The start of a new life

by DashApples

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Octavia, Scootaloo, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, DJ P0N-3
Length: 5888

When Vinyl looses her job as a DJ in Manehatten, she looses everything. With no bits left she decides to go to Ponyville, where she meets Octavia.

When Vinyl looses her job as a DJ in Manehatten, she looses everything else with it. With no bits left, she decides to go to Ponyville, a small town far away from everything. Maybe she can start a new career there. When she arrives, she meets her old schoolmate Octavia, and that gives her hope. But as always things go a different way.

Published 2016-04-29 01:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-05-03 07:47:50 UTC

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

When the train finally arrived Ponyville, Vinyl Scratch impatiently awaited the opening of the train's doors. When they finally slid open, she literally jumped forward, eager to get out of the train.

The white unicorn mare landed on the platform. Her electric blue mane bobbed a bit when her legs muffled the impact, and her also electric blue tail swung at her side.

When she left the shade of the train she had to squeeze her eyes shut. It was just too bright, and even her trademark purple shades which covered her eyes couldn't save her from the sun.

Vinyl looked around and took in her surroundings for the first time.

Not many ponies were standing at the platform. Some just got out the train like Vinyl. Others were just about to bord the train. Somepony also just stood around like she had just given a farewell to a beloved someone, a tear rolling down her cheek.

The station itself really wasn’t something special. First there was the wooden podest, the platform on which Vinyl just stepped on. It really was only a podest, made of wood and without a roof to protect the passengers from the elements.

The station also had a small house next to it. It was a little bigger then a normal house, but nothing compared to Manehattan's station hall she was used to. Through the window Vinyl was able to spot a station worker in the train company's uniform, giving out a ticket to a ponie. That seemed to be the only purpose of the house. And maybe the toilets.

Vinyl decided to head into town, her mind occupied by the things that made her travel to this small town, far away from her old home.

the things which had gone wrong.

Vinyl remembered a line her former boss had said to her about a month ago:

"Miss scratch, we appreciate the time we were able to work together, but unfortunetly, this now comes to an end. I am terribly sorry to tell you that we cant keep you under our contract any longer."

Of corse she also knew why her boss had said that. Vinyl remembered it just like it had been yesterday.

She had performed at a Nightclub in Manehattan. Like always her companys agent had set up the appointment, and as always Vinyl would have DJ’d until the early morning. But this time, things came different. Vinyl had only performed for about three hours when things got out of hoof quickly.

A small group of young stallions had decidet to drink a little bit too much before hitting the club.

They had been totally intoxicated by the time they were led in, and so they just punched their way through the mass of dancing pony’s to the DJ’s performing podesthalf a meter above the croud.

When they reached Vinyl's turntables, one of the stallions, a purple one with a breath like a scotch brewery, had the bright idea of having a turn as a DJ himself, and so he dragged vinyl shorthoofed from her place behind the turntables.

Vinyl might not be the strongest unicorn in Manehattan, but nopony dragged her away from her turntables while performing on stage. She probably should have informed the security, but in the heat of the moment she decided to deal with the problem herself.

She grabbed the stallion from behind and pulled him over the podest’s edge. As soon as the stallion landed on the floor, he started to attack Vinyl, and she had no choice other than defending herself.

Unfortunately someone decided to take a picture just in the moment when Vinyl swung her hoof to punch the stallion right on the nose, and it certainly didn’t help that her facials looked like the ones of a madmare.

The picture soon got published in all sorts of newspapers, and her reputation was dragged through the mud.

When her boss had heard of this accident, he, of corse, decided to give up the contract with Vinyl in order to safe his companys reputation.

The loss of her job had Vinyl run low on money, and because of the bad reputation the newspaper articles gave her, she wasn’t able to perform in any other clubs to gather some bits she desperatly needet for a living.

After about a month with no income, Vinyl had made up her decision to leave the city. She had gathered her last bits and belongings, and bought a ticket to the smallest town on the map.

This happened to be Ponyville. She hoped her bad reputation hadn’t reached the small town just yet, so, just maybe, she could start a new life there.

It wasn't really hard for Vinyl to leave Manehattan behind as she never really liked the city she had been born in. Too many bad memorys, and only a few good ones.

Now she was here in Ponyville, with only her turntables, a small arrangement of music and about no bits left. What a great situation to start a new life.

When she walked over the platform towards the streets, Vinyl spottet a wooden board. Curious, what it might be, she took a few steps towards it, and soon she realized that it was a public announcement board.

She skimmed over the notes quickly, and one note in particular caught her eye. Vinyl stepped even closer in order to read the neat handwriting:

Octavia Philarmonica

Former cellist of the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra.

Hello everypony. I am offering cello lessons to everypony who might be interested. If you are, please feel free to come around my house, everyday around afteernoon. It’s Pinewood road 17.

After she had finished reading, Vinyl’s face brightened and a little smile appeared on it. Maybe, just maybe not all of her luck had slipped away just yet...

Octavia Philarmonica. She knew that name:

It had been a long time since she had heard that name the last time. Probably seven years or something like that. It was when Vinyl still had been a litlle filly, attending school when one day her teacher opened the door and introduced a new pupil.

Vinyl had looked the new filly, standing infront of the class. It din’t took too long for Vinyl to make up her mind about this new student:

This filly was a total snob; Her parents, probably rich as hell. Her mane accurately styled, and a pink bow-tye arrogantly around her neck. She was just standing there, looking at her new class, just like she was one of the ruling princesses.

At least Vinyl had assumed all that. She had a problem with the "upper crust" of Manehattan, or, better, the upper crust in general. They were impolite and acted like they own all the other ponies. She didn't only not like them, but literally hated them. So it was no surprise that she didn't like this little snob fill either.

Of corse the teacher, miss Blueberry, decided to seat the new filly, named Octavia, right next to Vinyl.

When the Octavia grabbed the seat next her, Vinyl did her best to avoid talking to the newcomer. Of corse Octavia was asking questions all along the next lessons, but Vinyl ignored most of them. If she did answer, Vinyl didn't bother answering them in a really friendly way.

Soon Octvia had learned that she and Vinyl din’t got along well, and so she stopped bothering her. They spend the rest of their schooltime like that, neither of them interested in what the other one was up to. If they did had to work together, they did so. But often fought while working on the same thing.

In the end they had parted their ways, and Vinyl hadn’t heard anything from Octavia since.

Well, even though Vinyl and Octava had never been friends, Octavia wouldn’t turn a pony in need of help down, or would she?

Vinyl didn’t knew. Of corse she didn’t. She had never really known Octavia after all, so she had absolutely no idea how she might react when Vinyl would appear at her door asking for shelter.

Vinyl didn’t even knew if Octavia would remember her.

Anyway. She had no other choice if she wanted a warm place to sleep, so she decidet to take the note off the board and seek Octavia out. Hopefully the streak of bad luck Vinyl had experienced over the last few months had endet now, Vinyl thoght to herself when she started walking to the stairs leading into town, but soon she stopped again.

After all, she had no clue were Pinewood road was, or in which direction she had to go. Maybe she could ask somepony for the way?

The unicorn looked around, if maybe there was somepony she could ask, and indeed there were a few ponys around.

A small pegasus filly looked like she might be able to help finding the adress Vinyl was looking for, so Vinyl slowly approached the filly. When she was only a few feet away, she opened her mouth to speak:

"Hey kid" Vinyl said, carefull not to scare the young pony away.

"Uhm, hey?" Responded the orange filly, turning around and answering with a twich of hesitation in her voice.

Hastely to give no chance to the filly to run away in fear, vinyl spoke again:
"Yeah I know don’t talk to strangers n stuff, but I just need your help to find my way..."

"Oh, sure. No problem. Where do you need to go?" The fillys expression lit up, now that she knew why this strange looking pony had started talking to her, she felt way more comftable. It also helped that the filly actually knew the town by hoof, since she spend most of her time scooting around the streets.

Vinyl held up the note she had taken off the board; "Do you know where I can find Pinewood road?" She asked, happy that the filly seemed to know her way around the town.

"Yeah, I know that one. It’s just up the street, and then left, next to the town hall. You can’t miss it. The hall has a big blue sign on it reading " -TOWN HALL-."

The young pony pointed down the street with a big grin on her face.

Vinyl beamed. "That sounds great. Thank’s alot for helping me out here." She waved at the filly and started walking down the street in the pointed direction, but then she stopped once more.

She turned around to ask the filly for her name, but found the street empty with no sign from the young, orange coulored ponie.

Vinyl shrugged, a bit dissapointed that she din’t asked for the filly's name earlier, but then turned to face the street once more.

Happy about that she knew where to go now, she trotted down the street. It din’t took Vinyl long until she reached the end of the road, and on the Instant she spotted the big town hall building, just like the orange filly had said.

Infront of the hall, there was an open place with carts over it. The carts oners seemed to pack together the articles which had been on them for trade. It looked like there was held a daily market on that place.

Close to Vinyl, there was a cart full with applebaskets, and the owner was just putting the last basket of apples on it with a powerfull lifting of his head, the busket's handle in his mouth.

Vinyl felt her stomach rumble. She couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten properly, but she surely knew that it was a while ago.

She decidet to use the rest of her few bits to get some food.

Slowly she approached the cart with a friendly smile on her face.

"Hey there. I can see that you are already closing the shop, but would it be possible for me to buy something off you before you close completely?" Vinyl said with a friendly voice. She really hoped she could get one or two of these yummy looking apples before the stallion closed up completely and then decided to walk away with them. Luckily, it seemed like she would get what she wanted.

"Eyeeup" was the only responce she got from the owner, and she whatched him lifting the basket off the cart.

Vinyl smiled and opened the side of her luggage with her magic. She levitated her money bag out of her suitcase. It felt frightening light.

Alarmed by the weight, or better, the lack of weight she took a carefull glimpse inside it. Vinyl was a bit shocked by the result.

The bag was completely empty. She thought, she still had at least some bits left, but obviously she had spend her last ones on the train ticket.

Vinyl’s ears dropped back and her happy smile fadet. Slowly she lowered the bag and gulped. "I-I am sorry but it seemes like I am broke..." Her voice trailed off.

The stallion had whatched her the entire time. Vinyl was embarressed. She turned around to walk away in shame, but the „EHEM“ of the stallion behind her froze her to the place.

She looked around, only to see a mid-sized bag being held infront of her muzzle. Vinyl looked at the bag in surprise, then her eyes perked to the stallion holding it, and then back to the bag.

"Is this for me?" She asked, unsure of how to react. "Eyeup" was the only thing the stallion said in response.

"But I can’t pay for it..."

"Nope" The stallion said with a big grin on his mouth, then he chuckled and set the bag infront her. "No need to." he said. "You look hungry, and It would ta be just be rude of me to let a hungry pony stay hungry, just because she lacks the bits."

Vinyl’s jar dropped. She wasn’t used to such kindness. Where she came from, ponys only looked at themself and didn’t care about others. Carefully she grabbed the bag in her magic.

"Tha- thank you..." was all Vinyl managed to respond.

"No problem" the cart’s oner said when he lifted the basket up on the cart once more, then he pulled it all together towards one of the streets leading away from the town hall.

Vinyl found herself dumbfoundet. It surprised her to see a pony which thought of others, and even helped them without expecting something in return.

She dropped the bag infront of her to take a closer look at it’s contents. Her jaw dropped once more when she found a total number of 12 apples inside it; They all looked Perfect, and when she took one out to take a bite, the juicy flavour of the apple spread in her mouth. It tasted delicious.

Vinyl levitated the bag from the ground and let it hoover beside her. Then she started walking again.

It didn’t took long for her to find Pinewood road, and soon she had also spotted the number '17' on the outside of a middlesized, two floored house.

It was a wooden house. The roof was made out of reed, just like many old houses. Nevertheless it looked new, just like it had been renovated only a short while ago. The property was surroundet by a metal fence, and a fine worked metal gate was the only way leading on to the property.

Vinyl took a deep breath. Hopefully Octavia would remember her... And be so kind to give her a shelter. If not permanent, then maybe at least for tonight. Vinyl really hoped so. Even though Vinyl had beed thinking of Octavia in a rather bad way, she could really use some help right about now.

It wouldn't matter if it came from Octavia or any other pony in Equestria and Vinyl was clever enought to realize that. But if she had to choose, she rather took help from somepony she barely knew, instead of somepony she didn't knew at all.

She looked up to the sky, only to realize how late it had gotten since she left the train in late noon.

When she opened the gate she felt her heart sink, and with every step towards the door it sunk a bit more. When she finally reached the door, Vinyl was worried close to death. Octavia and her never got along verry well.

They had never been friends. But here she stood, about to ask Octavia to let her in her house just like old friends. Vinyl must have gotten mad.

It wasn’t like she had much of a choice anyway. Without any money she couldn’t afford a hotel room. And before she had to spend a night on the street, she could at least give Octavia’s place a try.

Breathing in once more, Vinyl lifted a hoof to knock at the door.
Three times she knocked, and when the third knocking sound faded away, Vinyl was left in silence, nervously awaiting for the door to open.

Author's Note

Hey everypony :D

I just want to thank you for reading the story. Please feel free to leave a comment, or some good critics. If you want to know how this story continues, put it on your tracking list. The second chapter is already in progress. I am a bit busy with life at the moment, so it could take a while to get it up. Anyways... I hope you enjoyed the story.

Have a great day/evening/morning/night or whatsoever.

DashApples

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Vinyl’s ears twitched nervously at the sound of hoofsteps coming from inside the house. She looked up just in the moment to see the door being pulled open.

There, in the doorframe, a hoof still at the doors handle and a friendly smile on her face, stood a grey earth pony mare. She had a black flowing mane and a pink treble-clef as a cutie mark. Vinyl knew who this mare was.

„Hello, can I help you?“ Octavia Philarmonica said after a moment of brief silence. The smile remained on her face, but it certainly didn’t reach her eyes anymore like it did before.

Vinyl had to swallow hard. She felt nervous about what she was about to do next. It had been a long time since she last spoken with Octavia, and they hadn’t parted as friends either.

She opened her mouth, which suddenly felt bone dry. She closed and opened it again. Then, finally, she managed to get some words out:

„Uhm... Hi... I-I don’t know if you remember me but w-we went to school together. It’s been about 7 years since we have last seen each other, so I don’t know if you still remember me. My name i-„
But before Vinyl could finish her sentance, she got interrupted by Octavias voice:

„I know your name, Vinyl. I remember you.“

Vinyl’s face brightened a bit upon hearing these words, and she started to gain some hope that she, at least for a while now, would not have to be homeless. But Octavia hadn’t finished speaking yet:

„You were the filly I was seated next to at my verry first day in that school.“ She said, her voice now had a slight anger in it: „When I recall this correctly you never liked me from the first second. I think that had something to do with me being a -How did you call me again? Oh yeah, thats right; A noble snob. Oh and please correct me if I am mistaken, but I think that has never really changed. Now has it?“

She took a step forward, her eyes small, burning in anger.

„So what in tarnation have I done wrong, to earn the great plesure of miss Vinyl Scratch’s appearence infront of my door?!“ Octavia now shouted at Vinyl. Her voice had constantly grown louder while she had been speaking.

Vinyl for her part had looked to the ground ever since Octavia had started talking again. Now that she had to answer, she couldn’t even bring her head up to face Octavia.

So Vinyl just spoke to the ground, her voice trembeling and shaking; „I... I ne- I need a... A place to stay.“

„Oh I am TERRIBLY sorry to hear that!“ Octavia said, her voice dripping of sarcasm and anger, „And I am also really sorry, but I can NOT help you with that. I am sure you will find another place to stay.“

Without another word Octavia turned around, and slammed the door shut behind her.

Left outside, Vinyl stood in front of the closed door, her legs shaking wildly and not able to move.

Slowly the meaning of what Octavia had said came to Vinyl. Not only the meaning that she could not stay at her place, but the overall meaning: She was now officially homeless.

Vinyl slowly moved. Her legs were shaking badly, but she moved on auto pilot. She picked up the bags with her magic and levitated them next to her. She slowly walked down the path towards the property exit and left through the iron gate. She stepped on the street and automaticly turned to the left. Vinyl walked down the street, not thinking about where she was going, her hoofes carried her further away down the road while her mind was preoccupied, thinking about the events which had just occured.

Hours had passed since the events at Octavias house, and the sun had settled already a while ago. Vinyl on the other hand had been wandering through the streets ever since. She had no destination.

„Where should I go...? I mean.. I can’t just stay on the streets... Maybe I can.... no I don’t have money... Or... ARGH, I can’t take the train without any bits either...“

These thoughts had been wandering through her mind the entire time, ever since she left the property. She tryed her best to find a way out of her situation, but now after hours of walking her hoofes became heavy, and she had to accept the fact that she had nowhere else to go.

„Looks like I’m stuck here...“

Vinyl thought when she stopped under a lantern. She dropped her bags next to her and layed down on the street right under the lantern. Her eyes started to water, and a moment later a single tear slowly made it's way down her cheek. When she felt the tear dropping off her chin, she buried her face into her forelegs and started to sob heavily.

Vinyl didn’t even try to fight the tears. It would have been a lost battle anyhow, so she just let it happen. Soon her forelegs where covered in snot and tears. After a while the sobbing came to an end and she wiped the last tear away.

„Okay vinyl girl... It has no use to cry like a little filly now, so pick your sorry flank up off the ground and get yourself moving“ Vinyl thought to herself after wiping her face one last time.

She rose to her hoofes one more time, and picked her luggage up in the magical grip. Her eyes looked around and took in her surroundings with interest for the first time since... You know since when.

She looked around and found herself in a rather bad luminated area of Ponyville. About half the lanterns on the street where broken, or flickering on and off. The houses which surrounded had once been friendly, but not anymore as they were not in the best shape. They all could use some renovation work, but Vinyl doubted that the owners would have the money for it. It was a typical housing area for... let’s call them not that well off ponies.

Vinyl knew that since this was the type of living area she had lived in first when she still had a job, but owning an owen place was too expensive on the long term, and the residental areas were too far away from her usual workplaces. So after a while she had decided to settle down on a simple apartment; only a kitchen, a bedroom shared with living area and small bath. That meant of corse while she still had her job...

She walked the street down further, and after a while the area changed; The houses grew closer together, and some of them started to look rather like shops, then the residents for citizens. Also the houses were now taller and with a cleaner appearence then in the former residental area Vinyl had walked through.

Her hoofes had started to hurt a while ago from the hours of walking and thinking, so Vinyl decided that she should look for a sheltered place to spend the night -or better, the rest of it- and maybe even a bit longer than only one night.

A small alley caught her eye when she looked around for a suitible place. She stepped closer to examine what she had found. She looked in the street and saw that it was rather dirty. Discarded boxes set at the side and trashed newspapers covered the ground. She picked one up and skimmed over it, just to let it go again as it was an old one published a few weeks ago. She lifted her look again and in the dark of the night she found a small light, shining around a corner. Vinyl stepped closer to examine, and when she reached the corner she carefully peeked around it.

The part of the alley she looked in now was a dead end, formed by the backwall of what looked like a restaurant. At least it looked like it,due to the containers of discarded food next to an old metal door. In the far corner of the alley Vinyl could see a pile of cardbords leaned against a wall, and a ligt shine coming from inside it.

Vinyl carefully sneaked closer to examine the pile, and soon she had found an opening on the side facing the dead end. It was just the size of a pony. She couldn’t see what was inside the pile, but from what she had seen yet it looked something like a shelter.

When she peeked around the edge of the shelter she could see what layed inside, and what she saw blew her mind in milliseconds. Her heart froze and skipped at least 2 beats. There, inside this improvised cardboard shelter, on the far side right next to the cold brick wall, from under some discarded newspaper, the purple eyes of an orange filly looked up to Vinyl. The look in them resembled horror and fear.

Neither of the two ponys moved or made a sound. They stood there, frozen, until a fresh breeze rushed through the alley and made it’s way through the improvised cardbord boxes, rushling the papers which covered the little orange filly. Like they had been given an invisible signal, both of them stardet to talk at the same time;

„What a-„ Vinyl started, her voice trembeling in shock.

„Please don’t bring me back!„ The filly cryed out in horror, backing up further into the corner, and nearly falling over a wooden scooter.

„What are-“ Vinyl tryed again, but got interrupted by the filly a secod time.

„Please don’t make me go back to that orphanage again!“ The filly’s voice was filled with plea and fear. She had the cold wall in her back and couldn’t back up any further. When Vinyl took a closer look at the filly, she saw The fear in the young ponys eyes.

„Hey... I- It’s okay, I won’t bring you back to the orphanage.“ She said in an attempt to calm the filly, but the little ponie didn’t seem to hear her as she just continued to plea for not being send back.

Vinly took a small step forward, and the filly immediatly went quiet. Now her eyes were filled with pure fear, and started to dart around in an attempt to find a way to escape. But there was none. Finally they settled on Vinyl and a quiet voice full of plea and fear came out of the fillys mouth: „Please.. Please don’t take me back.“

Vinyl had been speachless over the entire time. She had been shocked by the look in the little ponys eyes, so full with horror and fear. After a few seconds, Vinyl had come over the shock enought to speak up again: „ I- I wont bring you back.“ She sayd with a calm voice, only trembeling slightly. When the filly didn’t answered, but just continued to look up at her with horror and fear, Vinyl continued to speak.

„I- I promise I won’t bring you back to the... orphanage.“ Vinyl continued. She looked at the filly and felt pityness rise in her.

The little ponie seemed to relax a little upon hearing these words. Then it looked up at her and asked in a hopefull voice:

„R-really?“.

„Yes, really.“ Vinyl said. „So...“ She continued after a moment of silence, in which both the ponys had just looked at each other. „Why... don’t you tell me who you are and what you are doing out here all on your own?“

„Why do you want to know?“ The filly asked ab bit suspiciously, still backed up into her corner.

„Uhm...“ Vinyl replied, „Because you’re a little filly living in a cardbord shelter out on the street?“

The filly looked at her for a moment, then to the ground and said quitely „I’m Scootaloo...“

Vinyl looked at Scootaloo for a moment before she answered. It looked like the filly had given up on something. Her body had lost all of the tension it held before, and her shoulders had dropped in some sort of defeat.

„Hey Scootaloo. My name is Vinyl Scratch, but you can just call me Vinyl if you like.“

Scootaloo remained quiet, still looking to the ground.

„Do you mind if I come in?“ Vinyl asked in an attempt to get the filly talking again. As it seemed her words had an effect, because Scootaloo looked up at her in surprise.

„You mean... in here?“ Scootaloos eyes widened a bit in surprise. „Why do you want to come in here? I am sure your house is waaay more comftable then,“ She waved a hoof around, gesturing at the cardboards. „this,“ she finished her sentence.

„Uhm... yeah. About that.“ Vinyls ears dropped. „You see, I... I don’t have a house. Or at least not anymore.“

Scootaloo looked up at her in surprise. Her eyes were widened a bit and her mouth hung open in disbelive.

„But you are an adult...“ she said. “ All adults have houses!“ She kept looking at Vinyl in disbelive.

„Well... no. Not all adults have one. Some are living on the streets, have no job and no bit's. Maybe, if you let me in, I could tell you my story?“ Vinyl waited for a second, then added with a small smile: „It really is cold out here, you know.“

Scootaloo had to chuckle a bit and seemed to relax further. But still she kept a slight tension in her body, ready to react in case Vinyl would do something in attempt to catch her or something.

„Okay.“ Was all Scootaloo said as an answer. She carefully emerged from the corner she had been sitting in all the time since Vinyls appearence, and moved the papers on the ground aside to give Vinyl some space to sit.

Vinyl was happy to see that the filly was no longer frightened about being taken back to some orphanage. Even tough the she didn’t outright trust Vinyl, she didn’t seem to belive anymore that Vinyl was a threat to her.

Vinyl stepped inside the shelter and made herself, somehow, comftable on the cold ground. Her bags had been hoovering outside the cardboard construction, out of scootaloos sight. Now she levitated them carefully through the opening and dropped them down next to herself.

Scootaloo eyed the bag of apples, and ignored the other stuff completely.

„Whats in this bag?“ She asked innocently, even though she obviously knew the answer, judged by the hungy groul her stomach made just at this very second.

Chuckling at the obviously hungry filly, Vinyl levitated one of the apples out of the bag and let it hoover towards Scootaloo: „Apples.“ She said, stating the obvious.

Scootaloo reached out to grab the apple out of the air, and without wasting another second she took a huge bite out of it. Within a few seconds the whole apple vanished inside Scootaloos stomach, leaving nothing behind. Vinyl wondered when it had been the last time the filly had eaten properly. She levitated the bag in the middle between them.

„Take some more if you want.“ She said in an attempt to win the fillys trust. It seemed to work because the filly took another apple, but now she didn’t inhale it like the other, but took a small bite. Then for a while neither of them spoke a word.

„What’s in there?“ Scootaloo asked, looking curiously at Vinyls turntable bag, still munching on her apple.

Vinyl followed Scootaloos look and respondet happily to the question.

„My turntables. I used them to make musik. It was my job -being a DJ that is- until... I lost it.“

„Oh, is that why you are here? I mean, is that why you don’t have a house anymore? Because you have no job?“ Scootaloo asked, eyes wide and the apple halfway risen to her mouth for another bite.

Vinyl sighted, then she looked away. The filly was right. Only because the loss of her job she had ended here, on the street. She knew that. But it was different to hear it, instead of just knowing it. It hurt Vinyl. She took a breath in and turned back to Scootaloo.

„Yeah... thats about right. Something happened and I got kicked out of my company. To cut it short; one thing led to another, and here I am in Ponyville. Without a home, a job and no bits to live.“

Scotaloo just looked at her. She could see the pain in Vinyl’s composure, even though she could not see her eyes behind those shades. Carefully she moved a bit closer to Vinyl. Something about the white unicorn told Scootaloo that she could trust her.

The DJ looked down at the filly, and gave Scootaloo a small smile.

„So, Why are you out here?“, she asked Scootaloo. Vinyl had already guessed that the fillys parents must be dead, as she begged her not to take her back to the orphanage when Vinyl had found her. But Vinyl just wanted to make sure. And keep the conversation going somehow.

„My parents.... are dead. They... they died in a fire.“ Scootaloo said tiredly. „Then, when they put me in an orpahnage, I ran away from there. Ended up alone in Ponyville eventually.“

Vinyl felt sorry for Scootaloo. She moved closer until she sat right next to the little filly, then wrapped her into a tight hug.

„Don’t worry... You are not alone anymore,“ Vinyl whispered into Scootaloos ear. That is... If you dont mind me staying with you?