Okay, I edited this. I had a lot of different ideas for the ending and I couldn't figure out which one to use, so that's why it took so long. I decided to do OctaScratch because I love this shipping! I hope you like it! Thanks to my reviewers!
OctaScratch
"Woooo-hoooo!"Vinyl hollered, sticking her head out of the train window, her electric blue mane whipping around her face. "Canterlot, here I come!"
"Vinyl, I'm trying to sleep! Do you realize what time it is?!" Lyra Heartstrings demanded, wearily rubbing her eyes and examining her anklewatch. Vinyl rolled her eyes.
"But Lyra, I can see the castle now. We're almost there," she told the aquamarine unicorn. Lyra groaned and Bon Bon jumped up, squealing excitedly. The cream mare peered out the window opposite to Vinyl.
"Oh, I see it too! Come look, Lyra!" Bon Bon called, her eyes gleaming, "Oh my Celestia, I can't wait!"
Vinyl laughed at her enthusiasm. "This is going to be the best vacation of our lives," she decidedly announced.
"It better be. I saved more for half a year to buy tickets to the Festival!" Lyra grumbled. Vinyl glared at her.
"Quit being a killjoy!" she snapped.
Lyra sighed. "Sorry, but I can just feel my wallet hurting right now," the unicorn explained, biting her lip. Vinyl chuckled and bumped her hooves together determinedly.
"You just wait, Lyra. I'm gonna win the Performing Arts Competition and pay you back. I'll even buy you a vintage harp!" she promised. Lyra laughed too.
"Whoa there, slow down! Don't you go making promises you can't keep. It's not that many bits, plus, you don't know for sure if you're going to win. There's tons of talented artists coming to the Canterlot Music Festival from all the corners of the planet," she warned. Vinyl shrugged.
"I know that. And I know I'm going to win."
The train pulled into the station and the double doors slid open. The three mares grabbed their luggage and sped away. It took them a bit since Bon Bon had managed to pack three suitcases full and bulging to the point where one snapped open as they were walking to the hotel. It was a miracle when at last they came to their room at one o'clock in the morning, exhausted from Bon Bon's heavy possessions and lack of sleep.
The hotel was just a two star, but that was all their limited funds could afford in this ridiculously expensive city. The room was a little shabby, but the two double beds were warm and comfortable, and that was all Vinyl really cared about. She took the one closest to the window, and Lyra and Bon Bon snuggled into the one closer to the door.
Despite the late hour and the fact that she had awoken early that morning to prepare for the trip, Vinyl was wide awake. She sat up on the bed and stared out at the city lights. Something inside of her told her that this visit to Canterlot was going to be a turning point in her life. What she was turning to or away from was the question.
The festival was supposed to be one of the most exciting, entertaining event held in Canterlot. Everywhere you looked, there were different cultures, styles, genres, and types of creative arts.
Bon Bon was drawn to everything the three mares came upon. And she bought something from almost every booth they visited. She was constantly gasping and pointing at something else that had caught her eye. But Vinyl found it all boring. All she could think about was the upcoming competition, though she did buy an authentic zombie pony costume from her favorite zombie apocalypse film.
On the third day of the festival, the time had finally come. Vinyl spent the entire day sitting in their hotel room and listening to her song on the laptop, trying to figure where the weakest points were. Sure, she knew that she was destined to win no matter what, but she wanted to ensure that she won with class.
Bon Bon pulled her aside at one point about an hour before the contest would begin, and basically bolted her down to the chair and butchered her face with assorted brushes and tubes. When Vinyl was finally released, she had to admit that Bon Bon hadn't done a bad job. The only part of the make-up she questioned was the dark smoky eye shadow. But Bon Bon convinced her that it made her look edgy and hip.
But when Bon Bon pulled out a hot pink mini dress, she had to draw the line. Vinyl had vowed as a third-grader that she would never own any pink article of clothing.
Instead, she decided to go without clothing. She ran a brush through her shaggy mane and slipped on her signature shades with the purple lenses. She looked at herself in the mirror, satisfied. Bon Bon scowled at her.
The outdoor stadium was a lot bigger than Vinyl had ever thought it would be. The stage was huge, big enough for an entire professional theater production. She and the ponies from other acts filed into a big room backstage. Luckily, they had a big screen at the front of the room that they could watch the performances on.
There were fifty acts. Back in July of last year, thousands of ponies had sent in videos of their creative arts. The producers of the competition had watched each and every one of them to find the fifty that were the best. Each of the acts could last to a maximum of five minutes. The competition usually lasted around four hours, beginning at five o'clock in the evening and ending between nine and ten. Vinyl's song was the eighteenth act, and it was three minutes and forty-three seconds long.
Vinyl paid close attention to each performance. All of the acts were just bursting with brilliant talent, but Vinyl was still pretty confident she had what it took to beat them all. The time seemed to pass at the speed of a snail, but at last, it was almost Vinyl's turn.
"Now, for our seventeenth act of the night! Introducing aspiring musician Octavia Kleph!" the host announced. The stage darkened. In the shadow the host disappeared, and suddenly a spotlight hit the center and a gray mare had materialized. She looked tiny before the giant cello beside her. She leaned forward to speak into the microphone. The camera focused in on her face, and Vinyl's heart suddenly skipped a beat. She was the most beautiful mare she had ever seen.
"I am Octavia Kleph, and today I will be performing 'The Love Song of the Sun', a song composed by myself. I would like to thank Frederick Horseshoepin, who assisted me in writing the lyrics," Octavia whinnied quietly, her soft voice echoing on the walls and ceiling. The entire stadium had become quiet. Her voice was just as perfect and melodious as the rest of her.
The bow began to slowly stroke the strings, humming on a very low note. Then the rhythm increased, and the bow began to move so fast that all you could see was a blur. And then she began to sing.
It was like nothing anypony had ever heard. The cello's strumming and the sound of Octavia's voice were exactly in time. They sounded united, as though they came from the same object, instead of a separate body and instrument. Vinyl couldn't move or breath. Her entire essence was captured by this one pony.
At the climax of the song, Octavia's voice gracefully slid up until it hit a pure, clear high C. The audience cheered as she held it for three measures, and then quieted again as she ended with a last phrase and a sharp chord of the cello. Octavia closed her eyes, her thick lashes fluttering, and then opened them again. They seemed to stare right into Octavia's sole. The entire universe seemed to be composed of Vinyl, Octavia, and the space between them. Vinyl had a burning desire to destroy the air that separated them so that it could just be the gray mare and herself. Suddenly she was exploded out of her daydreaming by the thunderous applause erupting through the crowd.
The backstage party was applauding too. And without even noticing it, Vinyl had begun to clap, too. The performance had seemed to have an effect on everypony. Vinyl even saw the stage crew director, a large stallion with huge, defined muscles, wiping a few tears from his eyes.
The screen went black as the performance ended and the lights dimmed. Vinyl almost cried out in panic as Octavia's image faded and melted away from existence. But she wiped a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth and straightened her thoughts out. But the world seemed unreal and dreamlike. She kept hearing the those haunting notes bouncing around in her brain.
"Vinessa Scratch, competitor number eighteen, you're on! Scratch? Vinessa Scratch? Where is Scratch?!" the manager hollered. Vinyl cursed in realization as she remembered that it was her act next. She sheepishly emerged from the crowd, and the manager wordlessly passed her a microphone.
Vinyl ran onstage, slowing as she reached the middle. She was small vulnerable in the center of the huge stage. She cleared her throat, fighting to keep her cool. The host introduced her and retreated.
"Hey, everypony! I'm Vinyl. Are you ponies ready to party?!" she asked into the microphone. The crowd roared in response. Vinyl chuckled. "I couldn't hear you! I said are you ready to party?!" she shouted. The crowd roared even louder.
Vinyl laughed again. "Alright, alright, I believe you. So this is a song I wrote called 'Remembered', and I hope you ponies like it!"
The lights dimmed again. Black lights at the front of the stage caused Vinyl's white fur and neon hair to faintly glow in the darkness. A quiet keyboard tune began and slowly increased in volume until it filled the entire of the atmosphere and was the center of everypony's focus. That was the intended a effect.
A drumbeat fell into place behind the melody, and the tempo increased. Multi-colored lights danced around the stage, evey now and then sweeping over Vinyl and illuminating her face. She took a deep breath and felt the words on the tip of her tongue, prepared to come out.
"All we have to fear is fear itself
I will never break or burn or back down
Because it's you whose in the wrong
Because it's me who'll sing the song
You will never break me..."
The first verse was quiet and not very dynamic. It was a hook, the part that lured a pony in. It resonated warmly in Vinyl's chest, her alto range ringing clearly. She saw awed expressions as she gazed out into the crowd. She was winning this.
The loud chord of an electric guitar broke the peace. Ponies began to cheer as the chorus came on.
"Because I am strong!
I will never break or burn or back down!
I will brave the storm
I will be the one
To risk my life and limb
And I will be remembered!"
The music slowed down again. The song went on for another verse, a recount of the chorus, a third verse, and a bridge. Vinyl calmed her tone as the guitar paused. A recorded autotuned harmony accented her voice.
"Because we are strong
We will never break or burn or back down-turned
We will brave the storm
We will be the ones
To risk our life and limb
And we will be...
Remembered!"
On the final word of the song, she did something strange. "Re-" and "-mem-" were the same note, but on "-bered" she was supposed to descend to two notes below. But instead, her vocal chords took control of themselves and soared up to the same note that Octavia had finished, a note she wasn't even sure she was able to hit.
She didn't hold it nearly as long Octavia had, but it had its effect. As she finished with a soft vibrato, clapping and whooping rang out, loud enough to make a pony deaf. Vinyl bowed modestly and bounded off the stage, feeling as light as a cloud.
She ran out into the sea of ponies, hoof-bumping a few outstretched legs as she went along. At the very top, up at the nose-bleed seats, she found Lyra and Bon Bon. They were so high up the oxygen seemed to be thin. Bon Bon gave her a scarf and Vinyl sat down on the seat at the end of the row.
"You totally rocked, Vinyl! Everypony loved it!" Lyra congratulated her, raising her voice above the wind. Bon Bon nodded in agreement.
"Oh yes, and that ending was perfectly gorgeous! The only pony I think who stands a chance against you so far is that cellist. Dear Celestia, wasn't she talented?" Bon Bon cooed. Vinyl could only bob her head up and down. She couldn't think straight. She couldn't get the image of Octavia out of her head. She felt sick and dizzy, but that might have been because of the height.
Lyra cocked her head. "Uh, Vinyl? You don't look so good."
Bon Bon felt her forehead. "You're all flushed, Vinyl, dear, are you feeling alright?" the cream Earth pony asked. Vinyl shook her head and shooed her friends' hooves away from her face.
"I'm fine, guys, just a little woozy from the show. Don't worry about me!" she told them, trying to convince herself as well.
The acts continued. Vinyl paid no attention to any of them. She was simply too caught up in her conflicting emotions. It had seemed like no time at all had passed when suddenly the sound of her name caught Vinyl's attention.
"The judges have determined our three finalists! Give it up for act seventeen, Octavia Kleph; act eighteen, Vinessa Scratch; and act thirty-eight, the McShire Ballet Academy! Please come onstage!"
Vinyl let out a shout of triumph as she raced down the stairs, almost tripping a few times. She had been sitting the furthest from the stage, so by the time she reached it, Octavia and the director from act thirty-eight's big elaborate dance number were already there. Vinyl took her spot by Octavia, suddenly self-conscious. The mare was no less magnificent up close, if not more. Her ebony mane looked as soft as silk. Vinyl had to bite her lip to suppress the urge to reach out and stroke it.
The hosting stallion grinned at the the two mares and one stallion, his half-lidded eyes implying that he was bored.
"Okay, so the winner is going to be decided based on the applause each finalist receives. The judges will decide which was the loudest. It's that simple. Let's start off with choreographer Nathan McShire. If you think McShire is the winner, give a cheer!" the host whinnied. The spotlight fell on the dance teacher and the stadium exploded with sound.
This procedure was repeated for both Vinyl and Octavia. The applauding sounded all the same to Vinyl. The only part that made any difference to her was the fact that these ponies were cheering for her, her talent, and her song. It warmed her to the bone.
The host departed as the judges began to confer who was to win the award. Vinyl and the other two competitors stood awkwardly on the stage. Finally, unable to bare the silence any longer, Vinyl turned to Octavia and blurted, "So... erm, may the best pony win!" Octavia giggled and held out her hoof in truce. Vinyl held out her upper leg to meet it.
As they shook hands, a zap of electricity shot up Octavia's leg. She jumped back, startled, and then looked into Octavia's eyes. The purple irises glittered like stars, and locked onto hers. Vinyl felt as though she might faint. She forgot to breath. All she knew was that she wanted to stay frozen in this moment forever.
Octavia didn't seem to be fazed. She frowned and furrowed her eyebrows, concerned. "Uh, Vinessa Scratch? Is everything okay?" she asked. When Vinyl did not reply, she waved a hoof in front of Vinyl's face. Vinyl still made no motion of acknowledgment. All she could do was blankly stare into Octavia's eyes.
Vinyl opened her mouth to speak, but only a few words tumbled out. "You, uh... you have pretty eyes," she stammered, biting her lip self-consciously and looking down at her hooves. Octavia blushed.
"Well... thank you, I guess. I would compliment you on your own eyes, but... your glasses..." she trailed off, trying to be civil while most likely feeling terribly embarrassed. Vinyl cursed herself under her breath for blurting out something so uncomfortable.
"Er, if you want to see... see my eyes... I can take my shades off..." Vinyl awkwardly offered. Octavia wordlessly nodded.
Vinyl quickly slipped the glasses off her muzzle and gingerly placed them of the floor beside her. Octavia gasped, and Vinyl looked away. She hated when people judged her by her crimson eyes. One time a little filly and pointed to her and screamed, "She's evil!"
"I know, some people think they're disturbing or something. It's not really a common color-" she nickered defensively, but Octavia cut her off.
"Marvelous! You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen! I know dozens of mares who would give anything for that color, it's looks amazing with your mane and fur!" the gray pony praised, leaning forward to look closer, "My eyes are nothing compared to yours!"
Vinyl laughed, touched by Octavia's heartfelt compliments! "Thanks," she whispered, realizing she, too, was leaning forward, resting on the tips of her hooves. Octavia blushed deeper, but drew forward even further.
Vinyl anticipated what was about to happen, and rapidly asked, "Octavia, do you like fil-" She was cut off my Octavia's lips on her own. For a moment she stood frozen, stunned, but then she moaned in delight wrapped her upper legs around the mare's neck, running her hooves down her spine. Octavia tickled Vinyl's lips with her tongue.
Vinyl was forced out of her own little world as the hosting stallion tapped her on the shoulder. She broke away from the kiss, and looked at him, slightly annoyed. The stallion's face was red with embarrassment. Vinyl realized that everyone in the stadium was staring at them.
"Excuse me, miss Scratch and miss Kleph? Did you hear me? I said that McShire won the 100,000 bits," he murmured.
Vinyl wasn't even disappointed that she hadn't won. It didn't appear that Octavia minded either. She hadn't taken her eyes off of Vinyl.
"Vinessa-" she began, but Vinyl put a hoof to her mouth.
"It's Vinyl," she corrected.
"Vinyl," Octavia started again, "How about we continue this somewhere else? I have a hotel room on the eastern side of the city. Would you like to join me?" The musician smirked slyly and grabbed Vinyl's hoof, pulling her along.
Vinyl didn't need to answer. She just silently followed. Vinyl turned out to the crowd as they were leaving the stage. She found Lyra and Bon Bon in the sea of ponies, and saw that they were both looking at her, both wearing knowing grins.
Yes, in my version Vinyl's real name is Vinessa. Octavia's last name is Kleph because it's supposed to sound like clef, because her cute mark is a treble clef. I added some Bon Bon and Lyra in there because they're adorable too, and I can't seem to write the two pairings separately.
I know the song is kinda lame, I'm awful with poetry and/or songwriting. Don't judge me for it! x3
I got a request to do something more original, but I want to try and do most the common and mane six shippings before we do all the really unique ones. So now would be the time to request your favorite mane six shippings! Next chapter will with Twinkie Pie!
