She Rocks My World

by LightningSword

"Get rid of this guy."

Nocturne and his 'date' made it back to the bar, having given her watchers the slip once again. Spike continued to jam to the beat of the jukebox, and everypony around him stayed in time with his rhythm. Finally having the time and space to talk more, Nocturne picked a spot at the bar, and he and the pink-maned mare took a seat.

“So, who's this boss those pinheads keep taking about?” Nocturne began.

“You mean Big D?” she asked, “He runs this hotel for his secret businesses and things.”

“'Big D'?” Nocturne repeated, trying to stifle a grin, “Does he have a bit of an inferiority complex?”

“Oh, no, Nocturne. Big D is no laughing matter. He's the most powerful gangster in Manehattan. He runs the largest mob organization in all of Equestria. He uses places like this as a cover for all kinds of . . . . naughty things.” She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hooves.

“So what do his guys have on you? Why can't you just leave?”

“I can't. Shades brought me into this group when I was broke and trying to work the streets, and Big D said I could stay if I helped out. Shades said I didn't have to live the life of a street-trotter anymore, but in exchange, I'd be his marefriend.” She glanced up at Nocturne, but quickly turned away, ashamed, “I almost wish I was back on the streets . . .”

Nocturne caressed her shoulder with a hoof, “Is it really that bad? I mean, I know he's a gangster and all, but how much worse could it get?”

Now, she looked up at Nocturne fully, her eyes watering, “You don't know what he does to me.”

Nocturne was afraid of this. He'd suspected it while giving those tough guys the slip a minute ago, but he didn't want to believe that what he'd suspected was true. Now he knew.

“Shades has a temper,” she continued morosely, “A bad one. If I'm ever late, or I don't please him the exact way he wants, he gets so angry and makes me feel awful. Sometimes, he hits me, and not even when he's mad. Once, after a night together, I couldn't sit for two weeks.”

Nocturne felt his heart crumble. He had no idea what he'd gotten himself (and Spike) into. Running afoul of gangsters led by a powerful mob boss was one thing, but one of them mistreated an innocent mare—that was heinous. True, this 'Shades' guy was likely untouchable because of who he reported to, but that didn't scare Nocturne. This girl had suffered enough, and needed to get away from these dregs once and for all.

And when she did, she'd have the comfort of a real stallion.

Nocturne saw that Spike was still keeping the crowds moving, and had cast away his nervousness entirely. He was even singing to the tune of the song on the jukebox—terribly: “And giiiiiiirl . . . Ah'll nevah git enuff . . .”

Nocturne chuckled and shook his head, “He's a good kid, but he just can't sing,” and made to turn back to the mare, when he caught the crowds bustling behind them in the corner of his eye. Shades and his boys were shoving through them, fast approaching once again. “Stick around this time,” he advised his companion, “We'll just make them think I'm still putting on a show.” He then climbed up onto the bar and kept up his dance, working his body into a fever pitch.

“Oh, please be careful,” she tried to warn him. But Nocturne was always careful when dancing; he'd worked hard to be so.

Jumping back up onto his hind legs, Nocturne was off, sticking out his front legs, spinning, locking his back legs, adjusting his hat, and all the other minute, precise movements he made while dancing. The Pegasus mare followed him down the bar from the floor; she was too amazed to stay in one place. The crowd was really fired up now, too; he was keeping them all astounded.

Even when he'd gotten a bit carried away.

There were still a few bottles and glasses left sitting on the bar, and Nocturne didn't really care to notice. In fact, it was almost as if he went straight for them. He lowered himself back onto all fours just to kick a bottle into the wall with his front leg; it shattered and sent a spatter of liquid all over the wall and floor. Jumping back up onto two legs, Nocturne aimed a kick at another bottle, sending it into another wall. It too, shattered and made a mess.

“That son of a dog-ugly mule!” Slick growled as he and Shades came back to the bar, “Now he's wrecking the joint!” He turned to Shades to air his grievances, “Look, man, either we put this guy down now, or Big D's gonna grind us! So either you do something, or I will!”

Shades lowered his sunglasses and glanced between Slick and Nocturne as the latter climbed down off the bar and stood next to his mare, “You're right. You will.” He then seized a glass mug off the bar and slammed it against the wood, shattering half of it creating a convenient weapon.

The crowd saw and heard this, and began to panic. This was a common signal for a bar fight to break out. Spike's crowd began to disperse, ponies hung out by the walls and stared nervously, and Shades' boys gathered around him as he waved the glass weapon hanging on his hoof.

The pink-maned mare stepped closer to Nocturne, releasing a fearful yelp. Glancing at her, Nocturne whispered in her ear, “Run. Now.”

“What?” she looked up at him, fret lining her eyes, “But what about you?”

“I'll be fine, just go.”

Hesitating, the mare left, with Nocturne urging her with a hoof. Shades and his boys stepped slowly up to Nocturne, their body language confrontational. Nocturne stood his ground; he was in way over his head and it made him nervous, but there was a solution to this. He was never quite sure how it worked, but it worked every time. And now was the time to try it again.

Yes, this was the moment to summon up a bunch of random ponies from out of nowhere and perform a group dance number.

Nocturne backed slowly up onto the karaoke stage, and Shades and his crew stepped forward closer and spread out, closing him in. “He's not going anywhere, boys,” Shades told his flunkies confidently, “Get rid of this guy.”

“Psh!” Slick taunted Nocturne, stepping up further than anypony in the group, “You backin' down now? We was just gettin' started!”

Nocturne reached the middle of the stage, turned, and slammed a hoof down onto the floor. Dropping from the ceiling were four stallions, each dressed in their own suits and fedoras. One was a tall and stocky Unicorn, white-coated and blue-maned, with fierce eyes and a glistening shield for a cutie mark. The second was a brown Earth pony with a darker brown mane and a mark in the shape of an hourglass. The third was an orange Pegasus with a blue mane and a cool look in his eyes; he also sported a shield mark, but with a lightning bolt emblazoned on it. The fourth was another Earth pony, also orange in coat, but with a puffy brown mane and a bizarre cutie mark that seemed to look like a halved grilled cheese sandwich.

Now, the field was even.

Slick was the one to hold his ground now. “You wanna play?” he said smugly, in spite of his surprise at Nocturne's sudden crew stepping down from the stage, “I love to play . . . .”

---

A chubby Earth pony rushed into the office while he stared out the window. “Hey, boss!” he yelled, “There's trouble downstairs!”

He knew it. He knew that insufferable nimrod Shades would start something in his place. Ever since that Pegasus skirt came along, Shades had been a bundle of nerves, just waiting to buck up the next pony who ticked him off. It was only a matter of time, but he'd hoped Shades would try and keep the mess out of any of his places.

Looks like he'd failed.

Big D swiveled around in his chair to face front, his fedora resting in his lap. His bored whistling stopped when he faced fully forward, took a look at his messenger and gave a subtle nod.

“Now.”

Comments

[LightningSword]

5544565 You got it!

[themouthofmush]

...why would flash, shining, turner, and cheese be doing hanging out on the roof of a club? that, that.....that just makes no sense to me.

[insolentboi]

Instant fav for MJ references and of course, Cheese Sandwich :D

[ConfettiColored]

When you talking shit and the crew back you up.