A Scratched Melody

by Pankrazius

Second Chapter - Fool's Paradise

The last months were like living in paradise. Blue Tune was one perfect gentleman, like the born prince I had waited all of my life, without even knowing it. He literally carried me on his hooves. The last two months were the pure heaven.
He was a good musician too - played violin, sung a bit. Oh being with him was so full of joy. We had so much in common. Liked the same music - even the same composers. He was a perfectionist in everything. Just like me. Collected and orderly. So unlike... other ponies.
Yes - I had to admit, from time to time I thought of Vinyl Scratch - the curse of my former life, how I called her now. All these years I had stuck with her. All this wasted time. She was so opposite to everything I liked.

Blue Tune and me had quite entertaining conversations - from light chatter to deep philosophical discussions. Gosh I loved to talk with him. I loved when he shared his dreams with me. From grand orchestras, from going far away - the big metropolises Manehatten, Maris or Bearlin. Playing for the most sophisticated and important ponies there were.
I embraced the thought on all the glittering lights, the fancy places he would take me.

Chiming a joyful tune I looked down the road as I left the Town Square. A bit of late shopping - and a bit of chatting with the mares there. It was nice after a day full of practicing and a small play at the Town Hall. But now I needed to head home, for I missed my sweet Cello.
I paced over the bridge and followed the road to Rarity's Boutique. I couldn't resist to glance over all the nice dresses and gowns in the windows. Then just a fast walk trough the park and a few steps towards the nice small house we called our own now.

"I am hoome!", I gleefully shouted, as I trotted through the door. I felt light-hearted and lucky this moment. Then, wondering, I stopped. No answer? No 'Welcome back my sweet Bow'
Huh? I heard voices out of the living room. So I closed the distance through the small hallway and gave the door at its end a light shove.
"Hello?", I said with an asking voice hesitant for a moment.
Besides Blue Tune there sat a unicorn mare I didn't know on the couch. She had a light cyan coat golden mane and bright yellow eyes. I couldn't spot her cutie mark from my position.
The two of them seem to have a pleasant conversation. I cocked a eyebrow, wondering what this was all about.
"Oh. Tavi. Nice to see you - may I introduce Prescilla Partitura to you. She is an old friend of mine and happens to be the First Violine of the Royal Canterlot Orchestra.
Baffled I made a step backwards. But I recovered fast, coughed and straightened myself.

"My, welcome!" I bowed polite. "Its a honour to meet such brilliant player like you. I love the Canterlot Orchestra."

"Oh. You don't need to be this formal.", she giggled and waved a hoof. "Please - take a seat. Blue told me everything about you. Gosh, I just have to know if everything he told is true!"

I followed the somewhat strange offer - given it was my couch, she invited me...

"Where did I leave off?... Oh yes. The conservatory...", Blue Tune picket up the talk again.

I followed the talk for a couple of minutes. It was not easy, as they were in the middle of their story and I didn't get most of their inside-jokes. It got dull to listen. But just walking off, would be insulting I thought. So I just stayed on my place, pondering.
Then I realized - Tune didn't spoke to me since I came in. And this was just a brief introduction for his school-friend.
O.K. - I could understand them. They didn't have met for a long time. So they had much to talk. But something bothered me. My thoughts wandered around and circled around one special white unicorn. As unreliable Vinyl had been - she never had just ignored me, when I was around. Even if there were visitors.
Gosh... was I thinking about her? How could I? She let me down, forgot plans we had made together... She... unnerved me, played pranks on my cost, disrupted my practices.... But she never ever had ignored me.

"Is it OK for you, if I go practice? You seem to have much to catch up on.", I excused myself with a weak smile. Suddenly I just don't felt like sitting and listening.

"Oh... yeah. Yeah. Its O.K.", Tune nodded towards me. He didn't even kiss me. He never missed to kiss me, when I came home.

I didn't see much of my love the whole day. Prescilla left after dinner - the only time she actually talked to me a bit. But somehow her appearance here and Blues reaction, or better his lack of reaction for me left a strange unpleasant feeling lingering around. He even didn't seem to realize, that he ignored me the whole afternoon.

The evening then was quite normal, but the feeling refused to wear off.
Later in the night laying by his side, I snuggled up my face on his shoulder and finally I felt better. No. This was really no big deal. Everypony needed a afternoon off, now and then. And how was I to refuse my friend, my one true love, to talk to his friends long not seen?
"Bow..." Tune broke the sleepy silence and my ear perked up. I opened an eye - a bit useless as it was new moon and a pitch black night.
"What's the matter Cello?", I recognized the thoughtful sound of his voice.
"Do you want to stay the rest of your life here, as cellist for a small audience?", he shifted his position a bit.
"Why do you ask?", this seems to become one of his 'dreaming of a career in a big city'-talks.

"Just... just answer.", he sounded uneasy.

"Now... I would lie if I say so. Surely I dream of a big orchestra. Who doesn't?", after all we had this talk quite a few times by now.

"What if I said, your dream could become true? Or... our dream?"

"Let me guess... your conversation with your old school-friend brought you there?", I smiled in the dark.

"She opened my eyes. I mean - you are virtuous with your play" - I knew, he loved this phrases. "And I am not bad either..."

"Hold on. You are not 'not bad', Cello. I would say you are brilliant. Never let anything let you think otherwise."

"Yes. Maybe you're right. We... we are just too good for a place like this. We don't belong in a backwater town. What we need, what we dream off are the lights of the metropolises. The places where our talent truly matters."

A bit sleepy as I was I pictured, what he told. Yes. Playing in a big orchestra. Playing for Princesses, for royalty, for ponies knowing culture.
"Big stages, big audience. And when its going to be too much - just retreating in our cozy little cottage." I yawned.

"Oh Bow... if you like to - then even in our little cottage. But I would prefer our manor outside of Canterlot". he chuckled.

"I would go everywhere. As long as I could stay with you.", with this words I snuggled up again.

"So its... settled?", he asked. "I'll write my first application tomorrow?"

He seemed to take this serious. And I didn't want to discourage him. I nodded on his shoulder, sleepy and with images from manors and butlers... but something felt not right. A thought gnawed. ... Leaving Ponyville?

* * *

"Yo Spring Breeze.", I called over the marketplace.

The light green Earth Pony perked his ear, and turned his head away from the bushels of carrots, stacked at Golden Harvests market stall.

"Hey Vinyl!", he replied grinning, revealing his trademark golden tooth. "What does my number one DJ at this early hour? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" He hoofed a few coins over the counter, while Golden Harvest - due to her golden yellow coat I presumed, after briefly waving towards me, packed the carrots in a brown paper bag.

"Say... do you have somepony for this evening? I am free tonight.", I exclaimed with - what I was certain of - confidence in my voice.

"Hrm. Strange. Since when do you work more often than once a week?", he grabbed the bag turning around to me completely now.

"Lets say, I have a somewhat creative block with music lately. And since Octavia moved out, there is nopony around I annoy with coming home late."

"Oh... I didn't know your friend has gone...", he frowned.

Shit. In my mind I had planned the whole conversation. Everything... Like 'Oh - that's really no problem. She was merely a room-mate. Live goes on, y'know But now... to deny Tavis friendship... I stopped dead for a moment to collect myself.

"That's.. that's no problem. You know me. Nothing brings me down. And hey - at least I have time now. So - what do you say?" my shades were covering my eyes this moment, so Spring couldn't see that they didn't share the smile from my mouth.

"Now. Why not? As I said - you are my number one. Friday nights are the best, with you around, and the guests can't get enough of you. So - OK. See ya tonight!"

* * *

I woke up early in the morning. Much to early. The last weeks were like a dream. Parties, clubs and Discos. I worked everyday. At first to avoid my dead home. But now, the house had regained some life to it. Maybe no new furniture or dust catching clutter, but still.

I rolled around and nearly kicked somepony out of my bed. pale yellow furred pegasus stallion? Somehow I couldn't remember much of the last night. But my bedroom seemed like someone had cast a tornado in it. Tornado... tornado... yes some bells started to ring. Maybe we got carried away a bit.

My ears perked. No. The ringing didn't came from my sudden recognition. It sounded like the house bell. Shit? How late was it? Nine? Maybe ten A.M.? Wich cruel bastard dared to wake me after such an exhausting night?

I strolled out of my room, followed the narrow hallway to the stairs. Sleepy I nearly stumbled over another pegasus. White, really, really bulky and snoring like a walrus. Did I run a pegasus-special-party last night?
Anyway - whoever had decided to interrupt my well-earned sleep, did it mean serious. Ringing and loud hammering sounds mixed... Whoa - could be a base for a new piece I pondered while making my way down the stairs.

"Coming! Easy now!", I shouted.

"Miss Scratch. Open this door on instant, or I inform the constable!", yelled someone. No. Not someone. In contrast to most of my bedfellows I knew the name attached to this annoying rant. It was Shabby Slum - my landlord.

I had to evade some obstacles. Mountains of empty... hopefully empty .... Pizza-boxes which build a modern art representation of Ghastly Gorge in my hallway. I opened just a small gap - Mister Slum didn't need to see how I treated the house.

"Ah. At least." he said with a snarling sound. "I hope I didn't interrupt you by doing something."

"Nope. Everything fine", I lied, smiling.

"I fear I have to dissent in this point, Miss Scratch. There are at least a few points not fine." Shit. Did he see the mess inside the living-room from an outside window? I mean - I didn't dare to enter this room since the popcorn disaster. Ah! Gosh darn it! I had sworn to myself never to think again at IT!

"Sorry. I can't follow..."

"Beginning with the mess your garden is. I mean - it is after all my garden. Even if I borrowed it to you."

"Yeah..." I scratched the back of my neck. I didn't go in the backyard since a while. To much reminders there. And anyway - what did I need from there. Since no one was cooking any more...

"Further your regular visitors. It may not be of my business what you do in your spare-time. But I as your landlord have some reputation to keep."

"Oh... this...", the scratching intensified.

"And finally - Your rent.", he simply stated.

My... what? My rent. I thought... I had.

"I..." I felt sweat pouring on my forehead as my mind raced. At snails speed. C'mon brain I need you. NOW! But my gray matter refused to work properly. The few drinks last night, could maybe responsible for this.

"Its a pity for me, that your room-mate has moved out. She was very accurate with paying. Aaaand kept the garden clean... And kept the house in a proper condition. And I cannot think of her allowing such... guests as you have now," he counted.

Oh yeah everything would be better - with our Tavi the buzz-kill and ass-of-a-friend around...

"But I think this is no further problem now." I heard the relieved sound of his voice and eased myself. Couldn't be that bad, huh?

"Mister... Slum. Uhm... I ... If you wait, say ... till next week. Then...", I started to figure out one idiot-proof plan to pull me out of this. But unfair him, he didn't let me finish my perfect defence.

"As I expected. You don't have the money. Now - like said - no further problem for me." - he grinned. I grinned too - showing empathy y'know. So we grinned in each others faces for a few awkward moments - "Because you owe me the rent for two months now. And therefore I am entitled to buck you out of my house."

Someone scratched the needle over my life's soundtrack. Now my mouth gaped open while ice cold showers run down my spine.

"You... you couldn't ... just..." I stammered in while waves of heat and cold ran through my body, leaving a shaky feeling.

"I could. And I will. You are out of my property till lunch. Your stuff remains here till you pay what you owe me. Should you still be around after I finished my meal and come to check the place, you will be in serious trouble." With a tip of his hoof he settled his bowler right on his head and turned away.
With one last look back he smiled again "Have a nice day Miss Scratch."

Author's Note:

New chapter out, next in preparation. Now its getting a tad darker.