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// Conversation No.17: Birthday Surprises 
// Story: Dropping the Bass 
// by Taranasauruso_o 
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“Does this city ever sleep?” Trixie asked, yawning as she looked out over the lights that collectively made up the city of Manehatten.
 
“Trixie, we sleep maybe two hours a night, do you really think that the rest of the city sleeps their healthy eight hours?” Vinyl asked, turning to look at her friend cynically.
 
Trixie sighed. “Yeah, Trixie thought not.” She stood to her hooves and offered a hoof to help Vinyl up.
 
“Where’re we going?” Vinyl asked, accepting the hoof. She gave Trixie a look. “This better not be a trick, ‘cause you know how much I hate tricks.”
 
“No, not a trick, just a surprise.” Trixie pulled Vinyl along by the hoof, half dragging and half carrying the mare behind her. She smiled self-consciously to herself, the thought of Vinyl’s face already in her mind. Trixie stopped and turned to face Vinyl, looking into the mare’s amber eyes. “Now Vinyl, in order not to ruin the surprise, you’re going to have to close your eyes, okay?”
 
“Uh, sure.” Vinyl obliged, grabbing hold of Trixie’s hooves as she clamped her eyes shut. The two walked for what seemed like five minutes to Vinyl, but what really was only a couple of seconds. When they stopped, Vinyl felt Trixie pull away from her and head off in a different direction. “Trixie?” she called out, trying not to sound too urgent.
 
“Just hold on Vinyl!” Trixie called back, her voice coming from a little way in the distance. After a few moments of silence, Trixie’s voice came from in front of Vinyl. “Okay, now, open your eyes.”
 
Vinyl opened her eyes, and then widened them in shock. “W-what’s this?” she asked.
 
“Happy birthday!” Trixie shouted, jumping forward with a large present in tow. She stopped in front of Vinyl, panting slightly, and lowered the large wrapped gift down to the ground. “Sorry it’s a bit late, but Trixie wanted it to be a proper surprise.”
 
“T-Trixie, you didn’t have to-“
 
“No, let Trixie stop you there. She did have to get you something, after all, you gave her both a place to stay and a great friend, so she had to repay you somehow.” She smiled bashfully, looking down at her hooves.
 
Vinyl stared at her, dumbfounded. After a few moments, she bent over and looked at the present. It was large, rectangle and overly gift-wrapped.
 
Trixie stood, her hoof tapping. “Well come on, open it already!”
 
“Okay okay.” Vinyl reached down with a hoof and grasped the edge of the paper, her horn glowing as it grabbed the masking tape that stopped the corners from opening up as it was carried. She pulled and, with a flourish, the entire warpping came off in one sweep. She gasped as she lifted the large box up. “T-Trixie how did you?”
 
“You showed Trixie a picture and said ‘that’s my favourite mixing deck.’” Trixie smiled. “So Trixie went out and got it.”
 
“How could you afford it though? We don’t make nearly enough to pay for it.” Vinyl lifted the box up on it’s side, and slit it down it’s length, revealing what was inside.
 
“Well… Trixie did get a little help from Pip.” Trixie shook her hooves. “Not a lot, just enough to pay off half.” Trixie blushed again. “It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
 
“O-Of course.” Vinyl looked down at the decks, then back up to Trixie. “I-I’m speechless.”
 
“Well you don’t need to say anything.” Trixie said, smiling. Vinyl leaped up and threw Trixie into a giant hug.
 
“Oh thank you!” she cried, almost sobbing. After a few moments, Trixie returned the hug.
 
“You’re welcome.”
 
A/N: And another mini-update comes to a close.
 
This will be the last of the mini-updates, as the finale will be in two parts. After that, there will be an epilogue and a final Authors Notes, in which I will explain some of the more odd parts of the story, as well as word choice and the best dupstep ever.
 
Aside from that, enjoy while I set to work writing the last two chapters!
 
Alon-zy!
 
-Taranasaurus