Rockin’ On!

by Dashie04

Chapter One: For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)!

Athen is silently minding his own business, he walks the cold streets of Manehatten, realizing he should’ve packed a coat. Walking back to what home he has, he has his own apartment, while it’s nothing impressive, it’s home. He’s straight out of high school and trying to scrounge up enough bits to go anywhere.

He trots home and heads up to his apartment, on the second floor, he unlocks his door and flops onto his bed. Working two part-time jobs, he barely has enough bits to afford even the meager apartment. He takes a glace over at his drumset, his parents were nice and bought him a drumset when he couldn’t. Athen wished that everytime he saw the drumset he wouldn’t want to chase his silent fantasy of being in a famous band.

Picking up today’s newpaper, Athen finally finds his saving grace, an advertisement for helping ponies build bands. He glances at the article one more time, finally realizing it’s true, he picks up his phone, and gives the company a call.

“Sweetwater Manehatten branch, what the hell do you want, we’re getting tired.”

Cringing over the horrendous customer service, Athen replies,”That build a band ad... how do I apply?”

“How do ya think?” She replies,”Get a guitarist, vocalist, bassist, and drummer minimum and give us a call?” Adding under her breath,”Bucking colts, wasting our time.”

Athen got a bit downtrodden, he had a drummer, himself, but not any of the other things. “I’ll call back.” He says.

“You didn’t even have a bucking band? Son of a...” Her retort was broken by Athen hanging up.

“I’ll create a band, now that I can.” He states to himself.

He grabs a coat and heads out to the Manehatten streets to see what musicians he can find.

Later

Athen sighs dejectedly, he couldn’t find any musicians that wanted to join his band, not a bucking one. He hangs up his coat and flops onto his bed once again. He then perks up, remembering his friends from high school, he didn’t know if they played any instruments, but he’d have to hope.

He calls up his friends, one at a time, starting with Madame Hooves.

“Hello?” Athen says.

“Athen! Been a while, I just got back from a crazy party, the music was rockin’ and I almost wanted to strum along! What’s up?” Hooves had gotten held back a year in high school for ‘unruly behavior’, she didn’t seem to mind though.

“Yeah, do you happen to play any instruments?”

“Hell no! But I’ve been wanting to play guitar for as long as I could remember! Why do you ask?”

“The Sweetwater build a band, I need a band.”

“I’m sure I could learn guitar with some help. I’ll call you when I actually know how to play simple chords.”

Athen hangs up and thinks to himself, one down, the rest to go.

Athen decides to ask Proper next, Proper has no phone, and lived on the edge of town, so Athen hails a taxi. He arrives at Proper’s house, and knocked on the door a couple times.

“Come in,” he replied.

Or you could get up and open the bucking door yourself Athen thought, but he still opens the door. Proper never kept his door locked, for some unknown reason.

“Athen! It’s been a while,” Proper says. He had a long brown mane and a rather stark cream-colored coat. His cutie mark was an electric bass, he’s a skilled bass player.

“Hello, I’m in need of a bassist, I was wondering if I could ask you.”

“Why the outwardly cold demeanor? Is this about the build a band thing in the newspaper?”

“It is, the customer service sucked by the way, I’m trying to build a band. I need a guitarist, bassist, and vocalist, Hooves has already volunteered to try and learn guitar.”

“Hooves, now she’s an interesting character, I’ve never seen a pony get held back in high school, let alone not have a cutie mark yet. I sure hope she gets one soon.”

“Damn right, anyways, I was going to ask Chase for vocals, I know how much he likes writing and singing. Proper, are you in?”

“Why not, forming a band with my friends sounds great!”

Thanking him, Athen steps outside, again feeling the cold of the vicious Manehatten weather. “Thanks Proper, also, this time, could you lock your door?”

Proper nooded, and shut the door behind Athen, since he’s already out on the streets, he decides to trudge over to Chase’s house to ask him.

Athen knocks on Chase’s door, and he decides to answer. He had a short-cut mane in a messy style and a blue coat, his cutie mark was a pen writing on paper, he has a passion for writing.

“Come in!” Chase says, and shuts the door behind Athen,”Hey Athen, what brings you to my neck of the city? Need a book written, because you know I’m the best.”

“Actually, I was hoping I could use your songwriting talent and passion for singing to help in the band I’m creating as soon as Hooves figures out how to play a guitar.”

“The Sweetwater build a band, I’d be obliged to join, besides, I know our band would rocket into the stratosphere of stardom!”

“Great, now I just need to trudge home, and practice my drumming, I sure hope Hooves learns quick.”

Weeks pass, Athen is starting to think that Hooves would never learn to play guitar, when he gets a call.

“Hey Athen! Hooves here, guess what I got?”

“A modicum of common sense?” Athen snarks.

“No, a guitar! I learned to play and I also got something else to show ya. I’ll just wait for the weekend so I can visit your house to show you.”

Athen agrees that the visit is good. He hangs up the phone and waits for the weekend, which is actually tomorrow.

The next day

Athen hears a ferocious knock on his door, he nearly jumps out of his skin. He opens the door and sees Hooves standing there, the unicorn has a red electric guitar. Her coat is choclate brown and she has a short, curly mane. She wears a black dress to cover her blank flank.

“Athen! Why don’t you visit more! I could use a pegasus around sometimes.”

Athen shrugged, he honestly doesn’t know why he didn’t visit his friends more.

“Anyways, I’ve got news! I’ve got a guitar!”

“You don’t say, we went over this on the phone.”

“That’s not all,” Hooves then proceeds to use her magic to lift up her dress at the flank, Athen can see that she has a cutie mark now, it is an electric guitar in red, mimicking her own guitar. “I’m in the band! Sign us up, we’ve got a party!”

Athen goes to his drumset and bangs out a fast tune on it,”I had to release my excitement! Let’s call the crappy customer service lady, you can stay here for now Hooves, I’ll be right back.”

Athen heads off to call Sweetwater, but as he’s walking back, he hears Hooves say,”Man, do I have a crush on that stallion.”

Athen blushes and scurries back to his room. He calls up Sweetwater.

“Yes, this is Sweetwater Manehatten branch.”

“I have a band,” Athen says.

“Oh, it’s you, what the buck to do want this time.”

“I. Have. A. Band.” Athen says again.

“Wonderful, you realize you have to have a name, right?”

“I don’t know, call us the All-Rounders or something, that’s not important, just put us in the database.”

“Fine, I’ll bucking do that,” Athen hears a pen scribble on the other side of the line,”The All-Rounders, comprised of... who exactly?”

“Athen, pegasus, drummer, Proper, earth pony, bassist, Hooves, unicorn, guitarist, and Chase, earth pony, vocalist.”

“I’ve got that, I’ll schedule your first gig, and you can leave me the hell alone.”

She hangs up, and Athen returns to the main room and sees Hooves absent-mindedly strumming some chords. He trots into the room and says,”Hooves,” startling her from her strumming,”we've got a band, The All-Rounders, our first gig is being scheduled. Also, that riff was cool, could you play that again?”

Hooves plays the riff again and Athen flies behind his drumset and starts playing it. Hooves mumbles put some lyrics,”If you walk away, walk away, you’ll walk away, walk away, I will follow.”

“That was pretty good, let’s get to Chase about the song writing. We do need songs after all.”

They head over to Chase’s house, and knock on his door.

“Why hello again Athen, and do you have a marefriend with you?”

“Dude, this is Hooves, you know her, you know that she’s a perfectly reasonable friend, on an unrelated note, she’s got her cutie mark.”

“Cool! What is it? Also, feel free to come in.”

Athen and Hooves step into Chase’s house and he shuts the door. Hooves telekinetically lifts up her dress to show her cutie mark to Chase,”It’s a guitar! I’m excited I got one.”

“Great! Do we have a band, also Athen, you know I was just pulling your wing.”

“I know,” Athen says,

“It’d be more convincing if your yellow face wasn’t beet red. It’s almost as rich as the red stripes in your brown mane and tail. Why do you have red and white stripes in your mane and tail again?”

“It’s a tribute to Velvet Remedy.”

“Right, from the odd book that was written by a local unicorn. Anyways, do we have a band?”

“We do! We also have a song, I’ll have Hooves here play the riff, I’ll provide some air drums.”

“This better be half as good as what I write,” Chases mumbles.

After the song ends, Athen turns to Chase and asks,”How was it?”

“Good, but it needs bass and vocals.”

“We’ve got a chorus, right Hooves?”

Hooves nods, and sings the chorus. Chase nods and says,”Nice, what’s the song called?”

“I Will Follow.”

Athen trudges over to Proper’s house and opens the door, he hears him playing bass.

“Alrighty, Proper, could you meet us at Chase’s house in an hour or two?”

“I’d be fine with that,” Proper replies. Athen proceeds to leave the house and go to Chase’s again. He walks in, and flops on the couch,”I hate Manehatten weather, it’s so cold.”

“I will say that it is the middle of winter, it’s supposed to be cold.”

Athen flips around,”Have you written anything else Chase?”

“One song, I think it’s brilliant, it’s called Fever.”

“Love the creativity of that name.”

“Your song is called ‘I Will Follow’, I’m allowed to have Fever as a song name.”

“It’s a really good song though,” Hooves chimes in.

“Do you have a drumset in here?” Athen asks.

“No, but I have a drum machine.”

Athen gets up and goes to the drum machine, he hits all the buttons to get a feel for the sounds. Then, he asks,”Riff please?”

Hooves starts playing the riff, and Athen kicks up the machine. Playing a simple beat the works, after the song is over, Chase providing vocals. Athen admits he does like the sound of it.

“I t9ld you I thought that song was great!” Chase says.

They talk for about an hour when there’s a knock on the door, Chase opens it, and Proper steps in. Realizing he needs an actually drumset, Athen turns towards Chase,”I need to get something, and it will likely take a good long while.”

Athen flies back to his house, amd picks up the snare, bass drum, hi-hat, and crash cymbal and carries them outside. He hails a taxi, amd when the pony pulling the taxi sees Athen’s load he turns to him and says.

“Ya think this cart has enough room ta hold that set?” He asks.

“Yes, I do, now bring me to the house with the address 65, at the corner of 7th street and 2nd avenue.”

“Ya got my word.”

Soon, Athen arrives at Chase’s house with his drumset, he carries it in, a couple pieces at a time, when he finally sits besides it and wipes his sweat off his brow.

“I Will Follow in, 3, 2, 1.”

They launched into I Will Follow, and nailed it, followed by Fever. After rejoicing for getting a couple songs done, they got a call, Athen answers the phone.

“Athen, what the hell do you want.”

“Stop giving me that bucking attitude! I was going to tell you that I scheduled your first gig, it’s tomorrow at 5:00 PM, sharp, don’t miss it.”

Athen hangs up the phone,”Hooves, Proper, Chase, tomorrow we’ve got a gig!”

Everypony rejoices and fall into silence, Hooves is the first to break it,”Chase, do you have any celebratory cider?”

“You do realize we’re under the drinking age right?” Athen says.

“I’m sure Rainbow Dash is too, but nopony cares! Let’s bucking do this!”

The All-Rounders chuckle, remembering the last time Rainbow Dash visited Manehatten, soon Hooves comes out with a bottle of cider and pours some for everypony. They were going to rock tomorrow, and they knew it.

*******

Next time: The All-Rounders play their first show, will it rock, or burn down in flames?

Author's Note:

This is what happens when a partially sleep-deprived 14-year old gets an idea... complete randomness.

...

Yes, this is a 14 year-old, writing about ponies that swear, can barely survive in what’s basically New York, due to lack of funds, also, they drink hard cider, I promise I’m legal.

Every character (except Athen, he’s mine) is based off a Rock Band 4 stand-in character, also these songs are based off songs I have in Rock Band 4 not necessarily songs on-disc in Rock Band 4
Madame Hooves- Knuckles
Proper- Proper Alan
Chase- Chase

Songs mentioned in this chapter:
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)- AC/DC (chapter title)
I Will Follow- U2
Fever- The Black Keys

(Next time idea stolen inspired by My Little GLaDOS)