Viva Los Pegasus

I leaned back in a chair at the clinic, letting the doctors go to work cleaning out my system. "...Yo, doc, how long this gonna take?" I asked, staring at the IV in my arm. "Like, I got stuff to do man."

The doctor flipped through a bunch of papers. "You know how long this is going to take. Just like every other time." he paced around, levitating a few letters before his eyes, "Wait...this is from you, why are you sending the clinic letters?" he asked, horn fizzling slightly. The slightly old looking unicorn was still rather fiery, but his orange coat couldn't hide everything, he had trouble keeping his magic up for too long.

I scratched my head. "I think I- oh yeah, money." I started snickering, "That was dumb. Like I'm gonna lose a bunch of profit because of that."

The doctor walked up to me, "What does that even mean?"

I stopped laughing and leaned back in my chair, "I told my manager to donate door opening profits to the clinic. I figured you're gonna have your ha- hooves full with- is it a hoof-ful or a hornful with you?"

The doctor's magic fizzled, sending the bushel of letters to the cold laminate floor. "What? I- you're donating to this place? Not to the Rift Sickness Fund, not to Cancer Research, not to anything worthwhile, but to some crappy free clinic?"

I felt my face tighten up, squinting at the doctor I leaned in towards him. "Dude...free clinics save lives, bitch. Besides, you're gonna need the help when this Roost thing sta--"

"There's a hospital down the street! You could have sent it--"

"Are you seriously yelling at me for donating money!?" I asked, nearly jumping from my seat. "Bro, you gotta calm your shit!"

The doctor took a few steps back and stuck his hoof out, "I am calm...but donating- how much?"

I counted with my fingers, "Uh...like...twenty five grand yo. I turned up the ticket prices to fifty bits for the first night and I still sold out at like five hundred!"

The doctor nearly dropped his papers again, "You're joking...don't you need that to stay in business!?"

"Pfff, that's just day one. I'm booked solid for a month, and that's just cause I didn't want people booking me solid for the season." I looked up at the IV bag, watching the hydrating fluid drain out. "Hey...so am I done yet? I feel pretty good."

The doctor just looked down at the floor. "You know, I came here to help people-" He walked over and pulled the IV from my arm, "-but it seems like all I do is help you and a bunch of addicts."

I stared at him as he slapped a plaster to my arm. "Dude, you save my life."

The doctor looked up at me, he looked tired. "You know what I meant. But I suppose I should have expected this since gambling was legalized." he trotted around the dull clinic room. "Now please...try to stay out of trouble."

I rubbed my arm. "I make no promises, but I do love you so I'll try. I mean...first thing I'm gonna do when this thing kicks off is stick myself, nuts and all, through a glory hole, so...safe as can be considering."

The doctor just sighed, "George...for the love of Celestia take care of yourself."

I ducked down, hugging the dour doctor, "Dude...that's why you're around." I ran my hand down his mane, the trimmed hair a bit dry to the touch. "You should be the one taking care of yourself, we are the young and reckless, you're supposed to be the wise one." I gave him a final pat and looked towards the door. "Young-Dragon-Kid, come on!" I pushed the door open, goose stepping out and slamming my trainers against the ground. My jeans felt rather nice now that I could actually feel them and my collared jacket was good at keeping my skin from burning.

Yuduk stepped out of another room, trotting in place and tapping his claws on the ground. "Oh man that felt good!"

I nodded, pulling my glasses back on. "Re-hydration and a bit of a purge feels real nice. Now come on, we gotta get to the club!" I charged out of the clinic, back into the warm late winter morning. The streets were slowly filling up as the usual townies and hipsters filled the streets, shops opening up and everything getting underway.

I regretted not bringing my headphones as the constant click clack of hooves and the rolling of horse drawn carts and carriages grated on my nerves. "Jesus, Yuduk...what the hell man!?"

Yuduk hurried next to me, "What?"

"Bro, you don't even- nothing...the noise is rough on my ears." I ducked my head down, tucking my hands into my pockets, "It's like, tappy, really tappy and loud."

Y-D-K just stared at me, "Are you okay?"

I spotted my club in the crisscross of streets that lined the area just off the beach. It was an old two story hotel I gutted and turned into a rather awesome club. It cost nearly everything I had but after a year of rough sailing I was into a decent groove and pulling enough to live out my new lifestyle.

I hurried over, nearly running towards the front gate. The small courtyard before the hotel was rather barren. The once youthful fountain now drained and painted with my own personal brand of graffiti. I felt at home in this place though, the cartoonish sprites and neon colors that were painted onto the dull beige walls of the hotel made everything feel personal.

I hurried up to the main door, heading past it and into the hall. The massive room was a bit empty, but atop a large pile of metal scaffolding sat my machines. The room was lined with speakers and the hallways to the rooms were painted in tribal looking neon paint. I had decided to use the rooms as private areas people could rent out and rest in.

But I had something I needed to do before the Roost. So, leaving Y-D-K behind, I hurried up to my booth and flipped on the microphone. "One two, one two three. Everyone come on down to the main hall, I got something to say."

Little by little a trickle of extremely multicultural workers started pouring into the room. Griffons in bartending uniforms, ponies and humans in security outfits and a few younger people in janitor uniforms. Then there was Tenor, and some of the financial staff. A few other dancers and performers trickled in, some looking as strung out as possible, but nothing a quick trip to the docs couldn't fix.

"Alright everyone, everypony, every bird and every soul, everyone know what's coming up!? I might be new to this Roost thing, but I can assure ya'll that shit is gonna be crazy!" I set the microphone down, raising my voice to address everyone in person. "So let's buckle down, sort out our shit. Take the week off and show up on Sunday ready to roll! If anyone fucks up, if anyone decides they're too good to show up, you're going to be fired on the fucking spot! Now let's make this shit amazing!"

My employees gave an assortment of responses. Some lack luster cheers and some rather excited ones. I didn't hold their fatigue against them, working here took a certain pep and after a week or so it got hard to keep up. But amongst the sea of rather lack luster people a mare with a bright blue mane, a blonde man and a pair of tiny blue headed babies stood still in the middle of the room. "Holy shit- DJ!" I yelped, climbing down from my perch and rushing over, nearly tripping as I hit the floor.

I stumbled over, leaning back before the couple. "DJPON-3, sup sister!?"

The neon mare threw her hoof out, "Nothing much, came to check out how things were going, visit some people."

"And you decided to visit me!? I had no idea I was that popular." I leaned my hips back, bowing slightly. "Well welcome, you want a--" I looked up to the man cradling what were obviously her kids, "Uh, guess not."

The DJ looked back at the man, her children squirming about like mad. "Yeah...had to cut myself off from that stuff."

I frowned as hard as I could without seeming rude, "Well that sucks. But then why are you here, I mean if you're not here to party I don't know how much I can really do for you."

The DJ just shook her head, "I'm just making sure the trade isn't dead yet. I'm visiting a bunch of clubs, you just happened to be first."

I scratched my chin, pulling up my yellow tinted glasses, "Oh, well that's pretty cool I guess. Do you still--"

"You bet your flank I still spin!" She snapped, nearly knocking my kneecap out with her hoof, "I'm not boring yet!"

"Vinyl...they really don't want to be held anymore...." The blonde grumbled, setting the budding toddlers down and holding each one's hand.

The DJ spun around, "Gray if you want to go I know how to get home. I mean heck, this was my freaking town!"

The apparent, Gray, man just stood there, the half pony kids pulling his arms in opposite directions. "You're trying to leave them with me? You're insane."

I watched the couple argue, it quickly becoming apparent just how much the DJ had changed in just a few years. "So...like...." I scratched the back of my head, "I really--"

The man snapped his head up, staring at me, "She wants to perform." he stated, pulling his kids back to his sides. "Perestan'!" he shouted at the blue haired duo, causing the two satyrs to stop and calm down.

The DJ spun around, "Ne krychatʹ na nykh!"

I just stared as they started shouting at each other in angry sounding Ruskie talk. "Uh...okay...." I spotted one of the kids staring at me, his eyes a bright magenta like his mom's. "...Hey dude."

The barely walking kid pulled back, holding his dad's hand and hiding behind him. The parents continued to bicker, slowly growing calmer and calmer as things seemed to get a bit hot between them. "I swear to Celestia you keep complaining you're gonna get another one."

"Keep bluffing and it's going to be another year--"

"Ne spokushay mene." The DJ cooed, stepping onto the man's toes.

The man stared at her, "...Vinyl, calm down."

"Fine...we'll--"

"Momma...I wanna go home." the tiny little satyr boy mumbled, staring at me from behind his dad's leg.

I scratched my head, "Yeah, I think it's probably better you don't have kids here. Even when we're closed it's not exactly a good environment." I looked off to the side, "Man...I hate when I say smart things...it makes me look dumb all the other times."

The DJ and her husband just stared at me. "Uh--"

The man started off towards the exit, "I'll take them back to your parents." The man pulled his kids up by their arms, dangling them for a moment before leading them off.

The DJ stared at the mostly human trio, her tail flicking anxiously. "That fucker...." she grumbled, stretching her back leg.

I let out a rough cough, "So...you wanted to perform?"

The DJ spun around, "Huh-- oh, heck yeah! I figure I could make some decent money, do something awesome. And I haven't missed  a Roost since I turned sixteen!"

I nodded slowly, "I'll figure something out...maybe in a month I can promote it as a big show- but you've got those two...how old are they even?"

The DJ looked towards the door, not bothering to turn her body, "One and two, maybe another in a few months...." She looked up at me, smiling behind her glasses, "I really thought I'd hate being a mom, but they look just like me and it makes me feel all warm on the inside!"

I felt myself flinch, keeping myself from stepping back I threw my hips back and balanced on my heels. "Uh huh.... I- So like, why'd you settle down? Cause...like, even if you've had kids...you're still so hot...like...so h--"

She started laughing, "You know, I said the same thing to another DJ when I lived here. You wanna know what he told me?"

I rubbed my stomach, a hollow feeling welling up as we delved into a topic I wasn't exactly comfortable with. "Uh...sure."

She smiled, nodding her head once, "He said, we're actors, musicians, we're living art. We paint ourselves bright colors and act like wild animals, of course you're attracted to me. You'd be gay if you weren't. It's what we are, it's why we're good at what we do. And if you're lucky enough to be good with a beat you'll outpace just about any would be clubber out there!" DJ let out a small huff, "But...he quit a little bit after that. I think he got sick, or had a baby, or had a sick baby. I could still look him up I guess...I don't know."

I frowned hard at the rather sour subject, "So like...what, we're just- none of this matters? It's all just gonna end like some boring farm deal?"

Vinyl Scratch looked at me, cocking her head and letting her glasses fall down her muzzle, "Dude, what? I'm just saying why ponies think I'm hot. I mean...I'm hot, I know. But point is, this is what we are, but it's not what we always have to be. And at some point we all have to quit."

I felt a near painful emptiness in my gut. "But you want to--"

"I never said I was ready to quit yet! Maybe I can't party, no more Neki Powder or hemp, but I can still spin." She stood proud, "I can still lay down fucking tasty beats!"

I rubbed my arm, "Sure.... Well I'll be sure to let you know when I have an opening." I turned towards the booth at the far end of the room. "I'm gonna go...lay down."

The DJ followed me as I lumbered towards my equipment, "Whoa, I know that look. You gonna quit?"

I stopped at the scaffolding up, letting my hand rest on the metal and turning to face her. "I'm like, getting old. I'm twenty-two and I just- how long did you keep it up for?"

Vinyl rubbed her chin with her hoof, "Thirteen to twenty-five with the drugs, sex was twenty-six...still working on it though, so you got time."

I frowned and started climbing up. "Not enough though. Eh...live in the moment I suppose. Viva Los Pegasus."