Vinyl was awaken by the pain in her wrists. She could feel her hands behind her back, tied with what felt like clothesline. Very tight clothesline. Sunset Shimmer didn’t take half measures.

“That bitch. Where the fuck is she?”

Vinyl searched for a few seconds, before realizing her eyes were still closed. In fact, opening them felt like the toughest thing she ever had to do. When she finally managed to look around, she noticed the brooms and other tools: she was still in the shack, tied against one of the wooden pillars maintaining the small roof. It took her several extra seconds to adjust to the light of the single lamp again. Sunset Shimmer was nowhere to be seen.

“Well well well, she finally wakes up!”

“Oh, nevermind, she was sitting next to me.”

There she was. Looking down on Vinyl, wiping the dust off her leather vest, with an eternal smirk on her face, acting like Vinyl hadn’t beaten her ass the last time they saw each other. An archetype of high school bitch.

“How’d you sleep, miss DJ?”

“...”

“Oh, poor you, can’t even answer! Too bad you got such an awful disability, that must be truly terrible! Not that I care, of course.”

“...”

“Well? Cat got your tongue?”

She laughed at her own joke for a good ten seconds. Those were the longest ten seconds of Vinyl’s life.

“Ha… But in all seriousness, you’re gonna pay for what you did to me the other day. And so is your friend. That lesbian bitch will regret it…”

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

“Oh?” The other girl answered, noticing the tension of the rope increasing, as well as the DJ’s murderous look, “Did I hit a nerve? Is your little friend that precious to you? What, are you two banging or something?”

“...”

“Oh my god, you are! Oh this is rich! I need to post that online! Perhaps I should get back on MyStable…”

Vinyl kept giving the bully the darkest gaze her magenta eyes were capable of producing, wiggling her arms to try and get out of these ropes. She acted tough, but she was feeling… kind of helpless. For the first time in a years, she realized the consequences of her condition.

“Sorry bitch, I’m not a lip-reader. But if you feel the desperate urge to beg me for forgiveness, you can always try to write on this!”

She threw Vinyl’s pen and paper behind the tied-up girl’s back. She thought she was smart, forcing Vinyl to write with her hands tied and out of sight. Unfortunately for her, she had mastered the technique of writing-something-without-looking-and-with-your-hands-very-close-to-each-other during family meals, when she and her brothers exchanged written messages under the table, while still looking at their aunt Georgia because this is the polite thing to do. Long story short, joke’s on you bitch.

She grabbed the pen and paper, and wrote a few words furiously. This whole time, since the first glimpse she had at Sunset Shimmer, there had been one question she was dying to ask her. And now was the time. This bitch would not escape. She had to tell Vinyl the truth. No more lies. Her kidnapper took the paper back, reading it out loud:

“Is your hair bacon- WHAT?!”

She crunched the piece of paper and threw it in a corner. Her face has even more red than the sun symbol on her shirt. Nice.

“Do you think this is funny?”

“I mean, you gotta have humor about these sorts of things.”

“Nevermind. It’s not like you’d have something relevant to say anyway. And if you think you can report me for all of this, don’t you worry: I have a solid alibi and photo proof of me attending another party…” She said, taking out several pictures of herself, awfully edited on some stock photo of a sleepover.

“Boy that’s bad. How could anyone believe that these are authentic?!”

“Not bad, uh?”

Vinyl shook her head.

“Why you… Anyway, that’s just the tip of the iceberg: I happen to have found your friend’s phone that she carelessly left on her desk during a break yesterday… I was looking for compromising stuff about the three of you, and you’ll never guess what came out…”

“Oh no.”

“Just one small, twenty seconds-long video.”

“Oooooh no.”

“Say, do you often destroy expensive cars during your free time? Is it a hobby of yours?”

“Lyra, you dumb fuck! I told you to delete this goddam video! What were you thinking?!”

The other girl smiled at the DJ’s reaction. Obviously this was the outcome she expected. She crouched to make eye contact with Vinyl, whose face was now painted with anger.

“Oh yes, that’s what I was looking for! Not so tough and cool now, uh? I don’t know whose car it is, but something tells me all of this isn’t exactly legal… Am I mistaking?”

“...”

“Oh, you don’t need to answer, really. But don’t fear, I won’t bring this to the principals, or to the police. No, I’m not that kind of girl, I’m forgiving, even generous, I would never do something that terrible to one of my dear schoolmates.”

“Yeah, totally. That’s why you fucking tied me up in a gardening shack. How nice.”

“So I’ll keep your little secret. However, don’t you think my generosity deserves recognition?”

“No.”

“Of course it does, what am I saying? And I’m sure you agree. So here’s how it’s going to be: I saved my number in your phone.” She continued, throwing Vinyl’s phone on her laps, “If I ever need something from you, or from, let’s say, Octavia, I’m sure my new friends would never let me down, am I right?”

“Great. Now, blackmail. I should’ve seen this coming. But if this bitch even tries speaking to Tavi, I’ll make fucking fire and brimstone rain on her stupid bacon face.”

“I’ll take your silence as a yes! Perfect, it’s a deal! I’m so glad we’re friends now! You’ll see, you three and I are going to be besties!”

“Listening to this bullshit is actually way more efficient psychological pressure than her blackmail.”

“But now, it’s time for me to make my exit, see you later, mute girl! Don’t worry, somebody will come for you.”

She smiled at the defeated girl lying on the floor, and enjoyed the sweet taste of victory.

“Eventually.”

“Where in the shit is Vinyl?”

“Lyra, please, your language…”

“I know Octavia, I know, but it’s been twenty minutes since she disappeared now, and nobody has seen her, it’s making me crazy!”

“I’m… I’m worried too, you know… I hope nothing happened to her.”

Lyra noticed a tear forming in the corner of the cellist’s left eye. She put her drink on a nearby table, and placed both her hands on the girl’s cheeks.

“Hey, hey, Octavia. It’s fine, okay? Nothing happened to Vinyl: her car is still there, nobody has seen her leaving. She’s probably just hiding in one of the rooms, smoking pot with random people.”

“Smoking… pot?”

“Forget that part. My point is: I know you think Vinyl left for one reason or another, but she would never, okay? Never. Plus, she can defend herself, I think you can confirm.”

“I guess so… You’re probably right. Thank you, Lyra.”

“Hey, no problem. How’s your cider?”

“It’s… surprisingly tasty. And Applejack is indeed very nice. She even gave me her cell phone number… Oh my, it feels strange saying this…”

“That’s what I’m talking about, Tavi! You’re making friends! Vinyl should disappear more often!”

“Oh… Oh lord no.”

Lyra’s attention got suddenly attracted by a vibration in her pocket.

“Speaking of the devil, guess who just sent me a message. Stay here, finish your drink. I’m gonna bring her back here. I hope she’s not too high.”

“...High?”

“Be right back!”

Lyra quickly ran away from her confused friend. For whatever reason, Vinyl apparently ended up in the gardening shack…

“Jeez, it’s not even 9pm and she’s already unable to move. She could’ve at least invited me to her little private party…”

After a couple of minutes, she finally reached the door she was looking for. It was behind a small curtain, away from everyone. Vinyl really did find the right place to get fucked up.

“Hey dude, I don’t mind bringing your dead body back at your place, but it’s a bit early don’t you th- WHOOOOAAAAT THE SHIT??!!”

Vinyl was looking at her, sitting on the floor, hands tied behind a wooden pillar. Her phone, pen and notepad were laid on her legs, with the small screen still bright from the text it had just sent.

“Holy fucking shit dude, what happened to you?!”

Lyra rushed to her friend’s help, quickly untying her wrists and helping her get up. Vinyl looked troubled, yes, but surprisingly not much more than during the usual shit they had faced before. She didn’t take the time to use her pen and paper, and instead performed a succession of signs in her friend’s direction, detailing everything that had just happened to her.

“THAT FUCKING BITCH!! I knew we should’ve broken her legs! Does she think she can just get away with this: kidnapping you, tying you up, psychologically torturing you?! Screw her little blackmail attempt, who cares if we get in trouble for this video, let’s beat the living shit outta her!”

“...”

“Whaddya mean, ‘calm down’?! How can you be so calm?! For fuck’s sake, you just got sequestered and blackmailed!”

Vinyl suddenly stop her movements, grabbed Lyra’s wrist, and looked directly in her eyes. There was no need for signs here. They had known each others for long enough to understand emotions like this. And on Vinyl’s face was accusation.

“I know dude, I know… I screwed up. Big time. Shooting this video… And keeping it… It was a mistake. One I don’t think I can undo now… But lemme at least make up for it! I’m gonna break every bone in this girl’s body, find the record she has of us, and destroy everything! Including her life, if possible. I will-”

She got stopped by an unexpected kiss from her partner. She certainly wasn’t expecting this, after all she did. And it wasn’t a ‘shut up’ kiss, it was a truly passionate one, filled with care and worry, but also a kiss to make a point.

“...You’re right…”

Vinyl looked at her, wiping her humid eyes with her white sleeve. Lyra couldn’t do that, and she knew it, even though she didn’t want to admit it.

“You’re right dude. We have to think about Bon-Bon and Octavia, about your brother, about our parents… And even though the prospect of getting gangbanged in the prison showers has its appeal, it’s not really worth it.”

Vinyl couldn’t help but chuckle at her friend’s jokes. Even in moments like this, she could find the funny thing to say. She used to be like that. Unfortunately, writing wasn’t as practical.

“So, what are you planning to do? We can’t let that shit slide, still.”

“Fuck no we can’t. And this Sunset Shimmer is gonna pay for what she did to me, and what she threatened to do to Lyra, Bon-Bon…”

She stopped her thinking process for a few seconds.

“...And to Octavia.”

She turned back to Lyra, with a determined smile back on her face. There wasn’t time to think about these sorts of things. There was a whole evening awaiting for them on the other side of the wooden door.

“What, we just go back like nothing happened?”

“...”

“Yeah, I don’t want to ruin the others evening as well, but still… Maybe we should at least tell Pinkie Pie or something…”

Vinyl strongly shook her head. Pinkie Pie was nice, yes, trustworthy, most likely ; but she probably had never held a secret of her entire life. Didn’t seem like her trademark. Telling her would be a mistake. Telling anyone would be, for that matter.

“Alright, you win. But I’m not taking my eyes off you or the others for the rest of the night. And you look after yourself as well, alright?”

Vinyl took Lyra’s hands, holding them tightly, as she laid a small kiss on the girl’s lips.

“Deal.”

When Vinyl came out of the shack, the lights and movements in the house unexpectedly surprised her. The night had begun quite some time ago, and everyone who was invited had now arrived. The DJ noticed some familiar faces: Micro Chips was there, with some of his nerdy new friends, that Flash dude from before was playing a few chords on a wooden guitar, and Pinkie Pie was running around, refilling glasses who weren’t empty and blowing the eardrums of everyone.

“Speaking of which…”

Vinyl looked at the small wooden stage installed in the garage, at the two humongous speakers set on both sides, and at the black turntables disposed on a folding table. On that moment, she forgot about everything and everyone else. Music was calling her. It had been too long since she last played for a crowed, and now was the time to show this school what she was capable of.

She stepped on the stage, verifying all the details and connections of every cable, adjusted her settings, and grabbed the backpack Lyra threw at her, taking out her pair of large white headphones. She placed them on her equally white ears, caressing the audio cable falling down her body. Already, her heartbeat was increasing, she could feel the blood pumping in her limbs, fingers twitching, desperately wanting to share the vibrations stored in her computer. Her magenta eyes sharpened and a smile appeared on her face.

She was ready.

She gave Lyra a signal. Her friend quietly went for the large HiFi standing on one of the garage shelves, and using her foot, not breaking eye contact with the DJ, she unplugged the whole thing.

“Eeehhhhhh!”

“What?”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know, what just-”

“Is the HiFi broken?”

That was her cue. With a flick of a switch, the blue-haired girl turned on the dozen of multicolored lights she had wired on her speakers years ago. On the same time, she passed her left hand on a small control panel, triggering a slow kick-drum, attracting the attention of everyone in the house. Everything stopped, like the moment had been frozen in time, with just the hands of Vinyl moving across the buttons and keys.

“Yes, that’s it. That’s the sensation I’m looking for…”

She closed her eyes, letting her fingers do the work. All these years of sign language had made her extremely dexterous with her hands, and she had always appreciated the positive effect it had had on her music skills. Then the sub-bass came into place. Now her fingers were flowing through the air, vibrating like the frequency in her headphones, and the rhythm accelerated, as she started bobbing her head up and down, feeling the movements of her audience. She opened her eyes again. Some were bobbing their head as well, others were filming with their phones, others were simply listening to the vibes…

This was it. This was her way of talking. Her way of shouting. Of yelling her emotions at the world, at the ones she loved, the ones she hated, and everyone who listened to her music.

This was her language.

The volume rose, along with the rhythm. And rose again. And again. The students started to move more rapidly, waving their arms, raising their hands. Then Pinkie Pie took out a strobe light machine, which she wired in a few swift movements, and turned off all the lights in the room. Then the beams of coloured lights met the ceiling and the walls, moving slowly at first. Then faster. And faster. Following the sound waves propagating through the air.

And suddenly, everything stopped. Sound, light, time. Vinyl looked around her, in this instant frozen in time. She looked at her public, who did not know her, who she didn’t knew, but who were here with her. She looked at Lyra and Bon-Bon, cheering for her on the side of the stage. She looked at Octavia, silently sitting on a chair in a corner of the room, drinking a glass of cider with some country-looking girl. But the cellist wasn’t paying attention to her new comrade. She was looking at Vinyl. In her eyes, searching for something to attach to in that sea of unfamiliar faces, in these waves of sounds she knew nothing about, in this new life of hers.
Maybe Vinyl should have cried, or feel sorry. But instead, she felt even stronger, even more compelled to play. All of this, all the things they had gone through to get here, in was for her, for Octavia, to show her there was more in life than… boarding school and classical music.
And the second part was about to be taken care of.
She looked around again, observing every detail, every drop of water or carbonated drink, frozen in time and floating in the air. Her fingers, like untouched by those physical binds, were moving on the keyboard, rising the tension and the volume.

Time unfroze itself. And she dropped the beat.

The walls vibrated under the pressure of the sound, the floor was trembling, both people and heartbeats jumped, transported by the avalanche of sensations that just came out of the black speakers. Some were yelling, some were dancing, some were just swallowed whole by the sound waves.
Every emotion in Vinyl’s body was expressed through these notes: her hate for Sunset Shimmer and Sombra, her desire for Lyra, her love for Bon-Bon, and especially for Octavia… All those things she couldn’t say, wrecking balls inside her brain… She would scream them loud tonight.

“Can you hear my voice this time?!”

With all her strength and will, she placed her hands on the mixing tables, fingers touching the two large disks, pushing them back, forward, adjusting the sound, adding notes and changing the vibes as the flow of emotions in her body flew through her fingers and into her music.
Fuck everything. Fuck Sombra, fuck Discord, fuck CHS and the classes. Fuck Lyra too, but not like that. If she could spend the rest of her life like this, mixing, playing, yelling like she had a voice, sharing her beats, she would. No second thoughts.

“Yeah, maybe I could… But not alone…”

Her eyes stopped on Lyra and Bon-Bon, cheering for her in front of the stage. Bon-Bon was obviously not used to this kind of music, but she was having her share of fun with Lyra by her side. Vinyl smiled at them, then looked through the room for someone else. Someone she wished was in front row with the others, so that someone could see true excitement in the DJ’s eyes.

With the push of a button, she started the song cue she had prepared for the night, filled with some of her finest works. She got off the stage, walking through the small crowd filling the garage, with some people interrupting their motions to congratulate her, compliment her, pat her on the back and asking for her number. That felt good as well. She had to be honest: being loved was also fun. People loved her music. But also loved her.
But at first very moment, her mind was focused on something else. After taking a couple of pictures with some CHS students, including Pinkie Pie, who hugged her so tightly she almost suffocated, she left for the kitchen.

“Tavi, where are you?”

A few students were still in the kitchen and living room, drinking and eating from the incredibly large buffet their host had settled. She grabbed a glass of cider and a slice of salmon pizza, and headed for the living room.

There she was. The cellist was sitting in a (pink) puffy armchair, facing the bow window and contemplating the street shrouded in darkness. Vinyl took a look as well: it was nice, really. Silent, too. She could still hear her music playing in the garage, but it was not as ear-shattering here. Probably the reason Octavia chose this place.

Feeling the presence of someone behind her, the cellist turned around, facing Vinyl, before standing up and hugging her tightly.

“Oh Vinyl, where did you go?! I was so worried for you. Lyra went to search for you, and next thing I know, you were on the stage, playing your… songs. I… didn’t even get a chance to talk to you.”

“Damn, she’s right. She wasn’t with Lyra and Bon-Bon, and I was concentrated on my music… Shit, I hope she didn’t take it too badly.”

“It’s okay you know… I’ve actually managed to have some fun.” She chuckled, smiling at the DJ, “Applejack is very nice, and Bon-Bon introduced me to a few very smart and interesting people, even though I was a bit scared…”

“Great. Okay. Perfect. Please don’t make me feel bad for not coming with you, please, please, please…”

“You know, if you want to spend the evening with other persons, I have absolutely no issue with the idea…”

“Noooooo!!!”

“I mean, I completely understand: we have spent the last week with each others, it’s normal that you desire to meet new faces, like you were this past hour… I don’t want to intrude in your life…”

“What?”

“And I kno-”

Vinyl grabbed Octavia’s arm, stopping her mid-sentence. She grabbed her other arm, maintaining the cellist in front of her, looking her in the eyes. The surprise stopped Octavia from speaking, as the DJ let go of a hand to slowly sign her friend. Octavia analysed every movement, one by one, to be sure to catch the blue-haired girl’s answer:

“Vinyl, the thought of you being… ‘sick’ of me didn’t cross my mind, of course! But despite my… different tastes in musical entertainment, I saw how you behaved on this stage. This is your life. This is how you want to be. And how could… someone like me… ever help with any of this? How could I ever be anything but a burden?”

These last few words shattered the DJ’s heart into a million pieces. How could Octavia think that? Yes, of course, she had always been lacking confidence, but this was a whole new level. Something had to be done. Right now. She grabbed her pen and paper. What she wanted to say could not be misinterpreted. Octavia needed to understand that. She wrote as fast as she could on the white sheets, constantly giving Octavia quick reassuring glances. She was not going anywhere. Not until she got this message.

Listen to me Tavi,

I know we’ve not been friends for super long. I know it’s hard for you to meet new people. And I know you have some crazy pressure with your family. And despite all this shit, you manage to be an awesome, intelligent girl. I wish I knew more people like you.
Nah, you know what, scratch that. I don’t want to know other people like you. You’re unique Tavi. Maybe you’re a little weird sometimes, in the cute way of course, but hear me out:
I will not leave you.
Not for my music, not for other people, not because of your fucking parents (sorry).
And you must have gotten this by now, I don’t give up easily.
So if anything wants to drive you afar from me and the others, it’ll be over my fucking dead body.
Now look at me.

Octavia rose her head, and realized Vinyl’s face was now only a few inches away from hers. A small tear started forming in the corner or her eye, as she realized how stupid she was. After everything Vinyl, Lyra and Bon-Bon had gone through for her, after everything they had put at risk, only to make her feel wanted, to make her be able to experience what their life was. What true life was.
Vinyl took Octavia’s face between the palm of her hands, looking the cellist right into her eyes. And when Octavia looked in the center of the two magenta pupils, she realized her friend didn’t need a voice to speak, to help her, to reassure her. Was that… was that what true friendship looked like?
The DJ got closer to Octavia, and delicately pressed her forehead against her friend’s.

This was both the most intense and relaxing moment of Octavia’s life.

They stayed together like this, as Vinyl’s music played in the background, and the few remaining lights went out in the street shrouded in darkness.

Author's Notes:

Hey everyone!

Hope you enjoyed the short, for once, delay between the last chapter and this one! I didn't lie when saying I was going to have more time ^^
I actually really really enjoyed writing this one. And I hope you enjoyed reading it as well!

I know, I knooooooow I'm going to get some Sunset fans telling me that this isn't in-character at all, but even though I tryto stay as cannon as possible, I'll still make a few adjustments if it serves my story, so don't hate me :P

Love y'all,

Bisous,

Saga.