Behind Red Eyes(original short story)

by AriaStormshine

First published

Vinyl Scratch gets a surprise when another musician knows her secret, while revealing his own.

Heads up! An updated and better version is in the works at the moment. View this as an experimental story or a precursor rather than a finished product.
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Vinyl Scratch has a secret she's never told anyone, not even her closest friends, so how does this random stranger know her secret? Who is he, and what is his secret?

Having Something in Common

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A drop of light blue, a drop of bright blue, these were the ingredients for a rocking do'. Vinyl Scratch put in her magenta contacts.

"Hair dyed? Check! Contacts? Check! Goggles? Check! This night is going to be amazing." Vinyl threw a watch into her saddlebags, bolted out of her front door, and headed to the club. "Of course, when is ever not amazing when I'm there?" Vinyl made a quick detour to grab herself some dinner to go and some extra drinks. She wasn't fond of taking breaks unless absolutely necessary, like bathroom breaks which, in hindsight, she might need to be making quite often, as she was filling her saddlebags with energy drinks.

"Maybe I should wear a diaper during the shows." Vinyl mused to herself. "Nah, that'd just be silly."

Vinyl started walking back to the club and checked her watch. There was still an hour before the show officially started, but nopony was on the stage for three hours before her, so sometimes she'd start a pre-show party. She walked into the backstage to set her bags down and finish her dinner. She double checked things, like her contacts, her hair, her playlist. Everything was in order.

Let the show begin.

She galloped onto the stage a half hour early, announcing herself with gratuitous enthusiasm. "Hey everypony, are you guys ready to get this party started?"

Vinyl Scratch was met with cheers from the crowd, all of whom were anticipating this moment. The music started slowly. Vinyl liked to tease the crowd this way, making them wait for the music to hit hard. The crowd becomes antsy with every moment.

The music seems to be getting slower, and slower, and slower, then suddenly.

BAM! The drop comes and the real party begins. This is the best part of the night for Vinyl. This is the part that sets the mood. This is the hardest part. This is where pure skill comes into play. It was where Vinyl put her special touch into the whole club.

This night was going to be flawless.

Everything went without a hitch, ponies partying non stop until the music died down. Every pony who attended was exhausted by this time, and was ready to go home.

Vinyl went to her backstage room, grabbed her saddlebags, took out her contacts, and made her way to the back door when she ran into a stallion at an intersection in the hallway.

The stallion was somewhat thin, and had a white coat with a long, flowing, royal blue mane. He immediately responded. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run into you, Miss... Scratch? Oh, you perform at this club, too? Wow, I never thought I'd actually meet you one day, I'm a big fan."

Vinyl looked at this stallion. He was a pegasus, His light red eyes filled with awe, just like a young colt or filly's eyes when meeting their idol. His voice sounded familiar to her, though.

He continued. "I loved the way you used my voice samples in your performance last week at the Canterlot concert!"

Vinyl realized who it was after that. "You're Harmon Everest?! I love your work! You're an amazing lyricist!"

Harmon blushed a little at that. "I'm not that good, really."

"Come on, don't be so modest, you're famous! I think you earned the right to be a little full of yourself, like me." Vinyl said, with a wink.

Harmon was blushing and remained silent.

"Awww, you don't have to be so flustered. Anyways, I perform here every night, so if you want to stop by whenever, it's fine with me. Well, I gotta go, see ya later, Harmon." Vinyl made her way to the door.

Harmon snapped out of his little daze. "Uh, y-yeah. It was nice to meet another albino musician."

Vinyl froze. He knew. How did he kno-wait, did he say another?

"How did you know?" Vinyl asked.

"Your eyes."

Of course! She had forgotten she took out her contacts in her dressing room! But how did he see her eyes?

Harmon nudged Vinyl's goggles towards her.

"I saw your eyes when these fell off. You do the same thing I do. You dye your mane to change your appearance for your audience."

Vinyl was awestruck. She thought she was the only albino pony in Ponyville. She stood there, speechless, in the hallway.

"Looks like it's your turn to be speechless, huh?"

Vinyl shook her head and snapped out of her daze. "Wow, I can't believe it. I thought I was the only albino in Ponyville."

Harmon chuckled. "To be fair, Miss Scratch-"

Vinyl interrupted "You can call me by my first name, you know. No need to be so formal."

Harmon's blush returned. "To be fair, Vinyl, I was born and raised in Trottingham."

There was silence in the room for what seemed like hours. Harmon decided to break the ice by singing something. Why he thought singing a song would be a good idea, I suppose we'll never know.

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme~"

Vinyl just stared. Her heart raced a little. She was standing in the presence of a famous singer, and he was singing!

Harmon continued. "Remember me for one who was there, for once she was a true love of mine.

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt. Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme."

Vinyl decided to join in at this point to make a duet.

"Without a seam, or needlework, for once she was a true love of mine."

They stopped singing at this point and Harmon spoke up.

"You know this song?"

"Of course! Your cover of this song was one of my inspirations to get into music!"

Harmon blushed again. He wasn't used to getting so much attention. Vinyl gave him a gentle punch to his side. "You know, you really need to work on that blush, it's really noticeable."

And thus was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.