> The Best Time of Our Lives > by ThisIsMyFateNow > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 - A New Student > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Welcome New Students” the brilliant banner proclaims, hanging just over the entrance to the old building. Smiling, the white mare with with a brushed electric blue mane pulled into a ponytail walks through the doors of the Canterlot Preparatory Academy, relieved that she is finally here. All of the hard work, petitions, even an audience with Princess Celestia. All of it to get here to this moment. With a smile on her face and a pep in her step, Vinyl Scratch walks through the doors… and right into another pony. Blinking rapidly, the white mare wonders briefly why everything is upside down. Glancing around, she notes that it was she, rather than the world, whom is upside down. Righting herself and grabbing the glasses that had fallen off, she turns to look at the other pony that had been involved in this minor collision. A light grey mare with a dark grey mane and tail stands there, glaring at her while adjusting the pink bowtie around her neck. “Excuse me! Watch where you’re going!” she says rather forcefully. Rather taken aback, the white mare levitates a notepad and pen out from her the spilled contents of her saddlebags and scratches out a brief apology before showing the other mare. “What, you can’t say ‘I’m sorry’,” the grey mare asks with a sneer “are you deaf or something?” Stepping back in recoil, Vinyl scratches out "Not deaf. Just mute." Advancing on her, the grey mare continues with her sneer “Then what are you even doing here? I’m sure there’s a school for “special” ponies like you. This is a school for gifted ponies. Ones that are actually talented at things.” With a flick of her tail, the grey mare suddenly turns and leaves a shocked Vinyl to try and recover from the verbal bombardment. Shaking her head after a few moments, the white unicorn collects her things and places her saddlebags back on her. Glancing around she notices a magic mint unicorn with a lyre cutie mark trotting over. “I see you’ve met the school’s prodigy. That’s Octavia Melody and I’m Lyra Heartstrings,” the unicorn says extending a hoof in greeting. ”I’m Vinyl Scratch.” the white unicorn scribbles, giving Lyra a friendly hoof bump in return. “I’m guessing that you can’t speak, can you?” ”How did you know?” “I overheard Octavia. In fact, most of the ponies at the entrance heard Octavia. And judging by the fact that you have yet to speak and you’re responding by writing your replies, leads me to believe that you are mute.” Nodding in agreement, Vinyl smiles a bit uncertainly. Offering her a reassuring smile, Lyra continues “I see that your cutie mark is a double eighth note. What instrument do you play?” ”Piano. I’ve spent a better part of my life playing up until recently, but I’ve started to play again. Only this time, I’m working on writing my own music.” “That’s awesome! Are you taking the musical composition course?” Feeling more relaxed now that Lyra seemed to not be on the side of Octavia, Vinyl nods enthusiastically. Once more she scratches out a note on her pad, holding it up for Lyra to see. “Registration? I know that you get your schedule and what not over in the Auditorium. If you’re looking for the Office, it’s just off the right of the entrance you just came through.” Pointing towards the Auditorium, she nods her head and starts to head to the open sets of doors. Feeling Lyra settle in beside her, they set off to complete registration and see what the first day would hold. ~~~ Sighing with relief at the sound of the bell, Vinyl packs up her bags and heads to her locker to grab the rest of her books. Who knew that there would be so much homework on their first day? With her saddlebags bulging, she heads on out and starts to work her way to the train station. It’s been a long day and she still had to work tonight. Thankfully, work is one thing she is getting better at all the time. Slipping a couple of bits into the machine, she selects her ticket for the next tram which should be arriving about… now. With an ear piercing whistle, the squealing brakes of the Royal Metro Blue Line brought the seven car tram to halt, the doors lining up perfectly with the turnstiles of the station. As a hiss of hydraulics announce the tram doors opening, a crush of ponies flood out from the tram and on to the waiting platform of the Canterlot Central Metro Hub. Threading her way through the crowd, Vinyl makes a mad dash, leaping into the tram as the doors start to close. The anal retentiveness of the ponies that run Royal Metro was a bit irritating at times, but she couldn’t complain as she was able to usually get anywhere within Canterlot no later than five seconds after the scheduled arrival times. Glancing around at the nearly empty car, she trots to an empty seat. She lifts her saddlebags off, setting them on the seat as she climbs up next to them. With a jolt, the tram starts to move, carrying her towards her home. As the minutes passed, Vinyl couldn't help but reflect on the day and how it was both fulfilling and strangely lacking. She had worked so hard to get here, especially over the past two years. Now that she was finally here though, is it what she really wanted? Sure, her mother had dreamed of getting her into Canterlot Prep with the goal of heading off the Conservatory next, but what if life had other things in store for her? Sighing, she gives up on the argument that she has had so many times with herself. The tram’s clock shows that she still has 32 minutes before she reaches her destination. Turning to the bulging saddlebags next to her, she grabs the first textbook and opens it to the page she had marked at the end of class and gets started on the day’s work. ~~~ Listening to the muffled chants of the crowd out front in one of the many mid to lower end dance clubs in Canterlot, Aurora Aetherica, DJ-PON3 glances over herself and checks her appearance in the mirror one more time. Hair spiky and unruly? Check. Signature shades on? Check. Cutie mark hidden? Oops. Concentrating slightly, the unicorn’s horn lights with the cerise glow of her magic as she casts a spell, hiding her cutie mark. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she flashes her famous grin to her reflection and trots out to the DJ Booth as the house announcer finishes hyping the crowd. Grabbing the mic, she shouts “Are you ponies ready to dance?” as she powers on her turntables and grabs the first record of the night. Placing the record on the soft velvet, she swings the needle around and sets it precisely at the start of a slow build up. As the bass starts to thrum and pulse with the sound of a kick drum, she looks out over her rapt audience and grins, waiting for what was to happen next. Everypony is waiting with baited breath in anticipation of the music. Suddenly, after a slow build of of bass and strings, the music goes silent for a couple of heartbeats. Nopony moves. Nopony dares to breath. As the sound on the record ceases, she moves the volume of table one up, slamming the club with a driving bass line and a cacophony of sounds, causing everypony to go mad. Just like that, DJ-PON3 has hooked the club and settles into her routine. Glancing back, she starts to formulate an order of records and moves from crate to crate to start getting her choices set. Headphones in place, she deftly transitions from one record to the next, bringing the crowd up with her to the breaking point before bringing them back down. Cycle after cycle, she masterfully works the tables and brought the crowd along for the ride. Grinning from ear to ear, she loses herself to the music, forgetting her worldly troubles for now. > Chapter 2 - Magic Missile > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- With a tired yawn, Vinyl collects her books from her Musical Theory class and heads to the cafeteria to see about getting some food. Traversing the halls, she bumps into Lyra who gives her a friendly and reassuring smile. “Hungry?” the green unicorn asks, as her stomach gives off a rather obvious growl. Grinning and nodding, Vinyl trotted alongside Lyra as the two thread their way through the mass of students all making their way to the cafeteria. Breathing in deeply, Vinyl can tell that the day’s special is toasted lilly and clover sandwiches. Levitating a sandwich onto her tray and grabbing a carton of apple juice, the two unicorns finish selecting their meals and head over to the rather bored earth pony behind the register to pay. Transaction complete, Lyra points out an empty table and make their way to it, grateful to be out of the way. Sitting down, the ponies set their bags on the table and dig into their sandwiches, not speaking until both mares were sitting back comfortably, appetite sated. Leaning forward, Lyra breaks the silence, “How are you finding the school?” “It’s great. I’m really glad I’m here.” she writes with a smile. “I for one, am glad you’re here.” Blushing at the compliment, Vinyl flips to a clean sheet, writing her response “I’m so glad that I met you. It’s been awhile since I’ve had a friend.” “Well, I am happy to be your friend! Is there anything you like to do besides play music?” Hesitantly, Vinyl nods and lightly scratches out something lightly on her notepad. Squinting her eyes, Lyra can’t seem to see what’s been written and looks to Vinyl with the lingering question in her eyes. With a sigh and a blush, Vinyl writes her answer more firmly and shows Lyra. “Dungeons And Dragons?” she asks tapping her hoof against her chin, “I think there’s a couple of ponies here that play. Want to go meet them?” Grinning sheepishly Vinyl nods and collects her things, placing her saddlebags back on and wrapping the tray and plate in a field of magic, levitating them over to the dish area. Turning back to Lyra, she motions to lead on. As the two saunter through the lunch room, they hear the distinct voices of the various groups contributing to the low roar that is lunch time conversation. Through it all, they hear Octavia holding court. Her voice cutting a swath through the multitude of voices, the High Canterlot accent distinct. Glancing in her direction, Vinyl notices that she’s surrounded by other well-to-do fillies and colts who are hanging on every word she says. “Someone has let their own self-importance go to their head,” she thought with a grimace, following Lyra to the other end of the cafeteria to a table laden with Fantasy Roleplaying Books and a DM screen. The rattle of dice barely discernable over the sound of the cafeteria. Feeling more comfortable than she had in some time, she turns to Lyra. “Thank you so much. I know that this type of thing probably isn’t up your alley, but I would still like to hang out with you later.” Vinyl wrote out, holding the notebook for Lyra to see. “That sounds good,” Lyra says with a smile before trotting off to join some of her other friends. Grinning, Vinyl turns to the table and holds her notebook up introducing herself to the other ponies gathered around the table. The five other ponies sitting around the table were all rendered speechless by the mare with the electric blue main pulled into a ponytail asking to join them and their game. Mouth agape, the DM nodded and motions to an empty seat at the round table. Setting her bags next to her, she removes a character sheet, sliding it to the DM for approval and waits as the game resumes. The other ponies make brief introductions, still stunned that a filly of all things, wants to join them. Shaking their heads to clear the stupor, the others turn back to the DM, waiting for the game to resume. Glancing down at his notes the DM launches back into weaving a tale, letting Vinyl become familiar with some of the plot before working her into the story. With a jarring ring, the bell echoes throughout the lunch room, calling the students to their classes. While Vinyl is finishing packing up, she hears a distinct voice cut through the shuffle of ponies heading back to class. “Looks like our special student is also a huge nerd. As if we couldn’t tell by the dorky glasses and sad ponytail.” Octavia cut in with a cruel sneer to the other ponies with her. Face flushing red with embarrassment, Vinyl shoves the rest of her things into saddlebags before dashing off to get away from Octavia. Tears flowing from her eyes, Vinyl races through the halls to get to her next class, trying to ignore the cutting words of Octavia. Passing by Lyra, she doesn’t even see the unicorn give her a worried look. Turning around she trotted after the crying unicorn, Lyra followed her into an empty class room, sitting next to Vinyl. Slipping a hoof over her withers, Lyra tries to comfort her. “Hey now. I know she’s not the nicest of ponies, but don’t let her get to you like this.” Sniffling, Vinyl nods, wiping the tears from her eyes. Looking to Lyra, she writes out “How do you ignore somepony that seems to have it out for you?” “I know it’s going to be hard, but don’t acknowledge her. She lives off ponies reacting to her. If you don’t respond, she should leave you alone.” Nodding, she finishes drying her eyes and collects her bags, letting Lyra lead her out and off to their next class. ~~~ Grinning, DJ-PON3 slips her records back into their sleeves and powers down her turntables. As the last few stragglers head to the door, she heads to the back of the house. Using her magic to open the door, she slips inside the room set aside for the House DJ. Removing her signature shades and letting the spell hiding her cutie mark fade, she grabs a bottle of water and sits down. As she sips her water, she notices an envelope addressed to her on the coffee table. Frowning slightly, she levitates it to her and opens it, pulling the enclosed paper out. To: DJ-PON3 Club Aurora Aetherica From: Fire Hooves Club Trot Subject: House DJ Dear DJ-PON3, After the raging success that you’ve brought to Club Aurora Aetherica, we’ve heard nothing but good things about you. I would personally like you to consider becoming the House DJ of Trot. Your talents are simply stagnating over at Aurora Aetherica. Please let me know what your answer is. Sincerely, Fire Hooves Feeling her eyebrows climb, she finishes reading the short letter. Never did she think that she would actually be asked to work at Trot. Scrunching up her face she considers what to do. Sighing, she stands up and envelopes the letter in her magic as she makes her way to the owner’s office. Knocking twice, she enters as Night Promenade looks up from behind his desk. “What can I do for you Vinyl?” the large stallion asks. Floating the letter over to him, she waits for him to read it. Sighing with resignation, the stallion smirks slightly as he looked back at her. “I know you’ve been looking forward to this and I can’t say I’m surprised. You’ve been packing the house for the past few months. You were bound to be noticed. Well, this is your decision Vinyl. I’m not going to stand in your way if you want to go.” Grinning, Vinyl trots over to Night and gives him a hug. With her smile growing wider she says “Thank you so much Night. You’ve been wonderful. I’ll swing by tomorrow to pack up my stuff. No matter where I go, you guys will always hold a special place in my heart." “You deserve this girl. After all you’ve been through, it’s nice to see that something’s finally going your way.” With that, Vinyl heads back to the DJ’s room and pens her response before heading home. > Chapter 3 - A Look Back > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A wracking cough forced the filly to sit upright as she brought her hooves up to try and cover her mouth. Gasping for breath as the cough subsides, she flopped back down, a shiver running through her frail body. Weakly, the white unicorn reached over to the nightstand to pick up the glass of water with her hooves, too tired to even use her magic. Bringing the water to her lips, she drank deeply, the water trying to sooth the burning sensation in the back of her throat. With a pained sigh, she set the now empty glass back on the table and weekly tried to call out “Mom.” Voice a rasping scratch barely audible to any ears other than her own. Summoning the last of her magic reserves, she tugs weakly at the cord next to the door, a bell resonating throughout the house. Quickly the sound of trotting hooves could be heard as two unicorns entered the room. A dainty mare with a brilliant yellow coat and a musical staff of a cutie mark rushes to the bedside as a stallion in a white labcoat with a red cross cutie mark looks on in concern. Vinyl’s mom, Charming Octave, noted the empty water glass. “Do you need more water sweetie?” she asked, concern painted on her face. Nodding, Vinyl opened her mouth to speak, but no sound emerged. Looking back at the doctor in fear, Charming levitates the glass and turns back to Vinyl, “Now, Doctor Cross is going to examine you to see if there’s any improvement while I get you a fresh glass of water.” With that, she trots off, concern still evident on her face as the Doctor approaches the sick filly, stethoscope already in place. A light blue aura of magic enveloped the medical device and gently brought one end to rest on the filly’s chest. As the doctor started to perform his checks on the frail filly, she was wracked by another bout of coughing, leaving her gasping for air. Hurriedly, the doctor finished with stethoscope and lowered his head, using his magic to run a full magical exam. As the magic coursed through her body, the doctor’s face grows increasingly worried. Noting the expression on Doctor Cross’s face, Vinyl can’t help but shudder as she sees his expression grow ever darker. All of her inner musings are brought to a halt as Charming returns with a fresh glass of water, handing it to the filly. Shaking slightly, Vinyl managed to drink some of the water, the rest splashing over her face and onto the bed. Sighing, the doctor motioned Charming to a corner of the room. “She’s not improved at all,” he said with a sigh. “Right now, all we can do is try and make her comfortable, but in my opinion, she’s not going to survive the night.” Eyes welling with tears, the mare looked pleadingly at the doctor “Is there anything I can do? Anything at all?” “We’ve tried everything ma’am. I don’t know what exactly is causing this, but her body just doesn’t have the energy to keep fighting anymore. I’ve seen her eat plates of food with no result. It’s like her body has given up.” “What if she was able to take in more energy? Do you think that would help?” “Madam, what you’re suggesting is suicide! I can not in good conscious allow you to do that!” After a brief pause the yellow mare sighed. “Thank you doctor. I guess for now, I will just make her as comfortable as I can,” she said before trotting back to the sick filly and giving her a loving and tender nuzzle. Doctor Cross gathers up his instruments before turning back to the other two in the room. “I shall be at my office if you me for anything else, madam,” he says before trotting out. Sinking back into the deep pillows on the bed, Vinyl fitfully went back to sleep. As terrible nightmares caused the sleeping Vinyl to toss and turn, they were rapidly abolished by a steadily growing light. One that shattered the various monsters it touched. Staggering back from the intensity of the light, Vinyl blinks, and is slowly awakened by the same light, illuminating her bedroom. Glancing at the source, she sees that the light is coming from the horn of a unicorn. She throws her hooves up to shield her eyes as the light grows brighter. As she tries to discern the source of the light, she felt a renewed strength flow through her as a strange magic coursed through her body. Feeling the magic start to burn her from within, she opens her mouth to scream but no sounds emerge. Rapidly, the pain overwhelmed her and second before she passes out she barely hears “I love you.” ~~~ Vinyl sits up suddenly, shuddering at the memory of her recurring dream. As tears stream down her face, she repositions herself, clutching a pillow to her body, trying to fall back to sleep. Sobs wracking her body, she lays there until the sun comes up, calling her to get ready for another day of school. > Chapter 4 - A New Beginning > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Glancing around, Vinyl notes how much the school had transformed for Homecoming Week. For a school that didn’t even have a hoofball team, everyone was really getting into the celebration. Mentally shrugging, she continues on toward her next stop, the music room dedicated to members of the band. Not to be confused with the Orchestral Room mind you. Walking through the door, she trots over to the school’s grand piano and slips her staff notebook out of her saddlebag, setting it and a pencil on the bench before taking her seat. Hooves poised over the keys, she starts at the beginning of the piece she’s working on. Starting softly, she closes her eyes, music already committed to memory, hooves gently building up a sweet and soft melody, crescendoing up to a brief bridge, letting the music flow through her. With the enchanting melody echoing from the back of the room, she lets it carry her away past the point of written music into the uncharted unknown. Even as she plunges forth, Vinyl is able to accurately recall all that she’s played, a discerning ear twitching slightly as she misses a key and hits the sharp. Grimacing, she continues to play, visualising what she’ll be writing shortly. As this variant comes to an end, she is shaken from her revery by the sound of hooves clapping together. Eyes flying open in surprise, she sees Lyra and a beige coated mare with a pink streaked blue mane and tail applauding her performance. Blushing at the unexpected praise, she waves the two over. “Vinyl this is my fillyfriend, Bon Bon. She’s here in the culinary program!” Lyra exclaims, motioning to the other mare. Grinning, Vinyl levitates her notebook and pens out “It’s very nice to meet you!” “And you as well,” Bon Bon says, extending a hoof which Vinyl bumps in return, “Lyra has told me so much about you.” Continuing to blush, she writes out “Any friend of Lyra is a friend of mine.” “Any plans for the big homecoming party?” Lyra asks, looking between Vinyl and Bon Bon. Shaking her head, the white unicorn scratches out “Just working.” “You know you never told me where you work, only that it’s after school and on weekends,” the mint musician muses out loud. Grinning, Vinyl holds the notebook up with only one word on it, “Trot.”. With a giggle she watches as the other two mare’s jaws hit the floor. “How did you manage that?!?!” they both exclaim. “I was asked to work there by Fire Hooves himself.” Since they are staring in disbelief, Vinyl sighs and motions the two closer as she scribbles another note out “Can you two keep a secret?” Nodding in a stunned fashion, the other two don’t think anything could top the fact that Vinyl managed to score a job at the hottest club in Caterlot. Drawing a nervous breath she jots out “I’m not actually mute either.” “WHAT?!?!” they both scream at her. Reeling back from the sudden force of the combined voice, she holds up a hoof to forestall any further outbursts. “Let me explain. First, I have a hard time talking in super stressful situations, so I choose not to. And let’s be honest, my first interactions at this school ratcheted my stress through the roof. So now, I find it easier to continue to write instead of talking. However, I can talk at work because that’s just fun for me and not remotely stressful.” Lyra and Bon Bon nod as they process this and a few things click. Lyra’s eyes shoot open as she realizes who the white mare is better known as. As she opens her mouth, Vinyl quickly puts a hoof over it, silencing her with a blank stare. Still slightly confused, Bon Bon looks between the two before turning back to Lyra. “What is she talking about?” “Imagine Vinyl without the ponytail and purple shades instead of her regular glasses…” Gasping in shock and recognition, Bon Bon stutters “You… you’re… are you really?” Grinning, Vinyl nods. “Now, you both know who I am. Can I trust you to keep all of this a secret?” Still stunned at the revelations, Bon Bon nods, but Lyra asks “Why tell us this?” Sitting back, Vinyl gives Lyra a warm smile and take a few moments to write “You were the first pony to welcome me and treat me like I belong here. Only with that support have I been able to be myself and not a what others want me to be. I have to do that for work. My stage persona is only a very small part of who I am. You are the first real friend I’ve had in a very long time.” Sheepishly, Lyra blushes as the compliment rolls over her. Leaning forward she gives Vinyl a warm hug and whispers “I’m glad you’re my friend.” before roping Bon Bon in to the impromptu group hug. Giggling, all three sit back. “Since I’m making my debut tonight and Trot is opening their doors to all High School students in Canterlot for this week only, how would you two like to attend as my guests? I can get you in with no cover and past the inevitable line,” Vinyl offers. ~~~ “Fillies and Gentlecolts, you’ve heard the news and now without further ado, making her first appearance as the House DJ, I give you DJ-PON3!” Trotting out to thunderous applause, the legendary DJ flashes her trademark grin, lights reflecting back off of her shades. “You ponies ready to bring the roof down?!?!” she shouts as her magic envelops the needle of one of the turntables. “In honor of this first night, we’re going to be kicking it old school.” With that, the needle drops onto the record. For a moment, no pony dares to breath before the sudden roll of the snare drum hits everypony with its intensity. As the beat picks up and the bass floods in, the house goes crazy. Drawing energy from the crowd, Vinyl grins as she levitates the next album on to the other turntable, listening as she adjusts the speed to match the tempo of the first album. With the beat matched, she slams the audio down on the first track as the second track takes hold and flings everypony into a frenzy. With the energy flowing in tune to the music, Vinyl rides the rush from song to song, lulling the club when needed and bringing them back up with a crazed intensity. As the energy ebbs and flows, she drives the music and keeps everypony on their hooves and dancing. Song after song blasts at them at a fevered intensity only to back off shortly after. With more than three hours past, she slows the music down, letting the ponies catch their breath as she motions to the the emcee. Nodding at her, he envelops the mic with his magic and brings it up to his muzzle. “Let’s give it up for the amazing DJ-PON3!!!! We’re going to take a short break while we switch up DJs. Those who have VIP access head on toward that big, burly earth pony and you all will be able to meet with her for a bit before she goes to sign autographs. Up next is our DJ in waiting, Bass Note!” Trotting back to the VIP room, she snags a bottle of cold water, drinking half of it in one go. Letting out a sigh of relief from her parched predicament, she heads over to a seat and waits for the few people who purchased the VIP package to come meet her. As the sound of approaching hooves grows louder, she smiles at nothing in particular, waiting for the door to open. With a stout knock, the door opens quietly as five ponies are ushered in, most with stars in their eyes at meeting a modern musical legend. Getting to her hooves, she saunters over and extends a hoof to the assembled ponies. “Well, I guess you all know who I am. So, what do you want to know?” All at once a small cacophony erupts as the five VIPs clamor for her attention. “Hold on everypony, let’s do this one at a time and let me lay out a few things. You are here to basically hang out with me before I’m mobbed by the rest of the club. So, let’s all relax and take a breath. I’m not going anywhere and for the next 30 minutes, neither are you. There’s time to get to know you all and enjoy ourselves.” As the VIPs work their way over to their seats, Vinyl levitates some bottles of water for anypony that might be thirsty. Snagging another for herself, she sits on her chair and looks to the group. Looking to her left, she points to the first pony and asks “So, what do you want to know?” With the discussion well underway, Vinyl sits back and tries to enjoy those few moments of relaxation before she has to head out and meet the rest of the club. > Chapter 5 - Freedom > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- With a sigh, Vinyl stands up from the seat she has just occupied at a cafeteria table she shares with Lyra as she she hears her name piped out over the school’s PA system. She was expecting this, at least she hopes it was the Royal Summons that was only two months late. Trotting up to the front of the school, lunch forgotten, she slips into the office and proceeds to the front desk. Hearing the door close, the secretary looks up and notices Vinyl making her way over. Wrapping the scroll in the silver aura of her magic, the secretary levitates it over to the white unicorn. “This was just delivered by a Royal Courier for you, Miss Scratch.” Grasping the scroll with her own magic, Vinyl breaks the seal and reads through the letter before turning it over to the secretary. “Show this to your instructors to help explain your absence tomorrow dear,” she says kindly before returning the scroll to Vinyl. Slipping the scroll into one of the saddle bags, she heads back to the cafeteria and sits back down at the table. Just in time for Octavia to come over and bump the table causing the cup of juice Vinyl was about to drink to instead, splash all over her white coat and drip down onto the floor. “What was that for?” Lyra asks, shocked. “I’m sorry,” Octavia’s says, voice oozing sarcasm, “I didn’t hear anypony over here. I didn’t think that anything would happen.” Laughing at the mess, she motions for her friends to follower her as she makes her way out of the lunch room. Another weary sigh escapes the now sticky unicorn as she grasps the tray with her ruined lunch in the pinkish aura as she carries it over to the trash, depositing it in the receptacle before setting the tray down. Levitating her saddlebags onto her back she heads off to her next class, trying to forget about Octavia. ~~~ As the train’s brakes engaged, the train’s automated voice announces “Next stop, Castle Courtyard.” Standing, the white unicorn checks her brushed mane, making sure it was still pulled into it’s neat bun with no stray hairs out of place. With a final jolt, the train comes to a stop and the doors open with a hiss of hydraulic pressure being relieved. Joining the crowd making their way out into the day, she starts the long process of gaining entrance into the castle for her appointed meeting. Approaching the intimidating gates, she fumbles with the Royal Summons before getting it smoothed out and presenting it to the very bored looking guard. “Why is it that the Guard all look the same?” she wonders before being waved through. Trotting through the gates, she looks around for the case worker she’s been assigned. Breathing a sigh of relief, she grins as Star Aegis trots over, her normally mussed mane neatly braided and pulled up to form a double loop. Delighted to see the tan earth pony, Vinyl pulls her into a hug. “I know it’s been a long road, but we’re nearly there,” Star says with a grin before releasing Vinyl from the embrace. “We need to head on in. Day Court will be starting soon and we’re up first since Princess Celestia doesn’t want you to miss any more school than necessary. Shoulder to shoulder, the mares walk through the open doors of the Canterlot Castle and follow the crowd to the Throne Room. Checking in with the Royal Clerk, the two make their way into the open and spacious room. Leaning in, they start discussing what is going to happen when a voice booms across the airy room “All rise for her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia.” A muted shuffling of hooves can’t overcome the ringing of metal on stone as the Princess enters and makes her way to the throne. “You may relax, my little ponies,” a voice like gold calmly calls out. Looking up, Vinyl feels her frayed nerves calm slightly at hearing Celestia’s voice sooth the gathered mass. Taking a deep breath, she awaits what will hopefully be a short hearing. “Poetic Rhyme, who is first on today’s agenda?” Celestia asks kindly to the Royal Clerk. Trotting up to the throne, he passes the scroll to a Royal Guard who in turn, passes it along to the Princesses. “Miss Vinyl Scratch please step forward,” Celestia’s Golden voice rang out across the hall. With trepidation in each step, Vinyl forces herself to place one hoof in front of the other as she advances towards the throne. Glancing to her right, she feels relief flood through her as she sees that Star is right next to her. Reaching the base of the throne, she bows low before the princess before straightening nervously. “This is a fairly unusual matter which has been brought before us,” that golden voice says quietly, “one that we have not seen for some time. It is not often that a filly petitions us for emancipation. Tell us young one, why would you seek this?” “Your Majesty,” Vinyl’s voice sang, the strength of it surprising even her, “my mother passed away nearly two years ago. She had been raising me by herself since my father abandoned us shortly after I was conceived. I have never met him nor would I want him in my life at this point. I have spent the past two years bouncing between foster homes before being allowed to get a place of my own. I have cared for myself and jumped through numerous legal hoops to seek employment as well as providing for my own education.” “All very valid points, young one. You do understand that while this will give you legal standing as an adult, you still will not be able to participate in certain things?” “Yes your Highness.” Engulfing a large quill in her magic’s golden aura, Princess Celestia signed the scroll offered to her by the Royal Clerk, thus granting Vinyl Scratch legal standing as an Emancipated Minor. Releasing a breath that she didn’t even realise that she was holding back, Vinyl allows herself a small smile. Two years worth of work and legal hoops and she was finally about to do what she wanted to. Bowing before the throne again, she says with warmth in her voice “Thank you so much your Highness.” Taking the proffered, signed scroll, she keeps it grasped in her magic as she trots out of the throne room and back into the brilliant day. Feeling her muzzle slip into a large grin she turns and hugs Star once again. “Thank you so much for believing in me. I couldn’t have done this without you.” “You’ve made it Vine. You’ve gone through so much, but I know it was worth it to get to here.” Releasing each other from the hug, Vinyl waves good bye as she trots back to the train station to catch the train with a pep in her step. On a day like to today, what could possibly go wrong? ~~~ Trotting into the lunch room, Vinyl couldn’t help but grin when she saw Lyra. Sliding into a seat across from her, she slides the signed paperwork over to Lyra to show her what’s been granted. “Oh my! Is this what you’ve been working towards?” Nodding, Vinyl continues to grin, oblivious of the approaching grey mare. That is until she snatches the paper from Lyra’s hooves. “What have we here?” she sneers at Vinyl. Reading the document, Octavia's eyes widen as she sees what the document grants. “Why would you need this? Unless…” she trails off before setting the paper back on the table and walking off. “Huh. I’ve never seen Octavia rendered speechless like that before.” Lyra muses. With a shrug, Vinyl takes the scroll and tucks it back into her saddlebag before standing to head off to class. ~~~ At the Melody House later that evening ~~~ Knocking on the dark wooden door, Octavia waits for her father’s response before entering. Upon hearing “Enter” barked out in a short, clipped tone, she pushes the door open, revealing a room lined with bookshelves filled with books. Seated behind an expansive desk, a regal looking stallion raises his head and smiled at his visitor. “What can I do for you sweetie?” he asks, warmth infusing his voice. “Father, did you know that someone who works at the nightclub might be working there illicitly?” she asked sweetly. With a furrowed brow, Mr. Melody looks to her “What do you mean? Fire Hooves is responsible for running the club. Why bring it to me and not him?” “I feel that Fire might not be impartial in this matter. I only want to bring this to your attention father to help protect the club from participating in anything illicit.” A slight frown appears on the stallion’s face as he ponders the matter. “What is the pony’s name?” “Vinyl Scratch, father.” “And why do you think she’s working at the club illicitly?” “It seems that she is underage and only today was granted Emancipation. Once I found out, I did some research. Apparently she’s an orphan who has been acting older than her actual age to gain employment.” The silence that followed was only broken by the sound of the ticking of the clock perched upon the mantel. Sighing after contemplating the news his daughter brought to him, he nods to her “I’ll take care of it. Thank you for letting me know about this, sweetie.” “Of course, father. I only want to make sure that the family is protected from unnecessary threats like this.” Turning, the grey mare leaves the study, closing the door behind her. ~~~ As the bass crashes over the dancing ponies, Vinyl grins wildly as she slips the next record on the the second turntable, listening closely to match the tempo. Waiting for the right moment, she slams the output volume down on the current track while sliding the volume of the new track up at the precise moment to give a seamless transition. With the bass thrown to the back to make way for the high pitch of the snare drum, she lets the song build, waiting for the break. Then the drop happens. Ponies go wild as the new beat takes hold, propelling them into a frenzied state fueled by adrenaline and a humming bass line. Looking out over the audience, she spotted a familiar looking mare, but… Celestia what is she wearing?!?! The mare in question had purple streaks running through her dark grey, almost black hair. Her usual bowtie had been replaced by a raver’s necklace complete with pacifier on the end. The choice in clothes was interesting, and wait… is she wearing socks?!?! Octavia certainly didn’t look anything like the prim and proper mare that she knew. Glancing at the clock above the booth, she sets up the final record before her scheduled end time for the night. Grinning slightly she grabs a slower song to help rein the crowd in and get them set up for Bass Note’s set. As the needle found the groove in the record, Vinyl pressed the headphones against an ear and brought the two albums in synch before working the volume controls to start sampling the slower song into the driving rhythm of the other. Masterfully, she brings the crowd down slowly as she lets her final track of the night take hold and play out. Stepping back, she stands on shaky legs, adrenaline still coursing through her system as she trots backstage. With a grin she hears the emcee announce that even though she wasn’t there, the party would still continue as Bass Note made his way into the booth. Pushing the door to the DJ’s room she trots over and envelops a bottle of water in her magic before downing the whole thing. Releasing a sigh of relief, she heads over to the couch and unceremoniously fwamps onto it, letting it conform to her tired, aching body. Muttering a silent prayer to Celestia, she prays that there are no last minute VIPs tonight. After two days of dealing with Octavia’s taunting over her newly revealed orphan status, she could use a break from dealing with ponies. Her reprieve was short lived as an excited knock echoes through the tiny room. Sighing, she calls out in her raspy voice “It’s open.” THUD With the door flying open, the last pony Vinyl wanted to see skips into the room, giggling with glee and excitement. Barely able to contain her groan, she lets her trademark smile slip into place as she swings herself off the couch and trots over to the normally composed mare. “Hey, I’m DJ-PON3,” she says extending a hoof. Squealing with glee, Octavia bumps it before trying to say everything at once. “I’mOctaviaandohmygoshI’myourbiggestfandandIcan’tbelievethatI’mfinallymettingyou..” Grinning at the change, Vinyl says “Slow down there filly. Let’s start with your name. I think it was somewhere in that smashed together sentence.” Taking a deep breath, Octavia struggles to calm herself for a moment before trying again. “I’m sorry about that,” she says sheepishly, “My name is Octavia.” “Octavia huh?” Vinyl says with a grin. “I think I’m going to call you Tavi.” Gasping in surprise, Octavia responds in a slight whisper “DJ-PON3 gave me a nickname??” As her eyes grow wider, Vinyl instinctively lays her ears flat against her head as Octavia lets out a cry of glee. “Easy there tiger. No need to make me deaf," she says with a grin. “I’ve been waiting so long” Octavia starts before she is interrupted by the door opening and Fire Hooves walking in, face contorted in a display of rage and sorrow. With a sinking feeling, Vinyl turns to the club’s manager “What’s up boss?” Glancing over to Octavia briefly, he turns back to Vinyl with a heavy sigh. “I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news V. It seems that the owner wants you gone.” Shock playing across her face, Vinyl barely manages to stammer out “Wha…” “I tried. I really did. But the owner says that you need to go. Apparently he’s concerned about legal aspects of you being underage.” “How in Tartarus did he find out? I thought I was covered until today?” she asks in utter confusion. Lifting her shades up, she reveals bloodshot magenta eyes as she brings a hoof to rub at the headache forming behind them. Letting go of the thin veil of magic, her cutie mark reappears. Both ponies are interrupted as Octavia gasps in recognition before blurting out “YOU’RE DJ PON-3?!?! AND YOU CAN TALK?!?!” Feeling the migraine growing stronger, Vinyl turns to Octavia “Yes. I, Vinyl Scratch, am DJ-PON3. Who is now unemployed. Buck.” Turning back to Fire Hooves, she says “I’ll grab my gear tomorrow,” before trotting out the door, tears, starting to stream down her face. > Chapter 6 - Starting Over > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “What the buck do you want, Octavia?!” the harsh voice asks as it echoes across a suddenly empty cafeteria. The unknown voice continues, “All week you’ve been stalking me and following me and harassing me.” Stepping back slightly, the grey mare hesitates as she tries to form a proper sentence. She’s still stunned that the young mare in front of her is one of the greatest electronic music composers out there. “I… uh…” she says rather lamely. Nothing at all like her normal composed, arrogant self. Head drooping, she raises her eyes to meet the striking magenta eyes currently glaring at her. With a frustrated huff, Vinyl turns back to the table to grasp her lunch tray in her magic’s aura before trotting over to the waste bin and depositing the tray next to it. Turning back, she sighs before muttering, “That’s what you get for opening your big mouth, Vinyl.” Looking at the stunned faces of the ponies scattered about the cavernous room, she blushes slightly as she hurriedly makes her escape. Heading to an empty room, she peeks in to see that no one is there before slipping into the darkened classroom. All she wanted to do was think. It had been a week since she was fired. True to her word, the next day she had returned to Trot and removed her turntable, record crates, and the rest of her gear. It was at that time that Fire Hooves tried to convince her to stay on, which, to his credit, almost worked. Or it would have if Vinyl’s emotions didn’t range anywhere from furious anger to the verge of tears at any given moment. She did manage to find out that Octavia’s family owned the club. Which would explain how the owner knew of her… less than legal employment activities. Sighing heavily, she sits in the dark room considering her options. She has some money saved, but she’ll need that to help cover the rent while she looks for a new club to work at. Maybe Night Promenade over at Aurora Aetherica would give her her old job back. Neon Lights was good, but she knows that she’s better. As she rests her weary head on her hooves, she wrestles with the moment’s biggest question. Should she continue to pay for tuition at Canterlot Prep? Knowing what she needs to do, she gets up and heads over to the office. ~~~ At the Melody Household later that evening Octavia paced back and forth in her room, chewing on her lower lip, mind racing over the same problem it’s been dwelling on all week, Vinyl Scratch. Looking back now, she could see the similarities. How many mares have an electric blue mane like that? Sighing as her thoughts continue to run in circles, she knew she had to do something. She had already tried to make her father re-hire Vinyl, but that didn’t go over so well. She realised too late that she looked like a foal throwing a temper tantrum. Dwelling on the past was getting her nowhere. She needed to try and set things right. However, all week, she had been at a loss for words. She managed to get her favorite artist fired. “Gahhh!” she screams as she throws herself onto her bed, burying her face into one of the numerous pillows so as to not alarm any of the household staff. Rolling over onto her back, she lets her head continue to roll until it comes to a rest facing off to her left. Staring blankly at the DJ-PON3 poster, she let her mind continue on it’s endless loop. Looking at DJ-PON3’s signature cocky and surefire grin, she feels her mind grind to a halt, too tired to continue. Hopefully she’ll be able to sleep tonight and come up with a solution in the morning. ~~~ “What do you mean she’s not here?!” Octavia asks Lyra incredulously. Ears laid flat against her head, Lyra takes a step back, not liking the slightly crazed look in Octavia’s eyes. “I haven’t seen her all day,” she says guardedly. Looking around, she starts to back away from Octavia, hoping to get to an exit and away from what is quickly becoming one of the most awkward experiences she’s had at this school. Looking about frantically, Octavia trots off to see if she can’t find the current queen of elusivity. She knows that Vinyl is avoiding her. But she’s smarter than that silly white mare. And she’s also well connected. A plan quickly forms and she changes course and heads to the office. Pushing the door to the Administrative Office open, she almost marches up to the receptionist. “I am looking to see if a particular student is here today,” she says in her most authoritative voice. The frazzled mare behind the large, curved desk looks at Octavia over the top of her half-moon glasses. Sighing in recognition of the student before her, she offers up “Who are you looking for Miss Melody?” “I would like to know if Miss Vinyl Scratch is here today.” Shuffling a few papers about and muttering “Scratch” to herself a few times, the secretary finds the papers that she wants. Flipping through them, she stops suddenly. “It appears that she no longer goes to this school. She dropped out this morning.” Octavia feels her eyes climbing as they grow as large as saucers. “Dropped... out?” she whispers hoarsely, not believing it. Standing motionless for a few moments, her mind processes this new information. Working quickly, she arrives at a conclusion, “I drove her out.” With tears starting to flow down her face, she turns quickly and gallops out of the office, nearly bowling over the young stallion that happened to spring out of the way at the last moment. Crashing through the front doors of the school, she heads out to wander the streets of Canterlot, hoping that she can figure out what she should do next. After hours of wandering, she finds herself taking a familiar path back to her family’s estate. Having mulled the problem over, she feels that she needs to go visit Vinyl at home and see if she can’t set things right. Thankfully, as her family owns the club that previously employed her, they would have her personal information on hoof. Slipping into the manor, she makes her way to her father’s office and resolutely knocks on the door. “Enter,” the deep, booming voice commands. Pushing the door open, she steps nervously inside. Steeling her resolve, she meets his eyes. “What can I do for you Octavia?” “Father, I was wondering if I can see the information sheet on Ms. Vinyl Scratch?” Mulling it over for a moment, the stallion shrugs and slides open the drawer containing Vinyl’s employee information. “Why do you want it?” he asks, resting his front hooves on the folder. Sighing at what she had hoped to avoid, she summoned the courage to continue. “Father, I have wronged Miss Scratch and need to set things right.” Hanging her head in apparent shame, she tries to hide the flush in her cheeks. Looking at his daughter, a small grin tugs at one corner of his mouth. “I wish you didn’t have to learn this lesson the hard way, but as you can see, there are consequences for everything.” Adopting a lecturing tone he continues, “While I’m pretty sure your intentions were to just make Miss Scratch miserable at school, it’s set off a chain reaction that’s left a mare unemployed, and who knows what else?” Tears welling in her eyes, she whispers “I drove her out. She dropped out of school today.” “See? Everything has a consequence. Be it good or bad. Now, what do you plan to do about it?” “I will need to discuss things with mother and see if we can come up with something appropriate.” Nodding in agreement, the stallion slides the requested piece of paper over to his daughter. “I do hope that you take something away from all of this.” Stepping forward, she takes the paper and thanks her father before heading off to find her mother. After a brief stop to drop off the paper in her bedroom, she proceeds to trot through the manor looking for the mare in question. Poking her head into the kitchen, she smiles as she sees a grey mare with a brilliant purple mane working with a variety of devices. By the look of things, Octavia surmised that she was attempting to make a pie. And judging by the small mound of peeled and sliced apples, she guessed that her mother had just started to make the dough. Entering the spacious kitchen, she clears her throat so as to not startle her mother. “Oh! Octavia! I didn’t hear you come in,” the bubbly mare says with a smile. Stepping forward, Octavia attempts to brush some of the flour out of her mother’s hair while trying to figure out how to word her question. “Mother…” hesitation evident in her voice, “I need some help.” “Oh? Help with what, sweetie?” “I need to make amends with somepony and I’m not sure how to go about it. I feel as though I’ve made quite a mess of things. I fear this will be difficult from which to extract myself.” “Well, have you tried just talking to them? “Umm, no. Every time I tried to, I froze up. And now all I’ve got to go on is her address.” “Then go talk to her, honey. If you feel like you’ve done her wrong, you need to set things right. Talking to her will let you two clear the air and hopefully, set you on a path of recovery.” Leaning in, Octavia gives her mom a hug and whispers, “Thank you, Mother. I knew I could count on you.” Stepping back, she flashes a grin before heading off to get the address from the paper she left in her room. ~~~ Trotting down the steps that lead to one of the lower sections of Canterlot, Octavia felt a bit repulsed at the general state of disrepair in which this portion of the city found itself. “If Vinyl lives down here, how was she able to afford tuition at the school?” she thought idly to herself as she kept an eye open for her destination. Watching the address numbers drop lower and lower, she spies the desired address. Before she can take one step further, she hears the door open and sees the outline of a pony silhouetted against the setting sun. Squinting slightly she is able to make out the electric blue color of her target’s mane. Increasing her speed in an attempt to catch up, she starts to follow Vinyl as she heads away from Octavia’s direction. Continually squinting to keep the barely visible pony in view, Octavia breathes a sigh of relief as Vinyl makes a turn down a small side street. Chastising herself about acting very stalkerish, she hesitates only slightly before continuing to follow Vinyl. That is until she sees Vinyl slow down at the wrought iron gate of the Canterlot Memorial Cemetery. Even though the gates are open in welcome, a shudder passes through Octavia as Vinyl resolutely walks through the gates and deeper into the cemetery. Curiosity piqued, she continues in after the DJ. Listening to the clip clop of hooves on the stone path, Octavia works her way deeper into the cemetery, shadows growing longer as the sun starts to dip below the horizon. Repressing a shiver of fright, she strongly debates leaving and trying to talk to Vinyl another time, but curiosity drives her on. Soon, she overhears a broken, muted voice. Stepping off of the path to keep her hooves from echoing off of the stones, she crept along, moving closer to the voice. Using the headstones for cover, she finally spied Vinyl seated in front of a rather diminutive head stone. “Hi mom.I guess you should know that I failed again. I couldn’t even follow the dream you had for me. I tried so hard to not let her get to me. But I couldn’t do it. I let her get to me. What did I even do to make her hate me..” she says brokenly, sobbing all the while. Trailing off, Vinyl lowers her head and sinks to the ground, her body wracked with sobs as she lets out all of the pent-up emotions that she’s been bottling. Ears wilting, Octavia sits there, hidden from view. Unable to move, she tries to figure out what to do. As the minutes crawl by, she notices that Vinyls sobbing quietly subsides. Taking a chance, she peeks out from behind her hiding spot to see what’s happened. Watching Vinyl wipe the tears from her eyes, she guiltily returns to hiding, not wanting to interrupt this moment. With a heavy sigh, Vinyl continues. “Sorry about that. I know I need to be stronger. I just don’t know how. I feel so… broken. I’ve been fired, dropped out of school, and now I need to find a new place to live. I can’t afford the apartment for much longer. I’m so lost without you, Mom. I just don’t know what to do anymore.” Smiling slightly she says, “Anyway, Mom, it’s getting dark. The moon will be up soon. Luna has managed to make another beautiful tapestry. I think you would have enjoyed it.” Reaching into her saddlebags, Vinyl pulls out a bouquet of lovely flowers and gently sets them in front of the headstone. Giving the cold piece of stone a brief kiss and nuzzle, she whispers, “I miss you so much,” before turning around and setting off, working her way out of the now dark cemetery. Stunned, Octavia sits there, unable to move for a bit. Finally shaking herself out of her stupor, she picks her way out of the graves and back onto the path. Lost in thought, she continues onward until she was standing outside of the gate’s to her family’s estate. Absently pushing the door open, she works her way up to her room, not hearing as her mother called after her. Feeling guilty for spying on a very private conversation, she throws herself onto her bed and lays there until sleep finally overcomes her. ~~~ Finally starting to feel somewhat normal, Vinyl bumps against her old friends at Canterlot High. They make their way out of the school as the last bell rings, signalling the end of the day’s classes.Grinning at her friends, she waves goodbye as she turns to head to the train station that will take her home. Before she can get more than three feet, she spies a familiar grey earth pony waiting with an anxious expression on her face. Feeling the tension in her shoulders increase, she grits her teeth and approaches the mare. “What can I do for you Miss Melody?” she asks rather forcefully. Snapping out of her daze, Octavia looks at the angry pony standing in front of her. Stepping back with a bit of trepidation, she takes a deep breath, steeling her nerves to finally talk about what’s been bugging her. “I, uh, wanted to, uh…” she trails off rather lamely. “You’ve already gotten me fired and thanks to that, I had to drop out from the prep school as I could no longer afford tuition. And now I can barely pay rent and keep myself fed. So, unless you’ve come to get me arrested for something that I may have done to you, I bid you good day.” With those last words, she turns away from Octavia and continues along her way. It’s not long before she hears the other pony fall into step with her. Maintaining her silence, she does her best to ignore the rather massive thorn in her side. “I’m sorry.” The barely whispered phrase causes Vinyl to stop. “Sorry?!?! What, is that supposed to magically make everything better?” she asks scathingly, causing Octavia to wilt. “I’ll be lucky if I’m not out on the streets within the month. How will your ‘sorry’ help with that? Can I use it to pay rent or buy food? So, unless you’re here to actually be useful, I think we’re done here.” Turning her head, she continues onward, leaving Octavia standing there, mouth agape at the onslaught. “My family will pay for your tuition to come back to Canterlot Prep,” Octavia blurts out without thinking. Realizing that she’s not going to get rid of Octavia anytime soon, she turns to face her and deal with this head on. “Oh? And why would I even want to go back? SO that you can lord it over me how I need a hand out from you? So that you can continue to make my life miserable? Haven’t you done enough?” she shouts, tears starting to trickle down her face. “You’ve managed to take everything from me. Why can’t you just let me keep what little shred of dignity I have?” Once again, Vinyl finds herself wracked by sobs. “What did I even do to you?” Wilting under the brutal questions, Octavia feels her rump plant itself firmly on the road. “Nothing. You didn’t do anything.” “Then why do this? Why hurt me like this? Do you even know what it’s like to now know how much longer you’ll be able to feed yourself?” “I don’t what that’s like. You were new and I hadn’t seen you before. I just wanted to impress my friends,” she says, voice dwindling down. Looking at the ground, hoof drawing small circles on the well kept street, she continues “And when you acted mute, it gave me something to latch onto. I felt that my putting you down, I would feel better about myself. And for a while I did. But then it took me seeing my idol go from the top of her game to this to make me realise what I’ve actually done. I’m not asking you to forgive me..” “That’s good because I wasn’t planning on it.” “... But I do want to try and make things right,” she finished. “I want to help start bringing DJ-PON3, and Vinyl Scratch to the top of their game. Anything I can do, just name it.” Looking at Vinyl with a hint of desperation in her eyes, she waits with expectation. “You want to help? Get me hired back at Trot.” With a crestfallen look, she whispers “I can’t.” Letting a derisive snort out, Vinyl says “Of course you can’t. And even if you could, my reputation has already taken a massive hit. My record sales have plummeted and I’m now ranked behind Neon Lights. Do you have any idea of how hard I’m going to have to work to try and get back on top of my game?” Shaking her head, Octavia could only listen as Vinyl laid into her. “If you really, truly want to try and set things right, you can help me hunt for a new job. I need to get back in the game and start creating new music.” Eyes lighting up, she nods, “I can talk to my dad and see if any clubs need a DJ!” Feeling relieved that this will hopefully start to set things right she manages a weak smile before looking at Vinyl for anything else. Giving Octavia a deadpan look, Vinyl just nods and says “Good. The sooner I get a job or even a gig, the better.” Getting back up on all fours, Octavia shakes her head to clear up the cobwebs before making a plan of action. “I’ll be in touch,” she says hesitantly hoping to get any sort of reaction from Vinyl. “Good.” Turning away from Octavia, Vinyl continues on her way to catch the train home, a blossom of hope starting to bloom within her. > Chapter 7 - The Bottom Drops Out > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- With money worries on her mind, Vinyl spends a long night tossing, turning and not getting any sleep. Grumbling to herself, Vinyl glances at the clock on the nightstand to see that it’s already 7:00 AM and she resigns herself to getting up. Swinging her legs over the side, she slides off the bed and lands on her hooves. Giving herself a quick shake, she heads towards the kitchen for the only thing that will cure her of the excessive tiredness gripping her whole self. Coffee. Using her magic, Vinyl scoops some coffee grounds into a paper filter and sets it in the awaiting basket of the coffee maker. Flipping the switch, she turns it on and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee permeates the air. Taking a deep breath, she lets the vapors swirl around her gradually starting the process of waking her up. As she poured the fresh brewed coffee into an awaiting mug, she downed the scalding liquid in one gulp before refilling the mug. Opening the door to the refrigerator, she removes the creamer, adding a bit to the second cup before adding some sugar. Mixing it all together, she takes a tentative sip of the second cup before sighing with contentment. A quiet knock echos through the small apartment. “Who in Tartarus is even up this early on a Saturday?” she wonders as she puts her cup down. Throwing the door open, she’s surprised to find Octavia standing there, one hoof raised to knock again. “Oh! You’re up,” the grey mare says a bit too cheerfully for such an early hour, “May I come in?”. Without waiting for an answer, Octavia steps daintily into the small, messy apartment, looking around. Picking her way carefully through the clothes and items strewn about, she stops uncertainly. “How can you live here? It’s so… small.” Shrugging, the white mare replies “It’s what I can afford. Not all of us can afford to live in a fancy mansion with servants.” Glancing around, Octavia notes the general state of disarray of Vinyl’s flat as well as once again, noting on it’s rather cramped size. “How is it that the legendary DJ-PON3 lives in such squalor?” Sighing with some pent up frustration, Vinyl rounds on Octavia “What is it that you want exactly?” she asks, words loaded with anger. Taking a step back, Octavia pauses for a moment before continuing “I was wondering if you would like to spend the day with my friends and I.” Figuring that honesty would be best here, she waits for Vinyl’s response eagerly, trepidation coursing through her. Rolling her eyes, Vinyl retorts “Why would I want to do that? All you and your “friends” ever did was to pick on me and make fun of me. What would suddenly make them accept me?” “Why, you’re DJ-PON3! Why wouldn’t they accept you?” “Ah. I think I see what’s going on. You want to bring me along like an accessory. Something to show off to demonstrate how much better you are. I won’t do it.” “What do you mean? I just want to introduce you to them.” “Octavia, you say they’re your friends, but are they really? If you were in jail, how many of them would be willing to bail you out?” Startled by the barrage of questions, Octavia hesitates before falling silent. “Why in the name of Celestia would I ever find myself incarcerated?” she pondered mulling Vinyl’s question. Looking at her, Vinyl can’t help but feel a pang of sorrow. “Here’s a mare that has everything at her beck and call and it seems that the one thing she needs the most, she can’t understand that she really doesn’t have it.” Sighing, Vinyl decided that Octavia might need a first hand demonstration. “Fine. I’ll go with you on one condition.” “Anything! Just name it!” “You have to apologize to Lyra for how you’ve treated her at school.” “Done! Now let me call my friends…” “Lyra first.” “Fine. But then I’ll show you that my friends are really my friends.” ~~~ Knock knock knock “What makes you think Miss Heartstrings will even be home, Vinyl?” “Because while you were busy talking to your ‘friends,’ I called to set up a meeting.” Fidgeting nervously, Octavia waited, not entirely sure that she even needed to apologize to Lyra. “It’s not like I’ve actually done anything wrong,” she thought. Still mulling this over, she doesn’t hear the door open or Vinyl begin to speak. “... Bon, is Lyra here?” Octavia is startled out of her musing buy Vinyl’s rough voice. Glancing up, she sees a mare she recognises from school but has never talked to. “She’s here. Come on in.” Following the cream colored mare into the well appointed house, Octavia looks around as they make their way into the sitting room. The room is bathed in warm sunlight pouring in through the large windows. Seated on the couch is Lyra sitting in an unusual position as she levitates a cup of tea towards her face, daintily sipping the steaming beverage within. “Hello,” she says neutrally. “Hey there, Lyra. Octavia here has something she wishes to say to you,” Vinyl says as she steps aside, letting Octavia through. Tracing a hoof along the floor nervously, Octavia mumbles something unintelligible as she stares at the ground. Not hearing anything in response, she looks up to see the three mares staring at her with expressions ranging from frustration on Vinyl’s face to doubt on Lyra’s. Sighing, she takes a deep breath before shifting and facing Lyra. “It’s been brought to my attention that I haven’t been, uh, the nicest of ponies,” she trails off, hoping that Vinyl wasn’t serious about this. Looking to the white unicorn, she was unable to gauge the blank expression looking to her. Fidgeting uncomfortably, she paused a moment before continuing “And that I have been especially mean to you Lyra, just for talking to DJ, er, Miss Scratch here and trying to be her friend. For my transgressions, I humbly ask for your forgiveness.” Even uttering those words galled her. “Honestly, I don’t see what I did wrong to warrant this,” she thought bitterly. Growing up, she was always in the right. Why is this any different? “You still don’t see it do you Octavia?” Vinyl asks, a hint of sadness in her voice. “Even now, you’re just interested in doing what you need to in order to bring DJ-PON3 to meet your friends.” Sputtering words of protest, Octavia is quickly silenced by Lyra trotting over and smiling gently. “I forgive you, but only if you’re being genuine about that apology,” she says before pulling a rather surprised Octavia into a friendly hug. Uncertainty painted across her face, she returns the gesture, a strange feeling of warmth spreading through her. Stepping back she gives Lyra a tentative smile “Thank you,” she says simply. Shaking her head, Vinyl sighs “Well, you’ve held up your end of the bargain. Time for me to honor mine.” Heading towards the front door, she pauses briefly motioning for Octavia to follow. Leaving Lyra’s modest dwelling, she pauses to let Octavia take the lead. Grinning, Octavia gleefully takes the lead as they head into the upper class district of Canterlot. “I’ll show her that my friends aren’t just using me,” she thinks as they make their way into one of the city’s nicer parks. Standing near the back of the park, Vinyl saw Octavia’s friends. The same ones she hung out with at school. Sighing inwardly, she puts on her signature smile, quickly hides her cutie mark with magic and slips her shades over her eyes. “Hey guys, as promised, I’ve brought DJ-PON3 with me,” the grey earth pony says, glee ringing in her voice. Gasps resound throughout the small group as they all rushed right past Octavia to swarm around Vinyl. Grinning, Vinyl slips into DJ-PON3’s “fan mode,” allowing her to feel more in control of the conversations and the swarming of fans. “How’s everypony doing?” she asks in her gravelly voice. The gasps of adoration from the other ponies helps keep Vinyl’s smile going. As much as she might not like this batch of ponies, she is in her element as DJ-PON3. Octavia stands there, floored by the fact that her friends have just blasted by her, ignoring her completely for the new arrival. Taking a deep breath, she remembers that this is the legendary DJ-PON3 and that her friends are all just star struck. Grinning, she struts over to the group and listens in to the babble of conversation. Watching her friends fawn over Vinyl was nice, but surely some would have at least talked to her? Or thanked her? The doubts that Vinyl had mentioned earlier start to make their presence known in the back of Octavia’s mind. “Surely these are my friends. They must like me for who I am… right?” Unable to shake the thought, Octavia just watches. As the day continues, Octavia starts to feel distinctly neglected. Not once have any of her friends even come to thank her. Sitting despondently, she continues to wonder about the validity of Vinyl’s claims. Deciding to take matters into her own hooves. Getting up and brushing herself off quickly, she trots over to the group and puts on a winning smile. “How about we all go grab a bite? I know this lovely little Phrench Bistro…” she starts to say before being cut off by Vinyl. “Actually we were all about to go get some hay burgers,” she says with a cocky grin, as if trying to drive her point home. Turning back towards the entrance, Vinyl heads off, taking the group of fawning fans with her. None of them notice as the tears start leaking down Octavia’s face. > Chapter 8 - All's Well > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A gentle knock on her door interrupts Octavia’s current bout of crying. “Go away,” she screams at the door. Turning back to her bed, she buries her head into her pillow as a fresh round of tears start making their way down her face. Sobbing, she doesn’t hear the door open. “I thought you were stronger than this,” a scratchy voice says. Sniffling, she looks up and sees the last pony in Equestria she expects to. With her shades resting on her head, holding the unruly blue mane back, Vinyl Scratch stands there with her cocky grin. “Seriously. So you finally saw your ‘friends’ for what they are. That’s no reason to lock yourself in your room all day and throw a fit.” “What do you want, Miss Scratch?” “I came to see if you wanted to go get a cup of coffee and talk some things out. We’ve got a lot to discuss.” Finally realising that Vinyl is in her room, she looks to her questioningly. “How did you even get in here?” “Your mother let me in. As for the lock on the door,” she trails off, horn alighting with magic. “Now, pull yourself together. We’re going to go out. You wouldn’t want to appear so unkempt now would you?” A hint of sarcasm tinging her voice. Wiping her eyes, Octavia sniffles a couple of times, eyes red and puffy from crying. “I can’t go out, I’m a wreck!” Levitating a brush with a purple treble clef on it, Vinyl floats it over to Octavia. “Better start with that mane. Unless you’ve decided to become a DJ,” she adds, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. Scowling at Vinyl, Octavia takes the brush and begins the arduous process of brushing it out in an attempt to restore it to it’s normal state. “Why are you even here, Vinyl?” she asks, curiosity getting the best of her. “Well,” she says, “I figured you might like to grab a cup of coffee with me. We’ve got a few things to talk about.” Sighing with resignation, Octavia nods numbly before setting the brush down and getting to her hooves. “I suppose we do.” Trotting out of her room, Octavia leads Vinyl through the manor and out the door. “Where exactly did you want to go?” Grinning, Vinyl walks alongside Octavia. “There’s a little coffee shop about 5 minutes from here that knows me.” Lapsing into silence, the two mares make their way down to Java Journey. Upon seeing Vinyl enter the barista shouts out, “The usual, V?” “Sure, plus whatever this one wants,” she says, fishing a small bag of bits out. Looking at the signs above the barista station, Octavia mulls over the expansive menu. Feeling a little out of her element, she looks back to the pony taking orders and says, “I’ll just have a herbal tea please.” Paying for the drinks, Vinyl and Octavia go and collect them before heading to a table. “So,” Octavia said hesitantly, “what did you want to talk about?” Taking a sip of her tea, she watches Vinyl. “Second chances.” Startled, Octavia says, “Mine or yours?” “Both,” she says with a sigh. Looking at the cup before her she pauses before looking up to meet Octavia’s eyes. “We both need a second chance. Who knows, we might make a new friend out of it.” Shrugging, she takes a drink of the strange brew before her. “Why would we need a second chance?” Octavia asks, curiosity piqued. Pondering how to respond, Vinyl takes a moment before talking, slowly at first. “Your world, as you know it, seems to have had the bottom drop out. Plus as irritating and insufferable as you are, I think there’s a decent mare somewhere in you.” Snorting in derision, Octavia rolls her eyes. “Thanks for the kind words and vote of confidence. What makes you think that there is, as you say, a ‘decent mare in me’ anyway?” Looking up to meet Octavia’s gaze she says simply “You’ve been trying to correct your mistakes.” Opening her mouth to retort, Vinyl’s answer catches her off guard. Slowly closing her mouth, she mulls this over. Slowly nodding in understanding of Vinyl’s statement, she asks “And what about you?” Pushing her drink around in an attempt to delay answering, she mutters “I need to work on forgiving other ponies. Mainly you.” “It seems we both have things to work on,” Octavia says mutedly. Nodding in agreement, Vinyl looks to the grey mare hopefully “Do you think we could maybe start over? I think we could both really use a friend right now.” Nodding shyly Octavia smiles weakly, “I would like that.” ~~~