Decisions, decisions

Chapter 1
By TwinTurboDOHC

Everypony has to make decisions. Sometimes they're easy ones, for example: Which is better? A cake or, say, a good solid kick to the head? Sometimes choices are hard, e.g: Which is better? One direction or, say, a good solid kick to the head?

I, Vinyl scratch, faced one of these tough decisions. This was at a time in my life when everything was an opportunity. I was developing my skills as a disc jockey, but I had also been told on many occasions that I was highly intelligent. I had experimented trying both at the same time, but that DEFINITELY didn't work.

When I say didn't work I mean REALLY didn't work. I was dj-ing at a friend's birthday party the night before a test. Between records, I would say something like, "Yeah! Round of applause for the birthday queen!" or something along those lines. Well, the song finished and I was concentrating on a particularly hard equation, so I yelled into the mic, "Woooo! What's the square route of one hundred and forty four!" My rep significantly decreased after that. On the bright side, I did get 96% in the exam. Every cloud has a silver lining.

Anyway, one day after class my high school teacher called me back. We'd had a pop quiz that lesson, so, me being me, I foolishly thought she was congratulating me on how amazingly well I'd done. "Sit down, Miss Scratch." I sat down, casually. "Now, I need to tell you something important, that will affect the rest of your life."
"Wow, erm... that's pretty heavy to drop on me all at once. I mean-"
"Quiet. I haven't told you what it is yet." She snapped. Which was unusual as she always pretty layed back. "From what your classmates have told me, you are a very talented DJ."
"Well what can I say-"
"Nothing, I'm the one speaking." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "On the other hoof, your test results say you have a much higher than average intelligence."
"Go on..." I encouraged.
"Therefor I present you with a choice: either continue with your music or, alternatively, continue your studies and become an intellectual. Be warned, if you choose music, there's no promising as to if you'll come out on top."
"Could I have some time to think about it?"
"No. You must make your decision now, or the school board will decide for you."
This was heavy. Like, seriously heavy stuff. Like lead, mercury and slipnot all mixed into one.
"I choose... erm... music!"
"For Celestias sake." Thought the teacher to herself, "she was our best student. The board is gonna be pissed!"

So that's it, from then on, my fate was decided. I moved into a tiny basement apartment in the northern part of Manehatten and went from there. I played small backstreet clubs at first. You know, the kind where everything is like a real club, but grimier.

Gradually I built up my skills and my rep increased, soon I was playing better and bigger clubs like pLace, Red door, the infamous 42½ and then onto the now legendary hoofbeats club. THE coolest place in the entirety Equestria. Well, except the frozen north. Where for some reason nightclubs are quite thin on the ground.

Along the way, I made friends, lost others but by far my best friend (and flat mate) was Octavia, who flanked my career the entire time. Without her, I wouldn't have lasted one week. Especially with the drug rings, rumours and scandals. Because of this, we both decided to find somewhere nice and remote, but still a place big enough to play events.

After a considerable amount of looking about in estate magazines, we finally settled on a place called Ponyville. We decided to each get separate houses, as we each had a bit more cash to play around with and wanted a bit more room to spare.

Some ponies ask what the story is with my glasses. Well, I was walking to Hoofbeats for my three hour slot performing, when I saw these glasses in a shop window. I went inside the shop and said to the shopkeeper, "How much are those magenta glasses in the window? I want to buy them."
"15 bits." replied the shopkeeper.
"Thanks!" I said, and walked out of the store. Sometimes, I tell that story to ponies at parties. Sometimes they say, "You call that a story?"
To which I reply: "No, but that was what the shopkeeper would call a sale."

Now, three years later, I had been enjoying Ponyville immensely. The first difference I'd noticed was that everypony is so much less judgemental. They just accept it. I get regular gigs from the town's very own permanently pleasant party planner, Pinkie pie. Mainly due to the fact she makes a party for everything. Highlights include: Happy first lemon party (which was for a lemon tree) and my personal favourite, happy happy birthday party. Party-ception.

So all was good in my particular hood for a long time. Well, apart from discord happening and a load of other bad stuff. Other than that, everything was peaceful. I had no real worries up, that is, until today.

It was your typical Ponyville Saturday afternoon. The sun beat down on the thatched rooves of the houses, it beat on the dirt and cobble paths weaving in and out of the afore mentioned houses. It beat down on the the throbbing market, where all kinds of ponies haggled over a broad range of items. It didn't beat down on the ponies with hats though.

As me and Octavia wound our way through the busy market, we noticed a tent with a sign outside saying, "Madame Clair Voyant can make you see what could have been! Dare you enter? -5 bits per pony"

"Why don't we try the fortune telling stand Vinyl?" Suggested Octavia.
"Meh, the record stand is over there, and the guy always has the hottest new tracks!" I said.
"C'mon! It'll be fun, we can go to the record stand later. We've got all afternoon."
"Fine, but you're paying for me."
"Ok, I don't mind."

We entered the tent. Inside there were three chairs and a table. Two on the side near the entrance and one on the opposite side which was occupied by a deep blue coated unicorn with an aquamarine blue mane. The table was covered in a red and gold patterned cloth, in the middle of which sat a clouded crystal ball about 8 inches in diameter.

"If you have a weak heart, leave now. The news I am about to tell you may shock you especially, Vinyl." I was uninterested before but now I was focused entirely on the Clair.
"If you wish to know more, please deposit your five bits on the table now." We both complied.
"Good, now let us begin." The room darkened and the table started to rattle. The crystal ball rose sharply and suspended itself in midair as me and Octavia stared in awe. It hovered in much the same way a brick doesn't. The freaky thing was, there was no magical outline around the crystal ball and Clair's horn wasn't glowing.

The room began to swirl sickeningly as all the miscellaneous objects in the tent rose into the air and spun rapidly. Suddenly there was a violent flash of light and I screamed as I felt my individual cells tear themselves apart then reassemble in a vaguely familiar corridor. Slowly, it dawned on me. This was my high school.

"Wha... what the hay are we doing at my old school?" This was too much. The sheer amount of de ja vu could kill you. I realised also that Octavia was missing. "Hey, uh, where's Octavia? She was here a minute ago."
"It matters not, come Vinyl, there is much to see." Said Clair.

A door opened in front of us, Clair gestured for me to follow her. So I did.

"I remember this! This was when I had to make the easiest decision of, like, my entire life."
"Was it? Now be silent, and watch."

"Therefor I present you with a choice: either continue with your music or, alternatively, continue your studies and become an intellectual. Be warned, if you choose music, there's no promising as to if you'll come out on top."
"Could I have some time to think about it?"
"No. You must make your decision now, or the school board will decide for you."
This was heavy. Like, seriously heavy stuff. Like lead, mercury and slipnot all mixed into one.
"I choose... erm...to, er... continue with my studies."
"Well done Miss Scratch, you made the right decision."

"Well, this is wrong. I chose music." I couldn't imagine doing anything else.
"Not on this timeline. Come, there is still much to see."
"Whatever the hay you say, Clair." This was seriously far out stuff.
The was a violent flash of light as my atoms sped through nothingness.