I stood there, silently staring at the stone before me as ponies dressed in black began to leave the area. I read it over and over, but no matter how many times I read the carving I couldn’t believe what it said, it just didn’t make sense. My head rejected the etched words, wanting them to be untrue, to be to be lies scratched on a rock. But the words were there, and they spoke only the truth:
Here Lies Violet Lynn Scratch
An Amazing Musician,
A Great Friend
And a Wonderful Wife
As I stood there I sobbed silently, trying to reject the harsh reality that kept trying to force itself on me. I crumpled to the ground and laid on the soft grass, entirely overwhelmed by everything. It was literally too much for my body to take. It hurt, it hurt badly. For some reason I forced myself to look over the edge, into the perfectly dug rectangular hole in the ground.
In stark contrast to the earth around it, in the hole lay a beautiful alabaster casket. And in that casket lay an even more beautiful mare in the world, my companion for so long. Vinyl is... was extraordinary. Before I met her I was a snob, thinking that the entire musical world was below me, thinking myself somehow better just because I played a classical instrument. Then that day came.
I was late to a performance long ago and that was it. The rules stated that any musician late to a performance would not be admitted. And any musician who missed a performance was to be removed from the orchestra. That was one of the worst days of my life. I walked into the bar, downtrodden and despairing, I sat at the counter next to a pony with a white coat and an electric blue mane. She turned to look at me and I saw a pair of kind, if mischievous eyes. How could I have know that she’d one day my wife.
I recognized her from a couple flyer’s I’d seen around town, her title being DJ Pon-3. She spoke to me with a smile on her face, “Howdy stranger, why so glum? Work got ya down?”
“I guess you could say that.’ I retorted a bit of an edge to my voice, I wasn’t in the greatest mood.
“You’re part the Royal Canterlot Orchestra right?” I looked at her with a confused expression and she gestured to her neck, “You’ve got that fancy bowtie, all the orchestra members have those spiffy bowties.”
For some reason that made me angry. I tore the stupid bowtie off and threw it behind me. “I was part of the orchestra.”
“Aww, I liked the bowtie, made you look nice,” then she almost did a spit take with her drink. “Wait, you got fired, aww dang, that is not cool. Sorry to hear it. At least it doesn’t get too much worse.”
“Actually it does, I was late on rent and when my landlord found out I was fired, well you get the idea.” I was nearly crying at this point, then I felt a hoof on my shoulder.
“Oh geez, that blows. Well if you need somewhere to stay I could get you a room to stay in at the palace, that’s where I'm crashing. I was hired for the reception of the royal wedding. I’m sure we could find you somewhere to stay, that place is huge.”
I was shocked, how could somepony like her have such a prestigious job with royalty. I guess it was around there when my musical bias began to break. “Really, you just met me and you’re offering me this?”
“Yeah sure, why not?”
“Oh, wow, thanks, your name’s DJ Pon Three right?”
She laughed, “First of all it’s pronounced pony, the three throws a lot of people off. And second, my name is Violet Lynn, but my friends call me Vinyl.”
From that night on we became best of friends, even to the point where she extended the offer for me to be her roommate back in Ponyville. I guess somewhere along the way it became more than just friendship, although I’m not exactly sure when or where. One day I looked at her and instead of just a friend I also saw a very attractive mare, and it just blossomed from there.
We started actually dating, but I knew exactly where we were heading. I guess she saw it too because within two months she proposed. Three months later we were married. From then on we lived happily together, in love, until there I was, lying on the grass, looking down where her body lay in the beautiful casket.
“Excuse me miss, you’ve got to go so we can bury the coffin.” I stood silently, turned and walked off. The stupid words on the stupid rock still made no sense.
~~~
It’s been eight months since then, today was her birthday, as well as Hearts and Hooves day. I find it kinda funny that the love of my life was born on the day we ponies celebrate love. I always kinda teased her about it. Today was a special day. I got up early, picked up a couple roses and my bass and walked to that distant hill. I felt that today was a good day to spend being sad. A good day to remember all the memories, all the funny moments. A good day to just remember her.
I walked to the top of the hill, delicately arranging the flowers around the headstone. In the bouquet of flowers sat a single violet. Perfectly blue, it was beautiful. I took out the instrument and readied myself to play.
“I hope you can hear me, Vi, and even if you can’t, this song; it is still for you.” I began to play the slow calm melody of a song I wrote for her, a long time ago, as kind of a wedding present. She often pestered me to play it, she just loved the song so much. I could always tell when something was wrong and every time I just pulled this out and played her song, it always made her smile.
I called it “Lullaby for a DJ” The title often made me chuckle, but it was a fitting name nonetheless. As I sat there that day playing her song, it was beyond simple words. I felt closer to her than I ever had since I lost her. I played from noon till dusk, just repeating her song over and over, hoping and praying she could hear her song, just so it could bring that fantastic smile to her face.
And now that’s what I do every week. I take the long walk to the hill, taking with me a new flower every week, but always the same kind, a deep blue violet. I place the flower on the stone and I play for her.
I just hope she can hear me.
Author's Note
Remember this Hearts and Hooves day, you may be single, but at least you aren't alone.
