Vinyl Scratch, Mentoring is AWESOME!

by SciWriter

Music and Family Theory

I woke up, the house was quiet. No kids, just me and Octy today. Lightning and Dusk were at Rainbow Dash’s house for a sleep over. I looked at my night stand. On it was another letter I had tried to write to Fluttershy thanking her for protecting Lightning… and again, I was dead certain she wouldn’t understand what the letter meant so yea, I probably wasn’t going to send that one either.

I got up, smiling at all the pictures of my student and me in my room. Yes I had pictures without her, I wasn’t that much of a… mom… I guess? I kept struggling with that question. Was she my family?

I popped in some music, Riptide… eh why not? I listened for a bit and was overwhelmed by the wimpy complaining tone and- screw it- Celldweller, Switchback! Way more positive! I flipped on my sunglasses, continuing to ruin my vision and danced into the kitchen, being told how the world should be out to kill some guy.

After a small breakfast I got out my mix track. I saw some music sheets Lightning tried to make that were utterly unreadable. Oh yes, I had been honest with her about them, however they were hilarious, as I tried to actually play the implied song and it was terrible… but I had a mission. I would remix that song into something awesome, it was a challenge, and I did NOT back down from challenges.

Lightning said she couldn’t wait to see what I came up with. That’s what I liked about that kid, a lot of ponies probably would have taken offense from what I was doing, but her attention span was too short to take offense.

I set up the track and closed my eyes. I envisioned an action scene in head. There a brave stallion stood, the forces of evil all around poised to overwhelm him. This is when I set up a slow rise in my music, it started quiet, a mostly base tune with a slow rumble.

In the scene I joined the stallion, as I did, I added a high pitched tune, kinda like that of a violin.

The forces of evil charged in, a deep but loud tune starting, the base thumping. They closed, the base thumping louder and louder. I charged up a spell, the high pitched tune starting to hum.

I fired off my spell, evil stallions and mares flying every which way, the high pitched tune growing louder and louder the deep tune becoming quieter and quieter.

The stallion charged into the forces of evil, a fast paced kind of thumping guitar started, the thumping being a deep rapid strum. Each hoof he shoved into a face, each horn he broke, wing he destroyed and hench pony he threw to the ground, the guitar thumped again. There were a lot of ponies so this made for a fast paced and long guitar solo. I was enhancing his power with my spells in the background, adding in the high pitched hum in the background as the guitar thumps sped and slowed.

Of course, puritans would point out I wasn’t using real guitars or violins, simple reproductions. I’ve been told repeatedly that my talent is simply in taking what others had created and twisting it to sound like I created something, when all that I did was just make a musical collage. As my music wrapped up, I thought on this fact. The piece ended.

Was there some truth to that? Was Octavia’s music more genuine than mine? True one could say Octy was also borrowing from others, after all, she didn’t make her cello, nor do I suspect she would have any idea how to. It’s true, I can’t play a violin or guitar, thus I can’t construct the parts that go into making my music, but a violinist can’t construct a violin, so can’t the same be said of them?

Even still, I didn’t always credit the music clips I used, should I have been more concerned about this? Most of what I used were prerecorded sounds on the mix track and emulated sound. However some of what I used was record from other songs, or made to replicate it. Was I stealing? Don’t other music creators also set out to replicate other songs? Was it more important that I give credit if it was a direct recording? I gave some credit… how much was needed?

Oh? What’s that? You’re waiting for when I shook my head and got back to rocking it out? Any kind of art, if you’re any good, requires LOTS of thought and an ability to engage in introspection. I enjoy musical philosophy actually. It’s one of the things Octy and I discuss at length.

I did eventually decide to check my tapes to ensure they were recording. What I had just created was probably interesting, but it would have to be edited at least if not completely remade, large chunks being thrown out and some not even replaced. In fact I looked at the time… ten minutes… yea I would probably need to cut that down a bit.

The next few hours were spent correcting a piece that only took ten minutes to create. Then I spent another fifteen minutes lamenting how much that piece would probably have to change for my publishers to want it… I had several times considered that in the wake of all that happened, it was high time I left behind official publishers and just allowed myself to gain fans naturally… but then I remembered I had to feed myself and until publishers did start paying me well again, I was still living practically off charity here.

Shopping would now need to be done. I marched out the door and ran straight into Octavia. “Oh hello,” she said politely. “So, where’s my niece and nephew at?” I lowered my eyebrows at her. “You are so becoming a mother.” I lowered them again. “Are too!” I huffed, “Are too infinity!” I raised a hoof, huffing again. “Oh please we haven’t used infinity plus one since we were children!” We both laughed and I pointed down the street to Rainbow Dash’s house. “Hm… who do you think they’re favorite crusader is?” I put up my front hooves and put them on my sides flapping them up and down. “Scoot? You just instinctively knew that huh? Almost like they’re your kids or something.” She winked and walked in. I huffed in frustration. I don’t know why she loved that topic, she just did. I had to find something to rile her up about some time, but… ah shopping would give me time to think of something.

Returning home from shopping I had the perfect plan to get under Octavia’s skin. I was grinning in anticipation of using it all the way home. As I walked through the door Lightning Strike slammed into my neck and started crying into my fur.

I held her for a bit to calm her down. Then I used my magic to gently set her down. I looked into her big sad eyes and did the best “friendly writing” that I could ‘It’s okay kiddo, what’s wrong?’

“Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had a fight, Scootaloo says she’s leaving the crusaders!” I looked down at Dusk, who nodded and confirmed what she was saying. “I barely got them here to listen to some music- C’mon we gotta save the crusaders!”

I rolled my eyes, how many times a week was there a spat between the crusaders? Lightning always thought it was a crisis. But, sure, music brings ponies together and all. Octavia watched me as I went through the house and started getting out my speakers and several music CDs, ones I knew Bloom and Scootaloo loved. She blinked. “So on command you’re breaking out expensive equipment for that kid. Oh yea, you’d so do that for any neighborhood kid right?” I rolled my eyes and continued my work.

Lightning actually was partially my responsibility, so why I shouldn’t I have… why was I doing this?... I paused, looking at the equipment. I knew these kids would probably work things out in a few days so why did I even care that Lightning was upset? I looked over my shoulder at the filly, herself staring over the horizon, watching for her friends to come so we could help them in our own way.

I could do it. I could tell her this was ridiculous. Easily I could do it. I could tell her how I didn’t really care what neighborhood kids are friends and which ones aren’t, why should I? She looked back at me, tears in her eyes, biting her lip. Her head turned quickly to watch for her friends again. I sighed… I cared.

As much as the crusaders were just a bunch of often annoying kids to me, they were idols to Lightning. I set things up and in a few minutes, everything was ready.

In no time at all Scootaloo and Lightning were rocking out to Masquerade by Thousand Foot Crutch… oh screw it, that made me feel good! Say what you want about my strange relationship with the kids, they had good taste in music. I stomped my hooves and rocked my head, Octavia laughing at me. Finally I grabbed my sis and challenged her to a dance off.

She started stomping her front hooves in tandem, me stomping them in an alternating rhythm. I started rocking my shoulders as she started to stomp forward and back, creating a rhythm to match the music. Finally I grinned, shooting out a spell of lights around both of us.

The song wrapped up.

Octavia eventually left to go do some shopping of her own.-Totally not because I schooled her in said dance off.-

Rainbow Dash was there too, but she wasn’t really participating in events. I got the sense she liked the rock songs from Thousand Foot, Pantera and Sabaton, but when I eventually broke out some country songs for Apple Bloom, she just went inside to get some soda.

It was disappointing to not have any dancing partners for crazy country songs, that’s half the fun of country after all. Rock dance is more a solo or competitive thing, along with pop and Rap. Country and other more classical forms encouraged group and couple dancing. Course that didn’t stop Dusk from doing his usual tap dancing. Apple Bloom, as usual, did try to copy him, but as usual, his hoofs were moving way too fast for her to keep up. It was actually hilarious to watch him school her.

The whole time while I played this music, I did notice how Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were keeping their distance. I didn’t know what was going on between them, but yea, apparently it was serious.

Shania Twain came on and I watched Dusk become finally rather confused about how to adapt tap dancing to what he was hearing. Honestly, I had no advice to give, I never liked Shania, I only had her on hoof because she’d been popular for a while.

Finally Dusk sighed looking at Apple Bloom. “C’mon Dusk,” she said. “Ya cn’ think a somthin’ can’t ya?” He held his head to think… wait… that wasn’t a thinking pose…

Dusk fell sideways to the ground and ceased moving at all. My eyes went wide. Apple Bloom and Lightning froze as the music continued to play. Any Stallion of Mine kept going… Dusk’s breathing was slowing.

Lightning shot over to him and started to scream “DUSK! DUSK!” She shook him hard, but he wasn’t moving. Electricity started to surround her and I quickly grabbed her with my magic, yanking her back. She started screaming his name louder and louder.

And yea, listening to her scream, watching Apple Bloom run and hide, watching Scootaloo cover her head in fear and watching that colt completely cease everything…I… what was… was I watching my son die?

Author's Note:

Trying the multi perspective thing again, this time on a shorter story. Fans of "You're wanted" might quickly figure out what's about to happen.