//------------------------------// // Classical Dubtrot at the Party // Story: Luv Sic // by chaosknight72 //------------------------------// It was late into the night in Ponyville. Most of the town was ether asleep, or working the graveyard hours. A single light was a glow near the center of town, flicking gently in the cool night air that flowed past the open window. This light was nestled comfortably in the lower window of the town library. Upon first glance, anypony would assume it was Twilight burning the midnight oil with one of her many projects from the Princess. But if you payed close attention to the gentle hums on the wind, you could make out the second resident. Yes, Spike was up. A quill in one claw, and a sapphire in the other. In front of him sat blank piece of sheet music that he was gradually filling in with notes of all kinds. He had no real clue as to what sparked this fit of inspiration. Maybe it was in talking with Vinyl about Octavia, or his new found excitement to preform again much sooner than expected. Regardless the reason, he was up and working on something good. As more and more of the page began to fill up with small markings, he gained a creeping urge to test out each note. Sadly, with Twilight asleep, it would have to wait till morning or afternoon depending. He organized the pages in front of him and looked over what he had wrote down. If he was reading this right, than this was looking more and more like an apology song. “Wait, that can't be right,” he said out loud. He leaned back slightly and examined the piece of work. Trying to recall the feelings he had when he had put the down on paper. It came gradually. Year after year of struggling with what he was, and possibly what he couldn't have. The fundamental and obvious truth that he had buried for months now. His features became downcast. He let out a held breath and gained a defeated smile. “Oh yeah...That's right,” he said softly. His truth once again made itself known. He was a dragon. And now that the obvious had been stated, he slowly started to realize that even if he wanted to pursue a relationship, even if he wanted romance and love, it was never going to happen with a pony. No pony would love a dragon. Or could they? Spike looked at the ceiling in thought. Sure, things were a bust with Rarity. That much was as clear as daylight, but with Octavia. That remained about as clear as mud. Could she love him, even with the species difference? He certainly felt something for her. “Spike?” he heard somepony say from behind him. Shifting in his seat, he saw Twilight. She must have just woken up because her mane was a disheveled mess of hair. “What are you still doing up?” she asked approaching the dragon. “I couldn't really sleep,” he answered. Twilight touched his shoulder gently in a attempt to get his full attention. Once the dragon had turned fully to see her, she jerked her head towards the couch and began to walk towards it. Spike hopped down from his seat and followed suit. The siblings sitting down and making themselves comfortable. “Something on your mind?” she asked. Spike looked up at Twilight. He could see the concern in her eyes. That was always reassuring. He could tell her his thoughts, his secrets, and not fully be judged on them. He did get judged slightly when it was somethings silly, like wondering if somepony could just spontaneously explode....twice. He let out a breath and lowered his head. “Do...do you think its right for a dragon to love a pony?” he asked. Twilight blinked a couple times as the question floated in the air. She opened her mouth to respond, but found that no words came out. This was a serious, very serious, question. In all the years of chasing after Rarity, nether of them stopped to wonder the ramifications of such a union. Twilight furred her brow and began to think on the subject a little more. Though, to be honest, this was more Cadence's field of expertise. Love, from a analytical sense, are strong emotions towards something or somepony. To love, you need to put their needs ahead of your own. Support them when they need help, and be able to shoulder whatever burdens they may face. In a literal sense; yes, a dragon and pony could love each other. “Well, ummm,” Twilight started. She looked around the room, as if the words were scattered about along the bookshelves and floor. “I think that, it ugh...” she vocalized. Spike's expression was starting to shift. His fins started to droop slowly as his face seemed to grow more solemn by the second. Twilight was running out of time for her search. Taking a deep breath, she made a small hoof motion that Cadence had taught her not to long ago. Her body relaxed as her thoughts began to clear. She looked at the drake, and slowly started to smile form a smile. “Spike,” she began. “It's perfectly fine for a dragon and pony to love each other,” she stated. Spike looked up at her, his expression quickly changed to one of shock and slight confusion. As if his hopes had just been saved from the brink of destruction. “Y-you really think so?” he asked, trying desperately to shatter the last boundary keeping him from the thing he wanted. “You're not just saying that to make me feel better, right?” he asked. Twilight's smile was in full effect now. It was the kind of smile a sister gave to her brother when he needed her the most. A warm and caring smile, which conveyed more emotion than mere words could convey. “I know so,” she said. She rested a hoof on his shoulder and looked deep into those emerald eyes. He stared back into her own violet eyes as she began to speak. “Spike, wither anypony else think it's right or wrong dose not matter. What matters are the feelings that you have for your special someone. Wither it's a pony, a dragon, or whatever. As long as you love them with all your heart, than nothing is wrong with it,” she said. Spike placed his claw on her hoof and nodded. She could see a new found joy growing in his heart. Her words had hit there mark, and she couldn't be happier. “Thank you Twilight,” Spike said softly. He looked to his paper that lay upon the table he was at. He rose from his seat, going over to pick it up. He looked back to Twilight. “And what's that?” she asked looking at him with a smile. He looked to the page, and with little hesitation said what it was going to be. “This, is the last of my doubt. It's my apology, for being a dragon,” he said looking at the page. Twilight's expression was one to change now. She looked almost mortified that he would even consider being a dragon a reason to apologize. Spike maintained his gaze on the page, looking over the sheet of music as he felt the words flow through his mind. Closing his eyes, he could feel the pain of losing Rarity wash over him in waves. It no longer drove the dragon to tears thinking about it, Rather, he used it as a muse. He opened his eyes and glanced to Twilight with a small smile on his maw. “After thinking about all the times I missed my chances with Rarity, it started to dawn on me that...maybe it wasn't because of my age that she never took my advances seriously. Maybe, it was because she didn't want to be with a monster,” he said softly. “Spike, that is not true! You are no-” “I know Twilight, I'm not a monster. I'm a dragon,” he said looking her dead in her eye. “I'm just different than a pony physically in every way possible. Nothing can change what I am or what I will be. But, maybe, just maybe...I can fall in love with somepony who can see past that,” he said. He looked at the paper once more. “This song...this will be my final farewell to my feelings for Rarity. I don't know when I'll play it, or if I ever will. But once it's played, you can bet that it will be the end,” he said. Twilight still looked very much concerned. “Than, what if you fall for somepony else?” Twilight asked. Her question made Spike chuckle for a few moments before addressing her. He lifted up a small stack of blank sheet music. “When that happens, than I will tell her how I feel the only way I know how,” he said. Twilight got what he was saying. Not that he questioned “if” he ever fell in love again, but rather he was simply waiting on the “when”. With that said, she smiled again. Rising from her seat, she trotted over to the small dragon and put a hoof on his back. “Alright Spike. But for right now, we should get some sleep. You can come back to it in the morning,” Twilight suggested. It was at this time, that Spike let out a tired yawn as he placed the music back down on the table. He glanced at the song once more. Taking a quill, he wrote down the song name. The name seemed fitting, and matched the feeling of how he now felt about the whole ordeal with Rarity. Twilight read it over his shoulder. “Dream of an Absolution?” she asked. “Yeah. Like I said, it is an apology song,” he said looking up at her. She looked back at the title and then to him. “It's a beautiful name,” she said. “Come on, let's go to bed,” Twilight said ushering him towards the stairs. “Yeah yeah, I'm coming 'mom',” Spike said looking up at Twilight with a cheeky smile. The two laughed lightly as they made their way up the stairs. Once at the top, they walked into the bedroom. The sound of hooves and scales scrapping tiredly across the hard word filled the room as the siblings walked to their respective beds. Spike climbed into his bassinet, which was really starting to get to small for him. Feeling slightly cramped, he let his legs dangle a little over the edge. He grabbed the apple print blanket Applejack had given him as a gift and nestled as much as he could into the wooden confines of his bed. “Hey Twilight?” he asked out in the surrounding darkness. “Yeah? What is it Spike?” the darkness answered back. “Can we get me a new bed soon? This one's getting kinda small,” he asked between yawns. His eyes shut tight as his maw opened to its fullest extent as he sucked in air, loudly releasing it in the form of another yawn. “If we have the bits for it. We can go bed shopping tomorrow,” Twilight answered with a yawn of her own. “Cool.....night Twilight,” Spike said as his eyes began to close. “Goodnight Spike...I love you,” she said before sleep slowly took her. “I love you too,” he said back. His eyelids grew too heavy for him to keep them separated. Gradually, they closed and allowed spike to enter the world of dreams once more. ~ Morning came what felt like a short time after Spike had closed his eyes to rest. The golden rays of the sun once more shined down on the dragon with the same disregard for his sleep as it always did. The light managed to force its way to his eyes through his eyelids, causing him to groan as his sweet blissful sleep was ripped from him. “One morning...can there just be one morning where the sun doesn't wake me up?” he asked mumbling loudly. With a loud grunt, he rose from his bed and looked about the room. Twilight was still nestled in her bed. The morning light seemed to completely ignore her sleeping frame, as it hadn't quite reached her yet. “And of course she gets the good spot,” he grumbled, his voice caked with envy for the sleeping mare. He shuffled his claws along the ground, exiting the room, going down the stairs, and made his way to the kitchen. Once there, he started on breakfast. A normal practice at this point. A nice garden salad was always Twilight's favorite way to start the day. He opened the fridge up and took out the necessary greens and vegetables. He let out a sigh and closed the fridge door, only to be greeted with a massive screen of pink now flooding his range of sight. His eyes trailed up to see a pair of bright blue eyes staring back at him. He blinked, and he assumed the eyes did as well. Spike let out a tired sigh and lowered his head before looking up again. “Morning Pinkie,” he said in a rather monotone way. His response made the mass of pink smile and start hopping around the room. “And a goooooooooooooooood morning to you Spike!” she shouted. Spike simply smiled and rolled his eyes a little as she seemed overly excited this morning. But then again, this was Pinkie Pie we're talking about. He started to lightly toss the salad when Pinkie hopped back into his range of sight. “You'll never guess what happened today~” she said in a rather song like tone. Spike, ever one for a good guessing game, decided to play along. “Hmm,” he said turning towards her. He rested his claw on his chin and leaned against the counter as he looked at Pinkie. She was lightly bouncing around as if she needed to pee, but that wouldn't be a reason to seem so excited. “You got your mane cut?” he asked. “Noooooope,” she retorted with a big smile. “You ate 20 cupcakes in one sitting?” he asked taking another stab at it. Pinkie looked at him with a cocked smile. “Please Spikey, I can do that in my sleep. Keep guessing!” she shouted. Spike thought once more. Suddenly he realized what she may have been talking about. “Your throwing a party soon,” he said snapping his fingers. Pinkie's face lit up with excitement as she bounced around even more now. “Yes I am!” she shouted loudly. Spike folded his arms in victory. It was so obvious that she'd be excited abou- “But still no,” she said cutting off Spike's train of thought. He physically slipped up a bit and slid down the base of the counter. Spike regained his footing after she shot him a quick look of concern. “I'm fine,” he answered before she could ask. “I give up, what's got you so excited? He asked. Pinkie's eye glimmered as she whipped her head up. Out of her mane shot, what looked like a large piece of cardboard. It descended quickly, landing in her waiting hooves. Spike's mouth hung open, as he gazed at his own album. Pinkie had the biggest grin on her face as she held it out for him to see. “I saw it in the window of the music store! Isn't this awesome!?!?!” she questioned shoving it in his face. Spike couldn't talk. No literally, he couldn't talk. Pinkie had effectively shoved the album over his mouth in her excitement. He mumbled something against the album, trying to speak. “I knew Vinyl and Octavia did lots of music stuff, but I had NO idea you did too!!!” she screamed. She pulled the album away and snatched up the dragon into a bone crushingly tight hug. Spike grunted out loudly trying to get any kind of air to fill his lungs. “Pinkie.....can't.....breath,” he managed to get out. Pinkie unceremoniously dropped him onto the ground. The now gasping dragon slowly picked himself up off the ground and dusted himself off. He looked at the album once more. “You really bought it?” he asked. Not really to her, but to himself. “Of course I bought it! If I didn't then that would be stealing,” she said with a wide grin. The logic was sound, but not quite what Spike meant by the question. “I haven't listened to it yet, but I figure we could listen to it together,” she said with a massive grin. Spike was still rather tongue tied about seeing his own E.P in front of him. Was this what other new artists and musicians felt like? He stored that question away for a much later time. Shaking off the look of dumbfoundedness he was currently sporting, Spike nodded his head. To which, Pinkie let loose a squeal and darted into the other room with Spike following close behind. They had a record player, which never really got much use, that was there for the listening pleasure of the library goers. Handing the album over to Spike using her hair, Spike set up the record player and began playing the album. What they were greeted to was a crisp, clean sound of the opening beat to Luv Sic. Pinkie sat still, listening quite intently to the words, melodies, and feelings that the song portrayed. Spike felt the familiar feelings that had been the muse of the piece, and smiled softly to himself. As the song continued, a 3rd listener joined the two. Twilight, who had finally risen from her slumber, was seemingly charmed out of bed by the music and had to investigate. What she found was Pinkie Pie and Spike, sitting quietly listening to Spike's voice coming through the speaker. She sat close to Spike, nudging him lightly to alert him of her presence. She cast a gentle grin down at him, one that he returned in kind. He leaned against her slightly, allowing her to rest her head on top of his own. When the song ended, all parties were set in a relaxed state. Pinkie turned to speak, but the sound of the piano swaying into the next song took her attention once more. While these 3 listened to the soothing melodies, Vinyl was approaching the library at a rather casual pace. She had a goal in mind for today; get together with Spike to work on a killer track for Pinkie's up coming party. It was straight forward plan, though she did have a bit of reserve about talking to him. Especially after her dream the night prior. Princess Luna seemed to be an advocate for the three musicians to be together, but that still didn't change the fact that she would have to ask Spike and Octavia respectively about it. Once close enough to the Library, Vinyl's ears picked up the vocal range of the drake she was looking for. She recognized the rhythm of his solo song that he had preformed during Neon's test. It still amazed her that he could produce such music at what felt like a young age. Her hooves stopped their forward momentum just at the door to the library. There, she waited a few moments for the music to end before assaulting the door with a series of knocks Through the laps of music, Spike heard the sound of a hoof against the front door. He had already heard and played the next song many times, so he decided to get up and greet whoever it was at the door. “Hey Scale Head,” Vinyl greeted as Spike opened the door. Spike's eyes lit up a little bit at the sight of the white unicorn. “Hey Vi. What brings you around this time of morning?” Spike asked. Vinyl smiled and rubbed the dragon's head. “Nothin' much Scales. Actually I came by to ask you to help me put together a piece for the party in a couple days,” she said explaining. The word 'party' seemed to act as a trigger for Pinkie, who's ears twitched and her eyes bugged out and glazed over. “PARTY!!!” she shouted before bolting towards the source of the new voice. In a burst of speed that would make Rainbow Dash envious, Pinkie went from the record player to crashing into Vinyl in the blink of an eye. Catching almost everypony there by surprise, accept for Spike. He, having registered that Pinkie was in the room, and the word “Party” was mentioned, had stepped out of the door way in time to avoid being caught in the tackle. He carried a rather smug smile on his maw as he looked at Pinkie, who was staring down at Vinyl with half glazed over eyes. Blinking a few times allowed her bright blue eyes to adjust and see just who was under her. “Vinyl!” she shouted before pulling the mare up into a bone shattering hug. The D.J did her best to resist, but ultimately started to tap out. “Pinkie! You're crushing me!!!” she shouted out trying to escape the pink mare's grasp. Pinkie blinked a few more times before just dropping Vinyl right on her flank, causing Spike to start laughing and Twilight to finally approach the door. “What in the world of Equestria is going on?” she asked looking at the still laughing dragon. “Oh....oh man my sides hurt,” he said between giggle fits. He was doubled over in laughter, making vain attempts to cease his laughing at the mare's expense. Vinyl was none too happy about his constant laughter, but on the other hoof couldn't really blame him. She'd have done the same if the positions were reversed. Finally getting to her hooves, she looked towards Twilight. “Hey Twilight. Just came by to see if I can borrow ol' scales for brains over there,” she said with a light laugh. “Spike?” she asked looking down to the dragon. He was at a vertical base once more, but was still suffering a mild case of the giggles. “That's the one,” she said gesturing at him. “That is of course if his r-” she began. Spike's laughter stopped immediately. “WelllookslikeIgottago.I'llSeeyalaterTwilight!” Spike said in a rather hurried fashion before leaving her side and darting towards Vinyl. The white mare just started laughing and took off in a B-line straight for her house with Spike screaming obscenities at her. “Huh, I wonder what that was about,” Twilight said aloud. Looking to her side, she saw Pinkie standing next to her. “Probably just Vinyl teasing Spike about being royalty,” she said rather matter of fact like. “Oh, I see,” Twilight said softly. “...” “...” “Pinkie?” “Yeah?” “How did you know Spike was a prince?” “You just told me” “Oh” A still silence befell the two. Though if one could look inside the mind of Twilight Sparkle, it would be a much different story. In her mind, she was slamming her head against a desk in a repeated fashion. Calling herself an idiot for letting such a simple slip of the tongue happen in such a casual setting. “So dose this mean I can throw him a party for being a prince?” Pinkie asked. “Sigh....only when he's ready to tell everypony,” she said softly. With that said, Twilight turned back and headed inside of her home. The gentle melodies of his playing still going through the air of the room. Pinkie smiled and bounced her way back inside after her. ~ Down the street, Vinyl was still laughing and running at full speed as she was pursued by the adolescent drake. She finally slowed to a stop once she had reached her home and decided to wait for him there. After a few moments, he finally arrived. Clearly winded and out of breath. “Oh come on Scale Head, that was not that bad of a run,” she said with a huge grin. “Shove...it....up...oh my lungs hurt.....your flank,” he said looking up at her with a great deal of malice. His angered stare only made Vinyl smile wider at the dragon before leading him up into her house. Pushing the door open, the two walked in and went immediately up the stairs to Vinyl's room. Spike craned his head to the side, checking to see where Octavia was. “Is Octavia up yet?” he asked curiously. “I mean, not that I'm overly concerned or anything. It's just I haven't seen her since...” “Yesterday. Dude you have got it bad don't you?” Vinyl asked rather bluntly. To which Spike could only sigh and try to stave off the blush that was slowly creeping onto his scales. His head hung for a few moments before Vinyl spoke up again. “You really like her don't you?” she asked. Spike just kinda gained a goofy grin and scratched the back of his head. That was all the response she needed to make her smile slyly at the drake. “Annnnnyway, you said you wanted some help on a track?” he asked. Vinyl nodded and opened the door to her room, ushering him inside. He watched Vinyl walk over to the only neat and orderly corner of the room where all of her equipment was. Every bit of electronic equipment, audio disk , and whatever else she needed under the sun was neatly organized via color, purpose, track, and other varying forms of sorting. The dragon had to do a double take looking at the one small beacon of organization. “Yeah, I've been trying to find a melody to tie it all together,” she said. Her horn began to glow in her arcane power. Using her magic, she put up a sound proof barrier around her room. “Just a little somethin' somethin' ta keep Tavi from yelling at me when I’m mixing it up,” she said with a smirk. With that done, she approached a sound board and with keyboard attached to it. With a flick of her switch, her equipment came to life with a series of hums and whirls. Pushing some stuff off to the side on her bed, Spike sat down as the D.J prepared to do her thing. With a few more flicks of switches and a few button presses on her display, a series of melodies began to fill the air. It started out as basic fair, your typical dub-trot track as he had now gotten use to listening to. It wasn't until they reached the of the song did spike start to hear very familiar melodies. He instantly recognized them as all the little songs, or at the least parts of them, that Pinkie was known for singing around town. But Vinyl was right, it was missing a melody to carry it long. “So what do you think?” Vinyl asked as the song ended. Spike placed a claw to his chin, lightly stroking it to come up with a solution to her problem. “I like it, but you have a point in that it's missing something. But what?” he asked lightly. This was not gonna be easy. “If I had my piano than I’d be able to pluck at keys till something stuck,” he said thoughtfully. Vinyl hummed putting her hoof to her chin. “Well, it's not like yours, but I have a key board that has a regular piano setting. You wanna try that?” she asked. That caught Spike's attention. With a smile and a nod, Vinyl showed him to her keyboard. It was fairly new quality for a electric keyboard, still having some of the maker stickers along it's face. Touching the plastic keys, the dragon attempted to get a feel for it. Giving one of the keys an experimental press he was greeted with the shrill cry of an air horn blasting. “Sweet mother of Celestia!” he shouted and backed off of the device. “What in the name of Cerberus was that!?” he shouted. The only response he got was from Vinyl, who was now snickering to herself. “Sorry about that, still had it set to sound effects,” she said trying to reign in her giggles. Pressing a few buttons on it's face, she switched it back to piano mode. “Should be good for you now,” she said with a laugh. “Hey, you figure this out, I'm gonna get something to drink. Want anything?” she asked. Spike approached the piano a little more tentatively as he pressed a key, being greeted with the electronic generated note that he desired. Releasing a held breath, he looked to Vinyl. “Tea if you got it. Just bring me a pot with water and some leaves and I'll take care of the rest,” he said pressing the keys a few more times. “You got it chief,” She said exiting the room. As the white unicorn made her way down the hall, her range on her soundproofing spell soon fizzled and the protective barrier died out. The thought of it clearly not on her mind as she made her way to the kitchen. As she rummaged about in the kitchen, the second upstairs door opened up slowly. Octavia finally rose from her much needed slumber. Rubbing the specs of sleep from her tired eyes with her hoof, she made her way to the bathroom. “A few splashes of water and I'll be right as rain,” she mused still suffering from the fatigue of sleep. She passed by Vinyl's open door, not really thinking much of it. The wild party mare usually left it open when she came home drunk off her flank, or when she was just too lazy to close it. But as she approached the bathroom, a sound came from the room that she had never heard before. At first it didn't really register with her, a minor thing that could easily be written off as being in her head. But when the sound came again it warranted a bit more attention. Turning her head back to the door, she raised an eyebrow. “That sounded like a piano...” she said. Her words trailing off as she slowly approached the door. “Why would Vinyl need to use a piano....” she said. Her thoughts immediately shot to the drake that she had been thinking quite heavily on over the past few days. How he would stroke the keys with elegance and poise. Each note he struck seeming to blind well with the harmonies that were wrapped in his mind just waiting to be released. And that half lidded gaze that he wore when he played was just so... “What am I thinking? Spike isn't even here,” she said shacking her head lightly. She couldn't help but let out a light giggle. “I must be dreaming if I think he's...here...” she said. Her words slowly petering to a whisper as she looked into Vinyl's room. She now had confirmation, Spike was in her home. Plucking away at the keys on the keyboard. Her heart began to speed up, now loudly pounding inside her chest. Her cheeks began to warm beneath her her lush gray fur, her eyes locked on the drake as he idly tapped keys. “No....” he said under his breath. He struck another key, only getting the same result. This process had begun at the lower end of the spectrum and had been working it's way steadily to the upper side of it. Each note resulting in some manor of failure in his eyes. “What am I doing wrong? Maybe I'm just over thinking it,” he mused to himself. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes he attempted to quell his thoughts. He released that breath a moment later, his eyes gradually opening back up until they were in a half lidded gaze at the keys. “Just let it flow...” he whispered softly. Octavia felt her breath hitch in her throat watching him. It was like watching a master painter take his first stroke. The anticipation killing her to hear what was going to come from it. By this time, Vinyl had made her way back to the door way. She spotted Octavia and tilted her head to the side. “Tavi?” “Shh...wait,” the cellist said gently putting a hoof to Vinyl's lips. Vinyl's eyes denoted a look of annoyance until she peered into the room. Now seeing what Octavia was seeing, she let out a sigh and waited. Spike, unknowingly, was about to put on a show. His claws fell, touching several notes at once. “There,” he said. Picking his claws up again he began to play. The melody could be described as a peaceful, other worldly tone. In Spike's mind, small creatures of varying sizes and colors were playing in lush meadows of light greens and blues. He played from his heart, with his imagination as his guide. Every key he touched only adding to the peaceful feeling that he was creating. Nothing was wrong now. No problems with other ponies, no worries about getting things done. The only thing that mattered at this point was the music. And the music was softly persuading all that could listen to relax and enjoy the beautiful planet that they called home. At some point's the melody would grow quicker, but only to drive it further and further that this world was full of beauty and wonder. The listening party was awestruck once more. This only having happened once since they had first learned of the drake's skills on the keys. It really made them wonder as to how such natural talent had remained within shadows for so long. Classical backgrounds be damned, Vinyl was loving this peace. Her rose colored eyes remaining locked on the dragon that was gradually capturing her heart. She could feel her eyelids growing heavy, the soothing sounds nestling her into a pacified state of bliss. She wondered just what world Spike saw while he was playing. Where was he now? Octavia was not fairing much better. Her eyes remained open, but they held a tunnel like gaze on Spike's claws. Watching them move so fluidly, so gracefully. It was almost tear worthy, and only she and Vinyl could hear it in it's rawest form. She could easily thank the sun and moon for such a blessing. But it was slowly fading. As the song reached it's end, the world within their minds had reached it's twilight. The golden sun dying the world in a golden radiance as the last note was stroke. Spike seemed to return to the material world, his journey to the one within his mind over with as his creation echoed within his mind. Blinking a few times to orient himself, he looked up and turned towards the door. He was met by two pairs of eyes, watching him with such captured attention. Both of them seemed to have held their breath through the duration of the piece. They were releasing light pants, their faces a blush from the unintentional lack of air flow to their bodies. They finally noticed Spike looking at them, causing the two mare's to snap back to the world as well. “Umm, hey guys,” Spike said rather awkwardly. He still was far from use to having ponies watch him play. The looks that the two had as he was in his other worldly screamed that they had been there for some time, only making the dragon feel a little more awkward in his own scales. “So...do you think you can use that Vinyl?” he asked meekly. His eyes were shifting around, as was he in his own seat trying to recapture the comfort he once had. “Are you kidding me? That was beautiful,” she admitted. That one statement caught Octavia and Spike off guard. Vinyl never refereed to something, anything, in such a manner. Once the initial shock of what she had said wore off, the two classical players looked to one another. “I think I can use that, did you record it?” she asked. Once she asked that, Spike looked around at the keyboard and saw a flashing red light with the word recording above it. “Umm I guess...did you set it to record earlier?” he asked looking to her. Vinyl could only smile and nod her head happily. “This is gonna be sweet,” she said moving over to her. “One side scale head,” she said lifting him with her magic and then throwing him to the bed. Spike was met with several bottles and cloths that both muffled and clanked as he landed. Octavia shot Vinyl a quick glared before going over to help the drake. “Are you alright?” She asked softly once Spike was free of the cloths. He took in a deep breath and righted his posture. “Yeah, I'm fine,” he said. He looked up to Octavia, doing a double take as he realized that it was his crush. The two of them held a gaze for a few moments before looking away rather bashfully. Spike stole a few glances at Octavia, who he found was doing the same. Her cheeks a nice light shade of red against her gray fur. He was about to say something, when he found himself enveloped in Vinyl's magical aura. He felt himself be lifted and placed outside of the room. “Alright, every pony out. I need to work with what I've got,” Vinyl said. Octavia shot the mare a rather unamused look before exiting right behind Spike. The cellist closed the door and let out a soft sigh. “I'm so sorry about that Spike. When Vinyl get's into a project, she tends to become a bit of a recluse,” Octavia explained. “No problem. I can understand that feeling,” Spike said remembering his own writing stint from the night before. A rather awkward, yet some how welcome, silence hung over the two. Both rather just content with giving the other light gazes. “Would you care for some tea?” Octavia asked, finally breaking the silence. Spike looked to her, a smile steadily forming on his face. But that smile soon shifted to a frown as he looked to the door. “Vinyl was going to grab me some water and leaves,” he said mildly disappointed. Looking back to Octavia, he couldn't help but to smile and beam at the mare. The cellist gave him a light smile in return, though her smile was not as unbridled as his, it still displayed happiness upon seeing the drake. “Well, from past experience, Vinyl will be in there for quite some time. We can have tea in the kitchen,” Octavia said turning towards the hallway entrance and began to casually trot. The small dragon followed after her rather quickly and began to match her pace when he was closer. The air in the hall and the proceeding room was not as awkward now. More or less the tension had up and resolved itself. Octavia lead the way into the kitchen; Spike finding his way to a chair near the table. His head swiveled a few times here and there as he observed and looked over the relatively tame dinning/ kitchen area. The only real eye catching thing was their dishwasher, which seemed to be equipped with....speakers? He crocked an eyebrow looking at the device. It held his attention for so long that when Octavia returned to his side, she could follow his gaze towards it and let out a sigh. “That was Vinyl's idea,” she said in a rather defeated tone. Her voice jarred Spike, drawing his attention towards her. “She had speculated that high decibels would help clean dishes much more effectively. As it turns out....she was right,” Octavia said with a low groan. Spike could only smile slightly and chuckle to himself. “Must be rough living with a D.J,” he said. For some reason, that remark garnered a smile from the gray mare. She shot him a glance before lifting her head. “Must be difficult living with a very controlling mother,” she said. Spike blanched for a second, his face twisting in confusion for a moment before he realized she was talking about Twilight. “Oh!” he exclaimed a bit louder than he intended. He covered his mouth quickly before chuckling nervously. “Twi isn't really my mother. She's more like a big sister. I only started living with her when I was 15,” he commented. “That's when I started as her apprentice/ assistant,” he said with a smile. It didn't really dawn on him until now that Octavia didn't know much about his past. “Oh,” she said placing a hoof over her mouth. “I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to assume,” she said trying to make up for the unknown blunder. “It's alright. You wouldn't believe how many ponies make that mistake,” he said with a laugh. Octavia couldn't help but giggle a little bit as well. This was the atmosphere that she enjoyed with Spike around. Full of laughter and good times. Small talk was made; the exploration of music and the things that lead them down their paths. In Octavia's case, it was almost destiny. “ My father, Philharmonic, was an accomplished composer in his time. He worked with great talent and would constantly travel Equestria. Of course coming with that amount of responsibility and reputation, it didn't really call for much time spent at home with mother and I,” she began. “I had come home from school one day, running as fast as my legs could. He was finally home from an extended tour,” she said softly looking up as she recalled. As she had been speaking, Spike was making the tea. His emerald flames in a constant stream from his mouth as he held the pot of water. Once it had begun to whistle, he placed the tea leaves into a small strainer and ran the water over them and into another pitcher. The scolding hot liquid now a light amber color as it poured. He took his eyes off of that for a moment to observe the distant look in Octavia's eyes. A small smile played on her lips as she spoke once more. “I knew I would only have a moment to capture his attention. He had brought along a few of the jazz string from his current ensemble. I tried so hard to get his attention, but he was to wrapped up in conversing with them to even give me a look,” her head hung slightly. The distant memories of neglect slowly crept into her gaze that now stared into the void. “So I tried something,” her eyes closed as she could clearly hear the first G-chord she played. “I took the cellist's cello and set it up with a stool. Holding the bow in my fetlock, I ran it across the strings. I didn't know what I was playing, nor did I rightly care...I just wanted him to notice me,” she said. A smile soon swept away the light frown on her face as she let out a soft laugh as she spoke. “It did the trick because everypony was watching me. My little hooves running up the neck of the instrument as I drew the bow back and forth. And by the time I was finished, I looked to see my father, staring proudly at me. He picked me up and held me like he never had before. The feeling of warmth from his embrace was so amazing and so welcome,” she said with a smile. “And it' wasn't until somepony pointed it out, that I had received my cutie mark. After that, he canceled his next tour, and spent it at home. Where he should have been,” she sighed finishing her tail. Spike had been sipping his tea lightly, rather engrossed at the story she had been weaving for him to listen to. “Wow...that's amazing,” he said in such a small voice that she could barely register he spoke. She gave a soft laugh in response. “Yes, well, that was quite the long time ago. What about you, are your parents proud of your musical accomplishments?” Octavia asked, quite curious as to how the dragon would respond. For only a flicker of a second, she saw what could only be described as total sadness was over him. But just as soon as it came, it was gone. “My birth parents are...well, they were killed in the great dragon war,” he said softly. He ran his thumb along the rim of his cup, his eyes fixed on the liquid. Octavia put her hoof over her mouth, both shocked and appalled at herself for even asking the question. She made an attempt to speak, but she saw Spike's lips move before she could get a word out. “I'd like to think they are proud...Princess Celestia always told me that my dad was one of the front runners for dragon ethics. And that he believed that we dragons could be much more than the unruly and greed driven monsters everypony thinks we are,” he said. He heard two hooves slam on the table in front of him. Immediately drawing his attention. His eyes widened and he took in the mare who was now leaning over the table and almost nose to nose with him. “Let me make one thing abundantly clear to you Spike. You shall not, nor will you ever within this house or within my ear shot call yourself a monster. Do I make myself clear?” she asked. The question felt rhetorical. As if any other answer than “yes” would end with a verbal and potentially physical lashing. The only thing he could do was nod rather vigorously. “Yes ma'am,” he said in a rather hurried tone. It took a moment for it to actually sink in for both of them, but they were rather close to each other. Octavia took notice of this first, examining the scales on the young drake. All of them looked so tough and hardened to protect against any and everything thrown his way, with the exception of some particular scales; the ones that made up his lips. Unlike the others they carried a soft gloss to them, as if he had recently wet them. They looked rather soft, easily malleable, and rather tempting. Spike too had the time to examine features. He remembered the soft feel of her fur against his hand, the digits still able to pull the memory as if it had just happened but a moment ago. His eyes shifted to her eyes, which were staring right back at him. The world around them seem to blur and distort as they focused souly on the other's eyes. They were lost within a sea of emerald and purple hues. Suddenly, his eye lids grew rather heavy. A soft smell tickling his nose. This scent...it's nice Spike thought to himself. The source of such a wonderful aroma was dead in front of him. Without thinking much of it, he pressed forward slightly, his nose leading the way. On the other side of the spectrum, Octavia was enraptured by the warmth and smell coming from the drake. He smelled of something so sweet, but with a light hint of fire. Marshmallows perhaps? she questioned. She too found herself irresistibly drawn to the source of the smell. As the two leaned, their noses touched, but neither gave way. There was no hesitation, no sudden jerk in thinking that this was a horrible idea. In fact, it was welcome. Allowing what felt right to just flow. Like a beat and a melody...they go together they thought for the briefest of moments. Tilting their heads to the side ever so slightly, they each allowed the other access to their lips. The gap closing slowly, painfully slowly. They were so close, the feeling of the other's breath against their lips was becoming maddening. With the faintest feeling of a spark between them, something happened. “IT LIVES!!!!!!!!” Vinyl screamed loudly. The two musicians jerked back. A scream coming from the two of them as they had been forcefully ripped from their own little piece of existence and thrown back into the world of the living. Spike had literally thrown himself so far back that he crashed against the back of his seat and it toppled over. Octavia had the darkest blush on her cheeks, her eyes wide and iris' small. She had a hoof to her chest, trying to feel her heart. That particular part of her anatomy was beating at sub light speed. “SCALES! OCTAVIA! Get up here!!!” Vinyl screamed out. The Spike had gotten to his feet and was still panting rather heavily. The two stole a glance at the other, their blushes now fully consuming their faces as they made a b-line for Vinyl's room. Not even able to fully muster a look, they stood outside the door. Spike took the gentle drake approach and opened the door for Octavia. Earning him a hushed thank you as the two entered. “ 'bout time you two got here. What were you doing, making out or something?” Vinyl asked rather rudely. That one statement sent the musical duo into a frenzy of stammers and mixed explanations. “Blah blah blah. Shut up and listen. So I was able to sample some of Pinkie's random songs that she sings a lot around town. And mixed it with the piano part you put down earlier. Check it,” she said hitting the play button. The second that the track started, the stammering two fell silent and were rather engrossed by the high speed synths and drums coming from the speakers. Softly at first and gradually growing louder, the piano part that Spike had given here came to the forefront and mixed well with the now subtle drums and beats. Stopping the track there, Vinyl smirked and looked back. “Am I good or am I good?” she asked. Spike had a massive smile on his face as he was now able to give feedback. “That was awesome! I can't believe you mixed that with what I gave you so fast,” he commented. Octavia was still in shock that the beautiful piano melody had mixed so well with her usual synthetic sound. “I'm at a bit of a loss for words,” Octavia said. This caused Vinyl to shoot her a rather amused look. “Looks like I can still leave Octy speechless,” she quipped. This earned a massive blush and a near roar from the cellist. “VINYL!” she shouted. “Oh keep your bow tie on Octy, I'm just playing around. And trust me, this thing is far from perfect. I just need to work on it more and then it will be the headliner for Pinkie's party,” she said turning back and going back to work. This left Octavia and Spike in a bit of an awkward stance. “I ugh...i should probably head back home. Twilight probably hasn't eaten yet since Vinyl kinda snagged me up like the last time,” Spike said. He was still doing his best to avoid Octavia's gaze. She really couldn't blame him after the short exchange the two had. “Right. It was a...pleasure to have you over this morning,” Octavia said rather hushed and behind her raised hoof. The two stood silently for a moment, just recalling the soft fragrances and feelings they had felt. “Hey! In working here! Get out!” Vinyl shouted. Spike and Octavia soon found themselves being pushed out of the room and the door slamming behind them. They both blinked a few times before looking to the door and then to each other. They began chuckling until it became full blown laughter. “I'll walk you out,” Octavia said leading Spike to the door. “So you are coming to Pinkie's party tomorrow?” she asked as they neared the front door. “Yeah, it's probably gonna be another big blow out like always,” Spike said chuckling. “And now that we have a taste of some of the music, it's gonna be even more awesome,” he said with a knowing smile. Octavia mirrored his smile and only nodded in agreement. Spike opened the door and turned back to Octavia. “Well, I'll see you tomorrow Octavia,” he said with a smile. Before he could process what was happening, Octavia's lips had touched down on his cheek. Unlike what many ponies thought, he could feel through his scales. And right now, his brain was going into over load. He could hear a very fine moan coming from her throat as she pressed to his scaly cheek. Her eyes closed as she allowed this one moment to last as long as she wanted. Pulling away gently, he saw that blush across her muzzle. “I will see you tomorrow Spike,” she said gently. Spike's eyes were glued to her, his own cheeks a blaze. He wordlessly nodded before taking a misstep and falling onto the walkway. Octavia stretched out a hoof but Spike was quick to get back up. “I'm OK!” he called out laughing nervously and trying to find his footing. As he walked away, Octavia couldn't help but giggle to herself watching the dumb struck dragon shamble his way away from the door. Once he was out of sight, she lightly shut the door and could not shake the smile that was on her lips. The thoughts of the young drake nearly kissing her back sent her mind and heart a flutter. The sweet and long forgotten feeling of anxiety and light frustration from being so close to something and then having it pulled lightly out of reach was pleasantly renewed within her mind and heart. “Maybe next time...we won't get interrupted,” she said softly to herself. Her hoof lightly touched her lips, savoring the feeling of his scales. She couldn't stop herself from giggling again as she trotted back to the living room and cleaned up the left over tea makings and pot. For the rest of the day, even during her usual practice time, Octavia held a smile. Such pleasant feelings and emotions swelled within her chest. On his way back to the library, Spike too carried those feelings tightly. He never felt this way when it concerned Rarity. It didn't hit him until he touched the handle of the library door that he had forgotten to talk to Octavia about what they should play at the beneficial. Mentally slapping himself, he opened the door of the library, only to see Twilight having tackled pinkie. The party mare had streamers and confetti in her mouth trying to get it all over the place. Looking up, he saw a “Prince Spike” banner. Looking back to the scuffling two, he let his head hang and his shoulders slouch. “Jeez. It's ok that she knows,” he called out loud enough to be heard. The two mares ceased their fighting, Pinkie acquiring a massive grin as she darted to Spike and circled him several times talking at high speed. “OhmygoshSpikey!Ican'tbelieveyouareaPrince!!!DoseCelestiaknow!?WhatamIsaying?Ofcoursesheknowsyouareheradopted-GASP!!!!!!YOURTHEPRINCESS'SON!!!!” she screamed snatching the dragon up in her hooves and holding him up high. She started shaking him violently. “ THIS IS AMAZING!?!?!?!?!? WHY DIDNT YOU TELL US SOONER!! WHY SPIKE WHY!!!!” she shouted questioning him. Only able to muster a single press, he silenced her with his claw. “PINKIE!” he shouted. She stared wide eyed at his claw and then back to him. She put him down and sat back on her haunches, listening now. “Thank you. To answer your question, I couldn't because it was Celestia's rule for me. I don't want ponies treating me different or thinking I'm a total snob like my cousin Blue Blood,” he said looking up at her. “So it has to be our secret. Pinkie Promise,” he said going through the motions. Pinkie smiled and nodded vigorously, mirroring his motions. “Buuuuuuut can I still throw you a party?” she asked. Spike looked to Twilight before smiling. “As long as it's just the three of us,” he said with a smile. Twilight could only smile and nod as the party pony exploded with excitement. The three partying all day after Twilight flipped the Open sign to closed. ~ It always seems like the morning sun crept up on ponies. Spike was a normal victim of sudden sunlight, but this time he was not alone. Through the single sliver in her drawn curtains, Vinyl was stabbed in the face by the light of day. Letting out a loud and frustrated grunt, her eyes opened. The sensation of something rather uncomfortable on her face. Lifting her head, she was greeted by the dull blue glow of her computer screen and a flashing text bubble. “Wha?” she asked slightly. She blinked a few times to clear up her vision. Once that was done, she could read it properly. [All Previous Unsaved Work has been Deleted] She blinked a few more times, even going as far as to rub her eyes to make sure she was reading it properly. When realization struck, it hit with the force of a runaway train. Her eyes grew wide, her horn began to glow, and she suffered from a magical overload as she screamed at the top of her lungs. From a distance, ponies could notice the roof of her home blow off and then land shortly after. “You gotta be Bucking kidding me!!!!” she roared out. Her head shot to the side, towards her door, as she heard rather urgent knocks on it. “Vinyl! Vinyl are you alright in there!?” Octavia questioned. Obvious worry in her urgent voice. Vinyl rushed over to the door. Opening it to see Octavia standing there looking worried, very worried. “The roof blew off and you were screaming. What happened?” she asked. Vinyl grunted in frustration before leading Octavia in and showing her her computer. “It's all gone. Pinkie's mix that I made with Spike gone. I passed out on my keyboard and must have deleted it without saving it,” the D.J berated herself while smacking her head on her desk. She felt a hoof touch her back. Leaning her head to the side to see Octavia, she saw that the cellist had gotten quite close to her. The hoof began stroking between Vinyl's shoulder blades to help ease her tension. “Calm down Vinyl, it's going to be alright,” Octavia said soothingly. Vinyl leaned her back into the smooth stroking hoof, allowing a great deal of the stress to leave her body. A small smile stretched across her muzzle before she responded. “You're right. But there isn't too much time before Pinkie's party. I don't know what to do,” Vinyl said closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling more. “I'm certain Spike wouldn't mind helping you out once more. But as far as having it recorded for party, I don't know how you will manage it,” Octavia said nuzzling Vinyl gently. This type of comforting was something the two had not done in quite some time. Octavia thinking that something about Spike having brought back some of the levels of tenderness in her heart. But that was just speculation. Vinyl's head shot up. Her eyes wide as she got an idea. “Buck it! We'll do it live! Tavi you are a genius!” she shouted grabbing the mare by her face and pulling her into a kiss. Octavia's eyes widened, the familiar feeling of Vinyl's lips flooding her with every positive memory of their past relationship. Her eyes grew half lidded for a moment before Vinyl backed off. Her horn glowing and packing almost everything she needed. “I'll see you at the party!” she shouted running out the door and onto her massive portable speaker system. Octavia just sat down, her lips still tingling lightly. Her eyes seemed to shimmer in the dull light of Vinyl's room. Looking at the door the mare just left out of, she could not shake the small smile forming on her lips. But with that pleasing image, came another; Spike. Her eyes opened fully. “What am I doing?” she questioned herself. Budding feelings of Spike, rekindled flames of Vinyl. The storm in Octavia's heart began. A choice was needed to be made, but not just yet. Feelings, like any other complicated task, needed to be sorted out before confronting them. While Octavia pondered her current emotional turmoil, Vinyl was on full blast to the library. She gave no regards to the harmless door in her way as she kicked it in. “SPIKE!!!!” She screamed out. This got the attention of the residents and forced them from their beds in a hurry. Spike ran to the stairs, tumbling down them from a miss step. As he was about to hit the ground, he was snatched up by her magic and brought face to face with her. “No time to explain!” she shouted before bolting out the door again. Twilight arrived to see the aftermath and the dragon getting whisked away. ~ Several hours passed, and Pinkie's party was underway. During her set up, Vinyl arrived with Spike. She had apologized at least 5 times. Spike was far less receptive of the apologize this time around considering she had literally ripped him from his home in the early morning. “For the fifth time, shut up Vinyl,” he grumbled loudly as they set up her equipment. Vinyl grumbled as well, the dragon having given her no slack since she dragon-napped him again. “So tell me again, what happened?” Spike asked as he started pulling stuff from Vinyl's cart and began setting up the D.J booth. “Like I said; while mixing the track together to be the cat's meow, I fell asleep on my keyboard and accidentally deleted the part you worked on. So I got the idea of us just preforming it live,” she said setting up speakers into position. Spike looked back at her. “All well and good, but did you meed to drag me out of bed that early in the morning?” “Scales, buddy, at this point you know I don't exactly 'think' before I do anything,” she quipped. “....fair,” the dragon said rather begrudgingly. The two musicians finished their set up. Right behind the D.J booth, they had arranged Vinyl's electronic keyboard with a few amps and tweeters. “You sure this is gonna work?” he asked. “Not a clue, but even if it doesn't work out, it will still be awesome,” she said. “You guys ready to party!?” Pinkie shouted running over to the two. Vinyl smirked, her shades dropping into position. “These ponies can't handle these wubs of Destruction!” she shouted. This caused Spike to roll his eyes but at the same time, he couldn't help but smile. Off in the crowd, a gathering of several familiar mares could bee seen. Twilight had been chatting rather casually with Pinkie before the pink party pony dashed away to check in with Vinyl and Spike. “Yo Egghead!” a raspy voice called out to her. Turning around, she saw the rainbow maned Pegasus land near her and trot over. “Awesome party huh?” Rainbow asked looking to all the partying and playing ponies. “I'd say Pinkie has done it again,” Twilight said in observation. Rainbow could only smile, holding onto a mug of Apple family Cider in her hoof. Looking in the direction of Pinkie, she did a double take as she saw Spike of all ponies over there as well. “Ugh, what's Spike doing over by the D.J booth?” she asked pointing her mug in that direction. Twilight looked in that direction and could only smile. “Something amazing I'm sure,” she said. “I would have to agree with that sentiment,” a new voice said, drawing the attention of the two mares. Rarity walked into view, her usual sway in her steps. This did catch the eye of several stallions in the crowd, but that was to be expected. “Hey Rares, didn't think you were showing up. At least not in one of your fancy outfits,” Rainbow quipped with a smirk. Rarity rolled her eyes before answering. “Yes, it is lovely to see you here as well. And must I make a scene every time I venture to a local soiree with one of my latest ensembles?” she asked rather offended. This earned a light chuckle from Rainbow and Twilight surprisingly, though Twilight's was a bit more restrained than Rainbow's. Rarity scoffed lightly, but eventually a smile found it's way onto her face. “Oh, Miss Sparkle. I wasn't expecting to see you here as well,” another voice called. Looking back, Twilight was greeted by the sight of Octavia, who had just arrived herself. “It's nice to see you not dragging Spike away again,” she said with a light laugh. Twilight laughed lightly at the recollection and nodded. “It's good to see you as well Octavia. Canterlot was fun I assume?” Twilight asked walking towards the cellist. “Definitely. Working with Spike was most definitely a good idea, despite how we acquired him in the first place,” she said with a light laugh. The two's laughter caught the attention of Rarity, who proceeded to walk over and interject herself into their conversation. “Oh, Miss Octavia,” she began, catching the attention of the two mares. “Wonderful to see you again. Especially without you assaulting another pony,” she said. The comment hit the three mares rather unexpectedly. Octavia's glance towards Rarity seemed to sharpen a little but she kept up a friendly smile. “Rarity, how is your coltfriend? Did he suffer too much of a blow to his ego from just a simple tap?” she asked. Twilight and Rainbow looked back and forth between the two mares. The conversation, though sounding quite casual, held far more tension than staring down Discord for the first time. “Oh, that boorish Thunderlane, I believe he is currently back on the market. I have no interest in somepony who cannot refine his tastes in music,” Rarity responded back. Octavia closed her eyes and seemed to scoff lightly. “And yet he was still able to sweet talk you out of leaving a live event before it even started,” Octavia commented. The two now stared daggers at each other. Twilight and Rainbow slowly inching their way away from the two mares. Thank the sun and moon they heard Vinyl's voice call out over the crowd. “Let's here it for Pinkie Pie and an amazing party!!” the D.J shouted. This earned a massive amount of cheers and stomps from the party goers. Some even just holding up their mugs and cups of punch. “I'm D.J Pon3, and I got a special surprise for you party animals. Say hello to the dragon of the ivories, Spike!!!” she shouted. Leaning to the side the crowd caught a glimpse of Spike, he just gave a quick thumbs up as he adjusted the headphones over his ear fins. “And without further interruption, we give you the ULTIMATE PINKIE MIX!!!” she shouted. Much like how the mix started the last time, Vinyl started them off with a series of low beats that gradually began to build into a wild tempo. The ponies were getting into it, even Rainbow hovering above everypony and rocking back and forth. There were three ponies, however, that were more glued to the performers at the booth. Octavia, Twilight, and Rarity all watched as Vinyl made the meats grow higher and higher until it finally dropped out. They were instantly greeted with the sound of the piano. The crowd stopped at the sudden melody shift, but it seemed to fit so well that they began to uproar with wild screams and calls. When the beat kicked back in, Spike became unrelenting in his key presses. The beat and melody going hand in hand with each other. “So this is what he meant,” Octavia said under her breath. The others couldn't really hear her over the sound of the music and the audience. That's when something happened that Vinyl and Spike had not planned for. Spike had flipped the settings on the piano and began playing a medley of Pinkie's songs she usually sang around town. Vinyl had posed the idea, but had no idea of how to apply it. And with spike now handling that, she decided to amp the crowd up. “LET HIM HERE IT!!!” she shouted out as the beat built up to another drop. When the drop came, every pony in the area shouted at the same time. “SPIKE!!!!” they screamed as the music continued. The dragon's claws were on fire, switching back and forth between the synth and regular piano. This went on for some time, ponies all cheering, stomping, and dancing about like fools until the music finally wound down.