Story: Hard Scratch (chapter 1)

Just outside ponyville, a chalk white mare, with a blue mane bobbed her head to a beat playing through her headphones.

"Something's missing."

Vinyl scratch's hooves caressed the large mixing board in front of her as she tried to balance the sound.

The white pony began to lose her patients as the beats weren't lining up and the bass was way out of control. Her hooves move franticly to save the music that was starting to tank right before her ears.

"It's no good."

The blue-mane pony closed her red eyes in dismay as she flipped off a long line of switches, turning off her music.

"Well there's a couple of hours worth of mixing down the drain."

Scratch groaned lowly as she turned from her engineering table and walked out of her mixing room.

It's wasn't like the DJ pony to get off track or that badly anyway, but something else was bother her....

A couple of nights ago Octavia came to her home crying about her music suffering. Scratch had known the mare for while now as she enjoyed the company of the musically inclined, but seeing her friend cry did something to her.

The blue-maned mare foolishly or carelessly made a move and kissed the cello playing mare. Octavia was shocked to say the least as she stared into the DJ-pony's red eyes. Vinyl blushed with loving intent as she hoped the other mare might return it, it wasn't so. Scratch tried apologizing numerous times as her friend reeled back from her, scared and confused.

The look on Octavia's face hurt Vinyl more than a bad beat or crap performance as she still tried to calm her friend, but a spooked pony is hard to calm sometimes. In the end she could only watch the brown-mare run away without a single word.

"I'm sorry Octavia..."

Vinyl walked into her living-room and sat on her couch trying to think of something to take her mind off her friend when a knock came at her door.

"It couldn't be...."

The white mare quickly got up and looked at herself in a small mirror by the door.

"Not too bad..., my glasses!"

Vinyl took a deep breath as she couldn't run back to get them and opened the door.

"Hey Scratch, what's up my pony?" It was Rainbow dash smiling brightly as Vinyl was glad and sad to not find Octavia at her door.

"Hey Scratch, you ok chief?" Dash asked swiftly, fluttering her wings magically as Vinyl quickly shook her head a bit dazed from Dash's wings.

"Everything is fine, please come in." The Pegasus wasn't convinced, but she wasn't nosey either.

"What can I do for you Rainbow dash?" Vinyl asked with a forced smile and eye contact. She was pissed she didn't have her glasses as her eyes were her most distinguishing and deceiving feature.

"Well I'm throwing a party, and I'd like you to DJ it, if you're not too busy." Dash smiled slyly as Scratch wondered why the cyan pony was smiling that way at her.

"Let me check." Vinyl stepped over to her scheduling book and checked it. Rainbow circled closer, when the unicorn spoke again.

"When would you like to...!?" Scratch began as the cyan pony irrupted her.

"Tonight." Dash grinned knowingly as Vinyl blushed at Dash's forwardness.

"Is everything set? People invited? It's kinda short notice." Scratch asked worriedly as she planned most events days in advance. She paused for a moment as she remembered Octavia acting in the same manner one time, actually a few times really.

"Vinyl Scratch, the only thing I want you to do is show up and DJ my party, I have equipment at my place just bring your music and… a plus one." Dash's head tilted slyly as Vinyl blushed again, feeling stupid and walked back to her mixing room. She found her glasses waiting for her as she lifted them with her magic and put them on her face.

"Who would you like me to invite?" Dash followed the unicorn back to her room as Vinyl used her magic now to search through all her records.

"N-no pony, it's a private party and I don't mix business and pleasure." Scratch continued to search for nothing in particular as Dash suddenly came up next to her.

"Come on, there's gotta be somepony!" The cyan Pegasus rubbed harmlessly against the unicorn as Vinyl froze, she couldn't believe it but she was scared and… and little bit uncomfortable.

"There's no-mare, now please Rainbow dash I have to get ready for tonight." Vinyl's loins slowly warmed as the Pegasus continued to lean into the unicorn.

"Sounds like some-mare to me, I bet it's that cutie Octavia with all her properness, she is rather dashing." Dash didn't let up with her words or rubbing as DJ started to get angry.

"Don't talk about my friend like that!" Vinyl yelled, bumping the flying pony back as Dash was at first surprised, then not so much.

"…Or what?" Dash came face to face with Vinyl as the white pony held her ground.

"Nothing, we're just friends!" Scratch snapped lethally as she lifted her glasses to make her point. Rainbow dash looked deeply in those reddish eyes as it all became clear.

"Don't worry I'm sure you'll get another shot at it tonight." Dash turned for the door.

"Here's a 100 bits, if you want to help, stop by the apple ranch and pick up the hard cider and Applejack, I'll will be waiting so don't be late." Rainbow pulled a small sack of from under her wing and tossed it on the coffee table. Vinyl's mouth was a simply gap now as she couldn't even think straight.

"You understand right?" Rainbow Dash looked back over her shoulder slyly again as the blue-maned mare nodded her head slowly, still unable to speak.

"Laters!" Dash was out the door and into the sky in seconds as the unicorn walked to the doorway and watched the Pegasus soar into the sky.

"Another shot?"

After cleaning up and getting her music together Vinyl scratch made her way to the Apple farm.

Vinyl tried to focus but found it difficult with everything going on. Octavia and Dash had her blood rushing as she sighed to herself. She came to the front gate as Applejack was nowhere to be seen. The DJ pony strolled towards the barn as she heard a besieged voice.

"Com' on ya stinkin' piece of crap." Vinyl found Applejack trying to break loose a hub of a broken wagon wheel by herself.

"Hey Scratch! Be a daring an' give us ah' hand!" The white pony removed her saddlebags and trotted over to the struggling pony.

"I can use my magic if you want?" Vinyl offered as the orange earth pony shook her head.

"Nah can't have that, wouldn't be proper and if it broke ya' might get blamed." Apple smiled lightly as Vinyl hung her head down.

"Don't be gettin' down on ya' self now, jus' come over here." Scratch smiled and moved closer, watching for mud puddles spread across the farm driveway.

"What do you want me to do?" The unicorn asked sheepishly as Applejack quickly grabbed her front hooves and wrapped them around her. Scratch felt a sting of fright as her senses took in the other pony. Vinyl could smell her apple sweet scent, feel her damp coat, see her dirty hooves, hear her laboring breath, and taste the sweat in her waving mane.

"Okay! We're gonna give tis' hub a good yank now, jus' hold onto me." The green-eyed pony declared, turning around as she grabbed the wrench.

"1-2-3!!!" Both yanked back toughly as a loud snap cracked the air. The hub snapped loose as both ponies toppled back.

Spooked, Vinyl continued to kick her back legs as she traveled backwards at a hurried paced.

"Look out Scratch!" Applejack leaped forward as she tried to catch the fallen pony.

*SPASH!!!*

The two mare landed right in a large mud puddle as both got up swiftly.

"Oh noooo I'm all dirty!" The unicorn tried to shake the mud from her coat as Applejack started laughing.

"I guess it's true, unicorns don't like to get their horns dirty!" The Earth pony trotted out of the mud carelessly as she motioned her head to Vinyl.

"Com'on we got a shower 'round back, I'll race ya'!" The two mares were racing around back before either had a chance to think.

"Ya' on tha' farm now girlie, hard work and hard play only!" The orange mare teased as she sprinted ahead.

"No way!" Vinyl picked up speed as she came up next to the earth pony.

"Ya' jokin' right?!" Applejack shouldered the unicorn as Scratch grimaced and fought back.

"Not on ya' life!" Applejack was a bit taken back as she heard someone mock her voice to her face. Both ponies saw the stall around the corner and made a mad dash for it.

"Ya'll never beat me!" Apple yelled as she slowed down and let the dirty DJ in first. Unaware of how to use the outside shower Vinyl paused as Apple smashed into her and flipped on the water. Vinyl jerked around wildly from the icy water as Applejack pinned her. The freezing water poured down on the two dirty ponies as Vinyl felt her loins twang with pleasure.

"You don't look scared to me." Applejack whispered into Scratch's ear as the unicorn groaned forced herself back into the strong earth pony.

"Enough' of tha' now, we got to get to Rainbow's party." The two cleaned up silently as Vinyl stole glances at the Earth pony.

"An' stop makin' 'em silly eyes at me too." Applejack sneered as she shook her coat provocatively and headed back to the wagon. The two mares were on the road and heading for Rainbow Dash's party as Scratch couldn't believe what was going on.

"I haven't even got to the party yet…"

Chapter 1