A young instrument maker answers a roommate-seeking flyer and travels to Ponyville, hoping for a new start, and hopefully a new home. But she finds much, much more.
Nightsong, a young batpony instrument maker, has traveled to Ponyville in order to answer a roommate flyer, and to find a new life. But when she moves in with two fun-loving musical prodigies, she finds much more in store for her.
( Slice of life and Romance, little bits of drama. Clop chapters will be marked! )
The wagon creaked slightly as it made its way down the cobblestone street. It was of an older style, practically an entire era out of place. Barrel shaped, the heavy oaken planks bound tightly in tarnished brass banding. Two large window frames were carefully shuttered for travel on the ends of the barrel, a tarnished brass chimney pipe the only thing to pierce the upper curve of wood. At the rear of the wagon above the sturdy oaken door was a small, hoof-made sign, swaying with a slight squeak at the motion.
Nightsong’s Instruments
The ponderous creak of the wagon as it moved was accompanied by the slow, heavy hoof clops of the pony drawing it along. Keeping to a slow, plodding pace that nonetheless would eat up the miles over time. The pony was wrapped in a dark, equally road stained cloak, the deep hood enveloping all the the tip of a deep blue nose. Finally the wagon pony slowed their burden to a stop in front of one of the houses on the quiet street, The cloaked figure giving a deep, heartfelt sigh of relief as they tiredly shrugged the heavy yoke from their shoulders..
From the street, the home was a tall, skinny building, a typical town-home in a sizable hamlet. The outside was painted a mix of blue and white, though one window had a grey circle painted around it. Candle and firelight lit up the windows, giving it a warm, inviting air. From the middle of the home came a deep, repetitive bass, the glass itself buzzing with the beat. There was life in the old home; life and light that called to the tired young traveller.
The hood was tossed back, revealing the face of a young mare. Her short-trimmed coat was a royal blue, while her mane, also short, was pitch black and glossy with sweat. Slitted, violet eyes curiously peered at the home, before turning to stare at a piece of paper she pulled from her saddle-bags.
Looking for a room in Ponyville?
We’re looking for a roomie!
Has to like to party, and not mind late nights!
“Well I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” the batpony whispered to herself, giggling as she perked her fluffy tufted ears. She shrugged out of her cloak and quickly stowed it in her wagon, stretching her lanky body and rolling her bat-like wings. She didn’t like to cover up so much, but when one had to pass through a lot of the backwater Earth Pony towns, it was best not to look too different. Letting out a soft, nervous breath, she trotted up to the door, giving it a careful, though not too quiet, knock.
Things were fairly quiet- until a loud, abrasive voice rang out of the silence.
“YO! OCTI! I THINK SOMEPONY’S AT THE DOOR!”
“Yes, VINYL, I heard! And now, the rest of the town knows!”
“COOL!”
The second voice sighed in front of the thick oaken door for a split second before it opened quickly. The bright light of the inside was quickly blocked as an Earth Pony mare stepped out to see who might be on her doorstep. Nightsong could not help but marvel at her appearance, doing her best not to show it on her face. The mare was slim and sleek, her pelt shining in the lamplight and well-brushed, despite the time of day. She would have made a stunning unicorn, graceful and slender. To find such a form on an Earth Pony was surprising yet… exotic. Violet eyes, framed by a long, gorgeous mane the color of charcoal, widened in slight surprise to see a batpony… but didn’t narrow in suspicion, much to the other mare’s deep relief.
“Why, hello there, miss…”
“Nightsong, ma’am,” the mare replied quietly, giving a soft little smile as she tried hard not to reveal much of her fangs, “I-I am actually here in response to your flyer?”
Nightsong carefully held out the paper, fluttering her wings as the Earth Pony took it. Alright Nightsong, time to make a good impression!
“I-I have a craft, ma’am; I make musical instruments, mostly w-wood and wind, but I do w-work in brass. I have enough to cover f-first month's rent and a business permit, I-I-”
The Earth Pony had, however, quickly held up a hoof to stop her, softening the gesture with a smile.
“That’s all well and good, miss Nightsong, but I think this would be better talked about inside? And my name is Octavia, by the way.”
Nightsong perked, smile widening as Octavia stepped back to let her in. It took a lot to not scurry inside, but she instead trotted inside, giving a cursory glance around. The home was warm and inviting- it had a lived in feel, with a few plates by the kitchen sink, and something cooking in the oven. The living room was lit by a crackling fireplace, two loveseats settled in front, a cello case leaned beside one seat.
“You have a lovely home,” Nightsong said warmly, smiling over her shoulders.
“Thank you,” Octavia replied with a grateful smile, motioning for Nightsong to sit at their dinner table before turning towards the staircase, “ Vinyl! Come on down! We have somepony here asking about the flyer!”
“...which flyer? Because I distinctly remember the one about the roommate, or the special party we have been-”
“THE ROOMMATE FLYER!”
Nightsong lowered her ears at the embarrassed shout, peering curiously up at the stairs as the other roommate came bouncing down the steps. She was a unicorn mare, blue and white headphones settled over her ears. On the last step, she lightly jumped off, skid-twirling onto the wooden floors. Nightsong sucked in a shocked breath. ...no way. DJ Pon3 lived in Ponyville?!
Pon3 blinked curiously at Nightsong, grinning and holding out her hoof, “Well, you look pretty damn cool! Name’s Vinyl Scratch.” Much like the mare Nightsong had seen in the flyers for her shows, the unicorn was pure white-coated, with almost radioactively blue, short bangs. Crimson eyes gazed at the batpony with a playful challenge and curiosity. A little stockier than her Earth Pony companion, she wasn’t nearly as well brushed or trimmed, with a little scruff around her jaws and chest. A punky mare. Punky but… very cute.
Easy Nightsong, down girl.
“Nightsong, miss Scratch,” she replied quietly, giving her a firm shake.
Vinyl whistled softly, flexing her hoof and grinning over at Octavia, “Oh, I like this one, Tavi.”
Octavia chuckled softly, settling down beside her roommate and looking the batpony over curiously. Nightsong, for her part, was trying hard not to squirm under the combined gazes.
“So, miss Nightsong,” Octavia began slowly, keeping her voice neutral, “You said you have a steady income?”
Here we go.
“As… steady as craftwork can be, miss,” she replied quietly, clearing her throat, “But I have always made a decent amount of bits, and have plenty of savings. I can pay the first month’s rent tonight, as I said.”
She squeaked and shot a look at Octavia, who stared deadpan right on back before turning back to Nightsong, “Ahem. We don’t have many rules here, just that we all work together to keep this house clean. Should there be any damage, we all chip in to fix it. We don’t mind alcohol, within reason, but no drugs, unless prescribed by a physician. Is that acceptable?”
Nightsong smiled and nodded firmly, glad to see both mares looking resolute at that. Batpony communities had a terrible problem with opium, something that Nightsong had thankfully stayed well away from.
“That seems very reasonable, yes,” she replied, nodding again.
Both Octavia and Vinyl exchanged looks, and it was Vinyl who stepped forward, staring firmly at Nightsong.
“One more thing. Octavia and I are… well, we’re gay. And members of the Herd Movement. Now, if that’s an issue-”
She blinked in surprise as Nightsong giggled up at her, reaching back to pull a little card out of her bags: it was a simple white paper card with the name and symbol of the Movement: a blue, white, and purple upraised hoof.
“I’m v-very homosexual, miss Scratch,” Nightsong replied softly, giving her a gentle smile, “And have been a member since I turned fourteen.”
Any tension left drained out of the two mares, and they beamed at her happily. Vinyl moved to hug Nightsong tight, giggling at her surprised squeak.
“Welcome to Ponyville, Nightsong!”
*******************
The following morning, Nightsong forced herself to wake up early and hurry outside, bringing the rest of her belongings out of the wagon and into her new room. It had been absolutely lovely to sleep in a real bed for once, and not her well-worn cot. Not that she didn’t love the only real home she had known in so many years, but Nightsong’s back had been absolutely killing her lately. Posters of the Lunar Court’s various new ministries and programs hung around the room: the Herd Movement was a new political party in Equestria, born out of the rebirth of old pegasi and Earth Pony cultural renaissances that had sprang to life after the return of Princess Luna. For ages, herds had been maligned and slowly forced out of Equestrian social structures by the more monogamous and patriarchal Unicorn Noble Council. But with Luna’s return, and her unique insights on ancient Equestrian social establishments, the Lunar Court had become firm allies of the Earth Pony Democratic Council movements, the Pegasi Tribunals, and the Batpony Clan Council; the Herd Movement was simply another movement that had gained much needed support and royal recognition.
Silks hung around her bed from the ceiling, catching the light and sparkling, and she had placed a crystal chandelier, a part of her inheritance, on the room’s main light, sending little prismatic glints all over the walls. Soundlessly gliding up and down from her bedroom’s window, Nightsong had most of her room re-decorated by the time her new roommates woke up and came to check up on her.
Vinyl gaped around in what Nightsong hoped was awe, while Octavia’s eyes focused on a half-finished violin on the bed, and the batpony quickly held up her hooves.
“I-I won’t be working in here, I swear! I just wanted the better light to make sure I got it all right, I d-did that one at night and-”
Octavia smiled warmly, “That wasn’t my worry at all, Nightsong,” she replied soothingly, “I was just marvelling at the craftsmanship.”
Nightsong blinked in surprise, relaxing slowly. Oh! Good!
“I-I have complete ones in the wagon,” she blurted out sheepishly, smiling a little as both mare’s perked up.
As they hurried downstairs, Nightsong glided back down, tugging some of her completed pieces out of the wagon. Those she hoped to set out for sale once she got her merchants’ permit from the City Hall. The wood for all of her instruments typically came from the region Nightsong was visiting, though she did pick up rarer sets when the opportunity presented itself. Her current pride and joy was a cello, built of maple and spruce, with a very thin but hard layer of ebony covering both front and back. The hoofboard and pegs were made of ebony, but a unicorn she had worked with in the past had been kind enough to enchant them to come across as bright white. The carved whitened inlay along the ebony body covering were Lunar script; a blessing on whomever bought the cello. That particular instrument had easily taken her an entire winter to craft, and sadly Nightsong was yet to find a buyer, despite it being close to the Running of the Leaves again.
And it was this piece that absolutely captivated Octavia when she hurried outside their home, violet eyes captured and pulled in by the dark beauty. While Vinyl was immediately taken in by a small, magic crystal-powered keyboard, Octavia carefully lifted the cello, with a permissive nod from Nightsong, running one hoof down it carefully. The woodwork was smooth, and she could not find a single obtrusive seam. The only flaw seemed to be…
“By Luna, this is good work…” Octavia whispered, not noticing Nightsong’s surprised look and blush, “But… no strings, Nightsong?”
The batpony winced slightly, glancing off to one side and rubbing the back of her head.
“N-no,” she admitted weakly, “My budget fell through; there was… trouble, in the last t-town, and I had to get moving…”
Octavia nodded slowly, frowning as she glanced over at Vinyl, who was watching her roommate with a knowing smile.
“Vinyl, please get my kit from the music room. You know the one.”
The unicorn chuckled and gave a cheeky salute before dashing off, past a surprised looking Nightsong.
“K-kit?” she mumbled weakly, tilting her head at the now-grinning mare.
Octavia cleared her throat, tail swishing a few times, “Nightsong… what kind of pricing did you have in mind for this cello?”
Calculations filled Nightsong’s head as she peered at the cello, biting her lip thoughtfully. The ebony had been one of her more expensive purchases, only taken at all because she had gotten a bulk deal. Lugging that heavy wood had not been fun, however. And along with the time that had gone into carving the script, getting her friend to do the enchantments…
“F-four hundred and fifty bits?” she replied after doing some mental math, blushing and desperately hoping Octavia would not be too upset with the high price.
Nightsong’s eyes widened at Octavia's dumb-struck look, the batpony gulping as she prepared to launch into a desperate explanation.
“N-nightsong,” Octavia stammered, rubbing her cheek, “I-is that the price range you’ve had? For awhile now?”
Ah crap…
“W-well, yes,” the shaken batpony replied weakly, “B-but… I have to keep the prices that high, t-to cover the building expenses, and-”
“High?! No, no, no… Nightsong, that’s far too low! I, and most artists really, would easily be willing to pay twice, to three times that price. I paid eight hundred bits alone for my current piece.”
Nightsong’s hind-legs gave out, and she sat heavily on her haunches, wings and ears drooping in sheer surprise. She had been undercharging… that much? For years?! A small groan came unbidden from her chest, only to be choked off as a warm foreleg was thrown over her shoulders.
“Hey, don’t sweat it!” Vinyl chirped, passing the small, hoof-carved box over to Octavia with her magic, “Now you know. What would you price that one as, Tavi? You’re a bigger expert than me with classical stuff.”
The two mares shared knowing looks, and Vinyl shot her a cheerful wink. Octavia gave a playful, exaggerated little hum as she looked the cello over. With well practiced hooves, she carefully unspooled her thin steel string, getting to work stringing the large instrument.
“Thirteen hundred, easily. This is a superior design, and the inlay and decoration is top-notch. I’ll run by the bank and retrieve a promissary note, Nightsong, and we can-” Nightsong lost the trail of the conversation, as she slumped to the side into darkness.
************************
“Yyyyyup, she’s out cold. Nice one Octi!”
Octavia gave a little groan, resisting the urge to facehoof. She did understand though. That was a lot of bits, and the poor thing had definitely been undercharging for quite awhile, she imagined. When she got back from the bank, and Nightsong woke up, they would need to have a chat.
“Let’s get her inside, just give me a moment.”
As Vinyl carefully lifted the unconscious batpony in her azure magical field, Octavia rushed to put away the other instruments they had taken out to look at, once again marvelling at the craftsmanship. She simply had to know where Nightsong learned her craft… Lifting the cello gingerly onto her back, Octavia quickly moved after Vinyl as they slipped back inside. The Earth Pony was still in awe at the gentleness of Vinyl’s magic, and how well she could manipulate the world around her with it. Vinyl carefully settled Nightsong onto their soft fabric and down-stuffed couch, her magic shifting quickly to pull one of their hoof-made quilts over to drape over the comatose mare.
“I’ll go to the bank, Octi,” Vinyl whispered quietly, shooting her a gentle smile, “I know you want to try out that cello. ‘Sides, I need to get some stuff from the market.”
Octavia’s eyes softened at the care in the voice of her marefriend, leaning over to gently kiss her cheek.
“Thank you, Vinyl,” she replied, giving her a warm smile as she settled down by the fireplace, drawing the cello over.
The musician looked the lovingly made cello over once more as her lover bounced out of their home, then peered back at this new pony in their lives, sleeping on their couch. She gently took her bow from its case by the fireplace, smiling softly. Yeah… yeah, this was going to work out juuust fine.
Nightsong’s fluffy ears twitched as she slowly came back to wakefulness. The deep throaty vibrato notes of a cello rising slowly through the scales greeted her as she did. She smiled, not opening her eyes yet, she felt bonelessly relaxed as she drank in the marvelous velvety tones. Not as mellow as she had feared it would be, it was like… dark chocolate for the ears.
How the instruments sounded always worried the dedicated craftspony; no matter how much she checked and double checked. Both the carving of the parts and the gluing and assembly, there was always that little bit of doubt until she got a chance to play it or see the customer work it for themselves.
Opening her eyes, she could feel her smile stretching from ear to ear at the sight of Octavia balanced on her rear hooves, cradling the neck of the cello in the crook of one fetlock, the smooth edge of her hoof rolling lightly across the hoofboard with the slow ascending scale, her other forehoof loosely grasping the bow as it traveled a single full pass with each note, giving her ample time to listen and feel each one.
The Earth Pony’s eyes were closed, brow furrowed as she focused on listening, but she had a tiny smile on her lips as each note thrummed through the room. Nightsong couldn’t have interrupted that concentration even had she wanted to, they were both enthralled by the voice of the instrument.
After the slow, rich scale came other exercises, putting the cello through its paces with increasing speed and facility. Octavia was a master, that was easy enough to see, and hear! A true virtuoso with her chosen instrument. As her confidence in the instrument improved, she commanded, and the cello rose nobly to her challenge.
Pizzicato, Spiccato, Double stops and Glissando. Soon Octavia was just playing, and Nightsong could tell the difference. When it stopped being an assessment and became a frolic between musician and instrument. She let her head drop to the sofa again, closing her eyes and just soaking in the rich velvety tones. It was without a doubt, the best cello she’d ever made, but so deep! It would compete with Double Bass on the low end, but still run up its five octaves into dueling the Violas for attention.
When Octavia finally slowed to a stop, the music hung in the air, Nightsong’s ears straining to hear every last second.
“Welcome back, Nightsong,” Octavia whispered slyly, giggling no doubt at the blush the batpony could feel shooting across her face.
Nightsong blinked her eyes open sheepishly; Octavia had settled back on all fours, the cello leaned up against the wall. Her violet eyes were lidded and dreamy, as was the little smile stretching across her muzzle.
“T-that… that sounded lovely, Octavia,” the batpony whispered shyly, giving her a gentle smile of her own, “You have amazing talent.”
Nightsong had to physically keep herself from staring as Octavia’s blush covered her face, the earth pony sheepishly waving a hoof.
“Oh no, I’m no more talented than any other musician,” she replied demurely, “I have simply put a quite a lot of time and effort into learning and practicing. As I’m sure you had to do as well, no?”
“Yes, I really did,” Nightsong replied quietly, glancing down to stare at her hardened hooves, “It took a quite awhile. Luck, and…”
The batpony groaned quietly, laying her head in her hooves. All those bits she had just let slip through her grasp, all those years. All the surprised blinks or odd little grins finally made sense to Nightsong. A gentle hoof encircled her own, and she shyly peeked up.
Octavia smiled warmly, giving the batpony’s hoof a gentle squeeze, “It’s okay. Mistakes happen, and the best thing you can do is move forward.”
“And make more bits, that always helps too.”
Vinyl grinned cheekily as she sauntered inside, a group of bags held in the air, alight with azure magic. A little paper slip was settled down in front of Nightsong, crisp and new.
“There ya go!” she told Nightsong with a wink, “Now why don’t you and Tavi go do something fun, y’know? And when you get back, I’ll have lunch ready.”
“...it’s your day to cook, isn’t it,” Octavia muttered in a hollow tone, rubbing at her eyes with one hoof.
“Yup!”
Nightsong blinked as she glanced curiously at the distraught Earth Pony.
That bad?
“I uh… well, I suppose I could use a few new tools. A few are… heh, reaching the end of their lives, I’m afraid.”
And the more she thought about it, the wider the smile on Nightsong’s muzzle grew. Money. She had money! Good money! Maybe she could find a place to put in some custom orders, maybe a nice dress…
“I’ll be happy to go with you, if you’d like, Nightsong,” Octavia offered with a gentle smile, “I know a few shops in town you might enjoy.”
Nightsong nodded happily as she got to her hooves, giving a grateful grin, “Thank you, Octavia, really. Let me get dressed.”
The eager batpony did her best not to scamper upstairs, taking it slow and gracefully- till she was out of sight at least. This was going to be fun!
*******************
Octavia was rather grateful for her family’s insistence on etiquette courses when she was younger; it took quite a bit of self-control to keep herself from staring in shock as Nightsong returned from dressing. She had been a little surprised to hear that Nightsong wanted to dress up to go shopping, of all things. Bu when the batpony had come back downstairs…
She had squeezed into a set of denim overalls, a blue-and-purple bandana tied around her mane and almost covering her tufted ears. A little notebook hung from one side of her harness, and a pen dangled from one ear. Somewhat darkened reading goggles were settled over her eyes, and she shot Octavia a sheepish grin.
The Earth Pony gulped. Sisters, this… this wasn’t fair. She was adorable. Adorkable, even. And that was a weakness of Octavia’s, a big one. She and Vinyl had once considered attempting to court Twilight Sparkle. But since the nerdy little unicorn had become a full blown alicorn princess, and seemed to be courting a mare of her own, they had set that adorkable dream aside. Now? Now… this was going to be a heck of a day.
Vinyl caught her eye and winked, giving a silent whistle before scurrying into the kitchen. Octavia quietly huffed.
‘It’s alright, Octavia, you can do this. ...and you need to keep an eye on her. Make sure she knows how to haggle…’
The discrepancy bothered her. Octavia frowned to herself as she peered at the cello. One or two backwater burgs she could… if not understand, then at least see happening. There were sadly plenty of tribalists about. But for years…
“Octavia? Are you alright?”
The thoughtful Earth Pony jumped slightly as her thoughts were interrupted; Nightsong’s big purple eyes were looking at her nervously. The mare could do the puppy dog stare with the best of them. Octavia smiled gently and nodded, ears perking back up.
“I’m fine, dear,” she lied, “Was just going over what we need. Come along, I’ll show you to the market…”
**************************
Nightsong had to admit, the Ponyville market was one of the better markets that she had found outside of the big cities! The town square was efficiently carved up into little sections for each stall, most of them selling various fruits and vegetables from the farms around the town, fried street vendor food, and the usual hoofmade goods from craftsponies around town. The storefronts were carefully left unblocked, so their signs could be seen by those ponies on the street.
“There is a music store here,” Octavia piped up, grinning as the batpony jumped a little, “But the only instruments they sell are recorders. I imagine High Standards will be more than happy to have somepony providing instruments to ponies here.”
Possibly, but… Nightsong bit her lip. Competition was generally bad. Especially if Nightsong set up a stall- would ponies here chose a batpony over… well, she was not sure what High Standards was. Maybe an Earth Pony?
“Howdy, Octavia!” A loud, cheerful voice with a distinct rural Equestrian burr shouted- and it took everything Nightsong had not to jump.
Instead, she curiously peeked across the road; the shouter was an Earth Pony manning what appeared to be a fruit selling stand. Nightsong’s eyes widened slowly as she eyed the apples on display, stomach cramping. Fruit was something of a staple in most Earth Pony towns, the kind depending on the climate and what farms in the area grew. But as she approached the stand, she could honestly say that she had never seen better apples. So ripe and plump, juicy-looking…
“Uh, miss?”
Nightsong bit back a curse as she glanced up at the stallmare; she was a little taller than Nightsong, and broader too, giving her a bemused grin and look. Her blonde mane had been tied back and tossed over one shoulder, and her orange coat was puffy and somewhat dirty from a days work. Bright green eyes peered at the batpony curiously, and Nightsong took a moment to steel herself. Talking to pretty mare. Gulp.
“Sorry about that, miss,” she replied quickly, managing a quick, apologetic grin, “I’m just a little hungry.”
A good-natured chuckle bubbled out of the mare, and she gave an understanding nod.
“I get’cha, miss,” she teased, pushing an apple towards her, “One bit per apple.”
Nightsong blinked, a little surprised at the low price, but quickly fished out a bit from her coin purse. ...she really needed to go cash out that note. The orange Earth Pony took the bit with a cheerful nod and a practiced slide of hoof, the other hoof sliding over the apple. The now quite cheerful batpony snagged the snack and hopped back from the stall, though she paused sheepishly at a grinning Octavia.
The earth pony had snatched a pear from a nearby stand, who’s stall-stallion shot good-natured smirks at the orange mare, likely for “stealing” some business from her competition. Nightsong could hear Octavia’s giggles as the batpony latched onto the apple with her thin, hollow fangs, eagerly sucking the apple’s juices- though without any loud slurping. Non-batponies found that rude.
“We may have to wait for a few minutes,” Octavia told her once Nightsong had finished her snack and snapped down the flesh and core of the apple, “Some of the shopkeeps haven’t quite opened up yet.”
Nightsong nodded, curiously following the earth pony as she led her roommate over to a nearby park. It had seemingly been built to cater to those ponies eating at one of the vendor stands, or from several of the nearby restaurants. Nightsong smiled happily as she took in the many scents coming from the establishments, and settled down carefully on a park bench, legs folded under her.
Octavia had settled across from her, daintily nibbling away at the bright green pear, ears laid back in pleasure. It was a companionable silence; Nightsong was quite happy to just listen to the sounds of the market and the wind blowing through the trees that had been planted around the village. But after a few minutes of this, a thought reared in her head, and she peered curiously at Octavia.
“Yes, Nightsong?” Octavia spoke, having caught the young batpony’s questioning gaze, and giving her a little grin in response, “Bit for your thoughts?”
“A-actually, I was wondering, uh,” Nightsong spluttered a bit, doing her best to control her treacherous blush, “How did you and V-vinyl meet? If that’s alright to ask!”
Octavia blinked, but smiled at that question, giggling quietly before quickly finishing off her pear.
“It’s perfectly fine to ask, Nightsong,” she replied warmly, reaching into her saddlebag and, to the batpony’s surprise, produced a cigarette holder and a magical lighter, “And it’s actually an interesting story.”
Nightsong stared at the posh, regal Earth Pony as the flame leaped out to light the cigarette; a deep breath in and out, aromatic smoke leaving Octavia’s nose and mouth, to curl around her muzzle and ears. There was a playful twinkle in her violet eyes.
“We met at a political rally. The first major rally for homosexual rights in Equestria, in fact. It was in Canterlot, at the entrance to the Council grounds. Oh, you should have seen it, Nightsong. There were thousands there, from all over Equestria. From all the tribes, all walks of life…”
She winked at her batpony friend, “As you can see, with Vinyl and I. I had led the Symphony down to join them; we were all from higher positions in society, and we wanted to use our privilege and voice to help. But perhaps we were a bit… too loud.”
Nightsong blinked and tilted her head thoughtfully, “Did something happen?”
It was hard to imagine Octavia causing trouble, even at a rally! But Octavia grinned at her almost mischievously.
“Well, yes, something did. I had gotten pushed up the forefront of the line. The Council had their own personal guards in front of the Grounds, while the Police-Ponies and Royal Guard were kept to the sides. Their guards were not like police, I’m afraid. I was struck by a blinding force spell when they charged the protest line.”
She held up a hoof to forestall Nightsong’s stunned squeak and questions, still grinning herself, “And that’s how I met Vinyl. You do not want to see that DJ angry. She knows more defensive spells than you’d think. But she dispelled the blinding spell and kept the guard off me, brought me back to her group of friends, while the Royal Guard broke up the riot.”
Octavia closed her eyes and smiled gently, “She and her friends took care of me for a few days while things blew over. Learned alot about each other.”
“How… how long after that was it before you courted?” Nightsong was smiling at her friend happily, a little misty eyed at the image of Vinyl defending Octavia, like out of a story!
“A week.” Octavia smirked at Nightsong’s dumbstruck look, “I invited her to a recital in Manehatten, and she asked me out right after. Moved in together for the first time two weeks after that.”
She gave a little shrug and a quiet, tinkling laugh, “Vinyl and I don’t like to waste time, when we want something. Life is too short for that.”
“I’m… I’m glad you found happiness, Octavia,” Nightsong replied after a moment’s thought, giving her a sheepish little grin, “And thanks for telling me. That’s a heck of a meet.”
The slender Earth Pony hopped off her bench and grinned, using her tail to wave Nightsong along as she headed for one of the shops nearby, “It’s par for the course with Vinyl Scratch. I have never been bored with her around. You’ll see, my dear.”
Nightsong was rather glad that Octavia had turned at that moment, and was unable to see her slight stumble, or the way her wings gave a little flutter.
After a quick trip to the First (and only) Ponyville Bank, Nightsong happily followed Octavia along to the premier clothing-maker in the hamlet, Carousel Boutique. It took all she had not to pronk. Her bit purse was full to bursting, Octavia seemed to think of her as a real friend, or at least somepony she could speak to freely. Nightsong couldn’t keep the smile off her muzzle, even when she caught Octavia grinning over at her as they walked. This had been a good day so far.
The Boutique was one of the taller buildings in Ponyville, and absolutely the most gaudy. A riot of pinks, golds, and whites struck Nightsong’s sensitive eyes, and she squinted even behind her goggles. It didn’t help that it was a clear day, and the sun was shining down on the structure like it a Cloudsdalian cityscape.
“How can you all stand that?” she grumbled softly, ears laying back as she peeked over at Octavia, who was smirking at her, “It’s so bright!”
“Believe me, what Rarity puts out in terms of clothing is entirely worth the eye-sore that is her building,” Octavia replied cheerfully, “You’ll see.”
Nightsong nodded slowly and gulped, biting her lip. She actually had not been in many custom-clothing stores, as they were rare in the backwaters she was used to, and those that were there did not like her business. But if Octavia vouched for this place… She hurried in as Octavia nudged the door open, shooting her a smile as the earth pony held the door for her.
The inside was clean and, thankfully, not… as bright. Nightsong perked thoughtfully at the mannequins and racks of clothes, most of them rather bright and pastel. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing, but she was used to darker traveling clothes.
“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, darling!” rang out a melodious Canterlotian voice, not quite as cultured as Octavia’s but pleasant enough, “Where everything is- ah, Octavia!”
A slender, beautiful unicorn trotted in from a side room, a few aura’d tools quickly zipping from behind her back to settle on a nearby table. Her coat was a pure white, marred only by three blue diamonds on each flank. A violet mane, currently up in a business-like bun, shone in the bright light of the store, and Nightsong had to hold back a whistle of awe. This town was not fair; it was a treasure trove of beautiful mares!
A warm smile graced that pretty muzzle as the shopkeep, who must be the Rarity Octavia had mentioned, darted over to give Octavia a friendly hug, which Nightsong’s guide returned with gusto.
“It is good to see you too, Rarity,” Octavia said once they had stepped back, beaming, “I apologize for not coming by more; Vinyl and I’s touring seasons have only just ended.”
But Rarity waved off the explanation with a soft negating noise, grinning over at Nightsong, azure eyes bright and curious.
“It’s quite alright, darling, I know how busy you both have been. But now, who’s this? A new friend?”
“This is Nightsong,” Octavia replied quickly, winking at the mare as she waved to Rarity, “She’s mine and Vinyl’s new roommate, and needs a few new outfits.”
“J-just something functional!” Nightsong squeaked out, eyes widening at the glee filling Rarity’s expression, “F-for going around town, o-or seeing Octavia play maybe…”
Oooh, wrong thing to say. Now they were both giving her that look. ...ooh right. Classical music venues often liked tasteful outfits. The two mares exchanged looks.
“Hrm. Dress and jacket?”
“Certainly. She can pull off masculine and feminine, I do imagine. No head-wear, but perhaps some jewelry for her ears.”
“Mmm. I agree.”
The tingle of magic surrounded Nightsong in an instant, and she suppressed a surprised meep as she was floated over to the center of the room. Octavia shot her a playful wink- before the batpony’s eyes were covered by measuring tape. Nightsong had to admit, Rarity had some fine magic control. At least five different objects were flying all about her, measuring and marking and scribbling on paper… but not a one hit Nightsong, or even brushed along her fur. As her nerves calmed, Nightsong had to admit… she was rather impressed!
“Your people’s aesthetic is so exotic, my dear,” Rarity hummed out cheerfully as she walked in circles around Nightsong, eyes on each mark on her papers, “Band or Rookery?”
Nightsong jerked slightly in surprise, vaguely impressed again as the tools easily followed her movements, and stared at Rarity. She gave the batpony an easy smile.
“Oh darling, I’ve studied the fashion of every major culture in Equestria, thanks to dear Twilight,” she explained quickly, “Manehatten unicorns, Trottingham, batpony traveller bands, the Thestral Rookeries, Equestrian Gryphons… do you have a preference, Nightsong?”
Heh, well... It had been quite awhile since she had had any kind of clothing from home. Nightsong slowly trailed a hoof along the floor, letting out a quiet breath.
“If… you could, Rarity,” she began softly, “Maybe a Band-style working dress, with the colors of the Riski clan. A-and uh… a Rookery dance dress, Clan… Clan Night colors. And a… a jacket, same colors.”
“Ah, lovely ideas, darling! I’ll get started right away. You may step away now.”
Nightsong smiled weakly at Octavia as she stepped back, noting the curiosity shining in her new friend’s eyes.
“Later,” she mouthed, blushing in relief as Octavia nodded, and began to look through some of the hanging clothes.
The now-free batpony did the same, smiling slowly as she looked through Rarity’s selection; the unicorn had hurried off to what Nightsong assumed was her workroom, and the sounds of a sewing machine going nonstop drifted over. The mare was certainly dedicated! Nightsong knew that feeling well; a true craftspony fell in love with every piece they put out to the public, and she could see Rarity’s love in every stitch.
“What do you think of this, Nightsong?” Octavia asked from her side of the shop, “Sort of mid-spring in Prance, don’t you think?”
Nightsong peered back at her friend- and froze, purple slitted eyes going wide, and there was nothing the young batpony could do to forestall a blush. Octavia had donned a black beret, with a little purple-blue gem set on one side. A grey and black scarf was wrapped around her neck, complimenting her fur and beret nicely, with the end hanging midway to the floor.
Woof.
A surprised look flashed through her friend’s eyes- only to be replaced by a crafty little grin, one that did nothing to help the spluttering batpony regain her composure.
“That bad?” Octavia whispered faux-poutily, tail swishing to one side almost sadly.
“No!” Nightsong managed, feeling her wings lift up slightly in her haste, “N-no, not at all. It… you look…”
Her hoof slid over the floor a few times before she could continue, shooting Octavia a shaky little smile, “It looks great, Octavia. You should get that. V-vinyl would love it, I bet.”
Her heart soared at the surprised, yet warm smile she was given at that. Octavia’s eyes sparkled in the light when she was happy…
Easy, Nightsong. Taken mare. And your hopeful friend! You’ll find somepony, eventually.
***********************
The town hall was another of the larger buildings near the center of Ponyville; a sort of double-topped carousel building that seemed to be in style in the village. The cream paint and red roofing were, at least, rather welcoming, and relaxed Nightsong- slightly- as she stepped through the door, Octavia close behind. The waiting area had several rows of seats for busier days, though at the moment it seemed to be nearly abandoned. A desk was settled in front of the doors that led deeper into a hall, and a pink-coated Earth Pony was boredly typing away at her typewriter. Her green eyes barely flicked up at the mares as they approached.
“Can I help you?” she asked distractedly, reaching up to twist the roll on her typewriter, “Need the name of the local inn?”
Nightsong blinked slightly but quickly shook her head, “No miss, I’m actually looking to purchase a business and vendor license. I have a w-”
“Look, hun, we don’t need anymore junk-peddlers in Ponyville, we don’t have the market space, and we try to keep the place lookin’ respectable,” the mare interrupted, giving Nightsong a cursory look-over: one that focused on her wings.
She blinked as she saw Nightsong began to bristle, waving a hoof placatingly, “My apologies. Tinker is the right word, yeah? Yeah. Look, I’ll get you the T-32 form for wherever you’ve shacked up, make sure the constables don’ bother you while you’re in town.”
Nightsong grit her teeth slightly, fangs poking past her lips. She hated dealing with town bureaucracies. She’d have to take a constable out to her wagon just to prove her work, most likely. And pay a little extra for the trouble, if the town government was like Gallop Creek. But before she could respond, Octavia cleared her throat and stepped forward, violet eyes glaring down at the now-surprised secretary.
“Ahem! She sells instruments, Write-Up,” she told her icily, “I have recently bought one myself, and have the receipt for it. They are excellent works, and Ponyville would be better to have them in-”
“We don’t need anymore consignment set ups either, Miss-”
“She MAKES them!” Octavia snapped back, ears laid forward in anger, “If you had bothered to let her finish! Nightsong here is a craftspony, and a superb one at that. She is living with Vinyl and I, as a paying roommate, so her tax forms can be sent there. Now… the file, if you please.”
The two mares stared each other down; Octavia’s eyes cold and resolute, while Write-Up’s turned from surprise to humiliated anger. She rose up from her seat slowly, forehooves propped on the desk as she strained to be eye-level with the taller Octavia. Nightsong gulped thickly, alarm bells ringing in her head.
“That is enough, Write-Up.”
The secretary’s face paled in a heartbeat as she dropped to the floor, spinning around- her short-cut tail tucked between her legs.
“M-mayor Mare!”
An older mare stared over at the trio with a mix of disgust and annoyance; Nightsong was not quite sure if it was directed at herself yet. She shifted her legs, ready to grab Octavia’s tail and sprint if she called for the guard. In her experience, a mayor getting involved with batponies tended to end in jail.
“I apologize for the inconvenience, Octavia,” the mayor said firmly, shouldering the stunned clerical pony aside as she began to leaf through a set of folders, “And to you as well…”
Dark blue eyes flickered up to look the surprised batpony over, and she smiled softly at her as she held out a few forms, “Nightsong, correct?”
...huh.
“Y-yes ma’am, Nightsong,” she stammered out, extending a wingclaw to take the papers.
“Excellent. Fill those out and keep them with you; I will take them myself later on.”
The older mare casted a cold eye back at the frowning, blushing secretary, “When I come to see your wares myself.”
“Thank you very much, Madam Mayor,” Octavia jumped in with as she spotted Nightsong’s stunned look, “Nightsong will appreciate that greatly. Have a good day!”
A few gentle nudges got the mare’s brain restarted, and Nightsong practically tripped over herself to get outside. She closed her eyes and took a few shaky breaths. Well that went better than expected, but…
“I’m so sorry, Octavia,” she spoke up quickly, peering sheepishly over at her friend, “I didn’t mean for you to be dragged into that…”
Octavia was… still, head turned towards the hall and not responding. Nightsong gulped and pawed the ground nervously, ears folding back.
‘Oh no…’
“I-I won’t bring drama like that home, Octavia,” she managed after a moment’s thought, cursing mentally, “I’ll make sure it just-”
“Nightsong.”
Octavia’s firm, quiet voice stopped Nightsong dead as she turned her head to catch Nightsong’s eye. In the light of the late morning sun, her expression was like that of a noble patrician in the heights of Canterlot, about to command something of a servant. That firmness got a little shiver out of Nightsong’s back legs.
“Do not ever allow ponies to speak to you that way,” Octavia told her firmly, ears perked and quivering in repressed emotion, “Or to blame yourself for their racism. It poisons your soul. Trust me on this.”
Pink eyes clouded over for a split second before that authoritative mask was replaced, and the sleek Earth Pony stepped over to hug Nightsong with all her strength. The batpony gave a sheepish little squeak, trying to will her blush away- and to not collapse as she felt several vertebrae pop and crackle.
‘Octavia would make for a heck of a masseuse.’
“I am your friend, Nightsong,” Octavia whispered in her ear, giving a more gentle squeeze with her forelegs, “And I will be here to help you. So will Vinyl. Nopony else will treat you like that without consequences.”
‘Who’s cutting onions?’
The young batpony mare slowly wrapped her forelegs around her friend in turn, leaning her head into her soft fur and new scarf. For once, her anxiety over hugging a mare was… down. Still there, but… down.
Opening the door to the townhouse let loose a wave of scent; Nightsong almost swooned at her sensitive nose was filled. Spices, cooking tomatoes, something like frying cheese… It made her stomach cramp in need almost immediately.
“Vinyl got take out again,” Octavia muttered with a sigh, rolling her eyes as she led her young friend inside.
The dining table was covered and set as well as any Rookery family could have asked for, with a spread of plates and utensils. Three wine glasses had been set up, with a wine bottle set as a centerpiece. Three bowls had been set in place, steaming softly from their contents. And Vinyl Scratch stood in front of it all, looking intensely smug as Octavia’s jaw dropped.
“That smells amazing, Vinyl!” Nightsong gushed, beaming over at the practically preening unicorn, “What is it?”
“Ah y’know, nothin’ special,” she drawled, buffing her hoof against her chest, “Just some bandami paneer; a recipe I picked up on my last oversea’s gig. Cottage cheese, some almonds, a few spices… And I got us some nice Trottingham Red. I know how much Octy loves her wine.”
Nightsong pranced a bit in place; holy Lunar tits, that sounded good! Glancing over at Octavia however… The Earth Pony was eying Vinyl, ears tilted.
“Who made this for you.”
“Octy!” A melodramatic gasp burst out of the little unicorn as she leaned back on her hind legs, putting a hoof to her chest, “You wound me! You don’t think I could make-”
“It was Pinkie, wasn’t it? Or Zecora?”
Vinyl only grinned and chuckled, settling back to all fours with a little click of her hooves, turning to nudge them both over to the table. Nightsong eagerly scampered into her chair, grinning at the suspicious look in Octavia’s eyes as she slowly hopped into her own seat, before peering down at her bowl.
Mmm.
Hot meals were something of a rarity on the road- at inns, they tended to be expensive, and on the road they cost time and energy- finding firewood, getting it lit, then putting it out when you had to move… It set a real appreciation in Nightsong for the hard work in making a hot meal- especially this kind! Made by friends.
After wiping her eyes, Nightsong closed her eyes and bowed her head, switching over to the Rookery language as she prayed.
“Dark Mistress, Mare of Mists and Dreams, thank you for this bounty made by friends,” she whispered, peeking up sheepishly.
Vinyl was staring at her wide-eyed, smiling slowly, “Dude, that sounded really cool. What was that?”
Nightsong let out a tremulous little grin; she hadn’t been asked about her prayers before!
“T-that was a prayer to Luna, basically, thanking her for this meal. I was speaking in Thestral; a lot of Lunarian scriptures are in it, heh.”
“Is that just for batponies?” Vinyl asked thoughtfully, scooping up a spoonful of the paneer and munching at it happily.
That got a bit of a wing-wiggle from Nightsong, who paused long enough to take a bite herself- and shiver in pleasure. Mmm.
“Not by doctrine, but mostly in practice. I’ve only ever seen Celestian churches in the towns I’ve visited, and some Erosian shrines. Lunarian churches are only in Rookeries or Canterlot, as far as I know.”
Octavia smiled over at her gently, ears perked up.
“I’m a Harmonious, myself,” she explained, smirking over at Vinyl, “And my little unicorn here is a lapsed Erosian.”
Vinyl waved a hoof in the air, “Bah. I just haven’t been to a shrine in awhile, I’m not lapsed. Next Hearts and Hooves Day we can all go.”
A little spiral of tension bled out of Nightsong’s spine. Religion was not always a big part of village life, she had found, but fanatics could be found in the most unlikely of places. But a fun-loving Erosian and an accepting Harmonious… phew. The roommates ate in companionable silence after them, broken only by hums of appreciation for the food or to pour and down the wine Vinyl had provided.
After three glasses, Nightsong could feel that pleasant tingle running through her, and her muzzle curled in a helpless smile.
“Oh no,” she giggled out, ears splaying to each side of her head, “S-sorry guys, alcohol… alcohol always goes through me real fast.”
“Aw shit, Octy, we’ve got a lightweight,” Vinyl teased, grinning wider as Nightsong only giggled more, “Just wait till I get you in my next gig, Nighty.”
“You are not giving her an Unicorn Blast, Vinyl,” Octavia added quickly, smirking over at her roommate, “That is no way to treat a friend.”
Nightsong quickly shook her head with a few little squeaks, ears perked up tall.
“N-no, no it’s fine!” she replied quickly, trying to suppress her giggles, “I just started drinking, and I like experiencing new ones! I can handle it, promise.”
Octavia blinked and tilted her head thoughtfully; just started… but she had been on the road for awhile… The earth pony thoughtfully tapped her chin, ears tilting in her confusion.
“Nightsong, just how old are you?”
The thestral snickered and waved a hoof casually, coming quite close to smacking her bowl, “Old enough! Just turned eighteen t-two months ago!”
Both her roommates paused- though this didn’t phase Nightsong, who broke into a snicker fit and slumped in her seat, though still watching her friends. They looked a little odd: Vinyl was smirking deviously as she gave a sidelong look to her marefriend. For her part, Octavia had gone quite red, staring over at the giggling thestral and squirming just slightly in her chair.
“Doing okay, Octy?” Vinyl asked with an odd lilt, grin growing at the soft splutter Octavia tried hiding with a gulp of wine, “It’s gonna be great! We can share our wealth of party experience with a young protege. Riiiight, Tavi?”
“Of course we’ll teach you, Nightsong,” she replied shakily, eying Vinyl for a moment, “To party responsibly.”
Nightsong clapped her hooves happily before she could stop herself, tail swishing in excitement. Partying! Yay! This was going to be amazing!
********************
Vinyl laughed as she scrambled into their room, dodging swats from Octavia’s hoof or nips from a muzzle she was desperately trying to keep in a scowl.
“Aw come on, Octy, quit it!” she squeaked, leaping onto the safety of the bed and sticking out her tongue, “She was having fun.”
The charcoal mare shot her a look and sighed, sitting on her rump and rubbing her forehead.
“Vinyl…” she started, then hesitated again, glancing back at the door.
A soft blue glow wrapped around the door for a moment as Vinyl lit up her horn; sound-proofing spells were a nice bit of insurance of not being overheard. The unicorn settled down with her legs folded under her, nodding to Octavia.
“What’s up?” she asked softly, “Nervous?”
Her marefriend sighed quietly, and nodded, trailing a hoof on the carpet.
“Yes, I am, Vinyl,” she replied quietly, “She definitely likes the two of us. Poor thing could hardly keep her eyes off me during the market trip. But… she’s young, Vinyl.”
Vinyl smiled at Octavia’s involuntary blush, but nodded in agreement, “She is. But not too young- five and six years difference isn’t much, especially not in a herd. She’s pretty diligent too, Octy. That kind of skill at eighteen? Woof.”
“She’s naive too, Vinyl,” Octavia warned softly, biting her lip, “Do you think you’ll be okay with that?”
Vinyl was a master of her music and, surprisingly enough, of marketing and dealing with the underworld of the music business. Octavia had seen her utterly eviscerate so called moguls and less scrupulous new musicians on the scene, and had little patience for wannabes who didn’t want to learn.
Vinyl Scratch smiled easily at her marefriend, nodding.
“She’s not a poser or anything, Tavs. That filly knows what she wants, and how to get there. She just need a little guidance, y’know? What do you think of her?”
Vinyl was the lead mare- both had agreed to that when they began talking about forming a herd- and it was ultimately her decision, but Octavia absolutely had a say in it, and a part in the process. It was up to the second mare to bring new mares in to meet the lead mare and, if applicable, a stallion.
Octavia smiled softly and chuckled quietly, blushing.
“She’s cute, Vinyl,” she replied with a sparkle in her eye, “I enjoyed spending time with her today. Like you said, love, she could use guidance, but…”
She took a deep breath and nodded, “I want to bring her in, if she’s up for it.”
Vinyl’s smile practically could have split her face in half, and her magic yanked Octavia up into a tight, squeezy hug, getting a squeaky whinny from the Earth Pony.
“I am going to make this gig a bash, Octy,” she murmured in her ear, nipping it happily to enjoy a patented Octavia squeak, “Biggest bash in Ponyville, bar none.”
Octavia smirked, “So what you’re saying is, I should get the bail bits ready.”
The young batpony fluttered over the marketplace as it was bustling; it was late afternoon, following that great night prior. Nightsong was still smiling, in the best of moods. A warm, full stomach- Vinyl had made enough for leftovers for lunch!- and now a party planned for the next evening… She couldn’t believe her luck! But now she needed something to wear. This was a club, after all, and she wanted to show Vinyl Scratch that she cared enough about her passion to dress for the event.
Nightsong landed with a slight skid on the cobblestone road, just outside the Boutique- just in time to come nearly face to face with a unicorn walking out with a series of bags held in her magical grip. She was a middle-aged mare, with ebony fur and a short cut white mane, matching the piano key cutie mark on her flank. Her blue eyes widened slightly as they took in the batpony, narrowing just so. The younger mare could spot the put on smile a mile away.
“Ah, hello!” the mare intoned in a high falsetto, accented just slightly with a Fillydelphia twang, “You must be the new batpony in town that Miss Belle was going on about. I am High Standards.”
The mare held out a hoof, smiling slightly wider when Nightsong shook it gently, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss…?”
“Nightsong,” she replied quickly, “I-it’s nice to meet you too. I-I saw your shop in town; it’s very impressive. I-I make instruments too, actually.”
That got a surprised blink out of the mare, and a little grin out of Nightsong in response.
Not all of us are junk merchants...
“Mostly wood-worked ones, but I’ve dabbled in brass work in the past,” she went on, confidence growing, “Just sold a cello to Octavia, in fact.”
“Really now?” High Standards replied softly, seeming impressed, “Congratulations! How did you meet her?”
“O-oh, I live with her and Vinyl Scratch now. T-they’re my roommates.”
There was a slight change in the mare’s expression- quickly hidden, but Nightsong had noted the twitch of an ear and the shuffling of hooves at the mention of the mares.
“Ah, I see. Well it was a pleasure… Nightsong, yes?”
High Standards shifted her bags in her magical grip before quickly walking by. Nightsong bit her lip slightly as she watched her go, suppressing a sigh. Well, not everypony was going to be as friendly as those she had met so far. And at least this mare was cordial. Certainly a plus from-
“Ah hello Nightsong, darling!”
Rarity’s melodic voice trilled out of her home-store as the white mare peered past her door, beaming at the potential customer. It sent little shivers down Nightsong’s sides as she smiled back, putting High Standards to one side of her mind as she hurried towards the pony she had already met. The unicorn stepped back to allow Nightsong through her door, lightly shutting it behind her.
“And how are we, this morning? Come to check on your orders?”
Nightsong blushed hotly. Oh buck! She quickly waved her hooves and wings in the negative.
“N-no, not at all, Miss Rarity!” Nightsong stammered out, “I’m n-not here to rush you at all. I just uh, wanted to see if I-I could add something…”
Rarity giggled softly as she watched the spluttering batpony, holding up a hoof to calm her, “I’m just teasing, dear. Your dresses are done. How else can I help you?”
Blink. Done? Nightsong smiled slowly, deeply impressed by the grinning, self-assured mare in front of her. Nerves blew away with an exhale, and the batpony gave a little nod.
“I-I’m glad to hear that, Miss Rarity,” she started a bit sheepishly, “Because I need something… w-well, something to wear to a club, b-by tomorrow night.”
A sparkle of light came to Rarity’s eyes along with a devious little grin, and she did a little dance in place.
“Club-wear, you say?” she practically purred out, making poor Nightsong’s heart skip a beat, “Come, come, let me show you what I have in your size.”
Nightsong gulped sheepishly as she slinked after her, ears splayed. Oh dear. What had she unleashed…
*****************
Vinyl Scratch’s ears twitched as a quiet voice pulled her out of concentration. It was the afternoon of her gig, and she was getting the last of her songs saved to her board before heading to the club. Octavia had ducked out earlier to hang out with Lyra and Bon-Bon- their friends would be coming to Vinyl’s gig as well, and would be meeting Nightsong there. Vinyl wasn’t too worried about them meeting- Lyra would adore the exotic mare, and Bon-Bon was the epitome of easy-going. But what had her curious now was this quiet, beautiful singing…
A flash of her horn saved her board’s settings before Vinyl hopped down, ears swiveling to catch the direction of the singing. Downstairs. She tip-toed her way down, grinning slyly. If Octi was gone… Peeking around, Vinyl’s grin only widened as she found the source. Nightsong.
The young mare had her wings stretched while she sat on their couch, running something clutched in both hooves in slow, purposeful movements, singing quietly to herself. Closing her eyes, Vinyl tried to place the language- not Germane or Trotsky… ah, must be Thestral again. It was beautiful. Lots of little batpony clicks and chirps scattered about, and the words themselves flowed over each other. It would make for an absolutely perfect vocal set up for trance music.
Vinyl made sure to wait for Nightsong to finish her little ritual, with a bowed head and soft smile, before announcing herself with a purposefully loud hoofstep on the last few steps. The batpony glanced up in surprise, purple eyes widening cutely, as was the light blush under her fur.
“Nice set of pipes you have there,” Vinyl told her quietly, shooting her a little wink, “Sing often?”
“Not for other ponies,” Nighty replied shyly, glancing down with…
Vinyl smiled slowly. That looked an awful lot like regret- and DJ Pon-3 did not do musical regret. The unicorn darted over to put a foreleg over the batpony, grinning at her cheerfully.
“We can change that, y’know,” she told her plainly, grinning until her infectiousness got a grin back, “All you have to do is ask, Nighty. Octy would love to have you perform with us.”
The young batpony blanched at that, ears splaying atop her head and tail swishing out across the faux-leather couch.
“Y-you two are accomplished performers! I would take away from-”
“Ah, ah, ah.”
Vinyl’s magic lightly held Nightsong’s muzzle closed while she smirked at her new roomie, “No putting yourself down, Nightsong. You’re a stellar craftspony, and I just heard you singing. You’d be kickass at the club. You’re still coming tonight, right?”
Nightsong was nodding even before Vinyl’s magic slithered away, blushing deeply.
“Of course! Heh, I-I was getting ready right now, actually. Miss Rarity has my uh… my outfit.”
Oh-ho. Does she now. It took some self-control not to gaze at Nightsong hungrily. Rarity made the absolute best club-wear in Ponyville- possibly in most of Equestria. She was one of Vinyl’s many business partners, making club merchandise and clothing with the DJ Pon-3 logo. Vinyl could only imagine just what her friend was making for the young, sleek batpony to wear. This party was going to be fuckin’ experience.
She and Octavia had gone out to plan with Rarity the night before, something to surprise Nightsong with. No wonder Rarity had been smirking the whole time. Vinyl had tried to plan something fun- tall, soft faux-leather boots and a collar, with little cuffs and buckles- but Tavia had quickly put a stop to that, and put a scruff on Vinyl. She was right, of course- too soon for subby gear. But, Goddesses willing, one day!
“Excited?”
Nightsong gave a little shiver and smiled dreamily at Vinyl, wings lifting just slightly off her back.
“You have no idea,” she replied softly, ears perked up, “I’ve always wanted to go to a dance club. I’d see them in some of the towns, but they were pretty expensive to get in.”
For batponies. It was unspoken, but Vinyl could see it in Nightsong’s expression. Poor filly. She resisted the urge to give her another hug- Vinyl could see that Nightsong was steeling herself. She nodded in respect of that and patted her shoulder.
“I’m glad to have you going, Nightsong,” she told her quietly, “And you and me? We’re gonna go to one of Octy’s big gigs in a few weeks, and we’re gonna make it a blast.”
Vinyl rocked her flank against Nightsong’s side; the younger mare was blushing furiously, but smiling and looking excited, prancing in place.
Sweet Cadence, I want to buck her into the ground, right now.
Instead, the seemingly easy-going mare just laughed to herself and ruffled Nighty's fluffy ears before turning to head back upstairs.
Deeeep breath. Just hold on, Vinyl. That’ll come soon enough.
**********************************
“Oh you’re right, she /is/ cute, Octavia.”
Lyra Heartstrings grinned slyly as she stared out the window of Bon-Bon’s shop, out at the local market. Nightsong had set up a little booth for the afternoon, with a few of her smaller works on display. The mint-green unicorn gave a little squee as she watched the batpony talk animatedly with Time Turner, a local inventor.
Bon-Bon chuckled quietly as she sat with Octavia at a tea table, sipping some oolong, “She is, gotta admit. You and Vinyl…?”
Octavia let out a soft breath but nodded, “We hope to try, yes. She’s attracted to us, that’s for certain. I just don’t want to jump the gun, as it were.”
Lyra smirked back at her, eyebrows lifted skeptically, “So you take her to one of Vinyl’s parties? You know how the ponies there are.”
That got a bit of a blush to Octavia’s cheeks. Vinyl was a big proponent of legalized sex work, and any shows she hosted allowed those kinds of ponies to work in and around it. Vinyl’s hired security, mostly friends from Canterlot that Octavia knew as well, knew the bad type to watch out for, and those they needed to protect. Octavia fully supported Vinyl’s decision in that regard, but it often made her parties a tad… mmm… raucous.
She coughed demurely into a hoof and waved it in the air.
“We’ll keep an eye on her,” she promised the mares, smirking a bit, “You know how Vinyl gets during these things.”
Lyra chuckled, “I almost hope some idiot tries something, just so I can see her plot get kicked by Scratch’s magic again. Brutal.”
But effective. Octavia still remember those sonic pulses flinging private guards into the air, shattering plastic face masks and rending their batons… Vinyl couldn’t keep up the magic long, she was not a trained spellcaster and Octavia had had to treat her marefriend for magical exhaustion more times than she would have liked to admit. But she had a respectable mana pool, and anypony that knew her, also knew not to mess with her.
“Hopefully nopony will be that foolish. I want Nightsong to have a good time.”
Octavia smiled softly and winked at Bon-Bon before downing her tea, “And the both of you. You are coming, yes?”
“Well if we can find a nice, private booth, we sure hope-”
“Lyra!”
Octavia giggled softly at her friends, Bon-Bon having launched out of her seat to chase a laughing mint unicorn around the confectionary. This was going to be a very good night…
It was a beautiful night. Nightsong closed her eyes and smiled happily, ears twitching lightly as she headed towards the distant bumping of the music. It was getting close to the colder months of the year, and there was a light breeze blowing, eddying the somewhat chilly air. Batponies were naturally thicker-furred though, and it was just the kind of weather that Nightsong loved. And her clothing did nothing to change the feeling.
Rarity had truly outdone herself with the outfit, and helped Nightsong with her mane-style. Her black mane had been washed and treated to a divine shampooing with some mane-care product that Rarity swore by, then done up in a bun. They had been going for a Neighponese style, and as such her bun was settled in place with a set of chopsticks. Her slim barrel was hugged by a red-and-gold brocade vest, with the pattern of a phoenix worked on the chest. All four legs were hugged by white stockings that climbed their entirety; it had left Nightsong blushing and spluttering, but Rarity had assured her that Vinyl and Octavia would love it. And she had to admit, the outfit’s effect had her feeling good.
The club was a converted warehouse in the newly re-zoned entertainment district of Ponyville: three stories tall, surrounded on all sides by neon signs and gleaming magotech displays, currently with DJ Pon-3 and Octavia spinning in slow circles, the colors changing and mingling between pink and bright blue. The Hot Trot gleamed out to ponies far and wide, lights shining to draw them in. Crowds were already in line, which was moving swiftly inside, eyed by a pair of bulky, neutral-faced stallions. A few ponies, Nightsong noticed, would routinely be drawn off by provocatively dressed mares and stallions and into waiting wagons or through smaller doors on the side of the club.
But why would they… oh. OH!
Nightsong blushed and stared straight ahead as to not make eye contact. She had seen her fair share of prostitutes in her travels; it wasn’t that she begrudged their work, or looked down on them! It… just was not for her, and it made her a little uncomfortable at times. She wanted her first time to be special, with somepony who…
Ah ah. None of that now. Tonight was about having fun, and seeing Vinyl perform!
Getting closer and closer to the building, Nightsong’s ears splayed as the heavy bass began to vibrate along her ears and down her spine. She hadn’t imagined it’d be quite that… loud. She nervously chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to tamp down on her leg shaking. The ponies around her seemed excited; many of them dressed in little, or as provocatively as the escorts.
Hope I didn’t overdress, heh...
“Miss?”
Eep! The batpony peeked up at the two stallions, who were now gazing down at her passively. The one on the left looked her over, then locked eyes.
“Name?”
Gulp. “N-nightsong, sir. I-I can pay, uh-”
But both stallions perked up at the name, with them glancing at her cutie mark, then grinning slightly at each other.
“Nah, Vinyl told us you’d be coming,” one replied quickly, stepped aside so she could pass inside.
“You have a good time, miss.”
It took NIghtsong a moment to work past her surprise to scramble into the club’s entrance, violet eyes shining. She was going to do it… she was really going to go to a club! Music and dancing and Vinyl and Octavia… Her wings fluttered off her sides with nervous giddiness as she hurried to press open the inner doors-
And stumbled through with a high-pitched screech, unheard in the long pulse of bass. The sound reverberated throughout her skull- Nightsong swore she could feel it pulsing behind her eyes like a thousand small ponies striking her with hammers. The mare tried to feel for the door, wings stretching out to feel her way. Her echolocation was thoroughly scrambled, and she-
A warm form pressed against her suddenly, and Nightsong’s eyes shot open in a panic. A dark-red furred pony had her pressed to the wall, and something thick and chilly was pressed into her… her… ears? She blinked a few times as the torturous bass abruptly dropped to a far more tolerable level, and her eyesight returned after a few blinks. The pony stepped back from her, and Nightsong perked instantly at the worriedly outstretched leather wings on her back. Another batpony!
The maroon-furred mare grinned at her cheekily once she was sure Nightsong was able to think, shooting her a wink as her ears and wings began twitching. Traveller bands had developed a rudimentary sort of sign language using expression and ear and wing placement, and it was something Nightsong had made sure to learn.
“Ear plugs,” the other mare signed, sitting on her rump, properly revealing a shirt that read Tech on the front, “You keep. Help. Alone?”
Nightsong let out a slow breath, then shot a shaky little grin over at her new friend, “No. Two friends. Thank you.”
“Welcome. Must go. Fun!”
The mare beamed and playfully thumped her smaller compatriot before fluttering up into the rafters of the club’s first floor, lost amid the haze of lasers and flashing lights. Now that she could properly hear and, most importantly, think, Nightsong had to admit that the music was not half bad! A little bass-heavy for her, even with the ear plugs in, but…
Peering up at the stage, the DJ there was definitely not Vinyl, but instead a light blue unicorn stallion with a short black mane, bangs hanging over his goggled face as he worked the board with skill. She bobbed her head in time with the beat as she turned to look the dance floor over, noting a pair of signs set up by a stairwell.
Second Floor: DJ Scrawlz
Third Floor: DJ Pon-3
Bingo!
Glancing around for any signs saying not to and, finding none, Nightsong took to the air, flitting on the hot air up the staircase. The second floor was a little more packed than the first, but seemingly between sets- ponies were mingling around the floor’s bar and around a few tables set off to the sides. But the third floor… that was where the party was at!
Nightsong landed at a quick trot as she rushed into the floor, looking around alertly. She recognized quite a few ponies from Ponyville here! A rainbow-haired mare was sidled up against a blushing Twilight Sparkle, who had entwined her wing with the pegasus. Rarity was swaying to the quiet beat playing in between songs, her tail entwined with a yellow pegasi. Indeed, the young batpony noted quite a few couples and herds among the crowd here, and it set her more at ease in an instant.
“ALRIGHT PONIES!”
The batpony gasped and shuddered as the voice rolled up her spine, sending goosebumps all over. It was powerful, intense… so much /passion/ in her voice! Nightsong turned to look up at the stage. Vinyl Scratch was settled at her board, smiling widely as she waved out at the now-cheering crowd. She was naked except for her ever-present sunglasses and a glow-stick necklace, and that smile was absolutely infectious, widening Nightsong’s own.
“Are you aaaaaaaall ready… to party!?”
Nightsong found herself cheering right on back with the crowd, wings fluttering happily- which left them vulnerable to the warm foreleg that slid up her back to drape along Nightsong’s neck. Octavia beamed over at her young friend, eyes bright.
“You look amazing, Nightsong!” she told her cheerfully, a light blush across her charcoal colored cheeks, eyes practically sparkling.
“S-so do you!” Nightsong stammered back, watching her lips more than hearing her words.
Octavia was dressed in a simple black dress, short in that it flared around her flanks, showing off just enough to be mildly salacious and enticing. Her ever present bowtie was settled on a simple white and black collar, though tonight it was a dark blue. Her long, dark mane had been pulled back into a ponytail, flaring out across the back of her dress.The earth pony smiled at Nightsong happily, rubbing gently along her side; she smelled like vanilla and a hint of whiskey.
Octavia perked up as the music became louder- a more upbeat tune than those below, lively in a sense that quickly got Nightsong all but bouncing on her hooves. Octavia’s gentle but insistent pressure on her withers led the batpony out onto the dance floor. Fear clutched at her heart- for just a moment, until their eyes met. A gentle smile and warm affection infusing her thoughts…
“Follow my lead!” Octavia shouted to her as the music began, and Nightsong felt every bit of nerves fall away as she followed her.
She could trust Octavia to lead her true; to be her guide. The earth pony gently helped Nightsong stand on her hind legs, wings flaring lightly to help with balance, while Octavia held onto her forehooves. The lights dimmed around them as Vinyl began her set, flashes of the strobes above and the blues from the stage the only illumination as they began swaying to the beat.
Her violet eyes captured Nightsong’s own, that smile sultry and loving; soft hooves stroking along her sides where the brocade met fur, sending shivers up the younger mare. Her white stockings slid along Tavi’s dress, and before Nightsong could even begin to be embarrassed, Octavia danced lightly against her stomach and chest. She could feel the up and down and rumble of a giggle, even if she couldn’t hear it.
W-wha...
They danced through most of Vinyl’s set, Nightsong’s eyes either locked on Octavia’s, or sometimes turned by her to see a beaming, joyous Vinyl looking down at them while she worked. Octavia’s hooves wrapped around Nightsong from behind as Vinyl watched them, and the batpony couldn’t help but mold back against Octavia, swaying to the fast-paced beat. Sweat was lathering her fur, but she could not stop. She never wanted this to stop. Her ears, even with the plug protection, were twitching and swivelling, trying to catch every bit of it as she could. Emotion was welling up in her chest and throat like she had never experienced before, a few happy tears mingling with the sweat in her fur.
Nightsong gasped as the coolness of a faux-leather seat touched her back, and she blinked her eyes open blearily. Octavia was smiling at her, eyes shining beneath her loose, sweaty bangs, her fur fluffed out from a recent quick brushing to remove the sweat from their time on the floor. A quick glance around revealed them to be in booth near the back of the room; a few others were set up in the area, most of them empty still.
This… this place was a warehouse once? It was nice! The acoustics were great! Something shimmered in the corner of her vision, and she glanced back up at the stage. A pony that was not Vinyl was behind the board now; another stallion, bobbing his head slightly. Nightsong frowned slightly and tilted her head. Was Vinyl done with her set? Well where was she-
A hoof poked her side lightly, and Nightsong spun back towards Octavia… aaand apparently Vinyl! Both mares were looking at her curiously, and Vinyl’s eyes had softened from their usual playfulness into concern.
“Sorry guys!” she shouted, smiling sheepishly, “I was just thinking and-”
Both mares had leaned back from her in surprise, ears flattened against her head. Nightsong’s own ears splayed back, a little bit of nervousness clenching at her heart again. Vinyl was studying her- then blinked, a smirk crawling onto her muzzle as her horn lit up. Nightsong tensed as she felt her earplugs sliding loose.
“No wait it-!”
But the overwhelming sound did not come! Just a comfortable hum, with a study backbeat of light bass.
“Vinyl casted a sound-proofing spell, dear,” Octavia told her with a little chuckle, “So that we could talk.”
The curious unicorn was looking the two earplugs over- they were thick and made of a kind of enchanted jelly, glowing green under the lights. Nightsong bit her lip and quickly raised her hooves, not wanting Vinyl to get the wrong idea.
“I-I could still hear, I promise!” she stammered out, “I-it was just… overwhelming, a-a-and another batpony downstairs g-gave me those. I could hear it, j-just a little muffled. Your music was amazing, Vinyl…”
“Don’t worry, filly,” Vinyl replied with a smirk, “I ain’t mad. M’glad, if it means you can enjoy the beat. And you two certainly looked like you were enjoying yourselves…”
Octavia’s warm body was suddenly settled against Nightsong’s back, with a giggling muzzle settled on her shoulder.
“Oh, I certainly did,” she purred softly, soft forehooves beginning to work at Nightsong’s spine and along her wing-joints, drawing a surprised gasp from the batpony, “Did you, Night?”
“Y-yes,” she breathed; oh that… that felt /nice./ Her eyes widened as Vinyl sidled up to lean into Nightsong’s chest, crimson orbs gazing into her with a tender warmth.
“You look fuckin’ amazin’, Nighty,” Vinyl told her seriously, grinning as she lifted a stocking hoof to kiss, like a gentlestallion straight out of a story.
The other hoof gently slid up Nightsong’s vested chest, which was trembling just slightly. Were they really… Nightsong’s lips spread softly as Vinyl slinked closer, breath mingling in the seconds before they met. Vinyl was gentle with her, kissing and lightly suckling a lip before spreading her mouth, tongue lapping out softly. Nightsong mewled so softly as she opened herself, allowing Vinyl to take the lead and to explore. Any nerves and panic was massaged away by Octavia’s tender hooves and gentle nuzzles along her sensitive ears.
Little trills bubbled up unbidden as Nightsong began to return the kiss, tongue shyly batting and slipping against Vinyl’s; she tasted like fruit and alcohol, strong and heady, and Nightsong… she liked it. She slowly lifted a hoof to rest on Vinyl’s shoulder, and the unicorn pressed more firmly into their kiss, quite happy to let the young batpony wrap her forelegs around her neck. This had to be a dream…
The pressure on her back let up, and tobacco smoke filled the booth, tangling amongst Nightsong’s ears and filling her nose. It was fragrant and thick, almost overpowering. Vinyl chuckled softly as she finally pulled away, panting softly- and reaching to tilt Nightsong’s head to one side. The batpony had no break, not with /two/ beautiful mares; Octavia met her lips with a hum, smoke slipping down into Nightsong’s lungs and sending her head into the clouds. Octavia’s tongue slid in to do battle with Nightsong’s immediately, and she moaned her shy submission. Beyond the smoke, she tasted bourbon and mint. Vinyl’s muzzle pressed to one ear, and Night cried out softly as she felt the tender nibbles along it.
She wasn’t sure how long it all lasted; minutes? Hours? Her mind was a hazy, giddy, frightened, /excited/ mess when the mares let her lean back into the cushions, eyes unfocused. She swallowed a few times, unable to keep herself from grinning like an idiot.
“W-wow.”
Vinyl cackled, her and Octavia’s hooves clicking in a bump as they looked Nightsong over, ears perked up.
“I think you can guess what we’re going to ask you, hrm?” Octavia whispered to Nightsong playfully, tail swishing across the faux-leather seats; that defogged Night’s brain well and good, yup.
“I-I… are you s-sure?” she stammered, glancing between the mares; their expressions never wavered from kind and supporting.
“Damn right we are,” Vinyl replied, grinning, “Octi and I talked it out. We like you, Nighty, both of us.”
“Do you like us?”
“Yes!”
Nightsong was not about to seem like she was hesitant on her attraction to the mares, “I-I do, absolutely. I just… I’m-”
Vinyl was fast. She had scooted close to the batpony, a hoof pressing to her lips to keep her quiet. It was… surprisingly calming.
“You are an amazing craftspony,” Vinyl whispered in a toan that would not be challenged, “You’ve got a good heart. And you’re fuckin’ hot. Got me?”
No, no, no tears!
Nightsong nodded shyly, giving a little mew behind the hoof, which quickly turned to slide up Nightsong’s cheek, and to bring her into another kiss.
“Good girl.”
Nightsong’s wings darted out to thump the back of the booth as a tingle ran down her spine. Vinyl blinked and began to smile, a slow but unstoppable process that left her mouth beaming widely, practically about to split her face.
“Awwww yeah!”
“Public, Vinyl,” Octavia replied with a smirk, though her face was a nice cherry red beneath her fur, “And your song?”
“Oh shit, right!”
Before Nightsong could properly understand what was going on, or restrain her wings even, she was being tugged back out onto the dance floor, her earplugs slid back into place by Vinyl’s magic. The music was new, something she hadn’t heard before. It was slow, with a steady rumbling bass, and quiet vocals throughout. Slow enough that dancing was… different.
Vinyl and Octavia wound their way around Nightsong, eyes half-closed and little smiles on their muzzles. Fur brushing on fur, magic tingling as it slid along her ears and wings. As the beat suddenly picked up, Octavia broke away, a smile on her face as she rose on her hind legs again and began swaying to the beat, hooves sliding up her barrel and drawing up the dress over her stomach. Nightsong’s wings throbbed with her heartbeat and the beat of the song, and as it slowed, Octavia folded herself into one of the broad, leathery limbs, twisting to lock Nightsong into another kiss.
This was different, their tongues writhing to the beat of the song; it wasn’t the gentle, welcoming kisses. This was something more primal, pulling soft, shaky trills out of the batpony, making her body tremble. Vinyl was still dancing, but closer to the two mares, sunglasses in her teeth. When Octavia let Nightsong go, the unicorn slipped in close, settling her glasses onto Nightsong’s head before claiming her in a kiss as well. Even through her earplugs, Nightsong could make out Octavia’s musical laugh, as the night faded away into the beat of the music…
` Vinyl Scratch smiled cheerfully as she turned over in her bed, looking over at her and Octi’s new bed-partner. Nightsong had been stripped out of all but her stockings before being tucked into her bed. Her mane had fallen out of its bun and was spread around her head like a little raven halo, and Vinyl’s glasses were stuck on her head. Her muzzle was still curled in a dazed little smile, and that got a near-silent chuckle from the unicorn. Octi had that same face after her first dance, too.
Octavia was nestled gently against Nightsong’s other side, breathing deeply of her scent. Vinyl loved how peaceful she looked, sleeping. When they first started dating, it was all Vinyl could do to not be creepy and watch her sleep, relaxing into her forelegs and dreaming the day away…
“V-vinyl?”
The soft voice was tremulous and awed, with just a little bit of fear edged in. Those bright slitted purple eyes stared up at her, and Nightsong had drawn her hooves to her chest, looking panicky and vulnerable. Vinyl darted in as the batpony began stammering, catching her in a gentle kiss; she smiled as she trailed her hoof along the younger mare’s cheek.
“We didn’t,” she whispered sincerely, “I promise. Me and Octy? We’re going to make sure your first time is something you /never/ forget.”
The panic drained out of Nightsong immediately, little tears in the corners of her eyes as she smiled up at Vinyl. A little mrrfle echoed in the room as Octavia suddenly shifted, and Vinyl slinked back, grinning knowingly. She could get a tad… cuddly, in the morning. Right on cue, Octavia turned to hug tight onto Nightsong, iron strong Earth Pony strength keeping her nice and snug. Nightsong squeaked and wiggled- which only redoubled when Octavia began nibbling on her ear.
“A-aah! V-vinyl, help! Nnnh, n-no, don’t lick…”
Vinyl Scratch snickered and abruptly spun around, all but prancing downstairs. Hrm. Maybe waffles for breakfast!
***********************
Octavia smiled happily as she nosed Nightsong down the stairs, shooting the shy pony a wink as they headed into the kitchen. That had been a very nice way to wake up. Nightsong’s fur was very fluffy and warm, even more so when she was blushing when having her ear groomed. She had not spotted Vinyl in bed, but judging from the smells in the kitchen…
The meal was, yet again, already set up, with three plates piled high with food- this time, steaming waffles and bottles of syrup for each, topped with fried eggs, and hay-bacon. While Nightsong gave a happy squee, Octavia eyed a slyly grinning Vinyl, then peered around the kitchen. No open windows, no suspicious pink plants or tails sticking out of the pantry. ...hrm.
“I will find out who’s cooking for you,” she whispered to her marefriend, flushing as Vinyl’s only response was an ear nip.
Nightsong had scurried into her seat, whispering quietly in Thestral as she bowed her head. Octavia smiled over at the mare gently, mentally reminding herself that she needed to learn that musical language. She was such a fascinating mare… She and Vinyl quickly scooted their chairs to either side of the batpony; Octavia dug into her waffles cheerfully, hiding her grin as she felt Nightsong heating up.
“I was thinking, girls,” Octavia began as she finished a bite, grinning over at them, “Why don’t we all work Nightsong’s stall today? Might bring in the crowds.”
Her new marefriend perked her ears and stared over at Octavia, fidgeting in her seat.
“You don’t… well…” Nightsong began to reply, then paused, wings fluttering.
Vinyl smiled gently and leaned against her, “It’s up to you. But the three of us can get the wagon out there faster, get the whole thing set up. I can handle inventory while Octi helps you sell. She knows the most about instruments.”
‘Atta girl, Vinyl.’
Nightsong glanced between them, giving that trademark little smile that had drawn them both in so thoroughly.
“A-and you’re sure you don’t mind?” she asked softly, blushing deeply as Octavia hopped down to rub into her free side.
“Of course we don’t mind, we-” Octavia began, only to be interrupted by a quick series of knocks at their door.
She knew that cadence! Beaming, Octavia scurried to open the door, tail giving a pleased swish. Lyra and Bon-Bon had cleaned up from the dance at least- they had been drinking and dancing, grinding against each other- having a damn good time. At one point in her life, Octavia would have been flabbergasted- now, it was routine, and pleased her to no end.
“Come on in, guys.”
“Thanks Tavi,” Lyra replied first, always the talker of the pair- her tail was entwined with Bon-Bon’s as they walked in, golden eyes sparkling, “How’s the newbie doing?”
“Not even a hangover!” Vinyl called out cheerily, thumping Nightsong’s back and getting a squeak out of her, “So proud.”
“Glad to see her sober,” Bon-Bon added, grinning, “Haven’t been kissed like that since Lyra and I’s first date.”
“OHI’MSOSORRY!”
The house was filled with good-natured laughs and hugs; Octavia beamed as she watched Bon-Bon embrace the young mare, ears laying back in relief as Nightsong visibly relaxed and broke into giggles herself. This was what she wanted to see out of her marefriend- to undo the damage of whatever happened in the past. To see more of that smile and sparkling eyes.
With a pleased look to Vinyl, Octavia trotted back to the table to finish planning the rest of the day. It was going to be a good one; she hoped.
******************
Vinyl had been right, three ponies did make setting up faster! Despite appearances, Octavia could pull a wagon with the best of them, and they made it to the market in record time. Once the blocks were in place, Vinyl’s magic had already set up their tables and gotten the merchandise in place. One table held the various toys and knick-knacks she made out of spare materials and parts (never let anything go to waste!), while another held her cheaper pieces. A few violins, some recorders, and a few brass trumpets. The more expensive pieces were on display in cases, leaned against the wagon for protection.
Other ponies were eying her stall and wagon thoughtfully- which was a good start! In Nightsong’s experience, the first day tended to give a microcosm of the sales season. ...this had to go well. She did not want to become a burden on her new marefriends.
Marefriends. The thought sent a shiver of fear and pleasure up the young batpony’s spine. It was not something she had expected here, not in a largely Earth Pony town. Honestly, Nightsong had not expected just how open and mixed the town was. A whole club scene; libertine attitudes towards the gay and possibly even the herd movements…
“Miss?”
Nightsong squeaked and jumped a bit, blinking down at an Earth Pony colt who was standing in front of her stall- and holding one of her ebony puzzle-boxes. Several other foals stood behind him- one peering longingly over Nightsong’s shoulder towards the instruments.
“O-oh yes! Hi! That uh, is…”
The cello flashed through her mind for a split second… and then the wide brown eyes of the colt.
‘Heh.’
“Five bits,” she told him gently, smiling as his eyes sparkled in response.
The knick-nacks had been an idea from the past season- using leftover wood and wire to make toys, puzzle-boxes and little statues to help even out costs. They always had brought in a few bits, even in the worst towns. A black and white unicorn colt was fifth in line, eagerly leaning his forehooves on the counter- in the corner of her eye, Octavia was beaming, and quiet chuckles from Vinyl were bubbling out from the wagon. The colt was bouncing excitedly, horn glowing a dim white as he set a little bag that jingled with bits out on the counter.
“How much for that keyboard, miss?” he asked with all the barely controlled politeness of youth, “The one with the crystal amplifiers!”
Nightsong glanced over at the pouch- instinct and experience told her that it held, at most, about a hundred bits. Not bad! But her new pricing, thanks to Octavia’s coaching, had the piece at four hundred bits. She pursed her lips.
“Do you know how to play?” Nightsong asked thoughtfully, grinning at the colt’s eager nods.
“My mom taught me to play piano, I still do lessons,” he replied cheerfully, “But I listen to DJ-PON3 and DJ-Scrawlz, and I can learn more! I wanna be a DJ.”
‘Goddess, he’s adorable.’
Nightsong waved a hoof to calm the bouncing colt, steeling herself.
“Well dear,” she started slowly, heart tightening at the way the colt froze, “That board goes for… well, three hundred bits.”
Octavia let out a soft, wounded noise as she peeked at the colt, and Nightsong’s will quavered at the puppy eyes sent their way.
‘That’s not fair! Aaah!’
“But!” Nightsong added quickly, ears flat, “We can work out a plan! Is this allowance money?”
Sniffling, the colt nodded slowly, scuffing a hoof over the packed dirt of the marketplace, “Y-yes miss, um, t-twenty bits a week.”
The batpony let out a breath, ears twitching- the transaction had gained notice. Several ponies were outright watching the little gathering- others had an ear swivelled towards them.
“I’ll tell you what- bring me ten bits a week, and I’ll sell it to you for two hundred and fifty. That way, you still keep bits for things you need during the week.”
The colt’s smile returned, times ten, as he eagerly nodded and reached for his pouch again-
“Concerto!”
High Standard’s voice was sharp and piercing, and the effect was immediate- the colt scrambled back with a panicked squeak, white as a sheet. Blue magic grabbed the pouch and yanked it to float by the glowering mare as she stormed over. Panic squeezed at Nightsong’s heart.
‘Oh shit.’
“You will not sell him instruments for use in that noise,” she growled at Nightsong, azure eyes locked with her own, “Your degenerate of a roommate might get by with it and the filth she brings in, but my son will not be apart of it.”
Nightsong was frozen in place, ears splayed out- Octavia stepped forward, face stormy and hoof pawing at the ground.
“Vinyl is NOT-”
“Do not start with me, Octavia!” Standards snapped back with an angry snort, “Your relationship with her is a double disgrace!”
The angry unicorn put her hooves up on the counter and leaned forward, two telekinetic pokes pressing through Nightsong’s apron- hard.
“You need to watch them, and watch what you get involved with, Nightsong,” she continued quieter, but with the same angered conviction, “Sin follows them, and their-”
“Vinyl Scratch is my marefriend.”
Nightsong barely recognized her own voice, deep and growling with outrage, and she realized that she was baring her fangs, “As is Octavia. Watch. Your. Words.”
Anger had burned away the panic, wings spreading instinctively as she attempted to puff herself up. To her credit, High Standards did not back down. Surprise had turned quickly to disgust and anger again.
“Vinyl Scratch is a snake,” she hissed to the batpony, “Brings in whores and thugs- makes the whole town looked like some part of Las Haygas. I won’t stand for it. You shouldn’t either.”
‘Brings them… in?’
The mare’s muzzle curled in a slight smirk, and she stepped back, turning around sharply, “Ask her- see what she says to justify it. The church’s cleansing pool opens at seven in the morning.”
Celestian.
“I’m a Lunarian,” Nightsong growled out, though the force seemed to be draining out of her- she winced at the dismissive snap of a tail from High Standards.
“Pity. Go home, Concerto. Now!”
The colt yelped just as a snap of telekinesis on flank sounded through the market, little hooves scrambling on the cobblestones. High Standards spared the ponies not a second glance as she strolled after him.
“Nightsong…”
The batpony had slowly sat back on her haunches, sniffling as she glanced over at Octavia. The earth pony was struggling with emotion herself, slowly nosing her cheek.
“O-octavia, I… I’m so-”
“Go speak with Vinyl. Trust me.”
...she hadn’t defended Vinyl. She had let High Standards say all that; all those things… Nightsong weakly rubbed her eyes and turned away from the stall, making her way back to her home.
‘The doors open... ‘
Nightsong peered inside, sniffling slightly; Vinyl was settled down on her cot, eyes hidden by her shades, the rest of her face more impassive than she had ever seen the normally exuberant mare. At the unicorn’s motioned insistence, Nightsong slowly moved to sit in front of her, ears splayed back. A slow breath blew out of Vinyl’s nose as she pulled off her glasses- she was looking at Nightsong worriedly.
“I… I-I guess you heard all that,” Nightsong mumbled, wings fluttering lightly, “I-I should’ve…”
“All that would’ve done was cause a bigger scene, Nighty,” Vinyl cut her off gently, “S’why I didn’t come down and tell that bitch just where to shove her opinions.”
The small unicorn let out a breath, “Look. I know what most ponies think of sex workers, and it ain’t good. Some of the rep? It’s justified. But most of it isn’t. I was one of them, once.”
Vinyl nodded as Nightsong tensed up, grinning slightly, “Before I got big in music. Ponies gotta make bits somehow out in the city. Did for… shit, couple years.”
She rubbed the back of her head, “So I know what they go through, and I try to make things as easy as I can- give him help. The club gives the ponies a safe place to rest and recharge, I provide drug rehab if they need it.”
The DJ’s eyes hardened slightly, “I don’t lure in new ponies to the life, but I don’t stigmatize them like High Standards and ponies like her, Nightsong. Ah, ah, ah…”
Nightsong had started to droop again, stammering out shamed apologies- only to be silenced by a kiss and firm hug. Heat rushed through the batpony when her lips were released, leaning her forehead to one side of Vinyl’s, resting against her horn. Vinyl chuckled softly.
“No cryin’, no sorries. You didn’t know.”
Her soft hoof gently traced over her cheek, “But you do now. Do you understand?”
“Y-yeah,” Nightsong croaked out sheepishly, “I-I do. ...t-thank you.”
Vinyl grinned and poked her chest fluff playfully, “No problem, kiddo. Come on, we need to help Octi.”
‘Shit.’
Nightsong groaned and held her head, shaking it slowly, “There’s no way we’ll get business after that, Vinyl. That’s a nightmare. The constables will show up, I just know it…”
“I think the ponies of this town might just surprise you, Nighty. Trust me on that.”
The night was beautiful! Nightsong beamed as she pressed her snoot to the train’s window, soaking up the dimly lit landscape as it flashed by, illuminated by a cloudy full moon. The speed it all flew by reminded her a good deal of night flying; she wished her marefriends could join in that.
“Thank you, Silver Mistress, for this gift,” the batpony whispered, voice filled with awe as she smiled, “And for those gifts yet to come.”
“Mmm, there’s my pretty-voiced mare.”
Nightsong barely had time to blush before Vinyl’s hooves circled her barrel and tugged her back. For a small pony, she was surprisingly strong! And that comforted Nightsong in a way. She turned to shyly lean into Vinyl’s exposed fluff, doing her best not to wrinkle her own dress.
Rarity had truly outdone herself with the Rookery-style dress, with a few modern modifications, thankfully- Nightsong was happy to not have the tall lace collar to deal with. The purple and blue matched her fur well, and the silk shimmered in the light. Rarity had even helped work a few gems into her mane! ...Nightsong was not sure how Rarity made a profit.
The craftspony slid a hooficured softened hoof down Vinyl’s white tuxedo, blushing hotly. Vinyl’s mane was still somewhat wild, but partially brushed and slicked back- but in return for the taming, a trio of silver rings gleamed along each ear. Nightsong had not realized quite how much she liked the androgynous look, till now.
“You look incredible, Nighty,” Vinyl whispered in her sensitive ear, the hot breath sending pleased shivers down her body, “Octi is gonna love it.”
Tonight was one of Octavia and her Symphony’s larger showings in Canterlot- from what Rarity had said, the elite of Canterlot society would be there. Octavia had taken a train the night before to prepare; the house without her was too quiet for Nightsong’s tastes. Over the last week, she had grown used to Octavia’s nightly calm practices with her cello. ...Nightsong’s cello. The batpony only realized she was trembling when Vinyl hugged her closer, muzzle burying against her ear base.
“Talk to me, filly.”
Ah crap.
“I-I don’t know a thing about Canterlot society and culture,” she replied sheepishly, ears splaying back on Vinyl’s snoot, “I only ever studied Rookery high culture for stuff like this; I have no clue if that will be similar. ...I don’t want to embarrass Octavia.”
Vinyl puffed up against, trembling just long enough for Nightsong to begin panicking… before bursting into peals of belly-shaking laughter. She squeezed the young, blushing batpony close, tilting her head up with a gentle hoof. Magic lifted Vinyl’s shades so she could regard Nightsong with twinkling crimson eyes.
“Neither did I, Nighty. Octavia is a rock- there is nothing you could do here that I haven’t done before. Trust me, she’s going to be focused on impressing you, more than anypony else in that crowd tonight.”
Nightsong must have looked as thunderstruck as she felt, as Vinyl giggled again, eyes smoldering as they looked her over.
“And we have plans, filly,” she murmured hotly, “Just you wait.”
Nightsong shivered again, and physically forced her tail to keep from flagging. It did not help that she was starting estrus. Vinyl smelled of cologne and body wash- cinnamon musk that she just wanted to bathe in and-
No, calm down!
Vinyl’s tongue slithered along the fluff of Nightsong’s ear, and she shuddered softly, a little moan bubbling out while a back hoof kicked lightly.
“Mmm, that’s it… just relax, little filly, I’ve gotcha-”
“A-HEM!”
Nightsong attempted to jolt and leap across the cabin, hoping to hide under a chair or, perhaps for the best, allow the ground to swallow her whole, but she could not move an inch. Vinyl’s magic was wrapped around her barrel and gently stroking Nightsong’s ears, while she grinned at the flabbergasted train attendant.
“The train will arrive at Canterlot Station momentarily,” he told them, ears splayed back, “And I will remind you that there are foals aboard…”
“Nah, I’m full,” Vinyl quipped in an instant, grinning, “Thanks though.”
Nightsong leaned back the moment she was released, blushing deeply as the attendant trotted off with a grunt. This… was going to be an interesting night.
**********************
Vinyl’s eyebrow was lifted sky high as she peered down at her smaller marefriend, head slightly tilted off to one side. They still had several hours till the concert, and Nightsong had been eagerly leading Vinyl Scratch along the Canterlotian streets to the market district. ...mostly using directions from a bemused Vinyl. They had ended up in front of a rather high class smoke shop, the Brazen Humidor; the young batpony was staring at the door nervously, then peeked back at Vinyl.
“Night… you don’t have to get Octi anything,” Vinyl told her gently, “She’s just gonna be happy to have you there.”
Nightsong frowned slightly in turn and gave a quick nod, “I know. B-but this is big for her! Not everypony can play in Canterlot. It’s right that I should get her something.”
Even if it ate at her budget. Letting out a breath, the thestral slowly moved to step into the building, holding the door for Vinyl with a wingclaw; the unicorn’s expression did not change overmuch as she followed her inside- up until she met the eye of the clerk. All concern flipped to a good-natured grin and nodding in an eyeblink; Nightsong needed to learn how to do that. Biting her lip, she turned to appraise the inside.
The shop was small, with a central table laden with merchandise, as was all the walls; a doorway by the counter led into another room, a little sign explaining that it was for unpackaged tobacco. The clerk, who Vinyl explained was a licensed and experienced tobacconist, was an unicorn in his mid-forties, his fur the same color as the ripe plant, and his mane mostly hidden in a broad brimmed hat. He was grinning back at Vinyl, though curiously eying Nightsong.
‘Come on Nighty, do this for Octavia.’
“H-hi sir!” she squeaked out before Vinyl could speak, “I uh, I’m Nightsong. Looking for a gift for my… my marefriend.”
His eyebrows raised slightly, but he smiled in response, “Girl’s got good taste. Cigars or ‘rettes?”
“C-cigars, sir. Something ah, special. There’s a show tonight she’s doing, and-”
He grunted and nodded thoughtfully, stepping down and nodding towards the back wall. It was lined with small wooden boxes, most with glass lids to see the contents within. Nightsong’s ears laid back slightly. It was almost overwhelming, the variety. The clerk nodded down at a few.
“She have a favored brand that you’re aware of? Size?”
“I don’t know brand, but I think size was usually about seven by forty to fifty?”
‘Thank you, Vinyl.’
The unicorn was lightly leaning against the counter, floating over a few packs of cigarettes, whose logo Nightsong could not quite see from her angle. Her expression was neutral, but she could feel her gaze from under the glasses. The clerk coughed quietly.
“Well miss, I’ve got a few good Churchills; though if price is an issue, I have a whole stack of-”
“N-no, that’s perfectly fine!” She interrupted, smiling to stifle any offense, “Price isn’t an object. And I’d like to get her a travel case. Maybe something faux-leather, that’ll go with a travel saddle…”
********************
The Canterlot Opera Hall was… amazing. An old Lunarian-style building built in the time before the Rebellion, with its high rounded ceiling and central marble pillars. As they the humming din of the hall, Nightsong peered up into the darkness of the rafters, her batpony eyes piercing the gloom easily- and her ears perked happily at the distant pastel flutters of others of her kind. Batponies tended to be hired out of Bands or the odd Rookery for work like that- technical or cleaning jobs in dark areas, sometties as security for the larger males of the tribe. It was nice to see them here.
As Nightsong had imagined, the crowd was mostly unicorns: merchants in high end suits and dresses; knights in their military garb; minor and major nobles in outfits befitting their high status. Surprisingly, she did spy some pegasi- military for the most part though she couldn’t place the uniform, and a few Earth Pony baronets, most of those situated near the back. She and Vinyl had been seated to a seemingly usual spot in the front balcony, in the front row, directly in line with the stage.
“Ladies, welcome!”
Nightsong turned and bowed instinctively, giving a curious look to the speaker. He was an older unicorn, silver-blue maned and white coated, with a distinctive mustache- behind him stood another white coated mare, pink-maned and absolutely stunning. She was sure she had seen the mare before though…
“Good to see you again, Fancy Pants,” Vinyl answered cheerfully, giving his hoof a quick pump, “Octi will be hyped you made it.”
“You know that we’d never miss her symphony if we’re in town,” he replied with a chuckle, turning to grin at a thunderstruck Nightsong, “Ah, I think we’ve been recognized, Fleur.”
“F-fleur-de-lys and Fancy Pants, t-the famous philanthropists?” she squeaked out, violet eyes wide, “Y-you fund the Herd Movement protests!”
“Among others,” Fleur replied with a soft chuckle, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Vinyl mentioned you in her last letter.”
“They’re investors in my club,” Vinyl explained at Nightsong’s startled look, winking at her marefriend, “I’ll explain later. Octi’s getting on stage.”
If anything could turn her attention, it was certainly that. Through the darkness, as they had yet to turn on the stage lights, Nightsong could see Octavia carefully setting her cello up while she settled back into the chest. Her symphony partners were a mix of unicorns and earth ponies- made sense really, and pleased Nightsong to no small degree. Though something was… off. The cello there seemed a little dark, even for her eyes.
“What’s…”
And the lights went up, as the din of chatter quickly ceased. Nightsong’s hooves flew to her muzzle, eyes pinpricks. There, held in the steady hoof of her marefriend, was Nightsong’s cello. The silver-white of the script stood out like a beacon on the matte black surface, and the steel wire glinted in the light. Octavia herself was in a matching black dress with silver line work forming various symbols- possibly Harmonian symbology Nightsong was not familiar with. It was incredible.
The music began. The deep tones of the cello washed over the crowd as Octavia began a slow solo to begin the piece. Nightsong’s ears had fully turned to take in the music, any pain from the volume in the hall inconsequential. She would endure anything to hear this music. Poetry in sound only, reverberating through an architectural wonder meant for only this.
The batpony found herself swaying with the tune without meaning to; Vinyl’s hoof found her’s and squeezed, the unicorn swaying with her and beaming proudly up at Octavia; goosebumps ran over them both as the rest of the choir joined in, tingling Nightsong’s memory. They were playing a rendition of a Celestian hymn; a famous one, often shown and played at large public events and ceremonies. Despite everything, Nightsong had to admit that they had great music- powerful, uplifting.
As the first stage began to ebb, humming in the hall’s acoustics, Octavia’s stance and grip on her bow shifted, grinning to herself- and perhaps to a select few in the audience- as she picked up the tempo, the brass section rising in volume to meet it. Vinyl’s hoof squeezed again, and Night peeked at her, surprised at the wide mirthful grin- and then it hit her.
Passing through a small pegasi ground-town during the height of the spring, she had seen a festival dedicated to the ideals of Eros. It had been very festive, with quite a bit of dancing. And the music… Nightsong grinned slowly, watching Octavia’s hoof glide over the neck of the cello, (her cello!), keeping perfect pace with the bow. Her eyes were half-closed, but the batpony could feel that gaze focused on the pair of them. The goosebumps redoubled.
Vinyl’s gentle grip pulled Nightsong back into her seat- she had been leaning forward without realizing- and nosed at her perked and trembling ear. She could feel little tears pricking in the corners of her eyes, and frantically scrubbed with her foreleg. This was beautiful… The Erosian themes were moving on; the fast paced and eager tune lengthening, softening to that of old-school Harmonian hymn- pre-schism, unless Nightsong missed her guess. Music she had heard in passing more than a few times, passing through Fillydelphia, which had a sizable old school Harmonian population. The crowd around them was quiet, enraptured by the skill of one of the most highly acclaimed symphonies in Equestria.
Their eyes met across the darkened room. Nightsong’s eyes blurred as emotions choked her, and she smiled shakily, praying that Octavia might see her. Her wings lifted along with her ears, and she began to rise a bit in her seat- before those familiar legs gently drew her back down, Vinyl’s snout gently nosing to her cheek.
“Shh. Deep breaths. This is for you.”
And the thestral nestled back against her marefriend, lost in the melody as the music played on, filling the ancient theater with life once more.
Fragrant smoke filled the hotel room as Octavia enjoyed the imported Bridle cigar, eyes half-closed as the Churchill was set between her teeth.
‘Very nice, very nice…’ she hummed to herself, ‘Vinyl must have helped.’
They had slipped back to their usual hotel in the Moonlight District, the old merchant quarters nestled near the Dockyards. It wasn’t the high fashion and ‘ritzy’ style accommodations that Octavia’s fellow non-local members preferred, but that was fine- such hotels would not have liked this particular form of celebration. Vinyl had turned up with a few bottles of cheap wine, but it had been Nightsong’s gift that had brought a tear to the eye. She shot the mare a grateful smile before settling back to relax in the recliner provided by the hotel; a few days here would be divine.
“We have so many sights to show you, Nighty,” she piped up, voice barely muffled by the cigar in her muzzle, “You’ve never been to Canterlot, right?”
The thestral was comfortably settled on the herd-sized bed, gaze almost constantly flicking between Octavia, Vinyl relaxing beside Octavia’s chair, and their cello settled back against the wall. Poor thing still looked fairly thunderstruck by it being there. She started slightly at Octavia’s question, flashing her that shy smile.
‘Need to trademark that…’
“N-no, I haven’t. I’m looking forward to it, though! It’s so big.”
“Heh, that’s-”
Octavia barely registered her hoof coming into contact, very lightly of course, with Vinyl’s horn, or the light click of said contact. Sigh.
“Ah, ya killjoy…”
Octavia shot Vinyl ‘The Look,’ as she called it, though had never elaborated fully to the cellist quite what that look… well, looked like. Ah well. She returned her gaze back to Nightsong, making sure she had switched off ‘The Look’ for a smile again.
“I deeply appreciate you being there for the show, my dear. It means all the world to me. I-”
Was having a muscle cramp. Octavia closed her eyes and set her jaw, doing her best not to move as the muscles on her right foreleg and shoulder began to seize and ripple. Vinyl’s magic warmed the area almost immediately, sonic pulses brushing through her fur and skin.
“Octavia? What’s wrong?”
It took the Earth Pony a moment to focus enough to look back to her marefriend; Nightsong had stepped off the bed and over to her side, eyes wide. Octavia lifted her good foreleg to grip the batpony’s, giving her a shaky grin.
“She didn’t drink enough water,” Vinyl piped in, her annoyance tempered- for her, at least, “And overdid it. S’alright, though, she always does this.”
“It’s why… I asked to stay in town for a few days.”
Octavia let out a slow breath through her nose, relaxing back into the seat as the pain faded, though not the tightness. Mrf. Socked hooves hardly made a noise on the carpeted floor- Nightsong had all but dashed to the bathroom, returning with a pair of cups clutched in her wingclaws. Vinyl’s magic gently lifted them out of her grasp, tipping one back for Octavia to chug.
Her ear swivelled lightly towards Vinyl at her trademark giggle- and a little gasp from her younger marefriend.
“Now, now… she’ll be fine, babe. Just going to take it easy tonight. Movie, dinner in bed…”
Octavia gently nudged the now empty cup away to peer at her loves, a little thrill running through her. Vinyl had stood onto her hind legs and leaned against the wall, tugging Nightsong back against her chest, wings tucked in tight. Octavia did her best to suppress an aroused hum- that batpony made the best shy faces; that little blush running up her neck and ears… Vinyl gently kissed the tip of a tufted ear.
“We’ve got all week to have some fun, pet. Just relax... “
Those little fangs flashed in the low light of the hotel room, Nightsong’s muzzle dropping open instinctively as Vinyl’s magic ran along it. She shivered noticeably, wings twitching a few times.
‘Vinyl is too good at that… poor thing doesn’t stand a chance.’
***********************
The Canterlot market was to Ponyville’s like an ocean was to a lake; dozens, if not hundreds, of stalls lined the new shopping quarter outside the palace. Three or four mega-stores, owned by some of the richer Houses, made up the boundaries of the marketplace, though side streets boasted a few lesser known shops of their own. Nightsong did her best to control any jealousy- some of these stalls looked so nice! A few were even selling instruments…
Vinyl had convinced her to dress up for this occasion- her comfortable Traveller-style dress, with its many pockets and short length, and matched with stockings stitched and colored into the Riski band pattern- zigzagging greens and reds. What was conservative amongst her own people was, annoyingly enough, somewhat risque for outlying Earth Pony villages, hence the issues between the two. Nightsong had taken to not wearing the garb a year or so back. It… felt good to wear it all again.
Octavia had helped put Nightsong’s main into little braids, keeping her bangs out of her eyes; she flashed her a warm smile. Octavia had opted to stick with her bowtie and collar as usual, though one foreleg was settled in a compression wrap. Most of the previous night had been spent in the tub or in bed, the three of them cuddled up in a pile. The intimacy was… addictive. She wasn’t sure she’d manage to sleep well alone in bed when they went home again!
Her marefriend returned the smile cheerfully, rubbing gently to her side; they were definitely getting a few looks. Canterlot was a conservative town, despite its bohemian appearance and image. Somepony coughed as they passed. A little of the pleasant thrill chilled.
‘Right…’
“Come, come, gentle-ponies! Good wares; good prices, yes!”
Nightsong froze, ears perking at the familiar language before she spun around; she could feel Vinyl sliding up beside her. Several stalls, off to one corner of the market, were populated by familiar wagon-carts and stalls- and crewed by batponies! A stallion was grinning over at the trio- green-maned and coated, with the large frame of a more northerly band of Travelers. The red and black markings on his jacket…
“Greetings, sir!” she trilled to him in Traveler Speak, beaming and courtsying, “Good to see the Helgi again!”
Now she had their attention. Half a dozen slitted eyes had turned on her and her herd; the stallion’s eyes flicked over her before his grin widened.
“Riski, huh? Thought your band was in Baltimare this season.”
“I no longer travel with the Riski, sir,” she replied quietly, snorting after a moment, “Rookery business, y’know?”
Judging from his wince, the stallion did indeed. He lightly nodded to her, then back at Vinyl and Octavia, “You good?”
Any tension bled away, and Nightsong was happy to let herself smile wide, and spread her wings out a bit as she switched back to Equestrian, “Yeah, they’re with me. This is Octavia, and Vinyl. I’m Nightsong.”
The stallion stepped out from behind his stall to give a formal bow, wings spread wide- they were definitely getting some stares now, though now more from passing Canterlotians. Travellers were never well trusted, and Traveller custom was a little more showy than many of these Unicorns were likely used to, in public. But Nightsong’s herd were not Canterlotian- Octavia had returned the bow with a polite courtesy, and Vinyl was settled back on her haunches, smiling pleasantly and giving the stallion a nod when he looked up.
“Nice to meet’cha, man,” she piped in, tilting her head down slightly, “Been in town long?”
“Long enough for a profit,” the stallion replied easily, grinning toothily, “Torchlight, at your service. Out for a bit of shoppin’? Pulled in quite a few nice finds from Las Haygas...”
******************
Something was up. Vinyl was glad for her shades, but made sure her easy grin still reached her eyes. The batponies were watching them, and closely; each stall they stopped at, or wagon they slipped into to look at larger merchandise, would have a new thestral posted, keeping an eye on them. Vinyl’s bit-purse had been teleported into her inner pocket, but none had made a move for Nighty’s, or even Octavia’s. Slitted eyes kept the trio firmly in their sights- and especially on Nightsong. The why was Vinyl’s main worry, and she felt the fur on her back prickling.
The current shopkeep, a tangerine-colored mare with a dark brown mane pulled back in braids, was showing off a few small elixirs when Torchlight re-emerged, nudging the wagon door open to grin up at the mares. The stallion, whom Vinyl assumed was in a leadership position among the thestrals, had slipped away some minutes ago, bee-lining into one of the larger wagons set up against the merchant quarter’s wall. The draft of opening the door sent a wave of scent in- the familiar scent of the bustling marketplace around them, and a heady wind of smoke. And the stallion had not been smoking before.
“My friend, how long will you be in town?” Torchlight asked easily, leaning forward.
Nightsong blinked and smiled warmly over at the hetman, “Oh, uh, I think Vinyl-”
“Haven’t decided quite yet,” Vinyl interrupted, stepping closer and putting on a smile, “Depends on mine and Octi’s business up here, might visit a few city friends, y’know?”
Thank the stars, Octi had the wherewithal to not openly contradict her, though the batpony mare did look back at her in confusion. Torchlight’s eyes met Vinyl’s through the glasses; he was a cool customer, all right, letting little show. The showmare knew his type; wiry from a life of hard food and hard living. Opportunistic. But he wasn’t setting up a mark. The whole band here knew something about one of them, and were interested. And this stallion was not anypony’s fool. The smile he gave the unicorn in return was as thin as the chuckle he added.
“Canterlot is a good city to stay in for a time, certainly. You should all come visit whenever you like! Maybe join us for a dinner before you head back home.”
“Of course!” Nightsong replied with a quick nod, bowing again, “We’d be honored, and will certainly keep in touch. ...it’s been so good to see Travelers again.”
“And it’s been excellent to welcome a member of Clan Night and the Riski band to our humble wagon train. Please, a gift.” His left wing extended to hold out a small set of sun-shades, built to hook around the curl of pony ears. Nightsong had a few pairs already, but still graciously took the set from Torchlight, bowing once more.
“Safe night, brother.”
“Safe night, young sister. Go in peace.”
Vinyl walked close to Octavia as they were showed out of the wagon train, giving a very quiet click of the teeth when Octavia began to question; thestral ears were far too keen, from in front, or behind. Beneath her own shades, Vinyl’s eyes flicked about as she puzzled out the scene. Something was going on with that Band, and if she had her way, Nightsong would not step a hoof back there, and especially not alone. That smoke… damnit, where had she smelled that before…
