//------------------------------// // Vinyl's Last Swim // Story: JAWS & FINS // by Octavia_Melody //------------------------------// The white, blue-maned unicorn disc jockey Vinyl Scratch and the grey, black-maned earth pony cellist Octavia Melody lived together in a beach house on the sands of Sunset Shores. Late in the evening, on a dark, cloudless summer night, Octavia was inside, practicing her cello, when she noticed Vinyl trotting toward the door. “Where are you going, Vinyl?” Octavia asked while strumming a smooth jazzy tune with her bow. “Goin’ for a little late night swim.” Vinyl answered, “Wanna come with?” “No, thank you.” Tavi replied, “A tad late for a swim, ya think?” “Na, Tavi, its cool.” Vinyl said, “C’mon it’s the summer.” “I’ll follow you out there, but I’m not stepping hoof in that water.” Octavia said, “I need to practice.” “C’mon, you’ve been playin’ that thing all day.” Vinyl argued. “My band is playing for the summer festival next week and I need to be in tip-top shape.” Octavia said. “Whateves.” Vinyl said, “You know I’ll be DJ-ing the night crowd.” “As always.” Tavi said with a smirk. Vinyl opened the sliding glass door and trotted down the wooden deck stairs to the beach. Octavia strapped her cello onto her back and trotted behind her, closing the door. “I’m gonna crank this beach all the way up to eleven!” Vinyl shouted galloping toward the water. Vinyl was already hoof-paddling before Tavi had set up her cello again. The moon beamed brightly down on the water, giving it a serene glow. Octavia stood her cello up in the sand and started to run her bow across the strings. She began with the same casual jazz she played earlier, but then decided to change things up a bit. She played two very deep notes, slowly and repeatedly, resulting in a rather discordant melody. Vinyl could barely hear her roommate’s music over the sound of the crashing waves. She started to backstroke, going a little deeper out to sea, and just for a moment felt something brush her two back legs. Vinyl looked around for a moment and soon dismissed it. Back on shore, Octavia’s tune gradually picked up speed and Vinyl felt something heavy bump her forward. She wondered if she had swam toward a large rock, but then was pushed a little more roughly, and decided to swim back to shore. “Hey Tavi! Wait up! I’m coming back!” Vinyl called out, “There’s something weird out here!” Octavia couldn’t hear Vinyl over the sound of her own playing, and Vinyl herself only caught a glimpse of what looked to be an old fashioned clipper ship sailing towards her, in the distance.” “Is that a pirate ship?” Vinyl asked herself before she was dragged underwater. The unicorn DJ thrashed about, sputtering and screaming, as she felt a sharp, excruciating pain all around her body. The water beneath her turned a cloudy red and Vinyl’s eyes widened in fear. “Tavi! TAVI!! Help!!” Vinyl screamed, “HELP ME!!” Vinyl’s screaming brought Octavia out of her musical trance. Tavi threw her bow and cello on the ground and galloped toward the water. “Vinyl!!” she called out, “Hang on!! VINYL!!” Vinyl gave a muffled shriek as she was jerked underwater. A large crimson puddle spread as Tavi desperately galloped toward it. Octavia bucked and kicked in the bloody water, frantically hoping for signs of Vinyl Scratch. “Vinyl Scratch!!” Octavia screamed in agony, “VINYL!!” Octavia broke down in tears when she had realized what had happened. She didn’t even notice the apparent pirate ship, sailing across the horizon, as she dejectedly went back inside to call the police. Tavi could barely maintain her composure as she attempted to talk to the emergency dispatcher over the phone, only managing to sputter that her friend had been killed by a shark, and give her address. Two officers arrived at the beach house in about fifteen minutes. A lavender unicorn with a purple mane and a mint green unicorn with a white streak through her mane knocked on her door, both wearing dark blue police uniforms. Octavia slid the door open and they stepped inside. “Good evening.” the lavender one announced in a friendly voice, “I’m Chief of Police Twilight Sparkle, and this is Deputy Lyra Heartstrings. We received a call about a shark attack.” “I can’t believe it…” Tavi sobbed, “I can’t believe she’s dead…just like that…in an instant…gone…” “Excuse me, miss.” Twilight asked, “Would you tell me where she was attacked?” “Right outside…” Tavi said, “She wasn’t even that far from shore. I heard her screaming, I tried to help her, but…” Octavia broke down in tears and Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder. “I understand this is difficult, miss…” Twilight consoled, “Hey, Lyra. Why don’t you go down there and check things out.” Lyra nodded and went outside, trotting down the deck stairs and onto the sand. She had just reached the water before her skin went pale and she levitated her whistle out in front of her. Lyra blew the police whistle as loudly as she could and Twilight rushed out to meet her. The two unicorn officers stared in disbelief at Vinyl Scratch’s mutilated corpse, washed up on shore. She had been completely ripped apart, beyond recognition. Most of her had been eaten, what was left was a gruesome pile of leftover bones, and large chunks of organs and skin, including four hooves. Twilight heard footsteps behind her and turned around to see Octavia slowly walking down the stairs. “Don’t come down here!” Twilight shouted, “Just stay inside!” “I have to see her…” Octavia resolved, “I have to see…” Tavi ignored Twilight’s warning and gasped at the sight of Vinyl’s remains. She placed her hoof over her mouth, trying not to throw up, but soon regurgitated all over the sand. “Lyra, would you please take her back inside?” Twilight whispered harshly, “I have to call this in.” Lyra put her hoof on Octavia, who continued to throw up. Lyra shot a concerned look at Twilight who shook her head in frustration. “Is there anypony you can stay with, tonight?” Lyra asked Tavi, “Is there anything we can get you?” “I don’t…I don’t have any family here.” Octavia said, wiping her mouth, “They all live across the pond. I don’t…I don’t know what to do.” “Why don’t you stay at my place, tonight?” Lyra suggested, “I think Bon Bon’s gone for the weekend. Bon Bon, she’s…” Lyra shut her mouth before she uttered the word “roommate” but Tavi understood her anyway. “I’d like that…if you don’t mind…” Octavia muttered, unable to give a smile. “Yes, that’s right. I want these beaches shut down now.” Twilight said into her walkie-talkie, “No swimming, by order of the Sunset Shores P.D….What do you mean you don’t have any signs?....You never closed the beaches before….That’s absurd!...You oughta come over and take a look at this poor…” Lyra jabbed Twilight with her hoof and shook her head sternly. Twilight cleared her throat and whispered the rest of her orders. “Listen...” she said softly, “I need the coroner, clean-up crew, barricades, anypony you can send down here. We’ve got a hay of a mess on our hooves.” Lyra took Octavia back inside to help get her things. Twilight waited impatiently for backup as she tried not to look at the victim’s remains. The coroner eventually arrived pulling an enclosed wooden carriage, along with three officer ponies. What was left of Vinyl was examined, photographed, and wrapped in a black corpse bag. Twilight gave marching orders to the other officers as Octavia followed Lyra home. Twilight thought about what she was going to tell Spike, if anything. Nopony would be sleeping well that night.