The Voice of Music

by Tavi n Scratch

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Octavia, DJ P0N-3, Alternate Universe, Original Character
Length: 5848

Cursed with silence and a cruel reflection, music is Vinyl's only escape.

Cursed with silence, Vinyl Scratch (A.K.A. DJ PON-3) turns to music to express herself. However, through this curse she is also bound to Silere, a strange and cruel pony who appears only as a reflection of Vinyl. Day to day, Silere torments Vinyl, yet their only chance to live normal lives is to work together to find the one pony who can break their curse.

Published 2012-11-07 23:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-12-16 17:20:50 UTC

2: A Friend

Vinyl trudged to the palace, a crest fallen gloom in her eyes. Hope was all she had left, and it wasn't much. She couldn't be sure if Silere was messing with her head and just being her cruel self, or if she was actually being truthful. Deep in thought, she walked past the palace guards who didn't even glance at her, they knew that the white pony with the electric blue mane and dark goggles was very important, a guest of Celestia's that often DJed for parties at the palace. As she entered the hall she could hear laughter and chatter echoing from various locations. Their noise only served as a reminder to her silence as she stepped up a cold stone stairwell on the northernmost corner of the castle. About halfway up there was a stained glass window of a pony who looked very much like her, an alabaster coat and stunning blue mane, lying on a hill looking towards the sunset.

Vinyl loved this part of the castle, she came here whenever she needed to think. As she internally debated with herself and analyzed what Silere had said, she hardly noticed the passage of time. A castle guard cleared her throat. "Miss, you do realize it's nearly dawn?" Vinyl jumped. She had spent the entire night gazing out of this window. She turned to the guard, nodded, and trotted back down the stairs to her room.

She looked around the large, empty suite. A grand room provided for her by the Princess. Ever since what had happened to her family she had been welcome here at the palace, a personal guest of Celestia. Yet, this "home away from home" only brought about bad memories. It was here where she first met Silere, that heartless shadow of a pony. Vinyl shuddered. As she looked around the room she glanced down. The white fur around her hooves was dyed crimson, most likely from the glass of the window. She walked to the washroom to clean herself up. She looked around and noticed her reflection in the mirror, and was pleased to see the familiar white pony. But she was annoyed that the mirror she had broken in her last visit had been replaced. She turned on the faucet and the tub began to fill with steamy hot water. A silent sigh escaped her lips as she lowered her hooves into the shallow pool. Her blood turned the water pink and she thought to herself that overreacting solved nothing.

"Well I'd certainly say not, you won't get away from me that easily." Silere's cackle echoed in Vinyl's head. She glanced at the mirror behind her to see a pair of pale green eyes and a blazing mane. "Just thought I'd let you know, since ruining your life is so much fun and all, that the only time you'll be able to meet the pony that I spoke of before will be at the Grand Galloping Gala, so you're still stuck with me for another eight months. Isn't that lovely?" Silere laughed a cold laugh that made Vinyl shiver. The reflection faded from Silere to Vinyl as the abomination of a pony faded off to who knows where. Vinyl ran from the room and started to cry.

The plush pillows absorbed the tears as they spilled out of Vinyl's eyes. A perfect night spoiled by an unscheduled meeting. She just laid there, curled up on the Pegasus down bed of her luxury suite in the Canterlot palace. Her body shuddered as she sobbed silently. Her eyes stung as she rubbed her hoof against them. She didn't want to cry, she wanted to be strong.

As she finally began to regain composure she inhaled sharply and began to contemplate what Silere had said, that they'd be stuck together for eight more months. Also somewhere in Equestria, somepony could fix this. If only it were that simple. It's not like she could walk up to anypony at the gala and ask them if they know a pony who was cursed to never make music, even if she could speak. A sick despair wrenched her insides and she began to sob once again.

Just as soon as tears began to stream down her face, the door burst open.“Goooood morning," Pinkie Pie sang loudly. "How'd you sleep?" Pinkie looked towards her friend. Seeing her friend curled up in a ball and sobbing instantly put a damper on Pinkie's mood. Vinyl quickly sat up and tried to hide the fact that she'd been crying. She turned to Pinkie with a false smile.

Before she could react, Pinkie's forelegs were wrapped around her. She began to cry once more, but at least now she had a friend to comfort her. They sat in silence and Vinyl drifted back into deep thought. Pinkie was one of the very few ponies she considered friends.

When Vinyl moved to Ponyville she had just begun to work as a DJ. As she was unloading, a box of overly expensive equipment fell out of the cart. Her day was about to be ruined when a pink blur appeared from nowhere and caught the crate.

"Better be careful stranger, don't want anything to break." Before Vinyl stood a bright pink pony with a frizzy mane. "Good thing my tail twitched in time for me to help out," a grin stretched across her face. Vinyl took the box and gave a sheepish smile to the cheery pony. "You must be new here because I don't know you and I know everypony in Ponyville, what's your name?" Suddenly Vinyl's smile faded. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Vinyl turned away. "Oh, are you okay?" Pinkie's voice took on a more somber tone. Vinyl looked up into the kind eyes of this stranger who had taken time to help out. Vinyl opened her mouth and slowly shook her head. "You can't speak?" Vinyl winced and tears began to well up in her eyes. "I'm so sorry." Then this kind hearted mare, this pony whom she had just met, embraced her.

Once Pinkie had cheered her up she stayed to help Vinyl unpack. In an attempt to learn more about Ponyville's newest resident, the party-crazed pony began to ask simple “yes or no” questions. “Is this your first time in Ponyville?“ Vinyl nodded. “And you’re a DJ?” Again Vinyl nodded, this time with a bit more enthusiasm. Pinkie began to grin, “So does that mean you like to party?” The DJ pony turned to her new friend with a mischievous smile. Pinkie gasped, “I love to party too! Oh, that reminds me,” Pinkie dashed away “You need a welcoming party!”

As Vinyl reminisced her fateful meeting with her wild and crazy friend, she sat there in a heartfelt hug with Pinkie Pie. "You look like you've been up all night. Did you get any sleep at all?" Vinyl shook her head, which hung in exhaustion.
As Vinyl began to cheer up, the smell of a warm breakfast wafted through the open door. Although it made no sound, Vinyl felt her stomach grumble. She perked up her nose and inhaled the sweet smell. Pinkie giggled, "You must be hungry, let's go check out what the princess ordered for breakfast. I hope they have cupcakes." She licked her lips and trotted off.

A teary smile found its way to Vinyl's face. She was blessed with fantastic friends. Chatter echoed into her room, inviting her to head off to breakfast. She picked herself up out of her well of self pity and trotted off to breakfast.

3: Words Without Meaning

Vinyl hadn't realized how tired she actually was. As she walked toward the dining hall with Pinkie Pie, her eyes felt heavy and her steps were shaky. She wished she could go back to bed, but her stomach noiselessly growled in protest. The sweet aromas of the different dishes mixed together and created a mouth watering scent that spread throughout the palace. As she drew closer to the source of the delicious smell, Vinyl gradually sped up to a quick trot.

When she walked through the doors the she saw her other friends, Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle, had saved a spot for both Pinkie and herself. The platters of food spoke Vinyl's name, and without hesitation she heeded the call. She piled food on her plate and began to attack it.

"Wow, somebody must be hungry." Rainbow chuckled to herself. "Calm down, the food's not going anywhere." Vinyl turned to her friend with a sheepish smile, her cheeks full of pancakes. Rainbow Dash began to laugh out loud.

"Dash, be nice," Twilight chastised, although she was clearly stifling a giggle.

"It's not very ladylike if you ask me," a pony with an amethyst mane spoke from across the table.

"Oh lighten up Rarity, she looks starving, and exhausted." Rainbow Dash came to Vinyl's defense. "Speaking of which, this is for you, Miss Awesome DJ." She leaned over and procured a bottle out of her saddlebag, which sat at the foot of her chair. Vinyl's eyes widened, it was the new flavor of Dragonsbreath energy drink, Vinyl's one guilty pleasure in life. She turned to her friend with a quizzical look, asking how Dash had gotten this bottle that wasn't even on shelves yet. Rainbow, understanding the question in Vinyl's eyes, answered, "It was left over from Shining Armor's bachelor party, Spike gave me all the extras." She handed the bottle to Vinyl, who took it with a grin.

"I thought you were trying to cut back on those, you know they can't be good for you." Twilight spoke with a condescending tone, but Vinyl just shrugged her off and uncapped the bottle. The electric taste of the sweet beverage spilled across her tongue. The sour tinge made her fur stand on end. Suddenly Rainbow Dash began chanting, prompting Vinyl to chug. Never one to back away from a challenge, Vinyl turned the bottom of the bottle towards the ceiling. Sadly, the delicious experience lasted a few short seconds. Vinyl found herself gulping air instead of liquid electricity. As she tossed the bottle aside, she felt a surge of energy starting at her neck and traveling down her spine. She felt the exhaustion leave her body. A grin crossed her face when suddenly she involuntarily jumped. Confused at what had just happened, she looked to Rainbow Dash, who merely shrugged. Vinyl's body jumped again and Twilight began to laugh. Vinyl turned towards her friend with a frown, which was quickly shaken off her face by another jump.

Twilight regained her composure. "Relax Vi, you just have the hiccups. It's a curious phenomenon where you, well I'll just say it makes you jump." Twilight began to laugh again. Vinyl began smiling again, she had the greatest friends a pony could ask for. She laughed silently along with her friends.

The rest of breakfast went by uneventfully, they all sat and chatted with each other, Vinyl excluded, and ate a delicious and filling breakfast. Pinkie Pie had even managed to find some cupcakes.
In time everything returned to normal, and all the ponies from Ponyville began to venture home. On the train, Vinyl was all by herself with her equipment. She lounged atop an amplifier, a pair of high tech headphones over her ears. She lazily bobbed her head to the beat of one of her new techno compositions as she slowly dozed off. She was nearly asleep when, out of nowhere, a bolt of inspiration jolted her awake. She hopped to the floor and began to rummage through piles of general musical items until she had what she needed: a simple quill, some ink, and a blank sheet of paper. As soon as she sat down to write, the words started to spill onto the paper, in mere minutes she had completed the lyrics for an entire piece of music. Now all that was left was tune. She sat there for an hour, scrambling for notes that could accompany the words. No instrument she had seemed to have the right tone. It made no sense, lyrics never came easy, yet somehow the music to make these words complete somehow escaped her.

Twilight happily trotted in, "We'll be home after breakfast, want to go see what they have in the dining, uh, car," her voice trailed off as she scanned the room. It was a mess, and that was putting it lightly. Cardboard boxes lay overturned, their contents spilled across the floor. A few amplifiers were pushed onto their sides. "Are you, uh, reorganizing?" Vinyl was nowhere in sight. Twilight carefully walked into the room, taking deliberate steps as to not crush anything. As she investigated a pile of instrument cases a white unicorn horn popped out from among them. Twilight pushed a couple boxes out of the way to reveal a very frantic looking Vinyl. Her blue mane was a mess and here usually kind and mischievous red eyes seemed preoccupied and exhausted. She began to pace around the room, appearing to be searching for something.

"You okay?" Twilight's concern could be heard in her question. However, Vinyl merely continued to pace in circles. Twilight grabbed her friend. "Vinyl, you are scaring me, are you alright?" Vinyl shook herself, as if she had been sleepwalking. She looked at her friend and gave her a smile, as if nothing was wrong. She showed her concerned friend a piece of blank sheet music and shrugged, trying to communicate her predicament. "Oh, you've just got a case of writer's block, is that all? Well that can wait, it's time for breakfast." Twilight turned around and walked out. Vinyl sighed and followed her friend.

The eight months before the Gala felt like an eternity. Encounters with Silere became more frequent, she continued to torture Vinyl for entertainment. However, Vinyl held on to hope, it was really all she could do. And like that, seven and a half months passed. Preparations for the Gala began. Pinkie Pie coordinated with the planner, as per Princess Celestia's request. Rarity began sewing dresses for all of the attendees from Ponyville. Vinyl was putting together a mix for the Gala's after party, where all the "cool" ponies go. Vinyl was in her element, enjoying the music.

"I'm so excited, aren't you?" The whisper chilled Vinyl's spine.

"Where are you, I thought I got rid of all the glass in here." Vinyl thought as she started to look for the specter.

"Oh, don't bother idiot, just listen for a bit. We both know the Gala is around the corner, and I want to be rid of you just as much as you want to be rid of me. You'll need to find the pony who completes you. One whose music falls silent. Remember, if you listen hard enough, you'll be able to hear the silence at the Gala.

4: Those Who Are Closest

Vinyl twisted and turned in bed, trying desperately to get comfortable. The rocking and the noises of the train didn’t help. All she wanted was to fall asleep and wake up in Canterlot. After an eternity of attempting to force herself to rest, she gave up and got out of bed. The eerie creaking of floorboards greeted her every step. She walked into the train car where her friends slept. The sound of their relaxed breathing eased her mind. No matter what Silere said, Vinyl knew she had friends she could rely on.

A tear welled up in her eye. It was times like this where she wished she could speak, she longed only for a heartfelt conversation. If only she could thank her friends for all they've done for, treating their silent friend no different than their others. Friendship Is Magic, but it was not enough to break this curse. Vinyl looked at each of her friends, one by one.

Twilight Sparkle, Celestia’s faithful student. When Pinkie introduced Vinyl to Twilight, Twilight took immediate interest in Vinyl’s curse. She asked many questions, which Vinyl of course couldn't answer. She spent days reading trying to figure out the problem, trying every kind of magic she could think of, obviously to no avail. The two of them bonded well over this problem, Vinyl knew that Twilight honestly cared for her and this comforted her.

Vinyl lay there in the car, a bittersweet tear in her eye, if only she could thank Twilight for all she did for her. Vinyl looked over to Pinkie.

Pinkamena Diane Pie, the one that would make her smile, no matter what. Due to her silence, Vinyl often suffered from bouts of depression. She’d spend days at a time sitting in front of her piano, not touching any food. She’d just sit there, playing a few sad measures over and over, tears streaming down her face and falling to the ivory keys. She would get to the point when she believed that nothing could possibly cheer her up, but then the party pony with the cotton candy mane would always show up, bringing with her an aura of happiness and hope. Pinkie would pull all kind of stunts, putting all of her energy into trying to bring a smile to Vinyl’s face. Vinyl would always try to resist Pinkie’s cheer, but it always seemed to always seep in one way or another. Her happiness was infectious. Before she knew it, Vinyl would be hopping up and down with her friend, some super-happy techno music playing as they partied. They’d spend a couple hours just having a genuinely good time, the noise even attracted a few party-hungry ponies to investigate and join the fun. The fun would often continue far into the night, but eventually everypony would leave and the excitement would die down. Vinyl would wander her house to find Pinkie Pie had fallen asleep on some couch somewhere in her home. Vinyl would grab a blanket and lay it on top of her friend. Seeing such an energetic pony laying so still and so peaceful made her chuckle. Pinkie could make her smile no matter what.

A melancholy smile crossed Vinyl’s face, Pinkie was a great friend, Vinyl merely wished she was able to return the favor. Finally, Vinyl’s eyes fell on Rainbow.

Rainbow Dash, Vinyl’s closest friend. Vinyl knew she could count on Dash no matter what. Dash would be there. They’d met a while before Vinyl moved to Ponyville, at a party that followed a Wonderbolts air show. Rainbow flew up to the DJ booth where Vinyl was doing her thing. “This is such a sweet mix.” Rainbow grinned “Name’s Rainbow Dash, what’s yours?” Vinyl simply pointed to a nameplate on the turntable. “Well nice to meet you Miss Awesome DJ. Do you do parties like this often?” Vinyl replied with a simple nod. “So have you been a DJ for long.” Vinyl just nodded.

“Hey, I’m just trying to make conversation here, I mean seriously, can you not even talk or something?” Vinyl winced. Rainbow’s voice took on a different tone. “Hold on, you can’t talk?” Vinyl slowly shook her head. “Oh, wow. I’m really sorry.” Vinyl merely turned to Rainbow with a wide smile. She returned a sheepish smile as Vinyl handed her a glowstick. The two of them spent the rest of the night together, Rainbow would ask simple questions that Vinyl could nod or shake her head to. They became friends very quickly, seeing that both of them were quite fun loving ponies.

At the end of the night, Dash stayed with Vinyl and helped her pack up the equipment. “Are you from around here?” Vinyl shook her head. “Well do you have a place to stay?” Vinyl gestured to a fold-up cot leaning against a wall. “Really, such an awesome gig and they don’t even get you a hotel room, that’s weak.” Vinyl just shrugged. “Hey, you should come with me, the room I got has two beds.” Rainbow grinned and Vinyl accepted.

From that point on, Rainbow and Vinyl were best friends. When Vinyl finally moved to Ponyville, Dash was ecstatic. Vinyl was happy to know that she had a friend she could count on, no matter what.

Dash understood Vinyl more than anypony ever had. Whenever Vinyl was down, Rainbow was there for her. She understood that sometimes you just need to be sad, and she didn't try to cheer Vinyl up, she’d just sit there with her, holding her. Together, they made it through almost everything.

Vinyl began crying, much harder than before. All of her friends did so much for her and she couldn't thank them, she couldn't express what they meant to her. They deserved a better friend. At this point Vinyl was sobbing.

Then she felt somepony next to her. “It’s okay, you’ll be alright,” Rainbow whispered, as to not wake up the others. Vinyl let all of her tears out as she laid there in Dash’s embrace. Vinyl eventually cried herself to sleep. Dash held onto her friend, “You will be fine.” She shut her eyes and drifted off.

5: Silence at the Gala

The music was beautiful. Vinyl may have been a DJ, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate classical music, in fact she quite enjoyed it. The harmonies and melodies that a computer could not do justice always appealed to her. She sat in a chair and let her mind wander as a multitude of ponies bustled about the Gala.

She had survived the eight months and now she was here. Tonight she had the opportunity to fix her life and get rid of the demon that had tortured her for as long as she could remember. All she needed to do was to listen for the silence, even if she had no idea what that meant. She remained in the chair, calmly listening to the music, waiting for a sign of some sort sign.

“Ugh, what’s taking so long?” An all too familiar voice echoes in her head. “Why don’t you get off your lazy rump and look around.”

“I don’t see you helping any. Besides, I have no idea what to even look for.”

“Bah, just get on it.” Vinyl felt the voice leave, and returned her focus to the Gala. She wished she could find something to do other than sit and wait, but Twilight was with the Princess and Dash was with the Wonderbolts. To her knowledge Pinkie Pie was free so she decided to go find her hyper friend.

The palace was full of all kinds of ponies, from snooty rich folk to esteemed artists, Vinyl felt a bit out of place. A few of them tried to strike up a conversation with Vinyl, but she just waved them off as she passively searched for Pinkie. Her mind wandered again, she wondered what it would be like once she was able to speak. She’d be able to communicate normally for once, able to talk to her friends. Able to thank them.

In her aloof state, Vinyl nearly walked into a wall. She stopped suddenly stopped inches in front of it. When she stopped she heard something, or rather didn’t. The entire place was silent. Vinyl turned around to see that nothing had changed, she just couldn’t hear anything. The entire Gala had fallen silent.

Then Vinyl heard the most breathtaking sound ever, which she was able to identify it as the rich sound of a cello. The somber melody made Vinyl feel like crying. She instantly knew that she had to find the source of the music.

Vinyl listened hard to determine the origin and figured it was coming from somewhere upstairs. Vinyl galloped up the steps, a sense of urgency had suddenly overtaken her. The sound grew louder and the song more beautiful. She wandered through the halls of the castle until she came upon a simple wooden door.

From behind the door came a melodious tune that awoke something in Vinyl, making her want to cry and laugh. She went to open the door but something stopped her, a sudden sense of apprehension washed over her, could it really be this simple. The piece began to swell to an amazing crescendo that compelled Vinyl to open the door.

In the room sat a mare sitting with her cello, slowly pulling her bow across the strings, tears streamed down her face. Her mane was jet black and her coat light grey, and she seemed oddly familiar, as if Vinyl had met her before. Her eyes were closed and she continued to play, not noticing Vinyl’s arrival. Vinyl sat down, calmly taking in the music.

After some time, the music slowed to a stop. Although she knew she wouldn’t be heard, Vinyl felt a strong urge to speak.

“That was beautiful,” Vinyl’s voice echoed around the small marble room.

The mare jumped a little, then a look of puzzlement appeared on her face, “You can hear me?”

Now it was Vinyl’s turn to be confused, “You can hear me?” The two stood there, bewildered looks on each of their faces.

The other mare was the first to speak, “Since I was born my music has been silent, and now I can hear it, I don’t get it.”

Vinyl spoke up, “ Well ever since I was born I’ve been unable to speak, but now, well, I’m talking to you.”

They were both stunned by the development, such a huge change in their lives. “Well, I’m Octavia.”

“My name’s Vinyl, Vinyl Scratch.” It was an odd experience, being able to say her own name.

“Have you any idea what all of this means?” Octavia sounded confused. The two of them spent a while discussing, trying to understand what was going on.

“Finally.” The whisper made Vinyl shiver. She turned to see Silere standing there, “Look we both know I hate you, but thanks for getting me out.” She faded into mist.

“You okay Vinyl?”

“Did you see that,” the look on Octavia’s face confirmed she hadn’t. “Oh well, it’s not really important anymore.” It’s hard to believe she’s gone. “So does this mean, we’re free?”

“It would seem so.”

“In that case, could you do me a favor.” Vinyl had an idea for some fun she could have with her newfound speech.

Octavia walked up to the pony with a rainbow mane, “Excuse me, Miss Dash, I have a friend that asked me to introduce her to you.”

“Okay, where is she?” Octavia stepped aside to reveal a smiling Vinyl, “Oh, I already know her, in fact she’s one of my best friends.”

“Hey Dash.” Vinyl’s words visibly shocked Rainbow Dash. However, she quickly recovered, a grin already appearing on her face.

“Well how are you, Miss Scratch?”

“I’m quite alright, thank you.”

She was finally able to say it.

Thank you.

1: Meet Silere

Vinyl strolled the quiet, dark streets of Canterlot with a spring in her step. The wedding was a smash, everypony loved the mix. Celestia had even asked her to work a party for a friend of hers, and without hesitation she silently nodded in agreement. It was the perfect night, especially following the ordeals of earlier that day. She’d always thought shape-shifters were just an old mare’s tale, but that wedding was something else. Vinyl was never one for sappy lovey-dovey stories, chick flicks or any of that really girly stuff, but something about happy endings just evoked some curious feelings in her. Envy? Probably a bit, but not to the point of resent. Joy? It did bring her a smile no matter how short the moment was. Yet, the big one was hope. Hope that she could someday have her own happy ending, hope that things will get better. Without hope everything was pointless. Her mind buzzed with these thoughts as she trotted down the empty roads.

However, as she walked alone the silence was deafening. Her hooves made no sound as they struck the pavement. She looked into the windows of closed shops and in each one she saw a faint reflection of herself. Window after window she saw her soft, bright eyes reflected until a fleeting glance at the window of a fortune tellers shop showed an entirely different pony. Her coat was a deep black and her mane a range of fiery oranges. They were exact opposites. Vinyl hung her head in despair. They had met many times before, none of which had been a pleasant encounter. As she lifted her head so did the being in the mirror. As Vinyl lifted a hoof so did the shade. Finally they locked eyes. The demon's eyes were stormy and despairing and on its face grew a wide grin. It spoke directly into Vinyl’s mind.

“It’s been far to long deary.” The haunting voice echoed in her head.

“Not long enough if you ask me.” They both “spoke” telepathically.

“Why that’s no way to speak to yourself.”

“We are not the same person.”

“You speak those words with a slight authority, but do you actually believe them.” It chided.

Doubt crept into Vinyl’s mind as she attempted to state with resolve. ”I am not you.”

“If you say so.” the apparition shrugged indifferently. “Well at least when you go home you will have a story to share with all of those Ponyville ponies. If only they could hear you.”

The words stung Vinyl, she knew exactly what this thing was talking about. Since she was a filly she had been unable to make a sound. When she spoke there was silence, when she stomped a hoof on the ground no sound was heard. She had been cursed, she knew not how or why, just that she would never be able to make a sound. And this is how she found music. For as long as she could remember she had been writing, listening to, playing and just enjoying music. It seemed that her music was not cursed and could be heard by everypony. This eventually lead to the receiving of her cutie mark. However no matter what she did in her life this phantom followed her. Her name was Silere and was the embodiment cruelty. She and Vinyl shared an involuntary and unwanted connection. For what seemed to be forever they had searched for any way to be rid of one. They had tried everything, but it seemed that she would have to remain as the unwanted reflection of Vinyl. It only made it worse that this was the only pony Vinyl could actually communicate with.

“This is no time for a trip down memory lane.” The voice hissed into her thoughts. “So how has your night been?”

“It was great until you showed up. Do you enjoy sapping the joy out of every good thing that happens to me?”

The reflection looked upward in mock contemplation. “Why yes, I actually take great pleasure in it. I mean misery loves company does it not.” She added a vicious sneer to complement the phrase. “So, I heard everypony loved the mix, to bad you couldn’t thank them.”

Vinyl felt a strangling lump of sadness in her throat. “Why, why are you so cruel?”

“It’s fun. you should try it sometime with your friends. Oh, wait.” She burst into a cruel laugh. Suddenly the sadness in Vinyl’s throat melted into a fiery ball of resentment.

"What do you want? Other than to ruin my life." she put as much loathing as anyone can into a single thought.

"I want you to be quiet and listen."

"Oh hardy har har, you are hilarious, as if I could possibly make a sound. You’re a hoot." sarcasm dripped from the words.

"Yeah, I just came up with it. Regardless I actually have some good news for you. Something is coming up, something that could let us no longer be bound one to another."

"Well, what is it?"

“There is a pony who can help you, she has a curious curse. It actually seems to be quite the opposite of yours. She has a passion for music, listens to it often and yearns to create some of her own. However, whenever she draws a bow across a cello, there is only silence. When she strikes the keys of a piano, well you get the idea. She tries to play music and nothing happens. With some help from her you should be able to break our bonds and set us free.”
Hope replaced the hate in a heart beat. Vinyl couldn’t believe this was possible. ”Who is she? Where can I find her? How can she possibly help.”

"That's for me to know and for you to find out." Then the eidolon let out a chuckle that audibly echoed through the streets.

Anger surged through Vinyl as she reared up and smashed the window. The glass shattered everywhere, but there was not a sound to be heard. She suppressed tears as she noiselessly galloped down the street.

Epilogue

One year later

“Good luck out there Vi,” Octavi said as Vinyl walked out the door of their room at the palace.

“Thanks Tavi, not that I’ll need it.” She shouted back. The after party for this year’s Gala was about to begin. A thought passed through Vinyl’s mind and she changed directions. She walked through the door to the familiar stairwell. Taking the steps one at a time, she came upon a familiar window. It was the same window as before, but the picture was changed.

Next to the white unicorn sat a grey earth pony with a black mane, and above those two sat a cyan pegasus, lounging on a cloud. They all stared at the sunrise. The scene made Vinyl smile, she had always been intrigued by the castle’s enchanted glass.

With a grin on her face, Vinyl finished her descent and trotted out to the courtyard, where a crowd of loud ponies gathered. She stepped outside and took her place next to her co-DJ at the turntable.

“You ready for this Vinyl?” Dash flashed a cocky smirk on her face.

“One second,” Vinyl took out her trademark goggles and placed them over her eyes, and her expression changed to match Rainbow’s. “I’m ready, let’s do this.”

“Gooood evening Canterlot, are you ready to party?” Vinyl yelled into the microphone. The crowd cheered.

It felt good to be heard.

Author's Note

Thank you all for joining me on this journey. In all honesty, third person past tense is the most difficult style for me to write, but I feel that this turned out well. If you have any feedback then feel free to tell me.

I will be continuing to write my vignettes, and once those are finished I have a sad Dash centered fic that I'm extremely excited for. It is mostly written out now, but I want to finish it and edit it extensively before publishing, look forward to that.

See you in the next one

-RT