Mixed Melodies

Chapter 2

A few days later, around noon, Jade awoke in the small vacation house she had rented on the edge of Ponyville. She had spent most of the previous night putting away the last of the belongings that had been shipped over via her friends and thus had slept in a lot later than she usually might have. Glancing over at the bedside clock, a moment of sudden panic turned seamlessly into one of relief when she saw there was still a good two hours before her meeting with Vinyl was slated to kick off.

Freshening up in the shower more thoroughly than she usually did given her more everyday lifestyle, Jade put the back of her mane up in an Oriental bun with the standard chopstick hairpins (though her fringed bangs still hung over her left eye). Donning the same black jeans she’d worn on her first encounter with Vinyl and a spaghetti strap top, she took a final look at herself in the hallway mirror. ‘Meh, good enough,’ she thought to herself with a grin before leaving.

Jade had gotten a basic layout of the town on her first day there, a simple walk around giving her an idea of where most of the important businesses and landmarks were. Vinyl had been truthful when she’d spoken of Ponyville’s versatility and while it wasn’t the most exotic of towns, it had its charm (though the one where a pink pony in a party dress had all but tackled her and started babbling on excitedly about celebrating Jade’s arrival had been a bit much), one of which was the rustic little outdoor café she was approaching at the moment. At this time of day, it was quite popular; families and couples all sat about enjoying lunch at the overlarge mushrooms serving as tables. Jade trotted past them all to an empty mushroom at the far end where she sat waiting for service.

Suddenly, heard Vinyl’s distinctive voice (“Jade?”) far sooner than she’d expected and looked around to spot the DJ, who turned out to be sitting a few tables down wearing the same outfit as before.

Jade’s face broke into a wide grin on seeing her. “Hey! Awesome seeing you here!” she laughed. “I was just going to grab something and go see if you were home but, uh, I guess we can start this off a little earlier.”

Vinyl hoped she didn’t look as awkward as she felt. “Yeah, weird huh? Didn't even have to call me.” She sighed contemplatively. “The world’s strange like that. Shouldn't really be surprised by anything anymore.”

Smiling, Jade nodded toward Vinyl’s table. “Mind if I…?” The white unicorn nodded and Jade took a seat opposite her.

These actions calmed Vinyl a little. “Nice look. Very hardcore, she said.”

“Th-Thanks. Always did like changin’ up my mane,” Jade replied and turned light pink.

“Yeah, I like it,” said Vinyl. “More than I can say for me, but I've never been all that girly about the way I look,” she added, ruffling her mane a bit. “Sooooo, what's up, J? Anything fun happen after I left you that night?” she asked.

“Not much,” said Jade. Caught the train, made it here without incident, spent the night in a hotel, found a vacation home to stay in; OK size. I’ve just been unpacking my extra clothes and equipment and stuff that came in the mail. Visited the local park, played a bit, trying to come up with some new stuff but my mind wanders too much,” she admitted offhandedly. “Sooo, how ‘bout you?” she finished in a perfect imitation of Vinyl.

“Eh, not much on my end either,” Vinyl said. “Teleported back to the hotel and that took so much energy I practically passed on the floor.”

“Wow, sounds like you were really wiped,” Jade replied, a small smile on her lips.

Vinyl nodded solemnly. “Yeah. Still, I've had worse,” she said. Just glad you made it out of that city alive. In any case, the guys I work with were helpful enough to carry me to bed and I just conked out. Slept in my clothes; I hardly ever do that. Just a rough night on the whole, aside from meeting you, I guess.” She smiled a crooked smile of her own watching Jade go pink at that comment. “In any case, we all left the next day and came back here. Got settled back in and after a while I got hungry and decided to hit up the closest place. So I guess it’s obvious I live pretty close by? My apartment's right over past those buildings behind the library,” she said, pointing.

“Oh, nice,” said Jade. “Is it really large or...?” she inquired hesitantly, not wanting to sound rude.

“It’s solid,” replied Vinyl. “Not too big but lots of space. My personal mixing studio takes up a good half of it. I guess if you ever come over you can have a go on it, maybe let me listen to some of your tunes and try a remix of a few?”

Jade grinned again. “Oh, wow! That’d rock! ”she exclaimed excitedly. “I’ll bring my bass; you and me would be jammin’!” Then she cleared her throat, calming down. “On my end, I’ve got a two bedroom all to myself. Nothing big for me either but for what I can afford after having bigger gigs recently, not too shabby at all.” What followed was an awkward silence between the two until a waiter arrived and took their identical order of black coffee. Eventually, Jade spoke up again. “So you’ve definitely got some friends. What about, say, a special somepony?” She couldn’t see Vinyl’s eyes of course, but a curiously raised eyebrow above one frame was seemingly the white pony’s only reaction to the question. Jade quickly added, “Don’t, uh… Don’t mean to get so personal outta the blue, but just wondering if an artist as busy as you had, y’know, somepony.” She shrugged as if to indicate her interest in whatever answer came would satisfy only basic curiosity.

Vinyl on the other hoof had indeed remained calm, if quizzical. The question also saddened her a bit and her ears drooped slightly as she responded. “Actually, I don't have too many friends,” she admitted. “Most of the tenants either get annoyed with my… my looks, my “racket”, and most ponies in this town at least are friendly but not really... well, my type. She finally took off her glasses now, the daylight now fully showing Jade their vibrant red color. “Truthfully, only reason I moved here is because it was the town with the cheapest digs; I was born in Hoofington case you were wondering,” Vinyl explained. “Grew up there. So yeah, nopony to really latch onto or call my own. I dunno. Just never had time for much of that sorta thing. Still, least most ponies in this town accept me for who I am,” she contined, perking up a little. “I swing both ways, ya know.”

As she listened to Vinyl explain herself, Jade’s ears went down as well. “Bi over here as well. I’ve had coltfriends and a marefriends; didn’t last long tho…” She stopped herself suddenly. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said regrettably. “Shouldn’t be asking something so personal after just meeting you. Just… what I was gonna say was they weren’t my types, and one got sorta off put and distracted once I told them about my… abnormalities.” Jade’s one visible gold eye glanced off to the side and she reached a hoof up to scratch her mane awkwardly. “Like I said,” she continued eventually as Vinyl remained silent. “Sorry to probe so deep. But you are def one cool mare.” She looked down to stir her coffee and was therefore almost startled when Vinyl spoke up.

“There’s nothing abnormal about liking what you like,” Vinyl said. Jade looked back up at her. “I mean, I like both but I've still been called a lot of nasty things just for liking mares a little more,” she continued, shrugging exasperatedly. “It's cool you're the same way, and I hope nopony's ever hated on you for it. No good, honest pony deserves that.”

It took Jade a moment to register. “No, no! It’s not that. They knew that,” she said quickly. “It’s this.” She pushed her bangs aside with a hoof, revealing her left eye – milky white and sightless, it gave a cruel irony to the name ‘Eclipse’.

“Whoa,” murmured Vinyl. She actually seemed taken aback for once, not that Jade minded. She was used to it.

Finally, she explained, “I’m blind and deaf in my left eye and ear. Birth defect; docs never new why. But once I tell other ponies, mainly my lovers, they freak, don’t know how to react. Not hatin’, but more like too much pity. Know how that is?”

The sympathy Vinyl felt as she listened was like a dead weight in her stomach. After a beat, she leaned in a little to briefly examine the sight. Jade trusted her enough at this point to let her, but just when it did seem about to get uncomfortable, the DJ sat back in her chair with a small smile. “I think you look pretty cool, actually,” she said to the bassist’s surprise. “I mean your deafness kinda sucks but I'm probably somewhere near that if I stay in this business too long,” Vinyl joked.

Now it was Jade’s turn to be slightly surprised. “You really think I look cool?” She finally chuckled. “Heh! Awesome!” Her mood lifted, she let her bangs fall back down. “I usually keep my mane down though, just so I don’t freak ponies out,” she added with a grin.

“Well, I guess you've told me your secret. Better share mine now, huh?” Vinyl asked, grinning back as if they were playing truth-or-dare and it had been Jade’s turn to ask Vinyl what her most embarrassing onstage moment was. Instead she leaned in again, propping her head up on her hooves. Her scarlet eyes locked with Jade’s single golden one and both couldn’t help recognizing in the back of their minds how close their muzzles were to each other, but they returned to reality a second later as Vinyl said tenderly, “Take a good long look at my eyes. Ever seen another pony have red eyes? Well...” She lifted her bangs slightly to just barely show roots as white as her fur. “Get the picture?” she asked. “I'm a hundred percent albino; I just dye my mane and tail.”

Jade’s eye went wide in surprise, but moreso out of interest and fascination. “Whoa, should’ve figured that! Seriously, I loved your eyes from the time I first saw ‘em! They were so… so…” She blushed faintly, trying to think up an appropriate description without having to come right out with how she would REALLY describe Vinyl’s eyes: bucking beautiful. “I-I’m not sure. But I like ‘em,” she finished lamely, flashing a grin as a coverup.

“Thanks!” said Vinyl. “Actually, my parents dyed them all my life but they always made me some kinda dirty blonde. Gag! ” she continued and laughed loudly. “As I got older I fell in love with ponime and drew a lot of inspiration from that for style and color, especially given the places I tend to hang out.”

Jade nodded. “Yeah it’s wicked awesome too,” she said. “I’ve always had a thing for more rad manes… even if I’ve gone too far sometimes. Had half my mane shaved almost bald on one side once, but kept the other short but also, y’know, just long enough?” Vinyl smirked at that image. “Seemed like a good idea at the time,” Jade said with a self-conscious smile. Vinyl nodded in reply before another awkward pause descended on the pair. Jade hastily looked Vinyl over for something else to discuss. “Um, I also dig your piercing,” she said at last. This made Vinyl smile mischievously and suggestively tongue the silver stud in her lip. The gesture might have meant nothing but to Jade, it was maybe the sexiest thing she’d seen her new friend do. And that was saying a lot…

“Thanks a lot, J,” Vinyl said at last. “Yours is all pretty wicked too. Where’d you go for ‘em?”

“Local place in Chi town,” Jade replied. “A good friend worked there, got me a deal when I played my first real paying gig. I’d always wanted snakebites or angel kisses, but I just got the one industrial in my right ear. How ‘bout you?”

Vinyl’s grin widened though her cheeks went slightly red. “I got that when I was on tour in Las Pegasus. It was, well...” Her blush deepened. “It was actually a dare by one of my friends after a few rounds at the casino hotel.”

“Oh, man!” Jade’s eye widened and she too broke out into a slightly embarrassed grin. Vinyl’s own widened, her lip quivering, and a moment later the two mares burst out laughing! The thought of DJ Pon-3 getting into such was absolutely hysterical to Jade, and Vinyl’s own memories of that night came flooding back in a sudden wave of ‘wow-was-I-stupid’ amusement. Their outburst caught the attention of a few other startled patrons and one particularly snooty-looking couple actually scooted their mushroom table away from the laughing punk ponies, but neither cared in the slightest. This was a memory to not be forgotten, the moment both Vinyl and Jade knew in the back of both their minds that they were friends until the day Canterlot crumbled.

After what seemed like a five minute crackup session, Vinyl finally wiped her eyes and choked out, “St-Still, I don't regret it! Ehehe, least it's subtle, right?” She winked across the table and the small metal dot on her face glinted brightly. “Believe me, I've done LOADS of crazier things,” Vinyl continued as Jade calmed down as well, face still very pink. “The things me and my marefriends got up to college, things we did to the poor stallion jocks?” She grinned smugly. “Things that would make Celestia herself blush. But, hey, let's keep it PG for now, huh?”

“Sounds appropriate right now,” Jade chuckled. “Really, you’ve got awesome fashion sense,” she said. “I guess you’ve kinda gotta to give your audience what they want but to stick with it even offstage? Pretty wicked.” She thought back to Vinyl constantly adjusting her jeans during their first meeting and added, “Well, maybe the pants falling down isn’t my thing.” She playfully stuck her tongue out.

Vinyl shrugged once more. “Eh, sagging's just a fashion statement. Call me a hypocrite all you want since I never thought it looked good for high school colts.” She rolled her eyes. “I'd see them doing it and just wanna pants 'em,” she snickered, “but it just feels natural for my lifestyle - I hang loose and I don't take many things that seriously. I guess if I'm gonna have problems, they're better off worrying about more than my underwear showing. Hey, least I stand out! Fact, we both do! Don't see too many ponies in THIS town with our sensibilities!” She gave another laugh and finished off her coffee. Jade did the same began searching her pockets for bits. “All set to get outta here then?” Vinyl asked.

Jade nodded. “Yeah. Let’s.” She stood and tossed down some bits for a tip. Vinyl lay a few on the table as well, stood, and trotted around to Jade’s side. It was only then that they took in the difference in their heights and builds – slightly stocky, Vinyl was a good few inches shorter than Jade, whose slim form kept her pretty tall. As Vinyl found herself looking up at her friend for the first time, both ponies’ eyes fleetingly locked again. They both glanced away all of an instant later, however, and Vinyl instead held out her hoof; Jade threw all caution to the winds and hooked hers around it. Neither could quite believe what they’d done but it just seemed right. After all, both lived the night life. They’d both taken far greater risks as it were. What was so wrong about this simple, friendly gesture? They both smiled silently as they strode away from the café and down the street.

“So, Chi town, huh?” Vinyl said pensively. “I gotta say, never been there. Decent?”

“Oh yeah,” replied Jade, eager to keep conversation going as they walked. “Mega huge city. I grew up on the outskirts but spent a lot of time in the city itself at the music stores and what-have you. If you’re ever free, you should def head there.”

“I’ll take it under consideration,” said Vinyl.

Another unfortunate pause Jade found herself being the one to kill once again. “So,” she said, “you up for hanging out or…?” She trailed off, unable to put it the way her mind was practically beating her to. All she knew was she didn’t think she could stand it if Vinyl said anything other than yes.

Vinyl grinned. “Well, I DID outline the grandiose details of my apartment, didn't I? Sure, come on over with me!” she said happily. “Hangin' out'd be just fine! I've got a bit of break lined up after last week’s tour even so, yeah, we should be cool to hang for a couple of days, actually!”

Jade’s face broke into an even more massive grin. “Awesome! So, uh, lead the way then, babe!” But Vinyl didn’t quite do that – that would mean her foreleg would have to leave its current position. Instead, she just smiled to herself and started effectively steering Jade toward the apartment complex at the outer edge of Ponyville.