CHAPTER 1: PROLOGUE
"I miss him so much..."
"I know you do Mistress Vinyl, but have faith.."
"FAITH?! I've been waiting for seven years to hear from him! I should just accept the fact that he's de-"
"Don't say that! You don't know if he's dead or not!"
"B-But how do you know that he's still alive?!" Vinyl was in tears at this point. "How do you know Octavia?!"
The grey mare backed up a bit at this and looked down, feeling bad for have saying that now. She knew how much she still loved him, and really didn't know how strong. Seven years is a long time to keep a girl in wondering, and it was taking it's toll on Vinyl. She has been perusing her dream to be the best DJ in all of Equestria, and was now rich and famous. But, none of that kept her happy. All she wanted.. Was Shale.
*~FLASHBACK~*
"Son! Get up! It's time for school and you don't want to keep your little mare friend waiting do you?" A gruff chuckle and then the clopping of hooves out the door was all the amount of info I needed to know that was my father teasing me again. My father was the local blacksmith in town. His name fit the job too, Steel Hammer. I think he gave me my name because I'm a type of rock he likes to work with, Shale. I liked it anyway. Might change it to something else when I get my cutie mark though. Yup, eight years old and I'm still a blank flank. At least no pony teases me for it, I'm too scary to let them do that to me.
"Five more minutes dad!" I yelled, not wanting to escape the warmth of my bed. It was so early! The sun wasn't even awake yet! Ah, horse apples. I'll take my shower and get over to Vinyl's house. It'll be nice to get to see her. I didn't get to see her all weekend because she was so busy! Now, it's Monday and I get to walk her to school and walk her home. Man this is gonna be awe- wait...Why are my wings going up? Uhh, this is weird.
I soon groaned and pushed the covers off my body, stretching all my limbs, especially my wings. They were soar from flight training with Rainbow Dash last week. Every weekend I go over to Rainbow Dash's house for some flight training. My father knew about it and supported one-hundred-and-ten-percent! I really liked being able to fly for a while, it felt good to do it. The rush that you get, sends shivers down my spine!
I hop into the shower and wash all the morning grease from my black and red mane. My coat is a jet black and my hooves are red with little waves in my coat before getting to the hooves. Like Big Mac! But with a black coat and red hooves. Some people call me something called 'goth' but, I don't know what it is! I was born like this. Everypony thinks I dyed my coat and mane these colors, but my mother was red and orange and my father is black and grey, so makes sense.
After my shower I trotted back to my room to get my saddle bags and get my books in my pack. Not many books today since I usually do all my homework in class. Algebra is easy as chewing on my hoof, and history was all the things that my father has told me already. My dad loved history to death and I also started taking to it. But, now I'm leaning towards my love for music since I've been hanging around Vinyl a lot. She has been getting lessons on being a DJ from her trainer and was getting really good at it too! I have a photographic memory and when Vinyl didn't get something, I jumped in and helped her out with the problem. The instructor would ask me, "How did you do that?" I would say it was my memory. She had to test me of course, and of course, I wasn't lying.
I gotta stop lollygagging and get to Vinyl's house! I'm gonna be late for picking her up! "Bye dad! I'll see you when I get home!"
"Alright! Don't stay out too late! And don't get Vinyl preg-"
"DAD!"
"Heheh, Have a good day son." Steel Hammer kissed Shale on the head and trotted off to the workshop out back.
Time to fly! Literally! I ran out the door with all my speed and jumped off the ground, flapping my wings and getting some lift. I'm going to try and fly to Vinyl's house today, all ten minutes of the trip.
About half way in, my wings feel like their gonna fall off. But I gotta keep going! Endurance is what Dash told me to keep working on! Push yourself to your absolute limit! Oh my Celestia, it hurts! Keep going Shale! Keep your wings flapping!
* * * *
Bucking hell! My wings BURN. But I did it! I got there! Ow, I think my wings are gonna be more than sore when I wake up tomorrow, I think they're gonna be gone at this rate! Wait, let me just move my wi- OWOWOWOW, BAD IDEA! Gah, never gonna do that again!
Just gotta knock on the door now....Alright, just gotta wait now. I put my ear to the door and listen in. I can hear a conversation going on and, did I just hear my name? Oh jeez, did I just hear Vinyl says she loves me?! Ohhh mann...
The door soon opened and Vinyl was staring back at me with a smile. "Hi Shale! What's up? Give me some hoof man!" She held her hoof out and Shale smacked it, like a high-five but more like a high-hoof. They were the best of friends and also lovers. Mostly really good friends that like to hang out a ton. They've only kissed once, and it was really by accident. Vinyl tripped over some books and fell on his and it ended in them smacking faces.
"Aww, horse apples! It looks like rain! I'll cover you up with my wing." I unfolded my wings and the pain was UNBEARABLE. I stuck through it though and stood proud.
"Wow Shale! Your wings are looking really good! Have you been working out?"
"Well, yeah! I've been training a lot with Rainbow Dash and it's really helping me out! I flew the entire way here from my house!" Vinyl was slack jawed.
"That's a ten minute flight! Don't your wings hurt?"
"A lot! But, I need to push back the pain and let it set in."
Vinyl came over and nuzzled me. "Your so sweet~ You flew over here to pick me up in time!" She gave me a peck on my cheek and giggled. Possibly because I was redder than the red in my mane. My mane fell into my face at this point and I could barely see. Vinyl just giggled more at this.
"Common silly! We'll be late for school!" I shook out of my daze and ran to catch up to her. I put my wing over her as it started to rain and took the full assault of the rain.
"Ahh! This wind is monstrous! Why won't it let up?!" I yelled above the loud whistling of the wind. "Hold onto me Vinyl! I don't wanna loose you!" They both held hooves as they approached the schoolhouse and Vinyl ran into the building.
Shale was left outside, getting battered by the wind and the rain. "SHAAALE! COMMON!" At this point Ms. Cherilee was reaching out it hold onto Shale's hoof. "You can do it Shale! Just a little more!"
Shale was trying to fight against the wind, then, an updraft caught under his wings and he was swept off his hooves. "AHH! HELP!"
"SHALE!!"
*~END OF FLASHBACK~*
Vinyl was crying at this point, remembering all of the events of that day. She had been zoned out for about an hour now and had been transferred from her mansion to a concert. There was supposed to be a special guest. His name was something like DJ Tick-Tock or something like that, which was weird. All she's heard about the guy is that he comes from Stalliongrad, and that he can play music well. 'Let's just hope he's good enough to match my style.'
Going behind stage, Vinyl flagged down a stage hand. "Hey, I need to know where the producer is so I know when to go on." The stage hand pointed her in the direction to the dressing rooms, which were being flooded with stylists and such. "Uhhh, have any idea why they're all getting their tails-tied?"
"Your partner for this evening is in the process of getting ready. He's hopefully just about done, so you won't have much trouble getting in. I have to go setup the stage for tonight, if you'll excuse me Miss Scratch." He moved around the DJ, trotting to the front part of the stage to help out with some things.
She raised a brow at the hurried tone in the stallion's voice, but shrugged it off. It's one of those nights that everything has to go off perfect so nothing goes wrong. Hopefully anyway.
Vinyl made her way to the dressing room, moving the tailors and make up ponies out of the way. "Gah! Seriously! I need to get to my dressing room, move!"
"You heard the lady, enough with your powders, hair care and costumes! I will have none of it!" The sound of a thick Stalliongrad accent could be heard over the frantic ponies. They all filed out of the hallway that the dressing rooms were located in, leaving Vinyl and a Stallion wearing a hoodie alone. "Sorry bout that. Damn stylists always get in the way." His mouth was showing through the black of his hood and he smiled. "I'm DJ Tick-Tock by the way, nice to meet you."
"Likewise... So, I hear you're pretty good at being a DJ?" A nod came from the other.
"Indeed I am. It's a large sense of confidence that keeps me positive and always making good music. I don't care what other ponies say if it's not good, screw them! I make music for the ponies that WANT to hear it." A nod came from Vinyl.
"That's so true! The people that don't like it, think it's meant for everyone! Pfft! No! It's meant for the fans that like it, and the people who want to get into the music!" The other pony in front of her smiled wide, white teeth showing from the black of his hood.
Thought the hoodie covered most of Tick-Tock's body, she could still make out some colors. His tail was coal black with a red streak going the middle, most likely the same as his mane. Seeing no horn, she instinctively thought he was an earth pony, but the bulge in the back of the hoodie might be because he's a pegasus and has wings under those clothes. His cutie mark was that of a white eighth note, similar to her own cutie mark. She looked back at her own flanks to look at her mark, then back to his. "Wow! We have similar cutie marks! I wonder what it could mean..."
"Maybe it means we're both good in the type of music we play." A chuckled came from the other as he turned, "I have to get back to the dressing room. The concert starts in five minutes, if you didn't know that yet."
Vinyl's eyes widened in shock, "WHAT?! FIVE MINUTES?!" She zipped to the door, quick as a flash and opened it, getting into her dressing room before closing it with a loud SLAM. Tick-Tock was left there, pondering what the hell he'd just seen happen not five seconds ago.
"Oh, Celestia! I must look like a me-" She turned from the door to find her producer sitting in a chair, snoring loudly. When the slam of the door came, he jumped from his seat, and looked around quickly. He appeared to have dozed off while sitting there.
"Whoozee?! WHAA?! Ahhh!" He quickly scanned the room to see Vinyl standing in front of the door, a confused look painted on her face. "Ohh, Miss Scratch... My apologies, I must have fallen asleep waiting for you to arrive." The stallion brushed away a stray orange hair from his face and hopped out of the chair, quickly getting into a posture that would present him as a noble. His coat, a light orange color; almost peach; shined in the lighting of the dressing room. His orange and white mane was shiny as well, a sign of hair grease used to slick back his hair.
Pulling out a golden watch from his tuxedo pocket, he reared back slightly at the time. "E, GADS! I'VE BEEN ASLEEP FOR FOUR HOURS?!" He quickly moved Vinyl into position in front of the mirror in her dressing room. "You need to get ready, now! The concert will start in a few short minutes! Hurry Miss Scratch! I need to go see if Tick-Tock is ready!" He rushed out the door and in his haste, forgot to close it. Vinyl hurried with her mane and tail as she brushed them with her magic and put extra gel in her mane to make sure it would stay that way. She donned her signature purple shades and looked at herself in the mirror, deeming herself; good.
Rushing out the door, she was met by DJ Tick-Tock, standing in front of her. "Don't just stand there admiring! Go! They're expecting you first!" She nodded and quickly trotted to the front of the stage, behind the curtain. An announcer had walked out on stage and was now announcing the DJ in question.
Vinyl put on a big smile, psyching herself as she pushed back the curtains and heard the loud roar of the crowd as she made her way to the edge of the stage, and struck a pose, signaling the pyrotechnics they had for her. She smiled wide as they cheered for her, and only her. But, the limelight was about to be shared.
"And put your hooves together, for the prince of darkness himself; DJ Tick-Toooooock!" The stage darkened, and red lights shined on the stage as it was covered with a thick bed of fog. Vinyl was running around the stage, freaking out and yelling, "WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Over and over. The crowd let out a gasp as a scream was heard on stage and then a gruff laugh rang out through the audience.
It showed Tick-Tock, slitting Vinyl's throat with a knife, the laugh still ringing out. He walked up to the booth in the front of the stage and mimicked the squeaky floorboard sounds all the way to the mic. "After I'm gone, your land will be free to live out it's miserable span of existence. It's one of my satellites; and that's how it's going to be."
As the music changed tempo, Vinyl arose from her spot and slowly made her way to the booth. Tick-Tock chuckled and they booth shouted at the top of their lungs; "NOW!" The bass dropped and the first song of the evening was played. It was encouraged with the reaction of the crowd as the two mixed the song together, each bobbing their heads to the beat of the music.
It was one of the best nights Vinyl ever had since the incident with Shale. It was like he was right there right beside her. Little did she know, he was. This whole time.
