? Why was it coming out of the speakers like that? Even more curious, what followed was a string quartet; nothing like what I would expect from Vinyl Scratch. It was pretty to listen to, but I couldn't help but feel utterly confused. Then the sound of a thumping bass joined the strings, and something clicked in my mind. There was an incident a while back where Vinyl interrupted a lesson I was giving to some fillies who wanted to take music lessons with the great Octavia Melody (they said it, not me). I began to feel a sense of dread. "Oh, you can not be serious." My thoughts exactly. I became thoroughly embarrassed and uncomfortable as more than a few ponies were looking at me in confusion. I didn't even know that Vinyl recorded all of that. I don't even know how she recorded all of that! "I'm so sorry. Excuse me for just one moment." After a few seconds, the strings stopped. The sound of a loud knocking on a door burst from the speakers. I sank lower in my seat. "Vinyl~." Another set of knocks. "Vinyl Scratch, open the door!" My face was now completely red as another set of knocks sounded. "You promised me you wouldn't do this~!" For the record, she did promise me. Words cannot describe how mortified I was by all this. Vinyl might not have any sense of shame, but she knows full well that I do. I had half a mind to walked right up to her and chew her out royally in the middle of her set! How could she do this?! How dare she do this! How could she possibly think that this was a good idea?! I mean... "For buck's sake..." After that rather embarrassing exclamation, the strings returned. And along with them, there was as set of familiar vocals. It was clearly a remix of the song Vinyl put together for the wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. And, I'm not going to lie; it was absolutely beautiful. Just, the way that the strings and the wubs coincided with one another combined with a masterful use of auto-tune was enough to make me forget my anger and appreciate how much work Vinyl must've put into this. Although I still don't know how or why she managed to record that particular incident, that seemed rather trivial at this point. Maybe I was just not meant to know. Either way, this was a true masterpiece. And to think it all sprang from an argument that we go through almost every day! And then, at the climax, my voice returned. "My roommate is a 'bassist.' And perhaps we're not so different, she and I; genre be damned. It's the music that drives us. The harmonies that bind us. The friendship, that found us." I don't know how she managed to work that in, because I honestly don't remember saying that. But to be frank, I might as well have. That quote echoed my thoughts so well. And then it hit me. This song wasn't meant to humiliate me. It was a tribute to how two musicians of vastly different styles can live together. You cannot imagine how much that resonated with me. She clearly made this mix with me in mind, and well, I was moved to tears. Despite everything I say about Vinyl Scratch, I, do deeply care for her. And I know she cares for me, even though she has an odd way of expressing her affection. For those of you that read the tabloids about me and Vinyl, I'll just clear the air right here: Yes, there is some truth to them. And that's all you're getting out of me. Use your imagination to fill in the rest. Celestia knows I can't stop you. Anyway, after I had taken a moment to collect myself, I quickly joined everypony else in the massive round of applause Vinyl received for her set. You might find it odd that a pony such as myself would enjoy dubstep, and you'd be right. It is rather odd, isn't it? But despite the whole controversy of the genre, I find it to be something of a guilty pleasure (just a reminder, this is off the record). Beyond that, I know good music when I hear it. And that was simply phenomenal. "That one was for you, Tavi!" Vinyl called out over the applause. Indeed it was. But more than that, it actually reflected the festival as a whole, when you think about it. The Manehattan Music Festival was not just a celebration of one style of music over another. It was a celebration of all styles of music, and really music in general. This was a fitting opening act to start off a most wonderful week. After the applause, Vinyl and Neon launched into the next section of their set. I listened as intently as I could, but my mind was still reeling from that magnificent opening song; so much so that it became rather difficult to concentrate on anything else. Eventually, I gave up and drifted off into my own world, replaying that first song in my head over and over again. Nopony seemed to notice (really, how could they?), but even if they did, it didn't matter to me. I was experiencing true bliss, and absolutely nothing could ruin it. Or, so I thought. I was jolted back into reality by a loud screech of feedback blasting from Vinyl's speakers. I recoiled from the sound and scrunched my eyes shut. When I had recovered, I was both horrified and perplexed by what I saw on stage. Vinyl was slumped against the controls of her mixing board. Although my ears were still ringing, I faintly detected a small noise. Something like a tea kettle coming to a boil. Before anypony could do anything else, several things happened at once. A shadowy figure suddenly swooped onto the stage, scooped up Vinyl, and ran off with her. A split second later, another screech of feedback sounded from the speakers. This one was a lot louder. We all recoiled again. Once I had recovered, I quickly made my way through the crowd and got onstage. "Vinyl!" I called out, straining my voice over my impaired hearing. It didn't take me long to find her. She was laying on the floor just offstage. Standing over here was somepony dressed in an odd skintight costume with a purple cape and wide-brimmed hat. Judging solely by her build, I assumed she was a mare, but there was no way to be certain. Before I could approach the stranger, she gave me a salute and disappeared into the shadows. I quickly ran to Vinyl's side and felt her pulse. She was still breathing. I let out a sigh of relief and softly prodded her. "Vinyl? A-are you okay?" I asked. "Nngh. Not so loud," Vinyl moaned, clutching her ears. "Ugh, where's Neon? I thought he checked this out." That was a good question. I took a quick look around, but Neon Lights was nowhere to be seen. "H-he's not here," I said. "Vinyl, do you need a doctor or anything?" "Mmmph. I-I'll be alright," said Vinyl. I didn't believe her for a second. "Here, let's get you back to the hotel," I said, hefting her up. "You should probably get some rest." "B-but Tavi..." "Shh," I said, cutting across her. "Take it easy. It's going to be alright. I promise." Vinyl let out a pained sigh in response. She was in no condition to fight me on this, and we both knew it. As I dragged her away and kept her shielded from prying eyes, only one question was on my mind: Why did this have to happen?