Waking up was brutal. It started innocently enough — the faintest feeling of a draft along Vinyl's hooves. This was the first time she experienced anything of the sort. The tickle soon became an annoyance, then a discomfort that got her semi-awake. Her legs twitched slightly, then moved about, trying to find the edge of the cover so she could pull it over them. The success was marginal. While Vinyl could feel the edge of the blanket at the tip of her hooves, it reluctantly refused to budge, forcing her to crack an eye open and use magic. That, however, uncovered the whole upper part of her back.

Isn't this marvelous? Vinyl thought bitterly. She could feel the comfort of sleep fleeing away. Moments later the pain struck. Suddenly, she felt like she had charged straight into a brick wall head first.

"Stars almighty!" Vinyl almost screamed as she attempted to stand up. It was as if her head had become a pincushion. What had she done to deserve this? No sooner had she asked the question, than her memories flooded back. Oh, right. I went to a nightclub, didn't I? Not to mention she had treated herself to absurd quantities of sugar and a bit of alcohol. If she wanted to get her parents mad, she had definitely succeeded.

"Glitter," Vinyl started massaging the base of her horn with a hoof, "bring me a glass of water, please. Oh, and also..." The sentence remained unfinished, as the unicorn suddenly noticed — this wasn't her room.

No crystal chandeliers, no huge windows, no mahogany desk... the room she was in, if it could even be called that, was small enough to fit in her wardrobe. One uncomfortable bed, one table... was that actually an oven? Whoever sleeps in the kitchen?! Vinyl wondered, shocked by the mere concept.

"Top o' the mornin', love," a vaguely familiar voice said, causing Vinyl to turn to her right. There was a grey earth pony in the corner of the room. And she was washing dishes? Somepony put a sink in their bedroom?! "Any betta? Ya sure gave me a scare."

Vinyl blinked. What was going on? She remembered the club, and the music, and the unpleasant experience she had had.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice perfectly steady, despite her fear.

"Octavia Melody at yer service, princess." The mare bowed slightly. Did she mock me just now? "Call me Mel, love."

"Where am I, miss Melody?" the unicorn asked. When in doubt always use family names, etiquette demanded, even if she were facing a Trottingham ruffian.

"In me 'ome," the mare replied, then moved to the excuse of a fridge, from which she took out a small bowl with her mouth. She then proceeded to place it on the table facing Vinyl. "Good thin' yer light. I 'ad to carry yer whitey flank 'alf the bloomin' city."

Whitey flank? The notions of proper speech and etiquette apparently were foreign to the earth pony. Not to mention her abysmal manners. Just looking at the bowl made Vinyl sick. The contents aside, the bowl had fresh traces of saliva on the side.

"Is that hay?" Vinyl asked in disbelief. She's giving me hay? What does she take me for? Some uncultured animal?

"Is good for you, love," Octavia replied unfazed. "Especially after last night. Fainted like a bloody damsel, right in fron' o' me. Good yer a light little thin'."

Vinyl froze. This was beyond awkward. She remembered fainting. More important, she had just pictured what had happened before that. Oh, my stars! Vinyl turned pale. What'd had she been thinking?! Going to a club like that could have gotten her in serious trouble! Especially after what she had said to that crimson pegasus. What in Tartarus had possessed her to do such a thing? Her spoilt attitude, that's what! If she hadn't made such a big deal of spending her birthday alone, none of this would have happened!

"You alright, love?" The earth pony sat at the table across Vinyl. "Look like ya've been through the sauce."

"Excuse me?" A tiny patch of red appeared on Vinyl's face. "I'll have you know, that I do not consume alcohol! Yesterday was an exception, and even so, the amount was far from getting me..." She paused. Octavia was trying to stifle a chuckle, quite unsuccessfully at that. "What?" Vinyl asked, her voice precisely one range higher than usual, so as to indicate indignation.

"You, love." The earth pony smiled. "Ye're really posh. Easy ta see this isn't yer world. 'Been through the sauce' means 'been through Tartarus'." Vinyl's expression went blank. "Tartarus — fire and sauce. The sauce," Octavia explained, only increasing the unicorn's confusion. "Trotny accent, love. Not as stron' as used to be, mind."

You must be joking. Your pronunciation is so disorganized that you might as well call it another language. Honestly, Saddle Arabia ponies are easier to understand!

"It's alright," she said, looking at the bowl of hay. "My mistake entirely. And, I really do appreciate the food." Maybe I'm just being ungrateful. Not everypony has my family's means. And she did help me without anypony asking her to... "Thank you for saving me," she said quietly.

"Think nothing o' it, love." Octavia nodded. "Just finish yer breakfast. You'll feel a world betta."

The hay tasted bland. It was like eating cardboard. Vinyl tried as hard as she could not to offend, but even her control wasn't enough to keep it from showing. The way she slowly chewed and chewed, reluctant to swallow, made it obvious she took no pleasure in it.

"Want me to add some sugar, love?" Octavia offered, standing up.

"No, please, anything but that!" Vinyl nearly shouted in panic. She had had more than enough sugar for one week. "It's alright. I'll buy an apple on my way back home."

"Apples," Octavia repeated. Vinyl could hear her swallow hungrily.

"You don't have apples?" the unicorn asked cautiously.

"Not this month, no," the other replied. "Needed to pay me rent. T’is bloody expensive in Canterlot. Cost me everything I 'ad just to get 'ere."

The pony had spent everything she had to get here? Vinyl had heard of such ponies. 'Transplants' they were called, and were viewed poorly, regardless if they had money or not. Octavia clearly didn't have a bit to her name, but even so, she did seem quite nice.

Struggling, Vinyl swallowed the mouthful of hay. The unpleasant taste of blandness remained. No way she was finishing a bowl of that.

"Let us go have breakfast outside." She stood up. "My treat."

"Never say no to free food," Octavia said, then to Vinyl's horror took the bowl of hay and put it back in the fridge. So much for hygiene habits.

The neighbourhood looked relatively well during the day, although it wasn't a place Vinyl would frequent on her own. Judging by the palace in the distance, it was pretty much on the opposite side of town from the nightclub. That meant the pony had carried her through the whole of Canterlot. Had she known, she could have asked Octavia to carry her to the manor itself.

The manor, Vinyl sighed. They were probably going crazy with fear. A full night spent outside — things like this would hardly pass unnoticed. Her governess had undoubtedly sent a dozen scrolls to her parents, the captain of the city guard, and possibly one to Princess Celestia herself. There definitely would be Tartarus to pay once Vinyl got back. Before that, however, she was going to enjoy some breakfast.

The fruit stalls in the area looked averagely decent, but Vinyl felt she didn't want to risk it. Instead, the two ponies spent a little longer walking towards the center until they passed by something the unicorn deemed acceptable. All that time, Octavia was alarmingly quiet. Did I do something to upset her? Vinyl wondered. Usually when she was with ponies her age she was the center of attention. All to be expected, having her family’s status in mind. Being with somepony and not hearing them bombard her with questions and compliments felt concerning somehow.

Buying a basket of apples, Vinyl suggested having a bite at one of the squares. Octavia, on the other hoof, insisted on going to the park. It was a somewhat unusual request — Vinyl had heard that the area was to be avoided after dark. Still, she did agree to it. It was day, and besides, her magic was capable of bringing the attention of the city guard, if needed.

"So—" Octavia paused as she swallowed her first apple in one huge bite, "—why'd ye go to the Twin?"

"Oh." Vinyl took a delicate bite from the apple levitating in front of her. It was juicy, tasty, just the thing to get rid of the hay's unpleasant aftertaste. "It's not that important."

"Love," Octavia looked at her sternly, another apple in her hoof, "when a pony like you says t’is not importan', it bloody well is."

The tone was calm, but Vinyl still felt a tad intimidated. Not scared, rather like she was late for a lesson with her tutors. Should I tell her? She'll only laugh if I do.

"I wanted to try it out," she said, looking Octavia straight in the eye. "This was my first time at a nightclub, you know."

"Really?" the earth pony asked, the word dripping with sarcasm. "Ye're jossing me."

"And I must say the experience was horrendous!" Vinyl frowned as she spoke. "The smoke, the stallions..." she waved her hooves around incapable of finding the appropriate words to express her dislike. "And the music," she took a deep breath, shaking her head. "Honestly, some of those ponies should just quit. I mean, they haven't even grasped the basics. Like my aunt used to say 'there's no point trying to fly if you couldn't even walk'."

"Yer aunt is a pegasus?" Octavia arched a brow.

"No, she..." Vinyl swallowed. Maybe it was best to keep that information for herself. "What were you doing there, miss Melody?" She innocently changed the subject.

"Job 'untin'," the mare replied. "Was at least."

Vinyl felt a lump of ice form in her stomach. Stars. I've cost her her livelihood, she thought.

"No surprises, mind. Am no filly no more." Octavia grabbed another apple. This was her third, so far. "Five nights a week are too much for me."

"Oh?" Vinyl relaxed. Thank the Stars! It's not my fault. "You don't look much older than..."

"Love, I'm twenty-two," the earth pony said unceremoniously, and chomped her next apple. "Afta’ six years of trancin', me 'ead could use some rest."

"Twenty..." Vinyl blinked. She would never have expected that. "I'm eighteen." She looked at the apple in front of her. Somehow she didn't feel hungry anymore. "Just had my birthday yesterday." And what a disaster that turned out to be!

"What?" Octavia almost shouted in surprise, causing Vinyl to flinch, startled. "Ye're jossing me!" She looked at the unicorn with a combination of disbelief and pity.

"I don't think so?" Vinyl ventured a guess, moving slightly back, as she did so. She had no idea what 'jossing' was, but she doubted it to be anything proper.

"Ye 'ad yer bloomin' birthday and di'n't say so?" Octavi shook her head with the slightest of sighs. "Love, ye need to learn more 'bout nightlife. Just 'ad to say that, and ye'd been treated like a princess." The earth pony trotted a few steps away as Vinyl stared blankly ahead, trying to make sense of things. "Come along, love," Octavia looked over her shoulder. "Time to fix this."

As Octavia almost literally dragged her out of the park, Vinyl felt slight concern. When she saw they were heading in the rough direction of the night club, her fears grew.

"You know what, I think I should go." Vinyl stopped as the building of the Lunar Twin became visible. "It's almost noon, and I'm sure you have a lot of things to be doing..."

"Not leaving you stay with a bad memory of your birthday, love," the earth pony replied, her answer capable of making a grammar tutor cringe. "Not after what ‘appened last night."

"No, honestly, it's not a concern." Vinyl tried to back away, but Octavia wasn't having it. A hoof behind Vinyl's and the unicorn had no choice but to continue forward towards the club, despite her reluctance.

"Relax, love," the earth pony assured her. "You're with me now."

Somehow that didn't bring any relief. The entrance was guarded by the same pegasus bouncer that he'd been there the previous night. That was unfortunate. Knowing ponies, Vinyl expected to hear the dreaded 'told you so'. Alas, she wasn't disappointed.

"Come back for more, princess?" The bouncer smirked. "Warned you what would happen, didn't I?"

"'ey! Give the lass a break, Charm," Octavia stepped in before Vinyl could come up with a response of her own. "Was bad 'nough last nigh'."

"Well, if she had bothered listening when I warned her..." The pegasus was not impressed. "And if you've come searching for something you lost, forget it. Things stay lost in the Twin. Good thing it wasn't your..."

"Oi! Charm, enough with the bloody jokes!" Octavia interrupted, though not fast enough. Was she about to say what I think she was? Vinyl thought, disturbed. "Just let us in, will ye?"

The bouncer blinked. Her eyes went from Octavia to Vinyl then back again. It was almost as if she was measuring how much damage the unicorn could do. Meanwhile, Vinyl was regretting every minute of it. I should have gone home, she thought. I should have politely, yet firmly, refused to follow Octavia to this wretched place. Unfortunately, she hadn't and now was about to get on the pegasus' bad side. Not too much of a loss, considering she was never ever going to set hoof in this place again. Being measured by a common nightclub bouncer, however, made her feel uncomfortable to say the least.

"Just keep it down," the bouncer sighed and moved aside.

"You're a mate, Charm." Octavia smiled and trotted inside. "Coming, love?" She briefly glanced over her shoulder at Vinyl. Having no choice, the unicorn followed. Every part of her being felt this was a mistake, but she couldn't just not go in. Doing so was rude, unbecoming and cowardly — it went against her very nature.

The club was much different than it had been last night. The smell of cheap cigarettes and alcohol still filled the air, yet the leering crowds were gone, thankfully. The floor was freshly swept and mopped, which was a welcome surprise. Apparently somepony was familiar with the notion of cleanliness, even if attempting to apply it in a place like this seemed to be a lost cause.

"This way, love." Octavia went straight towards the stage in the corner of the room. The equipment was still there. "Just magic the power on, would ya?"

What are you trying to do? Vinyl wondered as she looked around for a power switch. It didn't take her long to find one — a lever with warning markings was clearly visibly a few steps from the entrance. And apparently this place was built by a three-year-old, she thought disapprovingly, but turned on the power nonetheless. A cascade of laser lights flooded the room, mixing with the sunlight creeping in from the windows.

"Now just take a seat somewhere." The earth pony started playing around with the turntable.

Oh, dear stars, no! Vinyl could groan! Was Octavia seriously going to play some music? That was her big plan? Vinyl wanted to forget the events of last night, not have them permanently burned into her mind.

"Ready, love?" Octavia asked.

"It's not as if I have a choice," the unicorn muttered under her breath. We might as well get this over with. Quickly, if possible.

"Mind, what's your name, love?" Octavia asked, still fiddling with something. "Didn't catch it earlier."

This certainly was embarrassing. Indeed, Vinyl had not mentioned it even once. Somehow she had assumed the mare would know it automatically. The reason, possibly, was because for the greater part of her life, Vinyl had somepony make introductions for her.

"Vinyl," she said, still a bit uncomfortable she had forgotten her basic manners. "Vinyl Scratch."

Then the music started. Octavia had chosen to begin with percussion. Quite the simple beat, but at least it followed the basic rules, unlike the monstrosities of last night. A layer of harp sounds was added. That piqued Vinyl's interest. She was by no means familiar with contemporary music, but the combination was more than a bit peculiar. No attempt to make it flashy or loud, just a fine blend of sounds. It wasn't an orchestra by any means, but considering the instrument Octavia was using, it was pretty close.

A few moments more, and a serious of violins joined it. Fake, of course — Vinyl's acute sense of hearing could easily tell the difference. As much as she hated to admit it, though, the result was actually nice — there was composition, presence, style, everything was by the book. Vinyl's tutors would be hard pressed to find any flaws. And then things went crazy.

A second was all it took to transform the passable orchestral rendition into a chaotic waterfall of sounds. Combinations that shouldn't even exist streamed into Vinyl's ears, and they weren't half bad! It was as if Octavia had taken existing music theory, smashed it to pieces, run it through a grinder, and serve it to Vinyl in an impossible way that made sense. But things didn't end there.

"Vinyl," the unicorn heard her own voice in the mix. "Vi-vi-vi-vi-vi-vinyl. Vinyl Scratch."

For over a minute Vinyl just stood there, mesmerized. Was it so wrong that she liked this? Technically it wasn't even music, just a combination of fake sounds jumbled together in a new age gramophone. Her tutors would scold her just for being within earshot of such a 'blight upon music'. And yet, it sounded so good, so melodious. Vinyl could isolate every separate sound, feel it as it connected with the rest. This was no random coincidence! Vinyl could tell years of study and effort had gone into creating this effect, seamless as Octavia made it appear to be.

"You have no idea how lucky you are, princess," Vinyl heard somepony whisper behind her. It was the bouncer. "Mel used to fill stadiums back in Trottingham. And now she's sampling your voice in a private performance."

"Used to fill stadiums?" Vinyl swallowed. Based on the earth pony's lifestyle, she definitely hadn't expected Octavia to be famous or anything. “Is she a musician?”

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed." The pegasus snorted, then pointed at Octavia.

As the earth pony was working the turntable, eyes closed to fully feel the music, her cutie mark was clearly visible. If Vinyl hadn't been so conceited this entire day, she would have noticed much sooner — Octavia's cutie mark was a purple treble clef.

Author's Note

Next chapter: Grandmaster Mel