> Heart of Vinyl > by Jeta > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > The Train > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vinyl Scratch sat in the middle of her empty flat in Manehattan, looking at the barren walls, trying to remember all the good times she had there. She had already closed and sold the building she held her club in. Nothing remained in the apartment except her and the case of her DJ equipment she was bringing with her to Ponyville. She was moving there. She had sold her apartment, and had no idea where to go, so she thought she would try somewhere quiet. She had only been to Ponyville once before, and decided to stay there for a while. Finally, after an hour of staring at blank walls she got up, put her shades over her ruby colored eyes, and departed her flat for the final time. She was supposed to be at the train station in fifteen minutes, and had to hurry. ... Vinyl Scratch was walking down the crowded streets of Manehattan. She had to dodge fans while still trying to get to the train station quickly. It was not the life she dreamed of having. Technically, it was, but it wasn't as fun once she finally found out what it was like to have stalkers. "Vinyl!" Came the voice of a good old friend. Vinyl Scratch never had a problem with her best friend, but she was too uptight. She was always there for Vinyl, but had the attention span of a goldfish, unless it was about music. "Vinyl Scratch! Where are you going?" She continued smiling, but looked confused. "I'm leaving, Octavia. Im going to Ponyville." Vinyl scratch answered. Octavia began laughing, excessively. "Oh, Vinyl, silly! Where are you going, do you have a gig somewhere?" "Im not joking, 'Tavi. This is too much for me. I just need a quiet place to think." Vinyl said sternly. Octavia was more serious now. "I understand. I hope you have a splendid time. And if you do come back, let me be the first to know." "You got it, 'Tavi. Maybe you can visit sometime, too." Vinyl smiled at her slightly impared friend. Octavia had an accident a few years back, and Vinyl had seen what happened and given her CPR. Vinyl had studied psychological science in high school and found she had a very bad concussion. All she could remember is that she played Cello in an orchestra. Ever since then she had been mentally impared to where she acted like a filly. She was very kind and faithful, but had the mind of an adult. Vinyl thought she was the lucky one. "Octavia, if you ever need me, just send a message to ponyville with my name on it." Vinyl Scratch hugged Octavia. "I love you, Vinyl Scratch." She said as if a child would to a sister. "I love you too, Octavia." Vinyl said as she let go of the mare and walked towards the train station. ... "All aboard!" Called a grey unicorn, apparently the conductor. Vinyl Scratch gave him her ticket and boarded the train, then began searching for a seat. She sat down in an empty row and tried not to look worried about her equipment in the cargo car. After about half an hour, Vinyl Scratch looked out the window to see a lavender unicorn materialize seemingly out of nowhere, then run to the conductor and give him her ticket. She tripped into the door and sat in the seat next to Vinyl Scratch. "Hello," The purple unicorn said after a few minutes of silence. "since we are going to be sitting here for a while, I guess it would be nice to not be a stranger. I'm Twilight Sparkle." Vinyl turned and looked at Twilight, and replied, "Vinyl Scratch." Twilight's jaw literally dropped at the name and the glasses. "You DJ-ed at my brother's reception in Canterlot, remember?" "Oh, yeah, I remember." Vinyl Scratch thought for a minute. "OH! You sang that one song! I called it 'Love's in Bloom'. I didn't know what you called it." Vinyl grinned. "Thats right." Twilight answered, "And I didnt really have a name for it. I just came up with it." "So, Twilight," Vinyl Scratch began, as the train began to move, "what are you doing in Manehattan?" "Well, I was on official business for the Princess. She had me doing a survey of an open field." Twilight then said in a hushed tone, "She's planning on having the next Summer's Sun Celebration there." "Oh, thats right, you're Princess Celestia's star student. Is it strange being so close to royalty?" Vinyl Scratch asked. "Sometimes. It has its ups and downs. Like there was this one time where..." After that Vinyl Scratch just listened and nodded when Twilight paused to take a breath. "... So, are you headed to Ponyville?" Vinyl shook herself back into reality. "Oh, yeah, I guess I am." "Where are you staying?" Twilight asked. "Well, I was hoping to stay at a hotel or something for a couple of nights." Vinyl Scratch replied. "Um, Vinyl... There are no hotels in Ponyville." Twilight said. "But you can stay with me! I have an extra room in the library." "Thanks, Twi! I can call you that, right?" Vinyl asked. "Sure!" Twilight answered. "My friends call me that sometimes." Vinyl Scratch liked this strange lavender pony. 'I haven't even gotten to Ponyville yet and I've already made a friend.' Vinyl thought. 'I guess I'm making progress.' > Forward unto Ponyville > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vinyl Scratch was bored. Everypony says that its not possible to die of boredom, but Vinyl knew that if she didn't get off the train soon she would suffocate. The next stop wasn't too far off, but it was still a long wait. Twilight Sparkle was reading a book she brought along with her, and Vinyl Scratch didn't want to be rude and interrupt her but she was so bored. "Hey, Twilight," She began, quietly. "What's that book about?" "It's about this time-travelling stallion and his companion who explore the universe." Twilight answers. "Sounds interesting." Vinyl Scratch changed the subject. "Does Ponyville have a night club? Or a club of any kind?" Twilight put down her book and looked at Vinyl Scratch. "I dont think so, nopony has ever mentioned it. Why?" "In Manehattan I was the DJ at a night club. I was hoping that I could start one in Ponyville." "Well, I believe there is an empty building near town hall. Its been empty for a while. Nopony has a use for it, so its going pretty cheap." Vinyl Scratch grinned. "Awesome. Maybe I could check it out." ... After about two hours, the train slowed to a stop at the Ponyville train station. "Hey, Twi. We're here." Vinyl Scratch said to the sleeping mare. Twilight opened her eyes and looked out the window. "Oh. We are." She stood up and began walking down the aisle, and off the train. "So," Vinyl said. "Where to?" "Here, just follow me." Twilight headed toward a large tree. "Thats the library. I live there." "You live in a giant hollowed out tree. That is so cool!" Vinyl looked at Twilight as she opened the door. "I mean, what could be cooler than that?" Vinyl Scratch soon took back her words as she saw a purple dragon sitting on a couch. "You have a DRAGON? Now that is awesome!" Twilight smiled. "Spike is my assistant. Everypony says the same thing about how 'cool' he is." "Its official. You are one of the coolest ponies I know." Vinyl Scratch commented. Twilight looked at Vinyl Scratch. "Do you really think so?" She asked. "Yeah! Why wouldn't you be? I mean, you have a dragon for Celestia's sake!" Twilight smiled, and answered hesitantly, "A lot of ponies call me an egghead. I didn't even have many friends until I moved here. Just my brother, and he's on the royal guard, so I don't get to see him much." "Still, you seem to be really cool to me." "Thanks, but you haven't even met anypony else here in Ponyville. I guess I could show you around town tomorrow!" "Yeah, but now I'm getting tired." Twilight showed Vinyl to the guest room and not much later Vinyl was asleep. ... Vinyl Scratch woke up to the sound of... An explosion? No... that was a belch... Both? So she stood and moved slowly to the door, wondering what she would find after that noise. She looked out the door to see Twilight reading a letter, and Spike clutching his stomach. "Come on, Twilight! Can't you have this conversation later?" Spike complained. "I'm not up for this!" "No, Spike, I have to report the situation to Princess Celestia!" Twilight countered. Vinyl Scratch made a coughing noise to let the two know she was awake, which made Twilight jump. "Morning, Twi." Vinyl Scratch said, sleepily. "Afternoon... Its thirteen-hundred..." Twilight giggled. "Good afternoon, then." Vinyl Scratch said. She was used to getting up late, considering she usually stayed up until four, with the club, and all. "What are you so frantic about?" "Parasprites are in Canterlot." Twilight answered quickly. "The princess said that there are so many that she can't even get them all with her magic." "Oh, parasprites... Hate those. They love music. Tell her just to get the royal orchestra to lead them somewhere else." Vinyl suggested. "Oh, yes, Pinkie Pie saved Ponyville from them once." Twilight said, quickly writing that down. "Cool." Vinyl Scratch did a double-take. "Wait. Pinkie Pie? She lives in Ponyville?" "She sure does. Why?" Twilight asked. "We used to be good friends back in high school." Vinyl Scratch claimed. "I havent seen her since the wedding." "I guess we can visit Pinkie sometime today." Twilight said, going back to her letter. "I don't want to be rude, but you do know your way around Ponyville, right?" "Yeah, I guess so." Vinyl Scratch actually wanted to spend some time with her new friend. "I just need to know where that empty building is." "Down the street from Sugarcube Corner. Can't miss it." Spike answered. "Thanks. See ya later." Vinyl Scratch said, walking out the door. 'Now... Off to see Pinkie Pie.' > Meeting some ponies > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vinyl Scratch walked into Sugarcube Corner to find thicker pony with frosting shaped hair at the counter. "Hello! Can I get you anything?" The blue pony said. "No, thank you." Vinyl Scratch answered. "Can you tell me where Pinkie Pie is? I'm a friend." "She's upstairs." "Thanks." Vinyl said as she walked up the stairs. Vinyl Scratch knocked on the door she figured was Pinkie's, and not a moment later the door popped open. Pinkie Pie gasped. "Vinyl Scratch?" Vinyl just nodded. "I havent seen you in forever!" Pinkie exclaimed. "It wasn't that long ago." Vinyl Scratch remembered. "Only last year, at the wedding." "Well, DUUUHH." She said. "That's forever! Well, its not forever, but it sure feels close!" The usual Pinkie Pie. Just as Vinyl remembered her. "So, how did you get to ponyville? I thought you planned on majoring in physics." Vinyl questioned. "Well, I was going to, but I found out that making pasteries was so much more fun than that 'theoretical physics' stuff. And, I mean, what kind of parties could a physicist throw? Thats why I'm here. I just get to be me. The element of laughter." Pinkie Pie said meaningfully. "And thats how Equestria was made!" She finished. Vinyl could no longer control it. She just started laughing non-stop, which allowed Pinkie to join for no reason. "Pinkie Pie, you are the craziest pony I know." Vinyl said. "Oh, I know that. So, what brings you to Ponyville?" Pinkie replied. "Got a gig or something?" "Actually, I'm moving here. Its a long story." Vinyl Scratch answered, "I'm actually going to look at an empty building down the street." "Sounds fun!" Pinkie Pie stated. "Oh my gosh! I'm going to have to throw you a party! "That sounds awesome, Pinks! So, I'm gonna head out. Maybe we can hang out sometime and actually catch up!" "Yeah! So, I guess I'll see you later." Pinkie said as Vinyl scratch walked out the door. ... "Where is that building?" Vinyl Scratch said to herself. She decided to ask two ponies on the side of the road. "Hi, my name's Vinyl Scratch, and I'm new here. I was wondering if you could tell me where the empty building is." "Hi, Vinyl Scratch! I'm Lyra, and She's Bon-Bon. I think the building is down another street." The mint colored pony pointed towards the other street. "There's a sign on the front that says 'for sale', so it shouldn't be hard to miss. Its a little big to just be a house, though..." "Oh, I know, I actually was going to start a night club there. Thats how I made a living in Manehattan." "See, isn't that what I was trying to say?" Bon-Bon chimed in, "I had been saying we needed a place to hang out, and a club would be great place!" "So, I guess I'll see you there when it opens, huh?" Vinyl asked. "Sounds fun!" The two friends said in unison. "Alright, then. Thanks, girls!" Vinyl walked toward the building. 'Ah, there it is.' She said to herself. A unicorn was sitting outside with a clipboard, surveying the building. "Excuse me, Sir, but do you happen to be the one selling this building?" Vinyl asked. "Yes, I am," the stallion asked, "I'm actually planning to tear it down, because nopony will buy it even though ive lowered the price to a ridiculous ammount. Shame to waste it." "Actually," Vinyl said enthusiastically, "I was wondering if I could take a look inside. I might be interested in buying it." The stallion almost dropped his clipboard. "Of course you can, miss..." "Vinyl Scratch" "Miss Scratch." He got his keys and unlocked the door, and the two walked inside. "Wow, this is big! I saw it has an upstairs?" Vinyl said. "Yes, it has a living area upstairs." The unicorn replied. "I'll take it. How much?" Vinyl questioned. The stallion was surprised speechless. "Uhm, I lowered the price to two-thousand bits." "Here's Twenty-five-hundred." Vinyl handed him a bag that clinked when he caught it in his magic. "Thank you, Miss Scratch." "Oh, it's nothing. You lowered the price so much already." "Thank you anyway." He said as he gave her the keys. "No problem." Vinyl said. 'I gotta go tell Twilight!' ... Vinyl was half way back to the Ponyville library when she heard something off in the distance which started quietly and then gradually got much louder. She then looked up just in time to see a cyan pegasus screaming, then crash land right into Vinyl Scratch. "OW! That was possibly the most AWESOME crash and catastrophic failure EVER!" The pegasus stood up and helped up Vinyl Scratch. "What the hay is wrong with you?" Vinyl Scratch questioned. "I'm sorry." the pegasus giggled, "My name's Rainbow Dash. I was practicing a new trick and... it didn't go very well. What's your name? I haven't seen you around before." "My name is Vinyl Scratch. I just moved here." Vinyl answered. "You look familiar." Rainbow Dash commented. "Do you think I would have seen you somewhere before?" "Here," Vinyl said as she pulled a pair of purple shades out of seemingly nowhere. "Recognize me now?" "Oh yeah! You were the DJ at the Royal Wedding!" Rainbow Dash chuckled, "You know, I didn't know your name, so I just called you 'DJ Pony.'" "Hmm. Has a nice ring to it." She then thought about it for a few seconds. "HA! I've got it." "Got what?" Rainbow Dash asked. "My stage name! I just bought a building down the road a bit for a club, and I was thinking about a stage name." Vinyl paused, "'DJ Pon-3'. Like with a 'three' instead of the 'Y'." "I like it!" Rainbow Dash commented. "Well, I gotta practice this trick, so I'm gonna take off." "Alright, I'll see you around town!" Vinyl said, as she began to trot away. > Setting up the club > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vinyl Scratch walked through the front door of the library to be enveloped in the aroma of dusty old books. Most ponies saw her out to be the "wait until the play" kind of pony, but to her there was nothing better than sitting in bed until sunrise reading a good book. Vinyl Scratch exhaled after absorbing the aroma. "Hey, Twilight!" She called, "where are ya?" "In here!" Called the lavender unicorn from another room, "what can I help you with?" "Well," Vinyl Scratch began, "I bought that building down on Mane street." "Really?" Twilight asked as she entered the main room. "Yeah, I already invited two ponies to visit my club when it opens." Vinyl Scratch answered, excitedly. "Lyra and Bon-Bon, I think." "I'm not really the 'nightclub' type, myself," Twilight stated, "but it sounds interesting. Maybe thats just what Ponyville needs, somewhere for friends to get together." "Yeah, thats what I thought!" Vinyl Scratch agreed. "Hey, Twi, I was wondering if you could get your friends together and bring them to the club tonight. I'm gonna have a house-slash-club warming party." "Of course! They will love that." "Alright, then, I'll go get set up!" ... "Ugh." Vinyl Scratch grunted, fumbling with the locks on her cases of equipment. The final latch finally popped open, "there!" She continued to set up the heavy equipment, using a heavy-duty levitation spell Twilight taught her. It used a lot of energy, but was definately easier than picking it up by hoof. She put the table, speakers, and deck in the area where she was going to build the stage, in her favorite arrangement which allowed the sound to travel better. She set up the lights above the table, and turned them on. The lights were very distracting. Vinyl Scratch had always had a problem with bright lights and loud noises, which ponies never believed, with her being a DJ at a night club. She wore specially designed headphones to dampen the random loud sounds and the music, and the shades that she wore were extremely darkened. The combination of the two made the thing she valued more than anything bearable. It was quiet in the empty building until there was a knock at the front door. Familiar rhythm to the knock, but she couldn't remember where she had heard it before. She opened up the door. "Hello?" "Hey, sweetheart." "MC! I haven't seen you in so long!" Vinyl Scratch said, tackling him in a hug, "How did you find me?" "Your friend Octavia said you were here in Ponyville." Said MC, in his low, raspy voice. His Manehattan-accent made him seem so much more intimidating, but very few ponies knew that he would never hurt a fly. He was very kind hearted, and would listen to anyone. Though he seemed intimidating, he gave off a feeing of trust. He was a mentor to many of his friends, and mostly to Vinyl Scratch. He helped her through the loss of her parents, and much other things. "It's been too long, Scratch. We need to catch-up soon." MC said. "Yeah. Actually, tonight I'm having a party. That's why I'm setting up my equipment." Vinyl Scratch said. "Maybe you could come?" "I'll see you then." MC replied. "Thanks." Said Vinyl Scratch. MC then leaned closer to Vinyl Scratch and kissed her cheek softly, then left, leaving Vinyl Scratch's face bright red. "See you then..." She echoed. > The Party > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vinyl Scratch pulled her signature shades over her eyes, put on her special headphones, hit the lights, and started up the music, her favorite artist, Daft Punk. Sure, she was a DJ, and she always performed in public, but the one thing she always felt awkward doing was dancing. But, hay, it was her building, so why not dance? Vinyl Scratch started doing some sort of robot-esque dance, when eight ponies and a dragon rushed in, all catching her dancing. If you think you have seen somepony's face turn red, you've never met Vinyl Scratch. She can be all cool, but if she embarasses herself all bets are off. "Alright, alright, I know, it's funny. I just like this song." She said to the laughing friends. "Lyra, Bon Bon, you made it!" "Sure did! I never miss a chance to hang out with friends!" Lyra said. Just then, the next track started playing. Vinyl Scratch had forgotten to remove it from the playlist, because everypony always asked what a "Human" was. But apparently, Lyra already knew. She practically tackled Vinyl Scratch with a hug, shouting, "FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE WHO KNOWS ABOUT THE LEGEND!!! People never believe me when I-mmph!" Bon Bon had practically torn Lyra off of Vinyl Scratch, and covered her muzzle, yet she still continued to mumble to herself after Bon Bon had let her go. Vinyl Scratch, by then, had skipped to the next track and deleted "Human after all" from the playlist. Rainbow Dash then asked, "where did you get all this high tech equipment? I haven't seen anything like it in... ever! It's like a really futuristic version of the Z-13 processor, but that can only process mere kilobytes of data per second..." Twilight was astonished. "Rainbow Dash, how did you-" "Just because I'm the best flyer in Equestria, doesn't mean that I can't be a computer enthusiast. Anyway, what were you saying, Vinyl? "A friend of mine is an inventor. He was also the Microphone Controller at my club a while back." Suddenly, a knock came at the door. Vinyl Scratch then walked to the door, and opened it, just as the next track started up. She always said that this was MC's theme song. He enjoyed the dub-trot sound it had. "MC!" Vinyl Scratch shouted as she hugged him tightly, and slightly awkwardly, because she was much shorter than him. It didn't help that she was a little shorter than most mares her age, and MC was unusually tall, but still quite attractive. "So, should we get this party started?!" Shouted Pinkie Pie, pulling a special cannon from nowhere. "No way! You got the party cannon finished!" Vinyl Scratch said in awe. "Sure did! Did you ever figure out your bass cannon?" "Yeah, but I'll talk to you about that later. Can you get the party going, Pinkie?" Vinyl asked. "Duh! I've got this covered, Scratchie." Pinkie replied. "Hey, MC... Can I talk to you for a minute?" Vinyl asked in a quieter voice. "No problem." MC replied, just as quietly. "What was that about, earlier?" Vinyl asked, once they got to a private place. "Vinyl, back in Manehattan, I had been alone. The only thing I lived for was being with you every late night." MC said. "I really liked you back then, and I knew that I wanted to ask you out, but I was too afraid I couldn't get somepony as awesome as you." "Oh, MC, you should have asked..." Vinyl stated. "I know... That's why I'm asking now." MC continued, quietly. "So, could I have a chance?" "Yes, you can!" Vinyl said as she hugged him tightly around the neck. "Thanks, Scratch." He said with a soft smile. "But is a long distance relationship going to work? I dont think-" "I sold my house in Manehattan. I have nothing but you anymore." MC said sadly. Vinyl paused for a minute. "You can stay with me." She said, finally. "Really, it's no problem. I have an extra room." "Thanks so much, Vinyl." MC said. "Yeah... Now, lets go to that party, huh?" Vinyl suggested. "Yeah, that'd be fun." MC answered. > Ending the Party > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pinkie Pie obviously liked the music. Not only was she dancing like a maniac, but she had turned up the volume so loud that even Vinyl Scratch's headphones weren't helping much. Vinyl walked up to the table where she set up her equipment and turned the music down to a tolerable level. Pinkie Pie complained, but the others were relieved. Hey, Scratchie! Come over here!" Pinkie Pie shouted, her ears still obviously ringing from the music. She poked her hoof into her ear and shook it, trying to get rid of the ringing sound. "How can I help ya, Pinks?" Vinyl Scratch asked casually. "OMYGOSH!" Pinkie yelled in a hushed tone. "I knew that you and MC were a thing! You're so cute together! I mean, you're really short, and he's really tall, and I always thought that was cute! But, now I'm gonna have to plan a party, and-" "Pinkie! Shut up! We just got together, literally minutes ago!" Vinyl Scratch said as she covered Pinkie's muzzle with her hoof. "And I'm not sure if we want to make it public yet. I mean, we were the two biggest things in Manehattan, if anypony there finds out... paparazzi everywhere... And I'm not even sure if we ARE a thing, he just asked me out, not to be his - Wait, how did you know?" "Duh, Pinkie Sense told me. Eye twitch, knee pinch, and twitchy tail combo." Pinkie Pie said. "And I won't tell anyone. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" "Thanks, Pinks." Vinyl said with a wink. "Now, lets get back to that party." "Wait," Pinkie started with a confused look, "where's he gonna stay?" "He's gonna stay here." Vinyl said with an embarassed look on her face. "With me..." Pinkie's expression showed exactly what she was thinking. "Oh, I see..." She said with a grin. "Wha- NO! It's nothing like that... It's just... Yeah..." Vinyl Scratch said, her face turning red. "Okay!" Pinkie said as she bounced happily away to the party. "So, now what?" Vinyl Scratch asked herself. ... "... So, then I said, 'Wub you? I barely even know you!" Vinyl Scratch laughed loudly at her own joke, while everypony else chuckled awkwardly, even Pinkie Pie, who would laugh at anything. "Hey, Scratch," MC said quietly into Vinyl Scratch's ear. "When, uh... When is this gonna be over? I mean, you know I'm as much of a party animal as you, but I'm getting tired. Didn't sleep on the train over here, which is pretty far from New Horsleans. " "New-" Vinyl almost shouted, "New Horsleans? What were you doing there?" "Forget about it, you probably don't follow hoofball anyway." MC answered, "But it is getting pretty late, maybe we should hit the hay?" "Yeah, I'm feeling tired too." Vinyl said as she checked her foreleg for the watch that she didn't even own. "I don't even have a- anyway, yeah, it is getting late." Vinyl then trotted over to the DJ table, and got the microphone. "Alright, guys. It's been a fun night, but it's time to go. Sorry, but good news is, I'll be opening for business anytime now! And you all, the ponies who have been kind to me, can get in for free! But as I said, it's time to leave." "Aw, come on!" Shouted a mint green pony from the back. "Yeah, I know, Lyra! It was great having you here! Good night!" And not too much later, everypony had gone home and to bed, including Vinyl Scratch. > Realization of Friendship > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vinyl Scratch woke up and did her daily morning routine in order to wake herself up and get ready for her day, when she realized something. "MC?" /Where has he gone to?/ "MC!" Vinyl Scratch looked on her counter, and found a message, "Scratch, Went to the library. ~MC~" "Short, and to the point. Not nesicarily sweet, but whatever. I had to go there anyway." And off to the Ponyville Library Vinyl Scratch went. ... "Hey, Twilight!" "Hi, Vinyl..." Twilight Sparkle replied with a saddened tone. "What's wrong? Don't try hiding anything from me!" Vinyl Scratch said, trying to cheer Twilight up. "Vinyl, MC left." Twilight answered. "He told me to give you this..." Twilight levitated a note over to Vinyl, and she enveloped it with her magic as she began to read. "Vinyl, I'm so sorry I left like this. I just realised that I was not the one. I don't want to hurt you, so I wanted to cut it off before we started anything. Thank you for letting me face my fears, and I know you will find somepony. You deserve better than me. Just don't let this get you down. I'm not saying goodbye. I'm just not there right now. Send me a letter if you need me, but let's just keep it as friends. Thank you, MC" "I..." She paused, then came to the grim conclusion. "I agree. I want to keep it as friends so we don't lose what we have. Twilight, can you please get a book for me?" "Of course." Twilight replied. "Which one?" "'Ride upon the black wind's love' by Dark Flight." Vinyl requested. "Here you go." Twilight said as she passed the book to Vinyl, who put it into her saddlebag. Before she walked out the door, she stopped and looked at Twilight. "Thank you." She said. "For being my friend. Noone does that other than a friend back home." "You are more than welcome, Vinyl Scratch." Vinyl Scratch walked out the door and stopped to look at ponyville. She could see everything from there. The Carousel Botique, Sweet Apple Acres in the distance, Sugar Cube Corner, and Rainbow Dash clearing the skies. "I picked a good place to live. I picked good friends." She looked into the sky. "Thank you." And for the first time since her family died, she smiled, and truly felt happy.