//------------------------------// // Eels, Science, Bears and Side Bands // Story: With Morning, Comes Surprises // by Cheer //------------------------------// With a smirk, Vinyl cleared her throat, “Well, I’m sure you all know me already. DJ Pon-3, Best DJ in Equestria, queen of the turntables, duchess of the dub-,” Leaning to over to her sister, Celestia began to whisper as Vinyl continued to announce more titles. “Luna, you know more about nightlife. Is that true?” With a small shrug and growing smile, Luna gave her answer, “I’m not sure. She is, in fact, the most popular in Canterlot and I haven’t heard anything about DJ’s in any of the other countries. But I couldn’t say for sure.” Raising an eyebrow at her sister’s smile, Celestia spoke again. “What about you personally? You seem to be getting quite enthusiastic about meeting her.” Luna’s eyes widened for a moment as she realized just how much of her emotions were showing. With a quiet cough, she finally gave her sister an answer, though her face seemed to be straining to stay neutral. “I have found her shows and music to be satisfactory to my personal tastes at times.” Celestia just stared at her sister for a moment. “So if I go look through your records, at least half of them won’t have at least one of her many names?” “You stay out of my records!” Luna whispered harshly with a glare. As a smug grin appeared on Celestia’s face Luna quickly turned her attention back to Vinyl who had finished naming off as many titles as she could imagine at the moment. “So, yeah. That’s me. Any questions?” Vinyl said, her cocky grin still on her face. “Yeah, I got one.” Rainbow announced, calling attention to herself. “I mean I like your stuff ever since Pink’s introduced me to it, but I gotta say, I can’t see how you two get along. I mean, I don’t see you as the type to study the… the mating habits of eels or something.” “Hey! I made two new discoveries in that study!” Twilight yelled, causing all the ponies at the table to slowly turn their heads to her. “You-you’ve actually studied that?” Rainbow asked as she attempted to hold her laughter inside. “I was bored one week…” Twilight said meekly, attempting to defend herself only to cause Rainbow Dash’s laughter to finally escape. After about five minutes of the laughter or chuckles of nearly everypony in the room, save Fluttershy, who didn’t want to embarrass her friend by laughing and mentally noting to ask Twilight for her notes later and Celestia, who wasn’t surprised in the least, Vinyl was finally able to answer. “You’d actually be surprised. When Twi lets go, she can get pretty wild, well wild for her at least.” Vinyl said with a chuckle. “Oh yeah?” Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash asked at the same time. “So, what’s Twi like when she drinks?” Applejack asked with a grin. “What do you girls know about Science?” Vinyl asked, surprising the other mares with her question. “Uhh. Not much really. Ah mean, when it comes to plants, there ain’t much ah don’t know but, aside from that ah was never really too interested.” Applejack offered with a shrug. “Bout the same for me and weather.” Rainbow added with her own shrug. “Vinyl…I’m warning you… Don’t you dare mention that.” Twilight warned as she glared at Vinyl. After a few moments, the bottle of bourbon from earlier came floating towards her in Trixie’s magical aura. With a sigh, Twilight grabbed it in her own magic as she realized that Vinyl wouldn’t be stopped. “Thanks Trixie.” “Just leave some for Trixie and keep away from sodium chlorate and Trixie will be fine.” The next sound that followed was that of Twilight’s head landing on the table. “Okay, now you must tell us what has affected Twilight in such a way.” Rarity said, eagerly awaiting the answer to the mystery of Twilight’s behavior. “Drunk science.” Was all Vinyl said, resulting in a raised brows and a repeated thumping noise coming from Twilight, who was repeatedly hitting the table with her head. “Stupid. Alicorn. Pain. Resilience.” Twilight grumbled as she attempted to knock herself unconscious only to be stopped by a golden aura. Grumbling more she took the bottle and poured herself a glass. A small pop next to her signaled that a summoning spell had been performed. “Would you like Trixie’s hat?” Trixie said as she held her hat out towards the embarrassed and annoyed alicorn. “Not to be rude but, what good would your hat do right now Trixie?” Twilight asked but before she could wonder any farther, her world went black. Quickly pulling whatever it was off her head, she now understood Trixie’s offer seeing that she could easily hide underneath Trixie’s large hat. Seeing Photo walking back to her seat, she also saw a straw inside her glass of bourbon. Pulling the hat back over her head she proceeded to hide from reality and drink. “So…” Rainbow started “Drunk science?” Vinyl got a large smile on her face as she remembered. “Oh yeah. When Twi gets drunk, she goes all mad scientist. Though, it usually revolves around booze and whatever ideas we get. Nothing crazy like Frankenhoof or anything. But, it was still nothing short of awesome! It started with small with soda and some kinda candy. I don’t remember what kind but it turned into a geyser. Then we got complicated. I think I remember mixing sound waves, booze and light waves. I don’t remember what happened, but it must have been awesome. We woke up piled on each other, sweaty, hung over and there was a bear in the middle of the room.” “He was okay, right?” Fluttershy asked quickly. “Yeah. He was fine. I think he was hung over, but he was fine.” Octavia said, calming Fluttershy down quickly. “I think he actually left towards Ponyville after we had a bit of tea. Quite a nice bear really.” “Was this two weeks ago? If you don’t know though, that’s fine. Not that I’m saying you can’t remember or anything. I was just wondering.” Fluttershy progressively hid more and more in her mane as she spoke. “Oh, ja. I don’t sink I could ever forget ze day I had tea vith a bear.” Photo finish said with a smile. Fluttershy had a soft smile on her face “I think that may have been Harry. He really liked having tea with you all. He said he would love to do it again. Well, as long as he isn’t teleported into a vat of glowing green vodka, that is.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes went wide. “Green glowing vodka? What the hay were you all doing?” “Rainbow! We may know them but, it’s still not right to use such crass language around royalty.” Rarity said as she admonished Rainbow. “Oh, come on Rares. Glowing green vodka? You can’t tell me you’re not curious.” “That’s not the point.” Rarity defended. “So you are interested.” Not getting an answer out of Rarity who was looking away with her nose in the air, her ear perked towards Vinyl giving away her curiosity, Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight who was in the process of filling her glass again, Trixie’s hat still upon her head. “Right. So, how did you do it Twi?” Twilight merely looked her eyes up at Rainbow for a moment before pulling the hat back down and taking a long sip. Undeterred, Rainbow simply changed her target. “Okay. So, Vinyl, how’d ya do it?” Vinyl gave a small laugh. “Yeah. I have no clue. That’s the craziness that is drunk science. We did all this awesome stuff but none of us have any idea how we did it.” "But doesn't Twilight take notes on like, everything?" Rainbow asked, still eagerly hoping that glowing green vodka was in her near future. "Yeah, about that. Most of her notes were kinda...hot. She was taking notes on our hindquarters half the time." Vinyl said with a chuckle as Twilight poured herself another drink. “So, Vinyl dear. I do believe that Twilight has been embarrassed enough for now.” Rarity said before eyeing the nearly empty bottle in front of the hat wearing alicorn. “And enough to drink it seems.” Twilight opened her mouth to speak but Luna beat her to it. “Alicorns healing properties make it a bit difficult to get inebriated. Do not worry about Twilight for now. Though, I will not disagree to not giving her a second bottle. You will not escape your embarrassment by drinking. Also, you, me, Celly and Cadence are going drinking this weekend with a recording crystal. I am eager to see this, drunk science.” Once again, Twilight opened her mouth to speak only to have her bottle taken from her by Trixie. “Trixie told you to leave her some.” Trixie said as she looked inside the bottle with a frown. “Though she did wish for you to leave her more than a single shot.” Attempting to reel the situation back in Photo Finish spoke up. “Vell zen.” She announced loud enough to bring attention to herself. “Vinyl. I do believe zat you vere introducing yourself?” “Oh come on. They already know who I am.” Vinyl complained. “Ja. But zey do not know you.” Photo retorted causing Vinyl to groan. “But-“ Vinyl began only to have her ear cuffed by Octavia’s hoof. “Just do it, you git.” Octavia told vinyl with a tired look on her face and her hoof poised to cuff her again if she was stubborn about it. “Alright, alright. Jeez.” Taking in a breath and flinching away from Octavia once, just in case, Vinyl began. “Right, so I’m Vinyl. Best DJ you’ll ever hear and owner-I mean part owner of the Iron Hoof nightclub. I work with Photo every now and then for her shows, which is how I met all but Octy. Her I met at the club.” “Wait. You met her at a club?” Rarity questioned. “Yup. She was onstage before me.” Vinyl said with a chuckle. This time it was Rainbow who spoke up, “Wait. She-“ She began pointing at Octavia “Played at the same club as you?” “Heh. Yeah. She has a little band she messes around in every now and then for fun. It’s called-“ Vinyl was once again cut off by a cuff to the ear and a sharp glare from Octavia. “Uh, never mind. But, yeah I met her there. We got along fine enough but never really connected till we got together with the others.” Vinyl pondered for a moment before she spoke again. “Yeah, that’s about it. Not much about me to know outside of my music.” “What about your addiction to the Doctor Whooves books?” Octavia offered “Or how you sometimes listen to Beethoofen vhen you go to bed?” Photo Finish added “There is also you’re love for romantic dinners.” Trixie said with a grin as Vinyl’s white face was sporting a bright red. “You also really like fruity drinks and wine.” Twilight said with an even more mischievous grin than Trixie’s as her hat was kept up by her horn. “Alright! Fine! I think they got it!” Vinyl yelled as she sported an imitation of a tomato that could have won a few awards. After a couple chuckles, Celestia spoke up. “Well Twilight. I must say, I’m glad you’ve finally been able to come out with your relationship to us.” Twilight gave a small nod as to not cause the hat to fall. “Yeah, I’m glad I-“ Twilight blinked a couple times as exactly what Celestia had said sunk in. “Wait. You knew?!” “Oh Twilight. Of course I did. Every one of your marefriends is in some way or another famous. Why do you think none of the guards checked up on you or stopped Trixie when she went to the kitchens?” “But I thought that she was able to sneak down there?” Twilight said, confused. “I wouldn't call singing about being too sexy for her hat and cape, through the halls, ’sneaking’. Celestia said using hoof quotes. Trixie turned toward Twilight. “May Trixie have her hat back?” Without even thinking about it, Twilight used her magic to put Trixie’s hat over her eyes. With a muffled “Thank you,” Twilight turned her attention back towards Celestia only to notice Luna staring at her sister with a slight twitch. “Are you seriously saying that I helped hide their relationship for nothing?” Luna asked her sister through gritted teeth. “Oh I wouldn’t say that, dear sister. Many in the castle are immensely glad for your soundproofing spells.” Celestia told her sister with a smirk as she saw Twilight and her herd blush. Luna let loose a sigh as she spoke again. “Then why did continue to pretend as though you didn’t know?” “Well I wanted Twilight to tell us on her own and you seemed so excited to have a project during a few nights every now and then.” Luna’s glare towards her sister intensified as her grin grew. “You thought it was funny didn’t you?” With this accusation, Celestia’s eyes moved off her sister. “Maybe. Seeing you run around claiming nothing was wrong and hearing how Twilight turned away the morning maids so often may have been a little bit humorous.” Celestia laughed as Trixie summoned her cape for Twilight to hide under. “But enough of that. I’ve heard a little bit but, how did you all get together?” “I don’t mean to be rude but,” Photo Finish began “Vould it be possible to just eat and get to know you all first? After all, I am qvite hungry and vould love to get to know you all.” Celestia gave a much more innocent smile before her faced turned red thanks to her stomach announcing that she was hungry as well. “I quite agree. Food sounds like a wondrous idea. We can talk about how you all got together tomorrow. With that, food and non-alcoholic drinks were ordered as the Sparkle herd was introduced to the heroes and Princesses of Equestria.