Chapter 52: The Quiet Storm
Vinyl didn’t want to be awake, nor did she want to go to sleep. She just didn’t want to be anything. Being anything meant she could think. Vinyl didn’t want to think. Thinking was consuming her from the inside, those thoughts swirling around one looping record. She’d tried to destroy it, but it hadn’t helped. It was everything and nothing, containing all the answers she’d been looking for while rendering them useless, and she hated it. She absolutely hated it.
All of her work had been built on a misconception. Nothing was wrong with Summers, but everything was wrong with Sunny. Vinyl wanted to buy her own copy of that useless Queen of Disco biography so she could burn it in magefire.
In hindsight, it was so obvious. Vinyl couldn’t find the mare’s full name on any album cover crediting her for a song. No record in the collection even mentioned Sunny’s existence. Nopony ever called Sunny by her full name on the records. For heaven’s sake, Sunny was the one who controlled the recordings themselves! The mare was a ghost. She could’ve been a changeling for all anypony knew. It’d make sense for how cruel she’d been in those final moments.
On the other end was Sauna Summers. Her success hadn’t corrupted her at all. She hadn’t even wanted it. The queen’s all-consuming shadow was just a work of fiction, a creation of pompous historians with incomplete records focusing on exactly the wrong things. Had she been able to tell her story, it would’ve shown her actively fighting against everything she’d accomplished. The snooty Canterlot recordkeepers would probably be offended by how little she cared about what they did. If she hadn’t died, maybe she would’ve been known as the Steamy Summer Wind of the Four Seasons rather than the dominating Queen of Disco. She wanted to be surrounded by everypony she ever cared about. Nothing else mattered to her. The wealth, the fame, the status; utterly meaningless.
So, where did that leave Vinyl? What was she supposed to do with it all? She’d started looking for Sunny to prove the record wrong, that the queen’s success hadn’t changed her. If that was true, then maybe by extension, any success DJ Pon-3 attained wouldn’t destroy her too. It’d mean Vinyl could be Vinyl. She could do what she wanted without fear of becoming a monster. However, in her pursuit of not becoming a twisted version of herself, she’d lost who she was. What it meant to be Vinyl Scratch was dissolving with each passing day. What did she even want anymore?
Vinyl waited to hear that intrusive voice, but no answer came. Her desires were silent. Everything was static as the record kept spinning and spinning.
“Vy!”
The DJ snapped to reality as the buzzing in her ears faded away into a din of polite conversation, clinking glasses, and softly played music. Taking stock of her surroundings, she was at the Crystal Summit in the Royal Ballroom next to the stage, waiting her turn to go on. Standing next to her with a grim frown was her sister, tapping her hoof impatiently.
“What?” Vinyl asked.
“Six,” Fleur counted. “That’s six times you’ve blanked on me.”
Vinyl pushed her shades closer to her eyes, hoping that they’d be enough to shield her from the prying eyes of those around them, but Fleur wasn’t having any of it.
“I never should’ve let you talk me into coming tonight,” Fleur complained with a dramatic sigh.
“I didn’t talk you into anything. The deal was that if my horn was fine, I’d perform.” Vinyl shot a few sparks with ease. “The horn’s fine, so I’m gonna perform.”
“Yeah, and the head it’s attached to is anything but!”
“Nothing new about that.” The DJ flashed a smirk. She hoped it looked convincing for once.
Fleur glared flatly at the gesture. “Seriously?” She sighed and softened with sympathy. “Look, sis. It’s okay for you not to be here tonight. I’m sure everyone that matters would understand.”
Vinyl’s face hardened seeing her bluff fail. “All I did was listen to a record. I’ve heard plenty of stories that have… stuff like that in it. That’s a pretty lame excuse to skip out on a gig.”
“Yeah, in Ogres and Oubliettes! With me pretending to be my dragon plushies! What you told me was just…” Fleur bit her lip as she pulled on her own shoulder. “I’m not okay, and I didn’t even hear it. But still, to think Fancy could—”
“That wasn’t Fancy Pants,” Vinyl stated earnestly, trying to keep her voice in check. “At least, not the Fancy that I know. Fancy Pants is kind, generous, and endlessly supportive. He gave me a place to stay, a chance to make a comeback, not because I’d make a ton of bits, but because it was the right thing to do. He’s always there in my lowest moments. He helps me up when I fall because he cares about me.” A more honest smile crossed her lips as she tilted her shades down to meet her sister’s eyes. “He stayed with me until I fell asleep last night and made sure you were there for me when I woke up.” Vinyl’s heart surged with desire and conviction. “I want to be here for him. I want him to know that no matter who he was, he’s different. The past doesn’t matter. I…”
You? Desire tried to say.
“You?” Fleur somehow echoed.
“I don’t want to disappoint Princess Luna either.” She cleared her throat as she felt her face flush a little. “Fancy said she stood up for me against the snobs here. I don’t want to give them the satisfaction of bailing now.”
Fleur chuckled to herself. “Fine. That’s a good enough reason, even if it’s not the main one.” The cheeky pony winked knowingly. “Just promise me you won’t do anything stupid if it gets to be too much.”
“That’s your job, remember?” Vinyl joked with a bump to her sister’s shoulder.
“Exactly! Don’t do something that I would do. Or at least think about it first if you’d do it without me.”
Vinyl laughed and shook her head. “Nah. I’ve done too much on my own already. I… I don’t want to be alone ever again.”
Fleur pulled her into a crushing hug. “And you never will as long as I have anything to say about it.”
Without hesitating, Vinyl hugged her precious sister back. It didn’t matter who was watching, she needed it.
“Alright,” Fleur said as she released Vinyl from her vice grip. “I’m going to be hanging out around the buffet just in case Maman needs something. I’m not working tonight, but I don’t think anyone else over there speaks Prench. She can get a little heated when she’s got a bunch of cooks she can’t talk to. Pretty sure she’s already made that minotaur friend of yours jump out of her apron more than once already.”
Vinyl chuckled to herself as she enjoyed the squeezing embrace. “Yeah. Athena could probably bench press Pâte de Lune, but she doesn’t stand a chance against one headstrong Prenchmare.”
“Haha… yeah.” Fleur nuzzled Vinyl’s sideswept mane before releasing the smaller unicorn. She looked over towards the corner of the room brimming with foodstuffs from across Equestria. The towering minotaur was doing her best to balance several tables’ worth of food on her massive arms. “You’re not serious about the lifting buildings thing, right?”
They watched as Athena slowly made her way over to her table, tiptoeing through the crowds while nibbling nervously on her lip. She had the same castle chef uniforms as the other cooks helping tonight: a double-breasted, short-sleeved jacket and matching apron. However, instead of her normal dresses, she was wearing a pair of gray pants. Vinyl became very familiar with Athena’s beach ball arms after being carried like a cat, but she’d never seen her beastly legs so plainly. They bent from the front like a dragon’s and were thicker than Vinyl’s barrel was around.
“Honestly, I’ve got no clue,” Vinyl admitted as the minotaur set her plates down with a sigh of relief. Athena then plucked an empty serving cart with one hand and headed back towards the kitchen doors. “Let’s just be glad she’s a cook and not a fighter. With muscles like those, walls are probably just a suggestion.”
Fleur nodded absently. “Right. Better go help her survive Maman. Be sure to pop by after your set.”
“It’s not just my set. I’m DJing the rest of the night after my performance.”
“Not going to autoplay?”
“Can’t. Elegy’s Elegant Entertainment uses too much magic to maintain the whole night. I wouldn’t be able to perform.”
“Then show me how and I’ll keep it going. I got plenty since I didn’t conk myself on the head with a box like an idiot.” Fleur lightly bonked the side of her own head.
“I got this. Just go save Athena already,” Vinyl joked as she nudged her sister away.
“Okay. But, sis? I’ll be right over there if you need me, got it? Now, if you’ll excuse me. It’s time to blend in.”
Fleur cleared her throat and tossed her mane as she straightened up with an air of model superiority. Her hooves gently clopped along the marble floor as she effortlessly strode through the crowd. Vinyl couldn’t help but wonder how many ponies were still falling for the Lady Faire act given how many times she’d publicly broken character. Sure, the crystal ponies would be fresh marks, but it was unlikely that the nobles had forgotten how she’d shouted down everypony during the Showcases. Though, it was equally possible she was giving them too much credit. The upper class fools were eating it up as the beauty brushed past them.
Vinyl turned her attention back to the stage with Octavia’s quartet wrapping up their classical music session. While she wasn’t paying attention, the crew had gotten ready to move Vinyl’s Aquarius Starwhirler onto the stage behind them. There was just something wrong with following up a prim and proper ESPA act with her DJing. Sure, she was mostly going to be playing ESPA selections for members that couldn’t be here tonight, but she just couldn’t shake the weirdness away as she approached the platform.
“Good evening, Vinyl,” Octavia greeted with a light smile and swish of her tail. “It’s so good to see you again.” She was immediately on Vinyl, inspecting her eyes for any attempts at deception while double-checking the magically disguised stitches. “Everything okay? How’s your head? Are you sure you’re well enough to perform?”
“Geez, don’t worry, Tavi. Got enough magic for my part of the night. And for the rest of it, I still got four of these.” She held up a hoof and waved it around.
Her mentor searched Vinyl for a moment before brightening further. “Very well. If you say you’re fine, then the stage is yours.”
Octavia flipped her cello onto her back, signaling for the others to begin packing their instruments away and allow Vinyl’s sound system to take center stage. She motioned for Vinyl to follow her as they went around to the back of her system. The crew was already giving Vinyl’s system a final check before running off to help move the piano. A glossy, black box from the Society filled with fresh 7-inch records sat to the side next to Vinyl’s own collection.
“The disk order is front to back by order of submission,” Tavi explained while pointing out where to start. She picked up the first one labeled Crystal Summit 1A. “Each side contains one song from a different artist or group. Play both the A-side and B-side before switching to the next record. Finally, whenever you feel like throwing in your performance, go ahead. Any questions?”
“Nah. It’s pretty self-explanatory.” The unicorn looked around the party, looking for any sign of royalty. “Hey, I know you’re pretty blind when you play, but have you seen Princess Luna?”
Octavia eyed her mentee with a perturbed frown. “I don’t keep my eyes closed all of the time. Though, truth be told, I haven’t seen her.” She tapped her chin in thought. “Come to think of it, Princess Celestia and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza seem to be absent as well. Did Fancy Pants say anything to you about a change of plans?”
“I haven’t seen him since last night. I was kinda hoping you had,” Vinyl admitted with a nervous tap of her hooves. A creeping unease settled in Vinyl’s stomach as her mind started to wander along with her gaze. “It’s kinda weird, right? I thought this was supposed to be a cultural exchange thing with the big wings.”
“That’s enough speculation. Focus on the present.” Octavia placed a supportive hoof on Vinyl’s shoulder and guided her closer to her turntable. “I know things have been crazy these past few years at these big functions, but you can’t worry about what could happen. If you’re truly ready to perform, then take center stage. You’ve got an audience waiting for you, so the show must go on.”
DJ Pon-3 nodded as she pushed her shades back into place. “Right. I won’t let you down.”
“You wouldn’t be able to anyway.” Tavi smiled softly and was about to walk away, but she quickly looked around to make sure nopony was looking and sneaked a quick hug. “You’ve got the whole Society at your back, Vinyl.”
“Thanks, Tavi.”
“Anytime.” She placed the first disk on the turntable and joined the rest of her quartet.
With renewed vigor, Vinyl revved up the Starwhirler for the audience. She might be stuck playing songs in order, but she was going to do her best when the time came for her to shine.
Said vigor waned as the night dragged on and on. The box of singles was halfway gone, and there was still no sign of Princess Luna. If the stupid alicorn would just show her face already, Vinyl could get her performance out of the way. That’d mean she could go through the records without paying any more attention to the party. If she could stop paying attention, she’d stop noticing all the Canterlot nobles silently judging her every time they passed by the stage.
Fancy had warned her that the aristocrats were still bitter about the Festival of Flakes. Vinyl thought she’d mentally prepared herself to ignore them, but the stuffy glances and irate scoffs were getting to her. She’d even stayed out of the public eye for the most part. Just how long were they going to hold onto their stupid grudge? Though, come to think of it, Summers hadn’t fared much better with them back in her day.
Vinyl gripped her shoulder as she slumped behind her turntable, the same one she’d brought to the last upper class gig she’d worked. She wondered if anypony would notice it’d been repaired. The Vinyl Screech really hadn’t been that long ago in the grand scheme of things, but for her it’d felt like forever. Her life had completely changed since then. The loud, brash, self-assured DJ felt like a distant, foggy memory. That naïve performer would be chomping at the bit to drop the track she’d composed on these fools’ heads, but right now Vinyl didn’t want to stir the pot. She didn’t want to mess things up again.
There were times she felt like she could capture that Pon-3 feeling again when blasting beats in Cantrips, but they were fleeting. The moment she stepped out from behind the system, she was just Vinyl again. It was kind of nice in a way. So much of her DJ identity had been tied up in constantly working, tirelessly moving, and consistently proving. What exactly it was that she was supposed to be proving was a moving target of constant struggle, and she never stopped to ask herself why she’d bothered with the struggle in the first place. The virtue of an endless work ethic was supposedly self-evident. It’d be worth it because it’d make her worth it.
“Hey, are you alright?”
Vinyl shook her head back on straight to catch sight of flowing locks of pink, purple, and gold off the side of her stage. She whipped around to see Princess Mi Amore Cadenza looking straight at her. While Vinyl’s instincts were telling her that there was no reason the royal guest of honor would be talking to her, the mare’s undivided attention was undeniable. The alicorn’s concerned gaze was boring right through Vinyl’s sunglasses.
“Can I help you?” the DJ asked as the eyes of the crowd settled on her and the princess.
Cadenza smiled sadly. “Honestly? I wish you could. But that’s not why I’m here. Could we talk for a second?”
“Umm… I’m kinda in the middle of working here? If you’ve got a song request, I can play it if I’ve got it lying around here. Royal privilege and all.”
“The music is fine. I actually wanted to speak with you for a bit,” the princess glanced out of the corner of her eyes at the unwanted attention they were drawing. “Maybe somewhere more private?”
“I’m kinda waiting for Princess Luna since she requested I’d be here tonight,” Vinyl said as she looked towards any of the doors the princesses would come through.
The alicorn’s smile strained. “Something came up. Princess Luna won’t be making an appearance tonight, I’m afraid. Honestly, the only reason I’m here now is because I need to be. Can’t really have a party for the guest of honor when she doesn’t show at least once, right?”
Vinyl frowned. “Yeah, so why not enjoy yourself?”
“Because this is more important.”
The conviction the princess poured into her pleading eyes was more than Vinyl could ignore. With a sigh, she grabbed a disk of classical music from her normal collection and put it on the second turntable, queuing it up to start playing once the current record ended. “You’ve got twenty minutes.”
“Thank you.” Princess Cadenza’s ears flicked towards the crowd’s growing murmurs that Vinyl had already heard a thousand times before. Some were confused, others were happy and hoping she was getting removed permanently. Even the cooks were looking over in their direction with Athena shooting worried glances between the two ponies. “Follow me. I know just the place we can go.”
Vinyl hopped down from the stage, falling in behind the princess. Cadenza raised an eyebrow at the distance and beckoned the DJ closer with her wing. With a stifled nod, Vinyl drew nearer, standing side by side with the princess who offered a reassuring smile.
“Thank you. You can call me Cadance, by the way. I never got to thank you for playing at my wedding. You were incredible, DJ Pon-3!”
“Oh, yeah. Glad you liked it. My real name is Vinyl. It’s easier to say than my stage name,” she said as she kept her head low as she followed the princess through the crowd.
“Glad to finally meet you, Vinyl.” Cadance lowered her head towards the shorter mare’s ear. “You don’t need to worry about any of them,” she whispered. “You’re with a princess.”
“I’m not. I just don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“Really? But I’ve heard so many stories about you from ponies trying to convince me to ban you from coming here tonight. By their stories, I would’ve thought you were a loudmouth anarchist ready to take over the world.”
Vinyl chuckled mirthlessly. “Don’t believe the hype.”
“I didn’t, even for a second,” Cadance assured with a wink.
The guards opened the double doors leading outside, letting the soft chill of the early Mount Canterhorn spring blow over them. As they strode into the fresh air, the party died away to the peaceful evening. The full moon shone down, lighting the path around the sprawling castle gardens. Cadance led them further inside between the trees and past the budding flowers ready to bloom.
“This is much better, don’t you think? If you were a pegasus, I’d invite you on a flight, but I think we’ll just settle for a little walk in the park.”
Park seemed like an understatement for where the princess was taking her. There was an almost otherworldly peace within the greenery around them. It bore a deep and ancient splendor from centuries of careful tending. The walls of the castle fell away to trees and shrubs until any sense of Canterlot was gone. She looked up trying to see any of the princess’ spires, only to find the full moon looking back down at them, lighting the way between the foliage as they wound their way through.
“How are you doing?” Cadance asked.
“Fine, I guess,” Vinyl answered with a shrug. She propped her shades against her horn to help her see in the darkening garden. “A little weirded out. Kinda wondering why we’re out here in the first place.”
“Privacy mostly. But also to get you out of there, at least for a little while.”
As they continued further in, the cobblestones yielded to stepping stones, and then eventually soft grass. The ground dipped into a perfectly circular pond that sat in the middle of the area. Small streams fed into it that branched out into the rest of the garden, but the subtle flow didn’t break its pristinely glassy surface. Beyond it sat a breezie ring of mossy stones and mushrooms wrapped around an elevated mound large enough for two princesses to rest upon.
“This is the center of the castle gardens,” Cadance said as she trotted inside. “I’ve been told it’s the closest you can feel to nature in Canterlot.”
Vinyl followed her inside as she kept her eyes on the night sky’s perfect reflection on the water. “Fancy’s backyard is pretty quiet too when there’s not an airship parked in it.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it. Either way, we shouldn’t be disturbed here.” The princess turned towards Vinyl and smiled softly. “If you’d like to stay here for a while, you’re welcome to. Otherwise, I’m ready to send you back to Fancy’s estate whenever you want.”
“Wait, what?” Vinyl took a wary step away from Cadance. “But what about the show?”
“You can finish that too if you want, but Princess Luna asked me to check on you as well as let you know that you’re under no obligation to play tonight or any of the summit if you’re not feeling up for it.”
“Does she want me to leave? Did I do something wrong?”
“Don’t worry. It’s nothing like that. She just wants to make sure you’re okay. I can’t tell you exactly why, but Luna was very worried about you.”
“But why would Princess Luna be worried about…” A stabbing dread shot through Vinyl’s veins, stopping her in her tracks. “The record.”
“Vinyl?”
“It’s about that record, isn’t it?” Her blood ran cold as her heart immediately shot into overdrive. “It has to be, right? The princess was there last night!”
Cadance held a hoof out. “Please, slow down Vinyl.”
“Why did she repair it? I tried so hard to destroy it! Did you listen to it?”
The princess winced. “Not exactly, but I did hear about it.”
“If you know about it then…” She gripped her heart as she felt her eyes start to burn. “Please tell me Fancy didn’t listen to it!”
“Woah! Calm down, Vinyl. Everything’s gonna be okay.”
“He shouldn’t have to suffer though that again! He’s not the same pony anymore!” She covered her ears, trying to unhear the young stallion’s cruel words reverberating in her mind. “If only I had my magic! I could’ve shattered it! It’s all my fault! I wish I would’ve never listened to that stupid record!”
“He’s fine! I promise, Fancy Pants is fine!” The princess scrambled for anything that could calm Vinyl down. She plopped down and raised a hoof to her chest. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”
Vinyl’s panic was replaced with confusion seeing the princess go through the foalish motions without a shred of shame. “A Pinkie promise?”
“Oh, good, you know them! I was hoping you would since she’s the one who got you in the first place. Can’t break one of those, right?” the princess assured with a solid hoof bump to Vinyl’s shoulder and threw on a smile. “If you think seeing royalty do that is weird, you should see my friendship chant with my sister-in-law.”
“Is it completely stupid with motions and cringe-inducing words?”
“Is there any other way to do them?”
A small smile pulled at Vinyl’s face. “No.”
“Exactly!” the pink princess proudly proclaimed. “So I promise that Fancy is okay, or at least as good as one can be after listening to something like that,” she amended. “He’s probably doing the best out of all of us right now.” The princess smiled earnestly as she looked around Vinyl. “You know, I bet Fancy would be touched that you were so worried about him.”
Vinyl tried to fight back the blush building on her face, but the spark pounded in her heart. “Thanks, I guess.”
“Wow. That.” Princess Cadance softened with gentle warmth. She placed a hoof over her chest as her eyes shimmered with wonder. “That is so beautiful.”
The DJ raised an eyebrow and followed the princess’ gaze behind her, but she saw nothing in particular. She’d heard there were supposed to be some rare animals out here from Fancy. Maybe she just missed it.
“No, Vinyl. You. You’re positively glowing. You really love him, don’t you?”
Vinyl’s heart lurched into her throat. “W-what?”
The princess covered her mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry. It’s just plain to see.”
The unicorn slumped down, her teeth clenching from the exposure. “I know. Everypony seems to figure it out no matter how hard I try.”
“But why would you want to hide it? It’s so pure.”
“What in the world are you talking about?” Vinyl asked warily.
“Here. Let me show you.”
The alicorn’s horn glowed brightly as aetherial ribbons of magic flowed out, bouncing up and around to form little hearts as they encircled the DJ. They dissipated into a fog of light all around Vinyl. It pulsed regularly with shimmers of color, growing larger and larger around them until both herself and Cadance were completely enshrouded by it. She couldn’t even see the pond anymore.
“Do you mind joining me over here?” Cadance asked as she shifted over, opening a spot for Vinyl.
Vinyl nodded and began walking, only to notice the mist following her every step. As she drew closer to the princess, the ground became softer, like a natural pillow of grass and dirt. As she laid down, she looked up to see the fog had risen high enough to flow around the branches of the trees.
Vinyl reached a hoof out to touch the mist around her. She’d never seen anything like it before, yet it felt strangely familiar. “What is all of this?”
“This beautiful cloud is how you feel about Fancy Pants. Usually I’d expect it to be wrapped in fiery passion. And while there is a little there,” she said as she plucked at a strand of red thread, “it’s negligible to your emotional connection. Not to say either is wrong, but this is almost pure compassion. And the fact that you're a notoriously raucous DJ just makes it all the more adorable! Are you demi?”
The random Prench caused Vinyl’s ear to flick as she turned her attention back to the princess next to her. “What does bread have to do with anything?”
“Bread?” the princess pondered for a moment before she burst out laughing. “No, no. Not a demi-baguette, silly! It’s a rarer form of attraction that looks beyond the physical, and focuses directly towards the heart of another. It takes time to foster and grow, but once it blooms, it’s truly a sight to behold. You have so much love to share, but you’ve just never known the right one for long enough to trust that someone else at a deep level.”
Vinyl chewed on her lips as she watched the cloud pulse with feelings. She held her hoof over her heart, noticing it was beating with the pulses. “Look, can we stop talking about this please? And maybe make this cloud go away?”
“Don’t worry, only you can and I can see this. You’d have to be a changeling to—” The princess’ eyes widened briefly but she shook it away. “Well, I can promise you that we’re the only ones that can see your love right now.”
“Great. Make it go away,” Vinyl said flatly.
“I’m sorry, Vinyl. I know I can get a little love-crazy,” Cadance giggled. “You can’t see it anymore, but I can’t make it go away. You’ve got it real bad.”
“I know. So let’s stop talking and make it go away already!”
The harsh defensiveness in Vinyl’s order got the princess attention as her ears fell. Cadance stopped her spellwork like Vinyl had asked, clearing the fog away. She then turned to the DJ, looking into her eyes and down at her heart.
“S-sorry, your highness, I didn’t mean—”
“No. It was my fault. I got a little carried away.” Cadance lowered her head. “Guess I’m out of princess practice with focusing on my newer imperial duties. I recently ruined the one chance I had to help somepony I should’ve a long, long time ago.”
“Oh.” Vinyl pawed a hoof at the dirt trying to think of something to say. “That sucks.”
Cadance smirked at the bluntness. “Yeah, it does. I’m the Princess of Love. I want to guide hearts into a better and lovelier tomorrow. There’s a lot of times I can’t do that, especially now that I’m both a princess and an empress. And, it’s hard for me to ignore ponies in need.” Her eyes fell down towards Vinyl’s chest.
“Could you stop looking at me like that?” the smaller mare complained as she looked away from the pink eyes bearing down on her. “This is getting weirder, and it was weird enough already.”
The princess nodded and turned her gaze back up to the pond. Vinyl followed suit and looked out as well, letting the awkward silence hang over them. She set her head down as she waited, unsure how long she’d been with the princess. She wondered if the music was still playing. Hopefully somepony had taken her place. The last thing Vinyl wanted was to cause another problem at one of Fancy’s events. Maybe they’d already replaced her with another act, or maybe somepony from the ESPA had taken over the records. Tavi behind the turntable would be a sight to see.
More than anything though, she didn’t feel like going back. Not if she didn’t need to play anymore tonight. Not if Luna wasn’t going to be there. Not if Fancy was too busy with whatever was going on. It wasn’t like her attempt at goodwill was going anywhere with the nobles anyway. Their sneers were still as vicious despite being on her best behavior. It wouldn’t help her, just like it hadn’t helped Summers. To top it all off, it didn’t seem like the guest of honor was going anywhere anytime soon. She was doing as Vinyl had asked and keeping her eyes closed. All the while, she hummed a soothing song to herself.
“So, are you just gonna sit there?” Vinyl grumbled.
“I can leave if it’d make you feel better.”
“What are you asking me for? Don’t you have a super important party to get back to?”
“I have all week to parade around like a princess,” Cadance said with a weary smile. “Between you and me, Princess Celestia just wanted to see me again and for me to enjoy myself a little. This entire week is actually pointless. I could sign off on the treaty right now and head back home.”
“What? But Fancy and Luna worked so hard on it!”
“I know, and I really appreciate it, which is why I’m still here after…” The princess’ brow furrowed as she took a bracing sigh. “It doesn’t matter. Outside of Yakyakistan, the entire Frozen North is being given back to the Crystal Empire with an open border to come and go as we please. If I asked for any more, we’d literally be annexing parts of Equestria. Nothing I do in there will make much of a difference. But out here, I can at least help you.”
“Help me?” Vinyl pulled back. “Help me with what?”
Cadance turned to look Vinyl in the eyes. “Do you mind if I answer that with a question?”
A gnawing anxiety clawed at Vinyl’s heart under the gentle gaze of the princess. It was worse than when she’d first met Princess Luna at Pâte de lune. If Vinyl’s was an open book, then Cadance was reading every page at once. For how unnerving it was to be under the microscope, there was a strange comfort there too that held a nugget of curiosity.
“Fine. Just, get it over with,” Vinyl huffed.
Cadance closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. As she did, she brought a hoof to her chest. She exhaled, pushing the air out along with her hoof fanning back to her side. “Who do you love?”
Vinyl winced. “What? The stupid cloud wasn’t enough for you?”
“It’s not that. Maybe you could tell me who else you love?”
“It’s none of your business,” Vinyl growled and put her head down on her forelegs.
The princess followed suit and put her head down as well. “It doesn’t have to be romantic love. Any love will do. Friends, family, anyone.”
Vinyl’s ears pinned against her head. “Yeah. I got plenty of ponies that I care about.”
“Do you mind telling me who they are?” the princess prodded.
“Well, there’s my sister, Maman, Tavi, Steeplechase, my professor, Fluffs, Dapper Dandy, Athena,” the mare averted her eyes, feeling the heat rising in her head. “Fancy Pants. That’s plenty right?”
“So you love them all?”
The smaller mare grit her teeth at the pestering. “Yeah, I do. Would you knock it off already?”
“Tell me,” the princess ordered gently.
“Tell you what?”
“Any one of them. Tell me that you love them.”
“I already told you that I do! What are you not getting?” Vinyl shouted as she sat back up.
“But you didn’t say you love them?” Cadance pressed as she followed her up.
Vinyl shot up to her hooves. “So?”
The princess stood up as well. “Do you love them?”
Vinyl’s eye twitched from the mounting stress as she stomped away from the meddling princess. “I do. I swear I do! I—I care about them! They mean everything to me!”
“Please, Vinyl. Just say what’s in your heart. It’s okay.”
“Why should I have to tell you?” she fired back with indignation. “You know what’s in there!”
“Because you haven’t said it,” Cadance urged with a growing concern. “What is stopping you? I’ll stop asking if you just tell me that you love someone. Anyone.”
“Who cares? I said it a thousand other ways! You know what I mean!”
“I do, but words can be powerful. Terribly powerful. Sticks and stones wished they could do as much lasting damage as three little words can when they’re misused.” The princess stepped down from the mound and approached the unicorn carefully. “You’ve reacted so viscerally every time I’ve said the word lo—”
“Don’t!” Vinyl fell backwards on her flank and pressed her hooves to her ears, trying to shield herself from the prying princess. “Stop saying that stupid word already! Please!”
“Okay. I won’t say it anymore. I promise.”
“Good! Because it’s stupid! Ponies throw that stupid word around all the time! What does it even mean anyway? It’s stupid!” She hit her head with her hooves, trying to jostle the intrusive thoughts away. “Stupid!”
“I don’t think it’s stupid. It’s one of the most important things in this world.” Cadance dipped her head down and looked into Vinyl’s downcast face, trying to meet her eyes. “I don’t think the way you feel is stupid either, especially if you’ve been hurt before.”
Vinyl ground her teeth as she pressed her hooves harder into the side of her head. The princess wasn’t even saying the word anymore, but her mere presence was driving her insane. She was thinking about her again, and the throbbing wouldn’t stop. She could almost hear her stitches crawling along her scalp. If she could rip them open and tear out her memories, she’d happily do so. She wanted them out. She wanted everything out!
“Have you ever been hurt by it, Vinyl?” Cadance asked.
Vinyl bit down on her lips to keep her mouth shut. If she didn’t, she’d scream. It wasn’t any of her business if she’d been hurt or not.
“Vinyl, I promise that I’m here to help you. You’re safe.”
“Shut up!” Vinyl begged as she dug her hooves deeper into her skull. “Just… just shut up. W-why are you even here? Why do you even care?”
“Because.”
Vinyl sneered as she fired an icy glare at the princess. Or, at least she meant to. As soon as their eyes met, she could see those pink, caring pools gazing upon her with sympathy and support. Cadance's eyes fell upon her hoof as she raised it between them and offered it wordlessly. She was still there, just because.
“I see you, Vinyl. You’re not alone. I’m so sorry you’re hurting,” Cadance said gently, her soft voice somehow cutting through the ringing in Vinyl’s ears. “I want to comfort you. I can stay here and watch over you. I can hold your hoof. I can hug you close. What do you need?”
Cadance was giving her options. She had a choice. Vinyl watched as her hoof reached out almost on its own. The princess gently met it midway between them and took the offer in her soft and firm grip. She didn’t pull Vinyl any closer, nor apply any unwanted pressure. The princess was here, and Vinyl was safe.
“Good. I know you’re scared, but I’m here for you,” Cadance assured again and nodded. “I’m right here.”
“I don’t want to be scared,” Vinyl muttered, or maybe it was Desire. She wasn’t sure which. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
“I know you don’t. I don’t want you to be scared of it either. Do you know why you’re scared?”
Vinyl bit her lip. “Because… I-I’m always wrong. I always mess up.”
“Who told you that?”
The oppressive static barreled down on her again, forcing her head down. There were so many things that told her that, so many that showed her that. She was too scared to pick a single one of them out. It was all there in the cacophonous catastrophe that was her life, swirling around and scattering in a deafening cyclone.
“I’ve got you.” Cadance squeezed tighter and pulled her back out. “I’ve got you, okay? I’m still here. Whoever said that was lying. You’re not always wrong. It’s not true.”
“How do you know? You don’t know me! You don’t know!!”
“You’re right. I don’t know you very well, but I saw your heart.” Cadance’s smile cut through the night with glowing warmth. “It was so wonderful, and so are you.”
“But I’ll just mess it up. I always mess it up. Every time I tried, it never…” Nameless, half-remembered ponies laying next to her in bed flashed through her mind. They were confused by her confusion, concerned with the sudden distance, or smug from another successful conquest. Vinyl covered her eyes, but she couldn’t hide from her memories. “It never worked. I tried, but I never felt anything. I’m not normal.”
“Please look at me, Vinyl,” Cadance requested sweetly as she squeezed Vinyl’s hoof. “You’re hurting, but you’re not broken. It’s not your fault if you were misunderstood. It’s not your fault that it’s hard for you to trust ponies. You don’t have to trust me, but do you trust Fancy Pants?”
“I just want whatever will make you happy,” Fancy said with his classy smile.
Vinyl nodded.
“Do you think he understands you? That he values you?”
“What’s not to understand? You’re DJ Pon-3: the amazing and talented artist that blew away any expectations that I could’ve ever had. You’re Vinyl Scratch: a gifted student and persevering pony that deserves so much more than she’s been given credit for. Don’t let them take a single thing away from you.”
She clenched her eyes shut and nodded again.
“Do you want to tell him how you feel?”
Vinyl’s heart froze at the question. She knew how she felt. She’d known since the showcases, and it’d only grown since then. It was so precious to her, so magical. It gave her strength. It made her feel warm, wanted, secure.
“For all of my wealth, power, and prestige, there’s only one pony standing in this room that’s worth anything.” Fancy lifted Vinyl’s head by the chin and beamed with a bittersweet pride. “And she is priceless.”
But, Vinyl was just a DJ. A hated one. A problematic pony for somepony like him. Even if he said that, even if he meant it, she’d just be a burden.
“You’re the Queen of Disco, married to the King of Swing, so close to the princess that you call her Celly!” Sunny shouted. “Me? I’m just a flightless nopony.”
“I’d throw my useless crown in the trash to be with you,” Summers swore softly. “I’d go back to my life as a singing spa pony in a heartbeat if it meant we could be together. I love you, Sunny. I always have. And I always will. I could never forget you even if I wanted to.”
A gentle squeeze of Vinyl’s hoof brought her out of her rumination. Princess Cadance had kept quiet, only doing enough to ensure Vinyl that she was still there. Vinyl didn’t know how long she’d been lost in thought, but she could feel the stinging in her eyes.
“I don’t want to end up like Summers and Sunny. I-I can’t stand being alone anymore.” Vinyl’s breathing hitched, but she pushed through as her vision flooded. “Is it okay?”
The princess smiled with a timeless tenderness. “You don’t need anypony’s permission but your own, Vinyl. You can be happy.”
Vinyl’s sparking heart beat warmer and hotter. Her desires were on fire with passion as it struck against the ice, in spite of the static, and through all of the noise. With one guttural, scratchy screech, Vinyl shattered the permafrost between her and the open sky, leaping out with her heart’s desire into the light.
“I love Fancy Pants!”
Princess Cadance caught the drowned unicorn in her forelegs and wrapped her warm wings around her as Vinyl cried into her chest. “I know you do. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. You have so much love to share. You can pursue that love in every corner of our world, and live a life so abundantly filled with joy that the Crystal Heart will feel the effects of your love for ages to come. I’m so happy for you.”
And so Vinyl cried openly into the fur of a caring stranger, in the quietest place in Canterlot amid the flowers and trees. Even with the spring breeze brushing against her fur, Vinyl had never felt more warm in her life. She’d said it. She’d finally said it. She’d admitted it, and it was okay. Even though it was scary, even though it hurt, even if the moment was fleeting, it was so good to say. It wasn’t mommy’s word, it was hers.
Vinyl Scratch loved Fancy Pants, and there was no way she’d ever forget it.
If you find a simple mistake in the GSP (Grammar, Spelling, or Punctuation), please let me know through a private message rather than leaving it in the comment section. Thank you for reading!
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Huh. You know, she just might be.
Christ, you need so much therapy.
And the barrier breaks. Step 1 is taken.
I am looking forward to vinyls next interaction with fancy pants
She said it!!!
She is so precious!
And Cadance reacting to seeing innocent love
I would buy a physical copy of this.
11644161
True fax.
11644202
Me too!
11644699
Glad Cadance gets to shine here in this chapter. She's been having a rough go of it in this fic so far.
Again. Awesome work. I can't wait to see more. On another note. Do you have a patreon or a ko-fi I could sling some money at once my ship returns to port in a week or so?
-Update-
Just read your bio and answered my own question.
Oh, good. Vinyl is healing and things will be just perfect...
...at least until Vy tries to tell the reluctant Fancy Pants, then all hell will break loose.
Good times for all, soon!
When vinyl said don't believe the hype. Was that supposed to be a Public Enemy Easter egg?
11645106
I don't know. What's Public Enemy?
The only possible result of Cadence being off her leash. Good or bad?
Honestly, I don't know. It should be good. But the only way it can be good is for sense to prevail. For Vinyl to realize that she is not Sauna Summers and, more importantly, that Fancy Pants is not Sunny. Because there is no way to keep from her that Celestia is Sunny Skies, and when she learns that, she's going to learn everything that goes with it. This can only be good if Vinyl realizes, immediately, that Fancy helped because it was actually to her benefit and the right thing to do - which, luckily, she appears to - and not because it was in the service of some supposed "greater good." More importantly, however, Vinyl must realize that Fancy is smart but also very stupid at the same time and is liable to project Sunny Skies onto himself.
11645131
American hip hop group who released a song by that name in 1988:
I'm assuming that's what 11645106 Crank was referring to, at the very least.
11645231
Exactly!!
11645231 11645417
*Listens to song*
Retroactively, yes.
Love can break the World. Now to Break the barrier that is Fancy Pants heart.
Vinyl Scratch loved Fancy Pants, and there was no way she’d ever forget it.
finally .