Vinyl Scratch's Uninvited Guests

by Soufriere

Epilogue - A Trip To The City

Manehattan, the City of Lights, the Big Applesauce (or, for its detractors, the Big Horse-Apple). Located on a large, vaguely triangular island along Equestria’s eastern coast, it has been the most populous city in the kingdom for more than two centuries, easily eclipsing the staid and stodgy capital: Canterlot. Part of this is due to Manehattan being an extremely active port and trading centre, with all the industry and jobs and population that that entails. Another reason is that, in direct contrast to Canterlot’s overwhelmingly Unicorn population (who work very hard to keep it that way), Manehattan has always been open to all races – it even has a district on the north side that is home to a small population of Civilized Dragons, and another district nearby that, according to rumours, is a haven for Changelings.

All of this diversity means the city is the absolute heart of Equestrian culture. Nearly every single artistic movement (aside from Canterlot’s High Society or the Lowest-Common-Denominator films made by Los Pegasus’s Applewood) has had its genesis in Manehattan. This applies doubly to music; the city has multiple thriving scenes, covering just about any genre one can imagine. Including electronica and dance music.

Vinyl Scratch strutted triumphantly along Princessway, the main thoroughfare through the island running from the Financial/Government District in the southeast to the Great Bridge in the northwest and abutting one side of the Great Maneahata Park that takes up the centre of the island. She had just, the previous night, begun crashing on the couch of a friend of a friend named Coco who worked in the Garment/Fashion District, and wanted to get a walk in to give Coco space.

The reason for her glee was that she finally had her voice back. Plus, insurance finally reimbursed her for her lost home and equipment after more than two months of haranguing. Plus, her old friend and rival Octavia Melody, during her residency with the Manehattan Orchestra, landed Vinyl a gig doing DJ-ing at Eighty-Six-It, the most popular nightclub in the city. She would get to ply her trade with the best in the business, like Deadh0rse and The Galloping Gravestone. Maybe, if she could form lasting connections here, she could finally move out of Ponyville and to a real city.

As she daydreamed of her new better life in Manehattan, Vinyl tripped on something and tumbled forward head-over-tail for a few feet. She blushed slightly as she stood up and dusted herself off, hoping no important pony saw that. When she turned around to see what it was that threw her off, she found herself face to face with a slightly chubby burnt-orange filly with green eyes and freckles sporting a hot pink mane nearly as stylishly coiffed as her own… who sported a green khaki vest and no cutie mark. When she spoke, her voice seemed unusually deep and boyish for her size, and carried the thick accent of Manehattan’s Upper Docklands District.

“Hey, uh,” the filly said. “Wazzup? I’m not real good at this, but my cousin out in the country talked me into trying it. So, uh, you wanna buy some Filly Sco—”

Vinyl Scratch turned around abruptly and walked briskly toward the nearest train station.

Author's Note:

Okay, now it's over.

Comments

[silverthorn]

Nice ending.

[Soufriere]

6608400 Thanks

[Supersheep64]

That's the perfect way to end it.

[The Forgotten Comrade]

Poor Vinyl.

[Jonny Bench]

This was priceless. There was much comedy. Ten alicorn discards out of ten