//------------------------------// // Chapter IX: One Helluva Welcome Party // Story: A New Life // by DaBeejees //------------------------------// *Crash!* I still was terrible at landing. Well, if you could even refer to it as 'landing', anyhow. I had crashed through a window and into Sugarcube Corner, as I had not been able to slow down. On the flip side, however, I did manage to beat Rainbow Dash there, although I knew that that was only because she had slowed down to laugh hysterically when I began my 'wipeout', which actually began a little way back. I slowly began to get up, and shouted, "I'm okay!" before realizing that I didn't see anypony else, save for the still-laughing Rainbow Dash, who was now walking in the door. As I began to stand the rest of the way up, a loud cannon shot and a vocalized "SURPRISE!" caused me to fall back down on my face once more. This time, somepony would need to help me up, because I didn't care anymore by this point; I was starting to enjoy laying on the ground...because it meant that I couldn't fall on it! I heard music starting to play, specifically 'Invisible Touch', by Genesis, which is a song I really like. However, I was able to hear some hoofsteps approaching me, even over the awesome music (which would hopefully turn out to be an awesome 'Awesome 80's' playlist). "Are you sure you're alright, darling, because you definitely do not look it." I hear Rainbow Dash start laughing again as she helps me up. "Thanks Dash. And thank you for your concern Rarity, but I am indeed alright; I just felt like laying on the ground...mainly because it means that I can't fall on it again." "Hey, you already sa--" ~~~ Pinkie, they can't read the previous paragraph. Oh...right, forgot 'bout that. Silly me! Oh, and thank you Author! Don't mention it, Pinkie. ^^ ~~~ "--...nevermind! Continue!" "Okay...but yeah, he's fine." "Well that's good to hear." I simply nod as I notice that the song playing now is 'Let's Groove', by Earth, Wind, & Fire -- my favorite band. I narrow my eyes as I try to mentally connect some loose thoughts and suspicions. "You okay there, sugarcube?" I widen my eyes back to normal and look at Applejack. "Yeah, I'm still fine, just thinking about something." I try to add to my 'theory-in-progress' by adding a question after my last statement. "Do any of you have anything to do with the music selection, by chance?" I mentally roll my eyes after I ask that, since I hear the the song playing is now 'Don't Stop', by Fleetwood Mac -- my second favorite band! I swear to Celestia, if the next song is by REO Speedwagon -- my third favorite -- I've decided that I won't have just a 'theory' any longer. "You'd have to ask Pinkie Pie that..." Twilight responds, as we both turn toward the mentioned pink pony, who was already shaking her head. "Nope! It's all on DJ P0n-3! She's good, ain't she?!" "WHAT?! How'd you manage to book her?!" "What happened to not questioning Pinkie's ways, Rainbow? Rainbow sighs, as I walk away to get a drink. If this party were any more based off of my favorite things, the punch I was now pouring myself would have alcohol in it, and by the end of the night everypony would be drunkenly dancing and singing to 'Louie Louie'; at that point, the only key thing that would distinguish it from Animal House -- one of my favorite movies -- would be the unsurprising lack of togas...well, that and a food fight...and a chaos-filled parade...oh well. Close enou-- 'Tough Guys', by REO Speedwagon. 'That's it!', I thought to myself, as I mentally threw my hooves up in the air, and began making my way toward the DJ. Fortunately, I had already planned what I would say were it to come to this. Thankfully for my part, she noticed me as I was walking up, which saved me the time it would have taken to get her attention away from the music. "Hey, you're the 'life' of this party, right?" the unicorn DJ greeted me, taking off her headphones. "Only when I'm drunk or on a sugar rush." She laughs. "I like you already! My name's Vinyl Scratch, though most ponies know me by my DJ name, DJ P0N-3." she says, extending a hoof. "Pleased to meet you." I say, shaking it. "Hey, hold on one second, I need to start the next song." She turns back over to her 'station', and does so. "'December 1963', by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons." I point out as Vinyl returns. "That's right. I'm surprised you've heard of it to be honest." I had no option other than to call her bluff -- this was yet another of my favorite songs. "No...no you're not." I say, nonchalantly taking a sip of my drink as I do. "Huh? What're you talking about?" I took another drink, and quickly executed my mentally-planned course of action. "Simple. If you wouldn't mind, could I attempt to guess the names of some of the other songs that you have at your disposal?" Vinyl raised an eyebrow. "I...don't see what that has to do wi--" "Don't worry. You will." "Alright then, go ahead." She pauses before adding with a smirk, "And good luck." I take another drink, clear my throat, and started listing off some of my other favorite songs. "'Baba O'Reily', by the Who, 'More Than a Feeling', by Boston, 'Jack and Diane', by John Cougar Mellencamp, 'Piano Man', by Billy Joel, 'Only the Good Die Young', also by Billy Joel, 'Hooked on a Feeling', by Blue Suede, 'Feels Like a Number', by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band..." I momentarily stop to catch my breath and take another drink, and first notice that Vinyl's mouth is hanging open, as I would later notice it would more and more with each additional song I list off. Realizing my success so far, I take a deep breath and keep going: "'Running on Empty', by Jackson Brown, 'You're Gonna Go Far Kid', by the Offspring, 'The Kids Aren't Alright', also by the Offspring, 'Faithfully', by Jour--"* "Okay, okay, okay, okay...you got me." Vinyl confesses, shutting me up with her hoof to my mouth. Strangely, as she removes her hoof from my mouth, I notice that she's smiling. "How...much do you know?" "She told me as much as she told them." She gestured over to where the mane 6 were grouped together in conversation. "I assume that you know who I mean by 'she'?" I smirked. "Honestly, if I didn't, I would have already corrected you on your vague and improper use of a pronoun." "Well, it's a good thing you do then!" She laughs, but then lets out a sigh before continuing. "I must tell you some things though...gimme a second while I put the music on 'autopilot'. Meet me over there." She gestures over to a corner and leaves with a smile. I decide to take a detour over to the punch bowl for a refill before making my way over to the aforementioned corner. I only had to wait a minute or two before Vinyl rejoined me. "Alright," she starts off, making sure to keep her voice low, "before anything else, would you prefer that I call you by your made-up pony name or by your real name?" "Whichever you prefer." Vinyl smirks. "Alright then, Brendan." She chuckles a little before letting out a sigh and continuing. "Okay, well, I'm going to be honest: I don't know why 'she' decided to tell me about you...but...I'm glad she did, if anything for your musical preferences!" she says, laughing the last couple words out. "I admit, at first I was reluctant to listen to it, but after doing so...well...let's say that calling it 'badass' wouldn't be enough; if anything else, I completely agree with why it's referred to as the 'Awesome 80s' and 'Classic Rock'." I sigh. "Unfortunately, ours is a minority opinion..." Vinyl grins widely. "Not if I can help it." Abruptly, I think of something, and I start to ask it. "Do you think I should tell the others about--" "Hey! B!" "--you?" Vinyl nods and smiles as Rainbow joins us, apparently followed by the other five as well. "Hey B! Where've you been? Who you talkin'...to..." Rainbow's eyes widen when she notices Vinyl, who in turn looks at me and grins in amusement. "Are you friends with her?! Ho--" "I just walked up to her, Dash." "That's it?!" "Yeah, pretty much, actually!" Vinyl says with a laugh. "And you weren't going to introduce me?!" Vinyl smiled. At this point I was letting her take over. "He was just bringing it up when you interrupted him from across the room just now." Vinyl laughs again. "Oh." Rainbow turns and notices for the first time that the others had followed her over. "Why'd you guys follow me?" Before anypony could get a word in edge-wise, I manage to kill the brewing tangent with a metaphorical rusty spork. "I don't know, I don't care, but I'm glad you did." "As are we." I raise an eyebrow that asked a question that was answered almost immediately. "We connected the dots, sugarcube." I nod. "Good. Saves my breath." Abruptly, I realize that most of the party guests have left; it must be late. More humorously, however, I also noticed that Pinkie had wandered off to the now-empty dance area and was wobbling around with a red Solo cup in her hoof, the sight of which caused me to smirk. "There was booze in the punch." All of us look toward the drunken party pony. "What makes ya say that, sugarcube?" Everyone laughs, then I whisper a 'request' into Vinyl's ear, which attracts the others' attention. Vinyl grins widely as I pull back. "You got it, dude." Vinyl starts to walk away, but I keep her with a hoof. "One second, Vinyl. You guys, I think that we're going to need to have this 'conversation' tomorrow, preferably in the afternoon to evening, due to potential hangovers." I motion my head toward Pinkie at the last few words, prompting more laughs. "But for now, y'all just grab a chair, 'cause dis gon b gud." We all grin widely as Vinyl starts looping 'Louie Louie' and we have some lulz when Pinkie drunkenly starts to sing and dance to it. I for one, had a lot more punch; since Pinkie had apparently eaten all of the 'sugar sources' earlier in the party, I still needed a way to be the 'life of the party'...though Pinkie was definitely hard to top. After this, I can tell you that I remember this much: It was a fun night. *These actually are some of my favorite songs, and the funny thing is that IRL I would have been able to list them off just as quickly as my character had. How do I know that? Because that's exactly how I typed it! Although it did take me longer to type them than it did to think of them, but I digress.