Chapters If late night partying had an avatar, it was Vinyl Scratch. No one really knew where the white unicorn mare had come from, or where she went when she left, but if there was any big party anywhere within a fifty mile radius of Canterlot, she was there. Either serving drinks, leading the dance lines, or pulling wallflowers off the wall; there was nothing she didn't or couldn't do.
Of course, her most famous responsibility was that of a DJ. You didn't ask for her to DJ at your party; she came to you. And she was perfect. She knew exactly what to play to keep the crowd excited, when to switch to slow songs, how to keep them pumped for more and yet keep them from rioting when the party had to end. She seemed to know exactly when and where she was needed.
And right now, she was needed at the side of an earth pony cellist, bright and early, with a plate of steaming hot pancakes.
"Gooood morning, Tavi!" she said brightly, belying the fact that she had just kicked in the door.
Octavia rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?" she asked.
"Seven thirty, just like you asked."
Octavia groaned and rolled over. "Not interested."
Vinyl nudged her in the side with the butt of the fork she carried in her magic. "Get up, Tavi."
"No."
"I'll kiss your whole face," Vinyl warned.
"You wouldn't."
In her exhausted state, Octavia had forgotten just how much of a bad idea it was to challenge Vinyl. She heard the plate be set down and then felt two hooves seize the side of her head. She barely had a chance to gasp before her head was forced up and Vinyl peppered her face with kisses.
"N- no, st- stop, Vinyl! Vi- Vinyl! Stop!"
Vinyl withdrew just long enough to say, "That's the stop that means keep going, right?" before diving back in.
Octavia brought up her hooves to try and push her away, but Vinyl fought for and maintained control.
"Pl- Vi- I'm awake! I'm awake!"
Vinyl grinned. "Good, because your breakfast is getting cold." She levitated the tray up and placed it in front of Octavia, and slid the silverware up to the side of her plate. The unicorn paused. "Something's missing..." She grinned and darted in to give Octavia a kiss on the cheek. "There. Now it's perfect."
Octavia smiled as she picked up the orange juice. "Thank you, Vinyl. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Probably starve," Vinyl said cheerfully.
"Hey now," Octavia protested, jabbing her laden fork threateningly at her marefriend. "I'm not that hopeless, Vinyl."
Vinyl grinned. "Every time you say that, I remember how we met."
Octavia blushed. "It was a case of mistaken identity!" she protested as she lifted another bite.
"You still ended up in the cell next to me. Best arrest of my life."
"I admit, I haven't been completely displeased with the results," Octavia said slowly, "but it was still an embarrassing situation."
"I've had worse," Vinyl said honestly. "Did I tell you about the time that I woke up with three other mares in the same bed?"
"No," Octavia said hesitantly, "and I really don't want to know about it. But I take it you enjoyed it?"
Vinyl heard the question behind the question. "I've changed," she said, climbing into the other side of Octavia's bed. "You're the only one for me now."
"That's good," Octavia said. "I'd hate to have to worry about that."
"You won't," Vinyl said through a yawn. "It's just you now. And you know it."
Octavia took another bite. "That I do. You will be awake when I return, right?"
Vinyl nodded. "Of course. You know how much I hate to be apart from you."
"You're sweet." Octavia leaned down and kissed Vinyl on the lips.
Vinyl licked her lips. "Mmm. Syrupy."
Octavia giggled. "Well, I'm going to shower and then go to rehearsal. Good morning, then." She used to wish Vinyl 'good night' before she slept, but that sort of ended when Vinyl took to responding, 'Yes, it was a good night. Not great, though, due to a lack of a treble clef cutie mark in front of me.'
"Even if I'm asleep, kiss me goodbye?" Vinyl asked hopefully.
"Of course."
* * *
Octavia gently and silently set down her cello case as she entered the house. She creeped over as quietly as she could into the bedroom, and leaned down over her sleeping marefriend. Silently, she neared... until Vinyl's eyes snapped open and she grinned. Octavia barely had time to frown before a pillow slammed into the side of her head.
"Nice try," Vinyl grinned, rolling over to look at Octavia on the floor. "But you're nowhere near fast enough to surprise me."
"It was worth a shot," Octavia said as she stood, neither surprised nor disappointed. "Anyway, there's a letter for you."
"Just one?" Vinyl asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "That's disappointing. My fans better step it up."
"Oh, it's not a fan. Or maybe she is. I'm not sure. But it’s quite important."
"Is it a marriage proposal? Because I'm not interested. I've got something I don't want to give up."
"No," Octavia blushed. "It's a letter from princess Twilight.”
This was indeed an urgent matter. Vinyl quickly sat up, lit her horn, and tore the letter out of Octavia's grip. She ripped the seal off and read the contents. Her eyes widened and she lowered the message, her mouth opening and closing as she searched for words. "Whoa..." she managed.
"What? Is it an arrest warrant?" Octavia joked.
"Hey, I paid my bail!" Vinyl protested. "Besides, my court date isn't for another month."
"Which count of disturbing the peace is that one for, again?"
"Hardee-har-har," Vinyl said flatly. "She's asking me to be part of a special project."
"How many decibels of wubs it takes before the pony brain vibrates itself into jelly?"
Vinyl rolled her eyes, but Octavia hadn't finished.
"Of course, you're perfect for that assignment, as your brain has long since gelatinized."
Vinyl glared. "For such a refined pony, you've sure got a mouth on you."
"And I'm sure you'll be saying that again tonight."
Vinyl subconsciously bit her lower lip before shaking her head. "Look. It involves changelings."
"The nasty little buggers who tried to invade Canterlot?" Octavia asked, pulling the note closer to herself.
"The very same," Vinyl said, releasing the letter so she could see. "Apparently, they've discovered a frequency that disrupts a changeling's ability to hold their disguise, and intend on unleashing it."
"And how does that concern you?" Octavia wondered.
Vinyl reached for her shades. "Obviously, I'm the only one with the speaker setup and know-how to get that show on the road. I start next week. Also, you're now sworn to secrecy." She pointed at the 'confidential' label stamped boldly across the bottom of the page.
"Oh, my," Octavia said. "That's a bit more drastic than I was expecting..."
"Fear not," Vinyl said dramatically, throwing a hoof around Octavia's shoulders and pulling her close. "Nothing shall happen to thee, mine fair maiden, for thy DJ is here, and shall protect thee and thine fine assets."
"You mean like these?" Octavia asked, licking her lips and giving Vinyl a kiss.
"I was referring to your cello, but I like these assets just fine, too," Vinyl said, a slow smile spreading across her face.
Octavia giggled. "You're such a liar. You were thinking of other thi-!" She squealed as Vinyl's hoof brushed against her cutie mark.
Vinyl grinned and ran her tongue along her upper teeth. "Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. Now come on. I'll make dinner, and then we can have some... dessert." The way she licked her teeth at the end of her sentence indicated that she was not thinking of chocolate.
And that was perfectly fine with Octavia.
* * *
Vinyl couldn't hold in a laugh as she looked around. "Now this is what I'm talking about!" she roared. "Life of the party? Life of Canterlot! This city belongs to me!"
Octavia fought the urge to facehoof. "It's just one sound," she said. "You're not putting on a concert for the whole city."
Vinyl shushed her with a hoof. "Shh, shh; I'm dreaming here." She raised her hooves again. "Aw, yeah! V-Scratch is in the hiz-ouse! And the crowd goes wild!" She made crowd cheering noises and then, in a harsh whisper so it sounded like the whole crowd was shouting her name, she chanted, "Vin-yl! Vin-yl! Vin-yl!"
This glorious vision was interrupted by a harsh tug on her tail, and not the seductive kind. She spun around to see Octavia gesturing frantically at the stairway, where a purple alicorn was ascending.
"Your highness!" Vinyl greeted her with a small bow, much shallower than Octavia's more respectful one.
"Hello!" Twilight greeted the both of them. "Your setup is looking great. I’ve looked at all your speakers and I must say, I am impressed. The changelings won't know what hit them."
"That is the point, your highness," Vinyl grinned.
Twilight smiled back. "How long until we're ready?" she asked.
"We're ready now," Vinyl answered. She took a step back and held out a hoof, pointing at a glowing play button. "Would you like to do the honors?"
Twilight grinned. "I'd love to." She walked forward and placed a hoof over the button and paused. "Oh, by the way," she said. "I noticed that the way those two speakers were set up would have made the waves cancel to zero somewhere around this area, so I took the liberty of changing the direction of speaker 2-e ever so slightly to compensate."
Vinyl nodded... before doing a double take. "You did what?!?"
Twilight smiled. "Removed all dead zones." She turned back and raised her hoof over the button.
"No! Don't!" Vinyl screamed, but it was too late.
An epic wub of dramatic proportions pulsed once throughout the entire block. No less than fifteen changelings twitched and collapsed, their disguises disappearing with a flare of green sparks. Royal guards waiting in the shadows and on street corners rushed in bearing cuffs and inhibitor rings, surrounding them and carrying them off.
Twilight smiled as she took in the scene. “Perfect. Pain-free, effective, and now that the changelings know we have a way to strip them of their disguises, they will be a lot less likely to attack. Thanks, Viny-” But here her voice trailed off, for she had looked over at where Vinyl Scratch had been standing and saw not a white unicorn mare, but a twitching changeling, laying curled in the fetal position on the ground.
“You’re clear,” the guard said. “Just call if you need us, and don’t forget the safeword.”
“Thanks,” Octavia said quietly. She walked slowly through the dingy, dusty dungeon (it was not often used, after all), until she came to the cell holding the thing that had been Vinyl Scratch.
The two former lovers stared at each other before the changeling looked down in shame, waiting for Octavia to speak. Octavia didn’t speak for a long time. Her life had come crashing down. Without Vinyl in her life, not even music held its normal appeal.
Finally, she broke the silence. "How long?" she asked.
The prisoner cowered slightly, and looked sheepishly aside.
“How. Long?” Octavia demanded.
The thing that had been Vinyl tried to look up, but couldn’t meet her eyes.
Octavia reared up and slammed her forehooves against the grate. “How long?” she screamed. “How long have you been feeding off me? How long have you lied to me, and where is the real Vinyl Scratch? Answer me!”
The changeling pointed to herself and nodded fervently.
“Use words. Surely that’s not above you?”
“Miss Octavia?” the guard called. “Changelings can’t speak our language in their native forms. It’ll have to transform before you can understand it, and the ring inhibitor won’t let them change.”
“Can you take it off?”
“That would require permission from high up top.”
“I’ll wait.”
* * *
Two hours later, a young guard returned with an authorization form, and, with the safeword written, the ring was removed.
“No funny business,” the guard warned. “I’ll be watching.” With one final glare, he turned and headed back towards the front..
The changeling smiled hopefully, but the effect was ruined ever so slightly by the sharp fangs in her mouth.
“Talk," Octavia growled.
The changeling flared green fire, and there again stood Vinyl Scratch. She opened her mouth to speak, but Octavia wasn't having any of that.
“Not her!” Octavia roared, slamming both forehooves against the bars again. “You don’t get to take her form! Ever!”
The changeling stumbled back, surprised at her outburst, and desperately flared green fire again. Octavia found herself face to face with a carbon copy of herself, except without a bow-tie.
“You’re certainly not winning yourself any points like this, you know,” she seethed.
Octavia the second nodded, and flared green fire again. Now there stood a slim yellow pegasus with a straight but very voluminous brown mane. "Better?" she asked.
"Answer my questions and we'll see. How long has it been you, and where is the real Vinyl Scratch?"
"There never was a Vinyl Scratch," she said. "It's always been me."
"You lie."
"I would never!" she protested.
"Oh, so the explosion that sent all changelings flying out of Canterlot just so happened to miss you, then, is that it?”
"I was underground in my recording studio, remember? I was getting ready for the wedding reception that night! I didn’t even know there was an invasion planned for that day! It's me and I love you!"
"Don't say that!" Octavia screamed. "You can't love! You feed on it!"
"I just betrayed my entire kind, do you realize that? I've helped expose fellow changelings so I could stay with you! What do you call that, huh?"
"Survival of the fittest, so you could keep me alive and feed off me for the rest of my life? You're lying again!" Octavia accused.
"I am not!" The pegasus stomped her hoof angrily. "Please believe me!"
"Prove it!" Octavia spat. "Tell me something only the real Vinyl would know."
The pegasus blushed. "Well..."
"Unless you can't."
Faux-Vinyl swallowed, and her wings fluttered ever so slightly in nervousness. "April 24, last year. You gave me your virginity on the couch of your apartment after a beautifully flawless performance. Your favorite part was when I started spanking you with your cello now, and my favorite part was that 'nyah!' sound you made the first time you climaxed."
Octavia froze and her jaw dropped. She had sworn Vinyl to secrecy on that matter, for obvious reasons, and if this changeling knew...
The guard listening choked back a laugh, and Octavia gave him her best death glare before facing Vinyl again, but this time seeing her in a new light. "Why?" she asked.
"Because you asked me to and I love you."
"No, I mean... Why? Why did you choose me? Why would you betray your own kind for me?"
"Traitors should be executed, regardless of race," the guard muttered.
The pegasus turned and growled. "Shut your trap, shinyflank, nopony asked you!" The pegasus then faced Octavia and flared green fire, and there stood Vinyl again. "Remember when we first met?" she asked, taking a hesitant step forward, her red eyes silently pleading for mercy. "Both of us, sitting there in the jail cell? Me, for multiple noise violations and you because they thought you were that one jewel thief? You tasted so lonely then, and I..."
"Tasted?"
"Changelings can taste ambient emotions. It's how I always knew which song to play next. If it tasted like ponies wanted to party, if they wanted to slow dance, if they were getting tired, you get the picture. I could sense that, and I just played whatever fit their mood."
"And that's how you feed?" Octavia surmised. "Ambient emotions?"
"Yep. Changelings don't always drain their food, you know." Vinyl paused, before her ears flopped and she lifted a hoof submissively. "Not like I saw you as food or anything. Please don't think that!"
"What should I think?" Octavia asked, more calmly than she felt.
Vinyl licked her lips. "Most changelings hide and stay in the shadows, working in sneakery."
"That's not a word."
"I don't care. But me? I go out and stay in the open. Everypony knows Vinyl Scratch. I've always been a fan of a challenge, you know."
Octavia knew. More than once she had witnessed the aftermath of a drinking contest that Vinyl had entered, and more often than not she had won.
"And when I saw you sitting there, huddled against that cell wall, with your wrinkled pink bow-tie and your ruffled mane, you just tasted so lonely. You felt so sad. You had a love of music, so I knew you could love, but you were so alone and... and I wanted to know if I could make you happy."
"So I was a challenge for you."
The pegasus blushed lightly. "Originally, yes."
"Congratulations, you succeeded," Octavia said bitterly. "I have never been happier than when you came into my life."
"A little too successful," Vinyl continued. "I fell in love with you, too."
"You're a changeling," Octavia accused. "You feed on love. You can't produce it."
"Oh yeah? What is love, Octi?"
Octavia opened her mouth to answer... and then realized that she couldn't.
Vinyl smiled a sad half-smile. "I can't answer that either. I just know that I've been many places, woken up next to many different ponies, and done some crazy things in my life; but you... You make me want to be better. You make me feel like I'm somepony special and not just another changeling in the hive. You make me feel like I'm worth something. Of all the places I want to wake up, your bed next to you is at the top of my list. And I love you for that."
Octavia smiled. "I suppose that is a good enough definition of love if any." She chuckled lightly, finding comfort in the small amusements. "You always know what to say."
Vinyl buffed a hoof against her chest and examined it nonchalantly. "What can I say? My favorite instruments are turntables and Tavi’s heartstrings."
They were interrupted by a harsh cough. A guard stood in the doorway, his armor markings indicating a slightly higher rank than the ones that had let Octavia in. "I hate to interrupt such a... 'touching moment', but visiting hours are over."
Octavia nodded and turned to leave. Vinyl silently watched as she did.
She paused in front of the guard. "What will happen to her?" she asked.
The guard stared impassively. "Don't know. The word from up top is that one will have a lighter sentence because it obviously didn't warn any changelings in the area, but it's still a criminal."
"Just for being who she is?" Octavia asked, putting emphasis on 'she'.
"It would appear so. Do you wish to leave of your own free will, or do you need an escort?"
Octavia glared darkly before continuing her walk outside.
* * *
The next morning, Octavia tapped her visitor's badge impatiently as she waited for clearance and today's safeword.
The same guard returned to the lobby, still wearing that flat expression. "The prisoner you wanted to see is already gone."
"Gone?" Octavia gasped. "Wh- whatever for?"
"She’s already been exiled."
"Exiled?" Octavia repeated.
"Turns out the princess decided that since she didn't help the changelings or leak the test, she wasn't a complete threat and she was exiled this morning." The guard shrugged. "Good riddance, I say. Hopefully her own kind will kill her instead."
And that’s how Octavia learned that one backhoof to the face can be considered assaulting a guard, and that particular charge brings a large fine, a court date, and a minimum of two nights in jail.
* * *
Octavia wasn’t entirely sure how she’d gotten there, but the moment she was released she thought, ‘I need a drink’, and her body responded by taking her to the nightclub where she had met Vinyl so long ago. She sat at the bar itself, nursing a large bottle of the highest proof alcohol she could stand.
Which wasn't much, to be honest; but it's the thought that counts.
It was funny, really. She used to de-stress by playing her cello, or other various instruments. Sometimes by composing. And through it all, Vinyl always knew what to say to cheer her up.
Vinyl...
Octavia downed her glass and refilled it again.
She had sat there for about two hours when she heard the scraping of a bar stool next to her and a cheerful voice greet her. "Hey, you're sure looking down. What's up?"
"I'm really not interested," Octavia said tersely, not even looking at the mare speaking to her.
"Oh, don't be like that. Can I get a half-smile at least?"
Octavia grunted what might have been an affirmation, but didn't look up yet.
"I'm Turntable, DJ master-apprentice and prodigy. In fact, I'm going to be the next Vinyl Scratch."
Octavia turned, glaring daggers at the cheery light-pink unicorn mare with a messy pink mane and a set of dark sunglasses. "You will never be able to replace Vinyl Scratch!" she roared, batting away the offered hoof. "And if you had half the respect for her that she deserves, you would never mention her name again!"
Turntable was, to put it lightly, taken aback at her outburst, and promptly fell off her stool.
Octavia recomposed herself, took another drink, and when she spoke again, she was much calmer. "As I said, I am not interested, so if you would be so kind as to take a long walk off a short pier, that would be wonderful."
Turntable grinned as she pushed herself to her hooves. "Tell you what. I'll get you something from the bar. If it's your favorite drink, you'll let me sit here. If it's not, I'll go away and leave you alone."
Octavia smirked. "I'll take that bet." She had yet to find a chef or waiter who could make her favorite drink right the first try. It had been an experiment that had created it, after all.
A mildly drunken experiment fabricated by Vinyl...
She bit her lip to suppress another tear and took another drink.
It had been a few minutes since Turntable had left, and Octavia had decided that she had likely given up when a glass of frothing liquid suddenly appeared in her vision and slid to a stop in front of her.
"They didn't have red creme soda so I just used the regular kind. Sorry about that. But here you are. Two parts cider, one part creme soda, a shot of weak whiskey because you're a lightweight for an earth pony, spritz of lime, salt coating on the rim..." Her horn brought a small, foil packet floating through the air as she continued, "and a pat of butter." Unwrapping it deftly, she dropped it in the mug and let it sink to the bottom.
Octavia could only stare. "How did you..."
Turntable pulled her sunglasses down, revealing brilliant red eyes. "Let’s just say... I know these things," she grinned. She held up her own glass. “Cheers, Tavi?”
Octavia picked up the glass and tried to suppress a smile (and the urge to tackle the unicorn to the ground in a crushing hug). "Well, I suppose that upon further reflection, the prospect of a little company might not be such a bad thing after all. Cheers, then.”
Turntable walked back into Octavia's house, carrying loads of mail. She sorted them out onto the table, muttering as she did.
"Fan mail, fan mail, fan mail, bill, fan mail, another bill, that's a scam, that's fan mail..."
Octavia watched with baited breath. "Is there anything for me?" she asked as innocently as possible.
"Nope," Turntable said, shaking her head. "Are your fans being too quiet? I can write you fan mail if you'd like."
Octavia hid a smile. "I suppose you could; but as a general rule, fan mail usually consists of compliments on performances and gratitude for influence, not just propositions of a sensual nature."
Turntable shrugged. "Works, doesn't it? I mean, you know you like it."
Octavia grinned. "I suppose I must concede that point. It is somewhat enjoyable to be thought of as... that kind of mare."
Turntable gave her marefriend a quick swat on the cutie mark with her tail. "You mean really, really, really, really good looking?"
"...Something like that?"
Turntable laughed. "So what exactly are you waiting for? The High-Class Snooty Pony club to get back to you on your application? Ooh! Or did the Bow-tie Wearers' Guild elect you their next president?"
Octavia gave Turntable a playful shove. "Not at all. I just... You remember I assaulted a guard, right? And I've been expecting my court summons for about a week now, and it still hasn't come."
"Oh, yeah. About that..."
The guilty tone Turntable's voice took made Octavia's eyebrow raise. "What?"
"First of all, they have guards hoof-deliver court summons, so you can't use a 'I didn't get it' or 'it got lost in the mail' excuse."
"And...?" Octavia prompted.
Turntable didn't quite meet Octavia's eyes as she continued. "Did you know that for all the security in the Canterlot Courthouse, they really don't pay that much attention to janitors?"
Octavia's eyes widened. "You didn't..."
Turntable played with her hooves. "It's very possible that I may or may not have disguised myself as a janitor and I may or may not have snuck into the judge's chambers and I may or may not have eaten the paper with your arrest record on it and since they can't bring you to court without the record of your arrest, it is very possible that you may probably never get a summons." She grinned sheepishly. "Surprise!"
Octavia was aghast. "Turntable!" she gasped. "That is illegal on so many levels! I- I don't even know where to start! And to think, you could have gotten caught or worse!"
Turntable laughed. "Caught? Tavi, I'm offended! Did you ever notice that for all the arrests Vinyl Scratch had, she only ended up in court for misdemeanors and noise violations?"
Octavia blinked. "Well, now that you mention it..."
Turntable grinned. "I've had plenty of practice, that's all I'm saying. And if it keeps you next to me, I'd do it again."
Octavia put her head in her hooves and sighed. "You are incorrigible."
Turntable shrugged. "Yeah, what can I say? You love me for it."
Octavia half-grinned even with her face buried. "That I do." She gasped as she felt a set of teeth close gently around her left ear.
"That's not all you love me for, as I recall," Turntable whispered, her breath warm against Octavia's sensitive ear.
Octavia subconsciously ran her tongue along her teeth. This was true. This was very, very true.
Author's Note
The end. this to say.
