Domino Effect

by Wheller

Chapter 1

Chronology notes:
Stop! You are reading the fifth story in the Bonds of Eternity Series.

The first story in the series is Family found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1307/

The second story in the series is Nihil Novi Sub Sole found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1444/

The third story in the series is Friends in High Places found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1716/

The fourth story in the series is Trust found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1973/

Domino Effect
Chapter 1

The sunlight shone brightly off the pair of dark sunglasses as their owner stepped into Ponyville proper. The well dressed earth pony smiled brightly at everyone he passed, he was an older sort of stallion. A true gentleman to boot, He passed a very lovely looking earth pony mare, bright pink with a blonde mane, who had been wearing a lily blossom in her mane, she had dropped in and being the gentleman that he was picked it up and gave it back to her.

Never mind the fact that the poor filly started screaming and ran away afterwards. He took the event in stride and continued to roll onwards.

The earth pony’s brown coat was starting to grey at the ends; his jet black mane however was still as sharp as ever. His flank bore a cutie mark of a microphone. He turned his head as he noticed a door to a building marked as the Ponyville Public Library swung open, and a particularly beautiful unicorn mare walked out, her off white coat glistening in the sunlight, contrasting with her electric blue mane. She too had her eyes covered by a pair of violet lensed goggles.

“You...” she said. “You’re Pips Domino!”

Pips grinned widely at her. “The King of Cool in the flesh!”

Vinyl Scratch’s mouth dropped wide open, she then her mouth turned into a smile as she let out a high pitch squeal of excitement. “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it! You’re Pips Domino, and you’re right here! In front of me!”

Vinyl squealed loudly and practically tackled the stallion before her, grabbing his hoof and shaking it enthusiastically. “I’m Vinyl Scratch! I’m a huge fan!”

“I can tell!” Pips said with a grin.

“I have all your LPs and you know what? You’re how I got into music! When I was a filly I used to sing Blue Moon, Volare, and Fly me to the Moon on street corners and ponies would come all around to listen! And I’m making an arse of myself, aren’t I?” Vinyl asked.

“Just a little bit,” Pips said with a grin. “But you know what? That’s okay! Nice to know ponies this day and age still know who Pips Domino is. Can I make a request though?”

Vinyl Scratch gasped loudly and nodded her head in excitement.

“Can I have my hoof back?” Pips asked with a huge grin on his face.

Vinyl looked down and realised that she was still shaking the stallion’s hoof enthusiastically, her face turned bright red and she released it.

“It’s a pleasure meeting you Vinyl Scratch!” Pips Domino said. “You’ll have to excuse me, I’m old and I’ve been walking a while, I need to find a good place to settle in at.”

“Oh... uh,” Vinyl said. “About that, Ponyville is a small town that doesn’t get many visitors, especially none of your calibre. As such, there isn’t really any place to rent a room at. Most ponies stay with family when they come to visit...”

“Oh,” Pips said with disappointment ringing in his voice. He glanced around casually at the rest of the town. “That’s too bad, little town had quite the charm! I guess I’ll just be moving on then... shame, really.”

Pips Domino started trotting again, Vinyl took off after him.

“Wait! You could... stay with me!” Vinyl said grinning brightly at him. “That sounded weird... didn’t it, I mean. I’ve already come across as a celebrity stalker; I know what those are like... I’ve had them! But uh...”

Pips raised a hoof to shush her, smiling brightly at the young mare, his eyes twinkling at her from behind his sunglasses. “That’s very kind of you; I wouldn’t want to impose... though.”

“You wouldn’t be!” Vinyl cried out in a single breath. “I would be honoured if you would stay!”

“You’re not the type that takes no for an answer, are you Vinyl?” Pips asked with a grin.

“He he he... ah, no sir.” Vinyl said grinning cheekily. “Not really.”

“Ah, well then what’s the harm?” Pips Domino said with a grin. “Least I still got a fan!”

...

Twilight facehoofed hard when Vinyl told her what she had done. “Vinyl...” she groaned loudly in disapproval.

“I’m sorry!” Vinyl said quietly. “It’s not every day when your childhood idol walks into town and you open the door and find him standing RIGHT there! Don’t tell me you didn’t act the same way when you first met Princess Celestia!”

Vinyl Scratch had brought Pips Domino back to the Library and introduced him to Twilight and Rainbow Dash. Both of whom had dragged Vinyl Scratch into the kitchen upon hearing what she had done.

“And you would have done the same if it were Spitfire or Soarin’, Rainbow Dash, so don’t you start,” Vinyl said, pointing a hoof at the rainbow maned Pegasus.

“Well, she does have a point there...” Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle.

“Don’t encourage her,” Twilight snapped.

“Come on Twilight! What’s the harm? You and Rainbow Dash have your bed, there’s the other one upstairs, and I’ll sleep on the sofa! I’ve gotten rather attached to it. Please! Twilight! Childhood idol!”

Twilight let out a heavy sigh. “Fine.”

Vinyl practically tackled the lavender unicorn upon hearing her agree; she threw her forelegs around Twilight’s neck and began to hug the life out of her. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you! You won’t regret this! I promise!”

“You’re welcome... just... let me breath!” Twilight called out, gasping for air.

Vinyl grinned uneasily, releasing the unicorn mare and apologising for the excitement. She recomposed herself, stifling her desire to burst back into the main room and bombard her idol with love and admiration, she walked as casually as she could without trying too hard back out into the main room, where Pips Domino was sitting quietly on the Sofa, looking through a box of vinyl records.

“Uh...” Vinyl said, not sure where to go with her current line of thought. “Would you... uh... like some tea?”

“That sounds lovely,” Pips said with a grin.

Vinyl did the best that she could to keep herself from breaking down with excitement. She ducked her head back into the kitchen and practically ordered Twilight to put on a kettle, Twilight gave her a death stare as a result, prompting Vinyl to smile brightly and add a quick “please?” To which Twilight eventually obliged.

“You have... quite the collection of music here Vinyl Scratch. Everything from good ol’ me, to that modern techno-stuff,” Pips said.

“I’ve been told I’ve got... broad, yet refined tastes... just not if you ask my friend Octavia... she thinks I should be composing classical music,” Vinyl said. She added a nervous chuckle. “I’m not really a singer, I’m a DJ, most of those techno LPs are stuff I’ve done.”

Pips Domino didn’t respond, but instead gave her a bright grin.

“You... uh... You think I’m crazy, don’t you?” Vinyl asked nervously, and preparing herself for her idol’s opinion of her.

“Oh yeah,” Pips said with a grin. “But that’s okay; I am too, because you know what? The public wouldn’t like us if we sane.”

“Yeah!” Vinyl said, agreeing blindly, she becoming flustered in the presence of her idol. Pips Domino clearly was amused by it.

“Vinyl, Vinyl! You really need to relax! I’m just like any other pony you’ve met in your life! Really. You’re going to have a heart attack if you keep this up,” Pips said with a grin. “Relax!”

“I... sorry, I... I just... have wanted to meet you my entire life!” Vinyl said. “Now you’re here! I... I really need to back off the creepy stalker thing, don’t I?”

“It’s probably a good idea,” Pips said with a grin. “Just as long as I don’t wake up to you watching me while I sleep. That’s freakin’ creepy.”

“Yeah... I know, I’ve... uh, had one of my fans do that to me,” Vinyl said with a chuckle.

Pips Domino merely gave her a grin. “Well, I thank you for your hospitality, if you don’t mind, this old stallion is going to turn in. I had a long walk to get here, well I’m tired. Good night Vinyl Scratch.”

“Goodnight Mister Domino!” Vinyl said in a single breath.

“Call me Pips!” he said as he rose and trotted up the stairs.

“Goodnight... Pips!” Vinyl said smiling widely at him.

Vinyl listened as Pips Domino began to sing as he trotted upstairs. “Blue Moon! Now I’m no longer alone! Without a dream in my heart! Without a love of my own!”

He still had it.

Comments

[Apocalypse Pony]

Happy Vinyl?
Happy Vinyl!
....Happy...Vinyl...?
.....Happy Vinyl

Dear god how will this explode in our faces.

[DreadedCandiru2]

22020
The "explosion" I anticipate has a distinguishing facial characteristic that leads everypony in town to assume that she's an imbecile.(Hint : ) Simply put, Octavia will have company in wanting to stomp her into the ground for being an idiot.

[KaijinZero]

oh dear celestia, this might not end well. in other news, glad to see that rainbow and twilight together again

[DreadedCandiru2]

22206
His smug comment about still having it gives us another clue as to how things will blow up in Vinyl's face; not only will she be horribly disillusioned by her idol, her marefriend will prove herself to not be the cretin everypony in town thinks she is by giving her an extremely articulate pre-dumping dressing-down.

[Wheller]

22207

Pips didn't say it, that was narration.

[Lucky424]

Yeah, Derpy's not going to like this!!!