Pony Friend Creators: Genesis

by David Silver

9 - To the Goat

Vinyl could feel the thick sweetness of the creamy goodness against her teeth, where it clung, and inside her mouth where it dissolved. She tasted it as the chocolate melted into the frozen ice cream, forming a tangy brown sauce as it mixed with the vanilla base, still colder than the rest of the confection, then as the caramel hardened, the rich flavors from within blending with the chewy toffee coating. Her eyes widened as she bit into it, finding that the chocolate on top was a whole new experience.

Chang gently ruffled the top of Vinyl's head as she watched the savoring of the treat. "We're here, you know. You don't want to see what this place has to offer? I can hear the music and we haven't even gone inside."

“You're all gonna love this.” Kyle grinned as they followed the directions of the staff into the line to enter the club itself.

“Please.” Herrington huffed as they walked into the que line to enter the club. “I may have agreed to this to avoid… certain eyes. But I don’t see what scientific data we could draw from this.”

“You wouldn't be here if it was not your type of show.” Vinyl gave the doctor a gentle shoulder nuzzle.

“Damn, is that a robot unicorn?” A random club goer in the line shouted.

Herrington flinched, pulling Vinyl close. Kyle laughed. “Sure, why not that? Give ‘em space and don’t be an ass hat.”

Chang narrowed her eyes in careful confusion. "Robot Unicorn? We don't have to lie. She's not a secret." She stroked a finger over Vinyl's cheek gently. "I don't want her to feel like a freak."

Kyle chuckled, and held up his hands in front of his chest. "Actually I think you're more right than you know. It's actually a virtual reality demo. The rig is so big it needs two people to operate."

Herrington rolled his eyes as he stepped up. He was allowed inside without being carded, but Vinyl was a different matter. "No animals." The door guard directed to a sign repeating the rule.

“Goddamit Bob! Is it gonna be the super realistic dragon puppet AGAIN?” Kyle screamed.

“I’m sure we can reasonably…” Herington began only to be cut off.

“Nope, nopity, nope, nope.” Kyle snarled at the door man. “A unicorn is above your pay grade, Bob. Hell it’s above mine. Call upstairs and tell them there’s a unicorn. They’re gonna know pretty quick if they don’t already.”

The guard frowned at Kyle's loud complaints. "Look, you don't get to—" His words died as he got a grip of Vinyl, and with it, discovered the horn was attached to her, warm, and alive. "The heck?" He pulled his hand back like it was on fire.

"We're all set?" Chang nudged Herrington to step inside.

Vinyl shook the hoof that had been touched by the security guard off, as if it had been contaminated somehow. "Ask before touching, man.”

“Don’t,” Kyle said just one word. It was stern, but he didn't raise his voice, or sound particularly upset, though the door guard found himself gulping nervously.

Herrington guided Vinyl off the street, trading one tense situation for another as the loud music washed over them. It seemed like a completely different world from the outside of the building. Vinyl was eyeing the new place, and her smile grew wide as she looked up at Herrington. "Dance with me?"

“Welcome to Purgatory, kids.” Kyle grinned as he led the way into the club. “Hell is one floor down and heaven is two floors up. All the big name bands play in heaven or hell. But this is where the local acts shine, between the echoes of heaven and hell.”

Chang waved towards a free table. "Let's get ourselves a spot." She gave Vinyl a light squeeze. "Go ahead. Have some fun. Don't think too hard about it. You're more than welcome to go for a spin on the dance floor."

"That's what I was saying." She nudged at Harrington firmly. "C'mon! Don't leave a lady to dance alone."

“Girl done asked you twice.” Kyle nudged the good doctor in the ribs, playfully. “Don’t worry, me and Sue got the table situation under control. We’ll meet back here.”

“They really are transparent.” Doctor Chang laughed,

“Big guy, just as tall as me and twice as wide” Kyle echoed back casually. “Directly behind you.”

So pressured, Herrington conceeded. "I don't promise anything." He kept a hand over Vinyl as they wove through the crowd to find a bit of free space. The music was loud, even over the clattering and cheering from the rest of the room.

Herrington waved with his free hand. "I'll follow your lead. Just don't lose me."

"Just follow my hoof." Vinyl stepped into the fray of dancing people, starting to move to the rhythm of the loud music that thundered over the group. Their motions were timid, gentle at first, but Vinyl proved willing to coax the doctor to speed up as she shimmied and thrust her hooves out with building joy.

“I can explain?” Chang stammered to the massive bouncer.

“A Unicorn?” The massive man scowled at Kyle. “Really?”

“It’s a tuesday, bro.” Kyle grinned.

“Have your fun, but they want a meeting with you upstairs before you leave. All four of you.” The bouncer faded back into the shadows.

Unaware, Vinyl shook her body to the music, finding more and more space to do so. The dancers around them were parting, more and more eyes settling on Herrington and his unicorn's dances. Though a few at a time gave nods of approval, or flashed smiles.

Vinyl pushed Herrington along with her as she picked up the pace. Her grin was full of laughter and joy as she pushed him along in her rhythm, seeming to get lost in the sensations and the thrill of it all. The deep thumps of the music seemed to make her headphones flash and pulse in time. Her gyrations and cheers went up in cheering approval.

“You wanted this to happen, didn’t you?” Doctor Chang smirked.

“I wanted this to happen when RCA broke out.” Kyle smiled at the dancing couple who had unknowingly become an island on the dance floor. “There’s going to be no denying it this time. You made life. Life is messy, and that’s why you have a janitor.”

Vinyl bounced into the air just before the final beat of the song, kicking into the air with that last thump. She hit the ground and whipped her mane with a cheering hoot, stretching her forelegs up into the air with a cheer. She threw her arms around Herrington and gave him a deep hug, as other people started to clap along.

They had stopped listening to the music a bit ago, instead watching Vinyl and Herrington dance together with more and more unified fascination. The loud claps of joy became the only noise in the room as the band started to wind down. The drummer looked a bit embarrassed, even as the guitar player whispered something into their ear, with a teasing grin.

A new song began, this one featuring speak of magical horses. Oh, if only I had a little horse, to come dance with me, or something along those lines.

“She sees me as her dad, and I’m anything but, Sue. Hell you really are her mom in any real sense. I just found her on the road you were gonna leave her on,” Kyle testilly communicated to the scientist.

Chang paused and licked her lips, still staring at Vinyl's joyful performance. "You are not wrong. But, we have the potential to be more than our worst parts. We can both be better people. If I am her mother, that means you are her father, by your own logic."

Vinyl was on her way back to the table, shining in the glimmering light with her sheen of sweat. She had worked herself up into a proper lather only an equine could manage. "That was epic! Doctor H, good job! You kept up. Sly dog, you can move it when you want to."

“That’s two of us didn’t know he had it in ‘em.” Kyle grinned easily at Vinyl. “You want a hard cider, girl? First one’s on me. Give your date time to grapple with you a full grown adult.” He shot a wink.

“You haven’t offered to buy me a drink yet!” Chang huffed.

“Two ciders!” Kyle flagged down the bar maid. “Actually make it three, I need to top off myself.”

Herrington massaged his temples. "I'm not sure I should be having anything." He already was mentally preparing himself for a debate about drinking with his long term colleague. "In fact, I think I shouldn't. You made me the designated driver, and we have work tomorrow." He gently pet over Vinyl in the chair next to him. "And I plan to do some work with you."

"Suit yourself." Kyle looked her up and down, settling on Chang. "But, ya know, we can let ourselves be silly this once. If nothing else, it's your night off."

“You’re a terrible role model.” Chang laughed, sipping her cider.

“I’m honestly surprised that he assumes any of us will have jobs tomorrow.” Kyle chuckled. “That is far from given, Worst case, I got a spot. And RCA gonna have our back if the push comes to the shove. They couldn’t fire us if they wanted to.”

The trio had almost gotten back to normal after a few minutes of drinking and music. Vinyl seemed especially comfortable with the song lyrics, humming along and singing a few lines at a time. She ate one of the sandwiches they had brought with them, chomping eagerly. "Can we hang out here, like, every day? I could bring some of my own music. I bet they'd like it."

“Naw, you don’t wanna hang out every night. ‘Bout once a week keeps it special. If they’ll let you perform…” Kyle shrugged. “That’s up to the guys upstairs. We got a meeting with them come closing time. Don’t worry, Doctor Harington, they serve passable coffee.”

“Wait, we’re meeting with the bosses of a shady nightclub?!” Herington asked in alarm

“Just relax and enjoy the music, Doc.” Kyle grinned loosely. Words flowing a little too fluidly. “You’re at a club with a pretty girl. This is prolly the best night of your life. Trust me, I know this place.”

“My mom was his bartender.” The pretty girl behind the bar giggled. “You’re in good company, don’t worry and your drinks are on the house… Except for yours.”

The barmaid glared at Kyle. “Fair enough.”

The drinks and conversations continued without incident until closing time, when the staff began to usher out the few patrons that remained. Vinyl had helped herself to the snack platters of several groups of club goers.

Chang shook her head softly at the sight. "It's becoming more clear by the day that our little equine friend's belly can handle almost anything she tosses at it. She has the digestive tract of an eager opportunistic scavenger." She leaned forward. "Like a certain simian race I know."

“Mr. William wants to have words with you friends.” A large, authoritative man loomed over Kyle’s shoulder.

“Okay kids, it’s time we wade into the deep end of the pool.” Kyle stood on unsteady feet, and gestured for the party to follow.

“Don’t be dramatic.” The bouncer rolled his eyes.

The group found themselves in a well appointed board room. There was an unusual amount of care taken to make the room seem less like a meeting place, and more like a casual living room. Vinyl looked around, one hoof at her goggles. "Far out. What are we doing here again?"

Author's Note:

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Comments

[dlambchic]

The pony can dance! When horses do it, we call it Dressage.

[Okie Brony]

Found a couple of repeated bits:

“Don’t,” Kyle said just one word.

“Don’t,” Kyle said just one word. It was stern, but he didn't raise his voice...

So pressured, Herrington conceededconceded. "I don't promise anything."

Aside from that, a fun chapter. The night club is Vinyl's natural habitat, after all.

[David Silver]

11912097
Lab transcript adjusted.

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

“Please.” Herrington huffed as they walked into the que line to enter the club. “I may have agreGed to this to avoid… certain eyes. But I don’t see what scientific data we could draw from this.”

Should be
have agreed to

[David Silver]

11912123
Not even sure how that one snuck in there.