Vinyl sat in a small room with a single lamp hanging from the ceiling, swaying slightly as the guard stallion sat across from her. A rickety old desk separated them. The room contained three white walls and one directly to her right covered in a mirror, which doubled as a window to the viewer on the other side. It was made obvious, although it was not hidden.
This may have been the best situation she could have possibly been in. She had a classical musician making her fate, if she would be jailed or released back into the streets. Her cutie mark may have been for music, but she could be a damn good actress if she chose to be. Clearing her throat she decided that this was a situation speech could not be avoided.
“I’m gonna ask one more time, say yer name and what ya did!” The stallion was demanding, slamming his hoof down on the table.
“Save it, I’ve heard it before buddy. Now i am Vinyl Scratch and i spray painted a wall.” Her head began to droop a bit. Time for the show to start... I wish i had some popcorn, with butter, and salt, and sugar, but no I’m here, not for long.
“Care to explain why ya defaced a wall? And don’t give me none of that self-righteous pony-shit i normally get.” The stallion sat with angry eyes and a vein popping out of his temple. Vinyl wanted to snicker. She knew how big of a softie this stallion was and the fact that he was trying to act all tough was hilarious.
Vinyl began making her voice sound disappointed and shaky, as she was the victim. “I… I… I had no other choice. You see my mom has been addicted to… she’s been addicted to buck for almost a year now.” Vinyl allowed a carefully placed tear to leak out from behind her glasses. “I want her to stop but she won’t. SHE JUST WON”T. She ran out of money a few months back and i moved in with her to keep her afloat. I forced her to quit and she… she was in so much pain. She was sweating and shaking and i couldn’t stand to see her like that! You know how hard it is to watch your mom in pain?”
Vinyl looked up for a split second at the officer, and then turned her face away in mock pain. Her face now faced the mirror allowing the mare that sat on the other side to get a lock at the tears streaming down her face. She then returned her gaze to the ground and continued her story.
“I bought her some, not much, just a little so she could feel good again. Well sure enough the feeling wore off and she was… she was in pain once more.” Vinyl quieted her tale to a mere whisper. “So i bought her more… and more… and i never stopped. A few weeks ago i was fired from my job and now i have no way to pay my rent and I’m still trying to buy my mom that STUPID drug.”
Vinyl’s face fell between her hoofs as she sobbed on the table.
“So that’s why i did it. I did it to feed my mom’s addiction. I did it because it’s the only way Shade was going to give me more buck. He said if i did this small job for him he’d feed my mom’s addiction for a while. I shouldn’t have done it and i know that. But i had no other choice….”
Vinyl’s story finally ended with tears leaking scattered on the table. If this was a movie, she would have just won the hoofy over Leonardo Dicloprio. She slowly raised her head to the stallion who had a look on his face. It wasn't one of anger or disgust, but rather one of confusion. How can someone who was so tough just break down?
“Well if you will excuse me miss i do believe i have some business i haveta attend to.” The stallion took his leave of absence and slowly closed the door behind him.
Bravo Bravo. Another wonderful performance miss Scratch! A smile stretched across vinyl’s face. Looks like you're home free.
<(‘.’)>
Octavia sat on the other side of the window staring in. Her eyes were burning from holding back tears from this poor, white unicorn’s story. There is no way I can send this mare to jail! Have a heart! She did all of this for her mother. Poor thing looks starving to! Ok its settled.
The guard stallion rounded the corner of the watching room and opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by a very determined cellist. “I want her to clean the graffiti off of my wall, and i want to meet with her once… nay twice a week at a location of her choosing to check up on her.
The midnight blue policeman looked even more confused than before. “Umm, ok if this is what ya want i guess we can give her the community service and probation, that is if ya decide not to change yer mind.”
“Nope, i am no evil pony and neither is she” Octavia raised a hoof and pointed it at the unicorn in question.
“Ok i guess I’ll break the news to her…” The stallion at this point gave up on concussion and decided that sometimes, it’s better to just go with it.
Octavia watched the stallion walk out of the door to the viewing room and after a few short seconds, back into the room the room with the poor artist. She watched as the stallion slowly spoke the terms and conditions of the deal offered by the classical musician. The white mare lit up with what seemed to be excitement and looked like she was thanking the kind officer of celesta’s grand kingdom. Octavia was going to help this mare!
<(‘.’)>
“Is she out of her fucking mind? What the hell! Who meets the mare that vandalizes there house and offers to buy them lunch TWICE A WEEK”
Vinyl sat angrily looking at the policepony.
“I couldn't agree with ya more mam, weirdest filly i have ever met. Well ya will need to fill out a bit of paperwork but after that there’s done i don see no need for a judge. Just follow her terms for a while and when she wants to let you go she can.”
“Fine but I’m not responsible if she gets stabbed at any of the restaurants i chose.” Vinyl agreed as she was hoofed over some papers. She signed them with her very neat, horn written Vinyl Scratch. Vinyl hoofed the papers back off just to receive a very disappointed look from the stallion.
“Mam, I’m gonna need you to please write down yer REAL NAME” He handed vinyl a fresh sheet of papers. Why he had a fresh sheet of papers, the world may never know. Vinyl breathed out of her nose with anger. She NEVER used her real name. She caved and figured it was better than jail. It was hell for unicorns in jail. They had a certain phallic shaped body extension on the top of their heads that automatically made them some oversized earth pony’s bed buddy. And you want to do whatever it takes to stay out of bed with an earth pony; they tend to be a bit rough.
Vinyl placed her real name along the dotted line. Vincenza Staccato. She handed the papers back the the stallion who looked over the name for a minute. He then got up, trotted to the door, and spoke in his ‘I’m a man but I can really be sensitive’ voice.
“Ok, yer free to go. In a month you and the mare you’ll meet outside this building will be back to discuss how things are going. Try to remember this mare is doing you a favor and you owe her at least a thank you.”
“Will do chief but i can’t promise she’ll like me next time were in here, let alone com with me in a months’ time.” Vinyl began to walk past the stallion has she felt a hoof stop her movement.
“Listen i told ya i was a daddy right? If there is one thing i know it is when two youngins are gonna get along, and you two; He gestured to the cellist waiting by the door that was barley visible at the end of the hallway; are gonna be good friends. Now i suggest you scurry outa here before i arrest you for loitering, I gotta perfect mailmare waiting for me at home, and she made muffins!”
Vinyl laughed at the stallion’s observed remark about her being friends with a classical musician. Is he serious? Me and a classical musician getting along? The day i admit i like a classical musician I’ll kiss his... or her flank. Vinyl stomped towards the exit door and looked back at the cellist holding the door for her. She was almost done speaking for today, all she had to do was say five more sentences and she was done. Her words could no longer cause her or anypony else harm.
“Listen MS?”
The gray musician perked up a bit at the mare’s willingness to talk “Octavia! Ms. Octavia Melody.”
“Yea whatever, ‘Ms. Melody’ let me give you a bit of advice. When somepony claims her mom is addicted to buck to fool a snob musician and get out of jail time, don’t believe her. Oh and I’m Vinyl, but you can call me DJ P0N-3.” At that, vinyl turned to take her leave.
Octavia wasn't mad at the DJ. No she wasn't mad at being lied to, she wasn't even mad about the side of her hoof painted house. She was absolutely furious.
She was watching the smug arrogant unicorn walk in the opposite direction from her, swaying her shapely hips as she went, practically mocking Octavia. Here the cellist stood, having bailed this thug out of jail, this worthless street scum that took her kindness for granted. This is why she was better than them, the lower class citizens in this city, why she deserved to be where she was.
She wasn't born into riches like most upper class ponies. No, she was born into a family that had long been shamed by the Canterlot nobles. Do you know why they are called Canterlot nobles? Think about it... NOBELS. During discords reign there were the families that stayed noble to Celestia and Luna, noble to the crown. No matter how hard they fell they stayed with the crown, suffering pain, suffering death for the rebellion. But my family never did.
The philharmonics. A once powerful family that stood hoof and hoof with the crown, almost as powerful as the Bloods who were relatives to the crown. Near the end of the war Discord offered a very large amount of land to the philharmonics to start their own country away from his reign. My ancestors believed that they could start a country of their own and make it peaceful, bring the princesses with them and be free of the god of chaos. All they had to do was bring Discord the element of magic. Well, long story short, the princesses were able to catch my ancestors and talked them out of it, promising the the Chaos God was lying as he always did. They gave the element back but were shunned. Not by the crown but by the other nobles. Other nobles that would have done the same thing had they received the offer. Soon the philharmonics were cast out into the pit of civilians and demons that coexisted at the time.
After so many years the Philharmonics had a daughter, a Mrs. Pristine Philharmonic who married a wealthy noble by the name of Dynasty Blueblood; after being conceived with his foal. It was a loveless marriage at first but the two found a way to love, found a way to care. That was of course until Dynasty was caught fooling around behind Pristine’s back with not one, not two, not three, not… ok you get the point. He had many a mistress. He left Pristine and her adolescent foal in a small, two story townhouse on the edge of the suburbs. Her foal, Octavia Blueblood, finally got the chance to rid herself of not only the philharmonic last name but also the Blueblood’s name as well. Because Octavia was no longer the son of Dynasty Blueblood she could legally change her name, and that she did.
That’s how Octavia earned her name of Melody. That’s why Octavia was so worried about her political stance. She had to bring her new name into the light, and that she did! After planning at the Grand Galloping Gala and the royal Canterlot garden party, she made a name for herself. Such a name that she made it into one of the most exclusive ensembles in all of Equestrian! The Fancy Orchestra!
Octavia called for the escaping mare, creating quite the scene. She galloped over to the street-trash DJ and said but a few words. “Listen, you expect me to give up on you, you expect me to walk into the police station and cancel our meetings. But that, Gutter-skank, won’t happen. You will be at my house tomorrow at 9 AM to wash the wall, than we will go to lunch at… Actually i don’t know any places that serve your kind. I’ll let you choose, where to Miss P0n3?”
This was it, the last sentence of the day. “Sizzles pub and grill, Mane Street.”
Octavia cringed at the ‘pub and grill’ title, knowing it would most likely be a smoke infested spit-bucket. “Fine. And then we will discuss our next meeting there, do i make myself clear?”
Vinyl just nodded her head towards the sky, then down towards the floor, and repeated several times before turning and cantering off the scene to avoid further conversation. She was free, and needed now more than ever to mix a track, now more than ever to forget about the world, now more than ever to forget about that stupid gray cellist, and now more than ever to forget about… her.
Octavia watched as the DJ power trotted her way off the scene, and then headed towards her own humble abode to take a much needed nap.