//------------------------------// // You Can't Make Wubs Without An Echo // Story: I'll be One Beat Away // by wizard32363 //------------------------------// Her neck was throbbing, her eyes drooping. Vinyl had experienced the worst night of her life, and now she was trapped in a stable surrounded by ponies of her own kind, much less colorful than herself. Standing up, a crack reverberated throughout the room. Her joints were aching, and her head felt wobbly. “Goodness, was that a night or what? I can’t believe I actually had to sleep in a stable…” Vinyl had slept in some pretty bad places before, but this had to be the worst. What made it so bad was that not a single pony would talk to her. That didn’t stop her from trying to communicate. “Hey, so why does he have you trapped in here? Did you mess up and hurt somepony?” She was nudging the horse in the only stable next to her. Being at the end, the white stallion looked over at Vinyl, spitting at her. Getting a large wad of snot in the face, Vinyl gagged, throwing up in her mouth. “Can’t you talk to me!? I can help you escape if you’d just let me help you!” She was getting nowhere. This horse refused to speak with her, and Vinyl would respect that. It wasn’t as if every other pony was going to aid her in vanishing from this place. That made Vinyl remember exactly where she was: A place that she had never been before. The previous day, Vinyl hadn’t cared about where she was, getting chased across the town and all, but now she actualized the fact that these things around her weren’t ponies. “They’re called humans. They have these things, called hands! I can’t believe you’ve never heard of them! You’ll know when you meet one, because even though they look weird, some of them want to travel to Equestria, and will do anything to get there.” Lyra’s voice rang through Vinyl’s head. For years, she was dubbed the craziest pony in Equestria, due to the fact that she would never shut up about these creatures named humans. Now, though, Vinyl was starting to think that maybe she wasn’t so wack after all. Whatever had captured her was kind enough to “save” her, but it was obvious that this “Mike” had no idea how to take care of a horse’s needs Even so, how did she get in this place? All she could remember was a wild party the night before. Vinyl had forced Octavia to come to the party… “Aww, come on! It’s gonna be awesome! You can’t just bail on me after all those years of making me sit at your boring “masterpieces!” This was an outrage. Her show tonight was going to be epic, and Vinyl wanted Octavia to get out of her bland routine for once. “Vinyl, how many times do I have to tell you that I have a cello concerto tomorrow? If I went to your thing tonight, I would never make it in time!” Vinyl knew that Octavia didn’t want to go. The constant drinking disgusted Tavi. “Tavi, please...isn’t there any way I can get you to go? This is going to be one of the biggest and best shows I’m hosting, and it would break my heart if you ditched me for your concert. I promise you I’ll be at yours...just go to mine. Please…” Vinyl had fake tears in her eyes. It was the only way that she knew Octavia would get up and go to her concert. Octavia sighed, her breath hot with anger. “Fine, Vinyl, I’ll go. But if you drink yourself silly, I’m leaving. All I want is for you to have one normal night in your life, and if you fail me, I’m not going to help you when you need it most.” Vinyl wiped away her “tears,” jumping up and hugging Octavia. “Thank you, Tavi! I hope you have fun! I have to get ready!” With a bounce, Vinyl was off. That was basically all Vinyl remembered of the day, other than the show itself. At the show, she had guzzled down enough cider to make even Rainbow Dash slow. One moment she was passing out on her record, scratching it to a halt. The next moment, she was in a new world, unaware that so many other things wanted to get her. “Well, I guess I’ll have to find a way back to Tavi myself…” Vinyl was muttering under her breath, searching around for an escape plan. She didn’t have much time to think, the door on the opposite side of the barn opening up. “Feeding time! Come and get it!” Vinyl immediately recognized Mike’s voice. The only word she partially understood was the word food. She hadn’t eaten anything in days, save the drinks she had been gorging on. Vinyl rushed over to the front of the stable. “Give me food! I’m starving over here, and my belly isn’t supposed to make sounds like it is!” Mike finished putting extra hay in each of the horses’ stables, rushing over to Vinyl’s quicker than Octavia had bailed the concert. “I’m not dreaming! You can actually talk, and you’re really a multi-colored, glasses-wearing horse! How did you get here!? Who are you!?” Vinyl rolled her eyes behind her dark shades. Was he really asking her all of these questions? “I’m the one who should be asking questions! You put me in this smelly hole instead of letting me get comfortable in a real bed! So, before I answer any of your lame inquiries, you’re going to listen to me, and that starts with being let out of this trap!” Vinyl saw Mike’s eyes go wide. It seemed like the situation at hoof was finally getting through his brain. But was he really going to go along with this? He seemed to think she was nonsensical. Anything and everything had the potential to go wrong in this situation. Shrugging, Mike carefully turned the lock on the stable, watching as Vinyl strutted out and wiped herself off, shaking the remaining debris from her body. “All right, first, where am I?” Vinyl really needed to ask that question. If she couldn’t know where she was, she wouldn’t know how to return to Ponyville. Mike looked at her, a slight smile on his face. “I’m sorry for laughing, but this is just ridiculous. I’m still not sure if you’re even real. To answer your question, you’re on Earth, in America, I’m Mike, and this is a farm. Now your turn.” America? Earth? These words were rocket science to Vinyl. “My name is Vinyl Scratch, I’m from Equestria, and I’m trapped with a guy named Mike who still can’t believe he’s talking to me after a whole five minutes of it!” She turned away, a frown on her face. Her glasses glinted in the sunlight, beaming into the stable. “You know, I can’t even...wait, Equestria, you said? I’ve heard that word...every August I hear it! Those damn bronies at that convention never shut the hell up about that place...I hate all these “fandoms” and things like that. It’s a wonder I didn’t figure this out until now. You’re obviously not real. You’re just something created by one of those beasts…” Vinyl turned around quickly, slapping Mike hard across the face with a hoof. “I am not a creation! If you can’t even see what’s right in front of you and believe it, you have some problems! Why did you even save me!? I’m just a dumb pony who probably would’ve been better off dead to you, right?” Mike rubbed his face, a large bruise appearing. His eyes weren’t as angry as they were amazed. “Vinyl, I’m not just going to let any innocent creature die. Whether I don’t like what you are or not doesn’t affect how I should treat that certain thing. I saw a small horse that I could easily carry about to get shot, and I took my chance. Nothing wrong with that, right?” By now, Vinyl felt bad. He obviously didn’t want to lock her up, he just saw her as the same old horses he was used to every day. “Then...why won’t these horses talk to me? In Equestria, everypony can talk to everypony. These ponies won’t even say hello to me They both chuckled, one nervous and one confused. “Well,” Mike explained, “the horses here can’t talk. Wherever you come from, it’s nothing like it is here. Now, I know that you’ll bother me if I make you stay in there, so feel free to roam my farm. But if you touch and destroy anything, I swear that I’ll put you back in there, maybe even put you down.” Vinyl’s eyes widened. Did he just threaten her? If he really didn’t like her, it was a miracle that he hadn’t sent her out yet. “All right, fine, but if I start making beats, you’re not allowed to stop me.” Mike didn’t respond. Standing up, he walked out, a slight stomp in his step. Vinyl watched as he stormed out, confused as to why he didn’t like her. She was everything a person could want in a pony, wasn’t she? He lived a normal life, but couldn’t even respect the fact that he had a talking horse in his home… Vinyl looked at the wooden walls of the stables, watching as the horses slowly nibbled on their food. Mike had intentionally left the door open for Vinyl, but she wasn’t quite ready to leave. The cement on the ground made a great echo in the room. She tapped a hoof on the ground, listening as the clop slowly faded off. She moved to the front of her stable, making a tap on it and hearing the whack. She liked what she was hearing. Holding one hoof on the door, she tapped both hooves in unison, her mind flowing with her new beats. Her eyes closed, her spirit going to other places as the music rang across the farm. When the three minutes of smooth melody came to a stop, Vinyl was calm, finally taking a moment to step outside and get a good view of her surroundings. She hated what she saw. The view was beautiful, yes, but it was nothing compared to stepping outside and getting hoof bumps from everypony. She saw plenty of trees. The town from before was no longer in her sight, replaced by fields of tall plants and large patches of grass. There was a small area off behind her that housed animals, a large mass materializing to Vinyl’s eyes. “Whoa...this guy really loves animals, doesn’t he?” She walked over to them, already understanding that they wouldn’t talk to her, let alone give her a second glance when she passed by. Her eyes scanned the large amount of animals, scanning the familiar pens she saw back in Equestria. There were pens for every type of animal: cows, chickens, lambs, you name it! One animal in particular stood out from the rest. One of the sheep looked out of place, like the time Octavia had made Vinyl dress up for Nightmare Night. Tavi had put Vinyl in a cellist’s uniform for Nightmare Night, and Vinyl looked absolutely ridiculous. Walking over to the odd sheep, Vinyl realized that it was, in fact, not a sheep. It was just as she expected: A costume worn by some random person. Peering over the fence, Vinyl felt two cold hands grab her. “I’ve finally got you! Of course that dumb Mike would take you, but I’ll treat you so nicely! My name is James, and I’ll be your new owner!” Vinyl struggled, wriggling to get out of the trap she had set for herself. It was obvious that this was another one of those “bronies” Mike had described, and even Vinyl was starting to hate them. She had already outrun a whole mob of them, and now she was being choked by a brony dressed like a domesticated animal. The bleats from the sheep helped to mask Vinyl’s screams. She tried desperately to attract Mike’s attention. Her eyes were popping, her vision blurring. She knew that soon she truly would be in the hands of one who wanted to hurt her. “Vinyl! Don’t worry!” As soon as her vision blacked out, she heard a couple of hard hits, like those of the mosh pits Vinyl sometimes encountered. She fell to the floor, heart pumping fast and breaths shallow. She sat up on the couch, her head shaking from side to side to try and combat the blasting headache, only making it worse. “Mike!? Are you there?” She called out in success. She watched as Mike entered the room, a small bowl of water in hand. “Vinyl, don’t move too much, you’re going to be pretty out of it. Here, I brought you something for your head and some water for any thirst you may have.” She opened her mouth, her body becoming motionless on the soft cushion of the couch. Mike elevated her head, throwing the pills into her mouth and helping get water down her throat. Just at the thought of the pills’ effects, her head started to feel better. Her smile was evident on her face. “Thank you...so...can we talk right now...please?” Grabbing a chair, Mike sat down, facing Vinyl. “I’m quite reluctant to talk to you, you know? I don’t even know if you can be trusted…” “I’m immobile on your couch. I’m not going to reach out and kill you, so don’t worry. I just want to know what you do for a living, the things you like, dislike...your personality.” She coughed, her throat still slightly constricted. “If you wanna know about me, you have to help me in return. All I want to know is how you got here. But you asked first, so I’ll be hospitable to my guest, as much as I may not like her…” Vinyl glared at Mike. “Hey, it’s not my fault that bronies ruined it for me...all right...to start off, I love the farm life. Growing up in the country, I was raised to be quite the farmhand. I didn’t ever see the city much. When I go into the city, I sell the vegetables that I grow, occasionally a cow or two. It’s nothing much, but it pays the bills. “I’m a nice guy if you get to know me, but I’m a little bit stubborn. People are intimidated by me, my large figure and all...I eat a lot of meat, mostly coming from the cows. I’m definitely a hard worker. I’m the only one who works on the whole farm all day. With as many acres of land as I have, it’s hard to harvest all of the crops in time for winter.” That’s where he stopped. It wasn’t a nice closure to his description, but it was something. Vinyl turned her head to the side. “You said you hated bronies and ponies like myself.” Mike scowled. “But what else do you dislike?” “Well...I don’t hate a lot of things, really. Like I said, I really hate MLP and all those bronies. It’s stupid that guys like them should like things like you...you were created for girls. It’s just a little weird, wouldn’t you say? I also hate seafood. Fish is just...too fishy. The only other thing I could hate would have to be money. We spend so much money on useless electronics that we forget to spend it on our families and friends. Nobody understands the gift of sharing anymore Yeah, some inventions are fine, but most of them are just wasting peoples’ time. I do have a computer, but I rarely ever use it, as I’m always up and doing something else.” By now, Vinyl had gotten to know Mike a little bit more. Obviously he wouldn’t accept her into his life, but she was forced to accept him into hers. “All right...and why do the horses stay in the stables all day?” This question seemed to hit Mike as a hard question. For a few minutes he sat with his face in question. “Well, the horses can’t be killed, so I keep them inside of the pens at night. During the afternoon I let them out of their stables to roam around the farm.” “They should be free, though!” Vinyl rebutted. “They have souls, too, you know?” Mike chuckled. “Well, I’ve never seen any of my horses talk, and none of them have started a fuss yet, so either they’re just playing a jest, or they can’t think like the ponies in your Equestria do. You can’t blame me for taking care of my prized animals.” It was true. Vinyl couldn’t complain. They got a shelter and daily meals, free to roam in the day. It seemed like a fair life for horses here on Earth.  In Equestria, some ponies were starving on the streets, and not a single soul would dare to help them in thoughts of their reputation being ruined. “But now it’s your turn. I want to know how you got here, and why there are so many people who want you.” This question took Vinyl even more time than Mike did to answer this question. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping to Celestia that, somehow, she would remember everything. Her memory was still failing her, and she couldn’t provide a response for Mike. “Honestly dude, I couldn’t tell you even if I wanted to. All I can remember is passing out drunk at one of my concerts. Then, I woke up to a mob chasing me.” That was all she could say. It sounded pathetic, but it was the only truth she could think of. Mike sighed. He wasn’t getting anywhere with this pony. He already thought bad of them, and Vinyl wasn’t making his distaste any better. “You know what...I can’t just let you live on my farm, in human conditions, without a little something in return. If you want to sleep in a bed, eat my food, and use my shower, you have to work for it. Vinyl was up now. The word work hit her hard in the rain. She never worked. All she did was take a couple of sounds and put them together, making what everypony else called “wubs.” “W-work? What do you mean, work?” Mike put a hand on Vinyl’s shoulder. “I mean, you’re going to help me get set for the winter. Since I always fall short of my goal, it’d be good to have an extra working hand...err, hoof, on my side. So if you want to live like you do in your world, you’re going to have to do this with me.” Vinyl growled, despondent that she would be working in the hot sun all day long, not getting a single time for herself. Her mind raced with thoughts of her lost friend in Equestria. “Well...at least Octavia can’t be having a day any worse than mine…”