//------------------------------// // Did it Hurt When you Fell From Heaven? // Story: A Scratched Record // by Ludicrous Lycan //------------------------------// Did it Hurt When you Fell From Heaven? The night club doors swung open,  releasing a solid wall of music and cheering. “See ya later guys, Dj Pon3 is out!” a happy and extremely drunk Vinyl Scratch called into the crowd of ponies as she meandered her way out of the club backwards. After nearly falling over twice from her attempt at a classy exit, she turned and cantered into the open night and began her trot home even as the crowd roared her name from inside. Vinyl had finished her gig hours ago. She could have been home long before Celestia’s sun ever even touched the horizon, but when a fan offered her a few free drinks and somepony put on one of The Living Tombstone's newest tracks, Vinyl couldn’t help but agree to stick around for “another hour or so”. Octy would have my head if she knew I was out so late drinking… the inebriated DJ thought to herself with a small frown. The frown perked up into a sly grin with her next thought, It’s a good thing Octy doesn’t come home until tomorrow evening… or is that today… The unicorn frowned again, unable to recall what time she had actually left the club. She eventually shrugged off the thought and returned to her happy smile as she teetered this way and that down the streets of Manehatten to her shared apartment. The streets were basically empty at whatever hour it may have been, but whether the mare with the electric blue streaks in her mane had noticed or even cared was anypony’s guess. On a whim, Vinyl turned down a street two blocks early on the way home. Her brain had just thought of a neat new “shortcut” that she was sure would get her home much faster than the straight line she was on originally. No sooner had she turned, did she see a blurred streak cut through the sky overhead and crash noisily into an alley a few buildings down. A cat screeched and hissed as it ran from the disturbance, followed by a stray rolling trash can lid. “Hey… whazzat…?” Her new shortcut forgotten and replaced with drunken curiosity, the DJ began making her way to the new object of her attention. She nearly fell over three times in an attempt at a gallop and regulated herself back to trotting when her last stumble nearly ended in her finding out what a newspaper stand tasted like. Having finally reached the mouth of the alley, Vinyl slowly cantered in to see what the ruckus had been when she saw a familiar shift of ethereal and synthetic night shift on the ground, shrouded by a dumpster and some miscellaneous trash. The sight slightly sobered the unicorn as she shouted her next thoughts. “Princess Luna!?” Vinyl was by her princess’ side in moments and using her magic to push away the debris and dumpster that was shrouding one of her country’s rulers. It only took her a moment to realize her mistake when she had a full view what laid before her. “Princess Luna’s… mane?” Laying on the ground was indeed a mass of what appeared to be the same mane Princess Luna wore upon her head the last time Vinyl had seen her in Canterlot. The idea that this same Luna was now somewhere in Manehatten bald elicited a rumbling chuckle until the mane began to move on its own accord. Vinyl let out a drunken squeak and fell back onto her haunches as she watched the creature before her begin to stand up. The DJ pony stared in astonishment at the sight before her. Now coming to stand on two pony like legs, was a being whose body seemed to emulate Luna’s starry night sky. Huh, that’s kinda pretty... It stood no taller than Vinyl did on all four hooves. But rather than its front limbs ending in hooves themselves, they ended somewhat like tentacles hanging by it’s sides. Or, at least, one of them did at this moment, as the other was wrapped around it’s shoulder. It had no mane or tail, but for all it’s worth didn’t seem to be missing them in the slightest. It’s head was hung slightly low as it slouched slightly, the two most brilliant looking stars on its body stood out on its head. Vinyl stared into them for a few moments before she recognized that they were actually staring back; they were it's eyes. The final observation Vinyl made of the being in front of her was that it was hurt…bad. “Please… help me…” The starry being spoke these words in a soft female tone full of pain before stumbling forward and collapsing. It didn’t seem quite dead yet, but it was definitely close. Vinyl approached the creature with her caution abandoned and her drunken state overwriting every red flag her brain sent that the creature could be dangerous. “Hey! C’mon now, are you okay!?” Vinyl didn’t know anything about the situation besides the thought: Help her, help her now! She leaned down to the being and nudged her side with her own muzzle. The action resulted in the creature shuddering and turning its head to the now much closer unicorn before speaking. “I think… I’m dying…”, the female voice wheezed. It shuddered as it spoke and didn’t appear capable of standing again; the fact that she managed it before was a miracle in itself from the condition she was in. Vinyl struggled a moment to get her horn to light despite her fuzzy state. The mare lifted her trademark shades from her eyes and onto her horn once the strange entity was bathed in the blue light, now able to make out some of her worse injuries. The arm it was cradling had a nasty gash along the shoulder and was leaking a white liquid as brightly colored as the stars on its body. Smaller scars could be found all over its back and legs. Vinyl felt guilty that she couldn’t tell if the sight was ghastly or beautiful. “You might have something there…” was all Vinyl could say in return. Drunk as she was, she couldn’t stand there and do nothing. She came to a stern conclusion, punctuated by a smart nod of her head. “If there is anything I can do to help, you gotta let me know.” For a while, the being only breathed. It seemed to be considering its options before it started its eventual reply. “There is… but I don’t… want to impo-” Vinyl cut her off with a frustrated snort. “Impose!? You’re bleeding out in an alley and you’re worried I might be too busy to help? Lady, you insult me!” she finished her her statement strong but held a grin on her face. The creature didn’t appear to catch on to Vinyl’s sarcasm and continued as if she had really said something wrong. “Oh my, I’m so-” in her sudden bout of guilt, the creature attempted to pull herself up only to scream in pain and fall back to the ground. “Whoa! Calm down, it’s fine!” Vinyl was sobering up quickly now that the stress from the situation was catching up with her. “Geeze lady, it was sarcasm. Now I don’t care what you need, I’ll help however I can.” Vinyl’s idea of help only extended as far as carrying her to the nearest hospital or getting some guards. She even entertained the idea of taking her back home with her, should she be in any trouble with the law. What did happen was a far cry from anything she had imagined. Starry eyes peered up at her once again before she spoke. “If you are certain… please lend me your hoof.” Her voice was almost a whisper when she spoke.The wheezing was much less apparent but not in a good way.  All the lights on her body were dimming quickly and her end was racing to meet her. “Yeah, sure.” Vinyl reached down with her hoof with the idea that she was going to help her up. One of it’s arms wrapped itself around her hoof with a cool feeling. She attempted to pull the creature up but was startled to find her hoof was held sternly in place as the beings appendage wrapped more and more around her hoof and spread up her leg, coating her in the same starry body as she was attempting to save. “What are you-?” Vinyl choked out through her shock and confusion. Her eyes were wide and unbelieving at what her naive show of empathy now awarded her. “Please, brace yourself…” The words were startling not only because they were decidedly much less pain filled, but because they were not coming from the being itself. No, despite the words being a perfect match for the creature before her, they were coming from inside her own head. If Vinyl’s mouth had not yet been covered at this point, she would have screamed. Instead, she did the next best thing for a mare in her situation. Vinyl passed out. A white unicorn mare was quietly snoring in her bed at roughly three in the afternoon. Her dark blue mane with electric blue streaks was disheveled from a ghastly case of bed head. The smile on her face screamed to all the world that she was content with life and all it’s blessings as she laid limp in her slumber of satisfaction. “Vinyl…” A voice called out to the comatose DJ, seemingly from nowhere and everywhere at once. “Mmm, blerg…” was the only response the voice was awarded with. The unicorn rolled over and snuggled her head deeper into her pillow. In moments she was completely gone once more. “Vinyl… It’s time to wake up now, Vinyl…” The voice was now slightly more assertive, but still very much soft in it’s tone. The mare was now stirring out of her sleep. “Do I have to… it’s Sunday and I don’t have a gig today Octy…” Vinyl’s muzzle was in a curt frown while her eyes were shut tight and refused to open. When did Octy get home…? The thought came to her as she laid there. When did Octy’s voice get that sexy? This thought got Vinyl’s mind chugging along as she opened her eyes and sat up in bed for the first time that day. “You’re not Octy…” was all she said as she peered around the empty room, lit by the afternoon sun from her window. Vinyl was still looking around the two mare bedroom when the voice picked up again. “Ah, you don’t remember what happened last night do you? Please, go over to the dresser mirror and I’ll explain everything.” The voice finished in a supportive tone with a hint of enthusiasm. The mare with the double eighth note cutie mark hesitated before slowly removing her covers and sliding out of bed. Her hooves met the floor in a quartet of clopping sounds and she began inching her way to the mirror. She wasn’t scared however; she was more curious than anything. Where have I heard that voice before? the thought scratched at the back of her mind as she came to stand before her own reflection. It was no surprise that that had been all that waited to greet her at the mirror. “Alright, whoever you are, this isn’t funny. Why don’t you come out and we can talk about what you’re doing in my home.” Vinyl’s expression was, overall, more irritated than angry as she addressed the mirror for lack of a better target. The voice responded with a light chuckle before it spoke. “As you wish, my savior. Please, keep your attention on your reflection and close one eye.” the request was strange but endearing. “...This is gonna be one of those mornings, huh?” was all Vinyl could say on the matter before shutting her left eye and watching her reflection follow suit. I swear to Celestia, if Lyra put Bon Bon up to this I’m gonna- The mare’s thought was cut short when the voice returned once more from no discernable direction. “I assure you this has nothing to do with this ‘Bon Bon’, but you may now open your eye.” The statement startled Vinyl as the realization of the response hit her. “How did you… I didn’t say that out loud did I?” she opened her eye and stared into it’s new reflection. Her head now stared back at her with one red eye, and one eye made of the night’s sky. A single huge star at it’s center where her pupil might have been. Instead of from wherever it had been before, the voice now came from vinyls own mouth, but in a voice that was not her own. “Hello, Vinyl Scratch, please allow me to finally thank you for saving my life,” she saw her reflection say before half of her mouth formed a grin just under the starlit eye. The DJ was less than prepared to be thanked by herself and only screamed in horror in response. She backpedaled and fell over when she lost her balance. Lying on the floor, she began taking long ragged breaths that bordered on hyperventilation. All she wanted to do was lay there and hope whatever just happened would go away. She was not so lucky. “Please... miss Vinyl, calm yourself... so I might... explain.” the voice still came from her mouth as opposed from where Vinyl was now certain had been her own mind. It also seemed to be having a difficult time getting the words out between her heavy breathing. Her breath beginning to slow, Vinyl tried to calm her nerves. She almost felt as if she was being assisted from some outside force. Reluctantly, the DJ picked herself up off the floor and returned to the mirror where one of her eyes still stared back at her like the night sky. Half of her face wore an empathetically worried look while the other only seemed frightened. “What.. the buck!?” The side of her face no longer under her control cringed as it began it’s reply. “My… apologies, Miss Scratch. Allow me to introduce myself…” the expression lightened slightly before beginning a formal introduction. “My name is Xila, and I am a being known as a Celestian.” The expression turned into a smile as it continued on. “And last night, you saved my life.” Vinyl raised one hoof to her reflection before she addressed her new acquaintance, her side of her face was now displaying a look of mild bewilderment. “Hold up. One: you are not Princess Celestia. And B: What do you mean ‘saved your life’?” “I said ‘Celestian’, not Celestia. I am a being that lives in the sky. Far, far above your clouds and among your stars.” Xila replied quite matter-of-factly, her side of the face had it’s eye closed as it displayed no small amount of pride for herself. “And you saved my life after I came crashing out of the sky from entering your world’s atmosphere. You stated, and I quote, ‘I don’t care what you need, I’ll help however I can.’” Xila made the mistake of using Vinyl’s own voice for the quote and earned another shriek for her efforts. “Gah! Don’t ever do that again!” Vinyl held one hoof over her heart while she spoke. Her guest’s quote did start to unfurl her memories of the previous night, all the way up to the point she had passed out. “Hang on a second, just what the hay did you do to me last night? I remember lending you a hoof and then… Did you try to smother me!?” Vinyl’s half was a look of horror at the thought the creature may have attempted to kill her. “Oh! No, no-no-no! You misunderstand Miss Scratch. All I was doing was entering your body, I never intended to-” Xila was cut off when a hoof planted itself upon their shared muzzle. It stayed there until she gave up on speaking, and only pulled away to allow Vinyl a turn to use their mouth. “Okay, for starters, just call me Vinyl.” Vinyl spoke while rubbing her temples with her hooves. Her eye was closed in thought while the other was watching the reflection with quiet respect. “Second, why in Equestria would you need to…  ‘enter my body’!? I said I would help, but how the hay does that mean ‘Come on in, there’s enough room in here for the both of us.’? The mare now pointed an accusing hoof at her reflection. Xila’s eye stared back at Vinyl’s for a few moments before closing. When it opened again, it had returned to the same red irised orm it had always been and Vinyl could feel her face once again totally under her control. ”I am sorry mi-... Vinyl. It appears I have overstepped my bounds in accepting assistance from somepony in such an… odd state…” It appeared Xila had returned to speaking to Vinyl through the use of her thoughts. Vinyl sighed. “The word you’re looking for is 'drunk'.” Vinyl responded   “Ah geez, look… Zeela?” ”That pronunciation is accurate if not somewhat simple.” Xila confirmed honestly. “Right… just gonna call you Zee.” Vinyl spoke into the open air now, the mirror forgotten and a deadpan expression on her face. “Look, glad I could help and all but I really can’t have you squatting in my noodle, so can you get out of me before things get any weirder?” Xila was silent for a bit too long before finally speaking up from the back of the unicorns mind. “I’m afraid that could be a problem.” The DJ groaned. “And what could that be?” she asked with a roll of her eyes. “Well…” the Celestian began hesitantly. “If I attempt to leave your body before I am fully healed… it could kill us both- Ow! I admit that our situation is less than pleasant but is it necessary to strike us both!?” Xila’s tone was indignant at the end and with good reason. Having heard the line “kill us both”, Vinyl facehoofed…hard. Hard enough she was now rubbing the spot on her head with a painful wince on her face. “You can feel that too, huh? Sorry…it’s a habit...” The white mare trailed off for a moment while she organized her thoughts. “How long…?” Unbeknownst to Vinyl, The Celestian had been listening to both the mare’s words and her thoughts. “If we are to both come out of this unscathed and I healed properly, it will take approximately two weeks- Yeowch! Vinyl please!” The offending party was now rubbing another spot on her head where her second facehoof in as many minutes had just landed it’s blow. “Gah! Geez that smarts! How the hay are we supposed to spend two weeks like…” Vinyl reared up on her hind hooves and faced the mirror once more. She used her front hooves to gesture herself entirely before finishing her statement. “This!?” Her sudden outcry finished, the unicorn slumped down onto the floor with her front hooves now covering her eyes. If Xila was still sharing Vinyl’s face right now, her half would be cringing from both the pain and the sudden outburst. Eager to begin mending bridges, the Celestian attempted to lighten their situation. “Oh, please cheer up! It’s not all bad. Our current relationship does come with a few… perks?” Her hooves removed but her body still slumped on the floor, Vinyl began to probe the new tenant in her head for details. “...Go on.” ”Well, for starters, My anatomy has already begun cleaning the years of damage to your liver from alcohol abuse, as well as purging any impurities from your system entirely.” Xila sounded smug even for being a voice inside the unicorns head. “Huh…” was all Vinyl had to say at first. I did get really hammered last night, maybe she’s the reason I don’t have a hangover from Tartarus?” she thought almost cheerfully, a smile beginning to show on her face. ”I’m unsure what a ‘hangover’ is, but if it is a kind of ailment or injury, than yes, I healed it for you.” Xila was all but ecstatic in her projected thoughts that she may have been of some help already. A frown now dominated the DJ’s mouth, destroying the smile yet to fully bloom. “You can read my thoughts can’t you?” Her voice was exasperated, but she appeared to be coming to terms with the lunacy of her situation. ”...Yes, is that a problem?” Xila was unsure in her tone and afraid she may have crossed some kind of line. Vinyl nearly facehoofed a third time but caught herself an inch from her head when she could hear Xila whimper. Instead, she settled on rubbing the spot directly below her horn. “...No, I guess that comes with the territory.” she rolled her eyes before continuing. “I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you can read my memories too.” Her face was in deadpan despite the sarcasm in her voice. Xila’s voice chimed in almost annoyingly chipper despite their reality. ”How very astute, Vinyl! Yes, I can, but I do not plan on invading your privacy more than I have to...” Xila trailed off for a moment while she recalled a bit of information. ”Admittedly… I was forced to recall some of your memories last night after you passed out. I needed to find out where you lived, and I did not wish for us to spend any more time in the refuse of that alley than we needed to. I do hope you can forgive me for this, as well as walking you home.” The apology ended in sincerity. Still rubbing her forehead, Vinyl mouthed the last words “walked you home” to herself before taking a deep breath and responding in kind. “It’s fine… that’s a lie. I’m gonna guess you can tell if I’m lying for now and be straight with you.” another deep breath and the DJ began the rest of her statement seriously. “This whole thing really sucks. I’ll admit I don’t regret my decision to help you if I really did save your life, but I didn’t sign up for this with the best of understandings. In the future, If I’m hammered can you wait to ask me any favors?” She was frowning at the end but it turned into a smile as she finished in thought. And as a ground rule, let’s talk to each other like this if we have to at all in public. Thanks for respecting my privacy, and I can forgive you for last night… provided you didn’t do anything with anypony that I wouldn’t do. The last thought had her in a full on wry grin while she brought up a couple memories for her private enjoyment, temporarily forgetting her headmate. Xila, who couldn’t help but notice one of the more… interesting memories began her response with concern. “I was unaware one could even do that with a vinyl record… Perhaps it’s for the best that we spend this time together? You needn’t worry yourself about getting drunk as long as we share your body. It should not be a problem.” her last remark was smug to say the least. The unicorn’s eyes narrowed at this and responded with her voice soaked in suspicion. “Just what do you mean by that?” Xila picked up on the sudden hostile thoughts expounding from her host’s mind and mentally gulped before she advanced with caution. ”W-well... you see…” Octavia glanced at the clock in the entryway of her and Vinyl’s apartment while she trotted through the door. Nine p.m., It’s not too late. I do hope Vinyl has behaved herself in my absence… Despite the grimness of her though, Octavia’s smile was wide and genuine at the thought of being able to see her marefriend after a long week away in Canterlot for her latest recital. She began stacking her things by the door before venturing to the kitchen. The cellist was dying for some form of refreshment after the long walk from the station, and she was only slightly disappointed that Vinyl was not there to greet her. I’m sure she was up late into the early morning hours drinking… perhaps I shall cut her some slack this time? “Vinyl, I’m home-... Vinyl!?” Upon entering the room, Octavias jaw fell limp as it hung agape at the sight in front of her. Sitting at their dining room table with her head down in her hooves, sat one Vinyl Scratch. She appeared to be weeping to herself with a mountain of empty glasses of various different kinds of alcohol sat in front of her. The drinks ranged from everything to Octavia’s favorite wines, to Vinyls whisky, and even the forbidden bottle of Gargle Blaster; the most potent drink either of them had ever tried. She stood there dumbly for a moment, unable to fathom how her lover was not yet dead of alcohol poisoning. Ultimately, her feelings got the better of her while she reached out to her partner in an attempt to find out what may have caused her to come to such distress. “Vinyl…? Is everything alright?” Octavia had one hoof on Vinyl’s shoulder as she spoke. Her voice soft and tentative. The unicorn looked up from her self pity and responded once she had solid eye contact, despite her tears. “Oh, Octy! It’s so horrible!” “By Celestia’s mane, Vinyl. Whatever could have caused you to come to this?” Octavia gestured to the mountain of empty beverages adorning their table. “It’s tragic! An atrocity! I may never be happy again!” The tears appeared genuine and her face was sincerely downtrodden. The grey earth pony cringed to see her partner in her current state. “Good heavens Vinyl! Please tell me what happened!” The DJ sobbed for several more moments. “Oh, Octy!” she wailed as she wrapped her hooves around her lover’s shoulders. “I… I can’t get drunk!”