The hum of the bass died down as the last of the set played out to many cheering fans.
“Thank you, Canterlot!” Neon Lights cried out. “And now I’d like to introduce our next musical guest! The Dame of Dubstep, The Knight Commander of Nightcore herself, DJ-PON3!” With that, he left the stage as a white unicorn with cyan and azure hair wearing a massive sword took it. Vinyl looked around the room, ponies and changelings cheering alike. It was strange, but Ponyville kind of desensitized her to strange.
“Hello Canterlot!” she called out. Ponies cheered as changelings buzzed their wings in appreciation. “Are you ready to party?” The ponies and changelings cheered out. Vinyl held a hoof up to her ear. “I can’t hear you! I said, are you ready to PAR-TAY!?” The crowd erupted with uproarious applause. “That’s what I like to hear. Let’s get this party started!” she cried out as she slammed two records onto the turntable.
----
Quiet applause and buzzing was heard as Lyra took a bow and left the stage.
“Thank you, that piece is called the Battle of Thermopony, as played by Lyra Heartstrings,” the announcer said quietly. “Next on stage, we have Octavia Melody, who will be playing the prelude to Buck’s Cello Suite number one.” The crowd politely applauded and buzzed as a grey earth pony walked onto stage holding a cello case in her mouth. She placed the case on the ground and popped it open. Out of it she pulled out a seemingly ancient cello, with a few dings and scratches, but not really any worse for wear. She bowed as she sat down, propping the cello up and placing the bow on the strings.
----
Dame Vinyl Scratch was feeling good as she saw the ponies and changelings intermingling among the dance floor, shaking the floor with their jumping. Or maybe that was the bass blaring in front of her, the thrum shaking her sunglasses on her face. Anyway, time for a scratch solo. She fired up her magic and pressed on the record, creating the audible scratching sound as she jostled the vinyl on the turntable. The ponies cheered, but the changelings seemed to really eat it up as their buzzing became audible even above the pounding of the music. Vinyl took notice.
“So you really like that, changelings? Well then, all hail the Queen!” she cried out as she really laid on the scratching to much cheering from the changelings. She heard cries of ‘changer-lover!’ among the crowd, but she didn’t let it bother her as she continued her aural assault on the cheering crowd.
----
Octavia finished off the last of her piece and was met with civil applause and buzzing as she took a bow. It seemed that changelings and ponies both had a love for music that they could unite upon.
“Once again, that was the prelude to Buck’s Cello suite number one,” the announcer said as Octavia took a bow, then took a seat. “and now we have a special treat for you all.” Lyra took the stage again. “These two have agreed to do a cover of ‘Over the Rainbow’ for our wonderful audience." Lyra took a bow, then took a seat. She put her hoof to her lyre as Octavia prepared her bow across the strings.
----
“Put your hooves up!” Vinyl yelled as she replaced the records with two other ones. She started the first record, which appeared to be playing ‘Over the Rainbow’. The crowd booed vociferously at that, until she started up the second disc, which added a thrumming boom in place of ‘bow’ which had the crowd cheering.
“I call this, ‘Over the Rainboom!” Vinyl cried out as she mixed the tracks like she had practiced.
----
Finished with their piece, Lyra and Octavia took their bows as the audience gave cordial applause. Octavia looked over the crowd to see tears in the ponies’ eyes...and even the changelings, much to her surprise. She guessed music did really cross racial boundaries.
----
“Thank you Canterlot!” Vinyl cried out as her set finished, packing her records in her saddlebag as she exited stage left and trotted outside, where she was met with a most unpleasant scene. Ten stallions were surrounding five changelings, some of them cracking their necks as others were bucking the living daylights out of them. Furious, she rushed in and blasted a supersonic soundwave at the ponies, who flattened their ears against their head.
“Quit it!” she yelled, drawing her sword, “or you’re gonna taste my NoWacking!” Several ponies groaned at that. Vinyl raised an eyebrow. “Why does everypony keep groaning at that?”
“Because it’s terrible, just like you!” one of the stallions cried out.
Vinyl looked shocked. “Why am I terrible?”
“Because you’re a dirty changer-lover!” another stallion cried out. Vinyl grinned at that.
“So what if I am?” she said seductively as she sashayed over to the changeling closest to her, sheathing her sword. It was laying on the ground as she stood over it. “What’s your name, big boy?”
“Technically, eighty percent of changelings are genetically female, including me—”
“I didn’t ask that. What’s your name?” Vinyl said huskily.
“My designation in the hive is 1969.”
“Well, nineteen-sixty-nine, you ready for the make-out of your life?”
“Make out what—” Nineteen-sixty-nine started to say before it was forcefully kissed by Vinyl, its eyes widening in shock. The stallions retched in disgust.
“Ew, gross!”
“She really IS a changer-lover!”
“I’m outta here!”
The stallions quickly left Vinyl and the changelings to their own devices. Vinyl offered a hoof to the changeling she just kissed. Nineteen-sixty-nine looked at it confusedly, then took it in its own hoof as it was righted onto its hooves. The other changelings slowly got up, looking in confusion at Vinyl Scratch.
“You just—” a changeling started.
“—helped us.” another changeling continued.
“Why did you—” a third changeling said.
“—do that?” a fourth changeling finished.
Vinyl smiled as she pulled out a cigarette and lit it, sucking in the sweet smoke, exhaling shortly afterwards. “Because they were beating up my fans. What do you say I treat you all to drinks at one of my favorite hangouts?”
The changelings looked at each other, seemingly deep in thought. Vinyl stared bemusedly as them as this continued on for a full minute. Then, nineteen-sixty-nine turned to her.
“We’ll do it!” he said.
Vinyl grinned. This was going to be fun.
----
“You know, Orpheus, you don’t have to escort me home.”
“I’m sorry, Octavia, Princess’s orders.”
Octavia stared bemusedly as the thestral guard shadowing her. “Now why did Princess Luna want me shadowed again?”
Orpheus shook his head. “She was afraid that changelings might attack you.”
Octavia snorted. “More like I’d attack the changelings. Besides, the changelings seem perfectly content keeping about their own business.”
Orpheus nodded. “Nonetheless, as a living national treasure, you’re to be escorted until further notice.”
Octavia shook her head as they approached her apartment building. Octavia stood to face the thestral guard. “Well, I’m here.”
Orpheus nodded. “Take care, Octavia.” With that, he took off into the night. Octavia smiled as she entered her building.
----
“So, lemme get this straight,” Vinyl said, holding an espresso martini in her magic, “you want to start a changeling-only club?”
The five changelings nodded at her. They were seated in a booth at the Stone Pony, drawing glares from the patrons.
“That is correct—”
“—Dame Vinyl.”
Vinyl shook her head. “Ok, seventeen-seventy-six and eighteen-sixty-five, there are so many things wrong with that.”
“What could possibly—”
“—be wrong with that?”
Vinyl facehooved as she took a sip of her martini. “First of all, nineteen-seventeen and nineteen-forty-one, do you guys have any money?”
“Yes we do. We have a joint account.”
Vinyl raised an eyebrow. “Under whose name, nineteen-sixty-nine?”
Nineteen-sixty-nine blushed a shade of azure. “Erm...Tommy Applebuck.”
Vinyl stared at nineteen-sixty-nine, nonplussed. Then a flash of realization crossed her face. Her cheeks bulged out, and she let out a hearty guffaw. “You mean the PORNSTAR!?” she said, laughing.
“That is correct. Changelings are allowed to register a legal identity under an assumed form.”
Vinyl was still laughing as she pulled out a cigarette, lighting it, and taking a drag. A waiter walked up to her, saying, “I’m sorry, Dame Vinyl, but you’re not allowed to—”
“—Knight Commander.” she said, still giggling. The waiter shook his head and walked away.
Finally, the giggling died down. “So are the rest of you pornstars as well?” she asked as a smile danced across her face.
“No, the rest of us—”
“—are working as—”
“—day laborers—”
“—in Canterlot.”
Vinyl furrowed her brow. “Well, that’s good and all,” she said as she took another sip of her martini, “but you can’t just have a changeling-only establishment.”
The changelings looked confusedly at her. “Why not?” Seventeen-seventy-six asked.
Vinyl took a drag of her cigarette. “Well, under current civil rights legislation, freeponies aren’t allowed to discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or species.” She took a sip of her martini. “And seeing as you’re freeponies now, you can’t prevent ponies from entering your establishment.”
The changelings frowned at that. They then looked up in unison.
“What if we—”
“—designed it in—”
“—such a way that—”
“—only changelings would—”
“—want to enter?”
Vinyl smiled. “Now you’re getting it!” She took another drag of her cigarette. “So how would you do that?”
“Make it dark...and green!” Nineteen-seventeen said.
“Call it something changeling-related!” Nineteen-sixty-nine said.
“Like ‘Changelings Only, or—” Seventeen-seventy-six said.
“—the Hive!” Nineteen-forty-one finished.
The changelings all oohed at that.
“Great idea, 1941!” Eighteen-sixty-five said.
“I started it!” Seventeen-seventy-six said.
“Yeah, but I finished it,” Nineteen-forty-one said, “you snooze, you lose, 1776!” Seventeen-seventy-six stared grumpily at Nineteen-forty-one.
“I say it’s a joint idea!” Seventy-seventy-six said with a huff.
“Now, now, settle down, everyling,” Nineteen-sixty-nine said, “it’s all of our idea.”
Vinyl smiled as she tried to take a sip of her martini, only to find out that it was finished. “Waiter, another espresso martini here!” she cried out. She then looked to the changelings sitting in front of her. “Great teamwork, every…ling. Now why did you need me?”
Everyling looked down, then looked up. “We have no idea where to start.” They said in unison. Vinyl facehooved.
----
Octavia heard knocking at her door. She grumbled off of the couch and headed towards the door. I swear, if Vinyl lost her key again… she thought to herself as she opened to door to find Vinyl making out with...VINYL!?
“Vinyl!” Octavia yelled.
“Yes?” both Vinyls replied in unison.
“Not you, the real Vinyl!”
“Yes?” both Vinyls replied. Octavia facehooved, then leaned her head out the door. Outside there were four Vinyls, but only one of them was wearing her blade. Octavia stared furiously at the real Vinyl.
“Vinyl, what is the meaning of this!?”
Vinyl shrugged. “Dunno..jus’ wann’ed t’play a prank on ya...now c’mere…” she said lazily, approaching Octavia, hugging her gently.
Octavia pushed her off. “No, I mean what is the meaning of bringing changelings here!?”
Vinyl looked around to all the other Vinyls, who quickly changed back. Octavia flinched instinctively.
“No, s’alright..they’re cool…” she slurred as she stumbled into her apartment. “They jus’ hadin ideea fer a club they wanntid ta share with me. We’re gonna figger out how ta do it.”
Octavia fumed silently as the changelings walked in to her apartment. Sure, having them at her concerts was one thing, but this?...No, no, Octavia, you’re a cultured mare. Now act like a mare of culture. She breathed in, then breathed out, collecting herself. “Alright. You may use the kitchen, the living area, and Vinyl’s room. My room, however, is off-limits.”
“Which one—” one of the changelings asked.
“—is your room?” another changeling finished.
“Second door on the right, which is where I’ll be.” she said frustratedly as she stomped towards her room, slamming the door shut behind her. The loud clanging of a broom could be heard from the floor.
“STOP SLAMMING!”
----
“Sh’up, you!” Vinyl yelled below. She then looked to the changelings. “Well, le’s hed inta mah room. I got some papurs from when I wanntied ta open mah own club. You kin look ‘em over.” She walked into her room, the changelings following.
----
Octavia sat fuming in her room, too angry to sleep.
“Dirty changers, coming into my apartment…”