Hybrid

"Steel, Soft Steel." said the cloaked stallion with the steel colored mane.

"Soft Steel huh?" repeated the DJ, "I guess it's fitting."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you have steel colored hair, and you seem like a big softy." she smiled. He smiled back and she stood up and offered him her hoof. "Come on. I'll walk with you for a while."

"You don't have to. I'll be fine." he said, taking her outreached appendage and letting her help him up.

"Oh no. I'm not gonna let you go and fall off another building. You are not coming out of my sight until I feel like you don't need me to come save you again." she made herself firm and the colt knew she would stick by her word.

"....Okay." he said, feeling happier than he did earlier. "Thank you."

"No problem." Vinyl reached to her neck and.... "Wait... Wait a second. Where, where are they?" she felt all over her head and shoulders. Then she rushed over to the cart the two fell in.

"What's wrong?" Soft Steel asked, not understanding the situation. Why was she freaking out?

"My headphones! My headphones are gone! They were here around my neck and now their gone! Where? Where could they have gone?" she was really losing it.

"Um, maybe if you enlighten me on the importance of the item..."

"My best friend, Octavia, gave them to me as a birthday present. They mean a lot to me and... and..." she stopped when Soft Steel held her in his arms, keeping her still. He buried his muzzle in her mane and sniffed.

The DJ shoved him off, "What the buck are you...?" she stopped again as he began smelling around.

He flipped his hood back on. "Follow me. But expect some attention." Soft Steel then started trotting out of the alley. The two didn't get very far before they were swarmed by ponies who saw the spectacle earlier. Most of them questioned if the colt was okay and he responded with 'I'm fine', and others asked the DJ how she managed to rescue him so quickly. They didn't have time for that so most of the ponies around just got brushed off.

Until, of course, the new princess stepped toward the two. "Hello again. I didn't think we'd meet again in this kind of predicament."

The colt gave a slight bow out of respect. Not revealing any unwanted limbs. "Princess. Have you anything to say about what had happened? Or are you here for another reason?"

"I did wish to know if you were unharmed, but by the looks of things you're fine. I would ask why you fell from the top of town hall, but I don't wish to pry into your personal reasoning. Just know that if you have any problems you may come to me. I've heard I make a decent psychologist. And it won't get in the way of anything, I promise."

He raised an eyebrow under his hood, "You seem to be quite calm considering that was you who screamed."

She faltered slightly, "I admit I was frightened by the act. But seeing how it was quickly solved, I no longer have a reason for fear at this moment in time."

He nodded, "Quite. Now if you'll excuse me, my acquaintance and I are looking for something."

"Alright then," she began to walk away, "I will see you at the welcoming party then. Good-bye for now." with that she trotted off.

Soft Steel turned to see Vinyl Scratch approaching with a saddlebag, "Where...?"

"I shucked it off earlier. I just went to go get it. Can't go home without the groceries." she smiled. It was one of those sad smiles that you have when you're worried about something.

"Don't worry. I got your scent, so I can track down your headphones." he said as they started moving again.

"You can do that? You can pinpoint lost items all from the scent of somepony?"

He scratched his head, "Don't freak out, but I have an ancestor that's reptilian in nature."

The DJ seemed to go wide-eyed under her tinted glasses, "Whoa. So, do you, like, do that thing with your tongue where you smell with that?"

"Oh, no, I still smell with my nose, I can just pick up scents like a lizard. It's another thing ponies find weird about me." he looked down, saddened.

Vinyl noticed his mood change and placed a foreleg around his lowered neck, "Hey, come on. Don't be that way. If ponies didn't give you a chance and get to know you, then they were just stuck up snobs who don't know how to accept people for who they are."

The colt cheered up slightly, "Thanks Vinyl. You've no idea how much it means to hear you say that."

"Hey, it's no problem. What are friends for?" The cloaked stallion stopped in his tracks. The mare noticed and turned to face him, "Something wrong Steel?"

He looked around and saw that nopony was around, and rushed her, hugging her for all he was worth. The wind caused his hood to fall back and the embrace made his cloak hang to the sides. At first the DJ was surprised, but eased into the hug and wrapped her forelegs around him as well. They stayed that way for a few moments before Soft Steel reluctantly let go. He was crying again, but this time he was smiling.

He cried out of happiness and joy. 'Friend... I have a friend.' he thought to himself, which made his smile even bigger.

Vinyl smiled with him, pulling his hood back over his head, "Come on. Help me find my headphones."

Being reminded of the task at hoof Soft nodded, "Right." He moved his cloak back over himself and started down the street again. The white coated mare took in account that her new friend was noticeably happier.

Soft Steel sniffed at Vinyl's mane again, getting a stronger version of her scent. He then sniffed at the air, "We're close." he said and took a left down another street.

Vinyl looked around, "Hey, I know this area."

"Hang on Vinyl, we're close." the colt said walking toward one of the houses. He stopped short at the door, "Hmm, wonder if anyone's home."

"Hold on Soft. Let me get the door." she told the confused stallion, floating out a key with her magic and unlocking the door. Soft Steel's mouth hung open slightly. "Come on in."

Vinyl levitated her saddlebags over to a table, "Tavi I'm back with the groceries! And we have a guest so at least come say hello."

"Alright Vinyl I'm on my way down." called the voice of an elegant sounding mare. A few moments later an earth pony mare with a grey coat and dark brown mane and tail with a pink treble clef cutie mark walked into the room with the DJ's missing headphones wrapped around her neck.

The DJ rushed to the mare, "My headphones! Tavi where did you find them?" spoke the excited white mare, taking the item from around the earth pony's neck.

"Well, actually, they just appeared right there from a flash of magic. I expected you finally learned the teleportation spell and zapped them here because you weren't using them at the time."

"Haha, well thanks for holding onto them while I was out." Vinyl said placing her headphones back around her own neck.

"Oh come now Vinyl, don't be rude." Octavia chastised, "Introduce me to your new friend."

"Oh, right. Octavia, this is Soft Steel. Soft Steel, meet Octavia Philharmonica. My roommate, best friend, and marefriend."

Octavia blushed lightly, "Charmed." she held out a hoof which Soft Steel flinched away from. Octavia cocked her head to the side, "What's wrong? I don't bite, I promise."

Vinyl then stepped up to her new friend, "It's okay, she can be trusted."

"Are you sure?" asked a worried Soft Steel.

"Positive! C'mon, I promise it'll be alright."

"Okay, I'm trusting you on this." he stepped forward again and flipped his hood from his head, eyes closed. He reached out his right hand.