Screech

Vinyl Scratch glumly stared out the window, watching the blackened silhouettes of the trees against the night rush by her as the Friendship Express chugged merrily along the tracks. She snorted in her boredom, her breath fogging up the glass. “Can’t this train go any faster?” she wondered. “The wait is killing me!”

“I hardly think that’s necessary. You should enjoy this break. It’s the only time we have for some peace and quiet before the Festival of Music,” replied a calm and composed gray pony sitting across from her. A large cello case lay beside her. It was probably a safety hazard, but nopony dared ask her to move it. “Just relax and calm your mind.”

Vinyl opened her mouth to argue, but decided against it, taking out a set of bright white headphones from her bag. “Alright, Octavia... Guess you have a point.” The headphones fit her perfectly, snug against her ears and dulling the noise around her. She relaxed a bit, leaning back and slipping on a pair of shades as the familiar beats of her favorite songs pulled her into their rhythm.

“That music again… You still aren’t going to give classical a chance, are you?” Octavia asked. “I suppose since we’re roommates again, I should try to be more… civil than last time,” she muttered and turned up her gaze. “Are those new headphones?”

Vinyl proudly lifted her headphones off her ears and tossed them at Octavia, who squeaked and ducked. The headphones landed gently in the soft seat of the train. “They’re new, enchanted headphones! I designed them myself! They block out all the impurities of music and bring only the purest sounds! Here, have a try!” Vinyl beamed.

Octavia flipped through Vinyl’s mp3 player, looking for a suitable song. “Dubstep, dubstep, more dubstep… do you have any- oh wait. Is this what I think it is?” She selected a piano song. “Not quite classical… but it’s very nice. Oh!” She gasped in surprise.

“It’s almost like you’re right next to the musician, don’tcha think?” Vinyl smiled. “Only the purest beats are displayed, the true essence of the song. Why don’t you go ahead and enjoy? I’ve been bored for this long; I can stand being bored for a while.”

“This is really… something, Vinyl,” Octavia said happily. “I think-“ she stopped and threw the headphones to the ground, jumping a foot into the air.

“Whoa there, careful! Those are my only pair!” Vinyl Scratch said, retrieving the headphones. “What’s the deal?” She inspected the headphones for damage, finding none.

Octavia pointed with a shaky hoof. “Those things just screamed at me. Straight in my ears, without warning.” Vinyl rested her shades on her forehead and examined the mp3 player.

“It just switched to the next song, you were probably hearing one of my dubsteps. And it’s not screaming, it’s… wait. This is a pop song.” Vinyl stared at the small screen of the mp3 player, putting on the headphones. A discordant screeching noise rang through her skull. “What the? Well... the headphones are a work in progress, okay? ‘Jump Bright’ by Glimmer Note doesn’t have any screaming in it…”

“Glimmer Note?  Wasn’t she one of the guests for the Festival of Music?” Octavia asked. “She better be! Glimmer’s one of the best singers of all time! They’ve gotta invite her if they want this Festival to be a hit,” Vinyl said, putting her headphones away and playing the song aloud on her mp3. “Here, have a listen.”

Octavia struggled to hear the soft mp3 player over the rumbling of the train on its tracks. It sounded a little over peppy, but surprisingly good. “Well, I have to admit, pop music isn’t for me, but Glimmer really does get it right.” She smiled, glancing at the album cover of a pegasus in mid-leap on the mp3. “Is that her?”

Vinyl nodded. “She puts herself on all of her albums. It’s a good thing she’s so photogenic. And her cutie mark really stands out!” Even on the small screen of the mp3 player, the bright pink music notes were noticeable against Glimmer Note’s pure white coat.

“So you’re a fan then,” mused Octavia. “You’re pretty famous yourself, perhaps she’s a fan of you as well. Maybe we’ll meet her at the festival.” Vinyl thought for a moment and squealed with glee before regaining her composure and flipping her shades back down.

“Yeah, maybe. That would be pretty cool,” Vinyl said calmly, still grinning. “There’s just something about her music that makes you forget your troubles, you know?”

Octavia nodded. “I could get used to this,” she said, handing the mp3 player back to Vinyl, who re-attached her magical headphones and immersed herself in dubstep. Ten minutes later, the train stopped.

“We’re here!” Vinyl shouted, slipping her mp3 into one of her bags. “Time to get this show on the- ” she stopped, jaw agape. Walking down the aisle, straight towards their seat, was a white pony with a bright pink mane and cutie mark in the shape of a musical note.

The pony approached Octavia and Vinyl, looking at the odd duo for a second. “Excuse me, do you know where the Palace is?” she asked. “I was offered a room there, but this is my first time in Canterlot, so…”

“Do you know who you are?” Vinyl asked, grabbing the pony and hugging her. “Do you?!” Octavia peeled her off.

“Deepest apologies, she does tend to get like that… anyway, you’re Glimmer Note, aren’t you? I am Octavia and this is my friend, Vinyl Scratch, you might know her as DJ P0n3. Are you here for the music fest?” Octavia asked. Glimmer Note nodded. “We’re staying at the palace too. Why don’t you join us for a while?”

“That would be great!” Glimmer said. She turned to Vinyl, “Don’t worry about the hugging, I get that a lot.” They headed off the train.

“It all looks so… clean,” Glimmer muttered. Even in the night, the city of Canterlot was well lit. The train station was spotless and there were several well-dressed Royal Guards approaching them with a luggage cart.

“The Princess welcomes you to Canterlot,” one said, bowing. “Would you ladies like some help with your bags? Miss Vinyl, Miss Octavia?” Vinyl and Octavia handed over their belongings before noticing that Glimmer wasn’t carrying anything. The guard looked at her questioningly.

“No luggage, Miss Glimmer?” he asked.

“The rest of my crew’s coming over later. I guess my bags got mixed up with their stuff,” Glimmer explained “I’m sure the Princess can help provide me with whatever I need until then.” The guard shrugged.

“Suit yourself,” he said, walking off. “As for you two,” he nodded towards Vinyl and Octavia, “your bags will be waiting for you in your rooms. We have many carriages available to take our honored guests, but if you’d prefer a walk, tonight’s a beautiful night, and there’ll be a warm dinner waiting for you when you get inside.”

Vinyl turned to Glimmer. “Sounds like you’ve had a rough day. How about we get over to the palace? I know I could use a break. That train ride took more out of me than I thought.”

Glimmer nodded, tasting the air with her wings. “The air around here is different than what I’m used to. Crisp, kinda, and really refreshing. Why don’t we walk?” The cool night air tickled the tips of Vinyl’s ears as the soft moonlight lit a path to the castle, where dozens of other guests wound their way up, both on chariot and on foot.

“Almost feels like a performance, doesn’t it?” Glimmer remarked, stepping into the light. “Here’s the stage, and the moon’s the spotlight.”

“It’s certainly impressive,” Octavia said, stepping forward and enjoying the scenery. The moonlight brightened, illuminating the smallest drops of dew on the blades of grass around them so that they glimmered to match the stars above.

“I have got to learn how to do that with some stage lights,” Vinyl said, gesturing towards the sky. “It looks amazing.” Her ears pricked up. “Although I am starting to get a little cold. Let’s head into the palace and get some food.”

The trio wound their way up to the palace, where a dark blue alicorn greeted them with a smile. “Welcome, musicians, to Canterlot Castle,” she said. “We were just heading back from setting up the night sky. Dinner should be ready now. Shall we?”

“Actually, I’ve had a lot to eat already. I’d like to head to my room to rest a bit, if that’s okay,” Glimmer Note said.

“Certainly, we will have one of the servants show you to your room. If we recall correctly, the three of you are sharing a suite, each with your own bedroom,” the alicorn said.

“Already here, Princess Luna,” a well-dressed servant pony walked over. “Follow me,” he said, leading Glimmer Note down a hallway.

“Let’s go eat,” Vinyl said, following Luna to the dining hall.