Working Class DJ

by Lise

6. What Goes Up

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Vinyl wanted to escape. As dozens of hooves pushed her towards the stage, she desperately sought a way out, yet there was none — her cries for help would be drowned by the noise, there were far too many ponies blocking the path to the exit for her to run, and her mind was too stressed out to concentrate on a spell of any sort.

Tears appeared in her eyes, hidden by the dim lights of the club. Stars, why?! Vinyl's heart was racing. How could you be so cruel, Octavia? I trusted you, and you threw me to the timberwolves! I never wanted the spotlight, I have enough of that back home! I just wanted to play some music... A tear rolled down her cheek. That too was ignored, as she finally reached the stage.

“Thank you for your presence, M’lady,” the blue pegasus said, offering a hoof. Only now did Vinyl notice that his coat wasn't blue at all — it was white, covered with layers upon layers of makeup. Every feather was individually dyed and coated in glitter, creating the illusion of being made of ice.

I can do anything, Vinyl said to herself and took Ice's hoof. The pegasus smiled and slowly descended to the dance floor. For some reason that felt reassuring. So there was somepony here to help her, after all.

“Tonight is your night, Princess,” he said into the mike, placing a wing over her. It was obvious it was all an act, but the sensation made her tense-up nonetheless. “Five have come before you,” gently he guided her around, “to seek the moon's favour. Only one thing stands in their path — you. Will you allow anything but the best music to slip past you?”

Silence filled the room. Is he expecting me to say something? Stars, he is! All of them are! And to reinforce the notion, Ice moved his head next to hers so she could talk into the mike. This was beyond embarrassing.

“My...” she began, her voice high and sharp. Her lower lip was trembling. I can't go through with this. Fear seeped in, along with doubt. “My omniaudient aunt will not have just any music invade her night!” Her back legs were shaking. Just like fire, she thought. The faster I go through it — the less it would hurt. “Anything less than perfection will be cast away like dispossessed, obscure words drowning in the sea of tranquility.”

The words made no sense whatsoever. If Vinyl's literature tutors could hear they would probably have a stroke. This was the most stupid, horrible attempt at white verse she had made her entire life… and by some miracle the crowd loved it. Were they even listening to what she was saying?

“Well said, unicorn-princess.” Ice smiled, moving away from her. “You heard it, everypony — the niece of Princess Luna herself will be the judge!”

What? How did I let that slip?” A new wave of fear passed through Vinyl. She wasn't supposed to say that. If anypony caught on there might be real trouble.

“And who are the five, I hear you ask, my Children of the Night,” the pegasus continued, rising once more to the air. “Coming to us from Cloudsdale, where she fills the clouds with sweet sorrow every other night, we have DJ Silhouette!”

A platinum-white pegasus made her way past Vinyl and onto the stage. Despite the impressive introduction she seemed about the same age as the unicorn, cocky and confident as any pegasus. Passing by, she winked to Vinyl, as if saying 'I got this'. Shortly after the music began. Slow and melodic, her sounds filled the newly-formed void of silence.

This is new, Vinyl thought. Nothing like last night's performance. The difference in quality was apparent. Vinyl could tell the DJ had no formal music training, and still the music was… pleasant. Slightly amateurish, naturally, but the good outweighed the bad by a large margin. Another pleasant surprise was the choice of 'instruments' — grand organ and violins among the standard techno samples. The beat was also relatively good, although it could have used a bit more variety. In its current state, repetitiveness started kicking in after a minute, putting all the effort to waste. The only saving grace was the chorus — a sampled version of A Night Thought by Words Worth. Apparently somepony liked the classics.

DJ Silhouette's performance ended before Vinyl could even notice. There were a number of things she would have done differently, several bad habits she would avoid, as well as a few rookie mistakes. The pegasus had handled the last quite well, quickly changing the rhythm, so as to disguise the mess up as part of the act. This would never have passed during a concert, but should I punish her for it?

“That certainly brought a whisper to my wings,” Ice said. “Now we see why the Cloudsdale clouds are so dark. But was it enough to impress our Princess?”

Vinyl felt a bolt pass through her as her name was mentioned. The moment of truth. Strictly speaking, the performance was slightly above average, in her view. Her tutors would have a field day pointing out the myriad of mistakes. Should she, though?

“I see hesitation,” the host said, politely urging Vinyl to make up her mind. “Does this mean it's over for DJ Silhouette? Or does the moon approve?” Quickly, Vinyl nodded. It was a pleasant piece, and there was more good than bad in the performance. She couldn't compare to Octavia, of course.

“There you have it, Children of the Night! DJ Silhouette has been deemed worthy and her music will fill the Twin every third day of the week for the next month. Give a loud stomp for DJ Silhouette!”

Was this it? Vinyl felt utmost relief, as if she had just dodged an arrow. Nothing bad had happened, nothing remotely harmful. The crowd continued stomping, as Ice went on to introduce the next DJ. For a moment everything almost felt normal.

"And now, fresh from Trottingham, the rookie that has caused a stir in two nations. Prepare to be enchanted by Wisp." Several screams came from the crowd. By the looks of it, the new Participant was quite well known by the mares. Vinyl quickly stopped thinking about herself, and turned her attention back to events around her.

By the stars! She almost whispered out loud. The performer was younger than her! No wonder he didn't have the DJ title in front of his name. Vinyl was even shocked he was allowed in the club at all! Like name, like nature, Wisp was barely larger than a schoolcolt, light-coated with the fairest blond mane Vinyl had ever seen — very much like a sunflower among the blackness of the club. And he has chosen to become a DJ?

"A ray of moonlight, Wisp is also a disciple of Grandmaster Mel," the pegasus host continued, "who happens to be with us here tonight!" A spotlight appeared around Octavia, who merely waved a hoof absentmindedly, while finishing her drink. "I know this is not your usual stage, Mel, but maybe the stars will convince you to play something after the moon has been appeased?"

Disciple? Vinyl blinked amid the stomping and cheers. Octavia had never said anything about having a disciple. Logically, it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility — she did have several active fan clubs in Trottingham. Learning of it in such circumstances, however, made Vinyl feel cold inside. An hour ago she felt special, unique in a sort of way. The feeling had dissipated, as she looked at the stallion in question.

"Could that be a yes?" Ice put his hoof to his ear theatrically.

"I'm too 'ot for ya, mate," Octavia shouted in reply. "Ya sure you or the moon can 'andle me?"

"Only the future will tell. For the present, let us hear Wisp weave his magic!"

Another round of stomping followed. Confidently, the yellow stallion made his way to the turntable. It wasn't just being cocky, not just an act — he honestly believed he was superior to everypony else. Vinyl had seen such attitude often enough to recognize it at first glance. It was something she tolerated, but didn't like, even less coming from an earth pony.

No wink, no smile to the crowd, Wisp started playing as if he owned the place... and his performance was bad. No, it was worse than bad — the spark of genius and infinite potential ruined by sloppiness. Vinyl felt herself cringe. Three intricate melodies, woven in one another on top of a beat that would make any first year conservatory student jealous, or they would if they weren't constantly three notes from being perfect. The amount of errors, while small, managed to ruin the whole experience for Vinyl. It was as if Wisp was relying on his genius to drag the music into the listener’s heart, despite its shortcomings. Precisely that made her feel annoyed.

You are born a prodigy and think any training is above you, don't you? Vinyl found herself frowning at the thought. So much like her cousin, only on a lesser scale. Performing anything with that attitude was something that really infuriated the unicorn. On couldn't simply expect the audience to crawl through a garden of thorns to taste a rose petal, no matter how scrumptious it might seem.

Another glaring mistake! That was not how one was supposed to switch rhythm. Wisp just dashed over it, hoping that everypony would be too dazzled to notice. If this was an audition, the instructors would walk out about now.

Concerned, Vinyl looked at Octavia. Even from this distance it was obvious the grey mare wasn’t impressed. No doubt she too could spot the mistakes. Unlike Vinyl, however, it didn't seem to be bothering her.

What should I do? The unicorn wondered. He is Octavia's disciple. Will it reflect negatively on me if I am too harsh on him? But I simply cannot in good conscience say he is good! His style is appealing! Not only isn't he familiar with music conventions, but is doing everything to go against them. It is true that geniuses make the rules so others can follow, but Wisp is not at that level. Not yet anyway.

"Isn't that something?" Ice announced the end of the piece. That's just perfect. Wisp is a crowd favourite as well... Vinyl sighed. This wasn't going to be pleasant one bit. "Even I felt a shard of my heart shatter while listening. Princess, what is your judgement?"

The hint was clear — Vinyl was supposed to nod and move on to the next performance, as if nothing had happened. It was the simplest thing to do... yet she couldn't. Determined, she shook her head. Absolute silence fell. Moments later Tartarus broke loose.

"What ya mean no, unislut?" Wisp yelled from the turntable. "Ya 'ave a 'ard time 'earing? Bet ya not be shakin' 'at 'ead when I break ye'r 'horn and shove it—"

Yells erupted before the earth pony could finish. Ponies everywhere were shouting, cursing, pushing one another violently. Vinyl felt petrified. Never before had she been so afraid for her life! A club brawl was erupting around her and there was nothing she could do! She was no fighter, despite all the fencing lessons.

"Go back to the moon, unidoll!" somepony yelled from the crowd, as a wave of bodies moved in Vinyl's direction.

Fights! They were actually starting to fight right in the club! Vinyl felt a pair of hooves latch on to her, moments before seeing a stallion nearby receive a kick in the muzzle. Something splattered on her shoulder... it was blood. A moment later everything went black.

* * *

"Mother, is it possible that I stop having music lessons?" Vinyl asked as breakfast was being served. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't dare speak in the dining room, but lately it had become the only time she actually saw her parents. It was often that some development or other at the palace would steal her mother away, occasionally for days at a time.

"A noble lady needs to have a grasp of such things," Dignity, Duchess of Canterlot, replied softly. Every sound that came out of her mouth was perfect, every movement measured. "It is understandable that your lessons might seem as somewhat of a burden, but you have to see them through."

"I understand, mother." Vinyl sighed mentally. Her mother would never raise voice or hoof, yet she always made it clear when something was an order. What she meant to say was 'quiet, Vinyl. It is bad enough that your starmother gave you that name.'

"It is also alarming that you still haven't earned your cutie-mark." Her mother elevated her pitch a fraction, indicating disappointment. "I already had one at your age, mention nothing of your cousin. Appearances are important, my dear."

"Yes, mother." Vinyl looked at her plate. Berry soufflé with crepes de citron... again. Vinyl was starting to get bored of it. Unfortunately, until she got her own cutie-mark she couldn't choose her menu or order any of the servants — those were the household's rules. "Might you suggest an area to focus upon?"

A long pause ensued, ending with a smile on her mother's face. This was unexpected. It wasn't merely one of the Duchess' standard 'polite smiles', it was a true smile, one that Vinyl hadn't seen in years.

"Start with the area you least expect." There was the slightest note of sadness in Dignity's words. "That way you won't have any regrets."

"Very well, mother." Vinyl levitated her spoon towards the soufflé. "I shall start with music." That's definitely the least likely thing I'll be good at anyway...

* * *

Vinyl stirred. A sharp smell of smoke drilling its way into her nostrils and she didn't approve of it one bit. Filthy, disgusting habit! she thought, annoyed. Her first instinct was to call for Glitter. Her second — to find out what was going on; smoking wasn't allowed in her mansion.

"Hey, she just moved," a female voice said.

Slowly Vinyl opened her eyes. A bare ceiling, moldy patches all about, emerged above her. She seemed to be lying down on something soft and rather comfortable. Where was this place, though? Looking around there wasn't much better f furniture — just a simple couch, a water dispenser, and two ponies looking at her — an earth pony and a blue pegasus...

Stars! Vinyl shot to her hooves. The nightclub! The fight! A jolt of adrenaline filled her system, causing her body to start trembling.

"Easy, Princess." The pegasus tried to calm her down, his attempt to place a wing on her only made Vinyl pull a step away. "Everything is fine."

"The fight, the yells..." Images started pouring into her mind. "Wisp shouted, and then the blood—" she looked at her shoulder. There was no trace of blood. Her coat had been cleaned, and her costume promptly removed.

"It's over." Ice lit a cigarette. "It did get slightly wild for a while, but all is over now. Mel stepped in and did a piece of her own. That seemed to calm things enough. Wisp won't be visiting anytime soon, though, I can tell you that."

That didn't sound good at all. I got him kicked out... I should have just played along, instead I got him kicked out. He probably hates me now. They all probably hate me. And Octavia...

"Where is Octavia?" Vinyl asked suddenly coming to the realization.

The ponies looked at one another. This was never a good sign.

"She left a few hours ago," Astra said, moving closer to Vinyl. "She's got a few interviews she has to go to this week, so she couldn't hang around."

"No..." Vinyl felt her heart sink. It was clear — the earth pony had left her, and all because of one stupid, senseless, foolish mistake brought on by Vinyl's sense of self-righteousness. "I will pay for the damages to the club," she said quietly.

"Sweetie, these things happen." Astra placed a hoof on Vinyl's shoulder. "It's not the first time that—"

"And any potential loss of profit." The unicorn didn't let herself be interrupted. "Would ten thousand bits suffice?" She looked at the pegasus, who just blinked not expecting such a reaction.

"Ice, tell her!" Astra pleaded. "Wisp is an idiot that has done the same in five clubs so far." The waitress turned once more towards Vinyl. "The mares love him for his looks, his partying and his accent, but nothing more. The only reason he came here was because he heard Mel had been turned down. Besides, word of this night will rake in customers for weeks to come. You can't get better advertising if you paid!"

"Twenty thousand," Vinyl said firmly. 'When hurt put up a facade of marble', her mother had said once. And at the moment Vinyl hurtled a lot. "I'll have them brought here by the end of the day. There will be somepony here to accept them, I trust?"

No answer. Both ponies stared at her. Her expression, her voice, her entire attitude had completely changed. It was not a tourist standing in front of them now, but a true lady in the very literal sense of the word.

"There will be, I trust?" Vinyl repeated the question.

"Uh, yes." The pegasus adjusted to the change. "Yes. Boss should be here in a few hours. I'll leave him a note explaining everything." He paused for a moment. "Your scarf is here somewhere. I'll find it, then walk you to your place."

"That wouldn't be necessary," Vinyl sad sharply. She had to appear distant and in control. In truth, however, she very much wanted him to escort her… she needed somepony to do so. Not because she was afraid, but because she wanted to know somepony was there for her. 'No prince would come galloping into a nightclub,' Octavia had said. Vinyl knew it to be true, but right now Ice was the next best thing.

"Princess, it's five in the morning!" he insisted. "I won't just let you—"

"Take the hint, Ice." Astra stepped in. "Besides you've been up for the last twenty hours. Go home, get some rest. I will make sure that Princess if fine. Deal?"

A simple question for such a complicated situation. Vinyl felt like galloping out of there this instant. She didn't care what they decided, as long as they did it quickly. Alone, escorted, it really didn't matter. Right now she only wanted to go home. Ice understood it, of course. Hesitating a few seconds longer, he said something along the lines that Vinyl should be careful, and left the room.

I messed up, Vinyl thought. I really messed up... She could have been herself and refused to participate in the event, or she could have become part of the act. Either would have worked. The evening would have come to its natural conclusion.

"Come on, Princess," Astra said quietly. "Let's go."

They left by the back entrance. Vinyl was great fun she didn't have to see the main room again. The less things reminded her of what had passed — the better. The night seemed rather fresh, mixed with the faint smell of ozone. Quite fitting that Canterlot Weather Central had planned for a downpour about now. With luck it would start before Vinyl reached the manor. Oh, how she begged for a storm — in the rain nopony could see her cry.

Forty minutes of silence brought them to the city centre, disturbed only by the sound of hooves. All that time Astra didn't say a word, just walking by Vinyl quietly. The unicorn wanted to thank her, yet didn't. The fear that a single crack of emotion would shatter her entire facade kept her distant.

"This would do, Astra." Vinyl suddenly stopped. "I shall proceed on my own from here. Thank you kindly for you care and concern."

"Are you sure? The weather ponies have planned a big one for six. Listen, I know what you're going through, and I do want to get you safely to your place. You shouldn't be in the rain in your state."

"Your concern is noted, but I will be home long before it starts," Vinyl lied. You don't know how I feel in the least! You are saying that to make me feel better, and failing miserably at that. "Please take care of yourself."

The earth pony should have protested. Vinyl hoped she would. Unfortunately, Astra only nodded and went on her way without another word. Was that how things worked in the real world? Being seen as special her entire life, Vinyl was used to ponies taking care of her despite her complaints. She couldn't remember how often she had screamed at her governess to leave her alone, when Vinyl had been sick or hurt, yet Presence never had. Despite everything, the mare had always nurtured Vinyl back to health.

"I really am a spoilt brat," Vinyl whispered, standing alone in the street. Not too long after, thunder sounded. The Canterlot storm had begun.

* * *

Half the lights were lit at Eastrise manor. The fact the Duchess' daughter had spent the night out had caused significant alarm among the household. The guards had been alerted, of course, as well as the most of the servants. Chef Gustave had even given strict instructions to be woken up the instant the young miss returned, so he could prepare one of her favourite dishes. And just to be doubly sure, a whole tray of iced treats had been prepared and placed in the kitchen's fridge.

Lanterns were placed at the main entrance, going on up to the main gate, should her ladyship return before dawn. However, that was not the path Vinyl took. Instead, she chose to levitate herself above the gate and proceed directly towards the servants’ entrance. Nopony would expect her to come from there, so hopefully all of them would stay asleep. Drenched and shivering, the unicorn silently approached the door. It was small, common, a quarter of the front door’s size, and, fortunately for her — unlocked. Vinyl had known for some time that some of the older servants used to secretly sneak out at various times of the day to chew tobacco. The practice was frowned upon, but tolerated as long as it was kept discreet.

"Your ladyship?" The door suddenly opened and Glitter stepped outside. "Miss Presence has been worried sick about you. Are you all right?"

All right? Vinyl could laugh if she weren't in so much pain right now. All she wanted was to close herself in her room and stay there until the last few days became a long forgotten memory.

"No, Glitter, all is not," she said, still trying to keep appearances. "In fact it's utterly—" To her great surprise, before she could finish, the maid approached and out of nowhere gave her a hug. This had never happened before.

Why am I crying? Vinyl asked herself, as tears began streaming down her cheeks once more. It's all in the past. I let it all out in the storm. There is no reason for me to keep crying! Then why am I...

And all that time, Glitter didn't say a word. The maid continued holding Vinyl until the young lady was too weak to cry anymore.


Author's Note

Next chapter: Distance

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