Chapters All & Nothing
By: Aynine
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Chapter 1: The View From The Top
The roar . That thunderous roar of the crowd's ever-jubilant cheering. It's the sound of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of fans showing their joy for the music and its artist. Or maybe it's just them cheering just to cheer , thought Vinyl Scratch as she mixed in a new track and rolled her eyes. More wails of joy brought the volume higher as the new track blared from the stacks of speakers. Her thick headphones drowned out most of the noise, allowing her to focus on the music. The lights flickered from an ambient blue to a pulsing red. The new beat pulsed a powerful bass sound that could be felt by anyone nearby. The pulsing red light was soon joined by a flashing blue, then a green. Each shade bathed the room in its entrancing light momentarily to the beat of the song.
Many ponies in the crowd held glow sticks and lights in their mouths or wrapped around hooves and horns. A black light was always on behind the others to allow certain clothing and coats to stand out with a ghostly glow. They jumped and danced, all undulating to a beat in the song. Soon the music broke and the lights dimmed until it was just a dark blue layered over the crowd. The stage went completely dark. Nice and quiet now , sighed the DJ. A new wave of sound ripped forth from the massive speakers. She rocked her head to the pulsing sounds. The next beat incited more cheering and dancing as the crowd became livelier and the lights turned into a laser show. Various colors phased over the crowd and onto the walls, constantly darting around and crossing each other.
The light would have been bothersome on the platform where Vinyl performed, but she always wore her signature ruby red shades. The thick lenses dulled it into acceptable levels and interesting hues. She could see some of the crowd in the constant light changes, but never more than ten meters back. The constant light changes made it difficult to gauge how many ponies there were. The track began its outro and the fans pushed themselves as hard as they could to the last of the music. It was the end of her set, and the end of her show. Soon the music had ended and the cheering only seemed to grow louder as it did.
"Give it up for DJ-P0N3 !" yelled an announcer enthusiastically.
The crowd was brought into an uproar once more. Further increasing the cheering, Vinyl stood up and raised her front hooves into the air, coaxing more cheering. This was it. This was why she made her music--what she lived for. As they cheered and screamed her name and other affections, she gave one last smirk and a nod before trotting off of the stage. Her mind numbed itself to her surroundings as she wandered backstage. Smaller corridors of brick and tile made up the halls she walked down. Another DJ unicorn walked by and tried to casually wave, but the white unicorn moved past without returning the friendly gesture, not even paying attention to anyone or anything but herself.
Reaching the back end of the building, she pushed open one of the large double doors and into the night. She frowned as droplets of water cascaded onto her body. Each one sent a chill down her spine, but the cold was bearable until a sweeping breeze sank its icy teeth into her flesh. The white mare shivered and braced herself. She continued forward out and across the parking lot until the numbness set in and she could relax. She wandered the streets, slowly moving down the sidewalks with her head hung low.
She let loose a loud sigh, muffled by the few carriages and hoofsteps in the late evening. I just don't care anymore... The streets soon came to life as she approached the center of Canterlot. Even in the deep, chilling night, this part of town always bustled with activity. Her head bobbed through the more sophisticated setting. Boutiques, gift shops for tourists, theaters, opera houses. As she passed a particular opera house, a few ponies moved in and out of the doors.
Vinyl stopped and froze her position, the only movement being her breath appearing as a smoky mist in the air briefly and the subtle heaving of her chest. Each time the doors opened, she could hear the faint whine of a masterfully played cello in the distance. After huffing absentmindedly, she continued moving forward, soon forgetting what she'd heard. The lonely walk continued until she reached her apartment. As far as success went, Vinyl's apartment alone stood as a testament to her fame and fortune.
She strode inside and flicked on the lights with her magic. Dropping her shades onto table by the door, she moved forward and sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time. The apartment had been adorned with comfortable and modern furniture of the highest quality. Sofas were positioned in front of a large, flat screen TV with an exquisite, custom surround sound system. It was perfect for hosting parties with her friends.
She wandered over and plopped down on the main sofa and stared at the dark screen, contemplating something to watch and fall asleep to. Friends , she thought, I don't have enough of those . Her magic snagged the remote control and turned on the large screen. She flipped through a variety of channels ranging from advertisements to family sitcoms. For a moment, she stopped on a music channel dedicated to electronic musicians. She had been featured as the number one artist... again.
The fame only elicited another drawn out sigh. Famous and alone . As channels flipped by to listless eyes, she stopped on a channel featuring classical music. Normally, she would've skipped right over it, but this particular channel piqued her interest. She sat up and leaned forward, turning up the volume to better listen. An orchestra played softly through her speakers before cutting back away to an advertisement. Bleh. How can anypony like this stuff ?
Clicking the TV off, she wandered to the back of her apartment, passing the kitchen and dining room. She stopped in front of an unusually thick door. Manually pressing a hoof to it, the door obliged and swung open to reveal her studio. Turntables, microphones, speakers, headphones, keyboards, midi controllers--enough sound engineering hardware to set a band for life sprawled into view. Taking a seat at the desk, she stared at it for a moment, playing sounds in her head. She soon set to work on her next hit song.
After several hours of tinkering with beats and various synths, she slammed a hoof on the desk and removed her headphones with magic. "Argh! This isn't working! I can't think of anything!" she complained aloud. She let loose an aggravated squeal afterwards. Her soundproof studio was always a good place to vent her frustrations. "Alright, you know what? Screw it."
She snapped up with a disgusted look and stormed out of the room, heading for the kitchen. Opening the freezer, she snatched some ice cream and a spoon, skipping over a bowl entirely. A private pleasure, she ate ice cream when frustrated and uninspired. The past few months had been rough and she hadn't enjoyed any of her shows. No new music came to mind when it was time to record. She'd slipped into a depressed lull.
As she ate bite after bite of the comforting vanilla ice cream, she began to gnaw on the spoon when she ran out. Her eyes fell to the container. Empty . Tossing it in the trash, she sighed again and wandered down the hallway to her bedroom. A princess sized mattress with fine, silk sheets. She leaped onto the bed, landing and sinking into the blissfully comfortable mattress. Her eyes fixated upon the ceiling. Why am I always alone ?
All & Nothing
By: Aynine
[Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MLP franchise and all rights are reserved by Hasbro and the respective parties involved.]
Relieving Gesture
Vinyl awoke to the obnoxious, almost grinding sound, of her alarm clock. Too groggy to use magic, she rolled over and flailed a hoof over to her nightstand. As she failed to reach it, the sound seemed to grow in volume much to her chagrin. After several more attempts, she finally managed to smack the alarm's off switch. The renewed silence came with an odd serenity. Soon the moments of relief passed and she rose up and rubbed her eyes.
It was the late afternoon. Blinded windows spilled forth a pale light from the lowering sun. The night was always more comfortable and brought with it an air of mystification. Maybe that's why all of the ponies liked to go clubbing and partying at night, rather than the day. Sliding out of bed, she paused for a moment, scanning the room. An armoire sat in the corner and she trudged over to it. A tall mirror rested on the back and she stared at herself.
Her signature two-toned neon blue mane seemed as if it exploded in her sleep. Frazzled strands and wild tufts of hair reached into the air like desperate claws. She inwardly groaned and moved to the bathroom. Another mirror sat against the far wall above a grand sink, but she paid it no mind and started the shower to its right with her magic. The rushing water splashed against elegant tile loudly. The white noise was somehow comforting to her.
Stepping into the heated water, she loosed a shudder and stood up, placing a supporting hoof above the knobs. The water cascaded down her ebony body, matting her coat and mane down. She closed her eyes and raised her face into the water, her eyes closed in thought. Visualizations of lights and sound soared through her mind under the veil of white noise and darkness. Practiced magic sprang forth and lathered her body with soap and shampoo. Somehow the cleansing lacked... feeling .
Rinsing herself, she stepped out and simultaneously brushed her teeth and dried with a towel. The cloth twirled around as she gazed into the mirror with a forlorn expression. Clean and satisfied, it was time to head to the next gig. As she moved outside of the apartment, snatching up her shades and a saddlebag as she went, a mailmare had stopped outside.
"Heya, Miss Scratch. I've got a letter for you," sang the pegasus. Two saddlebags of deliveries were slung over her back almost bursting with letters and boxes. She wore a rough blonde mane with a dreary grey coat, and finally a cutie mark of bubbles. She seemed like an amalgamation of contrasting features.
The letter floated from the pegasi's awaiting hoof and unfolded before Vinyl. Her eyes scanned it, absorbing the text with ease. After nearing the end, her brow sank in wonder, "My show has been moved to the Canterlot castle?" she asked the uninformed pegasus.
"Oooh, that's always a fun place. Maybe I'll stop by!" cheered the mailmare with unending enthusiasm.
Vinyl raised an eyebrow as if to object to the letter's wishes. She groaned in disdain of having her venue changed at the last minute. "At least they're compensating..." she trailed off in defeat. The end of the letter carried the stamp of approval from Princess Celestia herself. How could she object? Tucking the letter away, she shrugged.
"Well, I've got some more deliveries to do. See yah around, Miss Scratch!" The pegasus waved and trotted away.
Vinyl sighed and trudged onward to the castle. She wandered outside and left her shades on her forehead, taking in the scenery naturally. The sun eclipsed the horizon, spraying an orange glow over the city. The moon would be raised before long as the princesses traded their celestial objects.
Her rich location within the city always held awaiting carriages to ferry passengers around. Pegasus drawn carriages were faster, and slightly bumpier, but cost more. Some ponies even complained of whiplash. The DJ shook her head and decided to walk. She had plenty of time to enjoy the wondrous twilight.
Her flamboyant features occasionally attracted fans. Signing autographs, taking pictures--it was all part of the package of fame. Smiles forced and genuine filled the images taken as she passed between them. The sun gave its final farewell and the moon took over, creeping over the horizon and sharing its alluring, pale light with the world. She paused for a moment to look it over. I wonder what it was like for Princess Luna. Being alone on the moon for a thousand years... She found herself holding a hoof up to the moon, reaching for it.
She sheepishly grinned and rubbed her mane as she received looks of confusion from passersby. She pivoted and quickly dashed away and around the corner. Well that was kind of embarrassing. A sigh followed the clopping of hooves as she wandered on to the castle. She passed the same opera house from before and stopped again. The double doors flipped around for each pony wandering in and out. The music inside leaked forth again in low waves. Her ears flicked around to catch the sounds.
Ugh, brass! she complained to herself. The instruments sang of expert play, but it meant nothing to the DJ unicorn. Shaking her head, she pressed on. It took her twenty more minutes to reach the castle. Standing at the bottom of the steps, she looked up to the columns that supported the front entrance. Suddenly, it all seemed so overwhelming to her. She stopped and took in a few deep breaths, collecting herself quickly. Looking back up, the building didn't seem so intimidating anymore.
The odd pang of anxiety didn't sit well. Wow... what was that? As she began to take a step, she ended up being pushed forward and onto the steps, knocking her off balance. "Hey! What was that for?" she snapped while recovering.
"Do you mind moving? This instrument is very cumbersome when ponies are blocking the path," returned an irritated earth pony. A black, elegantly groomed mane rested atop a grey coated head. A large cello lay encased and comfortably fastened across her back. Her face maintained the irritated look, but a cutesy white and pink bowtie fastened around her neck made it difficult to take her seriously.
Vinyl couldn't help but giggle a little at the other mare's lack of intimidation. "I'm sorry," she started, loosing another suppressed giggle.
The grey mare huffed and walked by with her muzzle raised, "I'll bet you are. You could do with learning some respect ." She swayed her tail back in forth in a hostile manner as she took the lead.
Vinyl watched her walk away, contemplating the mare. "Hey..." she began awkwardly, "what's your name?" she managed to ask before she wandered out of ear shot. The words seemed foreign to her, as if spoken by someone else.
The grey earth pony paused and stared ahead a moment longer. She turned her head sideways to view the DJ with an odd, yet forgiving look. "If you must know, my name is Octavia." She continued to gaze at Vinyl expecting the same information in return.
Vinyl snapped her head up with an Oh for a thought. "My name's Vinyl Scratch, but everypony knows me as DJ-P0N3. Pleased to meet you," she said a bit timidly with a half-bow.
Octavia's brow sank down to compliment a glare. "A 'DJ '. Why are you even attending such a classy party?" she wondered to herself aloud.
Responding on cue, Vinyl scratched the back of her head and looked away. "Well... Princess Celestia requested me over my regularly scheduled gig."
The cellist cast a disbelieving look to her. "I highly doubt a unicorn of your..." she paused to eye the DJ up and down, "talents would be necessary at such a sophisticated gathering."
Vinyl floated the letter out and showed her. "Normally I don't play when they change the venue last minute, but I can't deny Princess Celestia my skills," she beamed in a jest manner. She looked around and noticed that they had been standing alone for a while now. "So, uh... where do we go?"
Octavia rolled her eyes and straightened up. "Follow me."
All & NothingBy: Aynine
Topsy-Turvy
The DJ had never worked for Princess Celestia before. Being led into the castle initially seemed like it would be an adventure into a whole new world, but the unicorn soon became bored with it. The servants that passed by seemed too focused and busy for any idle chat. Guards stationed and patrolling rarely ever peeled their eyes from their destination to view a stranger. Either they were really good at spotting trespassers, or never bothered to act openly.
The atmosphere was much too tense and she continued to follow the cellist in front of her. As the minutes ticked on, it seemed like they had been doing a walkathon. Identical corridors of flawless decor never seemed to end in any direction. The fine tapestries all seemed to depict something related to Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, or the Elements of Harmony and their wielders in some way. She hadn't spent much time studying the Elements or who they were. She'd attended awards ceremonies and knew their names and appearances, but never spoke to them.
"Here we are," announced Octavia casually.
Vinyl followed her into a massive ballroom. Crystal chandeliers hung proudly from a domed ceiling. The white stone gave an inspiring atmosphere to the room and complimented the light. Rounded, white cloth-covered tables sat ringed by cushioned seats for guests. Fine china, wine glasses, utensils--it seemed everything had been laid out for the guests. Her eyes wandered to the front of the room where a small, raised stage had been constructed. No doubt for the band that would be performing, a few ponies were already there tuning their instruments or practicing for the upcoming performance.
Absentmindedly stepping forward, Vinyl's hooves clopped on the marble quietly. She approached the stage with Octavia loosely leading in front and did her best to dodge waiters and party organizers. The cellist moved onto the stage and began finding her place and setting up to play. Vinyl couldn't help but watch. She'd never seen any orchestral players up close. Then it dawned on her. Why am I here? I'm a freaking DJ!
"It's rude to stare, you know." Vinyl snapped out of her thoughts and turned away. Octavia merely huffed and continued her preparations.
Wandering around to the back of the stage, she found a small pile of sound equipment. Looking it over, she frowned to find it was mostly microphones and speakers. Is this all I'm here for? Anypony could set this up...
She snatched them up and levitated them into varying places to best capture the orchestra's masterful sound. One microphone sat inside a piano, and others on stands in front of the musicians with smaller instruments. A few more along the walls and finally one above the back stage. She groaned when it wouldn't mount itself and left it loosely hanging on the edge of some wall trim. Whatever. It's fine, she reassured herself.
Quickly returning to her corner, she snagged speakers to place around the room. The servants began to disperse as she went to work. Her eyes rounded up what remained and began to wonder what was going on. Soon after the guests for the party arrived and spread around the seats. Panicking, she stood in the center and began mounting them with weak precision. Short on time to impress, she positioned them correctly, but failed to mount them sturdily. A quick scan of the room and they appeared ok. Alright. Good enough.
She scuttled back to the sound booth on the side to adjust the sound levels. The practicing musicians gave a nod and she sat back in a cushioned chair, unloading her saddlebags to the side. Princess Celestia followed behind the last of the guests and moved to the center of the room.
"Good evening, everypony," started the alicorn. She turned and cast a serene smile over the guests, warming them up for the dull speech she was about to give. "This party is a fundraiser for..."
Vinyl only half-listened. It didn't concern her, but the wealthy and nobility would drink up her words like it was the last thing they'd ever hear. Seriously, Princess Celestia. What the heck am I doing here? she groaned inwardly.
The symphony on stage continued with light playing, providing an ambient, uplifting tone for the guests. Celestia continued with her speech, but one of the large speakers hanging in a corner above the stage began to wobble. The unicorn's heart sank as it leaped from the wall. Crying out, she jumped over the side booth's equipment and attempted to catch it with her magic. Too late .
The speaker crashed through one of the tables and shattered onto the floor. Every other speaker took the cue to blare the atrocity of sound through and the other loose speaker over the stage rattled off. It tore through the grand piano and the pianist fell off the bench and passed out from shock. Everyone in attendance clasped their hooves over their ears in an attempt to drown out the miasma of noise.
Shocked onlookers all glared at the unicorn with a burning hatred amplified by the mere presence of the serene princess. Yelling and screaming began and all she managed to do was hide under her hooves in shame. Her heart pounded as she remained in place to face the music. When all of the sounds stopped, she found herself being lifted up to her hooves with magic. Small tears hid behind her tinted shades.
"And are you to blame for all of this?" The princess stared down at her with a light frown, the corners of her eyes crinkling in slight annoyance.
Before Vinyl could open her mouth, the grey earth pony from before dashed beside her to speak. "She is, your majesty!" The cellist pointed an accusing hoof at the DJ, adding in a quick glare to her motion.
The princess stared them both over while the guests began whispering amongst themselves. A white unicorn with a blue mustache and carefully groomed mane stepped forward. He wore a monocle over his left eye and peered through it with some interest.
"Why is she even here, princess? This is no place for ponies of her..." Octavia licked her lips as if to cleanse herself of the words, "background."
Celestia's eyes widened and she snapped her focus to the cellist immediately. "Octavia!" she started, "Such talk should be beneath one of your upbringing and esteem."
"But princess, her careless and lazy practice is no place for the palace. Somepony could've been injured!"
The unicorn with the monocle stepped up and held a hoof between the three. "Octavia, the princess is right. Though you are right as well, I feel compelled to ask why a DJ is here. Surely anypony could've arranged the necessary sound equipment, princess."
Celestia looked at the fearful DJ incredulously. "Forgive me if I'm not informed myself." She glanced around at the mess of broken speakers, instruments, tables and chairs. "Fancy Pants, can you escort the guests to the garden and setup only a microphone? I shall be with you all shortly."
The unicorn nodded and began rallying the guests for their transfer to the royal gardens. Octavia began walking back for the stage, content that Vinyl would be held accountable. "Ahem," alerted the princess.
The cellist whirled around in confusion and raised an eyebrow. "Was there something else, your majesty?"
"Stay," ordered Celestia.
"But Princess!" The protests died the moment Celestia's drilled into her own. It seemed as if those eyes could sink a rebellion or strip a pony of their soul somehow. Octavia gulped and watched with silent horror as the rest of the players packed up their instruments and departed. She was left alone with Vinyl and the princess.
"While I enjoy a bit of commotion for these events to help liven them up, recklessly endangering anypony within my court is nothing I can let go," scolded Celestia. Her voice cut into Vinyl's guilty heart like razors. The bleached unicorn sank back onto the floor, wishing her shades could hide her from the situation.
Octavia held her nose high with a smug smile tugging at the ends of her lips. "And you, Octavia, have displayed most ungracious behavior. Your opinions and judgments do not belong outside of your personal life"--Celestia tilted her head back and swung a hoof in and upwards arc to the ceiling--"This is a place of equality among everypony. You of all ponies in the more sophisticated society should understand and respect this. I am very disappointed in you..." Her head swayed back to Vinyl, "Both of you."
"Forgive me, your majesty. I meant no disrespect, just that-"
"Enough Octavia. I want only your apology--not your excuse."
"I'm sorry, Princess Celestia," said Vinyl meekly. She removed her shades giving way to small tears in the corner of her eyes. "I didn't mean to be so careless..."
Celestia moved close and placed a hoof on the unicorn's shoulder. She trembled beneath, awaiting whatever punishment was to come. "I know of your issues as of late. They are affecting you far too much. I forgive you for tonight."
"W-What!?" Octavia stamped one hoof and pointed the other at Vinyl. "How can you let her off so easily? Somepony could've gotten hurt because of her!"
Celestia shot her a distasteful look. "However, you will be spending the night cleaning up this mess and returning the ballroom to its former glory."
"Thank you," said Octavia, breathing out in relief.
"And you are going to help her," added Celestia. The cellist attempted to speak again, but she received another silencing look. "No magic."
Vinyl groaned and Octavia huffed. After Celestia left, the DJ put her shades back on. "Look, Octavia, I'm really sorry about this..."
"I don't want to hear it. You've ruined my entire night!" she snapped back.
"I'll make it up to you, I swear!"
Octavia stared at her, an angry frown playing across her features. After an agonizing moment of silence for the DJ, she perked into a grin. "Well..." she started with a rising inflection, "the princess will make sure we both clean up equally..." She cast a disinterested look at the mess. "Oh, you'll definitely make up for this," she said with the grin returning.
