//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Purple Haze // by TheGentlemanCreeper //------------------------------// The cart jostles slightly, stirring you from your deep and wonderful slumber. You let out a content sigh as your eyes flutter open. I’ve never felt so rested in my life… you think with a smile. You think about drifting back to sleep, but stop when you finally notice you had a hoof wrapped around Twilight’s midsection and had cuddled up to her in your sleep; you were practically spooning. The content smile on her face makes her heart go aflutter. When the hell did this happen? You feel your entire face go flush as you feel her try to wiggle herself closer to you. As much as you loved the feeling of having her so close, you had a hunch she wasn’t going to be as happy if she wakes up and to find a stallion she just met spooning her. Oh dear Celestia, don’t let her wake up, don’t let her wake up you think as you slowly move away from her I don’t want her to think I’m some sort of pervert… Thankfully, you manage to break the impromptu cuddle without her even stirring a bit. You move to the opposite side of the cart and sit down on your haunches just as the cart hits another bump, waking Twilight from her deep slumber. Slowly, she sits up and yawns before looking at you with a goofy smile. “Sleep well?” you ask nonchalantly. Twilight brings her fore-legs over her head stretches each one out with a content sigh. “Oh, like you wouldn’t believe!” she exclaims “I haven’t slept like that in years! And I had the most wonderful dream.” You shoot her a curious look. “Oh? About what?” "It was so weird… I was all wrapped up in something, so warm and soft… like waves of fluff rolling around me... And something holding me! Like a…a…” She continues to stumble over her words as she kept reaching for the right descriptor. “…a…giant… teddy bear! Yeah! It was all warm and soft and cuddly and I felt so safe and happy..." she says rather dreamily as she wraps her hooves around her waist; exactly where you were holding her just a few minutes ago. “W-Well… It was just a dream,” you say awkwardly “you shouldn’t look too much into it…” “But it was so vivid!” Twilight asserts “I still feel its warmth on my coat…” You do your best to steer the conversation in another direction before she asks you why your face was so red. “U-Uh, well… Tokey? How long until we hit Manehattan?” Tokey cranes his head back and gives you a funny look. “Dude, are you blind? We’re like right on the outskirts.” You look around dumbly and finally notice the street lamps to your side and how the road was changing from dirt to cobblestone. In the distance, Manehattan was just coming into view, illuminating the night sky with its thousands of lights. Twilight’s grimaces as she looks to the sky and then to the city. “How are we supposed to see the moon and the stars with all that light pollution?” “No problem, little spoon. The city officials order all unnecessary lights to be extinguished once the sun aaaaand there it goes! See?” All three of you watch on as one by one, the lights of Manehattan slowly dim, making it a shadow of its former self. The stars blink into existence as soon as the lights were gone, making it feel as if the city had somehow borrowed its shine for just a little while. It’s not like we need them… you think as you look up at the large, red moon Luna’s light show is all we need tonight. “Hey bro, you mind pulling the cart to the hotel?” Tokey asks as he pulls over to the side of the road “My hooves are pretty sore.” Jumping out of the side of the cart, you help Tokey get the harness off. “Sure, I don’t mind.” Just as you get the straps on, you hear Twilight speak, sounding rather worried. “Uh…Hotel? You guys never said anything about a hotel…” “Well, we all kinda need a place to sleep tonight,” Tokey says as he pulls himself into the back of the cart. “Yeah, when the party winds down and we’re all tuckered out, neither of us want to really pull a cart home,” you explain as you strap yourself in “Why? Is there a problem?” Twilight shifts nervously in her seat. “Well… I was kinda expecting to just go to the party and go home… I’ve got some spending money, but I doubt I have enough for a hotel room.” “Well… Why don’t you bunk with one of us?” you say as you begin to pull the cart. “You’re gonna have to put up with her bro. Remember when I took that bad acid? I’ve had night terrors ever since.” Twilight blinks a few times at this revelation. “Uhh...Okay then… I guess I’ll sleep with you, if you’re okay with it, that is.” “Uh, sure. That’s fine,” you say rather puzzled “Hey Tokey? Can you come here for a second? I got ask you something.” Tokey moves to the front of the cart and leans forward enough so only you and him could hear what was being said. “What are you talking about? You don’t get night terrors.” Tokey simply shrugs. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, big spoon.” “And what is with that? You called Twilight little spoon and now I’m bi-” It slowly dawns on you that Tokey knew a little more than he was letting on. “Uh… D… Did you see us when… when we…” Tokey holds up a hoof and smiles. “I won’t tell, scout’s honor.” “Well, um… Thanks.” You say with a smile. Tokey smiles back and lays himself down in the cart, opposite of Twilight. “Nice to see my buddy is still somewhere in that chemistry set you call a head…” you say under your breath. * * * * * * * * * * * * * You lead Twilight and Tokey down the hall of the Celestial Hooves Hotel, looking out for your rooms. “211…213…215… Ah here we go Tokey. You’re in room 217,” you say as you give him his key “and Twilight and I are across the hall in room 218.” “Awesome! I am going to order SO much room service!” Tokey exclaims as he barrels into his room. “Don’t forget; we meet in the lobby in like an hour, okay?” you say as he closes the door behind him. You can only hope he heard you. Turning to your own room, you open the door for Twilight and follow her in. “You know, getting something to eat doesn’t sound like a bad idea. I’d be more than willing to pay my share.” Twilight says as she walks over to the room phone. “No, that’s okay;” you say as you throw your bags on the bed “save your money for some nifty souvenirs you can show your friends. I got this.” Taking the phone out of Twilight’s hoof, you find the number for room service listed on a card next to the phone. “Oh, do you want to look at the menu?” Twilight asks as she holds up a printed card. You shake your head. “Nah, I’ll figure something out.” Dialing the number, you let it ring a few times before putting a hoof over the receiver and turning to Twilight. “Anything in particular you got a craving for?” “Umm… Let’s see…” she says as she looks over the card “I haven’t had Esperian food in a while… Can I get the pasta primavera?” Just as she asks, the phone finally stops ringing. “Room service, how may I help?” a mare asks on the other end. “Yeah, can we get pasta primavera, some spaghetti, and a basket of garlic bread delivered to room 218?” “Certainly sir, will that be everything?” You think for a moment before speaking up again. “How about a banana split for dessert? Enough for two?” “And what did you want on that banana split?” You turn to Twilight as you start naming off the toppings. “Let’s see… How about hot fudge, whip cream, sprinkles, aaaaand… a cherry on top.” Her eyes started to gleam at ‘hot fudge’. “Alright, your dinner will be up in twenty minutes and your dessert will follow fifteen minutes later. We don’t want you to have melted ice-cream,” the mare says with a chuckle. “That’s great, thank you.” You hang up the phone and turn back to Twilight, who was looking quite pensive. “Why are you being so nice to me? Don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered, it’s just strikes me as a little… weird.” “What can I say? I’m a nice guy. Besides, if I got a banana split for just one pony, you’d probably fight me for it,” you say with a grin “and win.” Twilight giggles under her breath. “Well, thanks. For everything. I’ve been so stressed; it feels like I’m being twisted into knots.” You cock an eyebrow at her. “You said that before, but you really haven’t said anything about what is stressing you out. Care to share?” you as you take a seat on the bed. “Um… I really don’t think it would be fair to make you listen to all of my woes-” “No, come on,” you say as you motion her to take a seat “Talk to me, Twi.” Twilight looks at you for a few seconds before letting out a heavy sigh and sitting by your side. “Alright… Well, it’s been my friends that have me worried. First, my friend Rainbow Dash got into a really bad accident and ended up in the hospital not too long ago. She’s better now, but she had us all worried. There was a time when I actually thought she wouldn’t fly again.” “How is she now?” “She’s better,” Twilight says with a smile. “Fully healed and actually engaged to be married.” “Well you see? Things work out.” Her smile slowly starts to fade. “Well, I can only hope so. My other friend Rarity is now in therapy and it scares me so much. She started spending all of her time inside, avoiding us, and driving away her customers. I keep feeling how I did when Dash was hurt. Like I’m going to lose them…” Twilight looks to the ground, obviously hurt. You feel bad for dragging this out of her, so you put a hoof on her shoulder and do the best to comfort her. “Well, I’m sure whatever happens, you’ll be there for them to lend a helping hoof.” Her spirits seem to brighten up a bit “Well… I never thought of it that way. We’ve been through much worse and we made it out of it because we were there for each other,” she reasons. “See? It’s okay to worry just a bit, but don’t let it twist into knots or you’ll turn into a pretzel,” you say jokingly. “At least you’d be a cute pretzel.” Twilight laughs for a moment, but then blushes slightly. “C-Cute? You think I’m cute?” she asks awkwardly. Her tone changes rapidly before you can respond, taking you aback. “This isn’t another joke, like the body-shot thing, is it?” she asks curtly. You hold your hooves up defensively. “No! Of course not! You’re cute. Really.” Twilight’s seems to soften a bit. “Oh… W-Well, thank you. I’ve never been called ‘cute’ before…” “Seriously?” you ask, half shocked “You haven’t had any coltfriends tell you you’re beautiful?” “Umm… I… I haven’t had a coltfriend…” she says bashfully “I’ve been on a few dates, but they all ended badly. I either drove them away with my obsessive behavior or made them feel stupid.” Letting out a sigh, you shake your head. “I’ve been there.” you sympathetically. “Last girlfriend I had was a total ditz. I wanted someone to connect with, but all she wanted was to be high. Talking to her was almost impossible, you know? Twilight shakes her head. “Oh, well… It’s kinda like talking to a magic eight ball; Pretty one sided conversation. Everything she said was either yes, no, maybe or I don’t know.” “Why was she like that?” Twilight asks. “You try holding a conversation when you’re higher than a kite.” She giggles and nudges your side. “Have you ever been in that position?” “What? Higher than a kite? Not usually. I only tend to when I’m either really stressed out, I want to relax after a long day, or just have a great dinner.” You’re hit with a sudden realization and turn to your bag. “Oh wow, I totally forgot about those!” Twilight watches as you reach for your bag and begin to root around the contents. “What are you looking for?” she asks. “I thought I packed them… Where are-Aha!” you exclaim “Here!” Pulling out the brown paper bag, you dump the contents into your hoof and smile. It was a large chunk of brownie. “What’s so special about it?” Twilight asks as she sniffs at it. As soon as she gets a nose-full, she moves back and gives you an odd look. “Is that what I think it is?” “Clover-Brownie. I used a three leaf clover for this one. I figure we’ve got some time to eat it before dinner arrives,” you say as you break her off a piece. “We?” “Oh don’t give me that. You were going on about how well you slept and the wonderful dreams you had,” you say before popping your half into your mouth. “W-Well, I was curious. Don’t get me wrong, I still am, it’s just I’m unsure as to what this will do to me. I’d rather not put something into my body that could have an adverse affect.” She says defensively “What’s the difference between this and what I took in the cart?” You swallow your brownie and clear your throat before speaking up. “Well, the stuff you smoked in the cart was two leaf. Not really that potent. The stuff here in the brownie is three leaf.” “You mentioned that clover has different effects on different ponies… What does three leaf clover do to you?” Twilight asks as she gingerly takes the brownie. “Well… I get pretty chilled out and hungry. I really don’t know what more to tell ya.” You say with a shrug. Twilight looks you and then back to the clover confectionery in her hoof. “I have a feeling I’m going to regret this…” she says as she shakes her head. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Blinking a few times, you realize you had spaced out and have been staring at the ceiling for a while now. Looking over at the alarm clock on the nightstand, you figure you’ve been like that for around fifteen minutes. “Hey Twi’, wasn’t our food supposed to be here by now?” you ask as you roll over onto your side. Twilight doesn’t look at you and instead continues to stare at the wall as she traced a hoof in the air rapidly. You give her a shove to get her attention. “Twi’?” She snaps out of her trance and looks around. “Did you say something?” “What were you doing?” you ask confusedly. “I was just writing out some magic formulas in my head and tweaking them. I really wish I had some paper and a pen, though. I really want to get this all down…” “What kind of formulas?” you ask idly. “Ones I’ve pretty much mastered. I’m thinking there’s a way to make teleportation a little more instantaneous. There’s always a second delay followed by a bright flash. I’m sure there’s a way, but it keeps slipping away. It’s there, I just can’t-” You hear a loud grumbling sound come from her, making her groan aloud in contempt. “Think on an empty stomach?” you finish for her. Twilight nods. “Yeah…” As if on cue, a knock on the door makes both of you perk up. “Great! I’m starving!” you yell ecstatically. Before you can get up, the door glows a light purple color and swings open, startling the blue mare with the cart behind it. “Oh! Uh, hello. I’ve got your fo-” Another purple aura shimmers around the cart of food and you watch as it wheels itself in and stops at the foot of the bed. You drag yourself over to the cart and pull off one of the silver domes, revealing the dish below. “Ahh… Thanks. Hey Twi’, you mind giving her a tip? I’ll pay you back,” you say as you take your plate of spaghetti off the cart. From behind you, you hear the jingling of coins from your wallet and watch as three bits float through the air and into the waiting hoof the bellhop. “Uh… Thanks. Enjoy your-” Before she can finish, the door closes abruptly in her face. “You know Twi’, that was pretty rude.” “Huh?” Twilight asks hazily. “I think I spaced out again. What was rude?” “Slamming the door like tha… wait…” the fog slowly starts to clear from your mind as you try to figure out just what happened. “You mean you didn’t know you wheeled in the cart? Or tipped her? Or closed the door in her face?” Twilight looks to you, next to the tray of food, then the door, and finally back to you. “No, not really. You mean I did all that stuff?” You can’t help but laugh aloud. “Wow… You like, telekinesis’d all that stuff and you didn’t even think about it and you’re doing it again!” “No I’m not.” Twilight says defensively. “Twi’, you’re about to shove pasta into your mouth.” Her eyes widen as she finally notices the telekinetically suspended fork hovering a few inches from her mouth. “Woah… That’s freaky,” she says with a giggle “it’s like; I’m reaching out with my mind and doing stuff subconsciously.” “Isn’t it always like that with unicorn magic?” you ask through a mouthful of spaghetti. Twilight shakes her head. “No, not exactly. I have to at least focus on what I want moved and where. This is just happening.” The fork drifts lazily over to Twilight’s plate again and picks up another bunch of pasta primavera. “That is so groovy…” you say with a laugh. Twilight laughs aloud, but not at what you think. “Groovy?” she asks mockingly “Who still says ‘groovy’ anymore?” “My old man and me and others, I guess. He was part of Haystock and the hippie movement during that time. I’ve picked up words here and there they used back then.” “Huh… What was your father like?” Twilight asks as she levitates a piece of garlic bread past your face. “My father? Oh he was great!” you say with a forced smile “He… He…” Twilight gives you an odd look as you begin to trip over your words. Letting out a long sigh, you realize there was no way you could fool her. “Not gonna lie to you, Twi’, my dad was piece of work. I didn’t really matter that much to him. I came second on his list of things to do, right after partying.” “You can’t be serious.” Twilight says in shock. “He’d never take you out for ice cream or play catch or other father-son activities?” “Naw, nothing like that. I mean, he did get me into clover in middle school and I’m a little grateful for that, but he was still an ass. That’s why I left him.” “What do you mean?” Twilight asks as she inches closer to you. “My-” you stop as you suddenly realize you were telling her things that you hadn’t told anyone before. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” You say as you turn away from her. “No, come on.” She says as she puts a hoof on your shoulder. You turn back to Twilight and open your mouth to tell her to drop it, but the words disappear as you find her staring at you with those big, soulful eyes. “Talk to me?” she asks with a soft smile. Sighing heavily, you break. “My dad wasn’t there for me. He wasn’t a father, just a strange stallion passed out on the couch who’d yell at me if I tried to wake him.” you say plainly. “He didn’t even try to be a good father. I was just getting into high school when he started really hitting the bottle.” Reliving your crumby childhood made your buzz disappear and has left you feeling depressed. Falling backwards into the bed, you run your hooves down your face. “The liquor loosened his tongue one night and he just started digging into me, saying I was a burden to him and a waste of money. I’ve heard it all before, but he said something that night that just plain cruel…” “What? What did he say?” Twilight asks as she cuddles up next to you. “He… He said I was a mistake. An accident. He told me I’m ‘what happens when the condom breaks’.” Twilight puts her hooves up to her mouth in horror. “Oh my gosh, how could anyone say that to their own child?!?” “I have no idea. All I know is that I was tired of all the abuse. I ran and didn’t look back.” “But… what did you do after? Did you go back home?” Twilight asks as she puts a hoof around your shoulder. “No, not at first. I stayed with some friends for a while and did my best to avoid home. After a few days, I got the nerve, found the right words and went to go face my dad. But do you know what the funny thing? He was gone.” “What do you mean?” Putting a hoof around Twilight’s shoulder you draw her in a little closer. “I mean, he was gone. Like, completely. All of his stuff was missing and there wasn’t a trace of him anywhere. He just… left.” Twilight’s face scrunches up in anger. “You mean he just abandoned you? Just like that?” “Yeah, but I managed to look after myself. I learned real quick that I had to cut back on everything, from electricity and heat and learn to pinch my pennies. Hell, I even got a job while I was still in school.” “Where did you work?” “Oh, just a little bakery in town. I’d come in during the night and clean up the place. Good work and the pink filly living there was cute, so I couldn’t complain.” “I bet you were the little charmer as a kid,” Twilight says with a playful nudge “Did you ask her out?” “I… I was too embarrassed to…” you say bashfully “She didn’t seem interested and she was out of my league.” “Oh, now how can you be so bashful when we’re-” Twilight stops and looks at you with an ever-growing blush. That’s when you finally noticed the position you were in. You and Twilight had managed to cuddle up to each other again; but this time, you were both awake. Both of you break the cuddle and move to the other side of the bed, awkwardly trying to play it off as nothing. “L-Listen,” you begin “I was feeling pretty bummed out and well…” “And I just wanted to support you,” Twilight says as she squirms in her seat “since you were reliving such a traumatic experience and…” You both go quiet and let an awkward silence fill the air before you both speak up again. “I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry.” In all of a sudden, you both start laughing at the awkward display you both put on. “Oh wow, look at us,” you say as you get off of the bed “tip-toeing around each other like we’re both made of glass or something.” “Yes, it is pretty ridiculous. I mean, we’re both adults here.” A thought crosses your mind and you inch a little closer. “Yeah…Hey-” Before you can get any farther, a knock on the door startles both of you. “Who is it?” you ask as you approach the door. “I’ve got your dessert here.” A familiar voice says through the door. Opening it slowly, you find the blue mare from before, standing there uneasily. “I’m sorry if I offended you before in anyway-” “No, not at all! I’m sorry for before, I was just out of it. Uhm… Tired and all from the long trip. I didn’t even know what I was doing.” Twilight says as she takes the second cart from her. “Oh! Thank goodness, I was afraid I did something wrong…” she says with a nervous chuckle “Well, enjoy your split!” With that, she leaves you and Twilight with the dish you had completely forgotten about it. Taking the silver dome off, you feel your mouth water at the sight. But the clock was counting down. “We’ve got like five minutes to eat this…” you say slightly depressed. “Well, we better hurry then.” Twilight says as she levitates a spoon in front of your face. * * * * * * * * * * * * * You grimace as you walk out of the hotel room. “Worst. Idea. Ever.” You say as you stumble towards the elevator. You thought it was pretty clever of you to eat a good chunk of your portion in one bite, but you completely forgot about the damage an ice-cream headache can inflict. “I ate too much ice cream…” Twilight mutters as she follows you. Her idea wasn’t as smart as yours, either. Not content with letting any of it go to waste, she elected to eat not only her share, but the rest of yours after you collapsed on the ground with what felt like a vice around your skull. Neither of you felt like going out after that, but there was no chance you’d miss the Harvest Moon Festival. “Why did we even do that?” Twilight asks as she follows you into the elevator. “Because we’re adults,” you say as you hit the button for the lobby “and we can do stuff like that.” “You gotta point.” She says with a half-smirk. The thought from the hotel room starts to claw its way to the front of your mind again. Steeling yourself, you decide to go for it. “Hey, uhm… While we’re still acting like adults? I was wondering if you’d like to go on a date?” Twilight’s entire face goes red at the question. “A-A date? Like a date-date? Like right now? Like-” “No! No, not right now. I was thinking after the Harvest Moon Festival. Maybe you and I can get together for some drinks and maybe dinner, a movie?” “Oh, I see…” she says, settling down a bit “Well… Before I say anything, may I ask why? I... I want to know what you see in me.” “You want to know why?” you ask, befuddled “Well… You’re cute, funny, smart, and attractive. Essentially, you’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a girl and I want to get to know you better.” Twilight smiles sheepishly as she kicks at the ground before mumbling under her breath. “Pardon?” “I said I’d love to.” she says more confidently. You can’t help but grin from ear to ear. “Great.” The elevator doors open to the lobby and you watch as Tokey runs up to you. “Come on ya slowpokes! We gotta hurry if we’re gonna get a good spot!” “Well come on, we don’t wanna miss the show, do we?” * * * * * * * * * * * * * Twilight levitates the blanket out on the grass and neatly smoothes it out neatly. “There we go, all set!” “Niiiiice…” Tokey says as he settles himself down. You were lucky enough to get one of the best seats in the house; right under the old oak tree on top of a small hill overlooking it all. From here, you had a great view of the stage and the crowd gathering for the show. “So, who’s on first?” you ask as you lie down. Without missing a beat, Twilight pulls out the program she got earlier and begins looking through it. “Hmm…. Ah! Here we go. Some pony by the name of… Rick Roll?” At the mere mention of the name, Tokey groans aloud in anguish. “Oh dear Celestia, no!” You, on the other hoof, can’t start to snicker uncontrollably. Twilight gives both of you an odd look. “What? What am I missing here?” “Ugh! I just can’t stand his music after Mr. Super Troll over here got me over thirty times.” Tokey says as he points a hoof over in your direction. “Oh come on, getting Rick Roll’d isn’t that bad.” You say with a laugh. “It is after the dozenth time!” Twilight shakes her head in confusion at the banter. “Okay, fill me in. What’s a ‘Rick Roll’?” “You see,” Tokey begins “Back in the day, Rick Roll released a single called ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’. Some liked it, some hated it, but it never got popular. That is, until the Rick Roll was created.” “Basically, you remove the sticker on one album and put it on a copy of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’. When someone goes to play a song, they instead get ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’. It’s a harmless prank.” You say as you begin to root around in your pack. “Yeah, harmless. Not physically anyway. This asshole got me thirty times!” Tokey yells “He even rigged appliances to play the song! How the hell did you even get the showerhead to play it?!?” “Lots of free time and power tools.” You say plainly as you pack some clover into your pipe. “Oh wait!” Twilight exclaims “I remember now! I’ve heard that song before! How does it go again?” she asks “Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never-” Tokey puts his hooves up to his ears as soon as she starts to sing. “AHHH! DEAR PRINCESSES, NOT AGAIN!” Stifling a laugh, you get to your hooves and motion to the bottom of the hill. “Seconded. If they do it again this year, let’s go take a walk or something.” Looking at your glass pipe, you hold it out to Twilight. “No thanks,” she says as she pushes the pipe back towards you “I’m still feeling pretty hazy from before. Maybe later?” “Sure. I’m gonna go grab some drinks before the next band starts. You guys want anything?” You ask as you get to your hooves. “See if they have any margaritas.” Tokey says flatly as he digs at his ears “I’m gonna see if I can get this song out of my head.” “Umm… Nothing too strong, alright?” Twilight asks “I don’t really have a high tolerance for alcohol.” “Got it.” You say with a nod. With both requests in mind, you make your way to the bottom of the hill and look around for anypony who might be selling liquor. Sure enough, there was what looked like an impromptu bar constructed out of an old tent and a few tables not too far away. Walking up to the bartender, you glance over the stock quickly. “You serve margaritas?” The bartender shakes his head. “Nah, sorry. We’ve got hard cider, vodka, draft beer-” “Got any orange juice?” “Hmm… Yeah, I do. Why?” “Mix me up three screwdrivers, my good pony.” You tell him as you place a few bits down on the table. “Coming right up.” You turn your back to the bar and find yourself looking over the crowd and what they were wearing: Some wore tattered t-shirts and ripped jeans, while others were dressed in what looked like gray and brown military uniforms, and some had their manes and coats died neon colors. Wow, and I thought I was weird you think idly. The clang of glassware and metal snaps you out of your trance. “Here ya go, buddy.” On the tray sat three large glasses, each filled with to the brim and topped off with an orange wedge garnish. Taking your leave of the bar scene, you make your way back to your friends with drinks in tow. “Screwdrivers, anyone?” Tokey and Twilight look to you with a look of disappointment and curiosity, respectively. “No margaritas?” Tokey asks sadly. “Sorry, broski. He said he didn’t and I wasn’t going to push it,” you tell him as you give him his drink. “What is it?” Twilight asks as she looks at the contents of the glass. “Just orange juice and vodka. They’re pretty good,” you say before dipping the orange slice into the drink and popping it in your mouth. You can’t help but laugh aloud as Tokey begins to relive the time he spent as your room-mate in college. “Okay Twi’ give it a rest before he gouges his ears o-” The roar of the crowd begins to die down, turning your attention to the stage. Slowly, a ginger unicorn walks towards the microphone with a guitar on his back. Following him was a pegasus pushing a piano out and an earth pony climbing onto the drum set. Rick Roll turns to the two and gives them a quick nod before levitating his guitar into the air. Tokey grits his teeth slightly as the ponies get ready. “I swear to heaven above, if he Rick Rolls us, I’ll-” Before he can finish, the music starts, surprising all of you. On the empty streets of this nowhere town The melting shadows fade And the dark is creeping up on me again In between these sheets were I laid you down I tried to find some rest So I reach out for the switch but why pretend? 'Cause I can't turn the lights out now I see your face No, I can't turn the lights out now My heart will break 'Cause everything I see will end up killing me All over, all over again So I can't turn the lights out He hasn’t lost his gift you think with a grin. Rick Roll was around when you were a kid, and even back then, he was good. Looking over to Twilight, you smile as you finally notice how engrossed in the music she was. Rick Roll starts to put his heart into the music and you feel yourself grin ear to ear. All at once, groups of ponies hold up lighters, making Rick Roll smile as he sings the next part. You feel like joining in and grab your own quick-spark lighter, waving the flickering flame above your head. “Why are you doing that?” Twilight asks. You give her a shrug. “Why not? Let’s show him he doesn’t need to turn the lights out.” A flash of inspiration goes across Twilight’s face. “Ooh! I got an idea!” she cries. Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes tightly and her horn becomes to grow brightly. The only thing that out shined it was the lights that flickered in the crowd as they started grow brighter and brighter, illuminating the whole night. Rick Roll’s jaw drops at the display, but he doesn’t falter. He starts singing with more spirit than before. I can't turn the lights out now I'll see your face I can't turn the lights out now My heart will break 'Cause everything I see will end up killing me All over, all over again So I can't turn the lights out Turn the lights out So I can't turn the lights out Turn the lights out As quickly as the lights shone, they begin to die down and the ponies turn them off and watch on as the stage lights follow suit, leaving it pitch black. The crowds of ponies remain silent until the stage lights flicker back on and cheer aloud for Rick Roll, who looked completely overwhelmed by the amount of praise. “Holy… Twilight! That was awesome!” Twilight takes a deep breath and wipes the sweat off of her brow. “T-Thanks. I didn’t mean for it to get that bright, but they aren’t complaining,” she says as she nods to the crowd, who was still cheering. “I gotta say, this almost makes up for Never Gonna Give you up,” Tokey says “Yeah, he’s aged pretty well. I mean, he was performing when I was in elementary school.” You say before lighting up your pipe. Taking a deep breath in, you hold it for a few moments before holding the pipe out to Twilight. “No thanks,” she says as she pushes the pipe back towards you “I’m still feeling pretty hazy from before. Maybe later?” “Oh sweet!” Tokey yells aloud. “Manehattan City Soundtrack is on next!” Both you and Twilight give him an odd look. “Who are they?” Twilight asks. Tokey looks to Twilight and stares at her, as if she was speaking some sort of foreign language. “Are you serious?” “Yes, I’ve never heard of them.” “Ditto.” You add. “You two have no taste in music,” he says sounding hurt “Manehattan City Soundtrack is… Well… You’ll see.” He says as he turns his attention to the stage. Looking to the stage yourself, you watch as a large group of ponies walk onto the stage. Four of them were carrying instruments in and getting set up while three others just stood around and talked. They tried to offer help, but the ponies on the drums and bass guitar stopped them and pointed two of them to a box over in the corner. “What are they doing?” you ask aloud. “If I had to guess? They pulled a couple of groupies to help them with their song.” Tokey explains. To cement this point home, the two of them dig out a tambourine and what looked like a small bell. The third pony, a pegasus gives the band a shrug and says something, but you can’t make it out over the roar of the crowd. The unicorn with a disheveled black mane moves away from the microphone and faces the pegasus. He says something to her and stomps his front hooves down quickly, getting the attention of the crowd as they start to wonder what’s going on. The pegasus gives him an odd look before stomping her own front hooves down in rapid succession. “Yeah! Like that!” he exclaims. The crowd quiets down completely as the band takes their place. The unicorn on the microphone gives the pegasus a quick nod, signaling her to start stamping her hooves down again. Stepping up to the microphone, the unicorn takes a deep breath and starts. If I stand too close I might fall in But if I'm too far gone I'll never win And if you believe in me I might just wanna spend some time with you again The beat of the music catches on and you find yourself bobbing along with the tune and tapping your hoof in time with the pegasus on stage. I'm afraid I tend to disappear Into an anxious state When you draw near There is no reasoning It's quite a silly thing But it's the way I've been for years Tokey starts stomping his hooves in beat with the pegasus on stage and turns to you and Twilight with a smile. “Come on!” Turning to Twilight, you give her a shrug and start stomping your own hooves to the beat. Twilight follows and much to your surprise, so does most of the crowd, slowly but surely. The lead singer starts to smile as more and more ponies join in. If I stand too close I might fall in But if I'm too far gone I'll never win If you believe in me I might just wanna spend some time with you again… With a finishing flourish, the song ends and you can’t help but clap loudly for them. “Wow that was good! Nice and upbeat with a catchy tune.” “Yeah, but it felt kinda sad, too…” Twilight says as she watched the band leave the stage “Like he wanted to get closer to someone, but was stuck in this ‘in-between’ state.” “You’re both right,” Tokey says before taking a sip of his drink “MCS’s songs can be sad and happy, quiet and angry, or funny and deep. It’s really cool.” “Think I can borrow a record of some of their stuff?” you ask as you pack some more clover into your pipe. “Sure!” Tokey exclaims happily “I’ve got ‘Broken Heart’, ‘Even if it Kills Me’, and ‘Commit this to Memory’.” “Great, thanks bro.” You say before bring your clover pipe to your lips. Just as you do, Twilight reaches out and stops you. “Umm… Can I try first?” she asks shyly. You’re a little stunned by her initiative, but you don’t complain. “Sure, just don’t choke on it this time.” You say teasingly. “Thanks for bringing that up.” she says sarcastically “Care to show me how not to choke on this stuff?” “Sure,” you say as you scoot yourself behind Twilight. “First, hold the pipe in-between your lips and make a tight seal. Ya got it?” “Mhm.” “Okay, I’m going to bring the lighter over and get it going. Once it’s lit, you’re going to breathe in. Don’t breathe out until you take the pipe out of your mouth, understand? Your first response will be to breathe in again, but you don’t want to. You’ll get a lung full of smoke and start choking again.” Lighting the quick spark lighter, you hover it over the pipe and look to her. “Ready?” She nods quickly. Touching the lighter to the pipe, you hold it to the clover. “Okay, go.” With eyes shut tight, she inhales slowly until she reaches her peak, signaling you to take the lighter off and the pipe out of her mouth. “Okay, now exhale slowly.” Twilight obeys and lets out the smoke in one, slow breath. When she finishes, she turns to you with a goofy grin. “Did I do good?” “I’ll give you an A for the hit and a C for the grammar.” You say jokingly. Instead of a witty comeback, she simply sticks her tongue out at you before giggling. “So, who’s up next?” Tokey asks as roots around in the pack for something. “Hmm… I don’t know,” she says as she looks over the program “It just says… ‘Mystery Guests’.” Letting out a lung full of smoke, you motion for her to give you the program. “Huh…” you say as you look it over “Who do you think they got this year? He gives you a shrug. “No idea. I just hope they don’t get another one of those teen pop-stars. I swear, every year they bring out another teen pop-star singing ‘Baby’.” “Ugh, I hate that song!” Twilight says with a look of disgust “These kids over at the elementary school sing it every day, like they’re trying to get to me.” “Seconded. If they do it again this year, let’s go take a walk or something.” The only sign that they were coming was when three ponies came out carrying a large turntable. You ventured a guess that it was meant for the both of the mystery guest and thank your lucky stars you didn’t have to sit through another rendition of ‘Baby’ this year. After a few minutes and an empty pipe between you and Twilight, you wonder if these ‘mystery guests’ were ever going to show up. As if to just disprove you, the stage lights brighten a bit and two ponies walk onto the stage. One you recognized and one new. “Whoa! Vinyl Scratch is one of the mystery guests?” you ask with pleasant surprise. “I guess so, but who’s the stallion with her?” Twilight asks. The stallion that Twilight was referring to was almost midnight black and was wearing a red helmet, shaped like a dragon with X’s in its eyes. “Wait a minute, that’s Dead Dragon!” Tokey yells in surprise. “Ya know him, Tokey?” you ask. “I saw him play before at a night club,” Tokey explains “He disappeared for a while, but I guess he’s back now! And playing with DJ-PON3!” Wasting no time, the two set to work, taking their place on opposite ends of the turntable. They look at each other once and nod before placing their hooves on the controls. All at once, the air is filled with a fast, yet heavy beat. It works its way into your hooves and you find yourself wanting to do nothing more than dance. Looking to the crowd, you see the song has had the same effect on everyone else and an impromptu rave has formed. Getting to your hooves, you grab a hold of Twilight as she takes a sip of her screwdriver. “Come on guys, let’s dance!” “Sure!” Twilight says happily “Let’s dance the night away!” Tokey, on the other hoof, wriggles out of your grip. “Nah dude, it’s cool. You two have fun.” You decide not to pressure him and simply shrug. “Suit yourself. Come on Twi’, I’ll race ya!” “Oh, you’re on!” Like a shot, you both run down the hill and into the crowd of ponies, who were dancing in time with the beat, which had now turned into something with more of a heavy, repeating beat mixed with distorted sounds. However, you can make out a pony’s voice in the background. Kick. Step. Kick. Step. Kick. Shrugging, you decide your best option is to follow the DJ’s advice. Making sure not to hit anyone in the face, you rear up on your front hooves and buck them into the air before pushing on your front hooves and pushing yourself into the air, where you land expertly on your back. “Whoa! Where’d you learn to do that?” Twilight yells over the crowd. “No idea! Just going with the flow!” “Going with the flow…” she mimics “Oh! Lemme try!” Twilight rears up on her back hooves and she soon finds herself balancing on them. With her front hooves free, she starts waving them in time with the beat as she jumped on her back hooves to keep balance. Not to be outdone, you mimic her moves and start balancing on your back hooves, albeit with more stomping. Just as the music speeds up, the crowd of ponies closes in on you and Twilight, causing her to fall into your open hooves. Twilight cranes her head back and stares at you, her face a mix of confusion and embarrassment as her body presses close to you. “Um… I-” Before you can say anymore, she leans forward and places a quick kiss on your cheek. You feel your entire face go bright red, just as bright as Twilight’s. “Listen… I gotta say this now. Twilight, I-” * * * * * * * * * * * * * A dull thud from the inside of your head wakes you from your deep sleep. Your eyes flicker open slowly, but you immediately shut them when you realize it was way too bright. Uhh…What happened? It feels like I just came out of surgery. Your eyes shoot up again as images from last night pour back into your head. Tokey. * * * * * * * * * * * * * You and Twilight get to the top of the hill, rejoining Tokey after the DJ’s final spin. “Oh my gosh, that was incredible!” Twilight exclaims. “Yeah! Who knew we could bust a move like that?” you reply happily. “Have fun I take it?” Tokey asks hazily. “You know it!” Twilight said as she levitated her drink into the air. You were both sweaty and thirsty after all the dancing and you both felt like a nice, long drink. Looking around for yours, you find it tipped over in the grass. “Oh hayseed, I must have knocked it over when we ran down the hill…” you say sadly. “Twi’ baby, can I have a sip of your screwdriver?” “Sure, I don’t see why not.” She says as she passes you her glass. You tilt your head back and pour some of the drink into your mouth and make sure not to touch it with your lips before passing it back to her. “What’s the matter? Do I have germs?” She asks, half insulted. “I don’t know about you, but my body isn’t exactly a temple and I didn’t know if you mind backwash.” “Oh, it’s alright.” Twilight says as she takes a sip “The pony body has many lines of defense against infection. If you wanted a sip after eating out of dumpster, then we’d have to talk.” she says with a chuckle. You laugh back, but stop as a splitting headache develops. “AH! What the hell… Twi’, I don’t feel so hot…” Looking to her, your eyes widen in fear as the whole world twists and turns. You can make out Twilight, but she looked just as twisted as she backed up quickly yelling “Snakes! Snakes! Snakes!” Your breathing goes shallow as you start to piece together what was happening. But to be 100% sure, you stumble forward and pick up the glass you and Twilight just shared. Squinting, you stare at the contents of the glass as you swish it around. That’s when you see it. A fine powder that had yet to be dissolved sat at the bottom of the glass. Whipping your head around, you bare your teeth at your poisoner. “TOKEY!” He doesn’t seem to hear you in what you reasoned was his own drug haze. Running towards him, you grab and shake him violently. “What the hell did you give us?!?” you cry. Tokey looks at you with a grin. “I saw you two getting all lovey-dovey and I thought I’d spice things up with a special brew.” He says with a laugh “No need to thank me.” You open your mouth to scream at him, but stop as the whole world starts spinning again. No time. No time. Gotta… Gotta get to the hotel room. Ride out the trip, then kick Tokey’s ass. “Come on Twi’! We gotta go!” Twilight looks to you with a look of terror. “What’s going on?!?” she yells through tear filled eyes “What’s wrong with me?!?” “I’ll explain later!” you say as you grab a hold of her “We gotta hurry!” * * * * * * * * * * * * * Throwing open the hotel room door, you storm across the hall and start pounding on Tokey’s door. “Open the door you asshole! I know you’re in there!” Reaching for the knob, you turn it- * * * * * * * * * * * * * -and run inside. “Lock the door lock the door!” you yell to Twilight as she slams it shut. Your heart was beating out of your chest. The trip through the lobby was something out of a nightmare. You shuddered again at the mere thought. “What’s happening?!?” Twilight screams “I’m so confused!” Reaching out, you grab a hold of Twilight’s face and look her in the eye. “Just calm down, just calm down. We’re safe. Just get on the bed and lie down. I’ll-” * * * * * * * * * * * * * “-kill you for this, you bastard! Now wake up!” Tokey didn’t hear your threats; he was in his own little world. “You gave us something and I have no idea where Twilight is! She could be passed out in an alleyway for all I know, yelling about snakes and reptile-ponies! Now wake up or-” It was no use. Tokey was completely out of it and didn’t hear a single word you were saying. Sighing heavily, you let go of him and let his limp body fall to the ground with a thud. “I’m done.” You say aloud. Moving to the dresser, you root around in it until you find a piece of paper and a pen. Hastily scrawling your note, you think for a moment on where to put it so he finds it when he wakes up. In his mouth? No… If he vomits, he’ll choke to death. Wait. Wasn’t there a maintenance cart outside? Looking back out into the hall, you spy your target and rush towards it. Luckily, the janitor was nowhere around. “Come on… Every good handycolt has-AHA!” Holding up your grey trophy, you run back into Tokey’s room and stretch out a piece of duct tape and put the note right on his forehead. Dear S.O.B, This is the final straw. I’ve put up with a lot of shit, but this takes the cake. I don’t want to hear or see from you ever again. If I do, expect to get kicked in the face. I’ve had it. This is goodbye. Signed, Your Ex-Best Friend To make sure your point was hammered home, you stretch out another piece of duct tape and stick in right on his flank, making sure it’s on there good. It didn’t make you happy, however. Making your way out of Tokey’s room, you head down the stairs, wondering just what happened last night. It was like there was a giant wall in your memory, obscuring the events of last night. Your only hope was the receptionist. Running up to her, you do your best to maintain your composure. “Listen, I know this is going to sound odd, but did you see a purple unicorn check out at all? She has pink highlights in her hair?” The receptionist blinks a few times before nodding. “Actually yes. About an hour ago, I did see a mare like that come by. She hailed a cab and pretty much shouted at the driver to get her out of there and get her home.” You didn’t know whether to feel relieved or depressed. At least she’s okay… you reason. “Thanks. I’ll be leaving now.” Making your way out of the lobby and into the streets of Manehattan, you flag down a cab and climb in. “Where to buddy?” Your head was still pounding, so you slump down on the seat as the driver starts to trot down the street. “Home.” He turns back to you as he shakes his head. “Listen buddy, home may be where the heart is, but I’m gonna need better directions then that.” “Oh.” You say plainly “In that case, take me to Ponyville. I just wanna curl up in bed and get some sleep.”