Vinyl Scratch and The Guitar

Chapter 1: New Gear

Vinyl turned around in the midst of cheers and applause to look at her bandmates. She gave them a smile before she turned back around. The audience was huge! This audience was bigger than any audience she has ever seen. Vinyl has seen big crowds at her techno performances, but this was nothing. She set down her white and blue-striped guitar before walking towards her bandmates.

"We did it!" cheered Vinyl.

She got no response though. She found all the members gasping for air due to exhaustion. The rhythm guitarist, Jason, holding his left hoof to relieve some pain. She saw the band's drummer, Rainbow Dash, rubbing her arms and hind hooves after the exhausting concert. The band's bassist, Fluttershy, well... let's just say she was zoned out. The one who seemed to be the most exhausted was the singer, Steven, who was gasping for air while rubbing his throat in hopes of relieving some pain. Vinyl simply smiled again. She smiled until she felt a piercing pain in her hooves. Ugh, why must playing a guitar be so painful!? she thought before wildly waving her left hoof around. Vinyl was suddenly faced with a crushing feeling while shaking her hoof when she was bombarded with a huge group hug from the rest of the band.

"That was bucking amazing!" yelled Dash, after letting go of the cluster-hug.

"I have never screamed that much in my life. Ever." stated Steven, still rubbing his throat.

"I never thought we were going to make it past the first note of the first song." declared Jason.

"I think my stage fright, let me re-phrase that, my fright has been cured!" screamed Fluttershy in a VERY high tone.

"And we all owe it to you Vinyl." said Jason.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 1 Year Ago XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Vinyl walked into 'Mr. Baroadin's Music Store' with a saddle pocket full of bits. She was planning to buy some new equipment after her gear shorted out in the middle of her show the night before. She was so embarrassed that she had to teleport herself and her gear out of the venue. She blushed at the thought, hoping not to bump into anybody who was at the show. She walked into the giant warehouse-looking store to be instantly be surrounded by instruments. In the entrance there were trumpets and other brass instruments. In about the middle were the stringed instruments, which included the violins, violas, upright basses, and the cellos. Vinyl bought Octavia a cello here for their 15th Friendship Anniversary. It was something they invented. In the mid-back were the percussion instruments which included things like the bells, drums, drum sets, cymbals, and other things. In the back was the counter and there was a room in the back she never was allowed to go into. She was one of Mr. Baroadin's best customer and was also a good friend of his, but she still was not allowed in. She wondered what guy was checking up on every 10 minutes.

"YO, DEXTER!" yelled Vinyl from the entrance.

It was a Saturday. He never really had customers, besides Vinyl, on Saturdays. Baroadin jumped from the yell as he turned to se Vinyl smiling and waving her hoof from the entrance.

"Vinyl, my best customer, what brings you here?'" asked Dexter Baroadin.

"My gear fried out at last night's show. I need some new stuff." answered Vinyl as she walked up to the counter and placed an elbow on it.

"That was hilarious, Vy. What exactly blew up on you?"

"Everything, Dex. How much for the 'Celestian Electro-Pad' kit over there?"

"Oh, that old thing,? You could keep it for all I care. I've never seen anybody touch that thing. But I think I have something better."

"What could possibly interest me more than a 'Celestian'?"

"Wait, here."

Dexter dashed into the secret room for a few minutes. Vinyl waited impatiently, tapping her hind hoofs frantically. After what seemed like years for Vinyl, Dexter came back with two cases and two books. The books seem to be written in some foreign language. It didn't look like griffon or diamond dog, though.

"And what is THAT?" asked a surprised Vinyl as she took off her goggles and wiped them.

"To be honest, I have no idea. I tried to decode the book for the instrument in the red case over there. You know I'm not that good at magic. The only thing I could get was "Guitar" from it. I have NO idea what that could mean but I think it's the name of the instrument. You're on yo your own with the other one." answered Dexter in a somewhat confident tone.

"Wait. You're expecting me to buy this?"

"Yep, 40 bits. I don't want these things crowding up the back, but I want to make some profit off 'em."

"Fine. You still are the same guy from the academy." said Vinyl as she dumped the bits onto the counter and walked out the store.

"I know." said Dexter to himself with a chuckle.

"WAIT!" shouted Dexter.

"What?"

"Aren't you gonna check inside. see what it is?" asked a somewhat confused Dexter.

"You haven't opened it yet?" asked an even more confused Vinyl.

"The latches are melted, I can't get it open."

"No, time. I'll check when I get home."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 20 Minutes Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Vinyl walked down the road as she approached her house. She was exhausted from the weight of the mystery instruments. What the buck is in the case? Vinyl was very happy to see her house less than 50 yards away. She went into a gallop. She face-planted at her doorstep. Octavia opened the door to see Vinyl, still with her facee in the ground.

"Hi, Tavi." said Vinyl with a muffled voice.

Vinyl quickly got up and dashed past her friend. She set down the two cases on the floor and then started evilly rubbing her hooves together.

"What did you get this time Vinyl?" asked Octavia

"I'm about to find out" answered Vinyl as she to break open the case, literally, and opened the case with the book that read 'Guitar'.

"What the buck is this?!"