"Well that sure didn't work!" Sweetie Belle sighs as the Cutie Mark Crusaders walk out of their classroom. They had attempted to try and get their much wanted cutie marks by becoming a teacher. They helped Cheerilee the entire day by marking tests and helping her clean the classroom. It only became a disaster though when Applebloom and Scootaloo began to mark questions that they thought were right wrong. That and Sweetie Belle taught poor Twist all the wrong math equations when she came to the classroom for extra help. It was a weekend, but Cheerilee was always there on Saturdays in case her students needed help.
"No, maybe we need to look outside the box for help on getting our cutie marks." Scootaloo speaks up as the three of them walk down their schoolyard on their way back to the main part of Ponyville.
"What do you mean?" Applebloom asks in confusion. The three fillies seemed to have tried just about everything to try and get their cutie marks. From helping out at the Apple's family barn, too performing at a talent show, there isn't anything that they wouldn't try. They've even asked her sister, Applejack's friends their stories on how they got their cutie marks.
"How about we ask someone we don't normally talk to," Scootaloo suggests excitedly. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom can tell by the brightness and ambition in her eyes that she already has someone in her mind. "Someone awesome and cool!"
"Scootaloo, we've already asked Rainbow Dash." Sweetie Belle rolls her eyes; she knew the idea was hopeless.
"No not Rainbow Dash, someone with musical talent!" Scootaloo gives her friends one more hint on what pony she is talking about.
"Octavia?" Sweetie Belle asks tilting her head sideways remembering the cellist pony Rarity had mentioned to her in the past. Sweetie Belle always asked Rarity to tell her the story of the time she went to the Grand Galloping Gala and how much of a disaster that turned out to be.
"No! Someone awesome." Scootaloo says the word "awesome" long and expressively glaring at Sweetie Belle. How could she actually think that a pony that plays cello could be considered awesome in her standards?
"Lyra?" Applebloom asks thinking about the light green pony she has seen around town. If it wasn't for her cutie mark, she probably would not have known what her special talent was.
"No I'm talking about Vinyl Scratch!" Scootaloo says finally, frustrated by how her friends never get who she's talking about. Scootaloo shakes her head in confusion of why her friends can be so stupid at times.
"Oh that makes sense." Applebloom giggles.
"But where does she live?" Sweetie Belle asks trying to map out Ponyville in her head. All she really knows besides where she live is, where her sister's friends live, her school, certain places in the main area, where her fellow crusaders live and her school. Being a small filly the places she has been still are very limited.
"We could ask Applejack she may know where she lives," Applebloom suggests. "I know she goes to the Club Vinyl works at with her friends every once in a while."
"Yeah we could ask Rarity too," Sweetie Belle also mentions.
Scootaloo looks up at the sky her mouth opening slightly. "Or we could ask-"She is cut off by a light blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane crashing into her from what seems like nowhere. The two Pegasus ponies fall backwards onto the dusty road. Who else could it be but Scootaloo's role model, Rainbow Dash!
"Oops, sorry Scootaloo, I was trying a new trick didn't work out." Rainbow Dash apologizes getting up shaking the dirt off her pelt and fixing her mane quickly.
"It's all right Rainbow, do you know where Vinyl Scratch lives?" Scootaloo asks sitting up.
"Of course I do, she is only one of the coolest ponies in Ponyville! She lives in an apartment nearby your sister's boutique Sweetie Belle."
"Which one is it though?" Sweetie Belle asks imagining the area that her sister lives in. She spends a lot of time there and knows it almost better than her own house that she lives in with her parents. It's a pretty spaced out area but there are a few houses nearby that they could get confused with.
"The one with a basement apartment, that's where she lives. " Rainbow Dash answers and flies off quickly to go and try and teach herself more new tricks. She may be the best flier in Equestria but there is always room for improvement.
"Well looks like we have a long walk before us before we get to where Vinyl lives, we're not even at the library yet. " Applebloom sighs as the three fillies start to make their way into the more main area of Ponyville.
"If it's going to get us closer to our cutie marks it should be worth it." Sweetie Belle says positively.
As the three ponies reach the giant library which consists of a hollowed out tree they notice Twilight Sparkle lying outside in the shade of her home with a large book open in front of her. Spike is sitting not too far away from her wearing black sunglasses and holding a large glass of lemonade. He seems pretty comfortable leaning against the side of the tree. Next to him is a small plate with a pile of shiny rubies on it.
"Hey girls!" Twilight calls out to the Cutie Mark Crusaders looking up from her book.
"Hey Twilight," the three of them yell in unison but don't stop to talk to the unicorn. They're on a mission and don't want to stop for nothing. Even though it is a very hot day in Ponyville and the three of them are getting pretty exhausted-and thirsty.
"We should've asked Rainbow Dash when we had the chance to make some wind or a light shower or something!" Scootaloo sighs.
When the three of them finally reach the place where Vinyl Scratch lives, they couldn't have been more relieved. The steps leading too her home are very small and tight and the cutie mark crusaders have to line up in a row to be able to all fit in. Scootaloo being the leader, knocks the door of Vinyl Scratch's apartment with confidence.
"I hope she's home." Sweetie Belle whispers hoping that they didn't just make a long journey in such hot weather for no reason at all.
"I hope she doesn't think it's weird that we're asking her this." Scootaloo also whispers in a low tone just in case the door opens and Vinyl hears their conversation.
"Probably not, she's knows our sisters-and Rainbow Dash." Applebloom answers.
The door to the apartment opens just then to reveal a white unicorn with a short mane in two different shades of blue and bright red eyes. On her flank is a simple black cutie mark that looks just like a music note. She smiles when she sees the three fillies. "Hey Sweetie Belle, Applebloom and excuse me if I'm wrong Scootaloo?"
"Yeah you got us right, how'd you know our names?" Scootaloo asks without even saying hi back to her.
"Trust me when you work at a club in a small town such as Ponyville you get to know everyone pretty fast. That and I'm pretty good friends with Rarity and RD." Vinyl replies laughing.
"So you're Vinyl Scratch right?" Applebloom says making sure they're not talking to the wrong pony because that would be just plain embarrassing.
"A.K.A Dj Pon3 that's me!" The unicorn answers proudly.
"Okay, because we were wondering if you could tell us how you got your cutie mark." Applebloom mentions pointing her hoof at Vinyl Scratch's cutie mark.
"My cutie mark? Oh yes! Come on in you three, it's a long story!" Vinyl Scratch steps aside, allowing the three fillies to come inside her apartment. Inside her apartment is an organised mess, probably from spending countless nights out.
She leads the three ponies into her living room and tells them too sit down on a black couch. "Trust me girls, it really is a long story." She replies and the cutie mark crusaders leap onto the couch.
"All right here it is the story of how I got my cutie mark."
*Flashback*
It all happened during the summer; a little more than a year after Rarity got her cutie mark. I was the last one at my school to still have her "blank flank" and it really did bring me down. I had no idea why I was not getting my cutie mark. As it turns out though, I was just looking in all the wrong places.
My parents lived in Canterlot when I was a filly and they expected me to be raised and lead onto a life like a true Canterlot civilian. They expected me to act all proper, wear my mane up and talk like I own the world. My name back then wasn't even Vinyl Scratch; it was Ruby because of the colour of my eyes.
I hated acting that way; it was awful I never got a long with the other girls in school because all they ever wanted to talk about was the latest fashion and was never any fun. They were so full of themselves it was disgusting. So I spent most days at school on my own.
During the summer my parents always made me go to this stupid camp where we learned about proper manners, etiquette and more. A girl from my school named Octavia went to that summer camp every year, we got to choose elective courses at that camp and she always chose ones that involved music so I never really got to see her during those two months. Not like I really wanted to see her anyways, she was kind of a snob. During lunch at school she used to go to the music room and play with her cello the whole time. I've tried talking to Octavia a few times in the past but it never really went anywhere.
Rarity never lived in Canterlot but since her and I always was in the same courses at camp every year I knew her very well. Plus my parents were friends with her parents so we would often see them when they visited where we lived. My parents never left Canterlot, so I never really knew where Rarity lived.
When I arrived at camp and said my farewells to my parents, I vowed to myself right away that I would get my cutie mark that summer. I could not go back to school with my flank still bare, it would just be too embarrassing.
The dorm rooms we got at the camp were very well prepped up, you would think we were staying at a five-star hotel. We still had to share it with three other ponies but it was still very private and luxurious. The floors were dark hard-wood and the walls were painted in a dark red colour. They were close to being purple, but not quite there yet. The beds were big enough to fit two ponies rather than just one and on them were a gazillion pillows, all feather ones. On the walls were dozens of paintings from some of the best artists known to pony-kind.
I was hoping to get some privacy while I was there before my other roommates arrived but unfortunately all three of them already arrived. I was stuck in a room with Rarity, Octavia and another pony I didn't know but figured I probably wasn't going to like her.
"Ruby! Oh, I'm so glad I know somepony in my room!" Rarity replied prancing over to me. Her purple mane was well kept as always and she was just as fabulous and gorgeous as the last time I had seen her. On her flank was of course three blue diamonds to represent her love of fashion.
"Oh hi Rarity, I'm um glad too." I muttered just wanting to get that day over and done with. I still had to remain polite though, I hated to look like a bitch. Excuse my language ponies, but it's true.
"Well I wish you could have the bed next too mine but that musical pony took it, the one across from mine is still available!" Rarity points her head towards the only bed left; it's close to the giant window that leads to a balcony.
"Okay, I'll take it." I said and I used my magic to place my suitcase onto the bed. I notice that besides Rarity, there are no other unicorns in the room. Octavia was an earth pony and the unknown pony was a Pegasus.
"My name's Holly," the Pegasus said suddenly looking over at me, she was a pretty regular looking pony and blended in along with just about everypony else in Canterlot. She was a medium blue colour with a long pretty green mane. Her eyes were the same colour as emeralds. I probably would have just over-looked her if I didn't notice one thing; she was a blank flank herself.
"I'm Ruby; you're a blank flank too?" I said right out of the blue, it wasn't every day that I actually had some common ground with another pony.
"Yeah," Holly sighed looking at the spot where her cutie mark should be. "I don't know why though I've tried everything possible!"
"Me too!"
Holly then leaned in close to me. "I have a feeling though my special talent has nothing to do with this lame frou-frou stuff." She whispered.
My eyes grew wide in surprise. I couldn't believe it! I finally found somepony else who hated that sort of thing as much as I did!
"You hate that stuff too?" I whispered with shock. I was so excited; maybe I could finally make a new friend! You always do meet friends in some of the least suspected places.
"Oh yeah! Its super lame, I want to be at summer flight camp right now like my friend Rainbow Dash. She got her cutie mark in flying and I just know that's what I'm going to get my cutie mark in! She has showed me some of the tricks she can do and they're just awesome!"
"That's really cool, I wish I had wings, maybe we could've flown together sometime. Are you from Cloudsdale then?"
"Yup, this is my first summer at this camp. My parents want to move to Canterlot soon and figure I should start acting like I belong here. They already make me do that, but they think that it's not enough." Holly rolled her eyes in frustration. "By the way please call me Envy, I like that name way better."
"Why Envy?" I asked.
"It's more intense, and cool. Do you want me to call you something else besides Ruby? I'm sure you hate that name!"
"Yeah I do, it doesn't suit me at all. But to be honest I really don't know what does." The bell rang just then, time for our first classes too start.
The first class I had was all about the study of fashion in early pony days, but not too early. Just about the same time ponies started acting civilized and proper. BORING!
Luckily for me though, Holly….I mean Envy was in that class with me. Rarity was too but she was so into it taking notes and hanging onto our teacher's every word that I didn't talk to her once.
The day was probably the longest in my life, after that class I had to go to a class about proper table manners, followed by lunch, and then I had a class in the history of music (like really old music composers and stuff) and my last class in how to act properly in public. After my last class we had an hour of free time in our dorm rooms or the library. Nowhere else was aloud. After that we had dinner, another hour of free time and then we had to go to bed.
Days went on like that and Envy and I hated it more than anything. It seemed like nothing would ever be fun for us that summer just like the ones before. Until one week into our stay at the camp. It was dinnertime and the two of us were sitting in the grand dining hall. It was really over the top with a giant chandelier and a stage for the music students to perform for us. Octavia was playing the cello for us that night along with two other ponies on the violin and another on the piano.
"You know what we should do tonight?" Envy said mysteriously.
"What?" I asked eager to know what she had in mind. Anything sounded more fun than the usual schedule we had been living on. I was desperate to do something out of the plan.
"Sneak out!"
"But where would we go?"
Envy grinned. "That's the fun of it! Maybe you'll find what you're supposed to be No-pony." No-pony was the new nickname she had for me because I really was no-pony. And I wanted anything to become a some-pony horribly.
"Okay, let's do it!" I said in a low voice as one of the supervisors walked past us, her head held up high like she was better than the rest of us. They had supervisors during our meal times to make sure we kept up our proper table manners. It was so lame.
That night at around 12:30, about two hours after lights out we sat up from our beds and went out the door. We would've taken our balcony out but we were on the fifth floor and even though Envy could've just flown us down we didn't want to take the risk. That and we would have to go past a lot of other ponies' windows.
We closed the door behind of us from our dorm softly in order not to wake up Octavia and Rarity. Envy and I had to be careful; if we got caught they would call home to our parents. And I'm sure if my parents found out I wasn't being good they would disown me.
We went downstairs using the stairs rather than the elevator, and got out by the side door with success. Inhaling the fresh air of the world outside my heart suddenly leaped with joy. I was free; I could do whatever I wanted the entire night. The fact that I would have to go back to my normal life in a few hours completely escaped my mind.
"Lovely night isn't it?" an all too familiar voice said not too far away. We looked over to our right to see Rarity standing not too far away looking up at the stars her eyes were shining brightly. She looked over at us and her eyes grew wide.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked in surprise.
"I would like to ask the same from you." Envy said with the same tone of shock in her voice. Rarity sure didn't seem like the type to sneak out at night.
"Just admiring the sky, it is beautiful out here." Rarity said looking up at the stars with admiration. The stars were pretty that night, not a cloud in the sky. "Why are you out here?"
"We're going exploring!" I said with excitement. Adrenaline had fully kicked into me and I was just about up to do anything.
"Do you mind if I come a long? It would be fun." Rarity asked.
"Sure why not?" Envy replied shrugging, and the three of us made our way to the city nearby.
It was pretty boring until we started to hear this sound not too far away. I never heard anything like it before but something about it dragged me in.
"Where's that coming from?" I asked extremely curious to know.
"I think from in there." Envy answered pointing her hoof at a building. It was in a part of Canterlot I had never been in before.
"Let's go in!" I yelled running into the place. Little did I know that where we entered was a club and the way I entered was the back door. If we didn't enter that way we would've been kicked out because we were much too young to be going to places like that.
When I entered there was many ponies dancing and having fun. I didn't really care about the atmosphere though; all I wanted to hear was the music that was playing. It sounded nothing like the lame stuff my parents played at home. It was just fucking awesome. In the middle of the crowd there was a pony that was making the music, and even though I didn't at the time know the name for it I knew one day that I was going to be the pony up there.
"What is that music called?" I said in awe.
"I believe it's called "house" or "techno" music." Rarity answered. "There are a lot of hot stallions here." She muttered glancing around at the other ponies.
Just like that, I knew that this was where I belonged.
We visited that place a few times after that, no one ever noticed us missing and the sensation of the music never grew old for me. Pretty soon Envy finally stopped calling me no-pony she called me Music Obsessed instead. It was a terrible name but it was better than nothing.
One night though things went a slight bit different. The DJ (Rarity finally told me what it was called) had left briefly to do something. I don't know why I did it but I went to where he was-and started to make my own song.
It just came naturally too me and I loved it more than anything. The other ponies in the club loved it too. They cheered and everyone in the crowd was filled with excitement. I never felt more alive; it felt as if I finally found my place. I wanted that moment to last forever, but of course all good things come to an end.
When I finished the song, I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned around to see the DJ standing there. I almost had a heart attack at that very moment, I was sure that I was going to be kicked out. Maybe even arrested!
"You've got a lot of potential kid, my name's DJ UMAD, I know it's a stupid name but when it comes to names I'm not the most creative."
"I-I'm Ruby," I stammered in shock.
"We're going to take a break." He said to the crowd and put on a pre-recorded song.
"Look you've got a lot of talent in this and I could be your teacher if you would like." He said right away, not even being settle about it.
"That would be awesome." That was all I said.
"Sweet, come back here next week same time same place. Oh and by the way call me Harper that's what my real name is." And then he sent me away.
When I got back to my friends I told them the great news. They congratulated me and then I was told the greatest news ever. I had gotten my cutie mark.
"Yes!" I screamed loudly and a few people looked out from their windows on the street we were on. Rarity and Envy didn't even notice it was there until we were about halfway back to where our camp was. I looked back at my flank to see a backwards music note on there. It was simple, but I couldn't have asked for a more perfect one.
"You're so lucky Vinyl Scratch!" Envy said and I stopped my celebrating to give her a look in confusion.
"Who's Vinyl Scratch?" I asked.
"You Ruby! It's the perfect name for you!"
I smiled at that, because it really was the perfect name for me.
A few days later it was a parent's night. We were supposed to have our parents come and spend dinner with us and to show off our progress we had made. One of my teacher's had signed us up for the talent show that was also going to be a part of the events for parent's night. It was more aimed for the performing arts students but my teacher thought it would be good for us. Envy was planning on dancing while flying because she knew her parents wouldn't approve of her doing tricks and Rarity said she was going to wear a dress she had made and sing. I could've have done something that would've blended in with the crowd but that was just not my thing. That and I was dying to show off to my parents my special talent, in hopes that maybe they would like it.
I was wrong though. When I got up there and started playing a house song that I had made up the reaction wasn't the greatest. Octavia gave me an evil glare from the back of the room and walked out, carrying her cello with her. The teachers looked shocked by it and a pony even fainted. When I finished only a few actually clapped for me, but I think most of it came from Envy and Rarity.
After I got off the stage Envy and Rarity ran over to me, their faces filled with panic. "Your parents, they're going to send you to another family!" Envy screamed she was flying over me her wings flapping back and forth in fear.
"Send me away? They can't do that!" I whispered.
"Yes they can, and they seem pretty serious about it too. You have to get out of here Vinyl." Rarity told me; by the look on her face I could tell she was being serious.
"But how? They'll find me!"
"Envy will help you out; I'll try to distract them as much as I can." Rarity said swiftly and galloped away.
The two of us got out of that place quicker than ever, the only place they could think of me to go to was the club where Harper lived.
When we got to the place only Harper was there, he lived in an apartment on the upstairs of it. We told him the situation right away and he allowed me to stay with him. For my parents to never find me again, my name officially became Vinyl Scratch. He later gave me the stage name DJ Pon3 when I got older and more experienced.
I moved to Ponyville a few years later and to my surprise Rarity lived there too. We hang out sometimes and too show my gratitude to her for helping me escape that one day I sometimes play at her fashion shows. No charge, of course.
"Did you ever hear from your parents ever again?" Applebloom asks.
Vinyl Scratch shakes her head with a small smile. "No ponies and I don't really miss them to be honest. I don't know where they are now even."
"That's a really unique way to get your cutie mark." Sweetie Belle comments thinking about what she had just heard.
"Yeah, you see ponies sometimes you have to look outside the box to find some of the things that are most important to you." Vinyl laughs and leads the cutie mark crusaders out of her home. "Thanks for coming to visit. Come visit me at the club one day when you're older."