//------------------------------// // Melancholy and Marelot // Story: Fangs // by Sapphic //------------------------------// I had been walking away from the theater for about fifteen minutes now and found myself in a rather, shall we say, shady side of town...in fact I have never seen this side of town. Drunks littered streets and alleyways, holding themselves up on lamp posts and walls or really anything that was nearby. This included ponies...most of them drunk themselves, as I continued down the street, the feeling of being watched, once again, returned to me. I chanced a quick look over my shoulder and saw something...or rather a lack of something...the drunken masses of ponies were now much more thin, the only ones who remained were the ones who were passed out, asleep on the side walk. I decided to stop looking for a place of class and chanced walking up to a club named "The Cozy Colt" and approached the doors to be stopped by the bouncer who looked at me, his gaze going up and down my body, making me feel rather uncomfortable. "You don't look like you really belong in here, miss." His voice was deep and raspy "So can I not go in?" I asked rather flustered at this stallions judgment. "I never said that miss, I am only saying that you might not like the looks on the other side of this door." He said patting the iron doors with his hoof. "I know who you are, miss Melody, and I know what you and your types of people think about these places. Drunken ponies dancing, sweating, and even kissing with each other in a fashion even themselves would find...vulgar and inappropriate." he said in a sage tone. The feeling of being watched dissipated and was replaced with an anger at this stallion. I couldn't believe the nerve of him...telling me that I shouldn't enter a location I wanted to enter, had I been in a more clear state of mind, I may have heeded his warnings and cut my loses, but not his time, I would go where I pleased and nopony would stop me. "I am entering this club, sir." I said, annoyance obvious in my tone "As you wish madam, don't say I didn't warn you." He said before stepping aside allowing me to pass into the club. *~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~* As I entered through the metal door that the bouncer outside had stopped me at previously, I could hear the faint sound of a music that was unfamiliar to me; and I didn't much like it either. It was mainly made up of a deep sound that reminded me of a double bass, but much deeper. I stared at the next door in front of me, It looked similar to the one at the entrance, however, it was a darker shade and covered with spray painted slogans all over it. One stood out that simply said: "Welcome" in a bright green neon font; it was painted over all the others to make it stand out even more. I swallowed, and then walked forward and pulled the door open. I managed to open the door just in time to hear something I will never soon forget . The music was escalating to an all time high, nearly piercing my ears and giving them the feeling they would start bleeding or explode, or maybe even both. Just as I considered leaving to get away from the ear grating sound, the sound stop abruptly. "Here it comes," I could here some of the crowd speaking with a clear anticipation. "Here comes the drop!" He said in a loud whisper to someone. "'Drop?'" I asked myself just before something unexpected happened. Apparently 'dropping' is when every sound stops and a massive explosion of bass over powers every feeling and sense you have in your body. I could not only hear the 'music', I could literally feel it; shaking me to my very core and vibrating my body from my hoofs to my head. I decided to press onward in my journey to drink and staggered my way through the crowd and over to a bar that was closed off from the dance floor. I approached the bar as a mare looked over at me before trotting over to take my order. She had a light blue coat with a dark red mane, and striking aqua blue eyes that matched her coat perfectly. "Hey there, haven't seen you around here before." She said with a smile that practically screamed at me 'I-love-this-place!' "Yes it is my first time coming to this..." I looked around the bar and the dance floor before returning to her, my answer decided. "...Establishment..." She merely giggled at my response. "So what's your poison sweetie?" she asked. "My what...my...poison?" Did this mare want to kill me? I should have listened to the bouncer; he was right. This place disliked the elite so much that would kill us in here! Well at least she is letting me pick the drink that will ki- "To drink, honey. What do you want to drink?" She said cutting my thoughts short with a girlish giggle. "O-oh..." I could feel my cheeks starting to flush with red at my silly mistake. "U-um...d-do you have any wine?" I never had considered drinking wine as literal drinking, considering the small glasses they gave it out with. It never was enough to get anyone drunk. "Of course, any specific wine your wanting, or do you want a surprise?" she questioned with a smile still on her face. "Columbia Valley Marelot, please." I returned her smile with my own, finally getting comfortable sitting in this loud club. She brought back the wine in a glass with the bottle in hoof as well, that when the realization struck me. "Oh, miss, I don't believe I have enough bits to pay you with." I said with a frown, I hadn't planned on going drinking after the theater and I had only brought enough to buy my way into the theater itself. She simply smiled warmly and told me, "First drink is always on the house, and since your new and all, I'll even let the whole bottle slide too." I sighed in relief. "Plus you're kinda cute too." My face blushed immediately as she just giggled at my display of embarrassment. She took a quick survey of the rest of the bar before turning back to me and getting comfortable. "So what brings you to my little slice of heaven?" she asked me. "O-oh, I just...w-wanted a drink..." I stuttered back, not wanting to reveal my true reasons behind my visit. "And you chose this place?" She asked with a raised brow, I sighed in defeat and just as I was about to tell her everything, she jumped up and said. "Good choice!" I sighed again, this time with relief, as either she just saved me from discomfort or she was actually this happy that I chose this club. "So who's your drinking buddy?" I thought about the question, trying to wrap my head around what she meant or was asking. She must have seen this cross my face as she re-asked the question in a different way. "I mean who did you come here with? Someone as cute as you has to have a special somepony in here" this made my mind sigh with ease, I've been told that I tend to over think these types of questions, taking the literal meaning over the actual meaning, this doesn't aid in my already socially awkward communication skills. "Oh, I came here with...uh...nopony..." I said slowly lowering my head and scuffing the ground with my hoof. I never had a special somepony, whether it was from my social awkwardness or if I wasn't attractive. She placed a comforting hoof on my shoulder and attempted to reassure me. "Hey it's okay, I know a lot of people in here who don't have a special somepony, in fact most of them are here to try and meet one." She pointed her hoof over at a blue stallion with an orange mane dancing in the crowd on the floor. "See him?" I nodded. "He hasn't had a special somepony in five something years and he is just about the happiest pony here...well him and that one." She shifted her hoof up to a booth setup in front of the dance floor. Inside was the shape of a mare, hidden behind a tinted glass window, though I could see the outline of her body and face. She had the shaggiest looking mane I ever saw. All coloration of the mare was obscured by the tinted glass, but there was one thing that was easily visible; her smile. It was wide and almost crazy looking, but I could tell it was out of happiness of bringing the occupants of the building joy. We went on for about fifteen minutes sharing stories, by we I mean her, about ponies and such when finally I had down my 3rd glass of Marelot and was beginning to feel slightly dizzy so I took it as the sign to stop drinking. "Oh, I never really caught your name." The barmare said as she finished wiping down the bar's surface for the fourth time, leaving it glistening. "Octavia" I replied. "And yours?" "Soft Shakes." She said, elated at meeting somepony new. "I don't suppose you know another way out of here, do you?" I asked glancing at the now massive jumble of ponies that were writhing and a heap of sweat at the still loud, and obnoxious tunes blaring out of the speakers at the front of the booth. "Yeah, just go past the restroom sign and keep walking until you see the exit sign." She said and pointed to my left at the restroom sign. "That should take you into the alley out back, just walk out the side that has the street in sight...it's the only direction you can go actually." I thanked her and began my depart to the back of the club, and before I left I waved at the barmare who eagerly returned the gesture with an ecstatic wave. I trotted down the hallway, my ears were now recovering from the ordeal with the, dare I say, 'music' the club was playing. The halls were much quieter than the bar and the dance floor thanks to the turn at the bathroom. I saw the exit sign and underneath it, the door to go outside. I walked over and pushed the door, immediately getting hit by the cold, night air. I took a few seconds to relish in this wave of relief from the stuffy club behind me. I let the door fall shut as my eyes kept close, simply inhaling the fresh breeze flowing over me. I turned to the to the right and saw a sight that shook me from my state of happiness. There standing in the way of the exit was the stallion from the theater, the same fedora and suit as before, and behind him were the 'drunks' I saw sleeping on the way up to the club, altogether there were four of them. They began to advance on me, to which I instinctively backed away from, I backed into something that sent shivers down my spine. That is when I turned to see a sight the shook me to my core. ...There they were...