Vinyl Scratch was tired. In fact she was very tired. ‘Exhausted’ might actually be the proper term to use to describe the white unicorn’s debilitating fatigue. Her back and limbs ached all over; purple bags were already forming under her large cerise eyes. And to top it all off, her mane had taken a particular style of its own – wildly unkempt and disheveled. Tiny tasks such as showering and eating were becoming strenuous activities. After finishing these laborious chores, Vinyl Scratch’s physical state was rendered reminiscent of an unfit pony completing a marathon. Such was the reality of her troubling lethargy.
For the past three months, Vinyl Scratch had been busily producing, composing and configuring new tunes for her debut album. At the very start of the journey, the musical pony’s excitement for the biggest project of her current career could have been deemed palpable. Her anticipation for the final result had soared into the heavens, seemingly defying any boundaries or obstructions. Each morning she had awoken into the new day, ready to charge forward with every ounce of strength in her body and mind. Set on providing stimulating mixes for the populace, Vinyl Scratch had transformed her turntables into a second home. Eventually she had become accustomed to spending the majority of her time right at the base of her work.
Everything had been progressing smoothly, and for a moment it had appeared that the introduction of the disc jockey’s definitive piece would be unveiled within a month. These were wishful thoughts, however, because as soon as Vinyl Scratch had begun receiving invitations to multiple gigs, the first throes of exhaustion had inevitably crept in. With no assistance on her side, Vinyl Scratch had been forced to partake in her duties solo. And, boy, had that been more draining than she had primarily figured. Because, realistically, the legitimacy of a lone disc jockey is accurately represented by all-nighters, lack of precious sleep and unaccompanied handling of organization.
Without sufficient funds to hire help, she had ultimately decided to continue functioning just as she was used to. Therefore it was no surprise that Vinyl Scratch had strained under the pressures of providing her own transportation to the location of her gigs. After packing the equipment – turntables, surround sound speakers, equalizer, etc. – by herself and traveling lengthy distances to eventually unpack and prepare for the parties, she had found that undertaking such responsibilities while simultaneously working on her debut album required hazardous levels of demand. Of course, Vinyl Scratch’s dedication to the future of her repertoire had pushed the deejay pony forward.
Showing up for the gigs had always been a top priority. As an up-and-coming artist, Vinyl Scratch understood that getting herself out there – that allowing her name to be known among the deejay scene – was of utmost importance. Her dream of eventually being signed by the highly acclaimed Canterlot Studios was en route to achievement!, Vinyl Scratch assured herself. As long as she kept the drive, no matter the circumstances she could attain success and fame in the deejay world! Though with this in mind, the trade of rejuvenating sleep for arduous labor soon became the norm. Staying up until the wee hours of the morning was an expected, everyday occurrence. At the end of the day – literally at the end of the morning – the worn-out little pony would slowly stumble to her bed, plop onto it like a log and immediately drift into a gratifying slumber.
But right before being pulled fully into that wonderful, dreamless void known as the unconscious, Vinyl Scratch’s heart would beat irregularly for just a second. It was a strange sensation, and in the very beginning she chose to ignore it. However, after time and time again of experiencing the same, peculiar palpitation, our little pony was finally able to decipher its meaning. She knew deep down there laid a sentiment of dissatisfaction within in her soul. As much as she tried to conceal this uneasiness, she comprehended the futility of her efforts. Because something was missing in her life. She didn’t know what it was that was missing, but there was definitely something.
She hoped that one day she may be able to finally fill the emptiness in her heart. For all Vinyl Scratch desired was a rest beyond serenity. To just cuddle into her pillow and finally let go.
Spike’s Vinyl Scratch
“Party! Party! Party!” Pinkie Pie screeched over the blaring music. “Woo! Hoo! Keep that beat going, Vinyl Scratch! You’re rocking this house like it’s nopony’s business!”
“Got ya, Pinkie Pie! Thanks again for all this, by the way!” Vinyl Scratch yelled back, making her voice heard amid the many sounds of partying. “You really didn’t have to do this, you know!”
“Don’t be silly, silly! How could I not host a party for Ponyville’s special little deejay?!” Pinkie Pie shrieked excitedly, bouncing. “Your album’s out, and everypony needs to know! Inviting everypony here to party is the least I could do!”
“I can’t thank you enough, Pinkie Pie!” Vinyl Scratch replied, forcing a smile. “This is seriously cool! I’m glad you let me deejay, too!”
“Who else could deejay for your debut celebration?!” Pinkie Pie laughed, her ears perking up. “Ooooh! I love this song! Keep it on this song! Keep it!”
“No worries, girl! Get on that dance floor and shake that rump!” Vinyl Scratch pointed a hoof ahead. “I’ll be here!”
At that, Pinkie Pie disappeared behind a throng of ponies, dancing up a storm. A shrill of cheers could be heard from the dance floor, no doubt directed towards the pink party pony.
Sugarcube Corner was bustling with great activity. In the heat of a midsummer’s evening, most everypony from Ponyville was having a blast breaking it down to Vinyl Scratch’s mixes. Strobe lights, a blaring bass causing the structure to shake, hopping bodies tangled together, neon signs aligning the walls, a lit up bar and an upstairs level with booths to sit and socialize provided the means for abundant partying. A crowded night filled with dancing, drinking, chatting and sweating consumed the atmosphere, breathing a hip rhythm into the many attendees. The day’s stresses were being released at record rates, and although Vinyl Scratch served as a the disc jockey for a celebration dedicated to her debut album hitting the markets, the white unicorn couldn’t help but feel out of place.
Admittedly, she wasn’t as ebullient as the rest of the partygoers. Still fatigued from three months’ worth of rigorous toil, Vinyl Scratch had wearily anticipated the release of her solo album. She had planned to just sleep the day of, to probably lie in bed for a whole week if possible.
Individually funding the production and distribution of her album’s records certainly cut a hole in her budget, but she had known it was a substantial investment for her profession. As a negotiator in business, she was confident in her skills. Though it seemed she wasn’t able to negotiate her way out of deejaying for her own party.
Pinkie Pie had put Vinyl Scratch up to the task, finding it to be perfectly suitable. Who was she to refuse the pink pony’s good intentions? The deejay pony couldn’t blame her, and she should have known Pinkie Pie would host a party in response to the release. Now, as exhausted as ever, Vinyl Scratch rocked her head to the beat of her bass, a strained grin plastered on her face. The party was going to be over soon, Vinyl Scratch reminded herself. Stick it out for a few more hours and, finally, she could sleep.
Naturally, it wasn’t actually the end. The result of her newly released album would most likely bring her more recognition. More recognition meant more gigs. More gigs meant more work. But that was fine. Because more work meant more popularity points. And with popularity points, the chances of her signing with Canterlot Studios skyrocket. As long as she had a week to rest, she could deal with a few more months of gig work. A week of rest was everything to her at the moment. Finish the party, then rest.
“Heeeeeey, Vinyl Scratch! How’s it going, you awesome pony, you?!”
Vinyl Scratch turned her head to find a very tipsy Twilight Sparkle beaming in her direction. The purple unicorn was obviously inebriated. Rosy cheeks, unfocused eyes and an unstable posture made for conspicuous hints to the mare’s drunken state. Wobbling forward, Twilight Sparkle reached over to pat Vinyl Scratch on the back. Unfortunately, she ended up swatting the air in front of her, completely missing the disc jockey.
“Oops.” Twilight Sparkle hiccupped, giggling. “I almost got you!”
“How’s it going, Twilight? Having fun?” Vinyl Scratch smirked.
“Am I having fun? Did you just ask me that?” Twilight Sparkle scrunched up her face, incredulous. “Of course I’m having fun! I’m having the most fun I’ve ever had in my entire life! And it’s all thanks to you!”
“Heh. I’m glad I could help.” Vinyl Scratch bobbed her head, tuning her turntable to the beat. “How about I dedicate this next song to you, huh? You like that?”
Twilight Sparkle gaped, slurring. “Would you do that for me? Really?! Oh, you’re soooo cool!”
“No problem, Twilight. Anything for a pony who saves Equestria, like, twice a year.” Vinyl Scratch started up the song. “What do you think?”
Twilight Sparkle swayed from left to right, attempting to focus on the music. “I love it! I love it so much! Have I told you how cool you are? Because you’re really cool, Vinyl Scratch! When you played your music for the after-party at my brother’s wedding, I seriously thought you were the best!”
“Thanks! I had so much fun that night!”
“You’re the BEST! I’m going to send the Princess a letter just about you! Becasuse…because…” Twilight Sparkle smacked her lips, losing her line of thought. “Uhh…”
“I’m the best?” Vinyl Scratch guessed, smiling.
“YES! YES! YES! YES!” Twilight Sparkle bounced in a circle around Vinyl Scratch, suddenly tripping on a cable.
“Whoa, there!” Vinyl Scratch caught Twilight Sparkle before she face-planted onto the tiled floor. “I think It’s time for somepony to sit down for a few minutes.”
Twilight Sparkle giggled, totally unaware of her surroundings. “I think I need my number one assistant! Oh, SPIKE! SPIIIIIIIIKE!”
“Spike?” Vinyl Scratch had heard the name before. “Oh, that’s right. Your dragon friend! I remember him! He’s your assistant?”
Twilight Sparkle stood up straight, clearing her throat. “Spike is my number one assistant, Vinyl Scratch.”
Twilight Sparkle had appeared completely sober when reciting that last line. It took Vinyl Scratch aback, until the purple unicorn produced a garbled follow-up.
“AND HE’S THE BEEEEEEEEEEEST!”
“The best, huh?” Vinyl Scratch’s eyebrows rose. “He helps you out everyday and such?”
“That’s what an assistant does!” Twilight Sparkle stated smartly. “AND HE’S THE BEEEEEEEST!”
Vinyl Scratch nodded in understanding. “You’re really lucky, Twilight. Having somepony help you out with your work. Or…wait, do I call him somedragon?”
“I don’t know! Somepony! Somedragon! It doesn’t even matter!” Twilight Sparkle hooted. “BECAUSE HE’S THE BEEEEEEEEST!”
“If you’re praising him this much, then I’ll believe you.” Vinyl Scratch chuckled. “You really are lucky, though. I wish I had an assistant. Celestia knows I certainly need one. Especially now.”
Twilight Sparkle whipped her head in response. “Y-you don’t have a number one assistant?! What?!”
“Nope. It’s all me.” Vinyl Scratch replied, synchronizing a new tune. “It’s tough, but I manage.”
“How do you not have a number one assistant?! You’re so cool! You need to have a number one assistant!” Twilight Sparkle was beyond herself in disbelief.
“Can’t afford one.” Vinyl Scratch said simply.
Twilight Sparkle shook her head. “This cannot be! You need an assistant! I’ll give you Spike if you want! If you want him, you can have him! But not forever, okay?! He’s my special number one assistant, after all!”
“You don’t need to do that, Twilight!” Vinyl Scratch laughed. “And I don’t think Spike will like that either!”
“He’s such a sweet dragon! He wouldn’t mind at all! I’ll give him to you for as long you want! Just don’t steal him from me, okay?” Twilight Sparkle snickered drunkenly. “What do you think, Vinyl Scratch?!”
“Whatever you say, Twilight. I appreciate it.” Vinyl Scratch nodded, unconvinced.
“Hey! I’m serious! I’m dead serious! Look at my face!” Twilight Sparkle faced Vinyl Scratch with a half-lidded expression, trying to maintain a stoic countenance. “See? This is my serious face!”
Vinyl Scratch chortled. “Okay, fine! I believe you!”
“Good!” Twilight Sparkle said, satisfied. “Now where is that baby dragon? SPIKE, WHERE ARE YOU? SPIIIIIIIIKE! SPIIIIIIIIIKE!”
“I’m here, Twilight! I’m right here!”
A purple and green creature swiftly materialized from behind Twilight Sparkle. Looking from Vinyl Scratch to his mother figure, Spike readily registered the situation.
“There you are!” Twilight Sparkle wrapped her hooves around Spike, hugging him tightly. “Did I ever tell you that you’re the BEEEEEEEST?!”
Spike struggled under the weight of the pony. “Y-yeah, Twilight. All the time. I think you’ve had a bit too much to drink. Maybe we should head home now.”
Twilight Sparkle scoffed. “Hah! Too much to drink?! Can you believe him, Vinyl Scratch?! He said I’ve had too much to drink!”
Vinyl Scratch ignored Twilight, chuckling. “She tells me you’re the best, Spike.”
Spike rolled his eyes, supporting the purple mare. “Yeah, she does that. Especially when she drinks like this. To her everypony’s the best.”
“THE BEEEEEEEEEEEEST!” Twilight Sparkle sung.
“Maybe you should take her home now.” Vinyl Scratch suggested. “She’s going to have a tough morning tomorrow.”
“Tell me about it. And who do you think’s going to have to take care of her?”
“MY NUMBER ONE ASSISTANT!” Twilight Sparkle continued singing.
“Good luck, Spike.” Vinyl Scratch smirked, waving. “Thanks for coming, too.”
“Yeah, congratulations on the album. Your music rocks!” Spike complimented, now supporting Twilight Sparkle on his shoulders.
“Thanks! Glad you like it! Make sure to buy my album, alright?”
“Definitely! And it was really nice to officially meet you.” Spike smiled warmly. “Sorry it had to be like this, though.”
Vinyl Scratch smiled back. “No worries, bro. It was fun.”
Spike was now ready to leave, but before he and Twilight Sparkle vanished amid the crowd, he turned his head to Vinyl Scratch for the last time that night.
Spike simpered. “Being the deejay for your own party, huh? Seems fitting.”
Vinyl Scratched stuck her tongue out teasingly. “Isn’t it?”
And at that, Spike and Twilight Sparkle exited the scene.
Vinyl Scratch’s music boomed until daybreak, and when all the partying ceased, the white unicorn was left the only being awake among a sea of blacked-out ponies. Whilst she slothfully began packing her things, Vinyl Scratch realized she shouldn’t even be bothering with such tiresome burdens. Scanning the main floor, she spotted an empty space well-suited for napping. The party was over. Her precious week of rest had arrived. Crawling to the open spot, the disc jockey slumped on her side, sunglasses still worn, and let her eyelids fall.
But before the blackness could set in, her heart once again skipped an irregular beat.
Curling up into a ball, Vinyl Scratch mumbled softly.
“How annoying…”
A quiet pounding reverberated in the musical pony’s limp ears. At each passing second, the pounding grew louder and more intensive, bringing the unicorn out of her sleep. Vinyl Scratch’s muzzle wrinkled in irritation, and she gritted her teeth when the noise didn’t stop stabbing at her eardrums. Sore eyes squinted, its sensitive retinas adjusting to the dim lighting of the room. After about a minute, the little pony lazily rubbed her eyes with a hoof, further allowing her eyes to fixate on its environs. She was in her room, Vinyl Scratch concluded. A frustrating pounding kept bugging her ears, and she didn’t know how to terminate its existence.
Finding the will to concentrate, Vinyl Scratch ultimately acknowledged the root of the problem. There were knocks coming from the front door. Vinyl Scratch groaned sleepily, imagining the exertion required to get out of bed. Did she really have to wake up now? Why couldn’t this aggravating visitor come at a later time? The musical pony figured the incessant tapping wasn’t going to stop until she answered it, so in a sluggish motion she stretched her hooves out and smacked her lips.
Grabbing at her signature sunglasses, she felt more at ease when her eyes didn’t have to strain under the blinding illumination of her room. Even with the blinds closed and the overhead lights off, it was still pretty bright for the drowsy pony. Planting her hooves onto her carpeted floor, Vinyl Scratch yawned before heading out into the living room of her home. The infuriating knocking continued, and when Vinyl Scratch placed her hoof on the main entrance’s doorknob she barked at whoever was causing it.
“I’m up already! I’m up! What’s so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?!”
Swinging open the door, Vinyl Scratch stared ahead menacingly, only to be shocked by the true identity of the perpetrator. Standing a foot away at her doorstep was a nervous-looking baby dragon. He lightly shuffled backwards, trying to give the peeved pony as much space as she could have.
“Spike? W-What are you doing here?”
If there was any individual Vinyl Scratch could have guessed would have been at her doorstep, knocking like what was a seemingly mad rhythm, the last possible supposition was Spike the baby dragon. First off, she didn’t really know Spike that well. She had only just spoken to him at her album debut party, and even then it was only for a minute or two. How did he know where she lived? What was he here for, anyway? Too many confusing questions hit Vinyl Scratch in a wave. She was already starting to feel a migraine coming on just thinking about them.
“I-It’s three in the afternoon, actually.” Spike corrected Vinyl Scratch, smiling apprehensively. “I didn’t mean to wake you, Vinyl Scratch. Should I come at another time then?”
Vinyl Scratch put her hoof out. “No, t-that’s fine. Sorry for yelling like that. I had no idea what time it was.”
“Oh, okay.” Spike visibly relaxed, stepping forward. “Can I come in? Or do you want to sleep some more?”
Vinyl Scratch had no idea why Spike wanted to enter her home. Did she have some kind of appointment with him? That wasn’t possible, because she couldn’t even recall ever making such arrangements with the baby dragon. So why was he here?
“I’m awake now, I guess.” Vinyl Scratch swam a hoof through her mane. “And, yeah, you can come in.”
“Thanks.” Spike entered through the doorway, followed by Vinyl Scratch.
Vinyl Scratch watched as Spike silently inspected her home from where he was standing. Taking a look of her own, she finally noticed how dirty she had left her haven. Plastic plates and cups were in piles around her living room and kitchen. Pizza boxes were strewn out on the purple carpeted floors. Empty, disorganized vinyl record cases cluttered up in random spots of the house. And to make matters more embarrassing for the untidy pony, filthy, unwashed dishes were stacked high in murky water – that was just her kitchen sink, too. All her cupboards and cabinets were left open, accentuating the chaotic mess she had created in the past three months.
Vinyl Scratch coughed in shame. “Sorry about the mess. In my defense I haven’t really had the time to clean up. But I know that’s just a stupid excuse for my laziness.”
Vinyl Scratch tried to laugh it off, but she was failing miserably. How could she invite somepony into such an unclean home? She should have looked around a little more before letting anypony witness her most lowly state.
“Disorganization is nothing I’m not already used to.” Spike attempted to console the abashed pony. “This doesn’t bother me as much as you think. Trust me.”
Vinyl Scratch smiled uneasily. “I’ll take your word for it.”
An awkward silence followed the short exchange. Nopony was saying anything, and both Vinyl Scratch and Spike wondered how to endure the painful air enveloping them at the current moment. Thinking quickly, the white unicorn came up with a solid solution.
“Want something to eat? I’m starved.” Vinyl Scratch trotted to the kitchen.
“No thanks. I’ve eaten already. You go ahead.” Spike said, patting his belly.
Vinyl Scratch peeked into her refrigerator.
“You sure? I’ve got…uh…” Vinyl Scratch stopped midsentence.
There was nothing in her refrigerator but a half-gallon of unopened skim milk.
Vinyl Scratch craned her neck. “You like milk, Spike?”
“Um. A small glass is fine.” Spike settled uncomfortably.
Vinyl Scratch nodded. “Glass of milk. Right.”
Vinyl Scratch soundlessly prepared a short glass of the white substance for Spike, all the while an awkward atmosphere coming back to haunt them. Both remained mute in each other’s company, and the white unicorn still didn’t have any idea why Spike had visited. What was going on? Hopefully things could get rolling once Spike finished drinking his milk.
“Oh, nice! Corn Flakes! Score!” Vinyl Scratch cheered aloud after discovering an opened box in one of her cupboards.
“Good find.” Spike chimed in, climbing onto a seat at the kitchen table.
“I know, right?” Vinyl Scratched hummed happily.
Once the musical pony had both the bowl of cereal and the skim milk prepared for both herself and her guest, she reckoned it was time to get to the point of Spike’s unexpected stopover.
“So, Spike, what brings you here to my not-so humble abode?” Vinyl Scratch asked, taking in a spoonful of corn flakes.
Spike sipped at his glass. “Glad you asked. I didn’t know how to bring this up, because I know it’s so sudden.”
“What’s up? You okay?”
“I’m good. I’m good.” Spike set down his glass and sighed. “I guess the best way is just to come out and say it. It’s easier that way, anyway.”
Vinyl Scratch set down her spoon. “What is it? Are you in love with me or something?”
Spike flushed in humiliation. “N-no! That’s not it at all!”
Vinyl Scratch giggled, calming into the atmosphere. “What is it then? I’m not any good at guessing these things, dude.”
Spike exhaled. “Alright. I was sent here to be your personal assistant.”
Vinyl Scratch paused. “…Be my personal assistant? What are you talking about?”
Spike leaned in closer, gesturing. “Remember your debut party? When you and Twilight were chatting? According to her you two had an agreement to trade me off or something. I don’t really get it myself, but Twilight insists that she stands by her word, even when I have no say in it.”
Vinyl Scratch put a hoof to her head, remembering the incident. “Oh, that’s right. Twilight was really drunk that night. Wasn’t that, like, two days ago or something?”
“No, that was a week ago.” Spike stated matter-of-factly.
“That was a week ago?” Vinyl Scratch repeated skeptically. “It couldn’t have been that long ago.”
“It was a week ago. Twilight had me working double time this whole week so that she could do without me until you return me back.” Spike rested his chin on his open palm. “I’m here now, Vinyl Scratch. And it does seem like you need some help around here.”
Vinyl Scratch contemplated the new development. Had it already been a week since she crashed at Sugarcube Corner that one morning? It was true that the pony was losing track of time as a result of all the sleep she was so very much enjoying.
Lifting her hooves in front of her face, Vinyl Scratch didn’t undergo as much stress as she was used to. Her fatigue must have been seceding. A week of rest had gone by, and she was feeling much livelier than she had felt in months. She wasn’t at a hundred percent, but she was definitely at over sixty.
The white unicorn blinked from behind her sunglasses. Was it true? Twilight was actually being serious about lending Spike? At the time of the conversation, Vinyl Scratch had paid no mind to the purple unicorn’s drunken ramblings. For she had labeled them as just that: drunken ramblings. But if Twilight Sparkle was willing to pull through with her end of the bargain, then Vinyl Scratch believed she might as well take the opportunity. She was expecting new deejay gigs to arise in the coming week, thanks to her album’s debut. She could probably keep Spike for that long, at least. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have a sporting young chap assisting her at work. It’d definitely make life much less stressful for the disc jockey.
“Sounds good to me.” Vinyl Scratch excitedly swallowed another spoonful of cereal. “I’m not one to refuse such a tempting offering.”
“You talk like I’m some kind of commodity.” Spike clicked his tongue. “Ah, well. It’s not the first time Twilight’s made me assist other ponies with their work. And, really, I don’t mind that much either.”
Vinyl Scratch smiled. “Twilight told me you were a nice guy. I can see she was telling the truth.”
Spike blushed. “Ah, come on. It’s no big deal. It’s my profession. I like helping other ponies out.”
Vinyl Scratch hurriedly finished consuming her bowl of cereal. “So what should we start with first, my number one assistant?”
“Hearing that coming from somepony other than Twilight is kind of a trip, Vinyl Scratch.”
Vinyl Scratch snickered. “I bet it’s like a ‘whoa’ moment for you, huh?”
“What’s a ‘whoa’ moment?” Spike inquired.
“You know, it’s like one of those moments when things are just too much. Like you can’t really explain it, so you just go ‘whoa’!” Vinyl Scratch explained, holding up her hooves.
“Ah, got it.” Spike winked, pointing at the kitchen sink. “How’s this then? When I first saw those dirty dishes stacked up like that, I had a ‘whoa’ moment.”
Vinyl Scratch chortled. “Oh, shut up!”
By the time an hour had passed, Spike and Vinyl Scratch had successfully tidied up the musical pony’s home. After Spike finished washing and putting away the dishes, he assisted his partner in collecting all the cluttered pieces of trash accumulated over the past few months. Properly disposing the rubbish was a whole other matter, but Spike assured Vinyl Scratch he’d take care of the full bags on the way back home. The entire cleaning process took a lot of effort, but after vigorous laboring it was done. And for the first time in months the owner of the home experienced a fresh new air, as if she could breathe freely once again. To his delight, Spike also deemed the residence devoid of claustrophobic waste. It was a relief to be able to walk a few feet without fear of stepping onto old pizza crusts.
Vinyl Scratch wiped the sweat off her brow. “Whew. That’s finally done. Thanks a lot, Spike. You’re really helping me out here.”
Spike proudly stuck up his chest. “No prob. That’s what I’m here for. Thankfully we we’re able to get it done in an hour. I still have a few more hours available.”
Vinyl Scratch pondered. “Is that so?”
“Yup. So what now? Anything else you need assistance with?”
Vinyl Scratch grinned. “Are you a fast learner, Spike?”
“The fastest.” Spike answered confidently.
“What do you know about deejay equipment?”
“Uh…not much.” Spike admitted, slightly perturbed.
Vinyl Scratch rested a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Then it’s your lucky day.”
For the next few hours, Vinyl Scratch introduced and handled her disc jockey equipment with the young assistant. Showing the baby dragon the ropes was not as challenging a task as she originally presumed. Spike was right. He truly was a fast learner. His many years’ experience as a personal assistant to the obsessive-compulsive Twilight Sparkle had provided the dragon with the necessary tools to take any instruction in stride. Soon Spike could correctly name the equipment by their appropriate labels, and even go as far as practice a few basic deejay techniques. Cueing, equalizing, audio mixing and synthesizing were some of the most common methods any disc jockey could grasp with ease after weeks of practice. But Spike was already showing signs of vast improvement with a few simple trial and error sessions. Vinyl Scratch couldn’t help but be enormously impressed by her new assistant’s aptitude for knowledge.
“Wow, Spike! You’re a natural at this!” Vinyl Scratch watched as Spike used her turntables. “Are you sure you knew nothing about deejay skillsets before today?”
“I swear this is my first time ever doing something like this!” Spike was doubly amazed at himself. “Maybe I am a natural. Who knows?”
“From what I can tell, you definitely have the heart of deejay.” Vinyl Scratch beamed jubilantly. “This is great! You are going to be such great help when the gigs start coming up!”
Spike’s eyes widened. “You mean I can help you out during your deejay events?”
“What do you think? Duh!”
Spike jumped. “Cool! This is so awesome! I can’t wait! Your music is sick!”
Vinyl Scratch sensed she had struck gold. Before her was an interesting baby dragon willing to assist her on deejay gigs, and he was looking forward to them! What a find! Vinyl Scratch marveled at the fact that she hadn’t met Spike earlier. The work on her album could have gone over without all the lassitude and lethargy. In any case, he was there to assist now, and that was better than receiving no aid at all.
“Okay, rookie. Move aside. Miss Scratch is coming in to show you how we pros do it.”
Spike instantly hopped off the seat at the turntables and waited eagerly for the disc jockey to start mixing. What he did not understand, however, was that Vinyl Scratch wasn’t planning to merely rearrange audio tunes in a synchronized fashion. The musically gifted pony was about to establish enlightenment right there at her sanctuary. Vinyl Scratch was climbing into a higher state of mind, and nothing was going to pull her back down. Because as the white unicorn’s horn was shrouded in a light cobalt hue, the true magic of harmony was brought to light.
First came the soft melody of a piano, and in its grace entered the strum of an acoustic guitar. As if on cue, the orchestrated sounds and thumps of a deep bass set up the stimulating score of trance. A flow had been established. The hallmark of this flow was of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing its omnipotent duty to soothe the soul. Vinyl Scratch comfortably maintained a deep focus on nothing but the sounds reverberating through the speakers.
Matching the rock of her head perfectly to the distortions of unique sound, Vinyl Scratch became fully immersed in her performance. A sensation of energized focus enabled the mind to concentrate on visualizing the desired performance as a singular, integrated action. Thus every note morphed together to create the most scrumptious mix.
As the disc jockey entered the flow state, her heart rate and blood pressure decreased and the major facial muscles relaxed. This further emphasized the flow as a state of effortless attention. In spite of the effortless attention and overall relaxation of her body, the pony’s performance during the flow state improved by millisecond after millisecond. And throughout this entire process, throughout this agonizingly ethereal scene, Spike could only see beauty.
Beauty was a fragrant rose. Beauty was the sound of fillies giggling. Beauty was an answered prayer. Beauty was reaching a goal after many hours of hard work. Beauty was a warm hug. Beauty was listening to somepony play music from their heart. At this instance, Spike was able to see true beauty in the way Vinyl Scratch lived. Being able to closely observe the mare’s creative, flowing and seamless transitioning techniques was worth all the bits in his piggy bank. In fact, Spike was enjoying himself so much that he decided to dance.
Spike got down and dirty. He was busting moves right where he stood, and he didn’t care if anypony were to come in and catch him in the act. He was downright loving the music, and he just had to dance it out. Spreading out his arms and gyrating his hips to the tune of the boom, Spike entered his own state of surrealism. Vinyl Scratch eventually snapped out of her reverie after witnessing Spike pull off a magnificent ‘worm’.
Vinyl Scratch called out to a flopping Spike. “Damn! Look at you go! I had no idea you could bust those kinds of moves!”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Vinyl Scratch! Now check this out!” Spike started break-dancing like a mad dragon.
“Those moves are too oldschool for you, baby dragon!” Vinyl Scratch pointed out, setting the turntables to an automatic tune.
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with oldschool!” Spike laughed, successfully accomplishing a handstand.
“Oh, you think you’re the only one with moves, huh?” Vinyl Scratch made her way to Spike. “Then you’re going to need to be taught more of the newschool, buddy.”
Suddenly, Vinyl Scratch bounced to the beat of the tempo, keeping a perfect rhythm with her hooves. She was dancing right alongside Spike, and she was having a blast doing it. The musical pony showed off her ‘newschool’ moves to the ‘oldschool’ baby dragon, and the two began moving in synchronicity to each other’s dances.
It wasn’t until Vinyl Scratch’s sunglasses slipped off her face that the dancing was interrupted. The musical pony gasped in shock, and she straightaway brought a hoof up to cover her tired eyes. She must have looked terrible, Vinyl Scratch assumed. For all she knew she could have been suffering from blood-shot eyes with heavy bags hanging directly under them. It was a distressing thought to sport such a drained-out face to anypony. And the idea of Spike catching a peek at her exposed eyes wasn’t desired.
“Why are you covering your eyes like that?” Spike asked, confused. “Is it that bright in here?”
“Not really. My face looks awful right now, actually.” Vinyl Scratch shook her head, admitting her predicament. “I don’t want you to see me looking like this.”
Spike picked up Vinyl Scratch’s sunglasses, brooding. “Let me see them.”
“See what?” Vinyl Scratch extended her hoof out for her sunglasses.
“I want to see your eyes.”
“Gotta reject that offer.” Vinyl Scratch grimaced, further extending her hoof. “Could I have my sunglasses now?”
“Not until you show me your eyes.” Spike held the sunglasses close to his chest.
“No thanks. Now how about those glasses?” Vinyl Scratch refuted.
“Come on, Vinyl Scratch. I promise not to laugh or anything.” Spike swore.
Vinyl Scratch frowned. What was this all of sudden? She didn’t really want to scare off the baby dragon with her ugly mug. She was trying to do him a favor. But if he was going to keep insisting on it, then there was no point in fighting the issue any longer. It was his fault for demanding it, Vinyl Scratch sighed.
Gently dropping her hoof, Vinyl Scratch blinked several times at Spike. “You happy now? I told you they weren’t a sight to see.”
Spike noticed soft, black rings under the mare’s cerise eyes. How much sleep was Vinyl Scratch getting?, Spike speculated. No wonder her home was a mess when he arrived. She was probably too exhausted to do anything other than sleep. Sympathizing with the pony, Spike felt a need to console her by any means possible.
“That’s not true at all.” Spike handed back her sunglasses. “Your eyes are very pretty. I don’t know why you’d hide them."
Vinyl Scratch didn’t know how to respond. She understood Spike was trying to cheer up her mood, and after brief consideration, she found the action to be kind of sweet. Smiling softly, Vinyl Scratch decided to reply with a quick gesture of her own. She decided to reach over and place her sunglasses right over Spike’s eyes. He looked pretty funky wearing female eyewear, and the dumbstruck look Spike gave her caused Vinyl Scratch to laugh.
“You look pretty good, you know.” Vinyl Scratch winked demurely.
“Do I? Huh.” Spike adjusted the sunglasses on his face, chuckling. “Well, I do look pretty good in practically anything. You should see me with a moustache.”
“My, you’re modest, aren’t you?” Vinyl Scratch said sarcastically, grinning. “Okay, baby dragon. The music’s still going, so how about you strut your stuff?!”
“You just read my mind.” Spike took a disco stance. “Let’s do this!”
At that, the two jumped right back into a harmonized dance-off. The cadence of their movements was as trance-inducing as the bouncy, intoxicating air their sensual bodies emitted toward one another. Because they were no longer simply dancing together; they were communicating a telepathic intimacy via their shared love for music.
It was an interesting affair, and it all made sense for those listening to the magical sounds of the music. Guffawing with each other in sheer merriment, Spike and Vinyl Scratch relished the odd aura of pure tranquility surrounding them. It was a nice moment. In truth, they really didn’t mind if it lasted forever.
Especially for Vinyl Scratch, because as she giddily flitted across her living room with the baby dragon in tow, the tiny void in her heart was slowly closing in. Slowly but surely, the emptiness was being filled.
And it was wonderful.
