Bluegrass

by Rainbooms Inc

Chapter II: "Houseparty at the end of the universe"

“I remember that concert you did in Cloudsdale, a few years ago, and the stallion who led the band that opened for you was old, like, when-dinosaurs-ruled-Equestria ancient, and I thought it was gonna be a nightmare. Old guy could really rock, though. I think he was almost as loud as you were!”

“Yeah, Winging It will surprise you like that.”

Vinyl smiled at the rainbow-maned pegasus that had been bobbing beside her for most of the party. She didn't remember that particular show (which was hardly surprising), but she had toured with Headbang and the rest more than once, and everyone seemed to get the same first impression of the elderly pegasus.

“That's what they were called! It was right on the tip of my tongue. Hey, wasn't that the same tour that you burned down that hotel in Chicacolt?”

“I did not burn down anything in Chicacolt,” Vinyl said with mock indignation. “There was a small misunderstanding involving exactly how many flaming cocktails could be served at once. That's all.”
The pegasus's magenta eyes went wide. “So the story about you setting the entire bar on fire with just your breath is true?”

Vinyl groaned as the pegasus laughed, throwing her head back for a good, long guffaw. It was an angle that did her proud, Vinyl had to admit. Her rippling, multi-colored mane was on display, and it bounced and danced as she chortled. The way her neck was extended put her lean muscles on display as well, just visibly defined beneath her sky-blue coat. Her legs and back were the same way, Vinyl noticed: narrow but taut, like a coiled spring. Like even the slightest movement could send her rocketing off in some unguessed direction. Vinyl wondered what it would take to get taken along for the ride.

She felt her stomach lurch at that thought, and looked away quickly, scanning the party for somewhere safe to stare instead. Her gaze fell on the earth pony from earlier, still standing sullenly in a corner. She was drinking her punch like she had a grudge against it, slugging it down fast and refilling her cup mechanically. And, the unicorn noted, she was glaring at her, with a look of unadulterated loathing. Behind her sunglasses, Vinyl blinked. It had been a long time since she had been given the evil eye so enthusiastically.

The pegasus laughter faded into the background as Vinyl tried, fruitlessly, to remember what she might have done to so offend the orange mare. She had barely even been to Ponyville before--that was the whole point. So what could have earned her so much dislike? For a moment, the unicorn felt a chill, deep in her gut—surely, the earth pony couldn't have been one of those. Her eyes safely hidden, Vinyl risked another quick glance. No, she decided with a sigh of relief, she couldn't have. Her gig in Ponyville had been a different point of her life—there was no chance that the scowling farmer's grievance could be the same one that had brought her here in the first place.

Of course, that didn't mean that she couldn't have met the earth pony in some other town, at some other time...

Before that thought could quite ruin Vinyl's evening, the endlessly energetic mare who was hosting the party—Pinkie, Vinyl remembered with great satisfaction—was at her side again.

"Hey Rainbow!" she chirped. "You're not giving Vi here a hard time, are ya?"

Rainbow, Vinyl repeated mentally. That was the pegasus's name; of course it was. How could it be anything else?

"Nah, just having a little fun." Rainbow grinned at Vinyl, who returned the expression. "Finding out what it's like to be an honest-to-Celestia rockstar, you know?"

"Well, no, I don't think so." Pinkie frowned. The expression darted across her face like a frightened rabbit, as if unsure of what it was doing there. "I mean, I might, if I talked to Vinyl about it, or if I'd been listening while you did it, but I had to go refill the punch, because Applejack is really putting it away, and if it runs out while there's still chips left, then everypony could get really thirsty, and the last time that happened we had to use the rain barrel, but you haven't let it rain here in more than a week, so if there's any water left at all I bet it would be really gross and--"

"Right, Pinkie, of course." Rainbow interrupted. She shot Vinyl an apologetic look before continuing. "And I'm sure AJ appreciates how thoughtful you are." The pegasus glanced away from the two mares before her. "Though it sure doesn't show."

Vinyl followed Rainbow's gaze to the mare glowering in the corner. Ah. That was Applejack, then. Vinyl turned away again, adjusting her shades a trifle self-consciously, but the pegasus continued to stare. "I can't figure out what her problem is. She almost bit Vinyl’s head off when you introduced the two of them, and all she did was compliment her cider.”

"It doesn't bother me, really." Vinyl said quickly. "So she takes pride in her work and doesn't like to be told how to do it by strangers. I can't imagine I'd like her telling me I was spinning records all wrong, either."

"Yeah, 'cause you spin 'em exactly right." Rainbow snorted. "But AJ's... well, AJ. She might not listen to your stuff, but she's looking at you like just burned her barn down. That just doesn't happen."

"Do you think it's the punch?" Pinkie sounded worried, shifting from hoof to hoof. "Ooo! I could get another flavor! And maybe add some of that syrup I found in that shop in Canterlot, the one that came with a liability form and ownership license!" As she spoke, she began bouncing from hoof to hoof enthusiastically, picking up a surprising amount of speed over the course of a few seconds.

"I'm sure the punch is fine," Vinyl said quickly, before Pinkie could vibrate herself to pieces. To prove her point she snatched a cup from the sideboard with her magic and brought it quickly across the room and to her mouth. Applejack, she noticed, spared several seconds of glare for the cup as it bobbed past her muzzle.

"Yeah, Pinkie, the punch is great" Rainbow agreed. "So what's eating AJ?"

Vinyl continued to take frequent sips of the punch—with, in truth, she found entirely lacking in the rum department--as the two mares debated what could have gotten into their friend. She sighed. It was an uncomfortable kind of conversation to listen to, especially because it was all caused by one pony's lukewarm--or, okay, positively frigid--reaction to meeting her. But disliking Vinyl Scratch wasn't a crime, whatever her agent said to sell tickets.

"Look," she said when her cup had run out of ways to distract her, "maybe she's just having a bad day. Maybe she's worried about something, maybe she just doesn't like my face or my hairstyle. Who cares? It's a party—let's party. Where's the stereo, Pinkie?"

Rainbow's face lit up. "You got something planned?"

Vinyl shot her an easy grin. "Not today. Right now, I just wanna dance."

~*~*~*~

Much later, when the last of the guests were gone and the party was well and truly over, Vinyl was patrolling Sugarcube Corner with Pinkie, corralling abandoned cups and plates, returning displaced furniture to its rightful place in the universe, and generally getting a feel for the side of parties that she hadn't been on for years.

"I 'preciate the help, Vi" Pinkie mumbled as she trotted past, a stack of plates nearly as tall as she was balanced precariously on her nose. Vinyl watched the teetering tower, mesmerized, until with a sound very much like a sneeze the pink earth pony deposited her burden in the sink. "But I've cleaned up after a lot of parties with no one to help but Gummy, and he mostly just sits and licks crumbs off of stuff."

Vinyl chuckled. "I don't mind. Besides, I figure it’s the least I could do in return for you letting me crash here tonight. Sorry about that, by the way—I didn't really plan very well." Or at all...

"Hey, no problem! I mean, it’s not your fault Ponyville doesn't have a hotel. But a bakery's even better! And a lot better than the library. That's where the last unicorn that came here had to stay!" Pinkie, for some reason, began to giggle at that point, and Vinyl was able ferret out two forks and a saucer that had inexplicably ended up behind a couch before she finished.

"Uh, that reminds me, actually. Do you know where in Ponyville I could get a job?"

"We-e-e-e-e-ell..." Pinkie tapped a hoof on her chin. "Ponyville already has a librarian, a mayor, a tailor, a baker, a candlestick maker..." She shrugged. "Rarity might be looking for a new model in time for fall, and Twilight's said something about finding a unicorn test subject that won't run away..." She shrugged. "I guess I don't really know. I don't pay too much attention to jobs outside of Sugarcube Corner." She spotted a pastry sitting alone and lost on a platter, and popped it into her mouth. "'Cause, I mean, why would I want to work anywhere else?"

Vinyl smiled. "I can't think of a reason." She paused. "Hey, do you know if any of the farmers around here hire extra hooves?"

Pinkie scratched her head. "Well... the Apples do, sometimes, but Sweet Apple Acres is just about the biggest farm around here. Most ponies just keep gardens."

"The Apple Family?" Vinyl blinked. "Would that include...?"

"Applejack? Oh, yeah!" Pinkie brightened for an instant, then seemed to droop. "Oh, yeah. Do you think that could be a problem?"

Vinyl shrugged. "No way to know until I ask."

She returned to cleaning, her mind made up. Next morning, she would go down to Sweet Apple Acres and ask the mare with the very fine cider and the very angry eyes for work. As she worked, Vinyl found herself whistling. She was rather looking forward to it.

Comments

[zaponator]

Good chapter.
Things are being set up. Potentially great things.
Can't wait to see how it all turns out.

[Jackie]

Same here