Club Vinyl

by BlazzingInferno

Vinyl Scratch’s Big Adventure

At long last, Saturday was here. The bass beats rocking the club made the music’s rhythm a feast for more than just the ears. Octavia caught herself smiling as Vinyl’s electric improvisations made her cello hum. She didn’t need to mentally visualize the song, not when the notes were pulsing through her body like bolts of lightning.

She couldn’t recall much of the dreaded charity concert earlier that night, aside from being elated to take a bow and watch the curtain fall. When Perfect Note took a moment at the end to thank everypony for coming, she’d let her eyes wander to the royal box situated near the stage. As promised, Princesses Celestia and Luna were in attendance, both smiling with all the regality that could be expected. Still, she’d couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something a little too perfect about the younger Princess’s expression, almost as if it was a well practiced façade. That couldn’t be true, of course; their generous monetary contribution made it clear how they felt about the performance and the cause.

The music faded and Vinyl’s voice took its place. “How’s everypony doing tonight?”

Spotlights panned over the cheering crowd. The dance floor packed was to the limit and beyond. It was a wonder all those ponies could breath, let alone dance.

Again, Vinyl addressed the crowd. “Are my buddies on fire tonight or what?”

Now Octavia and Concerto were in the spotlight, and the crowd loved it even more. The ones closest to the stage held up one hoof each and started shouting something in unison. The chant spread through the crowd until it nearly overtook the music: “Art! Art! Art!”

Octavia blushed. She could feel their eyes on her, and their collective will calling for one singular thing.

Concerto leaned over and spoke in her ear. “Don’t tell me your going to disappoint them.”

She looked at him and smiled. “Just like we practiced, right?”

“Right?”

They held their bows in the air and joined the chant. “Respect the arts!”

The lights moved to Vinyl next. “This is a big night, ponies: every bit you’re bringing in tonight is gonna put more music education in the schools, so let’s crank it up one more time! Go score another carrot dog or drop a bit in the jar, and I’ll drop one last beat with–”

Somepony shouted so loud the record skipped. “More!”

The sheer force of the voice parted the crowd and permitted the pony in question to approach the stage. As the lights fell on her Octavia’s jaw dropped. “Is… is that Prin–”

“I haven’t been so entertained in over a thousand years, and I, Princess Luna, want more!”

There was no doubt about it; Luna had indeed been forcing a smile at the concert. That was the only explanation for the look of wild glee currently on her face. A pony couldn’t smile any wider without breaking something.

Octavia, Concerto, and Vinyl exchanged looks of excitement and worry. Who were they to tell a Princess of Equestria that it was almost closing time?

Vinyl leaned over her microphone and looked at her friends. “You dudes think we can do a couple more?”

The crowd answered with an enthusiastic yes, while Octavia and Concerto simply nodded. All of that wasn’t enough for Luna, however. A second later she was hovering over the crowd and magically outshining the spotlights. “I’ll pay a hundred thousand bits for another hour! Who’s with me?”

Octavia almost dropped her bow. “A hun… a hundred thousand?”

Concerto steadied her before she could fall over. “That’s twice what the concert raised.”

“I uh… by the time we’re done here I might be too tired for our um… usual post-performance tradition, dear.”

He chuckled. “You and me both.”

He held up his bow to the crowd and nodded. They were going to keep playing.

Vinyl’s amplified voice could barely be heard over the cheering that followed. “Right on, ponies, let’s party!”

The music rose up to all new levels of loud. Ponies threw bits in the air, and Luna caught each one in an ethereal blue glow. Golden coins hung in the air like stars in the sky, and the ponies underneath jumped up and down in time with the furious beat.

---

Walking to the club in the middle of the day was an entirely different experience. The streets were busy with all the usual signs of commerce, and there wasn’t a trace of bone-rattling bass to be heard. Making the walk without instruments strapped to their backs was a welcome change, although Octavia still insisted they walk slowly.

“But… How do you think she’ll take it?”

Concerto laughed and nuzzled his wife. “Didn’t I just say she’ll be happy?”

“Yes, but… it’s been nearly two months. When we left things were going so well, and I promised we’d be back.”

“We are back, Tavi. Maybe not exactly how Vinyl expected, but still…”

Even in the daylight, the grandeur and audacity of the club was made it clear that Vinyl had been doing quite well in their absence. The whole front of the building had been redecorated to look like one giant speaker. Brand new neon lights spelled out the club’s name in letters taller than they were, along with Octavia’s now iconic line: Respect the Arts.

Octavia grinned. “Let’s go tell her the good news.”

Their key to the apartment still worked, and the familiar smell of the interior let them know that Vinyl did indeed still live there. Concerto knocked on the wall. “Hey Vinyl? It’s Concerto and Octavia. Are you here?”

The only reply was a loud snore.

“I guess we’ll have to come back later.”

Octavia marched to the bedroom door. “Are you kidding? I’ve wanted to do this for years.”

She pounded on the door with two hooves. “Vinyl Scratch! You’ve got one minute to get presentable before I break the door down.”

Something stirred on the other side of the door. “Wha… Tav? That you?”

Vinyl opened the door a few seconds later. Her mane was a mess and her glasses were missing, but she did have a smile on her face. “You’re back?”

Octavia nodded. “In a manner of speaking. You see–”

Vinyl nearly knocked her over with a hug. Concerto was pulled in a moment later. “You guys have a good vacation? I’ve gotta tell you about how the club’s been doing, see ever since you left–”

Octavia extracted herself from the embrace and straightened her bow tie. “We have some important news too.”

Vinyl looked and Concerto and grinned. “Nice going, pops. You want a filly or a colt?”

Concerto’s eyebrows shot up. “You know? How?”

“You two were one room over from me for like a week and now you’ve got big news; of course I know.”

Octavia blushed bright red. “I… uh…”

“Chill, Tav, you two are gonna be great parents.”

Concerto stepped in while Octavia regained her composure. “So about that… we’re going to have to cut back on how many late nights we have, especially when the time gets closer.”

“It’s cool. Like I was gonna say, things are going great here. Sure I don’t have my buddies playing with me, but I’m spinning some new sounds that’s got ponies pouring in every night. Luna even drops in sometimes.”
 “Princess Luna?”

“Yeah, last time she said I can drop the Princess part as long as she keeps getting in for free. Now that’s a pony that can dance!”

Octavia took a deep breath and resumed her original blush-free smile. “I’m glad things are going so well for you.”

“Forget me, what about you guys? You still playing with the super-evil conductor?”

Concerto laughed. “I’m pretty sure he’s not evil. We’re on break until next Monday. Eventually Tavi will have to cut back on the cello playing, but not yet.”

Octavia gave him a friendly shove. “I’m pregnant, not sick. As long as my hooves aren’t too swollen to hold a bow I’m keeping it up, and that includes a night or two here every week.”

Vinyl pumped a hoof in the air. “Aww yeah!”

Then she lowered her head to Octavia’s middle. “I’m gonna play extra loud so you can hear too.”

Comments

[BlazzingInferno]

5487559
My friends had a conductor in school who was a former pro athlete, forced to retire because of an injury. She was also a slave driver; if you were in the band, the band was your whole life. Kind of like a street gang.

In all fairness, she did get results. The band was the school's pride and joy.

[BlazzingInferno]

5487592
Lindsey Stirling is one of the three or so artists I listened to while writing this

[theNDinspector]

Then she lowered her head to Octavia’s middle. “I’m gonna play extra loud so you can hear too.”

Yeah, that might not work out too well.

This was a great story, and if you do make another sequel in this series, I would definitely be interested in reading it.

[Midknight Defender]

5487893 Yeah, she's pretty spectacular. We need more musicians like that. Less meat dresses and more music!

[HarlenBooks]

Another sequel