Who needs you anyway?

Chapter 9: Who needs you anyway?
The Lapis Theater was packed. All of Ponyville was there, eating, drinking and being generally merry. Vinyl Scratch watched from the crowd as Ranger and the rest of his old band played song after song, occasionally talking to other ponies. Melody was backstage. “Vinyl Scratch!” Vinyl turned around and shot a daredevil grin at Octavia, who had called her name. “Hello Octavia. How’s life these days?” Octavia smiled graciously at her. “Not too bad Vinyl. I uh, hope you enjoyed the song last week.” Vinyl felt a muscle twitch in her cheek. “Oh yes. Very nice song.” “Where’s Melody?” Vinyl shrugged. “Backstage I’d imagine. She helped Twilight organise the entire thing.” Ranger spotted the two over from the stage and grinned, still singing. Vinyl was still trying to restrain herself from screaming in Octavia’s face. “Oh yes. It’s a wonderful uh... shindig?” Vinyl giggled girlishly. It sounded weird when Octavia tried to speak more like Vinyl. “Oh yes. That works Octavia. Shindig is a good word to describe this.” The song finished and Rock Ranger called out to Vinyl. “Scratch! You’re on!” Vinyl left abruptly, leaving Octavia looking shocked. Vinyl walked onstage with her daredevil grin in full effect. She grabbed a mic for her turntable and attached it to the stationary piece of equipment. Melody came out, her mane in the same style as Vinyl’s and a similar pair of shades over her eyes. Rock Ranger grinned and covered his microphone. “You girls ready?” They both nodded. “Good. Let’s get this party started.” He took his hoof away from the microphone and spoke to the crowd. “Alright ponies! How’s this for a party huh?” The theater was filled with a cacophony of excited shouts. As the noise died down a wolf whistle was heard. Rainbow Dash flew up from the audience and looked around intensely. Nopony spoke and after a while she flew back down. “So we had a special request for a song tonight. But it wasn’t one of our old songs, no! It’s an original and new song written by Ponyville’s own VINYL SCRATCH!” There was a roar of approval from the crowd and Vinyl held up her hooves. She’d missed this. Vinyl took over. “Hello Ladies and Gentlecolts! How ya doin’ tonight?” The crowd cheered again. “That’s great! Hey, I arranged this little shindig for a few purposes! Number one, I wanted to say something, so quiet down please.” The entire hall almost instantly became quiet. “I’d like to properly introduce you all to Melody.” Melody smiled shyly and took a step forward to the adoring cheers of the crowd, all of which called out a greeting of some sort. Vinyl smiled affectionately at her. “Melody came here a little while ago, playing on the street as a busker. She had a violin, maybe some of you remember her playing.” There were a few murmurs through the hall in affirmation. “She don’t have that violin anymore. It was broken by a cruel soul who threw a few heavy stones.” The murmur became angry. Vinyl nodded. “But that isn’t the reason why I’m on this stage tonight. I’m here to say one more thing before my performance.” She smiled at the audience. “A little while ago, I met somepony special.” There was a few whistles from the crowd and Vinyl blushed as somepony yelled. “WHO IS IT!?” Vinyl held up a hoof to silence them. “You want to know? I’m going to tell you. But not just yet. I hadn’t had a partner in a long time, serious or otherwise. That was because of a rejection I received from my last choice. But this pony... It was different.” She looked over at Melody and grinned, walking closer. “She loved me, and I loved her... And she is the most important thing in my life.” She blushed as she looked at the already furiously blushing mare. “I love you Melody.” “Awwwwwwwww...” The crowd was looking at the couple adoringly. Everyone except Octavia, whose face was a mask. Melody put her hoof on Vinyl’s cheek. “I love you too V.” The crowd let out another adoring cry. Vinyl turned around quickly and flung out both arms. “And this song is based on the cruelties Melody has faced and towards the cruel pony who destroyed my girl’s violin!” She was behind the turntable now, activating it with her magic. “I call it... LEVITATE!” The crowd roared as the music began suddenly. The entirety of the band were playing. Rock Ranger started to sing. “Can’t stop, I need some help, Fuck you, I’m by myself! Is it a truth or lie? It’s what we can’t deny! Coz it’s the way we think, Mixed with the pills and drink Brought back to the way you are Float up till you’re close to god.” He looked over the audience, his eyes and spiked mane swaying in time. “You know that hiding ain’t gon’ ta keep you safe, Because the tears on your face, they leak and leave a trace, So just when you think that true love’s begun, It goes off at any second just like a loaded gun!” Chords leaned forward and started to sing, his voice a much higher pitch than Ranger’s. “You know I, Can take you straight to heaven if you let me! You know I, can make your body levitate if you let me! You know I... Can make your body levitate, lev-levitate-tate, I... can make your body levitate, lev-levitate you know!” Vinyl grinned her daredevil grin and opened her mouth to sing. “Can’t stop the feelin, High as the ceiling, I got the money Who’s fuckin’ dealing? I feel the heat, like a barrel of a gun, I forgot the last time I saw the sun! We got this disease, It’s diggin’ deeper in me, It’s like my mind is leaving, But my heart keeps beating, So I’ll paint the walls red drip from the nose, Where it goes nopony really knows, Hit the bottle, she’s gunna follow I fall asleep, there ain’t no tomorrow Gone too far no-one can save me.” She pointed at Octavia through the crowd, her face turning angry. “Who needs you when I got my baby?” She turned back and looked at Melody lovingly. “My baby’s beautiful, she loves me true, And is she dies, I hope I die too!” Chords opened his voice once more, singing the chorus once more. Vinyl and Melody came together, a quick kiss being shared, sending the crowd absolutely bananas. As the chorus was ending, Melody stepped to the front of the stage and grinned, the grin reminiscent of Vinyl’s daredevil grin. She opened her mouth to sing, and Vinyl looked at her in shock, followed by the rest of the theater as it went almost silent, save for the music. “I put down another sack of them Then it’s straight back to the flask again I can’t help stop what’s happenin’, On the wrong track, yeah I’m back again. Up shit's creek and I’m paddlin’, Blacked out room and I’m travellin’ Good ideas I’m likin them, I’m too fucked up, now I’m babbling!” She looked venomously at Octavia, who seemed to shrink in her place. “Wonder how to fix these damages, All these god-damn damages. Cover myself with bandages From all these d-damn damages! Wonder how to fix these damages, All these god-damn damages. Cover myself with bandages From all these god-damn damages!” The crowd roared in approval after she finished. There was one more Chorus, this time sung by Rock Ranger and Chords both and the song finished. The crowd was absolutely adoring. Except for Octavia. ~*~ The theatre was practically empty. The rest of the musicians had left already, Ranger followed soon after, wishing Vinyl and Melody farewell. Octavia was left standing in front on Melody and Vinyl. The couple were looking at Octavia expectantly. She sighed and looked at her feet. “I... uh... I’m sorry girls...” Vinyl frowned. “Damn straight you are. What you’ve done is inexcusable.” Octavia flinched. “Aright... You’re right... But still I say it. I’m sorry...” Melody put a hoof over Vinyl’s mouth to stop her talking and stepped forward. “Octavia. We accept your apology.” Octavia looked up at Melody incredulously. “However. I want you to know that while we may accept your apology, but that doesn’t mean I forgive you for the destruction of my mother’s violin.” Octavia nodded sadly. “Thank you... for your acceptance... I... I will take my leave... goodnight.” With that, Octavia left, leaving Melody and Vinyl alone in the theater.