Hikaru was still feeling a tiny bit unsure as Flash arrived to pick him up that night.
"Yeah this is gonna be awesome! You won't regret going I assure you. Its AWESOME!" Flash said quite enthusiastically.
"Can you at least tell me one thin-"
"NOPE! So shut up and lets go!"
Flash pushed Hikaru out the door and closed it behind them.
Hikaru soon found himself outside in the cold night air. He took a look around and noticed how bright everything was despite it being night time. The city lights on the streets and the lights in the buildings, stores, and restaurants as well as advertisements all around made everything very much illuminated with the exception of a few dark alleys.
"So were meeting up with my two friends Beam and Cobalt. Two of my best friends for many years now. I think Cobalt is bringing somepony also, but Im not totally sure."
Hikaru couldn't help but notice that Flash was overly excited for this whole thing.
He was worried that this place might have alcohol. Perhaps that was why Flash was so excited.
"I know what you're thinking." Said Flash interrupting Hikaru's thoughts. "Yeah there is alcohol served at this place. But don't worry man. I can control myself. And thats not why I am super hyped to go to this place. You'll find out soon, its just another block....in fact, there's Beam and Cobalt!"
Further down the street, Hikaru saw a tan pegasus with a black mane with a cobalt colored earth pony with an orange mane.
'Well I wonder which one is Cobalt?' Thought Hikaru sarcastically.
"Sup guys!" greeted Flash loudly as they approached the two.
"Hey howzit Flash. Said the tan pegasus as he bumped hooves with Flash.
"Tonight's gonna be crazy eh?" Said the cobalt colt.
"Yeah!" Yelled Flash. "Oh by the way. This is Hikaru, the one I told you two about."
"AH you're the crazy one! Haha!" Laughed the pegasus. "Im Beam. And like the name, I tend to just radiate beams of awesomeness wherever I go. That and I work at a lighting store! hahaha!"
"Haha, I hope Flash said good things about me." Said Hikaru giving Flash a slightly annoyed look."
"Nah its all good!" Said the cobalt colt. And Im Cobalt by the way. The name fits my color pretty much. I work in a factory that makes glow products."
"Glow products?" Asked Hikaru.
"Yeah, you'll see some crazy stuff tonight." Said Flash quickly. "So come on guys lets go, I don't want to miss a minute!"
"Hay yeah!" Yelled Beam as he jumped up and flew off down the street.
"Eh we'll catch up." Said Flash waving him off.
--------
Sky found herself at a small restaurant with Zen, and her two friends Neko and Tranquility.
Neko was an earth pony who worked at the local animal shelter where she took care of the cats.
Tranquility was a unicorn who owned a spa with her siblings.
They were all going to be seeing a movie at the theatre in an hour, so Zen decided to take them all out to dinner before they went.
"So Flash is really gonna quit drinking?" Asked Tranquility while she munched on a taco. "I mean, is that...possible?"
"Well at least cut down." Replied Zen. "I know it won't be easy for him. But its a nice thing he is doing."
"Flash, without alcohol." Said Neko staring into space. "I don't know Zen. The stuff is always by his side it seems."
"He seemed sincere." Said Sky, joining in on the conversation. "He was pretty much crying. I think he is really gonna try to stop, for Zen's sake."
"He better!" Said Tranquility. "Or he's gonna be a single pony again!"
"So Zen." Began Neko as she leaned over closer. "If you catch him drinking again. Would you leave him?"
Zen looked uncomfortable with the question.
"I.....I don't know. I still love him....I mean, I worry....I don't...."
"Cmon guys you're making her feel awkward." Said Sky, much to Zen's relief.
"So....." Said Zen, quickly trying to change the subject. "Sky. Are you and Hikaru enjoying the city so far?"
"Oh yeah for sure!" Said Sky. "Its been great. I was a bit worried at first but it seems like everything is working out fine."
Sky took a sip from the soda in front of her.
"I actually meant to ask you before Sky. But, how long have you and Hikaru been together now?"
Sky choked on her soda.
"ECK! Ugh! *cough*"
"Not....that...long...?" Asked Zen with a confused look on her face.
Sky coughed a few more times to clear her throat.
"We're *cough* not *gasp* together *cough*"
"Oh! You're not!" Zen was surprised by Sky's statement.
Sky finally caught her breath.
"We are really good friends but we aren't like that.."
"Well, that is interesting..." Said Zen looking off into space.
It was Sky's turn to be confused. "What is that supposed to mean?
"Well...." Began Zen. "Ok Ill say this now. You two kinda....I don't know. Seemed like you were. Like....quite a bit."
"How so?" Sky couldn't think of anything that might have led to this assumption.
"I don't know. Just seemed like it."
It was Sky's turn to feel awkward now.
"So......just curious..." Said Tranquility. "I have heard a lot about you and Hikaru from Zen here....and I know you say that you two aren't together. But.....do you...like him?"
'She just had to ask...' Sky thought to herself.
"I like Hikaru a lot, and we are great friends. But I don't like him in that way...."
"If you say so." Said Zen with a slight laugh.
"Huh? What's so funny?"
"Let me be really honest with you." Said Zen looking straight into Sky's eyes. "I think you do like him. Honestly, it just seems like it, plus, you two. Just saying, it could work."
"No....no..." Said Sky. "Ugh, can we please change the subject? This is really awkward."
"Yeah for real you two, you're tormenting her." Said Neko in an annoyed tone. "Its almost time to head to the theatre anyways."
'Thank you'
-------
Hikaru found himself being shoved into a very dark and very loud building.
"Wait! Woah! Hey! What is this-woah....."
Hikaru found himself in a large room with dozens of ponies all around.
Laser lights and strobe lights filled the room with dazzling flashes of color, and the sounds of hard trance filled the entire building.
What really caught Hikaru's eyes however, were a group of ponies who seemed to be spinning and manipulating some sort of glowing objects.
"Well?"
"Huh?"
Flash had interrupted Hikaru's trance like state as he analyzed the room.
"Pretty awesome isn't it?" Said Flash with a smile.
Hikaru was watching in awe at the ponies with the glowing objects.
"Flash, what is...those...."
Flash laughed. "What is those? Some grammar you got there bro."
"Ha-ha very funny." Said Hikaru sarcastically. "What ARE those things that those ponies over there are spinning and stuff?"
"Glowsticks! Which we produce at our factory!" Proclaimed Cobalt proudly.
"Ill introduce you to them." Said Flash pulling Hikaru along.
"Huh? Wait, I mean, wah?"
Flash pulled Hikaru up to the group.
One young Pegasus male was swinging two glowsticks on some sort of looped string. One on each front hoof. He let them wrap around his legs, hooves, head, everywhere. Each movement creating a unique light pattern as the glowsticks seemed to become one flowing and moving beast. It was truly mesmerizing to watch.
A young earth pony mare was tossing and catching two glowsticks in a truly amazing way. She would hold them in her hooves and move them in unique patterns all around her body. Then she would toss them and do interesting flourishes before catching them again.
Two other Unicorn colts were also spinning brightly colored glowsticks on strings.
"Hey guys!" Said Flash approaching them with Hikaru and the other two.
"Oh hey Flash!" Said the black pegasus with a dusty blue mane. Hikaru noticed that his cutie mark was a laser flower pattern. Pretty cool actually.
"Thought I would come over and introduce you all." Flash said with a smile. "This crazy guy here is Hikaru, new to Manehattan, him and his girl traveled out here and are living at the apartments."
Hikaru groaned. "Ugh! She's not my "girl" Flash!"
"Yeah you two are just living together in the same apartment."
"I hate you."
The black pegasus laughed. "Stop tormenting him bro, howzit Hikaru, Im Laser Mane, although most just call me Laser. Blue pegasus with the black mane and strobe cutie mark is Flashfire, Brown unicorn, crazy bright green mane and MIDI cutie mark is Rush Beat, and the grey unicorn, dark blue mane, star cutie mark, is Tech Hoof. Mine as well learn the names cause you'll be seeing us around town for sure. Especially with Flash taking you around!"
Hikaru noted all of their names in his memory. He was pretty good at memorizing names, and these 4 had very unique names that would be easy to remember.
"So Hikaru here was asking me about the glowsticking stuff he saw you guys doing." Said Flash, breaking Hikaru out of his memorization trance. "Maybe explain it to him, show him some stuff, whatever?"
"Ah you never seen this stuff before then I take it?" Asked Laser.
"Never." Replied Hikaru squinting to try to see Laser among the hundreds of flashing strobe and laser lights all around the room.
"Ah I gotcha. Well. basically, its glowsticking, big thing in the rave scene. Two main kinds that you'll see most ponies doing. You have glowstringing where you got a looped string attached to each glowstick. And you got freehoof which I FAIL at by the way. But its manipulation of two free glowsticks. There are basics, but its really all about feeling the flow, and letting yourself be free to move and do whatever the hay feels right."
Hikaru was absorbing the info like a sponge. He was quite mesmerized by the stuff he saw these ponies doing, and he wanted to try it out for himself.
Flashfire seemes to have read his mind.
"Hey Laser!"
"Yeah?"
"Enough chat and let him try some stuff out!"
"Ohhh yeah sure. Try these bro, glowstringing is my specialty, you might enjoy it."
Hikaru held a string in each hoof. He suddenly felt quite confused on what to do.
"Umm....."
"Maybe Ill show you some basics first."
For the rest of the night, Laser taught Hikaru many of the basics of glowstring moves. 3 beat weaves, basic body wraps, and hood wraps. Hikaru soon found himself starting to pick stuff up and actually manage to do something without getting a flying glowstick to the face. The four were very helpful in teaching and very patient with him. By the end of the night, Hikaru felt that he might actually be able to go a ways in this new skill.
One move that Hikaru really wanted to figure out was what the others had called an "orbital". It involved the two glowsticks to become wrapped around each other by the string and by the result of pulling, one could get the two glowsticks to spin around each other very quickly before separating. It was a very flashy and interesting move that Hikaru couldn't quite figure out the secret to.
Luckily, Laser had given him a set of dead glowsticks with strings to practice on at home.
As Hikaru walked back home with Flash, he was excited about this newfound skill. Even though he hardly knew any moves at all, he liked the feeling of what he could do, and the anticipation of what he might be able to learn just made him even more excited.
Hikaru and Flash got back to the apartments around 1 in the morning. Hikaru thanked Flash for the awesome night and went to his apartment to see if Sky had gotten back.
"Sky? you here?" He called out softly.
He noticed that the small nightlight in her room was on which meant that she was there, and probably asleep.
"Ha. I guess it is pretty late. I should probably be hitting the hay as well."
Hikaru folded out the sofa bed and quickly pulled the covers over his head.
Sadly, it seemed that the heater had broken down, so the room was a bit cold.
But Hikaru didn't mind it, he was still thinking about glowstringing and what possible things he might be able to do.
'awesome' He thought to himself.
'Totally awesome.'
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