//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: The Fight Ballads 
// by screenaholic 
//------------------------------//

"Remind me again why this is my cutie mark?" Octavia was following Beats through back alleys in a part of the city she never knew existed.

"Because you wanted a disguise, so I gave you one," Vinyl said, walking by her side. Both wore their disguises

"I know, but why a tenor clef? It's not exactly a far stretch from my treble clef." Octavia looked at the purple symbol adorning her flank, she mused for a moment that from the side it almost looked like two hooves.

"I told you, keep it simple. Besides, I think it suites you better. Why does a cellist have a treble clef for a cutie mark anyway?"

"None of your business," the cellist snapped. She was frustrated enough about having to change her treble clef, she wasn't going to let the source of her frustration question it.

"I don't know what your problem is, I kind of like my new cutie mark." Vinyl glanced at the black bass clef on her.

"Alright ladies, we're here." Beats stopped in front of an unmarked door in a dimly lit alley. He raised a hoof and knocked. "Just let me do the talking."

An view slot slid open on the door, and the two mares could see two eyes through them. "Back for more Beats?"

"Yep."

The bouncer glanced at Octavia and Vinyl. "Who are they?"

"New fighters, under my management."

"These two? Fighters?" The bouncer chuckled. "Their funerals." The view slot slid closed, and a moment later the door opened to reveal a staircase going down, and a familiar blue stallion with multiple bandages on his face. Vinyl and Octavia were thankful that their masks hid their surprise, and they could barely hear a large crowd shouting from the bottom. "Come on in."

Beats made his way through the doorway, followed by Vinyl and a reluctant Octavia. They followed the bouncer down the stairs to another doorway. As the bouncer opened the door, the sound of the crowd grew to an uproar. Octavia covered her ears in surprise for a moment, but Vinyl seemed unaffected by the noise.

She thinks this is loud? Vinyl thought looking at the cellist. I listen to louder music in my sleep.

Beats and the two mares walked through the door, which was then promptly shut by the bouncer. Vinyl and Octavia looked around at the club. In the center was a large cage, surrounded by nearly everypony in the club. It was easy to tell there was a fight going on, but the mares couldn't see it through the crowd of shouting ponies. There was a door on the wall to their left, a small counter that could be called a bar (for lack of a better term) manned by a green stallion, a yellow stallion taking bets from behind a folding table, and the rest of the place was bare. A grimy basement in the middle of what was probably the worst part of the city.

Vinyl nudged Octavia with her elbow. "It's not just me right, this place is run by the stallions from the alley?" Octavia only nodded in response.

Beats turned left, and headed for the door. Vinyl and Octavia followed, unsure of what else to do. When he got to the door he knocked, and another view slot opened up. "Whaddya want Beats?" Vinyl and Octavia could see a pair of pink eyes through the slot.

"Got a couple of fighters here, need to talk to the Boss about getting them in the cage." The slot slid shut again. Vinyl and Octavia shared uncertain glances, and waited for something to happen. Just when it seemed like nothing was going to, the door was opened by a pink stallion with one leg in a cast.

"Come on in," he said as he stepped aside, letting the trio through. They trotted into a small office. Behind a desk in the middle of the office sat a large  white stallion with a long, straight, black mane and tail.

"What's this about new fighters Beats?" The stallion didn't bother looking up from the desk, instead he stared at the piles of bits on his desk that he was carefully counting.

"Got 'em right here Boss. They're good, guaranteed to bring in some bits."

Boss looked up from the bits and examined the two mares. "These two?"

"They're tougher than they look."

Boss went back to counting the coins. "I don't want you crying to me if you're filly friends end up dead Beats."

"I think you're underestimating them Boss."

"And how much of their cut will you be getting?"

"All of it, they owe me a debt."

Boss chuckled, and stuffed the bits into a bag he placed in a desk drawer. "These two have names?"

"I'm Bass," Vinyl said. Beats turned and gave her a glare, but she ignored it. She didn't like being so quite for so long. "This is Tenor."

"Tenor and Bass huh? Alright, we have a free spot tonight. You two are welcome to it," Boss looked at Beats, "assuming we can agree to their rates."

Beats turned to the mares. "You two can go enjoy yourselves for now, I'll find you when it's time for your fight."

Octavia turned and started to the door, but was cut off by the pink stallion. "Maybe you'd like a little bit of company sweet cheeks?"

"No thank you," Octavia replied, "now if you would please-"

"Oh come on baby, I'll get you a drink on the house."

"She said no Bubblegum," Vinyl said, walking up next to the cellist. "Now get out of the way."

The stallion face turned to one of hatred. "What did you call me bitch?"

"What, you dumb and deaf?" Vinyl took another step forward.

"Watch your mouth or I'll-"

"You'll what? Me and her are here to get in a cage with some of the toughest sons of bitches in this city, you really want to screw with us?"

The stallion was about to open his mouth again, but was cut off by laughter coming from behind the desk. "Where'd you find these two Beats? I like them."

"Give 'em time, you won't," Beats answered.

"Get out of their way Pink. I don't want you bothering them, understood?"

"But Boss-"

"Are you questioning me Pink?"

Pink froze for a moment, "No Boss, of course not."

"Good, and tell the others they aren't to bother them either." Boss looked at the mares. "They are to be treated with respect as long as they are in my club."

"Yes Boss." Pink stepped aside, and let the two mares through the door, Octavia first.

"See you later Bubblegum," Vinyl said as she passed Pink, but the stallion grabbed her shoulder on her way.

"You know, you seem familiar..."

"I bet, you must get rejected a lot," Vinyl said before shrugging his hoof off of her, and exiting the office. She wore a smug grin underneath her mask, until she noticed Octavia standing a few hooves away with a hoof to her head. "Octa-...Tenor?" She trotted over to the cellist. "You alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I just...I need some air." Octavia walked to the door leading out of the club and made her way briskly up the stairs and out of the door. She felt the cool night air against her face and inhaled deeply, enjoying the chill in her lungs. A few moments later she heard the door open behind her.

"Tenor? You alright?" Vinyl walked next to Octavia and put a hoof on her shoulder.

"What am I doing here? I'm a cellist for Celestia's sake, what am I doing about to step into a cage in some dreary underground fight club?"

"You're repaying a debt."

"Oh of course, my debt. My debt that acquired from getting into a brawl in some night club rave!" Octavia rubbed her temple with her hoof. "I should have just bought a new bow. It's not like you could have replaced my old one anyway."

Vinyl took her hoof off of Octavia's shoulder and lowered her head. "I just realized I never apologized for that."

"It doesn't matter, what's done is done."

"Yes it does." Vinyl looked Octavia in the eyes. "I'm really sorry for breaking your bow, it was an accident."

Octavia smiled underneath her mask. "Thank you."

"It must have been really expensive too, I never heard of a bow made from Kurt Mareser's hair."

The cellist blinked in surprise. "You actually know who he was?"

"Of course. I keep track of everypony in the music industry, even outside my genre. They say Kurt Mareser was the greatest director in the philharmonic's history."

"Yes, well it actually wasn't expensive at all. In fact it was a gift he gave me."

"He gave it to you?" Vinyl cocked her head. "Did you play for him? You must have been the youngest pony in the philharmonic."

"Actually," Octavia turned her head, "he was my grandfather."

"Oh." Vinyl felt her guilt increase three fold.

"He gave it to me for my first solo performance at the Western Manehatten Performance Theater, I was barely even in college..."

"It...it must have been very precious to you..."

"Yes." Octavia had her head lowered, remembering fond memories. "The only possession I prize more is my cello."

"Don't tell me, it was made by Princess Celestia," Vinyl joked.

"Domenicolt Manetagnana actually."

Vinyl's eyes went wide with shock. "A Manetagnana? Those are worth millions."

"The last offer I got for it was two and a half million bits actually. It's been in my family for nearly three hundred years, my ancestor bought it from Manetagnana himself."

"Wow..." Vinyl could only marvel at the priceless equipment that Octavia played on. "I...I got most of my set up from a music store in midtown."

Octavia chuckled at the DJ. "Well maybe one day some young filly will brag that they have the turn tables that were used by DJ PON-3."

Vinyl laughed and was about to respond when the door to the club suddenly opened. "Your fights up," Bits said from the doorway. "You ladies ready?"