Introduction
Music for the Soul
By Sceaga
"You! Ungrateful! Snobs! You come in here every night pretending to be cultured, pretending to be refined, but all of you are nothing but hypocrites!"
I had had enough tonight, storming off stage to the jeers of the crowd. Not like I cared what they thought. Most of them probably did not even know who I was, and of those that did, were only here to socialize and mingle. They did not care about the music, the artistry, or the ponies up on the stage, playing their hearts out night after night.
"I need a stiff drink," I thought as I left through the backdoor. The night was cold as I made my way to the bar next door. The wind whipped around me, but the anger I felt kept me warm as I walked through the front door to the only place that seemed to appreciate me lately. I would usually find a booth to relax in, but most of them seemed to be taken tonight. "Looks like it is the bar for me," I grumped. "Just perfect."
Taking a seat, I ordered my usual: bourbon. Most ponies would think I would be more of a scotch kind of mare, but scotch just does not have that earthy flavor I have grown accustomed to. Thankfully, the bartender knew me well enough to already have a drink prepared when I walked in. "Looks like it was another rough night," the mare behind the counter said as she set down my drink. "You've been coming in here more often lately, so I'm guessing life has you down. Unfortunately, the rest of your night isn't looking to be much better." I gave her a perplexed look as she motioned to one of the booths. Sitting there with the biggest smile on her face was the last pony I wanted to see tonight.
"Tavi!"
Vinyl Scratch. The white unicorn mare with the electric blue mane waved at me spastically, causing quite the scene that I did not want as she continued to yell my "name". "Tavi! Tavi! Tavi! Tavi! Tavi!" Giving her my most unpleasant stare, I resigned myself to walk over to her table, just so she would stop causing such a disturbance.
It is not like I did not like her. She was probably my closest friend outside of the orchestra. Those ponies were mostly work acquaintances, whereas Vinyl was more like that pesky kid who would never leave you alone. We had met at university years ago, and even though our music careers have gone different paths, we have managed to stay friends, for better or worse.
"Tavi! I knew I would find you here. Why so down, girl? Drink with me and cheer up!" She was much too cheery tonight. "Or, we could go back to your place and I could cheer you up in more...sensual ways," she said slyly, giving me a not so subtle wink. Much too cheery.
"Vinyl, you know that I do not swing that way," I said, grabbing her trademark sunglasses from the table and putting them on. I wished they had magical properties to help me hide away from the ponies now giving us strange looks.
"That's the thing about swings, Tavi. No matter how long you spend on one side, eventually you will come around and I will get you in bed and give you the best orgasms you've ever had!" Letting out a frustrated groan, I threw her glasses back at her in disgust and sulked down into the booth. "Wow, Tavi, it must really be a bad night to not even get a comeback. Another bad night at the opera?"
"Recital, Vinyl," I corrected her for the hundredth time. "And yes, tonight was even worse than all of last week put together." My drink was getting low, so I ordered another. It was going to be a bad morning tomorrow, but tonight I did not care. "The ponies did not even pay attention this time. Usually they can feign something approaching interest for us on stage, but tonight they just talked. Loudly. Some were even arguing about some business deal with the griffons. I have not had this bad of a night since the Grand Galloping Gala, but at least that one was amusing in the end. And well paid. This job cannot even give me enough bits to make me want to go through tonight again."
"Then don't! Quit and come with me." Vinyl Scratch seemed especially excited by this. "We can work together and start a new movement in the music industry. Your music plus my beats equals the greatest musicians that ever lived!" Now she was really getting worked up. I had to admit, the prospect of starting something new would be a nice change of pace. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was her enthusiasm, or maybe I had just reached the end of my limits, but I was actually getting excited by this idea.
"And then, when we're both famous, you will be so thankful to me for all I have done for you. And you'll start to realize that I'm the only mare that truly knows you and you will fall madly in love with me. And then I will sex you up like you truly deserve." And it was gone. One look at Vinyl and I saw that she was playing me the whole time. She really did know me too well.
Giving her my most deadpanned look, I asked, "Vinyl, tell me why we are friends again?"
"Obviously," she responded, "I'm irresistible!" Now I gave her a death stare. "And of course, you have always been there for me. You helped me out after that disastrous fashion show back home, and now I'm playing parties for the princesses! So now, it's my turn to help you." When she was not being so abrasive, Vinyl Scratch really was a good friend. I gave her a friendly nuzzle and finished off my second drink. "But that's for tomorrow. Tonight, we get wasted!"
As much as I loathed the idea, tonight felt like a night to loosen up, just a little bit. What is the worst that could happen?
~.oOo.~
"Kill me now."
My head felt like it had been run over by a herd of buffalo and my body ached all over. "I am never drinking again." That was a lie, but saying it made me feel...well, not better. It made me feel...feel...SICK! Falling out of bed with a crash, tangled in the covers, I barely made it to the bathroom before everything I ate yesterday, things I could not remember nor recognize, made its way violently into the toilet. There are few feelings worse than regurgitation, but right now, I would take any of them over what I felt right now. "Aww, make it end."
"That's not what you were saying last night," a voice came from behind me. "It was more like, 'Oh baby! Right there! Don't stop!' And that's not including the things that even I won't repeat." Turning around slowly, eyes wide, mouth hung open, I could only stare at Vinyl standing in the bathroom doorway with a grin wider than a certain Gala-ruining, pink pony.
"Please, Celestia, say you are joking." I could only sit there as she came up to me to give me a comforting hug.
"Tavi, you know I'd never take advantage of you while you are drunk. Now that you aren't anymore, however, what say we go back to your bed and really get down to the orgasm-making."
"I need an adult," I moaned as she hugged me tighter.
"Don't worry. We'll definitely be doing some adult things. Unless you're talking about a threesome." Shaking her head, "Tavi, Tavi, Tavi. You know I could never share you with any other pony. You're my snuggle buddy," she said, giving me an entirely too sensual nuzzle. Of course, the mere thought of what she was suggesting made me turn back to the toilet and make a donation of everything else I ate in the past week. Giving me a comforting pat on the back, Vinyl leaned in closer and whispered in my ear, "You know you're sexy when you're bent over like that." I let out a frustrated groan as I got up and stormed off to my bedroom, slamming the door. "Oh come on, Tavi. You know I'm kidding. You know I find you sexy all the time!"
I could hear her on the other side of door and I could just see her trying to hold back her giggles. She really was insufferable sometimes. Looking around at the mess in my room, I caught sight of the clock on my nightstand, realizing that it was telling me that I was now late for morning rehearsal. I may have let out some very unladylike words as I stormed out of my room, knocking down a surprised Vinyl, and bolted for the door. By the time I reached it, Vinyl was already getting up, rubbing her head, wondering what truck just hit her.
"Tavi, why the rush? It's not even noon yet. Nopony else is up yet."
"Vinyl, as much as it is hard for you to believe, some ponies get up before the crack of dusk. Ponies like me who are late for rehearsal."
I was just about through the door when she called out to me. "Tavi, what are you talking about? Don't you remember, you quit last night." I froze, the thought slowly making its way to my hung-over brain, comprehension fighting its way to the surface.
"I...quit? I could not have quit. That does not sound like me at all!" My voice was slowly rising as the realization slowly took hold. "How could I quit!?!?" Yes, I was not enjoying my job lately, but I would never just throw it all away over a bad night.
"Well, really, you were fired for yelling at the audience and walking out. And then after some very colorful words - by the way, very proud - you said you quit and that your boss could take the job and shove it up his, and I quote, 'arrogant, but well-toned and in any other circumstance, sexy, flank.' It was really quite funny."
At that, I fell to my haunches, ears folded back. "No, no, no, no, no, no! That did not happen. You are just joking. Vinyl, tell me you are joking!" I lunged at Vinyl, desperation setting in. "TELL ME!"
"Sorry, Tavi. I wish I could, but it was just too awesome. On the bright side, you don't have to worry about those stuffy ponies anymore. Now you can do what you want, anything you want."
"You do not get it!" Was I crying? I could not tell. "Music is my life and that was my last chance. Do you know what the ponies around here say about me? That I'm cursed! The Grand Galloping Gala. The garden party at the palace. All ended in disaster. Ponies only came to the shows hoping for another disaster. I only got that job by calling in the last of the favors my boss owed my parents. And now it is gone. I'm done with. Washed up." I could not feel anything anymore. I must have collapsed because next thing I knew, I was sobbing at the hooves of my only friend.
"Hey, Tavi, look at me. You are anything but washed up." Vinyl wiped away my tears, holding up my chin so that I could see her. "I told you last night that I would help you, and that was a promise. Let me make a phone call. I may have a solution to all of this." Vinyl helped me to my sofa and covered me in a blanket. The past night and this morning were finally catching up to me and I felt exhausted. Trying to figure out where my life had gone wrong, I fell asleep.
~.oOo.~
I woke up to the smell of fire. Wait, what?
My eyes shot open and I bolted up, looking around for the fire, only to see Vinyl tending to some logs in the fireplace. Seeing me wake up so suddenly, she started to laugh at my confusion. "Evening, sleepyhead. It was getting cold in here and I know you're picky about your thermostat, so I thought a fire would be nice. I also made you some soup. It's in the kitchen. Please say you're hungry because I'm starving!"
I was pretty hungry, considering I had not eaten anything all day, and I...expelled most of my previous meals. Nodding my head, I got up and lead the way to the dining table. Vinyl came out of the kitchen levitating a wonderfully smelling pot of what my hunger was telling me was the best food in Equestria. Filling a bowl for each of us, we sat down to dinner. The soup was amazing, far better than anything I thought my friend could cook. Her usual meals consisted of ramane noodles or cereal.
"So I've got good news. I found a job for you. Now now, no need to thank me. You can repay me in sexual favors later." Even my hunger could not keep me from giving her a glare. "Don't worry, we can negotiate all that," she continued. "One of my friends down in Ponyville is a teacher and it just so happens that she is in need of a music teacher. What do you say? Want to help raise the next generation of musicians?"
"Teaching," I groaned, "especially to foals? I do not think so. Foals are just...messy. And smelly. And they cry all the time."
"You're thinking of babies, Tavi. And Cheerilee says that most of her students are very well behaved. Well...most of them." She tried to give me a reassuring smile, but I just did not think it was a good idea.
"What about that saying, 'Those who cannot, teach'? Do I really have nothing left?" Suddenly, my soup was not so appetizing.
"Tavi, do you remember when you told me about why you got into music? You said you were walking around Canterlot when you saw that street musician and it inspired you to create music. You admired that stallion and he taught you how to not only play an instrument, but to appreciate it. You could be that mentor to these children."
She was right. I could help these children. I could help them find an appreciation for music that I had when I was a child. At that moment, I really was thankful for having such a good friend in my life. Vinyl really could be sweet when she wanted to be.
"Alright, I will do it."
"Yes! Wait, you're talking about the sexual favors, right? Cause I'm totally going to hold you to them."
Okay, maybe not.