//------------------------------// // Track 5: Something Stupid // Story: Swing When You're Vinyl // by River Road //------------------------------// “This was a terrible idea. They’re going to kick me out of the quartet. Oh Celestia, why did I ever think it was a good idea to listen to advice from Vinyl Scratch?!”   The unicorn in question rolled her eyes behind her shades, giving her friend a light slap over the head without missing a step. “Calm down, Tavi. Ponies are going to stare.”   “Calm down? Calm down?!” Octavia stopped, not-calming-down so far that she was almost hyperventilating. “I’m going to lose my job! Ponies are never going to trust me again! I’ll have to start busking on the street! Have you ever tried busking with a cello?!”   Vinyl rolled her eyes again, adjusting her shades with one hoof. “You skipped out of your practice session. Once. In who knows how many years. I’m sure classical music will not change that much before your next session in two days.”   “It’s not about that! These ponies trusted me, and I betrayed their trust. They are probably already tuning their instruments, wondering where I am.”   “Nah, don’t worry about that. I covered for ya.” Vinyl shot her a confident smirk.   Octavia’s eyes widened. “So now I’m unreliable and a liar?! I’ll never be able to show my face in Canterlot again! What did you tell them?!”   “Hello Octavia. Hey Vinyl.”   “Not now Harpo, I’m trying to–“ The cellist froze, her eyes slowly trailing over the small group of ponies standing in front of the little bar. “H-Harpo? Frederick? Beauty Brass? W-what are you all doing here?!”   “We figured since you weren’t able to attend today, we’d skip practice and go out for some drinks.” The unicorn stallion grinned, nudging her lightly. “So, I take it you’ve gotten over your feather flu?”   Octavia’s eyes narrowed, glancing at Vinyl. “The feather flu? Really?”   The DJ gave her a sheepish grin, rubbing her neck. “It’s, uhm… It’s a common illness.“   “For pegasi, Vinyl!” Octavia groaned and facehoofed, walking past the others into the bar. “I think I need a drink now.”   Vinyl kept up a slightly strained grin, waiting for the others to enter before moving herself. She leaned over to Harpo, hissing under her breath. “The feather flu? Really?” “It’s a common illness.” Harpo grinned and winked, strutting past her and wiggling his flank in her face as he went. ~~~~~ “You seem a bit stressed, Tavi.” Beauty Brass chuckled, nudging Octavia lightly as they walked over to a table near the front. “I skip practice for the first time in my life on the advice of a friend and run face-first into the very ponies I skipped on…” Octavia’s eye twitched a bit. “Who have somehow already picked up on the nickname said friend has for me. I don’t see how this situation can get any-” “Cousin ‘tavia, is that you?!” Octavia stopped, turning around to point a hoof accusingly at a light yellow earth pony mare wearing her trademark white stetson with a lime green shirt and red neckerchief. “Fiddlesticks. To you and the universe in general. Can’t you at least wait until I’m done tempting fate?” “Awww, you know you love me, Cuz.” Fiddlesticks pulled her into the bone-crushing violation of personal space that a friendly hug consisted of on the Apple side of her family. She let go after just enough time for Octavia to turn a lovely shade of blue and pulled another mare over to them. “I’m actually here on a special request with my sister Pinkie Pie. Well, fourth cousin twice removed by a fifth cousin, but I’ve been told that’s exactly like a sister.” “Hiyaaaa~” The very pink pony next to her waved enthusiastically. “...we’ve met.” Octavia nodded, simply too far to muster any more of a reaction as she shook Pinkie’s hoof. “Is there anypony else here I should know of? My parents, maybe, or my old cello teacher?” Pinkie grinned. “Nopity nope. I mean, there’s really just one pony here you should know of today. Speaking off, I need to give her the stuff she asked about.” She pulled a small flask and a large and weirdly shaped instrument case out of her mane - something Octavia had learned to ignore the first time they met - and bounced over to the stage where Vinyl was already waiting for them. Octavia watched as Vinyl talked to Pinkie for a moment, then quickly downed the contents of the flask and took the instrument case while Pinkie bounced back over to their table. “Do I even want to know what that was all about?” Her brow furrowed as she saw Vinyl take the instrument from its case. “Wait a moment, is that…?” “Yupperooni.” Pinkie nodded, sitting down and looking towards the stage and Vinyl, who was holding something that looked like two guitars merged at the sides. “That’s a bi-tar. They say there’s only about a hundred ponies who can play them and only maybe a dozen of those are crazy enough to bother trying. I’m one of the latter, but not necessarily the former.” She giggled and gestured to the bar, and a second later the lights around the bar dimmed, leaving only the stage in the spotlight and making any conversations quickly die down. Vinyl sat down at the edge of the stage, taking her time to tune the instrument and give it a few testing strums before she looked up at her audience with a wry smile. “Hey everypony. This is a song for a special friend, and I hope she won’t be too mad.” Her voice was far off the usual raspy tomboy tone, instead sounding smooth and with depth. Octavia let out a soft gasp. “Her voice, what…?” Pinkie nodded somberly. “That in the flask was one of Granny Pie’s special recipes, Honeythroat. I guess the name says all.” Octavia just nodded and watched as Vinyl began to strum one half of the guitar and pluck on the other. You know I’ll stand in line And wait until you find the time To spend an evening with me And if we go someplace to dance I know that there's the chance It’s just not meant to be Then afterwards we drop into this quiet little place To have a drink or two And I just know I’ll spoil it all By saying something stupid Like I love you I can see it in your eyes You’re still in bowties playing nice For all of Canterlot And though it's just a song to you I always knew That I won’t get another shot I looked through every song I knew and I worked all night long To give it all I had I can’t just say one line And then expect you to be mine Because you’re more than that The time is now The music fills my head The stars turn violet And the night's so blue And here I go and spoil it all By saying something stupid Like I love you I love you... Vinyl had her eyes closed towards the end, keeping them closed for a while after the music faded away. When she opened them Octavia was standing right in front of her with an angry expression. “Tavi…” Octavia lightly cuffed her over the head with the back of her hoof, earning a wince and hurt expression from the unicorn as she flinched back. “That… was for dragging me here for some elaborate scheme.” “Tavi-” Octavia waited a few seconds until Vinyl made to speak again, then quickly leaned forward to give the mare a kiss on the lips, moving back just as quickly with a deep blush on her cheeks. “And that was for everything else.” “Tavi-” Vinyl was cut off again by another whack to the back of her head. “And that was for making me kiss you in public and in front of my friends. Augh, I just can’t believe you sometimes. At least this time you didn’t steal any hats.” “Ah yes, I believe that is my cue then.” Both mares looked up to see Fancy Pants standing behind them, looking down at them with a raised eyebrow.