My music career is falling. My house is trashed. I'm slowly becoming addicted to a cartoon pony show. And to top it all off, I ordered Vinyl Scratch off the internet from Vogon Biotech.
The day music died so did my career. I can't say I'm mad, but damn, it could have waited till I was prepared to stop making music. Well, I'm not ready to stop. I have to do something to get back on the public's good side. Something...crazy...something... drastic..something... idiotic...something involving a sunglasses wearing, pony DJ.
It's surprising how quickly things can change in a small amount of time. Whether it be laws,buildings, the status quo, people,technology, musical tastes, or even yourself, the change is imminent. You just gotta be ready for it.
“Listen to me…Electronic Dance Music is dead!! Nobody wants to listen to that mess anymore. It’s old. It’s boring.It’s repetitive. And it’s not making us any money! Do you understand?!”
“…yeah…” I replied.
“I’m sorry, but the people don’t want it anymore. They moved on and have gotten new tastes. I’m sorry, Mason, but if you want to stay on the people’s good side, you gotta make what they want to hear. It has been years since any EDM song has been on the top of the charts”
“What they want to hear is garbage. I won’t shovel that into their ears.”
My name is Mason…and I’m a top DJ. Well, I was a top DJ until the musical taste of the masses switched from what I made to some two frequency trash. It’s not even music, but apparently people want lucid thoughts, over sensitive feelings, and other drug side effects. They can have them, but they won’t be getting them from me. Anyway, I was hanging with my bros when my producer video called. One of them kept trying to Netflix My Little Pony.
“Do you remember your first live show? You only had about a thousand show up and stream in. After that, you exploded. Twenty- five thousand, fifty thousand, a million! Your numbers kept growing, but now look at it. A year after your biggest concert and you’re swimming with the small fish again.”
“Look, Percy, what if I…worked with an artist to put out a song.” I tried to come up with some option to get him off my back.
“That may work. For a little while. I’ll see if I can find any willing artist. For now, enjoy the little circle jerk you’re having with your buddies.”
He ended the call, and I went back to my friends. Somehow, they all settled on watching that damn pony show on my television, and playing a fighting game that came along with it. They seemed to be having a good time, so I joined in. Apparently, the show “My little Pony: Friendship is Magic” had a huge following some time ago. I could see why. It’s pretty good. Though, I wouldn’t have joined it the “fandom”.
"You see the way Rarity almost fought that dragon, " One of my buddies said, "That's why she's the best pony."
"Whoa! Obviously Rainbow Dash is the best pony. Don't forget it!" replied another bro.
We ended up watching a lot of the episodes that day. Talk about binge watching. My brain was full with ponies. All those colors swirled in my head; I felt like I went through night of drink and needed to barf. At the end of the day, my buddies left and of course left my place trashed. It wasn’t too bad. I could easily clean it up myself, but I wasn’t going to. A simple voice command and my home cleaned itself. (Man, I love the future. )
As the house cleaned, I returned to watching the pony show. I wasn’t addicted, but I was in the middle of a two-part wedding episode. I can’t miss that, right? It was pretty cool. Changelings, shape shifting, deception, mind control, and taking over empires. I was starting to think this wasn’t a kid’s show. The episode ended with the pink one- Pinkie Pie- somehow summoning a DJ. I like the way that DJ pony looked. Especially her shades.
“Yo, Tesla!" I yelled the name of my house's automated system. It was connected to everything in my home. "Look up that white unicorn. Not Rarity; the other one. She looks cool enough to get wasted with.” I shouted.
Within seconds my TV screen split in two, and a Google search appeared. It searched for awhile before the results appeared.
“The pony’s name is Vinyl Scratch or Dj Pon-3. She appeared in three separate episodes and movies, yet had no speaking lines. All other information about her is fanbased.” The computer responded in its female voice, “The fandom took full grasp on this character and gave her a personality. Along with many fans taking her name and creating songs, animations, and even accessories.”
“All that for one background pony... What’s she like?”
“She’s a laid back, easy going, spontaneous, and a adaptable pony. She’s the life of any party, loves to make music, and messes with her marefriend ,Octavia.”
“Mare friend?”
“Girlfriend, sir…oh and you received an email.”
My TV screen darkened, and an animated portal opened up on the screen. Out of it came a suited pony like in the show. She smiled before bowing and then talked. ““Imagine that perfect someone, or in your case a somepony. Imagine them being ready for you, waiting for you, loving you from the day they see you till-“
“Whoa there, Partner...If you're trying to sell me one of those helpmates then I'm not interested.They creep me out. Plus, I am in a relationship already.” Those help mates...I don't know. I have nothing against them, but they are sort of creepy. Seeing a character from a fictional show in real life. It gives me the willies. Fiction and reality should stay separate. More or less.
“I suppose our targeted advertisements thought you might be a potential customer since you seem to have watched a lot of My Little Pony today. Sorry for disturbing you. Have a wonderful day and a happy relationship.”
The pony turned to step back in her portal, but I could not to let her go. Something told me not to. My interests were piqued, and I had to know why she was here. Of course it had to be pony related, but I didn't care. Besides, this was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity. Probably.
“Wait…” I sighed, “Tell me what you have to offer. I’m interested…but make it snappy. I have to get started on the next season of this show.”
“What we are offering is a dream sort to speak. Imagine, if you will, any character from your favorite show in the flesh. Breathing, sweating, eating, bleeding, crying, and laughing. Except, it’s not a dream. It’s realty. The pony of your choosing will be by your side. She or he won’t fade, won’t disappear…they'll be real.”
“To tell the truth, I’m not really into the show that much to actually want all that. I just started watching the show today. Plus, I’m sorta busy too take care of one.”
“Sir, these are sentient beings. They think…talk…just like they do in the show. Just like you and me.” The pony smiled a little at my ignorance, “ Our 'products' our different from the others;They can take care of themselves.”
“Oh..." I sat on the couch thinking to myself. Yeah, I found the helpmates creepy,but it wouldn't hurt to have a look. "In that case, do you happen to have a pony named Vinyl Scratch?”
“Of course, sir!”
The pony stepped aside, and on my screen appeared the white, disheveled mane having, sunglasses wearing pony. She had a smirk of her face showing slight arrogance. She knew she was the best. She rocked her head to a beat I couldn’t hear, yet by the way she was doing it, it must have been amazing. Then, in a flash, she changed. Vinyl was standing on her two legs, her arms swinging to the same beat, and her smirk still in place. She still looked like a pony, yet with some human features and clothes- some white sweat suit with blue trim. Definitely cool enough to have in one of my performances…maybe even to collaborate with. I began thinking how this could elevate my career…or destroy it. Collaborating with a Vinyl Scratch. Yes. I could see it. This could be the rocket back to the top. It was a risk I had to take.
“That’s uh…”
“Amazing. Yes, thank you. We at Vogon Biotech pride ourselves on making our products as life-like as possible.” Replied the suited pony on my screen.
“Cool…add her to my account. Just tell me when she gets here.”
“But, sir…there’s other stuff you need to…”
“Yeah… I don’t care. Just do whatever.”
“We can’t complete the order without you selecting from options-her personality and clothes.”
“Look…I’m not really sure how this work, but I do want that pony. How about this: You and your company put in the basic stuff any “brony” might want with their Vinyl Scratch.”
“Uh…okay, sir, but there aren’t any other Vinyl Scratches. You are ordering “the” Vinyl not “a” Vinyl. She’ll be ready in two months.” The pony told me before jumping back in her portal.
The pony and her portal disappeared, but in her place appeared a human-like discord sitting at a desk. He simple smiled before pulling out a scroll which rolled over the desk and into the black void of the television. He noticed my confused expression and shook his head. "Look, do you accept the charges and other things that come with this purchase?"
I simply nodded before returning to the show. The next season was calling my name. You know, not that I was interested or anything. I just wanted to see what happened next. You just can’t start a show and not finish it. That would be wrong on so many levels, right?
The next two months passed in a blur. Nothing really exciting happened. I had a couple small gigs here and there, some meetings talking about my next “Big hit”, a date with my girl, and a trial about a DUI I had gotten, which I may add wasn’t my fault. I was the least drunk out of my group, so I took it upon myself to drive. Too bad the courts didn’t see it the way I way.
So, I sat in my home with an ankle bracelet around my leg waiting for Vogon to deliver the Vinyl.( In hindsight, I should have asked the price because that twenty-two thousand credits sort of put a dent in my account. It didn’t matter much; I’m still well off. ) The worst part about these bracelets is that they put them on so tight that you can’t reach the itch underneath them. I had to sit in torture. Even watching that blasted pony show didn’t bring me any relief. Then I heard it.
A delivery truck was pulling into my driveway. I couldn’t see the words on the side, but I was fairly certain who it was. The vehicle stopped halfway up, and two men stepped out. They walked to the back, pulled two levers on the side in sync, and the back doors opened. A ramp descended down from the back. Down it walked the pony I had ordered. Though, something seemed to be off. Like she wasn’t herself. She was meek, shy ,and didn't have on her shades allowing her scarlet eyes to be shown…just not the pony I saw on my screen.
The two men,one holding a suitcase, then began guiding her up to my front door, yet were being very careful not to make physical contact with her. I went outside to try and meet the three, but my ankle bracelet began to go off. Immediately, I stepped back inside. The men and Vinyl reached my door. I was expecting to have to sign some paper work, but as soon as Vinyl stopped in front of me, they turned to leave.
“Ummm…Don’t I have to sign… or something…maybe get an instruction booklet…maybe?” I yelled. Either they didn’t hear me or chose to ignore my words, it didn’t matter. They both climbed into the truck and drove away. I could only sigh as I turned back to the frightened looking pony. I took her hand within mine and spoke, “I suppose I should bring you inside-Crap!”
I released Vinyl’s hand after an electric shock came from it. My hand was alright. Perhaps a tad numb. I looked from my hand to Vinyl who seemed to have changed. Her smirk was back and so was her smug sense of arrogance. She no longer seemed frightened or anxious; she seemed to know that she had the whole situation under her control.
“Mason! Buddy! Long time, no see!” Vinyl said as she hugged me. “Thanks for letting me crash here. Celestia knows I’m too broke to afford my own place. I spent all my bits just to get here.”
Vinyl stood in my doorway. She opened her suitcase, bent over, and rummaged for something. Naturally, I took a quick glance at her backside. Nice, round, hips for days, and those pants she had on tied everything together. She began to rise back up, and I looked away. When I looked into her eyes... well I couldn’t. She now had adorned her shades which was sort of heart breaking. I missed those red eyes, but I had to admit that she now looked cooler than before.
“No problem…” I moved aside and waved my arm inside, “Come on in…I guess.”
"Cool.” She walked into my house, but stopped as soon as she passed me, “The next time you decide to check me out, at least be more discrete. I’ve seen a drunkard more inconspicuous than you. Besides, I’m already taken.”
Vinyl wiggled her hips temptingly before laughing. She then walked to my refrigerator and raided it. I heard the sound of glass hitting each other, food moving, and then her closing the door. The plate she had mainly fruits and vegetables and I saw one of my sodas in her hand. She then jumped onto my couch, laid across it, and began eating an apple. The first bite she took resulted in her violently coughing and spitting out the fruit. When she finished, she shrugged and took another bite, deciding the fruit wasn’t that bad.
I couldn’t stop watching her as I went to my fridge and grabbed a coke. I kept my distance deciding to see how functioned. She didn’t seem to mind at all. She began to reach for my remote to the TV , but she couldn’t reach it nor did she bother to get up and get it. My computer forgot to mention she was sort of lazy. Then she surprised me. Her horn began to glow. The remote was wrapped in some blue aura and slowly raised off the table. Vinyl then seemed to struggle; the remote dropped to the table. Defeated, she got up to retrieve it.
“How’d you do that?” I asked.
“Do what?” replied Vinyl. She took a bite of a carrot and shuddered at the taste.
“The remote…your horn…”
“Oh, you mean my magic. Dude, every unicorn has magic. Where have you been? Under a rock or something? Unicorns have magic, Pegusi can fly, and Earth ponies have a tie into the land. Plus, they’re really strong. Trust me; I have firsthoof experience from Octavia.”
“That’s…not natural…”
“Of course it is! Well, back in Equestria it is. I don’t know about here. Though, I feel something.” She explained. She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. “I’m just tired from my trip. That’s probably why I couldn’t lift the remote.”
I walked back to Vinyl who was till flicking through the channels. As usual, there was nothing on. When she discovered this, she settled on the news channel. Not that she was watching it. The DJ began looking around my before her eyes settled on a framed picture of my girl and eye. She simply smiled.
“Who’s this girl?” Vinyl asked as she pointed to the blonde girl in the photo.
“That’s my girlfriend.” I replied while smiling, “Going on a year.”
“She looks…obnoxious…uptight…a rich daddy’s little girl type.” Vinyl said breaking down my girlfriend, “She’s not the one for you.”
“Dude…you haven’t even met her. She’s amazing.”
“I don’t have to meet her. I’ve played at enough clubs to know her type.” She sighed, “Bro, I’m trying to help you out. The second she gets bored of you or you stop playing by her rules, she’s gone. Trust me, I went through the same thing you did before I got with Octy.”
“Whatever, dude…” I replied. Her words cut deep because somewhere in my mind, I knew they were true. I was just too naïve to accept it. Vinyl simply shrugged before returning to her food. We sat in silence for at least five minutes while the news played in the background. I sipped my coke and she ate. It wasn’t awkward. Just two…”friends” sitting in each other’s company.
A march down the Streets of Los Angeles today as Purists speak out against the new ideals and technology of today.
Both Vinyl and I heard the broadcast. We looked at the television to see a parade of conservatively dressed men and women walking down a road. They held signs up showing their hatred against anything and everything that went against their religious ideals.
“Not these idiots…” I said out loud.
“Who are they?” asked Vinyl.
“A bunch of extremists who hate everything. If it doesn’t fit into their idea of a pure, clean world then it doesn’t belong. Even the good things don’t fit in their picture. Medicine, technology, prosthetic limbs, food, you name it, they probably hate it.”
Vinyl shook her head, “There’s no way to get them to shut up or calm down?”
“Unfortunately no.” I explained, “They can legally do it. No matter how stupid they are, they’re protected by the first amendment.”
“Oh well, let the ignorant live in their bliss,” Vinyl stood up from the couch. All the fruits and vegetables spilled on the ground,
“For we…we are going to party!”
She grabbed my hand before pulling me towards the door. I had to admit, she was stronger than I thought. We were almost running before we reached the front door. I didn’t have any complaints. From my experience, you can learn a lot form a person based on the way they party. Plus, staying in at night wasn’t my forte.
"Wait," I said, "My ankle bracelet..."
Vinyl looked down to my bracelet. "Don't worry, I got this." She kneeled down to my ankle, and with a few twist and tears, the bracelet fell off.
“Alright, let’s go. Just let me lock up.” I walked back into the house to retrieve my car keys. “Tesla, lock up the house. And let me know if anyone walks onto the property.”
“Of course, sir. Anything else?” Tesla responded.
“Uh…insert drunken protocol.”
“Will do. The doors will automatically unlock when you arrive, and a Bloody Mary will be ready when you awake.”
Vinyl and I walked out of my home which wasn’t anything special. Just a two story home in a gated community in Los Angeles. As we walked away, the home shut down. Metal shielding covered the windows, motion sensor lights armed, and the police were on standby. I checked my watch, which was connected to the system, to see if the shutdown was complete. When it was, we walked to my car- Honda Civic. The solar panels sat on top since gas long since ran out. I unlocked it, we climbed in, and I started the engine. I checked the charge-52%. It should be enough to last the night. If not, the generator should kick in.
“Alright, Vinyl. Are ya ready for a night you’ll never forget?” I asked her.
“Naw, bro!” She smiled before readjusting her shades, “I’m ready for a night I won’t remember.”
I don’t know how, and I never bothered to ask, but my car radio turned on, the music I created began playing, and we both raved to the beat.
(Vinyl’s POV)
LA is a crazier town than Lower Canterlot at night. The people, the clothes, the food, the music. It’s all so amazing. But what really surprised me was Mason’s carriage with speakers. That was crazy fast and loud. We drove for about twenty minutes before arriving to a club. The neon on the outside was so bright that, even with my glasses on, I could barely see it. Mason parked the car across the street then walked to the front door. He skipped past the entire line, which I add was wrapped around the corner. We reached the bouncer who took one look at him and opened the velvet rope for us both. We walked in ignoring the jeers/ complaints from the waiting members.
Inside, the music pumped, the ponies danced, and the strobe lights moved to the beat. I could barely hear myself think; this is where I belonged. Mason walked through the crowd as if he was water. Flowing through the cracks and crevices. I followed as best I could. Soon, I found myself in the front of the club where the music was the loudest. It didn’t bother me none; I was used to it. Mason waved down the DJ who was on the stand, and with a smile, he stopped the music.
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the club!” screamed the DJ. His bald, brown head glowed in the set lights, “What I need you to do…is give a big, warm welcome to a DJ whose sound is something different. Coming back home to where he got his start…I give you…Mason Williams…better known as DJ Helix!”
The crowd cheered as Mason waved his arms. I could tell he was new to the spotlight since he still blushed and smiled nervously at the crowd.
“Hey, Helix! How about you get up here and play us something new!” asked DJ.
“Sorry, man. I didn’t come here to play or take the spotlight. I just came here to have fun with my bro, Vinyl Scratch or, as she is known back home, DJ Pon-3” Mason replied.
Then, the spotlight shifted to me. I was in the middle of everyone’s attention. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m used to it. I love it. But...these stares weren’t the same I got back in Equestria. They were different-More of the judging, unsure type. The silence was killing me until one person in the back began cheering. She yelled my name while asking for an autograph. Then, everyone else jumped on board.
After a while, the music resumed playing, everyone began dancing, and Mason grabbed my hand. He pulled me to the bar. I only remember key things from that night in-between blacking out. First, the first round of shots we had. They were green with a blue powder around it. Delicious but burned on the way down. Second, Mason and I dancing. Of course, I had the moves, but Mason couldn’t dance drunk for his life, but since he was a club hero, they didn’t mind. Third, Mason’s bar brawl. He couldn’t dance drunk, but damn could he fight drunk. Even with his skill, he still took a bad hit to the eye. Fourth, us walking back to his car. We were wobbling, tripping, and holding on to each other. We were laughing about something, but I can’t remember. After that, I blacked out again, yet this time when I awoke, we were strewn on the front yard.
“Crap…my head is about to fucking explode…” I moaned as I awoke from my drunken slumber, “and why does my eye hurt so bad!”
“I know the feel,” replied Vinyl. She was lying on the couch barely conscious. “But, unlike you, I’m not a little foal, so I don’t whine about things.”
From my place on the floor, I could barely make out a set of legs in the kitchen. That was the least of my concern. My head hurt, my stomach rolled with every slight movement, and I’m pretty sure I was laying in my own vomit. I slowly rose from the ground making sure I didn’t move too much. Soon, I was standing on my own two feet-barely. I made my way for the kitchen since a delicious smell was coming from there; my eyes were half closed so smell was my only guidance. Too much light and, I would go blind. Fortunately, I made it to the table-barely.
“Ugh…Tesla…where’s my Bloody Mary?” I asked the system, “How else will I make it through this agony?”
“By not being a lil’ bitch.” I heard a female voice reply; it wasn’t Vinyl’s, “You were always a lightweight. Here, drink this instead. It’ll get you back to normal quicker.”
“Anastasia?” I opened my eyes just in time to catch a green liquid headed my way, “Why are you here?”
“Well after you and Vinyl got wasted last night, you both left the club, but forgot your I.Ds. I came here to give them back and found both of you passed out on the front lawn. I had to carry you both in.” Ana explained,” Also, you didn’t pay the tab. I came to collect. It’ll be one- hundred credits. That’s the friend fee.”
“ Friend fee....my ass,” I chugged down the disgusting liquid as fast as I could. It wasn’t the first time Ana saved me from a hangover. “Tesla, transfer one-hundred credits to Ana’s account.”
I felt the money transfer from me to her. I became weaker as she grew stronger. I was slowly starting to dislike her until she slid a breakfast plate in front of me. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, and even hash. All parts of a healthy breakfast. I dove in head first forgetting about my surroundings.
“Not even a thankyou?” Ana sighed. A small smile appeared on her face. “Vinyl, you hungry? There’s plenty here for you.”
“I’m not alive yet. Just stuff the pancakes down my throat and rub.”
“You don’t know how many times I actually had to do that. Unfortunately, I can’t today. I gotta head out. Cya around, guy.” Ana went for the door, “Oh, and you guys should play at the club sometimes. All you have to do is ask.”
“I’ll have to take you up on that offer one day. Till then, Cya around.” I said as I stuffed my face with syrupy pancakes.
“Alright.” With that Ana closed the door, yet stuck her head back in, “Oh, and here comes your witch of a girlfriend. You have about a good minute of solitude.”
Ana officially left my house. I continued to eat as I heard Vinyl literally crawl to the kitchen. She pulled herself up into a chair, laid her head by her plate, and slowly shoveled food into her mouth. Her glasses had fallen to reveal the darkened circles under her eyes and blood sight irises. In a way, her entire eyes was red. Sorta creepy.
We ate in silence. Both had a hangover and didn’t want to cause the other pain with sound. Luckily, thanks to Ana’s remedy, they were slowly fading away. Each second that passed we felt better and better.
“So who was that Ana chick?” Vinyl asked. She got to the point where she could finally raise her head. “She’s pretty hot, thick in the right places, and by the sound of it, has you wrapped around her finger.”
“She’s my best friend since childhood. And don’t get any ideas, or else I’ll tell Octavia.” I responded.
“Don’t worry. I’m stuck to Octy like that vomit is stuck to your shirt.” Vinyl took a bite of eggs, “So I’m guessing she works at the club or something?”
“She owns the club. How else do you think I just stroll in there?” I paused speaking and started to reminisce, “She took out a loan, bought the abandoned space, fixed it up, put out some advertising, and boom! One of the best night clubs in L.A. She even let me play the first night where no one else would. Coincidentally, that’s how I was found. I owe her everything.”
“She seems like a nice match for you.”
“Please...She’s just a friend. And this won’t turn into a best friend into relationship story. She’s just a friend.”
“Alright, bro. I’m just saying.” Vinyl stood from her seat and gathered the dishes, “Ana would make a better fit for you than the witch coming in.”
I turned to my door to see my girlfriend stepping into my house. Her hair was dyed purple, her skirt was way too short, and she carried an animatronic dog in her purse. A heart tattoo decorated the side of her neck surrounded by lipstick kiss tattoos. She walked toward the kitchen. She kneeled down to quickly kiss my cheek before staring in disgust at Vinyl.
I knew Vinyl could feel the eyes glaring at her, but she did her best to ignore them. To occupy her time, she did the dishes. One at a time, she used her magic to levitate a plate into the water, wash them, dry them, and then stacked perfectly into the cabinet. Though, I didn’t know why she just didn’t use the dish washer.
“Hey, baby. What brings you around?” I asked as I hugged her waist.
“What…the…hell…is that thing?” she responded. Her voice was just as stereotypical of a blonde girl as it could be.
“Her name is Vinyl Scratch. She my friend, Chloe.” I answered. Her name was just as stereotypical.
“Can’t…it like talk or like…does it only neigh? Can I ride it? You know, I always wanted to ride a horse.”
“Yes, I can talk…No, you can’t ride me…” Vinyl chimed in, “and I’m a pony…Stupid bitch…”
“What did it call me?”
“Nothing…nothing.”
I grabbed Chloe’s arm and pulled her into the living room. There we sat down on the sofa. The silence wasn’t awkward, but I believe Chloe wanted me to speak first before she did. Specifically, about Vinyl. For now, I would steer clear of that topic.
“So, uh, what brings you here?” I asked again.
“Oh, I was just in the neighborhood. Thought I would just drop by to see my most favorite guy in the world.”
“Well, that’s nic-”
“Plus, I need you to take me and my girlfriends to the mall.”
“Don’t you have a car?”
“It’s too small to hold the three of us.”Chloe leaned to my ear to whisper the rest, “Between you and me, Jessica has gained some weight.”
“I would love to, but I’m just coming off of a hangover…”
“Please…” Chloe opened her eyes wide and puckered her lips. Her blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight making her look ever so innocent. Or maybe I was imagining it. Either way, I couldn’t resist it for much longer.
“Alright, alright…I’ll take you to the mall.” I couldn’t help but smile. I fell for that trick more time than I could count. “Yo, Vinyl! We’re going on another trip. Get your flank ready!”
“Whoopie!” replied Vinyl sarcastically.
“OMG! You’re bringing the horse. Why?” complained you know who.
“And you’re using texting language in real life again. I’m bringing Vinyl because it’s the nice thing to do. She’s my friend, and you’re my girlfriend. You guys should get to know each other.”
“What…ever.”
After some debate about seat position, we all climbed into my Honda. It was settled that Chloe received the front passenger seat while Vinyl decided her position in the back. I could tell the unicorn didn’t like the position, but she accepted it to keep everything calm. I could tell she was trying to be a good friend. No, she was being a good friend. I started my car and drove to pick up the other passengers. What I didn’t know was that they were half way across this city. The ride was filled with awkward torment. Vinyl tried to make conversation with Chloe who only responded with short sentences. Soon, she gave up. To fill the silence of the ride, I told Vinyl about the city. From its past to the food, I didn’t leave anything out. That really got her interested, but the fun died when we reached Chloe’s friends who each screamed with delight at the sound of her.
“Who’s ready for a day at the mall!!” Chloe asked as we pulled up to a mansion. The place made my home look like a tin shack in Haiti. (Well, thirty years ago Haiti. After they recovered from the natural disasters, massive gold and silver mines were found. Lucky them.) Both girls, who had too much makeup on, climbed into my car. Then they all shrieked again. I noticed that they didn’t seem to mind Vinyl much which was a good thing, yet they still kept from any unnecessary touching.
“To the mall, Mason!” Chloe ordered. For a second, I believed I was her chauffeur instead of her boyfriend.
“As you wish, madam.” I said then turned on the radio. Immediately did the local EDM station tune in. The speakers began pumping out the tune and the subwoofer spitting out the bass causing the car to vibrate. Instinctively, Vinyl and I started rocking our head to the beat, but Chloe ended our fun when she turned the radio to another station…a pop one. And of course did the three passengers shriek when one of their favorite songs came on the radio.
I looked in the rearview memory to see Vinyl make her hand into a pistol shape, put it in her mouth, and pull the trigger. Her body went limp against the back seat. When she “revived” I did the same thing, but used a shot gun. She smiled before pulling out a samurai sword and committing seppuku. I responded back by tying a noose around my neck and jumping. Amidst our game, we forgot that Chloe and her friends were in the car. They didn’t appreciate our game too much, so we stopped. Vinyl went back to looking out the window, and I began driving, but not before handing her my phone and earphones with all my music on it. She smiled before putting the buds into her ear and separating herself from the world.
(Vinyl’s POV)
I hate Chloe and her friends. But my mom told me to get know a pony before I judge them. Celestia only knew why Mason would go for a mare like that. She must have him under a love potion or something. Maybe a love poison? I heard that stuff was dangerous. Gives ponies the strength to move houses and stuff.
We arrived to the mall, thanks Celestia. I could hear their bad singing and screaming over the earphones. I even had them on max. As soon as the carriage stopped, I climbed at out for fresh air. Mason stepped out and stretched. He seemed to be irritated about the situation in the car also. The girls jumped out of the carriage and ran into the mall, leaving Mason and me alone. We each took a heavy sigh, and walked into the mall.
We were too far behind the girl to track them down, so we settled to wait in the food court for them to arrive. Even though we both just ate, we both decided to get something to it to fill the barely empty areas in our bellies. Mason ordered a cheese burger while I opted for hay sandwich. Though, they didn’t have any, so they simply made a burger without the actual meat and cheese, leaving only the tomato and lettuce.
Mason went to take a bite of his burger yet stopped and looked me in the eyes. “Uh…I know in Equestria cows have personalities…so is this…”
“Don’t worry. I know you guys eat meat.” I reached my hand across our small table and took a pinch of meat from his burger and ate it, “Taste weird. I’m not saying I hate it, but I don’t love it. How do you eat it?”
“Because it’s bloody delicious.” Mason responded, taking another bite.
“If you say so.” I took a bit of my sandwich. I misjudged my grip and the tomato slipped out. It was in slow motion as the vegetable (fruit?) descended, and then landed onto my sweat suit. I peeled the red fruit (vegetable?) from my suit. A red stain was left on the pure whiteness of my clothes. It was a shame…these were my favorite clothes.
“Dammit…”
“I don’t think that stain is gonna come out, Vinyl.” Mason said still chewing his food, “Don’t you have other clothes?”
“No. I only brought this with me. “I motioned to my suit, “and it’s ruined…”
“Well, I guess we better get you new ones.”
Mason grabbed my hand and pulled me to the stores. The shopping all went in a blur as we went from store to store. Unfortunately, the stores carried nothing I wanted. Absolutely nothing. It was either too bright and happy, too dark and grim, or too…I don’t know. Just not me. So I settled on simple things. A couple pairs of slim-fitting pants, T shirts, tank tops, and shorts. Being the nice guy he is, Mason paid for it all.
“Aren’t you going to buy you something?” I asked.
“Naw. I don’t need anything.” He replied.
“Yeah ya do.” I grabbed a pair of Sunglasses from the rack and placed them on his face, “ You need to cover up that black eye of yours. It’s grossing me out.”
He looked into the mirror on the counter and smiled. “Add the glasses to the purchase,please”
It had been a couple days since the mall outing. I, for one, thought that everything was fine, but Chloe complained about me “spending more time with the horse” than her. Vinyl then can to my defense while saying some unrepeatable words. Of course, Chloe began crying before running away. Her friends called me everything except the son of god and ran after her. I wasn’t angry at Vinyl. How could I be? She was just defending a friend. Though, I do believe she went overboard with some of the things she said.
Vinyl and I walked back to the car. She had this…aura around her; an angry one with some…some sadness mixed in. I would have looked to see how she was reacting, but her shades were covering her entire face. We both got into the vehicle, yet we couldn’t leave since Chloe was nowhere to be seen. Eventually, she showed up with makeup running down her face.
The car ride home was…silent. Very silent, but the atmosphere screamed with its aggression. It was Vinyl vs. Chloe with me in between. I wasn’t going to pick sides. I dropped of my girl and her friends; they left without any words. I could barely wave before Vinyl sat in the front passenger’s seat. Without looking, she lit her horn and tried to turn on the radio. She seemed to struggle with it, but the radio finally clicked on. The music boomed as I drove off, but something seemed wrong.
I turned off the radio from my steering wheel before talking, “What’s the matter, Vinyl?”
“Nothing’s wrong, alright?” she replied as she turned the radio back on.
I turned it off again, “Tell me…”
“Celestia, dammit…alright!” She turned over in her seat to look towards me, “A couple of years ago, before I met Octy, I was with this mare. This mare who acted exactly like Chloe. It was magical…until she left me in the blink of an eye. No explanation, no reason, she just left. After I did so much…invested all my time…money…love into this one mare. She left me. And you know what pissed me off the most? She acted as if the breakup was nothing to her…less than dirt.”
I didn’t know what to say, but it seemed like my silence was the perfect answer.
“That’s why I’m not particularly happy around your girlfriend.” Vinyl sighed, “Look...I’m trying to save you the pain. Just be prepared when if it happens. It may not happen. Who knows? Just keep your guard up.”
We arrived at my moments after she finished her statement. She immediately, got out and walked to the house. I just sat in the car in the car thinking about what she had said. What she said had some validity to it. I wouldn’t deny that, yet I couldn’t see that happening to me and Chloe. Or…perhaps I was too stubborn and blind to see.
I walked into the house to see Vinyl on the sofa watching T.V. After grabbing two bottles of water, I walked to the sofa. I slouched next to Vinyl. When she noticed my presence, the pony decided to lift her legs onto my lap. There I noticed something- how quickly she could change. One moment she was defending me, next spilling out her story, then next back to normal. Or what I thought was normal.
All that was a couple day ago. Ever since that day, Vinyl had locked herself in her room. She wouldn’t come out to eat, drink, or even to use the bathroom. Well, not when I was around. I would put food outside the door and told Tesla to keep me updated on her activities. All the computer told me was that she wasn’t active, but alive and eating. After three days, I spoke up.
“Vinyl, are you okay?” I asked as I knocked on the door, “It’s been a while since you came out. Don’t make me get Tesla to unlock the door.”
There was silence before the sound of scrambling to the door. “Mason, do not come into this room. “ She pleaded, her breathing shallow and quick, “Trust me. Keep the door closed and wait till I come out on my own. It’s very important you listen to me.”
“Alright, I’ll listen,” a devilish smile appeared on my face, “Right after I open the door. Tesla, open it Vinyl’s room.”
A couple seconds went by before I heard the unlocking of the lock. I pushed it open without any hesitation. There I saw Vinyl in nothing but her T-shirt, sunglasses, and panties (which was rather difficult to get her to purchase). She seemed fidgety, antsy, and needing of something. I went to speak, yet she shushed me. The DJ walked towards me slowly…anticipating something. I wanted to walk back, but when I went to move I couldn't; her magic enveloped my feet.
I swallowed hard as the pony grabbed my shirt and wrapped her arms around me. Her breathing became deeper we got closer. I felt her hot breath on my neck. Her breast on my chest. Her hands feeling my back. I tried to move again, yet this time fell backwards onto the floor with her on top of me. We both laid there for a second- me lying on the carpet while she, with a hand on my chest, was on her knees above me. There, she began to smile. I started to back away, yet she matched every movement of mine.
“Uh, Vinyl…dude…what are you doing?” I asked while still moving away.
“Shhh…” is all she said.
“This doesn’t seem like a thing friends should be doing…well maybe friends with benefits, but we aren’t like that, right?” I spoke nervously, “Besides, we’re both in committed relationships. You know, Chloe?”
She continued to move, yet a quicker pace. Soon, my arm slipped from under me causing me to become slightly unbalanced. Vinyl took the opportunity to pin me down. I was stuck underneath as she leaned in for what I assumed was a kiss. Closer and closer she became until I was close enough to see her red irises through her glasses.
“Vinyl…” I said moving my head away, “What about Octavia?”
She stopped. Thank Celestia she stopped. Some sense seemed to have returned to her after I spoke her Marefriend’s name. In her state of shock, her glasses fell from her nose and onto my chest. I could see her eyes quiver. After gasping, Vinyl jumped off of me and landed on the floor. We sat there looking at each other. I don’t know why but I couldn’t resist wiggling my eyebrows as a joke. She sighed in annoyance before using her magic to push me out of the room.
I heard the door lock before she spoke up , “Didn’t I tell you not to open the door? I’m beating your ass once I’m over this.”
“Over what?” I replied, brushing myself off.
“My Heat!”
“The hell is Heat?” I questioned. No response came from the door. I decided not to push the issue any further.
I walked from the door, yet stopped to pick up Vinyl’s glasses. I put them on to see how they were like. Turns out the purple is just a design. On the other side, they were regular transition sunglasses lens. They were still weird since over half my face was covered. Somehow she made them work for her.
“Sir, you have received an Email.” said Tesla over the intercom.
“Bring it up on my laptop.” I responded. With a quick walk, I was at my laptop. It was nothing special. A standard laptop. I opted out on the Full Immersion Technology since some lady lost track of reality. I opened the laptop to see an anthropomorphic version of Discord sitting at his desk with “Vogon Biotech” printed on it. Once he noticed my presence, he summoned a FAQs scroll. I scrolled down until I saw “Heat” and clicked it. He saw my click, looked at me, and shook his head in disappointment.
He disappeared while a pony came out to explain. “Hello, Mr. Williams. Allow me to help you today. Let’s see…” She seemed to be loading information on the subject matter, “Ah, yes. It appears Vinyl has entered into heat.”
“Which is…”
“Are you serious?”
I swore that A.I was really alive after she responded that way, “Yes…”
“Heat is when and animal enters their estrus cycle.”
I sat there blankly waiting for her to continue.
“Really? Don’t know what that is either?” the pony on screen face-palmed(hoof?), “This is the time when a pony or any animal is more willing to accept a mate since the chances of pregnancy are greatly increased.”
"Oh?"
"Yessir. By our records, her estrus should be done in two days. Just give her space. Or not, your choice."
With that, the pony disappeared from my screen and it returned to my desktop background. I looked towards Vinyl's room once last time then decided to go to sleep. My room was past hers, so before I went to sleep, I left a plate of food by door and knocked.
“Tesla, I feel bad…” I spoke out loud to my house system.
“Why, sir?” she responded.
“Two days ago, Vinyl had a rough day with her story and heat.” I explained as rubbed the back of my neck, “You know what I did? I turned it into a joke.”
You really need to get laid.
“I don’t have a programmed response for that, sir.”
“I bet she feels real bad…trapped in that room all alone. Hmm…Tesla…authorize Vinyl for administrative control.”
“Are you sure, sir? She will have all the privileges you do.”
“Yes I am. She needs to have some freedoms in that cage she calls a room.”
“Vinyl Scratch now has administrative control over my system.”
I tried to watch T.V, but it was the same old thing- murders, schemes, war, etc. Well one thing that caught my eye. Some dude married his pony helpmate. I only caught the end of the story, but the reporter said they were happy, so I guess it worked out. I also tried making more tunes for an album, yet everything sounded…terrible. Not like what I usually made; it was garbage. I just gave up and closed my laptop.
I continued to sit in my empty house with nothing to do for more days as Vinyl stayed in her room longer than what I was told. I got so use to her being around filling the void that I forgot about how alone a person could get. I was stuck in my own cage of boredom with no one to free me. Chloe still hadn’t recovered from the mall, my bros were busy with their jobs, and Anastasia had her club to run. I had to resort to talking to my housing system.
“Tesla, why did Derpy bite the shark?”
“Why,sir?”
“Because it had a muf-FIN!” I had to admit that it wasn’t my best joke, but the system could have responded instead of leaving the room silent, “You don’t talk much Tesla.”
“My settings are not set to conversational. I’m set in standard mode. Plus, I haven’t been updated since I was installed, sir.”
“How many updates have you missed?”
“Twenty- five, sir. You never checked to turn on automatic updates."
Oh…well, change settings to conversational, and update yourself.”
“Yes, sir. The updates will cause me to go offline for a while. Do you need anything before I update?”
“Order a pizza…Veggie pizza.” I told while readjusting Vinyl’s glasses, “Vinyl might come out, and she’ll be hungry.”
“Pizza has been ordered from Marti’s Pizzeria. It’ll be here in two hours. They are busy.” I heard the sound Tesla shutting down then her standard voice talked, “This system will now shut off while being updated.”
After that, I was completely alone. I didn’t want to leave the house and leave Vinyl alone. She would need someone when she came from her room. So, I did the only thing a guy does when he is alone- mess about. First, I filled up water gun, aimed it out my upstairs window, and doused my neighbor’s cat. When that got boring, I walked to my refrigerator. It was pretty empty except a few mismatched foodstuffs. I grabbed some marshmallows, chocolate, and pre-popped popcorn. I mixed the food together and put it in the microwave it. When my creation was heated, I topped it with whipped cream. I grabbed a handful and took a bite. It was good, but I quickly got tired of it.
I walked to the living room filled up on my diabetes inducing treat. Passing by the hallway, I thought heard rustling from Vinyl’s door. I turned my head to see, yet I tripped over my own feet and fell. I laid there for a while thinking about my own failure. I wasn’t hurt, well except my pride. From my position on the floor, I saw a deck of cards underneath my sofa. Instantly, the idea of a card tower came into my mind. Slowly and carefully, I stacked the cards until my tower was five cards high. My mind was so focused on the cards and not tipping them over, I didn’t notice when Vinyl opened her door.
“Careful…don’t breathe too hard…or else the cards will fall…” I whispered to myself.
“Fall? Oh, you mean like this?”
It was as if life was stuck in slow motion. A gust of air blew hard as if to disturb a peaceful journey of sailors. I saw the first of the cards blow into the middle; it tore a path through its layer of the tower. The shockwave flowed causing each card to fall from place. The aces, kings, queens, jacks, and even the joker had no power against the air. All fell to its mercy. I reached my hand out to grab them…I don’t know…somehow save the tower, but it was futile. As if water through my hands, the cards flowed. Soon, they all hit the table with a soft, agonizing pat. Hours of work lay before me. My heart broken just a little; I felt a tear forming at the corner of my eye.
“Vinyl! You’re finally out!” I hollered, recovering quickly from the tower, “I just wanted to say that I’m insanely sorry.”
I opened my arms wide for a hug leaving my torso open. Vinyl took full advantage of this. She took a stance, folded her hand into a fist, moved her arm back, and then struck. I felt the full force of Vinyl’s punch fill my torso as all the air left. I stood there trying to comprehend what happened, yet my body collapsed before I could. The pain was making want to cry, yet any movement brought me great pain.
It took me a while to recover enough to speak, “May I ask why you did that?” It still hurt to speak.
“I knocked over your cards as an act of revenge. You made a joke of me during my hard time.” Vinyl responded as she brushed of her knuckles.
“Then why did you punch me?!”
“No one wears my glasses, bro.” She reached down to me, pulled off her glasses, wiped the lenses, and put them on. I must say, they looked a lot better on her than me.
“Well, now that everything is behind us, we can start fresh.” I stated while rising from the floor; Vinyl helped me to my feet and then looked me in the eyes through her shades.
“It’s not behind us. Knocking over the card house was just the beginning.” She began walking away from until she reached the kitchen and took a bite of my food creation, “A mare’s heat is no laughing matter. That joke you made…won’t go unpunished.”
“Come-on, mate. I apologized.”
“And I accept you apology, but revenge must be had.”
“It was a simple joke…” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She seemed more serious than I have ever seen her.
“And this is too. You know those extra days I spent in my room? I was devising a plan. A full plan of revenge. Trust me; nothing too bad is going to happen. We’re friends and, I’m not that evil. But, I will get a couple of laughs from it.”
“What did you do?” I asked becoming scared.
“Hmm…I’ll tell you the biggest part…the extravaganza!” Vinyl reached in her pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. She began unfolding it until it became a full size crudely drawn poster. I was on one side while she was on the other. “DJ Pon-3 vs. DJ Helix in an all out battle of systems!!”
“Hey! I’m not that fat!” The picture of me was unbecoming. If I looked close enough, I think she gave me demon teeth and multiple chins. “Besides, where are you going to find a place to host this ‘battle’.”
At that moment, my cell-phone went off. I answered it to hear a familiar voice on the other end. As the voice talked, I couldn’t help but stare at Vinyl in disbelief. That mare…was a force to reckon with, and my stupid self decided to mess with her. At that moment, I knew I fucked up.
“How did you get Ana to host the event at her club? You don’t have her number.”
“Remember, Mason…you gave me administrative access. All your contacts were open game.”
“Jesus Christ…who else did you call??”
The corner of her lips moved until her own devilish smile appeared, “Maybe you should go answer the door.”
Almost as if God decided it would be a fun time to play the Coincidence Game, my doorbell rang. I told Tesla to open the door, but I forgot she was still updating. I manually had to open the door like they did back in the old days. The walk to the door was filled with anxiety since I didn’t know who was on the other side. The doorbell rang again, only fuelling the tension. My hand reached for the door knob; I could feel Vinyl’s eyes on me. With a deep breath, I opened the door.
“My little love muffin! It’s been so long since we’ve seen you! Harold, look at your son! He’s grown so much since we last time! Oh my! Look at your eye! Who hit my little man?!”
Vinyl, my parents, and I sat at the kitchen table. I put on my best face to look as if I was happy to see them, which I was, but my parents were…a drink that you need days to prepare for. My mother, overly cheerful, decided to show Vinyl photo albums filled with my awkward raisings. My father, seemingly not enjoying his situation, constantly checked his phone for stocks or looking for business to take him away. Ever since I could remember, he was always busy, yet would take any opportunity to rest. Vinyl…the devil Vinyl, looked over my baby photos with a smirk on her face. Her revenge plan set in motion.
“This photo was taken on Mason’s seventh birthday…oh that was the day he decided he was old enough to carry his own cake. Little did he know that a four layered cake was too heavy for his wittle arms. He collapsed and got chocolate cake all over himself.”
“…and the floor.” My father added not looking from his phone, “Took hours to clean up.”
They all seemed to be enjoying the situation at my expense. Don’t get me wrong, I love going through memories, but when you know you have a conniving pony in the room, you don’t want anything crucial exposed. At every picture that piqued her interest, she would point at, and then my mother would explain the story behind it.
“Oh that one! One of my favorites. Mason wasn’t always into music. In middle school, he loved the stage. Participated in almost every play. In this one, he played Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. You should have seen the kiss scene! So cute!”
“Mom…please…”
“You know you liked it. You could see the blush from the back of the audience.”
“Could I ask who he kissed?” Vinyl asked.
“Some girl…uh…hmm…”
“Anastasia?”
“Oh no…she didn’t get to act, that poor child. She studied her part for weeks, yet came down with a cold. Couldn’t do it.”
They continued talking and examining photos. I only sat there in thought. My parents came all the way from Atlanta to California to see me. Vinyl apparently told them I missed them dearly and needed to see them. Smart pony since my mother would rush to my aid in an instant. My father would have told me to man up. Though, it wasn’t their visit that surprised me the most. It was how easily they accepted Vinyl. No questions. No awkward stares. No nothings. They accepted her as if she was just part of the family. Well, my parents were always a weird bunch. My mother a new age hippie and my father a devote business. Opposites attract, I guess.
“Please…tell me about this picture!” Vinyl pleaded , pointing to a picture of me in a tub.
“That’s when Mason and Ana were wee babies. When taking a bath together wasn’t sexually awkward. I think I have a picture of Mason’s light brown, baby butt cheeks. Wanna see?”
After I saw Vinyl nod, I moved to close the book, but before I could, I felt my father’s dark hand grab me. I looked towards him as he motioned towards the living room. I didn’t want to go; I wanted to stop them from finding the photo, but I was taught not to disobey your father unless necessary. I hesitantly followed him to the front door. He stepped outside, and I followed. He let out a sigh as he sat down on the stairs.
“Sit down, son.” His deep voice commanded, “We have to talk.”
“It’s about Vinyl, isn’t it?” I stated in a low voice. I sat down beside him.
“Yes, but don’t fret, boy. It isn’t bad at all.” My father wrapped his arms around me in the first real embrace we had in years. “You…have to tell me…where did you found Vinyl Scratch?!”
“….Uh…” I was dumbfounded. He somehow knew her name seemed excited. “I ordered her…from this place called Vogon Biotech.”
“So she’s a helpmate?” My father took his arm from around me, twisted it; and with a click, he took it off, “That’s better…these things get annoying sometimes, especially when it is running low on power. I can barely move it.”
That’s a sign I noticed on my father. When he became really relaxed, he would take off his prosthetic arm. It was subtle, but when he did, all the business related items on his mind drifted off and he truly was at peace.
“I thought she was, but…she’s more than a helpmate. Dad, she’s the Vinyl Scratch! Not some cheap rip-off. There’s no wires…no electronics…she’s flesh and blood. And she’s not the only one. I don’t know, but I think the Main Six may be here too. If I got a background pony, some guys in the world probably ordered them.”
“This is great! Ponies in reality! We always knew this would happen!”
“We?”
“Oh …well…yes son We. As in Bronies.” My father opened his wallet and handed me a picture of him and my mother in their younger days. They, both dressed as ponies, were at some convention. “ Your mother and I never told you, but we were avid watchers of My little Pony. We met at Bronycon. When you came along a couple of months later, we decided to straighten up our acts. In hindsight, it was a stupid decision to keep you away from something so amazing. Though, it seems we couldn’t. It found you anyway. Perhaps, it’s genetic.”
“You learn something new every day…”
“Yeah…those were good times.” My father began reminiscing, yet quickly came back, “So…are you and Vinyl…”
“No, dad. We’re only friends.”
“Damn. I was thinking you broke up with Chloe. Why son, why? Why don’t you just go with Anastasia? Instead of wasting time, just ask her out. We both know it’s coming.”
“Why does everyone think that?” I jokingly pushed him.
“Ya know we aren’t getting any younger. We need our grandchildren.”
“Come on, old man. I bet the ladies are missing us.” I stated as I stood up. My father did as well and put his arm back on. “You know…you never told me how you lost your arm.”
“I'll tell you once you tell me who gave you that shiner."
I rubbed once he questioned it. Even though it had been a couple of days since the fight, my eye was still tender to the touch.
"It was just a random bar fight. I don't really remember the guy."
"Well that's not worthy of my tale, son, but I will say that you shouldn’t rock climb without the correct equipment.”
As we walked back into the house, we heard a car pull in front of the house. Out of it came a teen holding some pizza boxes. He double checked the address then quickly ran to us. He explained why it took so long, among other problems, and then said our pizza was complementary. My father, being ever so generous, opened his wallet, handed the teen a fifty as a tip. The kid seemed to be elated and had a slight pep in his step as he walked to the car and drove off. As a habit, I always made sure to check everything I ordered.
I awoke in the morning in a half daze as I usually do. It was fairly early in the morning, but I was past the point of falling back to sleep. The day before was pretty fun and all. Mason’s parents “unexpected” visit. I still couldn’t believe how nice they were. You don’t see cheerful ponies like that unless you were in Equestria. Ponies here…well…just weren’t always happy. Anyway, I decided to cook some breakfast for everypony. Since Telsa was still updating, I would have to do it manually. Just like at home.
I walked from my room towards the kitchen, yet stopped when I felt a draft from the vent. I decided to be decent and put on some panties and shorts. (These humans and all their clothes.) I exited my room a second time and walked to the kitchen. The mornings here were normal. Just like home. Quiet, peaceful, sunny, and filled with the vibrations of music from down below. Every morning, Mason went to his basement to create tunes. It was something I quickly had gotten used to. Plus, he had sound proofed it long ago after complaints from the neighbors. Yet, today seemed different. Underneath the electronic sound was something…off. I couldn’t quite place it, but I know I’ve heard it before.
Ignoring my stomach’s cry for food, I went investigating. I walked to the basement door which was pulsing to the music below. With my magic, I turned the knob. (After some practice, I finally fully connected to the magic of this world.) The full force of the music hit me. I trekked down carpeted stairs to the epicenter. After walking through the near empty basement, I rounded a corner to find Mason in his personal sound studio. Inside his recording room, he couldn’t hear the outside world or the music blaring from the speakers. His attention was set solely on his trumpet. I walked to the equipment, turned off the music, and turned on the mic from the inside to hear him play. Mason…wasn’t the best trumpet player, but he tried his best. From what I could tell, he had the rhythm right, and the notes were almost pitch perfect. Though, after a while a playing he hit a wrong note.
“Fuck!” he yelled, “It’s always that damn A-flat!” He laid the instrument down and put his head in his hands. He stayed in the position for a long time. It was then, I decided to speak up.
I pressed the mic button to speak, “If it’s any consolation, I thought it was beautiful. Plus, I hear once you get off the staff, things get tricky.”
“Huh…?! Vinyl! W-w-what are ya doing down here?!” Mason quickly began to pack his instrument and music, “I was just uh…seeing if I could create some trumpet samples…for an uh…news song?”
“Sure you were. Now tell me the whole truth of the trumpeter.”
Mason sighed before grabbing his case and walking from the recording room. From there, he sat down in front of the controls and offered me a seat. I sat down eager to hear his story.
“You know this isn’t much of a story? It’s small and insignificant.” He said.
“Just tell the story.”
He let out a small laugh before speaking, “A long time ago, after my drama/acting phase, I began making electronic music. Fast forward to about a year ago and my career was at its peak. It was then; someone told me that what I was making wasn’t music. ‘It was computer generated trash. Real music comes from instruments or voices, not machines.’ I took no offense to their words, but they did eat at me for some time. Beetoven…Mozart…they didn’t have computers to make music. So, I decided to learn an instrument. Ya know, just to have it under my belt. Though, as you can see, things haven’t been going to well.”
(Mason’s POV)
I finished my story about how I started playing the trumpet. In all honesty, I was hoping no one would find out. It was more of a personal goal than anything. Just prove to myself that I could learn an instrument was good enough for me. Good enough to prove that person wrong. In a way, I did feel better. Though, I’d feel a lot better if I could get past the A-flat.
Now, Vinyl sat there listening to my short story. She didn’t move or interrupt. Just listened. When I was done, she continued to sit there. I was going to speak up, yet I felt as if I should let her speak first. And, I was right.She took off her glasses; her scarlet eyes glaring holes into my very being. The atmosphere seemed to change as well. From cheerful and relaxed to completely serious. Almost as if I was her student, I sat up straight and waited for her to speak.
“Listen. You don’t need a fancy instrument or special training to make music. Music can be made from anything. Shit, hitting two rocks together can be considered music. You know why?” Vinyl stood up and rushed over to me. She grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eye. “Because music isn’t something you just create. Music…isn’t something that just poofs into existence. Music is something you feel. Music is something you nurture from the beginning to the end. Every musician, whether it be Mozart…whether it be Beethoven…whether it be Sapphire Shore…whether it be me or you. We put our very essence into the music we nurture. Now, if that person, who told you that what you created wasn’t music, couldn’t hear your essence in your song…then they didn’t deserve to listen to it.”
Vinyl sat back down in her seat across from me. I couldn’t believe what she had just said. In a way…she enlightened me. Of course I knew music was an outlet of expression, but…she saw it on another light. A light I could yet see, but needed to.
In an instant, she returned to her chill, laidback deposition. She began messing with buttons and switches on my control panel, but before I could stop her, my phone rang. I pulled it out my pocket to see my producer, Percy, calling. I hurried and answered the phone, hoping for good news.
“Mason! Buddy! How ya been?” I hear his loud, cheesy voice say.
“I’ve been fine,” I repond, “How’s the search for a collab partner?”
“About that…buddy…no one wants to do an electronic song collaboration. I told you it was a dead genre,” His voice went low and solemn, but quickly regained its usual cheerful tone, “I bet with your skills, you could jump into the synthetic music game and explode!!!”
“Percy, I told you I wouldn’t do it. That’s final.”
“Kid, reconsider…please. I was with you from the beginning and I like you. It would be a shame if someone like you fell through the cracks.”
I began to think on his words. Perhaps I was being stupid by not adapting to the new style. I could still make electronic music on the side…right? Before I could finish thinking, Vinyl used her magic to snatch my phone away and placed it against her ear.
“Look, Percy. Mason won’t fall through the cracks, alright?! He’s too good of an artist to let that happen. He’s gonna singlehoofedly revive the ‘dead’ genre. Do ya hear me?!”
“And who might you be?” Percy asked, intrigued and a little pissed and the female voice on the other end.
“Me? Just the number one DJ in Equestria- DJ Pon-3. Oh! And don’t worry about the collaboration partner. He’s got one right here!”
With that, Vinyl ended the call. I looked at her in disbelief. Talking to him like that. Was she smart…or just insane…I couldn’t tell anymore.
“Vinyl…”
“Trust me, bruh. I know what I was doing.” She tossed me my phone before heading towards the stairs, “I saw that look in your eyes. The look of uncertainty. You probably had the same look when the guy told you that your weren't making real music. You may make some great tunes…but you still got a lot to learn about essence.”
I’m starting to think Mason believes my plans for revenge have stopped. Well, he’s sadly mistaken. At this point, I’m just doing it for fun. After buying him a male stripper, sending a fake pregnancy letter in the mail, and hiring clowns (which he is afraid of), I think he deserved a more relaxing punishment. Plus, he still seemed on edge about me telling off his producer. He calmed down since then, but you don’t want to poke a sleeping dragon.
Before I set my plan in motion, I needed to go see the other actor in my play of revenge. She was playing a major role, and the best part was that she didn’t even know. I set up a meeting place for us to discuss. Good thing Mason let me use his phone-thing. The only problem was getting there. Luckily, Mason just happened to be leaving for a job he had been hired for. He was helping so much in his own demise.
“Mom, Dad-I’m leaving,” Mason said as he came from the guest room where his parents were staying, “Alright Vinyl, ready to go?”
I simply nodded as I grabbed my one-strap backpack. We headed for the front door and had to manually lock it since Tesla was still updating. (The housing system was only 40% done.) We both got into his car; he started it, and pulled out the driveway. After a couple moments of driving, his radio connected to his phone through something he called Bluetooth. The music played as we rocked our heads, but Mason turned it to a low volume, so he could speak.
“You’ve been here for about three week, and most of that time, you’ve been around me.” Mason spoke, his eyes never leaving the road, “Who else could you possibly know enough to have lunch with?”
“I have other friends besides you.” I responded, “Plus, who says I stay in at night when you’re asleep?”
“Fair enough, pony. Fair enough.”
We continued driving down the long, traffic filled roads. During this, I took the chance to look over Mason. He wasn’t a half bad looking stallion. Mane a tad bit too curly, but nothing too bad. I did notice the way he dressed. Nothing was wrong with it, but it never changed- t-shirt and cargo shorts. It’s like that was all in his closet. Not even a polo or button down shirt. Even I kept a spare dress around just in case.
“Mason, what size shirt and pants do you wear?” I asked.
“Large shirt, thirty-three- thirty-six pants.” He responded, not even giving the question a second thought, “Though, I have been exercising…”
“You exercised, but then ate half of pizza as a reward. It was canceled out.”
Minutes later, we arrived at the café. Mason for fifty bucks to pay for food, but I had other plans in mind. We said our goodbyes, and he left. With him out of sight, I hesitantly sat down at a table. It was the first time I was alone in L.A. I was expecting weird stares, but no one seemed to care about my presence. Soon, the waiter came along; I told him I was waiting for someone. I did look over the menu, yet they had no vegetarian options. I wasn’t hungry anyway. I was just waiting for my guest to appear. Oh, and she did.
“Hello, Anastasia. I have been waiting for you!” I said, “Please, take a seat. We have much to discuss.”
(Mason’s POV)
I parked my car in front of some huge mansion, grabbed my laptop, and walked towards the front door. Above it said, “Happy Birthday, Isaac.” I promised myself I would never do birthdays, but this family was paying too well for me to say no. Luckily, I could drown myself in the free refreshments at the party.
Before I knocked on the door, a butler opened it for me. He guided me to the main room, where I immediately regretted taking this job. Before me was a plethora of hipster teens. They wore skinny jeans, or whatever other weird fashion choices kids did at the time. When the Butler announced my presence, they stayed calm. Usually, I received a hand clap or-more recently-small, polite smiles. Soon, they returned to their conversations and forgot about me.
I sighed before walking over to the speaker system provided. It was a good setup. A bit simplistic, but good. With a simple plug in of the auxiliary cable, the room was being pumped with music. I watched as the kids did some new dance I was unfamiliar with. (They looked like idiots) The butler would bring me refreshments, and every so often I would check the music or play a request.
After a while, I began drowning in my thoughts and not the drinks. Had I, or rather, electronic music become so out of date, that hipsters listened to it? Was I that old that I didn’t understand half the dances or words the kids were saying? Come on, I was barely twenty-seven. How could I have become so out of touch?
“Uh…Mr. Helix…” said a shy girl in a shocked tone.
“Just call me Mason, kid.” I responded, jumping out of my thoughts. I got up from my post near the speakers, and guided her to a quieter area. The music played automatically, so there was really no need for me. “What can I do for you?”
“I was wondering if you could sign this photo…maybe answer some questions.”
I think at that moment, I was more shocked than she was. For the past couple of years, my career slowly descended, so did the fans. I hadn’t been asked for an autograph in…I can’t even remember. I thought I was just a speck of dust in the wind. But, this kid, she made me feel a tad bit special again. She reminded me of the better times.
I grabbed a pen and signed my name-a little too quickly- on an unbecoming photo of me back at my first show. The girl seemed elated as she carefully slid the photo into a protective sleeve. I offered to take a picture with her, which made the kid even happier. Thanks to butler, the photo wasn’t an awkwardly angled selfie. With those things out of the way, the questions began.
“So when’s your next album coming out?” She asked, eager for a good answer.
“…Well…” before I finished she fired another question.
“I hear you’re working with a new artist. Is she going to be on the album?”
“Funny story. She grabbed the phone…wait…how did you hear about?”
“It’s all over your producer’s social media accounts. ‘DJ Helix: Return from the Darkness?’ It’s gaining some speed.” She explained, “So about that new album…”
I was stuck in my thoughts for a moment before answering, “Uh…You’ll just have to wait for the album.” It was an answer I gave when I just didn’t know what to say or do anymore. It seemed like my producer was happy about me working with Vinyl. The world seemed sort of happy about a return that may or may not happen. Things seemed to be looking up.
About an hour later, the party died, so I began to pack my stuff. The payment credits were transferred into my account, and I received a piece of birthday cake. (SCORE!) I started to head for my car, yet before I left, I couldn’t help but speak to that girl again.
“Hey…uh…what’s your email?” I asked.
“Why?” She asked in return. She seemed a weary giving that information.
“Well, I thought a fan would want to know about a spectacular showdown I’m participating in.”
“Really? A DJ battle! Where?”
“The club Genesis in downtown L.A. All the details aren’t worked out yet, but it is happening.” I told, “If I’m correct, you’re the first person outside a small circle that knows.”
After that, I’m pretty sure that girl nearly fainted. Without delay, she gave me her name- Amelia- and email. I wrote them down onto a napkin and put it into my pocket. After saying our goodbyes and promising to contact my “biggest fan”, I climbed into my car and drove home.
(Vinyl POV)
“Hey, Vinyl…uh…” Anastasia started to speak, “What made you invite me to lunch?”
“Can’t two friends just talk n such?” I replied.
“Friends, huh?” Anastasia relaxed as she ordered two light beers, “Alright, then.”
For the next half hour, we made small talk and also finalized the preparations for the DJ battle. She’s a nice girl…though she can be an asshole, only when it’s for the enjoyment of everyone. She kept herself hidden; only letting small glimpses of her full personality out around me. I guess were still weren’t on the best of friend levels.
The longer we talked, the more I realized that this girl was essentially, a female version of Mason. Of course, she was her own person, but I saw pieces of one in the other. It probably strings from their childhood together. I wonder if they realized it. Probably not. They were both too blind to see.
We continued to talk, and I tried to bring Mason into the conversation, but it seemed like an area she didn’t want to go to. She would quickly change the subject to something else-usually about me or Equestria. She seemed fairly interested in my home-the music, clubs, food, fashion, politics, etc. So, to gain some ground, I answered her questions as best as I could. Soon, the conversation moved fully towards the battle.
“Let me see, so a separate station for each DJ, programmed LED lighting to go along with the beat, subwoofers placed along the inside and outside of the club, advertisements, and free drinks for performers.” Ana repeated, going over a list she wrote, “…and you want this done in two weeks?”
“Don’t forget the fire dancers and explosions.” I stated, taking off my glasses. She stared into my eyes for awhile before returning o the preparations.
“Uh…I think that’s a safety hazard, but I’ll see if I can make everything else happen. Truth is: my club needs some excitement; things have been slow, so let’s make this one hell of a night!”
“I can drink to that!” Both Ana and I lifted our bottles and tapped them together.
“So, do ya’ have any pals coming? I can reserve them some VIP seats if ya want. Probably send them an invitation.”
I looked down at my drink. I didn’t know anybody else in this land that was from back home. I’m pretty sure they came, but who exactly was…a shot in the dark. Anastasia seemed to take notice of my appearance and didn’t push any further. We finished our bottles in comfortable silence, and decided to leave before anything got awkward. Though, I didn’t complete everything I wanted to today.
“I don’t know how to say this, but I know a guy who’d love to invest in your club.” I spoke, almost out of the blue.
“Hmm… things are decent now, but I’d meet him anyway.” She responded.
“Cool, tonight at the Gordano’s Corner. He’ll be there. Tell them ‘The party of Vinyl’.”
“Gordano’s corner…A bit too fancy for my blood, but alright.”
With that, we both split our ways. Luckily, Anastasia paid for my taxi home. (I really should get a job…or ask Mason for an allowance.) Though, before I headed home, I made a quick stop by a male clothing store. I needed to buy a large button down shirt and a pair of thirty-three to thirty- six pants.
(Mason POV)
We’re going to interrupt the wubs for one second to tell you all some news from the world. How many of you have helpmates? I bet of whole bunch of you, right? Now, how many of you have married your helpmate? Yeah, I said marry! In Oklahoma, a group of humans with their pon-
I turned off the radio. I wasn’t listening to it anyway. Something about marriage. People could do whatever they wanted as long as they are happy. Plus, the whole marriage thing probably had nothing to do with me anyway, so it wasn’t my business.
I pulled into my driveway. It had been an interesting day, but it was finally over. Well, until Vinyl rushed outside, pulled me in, and hastily undressed me. I was shocked, thinking it was another “heat” relapse, but it proved otherwise. She was speaking, yet her words were slurred together. I barely caught some phrases: “Big gig”, “Lots of money”, “Put these on”, “You’re kinda getting pudgy”, “Meeting at Gordano’s corner”, and “Party of Vinyl”.
“Wait, Gordano’s Corner? That’s a bit too fancy for my blood.”
“Just go!” Vinyl rushed as she picked my hair and pushed me to the car., “And don’t fuck it up.”
Barely knowledgeable, I climbed back into my vehicle. I didn’t know what was going on, but the words “gig” and “money” sounded nice. Like I said before, purchasing Vinyl put a decent dent in my finances. With a quick search on my GPS, I was off to a fancy restaurant in L.A. Completely unknown to a person like me who doesn’t exactly go for the finer things in life.
I drove. Jus drove to my destination. In some fancy clothes Vinyl gave me. She didn’t take off the price tag, which they both conveniently added up to around fifty bucks. Did Vinyl buy these for me? I must say: they did fit rather nicely. My thoughts came to an end once I pulled to the front of the restaurant.
“Hello, sir. May I take your car?” asked the valet.
“Uh… sure… but don’t scratch her. The clutch is sticky so be careful!” I warned as I got out, “If you turn on the radio, only play EDM…she likes that.”
“I’ll put the utmost care into it, sir.”
I watch my baby disappear behind the building; it kind of hurt to see someone else driving her. I walked away with a heavy sigh and entered the building. I arrived to a guy dressed in a tux. He was waiting at the front stand for customers. He seemed overly pretentious and probably had a French accent.
“How may I help you, sir?” He asked…no French accent.
“I’m here for a meeting…”
“Name and Party?”
“Mason Williams…uh, Party Of Vinyl.”
“Right this way, sir.”
I was guided to a lone table, off in a secluded corner of the restaurant. There, at the table, was a beautiful woman. Her head was down, eyeing at her drink. She didn’t seem to notice me yet, so I looked her over. She wore a blue dress that stopped above her knees. It wasn’t tight, but was fitted to her body. Her brown hair was flowing down her back, yet came back up with a slight curl. Her light brown skin glowed in the light. It all seemed to be too perfect. Maybe it was the lighting, maybe it was something the air. Nevertheless, the woman was stunning.
“Introducing Mr. Mason Williams.” said my guide as we stopped in front of the woman.
Immediately, her head shoot up. She wore a face of surprise that I had seen so many times before.
Nervous as all hell, I stood in front of Anastasia. A small bead of sweat flowed down the back of my neck. I tried my best to keep my cool, but nothing worked. It was like I was looking at a completely different person. The girl…no…woman sitting in front of me couldn’t be the same one I grew up with.
(Anastasia's POV)
It’s about damn time Mason finally grew a pair and took me to dinner...I mean: What a surprise! I was expecting the investor and not my childhood best friend. He looked so uncomfortable in those clothes he was wearing-light purple dress shirt with a matching striped tie, and black pants. Don’t get me wrong, he looked good (Not as good as me), but the clothes weren’t him. Well, not yet.
Moments passed, and he just stood there like a lost puppy waiting for guidance. Trying to be friendly, I ushered him to sit down. With a little hesitation, he walked slowly to the table and took the seat across from mine. Now that he was closer, I could see the anxiety in his eyes. This is why I never got all dressed up around him. He can’t handle himself around women in these situations. His brain just shuts down… the little he has.
Well, perhaps I was a little overdressed.
(Mason’s Internal POV)
Don’t say anything stupid. She’s your friend. You’re best friend. You can’t say anything stupid. She didn’t change. She’s still you’re old friend, Ana. A very sexy, nicely dressed, beautiful Ana. Dammit!You’re making is worst, Mason. Calm down. You’re DJ Helix. Calm down. Breathe and look her in the eyes.
God dammit. They’re absolutely stunning! I can just get trapped in those hazel eyes forever. Okay…calm down. Calm down. Calm down. You can do this! You are Mason Williams!
(Anastasia POV)
After growing up with somebody for so long, you tend to know what’s going on inside their head. Right about now, I bet he’s having some sort of weird conversation with himself. They never work. He talks himself up only to crash back down. It was sort of cute. Sigh. Though, it could go on all night unless someone steps in. So, I firmly took hold of his hands. He seemed to calm down as he looked up from the table. The curly-haired DJ let out a slight, nervous chuckle. He straightened in his chair. The Mason I knew and lo- I knew was coming back.
“So, how has my favorite subpar DJ been?” I asked.
“Oh, the same way my favorite subpar club owner has been.” He responded, “How is that hole in the wall without its favorite headliner?”
“It’s better than ever since we actually brought in some real talent.”
We sat there in silence, just looking at each other with expressionless stares. Soon, our composures began to break. A snicker here. A smile there. We held it in as long as we could, but soon, we could barely hold it in anymore; we began laughing out loud. The laughter would stop, yet would resume when we made eye contact. It was so bad that tears filled our eyes. We laughed so loud and for so long, the waiter had to come tell us to quiet down, for we were “disturbing the other guest.”
“It’s been too long, Anastasia,” Mason stated as he wiped a tear from his eye, “I almost forgot what your face looked like.”
“Sure... It’s not like you saw me when I saved your ass from a drunken citation.” I smirked then sighed, “It’s just the club keeps me busy. I haven’t had much of a social life outside that place.”
“It’s not entirely your fault. Maybe, 67%, but not all. My career started rising ,and I forgot everything. I just left everything and everyone behind. Even now, when I’m not that big, I’m still busy with small jobs.”
“At least we’re here now…wait… why you are here? Are you my potential investor?”
“Investor? I already put a load of cash into that place.” He stated before a wave of realization hit him,” Let me guess: You’re not here to hire me for a big gig?”
“Hire you? I tell you to play at my club.”
Mason was quiet for a couple of seconds before a modest smile appeared in his face.
“That damn pony…” He said before grabbing a menu, “Alright, time to eat.”
(Mason’s POV)
It was all so obvious. Of course Vinyl would plan this event. How did I not see it coming? It must have been another part of her revenge scheme. Well, it’s a lot better than that male stripper….or those clowns. Those scary clowns. At least I can spend the night with my best friend at a pretty fancy restaurant.
“So you’re saying Vinyl planned all this,” Ana stated, slightly intrigued.
“Yep. It is a part of her revenge.”
“Revenge for?”
“I may have made a joke about her heat.”
“In that case, you deserve everything.”
“What?! It was a small joke.”
“Perhaps, but heat it a very big thing for them. In relation, you made a huge joke. It probably made her feel terrible,” Ana explained, “The poor thing. She didn’t have anyone to help her through it.”
Ana sure knew how to make a fellow feel bad about his past activities. In all honesty, I still felt terrible. Even after the joke, she continues to be my friend. Still continues to help me. I could learn a lot from that pony.
Ana and I ordered our food when the waiter came round to check us. I didn’t know what half the stuff on the menu was, so I just ordered some spaghetti while Ana ordered a lobster. (I should have got the lobster.) While the food was being prepared, we made small talk and caught up on each other’s lives. With my career and her club, we missed a lot. Though, we tried our best to keep in contact.
It seemed like time just faded while talking to her. We reminisced about our childhood, talked about things happening in our life, and spread a bit of gossip from the club. The awkwardness faded away and instead of me being in front of a stunning woman, I was talking to my best friend. Before I knew it, the waiter interrupted our conversation with the food.
I dived into my spaghetti with no remorse, yet quickly remembered where I am. I slowly looked at the woman across from me and opened my mouth to show her a remorseful, pasta filled grin.
“Really?”Ana asked as she wiped some tomato from my cheek, “You’re this old, yet still can’t eat properly. Ugh, you got a stain on your shirt.”
“Just like old times, right?” I slurped a noodle into my mouth with a satisfying smack.
“Will you ever grow up?”
“I really don’t know. Doctors diagnosed me with the mind of a thirteen year old. Good thing I have my looks, right?”
‘“Yeah…don’t quit being a DJ.”
“If I do, I’ll just work at the club. I do own thirty percent.”
“No, you own ten percent. I own ninety. I know my numbers, Mr. Helix,” Ana drew a crude pie chart with our faces on it. It showed our percentages of the club.
“With that big slice of pie, you might get fat…ter.” I joked.
“Oh? Then I guess I’ll just split my half of pie with Vinyl. We will be co-owners, perhaps?” Her retorts were good. A lot better and more bone crushing than mine. “Speaking of Vinyl, what made you…get her? I never took you for a brony.”
“I’m not a brony. I just like the show a little,” I paused to think out my answer, “I really don’t know why I got her. An urge maybe. I was slightly tipsy during a binge of MLP with the bros. Then, I received a notification from this Vogon Biotech company. Honestly, I thought it would be a neat way to get my name back on top. Enhance my career sort of speak. Turns out: I bought a lifelong friend.”
“Weird…I never heard of Vogon Biotech.” She rubbed her chin trying to recall information, “Nope. Nothing, but I have seen other ponies in L.A. Maybe they know?”
“Maybe, but I have another way to figure stuff out…anyway, let’s not let this food go to waste.”
We finished our meal while playing footsie. She got in a couple of actual kicks, but I didn’t mention them. The waiter came around with the bill, and I paid (Like the gentleman I am…plus, I owed her some money). Ana left the tip and we left. As we walked away, I couldn’t help, but look at her. My god, she looked ravishing in that dress. I know she knew it because she added a little more sway into the way she walked. “Flaunt it if you got it,” she said once. How true it was.
We stepped outside of the restaurant into the cold night. Seeing Ana in her dress, I offered my jacket. She gladly took it and bundled up. We made small talk, waiting for the valets to bring my car around.
“Have you ever had an urge to do something stupid?” she asked.
“Most of the time,” I joked, “Though, I’m usually already doing something at the mome-“
In the next instant, Ana took hold of me and brought my face to hers. I had no time to react before our lips touched. Her soft, warm lips interlocking with mine caused my body to lock before relaxing into the motion. I wrapped my arms around her body and pulled her in close. With her body close to mine, the cold night seemed to melt away, replaced by a warming sensation.
Our lips only parted when we both had to stop for air. We both looked at each other, smiling. She wore this coy look about her that I’ve only seen a few times before. With a relieved breath, she laid her head on my chest. We just stood in each other’s embrace until the valets came.
The first valet pulled around in my Civic. I hesitantly let Ana out of my arms to tip the valet and get in my car. I was about to offer her a seat until her car pulled around, but out of nowhere, the roar of an engine could be heard. Around the corner came a brand new, yellow Camaro. The female valet stepped out, and Ana stepped in. She looked at me, her coy look replaced, by one of superiority.
“Just a perk of owning ninety percent.” She stated, looking at me, “That was good kiss. Better than the last one where you froze.”
With that, she blew me a kiss, and the engine of her beast roared as she drove off. I smiled, remembering the last time we kissed. It wasn’t my shining moment, but it was in the past. I was more focused on the future. With a happy sigh, I drove home.
“Will you just tell me what happened?!” begged a certain white unicorn.
“Eenope. That stays my secret, “I replied, changing the solar panel on my car, “You should have been there.”
“That’s not fair!” Vinyl pouted, “I planned the entire thing! I need to know what happened!”
“Tough luck, pony.”
It had been about two days since the Gordano’s Corner incident. Vinyl had begged me to tell her what happened, but, as my own revenge, I decided not to tell her. Luckily, Ana decided not to tell her either. Vinyl would whine, pout, and sometimes fake cry, yet I never told. Information like that needed to stay private.
The sun was out, the sky was blue, and my parents wanted to tour L.A. As there loving son, I would tag along, but not say anything. This was their “vacation”, and they liked doing things on their own. My job would basically be keeping them around the safe tourist areas. Though, I wouldn’t be around the entire day. I had to do my own thing.
“Mason, honey, we called the cab company! Your dad and I decided that would be more fun!” My mom exclaimed as she walked from the house. She wore a yellow sundress with a yarn hat.
“Plus, I don’t trust your driving,” joked my father, following behind.
“I drive better than you, old man, but I do need a break from driving,” I stated as finished the replacement. “I’ll be back. I forgot something in the house.”
I walked into the house and up to my room. I stepped over to the closet, knelt down, and grabbed a brown box. I sighed as I opened it. Inside was a simple .45. Where I was going, I needed to have, yet I hoped wouldn’t use it.
I held the empty handgun in my hand getting a feel for it. I fired it at a firing range a couple times, but that’s about it. With another sigh, I wrapped the holster around my waist, put a full magazine into the gun, holstered the weapon, and covered it with my shirt. I also double checked to see if my concealed carry license was still active which it was.
I walked back outside to see everyone loading into the taxi. My dad took the front seat, resulting in everyone else having to share the back. It wasn’t too cramped, but a little breathing room couldn’t have hurt. The driver made sure we were all buckled in before driving to the pre-registered destination my parents had chosen.
We drove in relative silence. The only person making noise was my mother who excitedly looked and took pictures of everything. Living in the city, I had seen everything, but for her, it was a new experience. Eventually, the cab arrived to the destination and everyone got out except me.
“I’ll be back. Just gotta handle some things. You three have fun,” I told them as I climbed in the front passenger seat, “Alright, cabbie, I have two stops- Verizon store, and the stacks.”
The cab driver turned to me with a confused look, “Why in hell would someone like you go to the stacks?”
“Personal reasons.”
The cabbie shrugged and drove me to the nearest Verizon store. He had a point. Why would someone like me go to the stacks? It was dangerous after all. Guess I was too focused on the task at hand to see.
After some minutes, we arrived at the entrance of the store. The cabbie told me the meter was still running as I ran in. I didn’t need to shop around, for I knew exactly why I came.
“Hello, sir! How may I help you?” asked a cheery, dragon-girl helpmate.
“I’d like to add another line to my plan,” I answered her question, “I think it’s time a friend of mine finally had one of her own.”
“That’s easy, sir.” The helpmate scanned my finger before typing something onto the computer, “Alright. It is done. Now just choose the phone.”
Several phones appeared on the counter before me. They all looked the same; it was the inside that mattered. Trying to hurry, I chose a phone with easy to use features and high internal memory. The helpmate activated the phone, and I left, yet a voice in my head nagged me until I went back to the counter.
“Would it trouble you to add a third line?” I asked.
“No, sir. I am pleased to help.”
I left the store with two new phones and a content smile. The cabbie was waiting for me in the same spot. As soon as I got in, he pulled off towards the L.A stakes. A place of poverty, melancholy, and a hive of villainous scum. It was terrible for a place like that to exist, but they had to save space someone. But, staking mobile homes on top of mobile homes didn’t seem like a good idea.
Shallow in my thought, I didn’t know we arrived to the entrance of the stacks. The cabbie wished me luck as I got out. He said that he’d be waiting down a couple blocks where it was safe. With him gone, I was by myself. I felt my side to remind myself about the handgun and started walking.
I had been to the stacks before. Back when it was just poverty stricken families. Back before the crime rate was so high. Though, all things eventually turn to shit. That’s why I made sure to keep track of my surroundings. All was calm, except for two kids playing; no one else was around, which made my trip much easier.
A minute later, I arrived to my destination- a lone mobile home. If you didn’t know, it would look like a regular place, but for someone who did know, this was the home of a tech genius. Well, he claimed he claimed he was.
“I know you’re looking. Just opened the door!” I yelled.
I heard rustling from the inside, and then the door opened, “Will you keep it down!” A skinny man named Charles said, “I don’t need anyone to know I’m here!”
He pulled me in, locked the door, and walked back over to his only chair. It was the only piece of furniture he owned and needed. In front of it was his computer with multiple monitors on the wall. Around the rest of the home were small gadgets that had been disassembled for specific parts and empty packages of junk food. The smell in the place was anything but nice, yet you got used to it after a couple breaths.
“So Mason, what brings you here?” asked Charles as he sat in his chair, “Need new music software? Perhaps you need me to ‘boost’ you reputation over the internet. Maybe in the market for something erotic…”
“No. You’ve known me since high school. I don’t do that stuff. I just need you to do a simple web search.”
“You walked into the Stacks for a simple web search?”
“Well, not that simple. I can’t find much on this company. Thought you could find more since you have the skills,” I stated, explaining myself, “Also, why do you live here? We both know you have the money to live elsewhere.”
“Simply put: I look less suspicious if I dwell here than in other nice areas. Especially since I do stuff that tends to be…illegal.” He put on his Immersion gloves and the monitors came alive. On each one something different was happening- coding, hacking, NSFW material, forums, etc. “Now tell me the name of this company. I’ll get you all the information you want.”
“Vogon Biotech.”
“Never heard of it.” Charles told me as he began typing on some unseen keyboard. As I watched him search, I noticed his typing and motions began to slow, almost to a complete standstill.
(Discord’s POV)
They say: Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. A truly interesting saying. Especially one to think of as I watched a human try to satisfy his curiosity. If only he had called my name, I would have appeared to quench his thirst. Sadly, this guy took the hard route. Pity. I had to leave my office. Well, it wasn’t all bad, I suppose. I got a chance to get out and finally meet the one who befriended Equestria’s favorite DJ.
With a snap of my fingers, I appeared in some…filthy hovel someone called a home. I had to watch my step, or else I might dirty up my shoes. These things weren’t cheap either, I might add. To ensure the discretion of the conversation, I slowed time, or rather, the perception of time for the pale man at the computer. Only Mason would be aware of my presence.
“Hello, Mr. Williams. I don’t think we’ve formally met.” I said.
He turned around slowly, a frightened expression plastered on his face. “Uh…who are you?”
“I am the head of Vogon Biotech, the brains behind the operation, the God of Chaos himself-Discord!” A small display of fireworks exploded over my head to spell my name. “A little birdie told me you were in search of information. I came to provide. Ask away.”
A comfy chair appeared in the room and swept the poor lad from his feet. He wasn’t expecting it, but quickly settled into the softness. He seemed not to believe what was happening. Jeesh, after Vinyl, you’d think he’d be used to things by now.
“How many others are there? I know I can’t be the only one…”
“Smart kid. You’re not. There’s the author, wielder, Russian, peach farmer, that Stacks kid, Twilight’s on her own, that weird one, his brother…there’s a lot. The list is constantly growing. Next question.”
“Why me? I wasn’t even into My Little Pony. ”
“Well…” I stood there in thought, stroking my chin. (I really needed to shave, but watching over the ponies was more important.) “It’s more based on a need than a want. Yes, you being a fan of the show is necessary, but ones need out ways that.”
“So…”
“I can’t tell you your need. Now, anymore questions? I can’t spend too much time with one customer.”
Mason thought for a moment before asking, “Why are they here? Equestria looked so happy and cheery. Why come here?”
“Do you really want to know? Yes, I could tell you, but would you really want to carry that information around? You can’t tell them. They can’t know. It’ll be our and the other human’s secret.”
He sighed, knowing he wouldn’t want to hold onto that information.
“Good. Now, before I go, I need you to sign this.” I brought out a scroll and unfurled it.
“What is it?”
“You know how Vinyl has been helping you these past weeks, making your life better? Well this is a way to help her and make her happy. The scale is leaning heavily to her good graces…and you made that heat joke.”
“Yeah, I know. If it’ll make her happy, I’ll do whatever it takes.” He took hold of the pen I summoned and wrote his name, “How bad could it be since it makes a friend happy?”
The scroll rerolled when he finished writing his name. With a farewell, I told the young man to keep Vinyl happy and then disappeared. Good thing he didn't read the contract. Sometimes, people make it too easy.
(Mason’s POV)
“Dude, I couldn’t find much. Some back-water articles…that’s it,” yelled Charles, regaining regular tempo. I guess he didn’t notice my conversation.
“No problem, dude. Thanks for the help,” Everything here was done so I decided to leave, “Yo, dude. Before I leave, you wouldn’t happen to have any laptops preloaded with DJ software?”
“Open my closet. It’s the blue one. Fifth down on the second row. I knew you’d ask for it eventually.”
“It’s for a friend,” I opened the closet, filled with dozens of laptops, and grabbed the one he mentioned. I then walked to the front door of the trailer and looked back, “Be safe and try to get out more.”
Charles only waved as I closed the door. In the open again, I put my hand on my pistol as I walked to the exit. Maybe I was being paranoid, but one could never be too safe. I did see a couple of shady figures, but they didn’t mess with me. They were too busy in their own accords. Within minutes, I reached the exit and called for the taxi. He quickly drove by and picked me. He asked me if I was going back to meet my family, yet before I could answer my phone began to vibrate.
“Hello, sir. I, Tesla, am fully updated and operational!” Tesla said. She seemed overly cheerful. Guess the update added emotions, “You have one new message!”
“Nice to have you back. I missed you,” I replied, “So, what’s the message?”
“Your Parole Officer is on the way to check on your house arrest.”
“Fuck...”
I completely forgot about the house arrest. Ever since Vinyl took the anklet off, I was free. I looked at the cabbie, who gave a slight smirk before accelerating towards my home. If all the luck in the world was on my side, the planets aligned, and the cabbie wasn’t pulled over for speeding, I could make it home before the Parole Officer.
The Cabbie dropped me off a couple of houses shy of my own. He did a great job of getting me there, so I took down his Taxi number, so I could call him again if I needed a ride. After that, I snuck to my house. To my horror, the parole officer was there already. Though, she seemed to be talking to some…pony. It wasn’t Vinyl. The pony talked, keeping the officer busy. When she noticed me, she made a slight head movement for me to get into the house.
With stealth like a ninja (Beverly Hills), I snuck into my house. Tesla began powering things up, but I told her not to. Not till I found the anklet. It took some time, but I found it by the door, underneath a small table. With some ingenuity and black tape, I reattached it to my leg. Just in time too. My front door flung open with officer and the pony standing there.
“Ah, Mr. Williams. I see everything is alright,” said the officer, “Why are you on the floor?”
“Yoga…” I lied.
“Alrighty. I just needed to see if you’re abiding by the rules.” After a quick look around, the officer wrote something in her book, “Everything seems to be in order. I’ll be taking my leave.”
After that, the officer left. It was only me and the pony. She wore a white dress shirt covered by a gray vest with the treble clef sewed on the side. Her pants were black which matched her black shoes. Yet, what really stood out was the pink bowtie. It just seemed to be her personal signature.
“Hello, Mason. My name is Octavia Melody. I am the marefriend of Vinyl Scratch,” The pony stated. She reached out a hand to help me up. She seemed completely opposite from Vinyl. Calm, well-spoken, smooth, and tranquil, yet she had this small conceitedness just like Vinyl.
“Uh...hey…thanks for the save back there.”
“It’s no problem. I had to do it a lot for Vinyl back in Equestria. To think things would change.” Octavia sighed a little before regaining her composure. “Sorry. It took me longer to get here than I expected. Thanks for letting me stay.”
“…what?” At that moment, my phone vibrated. I excused myself before looking at the message. It was a bank statement from recent transactions. I opened the message to see another twenty-two thousand credit deduction to Vogon Biotech. My mind began thinking of how, but then it hit me…that damn contract.
“I can’t believe I’m spending the day in L.A with DJ Pon-3!” Mason’s mother screamed soon after Mason disappeared. To where, I don’t know.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” I told her as I readjusted my shades, “You can just call me Vinyl, Mrs. Williams.”
“Mrs. Williams? No need for formalities; I’m not that old yet, “She twirled in her yellow sundress to add affect, “You can call me Sasha and that grumpy man over there is Mason Sr.”
“Mr. Williams will do…” chimed in the grumpy man as he looked through his map, “I can’t find anything in this god forsaken city.”
For the next hour, we spent our time trying to find big tourist attractions, yet only ended up getting lost. It wasn’t all bad since we had some fun along the way. Sasha and Mr. Williams asked about my home which I told them, though it seemed they knew a decent amount already. I asked about their home and Mason’s childhood which they answered without hesitation. Apparently, Mason was an unruly child unless he was listening to music. It figures (I was the same way.)
After being lost for so long, we grew hungry and tired. Fortune finally decided to shine on us as we found a small noodle shop on the corner of a street. We entered, ordered, waited, and began eating. I’ll give the humans one thing: They certainly have a lot of delicious food. I dived in without second thought. I only ever looked from the steaming bowl of “Raman” to breathe. After the noodles and vegetable were gone, I downed the broth like a shot. (Who knew chickens tasted so good?)
I had eaten the food so fast that I had to wait for Mason’s parents to finish there’s. That is, after they finished staring at me after that display. Eventually, they went back to eating. So, I waited. And waited…and waited. They were very, very slow eaters. Though, the wait wasn’t all bad since a kid approached me.
“Uh…Vinyl Scratch?” The kid couldn’t have been any older than eight and was so cute, “My dad is a huge fan of yours…could you sign this for him?”
The kid lifted up a small doll of me- the one thing I thought I wouldn’t see. Not to disappoint, I signed it. The kid seemed so happy when I handed the signed toy back. He ran back over to his mother, showed her the toy, and pointed to me. The mother looked and almost died of shock. When she recovered, she came over and took a couple photos of me and her kid together. (It was about time ponies started recognizing me.) When that was over and Mason’s parents finished eating, we headed out the store.
“I wonder where Mason is.” Sasha said.
“Probably somewhere…doing something stupid.” Mr. Williams said.
“Naw…he’s not the guy to just leave and not come back without warning. Where ever he is, it’s probably important.”
We walked around for a couple more minutes before deciding to go home. Of course, we didn’t know how to do that either, but we quickly found the nearest train station that would get us back quickly. We descended into the subway, which seemed to be new. It was empty below except for a few people who seemed to be protesting something or the other. Though, I knew something was up when Mr. Williams and Sasha began to speed up. Unfortunately, they were still intercepted.
“Stop! We see the sins you hide and you must confess them,” said one man from the group, obviously the leader.
“Look, buddy. I respect you Purist’s religion and your right to express it, but I don’t need this right now,” Mr. Williams spoke bluntly to the man, trying to end the conversation before it started, “Now, would you kindly let me, my wife, and our friend pass.”
“Looks like you do need it. Letting your wife walk around in such an outfit…leaving nothing to the imagination” The man eyed at me before speaking again, “And you called this…this thing your friend?! It’s an abomination! It’s unnatural! God would never let this monster dwell naturally on his Earth! You’re in more need than you think.”
“Fuc-“
Mr. Williams was going to say something I presume was vulgar, but Sasha interrupted by jumping in front of her husband.
“Hey! I can dress the way I want to dress.” Sasha’s polite, cheery voice was going away. Her white cheeks went red as she became frustrated. It was sort of cute, “We are all beings under God’s eyes. Vinyl is not any of those things you called her. You’re wrong and closed minded!”
When she finished, the lead protester shoved her out the way. To the ground she fell, ruining her yellow dress. The women in the protest looked away from the act. Their modest appearance soiled with the violence of their leader. I ran over to Sasha who kept telling me she was alright. She was more worried about Mason Sr. than anything.
“You need to teach your woman a women’s place. Now, back to what I was sayi-”
A dark brown fist sailed through the air, hitting the protest leader straight in the jaw, yet before he could crumple; his body was lifted and then carried to a nearby wall.
“Don’t you dare…lay a hand…on my wife again…” Mr. Williams’ voice seemed to be trembling, “I tried to play nicely, but you forced my hand. Now, I’ll let you go…but I don’t want to ever see your face again.”
In the next instant, the man’s body hit the floor. Immediately, he was surrounded by his fellow protesters. Mr. Williams walked back to us, helped his wife up, and walked us to the train which would take us near home. We boarded the train and found a lone compartment near the front. We all sat close to each other, holding strong after the incident.
“Are you sure you’re alright, honey?” Mr. Williams asked his wife. He took off his replacement arm, which was beeping from low power.
“I’m fine, dear. I took worst hits at Bronycon in 2021. HA! And I still got the last Luna figurine,” Sasha sat in her memory for a moment before looking at me, “Are you alright, Vinyl.
I only whispered four words, “Thing…Abomination…Unnatural…Monster…” Then tears began to flow from under my glasses.
(Octavia’s POV)
“So when Vinyl opens the door, we both jump out and yell surprise,” Mason explained.
“That’s…painfully cliché.” I retorted.
“Then what’s your idea, Octavia?”
“I simply sit here until her arrival. When she comes into your home, she’ll see me and will be naturally surprised and happy.”
“Not as exciting.”
“The best things in life aren’t…exciting, Mr. Williams.”
“Please, that’s my father’ name. Mason will do.”
“If you insist.”
This…”friend” of Vinyl was an interesting character. He was laid-back and calm, yet possessed this urgency about him to get things done. I must say this stallion was good company. Not to take around my orchestra, but to have some good, memorable laughs. I doubt he had a high society bone in his body. Though, Vinyl doesn’t either, and I love her. I guess he’s alright.
Another thing about this stallion was that he was a DJ like Vinyl, yet he didn’t posses the energy of a musician. You may think I’m crazy, but musicians have this…aura. One connected to the world itself to feel its beat, rhythm, and tone. It is how one makes, feels, and becomes music. This musician…he didn’t have one…or it was very weak. Somewhere along the road he had one, but along that same path, he lost it. Though, I wonder how?
“Excuse me, but I have a question,” I spoke out loud.
“Shoot,” He responded, lying on the couch half sleep.
“How long have you been creating music?”
“Since I was sixteen. So twelve years.”
“And when did your career take off?”
“I was twenty- three when I got signed.”
I kept quiet after that. I had a pretty good idea of what happened. It happens to a lot of young musicians. At first, their career is good. Everyone’s happy. Soon, the musician finds themselves leaving the public’s eye. So to get back, they start making music to please the label and the fans, and not themselves. This results in a sort of emptiness. One were the musician is no longer connected to world, weakening the aura. Though, today was not the day to discuss such matter with him. Maybe I’ll say something another day when Mason and I are better…situated to one another.
I grabbed my instrument case and sat down in a chair across from where Mason was lying. I sat the case onto the floor and opened it. There, was my prized possession- my cello. I lifted the wooden beauty from its case, stood it up, and plucked a string. Alas, it was sharp. After getting each string to the perfect pitch, I began playing. Softly at first, yet when I saw Mason’s foot moving to the beat, I began playing louder.
I was getting deep in the song, almost reaching my favorite part, yet my ears picked up on a sound- car doors. I didn’t stop playing, but started listening intently to the outside. First, I heard talking. Second, I heard multiple footsteps approaching. Finally, I heard the door unlocking, and who walked in was the most beautiful mare I had ever seen.
“OCTAVIA!”
“VINYL!
I quickly sat down my cello before running to my love. I had to slow myself down before I reached her open arms, or else we would have fallen. When we connected, everything seemed at peace. The embrace we shared was something ponies only dreamed about. As we hugged each other, an elderly couple and Mason left the room, leaving only us alone. I looked towards Vinyl who had on her stupid shades. I smiled before kissing her on the side of her lips, and when I did, I noticed tears lines.
“Vinyl? Have you been crying?” I asked as I hugged her tighter.
“Oh it’s nothing to worry about.” Vinyl said as she took off her glasses to reveal her scarlet eyes and more freshly forming tear lines, “I’m just happy you’re here.”
I watched as Octavia and Vinyl hugged each other after being apart for so long. It is a nice thing seeing a couple reunite. One could feel the love flowing from the two souls connected (I’m getting too mushy for my taste). Deciding to give the two ponies some personal time, I headed for my room. Well, I did after ushering my parents away from the scene.
“YO! MASON!”Vinyl yelled to me, “Where ya going? Ya have to meet Octy!”
“We’ve already met. I’m just going to my room to give you two some privacy,” I opened my room door, turned to Vinyl, and slyly smirked; “Don’t stain my couch, please?
I didn’t hear what she yelled back since I closed my door as soon as I finished speaking. I laughed at tad bit a my joke before heading to my bed. Through the event that just happened, I almost forgot about the stuff I bought. Luckily, I kept it in my hand the entire time. Weirdly, Vinyl didn’t notice. Octavia probably had her full attention. Good. Maybe some of that energy will be used.
I threw myself on my bed; it smelled like months of not getting washed. I added that to my to-do lists…of things that’ll probably never get done. I got comfortable, grabbed the remote control, and turned the TV on. Of course, nothing was on. Nothing is ever on. So, I decided to mess through my phone.
I scrolled through the device looking for stuff to do. Unfortunately, I didn’t want to do anything on the phone. I threw it down onto the bed and just laid there. Time seemed to go at a crawl. This gave my mind time to fester.
There are five people in this house. Four of those people are relationship with another in the house, leaving you by your lonesome. Well, not completely alone. You still have Chloe and Ana…oh…you can only have one, though. Hmmm… whatcha going to do, mate?
I shook the thought out of my head, trying to get to sleep. Sadly, the thought wouldn’t leave, but my phone vibrated and took my mind away the idea. Too lazy to grab the phone, I asked Tesla to tell me the message.
“You have a voice message from your producer, sir!” Tesla stated cheerily, “He sounds happy!”
“Play the message,” I responded
“Mason! My god …Mason. You don’t know how much Fuckin’ hype is going on for your little battle thing. It’s huge! Bigger than a porn stars slong! Bigger than my ego! Fuckin’ huge! At first, people were like “alright, cool!” Then, I mentioned that DJ PON3 and everyone nearly came in their pants! If you play your cards right, and don’t fuck up, you’ll be back on top.”
The message ended, and brought a smile to my face. It was good enough news for me not to remember my thought. Though, life has a funny way of saying, “Fuck you, kid.”
My phone vibrated again. At first, I thought it was Percy calling back. Something told me it wasn’t.
“You have a voice message from Anastasia!” Tesla squealed, “Sounds kinda urgent.”
“Play it,” I felt kind of anxious after the night we had together.
“Get your ass to the club or you’re fired. Oh, and bring Vinyl too. I actually like her.” The recorded messaged said. It paused for a moment before playing again, “Plus, we need to talk about stuff. Talk about us.”
In was the instant after the message ended that I knew what I had to do. Some type of clarity. I felt very cliché, but fuck it. I knew what had to be done. I took a deep breath, picked up my phone, and dialed Chloe. A tingling sensation flowed through me as the anxiety grew.
“Hello, Mason,” I heard her voice on the other end, “What do you want?”
“Well, I think we need to talk…” I replied.
“About what, honey?” her voice became slightly worried, but I didn’t notice it at the time.
“Look...I don’t know how to say this, but uh…We’ve…I…”
What happened next surprised me. Her deposition completely changed. She stopped talking like a typical valley girl. She became…mature.
“I know where you’re going with this and I agree. We seem to have two different outlooks on life that differ from the other. I agree it’s time we ended this. My only hope that we remain friends.”
“…”
“Mason? You there?”
“Uh yeah…we can definitely stay friends.”
“Good. Well, I will TTYL,” Her valley voice returning, “I have to, like, finish my study on the totally awesome world of typical scene chicks or else I’ll fail my class.”
With that she ended the call. Who knew she was just acting? Which makes me thinks what would happen if I would have gotten to know the real Chloe. O well, I made my bed and chose my path.
Speaking of bed, I decided to take an hour nap before going to see what Ana wanted.
(Octy POV)
I lay on the couch, holding Vinyl in my arms. She may act all tough, but deep inside, she wants to be held. So, I let her snuggle into my arms and breast as one’s filly may do when it is nap time. (Of course, there’s not much difference between Vinyl and a young filly, now is there?) Her breathing began to slow, becoming steadier. The unicorn even levitated a blanket to cover the both of us up as she let out a tiny yawn…then a belch. Sigh…my Vinyl. I too wanted to fall asleep with her in my embrace, yet there was so much to talk about.
“Wake up, Vinyl,” I shook her gently, “Don’t fall asleep.”
She responded by nuzzling deeper into my bosom. I responded by pushing her onto the carpeted floor.
“Ugh…my mouth was open! Yuck,I got carpet stuff in my mouth,” She prattled, “Jeesh if you wanted me to eat carpet, I woulda ate yours.”
The DJ crept close to me with speed of a timber wolf. Why, I barely had enough time to brace myself when she jumped on top me. A blush came over my face as I diverted my eyes from her piercing, scarlet gaze. Using one finger, she pushed my chin causing my head to follow; our eyes met. Ours face only inches apart.
“You do know that I missed you, right?” Vinyl asked, and then placed her lips on mine before taking them away.
“And I you, my dear,” I responded, “But can we no-“
I felt her hand gently cup my chest. She gave a slight squeeze before pulling my bowtie loose with her mouth. The pink decoration flowed to the ground, yet my attention was drawn back to Vinyl who began unbuttoning my vest. Before I could stop her, I felt the sweet relief of having the blasted thing from on me.
“My…my…my,” Vinyl mused, “Have your boobs grown while I was gone?”
She cupped both of them from outside my white dress shirt; my gray fur shown through. She began to move her hands in a fluid motion, almost massaging my…chest region. I couldn’t help but let out a soft moan. One unbecoming of a mare of my standards.
“Vinyl…” I managed to say in between moans, “We have to speak…seriously. This…can…wait.”
“You know you want this,” The DJ kissed me again, her tongue dancing in my mouth. I was too distracted by that to notice her use her magic to unbutton my shirt. Once the pressure was released from my torso ;my breast came forth from the shirt. Luckily, I had my black bra on.
“I swear you got bigger!” Vinyl smirked a coy smile. She then pulled off her T-shirt, “I think mine are shrinking though. Feel ‘em. They aren’t the same.”
Using her hand, she grabbed mine and placed it against her chest. They were soft, warm, and decent sized for a mare of her lean stature. The fur on them seemed to invite me in closer; a forest of lust.
She removed her hand from mine and slowly leaned me down onto the sofa. Our faces were once again inches away. She kissed my lips then worked her way down. Next was my neck. Then was my breast. A couple on my stomach. I knew what she was heading for. If she reached it, we’d never talk. Not now atleast.
Vinyl used her fingers to unbutton my black pants, and then unhurriedly pulled down the zipper. Almost as if she was toying with me. She knew I wanted it...but I needed to talk to her. Though she wouldn’t let me and pulled the pants down, revealing my pink undergarments. Instinctively, I opened my legs wider, and Vinyl was gave me one last smile before diving in.
“Vinyl!!” I yelled, clamping her head in between my legs, “We can’t do this here, I need to talk to you!”
I heard her mumble something from my privates, the vibrations from her voice gave me quite the shakes. I let her free of my grasp so she could repeat what she said.
“Ya’ coulda said something earlier. Ya know, before I dived in for some Octy flesh.” She stated, “What do you need to talk about.”
It took me a while to regain my composure, but I managed to speak.
“As you know, we are both in a different place. This one being completely different from Equestria.”
“Okay…”
“That being said, we must find a way to support ourselves in this new place.”
“Well, Mason-“
“I know he’s letting us live here. He’ll probably let us do it indefinitely, but don’t you want your own home? A place just for us? A place to raise our young?”
“Yeah…I do. A place where I can go between your thick thighs and-“
“I’m being serious, Vinyl…”
“Who said I wasn’t?”
I took a deep breath while Vinyl gave me a sensual look.
“To get to the point: we have to get jobs. We save that money; we buy a house.”
“Ugh…”
“I know you hate work, but it is for us and our future, “I noticed the look of longing, annoyance, and dissatisfaction on her face, “I’m sorry I ruined the moment.”
Her expression calmed and turned into a smile.
“Naw, you didn’t ruin anything. You’re just getting ready for our future,” Vinyl leaned in and kissed my cheek, “Besides, I’ll just get ya tonight in my room.”
“Or…” I wrapped my arms around her neck and brought her in close, her barren torso touching mine, “You can get me now…”
Just then, we both heard a familiar voice.
“Am I interrupting something here?”
(Mason POV)
By me being a DJ, I’ve seen a lot of things. Drugs, bears in tutus, money, drunks, and dudes wearing Speedos while break dancing on the dance floor, etc. But nothing can prepare a man walking in on two ponies having lesbian sex. That’s something you could have told me would happen and I wouldn’t believe you. Oddly enough, it was slightly arousing. I won’t lie on that matter.
It was here, when both Vinyl and Octavia were half naked, that I saw the differences in their body type (Not that I was looking.) Octavia, being an Earth pony, was more robust in her appearance. Thick thighs, big breasts, and medium height. Her body screamed “Child bearing”. Vinyl, on the other hand, was leaner and taller. She had an hour glass figure to her.
“Well you didn’t interrupt anything, but you’re just in time to join.” Vinyl said to me from on top her lover.
“Thanks for the offer, but I think I would get lost in the fur.” I responded nonchalantly, “Nice panties, Octavia.”
“So what brings you from you room?”
“Anastasia needs us at the club for some odd reason. Put you some clothes on and I’ll meet ya outside.”
“Pfft, clothes. You know you like looking at them.”
That crazy unicorn began to fondle her breast. I looked away but not without grabbing a peak (I’m only human.)
“Whatever, Vinyl. I’ll see ya outside. You too, Octavia. Pull up your pants and let’s get rolling.”
I waited in my car for those two to come outside. Seemed like forever before they finally came out the house. Something told me that they got a little…busy before they decided to come out. Plus the fact that both were breathing heavily and their outfits were in some sort of disarray. Though, being the gentleman I am, I spoke nothing about it. Mostly.
“You two rabbits ready to go?” I asked as I started the car.
“Yes,” replied the calm, considerate Octavia.
“Let’s blow this joint!” yelled the savage, outgoing, loud Vinyl Scratch as she turned on the radio and nearly blew my ear drums. --
The ride to the club wasn’t anything exciting. Just mostly idle chat and the two Equestrians catching up. I started to feel like the third wheel, but it was okay. They had something special going on; it wasn’t my place to interrupt. So, I kept my peace and didn’t speak unless spoken to. It wasn’t all bad, keeping my mouth shut for once. Just listening to the sound of a couple catching up. The smiles, the laughter, and even the embarrassment from old stories brought up by the other. Sounded like they were having fun…sounded like what Ana and I did at our dinner.
“How much further to this club you speak of?” questioned Octavia.
“We’re here now. Welcome to Club Genesis. The first place Vinyl and I got wasted at together.”
“That’s a charming way to remember this establishment.”
The sarcasm was boiling over in her voice. Plus, when you add her high class voice, it doubles the hit.
“Well at least we don’t remember it as the first place we shared the hay. Remember, Octy? Behind my station.” Vinyl chimed in.
Octavia blushed; Vinyl laughed; and I smiled at the situation as I parked. I was about to open my door, but something pulled at the edge of my mind. I looked down in between my legs to see the bag of phones I had bought earlier that day. I could have sworn I left them in the house, but there they were plan as day.
“Wait guys. Before we go in, I have to give ya this,” I reached into the bag, produced the two cell phones, and handed one to each, “ ’Bout time each of you had your own. It’s has my number in it plus some others that are probably good to have, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put in other ones.”
“You didn’t have to get us these.” Vinyl said, her voice breaking a bit.
“It’s no problem. There will be times when I’m not around or you need to call for help. Can’t have you two exploring L.A without proper communication.”
Vinyl unbuckled her seat and leaned over to give me a hug, I responded by giving her one back. Though it lasted a bit longer than I thought it would, and got weird. Especially when the hug got tighter.
“Okay….okay. Enough of that lovey dovey mess. Save it for your marefriend.”
The hug ended and we all walked to the club. Vinyl messed with her phone while Octavia simply thanked me and put it in her pocket. We walked to the entrance and were greeted by Anastasia who looked tired; the bags under her eyes told the story of a long night.
She brought us inside the building to see her entire night’s work, which is outside any human’s capability. Two separate stations were in place of the head station for the Dj. Each one facing the other. Speakers and subwoofers were placed strategically around the club to make sure no sound was lost to anyone. Some were even placed in areas that would be impossible to get to-the ceiling. LED lights were placed around the club and glowed dimly since no beat was playing to give them life. The bar was fully stocked, floor freshly waxed…everything was done. The biggest thing was the poster at the back of the club behind the DJ stations. One side was Vinyl’s face, the other my face. Both were facing each other with a smirk of arrogance permanently stuck on our face.
“That’s amazing!” Vinyl cheered. She then began running around the club examining everything. Octavia followed.
“You did this in one night?” I asked Ana, “You could have called for help.”
“I thought I needed to, but then I really got into the work. It all seemed to turn into a dream. Things were just falling into place. Everything seemed to just move by themselves. Though, after everything was done, I was really tired. Probably just over exerted myself.” Ana let out a yawn, “Anyway, let’s go to my office to talk.”
She began walking…really slowly. So, I scooped her in my arms and carried to the office. I could hear Vinyl and Octavia let out a couple of “Aww”s. Once we reached her office, I sat her down in her chair and I sat down on the other side of the desk hat separated us. We remained silent for a moment before she spoke up.
“About Gordano’s corner…” She spoke.
“I know…the food was terrible.” I joked.
“Mason…taco…”
I sighed knowing the symbol from our childhood to let the other know that they were serious..
“Taco…” I replied.
“Good. Now, about what happened. That was a spur of the moment type thing. I don’t know what came over me.”
“True feelings long forgotten in time?”
“Something along those lines. So, how do you feel, Mr. Helix?”
“Honestly. I’m glad you did it. Celestia knows I wouldn’t have,” I stopped for a moment to think about a random pony reference I made, “Twas nice.”
Silence grew in between us. I suppose this happens to every best friend-to special person relationship. I guess the feelings have always been there, in some shape or fashion, but when they actually showed themselves, we weren’t ready. Well, no…we were ready…just not…I don’t know.
“Well this is awkward,” Ana spoke, “We’ve haven’t been this silent since I showed you mine and you showed me yours.”
“That was a long time ago and little me wasn’t ready.”
“Which little you?”
“Shut up,”She chuckled a bit before calming her expression, “So I’m game to try out this relationship. But apparently, you have Chloe.”
“About her…it’s over. . Anyway, I’m willing too. I suppose it’s about we did this.”
“Whatever, Mr. Willliams. Pick me up Friday at 7. I got reservations at Gordano’s again.”
“Whatever you say, Ms. Clark. I’ll see ya’ Friday.”
“Cya. Oh and the battle is that Saturday. Prepare yourself. Vinyl isn’t a joke. She knows what she is doing. She’s a professional.”
Ana got up, kissed my cheeks, and ushered me outside her office. Once I crossed the threshold, she closed her office door behind me. I simply shrugged it off and walked towards Octavia who were still examining the DJ stations. Vinyl seemed amazed and happy while Octavia seemed sort of disinterested , but supportive.
“So Vinyl filled me in on the Battle you’re having and the little joke you made. Not funny.” Octavia said.
“I know. I know. “I responded.
“Don’t worry, Octy. I got him Saturday. He’ll be my little bitch.” Vinyl stood up from the station she declared as hers, right under her face on the poster.
“Language, Vinyl.” Octavia mentioned.
“Sorry,” Vinyl walked to me and wrapped her arm around me, “So, what did you and Ana talk about? Comeon, tell me.”
I opened my mouth to speak, yet my phone vibrated. I took it out and opened a message from Anastasia- “I love you.”
“Mason, I want some ice cream,” Vinyl stated from the back seat of my car.
“There’s ice cream at the house,” I replied, “Just wait till we get there.”
“But I want it now…”
I looked in my rearview mirror to see her pout. In a way, it was cute. I looked at Octavia who was beside her; she didn’t seem to be paying much attention to us. She looked more interested in taking in L.A’s sights. Can’t blame her; it is a beautiful place. Well, if you go to the right places.
We stayed quiet in the car, heading home from the club; the radio playing some pop song I don’t care to remember. I do remember it being bright, sunny, and the streets free of any traffic. My kind of day. Maybe that Celestia pony still has control of the sun. (You know what’s funny? Rumor is that she’s here and running for President. Go figure. Too bad I never registered to vote.)
“Truth be told, I could go for a bit of ice cream myself,” Octavia stated.
“Not you too. Ice cream is at the house. Plus, the nearest place that sells good ice cream is 30 mins off our route.” I said.
I looked back in the rearview to see both ponies pouting. Though, Octavia’s looked to be a bit more scheming than pouting. I saw her and Vinyl pull out their phones in unison; they probably were going to text each other. I simply shrugged it off and kept driving. All seemed well until Tesla alerted me about an urgent text message on my phone.
I pulled to the side of the rode to read the message.( I usually wouldn’t have done that, but I had two passengers weary of this mode of transportation.) With a quick swipe, I opened up the message to see all bold words from my mother, “GET THOSE PONIES SOME ICE CREAM!” I stared at the message, reread it twice, and then received another message from my father, “NOW!”
Turning around in my seat, I looked at the unicorn and then the Earth pony. They both had this innocent look about them, one saying they could do no wrong in the world. A look that needed protection from the evils of this world. The twist was…they were the evil of the world…and they lived with me.
“Did…did you guys tell on me?” I asked.
“What do you mean, dude?” Vinyl asked back.
“Yes, what do you mean? We were simply sitting back here, listening to the music coming from your carriage.”
“Sure…and the text I received from my parents has nothing to do with your craving for ice cream?”
“No, but you should probably listen to them.”
They kept the innocent looks on their faces until I turned around. Then, I heard them snicker. I sighed before making a U-turn and driving towards the nearest Ice cream parlor. Though, the more I drove, the more a smile on my face grew. Truth was: I wanted some Ice cream too.
“I’ll take one cookie and cream, one vanilla, and one chocolate.” I told the human cashier, “All cones.
“No…wait…I want turtle, not vanilla.” Vinyl interjected.
“You know it’s not actually turtle flavor.”
“I know. I’m not a idiot like you, Mason.”
“Ouch. I thought you ponies were supposed to be nice.”
“The tales of our niceness have been greatly exaggerated.”
To add affect, Vinyl took a jab at my arm. It hurt…a lot. I couldn’t let her know, though.
“Any change for you, Octavia?” I asked, a tear forming in my eye.
“No, chocolate is the best and only flavor I will eat. I thank you for asking, though.”
“In that case, one cookies and cream; one vanilla; and one chocolate.”
The cashier asked for my thumb, scanned it, and told me my purchase was approved. I nodded and waited for the frozen treats. Vinyl and Octavia went to seat down at one of the tables while a lady and her son came behind me, so I moved out the way and let her order. A moment passed before I received the ice cream. I hurriedly rushed them to the table and handed them out to the respective owner. I was thanked ,and we ate in delicious, cold heaven.
Though, we barely got halfway before Octavia noticed the sons of the lady were staring at us with judging stares. We did our best to ignore the kid, but when he began to walk over, there was nothing we could do.
“Hey, buddy, what can we do for you?” I asked.
“Are those ponies yours?” he asked.
“No. I don’t own them. They are my friends.”
“My dad said bronies, like you, were cancer on the internet when he was growing up and that ponies are stupid”
I was sort of shocked that the kid just came out and said that.
“Uh…number one: I’m not a brony,” I took a lick of my ice cream that was starting to run down the cone, “Number two: your dad is a-”
“Language, Mason,” Octavia interrupted, “He’s only a child, repeating what he was told.”
I held my tongue, trying to reword what I was trying to say.
“Your dad has a point of view that’s ignorant and wrong. Trust me, kid. Ponies are pretty freaking cool. Even though they force you to buy them ice cream.”
At that moment, the kid’s mother walked over. She seemed a tad bit weary of my little group. I’m guessing she was coming to investigate. Makes sense a mother would do that.
“Hey, Joel. What are you talking to these…persons about?” she asked her son.
“The man said dad is ig-nor-rent and wrong about bronies and ponies.” Joel answered.
“Okay. Joel go to the car and wait for me there,” She waited for her son to get out of hearing distance before speaking again, “What gave you the right to tell my son his father is wrong?”
“Well he was talking bad about a group of people who done more good than harm and ponies which my friends here happen to be.”
“That doesn’t mean you can tell my son his father is wrong. WE choose how to raise our son.”
“Ma’am please…just listen. I was trying to help him know the-“
In the next instant, I felt a sharp pain in my drink. When I recovered, I saw the lady’s hand lowering from the sky. She turned and walked away. Both Octavia and Vinyl surrounded, trying to make sure I was okay.
“Are you okay?” Vinyl asked.
“Does it hurt?” Octavia asked.
“Naw. It doesn’t hurt much.” I smiled a bit, “I’ve been slapped harder and by way prettier women.”
“So how are we going to get revenge?” asked Vinyl.
“Vinyl, revenge is wrong.” Octavia said.
“No, Octavia. Revenge is like ice cream. It’s sweet and best served cold, “I opened my phone and dialed, “Hey, Charles. I need you to find the address that belongs to this license plate and sign them up for the puritan news letter…and weekly visits.”
Octavia rushed over, grabbed my phone, ended the call, and grabbed my ear. She began to walk towards my car, and my body began to follow. Vinyl laughed as she followed.
"Revenge...is wrong." Octavia stated once more, "Now, let's go home."
I was asleep in my bed, waiting for my daily alarm to go off. Within my sleeping motions, I rolled over, wrapped my arms around something warm, furry, and soft; and snuggled into it. I happily sighed and went back to sleep. The breathing motions of whatever I hugged were calming. I was becoming one with the warmth beside me. There was only one problem though-I sleep alone.
My eyes flew opened only to be filled with gray fur. Instantly, I knew who was in my bed. Sorta just needed to know why.
“Octavia…why are you in my bed?” I asked out loud, yet received no answer. Shaking her received only a grunt and biting her received a moan…I regretted biting her. I resorted back to shaking until she awoke.
“Is there a reason why you woke me up?” she asked with a yawn, “I was having a good dream.”
“Yeah, why are you in my bed?” I asked again.
“The bed in Vinyl’s room is too small for the both of us, so I opted to sleep in here.”
“Okay…”
It was sort of weird that she had gotten comfortable enough with me to just hop in the bed, but I’m no stranger to waking up with people in my bed. (One would think Vinyl would jump in before Octavia did.) With a sigh, I readjusted my arms around her, snuggled in deeper, and went back to sleep.
“Uh…what are you doing?” she asked.
“You’re soft and warm,” I replied as I squeezed, “Also, this is strictly platonic, so no ideas, Octavia.”
“With you? Ha! Don’t make me laugh.” She shoved her thigh into my crotch, “Well…maybe. Depends on what Vinyl thinks.”
“Invasion of privacy, much?”
She rolled out of my bed and into the cold of the morning air. To my…Not to my surprise, she was naked. I adverted my eyes to give her some privacy. I didn’t know what she was about to do; it was still early in the morning-11 a.m. Maybe she was going to cook some breakfast. (I hoped she did.) She actually just told me to wake up. I replied by yawning and replacing her with a pillow.
She shook her head, walked to the bed, grabbed my leg, and pulled me out. The cold air hit like a kick from Bruce Lee. I cringed on the ground in over exaggerated agony until Octavia picked me up, and slunge me over her shoulder. What was happening, I didn’t know.
“Please tell me you’re not going through heat…” I worriedly said from her shoulders.
“No. Vinyl handled that already.”
“Ew…pony sex.”
“Ew…human sex.”
“Touché. So where are we going?”
“To the basement to practice our instruments.”
“Ugh…put me down…”I began to struggle within her grasp, but no matter what, she wouldn’t let go, “Why are you so strong?!”
“Natural Earth Pony strength. For you information: I’m not letting go.”
“Well, could you at least put on some clothes?”
“No. Those clothes are a hindrance. I just wear them not to cause a disruption in your society, but I’m home, so it doesn’t matter if I wear clothes or not. Your second brain doesn’t seem to mind.”
“It’s early in the morning…that’s it.”
She opened the door to the basement, gracefully walked down the steps, and lowered me into a chair. She then got another chair and sat right across from me-in her full glory. She looked me in the eyes as she slid my trumpet case over. She then located her Cello case, opened it, and got ready to play. Luckily, the instrument hid her more private parts. (Maybe unfortunately.)
She reached back into her case and passed me a piece of sheet music. From the little music I could understand, the sheet seemed out my league; I could probably muddle through it. She looked at her music and began tapping her hoof in a 4/4 beat. I opened my case, put my mouthpiece in my trumpet and got ready to play.
“Vinyl told me you played a little,” Octavia said before playing, “I’d thought we practice together.”
She counted us in; we started to play. Needless to say, she was perfect. Never missed a note, stayed on rhythm, and hit the pitch perfectly. I, on the other hand, was mediocre. Missed a lot of notes, got lost in the music, messed up the rhythm, and didn’t exactly hit every pitch.
About halfway through the song, I gave up. Though, Octavia didn’t notice. She kept playing, inside some sort of trance. I didn’t bother, but did slowly get up from my chair and walk to my sound table. I waited for her to stop playing and; when she did I played an applause track. She smiled within her trance before abruptly snapping out of it.
“Excuse me, Mason. I seemed to have gotten entranced in the song,” She apologized.
“It’s no problem, pony,” I said, “Music has that power.”
“Yes it does…”
“Seems like you’re used to the stage light.”
“Of course! All my life I knew I was a pony that everyone should know. As soon as I got my cutie mark, I practiced and practiced until I got a big audition. I got the job and left for Canterlot. My fame grew and so did my hunger for more. Then I began to realize something. Mason, I realized that I didn’t truly want fame…no…I didn’t want what came with the fame. I received no privacy…I had to constantly work to keep my name recent and fresh.”
“So fame wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, huh?”
“No it wasn’t. That’s why I’m happy the incident happened.”
“What incident?”
“Nothing…nothing. I’ll tell you another time.”
She smiled, remembering the past. Though, she shook the memory from her mind and rose up from the chair. She put her cello back in its case and walked towards the exit. She walked up the stairs, her hips swaying and her breast bouncing, free from any clothes.
“Oh, and two things, Mr. Williams. Number one: As perfect as my hind quarters are, you must stop looking…so much.”
“Sorry…”
“Ah, so you were looking. Good to know.” She shook her head while smiling, “And number two: I have a job interview today.”
“You have been here for two days...how the hell did you get an interview so fast?”
She raised her phone from her cello case and spoke, “The power of technology.”
I waited in the living for Ocatvia to put on some clothes, so we can leave to her interview. I noticed Vinyl lay unconscious on the couch, a beer tightly clenched in her hand. She snored loudly, yet still looked peaceful. Though, even with her fur, she seemed to be cold; I walked over to the nearest closet, grabbed a blanket, and put it over her(while taking the can of beer and finishing the rest. ) She snuggled deep into the warmth of the blanket before drifting off into drunken slumber.
“She can hold her liquor; she just takes a long time to get it out her system.” I heard Octavia say from behind me.
“That…and the fact she drunk all my beers…”
“That too…”
We both headed towards the car. I put her cello case in the trunk as she got in. Once I walked around and got into the driver’s seat, Octavia told me the address of the place. I put it in the GPS, and we were off. While we were driving, I noticed Octavia seemed somewhat nervous. She fumbled with her hands or shifted in her seat for no apparent reason. To soothe her, I tuned the radio to something she’d enjoy-classical music. It seemed to do the trick…well until she began to evaluate the music.
“Violins are playing ahead of tempo…trombones aren’t hitting the right pitch…is the director deaf? How can he listen to this train wreck?”
Thank you for listening to L.A’s Fountain Elementary Children’s Symphony on L.A's classical station-98.7
“I bet you feel bad for talking bad about little kid’s music.”
“Not at all. Maybe a bit judgmental but still…they were playing it wrong.”
“Why don’t you go teach them how to play it, master?”
“Why do you think I’m going to this interview?”
“Wait, what?”
“This interview is for the job of director for that Orchestra. The old one is retiring, so I thought to take his position.”
I pulled the car into some school, where the GPS had led me. The pony thanked me for the ride, grabbed her instrument, and hurried off to her interview, leaving me to my own devices. With nothing else to do but wait, I decided to nap. It was still early in the morning, and a growing man like me needed some sleep. Sadly, the universe doesn’t work in my favor.
As I closed my eyes to sleep, a vibration in my pocket startled me. I wanted to ignore it. I really did, but I knew I had to answer it. I reached for my phone to see my producer was calling. With a somewhat annoyed sigh, I answered.
“Mason…please tell me you got a date for that thing you’re doing with that pony,” He said. Even over the phone I could tell he was slightly intoxicated.
“It’s this Saturday…but let’s not make this a big thing.”
“Are you fucking crazy, kid?!” He burped though the phone, “This is the comeback you need…the comeback you want!”
“I know, I know, I’m really digging this quiet life. Look, we can set up some live stream cameras, but other than that, I want this event to stay small and local.”
“Okay, kid. Yer killing me here, but okay. You know, I’m starting to think those ponies are getting to ya. Anyway, I have to get back to my mid-morning drinks. That’s the only thing keeping me from not killing myself from the new music coming in town.”
“And what about my love for you?”
“It’s sweet, and you have a nice ass, but it’s not enough to keep me from tying the rope. Cya, kid.”
“Cya.”
With nothing else to bother me, I leaned the chair back and went to sleep.
Later, I awoke to the sound of classical music playing around me. With a yawn I woke up and looked around me. All seemed normal, and Octavia was in the passenger’s seat. She seemed to be waiting patiently for me to awake and gave me a nice smile when I did.
“Look who’s finally awake,” She stated.
“How long have I been out?” I said.
“About…an hour and thirty minutes.”
“You could have woken me up?”
“I could have…or could have just let you sleep.”
“True…but-“
In the next instant there was a tap on my window. To my dismay, the tap came from my parole officer; the same one who visited my house just a few days earlier. She wore the annoyed expression with slightly disappointed elements. In the situation, I could only awkwardly smile and roll down the window.
“Mr. Wiiliams…I see you’re having a good time outside your home.”
“Well, officer…”
“Breaking the rules of your house arrest…not a serious charge but it comes with a hefty fine…and more house arrest.”
“Well…”
“And pony…how could you help him get away with it?” said the Officer in a patronizing tone.
Octavia held her head down in shame, yet a sly smile itched at the corners of her mouth.
“Comeon, officer. I was just helping her with a job interview…”
“Sorry…you broke the law, Mr. Williams.”
The gears in my brain began to turn as I thought of a way to weasel my way out of the situation. My record was already spotty, and I didn’t need anything else on it.
“Look, what if I…played at your next event for half-price?” I felt Octavia nudge me from the side, “NO! For free!”
Octavia nudged me again, this time harder than before. I think she may have been worried about bribery or something, but she didn’t need to worry. I had this parole officer multiple time in the past. She plays along nicely.
“Bribery, Mr. Williams. How unbecoming…” The Officer wrote out the citation and handed it to be, yet before I could take it, she snatch it away,
“Well, there is one thing you can do…”
“Anything…”
“I have a nephew whose birthday is coming up tomorrow. Unfortunately, my schedule is too busy, and I can’t make it. Lucky for you, he’s a fan of the wubstep.”
“Actually it’s Dub-“
Octavia nudged me again; I took the hint to shut up.
“If you could make it to his party, and play…for free, this citation may just find its way in a shredder.”
“It’s a deal. Where’s the party?”
“Oklahoma City.”
“That’s so far…”
“Not my problem, Mr. Helix.”
With that, the officer walked away. She climbed in her cruiser, and pulled off. I chuckled a bit as I laid my head on the steering wheel. Octavia gently put her hand on my back and rubbed in small circles. It was calming, I must say, but my situation was dire. More or less.
“So…how did the interview go?” I asked, my head still on steering wheel.
“I got the job,” Octavia said elated, “I start in a year…”
“A year?”
“The old director still has a year left on his contract. After that, he’ll retire and I’ll take his place.”
“Till then you could do some gigs at local clubs. Though, you probably have to go more jazzy than classical.”
“I’d rather just practice and mooch off you for the next year.”
“And here I thought you were the dignified one of the two ponies in my life.”
“Looks can be deceiving, Mason.”
“Well, Octavia, I’ll make sure not to judge a book by its pompous cover.”
“Nor I by its unkempt, unshaven, bachelor, in-need-of-a-wife cover. Oh, and you know you don’t have to call me by my full name. ‘Octy’ will do.”
“Alright, ‘Octy’. I’ll remember that.”
“You better…” She paused from speaking, trying to gather her thoughts, “Sorry about you getting caught.”
“That was no problem. It was bound to happen eventually. Honestly, being caught is the least of my worries.”
“So what’s your main one?”
“How the hell am I going to get to Oklahoma City by tomorrow?”
I sat in the living room; the sun almost peaked in the sky. In front of me were three shot glasses and an unopened bottle of Jack Daniel’s peach mix (A gift from Chloe from long ago). Apparently it was made from some local peach farm- Sweet Nectar Farms or whatnot. Truth be told: I hate peaches, which is weird because I’m from the peach state. Unfortunately it was the only thing to drink in the house since Vinyl chugged everything else.
I was debating whether or not to brave the horrible taste of peaches, so I could get a slight buzz going. I could have just gone shopping, but that involved moving, so it wasn’t happening. I could have drank water, yet I’m already seventy percent that; why add more? With a lack of options, I chose the peaches.
I grabbed the bottle and was about to open it when the two ponies living with me decided to walk in. For some odd reason, they were dressed and not naked as usual. Each one had a bag as if they were planning for a short trip. When they noticed me just sitting on the couch in a white tank top and boxers, a confused expression graced both their faces.
“Mason…what are you doing?” Vinyl asked.
“Same thing I do every morning; I sit here and think about what I’m going to name our children.” I responded, “I know you ponies love your meaningful names. So, Vinyl, I think if it’s a boy, I’ll name him Jazz. If it’s a girl…maybe Melody or Viola. And our kids, Octy, their names will be…Never mind…you look as if you’re about to kill me.”
(Octy’s POV)
Mason…he’s a good stallion. Decent sized heart…not bad looking…but he doesn’t know when where to draw the lines with humor. One would think after the first joke incident, he’d learn. Apparently, he’s a harder egg to crack. Least, I think he was joking about the children. One can never tell with him.
I watch as Vinyl’s eyes began to glow and shimmer. I knew that shine. It was the same shine whenever she got a huge job. It was the same shine when her song made it on the top ten list. It was the same shine that happened when I expressed my love for her. Mason may not have known what he did, but I did.
Quickly, before Vinyl could respond to his tomfoolery, I spoke, “Why aren’t you ready to go to that party?”
“Well, I wasn’t really planning on going,” he responded, “Wouldn’t have been enough time to make it.”
“It’s better to try than not at all.”
“Maybe, but it’s too late now. Time I just accepted my fate.”
“But…”
“The way I see it, we have two options. You both can sit with me and take shots of Jack, or you can force me to go. I’d choose the former… It’s peach flavor.”
“Damn it…” cursed Mr. Anderson as he slammed the dusty phone book closed and hung the phone on the receiver.
“Everything alright?” I asked him.
“No,” Mr. Anderson rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Every Dj in town is booked or says it’s too late. The Djs out of town won’t come in because the drive it too far. This is why I tell people to book this place three weeks in advance. Not two days before.”
“Is the Dj necessary for the party?”
“No…the kid’s mom said they can live without one, but it’s more of Pinkie Pie wanting one for the kid.”
At that moment, I heard the hum on my beautiful wife. Her shorts slightly too tight and slightly too high. Her shirt revealing just the lower bit of her stomach as it got round with child. She had that glow of pregnancy about her. Unfortunately, it was cancelled out by her deflating mane and the worrying aura she was releasing into the atmosphere. She went from area to area checking the decorations to make sure they were perfect. Even if they were already, she double, triple, and quadruple check them.
I walked to her, wrapped my arms around her neck, and laid my head on her shoulder. She seemed to calm down a bit and her hair fluffed up a small amount. Still, I knew she was anxious.
“You look beautiful today,” I whispered in her ear.
“Did you guys get a Dj?” she replied in a quiet tone.
“No…”
“How can we have this party without the Dj?”
“Well the mother said we don’t need one…”
“But the birthday colt wants one, and how can we not give the birthday colt what he wants on his birthday? That’s crazy! That’s preposterous! It clearly states in the Birthday Handbook-volume three- that the birthday colt/filly gets their every wish! He’s not getting his wish ,Andy!”
“I know how much parties mean to you, but it’s not like we know a Dj we can just pull from thin air...”
After I finished speaking, Pinkie’s eyes widened in realization; her hair inflated back to its original size; and the worrying aura changed to one of excitement. She broke the grasp I had on her and ran to the stage- where the sound equipment was- as the party goers started to file in. She reached her hand deep behind the equipment as If she was reaching into a bag, feeling for something.
“I almost forgot, Andy. I do have a Dj I can just pull from nowhere. I used to do it all the time in Equestria. Though, I can only hope she’s here.”
(Mason’s POV)
Before I knew what was going on, I was being lifted, then carried into my room. When we arrived, my body was suspended in the air by Octavia, and Vinyl used her magic to dress me since I wasn’t dressed for outside activities.
“You don’t have many clothes to wear, do you?” Vinyl asked, “Just cargo shorts and random designed shirts.”
“This is kidnapping!” I yelled, “And partially sexual harassment...”
“How so?” Octavia asked.
“Well, I’m being forced to go somewhere against my will, and I’m dangling from your arms mostly nude. Could you hurry and dress me?”
With a flurry of blue magic, the clothes Vinyl had chosen covered me. I breathed out a sigh of relief which was ended when Octy threw me on her shoulder and followed Vinyl to the front door. There was no point in struggling since the grey pony was stronger than me (only by a little…).
“We’re not gonna make it,” I stated.
“There’s no harm in trying. Or would you rather pay that citation or worse…jail time.”
“Not jail…there’s no alcohol in there.” I joked.
“Are you ever serious?”
“Only when his life depend on i-“
Vinyl’s sentence was interrupted when a pink hand grabbed her by the collar. In the blink of an eye, she was gone. I looked to Octavia who let out a sigh of annoyance; I grew worried. Without delay, the pink hand returned and grabbed Octavia, causing me to fall to the floor. I hot the wood floor hard and grew anxious as I crawled backwards to the wall.
“ Where did the ponies go? Is the hand coming for me next?” I thought.
My breathing grew heavy. I tried to calm myself down, yet couldn't. Soon, the hand returned. It loomed over me, fingers wiggling in excitement. I closed my eyes and felt it grab my shirt and pull. For a split second, there was nothing. No sound, no movement, just nothing. I simple existed. Then, the world exploded back. I heard a crowd talking in front of me. I felt the cold air from the AC flow over my skin.My eyes opened and I saw the sound equipment and my laptop in front of me. Lastly, I heard someone whisper something in my ear.
“Repeat after me…” The voice spoke.
“Hello, party goers!” I repeated what was said in my ear, “We’d like to wish a Happy Birthday to the Birthday colt…erm Boy from his aunt in California. This is for you!”
In the next instant, there was an explosive cheer. The sound reminded me of part of what I had wanted to remember about this business. It was the excitement of the moment, the buildup to the music. I looked at everything, and then I looked at Vinyl. She seemed to be standing in awe of a retro looking turntable.
“M… My bass cannon,” she whispered. I could see her touching it softly, her hands moving over the worn patches, and then she flipped a switch with caused the front to open and display one of the biggest speakers I’ve ever seen. My eyes switched over to Octavia and I noticed her eye twitched.
“Play something cool!” a young voice shouted.
“Yeah! Something cool!” another joined in.
“Something cool! Something cool! Something cool!” a chant of young voices began.
“Play Freebird!” someone in the back shouted.
Looking at my gear, I saw Vinyl pull two old school LPs, place them on the turntables, and
in the next second I heard the heavenly choir open up as she began to assault the crowd with wubs.
I began recording the mix she was throwing out, sampling it, and replaying it with some I had done before. The effect began immediately. The chant from the crowd changed into a kiddie version of clubbing. It was adorable.
(Pinkie’s POV)
I smiled as the birthday colt danced. This was what a party was supposed to be! The birthday colt or filly getting the party they wanted, and everypony having fun. I looked toward Octavia, and I grinned. I still remembered her Welcome to Ponyville/brand new Pony party! It was so much fun… It was too bad that her friend Ludwig Beethooven had a stick in his plot! He was so sour about the music, and then he tried to drag poor Octy away from the party, and you don’t leave your own party early!
“I really wish that you could have forgone finding that thing, but I am glad that you found it for her regardless,” Octavia said as she watched Vinyl having fun.
“I’m glad I did too. I had a twitch, and my flank itched, then my nose felt all sneezy, and I knew that I just needed a bass cannon. So, I had to think of where I could get one. I know Andy would have gotten one made, but it wouldn’t be the same, and that’s when I remembered where I put it, so I pulled it out, and set it up!” I said smiling.
“This is the greatest party ever!” the birthday colt shouted as he jumped around.
I smiled and watched him. I remembered the cake, and I took off to the kitchen to get it. Luckily, I made a super, extra, huge cake just in case anypony extra came.
(Mason’s POV)
The party was a success. I was actually surprised at how much of a success. The kids and everyone else seemed to love our sounds, but it finally it started dying down. We stopped the music for a bit while the kid unwrapped his gifts. I saw a brand new immersion rig, and shook my head. Tons of power, and that kid was going to be plugged in for weeks. Too bad, he'd miss time playing with the puppy he got.
I looked toward Vinyl who was happily showing Octavia everything on what she called her bass cannon. The thing was loud, that was for certain. Loud, and played with amazing clarity. Well as much clarity there was with mixing. Weirdly enough, there were no wires leading from it. Maybe an internal power source?
“You look like you could use some cake!” a far too cheerful voice said.
I turned to see a familiar pink hand and I nearly fell off of the seat I was on. I looked up the arm to see another Pony. She was smiling, happily so, and grinned at me. I reached up, and took the offered cake and gave a slight smile back. She bounced, seriously bounced, from where she was over toward some guy. They talked for a little before she kissed his cheek and bounced off to the kitchen.
“Hey Mason, how you diggin’ your first Pinkie Pie party?” Vinyl asked, “Too bad it’s for a bunch of foals. Otherwise we could have really gotten you broken in good. Octy remember your party? That was so-,” she stopped when Octavia placed a finger on her lips.
“I don’t think that Mason is really ready to hear about the events of that party, not yet anyway,” she replied.
"Really, Octy? Do you not trust me with your dirty pony secrets? Affairs! Scandals! " I announced in a low tone before placing a piece of cake in my mouth.
(Vinyl’s POV)
Everyone’s first time trying Pinkie’s cake is different. I ,for one, ate the whole thing in one bite. Octy simply smiled. Mason, on the other hoof, began to tear. Even as he cried, he would shovel another fork of cake into his mouth. This continued for a while until the plate was empty, which I could tell brought him some sadness. He sat the plate down and sighed; there was nothing else to do.
“You could go mingle with these people, you know?” I said to him.
“Most these people are married with kids. We have nothing in common.” He responded.
I simply smirked as I turned around and noticed Pinkie standing, making sure the party was still going alright.
“Well, while you mope, I’m going to go talk to Pinkie.”
I walked away from Octy and Mason; they were talking about getting more cake. Anyway, I walked through the crowds of people chattering amongst themselves. Mostly catching up with one another or gossip. My name occasionally came up as the party goers would look at me. Not with weird stares, but with a sort of awe or appreciation for me playing. I suppose these people accepted Pinkie, so why wouldn’t they accept me?
After stopping by the Birthday boys colt’s table, I continued to Pinkie, who welcomed me with a surprise hug. One that was too tight and pushed my stomach back towards me.
“Are you…” I began to ask.
“YES! I’m with foal! Isn’t it amazing!” She finished.
“That’s great! Who’s the father?”
Pinkie pointed towards a guy standing next to an older man ,who kept the refreshments stocked. He wore a collar shirt with khaki pants and had a half smile on his face as he watched the party. Though, behind the smile, I could tell there was something...I don’t know, but there was something.
“He’s not half bad looking..” I stated.
“Oh, he isn’t!. He has the nicest, kindest, biggest heart of anypony! Plus, he’s not bad in the hay either.”
“By the looks of your stomach, I guess not.”
“Sooooo, how’s your life?”
“Living in L.A. Sunny place with lots of jerks...just like Canterlot.”
“And your stallion friend?
“He’s a cool guy. Laid back...humorous....Bit of a lightweight, but cool nonetheless.”
“That’s it! No stories? With you, Octavia, and him, your nights have to be pretty crazy!”
It took me a second to comprehend what she was saying, but when I got it, I think a blush appeared on my cheeks.
“Noonononono! We’re not that way. He’s just my friend...a good friend.”
“Pssh! You expect me to believe that? I saw the way you looked at him on stage. Compassion, happiness, thrilled to be next to him. All these things were pouring off of you.”
“Whoa Pinkie...I see what you’re getting at, but no. He is only my friend.”
Pinkie grabbed my shoulders and turned me around to look in the direction of Octavia and Mason. He was trying to steal Octy’s cake, but to no avail. She simply slapped his hand away. He tried this multiple times before finally giving up. When they both noticed me looking, both waved. I, of course, waved back. Now Mason ,being the sneaky devil he is, took this chance to snatch slice of cake away and eat it. Once Octy noticed his crime, her look turned sour. I didn’t see what happened next since Pinkie turned me around, but I did hear loud punch come over the crowd’s noise.
“...’Only a friend’ you say. That smile of your’s proves otherwise.”
“Whatever, Pinkie. You’re seeing something that isn’t there.I’ve been living with the guy for like a month. Pretty sure it would take longer for feelings to develop. Plus, I love Octavia already.”
“Oh you unicorns. Always thinking with your horns and not your hearts.”
“Huh?”
“Just because you head thinks one way, “Pinkie pressed the middle of my forehead then the middle of my chest. “Doesn’t mean your heart feels the same way. Also, what make you think that you can only love one person? Vinyl, stop being so silly! Love isn’t only meant to be given to one person. Don’t you love your parents too?”
“I do, but the love you’re talking about is a different kind of love.”
“That’s true ,but what makes you think that love can’t be shared either? Something special like that deserves to be shared with those who you care about.”
“Alright...alright. You’ve given me something to think about, but enough lovey dovey stuff. Time for the real questions: Ya have anything to drink that’s not kid friendly?”
Tuesday(Part B. Make sure it's inserted into Part A)
“YOU ATE MY FUC-...You ate my cake...that was very wrong of you.” Octavia said as I wiped the corners of my mouth.
“Ahh ,looks like that high society shell of yours almost broke,” I teased as I rubbed my shoulder, “Did you have to hit so hard? I might bruise.”
“Hopefully you do. Twas my cake you eateth.” Her stomach growled, “Now, I will starve.”
“How about I get you some more?”
“That may help me survive...for now.”
I looked around for the refreshment table and spotted it near the rear . With a pained sigh, I rose from the table.
“I’ll be back ,Octy.”
“Bring something to drink, as well.”
I nodded and walked to towards the counter. Well, that was my original goal until the party goes pulled me to their tables to talk, or thank me for showing under short notice. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I wasn’t planning on going, I just nodded and smiled. Some even asked my contact information. I doubt they’ll ever call, though.
Eventually, I finally made it to the counter where an elderly man stood. He looked somewhat bored, yet perked up when I came around. (I think it was just a natural tendency for his customers.)
“How can I help, Mr…” He began.
“Williams. Mason Williams. Though, you can just call me Mason.” I replied.
“Another Williams, huh? What are the odds they’d both have a pony?” He marveled.
“Another?”
“The man you need to see is over there, “The man mumbled as he pointed to his right, “ And don’t worry. Octavia will get her cake. Maybe she might punch you a new one for taking it in the first place...”
I let out a half smile before walking towards a man standing against the wall. I would have easily overlooked him any other time. I mean,he was just sort of blended into the wall. That would be the case if you just gave him an idle glance, but if you actually looked, there seemed to be something going on. A battle, perhaps. He seemed like he wanted to be happy, yet a nagging voice in the back of his head kept telling him no. Usually these type of people silence the voice with alcohol or drugs, but seeing as this man has a pony(Pinkie no less), that was the only crutch he needed.
When I was close enough to the guy, I extended my for a handshake and spoke, “Hey, man, my name is Mason. Mason Williams.”
He was startled, not expecting someone to just approach him, yet recovered quickly, “Oh, uhh the name is Andrew Williams, and Thank You for showing up and playing...given the random and untimely circumstances.”
“No problem...just a bit of a warning first,” I said , then we both shared a mutual, chuckle before I continued, “That elderly man told me you also had a pony. Guessing it must the Pinkie Pie.”
“Yes, my loving wife, Pinkie,” he said as he looked toward where she was, “I didn’t realize how much I needed her until after she arrived.”
He looked back at me and picked up a cup that near him. He took a small drink, and then set it back down. I could see that he was trying to enjoy himself. He gave me a smile and then nodded toward the stage.
“So, you got Octavia and Vinyl. Everything I ever dug up about them had them either as really good friends, or a couple. Regardless, it looks like the three of you seem to get along well,” he replied.
I looked at Octavia, who was nursing her replacement piece of cake, and Vinyl, who seemed to be talking with Pinkie Pie. We were close, not that I didn’t have close friends. I once had an entire collection of friends, but part of them began to fall out when my music began to die out. Percy was there through it all, but that was because I was his client more than anything else. There was my buddies that would binge watch MLP with me, back before Vinyl and Octavia came into my life. I still wonder what they would do if they were to see Vinyl. Then there was Ana.
“We do. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but I found a couple of friends,” I said.
He grinned, nursed his drink a bit, and then looked toward me.
“They’ll help in ways you don’t even understand. I don’t know how to explain it, but they will. To be honest I’m not sure why I’m talking so much. I guess that Pinkie is rubbing off on me. She never meets a stranger, everyone has the chance to be a friend, and if you become her friend she’s there through thick and thin. I have found that she needs something from me too,” he said.
I smirked a little and I guess he noticed it.
“Not that, well, not exactly. Pinkie practically lives on hugs and cuddles. She’s the happiest when she’s making someone smile, and when she’s doing what she’s meant to do. I’m not sure, but I think that they have to follow what they were meant to do. It’s… it’s like they need to interact with that magic,” he stated.
It did make sense. Octavia seemed the happiest when she was playing her Cello, Vinyl was at her happiest when she was mixing, playing, and entertaining others. Sure, she liked to party, but she seemed to shine the brightest when she was doing exactly what she was doing on that stage. In a way it pushed me to want that same feeling. I wanted to fall in love with the music like that again. I wanted to create and feel some seriously accomplishment that I created something that made people excited and happy for a while.
“I suppose I need all the help I can get,” I responded, “Music just doesn’t feel the same anymore.”
“We all needed help. That’s why I think we got the advertisement when we did.l, “ Andrew looked away as if he was remembering something, “...Don’t worry. As long as you’re around each other, help will be there. Just keep them happy...not that you aren’t or anything.”
“I gotcha...I gotcha.”
We both stood there in silence watching over the party. In a couple minutes, I would have to return to the stage and resume the music. Send everyone home tired. Though, I still had time to laze around. I looked back to Octy who now was playing with some random kid. Both seemed to being enjoying. I then looked to Vinyl who had a can of Peach Cider... alcoholic of course. Before I could react, Andrew asked me a question that shut me down.
“So is there a wedding in the future?” He asked.
“A what?!” I responded in shock.
“A wedding?”
“Whoa whoa...sorry buddy, but Vinyl, Octavia, and I are only friends. Plus, I’m already in a relationship. Besides, I'm too young to be tied down just yet.”
“Hmmm…”He wanted to finish his sentence, but decided not to, “Okay, I won’t say anything more, but just keep something called ‘Herding’ in mind.”
“Herding?”
“When you’re comfortable...ask Octavia or Vinyl.”
I nodded before stretching my arm out to shake his hand. It was time for Vinyl and I to hit the stage, yet as I turned to leave, Andrew grabbed my shoulder.
“I don’t want to impose, but could you do me a favor?”
I nodded again, and he whispered something into my ear. A smirk appeared on my face as I agreed to his favor. He thanked me as I ran off to grab my slightly intoxicated partner. As I got closer to her, the smell of peaches became stronger, and I felt like vomiting, but I held it in since the kid’s party was important.
I grabbed the unicorn’s arm, and she jumped. Pinkie let out a slight giggle. I don’t know what they were talking about before I got there, but Vinyl had a slight blush and Pinkie had a serious look about her. Well, serious for her.
“Sorry to interrupt you ponies, but we’re needed on stage. Plus, we have a special job to do.” I stated.
“Please, go do your jobs, “Pinkie smiled, “And Vinyl, keep in mind what I said.”
Vinyl sighed with a smile before she turned to follow. Once we got out of Pinkie’s hearing range(I think) I spoke.
“What does she need you to keep in mind?” I asked, walking onto the stage.
“Nothing...nothing,” She walked to her bass cannon and turned it one, “I saw you talking to her husband. What did you two talk about?”
“Nothing...nothing. Just man stuff.” I turned on my station, pulled out my laptop, and thought about the favor, “Crap...I didn’t give you the laptop I had for you.”
“No worries...I found it that same day you brought it home, “Vinyl’s horn lit and red laptop appeared, “Been making some pretty sweet sounds with this thing.”
“Sneaky little pony. Anyway, good thing you did it. We’ve been asked to make a special song for that pink lady.”
“How long do we have?”
“About twenty-five minutes…”
“That's more than enough time.”
“I know, right? Tesla...if this place has a open connection, connect both our computers and create a private connection between us.”
Within seconds, Vinyl and I were creating a song specifically for Pinkie. Taking the liberty of borrowing some samples, the song was coming along nicely. Of course, we had some creative differences, but we worked through them...more or less. While we worked, the crowd listened to a playlist I had saved for a rainy day. It wasn’t too fast nor too slow. Just enough to keep the party going and people distracted.
“What is that?” I asked Vinyl, “Sounds iffy…”
“It’s the main rhythm; trust me. They’ll love it,” She responded while looking at her screen, “Hey...when did those vocals get there…”
“I had Tesla to find a voice and make it say specific words. Trust me, it’ll add to the song.”
The members of the party started to head out. Some said their goodbyes while others simply left. Soon, the only persons left in the room were the ones who were working it. Yet, Vinyl and I didn’t notice. We kept working on the song. Pinkie starting cleaning the tables. Andrew began to help her, and the old man talked to Octavia. Both seemed to be having a serious conversation.
“The song is done,” Vinyl whispered to me.
“Nice...Here’s the mic. When you’re ready, just-”
“HEY, THERE PARTY PONIES!!!” Vinyl yelled in the microphone, “THIS IS DJ PON-3 ROCKING IT WITH DJ HELIX! WE ARE ABOUT TO RELEASE OUR BRAND NEW SINGLE...LIVE FOR YOUR EARS’ PLEASURE!! BUT FIRST: WE’D LIKE TO LET Y’ALL KNOW THAT THIS SONG IS DEDICATED TO A VERY SPECIAL PINK MARE FROM HER HUSBAND! ALRIGHT, HIT IT!!”
With enthusiasm, I pressed the play button. The song slowly began to fill the room; Vinyl and my attention went to maintaining it. On the floor, Pinkie pulled her husband into a tight embrace before letting him go and starting to dance. Awkwardly, he joined her. Octavia and the old man simply sighed before returning their conversation. Though, both nodded their heads to the beat. Unexpectedly, the birthday boy stuck his back in the room and yelled, "Guys, the party is still going!"
After his words, everyone returned to the room and danced. The overhead lights slowly dimmed while rave lights rose from the floor and turned on from behind the stage. In a way, it felt like the real thing...just with more kids. I couldn't help but smile as the scene unfolded. It reminded me of the old days of when I first started. A club here...a club there...barely making it every month. Pretty sure that's how every musician felt at one point.
I took my hands away from the setup since there was nothing left to do. Well, I thought that. Vinyl, on the other hand, kept working. Changing things even as the song played. Sweat began to drip from her brow as she pushed the laptop to its limit. I didn't even think she noticed me looking. Just admiring how deep she got into her work. How she never stopped...not even for a moment. Though, my staring came to an end when she slightly turned her head; I went back to controlling the sound.
(Pinkie's POV)
I can't say how long the song was on repeat for, but soon enough, people started to leave, and Mason was packing up his laptop. Vinyl was doing the same. Mr. Anderson closed up shop after the last person left. He said he needed the rest of the day to rest. He couldn't party like he could when he was younger. Andy, tired from dancing, fetched himself some water before we both walked to the stage.
"Thank you for taking the job under the time constraint," Andy stated, "And also for coming to the party."
"No problem," Mason replied, "I wasn't do anything today anyway. I needed to get out."
"Yeah, there's a whole story behind him being so nonchalant about coming. It involves his parole officer," Vinyl added.
"Let's just say, I was suppose to show up here anyway."
Andy simply nodded before taking out his phone and opening his credits account.
"Seeing as the family didn't pay for your services, how much? " he asked.
Mason was about to say something, but his mouth shut tight as his eyes opened in terror. He was looking behind me, so I turned; I saw Octavia staring with a look of death in her eyes. Vinyl also had the look, yet it was blocked by her glasses.
"No charge. No charge at all," Mason hastily said, "Well, maybe a ride home through whatever way we got here."
"That should be no problem, Mr...Williams, you said?"
"Yep. Same as you? Wait...you don't think..."
"I doubt it. It's a common last name. Plus, it doesn't seem like you came from...my background."
"I suppose you're right. Would be interesting. Anyway, guess we'll be on our way. Whenever you need a DJ or something, just hit me up, "Mason said a he handed a card with his information to Andy, "Ready, guys?"
Octavia nodded and Vinyl looked down at her Basscannon. I knew then, what I had to do. With swift movement of my hands, the three were gone back to L.A.
"A lively bunch of characters," Andy commented.
"They're good for each other," I said, " I Just hope they're ready for the three tiny responsibilities they'll have."
(Mason's POV)
In the blink of an eye, I was back at home. Everything was the same as when I left- three shot glasses and a bottle of peach Jack left on the table. One thing was different; there was a note from my parents telling me they had went out to dinner. They deserved some time alone outside this house.
"So what now?" Vinyl asked.
"Well...I resume my regularly scheduled activity, "I grabbed the Jack and poured three shots, "You're free to join in."
Both ponies shook their heads. I shrugged my shoulders, grabbed a glass, and before I could drink it down, a call call came through.
"Hello, " I spoke, knowing the microphones around the house would pick up my voice, "How can I help you?"
"Hello, Mason. It's Ana. How are you?"
"I'm good, Ana. You?"
"Oh...I'm just peachy...except for the fucking fact a giant fucking...speaker turntable thing just appeared in the middle of my club!"
"Our club...and it's Vinyl's bass cannon."
"You know...when this thing appeared...I was wondering how and why? Then I began thinking. 'Where did this weird thing come from? It's almost magic it appeared.' Then it hit me! Who do I know that deals in weird and magic stuff?"
"Me..."
"Yeah...you."
"Do you think you can hook it up for the battle?"
"...you have the audacity to ask me that!? After what just happened! Okay...okay...I'll do it. But you owe me."
"Owe you what?"
"Oh...you know."
Anastasia ended the call. I simply smiled and went back to nursing my shot.
"You know she can't hook that up, right?" Vinyl said.
"Why not?" I asked.
"It's magical. Not electrical. It'll take loads of electricity to get it to even think about starting."
"I'll call her back then-"
"No...don't. Just wait till tomorrow."
"Alright then," I finished one shot, cringed, and then picked up another, "I'll see you in the morning."
Mason shifted in his drunken slumber, causing him to fall towards the floor. Once his face collided with the hardwood, he awoke with a jump. The first thing he registered was the taste of peaches and something else more-or-less familiar. Secondly, he smelled meat being cooked in the kitchen, which made hungry and nauseated at the same time. Thirdly, he felt some odd feeling of relief. From what, he didn’t know. Finally, with his eyes still closed from the morning sun, he felt the cold floor against his bare skin; he slowly rose and sat back on what he assumed was the couch.
He had to fight off the nauseated feeling from moving before he could open his eyes. Once he reached a point he was comfortable with, he hesitantly opened them. The brown pupils searched the room for life until they found a nude, white unicorn sipping a glass of orange juice.
“Morning, sleepy head,” The unicorn said, “Bout time you woke up.”
“Hey, Vinyl…” Mason spoke before connecting things in his mind, “We didn’t…you know?”
“Me and you? No. You and her. Yes, “Vinyl answered, pointing to the kitchen.
Mason turned his head towards the kitchen, keeping in mind his hangover. There he saw his current, and if he was lucky, his last girlfriend. A sleek black apron, and her modest underwear, seemed to be covering most of the skin on her body. She turned around with a knife in hand to cut something Mason couldn’t see, yet when she saw him awake, she smirked.
“Good morning, dear,” She said, “How’d you sleep?”
“What happened last night?” Mason asked in return.
“I simply came and got what you owed me for hooking that machine up. Though, more things ‘came’ if you catch my drift.”
Mason eyes opened in amazement before he responded, “But…but I don’t remember anything!”
“Perhaps you shouldn’t have been drunk.”
“I don’t even drink that often.”
“You get blackout drunk 3 times a week. You need to slow down."
“If you’re insinuating I have a-“
“Yes, it is a problem, especially for a man of your age.” Came a deep voice from around the corner.
Everyone turned to see Mason Sr. and Sasha coming from the hallway. Both were dressed in only their undergarments. Both walked into the living taking seats on the loveseat to the left of Mason. For everyone, this situation was normal, but for Mason, having everyone nude, seemed awkward.
“Your father is right,” Sasha agreed, “You’re drinking a lot.”
“Whoa whoa…are we forgetting Vinyl drunk my entire stock two days ago?” Mason included.
“Don’t bring me in this,” Vinyl chimed in.
“But we need to,” Spoke the dignified voice of Octavia as she walked from the hallway too. Also nude, “You both tend to drink a lot. You may not see it as a problem since it’s part of your lifestyle, but you need to slow down. If not for your health, for financial reasons.”
Vinyl looked to Mason and Mason to her. Both shrugged and mentally agreed to whatever everyone else was saying. It was just the easiest course of action.
“Alright. Alright. We’ll slow down drinking if it’ll make you guys happy.” Mason sighed, “But can we talk about why everyone here is nude in some way or fashion.”
“You’re not the only one who got lucky last night,” Octavia said nonchalantly as she moved towards the kitchen for breakfast.
Breakfast ended in a comfortable silence. All the plates were empty and the stomachs were full. Even though no one spoke, it was unanimous that the food was delicious, and the cook deserved an award. Though, seeing as no one had one, they settled on someone else cleaning the dishes.
“Thanks for the breakfast, Anastasia,” Vinyl spoke, “You go rest, I’ll do the dishes.”
“Yes, thank you dear,” Sasha agreed, “I’ll help you, Vinyl.”
“It was no problem. Truly. I just think a warm meal is good after…nightly escapades.” Ana said.
Everyone smiled at the last remark before leaving to their separate areas. Vinyl and Sasha started the dishes; Mason Sr. went to watch the news, Mason headed towards the basement, and Anastasia-along with Octavia- stood with no place to go.
“Mason, where are you going?” Octavia asked, “To practice your trumpet?”
“Naw. I have this thing I need to finish. Some rapper wants to make a comeback, so he asked me to whip him up something to grab people’s attention. Ehh, I’m not really into rap, but he’s paying well so…a job is a job. I’m almost done anyway. So, I’ll be up here in about 20 minutes to get the mail.”
“You still receive physical mail? Asked Ana, “Dude, you know what year it is, right?”
“Excuse me for liking to receive letters…”
“You’re old…That explains that outdated housing system you have.”
“Hey! Tesla works just fine. It’s better than yours…whatever it is.”
“Edison.”
"…you do this stuff on purpose.”
“What stuff?” Ana replied snidely.
“Nevermind. I’m gotta finish this.”
With that, Mason descended down the stairs, leaving the unlikely pair together. With Mason gone, the two stood together in silence waiting for something to break it. Soon, Anastasia had an idea. She grabbed Octavia’s hand, led her to the back porch of the home, and stepped outside. Both, one nude and the other barely covered took in the morning air with enthusiasm.
Anastasia then sat on the barely used patio furniture before urging Octavia to follow. Once the Earth pony did, Ana pulled out her phone.
“Would you like to play chess?” Ana asked.
“I would, if there was chessboard around,” Octavia replied.
“Pfft. Chess board,” Ana pressed numerous times on her phone before a holographic chess appeared in-between them, “Your move ,pony.”
Mouths closed and minds open, both females played. Pieces were moved, sacrificed, saved, and taken as strategy filled the atmosphere. Each player kept a calm demeanor, not giving the other anything to base a move on. As the game progressed and it seemed as if neither side was winning, the game slowed and turned into conversation.
“So, Anastasia…tell me about yourself.” Octavia stated.
“That’s something I haven’t done in awhile, Octavia. Hmm, first things first: my whole name Anastasia Stepp. Sister of Charles Stepp who I assume you know through Mason. Anyway, my childhood is nothing special, so let’s jump to when I moved to Cali.”
Octavia noticed a small gleam appear in her opponent’s eyes as she recalled memories. A small smile teased at Ana’s lips before she spoke.
“You might not believe me, but I had a bit of a singing voice. Not to brag, but I was good. So, I came here to launch my career. At first I struggled, but soon, I made a small name for myself. Clubs began calling me and I made enough money to move out of the trailer my brother still calls home.”
“I noticed you said ‘had’. Ones voice just doesn’t disappear. If that was your talent, you should have kept at it.”
“But singing wasn’t my talent. Or rather my main one. I didn’t open a club for shits and giggles,” Anastasia moved her last pawn forward a space, “It would be better if I told you. One night, after a performance, I sat at the bar beside the owner waiting for my pay. He was talking to himself, mumbling over money problems, when suddenly he asks me if I was any good with math. I nodded my head, he handed me his tablet and told me to look over his work. ”
“The result was?” Octavia asked moving her queen to intercept the pawn.
“Perfect math. Guy knew his shit. But, that’s not the end, my little pony. I noticed that he was managing all wrong. Buying too much of one thing while buying too little of another, overcharging for drinks, underpaying performers, etc. He was doing everything wrong. Well, based off of what I’ve seen in other clubs I performed in. I told the owner, and he gave me a quick look over before hiring me as the assistant manager.”
“So I assume this how you found your love for managing a club, so then you opened up you own?”
“Exactly. Got a loan, bought a place, fixed it up, and the rest is history. So, how about you, Octy? What’s your story?”
Octavia shifted in her seat to get a better view of the board. She was going to use her queen to take our Anastasia’s pawn but realized it was a diversion from the rest of the pieces. Instead, she moved her knight closer to her king. Anastasia saw this, sighed in disapproval, and withdrew her bishop from moving in on Octavia’s king.
“Pony lives are simple really. Not much to tell. I grew up, found my cutie mark, and joined my small ensemble where we went around Equestria doing ‘gigs’. Then Pinkie Pie sort of ruined our credit when we decided to humor her at the Gala. Anyway, my group disbanded shortly after that since no one would hire us together. So, I went out on my own.”
“And…” Anastasia said, yet when Octavia didn’t catch her drift, she continued, “How did you meet Vinyl?”
“Hmmm, I was catching train to Manehatten for a job when I got aboard a train car with an eccentric looking mare who blasted her music through headphones. It was so loud that I couldn’t take it. I simply had to put in my own earphones and listen to more refined music. Slowly, I drifted away into my own world until this rude mare snatched my earphones away and replaced them with hers. Though, before I could protest, I noticed that she was listening…no…admiring the music I enjoyed. I just had to return the favor. I had to say, it was bearable. Anyway, I listened until my stop was reached in which she handed back my earphones, and we both exited the train. As we split paths, the mare asked if we could have lunch together. Strangely, my mouth said yes when my mind said no. And the rest is history.”
“That’s so sweet…unlike this beating you’re about to get.”
“Please, if I was sure I wasn’t going to win, my king would be more heavily guarded.”
The match continued on in silence. Neither player giving the other an inch to move. Pieces sacrificed to ensure over protection and victory. Temples rubbed to relieve stress of the game. Eyes opened wide to see the entire board. Each player thought of strategy to win, yet it was like the other player was in their mind, finding ways to beat it. Finally, after more time of playing, only two kings were left on the board.
“Well…shit.” Ana stated, “That was a good game.”
“It’s been awhile since I’ve met someone who challenged me so.”
“Anytime you want a challenge, just call me. I’ll be waiting.”
Octavia nodded before speaking again, “You do notice what’s happening? Between Mason and Vinyl.”
“I do…and I don’t know how to feel about it. I bet neither of them does either. I say we see how things go. It may just be they are good friends or something is growing there. We just gotta watch.”
“Indeed. One last question: how do you feeling about herding?”
“Herding?”
Mason sat in front of his equipment. Most of it off since the project he was working on was done already. He just never sent it off. With the press of the enter key, the song went to its destination. Hopefully, a reply would be sent back, along with the payment. A payment that would last him about 4 months with his utilities. Four months in which he could work without interruption. Release albums that lay deep in his SDD.
He closed his eyes, trying to let go of the last pieces of his hangover, and perhaps recover the events of last night. Though, only bits came to him. Some he was sure his mind created to make itself feel better. In his thought, his phone rang, causing the hangover to grow again.
He picked up the phone and spoke, “Hello?”
“Mason, how’s my favorite DJ?” said a familiar voice.
“Percy…sup…I’m currently nursing a hangover. What do you need?”
“Two things kid and I’ll be out of your hair. Number one: release a single. ASAP! With that battle coming up, you need songs out there to get the ball rolling. Number two: have you been contacted by World Round records?”
“I’ll send one right over. Plus that rapper should get his album out soon too. Double the publicity. And no…what would they want with a small fry like me?”
“Trust me, kid. They’ll take anything that can make ‘em a buck. No matter what you do, don’t sign with them. It’s not just me wanting to keep you with me at Music Maid Records. You’ll be just number there. That’s a fact.”
“You’ve been good to me Percy. I won’t leave you. I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to that ,kiddo. Alright, I’ll leave you be with that hangover. Tell that pony of yours I said hello.”
“Which one?”
“God damn it, kid. Don’t go too crazy on me.”
The call ended, and Mason went searching through his songs for one to release. Files upon files flowed down his screen until he finally settled on one he named, “Parachute”. With a couple of clicks of the mouse, the song was sent in an email to Percy, who would hopefully accept it.
With a yawn, Mason rose from his chair. By his calculations the mail should be arriving at any moment. He opened up a drawer filled with t-shirts and basketball shorts, and dressed himself. He then quietly walked up the stairs, walked past his parents and Vinyl, and out into the dry heat. Trying to return to the cool house, he walked quickly to the mailbox.
As he expected, the mail had arrived. Though, it only bared bad news, such as bills. He sighed as he walked back to his home, yet a white van parked near the curb. Out walked three men, all wearing white dress shirts and black ties. Mason noticed one appeared to have a broken nose as he got closer. Soon, both parties we less than five feet apart.
“Hello, “Spoke the man with the hurt nose, “Is this the residence of a Mr. Mason Williams.”
“Uh…yes. I’m Mason Williams. How can I help you?”
“My…you’re way too young. I suppose we’re looking for Mason Sr.”
“Yes, my father, but what business do you have with him? He doesn’t live in L.A.”
“We Puritans simply want to talk to him.”
The three men all took a step forward, yet Mason held his ground.
“Yeah…no, dude. My father definitely has nothing to do with Californian Puritans. I’m going to have to ask you to-“
“We met…about a week ago, near the trains. We had a interesting conversation. He invited me here, so we could continue it.”
“I doubt that…very much. But look, how about you wait here, I go get him, clarify what’s happening, and we go from there.”
Mason turned to leave, without getting any comment from the man. Yet, when a hand tightly gripped him around his shoulder, he stopped, and looked back. The man with the hurt nose gripped Mason’s shoulder while the other two stayed back.
“There’s no need to ask him. Just let us in. You’re making this so much harder than it has to be.” The man said, obviously getting agitated.
Mason pulled his shoulder away before looking the man in the eyes.
“Hey, this is my home. You need to respect the fact that I going to ask my father before letting someone unknown and not liked into my home.”
Mason once again began to walk, but again, the hand returned to his shoulder. This time tighter.
“Look here, heathen. Your father disrespected me…in front of my brothers and sisters. I will not stand idly by while this injustice remains unfixed!”
“Number one: I’m not a full heathen, only half from my mother’s side. The other half is annoyed, which I get from my father. Number two: whatever my father did, he did for a good fucking reason.”
“Do not disrespect me, boy. I am-“
“I don’t give two shits who you are. Now, you have wasted enough of my time. Please, leave my home so I can have premarital sex, use the lord’s name in vain, and maybe think about mix feelings for these anthro-ponies in my home.”
Mason broke the grip once more and began to walk to his door again. He heard the men following him from behind. The Dj stopped in his tracks and turned around to the men. He didn’t them to go any further or else Tesla would notice other people in the area and notify everyone in the house of visitors. He didn’t need such a good day to be ruined; he had to solve this himself.
“I said get the hell off my property,” Mason stated, getting irritated, “Are you Puritans deaf or something?”
“You father embarrassed me in front of my fellow brothers and sisters. Then he proceeded to break my nose. His transgressions will not go unpunished…”
The Puritans stepped forward, and so did Mason. Both groups seemed adamant about staying put.
“Here I thought you puritans turned the other cheek…”
“Move or we will move you,”
“Is that a threat?”
“UGH, I grow tired of dealing with such idiocy,”
The head man made a fist, reared back his arm, and aimed for Mason’s face. Quickly, the Dj dodged the attack before launching his own, making direct contact with the head man’s nose. He fell back, blood flowing from his nose, ruining the pure white shirt. Mason couldn’t help but smirk. It had been a while since he had gotten such a good shot. (He could barely remember the fight when he first met Vinyl.)
The other two men helped their leader from the ground, and looked him over. The only damage was the re-broken nose and hurt pride. “It appears we have to teach the heathen some manners. Apprehend him.” The two men followed order and grabbed Mason on either side. He struggled, yet couldn’t free himself. Though, he still fought for freedom, slowly moving towards the house.
The men stood Mason up as the leader approached.
“I suppose,” He said as let go of his still bleeding nose, “It’s time for the son to pay for the sins of his father,”
“It’s time for the son to pay for the sins of his father,” Mason imitated, “That’s some cheesy bullshit,”
The Dj was rewarded with a fist to his jaw. Mason’s body wanted to drop to the floor, yet the two men holding him kept him upright. The leader then sent another fist into the Dj’s torso. Mason coughed as freely fell to the ground. They let him remain for a moment before picking him back up. Then he received another punch to his left side.
“Any words?” asked the leader.
Mason wanted to say something. Something like they did in the action movies, yet the pain around his jaw prevented him too. He only hoped he was close to the house to be picked up by Tesla.
Octavia and Anastasia sat around the table. The holographic chess set was untouched ever since Octavia began speaking. Anastasia was in thought, trying to form from sort of opinion about what she had heard. She truly didn’t know how to feel on the subject being that this is the first she had heard of anything like it.
“Any thoughts?” Octavia asked, “I know it’s a lot to take in.”
“I don’t know…I’m not against it…just not sure if I’m for it.”
“Seems we have the same dilemma, but I’d do anything for Vinyl.”
“I’d…do most things for that numbskull. Though, the difference is: herding in your culture…is natural. With the low male count and such. Here…it would be taboo.”
“I’m just giving a potential solution to this problem. “
“I’m glad you did. It’s just something we’d all have to talk about..in a group.”
Before Octavia could reply, Edison-Anastasia’s Housing System- alerted her phone. Without Mason knowing, she secretly connected to his network. Not like he would mind though. Edison alerted her that three visitors along with Mason were in the vicinity. Instantly, she had a bad feeling come to her.
Usually when Mason brings guest, he would not hesitate to bring them inside, yet Edison reported that they hadn’t entered the house. With a few swipes of her phone, she brought up the entrance camera, and gasped in horror.
“We have to go! NOW!” She hollered.
“What’s the matter?” Octavia questioned, already getting up.
“Mason is in trouble!”
Both pony and human ran into the house. Running as fast as they could until they reached the other occupants in the home. Mason Sr. was already standing up while Vinyl and Sasha were finishing up the dishes. When they saw the worried look in Octavia and Ana’s eyes, they dropped everything to ask, yet they didn’t need to. Tesla had told them about the visitors as well.
“We need to go now!” Ana yelled.
Everyone nodded in agreement, and ran outside. There, they saw Mason face down on the ground and three men entering a vehicle. The men turned around at the sound of the door opening; the one with the broken nose released a normal smile as if nothing had happened.
“Mr. Williams, so sorry that we missed you. Hopefully we can chat another time. You see, I’m late for a meeting. Fortunately, your son and I had a nice little chat about your wrong doings. Think we’ve reached an interesting conclusion. Good day.”
The men pulled off, and Mason Sr. went to chase after yet a tight grip on his shirt held him back. It was Octavia telling him not to. He sighed before rushing to his son. He flipped his son onto his back before lifting him into his arms, trying to wake him. Everyone else surrounded, each taking turns to wake him.
“Mason…wake up…”
“Snap out of it ,dude…”
“Please come back to mommy…”
“You must return to consciousness…”
“I’m sorry, son…”
Mason began to stir in his father’s arms. He felt the pain on his torso, his eyes swollen to where he could barely see out of it, and his jaw throbbing like his speakers. He opened his eyes as much as he could to see his group surrounding him. He tried to smile, yet the pain hindered. Though, he knew he had to say something to let his family know he was okay.
“Alright, Mr. Williams, everything seems alright. Our machine says you have a couple bruised ribs and some other bruises but for the most part, you are okay, “said a female Paramedic as she pulled a scanner way from Mason’s body, “Though, I will give you this cream that’ll accelerate healing.”
“Thanks, “Mason replied, “I need it so I can be in tiptop shape for my next fight.”
“Please, sir. Our records show that you’ve been in too many fights. Please, just don’t move. Also, don’t worry, the police have everything they need to catch the guys who did this.”
Mason nodded, signed for the cream, and leaned back into his chair as the paramedic went to retrieve the medicine. He looked around his home to see his family all standing in various parts. His mom and dad were in the kitchen while Anastasia stood by the window. Vinyl and Octavia were sitting on the couch near him. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and let himself sink into the cushions.
His face hurt like hell. His ribs burned like the place too. Every time he breathed, it felt like the devil was sticking him with a pitchfork. He wanted to tell his family how bad he felt, but he couldn’t. That would only cause more panic. He wanted them to stay calm
While he fought the pain, Mason felt a soft hand touching his; he opened his eyes to see it was his mother. She gave him a soft smile which he returned, yet winced from the pain. His mother’s expression changed to one of worry, yet the Dj moved his hand so to playfully squeeze hers. This calmed her down a little, yet she couldn’t help but worry for her child.
“Alright, Mr. Williams, here’s the cream. I suggest you apply it ASAP, “The paramedic stated as she sat the cream on the coffee table, “And don’t hesitate to call the authorities when needed.”
Once she left and closed the door, everyone turned to Mason. He could only let out a nervous smile as they all crowded around him.
“What the fuck…?” Anastasia asked, “Please explain what you were trying to do…”
“Well…” Mason began.
“Dude, do you know what could have happened if we hadn’t of came when we did?” Vinyl interrupted.
“Yeah but…” Mason said.
“Were you trying to play hero?” Octavia asked, “Because that’s not a very smart thing to do. You could have gotten seriously hurt.”
“Guys…guys…I know what I did was stupid, but we were having such a good day. I didn’t want it to be ruined…I…who knew the Californian Puritans were so rough. I thought they would back off but…I guess not. I suppose they were pissed off at whatever you did, pops.”
Sasha, Mason Sr., and Vinyl froze. Each one being there when the event happened; they knew why the Puritans did what they did.
“Well-“ Mason’s father started.
“Don’t tell me. Those fuckers deserved it…whatever it was.” Mason stated as he reached for the cream. Once he got it, he tried to open it only cringe in pain before smiling towards his family, “Who wants to help me?”
“Warning: This medicine may cause diarrhea, rashes, blisters, sneezing, blindness, and/or erectile dysfunction…” Octavia read.
“Wait…What?!” Mason questioned as he jumped from his chair, ignoring the pain, “Get this stuff off me!”
“I’m just kidding…kidding”
Mason lowered back into his chair, calming himself while letting out a nod of approval to the gray pony. Octavia smiled before continuing to read the medicine package. Once Mason settled, Vinyl and Ana resumed applying the cream. The Dj’s torso and face both were hit hard, so the two decided to split the work among each other. Of course while they worked, the two held back giggles of their own towards Octavia’s joke.
As they cream was smeared, it would start out cold and slowly warm up. It reached a point where Mason could barely tolerate it, yet the heat would disperse and disappear. Mason could only curse as this process had to be repeated three times a session, three times a day. Plus, the cream was relatively expensive. The money he would spend on alcohol would be used to buy it.
“Damn... you’re getting a little chubby…”Ana commented, “Like really. I think I see love handles forming.”
“Hey! I’m as fit as I have ever been, “Mason replied, “That’s just muscle you’re seeing.”
“Naw, dude…that’s fat, “Vinyl stated as she grabbed said love handle, “Squishy and soft.”
Mason grabbed his shirt and quickly tossed it on; his face slightly red.
“I didn’t come here to be made fun of.”
“I’m not making fun of you…just commenting on what I notice.”
“Don’t be embarrassed,” Vinyl said while looking at Octavia, “The bigger ones are more fun in bed.”
Octavia glared at vinyl for a moment before walking towards the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. Ana and Mason nodded their heads in agreement, yet Anastasia punched Mason in the shoulder; her face of questioning and accusation. Mason simply shrugged and laughed nervously.
Everything for the day had seemed to calm down. Mason’s parents left out for more sightseeing. Everyone else stuffed themselves onto the couch and watched T.V. Breathing room was to be desired as each person struggled to get comfortable.
“You know I have more seat, right?” Mason asked, turning on the television. He truly didn’t mind being close to them.
“Yes…” The other three said in unison.
The Dj nodded his head before flicking through the channels. In all honesty, he didn’t know why he paid for cable. It’s not like watched T.V that often. If he wanted to watch something, he’d just use any one of the many streaming services. He guessed he was just for convenience or background noise. Maybe even for when a guest decided to come over which was rare. At the moment, his home was as full as it has ever been.
Soon the TV settled on a cooking channel that none of the group was paying attention to. Mostly, they enjoying each other’s company and deep within their own thoughts. Idle words were said here and there followed by shifting on the crowded couch. Then back into the thoughts they went. Until the door bell rang.
“Who could that be…?” Vinyl asked.
“You don’t think they came back, do you?” Anastasia asked.
“Well it could be anyone…let’s not jump to conclusions,” Octavia insisted, trying to keep everyone calm.
“Let’s just open the door,” Mason stated, walking towards the door, “The worst that can happen is I get the shit beat out of me again.”
Mason opened the door; each of the females on the couch were ready for anything, yet calmed when they saw Percy, a Police Officer who looked slightly older than Mason, and Mason’s parole officer. Mason, on the other hand, looked worried as he was unsure why those three would be together.
“Look…so some of the samples in my music are copyrighted, but I can explain…” Mason stammered.
“Shut up, kid,” Percy replied, “We aren’t here about that. I don’t even know who these two are. They just happened to pull up when I did. Though, I’d like to know Miss. Officer.”
“Not a chance in hell, pal, “The Parole Officer said, “I just came to tell Mason thanks for attending my nephew’s party. How you did it…I don’t know. One second your tracker is here, the next gone. Then it reappears on the map again, yet it doesn’t move for three hours.”
“Magic!” Vinyl says as she wiggles her fingers and curved her arms movement.
“Whatever it was, thank you. As promised, your citation is gone. As a bonus…I’ll end your parole early.”
“Really? Fuck Yeah!” cheered Mason
“Don’t be too happy. I’m still watching you. Just don’t be stupid, Mr. Helix. I don’t like my trust to be broken.”
The lady then kneed down, entered a code onto the tracker around Mason’s leg, and pulled it off. Then, with a nod, she walked away, got into her car, and drove off. Mason smiled as he rubbed the raw section of his leg. It had been a while since he scratched the skin, so he scratched it until the feeling went away.
The next person of the trio to speak was Percy.
“What the hell happened to your face?” Percy questioned as he unlocked his phone and passed it to Mason to read, “Looks like hell opened up you.”
“Ehh…more like heaven.”
“Just take care of yourself. Anyway, ya see that, kid? It’s a simple competition. You go, you play one song, you win, and bam! 5k credits!” Percy explained, “It’s this Friday at six, and you are signed up to join. If…no when you win this, you explode! This, mixed with that pony show, plus the song with that rapper…things are going to get back on track!”
“Nice, dude. I can always count on you,” Mason spoke; he turned to Ana, “I think I’ll hit them with…”
Anastasia was looking downwards, not making eye contact. She seemed sad and maybe a little heartbroken.
“Percy…I can’t make it. I got a date that day.” Mason explained.
“Kid…I’m not mad and I’m not disappointed. It’s your life, and you choose how to live it, but who will feel this spot? It’s too late to say no and not showing is giving you a bad reputation…shit…”
“Hmm…how about Vinyl?”
“The pony?”
“Yeah…she’s a good if not a great DJ. Probably better than me. She can fill the spot, win, and give you your 15 percent.”
“That’s not a bad idea…”Percy spoke as he took his phone back, “Yeah…this can work…I see it…What do you say, pony?”
All eyes turned to Vinyl took off her shades to wipe them. Her scarlet eyes seemed to glow a little bit brighter.
“Of course I’ll do it. I’ve been meaning to test the jokers around here who call themselves musicians.” Vinyl smirked, “Put ‘em in their place.”
“Alright…alright…I’ll see you Friday, pony…erm Vinyl. Be late. Not too late, but late.” Percy said as he walked to the door, “I gotta make some calls, fly to Detroit, sign some papers, attend a couple meetings, and be back here Friday. I’m getting too old for this…I really am.”
Percy closed the door leaving Mason with the Police officer, who was waiting patiently in silence. Once it seemed like things had calmed down, he took off his hat reveling his brown hair, opened his arms, and invited Mason in for a hug. The only thing Mason could do was open his arms and return the gesture. The two men hugged for a couple moments before letting each other go.
“Where the hell have you been?” Mason asked; a huge grin on his face.
“Not all of us can live on one show a month, dick!” The officer smiled letting out his Hispanic accent, “The rest of us have actual jobs!”
The two men began to talk and ramble on about their lives while Vinyl and Octavia each had a confused expression on their faces. Neither knew why this Police Officer was so friendly and cheery towards a man who quite frequently broke the law. Anastasia sunk into her seat, not letting the officer see her.
The men continued to talk until Octavia cleared her throat, alerting the two men by the door. Realizing what was happening; Mason led the officer closer to the ponies. At first, the officer didn’t want to, but soon gave in and walked towards them.
“Alright, guys…this man right here is a special man,” The Dj stated as he patted the Officer on his back, “This is Officer Andrew Harper…this first man to ever arrest me ,and my best bro!”
Octavia placed her hoof to her forehead and sighed before walking to officer and giving her a warm welcome. Vinyl looked him over before deciding he was decent and following suit. She, too, wasn’t too well with the law. Anastasia continued to sit in her sit, ignoring the guest. She seemed not want to be noticed.
Andrew had a sort of star struck look in his eye when he greeted the ponies. He had been a brony since his father showed him an episode and gave him his first plush, which he keeps in his squad car. Now- many years later- he was finally meeting a pony in real life. He felt their fur, their warmth, and even the rise and fall of their chests. There was no doubt; these ponies were living and his friend had something he needed to be told.
“It was nice meeting you all…and you too Ms. Clark...I hope you’re staying out of trouble,” Andrew said, “Anyway, I don’t have long to chat, so Mason can we speak outside?”
“Sure."
Both men excused themselves before walking outside. When they stepped in to the open, they were nearly blinded by the rays. Even though the sun was starting to set, it still provided more than enough light for the neighborhood children to play outside. This brought some join to them and let Mason forget the pain in his face and torso.
“About time you finally let your inner brony out, “Andrew stated as he lit a cigar, “They say holding things in is dangerous. Though, when you finally let it out, you went with a boom.”
“I am not a brony, okay? Vinyl and Octy are just awesome ponies.” Mason corrected, “And why do you smoke those things? You know they’re dangerous.”
“Old habits die hard, my friend.” Andrew released a puff of smoke, “Those Puritans… they did a number on you, huh?”
“Nothing too bad. It was 3 vs. 1. If they had one more guy, it would have been a fair fight.”
“You wish, Mason. I got good news and bad news. Good news is: We found the guy who did it. Luckily, the footage from your home camera gave us a good glimpse of his face. Facial recognition traced him quick. “
“What’s his name?!” Mason blurted out. He felt some type of anger build in him.
“That’s the bad news. I can’t legally tell you yet. More bad news is…We may not be able to book ‘em. Puritans are everywhere, even in the legal system. Now listen, you’re little school yard bully is a fish that got tired of swimming with the small ones. He wants to get bigger which he has. Slowly working his way through the ranks. Because of that, he has gained a lot of connections that can get him out quickly.”
“So you’re telling me this guy has the potential to keep tormenting me without any consequence?”
“Legally: no…Within his power: yes.” Andrew answered; he put out his cigar and slid it into his shirt pocket, “No worries, I asked for more security around your house and Anastasia’s club.”
“Is that all you all can do…I mean…I have…” Mason struggled for the words, “A family to watch out for.”
“I’ll personally make sure this case goes as quickly as possible. I suspect your bully has more than transgressions than this that’ll help us get ‘em.”
“Thanks, dude.”
“No problem. Alright, Look, I gotta go, I only stopped by to check on you and make sure you they didn’t beat you like the wimp you are.”
“Shut up, dude. Go eat some donuts or something…”
“Whatever…you just make sure you take care of those ponies...”
“What do you mean?”
“You know you’re not the only one with a pony. They are appearing around everywhere. I’m not sure whether to say ‘Congratulations’ or ‘I’m sorry’, but you’ve become part of something that may potentially change this planet. Trust me…I watch CNN.”
“CNN…” Mason teased, “Hey, how’s your Saturday looking? I gotta show you should come to.”
“Oh yeah…I heard about that. The one where Vinyl is gonna beat you. Two ass whoopins in one week. Shit…this I gotta see.”
The two friends shared a quick chuckle before Andrew left. Hands were shook, a vehicle was started, and goodbye were waved. Mason watch his friend drive off into the distance,quickly becoming a dot, before he locked the door back closed.
Inside the home, the three ladies were sitting on the couch, watching the same cooking show as before. As stealthy as he could, Mason walked towards before hopping over the couch and landing in his previous spot. This startled no one except Anastasia whose ears weren’t keen enough to hear Mason walking.
“How was the ‘bro ‘- time?” Asked Anastasia.
“The usual. Just caught up on some things.” Mason replied as he snuggled into the spot.
“What did ya talk about?” Vinyl asked?
Mason looked too his left to see the ponies, and to the right to see Anastasia. He wrapped his arms around three and hugged them tightly while letting out a small smile.
“Oh, you know, the same thing we always talk about: some bullshit.”
I awoke on the couch, refreshed. I suppose not waking up in a hangover is pretty good. Though, a guy becomes pretty attached to something he felt almost every day. Fortunately, this is something I could easily get used to. Still, it’s impossible for me to quit cold turkey with alcohol. Not like I was planning on it. Just slowing down a bit. A lot based on Anastasia’s words.
I felt a need to drain the snake, so I began to move from my spot. I still can’t figure out why I didn’t feel three bodies all surrounding me. It seemed like Vinyl, Octy, and Ana had all fallen to sleep on the couch with me. It explained why I was stiff from not moving at night. After some maneuvering, I managed to lay each one of them on each other so they wouldn’t wake.
All three looked peaceful huddled on the couch. Well, I wouldn’t say that. They looked comfortable. Ana, resting on Vinyl, had her head leaned back while she slouched. Her deep, slow breathing match Octavia’s, who had her head resting on her fist. In the middle of the trio was Vinyl who leaned on Octy. Her breathing was almost double the pace of the other two.
They seemed happy, which brought joy to me. Then, they damn went and almost gave me an heart attack. With a yawn, Vinyl snuggled into Octavia’s bosom. This made Octy lift her arm and bring Vinyl closer in. Now, all this left Ana alone…for only a short while. Vinyl’s horn lit and her magic surrounded my girlfriend. Her position shifted as Vinyl laid Ana’s head onto her lap and laid a hand on her stomach.
The scene damn near made my heart give out, but my bladder was winning the fight, so I hurriedly rushed to the bathroom and relieved myself. With a flush and a wash of my hands, I closed left the bathroom and walked to the kitchen. I figured some breakfast would be nice for everyone. My body was feeling up to the workload. The cream the paramedic gave was doing wonders.
“Let’s see what I can whoop up today,” I said as I looked through the cabinets, “Fuck…”
I suppose I had been slacking on my shopping lately since the only thing left in my home was ten wrapped packets of beef instant ramen and a couple of eggs.. Usually when I purchase food there’s enough to last me a while…I suppose I forgot about the guests in my home. I shrugged my shoulders and decided to make good out of a bad situation.
I filled a huge pot with water and struggled to carry it to the stove. I felt an intense pain run through me as I lifted it.(I had to rest for a moment.) Then I unwrapped each ramen packet and waited. I heard the saying a watched pot never boils but comeon! The fucking thing was on high! I mean, eventually it got there but shit. Anyway, once the water boiled, I put every Ramen packet in there and waited for ‘em to cook. Three- ish minutes later I scooped the noodles into six different bowls and added the same amount of water to each. After that, I simple mixed the flavor powder into each.
Next, I cooked the eggs. I didn’t scramble them; just sunny side up. Luckily, I could cook about three at one time, so breakfast would be ready in the next couple of minutes. Plus, I was starting to ache and the trio on the couch was stirring. When each egg was finished, I placed it on top of the ramen in the bowls. It was something I learned from years of living alone.
“What smells like food?” My father asked coming the hallway, “Smells like bachelor food and ingenuity .”
“Aren’t they one in the same,” I replied.
“True that. I’ll get your mother and you wake up the three on the couch.”
“As delicious as that was…you really need to keep your house stocked with food,” My mother said as she wiped the corners of her mouth, “Now, having a barren house by yourself is alright; Having one filled with women is unacceptable; and having one with children is downright evil.”
“Mom…there’s no children here.” I mentioned.
“Not yet.”
I stopped eating. It was something about my mother’s words that got to me. I would have kids…one day. Probably. Just not here soon. (I have time, right?) Though, my mother’s words made it seem like it was bound to happen sooner than expected. I looked to my father who continued to eat, unfazed by his wife's words. I looked towards Ana who seemed to be in her own thought about the words. Then, I looked towards Vinyl and Octy who were looking at each other. It was like they were having a conversation no one else could hear.
“But right now, you need to get some food in this house, Mister, “ My mom filled the silence.
“Uhh…yeah, she’s right Mason. We can shop after we clean this mess up.” Ana spoke as she came from her thoughts.
“Cool. I’ll drive.”
“No you’re not. You’re hurt and need to rest. I’ll go.”
“But…”
“She’s right, Mason, “Octavia spoke, “I thank you for the meal, but taking you shopping and lifting items all day is not something we can let you do. Stay here and rest. Ana, Vinyl, and I can shop.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Vinyl added.
“I can’t make you guys go do that. My fault there’s no food; I have to fix. It only makes sense.”
Octavia nodded in agreement as she stacked each bowl and put the utensils in the top one. She took them over to the sink and turned back to me.
“Well, if your’re filling up to it, can you bring over the pot on the stove?”
“Sure…”
I grabbed the pot by both handles and lifted. The pot rose but then, a shock came through me, and I released. I was expecting it to crash and the water spill everywhere, yet I saw two gray, fur covered arms, holding the pot from behind me.
“You need to rest.”
“And we’re off! Make sure the house is clean before I sock you one, dear,” Ana joked, “Seriously, you need to clean.”
“Wow…I can’t shop, but cleaning is just fine.” I said
“You don’t typically need to lift anything heavy to clean.”
“Whatever. Vinyl and Octy…please watch her. She’s a bit crazy when she’s loose.”
“Aye aye ,cap’n!” Vinyl saluted.
“We will watch her,” Octy stated.
“No ,I’m serious,”
I turned to Anastasia with a serious look. As much as I could create.
“No smoking…or drinking while driving.” I commanded.
“What?!”
“You heard me. If I can’t drink as much, you have to follow the same rules.”
“Come on…I smoke and I drink. Well, I don't drink as much as you, but it’s what I do. I try to stop, but I can’t.”
“Don’t be such a downer, dude, “Vinyl spoke, “I’m pretty sure she does those things for you.”
“Don’t worry, Mason. It’s a toxic dance that posses a pony. We will be safe.”
With that, the females left and I closed the door. I turned to walk away, no idea on how I was going to spend my day until a song rhythm and melody appeared in my head from nowhere.
“I smoke…I drink…I try to stop…I can’t…’cuz this toxic dance has me all possessed…”
(Octavia’s POV)
Once we were all outside, we walked towards, Ms. Stepp’s carriage, which I must say looked a bit tougher than Mason’s. We all climbed in: I in the front, Vinyl in the back, and Ana driving her carriage. She pressed her thumb against a pad and the inside illuminated before this contraption roared to life. Unlike Mason’s carriage, this one was loud, rabid, almost as if it were ready to attack anything in its path. I dare say I liked it.
After pressing a peddle multiple time and making her beast roar louder, Anastasia decided it was time to go. We shot out the driveway, made a sharp turn, and sped down the road. I, for one, was getting a bit cautious for my life, yet Ana and Vinyl seemed to be enjoying it. A little too much for my taste. It wasn’t until Edison-Ana’s own assistant- alerted her of an officer coming closer, that she slowed down to the speed limit.
“Well, that was fun while it lasted, “Ana spoke, “I barely get to open this thing up.”
“That was fucking awesome,” cheered Vinyl from the backseat. She had to readjust her glasses, “We can we do that again?”
“Hopefully never. That was dangerous.” I said.
“Come on, Octavia. Let loose a little,” Ana swerved her car on the road to prove a point, “And we probably won’t do that for a while. There’s rarely an opportunity to do that since the police are always around.”
“Then what’s the point of having a machine like this?!” Vinyl asked.
“To impress the Joneses,”
We drove in silence for a little while longer. Not an awkward silence. Far from it. It was just three females in their own thoughts. My thoughts mostly surrounded the fact of Vinyl and Mason. I saw nothing against it…really. Earth ponies often did have a herd to keep our number high seeing as the male population is low back home. Though, often times my thoughts would drift to Ana. I had an urge to get to know her. A small one that would annoy me until I did its bidding.
“So, Anastasia, yesterday I noticed you shied away from the officer.” I brought up. Perhaps it was getting too personal, but it was the only thing that came to mind.
“Hah…haha!” She laughed, letting go of the steering wheel before hastily grabbing it, “Long long time ago, the government decided to legalized marijuana-or should I say MARE-ijuana- as long as you bought it from them. It was smooth sailing from there. Everything was looking up. But, the government had to fuck things up…”
“So how does that relate?” I asked, noticing Vinyl leaning closer to hear.
“I’m getting there. I’m getting there. You see, they government wanted more money or something along those lines, so they produced cheaper, weaker strains of the drug, yet sold it at the same price. Now, people like me, who can tell the difference, noticed this quickly. Slowly but surely, an underground market of stronger marijuana formed. I never touched the illegal stuff…well to profit from it anyway. I just let the transactions happen in my club every so often. Wait…I’m rambling. Long story short, Mason’s cop buddy caught on and gave me a warning about it. I stopped the deals ,and we lived happily ever after.”
“Had to stop fighting the power…sucks “Vinyl sighed.
“Well, it was illegal…” I brought up.
“Both of you are right, but it was for the best. I had my business to think of. Besides, I never really stopped all transactions,” Ana smirked.
She pressed a button on the wheel she was holding, and a compartment in front of me opened. In there were two rolled pieces of paper. She asked me to hand her one which I did. She put in her mouth, let go of the wheel, and lit the paper with a lighter from her carriage. She then breathed in deep, held her breath for a second, and breathed out. It only took a second for Vinyl and I to realize what she was doing and we rolled down our windows.
Within moments, her body drooped, and her expression calmed. She always seemed cheerful, yet now…I can’t describe it, but I knew what was happening. I may have experience with this type of thing.
“I thought Mason said no smoking,” Vinyl said covering her nose.
“Pshhh…He has no power here…this is my domain!”She yelled, once again letting go of the steering wheel, “Besides, I drive better when stoned.”
She wasn’t lying. She was staying the speed limit; started using the blinking lights on the side of vehicle, and let other people join traffic.
She took another deep breath before taking out the paper and offering it to us. Vinyl instantly said no, yet I considered it. Slight memories of the past came back, yet a look from Vinyl pushed me to say no.
“Thank you, but no thank you.” I said, rejecting the offer.
“Don’t worry…”She said as she took a deep breath, “I wasn’t going to give it to ya. Might ruin your innocence…”
“Innocence?! Please, ponies would smoke this stuff like there was no tomorrow; it’s just that it wasn’t common. There was really no need.”
“There’s a need here, dear. A lot of need.”
“You know, Octy used need it. Right before big shows, she’d do it to calm herself.”
I looked at Vinyl with daggers. That was suppose to stay out little secret.
“Look, it wasn’t necessary, but it helped. Besides, Vinyl had a worse experience with the drug.”
“Hey!” Vinyl yelled, “That’s a secret!”
“Dear, all of Equestria knows,” I told before returning to Ana, “Basically, Vinyl over-indulged herself, started hallucinating, and shot magic beams ever where…we had to pay for all the damages.”
Vinyl’s cheeks turned red from embarrassment as she sat back in the seat. Ana, however, laughed. More than she should, but I suppose the chemicals in her system were hard at work.
“That’s hilarious! You know, Mason also had a bad experience with once,” Admitted Ana, “We were in an old car of his long ago when we were smoking. He got sooooo up there; he vomited on the outside of the car. Then when he tried to drive home, he scratched the shit out of someone’s vehicle. He never smoked again.”
We all shared a good laugh at Mason’s expense before Vinyl said something along the lines of the drug being bad or stupid. Soon enough, we all arrived to the local super market. Anastasia rolled the windows up in her car and was about to put out the mare-ijuana, yet stopped.
“Since you two aren’t innocent, would ya wanna hit?” offered Anastasia. I noticed her eyes were glassy and a tad bit red.
Vinyl shook her head and spoke, “No thanks. We have no need for-“
“Sure, I’ll try,” I spoke, interrupting Vinyl. I don’t know why I took her offer. Maybe it was me trying to get on her good side. I don’t know, but there wasn’t any going back. I grabbed the roll from Ana and looked both mares in the eyes. Ana had a calm expression that somehow expressed her excitement while Vinyl had an iffy expression. She probably was remembering her bad experience. Though, I knew she’d try to.
So, without hesitation, I inhaled deep.
(Mason’s POV)
I sat in the living room with a glass of water and my laptop. For the first time in months, I was making a song. Not just any song, but a song a song I decided to make on my own free will. A song that no one asked me to make or paid for. A song just for the hell of it. Just like I used to do. Before my career.
I had to admit: It felt great. Knowing that this creation was of my own free just energized me. It made me want to continue the song. It even made me want to create others, but I couldn’t do that. I didn’t need hundreds of unfinished projects lying around…like I already do. Anyway, it seemed like everything was in order. Words, snares, bass, etc. It was all coming together. Of course I could have done better, but I got rusty. Making a song from scratch was a lot harder than pulling together samples from forgotten songs or old projects.
In the midst of my genius, Tesla alerted me to a presence at my front door. It seemed ever since, those ponies came, my door closes. I blew air from my nose and walked to the door and opened it. Before me, stood a man dressed in a striped suit tailored to his form. His face had a gimmicky smile and showed he had one too many plastic surgeries and spray tan. Plus, his comb over looked like it was stuck in place by too much grease. Lastly, he smelled of money and the vehicle parked in front of my home helped that fact.
“Uh…can I help you? I asked, “I’m going on a limb here and say you’re lost.”
“No, Mr. Williams I’m exactly where I want to be,” The man spoke. His voiced sounded like something along the lines of door-to-door sells men, “But are you?”
“Yeah…I am…”
“Are you sure? You have a simple two story house, a simple vehicle, a simple life, and a simple career that’s almost over. These things don’t seem like something the hotshot who calls himself DJ Helix would want. Now do they?”
I looked at this guy. I looked at him hard trying to figure out his angle. He was right ,though. The things I have now were not the things I dreamed about when I first started into music. Not even close. But, I couldn’t complain. I got a lot further than most people do in this area. For that, I am proud.
“Skip the B.S. Why are you here?” I asked, mentally trying to keep the song I was working on in my head.
“I’m here to offer you a second chance, Mr. Helix,” The man began, “A chance to get the fame you actually deserve. You see, I’m Walter Cobble from World Wide Records. Lately, we’ve been watching and finally we decided to offer a chance.”
That moment, I remembered what Percy told me about that company. How I’d be just a number and be thrown away when the money stops flowing. Maybe old me wouldn’t have cared, but I’ve grown a little. No alot
“I don’t want it,” I denied, “Music Maid has been good to me, and I won’t leave 'em.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying, kid. Loyalty is good and all, but when I’m literally handing you a new life, you choose the wrong time to show it.”
“I’m sorry, but-“
The man’s expression drastically changed. The cheesy salesmen mask fell off to reveal some angry, pissed monster. At that moment, I felt like slamming the door before the bomb could explode, but it was too late. Far too late.
“Do you know even know what you’re giving up? What you are letting slide through your dirty little fingers? I’m literally handing you a new life! People would kill-no-People have killed for something like this, and you, being a little dumbass, is letting it go,” Cobble walked away. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts through his rising anger, “Let me guess: those ponies came into your life and showed you the true meaning of music or some shit like that. Let me tell you this: life isn’t a fucking story where everything ends all happy and nothing bad happens after the main plot. No, kid…life will continue to fuck you for as long as you live. What I was handing you was some lube so it wouldn’t hurt so badly. But, I suppose you like biting the pillow. So, good day, Mr. Williams. Enjoy the shit hole you call a life.”
Before I could respond-as if I had a response- the guy walked away towards his vehicle. Before he got in, he combed his hair which had gotten disheveled in his rant. The vehicle was started, yet before he drove off; he pulled out his phone, and made a call. I stood there watching him because what else could I do? I was still in shock. I wasn’t sure whether he made a good points or it was one of his many ways to get me to sign.
As the guy talked on his phone, he nodded and only replied with single words answers. Finally, the call ended. He sat in his car for a couple of moment, calming himself. Once he was ready, he opened his door, straightened his suit, and walked back to me. I prepared myself for another rant, yet his salesmen masked seemed to be back on.
“Mr. Williams…sorry about my previous actions. It’s just I’m very excited about music and bringing talent to the forefront. Anyway, my uppers tell me that expecting a big decision like this so quickly is inconceivable, so we are giving you till Saturday to make a decision.”
“Sorry, dude…Saturday I’m bu-“
“Saturday it is! Have your decision ready! Make it a wise one.”
Walter then handed me his business card, before walking off. I thought over the conversation we had when something hit me.
“Hey,” I yelled, “ How’d you know about the ponies?”
“Oh please, Mr. Williams, we always keep an I on potential musicians.”
With those final words, Mr. Cobble left me standing there dumbfounded and confused. I looked over the business card again before sitting it down on the coffee table and returning to my laptop. That guy was making me think about things I didn’t want to think about at the moment. I just wanted to finish the song I was working.
I could only hope the girls were having a better time.
Mason searched the refrigerator for something to drink. After being banned from alcohol, he filled the empty space with anything he could find that the females approved of. Unfortunately, the fridge was completely empty of anything he deemed worthy of drinking. He kept searching, determined to find something. He moved the eggs, shifted the milk, and even touched the week old lasagna before coming across a bottle with Vinyl's name on it. He picked it up and examined it close. It looked to be some type of red fruit punch. He shrugged before he opened the top to drink, yet a voice stopped him.
"Alright...I'm heading out to the club for the Halloween Party," Ana said as she grabbed her black trench coat from the closet," You all have fun giving out candy."
Mason turned to her and smiled, "Yeah...giving out candy..."
"I swear...you better not eat it all. At least save some for me."
"If it was only me, of course, but we have ourselves a chocolate loving pony." Mason explained before closing the bottle and returning it to the fridge.
Vinyl, looking up from the behind the couch, nervously smiled at Ana ,and showed her brown stained teeth. Then she looked towards Mason and watch him return her bottle. A moment later, she dived back into the bowl with no regrets.
Anastasia sighed before she grabbed her car keys and headed to the door. Though, she stopped when she saw Octavia coming from the bedroom wearing a similar trench coat. They made eye contact and simply nodded with each other in an unspoken agreement.
"I'm going with Ana, so you two behave. We don't need the police coming by here...again." Octavia spoke.
Vinyl rose from the bowl of candy and mumbled something incoherent. Besides being unable to understand, Octavia also cringed at the display of bad manners.
"She means we will be on our best behavior," Mason translated, " You two should be on your way. Don't wanna be late."
The mature members of the group squinted their eyes before heading out of the door. Once they started the vehicle, pulled out the driveway, and were out of sight, Mason unfolded piece of paper from his pocket and taped it on the outside of the door. With a smirk, he read it out loud to Vinyl.
"No candy," He spoke out loud, "Alright, pony...pass the...HEY! SHARE THE BOWL!"
Vinyl and Mason lay in the floor surrounded by mounds of empty candy wrappers. Their mouths stained with sticky residue and their tongues permanently tasting of sweetness. Neither wanted to move, not for a long time ,but Mason began to thirst. With struggle, he rose from the carpet, poked Vinyl in her swollen stomach, and walked to the fridge once again. He looked around, hoping that things might have changed, yet nothing did. Nothing caught his attention except the bottle of fruit punch, so he grabbed it.
"Hey, pony! Did ya make this fruit punch yourself?" Mason asked.
"Fruit punch? I didn't make any fruit punch." Vinyl replied, still laying on the floor.
"Ya had to. It's in the bottle with your name on it. Why didn't you make more?"
Realization hit Vinyl quick as she rose from the ground and made her way to Mason.
"Dude...put that down now!" Vinyl warned as she began to reach for her bottle. Yet, Mason lifted his arm outside of her reach.
"No need to get aggressive. It's only pun-"
At that moment, Tesla alerted the two of visitors at the front door. Annoyed at the interruption of his fun, he went to the door and opened it. In front of him were three kids, who didn't bother dressing in costumes, and their mother. He looked at them, and then his front door with the sign. The mother took the hint and spoke.
"They...wanted to check every door." She explained.
Mason nodded and spoke," Sorry, kids, but I don't have any sweets."
"What about that?" asked a one of the kids, pointing a wrapper on Mason's shirt.
"Uhhh..."
"Or that," said another child, pointing at the bottle.
"It's blood!" Mason said in a spooky way, "O positive. It's good for ya bones!"
The kids got excited and began to urge Mason to take a sip. He hated to leave an audience waiting, so he lifted the bottle to his lips. Vinyl began to run to him as she saw what he was doing, yet it was too late. The bottle touched his lips and he took a big gulp. His eyes opened in horror as Vinyl finally reached him. They made eye contact; she could see the horror and confusion in his eyes. With speed and strength she shouldn’t have, she pulled Mason into the house, and locked the door.
“Look, you weren’t supposed-” Vinyl started to say.
“What...the...FUCK IS THIS!” Mason yelled, referring to the bottle. His teeth light red.
“Just let me explain!”
"Is this your idea of a joke?!"
“This isn’t some Nightmare Night joke. Mason,dear, you have to calm down.”
“How? How Vinyl?! You’re drinking blood...from what...I don’t know! Oh gawd...I drunk so much...”
Mason walked away from the pony and began to pace. He rubbed his temples, trying to grasp what had happened, yet he couldn't. He had drank blood and the pony in his home apparently saw nothing wrong with it. Said pony, stood in her same spot, also thinking about the situation, yet she came to an answer quicker than the other.
“You weren’t supposed to find out..." Vinyl whispered to herself, "This was suppose to be a secret, but no. You had to find out...”
“Find what out?! That you drink blood like I drink water!”
At that moment, Vinyl took off her glasses to reveal her scarlet eyes. Yet, they seemed different. Glowing. She opened her mouth and two fangs began to grow. When fully extended, she graced over them with her tongue and then smiled a sadistic smile. She walked over to the nearest chair and sat down.
“I’ll give you ten seconds,” She said.
“Ten seconds for what..." Mason asked, noticing the change of atmosphere.
“7...6...5...” Vinyl counted," Ten seconds to run...3...2...1..."
Mason turned and ran. Looking back, he saw Vinyl standing up before she sprinted towards him, knocking over everything in her path.At that moment, he ran faster than he though he could-least he thought-away. Yet, it didn’t matter. Once he turned his gaze forward, Vinyl was standing in front of him. With a quick swipe of her arm, Mason went flying into the wall.
The collision with the wall made the dj’s mind go blank for a moment. When he finally came to, his back hurt and felt cut up. He opened his eyes to see a furry finger covered in blood was in his eyesight. He followed the finger to a sadistic yet familiar face. One that also looked hungry.
“Is that all ya got, Mason? You’re not being very fun,” said Vinyl as she began to suck her blood covered finger,” You’re pretty good. Not the best, but good. Reminds me of your career.
“Too far,pony,” Mason replied, trying to get up and run yet a sharp pain stopped him.
“I wouldn’t move too much if I were you. You sorta crashed into a framed picture of gram-gram.”
Mason shifted himself up and slid the frame from behind him. In his hands the frame fell apart, allowing the picture of his grandmother to fall on the floor. He slowly reached for the picture only for Vinyl to swipe it away. She looked it over before slowly folding it up and placing it into her pocket. “Don’t worry, you’ll meet her soon.”
The unicorn grabbed the DJ by his collar, stood him, and gave him a quick push. Mason took the and limped away. He heard Vinyl counting and counting; he limped faster until he made his way into the basement. He took a deep breath, and limped down the stairs. Each step causing great pain. Sadly, he couldn’t scream or else the pony might hear. Once he reached the bottom, he walked over to his booth and locked himself inside. He checked the door a couple times before placing his back against the wall and sliding down.
The Dj began to calm himself down, taking deep breaths. He tried to rationalize his situation, but there was nothing he could think about to even make the situation normal. His pony was crazy. There was only one thing he could think about doing and that was going to the source for answers. So, he took out his phone and searched for “Vogon Biotech”. After refreshing google a couple times, the website finally appeared. He pressed the link and went to FAQs.
“Welcome to Vogon Biotech’s FAQs page. Your Identity has been identified as Mason Williams, the owner of Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody, “ welcomed a pony that appeared on the screen, “ Now please select the pony you wish to know more about.”
Mason hurriedly selected “Vinyl” as he heard said pony begin to walk above him.
“Ah, Vinyl Scratch. The DJ. What do you want to know? Use the voice command and we will see if we have something close to what you want.”
Mason pressed the voice button, “Vinyl is drinking blood...strong...fast...and for some reason...very sadistic.”
“Mason...I’m coming for you…”
“Searching...Ahhh...yes. The answer is simple. Vinyl is a vampire.”
“Oh haha...Funny Halloween joke. Seriously, why is she doing this?!”
“I’m being completely serious with you,sir. Vinyl Scratch is a vampire.”
“Well, I don’t remember asking for a vampires.”
“You didn’t ask for anything,” The mare replied in a matter-of-fact way, “You told us to make Vinyl in a way that any brony would want. We figured adding some character development from the fanfiction, “My Roommate is a Vampire,” wouldn’t hurt.”
“Where...the hell are you?!”
“You guy’s thought adding vampire characteristics was what every brony wanted?!”
“It’s a popular story. So popular, we also did something with Octavia…”
“The hell were you guys thinking?!”
“We simply did the best we could to serve the customer.”
“I gotta call Ana...Pony...how do we protect ourselves? Sunlight? Garlic? Wooden Stake? Silver Bullets?”
“Actually, none of those things work. Well, besides the bullet and wood. I mean, who wouldn’t those kill, right? Anyway, we opted not to put those things since the ponies wouldn’t be able to enjoy a full life.”
“Okay...uhhhh I GOTTA CALL ANA!”
“Seriously, I’m hungry!”
Quickly, Mason got out of the browser, and went to his contacts. He didn’t know how he missed her in his contacts, but he finally found her. He dialed, waited, and waited. Eventually, he reached the voicemail. He decided not to leave one, and called again and again until she finally picked up.
He barely heard her say, “hello,” but knew she was annoyed. The music in the background was loud, yet he knew the sound anywhere. It was a song he made back in his glory days, but he shook the thought from his head.
He asked her to go someplace private, she sighed, but obliged. She walked to her office, greetings customers along the way before opening the door and walking in.
“Alright, what do you want?” Ana said with a sigh.
“VINYL IS A VAMPIRE AND SHE’S TRYING TO BITE ME!” Mason yelled.
“Look, I don’t want to hear about you two having sex.” Ana replied, looking through papers on her desk, “Though, vampire roleplay does sound fun.”
“No! Seriously! She’s a vampire!”
“You’re really into it. We might have to try that sometimes.”
“Ana...please…”
“You two have fun. Octy and I will be home in a couple hours. Maybe then we can- Oh! speak of the devil. Octavia! How's things looking out there.”
Mason heard no reply from the mare; he heard only low growls escaping her mouth and the faint sounds of running.
"Wow, Octy! Good job on your costume. Jeez, I didn't know you even brought one.
Ana began to complimenting the pony. She began to say things like, "What big teeth you have," and "You look terrifying." Though, Octavia never replied. She stayed in "character", slowly stepping closer to Anastasia. Finally, the gears began to turn in the humans head. She slowly backed away, fumbling with her phone. Then, she tripped; she dropped her phone. Quickly grabbing it, she spoke.
"Are you sure this isn't a joke?" Ana asked, terror rising in her voice," Please say it is..."
"Sorry..."
"Well shit..."
The call ended with a loud growl followed by the dial tone. Mason tried calling back only to be sent straight to voicemail. With a sigh, he tossed his phone across the room. It would only be a short time before Vinyl would get him. All he had to do is wait. He thought to himself how he bought two items that lead to his demise. It was kind of funny. In a way, "I'm about to die" kind of way.
Then, he heard it. A knock at the window. He turned to look and saw Vinyl smiling at him. She blew air on the window to fog it up. Inside it, she drew a heart. For a second, Mason thought things were looking up, but when Vinyl began to bite it, he knew he was wrong. She wiped the heart away before coming to the door, and unlocking it.
"How...did you?" Mason asked, standing up.
"You forget I live here. I have the key." Vinyl replied, waltzing to the dj.
"Shit..."
"Well...I say it's time for me to eat and you to sleep."
"Vinyl...please..."
"Sorry, bro. This is just how the bass drops."
"Ew...that was just terrib-"
Vinyl grabbed and pulled Mason close. For one second, she looked into his eyes. Then, she bit into his neck. Oddly, the bite didn't hurt. It felt like a numbing experience that spread from his neck and around his body. The more Vinyl sucked, the more tired mason got. It got to a point where he could barely hold his eyes open. Then, Vinyl dropped him. Before he took his last breaths, Vinyl leaned over him, and fully closed his eyes.
When Mason awoke, he did it with a jump. He was covered in sweat. He touched his neck and felt nothing out of the usual. Perhaps all the candy he at last night gave him strange dreams he thought. With slow movements, he rose out of his bed and walked to the kitchen; he was parched.
The walk seemed a alot longer than it should have been, but he finally made it. The first thing he noticed was Anastasia and Octavia laying on the couch. Their clothes were torn and ripped. Oddly, they had blood and feathers around their mouths, yet Mason didn't think anything of it. Then, he walked to the kitchen and saw Vinyl sitting, reading a people magazine.
Mason didn't open his mouth to say hello. He simply walked to the refrigerator and looked for something to drink. Same as yesterday, there was nothing but a bottle filled with red liquid.
"Hey...Vinyl...what's this in the bottle?" Asked Mason, he voice dry and crackling.
"Blood. AB." She replied, still reading.
Mason didn't hesitate as he brought the bottle to his lips. First, he took one sip. Then, he finished the bottle.
Three females stood in the cereal aisle of the local supermarket. Each one surrounding a certain brand with a happy-go-lucky leprechaun mascot. While they have each been surrounding the item, each one took it in differently.
The human female seemed calm and had an easygoing expression as she wondered about the taste of the cereal. She groaned as she repositioned Octavia on her back. Only moments after the pony breathed in the smoke, she turned into a vegetable. Barely responding to words and wearing an indifferent expression. She was too big to fit into the cart ,so the only option was to hold her. Unfortunately, Vinyl was of no help. Once the smoke got in her system, she became erratic and paranoid. She checked every box that was put into the shopping cart out of precaution. Stared down every customer to get them to back away. On a couple of occasions, she would light her horn, ready to fire.
"Guys...we gotta help this little fellow," The unicorn whispered, "He needs our help...those kids won't leave him alone."
"Vinyl, for the eighth time: he's not real. Just a drawing on a cereal box." replied Anastasia.
"Oh...that explains why he can't hear me," Vinyl realized, grabbing the box and holding close to her chest, "...but what about the tiger, Ana?"
"Also, a drawing. I didn't know letting you all smoke would be this bad. Least Octavia is alright. More or less." Ana sighed while looking at the Earth pony, who simply was existing, "Alright ,you two, we have everything we need. Let's get out of here."
With a force filled push, the packed cart slowly rolled forward. It had enough food to keep Mason's house stocked for a while. Well, it had enough to feed the six occupants until they could returned to the store, which would probably been within another couple of days. Another problem was the price. While she had no problem paying for Mason, she had always been a pennypincher. She would have to just find a way to cover the difference. Perhaps she'd just deduct it from his performance checks from her club. Little by little in amounts he would never notice. This would likely be the best course of action since he doesn't pay attention half the time.
Vinyl cautiously walked alongside the buggy. Every noise that entered her ear, she would turn in the direction of its source. The leprechaun would be protected at all costs. Even if he wasn't real. Besides, how did Anastasia know he wasn't real? She could be secretly working for the Captain of Crunch to kidnap the tiny green fellow, trying to get Vinyl to lower her guard, so they could attack when she's most vulnerable. Would that mean her lover was one of themtoo?
The unicorn nonchalantly sidestepped away from her group, she no longer trusted them. Though, she kept her cool as to not let them on what was going on. She continued to walk up the aisle until she spotted him. The dreaded scorn of the milky seas. He and his army of clones were looking directly at her from their cardboard ships. At that moment , she knew she had no choice but to escape with her green friend. Sadly, she was surrounded.
Octavia, slowly coming down from her high, was regaining some of her control back. Honestly, she was there the whole time-mentally. She just wasn't able to control her bodily functions until it was too late. She noticed Vinyl slowing down and scanning everything. She had the same look on her face from that time she shot magical blasts everywhere. Octavia knew what was about to go down, yet she couldn't prevent it. The only thing she could do was barely whisper, "She's about to snap," in Anastasia's ear.
"She's about to wh-" Anastasia began to repeat.
"GET THE BUCK AWAY FROM ME!" Vinyl warned, her horn igniting with magic, "Y-you won't take my friend away!"
Ana looked at Vinyl for a moment, squinting her eyes and uttering, "The fuck are you talking about?" After Octavia whispered more on the subject at hand, Ana acted quickly, "Calm down, Vinyl. Like I said earlier, it's just a drawing..."
"That's what you want me to think, right? So you and cap'n here can steal my friend and run away! You even got Octy in on it!"
"No...no. You just smoked some very strong mare-ijuana, "Ana laughed to herself as she stepped closer, " Just calm down."
Vinyl shot a magical burst at the human's feet, causing her to jump back and almost drop the Earth pony she was holding. Both human and Equestrian locked eyes. Time slowed, slower than it already was to them. Their breathing synced as though the stalemate made them become one. The air in between both parties seemed to vibrate as they became more and more focused on their next move. An elderly woman passed through the group carrying box of bargain raisin cereal, simulating a tumble weed.
"I got to get Mason..." Vinyl whispered to herself as she bolted away, disappearing around a corner.
"Dammit! Why is she so quick?!" Ana asked herself as she sat Octavia down on the floor," Stay here while I try to catch her. I don't need Mason breathing down my back about a lost pony...or the police. You wouldn't happen to know anything that can help?"
Octavia sighed before opening her mouth. Nothing came out but a raspy sound. She smacked her lips and spoke lethargically, "She won't leave the store. Just chase her around for a bit...and bring duct tape."
"Chase her? Come on...there has to-
"Just do it!"
"Aye Aye cap'n!"
Ana, nodding her head at Octavia, was filled with determination. She stood up proud, breathing in the cold store air. Once she breathed it back out, she ran forward to her target. Though, she made a quick stop to the tool section to get herself a roll of duct tape. From there, she went searching. Fortunately, it wasn't hard. The sound of magical blasts and pony screaming could be heard across the store. Mentally preparing herself(and coming down from her high) Ana ran into battle while a certain Earth pony struggled to wiggle her big toe.
"Ma'am, please calm down...or else I'll have to call security, "squeaked a young employee.
"You're one of them, aren't you? " Vinyl questioned, a glass jar of pickles held tight in her magic, " I won't let you take him!"
At that moment, everything in the aisle was grabbed by Vinyl's magic. The unicorn pointed her finger directly towards the her enemy before hurling everything at the young man. He barely managed to dodged before everything hit the spot he was just standing at. The items exploded once they made contact, leaving behind a less than favorable mixture of processed foods.
From behind, Anastasia had witnessed the display of power and wondered how she was going to match it. All she had on her was duct tape. Even if it was the best brand, it still stood no chance against the raw magic of a high unicorn. No matter the odds, she promised Octavia she would help. Besides, the worst that could happen would be a stain on her outfit. Possibly disfiguring cuts from shards of glass.
"Alright, Vinyl, that's enough," Ana said, stepping from around the corner, "You had your fun, but now it's time to leave."
Vinyl turned to face the human female. A sigh of annoyance escaped her snout as she placed the cereal box behind her back, hiding it. She knew this person was trying to hurt her friend. And she thought this person was her friend. Funny how things turn as time moves on.
Vinyl eye down Ana before speaking, "Leave... or I'll have no choice but to act."
"Look pony, you had some stuff that was too strong for you. That's my fault. Now, it's time to calm down..."
"I can't calm down when you all are harming my friend!"
"Friend...I bet you don't even know his name!"
Vinyl opened her mouth to speak, yet nothing came out. She thought and thought, yet no answer came. She looked down at the box, examined it, and looked back at Ana.
"Lucky?" Vinyl guessed.
"You had to look at the box, which proves that this situation you created doesn't exist."
Vinyl stopped, thinking. Perhaps she did make up the situation. Perhaps everything was in her head. Perhaps she was making a fool of herself. She looked at the cardboard box once more to see the smile of her small, green friend. His happy face pleaded for her to help. It was that reassurance that let her know she had to keep going.
Anastasia saw the break in Vinyl's resolve and took this opportunity to step closer. With one hand out of sight, she began to peel the duct tape. All this was to assure whatever Octavia was planning, would work.
Then, a stinging sensation went through Ana's left arm. She dropped the tape and grabbed her wound. It was tender and red, yet didn't seem serious. After her check, she looked towards the source to see Vinyl and her glowing horn with a look of confidence and paranoia. And also a grey earth pony crawling into the area.
"Stay back! I won't let you hurt Lucky!" Vinyl yelled, her horn glowing brighter.
"He's a cereal mascot for fuck's sake!" Ana roared back, yet once she saw Octavia sake her head as she struggled to stand, she regained her calmness. Another look towards the earth pony and Ana knew that Octavia would need some time, "Okay...I'll play your game! Prepare to taste the wrath of Cap'n Crunch!"
Anastasia threw her hand out with force. She then pointed towards the last ketchup bottle standing on the shelf. With a couple of breaths, she began to concentrate on the item. She even began to move her fingers in the ways magicians would do when they would perform. She didn't chant words as she thought that would have been overselling it.
Vinyl stared, filled with curiosity. She always thought there was something different about this human. Especially since see somehow connected her Bass-cannon and got it to work. The machine ran off of magical energy, so to get it work is no easy feat for a human. Though, to be a human working for the Captain, nothing is short of possible.
As Vinyl watched, she soon realized that nothing was happening. The bottle wasn't moving. Ana was simply playing her as some fool. Was she mocking her? Making fun of her unicorn abilities...could she stoop that low?
"You're not even doing anything. Try as you may, you won't move it." Vinyl spoke.
"What...I'm just getting warmed up..." Insisted Anastasia. She concentrated harder on the bottle, taking quick glances at Octavia, who was now holding herself up against a shopping cart...barely. Ana kept the act up.
"Please stop, you're only embarrassing yourself..."
"Trust me...I'm about to do something amazing!"
"I doubt..."
At that moment, something caught Vinyl's tongue. Nothing came out of her mouth again. Maybe it was a trick of the eye. Maybe it was her imagination, but she saw the bottle twitch. She also felt something from that human girl. Some aura, yet it was so miniscule, she was not sure if it existed. Though, she didn't want to find out it was real or not. She just wanted to get Lucky out.
Vinyl lit her horn, ready to fire an ending shot towards Anastasia. "I'm sorry ,my dear. Enough games. This is where it ends...for you."
"Okay...no more weed for you...ever!"
Anastasia prepare for the worse: to be blasted into a million pieces. Her only regrets being not having children or collecting Mason's debt. She closed her eyes and waited. Though, nothing ever came except a choking sound. She opened her eyes and let out a sigh of relief, for Vinyl was held tight in Octavia's grasp; her horn being held at its base by Octavia.
"Thank god, Octy!" cheered Ana, stepping to them, "I would have been dust."
"No problem...and actually, the spell would have simple put you to sleep...for a long time. Essentially a vegetable."
"Oh..."
Octavia nodded slowly before pointing towards the duct tape. Ana nodded, got the tape, and returned to wrap the struggling unicorn. Multiple time around the torso and one small patch around the mouth. Yet, the horn was left un-taped. Ana went to ask, but once she saw the ecstasy filled looked from Vinyl; she knew the horn holding was enough.
"Let's live this place. I think we've done enough."
"Yes,"
Ana and Octy carried Vinyl to their shopping cart and then placed her on top of their groceries. They walked towards the checkout before the manager along with two guards blocked their path. All three seemed unhappy.
"We can't allow you to leave without paying for everything you destroyed...including store damages," said the manager.
"I'll pay for the items in my cart and send you an address to bill...Edison send the amount for my groceries and Mason's address to the fine man in front of me," Ana replied, she then looked to Octy and whispered, "Prepare to run..."
Once the transfer was complete, Ana sprinted, followed by Octy and the cart, barely missing the manager and the guards. Ana hoped they didn't give chase. She sure didn't feel like a car chase.
(Mason's POV)
I sat there, touching up on the song I had been working on. It was far from done, but for one day, I had made a lot of progress. I would be much further if that man hadn't of interrupted me. His offer sounded nice, but messing with big companies meant losing my identity. I worked too hard to lose that.
As I continued to work, there was another knock on my door. Getting annoyed, I stood to answer it, yet I got a pleasant surprised when it opened itself. There before me was Ana, a tape covered Vinyl, and Octy, who was carrying a lot of store bags. All of them seemed to have a mellow stare and a slight smile. I knew what they had done and I felt a bit jealous that they let me out. Though, my history with the plant was not a good one. Still, it hurt.
"I could of sworn I said no smoking with the ponies..." I said, noticing her, " The hell happened there?"
Ana walked up to me and wrapped her arms around me. Then she put her index finger on my lips and spoke,
"Mason...buddy...shhhhhhhhhhh. There's nothing wrong with a little plant. Though, I think what I gave them was a bit too strong. Anyway, the only reason we're like this is because woke up and blasted the second joint as I went to throw it away."
"Second...blasted...and still your arm."
"It's a long story...now if you'll excuse me..."
Ana passed out onto the floor with a comical thump. Before I could do anything, Vinyl walked towards me, all cautious like. She handed me a box of cereal and winked. I didn't know what she meant, but she too passed out onto the floor. I looked towards Octavia, who I expected to pass out too, yet she remained standing.
"You okay?" I asked her, yet received no reply. She simple existed. I sighed before accepting what I had to do. I couldn't just leave them there; I had to place them somewhere comfortable until they worked the drug out their system. Unfortunately, with my body not in top condition, this comfortable place would have to be the living room set.
I went to Octavia and loosened her tight grip on the bags. I sat them on the ground and walked the pony to the couch. (I guess you could say I led the horse to water.) Once there, I eased her onto the couch, which then she brought me into a tight embrace. Through the pain, I hugged back. She then whispered something about how Ana was great and amazing. I simply agreed before wiggling out the hug.
Next, I picked up Vinyl. She was pretty light so carrying her wasn't a problem. Well, it wasn't too bad. While I carried her, she mumbled something about Cap'n Crunch and Ana's magic. At that point, I had began to wonder what exactly happened at the store. Millions of questions stormed my head, but I knew I would get any answers anytime soon. So, I laid her down...and placed the cereal box back into her arms.
Lastly, I grabbed Anastasia. I could help feeling some way to her. I was a bit angry that she exposed the ponies to that sort of thing. I guess part of me wanted them to stay those innocent ponies I saw on TV, but I knew deep down they weren't that at all. They were like me or any other human...just ponies and magical.
I lowered Ana on the couch, treated her wound, and gave her small peck on the lips. Turning to walk away, I looked at Vinyl and Octavia. Both of their eyes were half open and their faces filled with slight jealousy. I didn't know why, but I went to give them pecks of their own. First, to Vinyl who let out a small smile after and then too Octavia who turned her head at the last second. Our lips made contact; I pulled away quickly.
"Bad Pony!" I spoke, yet she pretended not to hear me, "Okay...we will talk when you wake up..."
I sighed before walking over to the groceries. Looking through each bag, I simply nodded and carried them to the kitchen to be put away.
"47 Boxes of pancake mix again...this is why I don't want her shopping while high..."
There was no need to have a house filled with hungry people...and ponies early in the day, so I awoke earlier than usual to get breakfast going. I noticed the sun, alone in its morning ascent rose quietly, until the ripping of cardboard boxes resonated through the house. Once the box's contents were emptied, mixed with milk, and one extra egg; it was mixed together, with a few lumps, and ready to be cooked. So, I turned on a griddle and left it to heat, which should have been done earlier, yet was forgotten.
Soon enough, pancakes sizzled on the hot griddle ,and I felt my pride rise as the pancakes did. The smell of cooking pancakes filled the kitchen before drifting throughout the house. I knew within a few minutes the others would be awake, which would be fine. Though, before they did, I thought to make myself some special pancakes and perhaps something else to accompany the pancakes. Unfortunately, when I looked around my kitchen there was nothing else to go with the food except more pancakes and a glint of a hidden bottle. A smirk crossed my face as I examined the bottle. I could still make my special pancakes, just as long as no one else ate them.
Octavia's POV
My nose filled with the aroma of slightly overdone pancakes. To be honest, the only reason I came out of my slumber was from the slight fear that someone may be burning the house down. I, for one, didn't want to be part of that. Besides, I still had a life to live and music to play. Anyway, through the feeling of possible fire, I did sensed my hunger pique because of the smell. Perhaps it was time to get up.
I turned to Vinyl who was sprawled on the bed , still asleep, and snoring. Her earphones were placed in hear while some song played loudly enough for me to hear the melody. That might explain why I could never get a good night sleep, but that's beside the point. She seemed not to even know I was awake or what time it was. It would seem I would have to wake her up the hardway.
With a slight push, I sent her over the edge of the bed and onto the floor.
"What in the..." Vinyl yelled as she poked her head from the side of the mattress, " I was dreaming of foals for some reason. I'll say the dream had this sweet soundtrack to it..."
"Yes...Vinyl...the dream where the foals are eating cotton candy shaped like musical notes, while a hydra shuffles after them," I said, remembering a dream she had told me a while back.
"No ...well there was cotton candy, but no hydra...they were happy. Playing around and calling me moth-"
At that moment, Mason's mother knocked on the door and spoke, " Not sure if you two are awake or not, but I know you can smell that breakfast cooking. By the smell of it, Mason's cooking, so we need to get down there and watch him."
"Yes Mrs. Williams, We both will be down shortly." I replied, "Finish telling me about your dream later, Vinyl. Right now, I'm hungry."
Mason's POV
With a huge pan of pancakes in the middle of the table, everyone gathered around and took their seats. I passed out the plates to everyone and took my seat. I could see everyone's faces looking at each other, wondering if the food was good to eat. I didn't take it as an insult; my cooking has been none not to be the best but still, I felt a little irritated by it.
"Look guys, I know they don't look the best, but they taste just fine, " I assured, " Plus, you ate the food I cooked the other day."
"That is true...I suppose if he's alive then I suppose they're okay, "Ana spoke in a low voice, still unsure. She reached for the pancake on the top of the pile, brought it towards her lips, and took a bite. With her mouth filled she spoke, "They aren't the best thing in the world, but they I had worse."
With that, everyone dug in without mercy, piling their plates high with food. I felt proud that my cooking was good enough for them. Good enough to make it where everyone focused on their food and not conversation. I didn't mind though. Having them around was what really mattered.
"Mason, you did some good work here. I think 'm going to have one more," Vinyl spoke as she reached for one more. I didn't mind at all until she took a bite. In fact, I felt great until she took a bite. "This tastes weird. Maybe...like...can't put my hoof on it."
"Maybe he cooked it wrong?" My father suggested, but Vinyl shook her head in disagreement.
"Let me try, " Ana said as she reached over and tore a piece, "Tastes...like Jack Daniels. Shit Mason! Thought I said no more drinking."
My mouth opened ,but only a hoarse sound came out. That is, until I came out with a way to weed my way out.
"Technically, I ate it so..."
"That's bullshit and you know it..."
I began to scratch my shaggy beard and uncombed hair, finally gaining some ground through my mistake, "Well, you didn't stop smoking. Can't expect me to do as you say when you don't follow your own words."
"True, but my habit wasn't ruing my life, now was it?"
I couldn't say anything about what she said because it was truth. Her habit wasn't going to ruin her...unless she got caught. My habit, although legal and fun, was destroying me. So, she had a point. One I truly didn't want to admit, but nonetheless, I admitted defeat.
"Okay, my bad. I messed up," I apologized," Never again."
"Somehow, I don't believe you." Ana said, sarcasm oozing out of her words.
Anastasia went around the table asking if anyone wanted the tainted pancakes. When the only one who wanted one was Vinyl, she grabbed the pan and tossed the rest away. I felt my heartbreak a little as I watch the food enter the trash bin. It wasn't like I didn't have a ton of other boxes of pancake mix; it was the fact the bottle was the last bit of alcohol I had. The last taste of blacking out freedom. I suppose it was time to change; I am a bit young to be passing out every night. That's for older men.
We all rose from the table, cleaned our mess, and began to go our separate ways. My parents returned to their room for an after breakfast nap. The rest of us stood in the kitchen, finishing up the cleaning. I didn't know what they were planning to do with their days, but I planned on not doing one thing today. Not with the week I had.
"Mason, you do know that grooming oneself is a great part of one's well being, " Octavia informed as she put away a dish, "and before you ask...yes, I saw you fussing with your beard and mane. You're starting to look bad."
Vinyl and Ana turned to look at me; one quick observation and they agreed I wasn't the most stunning horse at the rodeo. Ana came over and began grabbed a chunk of my hair. From seemingly nowhere, she summoned a pick, slid it deep into my hair, and flung her arm upwards. The pick was caught near the mid section of my hair; that's where all the knots and tangles held strong. They did, but I didn't. I let out a wail of pain and grabbed the part of my head that she damaged.
"Tangled, knotted, and maybe even matted. He's probably been ignoring his hair for a while. Probably taking care of it every so often-still not enough though. It may take some work to get it back to normal," Ana explained, " I suggest taking him to a professional."
"No. Professionals cost credits ,and that's something I can't be throwing around at the moment." I managed to say through my pain, recalling the amount used to get Vinyl and Octavia, "I'm pretty much broke at the moment."
"No expense is too much for a stallion to look his best, " Octy stated.
"How about I just do it for free?" offered Vinyl, " When I was on the road for tours, my team would keep everypony looking nice; I even picked up a couple things."
"Free sounds nice..." I said, accepting the deal, "After some business, we can do it."
Octavia and Ana both had unsettling looks on their faces. They asked me if I was sure about the plan, which I replied with a nod of my head. If my hair was as bad as they say it was, then Vinyl couldn't mess it up any worse.
So, with a farewell, we all retreated to our different area until later. Ana went to my room. I went to my studio, and the ponies went to their room.
Anastasia's POV
Mason's talk of not having enough credits really got to me even if I didn't show it. With my business, loans, and other things all flying around, money was getting a bit stretched. So stretched I had to make a choice earlier this week that affected me in a way.
I'm surprised Mason hasn't asked me why I've been at his house for the past couple of days. Perhaps it's his blind trust or his dense skull. Either or, I'd have to tell him soon. Tell him that I sold my home for my business. Well, our business if you can count ten percent that's his. That's beside the point. The point was that my club was making enough money to support itself. That was it. Not enough to pay the loans I had to use to get it up and running. I, for one, didn't want to lose everything I worked for and go to a labor camp to pay off my debt, so I did the next best thing...sold my home.
It wasn't as if I was ever there to begin with. The place was gathering dust and needed some TLC. Rather, it needed someone to fill its empty walls more than 3 hours a day. So, I threw it on the market and within a couple weeks, it was bought by a nice, small family. Their smiles made the day seem better, but the credits that transferred into my account made it seem great.
With those credits, I lowered down the loans to a comfortable place in which I could sustain myself and the club. Which at this point, is all that mattered.
Throwing those thoughts out my head, I began to drift to sleep. That is, until my phone rang.
I answered and tried not to sound annoyed, " Hello, this is Anastasia of Club Genesis. How may I help you?"
"Yes, Good Evening ma'am, I am Shelly from L.A's Loan Services, " spoke a young voice on the other side, "I was just calling about a loan you got through us."
"I don't know why you're calling...I paid more than enough to ensure you all are off my back for a while."
"Oh yes...we know. This is just a courtesy call to thank you for your payment and to remind you that any debt not paid off will result in immediate seizure of assets and the person sent to a labor camp to pay off the rest of the debt."
"Yes...I know."
"Oh goody. Then that ends our conversation. You have a good day."
"You...too, I suppose."
The woman hung up the phone and returned to ruining other people serenity. I threw down my phone, tightly coiled the covers around me, and tried to get some sleep. It seemed like these companies knew when to call and ruin your day. Fortunately, I wouldn't let it get me down. I've done everything right up till this point and deserve good nap. Though, deep in my mind, I knew I would have to tell Mason my situation.
Mason's POV
I have no clue why I went to my studio. I suppose it was one place to get peace and alone time. Though, I planned on using this time to check on my credits. Dropping that much money for Vinyl and Octy truly did hurt, but I don't regret it. I just have to come up with some way to build myself back.
"Okay ,Tesla, tell me the profit from my sales and such," I said out loud to my electronic helper.
"Well, profits from the single you released are still pouring in ,and of course Percy is getting his percentage. Credits from the rapper you helped are slowing down as his sales lower too. Though, he sent an email thanking you and hinting at future collaborations. "
"Alright...I can dig that," I spoke, then I wondered something, " If I didn't do anything else, how long could I survive with what I have? "
"Seeing as you have six people...wait... four people excluding your parents...calculating...you can live up to six months off of your savings if it's just a diet of beans and rice."
"That's it? Any options to make that number a bit larger?"
"Percy suggests you get back into the music scene; he told me to tell you that. Also, I hear investing wouldn't
hurt."
"You know, I think my dad knows a thing or two about that...maybe I should ask him."
"They often say ask for help before diving into something like this, Tesla said before fading and returning, "Also, you have a bill from the local market for 764 credits in regards to damages and food costs."
"What...?"
"They sent a bill along with a message saying not to return with your pony helpmates or wife."
"Send the credits along with an apology... wait wife?"
"Will do, Mason."
When Telsa went to handle business, I leaned back in my chair and began to think. Nothing to serious, but think about how I should get a better grip on life. That or life will grip me. So, I searched through my music files and found an EP I've been saving for a rainy day. So with a quick click, I sent it to Percy for evaluation. Once that was done, I decided to look up some information about this investing thing while I applied the medicine to my wounds.
Octavia's POV
Neither Vinyl or I felt like going back to sleep. I sat on the bed debating on practicing my cello or not while Vinyl fiddled with the laptop Mason had gotten her, possibly choosing a song for today's competition she'll be attending. Now, I was still uncertain how credits worked here, but 5000 of anything was a lot. Of course, this amount of bits and the thought of what Mason said earlier, got me thinking.
"Vinyl, we need to talk." I stated, looking towards her, and as always, her ear were crowded with her earphones. I gently pulled one out and repeated what I said.
"About what?" She replied.
"You remember when we first came here and I spoke to you about us eventually finding our own place?"
"Yes...but this again, Octy? Comeon...we haven't even been here a half a year and you're already talking about moving on. Keep calm and go with the flow."
"Yes yes yes...the flow. You always speak of the flow, yet I'm the one who has to watch out for any dangers ahead."
"What does that mean?" Vinyl inquired, sitting up from her spot and closing her laptop.
"It means I'm the one looking ahead to the future. We can't live here forever, Vinyl. Soon enough, we will have to find our own path."
"And how do you know that path isn't with Mason and Ana?"
One few occasions has Vinyl actually made valid point, and this was one of them. I honestly couldn't say that she was wrong, but I couldn't say she was right. All I could do was hold my tongue and what for her to say something.
"Look, Octy," Vinyl spoke in a low calming voice," I know this place is a bit scary for you. Hell it's scary for me. Not knowing where anything is and having these hate groups attack at random times. It's crazy. I also know you rather have your feet planted firmly into the ground for security, but right now we have to settle into the dirt first. You already have a job lined up for next year or something which is good. So, until then, let's just enjoy ourselves and see where life takes us. Besides, We're about to have five-thousand credits in our pockets. "
"Don't forget to subtract the fifteen percent for Percy."
"You know, I was never good at math."
"It's still a lot, " I said, smirking a bit at my love," You should hurry and get ready. That competition is at six."
I watched Vinyl sleep like a baby… Who am I kidding? She sleeps like a train wreck covered with Discord’s secret ingredient. She sleeps like an enemy army coming to take your land. Simply put, she sleeps rough. Sometimes the only way to get her calm down is to climb on top of her and use my weight to keep her from moving. Which…now that I think about it, could be a way for her to draw me closer. If that were the case, I had been underestimating Vinyl’s cleverness for a while.
I looked towards the clock and noted the time; it was 5:30. Vinyl had thirty minutes to somehow make it across town and get ready for her competition. Usually, one would be worried in this case. I wasn’t. Vinyl somehow had the ability to make it to places on time. Whether it be clubs, competitions, our dates, et cetera, Vinyl always managed to make it and sometimes arrive early. After a while, you stop worrying and let her do her thing.
So, I sat there, reading a human novel about a teenage male being lost in the woods after a plane crash. I had to say it was pretty good how he learned to survive outside of his element. Anyway, I heard Vinyl stir once; I knew she was about to awake. I stood from my position on the bed ,so Vinyl had room to explode. Funny thing was, I knew Vinyl’s routine for when she woke before an event. First, she’d slowly rise. Then she’d look at the time, freak out, fall out of bed, and put on the clothes she wore the day before.
“Ugh…what time is it?” Vinyl asked as she slowly rose from her nap, “5:33…BUCK!”
Vinyl rolled onto the floor in shock, and I snickered. Once she recovered from the shock on hitting the floor, she sprung back to sky ready for action.
“Are you ready, Vinyl?” I asked as she walked towards the bedroom door.
“I’m always ready to defeat some chumps,” She replied with her usual confidence.
“Well, let’s hurry up and go.”
“You’re coming with me?”
“Of course. Someone has to keep you in check. We don’t need any more fights with competition.”
“Hey, I hardly ever get into fights.”
"Well, in this new place, any fight could mean jail time and jail here sounds worse than back home."
We left the room together and walked towards the living room. There we saw Mason and Anastasia in formal dress. I remembered something about them having a date. It was nice that they were spending some time together. Though, I couldn’t help but feel two separate emotions. One was for Vinyl to take me ,and the second was to spend time with Ana. It was weird that I felt the latter.
“Wassup, my furry friends?” Mason greeted. He looked decent in his outfit, but he could have done better. His blue dress shirt and black dressed pants were both wrinkled, yet seemed to give out some boyish charm. The only problem- the biggest problem- was his unkempt hair. “I see you guys are finally up for the competition.”
Vinyl lit her horn to straighten Mason’s tie, and then spoke “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. The only problem is how am I going to get there. You guys are leaving ,and neither Octy or I can use those carriages.”
“Stop worrying, Vinyl. You can say it’s from personal experience, but I had a feeling you’d oversleep. Percy is waiting outside by his car, and yelling at his phone. Just hurry outside and you’ll make it to the competition...probably.”
We gave each other farewells before we each split our separate ways, yet before we left Ana, in a blue dress that matched Mason’s shirt, cleared her throat. When we looked back, She pointed towards Mason’s hair. With an understanding nod, Vinyl’s horn lit again, casting an aura around his hair. Then a comb, clippers, moisturizer, and other hair items floated from various rooms in the house until they hovered near Mason’s head. In a flash and a swirl of magic(chaos) his hair was cut and tidy.
Mason tapped the top of his head and felt the softness that was now present. I noticed a smile smirk appear on his face before he thanked Vinyl.
“You know, I like having a huge ‘fro, but this will work just fine.”
“He loves it,” Ana spoke before hugging both Vinyl and I. We gave each other a warm squeeze before we were ushered us out the door.
Outside, we saw Percy leaning against a pearl white carriage. Well, car. It was much more luxurious than the one Mason or Anastasia operated ,and it probably a lot more expensive as well. I supposed when you have the money, you have the urge to spend and flaunt it. Even the nobles back home did that. To think, I was on my way to start, but I met Vinyl and she humbled me. Or shall I say, she used her money for other uses that did not involve flaunting, but elevating her craft.
“I don’t give a rat’s ass if the performance was too loud, if he was too drunk to perform, or the property damage from the fans! You signed a contract for a three-day concert, and we will get a three-day concert! Or maybe another hotel would love to host the hottest male pop singer of this year?" screamed Percy into his device
We thought he was angry, but the way he kept his cool said otherwise. It seemed it was an act. After he yelled he waited, closely listening to the phone before smiling deeply. He listened to the phone as muffled words came from the other end.
“Good. Good. I knew you’d come to your senses. I’ll talk to him and tell him to slow down on the drinks. You can take the half the cost of the damage from out profits… only half…” Percy said, and then he noticed us, “Okay, if that’s it then I have to go. Call me later if you have any other questions. Bye.”
He pressed the screen of his phone and turned his attention to us. With a literal press of a button, the doors of his car opened wide. He quickly ushered us into the seats and then pressed the button again to close the doors. Vinyl took the front and I took the back. All I can say was that the inside was magnificent. The front was made of polished wood. The seats were so smooth that I felt I might slide off but didn’t, for they sucked me in deep. It felt like I was royalty, so I closed my eyes to enjoy the feeling.
“Yeah, this car has that effect on people. You get used to it though,” Percy spoke, “Anyway, you two just relax while I drive. Also, Vinyl, there’s not much I can tell you since you don’t know these people like Mason does.”
“Tell me anyway,” Vinyl demanded, sitting up from the comfort, “I gotta know my competition.”
“Okay…uhh...well, there’s only one guy you should worry about. He calls himself ‘Curb Stomp’. That’s because he claims his drops are dirty, raw, and painful. He used to be Mason’s old rival and won the competition I happened to be at. I chose Mason because the other guy is a huge dick. Also, because he's pretentious, cocky, he infringes a lot of music, and he has ghost writers.”
“So…kick his flank is what you’re telling me…” Vinyl whispered. She took off her glasses and wiped them with her shirt; her scarlet eyes shined brighter than usual. I knew what this meant; she was filled with determination and wanted to win.
“You got it, kid. Do that and you’ll start making a name for yourself…well, you’ll resurface in L.A.”
Anastasia’s POV
Mason and I sat down to our date which was nice and romantic. Well, as romantic as Mason could be. We needed this to truly connect to one another on a level that wasn’t friendship. Though, that wasn’t the reason we were out. I just needed some elaborate situation to get us away from Vinyl and Octavia. They didn’t need to know what I was telling Mason.
“Then once the police raided the place, they immediately dropped me to the ground. I managed to get free and run out the joint. If it wasn’t for a convenient tree house, I would have been caught.” Mason spoke, reliving his story.
“I bet you probably ate the snacks in the house too,” I said. I already knew he did because he told me this story while he was drunk months back. I knew he wouldn’t remember telling me so finishing it for him would bring a good laugh. I basked in his confusion for a moment before starting a new topic, “Mason, can I say something serious for a moment.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“The competition tomorrow…I bet you think you’re ready.”
“Of course I’m ready. I’m ready to win!”
“That’s good, but why are you going easy on Vinyl?” Before Mason could interrupt, I continued, “I’ve heard what you’re going to play and it is nowhere near your best.”
Mason’s lips spread ,so he could defend himself, yet only air escaped. They closed back before he broke eye contact. I knew he was struggling for the words to say, so I was not going to rush him. Because of this, silence filled the area around us. It wasn’t heavy or awkward; it was filled with thought. I didn’t know what he was going to say... I could only wait until he was ready to say it.
It wasn’t until our food arrived and the waiter had left did Mason look me in the eyes and spoke.
“I know how it feels to be on top and then suddenly be nothing. Imagine being pushed out a plane with no parachute. The fall is quick yet takes forever. There is nothing you do can to stop it, yet you flap your arms hopping something will happen. Call it intuition, but I know Vinyl is going through that now. She'e been here a while and the only show she has played was that weird birthday party. That’s why I gave her my spot at the competition…and so I could spend the night with you. So, If I let Vinyl win tomorrow…she’ll have a chance to get back on top.”
“That’s a nice way to think,” I said to Mason, lovingly touching his hand, “But that’s fucking stupid. It’s disrespectful to her; it’s disingenuous of you. Any artist, when you don’t bring their A-Game, is going to call you out on it. She is coming with her all; she expects you to do the same. Don’t cheap out on her because you feel bad, or want to help. If you really want to help her out, be your best ,and she’ll try to beat you. That energy produced will shine bright and power her ride back to her throne.”
Mason, once again speechless, looked towards his plate and sighed. He knew I was right. I think he always knew this was the right path, but he was thinking with his emotions and not with his head. But I must say, thinking with both is a good idea.
“You’re right….”
Vinyl’s POV
We drove for a while. Passing through the skyscrapers, suburban houses, and even the slums until we reached a series of abandoned industrial buildings. Any regular person might have been frightened, but to a veteran, like me, I knew what was going on. Places like these were free from disturbances, and far away from people that loud music wouldn’t be a bother. Typically, the owners don’t mind…not that they’re ever around to say much.
As we pulled into the parking lot, I could feel the music vibrating the area. It sounded okay, but in my experience, an okay song with a great crowd equals an amazing night. I knew this was going to be an amazing night because I could hear crowd cheering and roaring. The energy filled me and expanded my mind. I knew this was my night and no one was going to hold me back; I would win this competition and take home the money.
“Alright, Vinyl, are you ready for this?” Percy asked. He got out his car, walked to my side, and opened the door.
“Not at all,” I replied, putting my glasses on, “I don’t know what I’m playing or how I’m doing this… But as Celestia is my witness, I’m gonna kill the noise!”
“That’s what I like to hear! Look, I’m going to go sign you in; do what you want until they call you.”
Percy rushed towards the entrance with haste I didn’t think a man in a suit could obtain. I’m guessing because we were already late because I slept to long, but with him dealing with Mason, I doubted if he held any negative feelings against it. If he did…he’d probably just have to get used to it.
With a shrug, I began to walk to the warehouse until I heard a knock from behind. I let out a small chuckle as I saw Octy still in the backseat. I rushed back and opened the door like a gentlemare.
“The nerve of that man. Not opening the door for all mares…” Octy said. The scowl of her face seemed to be etched in.
“He’s just busy. Give him a break,” I replied.
I grabbed the earth pony and rushed inside the building. Almost immediately we were bombarded by sweet, sweet music. Our sight was met with pitch black darkness only being illuminated by flashing lights or the neon worn by the ravers. I felt at home. I closed my eyes and drifted into the crowd; I think I left Octavia alone at the edge of the dancers, but she could understand why.
My body drifted into the center of the party, barely touching anypony else. Raves are fluid and flow like the ocean. Once you submit yourself, you become part of it. That’s what I and everyone else did. Soon, I flowed straight into the middle and let loose. I don’t know how exactly I danced that day; I just remember that being the first moment I felt at home in this new place. I felt truly happy as the music poured into me and flowed out as dancing. I felt that I could live here and be included in everything. None of the ravers judged me. None of them questioned what or who I was. We just danced together. The PLUR lifestyle was alive, and I felt it.
Though, in Mason’s world, it feels like someone always must mess with you.
“Vinyl Scratch?” I heard someone ask, “Is this for real? No no…you must be one of those -bio-robot things. I can’t believe someone would think it’s cool to bring that here…”
I turned to look at whoever said that. To my surprise-not so much- I was greeted by a leather jacket wearing, aviator sporting, gelled haired, pants too tight young man. This type of person wasn’t rare, but they were never seen unless you were happy and the universe didn’t want you to be.
“Number one: I am not a machine. I am the living breathing Vinyl Scratch. Secondly, I came here on my own willpower.”
“Wow…you must be an expensive model. I actually felt genuine emotion from that. Let me guess: You’re here to perform, right?”
“Yes, I am. DJ PON3 is here to win the prize money.” I cooed.
“I doubt that. My set I played earlier was epic. It’s gonna take a miracle to beat it.”
If there was one thing good about this guy, it was his confidence. That was something ever dj needed.
“Too bad I missed it,” I said,” By the way, are you Curb Stomp?”
“What?! No! That guy left earlier. Something about he knew he won so he didn’t need to stay and see the results. Anyway, I’m Recharge. Perhaps you heard of me?”
“Nope.”
The man looked visibly hurt before he gained he composure and spoke, “Yeah… like somepony like you would even know. Look, I’ll see you around, unicorn.”
“Buck yeah, you will,” I crowed back, “and you’ll be looking up at me from second place on the podium!”
This earned me a glare from Recharge, but he shrugged his shoulders and sauntered out of the dancing throng. I fell back into the groove of the dance floor, barely paying attention to my fellow revelers. This competition was about putting others on notice: DJ Pon3 was back and ready to rumble! I didn’t have time for negativity and neither Curb Stomp or Recharge could dissuade me from dropping the sickest of bass.
Roughly forty-five minutes after I arrived, Percy came back and ushered me through the ravers to the stage. The previous DJ was spinning the last of his playlist. When he saw me, he did a double take and nearly let his records skip. It was kinda funny, which was exactly what I needed. Whatever anxiety I was feeling from before was gone an instant. I was now ready to bring down the roof of this place!
“Are we five-by?” Percy asked.
“Oh yeah,” I replied, “gimme a beat and I would rock entire worlds!”
“Good,” Percy said, “then got out there and own ‘em.”
I looked at the stage, the turntables, the speakers, the crowd; I was home here. Now I needed to make everybody, and everypony, know that.
Curb Stomp's POV
I don’t know what possessed me to return to the club after I wowed the audience. Maybe I needed to bask in the glory of adoring audience. That recharge kid had some chops to him but he was nowhere in my league. I had this competition sorted. I had every right to felt confident about it; so far, I hadn’t seen a single MC that could do a tenth of what I had already mastered. I know you should't count your chickens before they hatch, but I had skillz that killz; what did I need to worry about?
I should have known better… I saw that android piece of shit turn on the stage ,and I just about lost it. I heard about those play-mate things or whatever and I didn’t like them much. The fact that this was one was snow white with neon blue hair and a set of goggles like an anime character didn’t make it any less endearing to me. That horn it had was some kind of transceiver or something, although I wasn’t so sure of that when the horn glowed and stacks of discs floated towards it.
I played the best set of my life, really turned the crowd on it's head; the follow up acts couldn’t compare to the masterful show I put on! The crown, the credits, and the crown was mine, all mine. Then this- thing, turns up and starts to play. I was mad as fuck.
Then I really tuned into to what it was doing. Fuck me, it was good. No, it was better than good, it was exceptional. I would even go so far as to say it was outstanding. It had the entire floor eating out of it’s hands. I was impressed. It wasn’t just its technical skill, but its raw talent. I didn’t those android things had that kind of ability but I swear, my blood was pumping just as much as the crowd’s was! Anyway you put, this thing was giving me some concern. I shouldn’t have felt that way, but I did.
Once the android was done with it’s set, which was twice as long as mine and hit bass so low you could feel it in your teeth, I set out to find the thing. I wanted to know how it was programmed or whatever to drop such sick beats. I caught it roaming the crowd, which was still entranced by it's performance. It had wound its way another android, this one a gray one lacking a horn a bearing a treble clef on it’s thigh. I couldn’t believe I saw one of these fuck toys and now there were two here. I had to know where their owner/programmer was.
“Yo!” I called out, “You that robot that just threw down on my crowd?”
“I’m not a robot,” the white one retorted, “the name’s DJ Pon-3. And I did I just own your flank? Why yes, yes I did!”
That pissed me off even more.
“So, yeah, you got some skills,” I sneered, “but you’ll never be at my level. I’m a fucking pro, yo.”
“So you’re Curb Stomp?” The white one asked.
“The one and only,” I replied.
“Good,” the white said, “it’s good to know who third place is going to be.”
“Oh, yeah?” I asked, “What makes you think you can beat me?”
“Because I’m DJ Pon-3,” the white one answered, “and I drop bass for a living. You probably wouldn’t know a bass line if it kicked you in the stallionhood!”
“You would love that, wouldn’t you,” I said, “oh, wait, you can’t, because you’re a machine.”
“I’ll have you know, you cur,” growled the gray one, “that Vinyl is no less a sentient entity than you are. And she would surely be affable to seeing you getting your plot handed to you.”
“DAMN, Octi!” The white one commented, “I didn’t know you had that in you!”
“Something had to be said to this ruffian,” the gray one huffed, “come, we have spent enough time wallowing in this Philistine’s stench.”
The gray one grabbed the white one by the arm and they left. A mob formed around the pair as they exited. I had mobs like that form around me after I played but never to the degree the white one was getting now. I couldn’t wait until the next night to show this machine who’s boss. (Hint, that’s me, Curb Stomp.)
I tried to move through the crowd to get closer to those machines, but the crowd was too dense for me to through. I'll admit, I was getting a bit jealous. The cheers the crowd were making mixed with how big it was only added to my anger. Though, I stopped once the host came over the mic to announce winner. Look, I don't even want to remember the results because results don't show skills. And because fuck that pony and everything she stands for. But...It's a part of my life.
All I want to say is that, when I saw the crowd lift that pony into the sky, I became more angry than I have ever been. This..thing came into my city and stole my trophy...my money! I couldn't stand by and let it be. I tried to force my way through the crowd, but it was too thick to move through. My only option was to stand and watch that thing accept my rewards, but the worst part wasn't when she raised the trophy up high, but was when she spoke.
"A lot of talented people played tonight, and I just want to thank the crowd for choosing me as the winner. I played my heart out ,and you guys heard its every beat. And that's what music is about: Putting yourself into the song and letting everyone hear it. But enough of that poetry jazz! DJ PON3 is here to stay!" She proclaimed, as the crowd cheered loudly at her, "If ya want some more, I'll be having a battle tomorrow with local favorite DJ Helix! It's at Club Genesis and it's something you don't want to miss."
With that, she waved to the crowd and left the stage. I don't know where she went and I didn't care. All I knew was that DH Helix, or shall we call him Mason, had something to do with this pony, and I wouldn't sit back and take it. He already took my record deal, I won't let him take every competition too.
Mason’s POV
The night went well after the talk. Of course Ana is made me realize the errors of my ways, but that’s what she’s here for. Things could have gone very wrong if I had done what I planned. I would have lost a friend and the respect of many others. PLus the shot at any career would be gone. So, I appreciate what she has done. I mean, everything she has done since day one. Someday I’ll show her how much I appreciate her. One day.
Anyway, we pulled into my driveway after a delicious meal. The sun was long gone and the only lights were from our car, the streets light, and the light on my doorstep. But for some odd reason, my door was wide open. I started to worry that I was being robbed , but the sight of my father with two suitcases eased me. Though, I wondered why he had the suit cases.
When Ana parked her car, I hopped out and walked towards my old man. He looked at me with a small smile before handing both suitcases. After that, he went back into the house to retrieve some more. Immediately, I sat them down to chase after him only to be greeted by a living room filled with their belongings and my mom ending a call.
“What’s going on?” I questioned.
“We are heading back to Georgia,” My father replied, getting two more suitcases, “Grab some of these. The taxi will be here soon.”
I did as I was told, but continued to ask questions.
“What do you mean? I thought this was a vacation? You’re retired! Why do you have to go back?”
My mother, her voice low and not as cheery chimed in, “Your father may be retired, but he still helps companies. They need him ASAP.”
“Well can ASAP be after tomorrow?My show is then, and it's been years since you’ve seen me live.”
“You know how these companies work, “My father spoke, “They won’t take no for an answer. Besides, the credits I earn help me take care of your mother for that much longer. Retirement isn’t what it’s used to be. Hell, you should be very worried.”
Confused, I looked at my father. He looked back at me with all the seriousness he had in his body. Whatever words were swimming in his mind, I knew I would have to catch them. So, I opened my ears, ready to listen.
“Look, times are only going to get worse. They may get better, but not yet. As a man, it’s up to you to make sure your castle doesn’t topple over when the wind starts picking up,” My father then paused. He wasn’t looking towards me anymore, but past me. It seemed the memories of his life were right behind me, “What I’m saying is, you now have a lot of luggage. With Ana, Vinyl, and Octavia, things are going to be tough.”
“Whoa, dad...the ponies are going to be on their place own soon enough. Octy said it ,and Vinyl is working on it. Maybe Ana, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“Mason, if you let those ponies out into the world by themselves you are insane. The world is not ready yet. And let’s be real, Ana is your future wife. We saw that when she first pushed you to the ground.”
I wanted to respond. Perhaps, deny whatever he said, but from the experience with the the religious groups, or the awkward stairs whenever I was out with Vinyl. I knew he was right. This world wasn’t ready. The Ana situation...I wasn’t ready to talk about it.
“Okay, what do you think I should do then?” I asked.
“That’s for you to figure out, DJ,” He answered, “You’re a grown man, who has taken on grown man responsibilities. It’s up to you to find a way.”
A taxi then pulled in front of my house; I knew it was time for my parent’s to leave. With heavy hearts, the luggage was carried to the car and loaded into it. My mother held back tears as she gave me a hug and jumped into the taxi and slammed the door; I could hear the tears explode out. My father closed the trunk of the taxi before he held out his hand for a handshake, but quickly brought me in for a hug.
We held each other tightly before we let each other go.
“Look, Mason...A bad father would leave you out in the dark, so what I’m going to do is help. Right now, you need to create assets.”
“I don’t know anything about assets though…”
“Yes you do. The club and your music are nice starts. You may need a few more though...”
“That’s easier said than done, dad.”
“When there is a will there is a way, “ My father said as he got into the passenger side of the taxi, “Take care of those ponies and Ana. You have an opportunity to do something here. Don’t ruin it.”
He closed the door and seconds later, the taxi pulled off. I waved goodbye until the tail lights of the car were out of sight. Sighing, I turned back towards my house only to hear the flick of a lighter and see Ana inhaling her joint.
She smiled at me, offering me some, yet I denied. For once in my life, I believed I needed a clear head. No alcohol or weed could help me. I just needed to wipe the dust off the gears and turn the machine on.
“How much did you hear?” I asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
“Just enough to remember I kicked your ass when we were kids,” She replied, taking another deep inhale before blowing the smoke away from my direction, “So, what now ,castle man?”
“We figure out this asset thing. We got the club and music. Maybe we do rental property. If destiny is so determined for us to be soulmates, we could move in together and rent out the other house...”
“Oh...about that,” Ana spoke, pulling away from me and slowly making her way to the house, “I sort of...sold my house to fund the club, so I’m living here indefinitely. I meant to tell you earlier, but ,you know, things come up.”
“So, you were just gonna slowly move your stuff, hoping I wouldn’t notice?”
I stood in the kitchen, frying some eggs and waiting for my day to start. Well, my day had started a couple of hours ago, but my anxiety wouldn’t let me move any further. Today was the day of the competition; I didn’t know why I felt so anxious about it. I was prepared to play my best. Leave everything I had out on the floor, yet it all went away when I woke up that morning.
Vinyl and Octavia were gone before I woke; I hadn’t seen them since yesterday, yet I knew they were okay because I received a photo of Vinyl and her trophy. Anastasia went to make sure the preparations were great for that night’s events. Of course, my parents had left the day before. So, for the first time in a while, I was alone in my house again.
I forgot how silent things were. I forgot how it felt to awake without a hangover. I forgot the peace I experienced in these four walls. I forgot how much I hated it. No cello practice, no loud bass, no angry phone calls about low inventory. Those are things I came to expect, yet it wasn’t here. It was only me, breathing in the fumes of eggs.
“Mr. Mason, you have a phone call!” Tesla spoke, “It’s from Percy.”
“Put him through,” I replied excited to hear another voice.
After a short pause, I heard Percy’s voice.
“How’s my favorite DJ doing” He asked, brimming with excitement.
“I bet you say favorite to every DJ you have,” I said, “And I’m slightly nervous.”
“Actually no…Everyone else are real bummers. Anyway, that’s good. Use that nervous energy and- “
“Channel it into my performance. Yes, I know and I will.”
“Well, I guess my work here is done. Social media is going nuts for this. You’ll be big again.”
“Yeah…uh I can’t wait.”
He sensed something in my voice. For a short moment, he didn’t speak, and I didn’t either.
“Mason, go out there, play your best, and just enjoy the night. Don’t worry about the money. Don’t worry about the fame. Just enjoy battling Vinyl and proving you’re the best in California.”
We talked for some time longer. Percy ask about everything that had to deal with the night and I told him everything and he simply accepted, trusting Ana’s judgement. After that, we ended the call. The silenced returned .
I went back to my eggs. Unfortunately, the heat got to them and they were slightly burnt. Luckily, I like things a bit dark. Or rather, I’ve gotten used to it. So, I scrapped the eggs on my plate, made some toast, and sat down. I took one bite and waited. I waited for some sign of life, yet nothing came. The only life was me. Getting tired of the silence, I grabbed my food and walked outside.
The day was pretty as usual. California never disappointed. It didn’t take long for me to hear the chirping of birds, the talking of my neighbors, and the loud roar of the few gasoline powered cars still running. It passed my home and kept driving. From the sound of its engine, it might have needed some work. Though, it looked crisp on the outside.
Once it passed, I sat on the ground and relaxed. Ironically, the noise made me feel better and allowed me to eat in peace. Then I heard a clunk and the reversing of the vehicle. It made way for my home until it stopped right in front my drive way. Slowly, the driver’s side window lowered until someone’s face showed through. A face I have not seen in awhile.
“Curb…I mean…Clinton?” I asked, getting up walking towards the car. Immediately, the car was put into gear, and drove off, “I suppose they had the wrong home.”
Vinyl’s POV
“You look absolutely wonderful in that outfit, “ Octy said as I stepped outside the changing room.
“You know this isn’t my style… ” I said
“I believe we may have found you a new style.”
I stood there wearing a pure white sundress with trim that matched the color of my mane. You could say it was me in dress form. All it needed was my cutie mark and maybe a beer stain. In all honesty, it was beautiful dress, but it was so form fitting that I felt naked. Don’t get me wrong, I like being naked; I just don’t like dresses.
“People will laugh if I walked in public like this…”
“No…they’ll stare in awe. You’re a very pretty mare. If only you would embrace your feminine side more often.”
“I’ll embrace it once you produce a track that’s number one on-“
My sentence was interrupted by something being place on my head. I could not recover before I heard sounds of appreciation coming from Octavia.
“This yarn hat will finish off the outfit perfectly.” Said one of the workers.
“You are so right” Octavia agreed, “We will take the whole set.”
The worker nodded her head excitedly before rushing off to get things ready for our purchase. I looked at Octavia with a confused look, while she looked at me with a smile. We stood there for a moment before I started to undress. I quickly realized I was not in the dressing room, and ran back into the room. Not like I cared about being seen, but public indecency was a major thing here.
Before I stripped, I peered into the mirror. For once, I did not look like I had raved for my entire life. For once, I did not look like a mare who could out drink you. For once, I looked like a mare on the beach. I looked like a mare you could take home to mother. I like this look, but I knew in my heart it was not me. I am a mare of the night who craves the music scene.
I stripped down, put the clothes of the hanger, and put them to the side. After that, I began to put on my street clothes. My ripped blue jeans I found at the local thrift shop slid on easily and hugged me in the right places. I put my black, sponsored shirt on that advertised the event tonight. Finally, I put my glasses on my nose; I felt at peace.
When I stepped out the dressing room Octavia had a bag ready for my clothes. I put them in the bag as she ushered me out the clothing store and we began walking around town. Apparently, she had already paid for my clothes even before I tried them on. I would say she bought them more for her than for me.
“How much did these run for?” I asked, trying to find a price tag.
“You’re not supposed to ask the price of gift…” Octy replied.
“Well when we are on a imposed budget, I gotta ask,”
“Just know your new outfit didn’t cost a lot. Besides, we have to celebrate today”
“Really?”
“Yes.” Octavia jolted in front of me to grab my hands, “This is your first major performance since we moved here. The crowds, the media, it’ll be like the old days.”
I couldn’t help but drift back into my memories of being on stage. Thousands of ponies waiting…begging me to start my track. The lights flashing around the darkness, and the smell of sweat, alcohol, and joy going in the air. Those were my nights and it was time for me to return. Deep in my thoughts, I did not notice that Octavia and I had reached the subway. If she hadn’t had caught me, I would have tumbled down the stairs, and that was a deep fall. Paying attention, we descended and waited to for the next train that would put us close to Club Genesis; Octy and I decided to wait there for the competition.
We waited and waited for the train and things seemed to go well until someone gripped my and turned me around. A man who was pale and clean shaven looked me in the eyes as a smirk stuck to his face. Two other men soon backed him up except they themselves kept their faces neutral. I can’t say they looked familiar, yet the aura they had about them was.
“Where do you two think you’re going?” The leader asked.
“We are going home…without you all,” Octavia spoke, pulling me away from the men.
“That doesn’t sound fun at all. Seeing as me and my friends here have taken interest in you two.
You know, there’s been a lot of uproar about ponies appearing. We thought we would get to know a few.”
“How about you look for some other ponies? We are currently not looking for more friends,” I said, standing my ground.
“Seems like we might have to tame these horses,buddies…” The leaders said, taking a step forward.
I ignited my horn to prepare to defend myself and Octavia was breathing heavier than usual. We were ready, but fortunately a female security guard approached us, curious by what was happening.
“Is everything alright?” She asked, “Because I have full authority to make sure everything stays alright…”
The leader stepped back and his buddies followed suite.
“Yeah rent-a-cop. We are alright. Just talking to my new friends here about their event down at Club Genesis. I know some friends would love to be there, so I was just going to pass the word along.”
“Don’t you dare”…I mouthed to the man. To which, he simply smiled and began walking away.
The moment they were gone, the officer turned to us with her full attention.
“I’m guessing those losers were messing with you? Don’t think nothing of it. They are part of some weird religious thing, but since they don’t quite follow the rules, they don’t have good standing. Anyway, Y’all good?”
“Yes… we are good. Thanks for coming to our aid.” Octy said.
“Just doing my job. Well, the train is coming and y’all don’t want to miss it. “
“Thank you so much and if you’re free tonight, come see my show. I’ll make sure you get in free ms…”
“Just call me, Shelly, and sure. I’ll try.”
The train arrived just as she said and Octavia and I stepped aboard. We waved goodbye and I sat on a seat near the door. Calming myself down, I placed my headphones into my ear and prepared to play my heart out tonight. -------------- Mason’s POV
“Do you see this line?” I asked Anastasia as I drove up the street, “I haven’t seen a crowd this big in ages.”
“Tell me about it…I don’t think everyone can fit inside…the Fire Marshall won’t allow it.”
“I think he’ll understand today. If not, we will get him drunk and then he will. Anyway, I’ll see you on the inside.”
I parked my civic, opened the door, and breathed in the warm night air. I smelt the food drifting from the kitchens in the surrounding restaurants. I bet they'd appreciate the extra business. I walked towards the entrance only to be greeted by the screams of fans and a couple exposed breasts. The biggest smile spread over my face as many fans ran to hug me or ask for autographs. I felt as if I was back at the height of my career. I was getting lost in the fame until a security guard grabbed me and pulled me inside.
What greeted my eyes was a masterpiece to say the least. I haven't seen Club Genesis like this before. It was clean, shiny, and seemed renovated. The bar was fully stocked, and the internal kitchen was already bustling with life. The lights were moving with no real direction and the lights on the floor were waiting for command. The speakers stood tale like warriors waiting for battle. And in the middle sat two stations. One for me and one for Vinyl. Each had our separate logos plastered on the front. In-between the stations was a huge screen that I was pretty sure was connected to our stations.
Then I saw Anastasia coming out of her office with huge smile. She ran over to me gave me a hug, which came with a kiss.
“You outdid yourself,” I said when our mouths disconnected, “You really did.”
“I know…I just don’t know how I did it. With the amount of time I had, I did not know how I was gonna finish it. Then after encountering Vinyl’s speakers, I got a jolt of energy and managed to finish everything.”
Huh? Well, I guess that’s good. You could have asked for help though.”
“Naw. If it has to be, it’s up to me. No one can do it like I can.”
“If you say so. So where’s Vinyl and Octavia?” I asked, looking around.
“They are in the backroom…releasing some stress if you know what I mean. And no we aren't going too.”
“Thanks for reading my mind.”
“It’s what I do. Anyway, we have about an hour before things get interesting. Get set up and rest. It’s about to be showtime!” `
“Alright you bass lovers, you beat thumpers, you absolute MADMEN!” Ana yelled into her mic, “ Tonight, we have a battle for the ages! Dj Helix...vs DJ Pon3...y’all I don’t know what to say, but get ready to get wild. In less than an hour, these titans will be battling tonight for your pleasure. So, what I need yall to do is is keep partying, keep eating food, keep drinking , and have fun!”
As Ana stepped off the stage, music began playing and the lights followed along. She walked and walked towards me in the audience. A few people in the crowd congratulated her on the event, but she only spared a few seconds as she approached me.
“Hey, you got one hour. Do what you need to do and be on that stage at 8. Do not do anything stupid. I know this is an event for you and Vinyl, but the club also needs this to survive alright?” she said in a stern voice, hugging me and getting close to me ear.
“Yeah...I got you…” I replied.
“You better get me,” She then sighed and kissed me on the cheek,” I’ll be in the main office doing some administrative stuff. I’ll get someone to handle the onstage announcements from here on out. See you stage and good luck.”
After that, she walked towards the office and disappeared in the crowd; I was left alone. The crowd was too busy dancing to notice who I was. I figured I’d find Vinyl and maybe talk to her a little bit. Maybe calm my nerves down a little bit. In this mess we called a club, I figured she would be at the bar, so that’s where my feet began to take me as my body once again conformed to the movements of the crowd.
The closer to the bar I got, the more memories of my drunken nights hit me.A smile appeared on my face as the good times kept rolling. Anastasia may have been right that I was developing a problem but hell, she could never deny the fun that came of those escapades. Out of nowhere, my mouth got dry and I started to crave a small drink. Nothing serious, but something to wet my tongue.
In that moment, I began rationalizing. “One small drink could hurt right?” I thought to myself as I leaned over the counter. “I can’t get intoxicated from one beer.” I thought, as I ordered one Guinness. “This isn’t going to hurt…” I rationalized, as I lifted the bottle to my lips.
I completely forgot about Vinyl, and my only focus was on the dark bottle that was the portal to bitter goodness. I could almost smell the hops as the bottle came closer.
“I swear Ana said no alcohol,” came a male voice,” Be a shame if someone told her…”
“Charles...naw...this is for you,”I lied, “She told me you were coming so…”
“I highly doubt that...I never told her I was coming.” he replied as he grabbed the beer that the bartender sat in from of me. He took a small swig and sat at the bar, “You all know I hate social environments…”
“So what made you come?” I asked, watching him take another sip from the bottle and gag in reflex.
“She threatened to tell our parents how I live…” He replied, defeated.
“Still on the Bank Teller lie?” I asked, “That’s insane they still fall for that.”
“I may not be good at a lot of things, but lying and computers are my forte. Also, check your six, I think your ex is coming. “
I turned around and was immediately greeted with a tight hug that squeezed the air out of me. The fragrance smelled of strawberries and I could practically feel the makeup rubbing off onto my shirt. Below me, was a head full of blond hair with brown roots. Strangely, I cant say i was sure if she ever dyed her hair or not. I never asked.
“Long time, no see ,Helix,” Chloe yelled in her regular voice as she let go of the embrace, “How’s life been treating you?”
“It’s been great actually...didn’t know you’d been here. With all your classes and stuff, “ I replied
“You’re acting like I wouldn’t find time to see your big comeback in between school.Besides, I’m sure i can find someway to mold this into an economic report.”
I began to say something, yet the sarcastic voice of Charles overpowered me.
“You can write it on how capitalism continues to bring the downfall of society…” Charles said before said, taking another sip of my beer.
Chloe stepped around me and approached Charles; I could feel her entire aura change.
“Let me guess, another momma’s boy who barely leaves his home and talks in an echo chamber forum about politics and memes?” She retorted back.
“Oh? Let me guess, another college girl who believe whatever her teacher says because he’s wear tight button ups and has a master's degree?”
I could see the situation slowly becoming worse and left before they could drag me in. I was never one for economics or school and knew they would drag me if I said something wrong. As i walked away, I could hear them yelling about economic policies and I swear Charles mentioned communism. After that, I knew Chloe would blow, so I ran faster into the crowd.
I expected to see a few familiar faces in the crowd. Old friends, A few older collaborations. But a certain old rival took me by surprise.
"Sledge..hammer?" I asked, touching a man's shoulder, "This can't be real..."
"It is Mason..." He replied, looking around," So this all you, huh?"
"I mean kinda, I had the idea, but Ana made it happen. You remember her right?"
"Of course, I do. I wanted to date her, but I always knew she was out of my league."
We both laughed a bit a stood around each other in silence. To be honest, I didn't know what else to say; I hadn't seen this man in years and didn't expect him to be here. Though, I figure Vinyl probably met him at that other competition I had to miss.
"You know, Mason...I came her to bash you...get mad...cause a scene. Maybe even fight that pony person you somehow know, " he started, taking another look,"But I can't bring myself to do it. You're doing really well for yourself, I don't wanna be more of an asshole than I already am and ruin it for you."
"I appreciate that, Clinton," I replied, "I really do."
"Don't call me that. God, I always hated my name. Like who names their kid Clinton?"
From there, the conversation seemed to flow like a river that just got unblocked. We caught up on everything, and I almost told him how I met Vinyl and Octy, but i kept that to myself. He told me how he was doing, how he lost to Vinyl, and swore revenge. It seemed like Vinyl had many more challenges in the future.
Vinyl’s POV
I was a little away from the club after Ana dismissed us. With a half filled beer bottle in my hand and my hood hiding my identity, I could relax and calm myself before this show. A smirk crossed my face as I watched the club get fatter and fatter with people waiting to hear my gift. It felt good to be wanted again. To be back in the limelight. I guess this is sort of how Mason feels too.
Lost in my thoughts, my phone beeped. It took me a second to actually open it up since I was still getting used the strange device. From what i could see, it was a text, as they call it, from Octavia. It said something along the lines of Ana wanted to meet in the office to go over a few last minute things.
I have to admit, I was very annoyed when I saw the text since my relaxation time was cut down. Without a second thought , the beer was finished and my legs began to move me towards the back entrance of the club. Though as I moved forward, I noticed this black mechanical carriage from down the street turn on and begin to approach me. I usually never felt uncomfortable, but for some reason there was an aura coming from that vehicle that didn’t make me feel safe; I sped up.
Unfortunately for me, the vehicle sped up too and was fast approaching me. Thinking quick, I turned to go towards the front entrance. Surely, whoever it was wouldn’t dare continue, right? I heard the machine stop and the doors open. I kept moving until I heard a voice call my name. It had a friendly tone, but I felt the malice right behind it...waiting. I don’t know why, but my head turned back to see who it was.
I have to say, I was surprised to see it was those religious bastards who kept bothering us. Tonight of all nights...why? I turned back around and continued not giving them the satisfaction of answer. Not until I heard something that pissed me the fuck off.
“How’s Mason doing? “ I heard one of them say, “Didn’t think he would be able to make it after his accident. Maybe we will pay him a visit to see how our friend it doing.”
"Oh you guys can go fucks yourselves," I yelled
My horn lit and I was ready to beat some ass. Those non-magical chumps would regret speaking some shit to me like that. I had a plan, some magical blasts and then a whole of hoofs up asses. OH the fire was burning bright, but then I felt a hand on my shoulder. Still angered, I hastily turned around and received face full of cigar smoke.
“Hey wassup ,Vinyl, “ Andrew said, “Didn’t expect you to be this far from the club.”
The smoke kinda disoriented me a bit and the magic in my horn faded. It filled my lungs, but oh, it tasted terrible. After a few coughs, I replied.
“I was relaxing a bit...well until Octavia called me and then those assholes…”
“Way ahead of you. I had some buddies watching them all night. Unfortunately, they haven't done anything, so I can’t arrest them. Though, I can promise those Puritans won’t ruin your night. Look, let’s get you to Ana’ office and have you get ready for the show.”
“Alright, that sounds nice.”
As we walked away, I took one more look at those bastards. To say the least, it warmed my heart to see a police officer writing them what i assumed was a speeding ticket for going down the street at the speed they did.
Inside Ana’s office, everything appeared calm. I really thought she’d be stressed, but she was holding everything together, or so I thought. Once I entered, she turned to me and cracked.
“Vinyl, we don’t have enough drinks; I just had to order more! The vendor said they won’t be here for another hour! What will the people drink?! Why are they drinking so much?! Who hurt them tonight?! OH but they are also hungry! We are running on fumes, pony! Just sent the chef on a emergency grocery shopping trip. I thought I had planned for this but my numbers are wrong!”
Ana went back to her computer and began to look over some files, and I turned to Octavia who simply shrugged and patted Ana’s back.
“So Ana….uhh why did ya call me here?”I asked, not expecting answer in the state she’s in
She didn’t look up from her computer to answer.
“It’s simple really. I need you not to hold back against, Mason.” She said , not skipping a beat.
“Excuse me? DJ Pon3 does not hold back!”
“Cool, in that case, this talk is just a reminder.” She said said looking up finally and starring me in the eye, “This competition is really just more than a event. It’s a chance for you and Octavia to start something here. It’s a chance for Mason to restart and get out his rut. It’s a chance for Genesis to become the best club in L.A. I’m not trying to sound selfish or put pressure on you, but if this crowd fills even an ounce of your strength not in it, they’ll lose excitement.”
“You don’t have to tell me; I know.” I said, sighing a bit, remembering a few of my shows that went terribly wrong.
“Good, “ Ana replied, lighting a joint, inhaling deep and blowing the smoke in another direction, “I told Mason the same thing, so no one's holding back. In that case, beat the pants off, Helix. No mercy! Now head to the stage and make sure to remind him and everyone why you’re the best DJ in Equestria!”
Octavia came over and hugged me. She whispered, “Good luck; you got this.” in my ear, before returning to the computer and speaking on some last- minute administrator stuff. I knew the conversation was over, so I turned to leave and made my way to the stage. I saw Mason on the other side heading towards the stage as well. He didn’t seem nervous...nor drunk. Just normal and in the moment.
Little secret, I always got a little bit nervous before an event.
A few moments later, I heard the office door open and both Ana and Octy walk from the room. Ana ran passed me and onto the stage. In an instant, the music cut off and the club was completely quiet.
Mason's POV
I walked up the metal stairs on my side of the stage. I saw my setup sitting there in its polished and abused glory. Before I could approach, I saw a X made of duct tape which I assumed I was supposed to stand while Ana did her theatrics.
Looking across the club, I saw Vinyl standing on her X. She seemed calm, chill, relaxed. I never understood how people did that. Without some alcohol in my system, anxiety was hitting me from all angles. Nevertheless, the show went on.
“Y’all have been waiting...for the battle and I’m here to say that the dogs are out of their cages!” Ana screamed into the mic, followed by the crowd exploding in cheers.
“In this corner, the home favorite- DJ….HELIX!!!!”
The lights came on directly above me ,and I felt all the anxiety melt away. My arms began pumping and the crowd fed me their cheers. I walked towards my setup, the lights following me, and turned her on. Immediately, a deep guttural bass escaped and passed through the crowd like a wave. The cheering only got louder and I...only got hungrier.
God, did I miss the moments like this.
“Now, new to these parts, but not new to the game…the challenger...DJ PON3!!1”
The lights on Vinyl’s side came and she screamed in excitement. From her horn, only something I can call small fireworks exploded around her. She approached her setup, the fireworks stopped, and a blue aura enveloped her horn and the setup. The sound started off low, yet grew until the room was shaking and ended the laser effects.
“Looks like both combatants are ready… but let me explain how this works. This is a battle of adaptability and staying on your feet. Each DJ will play 5 songs alternating from each other that lasts one minute each. As one song is playing that respective Dj can mix and chop it how they want while it’s playing, but as soon as that minute is over , the other Dj has to immediately transition into their song. The second silence is heard, you lose. Try not to let the crowd lose it’s excitement, "Ana explained, " Now if both survive, we will enter sudden death, but let’s not worry about that. Anyway, it’s house rules that the challenger always goes first. Dj PON3,I’ll play a short minute clip of a track, after that...take it away!”
