The party was over and the DJ was packing her gear up when she saw the time. 6:30am glared back at her from her phone as she sighed before slipping her jacket back on to brave the surprisingly chilly morning air as she headed out of the club. Pausing to make sure the bits she was paid were securely in her inner jacket pocket as she made her way back towards her house. On her way home, she decided to grab some breakfast for her and her roommate, seeing as she hadn’t eaten in a few hours and it was merely a show of friendliness on her part as she got to a diner and ordered to-go breakfast.
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1 and ½ hours later…
Having picked up and gotten their breakfast home safe, Vinyl was cleaning up after their breakfast when she felt it. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt a strong pull on the part of her soul that was music. A painful pull that she couldn't ignore even as she clutched at her chest as she sank back into a dining room chair.
“Vinyl? Is everything alright?”, her roommate Octavia asked, growing concerned.
“I-I don’t know? I was feeling fine then my chest started hurting.”, Vinyl replied confused.
“Well, that’s what happens when you scarf down an entire cheese omelet and half an order of hay bacon. I’ve told you time and time again--”, Octavia began before getting cut off by her friend.
“-This wasn’t heartburn! Octy I felt it down to my soul! That hasn’t happened since--”, she was cut off by her phone blowing up with notifications before a call came through.
“Hello?”, Vinyl answered.
“Vinyl! It’s me Neon. Listen...did you just feel a tightness in your chest? Or were you lightheaded just now?”, Neon Lights frantically said on the other end.
“Y-yeah. Just a minute ago my chest hurt so bad I had to sit down.”, Vinyl replied.
“Okay….oh Celestia! Vinyl….You remember on of my friends from the Eastern Mountains? The EDM artist?”, Neon asked.
Thinking back, Vinyl quickly remembered a rather shy but fun young stallion around her age that Neon introduced her to a few years prior after a concert. The two had hit it off fairly well that night and had even collaborated twice.
“Yeah I remember him. How’s he been? It’s been a while since I’ve seen him.”, Vinyl said.
“...*sigh*...Vinyl...h-he...he’s dead....Music...has suffered another loss today...”, Neon said with a quivering voice that threatened a breakdown.
Vinyl couldn’t believe this! She’d known that stallion for 4 years. Had seen his career boom. Had seen him stay humble throughout anything Applewood tried to throw at him. Had helped him a few times even when the time needed be. Needless to say, she was shocked!
“Dead?!? How!? Neon…”, Vinyl asked in a shocked whisper.
“I don’t know. All I know is that I just got a call from his mother saying that she’d just lost her son. Next thing I know my phone’s blowing up, just like yours’ is probably doing now too, with social media going nuts over this and over that one singer releasing a new song today, but most of it was over his death.”, Neon explained before his line was cut.
‘Damnit, lost connection’, Vinyl thought to herself as she sat back in utter shock. Slowly that shock melted way into indescribable grief. This grief was visible through her tears and quiet sobs, which did not go unnoticed by her roommate as Octavia pulled her into a small, but comforting hug.
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2 weeks later…
After the funeral she’d flown out to attend along with Neon and a bunch of their other fellow friends and musicians, Vinyl was not completely okay with being at home in Ponyville. Sure she knew she’d have work to catch up on, as she had to cancel a gig in order to attend the funeral, but it was worth it. Wow. She hadn’t truly felt this drained in a long time. Not since the last time she attended a funeral and even then, her friend’s family were still so strong through it all (though, you’d have to be if you were burying a full grown mare with [barely visible] gunshot wounds, much less your daughter/sister/niece etc.). Her other friend had died after a concert nearly two years prior and Vinyl had felt completely drained then too. As if the magic she needed to make her music was just...frozen. Unable to get her mojo going for months after. Eventually she was able to move on (barely), but to hear that another young musician had fallen was just as hard. Vinyl didn’t even register the sound of her bedroom door opening as she lay there sullen until she felt the mattress sink a bit.
“Hey DJ Pon-3….listen Vinyl...I know how you are. I understand what your feeling alright. I’m feeling them too. I’d known that guy since we were 18. So that’s a near solid 11 years to know a pony. I’ve known him to have problems and I know he wouldn't be cool with both of us simply sitting here like sad sacks of grief. Instead we should...ya know...try to celebrate his life...somehow…..”, Neon said before falling off.
Vinyl simply sat up in her bed and pulled Neon close in a tight hug.
“I know Neon….I know…”, she whispered as they clung to each other. Too sad and now openly weeping to let go.
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3 nights later at a club in Las Pegasus…
Ponies gathered around from all walks of light to see DJ Pon-3 in concert. Half of them for the music and the other half for the cheap booze and weed that were usually staples at any of her shows. Anypony who’s anypony knew of DJ Pon-3’s concerts were always left grinning like idiots after any of her shows. But tonight, Vinyl had a special surprise for her fans. After going into some of her regular tracks, she got the crowd quiet for a minute.
“Okay everypony! I have a special request tonight. Now I’m sure recently you guys heard of the death of in my opinion, one of the best EDM DJs around. So I’m gonna bring out my friend Neon Lights and we’re gonna do something special tonight to honor our friend. Anypony who’s got a lighter, raise ‘em high! Unicorns, I wanna see those horns lit up! C’mon!”, DJ Pon-3 said into the mic above the roar of the crowd as Neon came out onto his booth which was directly next to hers.
The pair of ponies quickly got to their booths before Vinyl started up one of her friend’s most known tracks. This was soon followed by Neon blasting out another well known track which turned into a necessary mash-up between the two DJs. The crowd was subtly cheering and waving lights back and forth as the mash-up played on. When it was over, the crowd erupted into a roar of heartfelt cheers and some ponies were even crying a bit because of it all. Vinyl and Neon looked at each other and smiled. They just knew their friend was watching over them now and smiling.
Author's Note
In Loving Memory of Avicii
1989-2018
These are the songs that were in the mash-up Neon and Vinyl did:
