The sun had long set behind the horizon, the moon raising slowly and taking its place blanketing the the cityscape in it's cooling blue glow. The ponies of the small town of Ponyville, the younger ponies, yet old enough to enjoy the ever flowing endorphins of youth and alcohol, gather together. The ever well known Electric Avenue, its narrow streets crowded with dancing and drunken ponies smiling and shouting in joy as they shuffled through the roads. The flashes of cameras and the sounds of mugs clashing as they met in overly giddy cheers. The sounds of music echoing from the large buildings surrounding the streets, all of them playing a different track at a different time, the bass of each sound trembling below the earth, shaking and blending with the thunderous hooves of drunken club goers.
Octavia took in each little sensation as she traveled the little streets with her group, all of them seemingly blind to the wounder that took place around them, the tiny details that only she seemed to get. Well her and Vinyl, as she watched the DJ's head swivel, taking in the scene with a grin. The smell of sweat and sticky booze clinging to the young ponies as they stumbled past, their faces all displaying a smile from the fun that had past, and hours of fun to come. Their bodies still swaying with confused rhythm as the music racked them from every angle, but no distinct beat to direct their joyful ambitions. It was something Octavia was almost new to.
The key word was 'almost'.
Octavia smiled as she watched all of the ponies, and the long road that seemed to lead to a large circle, the center of the little clubbing district known as Electric Avenue, a small gem in the back water town of Ponyville. It seemed to be a Deity-send for the town, as there was nothing much else for the young ponies to enjoy. But as much as Octavia had always wanted to enjoy the rumored party town, she had always felt a little shy. The large groups of ponies, the dark streets, lit only by the glow of neons and sparse street lights spread across the long sidewalks, those of which you would seldom see, as the crowds moved about them in masses unbroken. Octavia, although she was always one to party, and always looked forward to a club with flashing black lights, the streets bathed in the red of the neons, she never liked going without friends, and she had never, before this, imagined her friends to be the party type. Well, this kind of party.
"You okay, Octavia?" Beauty asked as she nudged the awe struck cellist. Octavia finally pried her eyes from the dancing of the masses to focus on her friend who seemed worried. Octavia gave a reassuring smile.
"Yes, I'm fine Beauty, thank you," was all Octavia said before turning her eyes to look at something else. In her mind, she thought, perhaps it was just to be sure she wasn't getting lost, but her eyes instinctively followed the unicorn mare beside her, the bobbing of the mare's mane as she enjoyed the meshed beats of clashing club music, and the hooves slapping against concrete, the shouts and cheers of the ponies seemingly making a song only she could hear.
Vinyl turned to the cellist beside her and gave her a brash grin as if to comfort her. Octavia took it as a reassuring gesture and smiled back, her tail playfully swiping at the DJ's. Vinyl lost a bit of footing, her hoof nearly slipping from under her, but recovering before anypony noticed. Well, almost anypony. Vinyl looked up to see Octavia giving her a worried look. Vinyl only tried for another grin, coming off more sheepish than sure. Octavia kept her stare for a moment before turning back to the road ahead of her, focusing on the crowded path ahead of them.
'Smooth, Vinyl,' the DJ thought to herself, wanting so badly to facehoof, but avoiding the action lest she make another scene, 'real smooth...'
"-So then I said, 'you mean whom let the dogs out!" the sound of Fredric laughing at his own joke reached Octavia's ears.
"Freddie, I do believe you are incorrect," came Harpo's rebuttal, "It is actually, who let the dogs out."
"You just don't understand humor!" Fredric huffed. "You get it, don't you, Beauty?" The pale blue mare he had addressed remained by the side of Octavia, her eyes trained on the mare as they walked side by side.
"She looks worried," Harpo pointed. Fredric only rolled his eyes, about to respond before running into the back of the three mares before him, sending Octavia forward with a loud thud.
"Oh! Sorry about that!" the pianist rushed over to lift the fallen mare up, her mane now a mess of fly away hairs and her freshly combed coat slightly messed with dust from the sidewalk. "Are you alright?"
Octavia just gave a light sigh as she tried to smooth her mane with her hooves, giving the worried stallion a small smile. Fredric backed off as he saw that she was fine. The group of ponies shuffled about awkwardly awaiting an order from Vinyl. The DJ pointed out squat building up a little further, the seemingly brick building was very different from the others. It wasn't blasting loud beats, the walls didn't shake with bass, the crowd wasn't thick, and there were small windows allowing the group to see inside. The lighting was warm, not like the lively red that covered the ponies in the streets, or the cooling blues and greens from the strobes that would peek from the swinging doors of the other clubs.
Vinyl pulled open the door to the small building, the sign above it had unlit letters in the fruity pink magenta making it read "BEAR". Upon closer inspection, the letters read out "BERRY'S BAR", a simple name for a simple looking place. The inside was just as cozy at it looked from the window. The warm wooden floors against dark cherry wood tables and the booths lined with a black pleather, and in the far back, was a small stage, only a few inches above the floor, a mic and a few amps and stools. Aside from the sound of a few ponies chatting, there was little sound to be heard.
"Vinyl, this place is awful quiet..." Octavia noted as she turned to see the DJ head off towards the bar to their left. Fredric walked up beside Octavia giving her a nod and trotting off to a booth, the others following behind him. Beauty stopped short and turned to Octavia with a wink, pointing to the DJ that still stood chatting with a magenta pony with a fluffy mane.
"We'll be over here," Beauty whispered, "she's fun, but a bit quiet for our taste, she seems perfect for you it seems." Beauty gave a soft chuckle before getting a nudge in the side from the disgruntled cellist.
"You know I don't like quiet..." Octavia huffed.
"Well, you sure had me fooled. I don't understand how you can put up with somepony who doesn't talk!"
"She talks plenty." Octavia deadpanned.
"What, telepathically?" With that, Beauty gave a hearty chuckle before giving her friend a slap on the back. "You guys are cute." Octavia raised a hoof to protest, but was cut off by a hoof on her other shoulder. Octavia turned quickly to see it was Vinyl, giving her an adorable smile and pointing over to the bar. Octavia turned to see that Beauty had long since left to sit with the others, although her eyes flickered over every now and again at the pair.
"Uh... yes, Vinyl?" Octavia asked ignoring her strange friend. 'Beauty is just being a trouble maker like usual, trifling in others problems and melding in their lives.' Octavia wasn't given a straight answer, instead, Vinyl pointed at the bar again, her face showing that she was obviously eager to go. Octavia heaved a trying sigh before giving an exasperated smile and following Vinyl over to the bar.
Beauty watched as the two moved over to the bar, her face bearing a warm smile as the two sat at the bar, and for once, Beauty saw the DJ's lips move more than before.
"That's odd isn't it?" Fredric said suddenly, snapping the blue mare from her stare, turning to address the stallion before her.
"What is?"
Fredric waved over a waiter, a tall green stallion with a black mane. As the waiter made his way over Fredric gave Beauty a devious smile. "You know, that those two seem to be awfully close?"
"Now Fredric," Harpo began with a stone expression, "don't you dare start, Octavia is free to do as she pleases." Fredric raised his hoof to stop Harpo.
"This isn't about Octavia..." Fredric said in a hushed voice. The waiter made it to their table, his cold blue eyes looking over the trio, but his face never broke into a smile; as if he could sense the tension at the table, he made his business quick.
"My name is Buzzer," came the chilling voice of the unicorn stallion, "I'll be your waiter tonight. Do you know what you would like to order?" Harpo sighed and gave a weary smile.
"Yes, um," tapping his chin, Harpo smiled and looked over the table and back at the waiter. "Three large bacon burgers with a side of steak fries, a large chocolate shake, and two glasses of your finest bourbon." Harpo quickly looked back to his friends with a smile. "What would you two like?"
"I'll have a fudge sundae with strawberries, a little whip cream, just a dab, if you could." Fredric stopped for a moment to consider a drink. "And a Pink Raspberry Cosmo."
The waiter, Buzzer took down the orders with his magic, the pencil enveloped in a slimy green aura, although his expression had been one of stone the whole time, he soon began to show a slight sign of disgust and confusion as the orders were made. It was now Beauty's turn to order, she still seemed deep in thought.
"And you ma'am?" Buzzer asked cautiously.
"If you could, a large rack of ribs, don't be stingy with the sauce, and if you can, add a nice side of Mad Dog 357 hot sauce, and for a drink, you can just get me a Stinger, stirred please." as Beauty finished her order she turned back casually to see Fredric sweating, his eyes wide.
"Are you upset? You never get a Stinger stirred." Fredric's voice shook as he tried to focus on the mare's eyes, they were giving him no clues as to what she was thinking.
"No, I'm not upset," began the emotionless answer, "just disappointed."
Fredric worked his mouth in response, although for a while, no words came out. "W-well, why?"
"Because you're in that poor girl's business again, you know better!" Harpo scolded lightly with a playful slap to the stallion's arm. "Octavia has every right to run off with her idol, she deserves it! We all know she's had it harder than the rest of us."
"Don't start this again..." Fredric said rolling his eyes, "I know the story, I was there."
"Not the whole time!" Beauty finally snapped, her voice an angry whisper, "You don't know how much she just wanted to run away and join a band! Be something else and live the life of a groupie, just go traveling and being free!"
"You say that as if you always knew she liked this DJ character!" Fredric said between gritted teeth. "We only just found out about her interests! How would you know?"
"She has a diary..." Beauty huffed laying back in her seat. "I-I always knew, but I wouldn't say anything, I thought it was some stupid phase, I never had that feeling. I never liked mares. That was all Octavia, and I didn't understand it. She was always the rebellious one when we were young. Now look at her, just trying to be happy, but not weird." Beauty forced a sigh and leaned back into the table. "She was always my best friend, better than any other, and then you guys came along, I thought she would be fine, but now... now she seems different, like she's aging backwards."
"Or perhaps we're aging backwards." Harpo said waving his hoof at Buzzer as he brought the food on several trays. "Think about it, we're all immature and we have horrendous habits, we broke into a party, got drunk and crashed it, and the whole time, Octavia just wanted to meet a DJ and get an autograph. She didn't even want to break in. She's the most level headed of all of us. We should look up to her, she enjoyed youth, she still does, but she's being cautious about it."
"I guess you're right." Fredric finally said with a huff. "It doesn't change how I feel about this whole... thing with Vinyl. I don't care that Vinyl is a mare, I just think... what if Vinyl isn't right for her?"
"If you're trying to say you're better for her," Beauty began with a flat tone, moving as the food was set down, "then you would have known years ago. You are obviously not what she wants."
Fredric let out a long sigh, his hoof propping his head from the table. He turned to see Vinyl and Octavia sitting at the bar, Octavia laughing as the DJ waved her arms about making wild expressions. The conversation the two musicians shared silent to the table of three. Fredric would try every now and again to see if he could make out any words from the two mares, although it seemed, despite Octavia's giggles, there were no other words being shared. It was something Fredric couldn't understand.
'I guess... as long as you're happy, Octavia