Scratched

Sun streamed in through the old windows, piercing the dirty, wavy glass as the beams caught in lazy motes of dust in the air. Octavia blinked her eyes, yawning as she adjusted to the bright light. The feeling of soft fur against her side caught her off guard. She wasn’t used to ponies sleeping in her bed these days. This morning Vinyl’s soft snoring didn’t seem to bother her much at all. She could feel her chest moving softly as the small wheezes filled the room.

Sighing slightly, she settled into the sheets, letting the sun warm her face as she nuzzled against the other mare. She missed this more than she remembered. It had been a long time since she woke up with someone to share the morning with. Sliding against the white mare, she could feel her body against her own chest, the warmth flowing through her as Vinyl pushed back against her in her sleep.

She felt like she could stay this way all day.

Octavia wasn’t sure how long it was until the other pony started to stir. She felt Vinyl’s body stretch as she pulled away under the covers. Pulling back the comforter, Octavia felt a cool breeze as she hopped off the mattress.

She looked back at her friend, the sun shining off her white coat. She was smiling at least.

“You look happy this morning.” Octavia said.

“Mmmm, slept great.” She replied, as she thrust her front legs out in a long stretch. “It was nice to be back here.”

Octavia narrowed her eyes slightly. “Just for the night, remember?” She said, tossing the covers off and hopping to the floor. “Let’s go get breakfast. We have some work to do today.”

The two took turns at the shared bathroom, Octavia finishing first and setting the pot on boil. She busied herself in the small kitchen, setting out a small breakfast. She put four thick slices of dark oat bread on a small rack in the oven, before she deftly lit a match to start the flame in the burner. She watched the old stove come to life as tendrils of steam started to rise from the tea kettle.

“Where’s Twitch?” Vinyl asked as she trotted into the room.

“You know her. She may still be at the club.” Octavia replied. Both ponies shared a small chuckle at the thought.

“And Treble will probly sleep til noon…”

“Probably.” Octavia agreed. “You still like your coffee black right?”

“Sure.”

Octavia opened a steel canister, placing a good portion of grounds in the kettle. The smell of fresh coffee slowly filled the room as she reached in and took the toasted bread from the oven. She placed a couple pieces in front of her friend, offering her a small wedge of soft cheese. The unicorn ate greedily, and Octavia couldn’t help but smile to herself as she carefully poured two mugs of strong coffee from the kettle through her strainer.

A blue glow caught one of the old earthen mugs as Vinyl levitated it to herself. “Thanks!” She said, beaming at her friend.

The two sat at the small wooden kitchen table, eating their breakfast quickly. Octavia could feel the anxiousness from her friend across the table. She could feel the old floorboards vibrate as Vinyl tapped her hoof on the floor repeatedly.

She put up a strong front, as always. Vinyl had already finished her first cup and was filling her mug a second time. Despite her smile, Octavia could see the worry written on her face.

Reaching out to take her friend’s plate, she stacked them in the center of the table. She placed her hoof gently over Vinyl’s.

“It’s going to be ok, alright? It’s not like we can kick you out on the street. I just…I can’t live like we used to…” Octavia said, her voice quietly trailing off.

“I know.” Vinyl replied. She looked her friend in the eyes. She did look stronger than before, Octavia thought. It was hard to say though.

“We’ll talk to Twitch. She practically lives at that club anyways. Sparks might be able to help. He might be a little gruff at times but he’s a good pony. And he has a soft spot for you, I think.” Octavia said, placing the dishes in the ceramic sink. She wiped a few errant crumbs from the table, smiling slightly as she saw the table shine in the morning sunlight.

New fallen snow crunched underhoof as two walked down the street. A few ponies were out and about on the deserted streets, shoveling snow or slowly finding their way across the unplowed cobblestones. Vinyl cinched her pack up tighter as they headed further downtown. Thankfully the load was much lighter; she only needed her turntable and rest of her setup today.

“Do you think she’ll be there?” Asked Vinyl.

“Heh, there’s only one place to go after spending the entire night at Spark’s place. Well, especially for a bat…”

Octavia led her friend to a nondescript storefront. The walk was unshoveled, but heavy hoof traffic had flattened the snow into a slippery sheet of ice. Steel chairs and tables were piled errantly outside, catching the snow in awkward shapes. Pushing through the old heavy door, Vinyl recognized the place immediately. It was the Verona Café next door to Sparks. She knew ponies that went here, but she never had the time really. Not with her parents usually expecting her at a certain time.

She had to grin to herself a bit at the thought. Guess it didn’t matter much today…

A few ponies dotted the small café, noticeably tired or even still strung out from the night before. The snow kept away the normal breakfast regulars. Tapping snow from their hooves, the two made their way to the back of the building; the darkest booths at the rear of the café.

Vinyl could see a singular shape seated there, well out of the glare from the front windows. Nestled into a booth blocked from most of the establishment lights, a black furred pony slumped into her seat, both appearing to be sleeping and eating all at once. A clawed wing deftly darted out from her oversized hooded shirt, spearing a nearby strawberry and quickly popping it into the opening in her hood, where the fruit disappeared.

“You still awake over here?” Octavia asked with a snarkish tone.

The seated figure didn’t seem to move much. “That you, Octavia? You should know by now I hate sleeping…”

“I know, I know.” Octavia replied, sitting down at the opposite side of the booth. She patted the booth next to her, motioning for Vinyl to follow. The pony sat down quickly as she placed her pack beside the end of the booth.

The strange black pony didn’t seem to acknowledge her at first, stealing sideways glances as she greeted Octavia. Vinyl had met Twitch before, but she never had really gotten used to her. She was the only bat pony she had ever run into. Her strange leathery wings always seemed to be moving, snatching a few pieces of fruit even as she talked. Her fur was almost jet black, strongly contrasting with a bubblegum pink mane shaved smooth on one side, and left long on the other. Twitch let it hang over her face, concealing the right side of her face, and trailing down past her muzzle.

“So what’s with your little marefriend here, Octavia?” Twitch said with a grin. Vinyl blushed a bit, turning to her friend.

“Just a friend, Twitch, remember?” Octavia corrected her. “And anyways, she needs a job.”

“A job, huh? She’s a bit young for working the tables. Does she even have her little butt tattoo yet?” Twitch asked, chuckling. A wing shot out quickly from behind her. Vinyl could feel a claw run along her rump, only for a moment, before Twitch pulled it back.

“Not THAT kind of job.” Octavia sighed. “She won that junior artist contest Sparks threw a few months ago.”

Twitch seemed to think a moment, her wing claw reflexively reaching up to brush her mane from her eyes, scratching her forehead. “Oh yeah! Sure, sure. I remember that. You were pretty good for a small fry! What was your name again?”

“I…I didn’t have a stage name or anything. Names just Vinyl. Vinyl Scratch.”

“Yeahhh, alright, I remember now. Ole Sparks liked your set but you were just too young for him to let you work in a place like that. What makes you think he’s going to let you in now? Did this little pony do a whole lot of growing up in three months?” Twitch asked, chuckling.

Vinyl hit her hoof on the table hard. She never had had this long of a conversation with Twitch before. And she was starting to see why.

Octavia placed her hoof on her friend’s, attempting to calm her down. “Twitch, we’re not going to get into it now, but just believe me that we need to find something for her, okay? I’m asking for your help on this.”

Deftly snatching the last grape from her fruit plate, Twitch popped it in her mouth, looking over at the two ponies. She sat there in silence for a few seconds before a smirk grew across her muzzle. “Heh, you guys are damn lucky I’m in a good mood today. Could be the hot stallion I met last night, could be the non prescription pharmaceuticals. Either way, I’m not quite ready to hit the sack, and I think I can help you fillies.”

Rising to her feet, the bat pony pushed past the pair, motioning with her wispy pink tail. “C’mon ladies. I can take you to see old man Sparks. He’s usually up this time of day.”

Vinyl and Octavia followed her out through the back of the café, walking around through a dimly lit back alley. Snow overhung precariously from the rooftops above, nearly blocking out the light completely. Twitch seemed to meld into the dark; her pink mane and tail the only parts still visible, except for the few moments she turned around to look at them, flashing her slitted yellow eyes.

She fidgeted with a heavy steel door for a moment, before popping it open. The three entered quickly, tapping snow from hooves. Vinly immediately recognized the smell of the place. The electric scent of countless cheering ponies. She could smell the spilled gin on the floorboards, and the stink of sweat stuck to the walls from ponies dancing.

They were in the backstage area. Little more than a loading zone, the floor was lined with thick and heavy planks, worn down and pitted by years of use. Small beams of light fell down from long closed windowpanes near the ceiling.

Twitch sensed her excitement. “Been a while since you were allowed in the Argos, huh? Usually it’s strictly off limits for kids. Don’t embarrass me, okay?”

Vinyl nodded, following wordlessly. Twitch led them inside, down a hallway where the performer rooms were. The place was so silent at this time of day. They walked past a shabby green room, finally reaching the main office at the end of the hall. Twitch opened the door, letting them follow inside.

Neither Vinyl or Octavia had ever seen the inner offices of the place before. Surprisingly non descript, an old drafting desk sat to the side, stacked high with papers haphazardly placed in some crude filing system. There was a large stack of various posters and banners stuffed in a corner. Some looked older than Vinyl herself.

Unlike the rest of the place, the office was well lit. A few long lines of lights buzzed overhead, lighting the whole place with a bright artificial glow.

Twitch shrugged angrily, hiking her hood up over her head. She pointed a hoof at some old green clad chairs, before walking upstairs.

Vinyl and Octavia looked at each other before taking a seat on the chairs. Octavia could tell her friend was nearly beside herself at this point with anxiety. She was moving her hooves quickly now, practically beating the floor boards.

She walked over to her, standing near her friend, as she reached over and put a hoof around her shoulder. Vinyl sighed, slumping down slightly at the contact. Wordlessly, Octavia just started stroking her back slightly, ruffling her electric blue mane. She’d never seen her like this before, and she hated feeling like she couldn’t do anything about it.

“Hey kid.” Twitch yelled out. “C’mon. Sparks wants to talk to ya.”

Vinyl immediately shot to her hooves, looking back at Octavia apprehensively.

“Vinyl…it’s okay, remember? I’ll be down here…” Octavia said softly, ruffling Vinyl’s mane once more. The unicorn smiled back at her, before walking up the worn wooden steps to the main office.

Twitch held the door open for her, as she walked inside. She immediately found herself coughing, as she breathed in the harsh scent of pipeweed with a lot of something extra added to it. A few coughing breaths and she almost felt herself light headed, struggling to take a seat as Twitch helped her to a waiting chair.

She glanced around, seeing the walls absolutely covered with famous acts of ponies throughout the years. A thin layer of grunge from years of smoke covered the walls and even the skylights in the ceiling, creating a strange sepia tone to the room. Vinyl became aware of a large oak desk arranged at once end of the room. Sprawled in a chair behind it, a gangly Pegasus lounged, taking another deep puff of his pipe. Smiling, he breathed in deeply, holding it long and deep before breathing out, sighing.

Vinyl remembered him immediately. Sparks was a pony few could forget. Years of partying and apparently never eating solid foods had left him with the physique of what could only describe as a well fed skeleton. Bony limbs and hooves crossed across his ribcage, an old tattered leather vest hanging loosely over his frame. One might have assumed he was at one point bright green in color, but years of club life and pipeweed had turned him a stately shade of greenish-grey mud. A few wisps of grey beard formed a crude mockery of a goatee.

Twitch coughed, bringing Sparks’ attention to the filly. He glanced over at her, smiling immediately. He hopped down from his desk, walking towards her. She was amazed at how spry he was. Although it was difficult to tell just how old he was.

“Well well well. Look at what the ole bat dragged in. I remember this lil’ poppet.” He exclaimed, looking over the filly.

“Last I ‘member, you was winning the lil’ junior talent show we had over at the café. A right decent show ya put on, for a foal!” He said, laughing. Vinyl cringed slightly as he hacked and coughed through his little chuckle.

“Vinyl Scratch! That was it, right, my lil’ poppet? A proper lil’ stage name she had, right off her mum’s teat, huh Twitch?”

Twitch laughed, but didn’t reply. She had already busied herself near Spark’s nearby makeshift humidor, looking for something….exotic.

“So what’s got this sweet lil’ thing back to ole’ Sparks? I trust she knows we can’t have no foals round the place. Bad for business!” He exclaimed striding around the room. “All I need having to explain to those blasted guards why my ole’ Argos is flashin’ filly flank on stage!”

Steeling herself, Vinyl got to her hooves. She made sure to let the club owner see her freshly minted mark.

“I’m old enough now. I promise nothing is going to happen if I stay here.” She said trying to sound as confident as she possibly could. She hoped nopony could see her tapping her hooves nervously on the floorboards.

“I…I’m good too. Better than at the junior contest.”

Sparks looked over at her, giving her a wild eyed stare. He eyed her up, making sure to get as close to her as possible. She could smell the stink of old weed on him, making her cough slightly.

“Hey! Hey hey hey! Twitch ole’ girl, yer all right sometimes, you know?” Sparks said, suddenly smiling broadly.

“This lil poppet’s got guts. Marching in like a cheeky lil tart. I can find work for a gutsy lil’ filly like this.” He exclaimed, taking Vinyl’s hoof into his own suddenly. Vinyl backed up slightly as he suddenly flexed his wings, blowing the wispy trails of smoke in the room into strange patterns.

“Show er’ the ropes, Twitch. We’ll see ow’ she does.” Sparks led Vinyl back to Twitch, motioning them out of his office. Vinyl found herself what wondering what exactly he did in there all day…