The News and the Noise

Chapters

1. White Noise
2. Static
3. Progression
4. Overture

1. White Noise

“Good morning Equestria! This is DJ Pon-3 comin’ atcha with the news, and the noise. Now call me crazy, but is it getting hot around here? Whatever they’re planning at the weather factory, I’m excited. Can you say thunderstorm? In Canterlot yesterday, there was a small rally to petition for an extension to the residential area. The city is a bit crowded lately I must admit. Now this petition was brought directly to the princess, our ‘esteemed’ ruler. Well, she said no! I’m an understanding pony like the rest of you, but come on? Maybe somepony should bring her there, so she can see exactly the conditions we commoners have to deal with. In other news, Stalliongrad has halted production on nuclear energy. Why you may ask? Earlier this week there was a big scare. Meltdown baby, that’s the problem. An undisclosed facility has been breached not once, not twice, but three times. Security at an all time low I’d say. Stay tuned guys and gals, but in the meantime, have something to tap your hooves to. I’m bringing to you my main man, the fastest MC in all of Cloudsdale, you’re listening to Racehunter.”

Pinkie yawns a great big yawn and turns over. Her radio turned itself on, as her alarm was set to the radio setting. Opening her eyes wide in excitement, she sits upright and claps her hooves. “SHE’S ON EVERYPONY!” she yells out the window. Vinyl Scratch was a close friend of Pinkie, though in her case that was a redundant statement. They knew each other from the many parties that they have hosted together. Being a party planner, you tend to know the names.

Pinkie Pie walks down the stairs during the music break to greet Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Each was busy baking something, but Pinkie knew that they liked her company. "Good morning Cakes!” she says. “Lovely day isn’t it?”

“Oh yes Pinkie, it certainly is. You’re not on the clock today so you’re free to go play if you’d like.” says Mrs. Cake. They were looking forward to maybe having the house to themselves today. Pinkie nods, but quickly gasps and dashes back upstairs.

“I can’t believe I almost forgot!”

The music on the radio stopped and the voice of Vinyl Scratch could be heard once again.

“Nothin’ like a good beat to start off the day. Speaking of beats, check this out. We got a bit of an outbreak of fighting happening in Manehatten. Reporters say that it could be something in the water. Further investigation shows that the effort to keep the water wells clean have been dropping like flies. Are they too busy to ensure our health? Other sources claim to be getting what tastes like Ever Free water from their taps. I can understand chlorine, but Ever Free water? What are those guys doing?! There’s no need to panic yet Equestria, a little Ever Free never hurt nopony, but just to be safe, buy a filter. Anyway, that’s all the time I have girls, and stallions? Treat ‘em right. This has been DJ Pon-3, scratching out.”

“EEEEEEE She’s SOOOOOO cool!” squeals the blur of pink racing around the room, practically falling over on Twilights floor. Pinkie took her radio over to Twilights library to listen. Twilight raises an eyebrow, a bit bemused.

“Pinkie, how do you know her again?”

“Well duh silly! She played at your brothers wedding! I’ve gone to more parties with her than I have with even you guys!” Pinkie explains. Realization dawns on Twilight.

“Oh! You mean that’s your friend Vinyl? Wow that is cool Pinkie!” she says excitedly. “How does it feel to be friends with a famous pony?”

“It feels like, totally awesome!” Pinkie jumps in the air, waving her hooves wildly, and then proceeds to bounce around the room in excitement. Just then, the door opened and in walked a slightly perturbed Applejack.

“Twi, did you hear that gal on the radio just now?” Applejack asks.

“Well, yes actually. Pinkie brought her radio over so I could listen to it.” she says happily. “Hey, you ok? You seem angry about something.”

“I ain’t angry Twi, just a little miffed about what that no good radio pony said about our princess!”

“Oh Applejack, don’t take it so personally. It wasn’t an attack on the princess, I’m sure she was just a little upset about being cramped just like anypony else would. She never said she hated the princess, just didn’t like her situation.” Twilight explains. “I don’t see why anypony would ever actually hate Celestia.”

Pinkie finally calms down, still trotting in place happily. “Yeah, Vinyl’s totally cool. Why would she play for the princess all the time if she hated her?”

“Wait, who’re we talkin’ ‘bout now?” Applejack asks confused.

“Vinyl Scratch! Only the coolest filly to hit the stage!” Pinkie mimes scratching a record. “DJ Pon-3, mix master extraordinaire!”

“So yer tellin’ me you like this political jibber jabber?” seeming a bit bewildered that Pinkie actually cares about current events. “And besides, we water our trees with Ever Free water! Tain’t nothin’ wrong with it!” Applejack explains, almost seeming offended.

Vinyl Scratch removes the large headphones from her ears and places them on the table. Her first broadcast went well, or so she thought. She didn’t actually know how it went over, since she had just now got off the air. Powering down the entire console, she sighs and gives a tired yawn. She was up all night after all, playing a gig down at the Mane Dish. It was a rather popular club with the younger crowd. Walking through the streets of Canterlot, Vinyl makes her way towards the lower class residential area. She passes a couple sitting at a table, a radio on the table between them and a newspaper in the stallion’s hooves.

“Oh isn’t that just splendid dear?” the mare asks. “I’ve never heard a pony speak her mind like that to the entire nation! Why that must take some kind of confidence.”

“Mmhm” the stallion replies, barely paying attention.

Well at least somepony liked it. Vinyl smiles a little, and her cheeks flush slightly. She had to admit to herself, it felt good hearing others talking about her. Her pace turns into an energetic trot as she continues on home. Opening the door, she looks around. Room mate not home? Cool.

“YYYYYYYYYESSSSSSS!” she yells in excitement. Jumping up and down, Vinyl celebrates alone. The party night life was fun and all, but having alone time was still nice. “I nailed that bitch! By now the broadcast should be reaching Stalliongrad. Oh man... Like, ponies all over Equestria are totally listening to my voice. Like, right damn now! Holy...!” the door slams open. She had forgotten that they got an extra room attached to their studio, since Octavia couldn’t sleep through Vinyl’s morning routine. And out stumbles Octavia, bags under her eyes and a deadly glare. “Oh... uh, hey Phil!”

Octavia narrowed her eyes more. “I can excuse your mixing... sometimes. But when you come in shouting and jumping around it kind of makes it hard to sleep. You’re lucky I was about to get up anyway...” she yawns, closing the door behind her. “Now if only I could have slept any last night. Must you prepare for a show here? At midnight? I’m playing at an event this evening and I need to be rested. And one more thing.” Vinyl cocks her head. “Don’t call my Phil. It’s not my name.”

“Whatever you say Miss Octavia Philharmonic.” Vinyl says in her best mocking impression of Octavia’s high society accent. She laughs to herself and plops down in front of the tv. “Yo did you pay the bills last night?”

“Oh for heavens sake Vinyl, you know I didn’t have time! How in Celestia’s name did I get stuck living with... you?” Octavia looks in the mirror to fix her hair and do her makeup. She did have a busy day ahead of her. Vinyl sighs and gives up trying to turn on the tv.

“Well I am totes gonna be famous soon, so you best get used to it. Did you hear me this morning? I was like, the voice of Equestria!”

“I was asleep, in case you forgot Scratch. I’m sorry I missed your show but maybe don’t keep me up all night next time.” Vinyl’s ears flatten in disappointment.

“Well try to catch the next one. I want to know what you think! Hey, do a shot with me to celebrate!” Vinyl produces a bottle of potato vodka from the fridge and pours a couple of shots.

“Vinyl Scratch you know I do not partake.” Octavia huffs, almost as if insulted.

“Ah come ON! You can’t tell me you’re happy to just drink, bluh, wine? I mean, where’s the kick?” Vinyl raises an eyebrow, as if she has the upper hoof. As if this were an actual debate.

“UHG! I’ll take the stupid shot if it will make you happy.” the two click their glasses together and Vinyl lets out a long and satisfied sigh. Octavia however makes a face that couldn’t be anything but disgust. “How do you drink this... stuff?”

“By being the shit” Vinyl offers with a completely straight face. She then laughs and gives Octavia a light punch on the shoulder. “Nah just kiddin’, you get used to it after a while. I am still awesome though.”

Straightening out her bow tie Octavia opens the door to exit. “I’ll be back home tonight, make sure there’s actually a dinner to come home to this time, remember it’s your turn to cook.”

“Yeah yeah, I’ll get right on that.” Scratch retorts uninterested. She continues to try to turn on the tv to no avail. “Oh, and, have a good day, k?”

“Yeah... You too.” Octavia smiled a little as she walked out of the apartment. If there was one good thing about this whole talk show thing it was putting Vinyl in such a good mood.

“HAVE YOU HEARD THIS FILTH MY SISTER?” Luna asks. She had stayed up because she heard that there was an event on the radio in the morning. Being one of the rulers of Equestria, she thought it would be fitting to listen to see what the hype was about. “THIS ILL INFORMED INGRATE HAS SLANDERED THY NAME!”

“Oh please calm down sister, it’s really alright.” Celestia assures. She wasn’t particularly worried, after all it was just a bit of outrage from being denied a bigger living area. “She was only looking out for her fellow ponies, not calling me into question or making threats. I think it’s harmless, and in fact inspiring for such a talented young filly to make a stand like that!” She smiles.

“But sister, you cannot deny that said subject’s message rung with a hint of acid. Perhaps We shall investigate?” Luna requests. Celestia only shakes her head and sighs, giving a warm smile. “Celly, you must understand We are only worried for Our sister.”

“I understand Lulu, but it’s alright. If it comes to a point where I have to intervene then I will be able to handle myself. Now get to bed, it’s awfully late for you to be up!” Celestia laughs. Luna gives a rejected frown and nods. She turns around and walks out the door, and off to her own chambers. “Hmmm, I wonder if Twilight knows about this?”

“Oh man, did you hear that Dash? That was totally cool! I didn’t even know ponies could talk on the radio! Man, this totally changes everything. It’s like... Whoa, it’s like we’re living in the future!” Scootaloo bounces around wildly underneath a fluffy white cloud. Upon the cloud was a tired but happy Rainbow Dash.

“Calm down squirt, it’s just a talk show. Though I gotta admit, the idea of talking to all of Equestria is totally rad. Could use less politics though.” She chuckles. Rainbow Dash was never one for political debate. She liked to let the Princess handle that and just live happily with whatever decisions were made.

“And man, the way she stood up to the princess! I didn’t even know we could DO that! Ah man, Celestia sure got what she had coming!” Scootaloo shadow boxed around the clouds shadow.

“Now hold it, don’t go saying things like that about our princess! Also, it wasn’t even like, a total diss or anything, just a different opinion. I’m sure Princess Celestia had her reasons for denying the petition.” Dash shakes her head to clear her mind, realizing that she had actually caught herself debating politics. “Uh, anyway, I got a whole sky to clear and a whole storm to prepare!” She exclaimed, but then stops just before taking off. Storm? There wasn’t a storm coming for another few weeks! She shakes her head again and shoves with her hind legs, leaving her signature rainbow behind as the cloud underneath her dissipates.

“Well I thought it was cool...” Scootaloo says in a rejected tone.

“I’m back, and there better be food on that table!” Octavia shouts as she enters the room. Her first sight is exactly what she was afraid of. Vinyl Scratch is sprawled out on a bean bag chair on the floor, a bottle of whiskey in one hand and an empty bag of corn chips laying on her chest. The bottle being empty, Octavia presumes that she blacked out while pretending to watch the tv that wasn’t on. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Octavia takes off her jacket and her bow tie and brings them into her bedroom. It was the one organized place in the whole apartment. Upon walking back out to the main room, she does notice something in her peripherals.

Pushed up against the wall, there was a table adorned with a tablecloth. On top of it rested two plates, two wine glasses, and a candle. There was also a rather decently prepared vegetable stir fry in the middle. There was also a note.

“Hey girl hey, I made this dinner for us but you were out later than I expected. Sorry I went ahead and clocked out. I assume I’ll be out by the time you get home. Damn did I already drink half that bottle? Well shit sorry. Maybe another night? I’ll probably never hear the end of this.
-Scratch”

Octavia sighs as a smile creeps onto her face. “Oh you...” she mutters as she sits at the table. The vegetables were still hot, so she decides to go ahead and eat. Fork meets food, food meets mouth, and it was enjoyable. Well, it wasn’t bad at least. Octavia relished the flavor of it, though it had some kind of odd kick to it. Probably alcohol that wasn’t properly cooked out. Either way, she ate. Then, there was a stir on the bean bag.

“Uhhhh I’m gonna feel this in the morning...” Scratch pulls herself up. “Oh hey you’re home... cool. I made...” she stops for a second. Her mouth hangs open as she searches for the words. “Stuff.” Vinyl falls over forward, nearly planting her face into the concrete floor. Octavia was quick however, and caught her shoulder before she slammed into the ground. “Thanks...”

“Scratch, how ever do you live with yourself?” Octavia questions.

“Like this...” Vinyl replies in a defeated, almost melancholic voice.

Octavia gives a worried sigh and hoists her room mate up. “Well you really should try to control yourself a little better. All this drinking is not only hurting you, it’s hurting me.”

“Sorry”

“Don’t be, get better.”

“Yeah...” and then she blacks out once again. Fortunately they made it to the bed before, and Vinyl collapses on it. Satisfied that she was comfortable and safe, Octavia returns to finish her meal. She also takes a hold of the newspaper which was sitting on the floor, unopened.

“Teaching!?!?” Vinyl Scratch shouted. She had been woken up to a rather... Awkward conversation.

“Look Scratch, You’re my best friend, and I mean that sincerely, but you’re on a path of self destruction that I don’t enjoy watching.” Octavia crossed her arms and huffed.

“But... but... I got my radio show! You’ll see, things will get better, I’ll get better! But teaching?” she demands.

“Yes, the teacher down in Ponyville put an add in the newspaper about having an opening for somepony to come in and teach a class. I think it would be good for you to not only get out of the city, but to be exposed to a more wholesome life style. Not to mention the friends you could make.” Octavia counters. She was serious about this.

“Now hold the phone here, what am I going to teach to a bunch of kids? How to be an alcoholic?” The two freeze and stare at each others eyes as Vinyl realizes what she just admitted to. “I guess... I may have got carried away.”

“Not may, you did.” Octavia looks away in frustration. “I can take care of the apartment myself. In fact I might be able to clean it up for once. Now I think it would be fun for you and the children if you perhaps taught them how to play your...” she indicates the turn tables. “Noise makers there.”

“Well fine!” Vinyl Scratch wipes a tear from her eye as she is clearly offended. “I can take a hint Octavia! I’ll pack up and leave. Hell I may never come back.” she also turns away, flinging her glasses across the room.

Octavia remains stubborn, but she had to admit to herself that maybe she could have acted with a little more grace. “Just go Scratch... Just go!” A galloping of hooves on concrete is heard behind Vinyls back, and she turns to see Octavia lock herself in her room.

“I have a problem Philly... I’ll get better... fuck...”

Vinyl begins packing. It would be a long road to travel, but she knew she could get better. Besides, maybe Octavia was right. The fresh country air and the smiling faces of a tight knit community could do her good. The door slammed behind her with force. The air was thick, as was the lump in her throat. Another tear trickled down her cheek as she made her way to the exit. The train station was close enough. The broadcast would have to come from a new town.

Octavia sat on her bed, tracing the lines caused by the hay stuffing. The minutes slowed to a crawl as she looked up at the mirror on the wall.

“Come back soon Scratch... Come back soon.”

2. Static

“Up and at ‘em Equestria! Open your eyes and prepare your ears for the truth. Before I start, I would love to mention that I have a new base of operations right in our very own Ponyville. Come on by and give a wave, I’d love to get to know all of my listeners. Back to important matters. So I hear that after my departure from Canterlot, there was a string of closures on popular night clubs. Hey Celestia, what gives? Well the details involve a few charges of drunk in public from patrons of the Graze Ballet, and complaints from neighbors that claim ‘The night life is interfering with real life.’ News flash boys and girls, fun is real life. Back to the important matter, Celestia has the gall to flat out close the Graze Ballet and affiliates, when the night isn’t even her jurisdiction. I don’t know about you all, but it sounds like somepony is overstepping her boundaries. Do you feel safe like this? I sure don’t. Hey don’t get your hooves all in a knot over this though. Chill out and I’ll be right back. You’re listening to Skrillox.”

“Everypony take your seats, I’d like to introduce the newest addition to your learning experience!” Cheerilee smiles brightly as she opens the door. In walks a new face to all of the children. An incredibly cultured looking white mare with a neon blue mane. The purple of her retro sunglasses shining the light of the sun on the walls like mini strobe lights. The children look at her in wonder. Some excited to hear about this new and exciting pony, but some are preoccupied with wanting to go home. “This is Miss Vinyl Scratch!”

Vinyl’s cheeks light up brighter than her glasses while she reaches to get an itch on the back of her head. “Aw shi... uh, shucks Cheers, you can all call me Scratch.” she has to catch herself. This was a class of children, profanity would be frowned upon. Well, profanity was frowned upon in pony culture anyhow. “Some of you may know me as DJ Pon-3“

Scootaloo stomps her hooves on her desk and opens her mouth wide. She wants to speak, but the words weren’t there. She then faints, leaving a twitching, smiling puddle on the floor. “I see you’ve got an admirer!” Cheerilee beams with a slight hint of laughter.

“Heh, yeah I guess I do.” Vinyl chuckles nervously. ‘This is so weird’ she thinks to herself as she scans the room. ‘It was never like this when I was in school... Oh wait, I dropped out’. “Hey, I recognize you girls” Vinyl claims, raising a hoof in the direction of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “Yeah, you girls were totally at that big wedding I played at. Yo what’s up?”

“Miss Scratch, are you friends with Pinkie Pie?” Sweetie Belle asks delicately with a hoof raised, as if to ask a question.

“Yeah, I used to party with her all the time! Hell there was this one time where we were at the club, right? And these stallions were TOTALLY hitting on us and...” she silences herself seeing Cheerilee’s disapproving gaze. “Err... Yeah I know Pinkie...”

“Oh, that’s right! I remember you now! You played at Twilight’s brother’s big weddin’!” Apple Bloom exclaims, feeling proud that she knew a pony that had a name for herself.

“Kinda said that already...” Vinyl mutters under her breath. “Yeah, that was me alright! Now um... I guess I’m not really here to make small talk.”

“That’s right, children, Miss Scratch is going to be teaching a new class here for any of you aspiring young musicians. Now then, break it down! Did I say that right?” Cheerilee giggles at the sound of herself trying to be hip. Vinyl Blushes again, not entirely used to the title of ‘Miss’.

“Ain’t no wrong way to say it girl. Now kids, I’m going to be teaching a class on music theory! And yes you will get to play with my records before you ask.” Scootaloo picks herself off the ground.

“You mean I could... and we could... and then I’d... and... and... AWESOME!” Scootaloo collapses once again, giggling on the floor as if her entire life had just been made.

“Uh... Yeah. Hey Cheers, I’m bad at this school thing so...” Vinyl rubs her neck awkwardly and nods towards the door. The forced smile on her face indicated that she wanted to be literally anywhere else.

“Oh, yes of course! You may go.” Cheerilee smiles appreciatively and turns to the class. “Now everypony, give your new teacher a nice warm goodbye!” The class obliges, but most of them sound like drones. “Erm, yes, well we all look forward to seeing you tomorrow!” but when Cheerilee turned to wave, the spot where Vinyl stood was already empty. “Huh?”

“Man, how does a minotaur even come up with beats like that? Secret: horns can scratch like noponies business. Now I hope all my favorite guys and gals are all loosened up, because this bit is a little scary. Ever wonder why you hear things in the night? It’s not all your woodland critters, they sleep too. No, there’s more going on than you think. Back over in Fillydelphia there was a big confusion about a pony who was attacked. The attacker has not been identified yet, but Celestia ain’t gonna sit down and let that pass. She’s trying to find the attacker, but at what cost? Well those disturbances in the night are the princesses personal guard. They’re watching you! Don’t take it from BZZZT......”

“Oh no, what happened? How do I find out who’s watching me?” Fluttershy frantically searches her radio for problems. She then notices the outlet, and a certain bunny standing by it. Angel taps his foot impatiently holding the cord. “Oh my, Angel, would you please plug that back in? I need to know how to stop this.” Angel sighs and plugs the cord back in.

“...hat’s it for the news fillies and gentlecolts. Stay safe, stay cool, and most of all: Watch. Out. DJ Pon-3, Scratching out”

“Oh goodness Angel, I missed it. What am I going to do? What if they’re watching me this very second. EEP!” she cries as the end of her radio cord flies towards her head. Angel points at the radio and swirls his finger by his temple, indicating that the host is crazy. “I hope you’re right about that. Princess Celestia wouldn’t hurt me... Would she?” Fluttershy leans on the window sill and watches the sky. Nothing out of the ordinary, except for Rainbow yelling at something...

“I don’t want to hear it squirt!” Rainbow thunders, uncharacteristically angry at Scootaloo. “After those lies she spread about our Princess, I don’t care what kind of education she’s giving you. She’s not cool, and being like her isn’t cool either!”

“But Dash! She looked right at me! She’s famous and cool and she’s been places! She lived in Canterlot for most of her life, she probably knows a thing or two more than you do!” Scootaloo counters. It was odd for the two to fight like this, but Rainbow was not happy about the things that were said on the air.

“I don’t need to know what the night owls do in Canterlot to know that she’s in the wrong! I’ll bet this Vinyl Scratch is nothing special, and I’ll bet she’s just a giant poser!” Dash crosses her arms in disgust.

“That’s not what you thought when she got you a dance with one of the wonderbolts!” Scootaloo spouts. Rainbow stops and looks puzzled.

“The only time I did that was at... Oh my gosh we’re talking about THAT Vinyl Scratch?”

“Duh Rainbow Dash, what other Vinyl Scratch is there?”

‘Shut it!” Rainbow buries her face in the cloud that previously acted as her bed. “I don’t want to hear it anymore. Go play with your friends.”

“Fine, but I just think you’re jealous because somepony cooler than you moved to town.” Scootaloo turns and motors her scooter down the road.

“What has gotten into her?! I’m so mad I could... Oh, hey Shy” Rainbow takes a couple of deep breaths and looks down to Fluttershy, who has just revealed herself from behind a tree.

“I heard your fight Rainbow... I’m really sorry that happened.”

“It’s fine, she’s just... she’s young. Misguided. You know how that is.”

“Oh yes, but I must say that this Pon-3 is making a big impact on Ponyville.” Fluttershy explains. She seems nervous, afraid that the world is going to pounce on her.

“Oh don’t tell me what she said on the radio is scaring you Shy! Seriously, Celestia isn’t spying on us and there are no royal guards in town. She was just saying that to feel important. Not everyone can be as naturally important as I am” Rainbow Dash says with a grin. A loop of rainbow blasts through the sky and lands just a legs distance from Fluttershy. “Yo, let’s go get some sweets, that’ll calm you right down!”

“Well that was awkward as shit.” Vinyl muses as she arranges her new room. It was small, but she was used to that. Mayor Mare had offered her the old school house, which was located right behind the new one. It was a good place to set up the tower, though the town was a little confused when an entire radio tower manifested over night. There was a mirror on the wall, her bed was pretty rough, and her things are strewn across the floor. Bottle in hand, Vinyl kicks back. The smooth glass was comforting to her, almost like a friend saying ‘It’s ok, you’ll always have me’.

“NO!” She throws the bottle with full force at the wall, causing a wet mess and a swamp of alcohol and broken glass. “I can’t do this to myself! I need to get better and drinking the day away won’t do me any good... But it just sounds so good...” She catches herself daydreaming about how wonderful it tasted, the burn of it as it slowly trickled down her throat, releasing the light from her vision and replacing it with beauty. Wonderful, blurry, beauty. “Wow, Octavia was right... I’m fucked up. Gah what does a pony even do in a place like this?” she throws her head back to allow herself to fall back on the bed. Legs sprawled out, she outlined the wooden ceiling with her eyes. Her vision was clear, almost perfect. Almost too perfect. She removes her glasses and places them on the bedside table. The sharp lines and corners of her vision almost stung. Her head begins to feel light and her stomach churns. “Damn it I need help...”

KNOCK KNOCK

“Argh! I give up Spike, I’ve tried to get through this chapter but every time I do, somepony interrupts! I better see who it is.” Twilight closes her book and practically flings it across the room. Spike spots the words ‘Pirate Radio’ on the book as it whizzes by his face. Out of curiosity, Twilight wanted to know just how it was possible to send your voice as far as Pon-3 claimed.

“You gotta help me!” cries the hot mess on Twilights door step. “You do science right? Give me something, anything! I need something!”

“Oh boy, let’s get you inside.”

After a few moments of sitting and cooling off with an ice pack, Vinyl looks through fogged and tear stained lenses at her new host.

“I’m sorry I interrupted you girl, but I was about ready to kill myself.” she explains.

“Well why don’t you start by telling me exactly what’s going on. Also, your name.” Twilight demands. It wasn’t every day a pony crawls to your hooves and asks for chemicals to drink.

“Right, right... I’m Vinyl Scratch... DJ Pon-3 on the air. And...” she stops. Vinyl wasn’t proud of herself right now, groveling for dangerous chemicals just to try and get a buzz was a little embarrassing to say the least. “I’m... recovering...”

Twilight scratches her head, not quite understanding what the desperate party girl meant. “I’ve heard you on the radio a couple times. If you don’t mind me asking, what are you recovering from that would drag you down like this?”

“I’d rather not...”

“Please, I can’t help you if I don’t know.”

“Ok fine... Here it is.” Vinyl removes her glasses and the glazed, forlorn look in her eyes strikes Twilight hard. It was like staring into the soul of a dying pony. “I’ll start by telling you why I’m here...”

“BY THE SACRED NAME OF OUR FATHER HOW DOST THOU PARDON THE MISGUIDED RAMBLINGS OF THIS PONY?” Luna demands. She was in no way happy about any of what was said on the radio, and it was very apparent to the rest of Canterlot as well.

“Calm down sister, it will be alright. Just sit and we’ll talk” Celestia assures. It was starting to hit her a little harder now that the accusations were more pointed. Not to mention mostly off base. “I understand your concern Luna, and I will say that I’m beginning to feel the same way... But I am a princess and she is a DJ. If I were to silence her it would only reflect poorly on me. I have no choice but to let her go until it becomes dangerous.”

“SHE IS DANGEROUS! SHE WILL ROUTE THINE SUBJECTS AGAINST THEE AND CAUSE UPRISING IN THE STREETS!” Luna protests. “AND... I’m really worried about you Celestia...”

Celestia had to take a moment. Luna not only stopped using the royal voice, but she also began speaking with a more modern, more sincere dialect. “I promise everything will be ok Luna”

“But sister, she doesn’t even know her facts from her opinions. It was I who closed that cesspool, not you. It only proves that she wishes to distort the truth as much as she can to make you look bad.” Luna sighs, feeling almost as though her argument was lost. “Please do not take this threat lightly sister. I fear she has more control than we may give her credit for.”

“Control yourself Vinyl, it’s ok.” Twilight says tenderly. She pats her hoof comfortingly through the tangle of blues and glitter that make up Vinyl Scratch’s mane. Vinyl herself is hunched over on a chair, face covered by two hooves and crying loudly.

“But I lost my bestest friend EVER and now she hates meeeee!” she sobs. It was a rather pathetic sight. “And... and... I’m a useless drunk and I just want something to drink! Pleeease can I just have something I don’t want to remember anything tonight!”

“That’s not true Vinyl, I’m sure your friend forgives you! Just the fact that you’re so broken up over it shows how much you really care.” Twilight assures. It was nice to let out emotions, but they had literally just met an hour ago. “And I don’t have anything alcoholic, not that I’d give you any anyway, but how about I get some water?” Her question is met with a whimper and a pout that could melt any heart. “Ok... Spike, can you get a glass of water?”

“Sure thing Twilight!”

Vinyl wipes her eyes off and sniffles a few times. It hasn’t been a particularly good couple of days, but even then she hated being seen like this. “I appreciate all your help Twilight... And I’m sorry again for doing this to you. I’ll be outta your hair soon.”

“Don’t be sorry. Just get better, ok?” Twilight lifts the glass of water directly out of Spike’s hands and over to Vinyl, who had a blank expression. It was as if she had just lost all of her emotions and stared at the floor. “Vinyl, are you ok?”

“Don’t be, get better.” Vinyl repeats, choking up a bit. Then a mental switch is flipped and she jolts upright. “Well, I really appreciate your help here. Maybe I’ll come by to hang out again soon!” Vinyl trots out the door, seemingly happy, and yet...

“Spike... What just happened?”

“Couldn’t tell you”

Applause fills the arena as the Royal Canterlot Orchestra takes one final bow. A standing ovation, just like almost every night. Octavia recalls her first show, and the applause she got. It was a magical moment that she would never forget, especially since that was when she got her cutie mark. She could remember the exact location and details.

The school for talented young musicians in Canterlot held it’s annual concert the same time each year. It was the weekend before the Summer Sun festival, and everypony who was anypony would attend. This was no ordinary school concert. And there she stood. The most promising young cellist in her class. Octavia’s very first concert, and she was to play in the 1st string ensemble. It was a dream come true. The show went off perfectly. Each note was played to perfection, resonating off of the strings, dancing under her hooves as the bow fled forward and back. It was ecstasy in musical form. The concert finished and she stood to be acknowledged with the rest of her class. Up front she bowed, and next to her was the most amazing young keyboardist she had ever known...

“Scratch...” Octavia whispers to herself, as the memory floods back. That was the night she had gotten her cutie mark, and Scratch was right there next to her, holding her hoof and bowing. Ever since, Scratch had been there for her.

“Where are you going?” the conductor yells after her. Octavia decides not to stay for the applause, and instead gets up from her chair and brings her cello backstage with her. There are a few confused utterances that could be heard from the crowd, but nopony payed it too much mind.

“I’m not feeling well” Octavia explains, obviously with much more on her mind.

“Well I can’t have my star cellist completely disregard the audience like that! It’s disrespectful! What’s gotten into you?”

“That’s none of your business.” she snaps. Far more flustered than she wanted to be, Octavia lets out a long, pained sigh and gallops out the door. The air was cold and the streets were busy. A few clubs were just opening on her way back to the apartment, and it only made her think more.

“Come on girl, you gots to let your hair down once in a while! I’ll buy you a round!” Scratch exclaimed. It was Octavia’s first time at a dance club, but Vinyl insisted on taking her out to celebrate her new cutie mark. “Yo I don’t think I ever really introduced myself. The name’s Scratch”

“Oh... Yes of course... My name is Octavia Philharmonic. An absolute delight to meet you.”

“Damn, you all proper and shit! I’mma buy you a shot and we are gonna party!” Scratch mocked. “Hell if we’re lucky maybe we could score a stallion!”

“What? No! I wouldn’t!... I mean I would but I don’t want... My lord what are you doing?” Octavia scrambled for the words. This environment was far too strange to her.

“See that girl over there? Yeah she’s totally single, and totally awesome. What do you say we, uh, go show her around a little?” Vinyl seduced. It was a larger stallion, His coat was lustrous golden brown and his mane was dyed a greasy black. His cutie mark was that of a disco ball.

“Just got her cutie mark? Sugar, don’t that mean she’s a little young to be here?”

“No no no, we attend the music school. Late bloomers are pretty common there!” Vinyl explained. It was true, Octavia was almost an adult and yet she had only just gotten her cutie mark. And it was in fact a trend among musical ponies, as the opportunity to play an orchestral instrument wasn’t something that most fillies got.

“Miss Scratch I beseech you to stop this at once! I do not want to partake in any... No no let me go! I am not...! What is this?” Octavia marveled at the sight. Vinyl had dragged her to a brightly lit floor, the colors alternated in time with the music, and she had to admit it made her want to dance.

“Yo I was only yankin’ your chain bitch, calm your bits. Just dance. Tonight’s about you Octavia, and we’re gonna party Vinyl style!”

The night went on like that. It was a lifestyle that Octavia could never have imagined, and yet she enjoyed herself much more than she thought she would. The night ended with the two girls laughing, and both slightly intoxicated, on the floor of Vinyl’s apartment. It was a perfect finish to a perfect day.

All that could be heard in the empty apartment was the running of water through pipe behind thin walls. Octavia lets out a long sigh and falls back in bed, holding a framed photo. It depicted a young Octavia and Vinyl. Vinyl held the camera up and stuck her tongue out, but Octavia was taken off guard and looked like she was going to punch Vinyl in the face.

“If only I could have that Scratch back... I miss her...”

The lights in Canterlot shut off one by one, as the neon of the night took over. Luna watched from her balcony, as a scowl crossed her face. Something big was coming. She could feel it.

3. Progression

“Cockadoodle doo Equestria! Mornin’ girls and boys, it’s time for the news and the noise! First of all, I would just like to give a special shout out to my main girl Twilight Sparkle. Keep on keepin’ on Sparks, and all you listening, give her a hoof bump for me if you see her. I would also like to give a shout out to another. Though, I must admit I don’t know who this honor truly goes to. I’ve received an anonymous message from Canterlot explaining some... Well, some outrage of their own. Don’t be afraid listeners, if you have a voice, I invite you to use it! Now as for this message, it sounds as though there has been an unusual act of oppression from our lovely Princess Celestia. I would hate to think I’ve caused you lovely folks any trouble, but ever since my broadcast has begun I’ve been getting more and more reports of government intervention. But this time, the Royal Guard has stepped in, a slew of protesters have been brutalized, locked up, and silenced in an unfair display of power. Cool princess, that’s just lovely. Hey I’ll be right back to all of you with the rest of the story, so stay tuned. Kick it hard with Distaff Punk”

It had been a few weeks. Each morning, except for Sundays, Vinyl Scratch could be heard on the air, and most of Equestria would listen. The accusations flew faster and farther than Rainbow Dash could have dreamt.

“Yes yes, that’s good Scoots.”

And yet, she was still stuck in Ponyville teaching her class. Well, it was a little more than a class by now, however the students wouldn’t have known. Other ponies of the town had signed up to take the class as well. Actually, it was just Ditzy Doo. Everypony and then the radio show, it was all so much to handle.

“No no! Don’t touch that...! Button...”

All of this, and the cravings. Oh the cravings were terrible. Shaking every night, feeling cold and lonely. Itching all over and twitching like some kind of epileptic cricket. Well, soon enough it would all pay off.

'And my plans will finally be complete...' "Oh for the love of... Look at the time everypony! Time to go home!”

“But Scratchy! I was just getting my groove on!” Ditzy protests. It was an incredibly early end to the day. In fact it had only been an hour and a half. Vinyl presses a hoof to her temple and squeezes her eyes shut as hard as she could, wishing it would go away.

“Well Scratchy has a headache! Class dismissed!” The room empties out with little protest, except for Ditzy, who sits confused at the console.

“I’m confused Vinyl Scratch. I thought you liked teaching us to spin and mix and stuff.” Ditzy flutters her wings and tilts her head. Vinyl was unaffected by this display of adorable, and scowls angrily.

“Now listen here Ditz. You have been here for 8 days and you’re showing absolutely no signs of understanding any of this. Fluttershy could bring in a dead mouse and it would be a better DJ than you’ll ever be!” Her eye twitches. Vinyl never was an irritable pony, but that awful itch at the back of her throat was unbearable. “Get out of my house!” she screams as she tosses a record like a disc across the room, aimed directly at Ditzy’s head. Ditzy of course dodges, and in a rather stylish manner. Turning a spin on one hoof, she swings her hind legs around in a windmill motion. Fluttering her wings rapidly she takes off, but is stopped on her way out.

“Wait...”

“Yes Miss Scratch?” Ditzy asks behind teary eyes.

“What was that just now?” Vinyl demands. A smirk finds its way onto her face as the awful itch was gone.

“You threw a thingy at my head and I dodgeded it!” Ditzy explains, quite confused.

“Hmmm... I wonder... You may be a little derpy but can you dance?” Vinyl asks.

“I really can actually!” Ditzy replies, almost forgetting that she had only just a minute ago been assaulted.

“Cool... Hey, I want to talk to you about something...”

“Always one of my favorites. So I’m sure you’re all wondering about the situation with Celestia. There was a protest last night. Some locals of Canterlot decided they’d bring the question on all of our minds directly to the princess, and that there is exactly the problem. It was brought to the princess. Why is she still just a princess? After, oh, thousands of years you’d think it would occur to her to become Queen. I don’t know if this is some roundabout way to shirk responsibility, but her reaction is what really gets me. Seventeen in the hospital, twelve in jail, and eight more were made to leave the city. Can I just get a big round of applause for the brave souls that were injured for our cause? Bravo guys, y’all are my heroes. I would also like to point out that one member of the Royal Guard refused to attack the protesters, claiming that it was wrong. He was stripped of his post and kicked out of the castle. When did Equestria become a violent nation? Tyranny folks. I guess all it took was a little dose of the truth for a tyrant to be revealed. Celestia, I got my eyes on you. This is DJ Pon-3, Scratching out.”

“DIDST THOU HEAREST THY UNWORTHY WELP OF A SUBJECT BLATANTLY DISRESPECTING THINE CROWN?” Luna shouts. The guards outside begin to tremble as their more temperamental princess begins to get angrier and angrier. “WE SHALL GO AND DESTROY THIS MAGGOT! SHE RESIDES IN PONYVILLE WITH THY STUDENT TWILIGHT SPARKLE!”

Celestia looks out the window towards Ponyville and gives a troubled sigh. “I truly hope that Twilight has not gotten herself involved with this DJ. I would be interested to know in what capacity her shout out involves my student...” she remarks solemnly. The idea of Twilight supporting an anti Celestia movement was beyond troubling.

“THOU SHOULDST TALK TO THINE PUPIL AND DEMAND ANSWERS!” Luna walks over next to Celestia, also looking down upon Ponyville. Her face holds a level of disgust reserved for only the worst of ponies. “I’m sure Twilight Sparkle is not involved in the way you do think. I shall accompany you to yonder village and confront this DJ Pon-3.”

“No Luna. We aren’t going anywhere to stop anypony... If there is a time to act, it is tomorrow. I refuse to act any sooner.” Celestia commands. Her temper was rising and her patience was being tested to their limits.

“But sister, why dost thou wait? This is an affront to thine throne and must be absolved!” Luna demands. It was frustrating watching her sister sit and take all of this negative publicity.

“Tomorrow is the Summer Sun Festival sister... If anything were to happen it would be tomorrow. I’ll be in front of the entire city exposed, I’ll be at my most vulnerable. If an attack is made tomorrow, then I will declare action against her.” she sighs, and places her face in her hooves. The stress was getting to her.

“I hope thou knowest what thou does... I fear this might end badly...”

“Me too Luna... Me too...”

“Oh would you hold still darling, I would feel just awful if I stuck you with one of these pins.” Rarity scolds as Sweetie Belle shifts uncomfortably. She had been made to model a new dress as Rarity made some last minute adjustments.

“Rarity, why do I have to do this? Can’t one of your friends do this?” she protests.

“No no Sweetie Belle, this is a new line of clothing made for younger fillies, such as yourself. Now hold still for two minutes, pretty please?” Rarity begs, and Sweetie Belle complies as much as she can.

“Hey sister? Do you think that the princess is a tyrant?” Sweetie asks, not entirely grasping the weight of her question. Rarity stops and raises an eyebrow.

“Now Sweetie, don’t let the radio tell you how to think. Put your hoof through there? Good. Now I would recommend that you stop listening to that propaganda every morning.” Rarity instructs, pinning a fold near the base of Sweetie Belle’s leg.

“But I have to or I’ll be out of the loop in class!”

“Excuse me?” Rarity tilts her head, narrowing her eyes. “Why would you be out of the loop?”

“Because Miss Scratch told us that we need to listen to her show every morning so we can discuss it in class!” Sweetie smiles, feeling involved in something big. “Like different techniques used by the artists she plays, and how Celestia is ruining our country!”

“Come again, did you just say that Princess Celestia is ruining our country?” Rarity glares directly into Sweetie Belle’s eyes, and Sweetie’s form wilts to the floor and a tear forms in her eye. “Now I can understand being excited about being included Sweetie Belle but you do not, under any circumstances, question our beautiful princess, do you understand?!” Sweetie Belle nods frantically and gives out a high whimper. “Good, now if you would stand back up I must finish this ensemble before tomorrow. You absolutely must look your best for the Summer Sun Celebration!”

“Miss Scratch told us not to go...” Sweetie Belle mumbles.

“You’re going and that’s final. Head back, legs forward. Thank you.”

“Yo Sparks! I let myself in! Hey I need... Am I interrupting?” Vinyl asks, after walking into the library and seeing Twilight sitting at her table with two pegasi and two earth ponies. She recognizes one as Pinkie Pie. “I can come back later.”

“No Vinyl, I think it might actually be beneficial for you to stay.” Twilight corrects. Vinyl walks towards the table, though her instincts tell her not to. Other than Pinkie, none of the others seemed to look too happy about her being there.

“Yeah, ok. What’s happenin’?” Vinyl starts, sitting at the table between an orange earth mare and cyan pegasus. She is met with two very distasteful glares. “I can leave, it’s really ok.”

“No, in fact we were just discussing you. Applejack and Rainbow Dash here had some concerns about your radio show. Care to elaborate girls?” Twilight smiles, introducing the two mentioned.

“Yeah, I will Twilight.” Rainbow slams a hoof on the table. “You’re stupid show is turning the fillies in our town into rebellious drones! And how DARE you speak about our princess like that!”

“Oh, is that all? Heh, I expected as much. Well look girls, I’m not trying to turn your children into rebels, it’s just easier for class if they all have the same information.” Vinyl smiles nervously, adjusting her glasses.

“Now Ah ain’t got no children of mah own, but mah little sister has been spoutin’ all this properganda nonsense at the farm and sayin’ things about how we’re livin’ under a tyrant. Care to explain that Miss Scratch?” Applejack also stomps a hoof on the table and shoots Vinyl an incredibly unfriendly look.

“Hey whoa whoa girls, Vinyl wouldn’t try to brainwash your little sister! She’s totally cool, and besides, brainwashing sounds really cool! I think we could all use a good brainwashing! Just imagine all the dust that thing collects over time!” Pinkie Pie says with a wide smile. Vinyl smiles a little too, calmed by the presence of her fellow partier.

“Thank you everyone. Now Vinyl, we are all concerned that maybe you’re not sending the right message to the younger ponies in town. And to the rest of Equestria.” Twilight explains, her face turning to concern.

“And you even got Fluttershy all afraid of everything! I mean most of that stuff you say isn’t even true!” Rainbow stands and points her nose angrily at Scratch.

“Oh, I’m really fine girls. There’s no need to EEEP!” Fluttershy disappears under the table as the door slams open. In walk Rarity with an expression nothing short of fuming mad.

“Please tell me who is responsible for teaching my little sister to hate our princess!” she demands. All of her friends point at Vinyl, and Vinyl only sinks lower to the floor. “YOU!? Well I have a few words to say to you! First off, how DARE you call our princess a tyrant!”

“Already said that Rarity” Dash interjects. “We were all just discussing how Vinyl Scratch is ruining our town.”

“I wasn’t!” Pinkie Pie beams, happy to be there for her friend. However, Pinkie did still feel that the message offered by Vinyl was a little harsh.

“Look, I appreciate that you have concerns about my show, but I’m not going to sit here and take this from all of you. I’m gone, and don’t bother knocking on my door, I won’t answer.” Vinyl explains, grabbing a book on her way out. “I was only here to pick up a book. And I’m the detriment to society, please.” She walks out of the room and heads back home. The six friends look at each other, beginning to feel somewhat bad.

“Y’all suppose we coulda been a mite nicer ‘bout all a that?” Applejack suggests. The rest nod, except for Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, she needed to hear it.” Rainbow offers. They all agreed, but still felt bad.

“And did you SEE her mane? Who lets her leave the house like that?” Rarity adds, and is met with a few exasperated stares. “Well excuse me for noticing, that was the most offensive color scheme I’ve seen on a pony in a long time. And I see Rainbow Dash on a regular basis!”

“Hey!” Rainbow protests and gets ready to pounce. Applejack steps on her tail and sighs.

“This is no time to fight girls, we need to think of how to stop this. I don’t care how much nicer we could have been, the fact of the matter is that the Summer Sun Festival is tomorrow and if this continues then something bad could happen.” Twilight explains. The rest nod their heads in agreement and sit down to formulate a plan.

Vinyl lays on her bed, holding her new book up so that she could read it clearly. Her glasses rest on the bedside table and her hair was flat and frazzled. No need to get all dressed up to stay indoors. All of this reading was good, it kept her mind off of her thirst, and she had noticed her vocabulary expanding since she started. But the real reason for these books wasn’t at all to sound more educated, and the distraction was just a nice little benefit. Expanding her mind was pertinent to her plans, and more specifically her magic. Maybe Twilight didn’t pay attention to the books she had loaned to the nations favorite DJ, or perhaps she wasn’t as suspicious as she seemed. Either way, a new copy of “The Music of Life” floated open above Scratch. It was an old philosophy book by a long forgotten unicorn by the name of Farrier Chopin, outlining how life and music coincided. It also contained a few spells, first designed by Chopin, to use your horn to make your life embody the music you love. She had read almost the whole thing in one day, since there wasn’t a whole lot else to do in town, especially for a party girl of such a caliber.

“You wanted to see me?” Ditzy opens the door and walks in. Vinyl smiles wide and closes the book, floating it over to the table and resting it next to her glasses.

“Ditz, yo, right on time. Look I had something I wanted to ask you.” she begins to explain.

“Cool! I like questions. What did you want Scratchy?”

“I was impressed with your moves back in class. Y’all ever seen a riot?” Vinyl smirks, her eyes narrowing. Without her glasses and her hair down, she looked like a whole different mare. She looked sinister rather than fun, evil rather than energetic. Ditzy dips her head slightly due to her nerves.

“A riot? I can’t say I’ve ever seen a riot, nuh uh. I’m just a mail pony, I don’t know nothing about riots.” she replies. In the back of her mind, she hopes that she doesn’t need to get too involved with something dangerous.

“Ok, well that will change. I’m covering the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow and I want you there as my right hand.” She turns to open the book to a specific page. ‘The Balance of Discord and Harmony’. The chapter outlines how to use your music to balance the good and bad in life. Otherwise, things can get out of hand. “I want to work with you tonight, consider it a private lesson. You can’t scratch, but you can dance. If I’m going into the heart of Canterlot, there will be ponies that want me gone there. I need a strong arm.”

“But I’m not strong” Ditzy explains, trying to flex her arm to no avail.

“That’s ok, you don’t need to be. With moves like yours all you need is speed. Also remember we’re going to see the princess, and some of my supporters will be there as well. There will be a riot, no question about it.” Vinyl continues, reading over the pages in front of her again.

“How do you know that? Would anybody really try to attack the princess?” the mail mare asks, confused and incredibly nervous. None of this sounded like a good thing. Vinyl turns and presses her forehead against Ditzy’s and grins maniacally.

“There WILL be a riot Ditzy.” her horn begins to glow a neon blue and Ditzy’s head begins to hurt. “There will be a riot, and you’re going to start it.”

“Y... Yes Scratch.” Ditzy says as her eyes focus. Vinyl celebrates in her mind at this little victory. She had tried out her new spells, but never an another pony. This was going to be easier than she thought.

The night fell over Canterlot as everypony got to bed early. It was the Summer Sun Festival tomorrow and everypony needed to be rested so they could party all day. Octavia however was still up. She had just returned from playing at a garden party and wanted to clean up the apartment. After all, Vinyl was coming to Canterlot for the Festival and Octavia wanted her to have a place to stay. ‘Hopefully a permanent place to stay’ Octavia thought. Luna flew over the city and all was dark. One light was on in the city, and that was that of Octavia’s apartment.

“It needs to be perfect. She’ll come back, and I’ll have a room mate again, and then all of this dreaded nonsense can be over. Please tell me this can all be over.” she pleads as she watches Luna soar overhead. Her radio was still on, in fact it hadn’t been off for two weeks. A familiar voice is heard from the speaker, and Octavia jumps. She then checks the clock. ‘No’ she thought, ‘It’s far too early for her to be on... Why is she on the air at this time?’

“Good Evening Equestria. You may be wondering what I’m doing on your speakers at this time of night, but I have an important message to make. Tomorrow I will be in Canterlot for the Summer Sun Festival. If you think this means action, then you may be right. I look forward to seeing all of you there. Let’s get some answers Equestria!”

“Vinyl... What are you planning?” Octavia puts down her duster and turns off the radio. Tomorrow would surely prove to be interesting. Whether that was good or bad, she had no idea.

4. Overture

KNOCK KNOCK

Octavia opens her eyes, noticing an unexpected dampness on her cheek. Craning her neck to look at the door, she realizes that she had fallen asleep on the floor. The wet sensation is a puddle of drool, still seeping from her gaping maw.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

The door pounds three more times. Each one hurts in Octavia’s ears, blood rushing back to her head as she slowly awakens. The clock reveals that 2 hours had passed since her last conscious memory.

‘I must have fallen asleep...’ she thinks to herself. A gentle, dainty yawn escapes her mouth as she stands on wobbly hooves. The blur of the room around her suggests that her eyes are not fully adjusted to life quite yet.

KNOCKNOCKNOCKNOCKNOCK

“I’ll be right there!” she yells, yawning once again and rubbing the crust of sleep from her eyes. The door knob is slippery, as it had just been washed last night. Using two hooves, Octavia levers the door open to see a surprising, yet not altogether unpleasant sight.

“Oh...! Vinyl! You’re here... early.”

“Yeah... I’m here.” Vinyl replies, looking sheepishly at the floor. Her normal confidence and attitude was replaced by a nervous and unsure waver.

Octavia looks at her, worried, but more so happy to see her again after so long. “Come on in, it’s been far too long.”

Vinyl enters the room, dragging her hooves. The draft from the poorly insulated hallway blows in creating a new mood of the room entirely. It was chilly, but it was also 4 in the morning.
Vinyl sits on the floor and let’s out a relieved sigh. “I’ve been on my hooves all night.”

“Oh you poor thing you look dreadful! Is something the matter?” Octavia prods, almost hoping to be able to take care of her long lost roommate.

“Tired... Anxious... Missed you...” Vinyl mutters before collapsing to the floor. “Haven’t had a stiff drink in over a month and I’d really like one...”

Tears begin to well up in Octavia’s eye. ‘She’s actually trying to get better...’ she thinks, hoping that the effort is because of her.

“I can’t offer you alcohol, but you really must get some rest. Come, you may use my bed until morning. We can catch up when we’re both awake enough to hold a decent conversation.” Octavia leads Vinyl to the bedroom and helps her under the covers. Vinyl on instinct curls up on the mattress and cuddles the blanket tight to her chest.

“Thanks girl, you got my back...” she whispers under tired breath. Octavia yawns once more and sits on the edge of the bed. Before she can catch herself, she falls on her back next to Scratch and drifts off...

It was the day that everypony had been anticipating. The day of the Summer Sun Celebration. Canterlot bustles with ponies from door to door. The locals from the city delight in the increased business, and the visitors from Manehatten, Fillydelphia, Ponyville, and Cloudsdale roam the streets with ecstatic intent. What most of them were looking forward to was of course to see the princess.

Celestia watches from her balcony as her beloved city is filled with bright new faces, and yet she can not find the strength to smile.

“I’m deeply worried for them Luna.” Celestia sighs, closing her eyes and turning away. “I fear that the worst may indeed come.”

“I fear too, sister. I shall stay on watch until we are assured there is no danger.” Luna reassures. Tensions were high in the palace, especially after the riot that had crippled a portion of the guard.

“What do you think that stallion meant, Luna?” Celestia asks, hoping to absolve the prodding aches in her head. “Why I’m not their Queen... What did he mean?”

“Do not worry my sister. He was an instigator for a mindless mob. Anypony who would willingly attack the royal guard is clearly in no correct state of mind.” Luna consoles, with little results.

“I hope that the violence will be at least contained. I hate to think that these visitors will come under harm.”

“We all do sister, but there is no point in it any longer. You have kept your resolve under scrutiny of the radio, and have stayed diplomatic until now. Once action is taken, we will strike, and the conflict shall be over.”

“If you could do one thing for me, Luna.” Celestia begins.

“Yes, sister?”

“I must begin preparing to address my subjects. Go find Twilight and her friends. I know they’ll be here. I wish to see them.” she concludes. If there were any ponies that could make her feel safe, they were her prodigal student and friends. Luna only gives a nod and flies out the window, knowing just where they might be.

“Oh this place is just divine, Twilight!” Rarity compliments as she takes a sip of tea. The cafe was small, and the business was anything but upper class, but it was a nice place to sit and talk. The six friends sit around a table, each enjoying a donut or a drink, reveling in the holiday’s warm atmosphere. That is until Luna kicks open the door.

“LADY SPARKLE AND FRIENDS HAVE BEEN SUMMONED TO THINE PRINCESS! COME WITH US IMMEDIATELY!” she shouts to the dismay of the proprietor. Twilight bolts to her feet in surprise, knocking the table over and spilling coffee and tea all over the floor. Rarity screeches as her tail is soaked with boiling beverages.

“Princess Luna! Is everything alright?” Twilight asks frantically. This was unusual, even for the princess of the night.

“Sorry Twilight... I suppose I could have spoken to thee more softly. We at the palace have been on edge all day, and Celestia wishes to see thine friends and yourself to calm her royal nerves.” Luna explains. “We were also expecting to have to search harder for thy presence.”

“Right away your majesty. Come on girls, let’s go.”

There’s a comforting warmth around Vinyl as she opens her eyes. Through half closed lids she couldn’t see much. It’s soft, particularly cuddly, and seems to also have arms, which wrap around her body like a mother, or perhaps...

“Bitch what are you doing?!” Vinyl screams as she kicks hard, sending Octavia barreling off the bed. “What the fuck you doin’ up in my grill like that!”

Octavia rubs her head after that unpleasant awakening. She didn’t remember falling asleep... again. All she remembered was sitting on the bed next to Scratch and... Now it made sense. Over the course of the night, Octavia had rolled over and put her arms around her roommate. Vinyl, in her tired and vulnerable state, had snuggled up to her. There was an uncomfortable silence.

“So um... Sorry?” Octavia offers.

“Whatevs, at least we got some rest...” Vinyl reassures. “And for the record, you’re comfy as fuck.”

Octavia blushes and looks over at the window. Perhaps this could turn into something great? She silently wishes for the courage to speak, but it just doesn’t come.

“Oh no bitch, I know that look.” Vinyl continues. “Hell no, hell fucking no! I never meant for this to get weird, so just forget it!” she practically screams, her face lighting up as she looks at the door. “I just needed to tell you to leave...”

“What?” Octavia snaps back to attention at these words. “Leave? What ever do you mean?”

“I’m covering the Celebration on my show, and I know that something is going to happen. Trust me Octavia, something is coming and it’s not going to end well.”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to attack the princess! I’ve listened to your show every morning for two and a half weeks now and you might want to keep your head down. Don’t worry about me!” Octavia scolds.

“You listen every morning?” Vinyl cocks her head to the right and stares at Octavia, almost flattered.

Octavia scratches the back of her neck and laughs nervously. “I uh... missed your voice...” There was another awkward silence. Vinyl sighs and begins walking towards the exit.

“Look, it could get violent at the courtyard and I don’t want you hurt because of me.” she explains, hoping the message could just hit home and be left at that.

“I hope you know what you’re doing Scratch. If I find out you’re behind this I’m going to be very unimpressed.” Octavia explains. “I’ll stay away from the ceremony... But promise me you won’t get yourself killed.”

“Promise Phil, I’ll be back without even a scratch.” Vinyl replaces her glasses dramatically and walks out the door. Octavia grimaces at the use of her old nickname, but it was almost nice to hear it again. She plants herself on the floor and looks out the window towards the palace.

“Octavia you are a mess.” she muses to herself. “Of course she wouldn’t want you... That was a silly idea to begin with.”

“Princess, we’re here!” Twilight exclaims, running into Celestia’s chamber in a frantic gallop. The others follow behind her, also quite concerned. “Is something wrong?”

“Not yet my student... But I fear for the well-being of all attending.” Celestia sighs as she turns from the window. “I only wished to speak with you before I have to address them all. And I also wish to ask you something.”

“Anything princess! If you need us to go kick some flank for you then we’re on it!” Rainbow Dash salutes.

Celestia chuckles timidly and shakes her head. “No that will not be necessary Rainbow Dash, but I appreciate the enthusiasm. No, my question is for Twilight.”

“Ask away princess, I’d be happy to answer anything you have to ask.” Twilight smiles, always eager to speak with her mentor.

“In what way are you, and I suppose your friends too, affiliated with DJ Pon-3?”

Twilight’s mouth stands agape for a second in shock. Was the princess really worried about her becoming a traitor? “Princess Celestia we only know each other from town. I’ve never supported her message, she’s just a neighbor.”

Celestia lets out a relieved breath as her warm, caring smile returns to her face. “That is good to hear Twilight. She spoke of you on her show and I was worried that you might have turned against me.”

“Never. I’ll always be your faithful student.” Twilight comforts. It was getting to be the time in which Celestia would have to walk out to the Court Yard and speak to her adoring people. She begins to walk towards the door and stops, looking back.

“If anything happens to me, I want you all to work next to Luna in retaining order. I am not worried about myself, but innocents are at risk.” She explains, and walks out to face the crowd.

“Good afternoon Equestria, this is DJ Pon-3 live from Canterlot. I’m here at the Summer Sun Celebration and we are all just waiting for the princess to come out and make her speech. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited. Now we have a guest here, a mailmare I believe she said. Care to introduce yourself to the listeners?”

“Oh, sure thing! I’m Ditzy Doo and I deliver mail! I’m a mailmare!”

“That you are Ditzy. So what brings you here?”

“The Summer Sun thingy with the princess! I’m here for that.”

“Aren’t we all, Ditz, aren’t we all. I’ll be right back with you folks in just a minute. Until then, enjoy the holiday!”

Vinyl lifts the headphones off of her head and slams them on the counter. She shoots a disapproving stare at Ditzy. “Could you sound any more idiotic? If you weren’t too stupid to fight back I wouldn’t even bother bringing you.”

“Aw but Scratchy I was just saying hi to Equestria!” Ditzy laughs, waving her arms in the air to indicate a large expanse. “Don’t be mad at me, please?”

“I’m not mad Ditzy. Well, I won’t be if you do your part right, which I’m honestly concerned about.” Vinyl begins setting sound levels on the console, focusing most of the audio in a speaker that had been set up near the area that Celestia would be speaking from.

Right on cue, Princess Celestia appears from behind the arch of the palace entrance and makes her way to the stage. Vinyl puts her headphones back on her head and powers up the microphones.

“And we’re back everypony, just in time for the main event. Princess Celestia is making her way to the stage as I speak. Let’s listen in, and enjoy the festivities!”

“My loyal subjects. I come before you as your princess, as your ruler, but overall, as your friend. I am pleased to see so many faces, familiar and new, that have come to our grand city to join me in the raising of the Summer Sun. Come tomorrow morning, Summer shall officially begin, and I will be looking over all of you fondly as you bask in the sun’s warmth and glory. I would also like to assure each and every one of you that even after the unfortunate events of the past few days, we are working our best to keep you all safe. The riot that broke out in the garden two days ago is still sore in our minds, and those injured are in our thoughts, and our hearts. But this is not a sign of hard times to come! We will remain a peaceful, prosperous country just as we always h a v e..... A n d I l o o k f o r w a r d.......”

Her words slow to a crawl and stop. The crowd freezes, all in awe and fear of what has just happened. The princess is effectually frozen in time, her mouth open as if to continue speaking, and her gaze still happy and warm. There was silence. It was a painful, eerie silence that was almost deafening.

Vinyl squints as her head begins to hurt. It took a lot out of her to keep this going, but focusing was just not enough. Her horn continues to glow, though it couldn’t be seen. Tinted glass had been installed on purpose, for it would be almost too obvious if the audience could see her using her magic. Then somepony approaches from the palace. Six someponies actually. Twilight and her friends. “She’s just what I need...” Vinyl cackles to herself as she focuses her magic towards Twilight.

Meanwhile, a shrouded pony, clad in a black bodysuit, makes their way through the crowd. Not an inch of her coat is showing, and all that can be picked out is the large pair of headphones on her ears. She’s also carrying a couple of small vials. Nopony pays her much mind, until she’s standing on the stage in front of Celestia.

“Princess!” Twilight cries out, as her horn begins to glow. Strangely enough, she didn’t remember casting any spells. Her horn begins to pulse, and what look like sound waves resonate from it. Suddenly she gets a glimpse of everything from a different set of eyes. She sees life in front of her in slow motion, and there are bars on the front and sides of her vision displaying motion and frequencies. It was almost like...

Using Twilight as an amplifier for her own magic made things a lot easier. As the masked mare begins mixing the contents of her vials together in front of the dumbstruck crowd, Vinyl uses her hoof to point out the scene. Her vision closes in on it, and as the chemicals react, she focuses even more. The liquids mix into a green mire, producing a thick fog. After a few seconds, it pops, and a small, contained explosion engulfs the inside of the glass vial. Then came the fun part.

“I recognize those chemicals! Where in Equestria could they have gotten those?” Twilight yells as she tries to figure out where she is. Her distorted vision certainly made it hard to keep her balance. All that truly matters is if her friends can help the princess. She hopes that they have.

The world stops. Mentally pressing the stop button, Vinyl highlights the explosion and copies it. She then locates several other points and samples the explosion in. Keeping each explosion selected, she then takes the very last fader on her console and pushes it up slowly. As the level rises, the explosions gain mass. Eventually, all most ponies could see was a green chemical explosion. To those watching in real time, it looked as though the mysterious villain had mixed the liquids to create a nuclear catastrophe. Confusion and panic breaks out as what was supposed to be a fun celebration turns into a crisis.

“Y’all still with me?” Applejack yells, hoping that her friends hadn’t been lost. None of them could see anything, and their eyes all stung from the airborne acids of the explosion.

“Still here darling, though I can’t speak for my mane!” Rarity answers.

“Where’s the jerk that did this?” Rainbow shouts, dashing back and forth trying to get a hold of anything.

“Oh my goodness! Where are you! EEE” Fluttershy screams, falling to her knees and breaking out into tears. This was all much more than any of them had imagined.

Pinkie Pie doesn’t answer, but the sound of somepony coughing mixed with the rhythmic bouncing of hooves can be heard through the smoke. Applejack decides it’s her, but then wonders about Twilight. “Hey Twi, you there?!”

Twilight was there, but she could also see a lot more, and hear a lot less. The world around her had become a grid, and a voice rang in the back of her mind. It was distorted, angry, and sinister. “Thanks for your help Twilight, I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“Get out of my head!” Twilight screams as her head pounds, feeling as if it had been overloaded with pressure. The voice stops and her vision becomes normal. The blinding chemicals also dissipate to reveal something even more terrifying. Celestia was gone. In her place was a radio.

“Thank you all for coming, but I’m afraid your princess has left.” speaks the very same voice that Twilight had heard. “We will be taking your city graciously, and if any of you wish to protest then be my guest. Join us and celebrate the coming of a new day! No longer shall we live under the tyranny of our oppressing princess. Good day, and I shall be speaking to you again.”

“Final step... I can do this.” Vinyl mutters to herself, lifting a pill up in front of her nose. Placing it on her tongue, she feels the bitter taste crawling down her throat. She swallows, lodging the offending medicine into her belly. Her vision blurs, all sound begins to dampen, and her world was dark. “And now... We wait...”

“Scratch!”

Vinyl hears a familiar voice, but still feels lost in darkness. There was nothing around, except for that warm feeling she remembered from that morning.

“Scratch, please wake up!”

It sounded as though somepony was crying. The darkness gained color slowly, her vision peering through nearly closed eyelids. It was a soft brown, pressed close up against her face.

“Scratch please don’t leave me!”

“O... Octavia?” Vinyl manages, finally coming out of her coma.

“You’re alive! Oh goodness you had me so worried!” Octavia held Vinyl close, her face stained with tears.

“Is she awake?” comes another voice. Another familiar voice. It was Twilight Sparkle. What was she doing there?

“Yes... Yes she’s awake.” Octavia answers, wiping a tear from her eye. Vinyl looks up and around. Vision was still blurry, but she could tell that Twilight and her friends were all there.

“Oh... Hey everypony... What’s this all about?”

“Well when the princess disappeared we immediately came to check yer radio booth ‘cause we were thinkin’ it maybe had somethin’ to do with you.” Applejack answers. Her voice was laced with a hint of animosity, but seemed quite sincere.

“But then we got there and you were passed out. Based on a quick diagnostic scan, you seem to have been drugged by the attackers.” Twilight finishes. They all look apologetic at Scratch.

“Did you bring me here?” Vinyl asks, confused about the outcome of the attack.

“Yeah, your marefriend here showed up and we brought you here to get better.” Rainbow Dash continues to explain. Octavia blushes and waves a hoof.

“Now now, I’m nothing of the sort! We’re roommates, and we’ve been best friends since music school.” she corrects. Vinyl sits up on her own and scratches at her head.

‘It worked’ she thinks, sounding a little surprised to even herself. ‘I got away with it, and they don’t even suspect a thing?’

“I figured you girls would want me dead... After all, I’m probably the reason this happened...”

“Well we were mad at first, but then Twilight reminded us that that level of magic would be near impossible by any normal unicorn. They even used her as a beacon for their horrid display, imagine that!” Rarity scoffs.

“Yes, but you should really think about being a little nicer on your show.” adds Fluttershy. She was backed up against the wall with her hooves over her nose. The whole incident certainly gave her a fright.

“Well, we ought to be going. Pinkie took off to make sure the donut shop was safe, of all things. We’ll see you again I’m sure.” Twilight turns to leave. Her friends do so as well as they all file out of the room. Octavia looks Vinyl Scratch in the eyes, tears taking over most of her vision.

“It’ll be ok Scratch. It’s over, and now you can relax. I want you to come back and live with me... Please!” Octavia pulls Vinyl in for a hug and begins crying on her shoulder. Vinyl runs her hoof through Octavia’s mane for comfort.

“It’s ok Octavia. I’m alright, and I’ll move back in tomorrow. It’s all going to be ok.” she consoles, though her face did not match her words. A smile, though not a loving one, took over her face, and her eyes become wild. She was laughing in the back of her mind.

‘Operation Scratch is go.’