The sound started slow at first, a few drum beats measured along with Synth. Sound Screech was measuring the beats per minute trying to keep it slow as it started up. Eventually the Bass drop drew closer, he could feel his heart start racing as his hoofs danced along the turn table. Eventually the moment came, the peak of the high pitched Synth stopped right on cue, and he then began to yell.
“The sound on the record plays!” The bass drop began as his hooves blurred along the Knobs and Tune adjusters to try and keep the Bass level. Sweat dripped down his face as he started to slow it down to a near silent level.
“Louder!” he began to push the Echo of the Synth upwards slowly while adding drum beats into the mix. The ponies on the dance floor went crazy with excitement as they danced all of their worries away. DubTrot was his specialty, he was an expert DJ only second to Vinyl Scratch one of the Best DJ’s in all of Equestria. he went through his records during his break to find what song he wanted to play for the finale. he grinned devilishly as his eyes settled on one song in particular. he pulled it out walking slowly over to the turn table. he put the record in as the music started.
“She must have heard it from my best friend! She’s always talking when she should be listening! Can’t keep a secret to save her life! Still I trusted her with all I felt inside! Who ever knew a rumor could spread so fast! Cause now the word is out all over town that I’m longing for you! How did you know? Because I never told, you found out I got a crush on you! I got a crush, crush, crush,” he repeated the beat as rapidly as he could. The Bass drop was approaching rapidly. he stopped all sound suddenly screaming out to the cheering crowd his favorite line to say.
“It’s a running program!” he dropped the bass playing with the drum beats, synth, and some sound effects for five minutes nonstop. he finally was drenched in sweat. his breathing was incredibly heavy but the crowd was going nuts. he left the club trotting home slowly. he lived in a fairly worn down apartment. he had enough money to buy a better apartment but he was either too lazy or too cheap to spend the money. He walked inside tiredly; his legs trembled underneath him as he stumbled along to his bedroom. his cutie mark which was of a purple record adorned his flank. He's always been so proud of his cutie mark, he wanted to walk in the hoof steps of Vinyl Scratch, he practically worshipped her. he collapsed on his bed passing out for the night.
He awoke the next day thinking it was going to be the same routine. He rose up from his bed rubbing his forelegs sorely.
“I should really stop trying to make my bass drops faster than the speed of sound.” He heard a ringing at his doorbell which was odd to begin with.
“Now who could be visiting me at this early hour?” He walked up to the door rubbing his eyes tiredly. He opened the door squinting through the daylight at a Pony with an odd looking black uniform on.
“Sir, may I come inside? I need to speak to you.” Sound Screech looked at the Pony as if questioning his intentions before finally sighing; he was just going to see what he had to say.
“Right then, make it quick though I got stuff to do today.” The Pony walked inside of the worn down apartment taking a seat on the farthest end of the couch.
“Sound Screech is it? I regret to inform you that both of your parents have passed away.” Sound Screech looked at the Pony wide eyed. His Orange eyes glistening to the Pony, he felt as if he was going to start crying.
“Just, just where the hell do you get off huh!? Telling me my parents are dead!” The Pony flinched at Sound Screech. He looked a bit irritated but he relented pulling out a file that was stacked full with papers.
“Your parents died in a home invasion, they were being robbed. The Robbers panicked and accidentally knocked over one of your fathers Kerosene lamps as they fled out a window. It set the house ablaze quickly. I’m sorry for your loss sir.” Sound Screech stared at the floor his hoofs tapping against each other lightly.
“Did you come here just to tell me this? Or is there something else you wanted to tell me?” The Pony sorted through a bag of items searching for something. He mumbled under his breath as he searched finally pulling out a black case.
“Your father left this to you; he bought it for you the day you got your cutie mark. He wanted to wait until the day he passed to give it to you.” He pulled out a big purple record with his name engraved in gold around the length of it. He let go and started to tear up.
“Alright, I get it. My parents are dead. Is there anything else that they left to me or wanted me to know?” The Pony shook his head rising to his feet with a stern look on his face.
“Just that they love you and that they’ve always been proud of you.” Sound Screech nodded his head ushering the Pony to the door.
“If that’s all then, get the hell out of my house you bastard!” He shoved the Pony out the door slamming it closed behind him. He’d just lost his parents. He actually wanted to hurt the Pony in so many ways but he couldn’t, he couldn’t blame the Pony for his parent’s death. He started to cry right there on the spot for hours. Eventually he stopped, feeling mentally drained. He walked into his bed room and collapsed once more in his bed.
He didn’t go to the club that night to perform, or the night after that. The news had sent him sky diving into depression. He moved from Canterlot to Ponyville where it was a little quieter. His career was done for, he even stopped leaving his house as often as he used to. He spun the record his father had given to him lazily in his hoof. He sighed walking into the bathroom of his new, cleaner apartment; he splashed some water into his face to try to wake himself up a little bit. He sighed looking into the mirror completely disgusted with himself. He decided to go to the club tonight and try to enjoy himself.
He walked into the club at around 9:00PM to listen to some music. He sat at the bar ordering drink after drink. By the time Thirty minutes passed he was completely wasted. He stumbled out from the club into the streets. I don’t know if it was because he was drunk or because he was just sad. But he broke down in the street and cried He felt a hoof tap his shoulder lightly. He lifted his head up boringly to see the one and only Vinyl Scratch.
“What the hell are you doing out here instead of in the club partying?” He looked down into the street in deep thought as if choosing his words carefully.
“Because we’re all going to die someday, there’s nothing we can do about it. I had to learn that the hard way. Our death is inevitable.” Vinyl Scratch looked at him taking off her glasses revealing her Magenta eyes to him.
“Well, I’m not the philosophical type, but isn’t that one hell of a reason to live it up as long as you can?” He looked at her with his eyebrows raised along with disbelief painted on his face.
“Are you serious? That's your solution to the fear of death?.” She grinned at him sliding her glasses back on her face.
“It sure is! I’ll show you!” She grabbed his hoof dragging him into the club. He saw the DJ table as she dropped him right in the crowd. She got on the turn table while sliding in a record. The music started with her adding beats to the mix to make the song into electro house music. He looked at her astonished as she steadily multiplied beats and added echo to the Synth. He smiled brightly hopping up onto the stand next to her. He took on a pair of head phones and started to toy with the drum beats. She looked at him shocked at first but she grew a daring expression as she halted the music in a scratchy skid.
“Let’s break the sound barrier!” I started with the bass drop as soon as she said that while she added the drum beats along with the Synth. I continued to add some sound effects to the song to make it a lot more playful. The music began to slow into steady drum beats that were being provided by Vinyl Scratch. He began to smile for the first time in months grabbing the microphone up to his mouth in one fluid movement.
“The sound on the record plays!” The music started again a perfect mix of Dubtrot and Electro house. They played all throughout the night song after song. By the time it was dawn I was a sweaty mess. I looked tiredly to my side to see Vinyl Scratch even sweatier than me but beaming.
“You’re a DubTrot artist?” she asked with a cocked eyebrow. She removed her glasses and wiped sweat from her eyes tiredly.
“Yeah, well I used to; I don’t play as much as I once did. Ever since my parents died I’ve been in a deep depression.” Her expression turned into that of sympathy as she slid her glasses into her bag of records and miscellaneous items.
“So that’s what this is all about, I’m sorry for your loss. It must be hard to lose your parents.” He looked at her while helping her carry the turn table into the back room so that the classical morning music can begin.
“Yeah, it’s alright though. You helped me forget about all of my worries tonight so I could just lay back and have fun. So it isn’t that bad.” She smiled at him while they finally dropped the turn table in the back room.
“Well, I think that’s the loudest the crowd as ever cheered so I have a proposition for you, how do you feel about coming over every Thursday when I play and start playing with me?” He looked at her astonished. This is everything he’s always dreamed about, to actually play his music with Vinyl Scratch. He nodded his head holding his hoof out to her with a smile plastered on his face.
“I’m Sound Screech, and yes I would love to play music with you Vinyl Scratch.” She nodded taking my hoof shaking it firmly.
“That settles it then, welcome to the club Screech.” He smiled as they exited the club parting ways to head home. It was a long night so when he got home he simply collapsed onto his bed and slept through the rest of the day, spent.
It wasn’t long until Thursday came again, he was eager to get back to playing music with Vinyl Scratch, but he was surprised when he got to the club and Vinyl Scratch wasn’t there. He looked around confused until the club owner dragged him onto the stage yelling at him.
“Vinyl has the Pony Flu and she can’t play tonight! You’re playing solo! Give the crowd what they want!” He got up onto the stage nervously. He looked at the crowd who looked awfully bored. He got on the microphone quietly.
“Uhm, I know I’m not a substitute for Vinyl Scratch, but since she couldn’t be here tonight. I’m playing in her place.” He started to slide his favorite record in and started to tamper with the sound effects. He added the drum beats and the Bass drops, he recieved the same feeling he got every time he played. This time the crowd was going wild. He got the drum beats and the Synth up to a high pitch and halted it.
“D,d,d,d, Destroy them with Lazers!” He repeated the line several times to add a more explosive feeling to it. He dropped the bass in a wilder manner than he ever had before. He played until 7:00AM. He dragged the turn table into the back room like he did the last time and came back into the club room to see Vinyl Scratch standing in the door way.
“Well that was quite the party now wasn’t it?” She had a wild smile plastered on her face as he walked up to her drenched in sweat.
“I thought you had the Pony Flu!” She laughed out loud at him shoving his shoulder a little bit.
“Nah, I just called in sick so I could see exactly how well you do solo. You’re pretty good out there. The crowd loves ya.” He looked at her with a proud grin stretched from ear to ear.
“Of course they did, I’m irresistible.” She laughed as she shoved him in the chest with her hoof.
“Come on, let’s get something to eat I’m starving.” He shrugged walking behind her out of the club as the more classical ponies filled on in. They walked into an odd looking restaurant, it looked more like a night club than a restaurant as a matter of fact. There were laser lights flashing all over the place with stereos playing house music near the back of the room.
“How did you find this place?” He asked astonished, it was like his dream restaurant, they didn’t have anything like it in Canterlot.
“I know my way around this little town, lived here all my life!” She led him to a table near the back sliding on her glasses again. A waiter came and took our orders while we sat there talking about the most random topics. he never had a better time in his life.
“Why did you start playing house music?” He asked her with a cocked eyebrow. He had hardly touched his food. He wasn’t hungry and he was paying for it so he guessed it didn’t matter. Vinyl was a different matter all together. She acted like there was no good reason to turn down a free meal.
“Well, I was one of those ponies who were always trying random things to get my cutie mark. I always like music, but I never thought I’d be playing it. My mom bought me a Turn Table in my early teens and what do you know? I had a natural talent for it.” He looked shocked at her for a few moments. His dad had bought him a turn table when he was fourteen and he had been naturally gifted with music himself, except it had taken him a lot longer to get decent with it.
“Yeah, my dad bought me a turn table in my early teens also, but it took me a long time to get any good at it.” She smiled at him through her glasses as she chugged down her drink.
“Well, thank you for the delicious meal; I’m going to head home.” She stretched out her forelegs tiredly. He could hear the muscles in her Forelegs crack a bit before starting to relax. He looked at her cocking an eyebrow up with a smile.
“It was my pleasure ma’am; I would be pleased to do it again.” But his face grew more serious as he looked at her again.
“Thanks Vinyl, for saving me.” She took her glasses off smiling lightly at him. Her expression was soft and her Magenta eyes were beautiful.
“Yeah, I’m just a regular town super hero. But remember, everyone gets one.” He laughed a bit before writing down the check, paying for their fairly expensive 75 bit meal.
“Hey Screech, let’s not go home. I got a better idea.” She grabbed his hoof once more dragging him along the floor into the streets. She led him into a sort of park clearing dropping him down on the grass. She jumped back onto the floor next to him. She whipped her glasses off while folding her forelegs behind her head. He looked at her with a smile before looking up at the sun. He turned to face her with a questioning gaze.
“Aren’t you a little hard core to be watching sunsets?” I asked with a joking tone in my voice.
“Nah, sunsets to me are always inspirational. It inspires me to make a new mix. At least half of my mixes are inspired from the sunset.” He looked at her shocked before looking back up at the sun. He actually fell asleep in the moment. But it was a sleep he needed seeing as he didn’t sleep at all that day or the night before.
He awoke at dawn the next day tiredly. He was extremely cold lying on the grass but he didn’t mind. He looked to his side to see Vinyl still sleeping there as well; he wondered why she didn’t go home either. He sighed looking back up at the rising sun stretching out a bit. He laid back down smiling at the Foals now at play in the park.
“Man, I slept a long time, I’m freezing.” He heard a laugh coming from right next to him. He turned his head to see Vinyl Scratch wide awake looking at him. Bags now under her eyes told him she hardly slept at all.
“Lucky you, I couldn’t sleep at all.” He looked at her with his mouth agape. He was now entirely confused.
Well, why didn’t you just go home? It doesn’t make sense that you just laid here!” She smiled at him looking back up at the sunrise.
“Nah, think I’ll pass on that. I’m like your bodyguard, remember? I’m not going to let you lay here and get kidnapped by some crazy Pony."
“Yeah, sure anyone would want to kidnap me. I’m young and innocent.” She smiled rising up to her hoofs yawning loudly.
“Well I’m going to turn in for the day, which reminds me. You’re coming with me to my house.” He blushed immediately at her scratching his head heavily.
“Well, uhm, I don’t know. I sort of have something to do, uhm, later.” She laughed almost in hysterics at his embarrassment.
“Relax idiot, it’s not what you think. You bought me dinner last night so it’s only appropriate that I treat you to breakfast.” He smiled at her rising up to his hoofs stretching them out tiredly.
“Alright then, let’s get going I’m freezing out here.” They walked back to her house which was a lot more high tech than he thought. She had a turn table in her living room along with a shelf full of records lined up in alphabetical order. She also had two stereos parallel up along the wall connected to the Turn Table.
“This is a nice place you got here.” He exclaimed as he followed her into the living room. They both collapsed down onto her black couch completely tired. She looked at him questioningly as if expecting something from him.
“What?” He asked with a smile spread across his face.
“Stop being an idiot I told you I’d make you breakfast now what do you want?” He smiled at her rubbing his chin thoughtfully with his left hoof.
“Hm, maybe a hardboiled egg, baked hash browns, and fresh double sliced toast. She looked at him with her eyebrows shot up in disbelief..
“Yeah, you’re dreaming, you’re getting cereal.” He laughed as she went into the kitchen fixing two bowls of cereal quickly. She brought it out giving it to him. They ate slowly as she showed him her most prized records and her hand made turn table.
“Well, I’d best get going. I got to go and clean my house. It’s almost as messy as yours is.” He rose up to his feet giving her a sarcastic grin.
“You’re funny, if I ever cleaned this place every pony would die of shock.” He laughed as he left her house to go home and sleep some more. He thought about the two of them on the way home. He was falling for her, that much was clear. But he wasn’t sure how she felt about him. He decided until things changed he would go along with the flow. They’d play together for five months after that before he found his answer.
They’d been playing their last song of the night. As usual they were quite sweaty due to the constant movement and lack of breaks. He followed her out to the bar area to get drinks. They’d been drinking for a while when it happened.
“I’m exhausted.” She groaned out as she took her glasses off rubbing sweat from her face.
“Yeah, that was a crazy night. But it just makes me feel alive at the end of it all.” She looked at him with a cocked eyebrow her gaze softening a bit.
“Yeah, I got to tell you something Screech; I’m not sure how to put it.” He looked at her with a questioning gaze as if expecting her to say it. She never held anything back from him.
“Well, go on then spit it out.” She looked at him sighing out loud while grabbing another swig of her drink.
“I’m moving from Ponyville to Canterlot. I have to move because I got an offer from a club there; it’s too big of an opportunity to give up. I’m leaving tomorrow." He looked at her with his eyes wide.
“Wait, but I thought that we were, I thought that we were partners! I was really starting to become happy.” He kept on talking as his depression ran back into his mind. The thoughts of his parents came rushing back. He would have gone on but he was silenced by Vinyl Scratch. She turned his chin towards her with her hoof and planted a kiss on his lips. The kiss lasted for what seemed like forever before she finally pulled away.
“You idiot, you think I would leave without you? You’re coming with me.” He looked at her shocked for a moment but then his face grew stern. He remembered Canterlot, he remembered the Pony who had told him about his parents.
“No, I’m not going.” She looked at him with a hurt look in her eyes. She squinted away tears looking at him confused.
“What do you mean? You’re not going!?” He shook his head in shame at her. He couldn’t go back to Canterlot there were too many bad memories.
“I’m sorry Vinyl, I can’t go there again. I just can’t” She looked at him shaking her head in confusion before running out of the club amidst tears. He looked down at the table leaving a check on the table to pay for their drinks before getting up to walk home for the night.
The whole night he lay in his bed deep in thought. What had he just done!? He had just given up the one thing that made his life happy, and for what? A stupid, crazy old pony who told him his parents were dead? He shot up out of bed bolting for the door. He had just made one of the worst mistakes in his life.
He dashed all the way to Vinyl’s house and knocked on the door. There was no answer. As a matter of fact the door opened when he knocked, the door slowly creaked open allowing him entrance. He looked at the now empty house, Vinyl Scratch was gone. He collapsed onto the floor shaking his head in shame. He just gave up the one thing in his life that gave him joy, to hell with the music he just wanted to be with her. He dashed out of the house into the dark of night. He ran along the streets trying to catch up to her. He flew all the way down the road exiting Ponyville he had to catch her somehow. He didn’t care how long it took.
He realized the only way to Canterlot from Ponyville were the train tracks. He had to follow them down the dirt path to Canterlot. He started off down the track to find her; he wouldn’t stop until he did. He kept on running despite the pain that was gnawing at his chest telling him to stop.
He was about a quarter of the way there until dawn struck. He couldn’t run anymore he was completely drained of all power. He had taken to walking the rest of the way to Canterlot. He had a lot of time to think on his way there. He was calling himself almost every swear word in the book. He stopped while he began to tear up. He sat there in the grass crying for what seemed like hours until he found a new inspiration.
He kept on running when he saw the sun setting. The sun set was what inspired Vinyl so it would be what inspired him to. He charged forward all the way to Canterlot's gates. He was about to pass out from oxygen lost when he finally arrived. He walked around Canterlot for hours in his searching. He was about to start crying right there until he shook his head gathering himself together. He wouldn't give up, Vinyl had to be around here somewhere.
He sighed walking into his old club where he used to play. He looked up to his surprise to see Vinyl Scratch up on the stage. She was preparing her song list for the night when she saw him. Her Magenta eyes instantly lit up. She ran off the stage jumping on top of Screech tackling him onto the floor. She pinned his hooves to the floor while he grinned crazily.
“So, I’ll take that as you missed me?” She smiled at him before kissing him again for what seemed like hours. She pulled away stroking his mane out of his eyes.
“I knew you’d come back. You can’t resist me you idiot.” He began to laugh as she got off of him. He smiled while his expression softened his eyes met hers as he led her up to the stage.
“Well? Nothing’s changed I hope.” She smiled hopping up onto the stage next to him. The ponies started piling in as they starting their DubTrot Electro House Duo. The ponies danced all throughout the night until the break of dawn. But this time neither of them were sweating. They walked to her house and went inside, up the stairs and started to express themselves a lot more intimately in the bed. He threw the covers over her until night the next day.
“I love you Vinyl.” I pulled her glasses off looking deep into her eyes. She stared at him with a daring smile.
“Don’t get too sappy on me.” She took her glasses from his hooves sliding them back on her face which was now brightened up with delight.
“We’ve got a show to do.”
Epilogue
The last six months have been so incredible for Sound Screech. He of course still mourned the loss of his parents. But Vinyl Scratch has shown him so much, given him so much. That he is starting to finally enjoy his life again. Their first “Hearts and Hooves Day” is coming up soon. He hasn’t even a clue what he’s going to buy for her. He has to think of something fast. He sat in their house staring up at the ceiling blankly. Vinyl went out to see her old friends who had come to visit her. While of course Sound Screech lay on the couch still deep in thought.
“There’s got to be something, something good.” Finally something clicked in his head. She loved her music more than air so there was only one real gift he could give her. He walked into their record room to sort through some of his older records. He kept on throwing cases back a bit until he found the one he was looking for.
“Simple And Clean, perfect!” He muttered to himself rising up to his feet with the record in his hoof. It was getting late and they were going to play tonight. They expected the club to be completely packed with star crossed lovers coming out to party. He walked out into their living room grabbing his more materialistic gift for her to hide it. He had bought this prior, but he wanted something big to introduce it first. Now he had it all figured out, now they could go to the club and he can make his move.
They had left the house early on his persistant nagging her, of course he never told her the reason he wanted to go early. They walked through the streets sharing their conversation.
“You know, I’m not giving you your gifts until you give me mine first.” Vinyl said with a smug smirk spread across her face. He simply rolled his eyes as they turned onto the block the club was on.
“You’re going to love this Vinyl, trust me.” He led her into the club walking up to the Turn Table. When she jumped up next to him he pushed her back lightly.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going? I’m doing this one for you idiot.” He smirked at her setting up the record to play first. It would require a lot of mixing; it was the hardest song he has ever done before, also his first.
“Oh? This should be really good.” She laughed walking away to a chair at the bar to watch his performance. As the crowd starting piling in he smiled at Vinyl before starting the song.
At first he brought it on a piano entrance, the Turn Table had Piano keys lined along the front of it, mostly for synth but if you increased the pitch you could get it to a near perfect match.
He started to sing at the crowd, he had a rather great singing voice; it was actually his forte besides DubTrot of course.
“You’ve given me, so many things baby. You’re all I need, oh no. You smiled at me, and said. Don’t get me wrong I love you, nor does that mean I have to meet your father, When we were older you’d understand what I meant when I said no, I don’t think life is quite that simple. He started altering the song with drum beats multiplying the lyrics with a beat multiplier. The bass drop began as he moved his hooves as fast as he could will them to go. They blurred across the Turn Table his breathing heavy. The more the song went on the more Vinyl began to smile. Eventually he began to let the recorded mix play out and walked off the DJ stand over to Vinyl.
He held his hoof out to her with a smile plastered onto his face.
“Well? Aren’t you going to dance with me at least?” She began to laugh hopping up to her hooves. The song started to get faster; they were both excellent at dancing to their art. The crowd was the loudest they had ever been, partly because it was “Hearts and Hooves Day” partly because what he was doing was a romantic act. They danced all throughout the night, the crowd kept coming in past Four AM. Eventually he pulled her to the side away from all of the dancing Ponies to give her the real gift.
“I don’t know what you thought of that exactly, but I’ll give you this too in case you thought that embarrassing act was a bomb.” He pulled out a necklace, a purple record hung at the bottom of it similar to his purple record, except her name was etched in gold around the length of it. She looked at it shocked, for the first time in months he saw her shell break with a tear down her cheek. Without hesitation she threw he fore legs around his neck kissing him passionately. She took her glasses off in the middle of it as she pulled away.
“Thank you Screech, it’s amazing.” She took the necklace from his hooves slinging it over her neck. She kissed him one last time briefly before pulling him by the foreleg into the crowd again.
“Let’s get this party started!” She screamed out at the crowd starting to intensify the music. The beats echoed out into his very core making his bones vibrate. He hopped up next to her playing their duo once again. They played up until Eight AM. She got off the DJ stand wiping her face off with a cloth as usual. They stood there for several moments staring at each other before she walked up to him.
“Here, I got you your gift, though I don’t think it will top you making a fool of yourself.” She pulled out a record that had faint letters etched onto it. The letters read:
“Crush on You” he looked at it surprised by it of course. But he remembered telling her that this was his parent’s song. They met while dancing in this very club to this song. He treasured that song, He pulled her into another kiss while they stood there for about fifteen minutes.
“So, best Hearts and Hooves day ever?” He asked with a cocky grin spread from ear to ear. She shrugged looking at him with her eyebrows cocked up.
“Maybe, we’ll have to see how the other guy does.” He looked at her shocked; she always had a cruel sense of humor.
“Relax! I’m kidding you idiot.” She yelled while laughing at his shock, they kissed again standing there in the middle of the club, they both had a long night, they only wanted to go home, but they would always treasure the memories of course. It was after all their first Hearts and Hooves day.
Thanks guys for taking it easy on me. I got mostly positive responses from this story so I decided to do a epilogue, no sequels just an epilogue, think I left the story done a bit too soon in their romance so I broadened my perspective per say. Hope you all liked the story and I hope you all like my many stories to come.
