Party Animals

Chapters

Time to Rock
Lunch
A Pleasent Surprise
A Day of Work and a Night at the Club
Unwanted Dating Advice
Killing Time (Edited)

Time to Rock

"Okay Spike I'm going to Canterlot now. Make sure to take care of library." Twilight said at the door with her suitcase in hand.

"Yeah, yeah. Have a nice time Twilight." A teenage Spike replied as he finished sorting the books of the library for the fifth time today at Twilight's order. He still didn't see the point of it since nobody, but Twilight even came into the library today. It was times like this made him wonder whether or not he should look for another job, one that actually pays, but she was basically his sister so he'll stick around until a job he would like pops up.

Twilight left the library, leaving him alone once again. This has been a common trend since Twilight has become a princess. Her going out on royal lessons or duties, leaving him behind. He knew that what she was doing was important and it would probably bore him to death, but he was tired of being alone and cooped up in the library. He was stuck in a rut that he had no idea how to get out of it. As he finished reorganizing he decided to re-read some old comics when there was a knock on the door. With a sigh he opens the door to reveal his good friend Big Mac. The two of them started to hang out with each other, mostly due to them spending a lot of time with girls and needing to hang out with another guy every once in a while.

"Hey Mac," Spike greeted him with a fist pump. "What brings you here?"

"I was on my way to hit this club and I decide to see if ya wanted tag along," Mac replied in his usual deep voice.

"Ponyville has a club?" Spike questioned with a scaled eyebrow.

"It just opened last week and I've been hearin' a lot of good things about. So ya'll coming or not?"

Spike thought about it for a second. He has never really been to a club, and Twilight was pretty much against him going to one, even though he was old enough to do so. However, he was curious, and at the moment he didn't feel like listening to Twilight for a change. Besides, this might be just the thing he needed to get himself out of his rut. It sure beats staying alone in the library for the night.

"Sure, just give me a sec to change," Spike answered as he went up to his room and put on some ironed jeans, a black shirt, and a purple hoodie. Unlike like ponies he didn't wear any shoes since his claws would just tear through most of them. He quickly grabbed his wallet and locked the library behind him. With everything done that needed to be done the to two set out into the night.

They made their way to the other side of Ponyville until they were standing in front of a club with, 'The Wolf's Den', written in neon lights.

"Seriously? They couldn't come up with a better name? It sounds more like one of those criminal bars you see in movies and stuff," Spike commented as they went through the doors. The place was pretty nice, a lot nicer than what you would expect for a club in a small town like Ponyville. A bar with an impressive selection of drinks to side. In the middle area was a large dance floor with different color flashing lights coming out of the tiles. There was a pretty big stage with a DJ playing music that echoed throughout the club and what looks to be a karaoke machine to the side. The place also had plenty of chairs, couches, stools, and tables for the everyone to rest their feet.

"From what I heard the owner here is a Diamond Dog," Big Mac defended as the two took a seat on some stools at the bar.

"Well that makes sense, but still," Spike said as he waved down the bartender that had a slicked back, black mane and handlebar mustache with chestnut fur.

"What's your poison?" He asked the two.

"I'll take a mug of cider," Mac answered, getting his preferred drink.

"I'll have a bottle of Vodka," Spike replied.

"Coming right up." The bartender quickly gave them their drinks where they paid for it up front. The two of them didn't feel like getting wasted. They each took a deep swing of their drinks and let out a sigh as the liquid went to their stomachs.

"I still don't get how ya'll can drink that stuff so fast? My mouth is burning just thinking about it," Mac asked as he took a quick look around the club.

"Well, when you've been breathing fire since you were in diapers this is nothing." Spike replied as he took another swing of this drink. "Would you mind keeping an eye on my drink? I'm going to hit the dance floor."

"Sure, besides I don't feel like dancin' anyway."

"That's because you have two left feet," Spike chuckled as he got up and made his way to the dance floor.

"I cannot believe I let you drag me here," A mare with a black mane and grey fur said. She was dressed in a style normally worn by classical musicians and had calculating purple eyes. That and the very air around her made the mare pretty much stand out in her current environment.

"Oh lighten up Tavia," Another mare said. This mare was white with a two tone neon blue mane with red eyes. She was wearing a V-neck, sleeveless white shirt that showed off her stomach, some tight black jeans, and for some reason sunglasses on her forehead. A complete contrast to her friend who seemed out of place in the club. "If I'm going to work part time here we might as well check the place out before I do."

"I suppose you have do a point," Octavia agreed. "At least you won't be home blasting that noise you call music all the time."

"Normally I would be insulted, but I'm in a good mood tonight," Vinyl said as she took her last swing of a can of beer. "I'm going to hit the dance floor, wanna join me?"

"No thank you, dancing isn't my cup of tea." Octavia replied

"Suit yourself," With a shrug the white mare made her way to the dance floor. As she danced to the beat of the music blaring throughout the club she felt herself become free and full of energy. She had always loved dancing, if she didn't become a DJ she probably would've ended up being a dancer. Suddenly she was accidentally pushed by another dancer, before she kissed the floor somebody caught her by the waist. After the stranger put her back on her feet she turned to her helper. Imagine her surprised when it turned out it was a purple and green teenage dragon.

"Are you okay?" Spike asked the mare.

"Yeah I'm fine," Vinyl replied. She gave the drake a once over and she liked what she saw. "Thanks for the save. Names Vinyl."

"Spike. I saw the way you were dancing earlier and I got to say I'm impressed. Do you dance often?"

"You can say that. It's more of a hobby than anything," Vinyl replied as the two started to dance together. "You got some pretty good moves yourself Dragon Boy. You come here often?"

"Naw, first time in a club and I had nothing better to do."

"Really?! Then let an expert show you the ropes!" And with that her dance moves became more complex. Busting out moves you would see in hip hop videos. Not one to be shown up without a fight, Spike stepped up his game as well. It quickly turned into a dance off where the other dancers made way for the two combatants. Spike put up a good fight, but it was easy to tell who was the better dancer. The two sat down on a nearby couch to catch their breath after the extreme dancing they just did.

"Man, you really are an expert," Spike commented as he gave his feet some much needed rest.

"Indeed I am," She replied with pride in her voice that reminded Spike of a blue friend of his.

"But you were pretty good yourself, handsome." She gave the dragon a flirtatious wink that caused a small blush to spread across said dragon's face.

"Uh...Thank you," Spike sheepishly replied. The reaction caused the DJ to grin. Soon Big Mac made his way his way over to the two.

"Hey Spike," Big Mac said getting the dragon and mare's attention. "I'm gonna call it a night, ya'll coming?"

The drake thought about it for a second and took a quick glance to the mare next to him. With his mind made up he turn to his tall friend and said, "No thanks. I think I'm going to stay here for a while."

Big Mac shifted his eyes between the two as a sly smirk grew on his face. Taking the hint he nodded and made his way to the exit. Over his shoulder Mac said, "Have fun, but not too much, ya hear!?"

That left Spike blushing like mad at what his friend was implying while Vinyl just laughed at the drake's reaction. Though her laughter was cut short when Octavia sat down next to Vinyl on the opposite side of Spike. With a smirk she said, "It appears that you're having a good time."

"Hey Octavia, sorry for ditching you like that." The DJ apologize to her friend while she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

"It wasn't a problem. While you were having your little dance off, I was having a nice conversation with that stallion that just left," She said, getting Spike’s attention. Big Mac wasn't one for conversation with people he didn't know, especially mares. He would save that little bit of information for later. Octavia continued, "So are you going to introduce us?"

"Oh yeah, Spike, this is my roommate, and best friend Octavia. Octavia, this cutie is Spike, a newbie to the club scene, who I'm going to show the ropes to."

"It's nice to meeting you Octavia." Spike said as he gave the mare a quick handshake.

"The pleasure is all mine, it's not everyday I see somepony push Vinyl that far when it comes to dancing."

"I don't know about that, but it was fun." Spike replied

"HEY EVERYPONY!!!" The current DJ yelled, getting everyone's attention. "IT'S TIME ONCE AGAIN FOR KARAOKE HOUR! WHO WANTS THEIR TURN IN THE SPOTLIGHT!"

"Hey Spike, why don't you got up there and show us what you got?" Vinyl stated with a smile like he had no say in the matter. Not that Spike minded.

"Okay but only if you go first." Spike challenged with a smirk.

"You're on! You wanna join Tavia?" Vinyl questioned Octavia

"No thank you, I'm not much of a singer." Octavia politely refused.

"Suit yourself," And with that Vinyl made her way to the DJ's stand. After she picked her song she went to the microphone stand on the stage and started to sing.

(I don't own the music or videos. Since I don't know anything about dubstep I went with a band I was familiar with and thought was a good match.)

She sung strong from beginning to end, completely putting her all into her singing. While it wasn't her usual music she decided to try something new. Almost everyone was either bobbing their heads to the music or dancing. Octavia smiled at her friend having fun but her smile grew when she saw the look on Spike face. He just sat there in awe of the mare on stage as if he was in a trance. Soon, a bit too soon in Spike opinion, the song ended and Vinyl left the stage as applause and cheering rang throughout the club.

Vinyl took her seat between the dragon and mare. The look of the still awed drake brought a smile to her face as she said, "Your turn Dragon Boy."

That snapped the dragon out of his trance. He rubbed his neck in embarrassment as he replied, "Okay but I probably won't be as good as you."

As he made his way to the stage, Vinyl's eyes followed him. Her friend saw this and couldn't help but grin. Octavia asked her friend, "Like what you're seeing?"

"You can say that," The white DJ started. "Not only is he handsome but also he's a bit of a sweetheart. Plus he's pretty cute when he blushes." The two turned their attention to the drake in question when he started to sing.

(In my opinion this is the best version of this song.)

He started off soft at first but quickly gained confidence as the song went on. He was soon moving his body and banging his head while he sang his heart out. Everyone on the dance floor jumping up, and down while they sang along certain parts of the song. Vinyl soon found herself doing the same with the biggest smile on her face. Octavia just shook her head at her friend's actions, though she had a much smaller smile on her face. As the song ended the audience roared in applause as the drake went back to his seat.

"Dude that was awesome!" Vinyl praised him.

"If you say so, I'm just glad I didn't screw it up," Spike replied in modesty.

"Excuse me Spike, but are you seeing anypony at the moment?" Octavia asked out of the blue.

Spike was surprised by the question but he honestly answered, "No, not at the moment. Why?"

"Just curious." Octavia said calmly while she gave her DJ friend a look that practically said 'go for it.'

Spike looked at the clock on a wall and saw that it was past midnight. He got up as he said, "Well its getting late, I'm going to head home."

"Hey Spike," Vinyl said getting the drake's attention. "Do you have any plans tomorrow?"

"Not really," Spike replied with a raised eyebrow, wondering where this is going.

"You want to get some lunch with me tomorrow? Vinyl asked"

"Sure, got anyplace in mind?" Spike questioned

"How about Sugarcube Corner?" The DJ said as she decided the place they were going

"That's fine with me. It's been a while since I've eaten there. “Lets meet up there at say, one o' clock?"

"Sounds like a plan." Vinyl said with excitement

"Okay, I'll see you there." And with that Spike left the club as the Vinyl and Octavia stayed behind talked. Mostly about tomorrow and a certain dragon. Halfway through his trip home something dawned on Spike. Something he didn't think would happen tonight, if ever.

"Wait...," He quietly said to himself. "Did I just get asked out to a date by a hot mare?"

Author's Note

This is something I had in storage for a long time and decided to get it out there. For this story I'm going to try to keep it completely third person POV as a way to test my writing abilities. Though I probably give myself another chapter or two before I start to write this story in my usual writing style out of habit.

I would like that thank TheFirebird and Ephixus for editing this so quickly.

Lunch

It is funny how time and experience can change a person. If Spike was asked to a date by a hot mare when he just moved to Ponyville he would be a complete nervous wreck right about now. Knowing his younger self he would be panicking over the smallest detail and overthinking everything, which he blames Twilight for corrupting him. Thankfully that isn't the case. An older, wiser Spike won't panic over something like a date...Or at least try not to panic.

"Maybe I should go with something fancy?" He asked himself as he paced around his room deciding on what to wear and do on his date. He already made sure the library was in order, did all the chores for the day, and took a shower with forty-five minutes to spare. "No, no, that probably would put her off. We're just eating lunch together, not going to the Gala. I'll just go with something nice, but not formal, and ironed." He opens his closet and tries to figure what clothes he should wear. After a bit of thought he decided to go with a white shirt with a stylized Chinese dragon and some light blue jeans. "Should I bring flowers or maybe a gift? No, that’s too over the top, besides I'm not completely sure it's even a real date. Just paying for the two us should be fine and I'll just wing it from there."

With a plan in mind he grabbed his wallet and locked the library on his way out. As he made his way to Sugarcube Corner he thought about how thankful he was to Mac for bringing him to that club last night. Not only did he meet and was asked out to a date by an incredible mare, but it was also the most fun he had in a while. With that in mind he decided to make sure he goes to that club as much as he can or at the very least get out of the library more often.

Spike was pulled out of his thoughts when a store caught his eye. It used to be Quills and Sofas but the stallion that ran it moved his business to Canterlot. The reason for the move was, in his own words, "This town is too much trouble! Every week it's always something! Besides I've been here for over ten years and I've only sold five sofas. The only thing that is barely keeping me afloat is the fact that Princess Twilight goes through quills faster than Pinkie goes through sweets. I'm going to Canterlot, where ponies are always looking to buy a sofa." Now it was converted into a music store called Melody's Music Store, that sold both CDs, records, and instruments that was open just recently. What drew Spike's attention was the help wanted sign. With the fact that he was in the market for a new job and that he both loved and knew a lot about music the dragon made a mental note to ask the manager about getting a job there.

As Spike continued on his way to meet his date he noticed Applejack muttering while trying to fix her broken wagon. Being the good friend and general nice guy that he is decided to go over and see if he could help. "Hey AJ, something wrong?"

"Howdy Spike," Applejack said, greeting her friend. She turned her attention back to the wagon and frowned. "The darn wheel fell offa my wagon. Mind giving me a hand?"

Spike took a quick look at the clock tower and saw that he had plenty of time to help Applejack and still make his date. "Sure, but let’s make this quick. I'm having lunch with somebody at Sugarcube Corner."

"With who, Rarity?" The apple farmer asked as the two went to work.

"No, it's somebody I met last night."

"Right. Mac mentioned y'all went to that new club. Was it any good?" At the two worked together to fix the wagon Spike told his friend the fun time he had last night and the mare he met. Though he didn't notice the smile that was growing on the farmer's face, she smelled love in the air even if Spike didn't.

Vinyl made her way inside of Sugarcube Corner and took a seat at one of the two seated tables. She was about a half hour early, but she was really eager. This would be her first date in a long time and with a really nice guy from the look of it. While she thinking to herself Pinkie noticed the DJ and made her way to her table. "Hi Vinyl!" She yelled, startling the glasses wearing mare as Pinkie gave her a big hug.

"Pinks!" Vinyl yelled as she returned the hug. The two meet a few years back at a rave and became fast friends for their love of a good party. She was even a DJ for some of Pinkie's parties. "How's it going?"

"Great! What brings you here?" Pinkie asked as the separated.

"I'm having lunch with this guy I met at that new club yesterday." She answered.

"Ohhh, a date?" Pinkie asked with a teasing grin as she nudged the unicorn with her elbow. "Who's the lucky stallion?"

"That’s the thing. He's not a stallion, he's a dragon."

"Wait, is his name Spike with purple scales and green spikes?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Spike is one of my bestie best friends, though I haven't seen him in a while." Pinkie said with a happy smile.

"For real?" Pinkie rapidly nods her head. "Then can you tell me what kind of person he is?" Vinyl asked, hoping to get a better feel for the drake.

"Well he's very nice, smart, and he likes to help ponies," Pinkie started off. "He's usually really responsible and serious, but likes to be laid back when he can afford to be." That was a positive in Vinyl's book. As much as she loved Octavia like a sister she didn't need another complete stick in the mud in her life. "Spike also can be a true gentleman when he wants to be." Another plus in the DJ's eyes, someone with at least some manners is always a plus. Even if she had little to no manners herself. "Spike likes to read, he's a great cook, and a pianist." Vinyl wasn’t much of a reader outside of her magazines and while being a good cook is nice she didn't think it was important. What got the white mare's attention was the fact that the dragon was a musician as well.

"He plays the piano? What kind of music is he into?" The DJ asked.

"I'm not sure," Pinkie said as she tapped her finger against her chin. "I think he might like rock and classical."

'That was good to know.' Vinyl thought to herself. 'We would have something we agree on and he could probably get along with Octavia as well.' That was when the drake in question entered the Sugarcube Corner. It took him a second to find the mare and made his way to her table.

"Sorry for the wait," Spike apologized as he sat down. "I had to help a friend with a problem." He turned toward the pink party mare and said, "Hey Pinkie."

"Hi Spike, haven't seen you in a while!" Pinkie said as he gave the dragon a big hug.

"And don't worry about it big guy," Vinyl waved away his concern. "I got here a bit early and I was catching up with Pinks here."

"So what can I get you two?" Pinkie asked as she pulled her pencil and notepad out of her hair. The two decided to share a couple donuts while Vinyl ordered a milkshake and Spike got a root beer float for himself. With the orders written down Pinkie hopped away.

"So I hear that you're a pianist." Vinyl said to try and get the conversation going.

"Yeah. I like to think I'm pretty good, but I'm only decent at best." Spike said bashfully.

"When we get the chance I'll be the judge of that." She said with a smile. "So what kind of music are you into?"

"I don't really have preference when it comes to music," Spike shrugs his shoulders. "I like what I like. What about you?"

"Usually it's dudstep with a couple of other genres thrown in. Except for country or classical, those two put me to sleep."

"That's funny, you would think having a friend like Octavia would give you a taste for the classics. Found any good bands recently?"

"Actually I recently found this Alternative band a month ago called 'Icon for Hire'. They’re a great band with a lot of good songs. The song I sang at the club last night was one of their best."

"Really?" The DJ nods her head. "I got to remember to check them out later."

"Well I have a few of their CDs at my place, we could check them out sometime. What about you?"

"Well I found these guys called Snowgoons and Jedi Mind Tricks. They both are rap groups that sometimes use classical and opera sounding music in their songs. Surprisingly enough those songs are pretty good."

"Seriously?" Vinyl laughed. She could see the look on her classical loving friend's face if she listened to what she would probably say was an unholy mix of two genres. "Now you got me interested." Before the white mare could continue Pinkie popped out of nowhere with their order.

"HERE YOU GO!" Pinkie yelled. She placed their order on the table while the unicorn and dragon try to get over their massive jump scare. "Have a nice day." And with that the pink mare hopped back over to the counter.

"As much as I love having Pinkie for a friend I hate it when she does that." Spike said after he managed to stop his heart from trying to burst out of his chest.

"No kidding. I think I saw my life flash before my eyes for a sec." Vinyl said. Soon the two started to eat the delicious food.

"You know, as crazy as Pinkie is she sure knows how to bake." Vinyl said with her mouth full of food.

Spike wasn't put off by this, though did swallowed his food before he started talking. "Yeah, these donuts are almost as good Pony Joe's."

"You ate there before?" Vinyl said after she swallowed her food.

"Every chance I get, they have the best donuts in all of Equestria."

"No arguments here." She said. The white mare devoured another donut before she asked, "So what do you do for a living?"

"Well I mostly run the local library and act as an assistant for my sister Twilight."

"You mean Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Magic?" Spike nodded his head. "Dude, that's pretty cool."

"Not really. If I'm not cleaning up after her messes or cooking her meals I'm cooping myself up in the library. I don't even get paid."

"Really? That sucks."

"No kidding. The only reason that I'm not broke is because I do a lot of odd jobs around town and sometimes in Canterlot. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister. Besides without me she'll starve to death or poison herself with her own cooking." The two had a laugh, but it quickly died down. With a sigh the drake continued. "It's just that I don't see myself doing this for the rest of my life, not anymore."

Vinyl couldn't help but feel for Spike. Not exactly happy with his situation but doesn't know what to do with his life. "So what do you want to do?"

"I don't really have anything planned long term. At the moment I'm thinking of applying for a part time job over at the new music store." Spike said. As he started to drink his float he didn't notice the glint in Vinyl's eyes.

"You should go for it. You probably have the skills for it after taking care of the library and being an assistant to a princess. Besides I hear a lot of good things about the pony who runs the store is a good person."

"Then maybe I should see about getting an application later today. Anyway that’s enough about me. What kind of job do you have?"

"I'm a DJ," The white mare said, taking a quick sip of her milkshake before continuing. "I'm working part time at Wolf's Den. When I'm not doing that I'm working at parties, clubs, raves, you name it. Though I'm taking fewer jobs at the moment to relax and focus on my music."

"Man that sounds like a blast. Not sure why you decided to hang with a boring dragon like me."

"Don't say that, you're not boring! You just need a change of pace, something new, different, and exciting." Vinyl took a long, strong sip of her milkshake, only to be hit with a throbbing headache. "AAAHHH! BRAIN FREEZE!!!" Spike let out a quiet chuckle while the mare in front of him rubbed her temple to get rid of the pain. The drake took the moment to take in the mare, from her looks to her personality and interests. He couldn't help but like the mare more and more as he learned more about her.

'Something new, different and exciting.' Spike thought to himself. "You know what, you might be right."

"Of course I'm right." Vinyl said with a happy grin, though it was quickly wiped away due to her brain freeze.

The two continued to talk, from simple everyday discussions to heated debates on bands or instruments. It was an hour later, their food long eaten, that they noticed that they should be going. Spike got out his wallet when he noticed that Vinyl was doing the same. "I got the bill."

"Don't worry, I can pay for myself." Vinyl countered.

"It's a gentlemen's duty to pay for the meal."

"And I don't like mooching off of others if I can pay for it. If I didn't that would be a different story, but that isn't the case this time."

"Sorry Vinyl but I not budging on this."

"Fine, then I'll pay for the tip. Take it or leave it." Vinyl said as she crossed her arms.

Spike sighed as he agreed with her terms. "Deal." The two placed their money on the table and left the restaurant, getting a goodbye from Pinkie on the way out. Once they are outside and were about to go their separate ways when the drake called out to the sunglasses wearing mare. "Hey Vinyl."

"Yeah?" She asked as the mare turned to the drake.

Spike sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and a small blush appeared on his scaled cheeks. "If you're free this Saturday do you want to go on a date...with me?"

Vinyl couldn't help but feel the need to mess with the drake after seeing him act so shy about asking her out. For show she raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you call what we just had?" While Spike stuttered and panicked, trying to explain himself, Vinyl laughed. Letting Spike know that she was just messing with him. "I'll be busy with work on Saturday. But I'm free on Sunday."

Spike mentally fist pumped and yelled out 'YES!' in his mind. "That's fine. How about a movie around five o’ clock with dinner after that?"

"Throw in going to the club after dinner and you got yourself a deal."

"I'm game, besides I could go a few rounds of karaoke."

Vinyl nodded her head with a happy smile. She quickly got closer to Spike and gave him a peck on his cheek. It made the drake as stiff as a statue, his eyes wide, and his face was covered in a blazing blush. The smile on the DJ's face turned into a sexy smirk as she said, "And next time I'm paying for my own food." And with that she turned around and went on her way. She gave Spike a small show as she swayed her hips back and forth. “See ya, dragon dude.”

Spike stood there as he touched his cheek, watch the shapely bottom and the mare it was attached to until she was out of sight. It took the drake a minute for his mind to kick start itself and get his blush under control. Taking in a quick breath to calm his nerves Spike made his way back home. He allowed his mind to wonder at how his amazing his luck has been recently. Pulling himself out of his thoughts Spike noticed the music store was coming up. Deciding to push his luck he went inside to see about setting up an interview or at the very least get an application.

When he entered the store the drake was impressed with the inventory. CD's and records of every genre with every band he’d ever heard of, plus many that he hadn't. Many different instruments were lining the walls and shelves. Even a piano was sitting in a corner, much to his joy. After a quick look around he made his way over to the counter. Seeing that nobody was around he called out, "Excuse me, is anyone here? I'm here about the help wanted sign on the front window."

"Just a minute," A female voice called out from the back a room. Soon a familiar mare walked up to the counter and looked at Spike with some surprise.

Spike mirrored the look of surprise on the mare's face and asked, "Octavia?"

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait, I was planning to have it done last week but I caught a cold and had an important project to do. :pinkiesick: twilightoops:: And yes, all bands mentioned are real bands. Good one too, look them up.

I woul like to thank TheFirebird for editing this.

A Pleasent Surprise

“Octavia?” Spike asked, surprised.

“Spike?” Octavia asked just as surprised as the dragon in front of her was.

“What are you doing here?” The dragon questioned the mare.

“I own the store.”

“Really?”

“Of course I do. After all, part of my name makes up half the store's name,” Octavia answers with a raised eyebrow.

Spike scratched his head, and replied, “Well, to be fair, I didn't know your last name. Though, now I can see why Vinyl said the boss is a nice person.”

The mare chuckled at his statement. “Yeah, that sounds like Vinyl alright. So what brings you here Spike?”

“I'm actually here for a part time job.”

“Well, we do have an opening at the moment. Do you have any skills, or past work experience?”

“Well, I've been Twilight's assistant for about ten years,” Spike started to count off his past work experiences. “I had done plenty of odd jobs all over town such as working at Sweet Apple Acres, baking at Sugarcube Corner, and helping around at the Carousel Boutique.”

“Impressive. Do you know anything about music?” Octavia asked.

“Well I own a couple of CDs, I'm familiar with most genres, and I play the piano.”

“Really? Are you any good?” the classical mare asked.

Spike shrugged his shoulders. “I'm at least decent.”

“Then how about you play me a song right now?”

“Um, sure,” he replied as the two made their way to the piano in the corner of the store. After Spike took a seat, he asked, “Do you have any requests?”

“Surprise me,” the cellist replied.

After giving it some thought, he gently placed his hands on the keys of the piano, and took a calming breath. His claws slowly started to dance across the keys as a soothing melody filled the store.

(I don't own the music or this video.)

The music starts slow, but it slowly picks up the pace. The music fills Octavia with confidence, to go out, and live her life to the fullest. Both Spike, and the grey mare beside him soon lost themselves in the music. Though, unlike Spike, Octavia noticed Vinyl walk into the store. The white mare put her finger in front of her lips in a gesture to keep quiet about her, as she sneaked into the back room. The store owner nodded, and she went back to focusing on the music. She wasn't familiar with the piece she knew by the notes, and the pace wasn't something a novice can play easily. As the tempo slowed, it ended on a peaceful note as if to convey a job well done.

Spike took a breath with a huge smile on his face that appeared during the song. His eyes still closed as he let the last few notes ring inside his head. He was snapped out of his trance by the sound of the cellist clapping. He turned his head to see Octavia clapping with an impressed, and happy look on her face.

“That was quite impressive, Spike,” she congratulated him. Spike rubbed the back of his head due to her praise. “What song was that?”

“It's called ‘Passion,’” Spike explained. "It's originally a song sung by a foreign singer, but I really liked the song.”

“So, you decided to turn it into a song that you can play on a piano?” The musical mare asked. Spike nodded his head in agreement. “I have to listen to that song when I get the chance. Either way, that was well played. You're officially hired.”

“Really, that quickly?” Spike excitedly asked.

“You have the skills, experience, and knowledge for the job. Plus, Big Mac had a lot of good things to say about your work ethic,” Spike made a mental note to thank his friend later. “Can you start tomorrow?”

“Sure! Is it alright that I do it in the evening? I want this job, but Twilight in is Canterlot, and I have to keep an eye on the library until she gets back.”

“Of course! What days, and times would you like to work?”

“I don't have a preference per say. How about we play by ear? Though, until Twilight gets back, I would like to work in evenings, and have Sunday off this week since I have a date.”

“Vinyl asked you out again?” The mare asked with a teasing smirk.

“I actually asked her out this time,” Spike answered as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

“Good for you! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to close the store, and get a late lunch.”

“Sure,” Spike made his way to the door, but a thought occurred to him. “Oh, and I would recommend the Sweet Apple Arcs stand. They have the best apple fritters, and pies,” Spike thought to himself quietly, ‘More importantly Mac is minding the stand today…'

“That would sound good about now, and I love apples. Thank you for the suggestion,” the cellist said.

‘That's good, having a taste for apples will get her far with Mac, and she seems like a nice person,’ Spike thought to himself. The dragon made sure to have his back to the mare so she wouldn't notice the sly grin of his face. “No problem! I'll see you tomorrow,” and with that, the dragon left the store, and made his way to the library.

The music store owner waited until he was out of the store, and earshot before she yelled out, “He's gone!”

Vinyl opened the back door, and walked into the room. “Thanks for not telling him I was here,” the disc jockey thanked her.

“No problem, but why didn't you?” The grey mare asked.

“I didn't want him to be nervous because I was here,” she answered.

“Why are you here?”

“I wanted to see how his interview was going,” Vinyl explained.

“...You do realize that you did not make much sense, right? Octavia asked as she tried, and failed to understand her friend's actions.

“Maybe, but sometimes it's more fun to make no sense than to make sense. It makes life more interesting,” Vinyl answered with a happy grin. “Plus I got the chance to hear him play,” she added.

“True, he is quite skilled. Maybe, if you actually come, and help out every once in a while, you might be able to hear him play more often,” the cellist suggested.

“I just might…” the disc jokey said with a laugh as she helped her friend close the store.

After the two were outside, and the door was locked, Octavia asked, “Do you want to join me?”

“Nah. I'm still full, but make sure to bring back some apple pie. We can have that for desert!” Vinyl savored the idea. Her friend nodded as the two went their separate ways.

Spike slowly made his way to the Golden Oaks Library with a huge smile on his face as his mind went over what happened the past two days. He had gone to a club for the first time in his life, and not only did he have an amazing time, but he also met an incredible girl there. Later, on that night, the disc jockey asked him out to a date. The date went well, and he managed to work up the courage to ask her out again, which she gladly accepted. Now, he managed to land a part time job at a music store that he would probably enjoy. He had more fun in the last two days than he had in months. While the realization was a bit depressing, he wasn't going to let it get to him. Things are looking up for him, and he wasn't about to slip into the same rut he was in two days ago without a fight. A thought occurred to him that he didn't think about before…

What would Twilight think about all this?

Surprisingly enough, for this first time in his life, Spike didn't really care what Twilight's opinion would be. He had always done everything she wanted, what she asked of him, and competed tasks how she wanted. Lately, all it got him was the same routine day ; in, and day out. The one time that he did something different, out of the routine, was when he did not listen to her for a change. He couldn't be any happier. He had a tough time remembering the last time he had such a big smile on his face. He still loved, and cared for her like an older sister, but he was tired of his life as her assistant. Maybe it was time for him to build a new life.

“One step at a time, Spike,” the dragon said to himself as he entered the library. “One step at a time,” he reassured himself as he closed the door of the library.

Spike awoke the next day very early. He got out of his bed, and stretched, sighing in relief as his bones popped.

‘Alright, now that I'm awake, I might as well take a shower, and get something to eat. Then, I'll see what I can do afterwards.’

He went to the bathroom, and took a nice shower that relaxed his muscles’ tension from last night's slumber. He dried himself, and looked at himself in the mirror to notice any defects on his body. He noticed a loose dark purple scale on the side of his right shoulder, and pulled it off slowly. As it peeled off his other purple scales, a new, shiny scale was exposed to the air, blending in with the others, and making the dragon look better.

‘Lookin' good, Spike! Lookin' REAL good!’

He stepped out of the bathroom, walked down the stairs, and into the kitchen. He found his jar of gems, and gently took it off from a cabinet. He slid off the cap, and placed his arm inside it. His claw touched a hard object, and he licked his maw as he pulled out… a tiny ruby. His grin turned into a frown as he was disappointed that there were no gems left.

‘Maybe I should have eaten gems every once in awhile instead of eating them every single day… Where do I get food, now?’

He pondered for a moment until his mind finally found an answer.

‘I got it! I'll go to Sugarcube Corner! Hopefully, Pinkie Pie will have a gem cupcake that I can eat. Sounds like a good idea to me…’

He placed his empty jar back on its rightful cabinet, and left the kitchen. He then left the library into the streets of Ponyville.

As he strolled in the streets, he received a few stares and side glances from the bypassing mares, either taking an interest in him or wanting him for themselves. This did not go unnoticed for the young drake, and thought to himself…

‘It seems like Vinyl isn't the only one who likes me. It's like there is competition…’

He noticed from the corner of his right eye CloudChaser, and Flitter blushing lightly as passed by them.

‘I was correct,’

He thought as he neared Sugarcube Corner. The purple dragon then entered into the small bakery. Once he entered, a pink girl greeted him behind the counter.

“Hi, Spike!” she greeted him.

“Hi, Pinkie!” he greeted back.

“What brings you to Sugarcube Corner?” she asked.

“I need a sapphire gem cupcake. You got one?” he asked.

“Sure, do! Is that your order?” she asked.

“Yeah, how much is it?” he pulled out his bits as he asked her.

Pinkie Pie waved it off. “Don't worry, it's on the house!” she then went into the back of the store to prepare his cupcake.

He shrugged, and then seated himself at an empty booth. With nothing to do, he lightly tapped on the table, hoping to distract himself from hunger. Pinkie then rushed to where he was seated, and brought his blue cupcake to eye-level. He took it off her hands, and ate it slowly, savoring the rich, mineral flavor.

“Thanks, Pinkie!” he said through a mouthful of cupcake, frosting, and sapphires.

“No problem, Spike!” she said as she returned to the counter. As Spike continued to enjoy his cupcake, Vinyl entered into the bakery.

“Oh, hey, Vinyl!” Pinkie greeted the disc jockey.

“Sup, Pinkie! Do you have a a glazed doughnut?” she asked.

“Sure do! Be right back!” she left the counter, and went to prepare the DJ's doughnut. As she was going to sit on an empty booth, she spotted Spike eating a gem cupcake. She slipped in the empty seat in front of Spike.

“Huh?” Spike lifted his head to find Vinyl sitting in front of him with a wide smile on her beautiful face.

Spike blushed. “Oh, uh, hi, Vinyl. I'm just e-eating a cupcake,” he lightly stammered.

“Oh, really?” she smirked. “Or are you just admiring the view?” she teased him which made him blush harder.

“N-no, I - ” he was cut off as Vinyl kissed him on the nose. He was shocked at first, making him turn bright red. Vinyl giggled at the look on Spike's face. Causing the dragon in question to pout slightly at her mirth.

"Sorry about that, but you make it way to tempting," She said with a sly smile. "Plus you're really cute when you blush." The dragon continued to pout until and idea popped in his head. A matching sly grin spread across his still red face.

"Then allow me to return the favor." The dragon lean over the table and gave the mare a quick peck on her lips. A shock spread through her body at the contact that she liked very much. Just as Spike was about to sit back down Vinyl reach out with one of her hands and grabbed the back of his head.

"Did you think you can get away with just a peck?" She asked with lidded eyes and a small blush of her own. "I prefer something a bit more heated." The DJ slowly pulled the drake to her as her eyes slowly closed. Spike realized what was about to happen he did the same. Just as their lips were about to meet each Pinkie showed up out of nowhere and interrupted their little intimate moment.

“Here's your order, Vinyl!” she announced. Vinyl stopped as the two were less than an inch from kissing each other, and blushed as she was caught. Spike also blushed, and wished that he could disappear.

“Uh, th-thanks, Pinkie,” Vinyl stammered. Pinkie then left their booth, and returned back to the counter.

“So, uh, what did ya get?” Spike asked.

“A glazed doughnut,” Vinyl replied as she munched on the gooey flour. “What did you get?” she asked as she put her left arm under her breasts, making her cleavage show, and her shirt clamp around them tighter.

“I got, uh, a sapphire cupcake,” he held up the remains of his cupcake. “Well, it WAS a sapphire cupcake…”

Vinyl chuckled. “Hungry, weren't ya?” she asked as she slightly leaned forward, exposing more of her breasts to Spike. He tried to ignore her cleavage, but even then, he couldn't resist glancing down every so often at the good view of her large C cupped breasts.

“Uh, y-yeah,” He was putting a lot of effort to stay in control of himself.

“Well, if you're finished eating, could you join me on helping me on something at my house?” she asked in a sweet tone that Spike couldn't say no to.

“Sure, let's go. But I can't say for more than a few hours. I have to get back to the library and later today I start working Octavia's store.” he replied. They both left Sugarcube Corner, and gave their thanks to Pinkie Pie before they headed into the street.“So, what do you need me to help you with?” Spike asked as they neared her house.

“I just want your opinion on some remixes and songs,” she replied back. She opened the door to her house, and let the purple drake in.

Author's Note

Sorry for the short chapter everyone but I didn't know what else I could add to this one.

I would like that thank Silvreus for both editing this and helping me with the last part of the chapter.

A Day of Work and a Night at the Club

Once Spike got a good look inside the house, he could tell that the party animal, Vinyl, lived with the prim and proper Octavia. There was an odd mix of old fashion and modern furniture. There was a cello, polished and cleaned to perfection on a stand that was next to a massive stereo system with empty soda and beer cans on it. The entire house had sections where it was either so clean that even Twilight would approve or a slight mess that would most likely annoy her to no end. “Sorry about the mess.”

“It's no problem. You should see the library after one of Twilight's study binges,” Spike replied. He shivered at some of the messes she made and the fact that he was the one who usually cleaned them up.

“Oh, yeah? You should have seen me before I started to live with Octavia. I was a thousand times worse than this,” the DJ said as she led to way to her music room.

“So, what changed?”

“It was either learn how to be cleaner about my messes or have Octavia pull an El Conbong on me with her cello in a fit of rage,” Vinyl shivered as she rubbed her head. She still didn't know which was more unbelievable: that Octavia was that strong or that she managed to survive her beating with only a couple of bumps on the head. The white mare and the purple dragon calmly walked to the DJ's music room or at least that is what it looked like on the surface. On the inside of Spike's head, thoughts were bouncing around his head faster than Pinkie was on a sugar rush.

‘I kissed her, I actually kissed her!’ Spike yelled inside his head while doing a mental victory dance. ‘And from the looks of it, she liked it too, if what we were about to do was any hint. Plus, she invited me to her place with no one else home. Does that mean we're going steady? No, I shouldn't get ahead of myself. I'll ask if we’re boyfriend and girlfriend after a few more good dates. Best thing to do is to take it nice and easy.’ With that in mind, the dragon looked forward to seeing what kind of music the DJ had in story for him while said mare was thinking about a certain drake.

‘Wow, I can't believe he kissed me!’ To say that, Vinyl was pleasantly surprised. ‘I didn't think he had it in him to make the first move, even if it was a peck. This guy is turning out to be a better catch by the minute! If our date on Sunday goes well, then I'll see if he's interested in staying together. Until then, I'll pay him little visits here and there to get to know him better or at the very least, tease him and see what his reaction will be.’

While the two were thinking to themselves about the other, Vinyl opened a door to her music room and led the dragon inside. It was filled with the latest music for editing, mixing, and playing equipment. At the center of it all, was a computer that was surrounded by CDs, vinyl records, and empty soda and beer cans.

Spike let out a whistle of amazement. “This is a nice set up you have here, Vinyl!”

“Thanks! I used this stuff when I was on tour and stuff,” she took a seat in front of her computer and quickly pressed a few buttons on her keyboard. “Anyway, here is some of the songs I'm going to play for my first time at the bar tonight.”

(I don't own the video or the music. Full credit goes to the original owner or owners)

As the music begins to play, Spike couldn't help but bob his head to the tune. He knew next to nothing about dubstep outside of Skillrex and even that was very limited. So, he couldn't tell if this was a track that was good or not, but he liked it and that was good enough for him. Half way through the track, he started to make small dancing motions while he focused on the music. It was at the end of the track that Spike realized what he was doing and saw that Vinyl was looking at him with a teasing smirk on her muzzle.

“I take it that you like it?” she said with way too much amusement in her voice in Spike's opinion.

“Y-Yeah,” Spike said as he blushed in embarrassment. He looked everywhere but the mare herself. “Though I know nothing about dubstep though, so my opinion probably doesn't mean much.”

“Hey don't sell yourself so short. You have a pretty good taste in music, so I say your opinion is worth something,” she said with a smile. "Do you suppose you can come to the bar tonight for my debut there? It would be awesome if you can make it,”

“Sure! I'll be there probably around eight or nine,” Spike said. He was excited to see the mare perform first hand. He looked at a nearby clock and noticed the time. “I better get going. The library isn't going to open itself, even if I really wished it could.”

Vinyl chuckled as she got up from her seat and said, “Sure, I'll see you.” Once Spike stepped outside the house, he was about make his way to the library when Vinyl stopped him. “Hey, Spike, you got a second?”

The dragon turned around to face the mare. He was about to ask her what she needed when the DJ grabbed him by the collar. She pulled the drake down so her lips could meet his. A pleasurable shock shot up and down their bodies at the farther forceful contact. While the mare closed her eyes at the feeling the dragon widens his in surprise as a massive blush spread across his face. Before he could completely understand what was going on and truly enjoy the DJ's lips she pulled away. She stared at his shocked, blushing face with a smile and a small blush of her own.

“W-W-What was t-that for?” Spike asked. Who was still having a tough time believing what just happened.

“Just a little payback for that peck earlier,” she replied with a smirk. She let go of his collar and walked back into her home. Before she closed the front door, she looked over her shoulder and said in a quiet enough voice that Spike barely heard her. “And maybe, a hint of things to come.” And with that said, she gently closed the door.

As a gust of wind blew through the air, a certain dragon was busy trying to kick start his brain. As the gears in his head slowly picked up speed, he realized what just happened. Vinyl Scratch, the cool, amazing, and hot DJ, just kissed him. It wasn't a chastise kiss on the cheek he usually got or a peck like the one he gave her. It was a lip to lip kiss that was out of this world, even if it lasted for two or three seconds at the most. He wanted to jump and roar out of joy, but managed to calm himself.

‘Okay, Spike, keep it together,’ he thought as he took a calming breath. His blush wasn't going away as fast as he hoped, however. ‘Yes, she kisses you, but you shouldn't jump into things yet. It just shows that she's interested as well. Just stick to the game plan for now until something comes up. If it does, then play it by ear.’

With that in mind, he turned away from the house and made his way to the library to begin his work for the day.

‘Boring.’

That was the thought that has been going through Spike's mind for a while now and didn't show any signs of stopping anytime soon. As soon as he got home, he cleaned, dusted the library, and made sure that all the books were organized for the day. Once that was done, he took a seat behind the counter and waited for either a customer or for his lunch break to start. Whichever came first. Only one pony had come into the library and it was to return a book. The time it took to process the return and put it in the correct place was five minutes at the most.

The only interesting thing that happened was while he was cleaning up he found something that he hadn't seen in years. It was his old gem sculpting kit. Back when he was little and lived in Canterlot, Princess Celestia tried to get him interested in a couple of hobbies, and gem sculpting was one of them. He liked it at the time, but after he became Twilight's assistant, he usually didn't have the time for it. As the years went by, he just plain forgot about it until now.

He was thinking of getting back into it again, but at the moment he didn't have a single jem to use it on. He made a mental note to ask Rarity if she had any gems she didn't want or find out when the next gem hunting trip will be. Sadly, at the moment there was nothing to do at the library. He didn't feel like re-reading his comic books or any kind of book that could hold his interest. And he wasn't desperate enough to clean and organize the library again out of boredom. He could literally do nothing, but stare at the clock for when his lunch break would start. Spike sighed to himself for what felt like the millionth time today. He was praying to Celestia and Luna that something would happen soon. Either the princesses were listening or Lady Luck smiled down on him since Mac walked into the library with a brown bag and a large bottle in his hands.

“Howdy, Spike! How's work?" Mac asked.

“Boring,” Spike flatly replied while being glad to see his friend. “What brings you here, Mac?”

“Oh, I decided to bring ya some apple fritters and cider for your lunch today,” he placed the items on the counter. Quick as a whip, Spike opened the bag and put an entire fritter into his mouth.

After he swallowed he said, “Thanks for the grub and all, but why did you bring this stuff?”

“Just my way celebrating the fact that you got that there part time job at Octavia's store,” he said as an un-characteristic sly grin appeared on the farm pony's face. “It's also a thank you for sending her my way the other day.”

“I don't know what you’re talking about,” Spike calmly replied. He took a bite out of another fritter to keep the smirk he felt coming off his face.

“Sure you do,” Mac said, the sly smile still in place. “Slow day, I take it?”

“Mac, it's usually a slow day. The only time this place ever gets busy is on really hot days or when the students at the school need some books for a project or something. It has been pretty much nice and cool lately and it's still summer vacation.”

“Meaning, there's not much business,” Mac concluded. “I guess with Twilight gone, ya'll don't have as much work to keep you busy since she's the one who usually makes the messes around here.”

“For the most part, I'm just waiting for closing time so I can lock up and head over to my new job.”

“You do realize it could be just as boring as or more demanding than here right?” Mac asked. He didn't want his friend to be disappointed if his new dream job of sorts ends up to be a lot of hard work.

“Maybe, but it will be more manageable than here since it will involve something I actually like. It's kind of the same thing for Twilight and this place,” Spike answered as he gestured to the shelves of books.

“Ya'll did as well a few years ago.”

“I didn't like books, at least not nearly as much as Twilight does. What I liked was being her assistant.”

“But ya'll don't want to be her assistant anymore, right?” the farmpony ventured.

“I don't want to do this for centuries until I get too big to actually fit inside a library. I want to be like Twilight, you, your sister, and the rest of our friends and family.”

“What do ya mean?”

“Having a job or a career that you enjoy with all of your heart. Heck, everyone in town seems to be doing something they love for a living. I want that. Doing something that I completely love doing. A job that even during the tough or difficult times I wouldn't give it up for the world,” Spike explained. He stared at his half eaten fritter for a minute before popping the rest into his mouth. After he chewed the tasty treat and swallowed, Spike turned his attention back to his friend. “Do you get what I'm saying?”

“Yeah, I do,” Mac answered. Mac loved his job with every fiber of this being. Even when he was injured, sore, or just plain tired. He wouldn't give up working on his family farm, even if the princesses tried to force him to. “But are you sure this new job is the one you're meant to do?”

“I don't know, I don't exactly have a Cutie Mark to tell me that sort of thing,” Spike replied. “This could very well be my dream job or a huge mistake. I'm hoping it's at least a step in the right direction. If anything, it will be new and different. The same and old haven't been doing me any favors for a while now.”

“I hear ya. Listen, I have to get back to the farm,” Big Mac made his way to the door and opened it. Before he closed it behind him, he turned to his dragon friend. “I hope everything turns out okay and that ya'll find what you're lookin' for.”

“Thanks. I'm hoping for that too. I don't suppose you can come with me to the club around nine?” Spike asked his friend. “I'm going there for Vinyl's debut there.”

“Sorry, can't,” Mac answered. “I already promised to meet up with Octavia at eight to see a movie we both wanted to watch.”

“Oh, I see,” Spike said with a smirk. “Well, I hope you two have a fun time. And don't forget to wear protection if things get heated.”

While Big Mac's expression didn't change Spike was pretty sure that his face was a little redder than usual. “Uh, thanks and I'll keep that in mind. See ya 'round.” With that said, he closed the door behind him to leave his scaled friend to his job, lunch, and laughter.

3...

2...

1...

“ARGH! I QUIT!” Spike yelled. Nobody had set hoof or foot into the library since Big Mac. He knew he was basically going from one job to another, but at this point, Spike really didn't care. He was just glad he could do something after that long stretch of boredom. After he made himself an early dinner and closed the library Spike set off to his first day of work at Melody's Music Store. As he made his way to the store, he saw a familiar fashion designer making her way to her home.

“Hey, Rarity,” Spike greeted the mare. “How have you been?”

“Spikey, it's so good to see you again!” Rarity greeted back. She gave her dragon friend a quick hug before continuing. “And it was dreadful. I just got back from another horrendous date!” she exclaimed while putting her hand to her forehead in a dramatic fashion.

Spike subtly rolled his eyes without the mare's notice. His next two words came out of his mouth as naturally as breathing. “What happened?”

His question causes Rarity to once again go on a rant about her latest so called prince charming. How amazing and perfect he was at first glance, and then later on she would go on about his flaws or flaw. In more than a few cases the flaws were actually really minor. He didn't get the details since he zoned out, making sure to nod and comment every other minute. All of her rants when it came to bad dates or failed lovers were more or less the same. When Spike first moved to Ponyville, he fell in love with the mare at first sight. For years he tried to win her over, but failed at winning her love at every turn. Even coming out and asking her out on a date didn't work. Every time Spike tried, she would either say that she was busy or had other plans.

As Spike grew older, and wiser, the amount of rejections started to pile up. He realized an important aspect about the beautiful dressmaker: she had ridiculously high standards for her so called soul mate and was really high maintenance. If they didn't meet them, even for a second, Rarity would either let them down gently or kick them to the curb. From looking at Rarity's past boyfriends, crushes, and flings Spike knew he fitted at least a few of her requirements. Two of which are being kind in nature and a gentleman. Sadly he didn't have another two important requirements, being rich and famous. He was only famous in the Crystal Empire, but his guess didn't count in Rarity's books, and he was by no means rich.

The only way he could easily meet the last two requirements was to ask for money from Celestia, since he was Celestia adopted son. He had a large sum of money stored in the family vault for when he becomes a prince. Unlike his cousin Blueblood, who was announced as prince the day he was born, he won't be an official prince until he is twenty one. That was still around three years away. That was beside the point away in Spike's eyes; he didn't really care about whether or not he was royalty. He wanted to be loved for him, not his status.

He had tried multiple times to convince Rarity to lower her expectations. If not for himself than for the other actually nice and good people to have a chance. Sadly, Rarity was stubborn and set in her ways. After a while, Spike gave up on changing her mind and being with Rarity romantically in general. The torch he once held for her was smothered by the fact that he was one dragon in a long, growing list of good and decent people that Rarity either ignored or pushed aside.

‘Good thing we didn't end up together either way. There is no way I could keep up her standards without driving myself mad. I'm better off that we're just friends,’ Spike thought to himself. He was brought back to the real world by Rarity calling his name.

“Spikey!” Rarity yelled with a pout. “Did you hear anything I just said?”

“Nope, I zoned out,” Spike bluntly stated. “Though it usually isn't any different than any other date rant you've told before,” the dragon held up his claw and one by one lifted each finger for each highlight of Rarity's rant. “You met a handsome looking guy that you thought was your prince charming. You went on a date or dates with him. He either turned out to be an ass, was grabby, he was lying about being rich and, or famous, or he did something small like burp loudly or something. Afterwards, you either gently said it was over or you outright dumped him with a slap to the face. How am I doing so far?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Somehow Rarity's pout got even poutier. “You know I'm starting to miss the old Spike. The one that would just said yes and agree with everything I say.”

“I don't. I have way more fun with this Spike,” the drake said with a cheeky grin.

“Hmph! Be that as it may be, it looks like I'm doomed forever to be alone. Why can't I seem to find the right one for me?” Rarity once again going into her damsel in distress mode.

“Because you have expectations and standards that are as high as the moon. It also doesn't help that you are really high maintenance,” Spike deadpanned. “The only pony I can think of that come even remotely close to them is Fancy Pants and he's already married.”

“Please darling, don't remind me.”

“Anyway, I really have to be somewhere and before I go I have to ask you something. Do you have any gems you're not using?”

”Well, I just finished a line of dresses and I still have some leftover gems I'm not going to be using. Are you out of gems again?”

“Well yes, but I'm not planning to eat them. For the most part, anyway,” Spike muttered the last sentence under his breath. “I'm taking up an old hobby of mine and I need some gems for it. If you’re not using them can I please have them?”

“Sure, Spikey. How about you get them tomorrow whenever you are free? I was also planning to go gem hunting soon. If you can help me, I'll split the gems fifty-fifty as usual.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Splendid! Is Saturday good for you, dear?”

“Sorry, I'm busy tomorrow. How about Monday?”

“That is fine by me, but I have to ask, what will you be doing on tomorrow? Perhaps going on a date?” Rarity asked in a teasing manner.

Seeing what his friend was trying to do, he decided to turn the tables on the purple maned unicorn. “No, I'll be busy with work tomorrow,” as Spike made his way around Rarity he said, “I'm saving the date for Sunday.” As he walked away, Spike couldn't help but grin as the sounds of surprise and gaping like a fish came from the mare behind him.

“Sorry, I'm late,” Spike said as he went into the store. Octavia turned her attention from the book she was reading at the counter to the dragon. “I had to deal with a friend on a rant.”

“Say no more, I completely understand,” she said with a smile.

“So, what do you want me to do?” Octavia took a moment to think about what needed to be done in the store at the moment.

“How about you dust the place and make sure all the CDs and records are where they should be?”

“Sure.” With that said, Spike went straight to work. To him, this sort of thing was second nature and went basically on auto-pilot. Before he knew it, Spike had already swept the floors and organized the back storage room. Once he was done, the drake realized he had already killed an hour. “Huh, I made pretty good time. I'm done with what you asked me to do, Octavia.”

The cello player was really impressed with the dragon's work ethic.

“So, what's next?” Spike asked.

“Well, for now we just wait for someone to come in. I sometimes either play my cello or one of the CD's. The music sometimes gets ponies curious enough to at least take a look around. I usually just listen to classical music some of the more so. Since this is your first day, I'll let you pick the music.”

Spike gave it some thought on which songs he should play. With a decision in mind, he made his way to one of shelves to find his pick. “Well there is this band I found out about a while back. They're pretty good and sometimes mixes classical and opera sound music with rap and hip hop. Though, only as long as you don't mind cursing that is.”

The mere thought of one of Octavia's favorite genres being mixed with one of her hated works caused the mare to laugh. “Go ahead. If anything, it will give me a good laugh who ever thought combining the elegance of classical music with something as crude as rap.” With the green light given Spike opened a CD and put it in the store's stereo.

(I don't own the music or the video. Quick Warning: Has a lot of cursing.)

The song at the beginning was a bit unexpected. It sounded more like dialogue you would hear in a movie in Octavia's opinion. The actual music started and the cello player approved of it. The opera like chorus was a nice touch in her opinion. Then as quick as a whip a beat appeared and the rapping began. As the orchestra, beats, and rapping continued to play Octavia had to admit, much to her own distaste, that the song was pretty good. Somehow this group had managed to combine two genres that shouldn't work together and made it work.

Once the song ended Spike asked the mare, “Well, was it good or what?”

“It was decent at least,” Octavia said as she looked to the side. Her pride and love for pure classical music wouldn't let her admit her true feelings. It was then that two unicorn colts by the names of Snips and Snails came in through the door.

“Welcome to Melody's Music Store. How can I help you?” Octavia greeted the two.

“Hey, we were walking by when we heard that kicking song and thought we should check it out,” Snips said as his much taller friend nodded his head.

“Well, you guys have good taste,” Spike said. The sound of his voice drew the two's attention.

“Spike, it's good to see you man. We haven't seen you in a while,” Snail said as Spike gave to two fist bumps. While Spike wouldn't say he was the best of friends with these two, they were bros that he would sometimes hang out with.

“Sorry, I've been busy with some stuff. Anyway that was Spaz Out by Jedi Mind Tricks,” Spike explained. “This store has the album; Army of the Pharaohs, that song came from and a couple others that are just as good if not better.”

“Then saddle us up with two copies, please,” Snips and Snails said at the same time. Spike pointed the two unicorns where the albums were and bought two them.

“Make sure you spread the word on this store and the album,” Spike told the two as they left the store.

“We will!” The two went into the night and probably to their homes.

“So, what now?” Spike asked.

“Now, we basically play more music and wait for more customers until closing time in two hours since we've done everything we need to do already. Unless you feel like cleaning the entire store a second time?” Octavia asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Music it is.” For the next two hours the store was filled with music, talking, and helping a few customers that came into the store. In a few hours, it was twenty minutes to eight o' clock.

“Alright, it's closing time,” the mare said as both she and Spike closed the store. When she locked the door she turns to the drake. “Good job, Spike! I can tell we'll work well together. Have a good night,” she said as she walked in the direction of the movie theater.

With a cheeky grin, Spike said to her, “I will. Have a nice night with Big Mac,” he got to see the mare stumble for a bit and try to stutter out an excuse. Spike didn't hear what she managed to come up with since by then he was already making his way to the club.

As Spike walked inside the club, he could already hear the music that Vinyl was playing shaking the building. He noticed that it was slightly more crowded than the last time he was here. He could see the dubstep loving mare already at the station playing the music the crowd was enjoying. The dragon could see the huge smile on her face from where he was, getting complete enjoyment out of doing what she loved. As he got closer, he could see that she saw him and her smile got even bigger. She nodded in his direction in acknowledgement since her glasses were over her eyes and continued on her job.

Spike spent most of the night either dancing or just relaxing and enjoying the music. He decided to not drink anything since he wanted to be fully aware of himself while he enjoyed the show Vinyl was putting on. The way she moved and how she seemly commanded the crowd with her music and turn tables was as if she was queen, the club, her castle, and the crowd, her loyal servants.

“ALRIGHT EVERYONE!” She yelled into her mic, getting everyone's attention. “I'LL BE TAKING A QUICK BREAK, BUT DON'T WORRY! I HAVE A NEW TRACK THAT WILL KEEP THE PARTY GOING UNTIL I GET BACK!” Vinyl then played the music that Spike recognized from earlier today. While he was resting his feet from another bout of dancing, the DJ took a seat next to him. “Glad to see you could make it.”

“Eh, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my night,” Spike shrugged, trying to play it cool. “You sure know how to put on a show.”

“It's one of my many talents,” The white mare said as she puffed out her chest. Spike couldn't help but think about a certain daredevil of a friend. “Stick with me and you'll see just how amazing I am.”

“I just might,” the drake said with a grin.

“So, how was your first day at Tavi's store?”

“It wasn't that much different than working at the library. The difference is that I can listen or play music while working and I actually get paid. So, I would say it went pretty well,” Spike gave her a thumbs up. “Oh, by the way, I played one of the songs from the band I mentioned.”

“Oh, what did she think about it?” Vinyl asked with a grin of anticipation.

“I can tell she liked it, but didn’t want to admit it,” Spike said with a grin of his own. The two had a quick laugh before Spike continued. “I take that your first day is going great?”

“You bet your sweet, hot ass it is,” she said with a teasing smirk. While Spike is starting to get used to her teasing, he still couldn't help but blush a little to Vinyl's enjoyment. “Aww, don't be like that. I'm just stating facts.”

“Maybe, but yours is hotter and probably a lot sweeter than mine,” the drake was surprised he was able to say that without any stuttering. Spike gave himself a mental high five.

“I have no doubts about the hot part, but I don't know about sweet. Would you like to find out?” Vinyl flirted, testing Spike's reaction. The blush on the dragon's face duplicated in both size and brightness. He looked away from the mare due to embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck.

“M-M-Maybe one day, but n-not today,” Spike stuttered. “I-I wouldn't mind doing that somewhere down the road when we're both ready and willing.”

He didn't see the happy and relieved smile appear on the mare's face. Spike's reaction was just the one she was looking for. He didn't jump on the offer like a lot of other guys she dated in the past did, but he was still interested doing such things if they got to the point. Plus, his genuine words and the meaning behind them made her like him even more.

“With any luck, that day won't be that far away,” she said, grinning that she managed to get the dragon to stuttering again. “So, my break is about to be over. Are you sticking around?”

After Spike calmed his raging mind and blush he said, “I don't think so. I have get some groceries before I open the library tomorrow so I have to get up early.”

“I understand. I'll see you later,” Vinyl said. She got up and kissed Spike on his cheek again. This time Spike was able to keep himself together for the most part expect. “And I can't wait for our date on Sunday.”

“Me too,” the dragon decided to return the favor and kissed the mare on her nose. “Have a nice night!” With that, the two went their separate ways.

One to sleep in preparation for the work waiting for him tomorrow while the other to continue her job until the late hours of the night.

Author's Note

I'm probably going to get a lot of hate with that bit on Rarity but tell me I'm wrong. So far in the show she is pretty shallow when it comes to the ponies she crushes on.

I would like to thank Silvreus for editing this and HadezPKMN for proofreading.

Unwanted Dating Advice

Spike thought it was going to be a calm, rather uneventful day. Today he was making his way towards Rarity’s shop. Spike was expecting his day to be a regular day of mostly work: pick up leftover gems, make small talk with former crush, spend a dull day working at the library while getting back into an old hobby, work at his new job for the afternoon, and go to bed.

Too bad fate had other plans.

The drake knocked on the door only once before it was opened by a rather enthusiastic Rarity.

"Oh Spikey, it's good to see you," the dressmaker greeted her friend. The mare had a smile wide enough to rival Pinkie Pie’s and a gleam in her eye.

Spike could only groan in his head when he recognized that look. She always got that look in her eyes whenever she was about to put every ounce of effort into helping someone with something–whether they wanted it or not–and Spike had a pretty good idea which poor soul was going to be the target of her attention this time around. Truthfully, it probably wouldn't be as bad as he thought it would, but she didn't have the best track record when she gets like this. Around six or seven times out of ten, she usually made things even more complicated instead of helping.

"Hey, Rarity. I'm here for the gems you don't need," Spike said while he thought, 'Better make this quick before it snowballs, with me buried underneath it.'

"And I have them ready for you." Her horn lights and suddenly a somewhat hefty bag covered in a light blue magic field is pulled from behind her back and floats into his claws. "However, I was hoping to have a quick chat with you about something."

"About what?" Spike asked. He already had a pretty good idea what the topic is, but the drake was mentally praying to Celestia that he was wrong. 'By my holy mother, please let it be anything but my date.'

"Your date. I was hoping to learn what you have planned. Maybe give you some ideas, tips, and such."

'Thanks a lot mom.' Spike grumbled in his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I think I can handle it."

"Oh pish posh Spike, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't give you any advice? To be honest I was starting to worry about you. For as long as we've known each other, you haven't once even so much as looked at another mare romantically, let alone asking one out."

For the first time in recorded facial expression history, Spike had managed to combine a deadpanned stare, a glare, and a stink eye into one venomous look.

"What?" Rarity asked, becoming somewhat unnerved by the look. It took her a minute to realize what the matter was. She at least had to decency to sheepishly blush. "Right, sorry about that darling." Soon her look was replaced with determination. "All the more reason for me to help you nab this mare."

Spike dropped the look in favor of rolling his eyes. While he had gotten over his crush on Rarity, that kind of comment in this situation would, at the very least, annoy anyone with a shred of self-worth. Besides, he knew that she didn't mean to insult him. Rarity tends to put her hoof in her mouth without knowing it sometimes.

"Thanks for the offer, but I got this. This is actually our second date and the first one went pretty well. Besides, I have to go man the library anyway."

"That simply means you have to one-up the previous date. And don't worry about that, I was planning to close the shop for the day anyway," She says as she absentmindedly walks out of the store and locks the door. "I was thinking something fancy, there is a new restaurant that recently opened that would be absolutely perfect."

"Too bad my date isn't the fancy type. Like I said Rarity I got everything under control," The drake replied as he walked back to the library, with Rarity walking right beside him insisting on her help. Spike sighed as he realized that Rarity wasn't going to let this go anytime soon.

'I can already tell that this is going to be a long day. I wonder if Vinyl is having a better time than me.'

________________________________________

Let it be known that Vinyl did not like mornings. Years of late night concerts, partying, and DJing would make anyone the anti-thesis of morning ponies. Vinyl Scratch was no exception.

"Vinyl! It's time for breakfast!"

She once again wondered why did she decided to move in with someone who was a morning pony. She grunted as she covered her head with her blanket. There were very few things in this world that would make her wake up before eleven o' clock after a late night.

"I made French Toast!"

Sadly for her sleep deprived self, Octavia's famous French Toast was one of them. With the promise of a delicious breakfast soon to come, she dragged herself out of bed and got ready for the day. If she didn't, then her best friend would get on her case and might not serve her breakfast. However, when she got to the kitchen, she saw that the mare was still cooking.

With a twitching eyebrow, Vinyl grounded out through gritted teeth, "You lied to me."

"Yes. Yes, I did," Octavia replied without an ounce of shame or regret. Her eyes never leaving the meal being prepared on the stove. "Sorry, but it turns out we’re out of coffee, and I need you to go to Sugarcube Corner to get some."

The cello player might be a morning person, but the only way for her to keep her good mood was with coffee. And to be honest, there was no way of getting the DJ out of her morning funk without a cup of Joe as well. As much as she wanted to go back to bed, Vinyl's need for her morning fix of coffee could not be denied. The thought of the miracle elixir combined with the cello player's amazing French Toast was too much to ignore.

With a reluctant sigh, the white DJ said, "Fine, but that French Toast better be extra delicious."

"Thank you, and it will be. The bits are on the table."

The bluenette sighed as she grabbed the money and walked to Sugarcube Corner with a slouching posture and a drag in her step. Her mood was extremely noticeable to the few early morning ponies out and about, which is why they gave her a wide birth. She was thankful for this since she didn't want to go through the effort of interacting with anyone unless she had to, and she didn't trust herself to not bite somepony's head off.

As the large, edible-looking, bakery came into view, she did her best to lighten up her mood and steeled her nerves for the trial ahead.

Once she set hoof into the building, she was greeted with a loud, "HEY VINYL!"

The DJ grimaced at the loud noise, but managed to force a smile. "Hey Pinkie, can you get me and Tavi's usual order to go?"

"Sure!" The pink mare turned towards the kitchen and, much to Vinyl's dismay, yelled, "TWO LARGE CUPS OF HALF JOE AND HALF CREAM! ONE VANILLA AND ONE HAZULENUT TO GO!"

"Got it!" Vinyl could hear Mr. Cake yell from the kitchen.

Pinkie turned back towards Vinyl and asked, "How is the new job treating you?"

"Pretty good so far, but we'll have to wait and see," The white mare stated without any emotions due to her lingering funk. Though it appeared that it didn't affect Pinkie's almost constant cheer.

"And Spike?" A teasing smirk slowly grew on the party pony's face. "How are things going with you two?"

The mentioning of the dragon slightly lifted Vinyl's bad mood a little bit. "Pretty great, at least I think so. We have a date planned for Sunday."

"Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you too! You got to let me help you set it up!" Pinkie was practically hopping in place now.

"I appreciate the thought, but we already have it planned out and we want to keep it simple." In her mind the white mare was hoping that her fellow party lover would drop it there.

When it came to helping ponies, Pinkie would either let them work it out for themselves–after her help is denied the first time–or continue trying to help them with the stubbornness of a bull. Whether she did one or the other was basically a coin toss and Vinyl was hoping her luck holds out.

It appeared that Celestia or Luna decided give her a break. "Okay, but you have to tell me how it went and have your next date here."

Vinyl managed to work up a smile and said, "Sure thing, Pinks."

Mr. Cake came out of the kitchen with the two large cups of coffee in hoof. After paying for the two, Vinyl grabbed the beverages in her magic and went back home for a wonderful breakfast.

________________________________________

Spike was calmly working on a ruby with his recently found gem sculpting kit. His skill had grown incredibly rusty from neglecting his hobby for so long, so the drake decided to sculpt simple shapes for now. At the moment, he was trying to turn the somewhat rough gem into a cube.

"How about buying her some jewelry darling?"

"No."

The purple dragon honestly forgot how relaxing and fun this was. It was just as enjoyable as playing the piano or the saxophone.

"Do you need a new tuxedo?"

"Not going to need one."

Not only was it relaxing, but he could eat the unneeded pieces he chipped off or save them for later. He's been wanting to try the new recipe for ruby and white chocolate chip cookies that he came up with.

"I can see if I can get you a reservation at this fabulous restaurant in Canterlot."

"Thanks, but we're staying local for this date."

Now if only Rarity could take a freaking hint. The drake appreciated what she was trying to do, he really did, but the stubborn mare just wouldn't take no for an answer. At this point it had gotten repetitive and annoying.

"How about-"

"Sorry to interrupt, but are you doing to stop anytime soon?"

"Nope."

"And there is nothing I can say to get you to drop this and leave?"

"Not on your life, darling."

It was then that Spike really wished that he didn't get out of bed that day.

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait and the short chapter. Was taking a break and ended up in a runt. Next update will be for Dragon's Pride.

Thanks again to StarBlade for his/her editing skills.

Killing Time (Edited)

Third P.O.V.

Today, a certain unicorn mare and dragon were waiting for what was upon them. To say the two were anxious about their upcoming date was an understatement. Though it did not mean that they weren't dealing with their nerves. Both of them could see this budding relationship working and wanted this date to turn out well. They also knew–either from personal experience or from watching others–that letting their nerves get the better of them would only lead to turning the date into a train wreck. To handle this issue, the two decided to prepare everything they needed for their date early, and keep themselves busy in order to keep their minds of their nerves.

Unfortunately, both Spike and Vinyl had some difficulties in that regard.

Spike had to continue his job at the library. While most libraries were closed on Sundays, Golden Oaks Library didn't adhere to such a policy thanks to Twilight's dedication to–in her mind–continuously supporting the path to knowledge and learning that is books, much to Spike's constant annoyance and boredom. The drake was thankful that he had gotten back into his gem sculpting hobby. It really helped take his mind off of his pre-date nerves and alleviated his boredom. However, a familiar face chose this particular day to decide to pay a visit.

"Hey Spike," Rainbow greeted as she entered. "How is it going dude?"

"Eh, not much," Spike shrugged as he put down his gem sculpting tools and his latest project, a topaz in the shape of a star. "So what can I get for you? Some more Daring Do books, or are you looking for something new?"

"I'm not here for any of that this time. I'm here because I heard something interesting from Applejack last night," Rainbow answered. Spike raised an eyebrow at the statement. He had a pretty good idea what that something was and what she is planning to do by that teasing look on her face.

"Which was?" Spike decided to play dumb for the moment to see where his friend would go with this.

"That you have a date with somepony," Her smile grew wider with every word.

"Yes. Yes, I do," Spike simply stated.

Rainbow blinked at the rather blunt answer. She figured that the drake would be shy, or at least a little embarrassed. But that was fine though, she still had a few things up her sleeve to get a reaction out of him.

"I heard that it's with a white unicorn mare," The mare teased, giving her friend a light jab on the shoulder. "So did you finally wear Rarity down, or did you decide go for Sweetie?"

"If that is your best attempt at teasing me, then I am disappointed in you Dash," The scaled music lover said as he shook his head. The blue mare pouted in reply. "First of all, I've given up on Rarity ages ago. You really need to stay up-to-date. Secondly, Sweetie Belle got back together with Button Mash...I think."

"Those two seriously need to stop going back and forth. This is like what, the twentieth time they've broken up, only to make up a week later?"

"No kidding," the drake agreed as he rolled his eyes. "Either stay together, brake up for real, or get some counseling."

"True that. Wait...what were we doing again?" Rainbow asked.

"I believe that you were trying to tease me about my date and failing quite spectacularly, might I add." Spike said in his trademark snarky tone.

Rainbow huffed and crossed her arms at the jab. "Yeah well, if it ain't those two, then who is it?"

"It's Vinyl," Spike simply stated. He figured that Vinyl didn't really care who knew about them dating. The only reason he didn't tell Rarity the other day was because with all of her questioning she didn't actually ask who he was seeing. Whether Rarity simply forgot to ask in her excitement, or she purposely didn't want to know, was something that Spike questioned before shrugging off as unimportant for the moment.

"Wait…Vinyl, as in Vinyl Scratch, a.k.a. DJ PON-3?"

"The one and only, unless she has a twin sister I don't know about," Spike casually quipped. The drake was never one to put too much attention on a person's status. He preferred to put more stock on a person's morals, personality, and actions rather their fame and fortune. Though that might be due to the fact that he: was raised by royalty, frequently hangs out with heroes of the nation, became friends with multiple members of the upper class, is personally considered to be a savior of an empire, and is pretty much a prince in hiding.

Rainbow let out a low whistle before holding out her fist saying, "Damn dude, you scored big time." After Spike bumped fists with her, she continued. "And apparently you have a thing for older white unicorn mares."

Spike opened his mouth to refute her, but paused as he gave the statement some thought. He truly never gave much thought about his preferences when it came to mares he was interested in. He simply just thought that he liked what he liked. Though now that it was pointed out to him, there was indeed a pattern.

"Huh..." he said as he looked up to the celling while scratching his chin. At this point he was talking more to himself than his friend in front of him. "You might be on to something. At least with the ‘older unicorn mares’ part. I used to have a crush on a friend of mine, named Moondancer, before me and Twi moved to Ponyville. She was a unicorn and older than me, but she wasn't white. She was more of a pastel cream or something."

"You're welcome for me helping you find this revelation about yourself," Rainbow stated in her usual boosting tone.

"Yeah, yeah, just don't expect me to write a report on it."

"Who do I look like, Twilight?"

"Naw, she has more in the front than you do."

That got Dash to cross her arms and glare at the dragon. "Low blow dude, low blow."

"I try."

________________________________________

While Spike was busy shooting the breeze and trading the occasional insult with a friend, Vinyl was dealing with a certain problem. The problem known far and wide as boredom. She had already cleaned her house, at least to her standards at any rate. The thought of simply staying inside and either playing some tunes or messing around with her music until the date had crossed her mind. But she had the need to get up and move rather than sit on her butt all day until her date. With nothing better to do, she decided to bother Octavia at her store to kill some time.

"Hey Octi!" the DJ shouted as she slammed open the door to her friend's store. Two customers that were already inside browsing turned towards her before looking back at the merchandise. The owner of the store, however, looked at her friend with a mixture of annoyance and bemusement as the DJ made her way towards the classical music lover's position at the counter.

"Hello Vinyl," Octavia greeted listlessly. "What brings you here?"

"Boredom. Thought I could kill some time here," the white mare answered. "So…anything new I should know about?"

"Nothing new, but there is something you might have overlooked," the classical lover answered. "Spike pointed out a band whose albums we have a couple of buried, more or less, in the back. He recommended last night that I should play one of their songs. As a result, a couple of ponies have already bought an album or two."

"You don't say?" Vinyl asked, sounding interested. "Well play a song now and let's hear it."

"Sure thing." Octavia pressed a button on the speaker controls that were under the cashier counter and a song played throughout the store.

(I don't own either the video or the song)

In Vinyl's opinion, the song was pretty okay. Nothing awe inspiring or record breaking, but a nice, fast paced Alternative song. It was something that ponies who are on the lookout for more obscure bands might be into.

"Not half bad. I got to remember to ask Spike if he knows any other non-mainstream bands and artists that are worth looking into," the disc jockey complimented.

"Indeed. I'm thinking of having him in charge of the music playlist for the store," Octavia mentioned before giving it some more thought. "As long as it isn't that trash can banging, chainsaw garbage known as Death Metal."

Normally, Vinyl would fiercely take up the fight in defense of any music genre against Octavia's bashing, but she knew that the grey mare hated Death Metal above anything else in life. That argument could literally last for hours since both mares were too stubborn to back down easily once they got some momentum going.

'That can of worms is better off not opened. At least not for the moment,' Vinyl thought to herself. "So what do you think of Spike, so far?"

"He seems like a hardworking, well-mannered drake. A bit too sarcastic for my tastes, but he is still makes for good company."

"And you don't have any problems with him being a dragon?" Vinyl decided to bluntly ask. It wouldn't be the first time she dated someone who wasn't a pony. While Octavia never outwardly voiced any complaints and was civil with them, it was easy to see she didn't approve of some her non-pony boyfriends and flings.

"Only that I might have to stock up on gems for him if you start bringing him home often." Octavia joked before getting serious. "I don't have anything against non-pony races. If I dislike someone, then it is because of their personality, character, and/or habits. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Huh," Vinyl stated as she went through her memories. With the new given context, she remembered that her best friend also didn't like some of her coltfriends as well. And she was willing to admit that she had a thing for bad boys in the past, meaning a lot of guys she dated were jerks in one way or another. Though she did remember two past boyfriends whose Octavia's dislike of didn't make any sense.

"But what about Doug and Rocko? Those two were pretty okay guys."

"They also smoked marijuana, and you know my stance on drugs of any kind outside of medical purposes," The cello player replied. "Though one of the reasons why I tolerated them more than I did the others was the fact that only did it in their own homes and not here. That, and the fact that they never asked or pressured us into joining them after being turned down the first time."

"Right." Vinyl said, since she really couldn't think of anything to add to the matter. While she wasn't into pot and the like, she was okay with others doing it, as long they aren't hurting anyone and doing it in moderation. And she sometimes got a good laugh from watching others getting high on the stuff.

"So with that out of the way, what do you plan to do on your date?" Octavia asked as she tried to move the conversation along.

"Just the usual: movie and dinner with hitting the club at the end."

"What movie are you going to see, and where are you going for dinner?"

"We’re going to play by ear when it comes to the movie. Personally, I'm hoping to see the new Deadpool movie."

"...Really? Your first official date with Spike and you want to watch that monstrosity of violence and vulgarity?" She asked with an upraised eyebrow and disappointed look.

"Hey, Deadpool is awesome!" the DJ argued, defending her favorite comic character. "Besides, Spike, being the comic fan that he is, is sure to be okay with watching the glory that is Deadpool."

The grey mare rolled her eyes before saying, "Whatever you say. So where do you plan to eat?"

"A restaurant called Chili's. Has good food, but nothing too fancy."

"So basically your kind of place."

"Exactly."

"Well, since you have nothing better to do than lounge around my store," the store owner pulled a feather duster out of nowhere and handed it to the DJ, "better make yourself useful."

Vinyl grumbles under breath while she starts dusting the selves. "You’re just lucky I have nothing better to do."