Ain't No Rest For The Wicked

Chapters

Chapter 2 - Avengers Assemble!
Bonus Chapter: Tales of the drunk
Bonus Chapter: Ryku’s Mark
Chapter 4 - Dance Puppets!
Chapter 5 - Not in the face!
Chapter 6 - The Work Week
Chapter 7 - Ryku turns Blue
Bonus Chapter: Just Torquin' it
Chapter 1 - Meeting the Five
Chapter 3 - Meetings: Awkwardness Ensues

Chapter 2 - Avengers Assemble!

Crazy Train

The train pulled ever closer to Ponyville as the last few hours of the day passed slowly by. Our two misfits were oblivious to this, however, as they were too embroiled in their drinks and their conversation to even notice the transition from the depressing brown landscape to the luscious green of the outskirts of the small town.

~Satin~

“...So then, she threw me into the cellar all tied up, but the mare forgot something really, really obvious. I’m a bucking unicorn. I do what I bucking please! So I teleported myself out of there and half hopped/half dragged myself back into town. It was a good couple of hours before anypony found and untied me.” I said, finishing my exaggerated story-telling.

Ryku gave a toothy grin as he took another swig of the beer in his hoof. “...Heh, yeah? W-what happened t-to *hic* her then?”

“I wasn’t going to stick around to find out! I freaking skipped town that night!” I put on mock fear to add to the act.

“Sounds like ya had quite a fun time to me! Ugh...my head... I wonder how close we’re gettin’ to Ponyville?” The tipsy orange stallion asked.

My smile vanished from my face. “Who cares? It’s just gonna be another *hic* podunk little town, with the same distrustful and self-important ponies ---

I was cut off by the conductor. “Welcome to Ponyville! Home of some of the nicest ponies you’ll ever meet, and also home to the bearers of the Elements of Harmony! I hope you enjoyed your ride!”

I shrugged, “Touché conductor stallion, touché...”

Everypony else began to gather their belongings and lined up to get off the train. I sighed and decided to take inventory before I joined the rush. My saddlebags are filled with empty bottles... every single drop of anything that could possibly be perceived as alcohol has been drained... Except...

I turned to see Ryku with a few bottles left in his side-pouch.

A smile plastered itself onto my face.

~Ryku~

I sighed contently as I finished the bottle I had in my hoof. Tossing it into the nearby trash bin, I glanced at the small pouch on my side. “I still have four bottles left... should last me long enough...” I thought happily...

That was, until I saw the scariest face I’d ever seen Satin make as he lustfully stared at the bottles in my bag.

“S-Satin? No~...” I stuttered as he took a few steps closer. “No no no~...”

His demonic grin turned towards me, as he nodded his head. “Hey Ryku... whatcha got there?” He said in a evil sing-song voice, as he took yet another step closer.

“NO NO NO NO NO NO N--” I yelled, as I tried to bolt out of the room. Unluckily for me, my balance failed me, and I ran into the door frame. “...Ouch...”

Satin busted out laughing as he walked past me and grabbed a bottle out of my saddlebag.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”

“I... hate... you...” I said sarcastically, as I got up and shook my head a few times to try and regain my composure. “Better keep an eye on these last three bottles...”

We stepped off the train, laughing like idiots. It didn’t take long for the whole station to start staring at us, either. We just didn’t care. As it was, we were already tripping over our own hooves. If the laughing didn’t attract attention, the falling on our faces surely would.

We managed to stumble our way off the train station and began our journey into town. It didn’t take us long to figure out that we weren’t going to make it in this state. We crashed under a tree, waiting to sober up. I leaned against it trying to get trying to comfortable when I heard a familiar noise.

Kssssshhh

My gaze shifted over to Satin as he downed another one of my bottles of booze. My brow furrowed.

“Really? We’re trying to get into town, we can’t walk 3 meters without eating dirt, and you steal another one of my bottles of beer and drink it!?!”

“Hey! If I stop drinking I’m worried the cumulative hangover might actually kill me.” I can see his face turn into a mask of worry.

“I can’t tell if you’re kidding or not.” I shake my head.

“Me neither, and that worries me.”

“...Y-y-you’re an a-a-alcoholic, you know that?”

His eyes welled up and a frown appeared on his face.

“How dare you!” He threw his bottle dramatically away from me as he got up to walked away in his little huff only to stumble and ram his head gracefully into the tree. He fell to the ground holding his head in pain, as a bright yellow ball with a red star fell out of the tree and bounced away from it.

“You ok?” Ryku slurred.

Satin ignored the question as he stared intently at the ball.

“And what were you doing up in that tree my pretty?” He asked the inanimate object.

He slowly pushed himself closer to the ball with his back hooves as he reached forward pathetically with his front hooves. If there were anypony watching him, they would have surely busted out laughing, and I was no exception.

“Ha ha ha! Oh, sweet Celestia! You hilarious drunk, you make me giggle.”

He finally reached the ball and grabbed it with such excitement that you’d think he was a colt at Hearth’s Warming Eve. “It’s mine... IT’S ALL MINE!”

“You’re crazy, ya know that? Heh, well anyway. What now?” I asked, but stopped as I realized that the blue stallion had completely ignored me. “...Or, I could just, you know, follow ya around...that works too...”

His happy ass walked down the path towards town with me in tow. The ball floated around his head, completely surrounded in his magic. I could see his magic failing at points, dropping the ball. I could hear a faint fizzle as the magic completely gave out, causing the ball to hit the ground and roll away.

“You know, as often as I drunkenly do magic, you’d think I’d be better at this.”

“Jack of all trades, my flank!” I said with a little more venom than I would have liked.

He held up a hoof. “One sec, I got this!”

He half skipped, half trotted over to where the ball resided; picking it up with both hooves as he tried to balance it on his muzzle. After a couple minutes passed, his balance was perfect. I couldn’t tell if he was sobering up or by some miracle of the drink, he had achieved some nirvana type of oneness that can only be obta... He then fell back hard, sending the ball back into my general direction.

Well... that quashes that theory...

“Wait, wait, wait. This is gonna work!” He tried his hoof at it again, this time successfully balancing the ball on his snout for more than a few moments. “Ha ha! Booyah! I told you I could do it!”

He slowly got up on all fours as he took a few cautionary unsure steps forward with the ball still balanced on his muzzle. The concentration on his face is replaced with his stupid grin. Apparently, the ball was as creeped out by it as I was earlier that day as it nearly jumped off of his face in fear, but he wouldn’t let it go. He sped off after it, into the forest.

I shook my head and yelled after him, “You know, soon, it’s going to get a restraining order against you!”

“OH BALLS!” The drunken idiot must have hurt himself in some ridiculous way, and I missed it! Ah schadenfreude I missed my chance to enjoy you!

...and then the singing began... and I hate to say it, but he was actually okay... sorta...

“I’ve got a lovely bunch of bouncy balls, deedly dee.” He trotted out happily with two almost identical balls balancing on his nose.
“Here they are a balancing on my nose. Da da daaa”
“One star, two star. Both as big as my head.”
“Give em a bump,” he knocked both of the balls into the air and as they tumbled back to Equestrian soil, they bounced against each other, sending them in two totally separate directions. He dove to save one, and actually managed to catch it, but the other one bounced away, sad and dejected in its fate.

It glowed blue as it was dragged, kicking and screaming, back to Satin. His haunches hit the ground hard as he had a long glaring match with the starred balls. He rubbed his douchey little tuft of hair under his chin. His eyes brightened for a second as he held up a hoof and made an audible *gasp* before his eyes refocused and his hoof returned back to his chin.

“No, no, no. Getting Ryku’s help would be silly.” He mumbled to himself.

This spectacle had gone about as far as it could go... why did I choose to associate with him in the first place? Oh right... he's been the closest thing I’ve had to a friend in awhile... that’s a bit sad...

“I’VE GOT IT!” He broke my train of thought with his loud exclamation. I looked up to see him stand up and then pop up only on his back two legs, holding his front hooves straight out in front of him with the balls on either hoof. His ridiculous smile spread across his face once again.

“Ugh...Nothing good can come of this.” I thought.

Afternoon Delight
~Kairo~

It took me all buckin’ night, but I finally got the Clocktower all fixed up. “How in the hay does somepony get a doll stuck in the mechanisms of a clock tower, anyway?” That was only one of the several strange things I found inside the inner-workings of the tower, but the doll was one of the things that was actually causing the problem; it was stuck in between some gears. I also found a whole family of bats, a pair of sunglasses, and for some reason a wooden ladle... It’s been a long night...

As I walked out of the clock tower, I noticed that the sun was peeking over the tree line. “Well, looks like no sleep... again... for the third night...” I’m a very busy pony, and because of that, sometimes I have to skip sleep. I walked lazily back to my home with the weight of being awake for so long. When I arrived, I threw my tools into my shop, not bothering to put them in their correct place.

I went inside, layed on my couch, then turned on my radio. Unfortunately, I have the inability to fall asleep during any part of the day. My mother called it a “curse”, and lately, I was starting to believe her. After an hour, I was too tired to even comprehend the sounds coming from the rectangular box in front of me. My eyelids weighed heavier with every blink, until finally, I did something I would never have thought would happen. For the first time in years, I broke my “curse”. I passed out.

I was brought back to consciousness by my radio speakers blaring a rock song extremely loud. I had bumped the radio in my sleep, turning the volume to max. I scurried over to it and turned the volume down. Sluggishly, I walked over to a window, and looked up in the sky. The sun was high in the sky, but well before noon. “Couple hours?,” I thought, “I can work with that...’” I walked into the kitchen.

Now, my kitchen isn’t really all that much. A stove, and fridge, a four person table with chairs, and a sink. I went to the fringe and pulled out a leftover tomato and lettuce sandwich out from the back of it.

“Hmm... can’t be more than a few days old... close enough.”

I took a bite and figured it tasted safe. With the food in one hoof, I traveled back into the living room with my couch and went into the back room to wash up a little. I wiped my face after finishing my sandwich and went over to the window. Ponies of every size and color were walking the streets now and I could even see the merchants selling their things. Some were even starting to pack up...

“Wait a minute... they don’t pack up until later in the afternoon... Uh oh...”

Just then, something caught my eye. The sun wasn’t going up... It was going down! My eyes widened. I was late for my “storytime” with Big Mac’.

Swiftly, I ran into my work area and extended my mechanical arms from my backpack. “I really should make a name for this thing...”, I thought, but I knew now was not the time. Big Mac’ needed his plow in the morning, and It was already well past mid day. I used my arms to pick up the plow with ease, turning it upside down so I could place it on my back, but still using the arms to take most of the weight. I walked out of my shop and started to walk down the road to Sweet Apple Acres, only to be met by a group of ponies surrounding an obviously drunk blue stallion juggling some balls.

It’s not everyday that you see something like this in Ponyville, so naturally, my curiosity got the best of me. “What the hay? It’s on the way anyways. I might as well check it out...’”

A Little More Crazy Train

We join our actual band of misfits as they make their way ever closer to Ponyville. The night had been long and the train ride was time consuming, even though they were traveling ridiculously fast down the track giving our adrenaline drunken bodies it’s drug as the wind whipped through our manes.The music picked up in tempo and the bass boomed. The music they played gave them some much needed practice and they loved every moment of it. They ended up playing about six songs before the first sign of the town came into view along with the first signs of day. As soon as the train pulled up to the station they ended their final song and jumped off of the roof of the train onto the back ledge of the caboose.

~Dex~

“Well that was fun, I guess we should go wake up Torque before we go into town.” I walked into the caboose to see Torque sound asleep curled in the corner of one of the seats.

‘How to do this without pissing off one of my idols... hmmm...’ I began thinking to myself as Tim wandered into the train wagon looking to hurry the process of getting to the nearest bar, if there is one i may add.

“Dex, hurry up! We aren’t getting any older just sitting here.” He said impatiently.

I stared at him for a second, then shifted my gaze to Torque, then back to him. He followed my eyes and then a huge grin appeared on his face. When I didn’t move, he trotted over to Torque’s resting body and screamed in his ear. “Hey! DJ Freak, wake up!”

Torque’s resting eyes shot open, filled with anger at the tan pony standing before him. He sat there, staring daggers at Tim. ‘Shit, I better stop this before Tim gets his earth pony flank removed by a very angry pegasus’...

I quickly trotted over to Tim and put a hoof around his neck, “Sorry about that, Torque, but we came to tell you that we’ve arrived at Ponyville. I apologize about my drummer’s idiotic behavior. We’ll be on our way... See ya around.” The short, choppy apology was uttered hastily as I grabbed Tim and raced out of the train car.

A Painful Start
~Torque~

After being rudely awakened by Dex’s drummer, Dex and his band quickly exited the train. Still laying on the seat, I looked around for my saddlebag, but not before I looked directly into the sun. The light from the sun was blinding and I quickly shut my eyes. I groaned, feeling around for my shades to shield my sensitive eyes from Celestia’s ever radiant sun. I found them and slipped them onto my face, and then slowly, but surely, got up from my sleeping spot. I had a good 10 minutes before the train would depart. Left alone to my thoughts, I started to think about what this new town would bring for me.

I guess I’ve got a clean slate here. Time to start anew.

I openly sighed, the sound ringing out clearly through the quiet railcar. I stiffly rose to all fours, making a mental note to never sleep on a train again. I attempted to crack my joints, stretching all my limbs, but to no avail. I would just have to see if there was any sort of chiropractic place nearby that I could get adjusted. I located my saddlebag beside me and picked it up, going through it to make sure everything was there that needed to be.

Let’s see, anklets, check, headphones, check, bit pouch, check, and...

The last item I pulled out was a small picture. It was of myself, my brother, Spitfire in her uniform, and...my mother. The picture was taken 7 years ago, at the first Wonderbolts airshow my family went to. My father wasn’t in it, because he was behind the camera. Treble and I were so excited to have our picture taken with the captain of the most prestigious flight team in all of Equestria, and mom...well, she was just happy that we were all together and happy. This was my most prized possession, and the only item I owned that I would never be able to part with. My eyes were just beginning tear up when somepony spoke.

“Ahem, can I help you with anything, sir?”

“SWEET CELESTIA OF EQUESTRIA!!!!” I screamed as I flew up towards the ceiling, dropping both the picture and my saddlebag. I quickly wheeled around and saw a yellow earth pony in a conductor’s outfit standing in the doorway. He looked half-annoyed, half-alarmed.

“I’m sorry, did I startle you?” He asked in a sarcastic tone. He obviously wanted to head underway, and I was holding him back. I awkwardly landed on the floor, having pulled a muscle from moving so quickly. I shook my head.

“N-no, you just caught me at a bad time. I’ll just get my things and I’ll be out of your mane.” He rolled his eyes and left the doorway. I gathered up the picture and placed it gently into my saddlebag. I then retrieved my headphones, placing them around my neck, and slipped my blue anklets onto my left front leg. After securing my saddlebag back on my torso, I limped off the railcar. I bid the conductor farewell, who only huffed and briskly trotted back to the front of the train, and then clumsily took off into the sky, if only but a few feet above the ground.

“Now then...where can I find a place to get myself adjusted...hmmmm.” I scanned the small little town, filled with a rainbow arrangement of ponies, most of them mares. A few of the closer ones looked up at me with a strange look on their faces, as I imagine I looked very bizarre, what with my off kilter flapping and such. As I looked around, I saw what looked to be a spa.

Well, that’s as good a place as any. I guess I’m going to the spa.

And with that, I flew off towards what would surely be relief.

~Dex~

The walk into town was rather uneventful, but as we made our way in, the hustle and bustle of the quaint little village attracted our attention more and more. I was rather amazed from what I saw, but the weird thing was that most of the ponies I saw were mares and one or two stallions.

‘’Thats weird... At least that’s mostly what I’m going to have problems with” Tim looked at me.

“Hey Dex, what’s wrong? Mare got your tongue?” I glared at him.

“Shut it, Tim. you need to remember I saved your flank back there with Torque” Tim rolled his eyes and chuckled, we walked for a while looking around at all the stores and houses drawing up a small map in our heads until Nick, who had began to lead us around, turned and stared me directly in the eyes.

“What’s up Nick?”

He stared at me a second longer before saying, “grumble grumble.” Now I knew Nick for a long time and this is one of the weirdest things he does when he is hungry, he states what his stomach is telling him!

“grumble grumble.” He says with pleading eyes and a frown.

I stared back at my insanely hyper friend. “Alright, Nick, we’ll go get something to eat, as soon as we find one.”

I Immediately began setting my sights on the nearest food place. After all, we hadn’t really eaten since lunch on the day of the battle.

I glanced around the town and spotted a brightly colored building in the distance. I could scarcely read the sign from where I stood. ‘Sugarcube Corner must be a bakery. I can’t remember the last time I bit into any thing sugar filled’ I looked at my bandmates who stood looking at the beauty of the countryside. “Come on guys, lets go grab a bite to eat” I said pointing to the sweets shop.

My friends all agreed that this place looked like something that was fresh out of the oven but neither of us tried to take a bite, once we entered the building the smell of freshly baked cakes and other sugary treats filled our noses.

“Mmm this place smells like a wonderfully, joyous place if any.” Nick said with a dreamy expression on as he inhaled the scent of baked goods

I walked up to the counter and a pink pony trotted out of the kitchen with a tray of cupcakes balanced on her head, “Uhh, hello there miss I was wondering if....”

The pony stared at me and jumped with an enthusiastic gasp and ran back into the kitchen “Well that was unexpected” I said looking at the guys.

A big, toothy grin appears on Tim’s face, “Really? You’d think you’d be used to mares fleeing from your general direction!”

I shot him glare and returned my attention back to the counter, “What do you think that was about?”

I turned to the counter and rang the bell that sat on it, a pony walked through the kitchen doors with an apron on and said “Hello there welcome to Sugar Cube Corner, can I help you”

I smiled and nodded, “Yes, we were wondering if we could purchase one cupcake each.”

Nick sped up to me and stared at me with one of those “are you crazy” looks and he did say those exact words “Dex are you crazy!? One cupcake?!? Thats like nomming on a crumb!”

I sighed “I’m sorry miss, can we have a dozen of your cupcakes please?” The mare nodded and walked back into the kitchen, she came back a few minutes later with a box filled with twelve cupcakes

“Thank you mam” I said placing the exact amount of bits that were needed to be given for the box of the spongy treats, we walked out and ate our delicious treats after eating we sat around outside watching other ponies go about their business every once in awhile a mare would walk by that caught Jake or Tim’s attention and they’d make moves by yelling ‘hey sexy’ or ‘I’d hit that’ but the worst part is the fact that Tim would look back at me trying to get me to join in or laughing at the torture that he's putting me through, he then found a time to put me in a bad spot he saw a canary colored mare with three butterflies as her cutie mark and looked back at me “Hey Dex why don't you go over there and introduce yourself to that lovely mare over there.”
He said pointing to her, Jake looked back and saw the nervous flare on my face “Tim knock it off leave Dex alone.”

“What I’m trying to help him out by getting him to get a mare friend unless hes chicken” Tim then proceeded to make clucking sounds, I eventually decided in order to get him off my back I needed to do it “Okay Tim you can shut up now I’m going to talk to her.” I said standing up

“Oh look every pony, we have a bad ass over here” Tim said mocking me, I slowly trotted over to the mare looking back to see Tim’s douchey grin as he watched me walk up to her.

“h..h...hell.l.lo miss.”

The mare just looked at me with a extremely shy look, she looked even more nervous than I was.

“Uh I’m D....D..Dex and i just wanted to say hello and to introduce myself... um.” We stood there in silence for a minute or two until I decided that this was awkward as it could possibly get and it was time to head back to the guys.

‘Maybe I’ll have better luck later’ I thought to myself. “Uh... I guess I’ll be seeing you around.” I said with one of those really nervous smiles on, I backed away slowly starting off as she looked at me through her mane. I then turn and sped off towards my bandmates. Tim stood up when I got there and placed a hoof around me, “See now wasn’t that easy, how’d it go?”

“Well,” I began “it went pretty well even though she never said a word.”

“Wait, not even hello?” Jake asked

“No, I said hello and introduced myself but thats all she said nothing just stared at me with big nervous eyes”

“Better luck next time, lover boy.” Tim said sort of trying to cheer me up, after that all we did was sit there and watch more mares and stallions go about their business the entire time that canary colored mare just stood where I left her staring at me from afar as if she wanted to come over and say something but couldn’t bring herself to do so. We sat there a good three hours before something in the center of town was gathering everypony nearby so we decided to head in that direction.

We pushed through the crowd slowly as we heard the general of murmur of excitement grew as we got to the center of the group. A almost offensively blue stallion stood in the center. He stood on his back legs as he juggled a few strange balls as the towns ponies gathered to watch the rather hilarious sight. Except for one red stallion who just looked like he really didn’t want to be there.

Jake, Tim, Nick, and I stood a few feet away, I leaned over and whispered into Tim’s ear, “Do you think this guy needs some music?”

Tim nodded “Hey anypony got a banjo” as soon as Tim uttered the word ‘banjo” the blue colt shot him what can only be described as a death glare and began hurling every last ball he had at him. “Whoa shit!” Tim screamed running away like a mad mare as the blue stallion gave chase and screamed “ No more Banjos!”

Moving In
~Torque~

I trotted out of the spa feeling refreshed and renewed. The three mares who worked there were curiously similar, as if they were identical triplets. I didn’t think much of it, and they didn’t speak very much, they were mostly quiet the whole time. It was very relaxing, and my joints definitely weren’t complaining. Now that I was properly fixed, I decided to walk around town for a while. I planned on sleeping in the clouds anyways, so I had no need to search for a home just yet. My first thought was to go and investigate this Club Pon-3 that Spitfire had told me about, so that’s where I decided I would go.

And after about 15 minutes of wandering the streets of Ponyville, searching blindly for this club, I decided I would ask around, to see if anypony knew where to find it.

I’ll ask the first pony to cross my path, that way it will seem less awkward. I couldn’t help but scrunch my snout at how false that thought was, because asking random ponies for directions is always awkward. But I shook the notion out of my head. Not a moment later, a rather muscular white earth pony...no, pegasus, as I noticed the small wings on his back, waddled by, and I quickly hovered over to him.

“Excuse me, um, would you happen to know where I might find Club Pon-3?” I politely smiled after, hoping for an answer that would help, and not just be useless information. However, based on this pegasi’s looks, I expected the latter of the two. There was a moment of awkward silence, as he just stared at me almost blankly. Then he spoke.

“WHAT, YOU RAVE?!” The volume of his voice made me wince and cringe, but I was at least getting him to talk to me.

“Well, yes, but...”

“YEEEAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!” He yelled, doing an over dramatic hoof pump and charging off in another direction, leaving me very confused and a little frightened. I sighed shakily, turning around to go look around some more. I ended up looking at a sea-foam green unicorn with a lyre cutie mark, who appeared to be laughing.

“What? Don’t blame me, he just kinda...”

“Don’t worry about it, that was Horsepower, he’s always been like that. Don’t worry about it. Hi, I’m Lyra, and I couldn’t help but overhear that you are looking for the club?” The friendly tone and pleasant voice of this mare calmed me down from the hectic encounter I just had. But the upfrontness of her question unnerved me slightly.

“Y-yeah, you heard right. I was told there was a DJ position open, and I was looking to apply for it.” I felt more confident that this unicorn knew what she was talking about, and so I felt more confident in her response.

“Oh, really? Cool. Well, you actually aren’t far from it here. If you head down this street and take a left, it’ll be at the very end of the row of houses.” I smiled at her, nodding my head in acknowledgement.

“Ok, thanks. My name is Torque, by the way, and thanks again for the directions. They were a big help.” I trotted off down the road after saying goodbye, and made my way towards the club.
Well, what do you know. There it is.

I thought as the building with a sign that hung over the door that read: Club Pon-3. Attached to the door was a note that read:

DJ needed. Ask the barkeep for Crystal.

I opened the door, and a wave of soft music washed over me, instantly putting my mind at ease. To the right, there were 5 or 6 ponies sitting at the bar, and the barkeep was cleaning a glass using his magic. In the middle of the room lay the surprisingly large dance floor, with the middle of the floor covered in illuminating floor panels. To the immediate left lay the impressive stage, lined with hundreds of lights and an amazing mixing station. I walked straight towards the stage, where, behind the mixing station, stood a mare looking at the selection of records.

I flew up behind her, took a quick look, grabbed a record, and placed it on the turntable. I took off my headphones, retrieved the wireless adapter from the compartment in the left earphone, plugged it into the jack, flipped a few switches, moved a few slider bars, and placed the needle on the record. Instantly, the club was filled with a trance-like net of notes and tones, and everypony in the club looked towards me. I unfurled my wings, using one to control the tone slider bars, and the other to spin the record, all while bobbing my head to the bass. Just as I was getting into a rhythm, and the comforting feeling of being behind the mixing station was coming back to me, the mare flipped the power on the soundboard, cutting off the music. I looked towards her, and saw that her face was wrapped in a mask of pure relief.

“Whoever you are, if you deliver music like that every night, you’ve got the job.” She had a big smile on her face, but my smile was much larger as I trotted over to her and gave her a hug.

“Thank you SO much, you have no idea what this means to me. I’m Torque, by the way. And I assume that you are Crystal?” She nodded slowly, as though she was trying to process something in her mind. Using her horn, she magicked the needle off of the record, and walked off the stage. After retrieving the wireless adapter for my headphones, I followed her. She walked into the office behind the bar, and as I walked past, the barkeep, and the attendants all nodded in approval. I couldn’t hide my smile as Crystal shut the door behind me.

“Ok,hold on. You said your name is Torque? You wouldn’t happen to be one and only DJ Freq Torque who works with the Wonderbolts, would you?!” She asked with a interested, yet perplexed face.

“Well, I worked with the Bolts, before...before I left.” I cautiously avoided saying the real reason for my being here. “But, yes, I am DJ Freq Torque. And I am here to start a new life. That is all that needs to be said right now.” Crystal’s face lit up with excitement as I finished, and she gave me a huge hug, just like the one I had given her. I could feel the tears on my shoulder, which told me that she was crying.

“Hou donph phnowf howf mmuff ffissf mmeennffs tooff uufffs.” She spoke into my shoulders and wings, rather muffled. I gently pushed her off, and gave her a big smile.

“I know, I heard that the club wasn’t going to survive without that other DJ, but now that I’m here, I can promise you that this club will not falter. Now, where can I put my stuff, is there like a locker anywhere?” She sniffed once, wiping her eyes on her hock, and gestured over to the cupboard in the corner of the office.

“That’s where Vinyl Scratch kept her belongings while she was working the stage. The combination for the lock is 6021. And thank you again, you saved us.”

“It’s no problem, and thank you, for letting me have the job.” I placed my saddlebag with my bits and my picture in the cupboard, and locked the lock. I smiled at Crystal as I walked out of the office, and sat down at the bar.

“So... you the new DJ?” The barkeep asked me, and I nodded. Using his magic to grab a bottle of apple cider, he set it down in front of me.

“But...”

“It’s on the house, a congratulatory thank you for the new DJ.” He poured himself a shot of AppleJack Daniels, and raised it up. “A toast, to the new DJ...”

“Torque. It’s Torque.” I said in response to his hesitation.

“A toast, to DJ Torque. May he prosper in his future performances.” The other ponies at the bar, as well as a watery eyed Crystal, raised their glasses in response.

“Cheers.” They all said, and then they all took a drink.

“Thank you, everypony. I won’t let you down.”

For the next few hours, myself, the barkeep, Crystal, and a few attendants all told stories and jokes, and for the first time since being fired, I felt like I truly belonged.

Bonus Chapter: Tales of the drunk

*5 years ago in an upscale house in Manehattan*

A fairly sober Satin is sitting at the family table. The rest of the chairs are filled with our hero's parents, and his younger brother. You can almost feel the cloud of seething anger in the air. His mother is the first to break the heavy silence.

“You could do anything with your life, you could study under some of the most intelligent ponies in Equestria, you could do something truly wonderful with your life. But no, College isn’t for you. It’s too boring.” The last word was uttered with so much venom that it could have killed a manticore.

“No, no, you need to go out and, ‘find yourself’, everypony in our family has gone to college! You’ll be breaking a Sateen family tradition! Azure is going to college!” The little brother shifted uncomfortably as he kept his attention squarely on his cereal.

“You’re not giving a very good example to him!” You could almost hear him thinking.
Keep me out of it, keep me out of it.

A loud audible sigh escaped Satin’s mouth, as he stood up, walked over to his mother, and gave her the biggest hug he could muster. The tension in the room was instantly diffused as the sound of sobbing filled the room.

“We’re just going to miss you so much! The world is such a dangerous place!” This caused Satin to tighten the hug. After a few moments, Satin pulled away from his mother. He made his way around the table, saying his goodbyes, until he made it back to his mother. He gave her another quick hug and an “I love ya,” before floating his saddlebags on to his back, and taking his leave.

As the door clicked behind him, a smile appeared on his face.
’Today is going to be fantastic.’

Tales from the drink

This title was hastily scratched out, only to be replaced with:

Tales of the drunk

That had also been rejected, scratched out, and was finally replaced with:

Satin’s Journal

Entry #1

I guess I should start off with why I’m doing this. I gotta letter from Azure the other day. I dunno how it found me, I’m never in the same town for long, but I’m so glad it did. ANYWAY getting off subject. He had gotten into the College of Canterlot, and had to take some BS writing class. (Writing, really?)

Apparently he had to do a journal entry thing, and was completely dreading it. So in my letter back, I promised to share his burden, and I’m a stallion of my word... alright, I can’t even keep a straight face reading that. But this is my brother, so I can’t lie to him.

What else am I supposed to put in this damn thing? How my day went? Crap like that? I dunno.

Day’s going good so far. I’m in a quiet bar, (quiet bar, I know, oxymoron but it’s the middle of the day on a... I wanna say Tuesday,) in Fillydelphia just passing time and writing this ridiculous journal crap. I keep on getting these weird looks from the mare working the bar.

…And now she’s coming over to me, probably to kick me out for weirding her out or something like that.

Doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood!

She thinks I’m an author! She invited me back to her apartment for a little ‘light reading’ if ya know what I mean... (I mean ‘bang’, hopefully she doesn’t actually mean reading...)

Thanks so hard for the journal thing bro!

Satin out!

Entry #2

Satin in.

Well, if you were wondering, stuff was goin’ really good with that barmare. Until... well, she wanted to hear what I was writing. Straight up refusing would be super suspicious. So I offered to read her some of my poetry... you and I both know I only know dirty limericks off-hoof. So, it was time for my signature spectacular BS-ing skills.

It went... terribly. I think I compared her eyes to the “Amber color of beer,”... and they were more of a greenish color...

She ended up grabbing the journal and reading that bit from before.

It’s been a while since I got my flank kicked by a girl.

And don’t worry, pretty much the only thing that really hurts is my pride. (Pride means pride there, NOTHING ELSE!)

I’m really giving thoughts into leaving Fillydelphia. I’m getting that general feeling of dislike for this city. It’s ponies are rude, they’re always in a hurry, oh and did I mention I got my FLANK KICKED BY A GIRL!!!

Apparently there’s a smaller town up to the north of here. I’m thinking it would be a nice change of pace. SATIN OUT!

Entry #3

Traveling.

Entry #4

Traveling, Traveling.

Entry #5

Traveling, Traveling, Traveling.

These three entries had 'Satin In' written really big and 'Satin Out' on the right.

Entry #6

Am I supposed to be writing these like I’m writing to you? You’re not going to read them unless I actually let you. Or I die in some blaze of glory and they send you this back. If the second thing happens, don’t let Mom and Dad read the sex bits. Please?

I got into Coltstown yesterday. I wrote the last entry when I was on the outskirts of town, and I’m not doing 2 entries in one day.

Anywho, I’m coming to the realization that I might be a drunk... First thing I did when I got here was wander around till I found a bar. I’m going to need to find a job here. I’m starting to run low on bits. And, no, even before you suggest it, NO. I’m not asking M&D for money. I’m trying to make my own way. Satin Away!

Entry #7

I met a nice quiet mare at a cafe in town today. Her name is Bronze Shell. She’s a beautiful copper colored earth pony with a long rust-red colored mane and the most bright yellow eyes you have ever seen. Shes got a whip as a cutie mark so I can assume she’s some kind of lion tamer or an adventurer of sorts. Which makes me wonder why she’s working as a waiter.

I asked her out, and she’s supposed to meet me here in the bar in a couple hours. I’ve got nothing better to do. (Still no job). I asked a couple of new drinking buddies if they knew anything about Bronze. To which they responded, “BDSM Bronze? Boy, you wanna stay away from her!”, and then they laughed.

I asked them what BDSM meant, but that just made them laugh even harder.

Screw them! I’m just goin’ to finish this entry real quick and then go on a date with a beautiful mare! She even promised to show me her ‘basement’ tonight.
*wink, wink, nudge, nudge*

Wish me luck!

Entry #8

Never ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER ask me about that bucking night. EVER!
If I don’t have actual scars from that, I’ll have emotional ones for a while.
Let’s never talk about that ever again.

I skipped town the night after well... that went down. It’s pouring, it’s too damn cold, and I’ll be quite honest; I need a hug.

How’d you like your big bro crashing on your couch for a bit. Yes? Excellent! (I’ll send ya a letter as soon as I get to the next town.)

We can compare journals! I bet mine is bigger...
Maybe you can tell me how I’m supposed to write this.

P.S.
Have you heard from Mom and Dad in a while? I know I’m hard to track down but you managed alright. I’d love to hear from them again. Even if they’re just badgering me about college or something silly like that.

See ya soon Azzy.

Entry #9 plus a good bit

Sorry about not writing for a while. Just kinda fell off the ‘to do’ list. Let’s see... When was the last time I wrote in this thing. Bahhhhhh, why didn’t I put dates in this thing. Well, I had just left THAT town so... it’s been almost a week, give or take a few days.

You should have gotten my letter by now, and be totally stoked that I’m on my way. I can almost see you rushing to clean out your room. Throwing out stacks of old pizza boxes and a few empty casks. Well, thats if you’ve become more like me. More realistically, I can see you buying earplugs so you can sleep or study through my shenanigans.

...Shenanigans is a fun word...
If I ever have a son, I’ll name him Shenanigans... scratch that, that’s silly.

I’m on a train currently. Should be at least another day on here before I show up in Canterlot. Have I said how much I love trains? Trains are fantastic! Interesting ponies to talk to, constantly changing landscape, you can sleep ALL THE TIME, and it’s like a moving bar!

I bucking love trains!

Captain Shenanigans,

Signing off.

10

You know what I wouldn’t recommend, getting into a fight on a train. I didn’t mean to dump the beer on the rather large, very angry stallion. I was kinda just screwing around, balancing a brew on my nose. And I know what you’re thinking... ‘Party foul’, but dood was looking to get some revenge.

Now you know me, I won’t get into a fight for a number of reasons; if he’s bigger than me, there’s more of em, it’s an earth pony (dem ponies strong), I’m too sober to fight, or I’m too drunk to fight...

What was I writing about? Oh right, I’m no coward, but like 3 of the previous requirements were met. Contrary to somepony thats late and stuck waiting for one, there are no endless trains. After running like a mad mare for a good 5 minutes, I made it to the end of the train, (...there’s a word for that...) and ran out of options... well, cept one. There was only one direction left to go, up. I will admit this wasn’t my best decision. The wind whipping past, insta-death on either side. Scary stuff. I threw up a shield to block the wind... and then I kinda just threw up.

*Note to self Alcohol + high speeds is a bad idea.

I ended up waiting what seemed like forever before teleporting back inside the train, finding a seat, and passing out from a weird combination of stress, fear, and drunkenness.

Well, I’m sitting in the train station. Getting this done before I go hunt down my favorite brother, (you won hooves down.)
Can’t wait to see you again Az. I’ve sure got some stories!

With Wuv,
Satin.

...CABOOSE! It's called a caboose!

*Author's Note - Dood is kinda like dude, but with more oooooo.*

Bonus Chapter: Ryku’s Mark

~2 years ago in a modest house in Trottingham~

I sat in my room, staring at the ceiling. The candle on the stand near my bed flickered dimly. As I glanced around the room, I saw the furniture I’d seen hundreds of times before. The bookshelves against the far wall, the dresser next to the doorway, the pale yellow floor and dark red walls. The bed I was laying on was a dull orange color.

“Ugh, how long am I going to have to stay here? Elegant and Golden need to just get out of my way for once!”

I stood up and walked out into the living room. Golden sat on the recliner, reading the daily paper, and I could hear Elegant in the kitchen working on dinner.

“Well, looks like I slept in again... almost dinner time already...”

“Ruddy, you really shouldn’t wait until...” Dad stopped and glanced at the clock, like he’d done every other time I’d slept in. “...Four to wake up. You’re sleeping your days away!”

I glared at him. “I’ve told you, Golden! It’s Ryku now, and just leave me alone about sleeping already! I get plenty of rest and I can do what I want! Tell Elegant I’m going outside for a while...”

Golden was a - you guessed it - golden stallion with a silver mane and emerald eyes. His wife Elegant was a royal blue mare with a sky blue mane and frosty eyes. They weren’t the wealthiest ponies in Trottingham, but they - we - were happy, for the most part.

“Rud... I’m mean, ‘Ryku’... You really should call us Mom and Dad. After all, we did take you in after all that happened...”

I waved him off quickly and trotted outside. The streets of Trottingham were bustling with all sorts of different ponies. As I walked, I thought about the two unicorns that had been trying to pass as my mother and father for the past five years.

“I really should be nicer to Mr. and Mrs. Hoof... After what happened to Mom and Dad, they’ve been so nice to me...”

Suddenly, my mind was ablaze with thoughts of that particular event. Before long, I’d delved deep into a vivid flashback...

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

My old home was bright white with its fresh coat of paint. My actual Mom and Dad, Crimson and Flame Knuckles, were in their bedroom talking... well, arguing is a better word. Dad was a blood red stallion with a black mane and Mom was a light yellow mare with a mane that looked like it was on fire, with red, orange and yellow streaks. They both had golden eyes, just like me. I was nine at that point, and I didn’t really know what they were talking about, but I sat quietly at their door with it open a crack, listening. They were saying something about Dad owing money to some mean stallion... Mom seemed both scared and furious...

“What were you thinking?! All of our bits! All of them! All to that stupid habit of yours! Then you go out and try to borrow money that you know we could never pay back?! Have you bucking lost it?!” Mom was screaming at the top of her lungs at that point.

Immediately after she had finished speaking, I heard a loud slapping sound and Mom hit the floor. Dad’s voice followed. “Don’t question me, Crimson! I’ve always taken care of my family. I’ll get the money to pay them back! I just need more time!”

Mom picked herself up off the ground. “You don’t have any more time, Flame! If you would have come to me in the first place, I might have been about to help! The due date for the thousand bits was a week ago! This is the third time you’ve put us through this! Think about Ruddy. What would you do if something were to happen to him?” I could hear Mom sobbing loudly.

“I... I just... I don’t know what to do...” I could hear Dad’s quiet sniffles as he choked back his own tears. “I’ll figure this out... I always do...”

I ran away from the door then and down the stairs to the dining room. We had a fairly large house; the Knuckles family was a very wealthy family until recently.

I wasn’t sure what to think anymore. What they were talking about sounded serious, and they said it could even put me in danger. I hid under the dining room table, which had a tablecloth on it that reached the floor.

“What’s going to happen... Mommy said something about something happening to me... what’s going on?” I started whispering to myself.

Before I could think anymore, however, I heard the door to the kitchen crash open. I could feel the vibrations in the floor as three sets of hoof-steps walked into the room I was in. The leader yelled up the stairs.

“Time’s up, Flame! We’ve come to collect!” The strange voice called.

I barely heard my Dad’s near-silent response. “C-Coming...just a m-minute...” I then heard his hoof-steps as he descended the stairs.

“Time’s up! Ya have our money, or do we have to take it from you in other ways? This is the third time you’ve been late, Flame. Don’t disappoint me.” The leader said. His voice was followed by two snickers that sounded from either side of the table I was under.

“P-Please... j-just a little m-more time! I’ll g-get it for you, I s-swear!” Dad begged.

“The leader stallion laughed. “Wrong answer. Do it, boys.”

I heard a crashing sound and soon I saw smoke billowing under the table. I also heard a bunch of fighting going on in the room outside the cloth.

“You. Come with me. We’re taking care of Flame and whoever else is here today.” I heard the speaker turn before he continued. “...And you. Make sure no pony tries to stop all of this. Got it?”

“Yes sir, mister Heart.”

“Good. Let’s go, Flame.” The leader laughed.

Dad was frantic. “Please, Stone! I’ve been good to you! Give me one last chance! PLEASE!”

“No can do, Flame. You’ve used up my patience.” Stone said with a hint of anger in his voice.

The sound of dragging could be heard as Dad was dragged up the stairs. I could tell Dad was being muffled, but before he was out of earshot, I heard him get one thing out.

“RUDDY! If you can hear me, RUN! Get out of here NOW!” He wailed.

Hearing this, I darted out from my hiding spot and towards the exit of the house. I heard Stone say “Get after him!” But I wasn’t paying attention to him. Flames were rising quickly everywhere in the house as I made it out the kitchen door.

Not five minutes after I made it out of house, the lackey that had stayed behind followed. He jumped at me but I dodged him and made a break for it. He recovered and tackled me to the ground, pinning me. He had a short knife in his mouth, but he managed to speak around it.

“Sorry kid, but orders are orders. I don’t get paid with you still around. Say goodnight, I’ll make this quick!” He said with a sadistic tinge to his voice.

He got the knife into position to attack me. I was thinking that this was it, I was going to die here. Before that could happen, however, I heard something that changed everything.

A blood-curdling scream sounded from inside the house. It was Mom. I don’t know much of what happened after that, but I know this. Suddenly, the stallion that was on top of me was knocked out cold on the ground with little hoof prints imprinted into his forehead. My hooves carried me at an impossible speed as I dashed back into the flaming house and up the stairs. I got to my parents room and peeked inside.

“N-No...” I saw Mom and Dad on their bed, blood soaking the sheets and knives in both their throats. It was painfully obvious they were already gone. Stone and his other lackey stood, talking in the center of the room. “NOOOOOOOO!”

I bucked the door off its hinges and it slammed into the other hired help, knocking him clean out. After that, I finally got a clear look at Stone. He was a black pegasus stallion with dark grey eyes and a very light grey mane.

Stone’s eyes were wide only for an instant until he saw me. Then they grew even bigger. I could see my eyes reflecting in his, and they were glowing an angry red color. He backed away, but I was too quick. I head-butted him into a wall, and he had difficulty getting up. When he did, he flared his wings and pushed me backwards. It was at this point that the roof began caving in, and Stone took this chance to fly out the window and get away.

“Get back here!” I growled in a tone that made me sound like an adult stallion that was possessed by something. “Come back! I'll get you for what you did to my parents!”

I made a move to go after him, but stopped myself. The anger in me had reached a breaking point, but I had something that was more important to do that revenge. I turned to the bodies on the bed.

“Mom... Dad... Hold on, I’ll get you out of here...” I said aloud, knowing they couldn’t hear me.

I dragged them down the stairs and out of the house just before the entire thing collapsed from the raging flames. I heard a pop and saw a flash as I collapsed between the two of them and just laid there. The adrenaline in me had worn off, and then all the damage I’d actually done to myself was allowed to show itself. I couldn’t move to see what the flash was.

I’m not sure how long I just kinda laid there, but after what seemed like forever, I heard more hoof-steps. I figured Stone had come back to finish his job. I looked up. A golden stallion and a blue mare stood above me, smiling warmly. The stallion picked me up with his magic and laid me on his back.

“Hey, little guy. Can you tell us what happened here? Help is on it’s way to clean this place up... looks like you were the only survivor. Sorry to see that, bud... I’m Golden. This is my wife, Elegant. Want to come home with us? You... really don’t have a home here anymore...”

He turned his body in such a way as to allow me to see the remains of my house. All that was left was a smouldering pile of ash and soot. In front of it laid my parents. They lay motionless, their coats dulled and dirtied with blood.

I struggled to find words to say to them. “I-I’d like to go w-with you... The p-pony that did this... Dad c-called him S-Stone Heart...”

The couple froze at the name. “Not him... You are a very lucky colt. You have no idea what you have just survived. What’s your name?”

“Ruddy... Ruddy Knuckles...” I was starting to sob at that point, because the realization of the whole situation was finally kicking in.

“Nice to meet you, Ruddy. Hey, what’s your cutie mark stand for, bud?” Golden asked.

I hadn’t noticed before, but that must have been what that flash was. I turned to see a white fox that appeared to have nine tails on my flank. “I... I don’t know... I got it while fighting... or bringing my parents out of the house... I just... don’t know...”

Elegant stepped in at that point. “That’s alright, sweetie. Get some sleep. You must be exhausted.”

I WAS exhausted. I was slowly losing consciousness. The only thing on my mind as they walked away from the remains of my house; of my family, was Stone Heart. As I passed out, vengeance was grabbing hold of my mind...

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

“RUDDY! If you can hear me, RUN! Get out of here NOW!”

That was the line that played in my head over and over. That was the line that was the reason I changed my name. I figured, if I lose the name, I’ll lose the memory. It worked, for the most part, as I only ever had the nightmares occasionally after I changed it. The thing that still tugged at me and made me angry was not all the memories that were my burden, but the fact that the stallion that caused them all was still at large.

I ground my teeth together as the flashback ended. I see it every so often, but each time it gets more and more vivid. “I’ll get you yet... Stone... just wait and see!” I thought to myself.

I had walked all around town and was near the Hoof residence again. I walked in, and they turned to me, both eating in the living room.

“How was your walk, Ryku?” Golden said calmly.

“Fine, thanks.” I said with more venom than I had intended.

Elegant spoke next. “You seem tense. Did you have your flashback again?”

“That obvious, huh?” I sighed. “Yeah. Hey... Ele... I mean, Mom and Dad? I want to go out on my own. I want to find Stone... Will you let me do that? I have to put what’s happened in my past straight. I’ll never be able to move on if I don’t...”

Elegant and Golden gave uneasy glances towards each other. Finally, Elegant spoke. “If that’s really what you want... Yes. But try to visit once and awhile once you’re gone, okay? So we know you’re alright, that is.”

“Or at least send us a letter. At least do that much, alright?” Golden hesitated. “Come. Eat dinner and get some sleep. It’s nearing seven now. You want to leave soon, I’m guessing?”

I just simply nodded.

“Then we’ll see you off in the morning if you want.” Elegant smiled. “I love you, Ruddy...

Golden spoke up too. “Yes. We love you like you’re our own. Get some rest. We’ll... see you off in the morning...”

“Thank you both so much! I love you both too.” I could tell they were sad to see that I wanted to leave, but I was of the age to leave home anyway. I didn’t correct Elegant on the name because it really wasn’t the time to fret something like that.
I ate a quick dinner and then went into my room. I packed up everything I thought I’d need, then laid down on that same, dull orange bed.

“I’ll find you yet, Stone. I know you’re still out there. I’ll finally have closure for my parents when I find you...” With this last thought, I drifted off into a deep sleep.

(~~~~~~~~~)

I woke up with renewed determination for the mission I was about to embark on. I got up before ten in the morning and went down to find Golden and Elegant already up, and a huge breakfast made. We ate in silence and afterwards, I grabbed everything I’d packed up. Against what I wanted, Golden gave me a nice sum of bits totaling about three-hundred and Elegant gave me a journal to keep with me and write letters for them in. Besides that, I had a picture of my true family and a picture of my adopted family, a sketch I’d made of Stone Heart, and enough food to last me at least a few days. I gazed at my most prized and only possessions I had in the world before I placed them back into my saddlebags and strapped the bags onto my back.

The couple that stood in front of me were not strangers anymore to me. Quite the opposite. They were family to me as much as my true family.

“I... I love you, Mom and Dad... I’ll make sure to write to you whenever something big happens, okay?” I said, holding back some tears.

My mother was having a harder time keeping her tears at bay. “Please...stay safe, Rud...I mean... Ryku...” She gave me a strong hug.

“Please, Mom... to the two of you, I’ll always be Ruddy.” I let a few tears fall free as she pulled away from our embrace.

“We can’t change your mind... can we?” Golden asked, pulling me into his own hug.

I smiled. “No, not this time. I have to do this. I have to find him. For Flame. For Crimson. For me.” I stopped and looked at the both of them. “I’ll miss the two of you. You’ve been here for me whenever I’ve needed you. But this is something I have to do. If I don’t, I won’t be able to move on in my life. I’m sure I’ll get in some trouble before I’m done, but when I do find him and deal with him, you can bet I’ll come back home to you both. Thank you. For everything.” I had tears streaming down my face by the time I finished.

“We’ll miss you too!” They both exclaimed at once giving me one last warm embrace.

As they released, Elegant turned away, nearly wailing in sadness. Golden looked at me with both sadness and and pride. “You make sure you come home and visit from time to time if this mission of your’s takes longer than you hope, okay?”

“Of course. I love you both. Well... I better be off. Goodbye... I hope to see the two of you again sometime soon.” I walked out the door, but I heard them say one last thing as I began my journey.

They both looked at me and said in unison, “Come home soon, Ruddy.We love you.”

I waved at them with a big smile on my face and tears still in my eyes. Turning away and walking down the road, there was one thing on my mind. “Heh... It’s going to be a long time before I hear that name again... This isn’t goodbye forever. I’ll complete my mission and be back before you know it... I hope.”

With that thought in my mind and a long journey ahead of me, I took the first of many steps to finding Stone and avenging my family...

Chapter 4 - Dance Puppets!

~Satin~

My eyes burst open and I sat up quickly... A little too quickly. The world began to spin, and the familiar feeling of bile rising into my throat occurred, as I turned over. I stared at the ground below me and braced the for the inevitable. The burning sensation overwhelmed my taste buds as the contents of my stomach emptied. It should have hurt more... but I guess I hadn’t eaten anything at all yesterday. All of my nutrients came from booze...

It began to pool around below me... which rather confused me. I looked around to see it was in a perfect demi-sphere crater dug into the ground. How did I get here? And who dug this hole...?

The pounding in my head was becoming more and more noticeable as my brain began to slowly work out where, and what I had been doing.

Train, balls, ponies, bar... what happened? What did I do? Why am I asking myself these questions while dangling over my own vomit?

I slowly began to drag myself out of the pit, taking great care not to step in it, or lose my balance and fall in it. I needed to figure out where the buck I was. Every step felt like another pound beneath my horn. I crawled over to the edge and saw something amazing...ly bright. Celestia’s sun glared at me as if I had done something wrong. Perhaps as punishment for some transgression I had unwittingly committed. It burned- a lot, so I closed my eyes against her angry stare.

This was enough of an accomplishment for me. I flopped back down on the grass and tried to fall back asleep. Celestia probably had something else in mind, I thought, as the brightness shone through my eyelids.

“I don’t wanna get up yet! 5 more minutes!” I said, as I rolled onto my side and tried to get comfortable on the soft grass below.

But then... the pounding began to get louder and louder. I began shaking as my head betrayed me. This isn’t fun brain, stop it. Lemme sleep, and you can complain later. I promise.

The pounding relented for a moment, but then began again.

“HEY! STOP IT! I’M TRYING TO SLEEP!” I yelled from my fetal position. Owww, why would I do that to myself! Oh sweet Celestia I’m dumb in the morning.

“Well. then go sleep somewhere else, ya crazy unicorn!” A familiar, irritated voice called back.
.
My brain doesn’t usually answer back out loud... what’s going on here?
“...Brain, have you learned how to talk? And why do you sound like my best friend Rikky?”

I heard a loud sigh, and the pounding noise stopped soon afterward. “Ugh. How many times do I have to tell you? It’s Ryku! R-Y-K-U! And geez, you look like crap! What happened to you? And why is there a huge hole in the ground over there? It looks burnt...”

I turned over and opened one eye as the haze that surrounded the orangish blob began to go away, and there stood my buddy, Rikky. I smiled and thought for a second.

“57, angry mob, I sleep dig.” I responded with a large smile.

`
“Um... okay then... I’m not sure if any of that is TRUE or not, besides the sleep dig thing, but anyway, how the hay did you get out here?” Ryku asked, with more questions arising than answers gotten.

“Yeah, I’ll probably call you Rikky forever! If I knew how, I would tell you, but, the last thing I remember; I was surrounded by all these mares... wait no, that was the other place. No, this was... umm... alright so, there were these like 4 meter tall ponies and one had this gigantic metal device strapped to his back and the other was part dragon and was breathing fire and... and was sitting on top of his horde. I battled one as the other tried to flank me, and my sword was drenched in the first ones blood and oil as the drony tried to snap off one of my legs. I dodged quick to my left as the Dex monster snapped off the Kai’s forehoof. He howled in pain as the two turned on each other. I watched for a bit, waiting for my time to strike! Didn’t have to wait long though, as the dra-pony’s flame was too hot and melted the metal right off the other ponies back! Victory for him didn’t last long though as I jumped forward and *THWACK* chopped his bloody head off! DECAPITATION! Twas a glorious battle, but in the morning I was the only pony standing amidst the destruction of the land. Hence the hole. I ended up leaving the horde alone as a monument to my glory. Moral of the story, stay in school.” My rambling was less than coherent this morning...

Ryku just stood there for a second with his mouth agape. After his mind caught up with him, he looked back at me with a mix of a grin and a laugh. “That’s a great story, Satin, but I think if all that happened, there’d be a bigger... hole...” Ryku stopped abruptly and burst into a laughing fit on the ground, unable to keep his straight face any longer. “I... I think you drank... a little too much last night... Satin...” He said between laughs and gasps for air.

I turned my head as I looked at him, “Too much? No such thing! Anyway, whatcha doing out here buddy... and where are we?”

The orange pony took a minute to calm down a bit before responding. “Heh, well, ahem... Okay. So, I spent the night in the Sweet Apple Acres barn last night, right? I was invited to, by the way. This morning I heard the Apple family waking up around 6 or so, and I decided to see what they were doing. They said they were going to be apple bucking. Now, before you say anything, I know. Sounds a lot worse than what it is. After they told me it’s meant to knock the apples out of the trees, I asked if they needed help. They sent me over to the south end of the farm, where we are, and I’ve been working for about 4 hours. So, that about sums my day so far up.”

“There’s such thing as 6 am? I thought we all agreed to stop counting from about 2am till I woke up.”

“Heh, well anyway. Since you so elegantly interrupted me, mind giving me a hoof, Satin?” Ryku more ‘demanded’ than asked.

“If you promise to not kick the tree so loud, sure.” I said, as I massaged my temple and tried to stand up without falling over.

Ryku put on a big, mischievous smirk, and walked over to a nearby tree with apple buckets already in place under it. “Not loudly, huh? Okay, is this quiet enough?” After he finished his sentence, the orange pony brought his back hooves back as far as he could and kicked the tree with all his might, leaving two hoof-prints in it and making a noise louder than a train crash.

Everything blanked as an unfamiliar white haze filled my vision and my head was wracked with a final loud thump. I hit the ground.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

!Dex!

I awoke with a start, due to hearing a loud thump from below . “What the...” I peered over the edge of the cloud I had slept on, just in time to see a familiar orange earth pony run over to the limp body of an equally familiar blue unicorn.

“OH SWEET CELESTIA! What have I done! I think I actually killed him! Wake up, damn it! Wake up!” The orange pony shouted as he shook the unicorn frantically.

“What the buck is going on down there!?” I screamed from my position on the cloud. I stood and quickly glided down to the two ponies ignoring me, one by choice and one by, what looked liked, a knock out . “What in the name of Luna’s full moon is going on here!?” I asked again, with a growl of irritation in my voice.

Ryku turned to me with a look of genuine fear on his face. “It’s Satin! I think I actually killed him!”

I inspected the body of my alcoholic friend and smiled, “He’s in a daze. I’ve seen this happen to Tim on several occasions; for instance, once, when somepony strummed a power cord after he’d woken up with a large hangover, he would immediately fall over. So no, you didn’t kill our ridiculous friend, here.”

“Oh, well... in that case...” The orange Earth pony started as he walked over and kicked Satin’s still-dazed body back into the hole he was next to. “...he won’t mind if I give him a wake up call!”

“Hold up, what happened here? There wasn’t a crater here when I went to bed last night...” I said, gesturing to the giant hole in the ground.

Ryku smiled as he walked back towards the apple trees, determined to get back to work. “Ask the passed-out pony in said crater. That is, when he wakes up and finds himself in...whatever liquid is in there with him...”

I shrugged, “I guess with the things he’s already done when I first met him, it would be something pretty ridiculous. A quick lump on the head always wakes up Tim, so maybe it will work on Satin.” I kicked an apple in, and it knocked against Satin’s head.

He raised his head and looked around... then looked down, “OH SWEET MOTHER, IT’S EVERYWHERE! EW, EW, EW, EW, EW, EW, EW, EW!” He exclaimed as he rushed out of the pit of bile and began running back and forth hurriedly.

Satin looked in my direction. “Don’t look at me! It was ‘fire head’s’ idea to put you in the hole!” I said, pointing to Ryku.

A little ways away, where he’d started working again, the two heard the fire-colored pony yell. “It’s Ryku, damn it! Not Rikky! Not ‘fire head’! RYKU! Ugh! And yes; I kicked you into that pit! What are you gonna do about it, Satin? You can barely stand, let alone come after me!” Ryku laughed.

A ghastly grin came upon Satin’s face as he began to charge Ryku at a full gallop. Ryku, in kind, was taken aback by the sudden burst of balance, but recovered just in time to dodge to the side of the oncoming stallion.

There was a very loud popping noise accompanied by a flash of pale blue light as Satin teleported back to try it again. He didn’t miss, as there was no time to react. He tackled the Earth pony hard, and began to shake the acrid liquid onto him, like a wet dog.

I fell to the ground laughing at the spectacle before me. “Oh... the friends I have made...” I chuckled, momentarily pausing to catch my breath.

“EW! Get it off, get it off, get it off!” Ryku screamed as he launched the blue unicorn off of him and made a beeline for the nearest body of water... which happened to be a pond.

“Get back here, you!” Satin yelled as he picked himself off the ground and gave chase once again.

I rolled on the ground a couple hooves away from the pond they had both jumped in, still laughing like a mad mare at how ridiculous the event had become. All of the sudden, a loud, irritated voice sounded from behind me.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on out here?” An orange mare with a blonde mane demanded, as her voice rose in annoyance.

I stood up and began to back away. “I believe Satin can explain what’s happened..” I said before hiding behind a nearby tree.

Satin’s voice piped up from the pond, “I can explain everything! Whatcha need to know!?”

“Alright then, shoot. Start at th’ beginnin’.” She said, calming down a bit.

“A long long time ago, in this galaxy, there existed two opposing powers.” Satin began as he flourished his forelegs. “One was an being of pure raw energy,whereas the other one was a never ending pit of unstoppable darkness-”

Ryku cut him off before he could further confuse the poor mare by putting a hoof to Satin’s mouth. “Here, I’ll give you a sum-up. Satin here appears to have exploded last night. He has a horrible hangover, and has been annoying me for the past half hour. I dazed him with a kick to that tree over there,” He pointed to a tree with two indents in it, “And I woke Dex up doing so. I kicked Satin into his hole, and then he tackled me. Then we both ran to this pond, and you showed up, scaring the hay out of Dex. Sound about right, guys?”

Satin sat down hard in the water and crossed his forehooves and mumbled, “My story was better... You have no flair for storytelling...”

“Oh Celestia, please don’t hurt me.” I screamed from behind the tree I had hid behind.

The irritated mare calmed down a bit more after the explanation, but she still seemed wary about this intruder in her orchard.

Satin didn’t seem too keen to make a good impression. He bounced out of the water up to the mare, “And what’s your name? Also why is Dexy afraid of you? Is he being smart, or are you the kinda mare that likes being in charge? Cuz I can be into that. What’s with the hat? I’ve got a hat! Mine’s sillier, and therefore totally the best hat ever!” His questions spilled out of him unhindered. The orange mare just continued staring at him with her mouth open.

Satin started to ask another question, but Ryku nudged him in the side before he could get it out. “Heh... sorry about that, Applejack, but my friend here can be a bit... eccentric at times...”

“Eh, Ah’m used ta ponies like that, Ry’. Don’t sweat it.” Applejack said to the orange stallion before turning her attention to Satin. “...And, uh, what was yer name again...?”

Satin’s grin spread over his face, “The name is Satin! What’s with this town?! It seems like it’s only filled with mares and odd stallions? Also, where can I get a drink, my brain is literally trying to kill me with this hangover, and I think I might actually pass out from the pain... and maybe breakfast, breakfast sounds good!” He stated happily.

I stood up, although I was still afraid that Applejack would get angry again. “Satin, how could you think of more alcohol when you have a hangover?”

Satin turned his head at me, “I never learn my lesson I guess...”

I sighed. “Hopefully you’ll learn your lesson soon... or else...”

He looked at me thoughtfully before shaking his head, “Never gonna happen! Life is more fun with a few less inhibitions!”

I shook my head. “Whatever.” I then looked from Satin to Applejack, “Sorry about cowering behind a tree instead of explaining what happened. I turn into a coward when somepony yells at me.”

Applejack just cocked her head, and let her stetson fall to one side as she scratched her head with her hoof. “Ah don’t suppose ya could git back ta work sometime soon, Ry’. This part of the orchard still needs to be bucked, ya know.”

Satin let loose a giggle and said, “bucked.” under his breath.

Applejack eyes narrowed as she gave Satin a confused glare, “Y’all still goin’ on about what that sounds like? Ya sound like a lil’ colt!”

“Okay, okay! Everypony simmer down. I’m gonna get the apple buckin’ done, and I’ll meet you,” Ryku glared at Satin, “and Dex... sometime later. Okay? Now get the hay outta here before ya cause any MORE trouble!” The irritated pony said, gritting his teeth to keep from yelling.

“When have I ever caused trouble?” Satin asked innocently.

I face-hoofed and grabbed Satin’s foreleg. “Come on. Time to go, you crazy, crazy unicorn.”

“I DON’T WANNA! She’s ignored all of my questions! I wanna know things! All of the things!” Satin shouted as he was dragged away. “Dramatic going away - NOOOOOOOOoooooooooo...!”

Man... this unicorn sure can be a headache... an interesting headache, but still... I thought as Satin and I went over the hill towards Ponyville, and finally, out of sight.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Ryku - like a boss!

I shook my head and smiled as I saw the last of Satin’s struggles, watching as he and Dex rounded the hilltop. I sighed. “Whew. At least that’s over.” I then turned to Applejack and my smile went directly to a frown. She was staring me down.

“Alright, now. Ya just wasted enough time ta git near a third o’ this here part of the orchard done. Ah had mah section done an hour ago. Now, you and Ah are gonna git this done NOW. Ya got me, Ry’?” Applejack said in a stern, authoritative voice.

“Y-Yes ma'am!” I nodded sheepishly and turned back to the trees to get back to work as Applejack replaced her hat and followed close behind.

It took us both nearly an hour and a half, and by the time I was done, I was about ready to collapse, but we got the area done. In fact, after I bucked the last tree, I did exactly that. I fell to the ground on my side, panting. I laid there for a moment before I heard a chuckle and a set of hoof-steps going away from me. The hoof-steps came back a few minutes later, and I heard Applejack say something muffled.

“Here, Sugarcube. Ah think ya earned yerself a drink.” She said around a tray with three glasses on it.

I stood up and looked at the tray. “Who’s the third glass for?”

She set the tray down and smiled. “Ya aren’t fergettin’ somepony, are ya? Mah brother worked a bit too. Ain’t that right, Big Mac’?”

“Eeeyup.” Mac’ said as he walked up to the two of us and grabbed one glass for himself. Applejack took her’s and I grabbed mine.

I took a long swig of the apple cider before speaking. “Hey, sorry for earlier. Satin can be a bit... random, at times.”

“Heh, Ah noticed. He reminded me of mah friend Pinkie Pie in that respect.” Applejack laughed. “So, how long y’all plannin’ on stayin’ here in Ponyville? You and yer friends, Ah mean.”

I scratched my head with my.hoof and thought for a moment. “Well, I can’t speak for all of them, but I didn’t really PLAN on goin’ anywhere any time soon. I gotta find me a job first though...”

Big Mac’ just smiled as Applejack stuck her hoof out towards me. “Ah was hopin’ ya’d say that! How’s about ya work here on th’ farm? You may have been slackin’ a bit earlier, but when Ah got ya goin’ afterward, ya nearly kept up with me! We could use another worker like ya, ‘round here. What do ya say?”

Well, that was quick. Find a job. Check. “I’d love to!” I took her hoof in mine and shook it. “Thank you very much!”

“Eeeyup.” Mac said.

“O’ course! Ya can start tomorrow mornin’. Until then, how about ya head inta town and get to know the place better?”

I nodded and said goodbye before starting down the road towards Ponyville. I looked back at the farm once I reached the top of the hill, and saw Applejack scolding a small yellow filly with a big red bow. Weird... shouldn’t a filly her age be in school right now? Eh, whatever. I’m sure she’ll get there now that AJ’s seen her. Wonder who the little one is... AJ seems too young to be a mother, so I’ll go with sister. Anyway, awkward thought aside, I’d better keep going. I shook my head a bit and turned back to the road, ready to get back into town and see what trouble Satin had gotten into already.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

(Kairo)

There was an insistent knocking on the door... I say insistent, but what I really mean is constant. It was early... too early to get up... Too early for customers... Too early for consciousness...

I buried my head in my pillow as to block the noise out, but the knocking just became louder, like it knew what my plan was. I let loose a sigh as I soon realized I wasn’t going to win this battle.

I slowly rolled out of bed as the knocking continued. I managed a weak, “Coming.” before stumbling out of my bedroom and making my way to the front door.

When I finally reached it after the torment that was ‘sleepily walking to it through the annoying knocking’, I extended my hoof towards the door to open it. The very moment hoof met wood, the door burst open and shower of confetti blew on me, around me, and throughout the hall. I should be surprised, I really should. I winced as the lyrical onslaught was about to began.

No, not this morning!

I did the first thing that popped into my head, I shoved my hoof in my her mouth stopping her mid syllable. Not my proudest or subtle moment...

To say she looked hurt would be... an understatement. She looked downright crushed as I slowly removed it and said, "I'm sorry Pinkie, I truly am. It's just not a good morning for the whole song and dance."

She stuck her tongue out for a moment, "Ew! You taste awful!" She said in her overly happy voice so there was no way that could have been an insult.

"I just wanna go back to bed Pinkie, can you give me the short version?"

She scratched her chin for a moment before making a face like she knew where to begin, then shook her head and went back to scratching her chin.

She held out a letter encased in a bright red envelope with a glittery pink border with the words; ‘Kai-kai’ written big in the same bordering material. “There’s a surprise party for the new stallions in town!” She exclaimed happily, “And you,” her pink hoof now almost touching my muzzle, “are invited.”

I forced a small smile. Pinkie means well but somehow she never got the right hours that certain ponies like to sleep. “Thank you... Pinkie... I’ll be sure to try my best to make it.” I said weakly.

Her gigantic, ever-present smile remained as she responded, “Okie dokie lokie! I’ll see you laaaaaaaaaaaater!” She responded as she bounced off.

She’s always excited, always energetic, and always one iota from annoying me. Although, she never seems to go over the edge... I thought as a little smile appeared on my face.

I was about to throw the invitation on the hallway table, but something stopped me. I don’t know what it was, but for some reason I opened it right there on the spot. The writing was flowery and written in all sorts of colors. You wouldn’t think it, but Pinkie had some truly beautiful hoof writing. She rightfully deserved some sort of writing cutie mark, a quill or an inkpot one.

The letter was short and sweet like... well, it was short and sweet.

To the most fantastical and pretty much the only Engineer in Ponyville, Kairo!

This is a super duper invite to meet the newest visitors in town! It’s for 4 silly looking stallions! Anyway! The suuuuuuuuuper secret surprise party! If you see the new ponies tell them to be at Sugarcube Corner at 5 for not a surprise party. Also, the party starts at 5!

The only presents we require is your presence!

With hope that you’ll be there,

Pinkie Pie!

4 stallions? I met 3 of them... the last of them couldn’t possibly be as annoying as THAT blue one... it wouldn’t hurt to at least check on that last one... also free food and drink. Everypony knows Pinkie makes the best baked goods in town. I thought as I threw the invite back onto the hallway table before my body protested my current consciousness level.

I rubbed my head for a second as I made my way back to my bed. I released a long yawn before I flopped back on my bed, threw the drab covers back on top of me, and promptly fell back into unconsciousness.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

=Satin, Again=

I was dragged all the way back to town. Let me say that again with more emphasis so that you get my meaning. I was dragged ALL THE WAY back to town. I dunno why, but I suppose this Dex pony has some grand scheme for me. Hope he knows what we’re doing.

I smiled as we aimlessly wandered around town. “So where are we going?”

“Don’t know, somewhere you can’t piss off Applejack.” He said with his well known melodramaticness.

“Bah, that’s less fun. Now I have to find some other mare and press their buttons! Which I’m ok with. Rikky seemed like he was already going for that AJ chick. I mean did you see the way he cowered? Wait... no that was you.” I said with a smirk.

“Hey, shut up. I have a reason to be cowering from her.” He said with a sigh.

“Ahhh, thats ok, I’m a coward too! We can start a club and have jackets! Maybe some patches of some chickens. It’ll be fantastic!” I said happily.

“No thanks. First off, I’d rather keep the hoodie than wear a jacket stating that I’m a coward, and two, being a coward isn’t something I’m proud of.” He stated blandly.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of! It truly is a noble calling! Now then, can you breath fire is my first question. Second question, how fun is it burninating things?”

He sighed. “I have never tried to breathe fire and I never will. Just because I’m part dragon doesn’t mean I can breathe fire... but I do know that the earlier members of my father’s ancestry were able to. Not just the dragons, but the ponies as well... but that’s enough tracing my ancestry for now. To tell you the truth, I don’t even want to know how it worked.”

“That sounds like less fun, not even trying. You could be missing out on like toasting sandwiches and whatnot, but whatever. You know what I could go for?” I asked as we rounded the corner of a shop.

He mumbled something under his breath, I only ended up catching the last two words, duct tape. “...I don’t know, a drink? Celestia knows I need one.”

I looked at him incredulously, “What happened to ‘No Satin, don’t drink anymore’? I was going to say breakfast. First things first, though. You need to help me find my saddlebags. My money is in there with the rest of my crap.”

“It’s probably at the last place you were last night before... digging that giant hole and falling asleep in it.” He stated before looking over at me and asking “...do you even have any memory of last night?”

“To be quite honest, I don’t remember anything after the bar. So, probably there. Also, I don’t sleep dig. Stop telling ponies that I do that.” I said with mock anger.

“Well at least there’s a bar in town, and if you don’t sleep dig where did that hole come from?” He asked, rather curious.

“I didn’t think they made towns that didn’t have bars. That seems like a necessity, and I dunno. I just woke up in the damn thing.” I said as I tried to remember where that bar was. I’ve never been good with directions. Ever.

“Well, judging by the fact that we ended our stroll at Sweet Apple Acres from that trail, I guess we go...” He scanned the area, looking for the path we had been trotting upon the night before, “...that way.” He pointed to a road leading towards the town center.

“My handy dandy map!” I exclaimed as I punched him in his shoulder blade and started off in that direction.

He rolled his eyes, “I can tell this friendship is going to be the weirdest one I’ve ever had.”

I looked at him with a bit of surprise on my face, “Really? I mean I’m interesting, but I’m not like a helpful griffon, intelligent diamond dog, or some other bipedal monster.”

“No. It’s the way you act. My bandmates and the few other friends I had were never as weird as you.” He said with a smile on the corners of his mouth.

“That sounds almost insulting, but I’ll take it as a compliment.” I responded as we approached the club from last night.

He shrugged, “It was a compliment, so I’m glad you took it as one. One thing you should know about me: I’m never rude unless somepony is rude to me.”

I shook my head. Club Pon-3 didn’t look open. Of course it’s not open, it’s in the AM. I knocked a few times and a loud/angry voice rang out, “We’re CLOSED!” Dex hid behind me.

“Come on Dex, shes just my new drinking buddy. I bet she just has a huge hangover. HEY CRYSTALLLLLLLLL! OPEN UP!” I yelled through the door as I knocked harder.

A loud silence filled the air, “GO AWAY!” She yelled back.

I frowned for a second, “I NEED MY STUFF AND HAVING AN ENTIRE CONVERSATION SHOUTING IS RUDE!”

I imagine she sighed, rolled out of whatever position she blacked out in, and slowly trudged to the door before yanking it open, but that may just be me.

It was very apparent that we had just woken her up. The almost golden color of her fur was matted down, her long red and blue mane was disheveled, there were bags under her eyes, and there was the telltale death glare.

“Get your stuff, and get out.” She said in a low/cool voice.

“Good morning to you too, sweetheart.” I said as I walked past. Nudging her shoulder on the way in.

I could feel her glare follow me as I went behind the bar and began looking high and low for my saddlebags.

I just left my cowardly friend with a Unicorn that probably wants to murder everything right now. Heh, at least it’s not me.

“And who in the hay are you!?” I heard Cryssy turn on my drony friend.

This’ll end well I thought as I searched under the bar.

“Speak up, Pegasus!”

Not here either. Maybe... they moved it somewhere ridiculous. I looked on the shelf behind the bar.

“Quit hiding under that hood! Speak, ya mute pony!”

He really needs to learn to talk to mares that want to destroy him. I shook my head as my search came up fruitless.

I realized I wasn’t gonna find it on my own. “Crystal, what happened to my saddlebag? Did somepony move it when I left last night?”

I heard an audible slap, “Check on the bar you unobservant idiot!”

...makes sense. I turn from the shelf and look on the bar to see my faded blue saddlebag on the bar. I threw it on quickly and made my way to the door where... the scene just made me laugh.

Crystal was giving Dex a half glare half questioning look and Dex... he was doing what he did best. Pretending he was somewhere else.

“Come on, Dex. Let’s go find some breakfast.” I said happily as I walked through the door. “You’re welcome to join us if you’d like, Crystal~.”

The door slammed behind me.

“She has such a lovely personality. COME ON! IT’S TIME FOR FOOD!” I yelled as I grabbed him and pointed with my other hoof.

Dex was silent for a second, “...other direction...” he murmured.

“Right! That way then!” I exclaimed as I roughly turned us both around.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

I awoke to excruciating pain. My head felt as though it was going to split open, and the bright sunlight was shining directly into my face. I attempted to shield myself from the source of illumination, but it was in vain. The light was all around me, and there was nothing I could do about it.

The fact that the sun was directly overhead told me that it was somewhere around noonish. With an agonized groan, I rolled off the cloud I was sleeping on and unfurled my wings. After falling about 10 feet, I finally was able to maintain a solid enough altitude to fly. I struggled to maintain a straight enough flight path, the sheer magnitude of my hangover affecting my ability to see. I clumsily flew along for a moment or two before giving up and simply gliding down to the ground, where I could walk. Not soon after, I touched down, or rather flopped down, and I felt something foreign attached to my tail. Slowly I reached behind me, and retrieved what I found to be a letter tied to my tail. It was a bright red envelope with glittery lettering on it.

“… …What is this?” I croaked out to no one in particular. I attempted to decipher the sparkly words on the envelope, but my pounding head made me think otherwise. With a slight groan of defeat, I put the pink envelope in my mouth and slowly got to my hooves. I then began to make my way back to Ponyville, as I had spent the night on a cloud on the outskirts of the small town.

The walk was nothing short of nightmarish, my hangover impeding my every step. Every few steps the world seemed to shift beneath me, and I would stumble. A few times I even fell over, but something compelled me to cling tightly to the letter in my mouth. After about an hour of hung-over walking, I finally reached my destination: Club Pon3.

I was thankful the town seemed to be barren on this end. So when I nudged the doors to the club open, I wasn’t surprised to find the place completely empty. With an exhausted sigh, I fell onto the floor, finally letting the letter fall from my mouth. The flump echoed throughout the place, the sound resonating off the walls and returning to my ears with a volume that caused my head to scream at me. I groaned loudly.

“I am never going to drink again, so long as I live.” I said aloud, pressing my hooves tightly against my temples, trying desperately to massage away the hangover. Then, an angry shout came from behind the bar counter.

“Who’s there?! If it’s that blue unicorn again, I swear, I’ll ream you!” Crystal’s slightly muffled voice called out. The volume of it made my headache increased tenfold.

“SHHHHHHHHHH! Not so loud, Crystal!” I groaned out, desperately trying to keep from passing out from the pain. I then heard the clopping of hooves and saw her red and blue mane rise up behind the bar.

“...Torque? Oh hey, sorry about that. You look terrible...” She said a matter of factly, slowly walking over to my side.

“Good morning to you too.” I grumbled out, struggling to my hooves. I then slowly began to walk to the back office to collect my saddlebags. I only managed to get a few feet before gravity won over my physical strength and I flopped back onto the dance floor. The sudden altitude shift, combined with the hangover, prevented me from moving any further. I heard Crystal snicker behind me.

“A little hungover, are we?” I shot her an angry glare.

“At least I slept in a bed, miss bar counter.” My insult worked out so much better in my head, but then again, my head wasn’t exactly in full working order.

“Hey, I slept in my own bed, but that unicorn woke me up about an hour ago, and I just dozed off. And just so you know, a cloud, is not a bed.” She finished with a slight huff. I opened my mouth to protest, but after my last comeback, I thought better of it.

“Hey... what’s this envelope here?” She called out.

“Oh yeah, not entirely sure. Couldn’t read it... not enough brain function.” I responded flatly.

“Invitation...probably to the party tonight.” She stated bluntly. I turned around to look at her with a confused look on my face.

“...How do you know?” I asked.

“Pinkie Pie’s mouth-writing. You’ll learn soon enough.” She said, opening up the envelope with a quick magic burst. She scanned it for a few seconds, then levitated it over to me. “Yup, you’re invited to this party tonight. Have fun.”

I gave her a questioning look for a moment, “My first day on the job and you’re giving me it off to go to a party? That’s... how do I put this... a little bit too...”

She began to chuckle a bit, “You misunderstand, this party is for the new stallions in town and how could I live with myself if I kept you from this. Also, Pinkie’s parties usually kill the club scene for the day anyway...” She trailed off as she gave me a knowing smirk, “plus, everypony else in town will be there, including ‘moi’.” She said putting great emphasis and sarcasm on the last word.

I could only roll my eyes in response.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Ryku.gif

I’d just reached the outskirts of Ponyville and I was slowly walking down the road. A thought occurred to me. Where am I gonna stay... I can’t crash in the Apple’s barn every night... I sighed and began glancing at the buildings as I passed them, looking for any that were for sale or rent. Sold... too expensive... too... run down? Damn... better keep looking. I walked a little ways longer before coming to what looked like an apartment complex. Let’s see... there’s the sign for which one’s are vacant... one, one bedroom apartment for 200 bits a month... one, two bedroom apartment for 350 a month... and a deluxe four bedroom apartment on the top floor for 500 a month... First payment when you rent the house. Sounds good, I guess. It’ll work if I can scrape together the bits in time... I looked in my saddlebags, and found my bit pouch. I opened it, and found... 30 bits. Great... well, I’d better get working soon. Otherwise I’ll have to partner up with somepony in the two bedroom one... and I do NOT want that!

I shook the unwanted thought from my mind and continued down the road. There were ponies moving about everywhere I looked. The town seemed to be thriving, and here I am; a stallion who can’t seem to keep a job, much less stay in a town more than a week. “Sigh, I just hope everything works out better here...” I mumbled under my breath.

I continued down the road a few minutes longer before I came to a stop yet again. My stomach had growled. Damn it... and now I’m hungry... I glanced around and noticed a small cafe nearby. I trotted over towards it, but froze just before the door. Something in the window had caught my eye. Oh no... There, in the window, was Satin sitting across from Dex at a window table in the cafe. Satin had a chef salad and Dex had a dandelion sandwich. As usual, Satin was flailing his forelegs about, and smiling the entire time. I sighed, hesitated a moment, and then walked into the building. His loud voice carried over the entire restaurant.

“...And then she looks me dead in the eyes and responds with ‘that’s not how you eat ice cream’.” Dex burst out laughing and I can see the mix of confusion and snickering from the other patrons.

I... I didn’t know what to think. I missed almost all of the story, so I was more confused than Applejack was this morning. I tried to have a seat in the far back corner of the cafe but the next thing I heard behind me blew that plan out the window... or at least TO the window...

A high pitched but still very much Satin sounding voice broke out, “Heyyyyyy Rikkyyyyy~! Get your orange colored flank over here, you antisocial little stallion!”

Everyponies’ eyes were suddenly on me. I wanted to yell... “Damn... it... Satin...” I slowly turned to him, gave him a look that said ‘I’m going to hit you for that’, and made my way over to his table. Dex couldn’t stop laughing long enough to even acknowledge my presence. “...It’s Ryku... not... Rikky...” I whispered angrily.

“Come on, you love it!” The unicorn whispered back happily.

“I hate you....SO much right now...” I retorted.

“I can just taste your love now.” He took a bite of his salad. “No, I’m thinking of walnuts. Delicious!”

I facehoofed, “WAITER! Can I get a menu, please?! And maybe a drink... a BIG one...”

The waiter arrived at the table within moments and I ordered a lettuce and tomato sandwich for 5 bits. I frowned when the waiter said they didn’t carry alcohol. ”Damn...”

“So what’s on today’s to do list my best friend forever! And don’t worry Dex, I didn’t forget you. You just didn’t come close.” Satin asked me with a ridiculously big smile.

I resisted the urge to get up and leave and just answered his question. “Well, had this thing laying next to me when I woke up,” I pulled out a letter I found that was bright red with pink frills on it opened it on the table. Then I read it aloud:

To the... actually, I don’t think I’ve seen you either! I guess I’ll have bake another cake! See you there, flamey!

This is a super duper invite to meet the newest visitors in town! It’s for 4 silly looking stallions and you! (This looked like it had been quickly added) Anyway! The suuuuuuuuuper secret surprise party! If you see the new ponies tell them to be at Sugarcube Corner at 5 for not a surprise party. Also, the party starts at 5!

The only presents we require is your presence!

With hope that you’ll be there,

Pinkie Pie!

As I finished, I looked up to see Dex with a blank face and Satin with a huge, toothy grin. “What?”

“Party means free booze... and food... and mares! This is a fantastic plan! Let’s do this!” Satin spouted out.

I ignored Satin, and instead looked at Dex, who now wore his own smile. “Um... Dex? Whatcha smilin’ about?”

“Yeah... those ‘4 silly looking stallions? That’d be me and my band.” Dex said as he pulled out another letter just like the one I had shown. “Same thing on it as yours, except she said ‘To one of my very special guests’ on it at the beginning.”

For once, Satin had nothing to say. He frowned and just started picking at his salad. I wasn’t sure whether to be glad that there wasn’t any more noise coming from his mouth, or scared that SATIN WAS BEING QUIET.

“Hey Satin... You alright?” I asked cautiously.

“I’m ok.” He said as he levitated a nut in the air and ate it.

Dex looked over to me and then back to Satin. “Um... didn’t you get an invite, dude?”

“NO.” He responded loudly, never taking his eyes off his meal.

“You know, she may have gotten you an invite, but couldn’t find you because you were in a freakin’ crater, Satin.” I said quietly.

A small, unsure smile appeared on his face. “You think so?”

Dex nodded, but as I hadn’t done anything yet, the blue unicorn’s gaze held intently on me. “U-um... I’m sure she...” Then something caught my eye outside the window. I saw a pink pony looking frantically around. She stopped suddenly with her eyes burrowing into the back of Satin’s head, a glint of happiness in them. “...I’m absolutely positive she’s looking for you.”

His small smile grew a bit, “Thats a nice sentiment, but you can’t be sure. Maybe she just forgot poor old Satin. He’ll be alone as all the ponies in town celebrate the new ponies in town EXCEPT me.”

“Satin. I’m sure. And you should brace yourself.” I said as Dex and I crouched behind the table. The pink pony had disappeared from the window and had suddenly appeared behind Satin with an impossibly huge smile on her face, but I hadn’t seen her come through the door...

His face contorted into one of confusion, but not for long...

“THERE YOU ARE!” The pink earth pony’s voice filled the restaurant with glee and I saw Satin jump a bit in his seat. “I checked the hole in the ground, but you had already left! Here’s your invite!” She hoofed him a letter similar to the one I had found that morning. “Now I have to go find three more accordions and a chocolate fondue fountain! Byyyyyyyyyyye.”

Satin sat there slack-jawed as she bounced out of the restaurant. Continuously shifting his gaze between the invite and the loud pony. “I think I’m in love! I love accordions and fondue!”

Dex and I looked at eachother, then to Satin, then back to each other again. Then we both fell to the ground, laughing and gasping for breath.

“You dare mock my love!” He stated loudly as he stomped his hoof on the table.

I... I had to. “YES! FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA! YES, I DO!” I said, laughing even harder.

He crossed his forehooves, “Well, you suck. This isn’t how friends support each other.” He said as he stuck his tongue out at us.

Dex calmed down and sat up. “You know it’s funny, Satin.” he said. “Anyway, I better head out. I gotta go find my bandmates before the party!” The pegasus said as he walked out the door, still chuckling a bit.

“Heh, whew, I needed that. By the way, Satin. We were planning on staying here in Ponyville, correct?” I asked breathlessly.

He was still frowning and glaring at me a good bit, “I don’t have any plans, as long as we don’t get run out of this town too. I’m good to stay.”

“Well, I took a look around, and there are a few apartments vacant just a little down the road. We’d have to get the money, but they were pretty cheap. Sound good?” I asked as my sandwich arrived.

“You want to be roommates!” No... “That’s fantastic!” No, no, no... “This sounds like so much fun!” NO-NO-NO-NO-NO! He responded happily.

By the time he’d finished, I was losing it. “Um... I was thinking I’d get my own apartment... maybe... you know... maybe somewhere NEAR yours!” I hope not... “But not really roommates, per se...”

His brow furrowed, “That sounds like you want to be able to avoid me...”

Absolutely. “Of course not, Satin! I just... like to sleep alone, alright?” I said nervously.

“I wasn’t suggesting we spoon, but fiiiiiiiiiine enjoy your stupid privacy.” He said as he finished his salad.

I stuffed my sandwich in my mouth and ate it before I continued. “ANYWAY, what time is it now? The party is at 5, after all.”

“Well, we just ate lunch, soooooo... I have no idea.” He responded as he threw some bits on the table and slowly got up from the table and put his saddlebag on. “Come on buddy~. Let’s go explore the town. Maybe try and get you a date to the party!”

“I’m just going to ignore that last one and go with ‘explore the town’. Come on, Mr. Energy. Let’s go.” I said, rolling my eyes as I walked out.

“You’re no fun. I already found the love of my life, and you won’t even try! Well, fine! Let’s go cause some trouble!” He said as he followed me out.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

*MOAR DEX*

I trotted down the lane looking left and right for my three friends, “Where could those three be?”
I asked myself aloud, my eyes wandered the stalls and buildings lining the lane I was walked down. After a moment, my eyes caught a glimpse of a blue maned pegasus sitting with a brown Earthpony and a dark blue unicorn by the canary colored pegasus Tim had told me to go chat with yesterday.

“Celestia no!” I quickly ran up towards them, “Hey guys, what’s up?” I said with a nervous smile plastered on my face.

“Oh hey, here’s the pegasus we were all just talking about, Dex you remember this mare right?” Tim ask with a malicious smile.

I looked at her for a brief moment “Uh, yeah... Hi,” I said barely able to mutter the words, “Guys we got to get going there’s some things we need to take care of.” Jake and Nick understood what I meant and hopped down from where they sat.

Tim on the other hoof wanted to torment me further, “Oh come on Dex don’t you want to stay and chat with Ms. Fluttershy.”

“I’m sure we can talk at the party tonight, but we have some things to attend to now come on Tim,” I said, ready to book it.

“I didn’t know you were also part chicken,” Tim said, as that word echoed through my thoughts I began to think, Should I smack him upside the head later, or have him chased by Satin again?

“No, Tim, I’m not, and you know this.” I responded with a scowl, “Now, lets go. The party is in...” I looked at Jake, who responded by looking at the watch he always kept on his right forehoof.

“The party is at five. We have two hours before it begins, so I agree with Dex. We need to go get ourselves an apartment so we don’t have to sleep outside again. You know, unless you want to sleep on the ground again, Tim?” Jake replied

Tim put his hooves on the ground “Alright, I guess we’ll see you later Fluttershy.” He said as we walked away. Jake and Nick waved goodbye and I, being the nervous pony I was, just lowered my head.

We walked to the train station and grabbed our saddlebags we had left along with our equipment,
“So her name is Fluttershy?” I asked looking towards Jake.

“Yes, she takes care of small animals and woodland creatures.” Jake said with a smile pegged at the corner of his mouth, “Why do you ask?”

“Oh... well I...”

“Isn’t it obvious Jake old pal, Dex likes her even though he hasn’t truly said anything to her.” Tim said smiling back at me, “Isn’t that right Dex?”

I gave a hate filled glare and sighed “Yes, I like her.” Nick ran up to me

“No way you like her dude that’s epic! Maybe you two can start a relationship and...” I put my hoof over his mouth.

“Lets not move this fast with somepony I haven’t even had a conversation with yet, shall we, besides we just got into town. I can wait a few months before being in a relationship, Nick,” I removed my hoof from over his mouth and he nodded.

“Right, lets not move too fast, got it” He threw his bass back onto his back, since it fell from all the excited jumping he did just a moment ago. “But what if we talk to her Dex maybe you don’t have to wait a few months maybe you can wait a few weeks.” He smiled his big energy filled smile.

I sighed, “I don’t care what you guys do, just don’t be hooking me up with any mare today okay?”

Some time passed as we trotted towards our next destination, and once we found the apartment building we had been searching for, it was an hour before the party.

“We better get in there and register for a four bedroom apartment and quick.” I stated, hurrying my bandmates. We stepped through the threshold and were immediately greeted by the mare at the desk with a huge smile and a quick wave “Welcome to the Hay!”

“Thank you ma’am, we would like one apartment with four bedrooms please,” Jake replied with a smile.

She brought out a large ledger from beneath the desk, opened it and began scanning it. “Ah~ha! We have an apartment here that meets that one requirement.” She went into the back office for a moment and quickly returned with her large smile. “Here you go sir” the mare said hoofing over the key, “The room is right up the stairs and to the left, I’ll have three more keys made for your friends once you get back from the party tonight.”

“Wait,” I interjected “...how do you know about the party?”

“Oh, right you’re the ponies this party is for aren’t you? Well, Pinkie has invited everypony to the party because everypony is her friend.” She said almost threateningly, “And well, as some say, the more the merrier.” She said with a friendly smile.

“Well, it looks like we’re in for one hell of a party then,” Tim said with a hint of excitement in his voice, “I guess we’ll see you there, come on guys, if we’re ever going to make it to the party, we may want to unpack before hoof.”

The mare behind the counter stared at the guitar case on Nick’s back as he was the last to start climbing the stairs, “Oh wait, if you four want, you can bring your instruments. After all, you guys are a band, and I’m sure everypony would like to hear you play.”

I smiled, “Guys, I guess we got our first gig in this new town, and surprisingly it’s a party thrown for us.”

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

KAIRO!!!!

I fiddled with the third broken clock of the day, as the day began to wane. I don’t know why some ponies are so rough on their alarm clocks. It’s only loud because you told it to be. It’s only doing it’s job... I held a hoof to my head. Oh ‘sweet Luna’, I’m empathizing with alarm clocks again. It’s time to take a break.

I slowly tried to rub the knot out of my neck as I checked the time...

4:20...

That party is at 5... should I go? I mean, I’ve been working all buckin’ day, and I don’t really wanna finish the day with loud music, meeting new ponies, and me be tired during all of it. I guess... I can decide it in a little bit. First thing’s first. I need a shower.

I slowly pushed myself away from the workbench, making my chair screech against the wood floor.

“Shut up. Not today.” I threw out at the noisy furniture.

I held my head low as I made way to the bathroom, sticking to the wall for general direction and support for my tired limbs. As I made my way there, a few thoughts crossed my mind: who was the last stallion, what kind of party would it be, and how angry would Pinkie be if I missed the party?

Probably better if I didn’t think about it...

I entered the bathroom and turned on the water so it could warm up a good bit before I jumped in. I slowly gathered the... necessary items: my loofah, my combination mane and coat shampoo, and most importantly of all, Mr. Engelbert.

Ahhhh, Mr. Engelbert, I do so love you.

I’d had him since I was a colt. My constant companion. My dearest friend.

A warm smile spread across my face in remembrance of better times. I sighed and slowly slipped into the shower.

I got out and dried off after my relaxing shower and thought about the party some more.

So it’s settled! I’m not going, I’m just not in a state to go. Too much tinkering today, too much working with frustratingly small parts, too much... just too much.

I threw myself onto my made bed and stretched as far as I could, working my worn muscles.

Ohhhhhhh, that feels so good!

I looked at the clock again. It was 4:40. I looked at my work schedule. It was empty, for once.

I... really don’t have anything better to do... No! I need some time off for once!

Another five minutes passed as I slowly fell into the state in between consciousness and sleep, but something else had a better plan. My stomach growled. I got out of bed and walked into the kitchen. I opened the fridge...

And~ ... I don’t have any food left... I cursed under my breath. Fine... I guess there’ll be food at the party... damn it. So much for time off...

I sighed, glanced back at the empty fridge one last time, and then headed out the door. Sugarcube Corner wasn’t far, so maybe I could just stop in, eat, and leave. I trotted lazily through town, and it all seemed deserted. Nopony was out on the road. All at the party, I’d bet... I shook my head. Well, Pinkie Pie parties are always the best...

Sugarcube Corner was just around the corner and down the street by now, and I was starting to tell myself to just turn around and forget the whole thing. Then I heard a voice behind me.

“Hey. Are you heading towards the party too?” said a black pegasus with strange silver sunglasses and a red, silver, and blue mane.

I stared blankly at him, having stopped in the middle of the street to see who had spoke. “Uh... yeah... I haven’t seen you before... who are you?”

“The name’s Torque. I’m the new DJ at Club PON-3. And you are?” Torque asked.

I gave a small smile. At least this new stallion seemed sane. “Kairo. I’m the town engineer. I’m... a tinkerer, of sorts. Nice to meet you, Torque.”

“Heh. Nice to meet you too. Well, we’re gonna be late. We better get going.” He smiled as he started to walk past me.

I followed him. Hmm... Maybe this won’t be so bad after all. As we turned the corner, I could see the entrance to Sugarcube Corner... and three familiar-looking stallions... Scratch that... This is going to be awful...

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

@Torque@

My new acquaintance, this ‘Kairo’ stallion, and I turned the corner and the place at which the party was being held came into view. “So that’s Sugarcube Corner, huh?”

“Yep. Best bakery in Ponyville. Also home to the best party planner in Ponyville.” Kairo said distantly. He appeared to be staring into the crowd outside the bakery. I followed his gaze.

“Hey! It’s Dex and that blue unicorn from last night... Satin, was it? But who’s the fiery stallion they’re with?” I asked intently.

Kairo seemed to mumble something about somepony being a pain in his flank before he responded. “If I remember right, that is... Rikky? No, that’s what that annoying unicorn calls him. That’s Ryku, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Ryku, huh? That’s an interesting name. Well, let’s get over there. It’ll be nice to chat with them again, and meeting new ponies is always fun.” I said with a smile.

Kairo grimaced. “Fun. Right. THAT’S the word for it. Let’s just get this over with...”

I frowned a bit at his reply, but shook it off. Crystal gave me the day off for this, so I was determined to have a good time tonight. We walked down the street and reached the party in almost no time at all. We were noticed almost immediately by Satin, who then dragged both Dex and Ryku over to us.

“Ahhh, two of my most favorite stallions in town! How’s it going, guys?” He said, almost shouting as he closed the distance.

Kairo’s ears folded onto his head, and he cringed as Satin got closer. Since I’d been around loud music for work, the volume didn’t bother me as much.

“Hey, Satin. Hey, Dex. Hey, Rikky.” I said happily.

Suddenly, the orange, fiery-maned stallion turned and slapped Satin in the back of the head. “Damn it, Satin! Now complete strangers are saying it!” He said.

Realizing my mistake, I corrected myself quickly. “Oh, sorry! I mixed that up, didn’t I? Sorry, it’s nice to meet you, Ryku. I’m Torque.”

Ryku sighed, then smiled. “Nice to meet you too, Torque.”

I smiled back, then looked at the group as a whole. “So, this is all the newbies, huh?”

“Actually, my three band mates are here as well.” Dex corrected.

“Alright! Looks like everypony’s here! Let’s get this party started!” Pinkie suddenly yelled from the doorway to Sugarcube Corner.

Satin took a step towards the doorway with the crowd, then turned back to the rest of us. He threw his forehooves wide and announced to us, “Welcome to my domain!” With a smile that can only be described as wicked.

I gave a chuckle and all five of us walked inside together.

These guys are crazy. I love it! This is one gonna be one hay of a party.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

With that last thought, the first Pinkie Pie Party any of us, excluding Kairo, had ever experienced, commenced.

Chapter 5 - Not in the face!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Crystal the Bitchicorn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was just getting to the doors at the party when I caught my first glimpse of him. I knew it was going to be a very long night the moment I heard the blue unicorn, who haunted my alcohol induced dreams and then was there to rudely wake me up, say the words, “Welcome to my domain!” Okay. First order of business, find the nearest source of alcohol and stay there. That should make this a bit more bearable.

Walking through the doors, I noticed that it was just your average Pinkie Pie party. There were streamers all over the walls, and balloons everywhere you turned. The lights were flashing so much that it looked just like the club does when it’s open. To complete the transformation from bakery to club, there was house music coming from a very large sound system hooked up to a set of turntables near the far wall. Where there was normally a cash register and counter that the Cakes do business over, now there was now a fully fledged, and fully stocked, bar. Everypony in the town was gathered in, and around, this building.

I walked over to the bar, not surprised to see the barkeep from my own club working it. “Hey there, Bacchus. How’s the party?” He just smiled knowingly and pulled out a shot glass.

“Alright, Crystal, what’ll it be?” He asked with a grin on his face.

“Well if you know me so well that, when I walk up to you, you offer me a drink, then I think you probably know what I want it to be too.” I retorted. Of course he hadn’t really insulted me. In fact, he was right. I walked up to the barkeep at his post in a party and started making idle chit-chat. I didn’t want to talk, I wanted a drink. And he did not disappoint. He poured a shot of whiskey and set it right in front of me. “Thanks, Bacchus. You really DO know me.” An aura of green magic surrounded it. As I levitated the shot up to my mouth and was just about to down it... it vanished.

It took me a moment to get over the shock of what had just happened. One second I was about to drink the first of quite a few drinks tonight, and then next, there was no more drink. I looked around to see if anypony else had witnessed what had just occurred. There was nopony looking my way in wonder, so I guessed I had been the only one. I was just about to ask Bacchus for another drink when I suddenly felt that my head was lighter than it should be. Oh. I get it now. Somepony is bucking with me. And whoever it is just took my hat. Okay. Somepony dies tonight. I wheeled around to look for the culprit. Aha! There he is! “Hey! You! Flame head! WHAT THE BUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING WEARING MY HAT!?” I shouted as I walked over to an orange stallion wearing MY green stetson, whose mane was all the colours of fire.

The now-confused looking stallion whirled around to meet my soul-piercing stare. “Wait, what did I do now? Why are you looking at me like I just pissed in your whiskey?”

“First off, I didn’t even get to drink my whiskey!” I stomped to emphasize the words. “I feel like you had something to do with that too! However, what I’m mad about now, is the fact that the hat on YOUR head, BELONGS ON MINE!”

“Hat? What ha...” He suddenly reached up and touched his head, finding my green stetson sitting there. “...t. Okay, look. I don’t want a fight. I didn’t take your stupid ha-”

“Okay. I know you did NOT JUST CALL MY HAT STUPID!” I interrupted quite angrily, “That hat is a work of art! I love that hat!”

At that point, it was obvious that the stranger had taken a little too much crap now. “Look, you crazy little madmare! I’m done arguing with you!” He flipped the hat onto the ground, stomped on it, and then flung it back over to me. “Take the damn thing! I. Don’t. Buckin’. Want it!”

Alright. Now we have a problem “Okay, stranger! I don’t know who the buck you are! I don’t know where the buck you came from! But that was NOT a good idea! AT ALL!” I glared daggers at the fiery-maned stallion, getting ready to charge him with my horn.

“First off, the names Ryku, and second, come at me! I’m ready!” He said as he got into a readied stance.

Suddenly, I heard an outburst of laughter coming from one of the onlooking ponies. Looking in the direction of the offensive sound, the pieces all began to click into place. The blue unicorn was literally rolling with laughter. That makes so much more sense. I didn’t even know this Ryku pony and I still accused him of stealing my hat. Why would he even have done that? Of course the blue one did it. He just loves messing with me. “Okay, Blue, now I understand. It was you who stole my drink. And, more importantly, you STOLE MY HAT!”

The pony looked like he was trying real hard to keep a straight face. But still, a few chuckles escaped as he said, “Hey! Stole is a very strong word!” My hat became encapsulated in a blue aura and quickly shot over to him, covering his muzzle. He pulled the hat back so he could see and exclaimed, “Plus, it’s my hat now!” before he turned tail and sprinted off towards the back of the bakery.

I sighed, “I knew this was going to be a long night.” And with that, I took off after the blue thief to retrieve what was mine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ryku’s Blue Problem~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sat, scratching my head as I watched Satin, chased by the angry mare I’d been fighting with, dart off into the back of the bakery. It took me a minute before I put two and two together. Damn it, Satin... Now you’re getting RANDOM ponies mad at me... I looked around. All eyes were on me. Ugh... Now I’m the center of attention. That’s just wonderful.

“Um... Nothing to see here... I’m just... you know... gonna go outside for a few...” I said with cheeks as red as Big Mac’.

I got outside and looked up at the sun. Judging by where it was, and the fact that the clock tower said so, I guessed it was around 7. I sighed. Satin had made this one hell of a long day.

“I need a drink...” I said to no one in particular.

“Yeah, Ah can see why ya might, after that lil’ stunt, Sugarcube.” A heavy, familiar southern accent called from behind me.

I turned around and smiled. “Oh. Hey there, AJ. What’s up?

“Nothin’ much, considerin’ Ah saw ya just a few hours ago, Ryku.”

I blushed again. “Oh. Right. Forgot... Sorry, Applejack. I guess I’m just out of it. After all, you try dealing with Satin for more than five minutes!” I laughed.

She grinned and gave a chuckle in return. “Yeah, from wha’ Ah’ve seen of ‘im, he looks to be quite a hoof-full. Come on, now. Let’s go get ya that drink. Wha’ da ya say?”

“Sounds good to me!” I said, following Applejack back into the party. Everypony had gone back to what they were doing, so there were no more eyes on me. Thank Celestia.

When we’d reached the counter, Applejack spoke first. “Hiya, Bacchus. Two AJD’s please.” She said happily.

“AJD’s?” I asked.

She looked at me and smiled. “Well, they ain’t named after me, but they sure as sugar sound like it! Apple Jack Daniels is the drink.”

I smiled. It was one of my favorites. “Sounds good to me. Thank ya, Bacchus!”

The bartender set our drinks in front of us and grinned. “Heh, no problem! I saw your little fight with Crystal. So, Ryku, eh?”

“Yeah. So, that crazy mare’s name is Crystal, huh? Well, that’s one mystery solved.” I looked at Applejack. “Welp. Bottoms up!”

We both raised our drinks, but before we could even get a taste of the sweet drink, they both vanished into thin air. Then I heard Applejack growl and realized that her stetson was gone.

“DAMN IT SATIN!” We both yelled instinctively. Then we laughed, before I got tapped on the shoulder. I turned around to find Crystal standing there, out of breath, her hat still missing as well.

“Hey... Uh... Ryku, was it? Have you seen where that blue unicorn went? I seem to have lost sight of him.”

I looked at her and laughed. “Heh, I wouldn’t worry too much about that. Satin’s about as good at disappearing as a master assassin. He’ll turn up soon enough though; just as soon as he get’s a little too drunk. Then we’ll get you and AJ’s hat’s back.”

Crystal sighed. “I can’t believe I’m actually going to let that idiot run around with my hat all night! But I guess you’re right. The name’s Crystal by the way.”

“Nice to meetcha. Sorry we got off on the wrong hoof. Satin is good at ruining other pony’s moods. I’m Ryku, but you already knew that... I think everypony in town knows that after how loudly I yelled it...” I laughed nervously, scratching the back of my head.

Crystal laughed. “I guess I’m partially to blame for that... Well, I need a drink. Badly. What do you say, you two?”

Applejack and I both gave an energetic, “Hay YEAH!” at the same time.

Turning to Bacchus, Crystal said, “Alright. Three whiskeys. And make them quick. Please.” She added insincerely.

When all our drinks showed up, we picked them up, toasted each other, and then put the drinks to our mouths... only to have them disappear, just like before.

All three of us gave a collective, “DAMN IT, SATIN!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Torque to A3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Come on, Kairo, liven up!” I said, trying to get him to smile. I was eating this up. I hadn't been to a good party ever since... Celestia knows when. I would always end up being the DJ at the Wonderbolt afterparties. I mean, yeah, I’d get to have fun, but... I never got to cut loose.

Well, tonight I was gonna change all that.

“I’m not really the partying type, per-say,” he said in a tone of voice that illustrated his disinterest in being here. This irked me.

“Then what type of pony are you? Obviously not the type of pony everypony should know... more like the pony that sucks all the fun out of things.” I flinched slightly after I said that, knowing that it came out much harsher than I had intended.

“Obviously, and therefore I’m leaving. Enjoy yourself, fluffy, have fun doing...whatever you do.” And with that, Kairo turned and left, not even bothering to say goodbye to the rest of the partygoers.

Wow, what a depressing pony. I kinda hope I don’t meet him again anytime in the near future.

Shrugging off the awkward goodbye, I turned my attention back to the party. I couldn't help but smile a little as I heard the next song start, and I wasn’t controlling it. I was free to roam about in a party. It felt weird, but I also really liked it. I giggled momentarily, causing a few passing ponies to give me strange looks. I didn't care though, I was here, and I was ready to...

Feedback rang out across the crowd as a mic was futzed around with. I looked up at the stage, where a bright pink earth pony was standing there with the biggest smile I’d ever seen. It was almost... demonic... almost.

“HEY EVERYPONY! FIRST OFF, I’D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO MY SUPER SPECIAL AWESOMELY FUNTASTICAL WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME PARTY BASH!” The pink mare was practically screaming into the mic, the high pitched ringing reminding me that I was still hungover from last night. She was also bouncing. A lot.

“I THREW THIS PARTY FOR THE NEW PONIES IN TOWN!” She then grabbed the mic from the stand and jumped off the stage. She popped up next to the bar, where that fiery pony was, and shouted “RYKU!” She disappeared again, this time popping up next to that red pegasus and the three others, shouting “DEX, RIP, STIX, AND WHAMM!”

She then warped again, this time staying out of sight for a long while. She reappeared again with a frown. “Satin seems to be hiding...” And then she popped up next to me.

“AND OUR NEWEST DJ IN TOWN, TORQUE! WHY DON’T YOU GIVE US A SHOW!?” The crowd proceeded to clop their hooves in agreement.

I wanted to lay down and quit. Here I was, not three seconds ago, enjoying the party form the other side of the mixing table, and now I get put on the spot.

“I... uh... w-well, heh...” I babbled out, not knowing what exactly to say. I didn’t want to be a let down to the rest of the party, but I really didn’t want to be the DJ. I began to panic, and Pinkie just stood there, with the biggest puppy dog eyes I’d ever seen. I sighed in defeat.

“Oh, alright. Why not.” The party erupted with cheers and Pinkie bounced off into the mob and disappeared from sight. I took my shades off my forehead and replaced them properly on my snout. I ruffled my wings slightly in self hate, and proceeded to walk towards the stage. I hadn’t taken 3 steps before I heard somepony call out from behind me.

“Hey Torque!” I looked towards the direction of the voice, and saw Dex looking at me.

“What’s up Dex? Make it quick, I gotta go up there.” I half-heartedly spoke. He frowned slightly, probably at my bluntness.

“Good luck, I’m looking forward to hearing your skills live.” He nodded in encouragement. I smiled back at him.

“Thanks.” With that, I made my way to the sound system, which was nothing I hadn’t seen before. With a smirk, I opened the slot on my headphones and retrieved the small wireless jack, plugging it into the mixing station. Then, placing my phones over my ears, the sounds of the crowd melted away, being replaced by the soothing melodies and bass of the party music.

I inhaled deeply, trying to relax and enjoy the moment, even though I was put on the spot. Selecting a record from the collection next to me, I placed it on the turntable, flipped a few switches, adjusted the EQ slider bars to fit the genre, and gently set the needle down on the record.

I spun it once, and began my first big performance in Ponyville.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dex being D’awwable~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Torque played some tunes up on his turntables, I took it upon myself to try and mingle for once in my life. Celestia knows the last time I’d done that.

I walked through the party, looking for somepony interesting to talk to. That pony seems okay, but they probably wouldn’t want to talk to me... hmm maybe... My thoughts were cut short as I bumped into somepony and fell to the floor.

“Oh, I’m so sorry about that! My mind tends to wan-” I looked up to see that a canary colored mare was looking down at me, “-der... oh, hi... Fluttershy, was it?”

The mare nodded, “Y-yes...” She blew a strand of hair out of her eyes, and I finally stood back up and rubbed the back of my head. Wow, I wasn’t expecting to meet for the third time like this... how do I start up a conversation with her? “Um... Are y-you okay?”

“Huh? oh... yes. I’m fine,” She gave a small smile.

I smiled nervously, trying to think of what exactly to say to her. “Uh... so... how are you enjoying the party?”

“Um... it’s great I guess... It’s kind of crowded though.” Fluttershy looked down at the ground and kicked her forehoof a little.

“You okay? You look kind of nervous?” Well duh! Just look at her. It’s obvious, isn’t it?

She nodded, her eyes looking around the room as if she was trying not to make any eye contact.

I smiled a little, “So, uh... Tell me about yourself. Is there anything that you like to do?”

“Oh um... I like to-” The shy mare was suddenly cut off.

“Hey, Dex!” Stixx yelled from the other side of the room. “Can you come here for a moment?” I sighed and shook my head.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there. I guess I’ll talk to you later, Fluttershy...” I made my way to my bandmates’ location. They were standing next to a small group of ponies, questions burning in their eyes.

Here we go! Somepony saw us walking through town with our instruments and wants to know if we can play!

When I approached, Rip looked over and began to ask the group’s question. “These ponies saw us walking through town earlier and want to know....”

“Way ahead of you Rip. Yes, I’d love to play a few songs with my band tonight.” I announced.

The mare in front of the group smiled broadly and out came a small squee that I’d heard many times before.

A stallion trotted through to the front of the group, “Do, you need any help with your equipment? My friends and I would love to help.”

I nodded. “Yes, please! Anything to get the equipment here faster than we normally do.”

“Right, come on guys. We’ve got ourselves some equipment to grab.” The stallion ran through the door with a few others on his tail.

“Well, a few hours here and boom we already got a small fanbase going for us.” Stixx said smiling.

“Lets go help them with the equipment. After all, we are the only ponies that own the apartment keys.” Wham said, beginning to gallop through the door.

“Right. You coming, Dex? Or are you going to keep an ear to the music and see what happens?” Rip asked, looking back through the front entrance.

“I’ll stay here. We need somepony to see how long Torque will be playing.” I sat down, looking up at my idol as he dropped the bass and blasted the wubs.

It took around a half hour or so for the guys to get the equipment, but it did shave a few minutes off from what only four stallions would be able to do on their own. “Here you are, hope you guys are ready to play. I’m sure Torque wants to get himself a drink after playing for so long.”

“We’re definitely ready to rock! Just tell us when and we can start setting everything up.” I said, looking back at the stallion.

“I hope you don’t mind, but we sort of asked your buddy Rip if it was alright to help with that too.” He said with a smile.

“Ah, I see. I’m alright with it, so just let me know when and I’ll tell you guys where everything goes. Um... I‘m sorry, but I never caught your name...” I cocked my head sideways.

“The name’s Riffraff, but everypony just calls me Raff.” He said, extending a hoof.

I shook it, and looked him over. Even in the dim light, I could tell he was a fairly deep shade of green, with a darkened ivy-colored mane. His golden eyes glinted back at me in the dark. Only Celestia would be able to tell what his cutie mark was in this light, though...

“Its nice to meet you, Raff. Thanks for all the help.” I told him. After a few more minutes, Torque stepped down from his place behind the booth and trotted my way.

“Looks like it’s your turn.” He said, walking past me with a soft smile and heading towards the bar.

“Alright guys, this is where everything goes.” Rip said to Raff and his gang, who immediately got up on stage and quickly set up the equipment in their correct spots..

“Alright Dex! She’s all yours!” Riff Raff said, gesturing toward the stage. We climbed up onto it and grabbed our instruments.

We stood there for a second, getting a feel for the crowd and the room. “Hello everypony,” I said finally, “I’m Dexterity Redheart, and these are my band members Rip, Wham, and Stixx, and together we are The Lost Cause! Are you ready to rock!? Ready.....a 1; a 2; a 1, 2, 3, 4!” [Song]

After playing our first song we had some of the crowd jumping and head banging, and the rest looking on with either a soft smile or a confused look. We played a few songs after that, and then stepped down and let Pinkie put on the rest of the night’s tunes.

I found Fluttershy after a while and I tried to resume our conversation. I cleared my throat, “...As you were saying? Sorry for the interruption, by the way.”

“Oh... that’s okay... You wanted to know what I like to do?” I nodded. “Well... um... I like to take care of the woodland creatures, and sometimes I foalsit for my friends.” Fluttershy said, continuing from where she left off earlier.

“Heh, that’s awesome.” I rubbed my right foreleg, trying to build my courage to ask the one question that I wished to asked. “So uh...”

“Oh, Dexy!”

Oh sweet Celestia, what does HE want now...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Satin - Maniacal Genius Extraordinaire ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, it was so easy in the beginning. Making a few things ‘disappear’ here and there. But that’s why it changed. Why it had to change. And thats why I had to change. Too little effort for too much reward. My *heh* opponents, if you can call them that, changed the game so I had to change with them. Magic was enough at the start, but then my cunning had to beat out when they beat out my magic. The Machine, as I call it, is the perfect invention for this particular *ahem* venture.

They never had a chance.

Oh my first... challenger, she was something. I decided to have a little... extra fun with her. A bit of misdirection is a wonderful thing. Now, I may have had to throw one of my only allies under a bus, but sometimes you have to throw a pawn under the cart so the game can be yours. He’ll be dearly missed but that was for the greater good. I took something from her that she held very dear. It’s mine now, my trophy and the first metaphorical notch in my belt.

There were a few more skirmishes in between that and the next notable bout. All easy, all quick. A few non-noteworthy of the faceless mob, easy... but one must keep one’s skills sharp, or you’ll fall behind.

Ahhhh, the next noteworthy little battle of... if you can call it wits... was that uppity pawn expecting some sort of retribution I suppose. Although he wasn’t on his own, he brought with him his own little support and happily, my second trophy. Tis a truly beautiful thing, a little worn but well loved. I do believe I’ll count this as another notch, I enjoyed it thoroughly. I turned to leave in triumph afterward but then something unexpected happened. She reappeared! My golden coated foe was back for another round, a threefold attack on my defences, but it was useless. I held my gaze on her as I defeated all 3 of them once again. As they cursed my name I held my head high in triumph.

I took a break from my playthings after that. Found a table and sat down to inspect my spoils, I took down the amber ambrosia without any trouble at all. I recognized both of them, either one of them individually spelled trouble for me and those around me, but together they cancelled each other out leaving me in a pleasant state. I wore my trophies like badges of victory, making sure to place them gingerly atop one another creating an obelisk upon me.

I decided to take a bit of a stroll after that, making sure to avoid all the laughable adversaries. I mean, this was a party for me, I might as well enjoy myself. I made my way around the edge of the party because if there's one thing you have to love about being at a party, it has to be confronting the introverts, the ones only at the party because they were invited and didn’t want to be rude and say no.

A shy mare at a party has the possibility for the most fun at a party. Try this at home little colts and fillies; a small compliment here, a large smile with an over exaggerated wink, and to top it off an ‘accidental’ flick of the tail for emphasis. That mare will turn the shiniest shade of crimson you have ever seen. And yes, this is how I get my jollies.

Oh, it works on Stallions too if you were wondering. I’m not here to judge, I’m just here for science.

My brief sabbatical ended quickly as I realized my current level sobriety was getting incredibly too high. Instead of contending for my prey I decided to confront the barkeep and make a request. He wasn’t too receptive to my inquiry, saying something about ‘stealing drinks’ so I took a page from Mareiavelli’s The Prince and simply turned him into another contender, defeating him with not so much as an afterthought. I didn’t take a souvenir from him, why would I? I wasn’t proud of that win, it was cold, quick, easy, and worst of all; boring!

I took my newly aquired prize to a nice quiet little corner of this boisterous little soiree. I nursed it. I nursed it for a good long while some silly, not including me, nonsense happened on the other side of the party.

I couldn’t be bothered. I heard my name though. That was probably not a good sign, a call for a search party and/or an angry mob. I couldn’t have that. My fun couldn’t be routed at this point. No, it truly hadn’t even begun.

What kind of monster would mess with the most shy, most innocent ponies in a room? Well... ~I would!~

My next victims had decided to provoke me with the simple act of ignoring me... CAN YOU BELIEVE THE AUDACITY OF THAT?!

Such trespasses couldn’t possibly be ignored!

I just had to ruin their little cutesy~wootsy little awkward session in my own way. Like a surgeon, my movements were swift, precise, and effective.

He knew I was coming, I told him it was coming, but there was nothing he could to stop it.

From comfortable and awkward, to naked, shivering, and more awkward in… let’s say about 10, no, 15 seconds.

There may have been an exclamation of anger; I say ‘may have’ because I was no longer near them when they even noticed what had actually happened.

These fools almost make it too e-OOF!

The air was knocked out of me, as my mystery assailant brought me to the ground.

“Now see hear! I obtained all those items legitimately! And furthermore... oh hey, it’s you.”

The overly pink mare of my fantasies, well, just that one with the socks and the giant lizard monster, was lording over me with a confused look on her face. She began to pull at my face as if I were some sort of clay to be molded.

“Prinkie, what are you doinnng? PINKIE, STOP!” Her hooves slowly retracted, but not far. They still hovered over my face, ready to continue sculpting, as she puckered her face in determination.

“You’re not Satin! What did you do with him!?! You bring him back right now!” She exclaimed angrily, as she brought her hooves down forcefully on either side of my head.

My eyes grew wide at her horrible accusation. How had she known? I bet it was that goody two shoes, Rikky. His little, fiery tail end will be mine later. I’m thinking perhaps a caper involving an anvil, a bottle of beer, and a giant X painted on the ground... No, no, no, I need to get more personal than that. He likes that orange one well enough, it would be a shame if she was tied to the train tracks... Oh, but then I would need to get a black cloak and a top hat, then I would need to grow out a mustache, and Celestia knows how terrible I look with one of those and... I’ve been inside my head for about a solid minute now haven’t I?

My gaze shifted back towards the angered mare as she let out huff.

Think of something, fast!

I searched the inner reaches of my mind to come up with a proper response. “And how would you even know who Satin is?” Good job brain. No prob.

Her face screwed up even further into confusion. Getting a little creepy here...

“I mean, it’s my first time in this town and all...” My voice wavered with a bit of uncertainty.

There was an audible pop and her smile returned to her face as everything straightened itself out, much to my relief. “But you’ve been here before! I should know! I never forget a pony!” She announced proudly.

It was my turn to be baffled, “When was I...” She opened her mouth to respond, but I cut her off. “No! Don’t tell me, I have something for this!”

I quickly scooted myself out from under her and sat down in front of her. I smiled as I brought out my journal. “Now lets see...” I opened the foreboding tome and quickly began to flick through the pages, “Is this... the town that I liberated from those bossy giraffes?” She shook her head vigorously in response. “How about...” I flicked through the battered pages. “The town that tried to use me as a magical battery? No, that’s not right. That was in Zebra Country. Hmmmmm.” She opened her mouth. “No, no, no! No hints! Oh no... this isn’t the town with *gulp* Bronze Shell?” My eyes became distraught as I looked to Pinkie hopefully.

“Nope! Never met a pony named that.” Her smile reassured me that that crisis was avoided.

I picked up my journal as I turned it and my head to the side. “Well...” A crisp, well taken care of picture fell from the middle of the of it and slowly floated in between finally landing gently closer to Pinkie.

She picked it up and began laughing. I’m not talking about a chuckle, this was a full on laugh. A full on belly laugh with even the occasional snort, and it was much louder than everything else in the room combined. The rest of the bakery became silent as she fell back and rolled around on the ground, still guffawing.

All eyes turned on us... as well as those of my competitors, I’m sure. Fly, you fool!

I grabbed my journal and turned my tail to run when I heard a mostly feminine voice carry itself over the room. “What’s so funny, Pinkie?”

A cyan pegasus jumped into the air and flew over to us. To run or not to run, the pink one still has my picture... Lets try to get it, and then teleport away, I’m thinking somewhere sunny this time, like the kitchen. I don’t think I’ve wronged her in anyway... well... yet. Just be cool. I turned back around and threw on big cheesy grin and bided my time.

Pinkie tried to stifle her giggles as the new mare looked from her to me, and then back again. Pinkie calmed down a bit before reaching over to this mystery mare and pulling her close, before holding out the picture in front of both of them. I braced myself. What could it possibly be? I haven’t done anything too embarrassing in my life. I mean, there was that one time... and that other time with the catapult... OH SWEET CELESTIA, I HAVE TO GET THAT PICTURE BACK!

The blue... well, not as blue as me, but still fairly blue, mare looked at the picture and then to me. Her eyes began to narrow in... it kinda looked like anger. Maybe?

“Look, I can explain, Mister-” I was rather rudely cut off... by a hoof to my jaw...

I caught some air with the power behind that hoof of might, I hit the floor and slid into the wall. It was painful, but not nearly as painful as when the 50 pound sack of flour then fell on my head. It’s a lot less funny when the sack isn’t open. Anyway, goodnight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ryku: Problem Solved~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At that moment, I had a huge grin on my face. “So. Think he’s dead?” I asked both AJ and Crystal while trying to keep from laughing.

“No. Our luck isn’t THAT good...” Crystal said with a sigh and then a short chuckle.

“Don’t y’all think we should see if he’s alright?” Applejack asked.

Both Crystal and I just deadpanned and stared at her.

“What? Ah want mah hat back...” She said sheepishly.

And then we laughed. “I suppose you’re right,” I said with a smile, “So let’s go ‘check’ on him.”

The three of us, along with a few other party-goers, moved in on the unconscious blue unicorn in the corner. I took a good look at the sad stallion in front of me. I couldn’t list all of the things he was wearing, but I could see some. I saw AJ’s hat, Crystal’s Hat, Big Mac’s yoke, a few pairs of sunglasses, some nice-looking boots, a pearl necklace, Dex’s hoodie... wait, how the hay’d he manage that?!

“Wait a minute, how’d he get my hoodie?!” I heard a familiar voice in the background say.

Get out of my head, Dex...

Ponies began to start tearing the stolen items from the limp unicorn... the hats came first... then a posh, royal-looking white unicorn with a deep purple mane walked up with a look of horror, and took the boots and pearl necklace off of him before trotting away... Three very angry-looking stallions in leather jackets walked up and took the sunglasses... Big Mac’ took his yoke without so much as a word... and finally, Dex removed his hoodie with quite a bit of difficulty.

“Seriously, how did he take this when I was wearing it?!” The crimson pegasus said with a twisted look of confusion before walking away.

I sat there and stared at Satin with a grin bigger than any I’d had before. FINALLY! I’m not the one on the receiving end of all the humiliation! I looked again, and noticed something out of place. Uh... why does he still have a fez on his head...? Then again... where’d he even GET a fez...? WHO THE HAY EVEN WEARS A FEZ?!

After everypony had gotten their belongings, the party began thinning out. It was going on midnight, and the party was coming to a close. AJ, Crystal and I said our goodnights, and I told Applejack I’d be at the farm later. Then they left. I shrugged off my confusion at the sight of the fez again, and then something hit me. Wait... what was that piece of paper Pinkie was holdin’ that Satin dropped? I looked over and saw the Pink mare still sitting with her chromatic-maned friend near the bar. Curiosity got the better of me, and I walked over to her. Apparently, I walked into a very serious conversation.

“...I am NOT a guy! AND I’M NOT GAY! Why does everypony think that?!” The blue pegasus cried, taking a gulp of a drink in front of her.

Pinkie patted her back. “It’s okay, Dashie! Everypony can get confused sometimes! Look at me! I thought you were a stallion when I first met you for about a month!” She smiled.

The other mare’s head hit the bar. Hard. “Ugh... thanks, Pinkie... I think...”

It was at this point that I decided to cut in. The hyperactive pink mare had done enough damage. “Um... Hello, there?” I said cautiously. The blue mare had a mean right hook.

They both looked at me. One with a smile, one with a glare. “What do you want?” The angry pony said.

I took a step back. “J-just lookin’ for somethin’ is all! A-are you alright, miss?”

“Yeah... I’m fine. Just sick of being mistaken as a guy. The name’s Rainbow Dash. What’s your’s... oh, wait. You were the one that got into that argument earlier. Ryku, was it?” She said with a smirk.

My apprehension turned into embarrassment. “Heh... yeah... that was me... and it’s nice to meet you! And as for you, Pinkie. Thanks for the great welcome party! But I do have a favor to ask.”

Pinkie’s smile grew into a near face-splitting grin. “Of course! What do you need?” She said happily.

“What was that piece of paper that Satin dropped earlier?” I stated rather bluntly.

Pinkie began laughing again and Rainbow looked away with a sour scowl.

“Oh, you don’t want to see that! It’ll make you question everything you know about him!” Pinkie said between laughs.

“Well, I already do that everytime I see the guy. So, what is it?” I said, now even more interested.

Pinkie stopped and calmed herself a little. “Well, alright! You asked for it!” She hoofed me the paper, and on it was an image. It was of Satin... and... just... wow... I couldn’t even believe my eyes. When I saw THAT creature in the same image as SATIN... I couldn’t control it. I hit the floor, laughing harder than I could stand. I shouldn’t be laughing at it, but... just, WHAT THE ACTUAL BUCK?!

I shot up. “Nice to meet you, Miss Dash! Thanks, Pinkie!” With that, a darted back over to where Satin was just starting to wake up. I can’t wait to hear his explanation for THIS!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Satin the Dreamweaver~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Satin, in a dream~

There was a town, I remember it from a while back. It was truly beautiful in it’s own right, and truly unique to boot. I had come there at a beautiful time of the year; the weather was wonderful most of time, and even when it rained, it made you smile. The days I spent there seemed to speed by at an unnatural rate, I was having so much fun. I met one of my dearest friends there. He was wonderful! He knew how to have fun and enjoy himself. When we met, there was an instant connection. No, not in the relationship sort of way. Just friends, and wonderful ones at that. Those were some wonderful days, we spent our valued time together: we swam, we drank a bit, and we amused ourselves. Oh did we amuse ourselves. I remember this one time, he created an entire ice sculpture of a manticore... well, I can’t really say what it was doing, but it made me laugh so hard.

Occasionally, he’d have to go do something, so I was left to my own devices. Which really wasn’t a problem, this town was fun! The wildlife was interesting and mostly tame, the food was fairly good and mostly sweet, and the town had a nice skate park running straight outside of town.

Then there was that day that... wasn’t as much fun. Not only did my one and only friend in town have to go off for some big important something or other, but I had made my way to what looked like a nature preserve on the outskirts of town and was assaulted. THAT’S RIGHT, ASSAULTED, by the meanest mare I have ever met. I never even stood a chance, she knocked my flank out. When I woke up... I was transported to some other town entirely... and I never saw my best friend ever again. I ran out of that town and went to try and find the other one, but I never did. It’s truly my greatest failure in my life...

I slowly woke up to some arrogant prick staring at me and grinning.

“Yes? Can I help you?” I said slowly and methodically.

“HAY YEAH! What’s with this picture, Satin?!” A very excited Rikky asked.

In his hoof, was a picture of me and my best friend in the town from my dream, having fun and riding some of the biggest bunnies I’ve ever seen, while high fiving (one hoof plus four claws).

*Sigh*

“I sure do miss Discord...”

Rikky started laughing and dropped the photo. I picked it up and slipped it under my... fez... I wear a fez now, and then galloped out of Sugarcube Corner while my friend was distracted.

I will find you again, I promise. The errant thought passed through my head as I braved the now dark streets, with Rikky’s laughs following me as I went.

Chapter 6 - The Work Week

THE WORK WEEK

Dex- Monday

The day started off relatively normal. The sun rose, and the roosters called waking everyone up, and the sound of the bustling early risers could be heard throughout town .I am not, nor have ever been a morning pony. I tossed in my bed, shielding the light and sound from myself and began to curse small town life. Then all the 'fun' came flooding back in. The welcome party, the gig, even the cute buttercup mare that keeps bumping into me, heck even hanging out with Satin to a degree.

After getting over the hangover from staying up as late as we did, partying with Pinkie and the new friends we had made, I took a deep breath and trotted out into the bright morning sunlight, wincing as it hit my eyes, “Ah, damn the morning sun and its ability to blind one after being indoors for a long amount of time!”

Okay then, today is the day I must find a side-job and hopefully avoid Satin. I thought to myself as I looked around the town for any sign of one of those ‘help wanted’ signs.

I walked through town searching for anything that could help bring this boring hunt to a closer end, and soon enough my eyes wandered back towards Sugar Cube Corner and its overly elaborate hanging sign, swaying gently in the breeze above the window. I tried to read what it said and immediately bumped into somepony, before I said a thing, I heard a small nervous female voice say, “Hi Dex.” Those two words were punctuated with a small squeak.

“Oh, Hi Fluttershy,” I said with a nervous smile. “Hey uh, sorry about last night with... ugh... Satin and his thieving antics...”

“Oh. That’s okay.” She said hoofing at the ground, trying her best not to make eye contact.

I decided to try and break the ice a little bit by making small talk. After all, watching her just bore holes into the floor was making me me just as nervous as she was. “So, did you see us play?”

She waited a moment, as if gathering herself, and swallowed. “Y-yes... You were... good.”

For a moment, I just looked straight at her. “Only... good?” It was hard to read her expression when her mane was covering most of her face.

Once again she began glaring at the ground. “It’s just not my thing. It was a bit too... loud.”

Well, at least she didn’t think it was bad...

I raised a hoof up to my chin in thought. “We have some acoustic songs if you’d prefer that?” I paused and stuttered, “N-not that I... Ugh... You know... if we play again, I hope you’ll come and...”

She looked up at me for the first time. It was nice to finally see her face, and for the first time, a genuine, gentle smile. I think it eased her nerves to know that I was almost as nervous as she was in this situation.

“Yes, I’d love to.” Was all she said in response.

Sighing and smiling back at her, I nodded and glanced once again down the street. “Hey, I got to go. I have to get a side-job and keep my eye out for the blue psycho.” I said, beginning to walk away.

“Oh, okay... I guess I’ll see you later...” She said, waving goodbye.

Phew, hopefully I won’t run into her again for a while. Maybe I should make sure to be more... composed next time we meet. I said to myself as I walked towards Sugar Cube Corner. On my way towards the pastry shop, I was finally able to decipher the sign I couldn’t read earlier.

The neon-colored sign said ‘Help Wanted’. I smiled and walked through the door, and as I passed the threshold, a small bell rang over head. A few moments later a voice called from the back room. “Hello! Welcome to the Sugar Cube Corner!”

“Uh, thanks.” I called back.

After a moment, a light blue mare wearing an apron walked through the door and stood behind the counter. She looked up and smiled, “Hello there, Mr. Redheart. How may I help you today?”

“Um, hi... I don’t believe we’ve met, so I take it you know my name from when my band and I played here last night.” I said smiling.

“Oh my. I forgot to introduce myself the other night. I’m Cup Cake and my husband is Carrot Cake, we own Sugar Cube Corner.” She said with a nod. “Now, how may I help you today?”

“Well, Mrs. Cake, I was looking for a side-job around town and I saw the sign.” I pointed towards the neon pink sign hanging in the window, “So I was wondering if I could get a job here?”

Mrs. Cake’s face lit up with joy, “You want to work here at our bakery?”

“Yeah, so when can I start?” I asked, with an enthusiastic smile.

She looked me over with a hoof up to her chin. “Well, have you ever worked in a bakery before?”

“Uh, no not really. I did spend a lot of time at a younger age with my mother, who constantly baked though. I might have picked up some of the expertise from her.”

“Well... okay. We really do need the help, so you can start tomorrow. We are in the middle of baking a huge order for Miss. Cheerilee as a surprise for her class, so we can’t really train you today.” Mrs. Cake said, with a sigh.

“Okay, thanks for the job Mrs. Cake, I’ll see you tomorrow.” I walked out of the bakery with a joyful smile on my face, but not before I stopped at turned back around. “What time do you want me here?”

Cup looked up from the counter, surprised and said, “Right, 6 A.M.”

And as soon as she’d finished speaking, I turned back around and continued on my way out the door.

What to do now...? My stomach growled and I realized what my next stop should be.

It was a little tricky to find a food place, seeing as I was new to Ponyville and I didn’t quite know my way around yet. And it dug at me even more, seeing as I could still smell the sweet odor of cakes from Sugar Cube Corner drifting around my nostrils.

It took sacrificing a small amount of pride before I finally asked a random passerby for directions, and luckily enough, he pointed off down another road I hadn’t seen before and continued on his way. One short walk later, and I found myself outside a quaint looking cafe.

Making my way inside, I walked over to the front desk and grabbed a menu, I then sat down waiting to get my order taken. Soon enough, a waiter showed up. He wore a tuxedo and a fez... and... it was Satin.

Damnit!

“And what can I get you... Dexxy! Hey, wassup buddy!?” Satin announced happily.

I sighed, “Hey Satin... I guess I’ll have a sunflower and daisy sandwich with a side of hay fries.”

“You don’t want that! You gotta go for the cucumber sandwich! We just got a whole crate of them fresh today!” Satin offered with a suspicious smile.

“Fine, I’ll go with a cucumber, lettuce, and tomato sandwich with a side of hay fries and a dandelion shake.” I said, knowing something was bound to go wrong.

“A dandelion shake? Really? What are you... Nevermind. They told me to stop berating the customers on their orders. Coming right up!” Satin exclaimed as he bounded away.

If he ever walks into the bakery, I’ll be sure to screw up whatever he orders. Knowing him, he’s going to screw up mine. I thought to myself as my fez-wearing unicorn friend bounced off.

I sat there for about an hour thinking about my new job and some possible lyrics for later songs. Hmmm... No, no, no, too many rhymes. Then again, we are an alternative band... ...hm, perhaps a sad song... a short, quiet song. Speaking of quiet, that mare that I keep bumping into is pretty cute, but I shouldn’t think about her like that... we just met. I deadpanned and facehoofed, “Ugh, this town is just full of surprises.” I said to myself, remembering all the weird and ridiculous things that happened the day before.

Speaking of weird and ridiculous... My stomach growled and I looked around for Satin and his fez. It had been about an hour and a half since he bounded off to the kitchen.

Another ten minutes passed and I was still sitting there waiting for my order, “For Celestia sake, where is that crazy blue unicorn with my order?”

After another minute passed, Satin appeared, wearing his waiter’s outfit and fez, his outfit was covered in crumbs and he had his usual goofy smile on. Yeah, I’m going to make sure the first order he puts in at Sugar Cube Corner is going to be devoured or simply so bucked up, he’s going to never order there again.

Satin strolled up to my table and set down a plate with a half of a sandwich and a half-empty shake, “Annnnnnd you had the cucumber sandwich and the dandelion shake.”

I looked at Satin fire in my eyes, “You made me sit here for longer than the usual wait time just to bring me a half-eaten sandwich and half-empty shake?”

He began to rub his chin inquisitively, “I don’t see your point...”

I glared at him, “Dude, you ate my sandwich and drank my shake. What don’t you understand!”

He shrugged, “Your point, am I missing something or what?”

I bolted from my chair, flames ignited in my eyes, “I will...!”

I simmered down and took a step back, “Forget it, you’re not worth it.” I trotted out of the cafe and headed toward the apartment.

Once at home, I sat in my bed and stared up at the ceiling thinking to myself, That was close, nearly gave away a small part of my ancestry I do not want to share with anypony.

I turned over in my bed and drifted off into a pleasant sleep, Rest is what I need, it’s plain and simple. No secrets to accidentally give away and no worrying about any blue unicorns or beautiful canary colored mares. and with that I was out cold for a little while at least.

An hour had passed since I fell asleep, I knew this because when I opened my eyes the sun had sunk only a few degrees to the west. What woke me up was the sound of my excitable bass playing friend, Wham, had ran into the house screaming something about a concert and a drunk drummer.

What is he on about? I sat up in bed just as Wham burst through my bedroom door.

“Dex! We’ve got a problem!” Wham screamed, his breathing heavy as if he had been sprinting for a long time.

“What’s wrong Wham? Did Stixx drink too much again?” I said, half asleep.

Wham nodded, “That and he sort of said something about a concert and everypony in the bar jumped for joy!”

“Stop screaming, sounds like we don’t have a choice but to play a small concert at the bar.” I said, standing up and grabbing some equipment from the band room. “May as well grab some equipment Wham, looks like we got ourselves some music to play.”

After we got to the bar, I noticed a large crowd behind it. I walked with Wham to the back of the bar to find a makeshift stage set up for us, and standing on stage was Rip and Stixx.

Rip was holding a flustered Stixx, and Stixx was babbling on about a blue monkey wearing a fez.

I chuckled and approached the stage with all our equipment, “So I take it somepony was tormenting our poor Drumstixx so he decided to do something really stupid?”

Rip nodded, “Looks like it. Stixx are you ready to play?”

“Of course, haven’t I always been ready to rock when I’m drunk?” He chimed in.

“Wait, who made you angry enough to want to chug about six hard apple ciders and beat on your drums?” I asked, wondering if Satin was in play.

Rip pointed to the front of the crowd and of course my suspicions were correct, there in the middle of the front row was our blue fez wearing friend Satin. “How did I know it was his fault... Nevermind, let’s just get this set up and play.”

We all shrugged and set up our equipment. Once we set everything up we immediately grabbed our instruments and gave a quick intro, “Hello everypony, we’re The Lost Cause, and we’re here to rock your world!”

“Let’s get the party started!” (Song!)

After playing a few songs, the sun had set and the real fun began, “Wham! Hit the lights!”

Wham hit the stage lights and the crowd was instantly illuminated. Fog machines must have been set up backstage, because fog had flowed in around our hooves.

“Alright, I want to see everypony jumping.”

The crowd went wild and jumped out their seats, we played a few more songs that night and felt the adrenaline rush pass once the static from the crowd had died.

“Thank you everypony, that’s it for us tonight. I got to get some sleep if I’m going to get to my first job on time, you guys were an amazing crowd and I’d like to thank my interesting blue friend here in the front for bringing my day back from the grave.” I pointed at Satin and mouthed a thanks, before trotting off stage with the band to get our wagon ready to haul our equipment back home and sleep until we had to get to work.

Torque the Orc - Tuesday

So, you would think that having the entire town attending a Pinkie party would make them really tired, but apparently, that was not the case. The club was absolutely swamped last night, and the energy of the crowd was stunning. The place was packed until some ridiculous hour of the morning, and there were still some patrons sitting at the bar when I passed out from exhaustion.

I awoke with a start as there was a screech of feedback from the speakers nearest my head. I quickly established that I had fallen asleep on stage, seeing as how I was currently lying on the floor of it. When the ringing in my ears stopped, I quickly assessed the scene before me.

The crowd was high energy, yes, but apparently they were also litterbugs. I got up and flapped to the dance floor to get a closer look.

Club Pon-3 was a mess. The dance floor was covered in a sheen of... Celestia knows what. Strewn about the place were discarded glow sticks, tissue paper, glitter, a couple broken glasses, a few empty tubes of glow in the dark paint, one or two jackets, a dozen or so pairs of glasses, some strips of torn fabric... and some... more risque articles of clothing. I sighed loudly, rubbing my temple as I felt the headache beginning to emerge, knowing that I’d have to clean up. Today the club was closed, and therefore nopony was here aside from me.

I clenched my jaw slightly, realizing that both Bachus and Crystal left me here to clean up. I’d have to give them a talking to about common courtesy when I saw them next, but that wasn’t important at the moment. I had to clean this place up and make it look at least somewhat presentable before I faced the day.

“Well, no use standing around,” I said aloud, to literally nopony but myself. I flew over to the office, unlocking the door, setting down my shades and headphones, and retrieving what cleaning supplies I could find. There weren’t many; a broom, a mop, a bucket, and ammonia. I again sighed, feeling the headache becoming more prominent.

Not very many supplies to work with... whatever. I looked back at the wasteland that was the dance floor, and attempted to figure out a plan of attack. There were far too many loose objects to sweep, and the floor wasn’t clear, so I couldn’t mop.

“Guess it’s trash sweep time,” I mumbled under my breath. I looped the bucket handle around my foreleg and flew over to the nearest piece of trash. I shuddered a bit as I realized that, without unicorn magic, I would have to pick up all the trash with my mouth. With a shaky breath, I gingerly lifted the spent paint tube off the floor, gagging slightly as it peeled off the sticky surface. I dropped the item into the bucket, then looked around me with a shaky sigh.

This was going to bite. But then a brief moment of joy came to me as I realized that I could be listening to music while doing this. I set the bucket down and flew up to the stage. I flipped the power switch on the mixing board, only to realize that it was still on. I groaned inwardly, turning the volume down slightly, and placing one of my favorite records on the table, setting the needle down. The music rang out clear as day, but not impossibly loud. With a smirk, and then a sigh of depression, I returned to the realm of grossness.

I proceeded to go around the dance floor, peeling item after vile item from the floor, trying desperately to not throw up. The easiest and least painful objects to remove were the jackets and the glasses. The most disgusting things were the glow sticks... and the, well, articles, of clothing. The glow sticks were practically glued to the floor, and the articles... were not clean, and smelled of sweat, musk, and... other things. I had to change records twice, and I finally had gotten most of the trash off the floor. What was left was the broken glass, and some of the smaller things, like tissue paper and glitter.

I dragged the bucket of debris out back to the dumpster and hefted it up into the waste box, emptying its contents into it. With a huff, I blew my red and silver bangs out of my face, and trotted back inside. I set the bucket down, changed the record, and assessed the dance floor. It looked much better, but the unknown sheen and the other small bits of trash were still there. I looked at the broom with bitter hatred, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to use it easily.

After fighting with many ways of holding the broom, I decided that clutching it with my forelegs whilst hovering above the floor was the most effective way, and proceeded to sweep the area, piling the debris into the corner, off the dance floor, next to the bucket. With no observable way of disposing of the pile, I opted to leave it for Crystal to take care of. Mopping was easy, I filled the bucket with water and ammonia, and wiped the whole floor down, using the same technique as I did with the broom. The smell was nauseating, but the club finally looked clean...er. With a final sigh of exhaustion, I turned off the sound system, returned the cleaning supplies, retrieved my shades and headphones, and locked up.

I took a deep breath of the crisp, clean air, letting it out slowly.

“Sweet Celestia that was awful. At least it’s a nice day out, I’ll go and fly around town.” With that, I took to the skies, relishing in the feeling of spreading my wings and having the cool breeze ruffle each and every feather. I didn’t get to indulge myself in this too often, being trapped behind a mix table for most of my free time. This was my first real chance to really let loose and enjoy the day.

The club was closed tonight, I didn’t have any performances to go to, no parties I was invited to, no plans. Just a day off. I couldn’t help but laugh like a little colt, I just felt so giddy. Maybe it was because I was cooped up inside the club cleaning for 3 hours, maybe it was just the weather, or maybe I was finally coming to terms with this town, finally getting the peace I needed from all the hecticness of the Wonderbolts.

I didn’t know, but I also didn’t care. I just flew around the town, greeting anypony and everypony I met. I even saw one grey pegasus that flew about, dropping letters from her saddle bag as she went, and I couldn’t help but smile and laugh. It was different, me being so lively, but I couldn’t stop. I was loving every moment of it.

I flew past the big tree library, where the little dragon and the purple unicorn with the pink stripe in her mane were leaving. The mare was leading and talking up a storm, while the dragon walked behind her, quill in hand and long scroll trailing behind him. She smiled and said hello, and something made me land next to the mare. I had to know who they were.

“Hi there. My name’s Fr-...”

“Freq Torque, the new DJ in town. I know who you are, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is my #1 assistant, Spike,” the mare said cheerfully, gesturing towards the dragon behind her. At the sound of his name, he looked up and smiled at me, waving with the quill still in claw.

“Hiya Freq! Nice to meet you! I hear you’re really good, it’s all Twilight ever talks ab-mmph!” He began, only to have his lips magically zipped shut by Twilight. I smiled and laughed.

“Please, call me Torque, and I’m glad I finally got to meet you both,” I said with a cheerful giggle. Twilight then ushered Spike to follow her.

“I’m glad we finally met too, but we are really busy, gotta keep to the list! So we have to get going, so see you later! Oh yeah, and loved your live set last night, I really could feel the emotional power behind the music, can’t wait for your next one! Bye!” And with that, she trotted away, leaving a very irked Spike behind to contemplate what he just heard.

“SPIKE LET’S GO!” She shouted, as he snapped out of his thoughts and ran to catch up with her. I couldn’t help but feel intrigued by the strange display that just happened before me.

Such a organized pony, but she came to and enjoyed my live set last night... interesting. I shrugged and took to the skies again, passing by the school and waving at all the fillies and colts as classes ended for the day. They all waved back, three in particular waving extra hard and shouting something to the skies, but I couldn’t pick it out amongst the shrieks of joy and laughter of the little ponies. I chuckled a bit, passing by more ponies in the streets.

As I passed by this carousel shaped building, the only thing I could hear from the inside was panicked ramblings and rapid hoofsteps. I laughed at how ridiculous it sounded, and flew towards the apple orchards. As I flew overhead, I saw three ponies with an apple cart walking towards the orchard, a mare with a brown stetson that I recognized from Pinkie’s party two nights ago, a big red stallion who was pulling the cart, and that fiery maned stallion, the newcomer like me. They seemed really in deep conversation, so I just waved, and they waved back. The orchards were expansive, and beautiful, the apple trees filled with shiny red, yellow, and green apples. My stomach grumbled, and I concluded that just one apple, one of the okay looking ones, wouldn’t hurt, at least not as much as taking one of the gorgeous ones. After I ate the consumable parts of the apple, I set the remains under a tree, to provide food for the other creatures. My hunger satiated, I turned back to the town, seeing the setting sun before me.

I felt slightly saddened as I watched the sky redden, knowing that the wonderful day was coming to an end. I began to fly slowly back to the town, solemnly reflecting upon the day and how it had gone. As the sun sank lower, I saw a brief flash of rainbow off the edge of town, followed by a faint giddy laugh. I smiled slightly, remembering that feeling of being free from earlier today. I flew over Club Pon-3, slowly making my way to where the rainbow blur had appeared, my destination not entirely known.

The sun was now but a sliver of red on the horizon, the deep blue blackness of night beginning to show through the sunset. As the sun finally slipped out of sight behind the mountains, the coolness of the night settled in. I found a nice cloud to lay on, and flopped down atop it with a melancholy sigh, my bracelets clinking slightly with the sudden jolt. I raised my shades onto my forehead and looked up at the multitude of stars that flecked the night sky with white, much like glitter on a dance floor. I smirked as I thought back to cleaning the club, wondering if that really was just this morning. This day had been so great, that time had lost it’s meaning, stopped being linear, and things just kind of happened on their own accord.

I inhaled deeply through my nose, the cooler night air cutting deep into my throat and lungs, sending chills along my entire body. As I exhaled, my breath became visible, a slight mist of steam extending from my mouth and reaching as far as it could into the crisp night sky. The moon was now beginning to rise, creating a poetic blanket of darkness on the stars and illuminating the landscape. Princess Luna’s nights had always been my favorite, as I thrived after hours, and adored the stellar beauty of the night sky. Tonight, the Princess had done an absolutely magnificent job with creating the night, the best I had ever seen.

I began to cry, a few tears creeping down my face and onto the cloud beneath me. At first they were just tears drawn by the sheer beauty of the night, but then they began to have more potent sources. I thought about my previous job, and how much I missed the company of Spitfire and Fleetfoot, Soarin’ and Rapidfire, and all the others, but most prominently Spitfire. She was my closest and dearest friend, we got along so well, told jokes, pulled pranks, and laughed. She was my biggest fan and I hers. And she was the one who had to let me go. I couldn’t imagine how hard that must have been for her, and that pain must have doubled when she saw how defeated I was. But even after all that, she showed that she was a true friend and told me about this place.

This place.

The tears got more copious as I thought about how much this place has done for me. I arrived a broken pegasus, lost and alone, and within the first day, I had a job, met two fans of mine, and made three new friends, Dex, Bachus, and Crystal. They all accepted me for who I was, not just my name. Crystal especially took me under her wing. She’s my boss, but she understood where I had come from, and offered me a place to stay. I declined, but only out of pride, and yet she held the offer open, any time, day or night. I also met somepony else that day, Satin, the alcoholic unicorn, who destroyed me in a drinking contest, but had a heart in the right place. The following day, I was invited to a party, just for being newcomers, and met another newcomer, Ryku, who seemed to know Satin I also met this pony named Kairo. They all had their quirks, but they all came to the party. The party had the whole town there, and this pink pony Pinkie Pie put the whole thing on. Kairo... well, he left that night, and I haven’t seen him since. I think he left, which is sad, but maybe he needed to get away from it all. At the party, everypony wanted to hear me DJ, which touched me more than words can describe, that everypony accepted me for who I am. It all made me... feel loved.

At this, the tears poured down, starting to soak the cloud. Made me feel loved. Treated me like family. I realized that what happened here in Ponyville, was really the first situation where I was part of a family. My parents were never happy, they always fought, even in front of my brother and I, they just never stopped. Being the older brother, I tried to protect him from the hostility of my parents, but it would always find some way to get to him. I remember that day we got the family portrait taken, I’ll never forget it. That was the last time our whole family would be together. In the picture, we were all smiling, so it looked happy, but mom’s eyes were filled with tears, dad’s muscles were tensed, and my brother’s hind legs were in severe pain. Myself... I was lost. I didn’t know what to do. Just before that picture was taken, mom and dad got into an argument, and dad lost control. He took it out on my little brother, Treble, and bucked his hind legs when his back was turned. Mom shrieked in horror, and that was the last thing I heard her say. The picture was taken 30 minutes later, and we got into the taxi home. My brother and I had school, and my parents had to work. It was dead silent the whole time, until dad said one thing.

“I want a divorce.”

That was the last thing I ever heard from dad. When the taxi dropped us off at school, I helped Treble out, who was trying to look tough, but was in obvious pain. I looked back at mom, and a single tear fell from her eyes. Then the taxi left, heading for the Weather Factory. I watched the whole thing happen not 30 yards from me. There was loud scream of rage, a sickening snap, and I watched dad’s body get launched from the taxi, lifeless and limp, followed by mom’s, but she had a serene smile on her face and she hugged her wings against her body, and they both plummeted to the ground below. I looked away before they hit the earth. Ever since then, my brother has never spoken. I had to be the strong one, be the parent, for Treble. Then, when he was old enough, he got a job at the Weather Factory making clouds, and I met Spitfire. I haven’t heard from Treble in 5 years.

The tears stopped, and I sat on my haunches, looking up at the Princess’s moon, and how big it was, and how small it made me feel. I realize now that mom did it for all of us, and to relieve all her sorrow. Now, being in this town, has made me realize that taking the job at the club was me taking that plummet. It was my way of relieving my sorrows. I smiled and laughed gently.

“Thanks mom, for everything.” I felt my heartache go away as I said that, as though I had finally mended a great wound, and it was now healing. I knew this would change everything, and I was no longer afraid of the unknown. But there was one last thing that I had to do. One more wound to mend, before I could be completely at inner peace with myself.

I took a shaky breath in, savored in the cool bite of the night air, and softly exhaled, expelling all of my sorrows and wounds in a misty fog. I rolled off the cloud and flew silently to the club. I walked into the office, grabbed a pen and paper, and started to write.

My Dearest Brother, Treble Run,

I know it’s been a long time, but...

I love you, and I miss you.

And I know mom misses you too.

You were always her favorite.

She did it for us, you know?

And for herself...

You need to understand...

What she did...

She did out of her love for us.

She wanted to protect us...

From everything she could.

And if you miss somepony...

Just remember this:

We all look at the same moon.

Your Loving Brother,

Freq Torque.

I shed one single tear, hitting the paper right beside my name, and I smiled. Now everything was resolved, and I wouldn’t hold onto the sorrow any longer. I folded it, sealed it with the club admission stamp, put everything away, and walked to the post office. I held the letter delicately in my mouth, as though it were a newborn foal, and stared up at the moon. When I neared the post office, the mailbox was in plain sight. However, upon reaching the mailbox, I noticed something... strange.

The mailbox had a fez sitting atop it.

I walked up and peered into the slot.

“Hey Torque, got some mail for me to deliver?”

Ryku - Wednesday

I slowly opened my eyes. My joints were aching from the apple bucking I had done the past two days. I got out of the guest bed the Apples had been letting me use and stretched my limbs out. Ouch... man, I’m sore. Well, at least AJ said I could have cart sales duty today... that should be a bit easier on me until I get more used to the labor.

Suddenly, I noticed two bright peach eyes and the little filly they were attached to, staring at me through the open doorway. It was AJ’s little sister, Apple Bloom. I’d seen and said a word or two to her here and there, but I’d never really talked to the filly.

“Um... good mornin’?” I said sleepily.

She then took on an annoyed look and huffed. “AJ sent me up here ta wake ya up. Don’t ya know what time it is, Mister?”

I looked at the clock. It read 5:45. I usually get up at 5:00. “Ah, pony feathers! Thanks, ‘Bloom!” I jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs to the kitchen, where AJ usually had breakfast ready. “AJ! Sorry I woke up so late! Let me just eat breakfast and I’ll...” I came to a complete stop at the entrance to the kitchen. “...be... ready... to work...”

Ah, crap. What’s HE doin’ here?! Actually, what’s he even doin’ up? This doesn’t bode well...

There, sitting at the breakfast table with a pancake in his mouth and a shit-eating grin on his face, was Satin. Complete with fez.

“...And to what do I owe this... unexpected visit, Satin?” I asked with obvious annoyance.

“Oh you know, in the neighborhood and I would never miss a chance to drop in on my best buddy Rikky!”

“At 5:50 in the morning? And it’s Ryku, damnit!” I half growled, half huffed.

Applejack, who had been listening from the other side of the table, took this opportunity to intervene. “Alright, ya’ll. Don’t start arguin’ this early in th’ mornin’, please. Ryku, Satin has asked me ta let ‘im have a go at the apple cart sales today. He said something about buckin’ apples bein’ more yer department, so Ah told ‘im he could try the cart job for the day to see how well he did. Would ya mind takin’ ‘im with ya so ya can show him th’ ropes, seein’ as ya were gonna take the cart today anyhow?”

“Thats right! You and me, braving the apple seller’s world together! I can only think of about 7 other ponies that I’d rather do it with!” He said, tearing into another pancake.

I face-hoofed and bit into a pancake of my own. Yep... this is gonna be a long day...

I finished my pancakes and looked up at AJ with a ‘do I haaaaave to?’ glance. She returned it with an ‘it won’t kill ya’ glare. I countered with a pleading ‘with Satin, it could!’ look, complete with quivering lip, but she finally beat me with a ‘Yer goin’ with ‘im, or yer buckin’ trees again today.’ deadpan. Damn it.

“Fine... I’ll go with him...” I said finally.

“Are you guys done looking longingly into each other’ eyes? ‘Cause I was under the impression it was go time!” Satin chipped in, sealing my fate.

I grumbled a little and headed for the door, with Satin close behind. I took one last look back at AJ before walking out, as she chuckled lightly to herself.

Once I had shut the door and made it about halfway to the barn, where the apple cart was, I sighed. “Why do you even want to work here? You HATE apples!” I asked while we walked.

“But I wouldn’t possibly miss a chance to work with you in a job that doesn’t have me doing physical labor all bucking day... heh heh heh.” He responded, laughing at his own joke.

I just sighed again and opened the barn door. walked over to the waiting cart, and harnessed myself to it, then waited for Satin to do the same. After a few minutes of waiting for the insufferable blue unicorn, I looked around, but couldn’t see him anywhere. “Satin? Where’d you go?”

“Onward mighty stallion! Hyah!” Satin then snapped at me from atop the cart with one of the ropes connecting me.

Ah, just go with it. I’ll get him back for it later... I thought as I slowly pulled the cart out of the barn and onto the dirt path to Ponyville.

“I’m really surprised nopony yelled at me for that whole ‘longingly gaze’ thing. You guys must be getting pretty serious then, huh?” Satin questioned with a smile.

Yep... it’s gonna be a LONG day... “Damn it... Satin...” I said under my breath as I continued down the road.

~later that day~

I was getting near the point where I just wanted to knock this blue bucking stallion out and be done with it. We’d been in town for nearly three hours, and I didn’t know there were THAT many ways to scare customers away. My head was currently laying my head on the apple stand with my foreleg over my eyes, brooding.

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away! Or longer depending on how hard you throw it!” Satin exclaimed from behind the stall. He sank back next to me, “This is going fantastically! I can’t believe how many apples we’ve sold!”

I looked back at the cart. We had sold maybe around two or three dozen apples. By now, we should have sold nearly ten times that. I looked back to Satin and gave him a weak, “Woohoo...”

“You, miss!” Satin pointed at a cream colored earth pony with a two toned purple and pink mane. “You look like you could use some juicy, and might I add spell-bindingly delicious apples!”

She turned to us and her eyes were as wide as saucers, “Oh sweet Celestia, not again!” She announced before taking off down the road.

“What do you think her problem is?” Satin said as he sat back down next to me.

“Satin, after what you’ve pulled around town? There’s no telling which thing she has a problem with...” I deadpanned, recalling not only Satin’s antics, but also the picture I’d seen at the party sunday night.

“I haven’t pulled anything too terrible yet...” He responded with a frown. “I know how we can make this more interesting!”

Interesting with him is usually bad... “Um... what did you have in mind...?” I asked hesitantly.

“Lets make a bet! Let’s see who can sell the most apples by the time we get off work! If I win, you have to help me take over the world!” He announced ecstatically.

I smirked devilishly. “Okay. And if I win, we both forget today ever happened and you go find a different job! Deal?”

“Oh you are so on! You will be my little minion and I will rule with hoof made of some type of metal or something!”

Okay. So my options are A. Win this thing and be rid of him... at least at work, or B. Let him win and watch him get arrested at some point in the near future by the Canterlot guards... I’m weighing my options...

“Then we have a deal. We have about two hours. Ready?” I asked excitedly.

He nodded, and separated the group of apples in the cart into two halves with a bit of telekinesis.

“Let’s do this!” I shouted as I took two basketfuls of apples and ran off into town.

It didn’t take long for me to get started once I was away from Satin. Back when I passed through Fillydelphia, I had taken a job as a door-to-door salespony, so I knew pretty much what I was going to do. I stopped at the first group I found, hid the apple baskets behind me, and started.

“Hello there! It’s a wonderful day, isn’t it?” I said, putting on the nicest smile I could muster.

One of the mares in the group turned to me and smiled. “Yes, I suppose it is.”

“You know what would be fantastic this time of year?” I asked happily. “Apple pie. Or apple strudel, apple crumble, or anything with apples, really! The crisp, sweet taste fits the fall weather, wouldn’t you say?”

Now I had the entire group’s attention. “Yeah, that does sound pretty good... I haven’t made apple pie in a while now! I wonder if the Apple family is selling today...” One of the said with interest.

I grinned. That was exactly what I wanted to hear. “Funny you should say that!” I said, pulling my baskets out from behind me. “I’m actually selling Sweet Apple Acres apples right now! And I’ve got more at the big cart just down the street. Want to check it out?” I beamed.

I got a bunch of nods and smiles and I led them back to the cart. They each bought two basketfuls a piece, and then left.

That was easy! Let’s take a look at how Satin’s side is doing...

To my chagrin, his side was already half empty.

Damn. I’d better pick up the pace... I didn’t think he’d be doing THAT well...

With that, I charged off to go search for more ponies to sell to.

I looked around, but none of the groups looked big enough to help me catch up. I looked over and saw a park bench near the center of the area. I galloped over to it, got on top of it, and shouted.

“Hello, ladies and gentlecolts! Who here would enjoy a nice apple tart, caramel apple, or just the sweet, crisp taste of an apple in the mornings for breakfast? Maybe after dinner or for a late night snack?” I watched as several ponies raised their hooves. “Well, come with me then! I have plenty of apples for all of you! And remember, Sweet Apple Acres apples are the best apples around!” I boasted, leading the large group of customers back to the apple cart. There, I sold basket after basket to the mob that had followed me. at 8 bits per basket and between 12 and 15 apples per basket, it was adding up quickly. Soon, I turned around and realized that I had exhausted my apple supply.

“I’m sorry, everypony, but it seems we’re all out of apples for the day...” I said with a disappointed look.

Some ponies grumbled and others nodded and walked away, leaving me to check and see how I’d done. I looked over to Satin’s side and got nervous. His side was empty too. I called out to him to see if he was nearby.

“Satin? Time’s up! Where are ya?” I said.

Suddenly I watched as the blue unicorn climbed out from under the apple cart.

“Yeeeeeeeeeeees?” He asked gleefully.

I deadpanned before speaking. “Time’s up. I sold mine. How’d you make out?”

“We started?” He said squinting against the sunlight.

“Yeah... two hours ago... so how many did you sell? Your side is empty.” I said, eyeing the drunken unicorn.

“Oh uhhh... none-ish? I took a nap, I mean I didn’t sleep a wink last night! Why do you think I was up at 5 am?” He said with a yawn.

I stared at him. “But... but... where’d all your apples go, then?”

“Well... I moved them to this side to block some glare from the sun that was getting all up in my napping business... so, I dunno.” He said as he rubbed his eyes.

“So... I sold... ALL the apples... in two hours... because you moved them into my side to block the sun?!?!” I shouted in disbelief.

“I guess? Good Job!” Satin responded with a smile. “And, I mean, come on! Did you really expect me to do anything?”

I facehoofed. I should have known he’d pull something like this. Well... at least he has to get a new job now... I thought, trying to look at the bright side. “Okay... well then. You still have to quit this job.” I said with confidence.

His ears drooped as his face turned into a mask of infinite sadness. “Oh... yeah.”

I looked at his sorrowful facade and shook my head. “Nope. A deal’s a deal. Now, we need to take the cart back to Applejack. We’ll get paid, and then I’m going to see if I can afford one of those apartments finally.”

He perked up a bit, “Oh yeah! Apartments! I wanted one of those! I can stop sleeping wherever I pass out!”

Please don’t let him get the apartment next to mine... I couldn’t handle it... I thought as I hitched my self to the cart, not even paying attention to Satin, who was in the cart again.

“You know Rik, you’re just about my best friend currently and I still don’t know a whole bunch about you. Like where you’re from or why ya have a fox on your tail end. Your special talent taking care of animals or something? Another thing, I’m a... let’s call it a drifter, by choice. Why you traveling all on your lonesome?” Satin thought aloud.

I sighed. I hated talking about my past, but... Satin doesn’t just let things go. “Okay. If it’ll shut you up for a little bit, here goes nothing. I’m from Trottingham. This isn’t a fox, it’s a Kyuubi. It symbolizes my anger. I travel on my own because... I have something important to do... and I don’t want to get other ponies involved. Why do you want to know?”

“Anger? Since when? I wanna know ‘cause... funsies, I guess? Doesn’t hurt to be little more well informed about the ponies I associate with!” Satin replied.

There was a bit of an awkward silence between the both of us as I pulled the cart down the road, hoping that ‘question time’ was over.

“Trottingham, huh? You don’t sound like it. You have more of an odd southern thing going for ya. I’ve been to Trottingham a couple of times, it’s usually just posh or angry sounding wankers.” Satin continued with a smile.

I went to yell at him, but thought better of it. It WAS Satin, after all. “My parents and I... were from one of the larger outer farms. I stayed away from the city... at least... for a while... please. This is a bit of a sensitive topic. I don’t feel like getting angry right now.”

He looked as if he genuinely thought about his next sentence. “Hmmm, I’m guessing that whole ‘something important’ goes along with that... so! When you gonna ask AJ out?”

“I was thinking maybe here in a couple we--- wait a minute! Where the hay’d that come from?!” I shouted after I complete registered what he’d asked.

I looked back at him to see a cheshire cat grin leaning over the front of the cart. “Oh come on, I’m not blind! Although I will say, hitting on the bosslady isn’t your best move.” He said as he waggled a hoof in my direction.

I smiled. “Maybe not, but the bosslady has a nice flank... And I don’t think she even sees me half the time other than as a worker. So it’s fine...” I said with uncertainty.

“I don’t suppose you want my help? I’m a fine wing-stallion, if I do say so myself.” Satin responded as he went back to reclining in the cart.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Thanks for the offer though, Satin.” I said, trying my best to politely refuse.

Satin let out a huff, “Alright, I’ll leave it alone. Here’s a better question, how long are you planning on staying? I don’t have a plan, I just move on when I feel like it’s time to go.”

“I’m tired of moving around, searching. I’m going to stay here until I hear something about the... I mean, about the thing I’m trying to find. So, as long as need be.” I said. This conversation was getting too close to what I was really here for, and I didn’t like it.

“Errr, promised I wouldn’t ask... So family! Brothers, sisters, mostly Earth Pony? I’ve got a little bro, he’s stuck up in fancy shmancy magic college in Canterlot. The vast majority of my family are Unicorns with the exception of one of my cousins. He married a pegasus, and I’m like ‘who cares’ but apparently theres a big angry ‘keep the bloodline pure’ part of my family that is piiiiiiiiiissed. I have a couple of colt-cuddling Uncles that hate them! Can you imagine that irony?”

I chuckled a little at the ending of his little rant. “Yeah, that is kinda ironic, huh?” I then sighed, remembering the beginning of what he said. “No. No siblings. Just me.”

“Ahhh, that’s sad! Having a brother is so much fun! We beat each other up, insult each other, and generally hate on each other. We’re like best friends!”

“Oh Celestia... you just described how we act around each other... We are NOT best friends! And I am DEFINITELY not your brother!” Ryku laughed, half serious, half joking.

“Oh come on! We don’t fight! And anyway, if we did, I’d kick your orange flank all the way back to AJ’s!”

All I could do was hold back a laugh at that. Satin? Kick my flank? He was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a fighter! “Yeah. Alright, tough guy. Anyway. We’re here.” I said as the barn came into view.

He let out a whine, “I was looking forward to another bet! I guess it’ll have to wait...”

We took the cart into the barn quickly before heading towards the house. When we walked into the farmhouse, Applejack jumped up and looked at us.

“Yer back! Th’ way ya were actin’ this mornin’, Ryku, Ah’d expected one of y’all to be out cold from a fight ‘er somethin’ when ya got back.” She smiled.

I gave her a smirk. “Yeah, well. I think we did pretty well. Got the whole cart sold off.”

She tilted her head to the side and gave me a funny look. “Yer kiddin’, right? The whole cart? There’s usually at least a good third left in it at the end of a work day.”

I gave Satin a quick side-glare before looking back up to AJ and replying. “Well, let’s just say Satin here... INSPIRED me to work harder.” I fibbed.

“Oh, Rikky is just being modest! He’s a natural born salespony!” The blue unicorn grinned.

“That reminds me,” I started, “Wasn’t there something you were going to tell AJ, Satin?”

His grin quickly disappeared as a sad puppy dog look came on his face, “Ahhhh do I have tooooo?”

I just stared at him for a second before nodding silently. Applejack’s full attention was on Satin.

“Well, what is it, Sugarcube?” She questioned.

“Oh well...” He began to nervously rub the back of his head with hoof, “I actually... well the thing is... I quit?” Satin said with very little resolve.

I facehoofed. That didn’t have to be THAT blunt. “Um... I think he means he isn’t really cut out for this job, Applejack.” I tried to make his answer sound a little better.

The orange mare looked at Satin and me for several minutes before breaking into a wide, toothy grin. “Y’all made a bet an’ Satin lost, didn’t ya?”

Satin’s eyes grew wide, “No! Of course not! I don’t lose bets!”

Applejack’s eyes switched over to me, and I gave her a knowing look. “Alright, Satin.” She rolled her eyes, “Ah believe ya. Here, take yer share of the pay. Th’ two of ya sold an entire cart in a day, so Ah’ll throw in a few extra bits for ya.” Applejack said, hoofing a bag of bits over to Satin. “It’s a bit early so don’t expect this often, but here, Ry’. Here’s yer pay from the last couple days and today. You two go ‘head and have some fun. Ah’ll see ya in the mornin’, Ryku. Take care, Satin. Yer welcome back if ya ever need the job!” She said sweetly.

“Alright, Applejack! If things work out tonight, I’ll have my own place, and you’ll have your spare bedroom back. I’ll grab my things after work tomorrow. Thanks for lettin’ me stay as long as ya have!” I then glanced at Satin and nodded my head towards the door. “Come on. I’ve survived this many hours straight with ya. A couple more won’t hurt. Let’s see if we can afford our apartments.” I finished as I walked out the door, giving AJ a nod goodbye as I went.

Satin called out as we were leaving, “And don’t be too hard on Rikky without me, AJ! I’m pretty sure he couldn’t take it!” Satin ended with a wink at me.

Applejack waved us off, looking a little melancholy for some odd reason. I shot Satin an uncertain look before we took off down the road back towards Ponyville.

I made my way back to town, keeping up a quick pace so Satin wouldn’t be able to niggle out anymore details about my past or my family. We ended up back in town in less than 15 minutes. We entered the apartment building’s office and a gray old stallion was working the front desk.

“And what can I help you with boys?” His gruff voice, carried over to us.

“Waaaaaaater. Exercise bad!” Satin wheezed as he fell over dramatically.

I walked in behind him with a smug grin on my face. “A little too fast for ya, Satin?” I laughed before turning to the stallion at the counter. “I could use an apartment. How much was it again for a one bedroom one?”

“That’d be two hundred bits. That alright for you both?” The stallion asked eyeing us both suspiciously.

The room instantly became silent.

The out of breath unicorn began to giggle as he managed to get out, “I’m on top!” before coughing and sounding like he was hacking up a lung.

“No. No, no, NO. We aren’t together. Even if I WAS a coltcuddler, I’d NEVER be with HIM!” I said frantically, pointing at Satin.

“Why must you deny my love, darling!” Satin continued, laughing and wheezing his flank off.

I checked my bag of bits quickly to get out of the awkward situation as quickly as usual. “Just one moment. I have the bits for MY apartment...” I counted them out, and realized I only had 182. “Um... I don’t suppose you could let me pay you back when I get a few more bits... I’m only 18 short...”

He let out a sigh, “I’m sorry, but rules are rules. I wouldn’t have put ‘first payment due when you rent’ on the sign if I didn't mean it. If I bend the rules for you, I gotta bend the rules for everypony!”

Satin threw a bag of bits onto the table and looked at the other stallion expectantly.

“How much I got... What’s your name?”

The old earth pony looked at Satin in an unamused fashion, “Names Bristle, and ya only have...” He took a moment to carefully count out his bits. “About 176, give ‘er take a couple.”

“That was a lot more than I thought!” Satin exclaimed happily.

“Sorry colts, unless I can interest you in a two bedroom apartment... you guys are, excuse my Prench, shit out of luck.”

I stopped and stared at the stallion. There is NO way I could roommate with Satin... but I can’t stay at Applejack’s... It’s getting to the point there where every time I run into her we have an awkward moment... I slowly turned towards Satin so see what he was thinking... and the blue unicorn was sitting with the same shit-eating grin from this morning plastered on his face. Oh... Buck me... I sighed before speaking. “Satin... Do you... want to get the two bedroom apartment?”

His smile grew wider and wider before opening his mouth and taking in a big breath.

“YOU KNOW IT!”

Did I say it was going to be a long day? Should have kept my big mouth shut...

Crystal - Thursday

It’s gonna be one of those days. I thought as my eyes opened a crack and glanced at the clock. It was already ten o’clock. All I wanted to do though, was continue laying in my nice, comfortable bed and not be bothered by anypony. I knew I had to get up and brace myself for the day, however, and so I slowly forced myself to get out of the bed.

After grabbing a long, hot, steamy shower, I was awake and ready for whatever came my way. Maybe today won’t be so bad after all. Maybe I won’t run into any real problems. I’ll be able to get out of my house and go to the club and relax today. I thought, as I grabbed my green stetson and sunglasses and headed for the door. Just then, I heard a knock on the door. And maybe it’s going to rain gumdrops and ice cream! I went to the door and opened it slowly, hoping it was just a mailpony who decided to give me my mail directly today. Wouldn’t that be sweet of them. But no, it was Torque! “Oh, Torque! What a pleasant surprise. I must say, if anypony is going to be knocking on my door this early, then I’m glad it was you.” I greeted him as warmly as I could hope to manage in the morning. “I have to ask, though, what brings you here?”

“Well Crystal, I’ve been doing some thinking, and I came to the conclusion that I want to take you up on your offer of your couch. See, the nights have been getting colder, and what with me not having a proper place yet, I figured that I could sleep on your couch, at least until I get the funds to pay for a place of my own. I won’t intrude, I promise. It’s literally just a place to sleep, I’ll be out before y-”

“I get it, and yeah, my offer still stands, no problem.”

“Really? Thanks. I gotta run though, errands to do and such. I just stopped by to ask. Thanks again, Crystal!” He said as he flew off towards the center of town. I just stood at the door as he faded out of my view.

“Yeah, you’re welcome. Anytime.” I said to the air in front of me. What the hay took that foal so long to take me up on my offer? After a minute or so of just standing there with a dumb expression on my face, I remembered what I was doing before he showed up. I wouldn’t want to be late to work, now would I? Going to work right now was a little ridiculous, to be honest. It was only eleven o’clock in the morning. The club won’t have anypony in it until much later. I really only had a couple of options to fill my day. I could either take care of the pile of paperwork that I probably should have already taken care of, or I could also just sit at my desk, kick back, and relax for the next several hours until we open. Well, I guess I’ll never get anything done standing around here. I should at least start walking over there. Maybe I’ll find something to keep me from the paperwork along the way. With that I took that first step out the door and turned towards work.

Along the way to the club, I took the time to admire everything going on around me. It seemed like a normal, boring day, though. There were ponies eating at the cafe, lounging around in the park, and I even noticed Rarity coming out of the spa looking refreshed and relaxed. Actually, she looks really happy. I might have to make a detour today and check out the spa. Without realizing it, I had already started walking over to the tent.

“Hello! Velcome to ze day spa! How may ve help you? “ The owners chimed as I walked in. Standing at the counter were two Earth ponies, one a light pink and one a light teal color with manes that matched the color of the other’s coat. The twins, Aloe and Lotus, were the ones who started the spa here. I don’t know why, but they just came into town one day and I guess they saw an opportunity. They get a lot of business, and the ponies in town are perfectly happy with it, so I guess their feeling was right. I’ve only actually come here once or twice though. I’m just not used to the whole kickback, relax, and be pampered idea. Well, I’m here now. Can’t turn back. And I don’t treat my self enough. Might as well make the most of it.

“Yeah, hi. I’ve had a stressful few days recently, and I could really use a massage. Can that be arranged? Sorry I don’t have an appointment.” That is generally how it works. Maybe this was a stupid idea. Everyone knows you’re supposed to have an appointment when you come into these kinds of pla-

“It’s not a problem at all, my dear!” The teal one, Aloe said as she trotted over to me, “It’s a slow day. Ve can fit you in at any time. Our only appointment today was miss Rarity, and you probably passed her leaving as you came in.”

“Actually, she’s the reason I decided to drop by. She looked like she was so extremely relaxed, and I’ve had so much stress lately, I just had to drop by and see if it helped.”

“Of course! She actually saw our new guy. I can get you set up with him if you thought she looked good.” Lotus said.

“Alright. That sounds good. Let’s do that.” New guy? I had almost had enough of new guys lately. But most of them had been alright. It’s worth a shot I guess.

“Okay then! Right zis way.” Aloe told me. I followed her through a door and into the back room. There was a couple massage tables off to the side of the room next to a couple couches. Most of the room was taken up by a large bath. She led me over to the tables and pointed at the nearest one. “Alright, lay down over zer and just relax. Get comfortable. We’ll give you the full works.” I went over, lay down, and removed my sunglasses. The two came over and gave me a mud mask and put cucumbers over my eyes, then I lay down waiting.

After a couple of minutes of just laying down and relaxing, I heard a pony come in. “Well, my dear, let’s just get zhis started.” He came over and started slowly rubbing the knots out of my upper back. “How have you been lately?”

I know that voice. Something about that voice is familiar. Eh, I’ll figure it out later. Right now I’m just gonna enjoy this. “It started a few days ago. There were some new ponies that came into town. One of them, I gave a job. Thats alright. That was actually a life saver. My stress entirely comes from the blue one.”

“I heard about zese new ponies. What’s wrong with ze blue one? I heard he was dashing and charming.”

“CHARMING?! HA! He’s pretentious. Annoying. Just overall gets on my nerves. And worst of all, at one point, he stole my hat!” I felt the stress and anger just build up over that. Then it slowly melted away with the massage.

“What is ze deal with ze hat anyway? You didn’’t even take it off for ze massage. That’s a bit odd.”

“It’s kind of a long story. I don’t want to go too far into it right now. It has deep meaning to me. I hate the thought of losing it. Especially because of where it came from. My father ain’t around anymore, you see. He gave it to me. It was one of the last things he did before leaving. Every time he had to go on a long journey he would put his hat on my head and tell me, ‘Keep this safe, I want to have it back when I get home.’ One time, he left and never came back. I’ve never taken it off since. Except for when disrespectful and when sleeping. Other than that, I’ve kept it safe. I know at this point that he’s never coming back but now it just serves as a memory.” I paused.

I’ve been rambling about this. I need to change up the mood. That was sad. What’s better than sad. Oh. Anger. That’s where I’ll go with this. Back to Satin! “Anyway, that brings me back to Satin! He had the nerve to take the hat right off of my head and then frame his friend for it. He drives me absolutely nuts. He walks around, drunk as can be, all the time. He wakes me up early some days when I really don’t want to see him at all. He acts like he is the best thing in the world all the time! He really isn’t. He seems to be mostly an insane drunk who tries too hard to be wanted. I don’t blame him. Everypony wants to be wanted sometimes. He just is so freaking obnoxious about it! It blows my mind how he can think that what he does is a good idea half the time! Although, I know how he thinks its a good idea. His constantly drunk brain always tells him it is!”

“Wow, is zat how you really feel about him? I’ve heard so much good about him.” The masseuse sounded slightly saddened. Wait. Why would he be saddened by that? Maybe he just feels bad hearing about someone else being slandered like that. Oh but why is that voice so familiar to me? I can’t quite place it. Oh, I have to find out who this is. At the very least so I can request him again next time. Even through all my rage, I’ve been so relaxed.

“Alright, I have to see who you are.” I said as I levitated the cucumbers off my eyes. “I know I recognize you but I can’t tell. I’ve been so relaxed though. I need to know.”

“I... Uh... I really don’t zhink that’s such a good idea...” He stammered.

I turned to look at him. “Nonsense. How can I request you again if I-” I stopped dead when I saw his fez. Oh. Sweet. Celestia. Not him. Anyone but him. No wonder I didn’t recognize the voice. Leave it to him to imitate the accents of his employers. Now it’s so clear though. It’s the one pony I was hoping to avoid today. And he was just TOUCHING MY FLANK! I tensed up. Now I was probably worse than I was when I entered the spa. I made a split decision and turned for the door. I went full speed right through it and past a stunned Aloe and Lotus. I left them with confused expressions on their faces, and kept right on running out of the whole tent and down the street. They’re probably gonna want to know when they are getting paid. Let them hound me about it later. I am not paying them for tha- My thoughts were cut short when I barreled right into a wooden cart full of apples.

“What the hay?!” The orange stallion selling apples at the cart exclaimed in shock. Ow. Oh thank Celestia. It’s Ryku. He’s a familiar and, from what I can tell, friendly face. I didn’t even respond to his question or apologize for ramming the cart. My first reaction was to throw my forelegs around his neck and started sobbing into his side.

It took me awhile to compose myself. When I stopped crying, I pulled back from hugging a very confused looking Ryku. “I’m sorry about that. I don’t normally do that kind of thing. I guess the stress just got to me.”

“What the hay caused you to just lose it like that?!” He asked, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

“So I woke up this morning and, on my way to work, I decided to get a massage. They told me they had a new guy, so I decided to give him a shot. About halfway through the massage, I actually got to see the new guy. It was Satin sitting there and I tensed right up and just lost it. I ran out of there without paying and now here we are.” Did I really just tell this pony, who I just met a few days ago, all of that. Well, I guess it makes sense since he knows Satin. He probably knows Satin better than any of us. So at least he understands.

We talked for a few moments longer and he reassured me that Satin probably got fired. Then we decided that we should probably get to work so we parted ways. I went to the club, sat at my desk, and napped for the next hours until we actually opened. I was jolted awake by the sound of Torque taking his place on stage and getting the music started. Walking out of my office I saw the usual steady stream of ponies begin to come into the club. And so begins the usual night of dancing, partying, and drinking which only some ponies would remember the next morning. What a great way to forget my stresses. I walked over to the bar, ordered a drink, and decided that tonight would be one of the nights that I joined in the partying for once.

~Satin Gotta Get Down on Friday~

I stood with my hooves on my flanks as I stared at the shoddily constructed stage I had made with as much bravado as I could muster. Oh this looks good, real good.

I then stared down at my bits that were kinda just blowing in the wind and then quickly fell to all fours before anypony saw me.

I checked my fetlock, “Ahh almost 3, so close to showtime!” I readjusted the fabled fez of +7 epic awesomeness on my head and made sure the cloak of visibility was tied correctly as I went over my tricks again.

Alright, we’re going to start off with a couple of fireworks to really get everypony’s attention. Then I’ll move onto something equally big and flashy, card tricks! Sleight of hoof is a big attention getter nowadays. After that, I’ll move onto the rope tricks... maybe... nooooooo I hate the rope tricks. That crap is eeeeeevil!

I heard a short, feminine *ahem*, and as my train of thought ran off of the track, nopony survived.

I turned my head as a cream colored earth pony with two shades of pink in her mane stared at me on the stage with her hoof on her chin in confusion.

“Welcome, young miss! The show isn’t quite ready to start but if you’re here to apply for the position of my beautiful assistant, The...” Crap! All great magicians have some adjectives and stuff in their name! Quick! Think of something!

I held my hoof straight out and continued to slowly shake it, trying to make something appear, but nothing would. My mind drew a complete blank. I put my hoof down in defeat.

“Just call me Satin, The Satin if you’d like. What can I do for you, miss...?”

She pointed her hoof at me suddenly and spoke, “No... No we are not doing this convoluted nonsense again. I simply refuse. Things could have been so much worse than they were.”

She continued saying things out loud to nopony in particular as she walked away.

“But I didn’t get your name! If you wanted the job you have it! Nopony else applied and I don’t think I can get Rikky to wear the tutu that comes with the job!” I shouted after her with no effect.

Well that was... something... Right! Tricks! I should then move onto to the vanishing wand trick... but where did I... I went over my prop table in desperation. Where in Equestria did I put that damnable thing... Well crap! Guess I’ll have to skip it...

It was a couple hours after midday and I reaaaally didn’t want to waste the fireworks I had trying to get everypony’s attention. So I think I was prepared for the performance. That leaves me with a couple hours to waste sooooooo...

Alcohol!

~~~~~~~A few hours later~~~~~~~

I stumbled around the back of the stage trying to ready my tricks as Celestia’s sun fell into dusk. I stuck my head out from behind the curtain and looked at the small crowd of ponies that had slowly matri... matric... that had slowly showed up, the vast majority of which were excited little colts and fillies.

I let out a sigh as I began to try to psyche myself up. Wait a minute, I’m Satin! I’ve got bravado literally oozing out of me. Should really get a doctor to check on that, but he won’t talk to me anymore... I can do a magic show!

“Welcome, ladies and gentlecolts, to the best magic show I could throw together in less than a day!” That sounded better in my head... I shook my head and trudged onward. I threw my cape back as I continued my intro speech that I was pretending I didn’t make up on the spot. “I, the...” Crap! Stage name! Think of something! “The Lord of the Cloth, the Sultan of Silk, Master of The Materials, the King of Cotton, the Titan of The Tweede, the Prince of the Polyester, the Friar of Felt...” I stopped the current flow of nonsense before I could get even more ridiculous, “Satin the ever-humble at your service!” I ended with a bow.

There was a mixture of coughing and blank stares as I finished. Move forward, never backward.

“Right! No nonsense! Straight on to the tricks! That’s what you all are here for anyway!” I said as I bustled across the stage setting off a couple of my beginning fireworks.

“To begin, I could use an assistant! Preferably...” Other than a couple eager looking fillies, Nopony seemed too excited about helping in my magical pursuits. And then, I saw it. A seafoam unicorn with a cock-sure smile raising her hoof.

“You, Ma’am!” I beckoned her on stage.

She strode up with the smile never leaving her face.

“And what’s your name Miss?” I asked returning the smile.

She just chuckled at me, “Lyra, Lyra Heartstrings.”

“Oh, that’s kinda interesting, my wife is named Lyra. Well, she isn’t my wife. In fact, we’ve only just met!” I said as I dramatically pulled a bouquet of flowers that was conveniently hidden under my collar out.

She just kept staring at me and then the bouquet.

“No?” I asked.

“No.” She confirmed while shaking her head and still giggling.

“Fine! On with the reaaaaaaaaal tricks then.” I said as I tossed the bouquet off behind me somewhere. “Right, so Lyra do you happen to have a pack of cards on you?”

She shook her head.

“This is your lucky day then!” I announced as I yanked out a pack of cards from my cape pocket. I took the cards out and began splaying them out as I asked, “Now does this look like a typical deck of cards to you?” She began to move a couple and looked at them briefly.

“Looks like it...” She said, unsure.

“Wrong! If they were real deck of cards you couldn’t do this with them!” I exclaimed as I began whipping them around in the air, the deck held together. As I stopped, I began talking again, “Pretty good trick right? Didn’t expect that, gotta put thread through every single card. It takes soooo much time! Luckily I don’t sleep much.” I said as I waved hoof in front of my face.

I threw that deck behind me as well. This got a pretty good laugh from the crowd.

“Now then, magic!” I said as I took out another deck of cards. “Alright this is a real deck of cards, here inspect them thoroughly this time.” I stuck out my tongue at her as I passed her the deck.

She laughed as she gave me a nudge and began going over the deck thoroughly.

“Alright, it looks like this one is legit.” She said surreptitiously.

“Really? Crap, wrong deck... Oh well, lets roll with it!” I could hear the giggling from the crowd growing.

“Now then, I’m going to start moving cards one hoof to the other. When you say stop, take that card. Got it?” She nodded and gave me a wink.

The process began as I levitated one card off the deck, and laid it face up in my other hoof. This lasted a while as Lyra made me move almost every card to my left hoof until, “Stop!” She announced, toothy grin still never leaving her face.

A bit of sweat rolled down my cheek as the constant exertion of magic caught up a bit. “Are you sure?” I asked, masking my tiredness.

She nodded.

I let out a comically heavy sigh, “Thats a shame...” This got a few more laughs out of the crowd. “She chose the 6 of spades!” I announced as I showed it to the crowd in front me. “Now would you please sign your name on the little white space on the top of the card in between the numbers.” I gave her a pen, she did, and her part was done. “Please stomp your hooves everypony, for Lyra!” The crowd obediently did so. That means I’m winning them over right?

I held the card up to the crowd as I announced to the crowd, “Now before I continue, I actually made a prediction on what card she would choose before the show. I’ll show you guys it now, let’s see that prediction!” I unhooked one of the banners that was connected to the rafters of the stage, it unrolled showing... the 9 of hearts...

There was a stunned silence.

“So basically, Lyra was wrong.” I announced dryly.

I loud roar of laughter erupted from the crowd. I waited for it to die down before I continued, “Now then, if I could really do this trick it would look a little something like this. And watch the horn, this is no unicorn trick! This is all skill!” I sat down as I began folding the card in half both ways before rubbing the card face with one of my hoofs. I revealed the 9 of hearts quarter by quarter to the crowd, much to their awe. They stomped their hooves for me as I finished.

Feels so good to get that right!

I smiled big as the crowd’s exuberance began to die down, “Now then, who wants to seem good old fashioned Zebra magic?!” I announced. There was an outcry of agreement and hoof stamping. “What this town doesn’t know yet, is I’m a traveller of sorts. I’ve been to the side of every map. I’ve peered over the edge and seen the elephants and the turtle. Truly the only thing that mystifies me, other than fashion and how to properly eat a pomegranate, is zebra alchemy! I studied their formulas and ways diligently for a long time and I’m still only a novice in their culture!” My long exposition boomed over the entranced crowd. I pulled out a red felt bag that I had kept in my cloak. I dipped a hoof in, pulling out a small mound out and held it out dramatically in front of me. “Who wants to see something... magnificent!” I blew on the mixture sending it over the crowd and creating a mix of marvelous colours over them. There were a few gasps but there were more ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’. I smiled inwardly as I readied the next part of the trick.

I grabbed another bag from my side and began to throw large amounts of the mixture into the air above my stage as I lit a fire spell on one end of the dust tail. My illusion was set up. There was a sudden ‘woosh’ as the dust above the crowd harmlessly vaporized in a snap blaze. There was a gasp as the audience was snapped back to the magic show and an evil looking dragon gazed down on the from the rafters of my stage. It began to open it’s mouth getting in the ‘breathing fire’ position. There was about to be screams, I could feel it. I quickly shot a firework into the illusory dragons mouth instantly getting rid of the apparition.

Again, there was the stunned silence.

I let out a weak, “Ta da?”

There was a roar of approval from the crowd and stomping hooves of approval.

I let out an expectant huff and laughed, “I’m so glad that went over well! You would not believe how many times I’ve been run out of town for stuff like that!”

Things died down as the crowd looked at me expectantly. “Well alright... How about something else foreign? Something from the Griffon Kingdom perhaps?” I asked as I pulled over a stool with a unique looking box on top of it. “This is the box of the Great Queen Scythia. There are no tricks, no mirrors, no optical illusions, no magic, no glue, no nails...” As I picked it up it fell into pieces and onto the floor. “I forgot how this trick ends...” I said as I rubbed the scruffy tuft of hair on my chin. This got the cheerfulness of the crowd back as the mess on my stage grew and grew.

“Let’s make some stuff appear!” I announced suddenly as I vanished behind the curtain, only to reappear a minute later, pushing a large cage out onto the stage.

“Oh yeah, this is going to be really cool! I’m thinking something large and dangerous that loves the taste of pony flesh!” I began laughing maniacally as I began charging my magic. The crowd gasped while colts and fillies covered their eyes, well still looking but at least giving a show of covering their eyes.

I began building light around my horn making it seem like the spell was much more powerful than it actually was and finally ZAP I hit that cage and as the smoke cleared my tigerrrrr... my Pinkie appeared?

“Pinkie what are you doing in my cage?!” I asked, way more confused than angry.

“Well, first Fluttershy was getting freaked out that one of her tigers was missing, she’s pregnant you know. The tiger, not Fluttershy. So she set off on a quest to find her! She assembled the team and had a townwide tiger search going. We found her mewing in a different cage over there! Then Fluttershy took her home and I stayed in the cage! The end!” She didn’t take a single breath during that.

“But... I left a note for her...” I responded.

“Silly! The note just said ‘I’m taking your tiger, bye!’ Satin out!” Pinkie giggled.

“Well then Pinkie, can you be my tiger?” I asked. “All ferocious and stuff, a big roar and all that?”

She gave me a wink as she let loose the loudest, angriest, most realistic roar. My ears drooped as I covered my head and waited for it to end.

As she stopped, the crowd began their applause and I got to my hooves and stared at her as I slowly mouthed the words ‘I love you.’

I shook my head and readjusted my fez quickly as I addressed the crowd again, “My lovely, and might I add beautiful assistant, Pinkie!” I unlocked the cage as she walked up beside me.

“What’s next?” She whispered in a hush tone that everypony could hear.

“Alright, alright, alright. That one wasn’t nearly dangerous. There was a cage and everything and if somepony isn’t risking their life for a trick then it’s not interesting enough! Now my other, less pretty, assistant! Bring out... THE WHEEL OF DEAAAAATH!!!”

Pinkie stomped her hooves with emphasis as she yelled out, “DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!”

I heard some grumbling as the new trick was pushed out by an orange stallion that had some sort of problem wearing a tu-tu for Team Master Magician Satin.

“I can’t believe I agreed to this...” Ryku mumbled under his breath as he wheeled the prop out onto stage.

“Now then, as a magician, you must be willing to take a few risks. Well, you have to when you can’t convince somepony else to do it. So taking my life into my own hooves I will be strapped on the to this spinning murder machine, Rikky here will give it a spin, and one of my assistants will begin to throw some dastardly pointy things at me.” The orange stallion’s face brightened up for a second. “I”m thinking Pinkie will do it.”

Ryku frowned and helped me get strapped in to the device as Pinkie began rooting around in my prop chest for the objects to throw.

“Alright, let me just mentally prepare mys-” Ryku laughed maniacally as his forehooves slammed against one of the spokes, sending the the wheel round and round at mach speeds.

I managed to concentrate on keeping myself from getting dizzy... until the first sharp thing hit right next to my head, at eye level. A tuning fork embedded next to me, vibrating in entirely the wrong direction. I might die here... The next few hit in rapid succession, a couple of dentistry tools hitting around me, but never hitting me. Dozens of random objects were sent in my general direction: a royal guard’s spear, lawn darts, a couple of railroad spikes, a cactus, a fire axe, a set of antlers from something, and an entire set of kitchen utensils.

The wheel began to slow to a stop, luckily with me upright. I was so relieved for this to end... until I heard Pinkie exclaim, “Heads up!” as a pair of large garden shears thudded into the wheel, open, with the blades near either side of my neck.

I almost passed out, almost. Ryku was quick to let me out of my constraints, first removing the shears. I shakily walked to the center of the staged and promptly collapsed.

Ryku and Pinkie quickly rushed to my side as the helped me up long enough for a bow. The applause was almost deafening.

I shook my head as I tried to make the world stop spinning. “Alright, I’ve got one last trick in my big bag o’ tricks! BEHOLD!” I jumped up and winced as my head protested.

I pushed on as I began to build the magic needed for my finale. Pinkie and Ryku began extinguishing all the lights around the stage, leaving me as the sole light source in the dark in the night other than the moon and stars. The blue light of my magic kept building and building as the stage and the crowd were encircled with the power. I kept on going, pushing more and more magic into my horn as light became blinding. I was slowly reaching the apex of my power, but I kept on pushing onward needing every extent of magic in my body for my grand finale. I hit my limit and let the spell go as the sound of a large explosion filled the air and everything went dark the stage.

The spotlights were relit as I stood triumphantly in the center of the stage, a large flag hanging off my horn with the word ‘Bang’ written in big letters on it.

There was a roar of laughter from the crowd as soon as they realized what had happened. I had the biggest smile on my face as I finally managed to do something right this week. I gave another bow and waved over Ryku and Pinkie, then we all bowed in a group.

I whispered to my lovely assistants, “Lets give them a few more fireworks as another finisher!” We began gathering the rest of the fireworks I had and began setting them up around the stage and started lighting them up.

“By the way,” Ryku asked as we were almost done, “where did you get all these fireworks?”

“I made them!” I answered happily.

His eyes grew wide as he turned tail.

~~~~~~~Yet another, few hours later~~~~~~~

I sat at a table in one of the local bars, I didn’t wanna go to club Pon-3. My head hurt, both my mane and my tail were singed, and loud club music wouldn’t help either of those things. I nursed my beer like a depressing drunk, because that's sorta what I felt like tonight. Everything had gone so well...

It really didn’t help that the whole town seemed to want to confront me and ask me about the magic show, mostly about the excruciating end of it. I really just wanted to be left alone to brood a little.

I downed my drink and asked for another as a brown stallion with slick backed black mane and a collar and tie sat across from me and told the waitress that my tab was on him tonight.

I gave him a questioning look as I started in, “Can I help you?” I really couldn’t help the curtness currently.

“I hope you can!” A deep gruff voice began. “The names Filthy Rich, and I was at your little magic show today!”

“And?” I asked with a sneer.

“Son, you don’t know me ,but I’m fairly well known around these parts. Mostly because I own most of these parts.” He said proudly.

“And?” I said, my glare still beating across the table.

“Straight to the point! I like that about you. I recently acquired the local radio station, PMN, and had to fire the current host/DJ/whatever else that uppity mare did because of a couple labor disputes and have been looking for a new one. You’ve got a voice for radio, son!” He said as he held out his hoof.

My scowl lessened a great deal as I stared at his hoof for a moment, “Alright... You got yourself a deal. With one condition, stop calling me son.” I reached out and shook his hoof, “One other thing,” I waved at the waitress, “Two shots of whiskey please and thank you!” The mare brought over my beer and the two shots. We clinked the shots together and threw them back, and I watched him making sure he didn’t flinch.

We nodded to each other as he collected himself, threw a small purse to the waitress that had been serving me, and began to leave before adding, “You start Monday, come in one to two-ish. We need to get you used to all the equipment before you can actually go on the air. Don’t be too late.”

I started to contemplate what I could be getting myself into... until I saw Rikky wander into the bar, looking around desperately.

Damnit...

I slouched down and tried to hide down behind my beer.

He looked around for a few more moments, and I thought I’d successfully hidden from him... until I heard it. “Satin! You’re okay!” Ryku exclaimed as he galloped over to me.

I slapped on a fake smile for him as I responded, “Yeah... almost didn’t make it out.”

“No kiddin’! Did you see some of those fireworks? They were flyin’ all over the place! Sorry I bolted. How’d you get out?” He asked, just now noticing the singed hair on my mane and tail. “...I take it you didn’t make it unscathed?” He continued as he suddenly began scratching his back leg.

I scowled at him, “Yeah, I saw all of them. In GREAT detail. I made sure Pinkie got out all right, and saved a lot of my gear. The whole teleportation thing is really useful sometimes. Thanks for asking.” I finished, sarcasm heavy in my voice.

The orange stallion frowned and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah... sorry, dude. When things started gettin’ hairy, I just kinda took off...”

My glare intensified, “I NOTICED!”

My friend shrunk a bit at my harshness before speaking again. “H-How about I try to make it up to ya? I’ll buy ya a drink, okay? I’m real sorry, Satin...”

I released a heavy sigh into my forehoof, “Don’t worry about it. Look, some rich jackass just paid for all of my drinks and gave me a job because of all this. Let’s see how drunk we can get on his dime, shall we? Plus, I’m sure you didn’t mean to burn down my stage!” I said, my smile bleeding through.

“I’m always up for dri--- HEY. I didn’t burn the damn thing down!!!”

I was taken aback a bit, “You turned tail and knocked over my fireworks! YOU started the fire!”

“I did no such thing! One of the barrels started setting off prematurely! YOUR faulty fireworks set the stage ablaze!” Ryku retorted.

We argued back and forth the rest of that night, trying to pin the blame for the fire on the other party. Eventually, as the alcohol in our systems started rising, it became more of a joke than an actual argument. We passed comments around and even got the waitress in on it for a while, much to her chagrin. We sat there until well into saturday morning before finally exhausting the bits that Filthy had left, and stumbling out into the street to head back to our apartment.

“You know, I have been figuratively fired from 4 different jobs this week.” I began another drunken tirade on the way back. “I was dismissed from a little cafe job for some missing food and ‘berating customers’. I got canned from being a mail mare when they discovered I was neither a mare nor a pegasus, as well as something about not ‘sitting around in mailboxes’. Working for the Apples didn’t pan out and the local spa fired me because I was too damn good at it. I was also literally fired from the last one.” I chuckled a bit at that. “But I’d still say it was a pretty good week.”

Ryku looked at me inquisitively, “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I said in confirmation.

“Heh... I still say it was your fireworks...” My fiery-headed friend slurred with a happy grin as we walked home.

“Maybe it was your stupid mane that set everything on fire?” I threw back, snickering like a schoolcolt.

Author's Note

Oooh, fancy new Author's Notes box! I think I'll use it for the random comments from the google doc!

Rob - Part of me really hopes that the whole of WHAM just walked in. George Michael says "Hi", Dex."

lk12lk21 - aviators? how did you get in there?
Satin - YOU PUT THEM THERE!!!
DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUN
Rob - If you dare write one last letter...
lk12lk21 - GUESS WHAT? I DID MUTHAFUKA

Satin - may have just suggested a 3 some...
Rob - I think this is the correct path the story should follow.

Satin - Somewhere, Satin's ears twitched.
Ryku - He knew today would be a good day. MUAHAHAHA
Satin - "Huh, I think I need to go torture Crystal today. It seem like the kind of day for it!"

Rob - Still think it should be a fetclock!

Rob - Did... Did you just roofie the whole of Ponyville? Even the kids?

Chapter 7 - Ryku turns Blue

~Ryku’s under the weather...~

It was the monday after Satin’s failed magic show. I looked up at the sun overhead. It was approaching noon, which meant I’d been working for about six or so hours at the farm, bucking apples as per the usual. I gave an irritated sigh as I scratched my right thigh. Damn it... this itch just won’t go away... I looked at the leg I was attacking. It was starting to discolor, though I was sure it was just from me scratching it for the past four days.

“Alright, everypony! Lunch is ready!” Applejack’s familiar drawl sounded from the farmhouse.

I smiled, I was starving. I made my way up to the house along with Big Mac’, and wandered through into the dining room. Atop the dining table was the usual assortment of apple based delicacies, ranging from apple pies to the famous Apple family cider. (They kept a few barrels for themselves after each sale). Applejack was standing on the far side of the room, and a gentle smile stretched across her face.

“Well, what’re ya’ll waitin’ fer? Dig in!” She said as Mac’ and I greedily piled our plates with food.

We ate until we couldn’t eat anymore, and then I stretched myself out on the couch. The itch from earlier came back again, and I furiously scratched at it. I didn’t realize it, but it was then that a certain orange mare made her way into the room.

“Y’alright there, Sugarcube?” She began, startling me. “Ya’ve been itchin’ that there leg for quite a while now. Ya want me ta take a look at it?” She offered.

I blushed slightly at the thought of her getting so close to me, but shook it off and looked back at her. “Nah. It’s just an itch. I’m sure it’ll be gone soon enough.”

She didn’t seem convinced. “Well, iff’n ya say so, Ry’. Just don’t let it go unchecked if it gets worse. Ah can’t be havin’ ya get sick on mah watch, ya know.”

“I’ll be fine, AJ. I just... need to get some rest or somethin’. Anyways, I’d better be getting back to the apartment. I want to make sure Satin hasn’t burned it down yet!” We laughed. “Thanks for lunch, AJ! See ya tomorrow mornin’!”

I nodded to Granny Smith and Big Mac’ on the way out, and headed down the road to Ponyville. As I walked, the itch in my hind leg came back yet again. I grumbled to myself and did my best to ignore it. It’s just an itch, Ryku! Get over it! It persisted for the entire first half of the trip in to Ponyville. Damn it... What the hell is this stupid itch? I stopped and sat down on the edge of the path as Celestia’s sun shined brightly down on me and the offending limb.

“Alright. Let’s see if I can’t get a closer...” I cut myself off as I looked at my thigh. There, where there had been no mark or blemish before, were a few bluish bumps. “...Look... Alright. What is that?” I finished my sentence and scratched at the strange-looking blemish, relieving it somewhat. “Ugh. Whatever it is, it had better go away soon. I don’t have the patience to sit around all day itching...” I picked myself off the ground, and a chill as cold as ice shot up my leg and down my back. “Brrrr... What was that all of the sudden?” I looked around. I couldn’t see a breeze blowing on the leaves, and it certainly wasn’t THAT cold this time of year. Alright... I NEVER get cold... not even in the winter normally... but that felt cold... what’s going on? Eh. I’ll figure it out later. I shrugged the feeling off and continued my walk to town.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

~SATIN~

I have a theory, the closer it is to the time you have to actually get out of bed, the comfier your bed gets, and my bed was currently at... big freaking pile of puppies.

I slowly clenched the pillow I was currently spooning, more for warmth than comfort, and curled up, becoming a smaller and smaller ball of warm pony. It was great, and I was just about to drift back off, when I heard the door to the apartment fly open.

It sounded like he was rustling about looking for something. Just stay in bed, Pillow will never leave me wanting... Pillow-inkie? Pillonkie? Pillow-Crystal? Damn, none of those work well at all.

And then the yelling started.

“How in Tartarus do you completely destroy an apartment in a week?!”

No, don’t get up. It’s a trick, I’m going to get up and then -bam-, I’m going to have to work or move or something even worse... like... not go back to sleep. I buried my snout deeper into Pillow’s... well I can’t say...

I heard a clopping sound, as the fiery-headed maniac got closer and closer to my door. Sweet Celestia, don’t let him come wake me up.

The door to my room flung open as the intruder entered. Sweet Celestia, don’t let him be angry in my general direction.

“You need to get your flank up and CLEAN THIS DAMN APARTMENT!” Sweet Celestia, don’t let him be talking to me.

I brought in the covers closer to myself and let out an appropriate moan of laziness. That should be enough of an answer.

The covers began to slip rapidly down to the lower end of my bed as I tried to desperately cling to them and Ms. Pillow at the same time. I saved my darling sleeping companion, but I failed in keeping my nest of warmth together.

I stared at the perpetrator, my comforter still hanging out of his mouth. My clean bedding, nooooooooooooooo!

“What are you going on about? I’m trying to enjoy life. Stop it!” I said, trying to keep myself wrapped around the warmth the Missus was still giving off.

“Alright, you lazy stallion. Get the hay up! You have work later, and I think I might have to go to the hospital.” Rikky said sternly.

“I’m not hay and I don’t work at a hospital.” I said sleepily, as I rolled over trying to protect Ms. Pillow from the verbal onslaught. Come on, just call it Pinkie Pillow... or Pillow Pinkie... PP for short, regardless.

The irritated orange stallion walked around the bed until he was closer to me. “Seriously, Satin. Have you ever seen something like this?” He asked, showing me his hind right leg.

I looked at his hind leg, to him, and back again, “It’s too early for me to be looking at your flank...”

Rikky smashed his face into the bed. “Ugh... two things wrong with that sentence. One, it’s like, one in the afternoon. Get up! And two, it’s not my flank I’m askin’ you to look at! Can you tell me what those little blue bumps are? I’ve never seen anything like ‘em, and they itch like crazy. Whenever I scratch ‘em, I seem to get colder too...” He said, finishing his spiel.

I let out a groan and rubbed my eyes as I tried to focus on Rik’s flank. I’ve seen this before... ugh, stop with the gay overtones. “How in Equestria did you get...” I reached out grabbed his back hoof as I yanked it for a better look.

“What? Get what, Satin? Should I be worried? And let go of my leg, damn it!” He said, a hint of worry in his voice.

“No, not so much worried as... yeah worried actually works in this situation. How long have you been sitting on this?” I said, inspecting the blue rises in his skin.

“Well... it started last friday... a little while before your little magic show...” He said, looking at me to hopefully tell him what was going on.

My face turned into a mask of concern, “You need to go the doctor fairly soon, you’ve only had it for 3-4 days but it looks like it’s been there for 2 weeks. It’s progressing way faster than it should...”

Rikky got a really frustrated scowl on his face before speaking again. “Well, that’s all well and good, but you still haven’t told me what on Luna’s moon it is!”

I hopped out of bed and announced, “Buddy, you got a bad case of the Freezles.”

~Ryku and the Freezles~

I trotted quickly into the doctor’s office after I’d arrived and waited in the front lobby for them to call me in. I sat on the hospital bed and waited for the doctor to see me. I’d sent Satin to go let Applejack know what was going on, since she’d noticed that something was bothering me before. I looked at the clock. Geez. I was in the waiting room for like, an hour. They better be about to help me with these... what did he call them? Freezles?

After about five or so minutes, the doctor came into the room. “Hello. I’m guessing you must be Ryku. I’m Doctor Stable. What seems to be the problem?”

I got up and pointed to my hind leg. Several more blue bumps had risen around the first few, and that limb was beginning to stay cold instead of just making me shiver.

He let out a long, drawn out ‘hmmm’ as he began inspecting the infected area, “Well, you seem to have caught the ever-so dreaded Frostbillivirus. Treatment is simple... or.. would be, if we had the correct medicines. Frostbillivirus isn’t common in this area, so we don’t have the ingredients on hoof. I’m very confused as to how you actually contracted it.”

I stared at him for an awkward minute or two before replying to what I’d heard. “Okay... so basically what you’re saying is you can’t do a Celestia-damned thing about it?”

“No, no, no. We just have to order in the necessary items and whip up an inoculation for you in a jiffy. No fuss, no muss.”

“Alright. How long will it take for the ingredients to arrive? My friend told me that he’s never seen this thing spread so quickly. It started last Friday.” I stated. I didn’t exactly know what this disease was going to do if it lasted too long.

Doctor Stable stopped suddenly as he stared intently at me, “Started Friday? That can’t be! It takes weeks for a case to get this severe. We better get that ingredient order expedited!” He said as he turned to leave.

“So what am I supposed to do in the meantime? This thing seems to be getting worse every passing minute. What exactly does this disease do?” I asked, now thoroughly confused as to what I could do to fix this.

“Frostbillivirus is a nasty little bug that, usually, will creep through your body slowly and freeze you solid. Like frostbite, but in slow motion. Best thing you could do, nothing. Just sit on your hooves and wait. No work, no exercise, no nothing. Movement will just exasperate it further. As for the spread of it, just don’t go actively sneezing on ponies and everything will be alright there.” He said, matter-of-factly.

I sighed and nodded to him. “So basically, bed rest and more bed rest, huh?”

“You got it.” He said as he shuffled some papers around in my file. “Everything should be here, in a week, tops.”

“Well, that sucks. Alright. Thank you for your time, Doc’.” I said as I walked out the door past Doctor Stables and down the corridor towards the main lobby. When I reached it, I found Satin sitting there with Applejack. Uh oh... I was hoping to have a little while before I had to tell AJ what was going on... “Um... Hey. Didn’t think you two would be back just yet...”

“Yay us? Everything cleared up? Yes? Let’s go!” Satin let out nervously.

Applejack lightly punched Satin’s shoulder. “Hey, now! Ah wanna know just what’s goin’ on, Ry’. Satin ‘ere said that ya got somethin’ called the Freezles? Are ya gonna be alright?” She asked sincerely.

“I don’t know. The doctor seems to think I need bed rest and to wait for a certain ingredient to come in, but if what Satin said about it progressing as fast as it is being strange, I might need some kind of treatment much sooner than that.”

Satin rubbed his forehoof, “Right, let’s just treat it on our own. That means we can leave, right?”

A nurse walked by pushing a cart of medical instruments as Satin began to turn green.

I laughed a little at Satin’s expense. “Yeah. Let’s get out of here. We can think of something after we get home. The doc’ said even moving around too much can make it worse...” I involuntarily shivered as another spike of cold ran up my leg. “...And I don’t think I need this to get any worse.” I said as I started out the door with Satin and AJ right behind me.

~~~~Satin in the Sky with Diamonds~~~~

I have seen some coddling in my day, I’ve experienced my fair share. All of them pale in comparison to what I was witnessing in my apartment that day. Applejack was literally waiting on Rikky, and I’m surprised she wasn’t wearing a waiters outfit... or a maid outfit. Yeah, I like the maid outfit idea better.

She was even cleaning the bucking apartment, so I don’t have to! Score!

The first legitimate meal was cooking in our small kitchen, so the apartment smelled wonderful. I must say, Rikky getting sick definitely has it’s upside.

I walked over to Rikky’s bedroom door and was going to knock but *WHACK* Applejack hit me over the head with a ladle.

I rubbed my head vigorously as I hissed, “Why in Equestria would you do that!?”

“Ryku needs ta rest, Satin. Ah’m not gonna be here ta do this everyday, so Ah need ya ta promise to give ‘im his rest and don’t go botherin’ him unless ya need ta, alright?” She stated more than asked.

I glared at her, “And if I refuse?”

“Ah work on a farm for a livin’. Ah think Ah can convince ya otherwise.” She said, staring me down.

“You’re going to bribe me with apples?” I asked, confused.

The orange mare deadpanned. “Ah... Look, jus’ leave him be. Ah got nothin’ ta say about what you jus’ said.” She finished, rubbing the back of her head.

“Alright... soooooooo, not to be rude or anything, but why you sticking around? He just needs to stay in bed, and I’m on the whole nursing duty thing. Don’t ya need to get back to the farm or something?” I asked as inconspicuously as possible.

“Honestly? Ah kinda feel a little responsible. Ah noticed ‘im itchin’ that there leg last saturday, but Ah jus’ kinda dismissed it.” She said, lowering head a bit. “And Ah don’t need ta be back at th’ farm ‘til later tonight. So I figured Ah’d make it a bit easier on y’all, at least for this afternoon.”

I shrugged off her response, “So if I can’t hang out with Rikky, you wanna chill for a bit?”

“Well, Ah guess that wouldn’t hurt. Ah want ta make sure he’s doin’ alright before Ah go anyway.” She smiled.

“Alright!” I announced happily and waved her on towards the dining room set that came with the apartment. I ran into the kitchen and yelled back, “Would ya like any tea? I’ve got all sorts! Jasmine, honeybush, honeysuckle, lemon-ginger, peppermint, green, and some regular black... somewhere...” I said as I began looking for my small arsenal of flavored teas.

Applejack chuckled a bit. “Jus’ surprise me, Sugarcube. Ah’m not too picky.”

I grabbed the only two mugs in the apartment, rinsed ‘em out, and began brewing some of my favorite honeysuckle tea. It was work, but that wouldn’t stop me from keeping up a conversation, “So Applejack, this is a neat little town. You enjoy living here?”

“Well, of course! Ponyville has been mah home all mah life, and Ah wouldn’t want ta live anywhere else!” She said happily.

“Oh so you’d know most everypony in town then, wouldn’t you?” I asked as I brought the cups to the table along with a small container of sugarcubes.

She grinned as she put three cubes into her tea. “Well Ah certainly hope Ah do! Why, got somepony you’re wonderin’ about?”

“A bit, do you know a mare named Pinkie?” I said, stirring the sugar into my tea.

“Pinkie Pie? Yer darn tootin’ Ah know little miss Pinkie! She’s one of mah best friends!” Applejack said, happy to be talking about somepony she knew very well.

“Ah fantastic!” I tried to come up with a way to ask this so I wouldn’t seem desperate or creepy, “I guess I should come right out and ask, does she have a special somepony?” I asked, putting on my friendliest smile.

Applejack seemed taken back at my abruptness but recovered quickly and put on a sly smirk, “Why Satin, are ya gettin’ sweet on Pinkie?”

I tried to keep my smile from faulting, “It-it’s just a question...”

“Well, Pinkie is an odd girl. She doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense most of th’ time, but she’s always tryin’ ta make everypony smile. An’ ta answer yer question; no, she doesn’t have a special somepony at th’ moment.” Applejack said with warm smile, as she talked about her friend.

My smile grew wide, “Luckily, sense isn’t what I look for in a mare.” I let out a little laugh.

We both grew quiet as I contemplated the folly asking Applejack for personal information about Pinkie, but decided to trudge ahead. “So... does she have a favorite food? Favorite color? Favorite singer/song-writer/artist? Favorite ‘arty’ artist, like with a brush?” I blurted out, super tactfully.

AJ raised an eyebrow at me.

“I mean, would she even be interested in a stallion like me?” I said, with a pained expression.

“Well... Ah’ve known Pinkie for a long time an’ she’s never had a coltfriend in that whole time... So Ah don’t know what ta tell ya.”

I frowned, “You mean she’s...”

“Oh no, no... well, maybe. Ah just mean she’s never had somepony special.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Well alright!” I took a little sip of victory out of my cup. “So is there anything you wanna ask me about?”

I could see a little blush creep up on her, “No! Ah mean, no.”

I smiled at her, “You sure~” She nodded fervently. “Well alright... by the way, this is just between you and me, right?”

“Ah don’t keep secrets, Sugarcube.” She said bluntly, her demeanor quickly changing to a much more guarded expression.

I chuckled, “Eh, whatever. Moving on then, anything super fun to do in town?”

Her smile returned. “Well, as long as ya got a friend or two, Ah think jus’ about anything around town can be fun.”

“That seems like a no, I mean I’ve been to Club Pon-3 and Sugarcube Corner. Any other interesting things to do in town?” I asking, trying to get her to tell me more about the town.

“Well, there’s the spa, run by Aloe and Lotus... Carousel Boutique is a clothing shop, run by another good friend of mine, named Rarity... The library is th’ big tree near the center of town, run by Twilight Sparkle, yet another good friend of mine... Ah suppose iff’n yer a pony lookin’ for some adventure, we’ve got Whitetail Wood fer some explorin’... and then there’s the Everfree Forest on the outskirts of town, but that there forest is a little too dangerous fer most ponies.” Applejack said, listing off a few of the places in and around town.

“I actually worked up at the spa for a bit, yup I’ve got maaaaaaaaaagic hooves.” I started laughing as I began waving my hooves in a ‘mystical’ fashion. “A boutique, huh, don’t know if thats quite up my alley, clothing has never been my strong suit. And I’ve been up to the library, it’s a nice one! ‘Find the library’ is like third on my list for when I get into a new town, you know just in case I need a book or it’s raining all day and I don’t have a place to crash yet. As far as adventuring goes, I’ll probably have to wait till Rikky is well again to do anything like that. Don’t wanna go running into the Everfree alone like a headstrong colt.”

The southern mare put a look of thought on her face before speaking again. “Well, Ah’m not too sure what else ta tell ya, Satin. Best thing ya can do is jus’ take a look around. Ah heard you got the new radio host job. Today gonna be yer first day?”

You forgot it was going to be your first day, you idiot.

“Yeah actually, it sounds like a lot of fun. Getting paid a good bit to talk on the air and play music I wanna listen to. Sounds like the easiest job ever!” I hastily checked the clock. I wasn’t late yet, but I would be soon. “I gotta go! Try to keep that whole Pinkie thing under your hat a bit longer? Pleaaaaaaase?” I tried to give her sad, puppy dog eyes while still getting ready to go, I don’t think it worked all that well.

“Heh, Ah’ll think about it. You just get ta work, Satin. Ah’ll stick around here fer a little while longer an’ make sure Ry’ is doin’ okay. Goodluck on yer first day, Sugarcube!”

I let out a relieved sigh, “Thanks AJ, it means a lot. And take care of him, I’m sure he’s already itchin’ to get out of bed and go find a cure himself.” I waved goodbye as I left to go for my first day on the job.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Torque Rises AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was sitting behind the bar, talking to Bacchus. Other than the two of us, nopony was in the club. For good reason too, seeing as how the club wasn’t due to open for at least another 4 hours at the earliest. I had taken to the habit of showing up early to sit and talk. It couldn’t be much past noon, and the town was fairly quiet.

“Hey Torque, it’s pretty quiet around here, wanna go grab the radio from the office?” Bacchus nodded towards the back and continued cleaning the glasses. I looked around the club, surprised that there wasn’t an actual radio receiver anywhere in the place, and shrugged.

“Sure why not, it’d be nice to listen to some normal music anyways, and I really don’t want to run the sound system.”

“My thoughts exactly. It’s just in the back, on the top shelf, don’t worry, it’s nice and small.” He chuckled at his own comment and set the now clean glass down where it belonged. I got up and trotted to the back office.

“Huh, this is really a small office now that I look at it.” I thought out loud, spotting the portable reciever shortly after, fluttering up and grabbing it.

I feel kinda bad for Crystal, how does she run this place from this tiny office? It would drive me nuts. I thought to myself, making my way back to the front of the club. I set the radio down on the counter. Bacchus plugged it in and adjusted the antenna, and the static soon became a clear radio station. A gruff voice came over the sound waves as the station name was said.

“Welcome to 88.3 k-Colt, this is your announcer, Filthy, bringing you the sounds of smooth jazz all day.”

Somepony in the background shouted ‘IT’S SO SMOOTH!’ making me chuckle.

The announcer continued for a brief moment before the music came back on. Bacchus closed his eyes, relishing in the smooth sounds of the jazz, and I nodded my head along with the music, rather enjoying it. The serene moment was ended abruptly when the door crashed open and a yellow unicorn walked in, looking positively terrible.

“Mornin’ Crystal, how’d you sl...”

“Not now Bacchus, coffee. Please.” She grumbled out, cutting him off. He simply nodded and went about making the elixir of functionality for the grumpy mare. I smirked and opened my mouth to speak, but never got the chance.

A yellow hoof was shoved into my maw, accompanied by a fierce glare from the owner of said hoof.

“No.”

Not wanting to fight, I nodded and she removed her hoof. I spat slightly, trying to get the taste of ground out of my mouth. The jazz ended and the announcer once again chimed in.

“Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. And now, a new portion of k-Colt, Current Chatter, with our new recruit, Satin!”

I looked up at the radio, my face in total disbelief. I heard a slight choking noise coming from Crystal’s direction, and looked at her. She shivered once, and then cleared her throat.

“Uhm, Bacchus? Make that coffee with a shot of AJD. NOW, please.” She didn’t seem all that thrilled to hear the name of the one colt she despised. The radio chimed back in, this time with a voice that was rather smooth, but undeniably Satin’s.

“Thank you Filthy, for that... riveting introduction. Today on Current Chatter, I give you some info on the town of Ponyville. The freezles have risen again!”

There was a quick cut to a sound of a mare screaming before the chuckles were heard from Satin. Crystal finally had her drink, and she knocked it back rather quickly, motioning for another.

“I’m only kidding. It’s nothing to worry about, it’s just one case. In fact, the victim of the illness is my buddy Rikky. But he’s got moi to take care of him, so he’ll be ok. I promise. Hmmm, what else do we have? News from the crown, Princess Celestia says the sun is going to rise tomorrow because, and I quote, ‘I said so.' And now time for our weather report, and guess what? We do what we want, we control that bucker! Also, there is a new DJ in town, after Vinyl left to go on tour, so go check out Club Pon-3, and tell the cute yellow unicorn that her lover sent you. She’ll give you a discount and...”

CRASH!

I jumped in surprise as the receiver flew across the room, sliding across the dance floor with an ungodly clatter. Though it seemed relatively unharmed, the radio was no longer transmitting. I looked back to see Crystal standing there, horn illuminated with her green magic, and her mouth set in a hard line. She took a deep breath and the magic stopped flowing.

“If ANYPONY comes into the club and says that, they are never allowed back. EVER. And that blue creature is gonna get castrated if I ever get my hooves on him.”

She was positively seething, and I wanted nothing to do with an angry boss.

“Hey, uh, I’m gonna go stop in Ryku’s place, see how he’s doing. He seemed like a nice pony, and since Sa...” I stopped, thinking better of my phrasing. “He’s alone right now, so I’m gonna go check on him, ok?”

Crystal only swished her tail once, and I took that as the yes I needed. I quickly turned tail and flew out of there as fast as I could. I looked back as the doors closed, to see Bacchus pouring a shot for Crystal. He looked up and shot me a smile.

It’ll be fine, Bacchus can handle her. I gulped deeply, flapping towards Ryku’s home, which wasn’t too far away.

“I hope.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Rikky gets a HOUSE call~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling. Again. DAMN this is boring... and it hasn’t even been an entire day yet... I thought as I looked around my room. Applejack had been here for several hours now, caring for me. I felt awful making her work more than she already had to today, but I couldn’t really go anywhere, and any company that wasn’t Satin was welcomed, so I couldn’t bring myself to tell her to leave. Suddenly, I heard the door open, and then I heard a familiar accent.

“Hey, Sugarcube. Ya doin’ okay in here? Ah haven’t heard more than a cough from ya fer nearly an hour.” The farm pony said.

I grinned and scratched at my hind leg again, then shivered. “Yeah... just tired of bein’ cooped up in this bed already.”

She smirked. “Yeah, Ah couldn’t jus’ lay around all day doin’ nothin’ neither. But, what’re ya gonna do? Doc’s orders.”

“Heh, yeah. Doc’s orders. Hey, AJ? Thanks. For stickin’ around and helpin’ me. It means quite a bit to me. Ya didn’t have to.”

She chuckled and turned to go back out of the room. “Ah know Ah didn’t have ta. Ah wanted ta. After all, the quicker we git ya back ta feelin’ like yer old self, the faster ya can come back ta the farm! An’ honestly, Ry’, Ah don’t mind helpin’ ya out a little bit. You’ve helped me an’ my family out a lot while you’ve been workin’. Ah’m gonna go make some soup. Call me iff’n ya need me, Sugarcube.” She finished, tipping her stetson.

“Alright. Thanks again, Applejack.” I said with a smile.

Another fifteen or so minutes passed and I stared blankly at the door to my room. She sure is somethin’ else... I shook my head quickly. Did I really just think that? I shook my head again.

I could hear her out in the kitchen of mine and Satin’s apartment, moving dishes and working the stove. I couldn’t figure out why she was doing so much for me. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to think about it long, as I heard a knock on the front door. Scratching my leg again quickly, I listened to see who it was.

“Oh, hi there, Applejack! I’m looking for Ryku. I heard he was sick.” A faintly familiar voice said to the southern mare.

“Well, howdy there, Torque! He’s in his room. Jus’ be careful not ta touch him, an’ you’ll be fine. Ah’m gonna keep workin’ out here in th’ kitchen.” She said.

I couldn’t tell what Torque’s response was, but it must have been a nod or something, because soon there was a knock at my door. “Hey, Ryku? It’s Torque. Remember? From the party a while ago? I heard you were sick over the radio, and wanted to see if you were doin’ alright.”

Oh crap... Satin told everypony over the radio? “Alright. Just come on in, then.” I said with faux-boredom. It was nice to have a visitor, especially seeing as I had nothing else to do.

The door creaked open and in stepped the black pegasus that I’d met a little over a week before. “Hiya, Ryku! Yeah, so Satin said you had the... what did he call them?”

“The freezles.” I said, shivering again from the strange sensations the sickness brought on.

“Right. Those. Well, I wanted to see if you were alright. I don’t know much about sickness, but I figured since Satin said he was taking care of you, you miiiight need my help.” The DJ glanced back out towards the kitchen and grinned. “But, seeing as Applejack’s here, I guess I was wrong, huh?”

I blushed a little. “Hey. It isn’t like that, okay? She’s just been here helping me while I’m not able to do things on my own.”

Torque chuckled softly to himself. “Heh. Alright, Ry’. So, what is this freezle thing you’ve got?” He asked, walking up to the side of the bed.

I showed him my lower side, where the bumps had spread to since I’d been to the doctor’s office. “Looks like the walk from here to Ponyville General and back was enough to make it spread up my side a little bit.” I resisted the urge to scratch the bluish bumps as Torque glanced at them.

“So. How EXACTLY did you get these? You weren’t doing anything you regret, were you?” Torque smiled mischievously.

I face-hoofed. “No. It just kinda showed up today. I’ve been itchin’ my leg for a while now, though. The Doc’ said I’d have to keep still has much as possible if I didn’t want it to spread too much more. So I have to sit around on my flank and do nothing for an entire week. I can’t stand being idle like this! I wish there was a faster way to get this over with...” I glanced out the window with an irritated expression.

Torque’s smile slid into a slight frown. “Yeah. I can see that, what with you working on the farm and all. So, a week, huh? What happens if you aggravate it too much before the cure comes?”

“Apparently, I could freeze to death.” I said with a completely straight face.

Torque’s eyes grew large as he backed up a few paces. I grinned at him.

“Relax, Torque. It’s only contagious through physical contact. Well, that, and coughing on people, oddly enough.”

He eyed me carefully and stuttered. “Y-Yeah, well, I’m not t-taking any chances, just to be s-safe. I don’t want to die.”

I face-hoofed and looked out the window again. “The way your stuttering sounds like you’re already sick!” I smiled devilishly.

He scowled at me. “Well. I just wanted to see if you were alright. Seems like it, so I’m going to go.” He said flatly.

“Wait!” I said, wide-eyed. “Don’t go! It’s so boring in here all day long!”

My plea was met with the slamming of my bedroom door. Damn unfeeling pegasus... sigh... I thought, laying there all alone once again. Soon though, I heard Torque chatting with Applejack outside my room.

“What in tarnation was that all about? Did ya need ta slam the door?” Applejack asked.

I heard Torque sigh. “I just wanted to get out of there after I heard what that disease does to a pony. I feel bad for him though; having to lay around and wait for a cure must be really boring.”

“IT IS!” I shouted from inside the room.

“...Anyway. Is there any other way you know of that could get him feeling better sooner, Applejack?” Torque finished.

“Well... there is... one thing...” The southern mare sounded deep in thought. I got up and leaned my ear against the door to listen closer. “...there’s this zebra in the Everfree Forest to the west named Zecora. She’s a medicine mare, and knows all about herbs and the like. Ah don’t know fer sure, but she might know another way to fix ‘is problem.” She said.

“Well, then why don’t you just take him there?” Torque questioned.

At this point, I could tell Applejack was annoyed. “‘Cause, that there forest is dangerous, what with it’s Timberwolves, and Manticores, and Hydras and things. Not only could we possibly make his condition worse, but we’d also have to run through the Everfree quite a ways following the path, and bringing a sick pony in there is just plain stupid. We have a way to guarantee he’ll be alright in a week, so why bother putting him in so much danger?” She huffed.

“I guess you’re right, but he really does need something to do. Why don’t you let me set up a radio or something for him? He’s missing Satin’s first broadcast, you know. A pony could go stir-crazy just laying about.” Torque offered.

I rushed back over and laid back down on my bed, shivering. I heard Applejack mumble something, and a few minutes later, the DJ pegasus came trotting in with our living room radio. “Uh... Torque? What’s with the radio?”

“Buddy, you are in for a treat!” He set it on my bedside table and plugged it in, as he began combing through the static looking for the station. “Satin’s first day on air, and you should be listening.” As he got to the right station, it was in mid-song.

I frowned. “THIS is supposed to make me feel better?!”

“Nah. Supposed to make you have something to think about. Anyway, I gotta go. Ciao!” Torque said, waving as he walked out my wide-open bedroom door. He nodded to Applejack, then left.

Applejack walked into the room next, carrying a large bowl of homemade soup on her back. She set it on my bedside table and yawned. “Ah should be gittin’ home here sometime soon too, Sugarcube. Ah’d like ta spend some time with mah family before we start workin’ tomorrow. Alrighty?”

“Okay...” I frowned, giving her a pair of puppy dog eyes. “Ya sure?”

She chuckled at my attempt at begging. “Sorry, hun. Ah’d stay longer, but mah family needs me too. Ah’ll be here as soon as work’s over tomorrow, though. Promise.” She turned and smiled at me. “Git some rest, and we’ll have ya back in workin’ shape in no time!”

With that, she trotted out of my bedroom and out the front door. I sighed. Ugh... Alone again... I looked out the window and thought. I wonder how far that Zecora character is from here...

As the song ended Satin’s chipper voice began in, “And I’m back with Equestria’s breaking news. Rikky is still sorry that he lit my freaking stage on fire.”

I froze and instantly grimaced. And now I have Torque to thank for bringing THAT in here...

“Next song is a dedication from Rikky to Applejack.” Satin’s voice echoed.

I started at the radio. “Oh boy... now what’s he gonna do...”

“He says he’s so glad you could help him ‘heal’ through this sickness.” There was a severe emphasis on the word heal. The song began to play.

My face flushed bright crimson and I smashed the radio before the song could get very far. I REALLY hope Applejack and her family doesn’t own a radio... I was ready to kill somepony... but first, I needed to get over these freezles. Now. Applejack said that Zebra was in the Everfree, if somepony just followed the path. I’m going to find her. If she can heal me, I want it now. I quickly ate my soup that the farm pony had made (delicious, by the way!), and got out of bed.

Throwing on a green sweater, I trotted out to the front door of the apartment. Once I was outside, I glanced around to make sure no one that knew me was around. I then trotted briskly down the road, scratching my infected leg as I walked.

~Satin, the bearer of not so fantastic news~

It was turning out to be a really good day. I mean, Rikky might be dying but... BUT I have cupcakes! And Pinkie might have not have been at Sugarcube corner for me to stalk/hit on/try to ask out but... cupcakes? And work was really good, I’ve been told to stop making fake announcements from the crown but the fake announcements from everywhere else were apparently really funny and they really liked my song choices. So all over, just a fantastic day. And cupcakes!

I trotted back to my apartment slowly, a half eaten 6 pack of donuts resting comfortably on my shoulder. One, not so well known fact about freezles, is one way to slow the progression is sugar! Lots of it! All the fiery energy it gives you stops the spread right in it’s tracks. I probably should have told AJ about that before I left... Oh well!

I stopped at my door, briefly, as I brought out my keys and turned the lock carefully, trying to keep my noise to a bare minimum. If Rikky was asleep, I didn’t wanna be the one to wake up that pile of freezing angry.

I didn’t hear any movement or any waking up snorts, so I carefully smiled to myself and shut the door. I crept across the hallways trying not to make the floors creak, knowing one fell noise could ruin my whole operation.

I stopped at Ryku’s door and pondered the pros and cons of trying to leave the rest of the cupcakes on his nightstand as a midnight snack. Pro #1: He’ll get the cupcakes. Con #1: Pain the likes of Tartarus shall awaken if I wake him up. Pro #2: He gets the benefit of eating cupcakes. Con #2: I’ll eat all of the cupcakes and he won’t get any. Pro #3: He’d probably chill the buck out if he got some cupcakes. Con #3: If he finds out I had cupcakes and I ate them, he’ll set my stage on fire again...

I decided to give it a shot, I mean he’d probably be ok with waking up when I got back to the apartment so he could hear all about my first day, right?

I flattened my belly on the floor and opened his door slightly with my magic, dragging myself through the crack, making as little noise as possible. I thought about just floating the box with the remaining donuts over to his bedside table but immediately dismissed it, magic would make far too much light.

I crept, slowly and cautiously to his bedside and, using my teeth, carefully placed the box on his nightstand.

This was easier than I could have possibly imagined! I thought. As I turned to make my way out of the room though, my hoof landed on a rounded object, sending me crashing into the wall.

“Well fu-.” I covered my mouth up, realizing I could have woken up Rikky. There is no way somepony slept through that! What’s going on here? I turned on his bedside lamp, his bed was empty. Messy and unmade, but still empty. Sad pieces of broken radio were scattered all over the floor.

“Rikky! You better be in the bathroom or something!” I yelled out, hoping for an angry response. There was only silence.

“RIKKY!” I yelled again, hoping he had gone slightly deaf.

Applejack is going to murder me.

I began searching his room desperately, checking under his bed, the bathroom, and in his closet.

Damn, I was sure he was going to be in the closet. Gotta think like Rikky, what would he do? Obviously he’s playing some intricate game of hide and go seek... like a jackass, doesn’t he know that I’m somewhat responsible for him? AJ is not going to be happy with me if she learns that Rik has been up and about, helping spread that disease. I don’t even know what that mare is capable of, but I know she’s not to be trifled with. Alright, he has to be in this apartment SOMEWHERE!

I turned the entire apartment upside down, checked every nook and cranny of every room, every cabinet, every pot and pan, the oven and the fridge. He wasn’t here, he had left the apartment. I am so bucked. She’s going to get a mob together and chase me out of town, capture me, throw me in jail, torture me for days, and worst of all, she’d kill any chance I had with Pinkie!

“RYKU, YOU RAT BASTARD, WHERE DID YOU GO!?” I yelled out. An idea popped in my head, Magic! Magic always solves all of my problems! I scurried to my room and started going through my stuff, looking for my basic spell book from years at school. I flipped it open and went through it looking for a locator spell or something like it...

Offensive spells, defensive spells, hmm... utility spells sounds good. I flipped to that section and scanned through it. Nothing! Cloudwalking spells, basic teleportation, advanced telekinesis. But nothing I needed! I tossed the book on my bed and let out an angry huff as looked around angrily, my eyes landing on the book on my small desk with the title ‘Making Fireworks: an idiot’s guide by Diwali’ and a picture of a happy zebra with fireworks going off in the background on the cover.

“You know I bet the library has the spell I’m looking for.” I announced, before I grabbed my library book (and a to-go cupcake) and went to go return it, at a nice galloping pace.

The Golden Oaks library was on the other side of town, but I made it there in a time that even a pegasus would be proud of, thanks to the wonder of teleporting short distances. But the sun’s last rays were shining over the horizon, and I didn’t know if it was going to be open.

I began knocking on the door of the public library, just in case I wasn’t supposed to be there. I heard some laughing and some party favors on the other side of the door, and while normally I knew this was not the time to interrupt, that stallion that pays half the rent was out there somewhere and I needed to find him! So, I knocked harder. The festivities sounded like they died down a bit. The door was finally jerked open by a perturbed looking baby dragon, well he would have looked it, but he was wearing a tie on his head.

“What?!” He asked angrily.

I put on my friendliest smile and began my wee explanation. “Well Spike, I was just in the neighborhood and had this library book on me and was wondering if I could turn it?” I held up the book for him as he took it.

“And?” He eyed me and noticed me sweating from the mad dash to the library.

“Well...” I began, as I nervously itched at my forehoof.

“Who is it, Spike?” The voice of the librarian asked.

“It’s Satin, and it looks like he’s set something else on fire!” Spike yelled back as he let me inside.

I glared down, “It wasn’t me the first time!” I hissed at him.

I stepped past him into the foyer. An angry, tomboyish voice that I didn’t recognize put in, “Oh Celestia, not that featherbrain.”

“Oh come on Rainbow, he ain’t that bad. He’s jus’ a lil’ rough ‘round the corners.” A terrifying, terrifying southern voice put in.

My eyes grew wide in horror as the realization of the horrible trap that reality just put me in, started closing in around me.

“Uhh, nevermind guys. G-go back to your party or whatever, it can wait until morning.” I sputtered out as I tried to backpedal through the front door.

As I turned, my vision filled with sudden pinkness. It enveloped me in a vice-like embrace as it let out, “Satiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin! Welcome to the party! You weren’t even invited and you made it! How super special is that?!”

I’m ok with a death like this...

The squeeze became tighter and tighter as Pinke began swinging me back and forth like a ragdoll.

“Pinkie, let th’ poor stallion go.” AJ stated flatly, shaking her head as she joined us in the foyer.

I took my first tentative breath as Pinkie’s hooves unwrapped themselves from around me. I coughed a couple of times trying to regain my voice.

“W-w-what are you guys all doing here?” I sputtered out, nervously trying to formulate an exit strategy.

AJ’s eyes narrowed as Pinkie jumped in front of her encompassing my vision. “We’re celebrating! Partying down ‘cuz Rarity just finished with her fall line!”

“No, I meant why are all the ponies I’ve met hanging out in one room? Is Rikky, the red one, the brown one, the DJ, the bartender, the one that bet for me, the one that bet against me, the one that’s always angry at me, the others that are angry at me, Lyra, and… my mind has wandered.” I started to stare blankly into the setting of the library.

“No silly! This is just for best buddy buddies!”

AJ’s glare intensified, “How’s Ryku doin’ Satin?”

My eyes twitched slightly, remembering what I was there for, “Oh you know, he’s just chillin’.” I then proceeded to chuckle nervously for about a minute.

“Yer lyin’.” She responded simply.

“…No I’m not…”

She took a threatening step forward, “Yes, yes ya are. Now tell me what’s wrong with Ryku.”

My heart began pounding, “He’s doing fine! He’s just… he’s... he. I have no idea where he is…”

Her face instantly turned into a mask of concern, “Tell me everythin’.”

“But I don-“

“Tell. Me. Everythin’.” She enunciated forcefully.

“A long long time ago, in this galaxy, there existed two...” I sputtered out.

“SATIN!” Applejack stomped, emphasizing her point and silencing the room, “Satin, if you don’t tell me somethin’ useful in the next 3 seconds, ah’ll buck ya all the way ta’ Canterlot an’ back!”

I shrank back, my eyes grew big, and my heart began to race. I didn’t think she knew about the whole banishment thing, but it made the threat even more... threatening.

“...but.”

A cold deathstare interrupted me.

“I-I-I-I was on m-m-my way from the the job thing and and and I stopped off at th-the bakery cuz I wanted to stop in and and and see...” I looked at AJ with a pained expression and quickly glanced at Pinkie.

She rolled her eyes, “Go ahn.”

“And she wasn’t there and I remembered that a short term fix for the freezles is loads of sugar because sometimes my memory sucks and there are things I can’t remember at the right time and sometimes I can’t remember important things like names or spells and sometimes when I’m scared or somepony is in trouble or I’m sober I can remember lots of things and-” I sputtered out, staring at the ground.

“SATIN! GET TA’ THE POINT!” Applejack yelled.

My ears flattened as I shrunk back against the wall, “I-decided-to-pick-up-a-dozen-cupcakes-for-Ryku-and-when-I-tried-to-sneakily-put-them-on-his-bedside-table-and-I-tripped-on-something-or-broke-something.” I took a deep breath, “I’m not really sure, and he wasn’t there. And I looked, I really did! I looked everywhere! So I went to a magic book to look up a locator spell and it was gone or missing or something and I came here.”

She continued staring at me for a minute afterward, the uncomfortable silence held in the air the whole time. Finally, she nodded at me. “Alright, ah believe ya’. Twilight! You got one of them locator spells ‘round here?”

It took a moment for the purple unicorn to respond, “Oh uh, yeah. I just have to prepare a few things.” She then turned and ran up the stairs to a different room.

The next few minutes were a mixture of the other ponies in the room trying to comfort me and continued awkwardness. I just tried to sit still and not get yelled at some more.

It wasn’t long before Twilight came trotting down the stairs with a book and a small ream of paper on her back. She unrolled a good bit of it and began drawing a series of small shapes all around in a circle. I watched, as she meticulously created what looked like a fancy compass.

She worked in total silence and when the final mark was drawn, she looked up at me and said, “Alright, the last thing we need is a personal item of his.”

I purposefully blinked a couple times, trying to think of something, before my mind remembered who the cupcakes were supposed to be for. I floated the, not so well preserved, cupcake to Twilight and asked, “Do you think this would work? I bought them for Rik and everything...”

“Well the book said personal property so I guess it would work...”

Applejack tapped her hoof impatiently.

Twilight took the hint as she placed the cupcake in the center of the compass and looked at the book once more before lighting the cupcake up with her magic.

Slowly, the light began to trace around the lines of the drawing as the whole thing erupted in magic.

When the light dimmed, a little lit up square hovered in the air. A small red X was floating inconspicuously on one side of it.

“He’s two miles out of town, east? There’s nothing out there! Why would he even...” Rainbow Dash said questioningly.

Applejack released a huff, “Yer lookin’ at the map upside down.” Rainbow Dash looked hurriedly back at the map.

“But that would mean...” The pegasus began.

“Of course he’d be in the Everfree.” AJ said, as she gathered her things and began to walk out the front door.

Bonus Chapter: Just Torquin' it

It was the day after the failed magic show when I awoke with groan. Looking about my bedroom or rather Crystal’s living room, as that was currently where I was living, the house was unusually quiet.

Huh, Crystal must have gone out already. Must be running some errands or something.

I rolled off the couch and onto the floor, making a slight flump as I landed. I sighed as I lay there, knowing that I would have to stand up sooner or later. Seeing no other option, I opted to get it out of the way sooner rather than later. I struggled to my hooves, and stood up shakily. I stretched my wings and ruffled my feathers. I chuckled as they ended up staying fluffy, not bothering to smooth them back.

“I’m not working today, so I guess I can go without preening today,” I said aloud to nopony in particular. “Who knows, maybe I’ll even go for a massage, Celestia-knows that those twins did a great job adjusting my back when I came here, and besides, that blue one was cute. Maybe I will pay the spa a visit today.”

My mind made up, I got ready to leave. I put on my bracelets, the gentle clinking providing an ever so slight peace in my mind. I looked at my shades, but opted to leave them there. Placing them on the kitchen counter, I returned to the living room and cleaned up my area, putting away the blankets and pillow, returning the room to normal. My stomach growled, and I looked at the bowl of fruit on the table. With a slightly guilty look, I grabbed an apple and gobbled it up.

I hope she won’t mind, I've been fairly good about getting my own meals, but just this once...

As I finished the last bite of the apple, there was a knock at the door. I froze, my eyes wide with fear.

HOW did she find out? I’m so gonna get kicked out, she’s sent someone to deliver the message to me.

Again there was a knock, this time more pronounced, and a voice came from the other side of the door.

“Message for a Mr. Torque, currently residing at Ms. Starlight’s house,” sounded the voice from outside, it not being the usual goofy voice of the regular mailmare.

My heart skipped what seemed like twelve beats as I heard him say that.

OH SWEET CELESTIA she really sent a messenger to kick me out. How? Why? Where will I go? I was now completely freaking out, and I slowly opened the door and peeked out. The messenger was taller than me, and was a light tan earth pony with a blue messenger’s outfit. He smiled slightly at me when he saw my head poke out. I nervously returned it and opened the door wider. He stared at my wings for a moment before he shook his head and cleared his throat.

*Ahem* “To a Mr. Freq Torque, currently residing at a Ms. Crystal Starlight’s house, in Ponyville proper,” he began in a clear and calm voice, which only succeeded in making me even more nervous. “From one Mr. Treble Run, currently residing in Cloudsdale. Would you like to hear the message?” He asked kindly, which made my head reel. I was relieved that the message wasn't Crystal kicking me out, but I was now uneasy that my brother was sending me a telegram, and not a letter.

“Uhm...sure, what’s the message say?” I replied, the nervousness now evident in my voice. The messenger once again cleared his throat before reading aloud.

“‘Torque, listen. I know it’s been a long time since we last saw each other, and even longer since we've actually talked. But I really want to see you again. I heard about your fall out with the Bolts from Spitfire, and I want to talk. I know it’ll be awkward, but we need to. By the time you receive this message, I’ll already be on my way. See you soon.’ And that is it.” The messenger gave a halfhearted smile, trying to portray an ‘I’m happy for you’ face, but it looked far too forced to be convincing. I thanked the messenger, payed him a few bits, and he left.

Not 30 seconds had passed before I began to freak.

“MOTHEROFCELESTIA! HOWAMIGONNA?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” I was panicking like it was my job. My brother, who I hadn’t seen in 3 years, talked to in longer, was already on his way to Ponyville, to visit me.

And I didn’t have a place of my own.

After about a minute, I simply flopped on the couch, groaning in defeat.

“How could this get any worse?” I stupidly asked out loud.

A knock at the door replied to my question, followed by a voice meekly calling out.

“H-hello? Is anybody there?”

I almost screamed in hatred of myself, as I flew towards the door and opened it, not bothering to ask, or caring, who was at the door. However, the pony who stood there was instantly recognizable.

“H-hi.”

I promptly laid down on the floor, giving up for a brief moment, and literally yelling at myself in my head. For standing there, in the door, was my brother, Treble Run.

I slowly got up off the floor, and proceeded to wave him inside. He hesitated, but slowly walked in.

“Uhm, you can put your bag over there for now.” I said, pointing my hoof next to the couch. He nodded and dropped his saddlebag down, flexing his back after lugging it around. We just stood there awkwardly, in Crystal’s living room, in complete silence, for what seemed like 10 minutes.

Treble was the first to break it.

“Uhm...I”

“How did you find me?” I rather flatly interrupted, curious as to how. He flinched, not expecting me to be so blunt.

“W-well...there was this pink pony...”

“Ah, ok, that makes sense now.” I again interrupted, with a slight chuckle. Of course Pinkie would know, and of course she would be the first to talk to him. He was, after all, a new visitor to Ponyville. She makes it a point to know everypony in Ponyville.

Treble then was silent for a little while, and the awkwardness descended upon us once again. We hadn’t spoken in at least 4 years. I was the one to break the silence this time.

“Come here.” I held my leg outstretched, ushering him to come over. Slowly, he shuffled over, and as soon as he was in reaching distance, I pulled him into a tender embrace, wrapping my legs around his neck.

“I missed you, Treble.” He stood there briefly, not knowing how to react to the situation, but eventually he returned the hug. I couldn’t help but smile hugely, despite how awkward it was seeing him again after all these years.

We broke the hug, and both of us were misty eyed. Not wanting my kid brother to see me cry, I quickly turned around and brushed the tears out of my eyes. I heard him chuckle slightly, which made me gasp.

“Did...you just laugh?” I asked stupidly, already knowing the answer to my question. He looked at me strangely, then smiled.

“Of course, why, is that a problem?” I was stunned, he seemed so...different. Almost mature.

“I haven’t heard you laugh in years. Not since...” I trailed off, and the awkward silence again ensued. I didn’t want to bring up those memories, they were painful enough to me. They had destroyed Treble.

“It’s ok, you can say it, Freq. I’m ok now, really. I realized that living in the past, that holding in all those painful memories, was only hurting myself. I’ve moved on.” I was positively flabbergasted. Here I was, standing in the same room as my kid brother, after having not spoken to him in at least 4 years, and he seemed, almost happy. Calm.

Grown up.

“I...I...” I mumbled out. I had no idea how to react. I broke down. I let all of my emotions spill out in one fit of sobbing. Treble rushed to my side, wrapping me in a tender embrace, like our mother had done many years ago. I cried and cried, but it wasn’t so much tears of sadness as they were tears of...well, a lot of emotions, but mostly relief. A short while later, I regained my composure, and stood up, sniffling and wiping my eyes.

“All these years, and I thought I was the crybaby. A lot has changed, huh?” He asked, giving me the most warm hearted look I’d ever seen. He had inherited mother's sensitivity.

“Hey, well, I’ve had to raise you since you were just a little foal, so cut me some slack, Treb. It’s not like I’m a Ruler of Equestria. It was hard.” I said, my voice hoarse from crying. “But listen, let’s talk outside, in Celestia’s sun. It’s getting kinda musty in here.”

He nodded and turned to grab his saddlebags, but I laid a wing on his flank.

“No need, leave your stuff here. I’m sure Crystal won’t mind.” I chuckled outwardly, while inwardly, I was terrified that she would pitch a fit. Pushing the thought out of my mind, I snagged my shades, put them on, and motioned for my brother to follow me.

“Where are we going, Freq?” He asked as I closed the door to Crystal’s house and locked it. I kicked off the ground, flapping my wings and hovering. I smiled slyly.

“Can you keep up?” I challenged, knowing full well just how competitive my brother was. He paused for a moment before flashing a grin that sent shivers of joy down my spine. He snapped open his wings and crouched low to the ground, before rocketing into the sky.

“That depends,” he called back to me, high above my current position, “am I racing somepony else? Cause you know I’m gonna win if I race you.” He was so full of life and energy, something I hadn’t expected from him. My thoughts drifted back to the letter I wrote to him before, and I wondered if that had inspired him to change. I was lost in my thoughts, so I barely registered the snarky comeback he said.

“Come on, what are ya, scared of losing, Torqy?” The pet name burrowed its way into my thoughts and snapped me back to reality.

“HEY! That name is reserved for Spitfire alone!” I shouted back, a hint of a blush evident on my cheeks. He stuck his tongue out at me and shook his flank, taunting me further.

“Alright, first one to go from the Town Hall to the Library Tree to the train station, then Sweet Apple Acres wins!” I yelled, adrenaline pumping through my veins from the anticipation of a race. I zipped up next to him, eager to start. He nodded. “Ready? Three, two, one...Go!”

And with that, we sped off.

Treble had an early lead, which was unsurprising. He always looked up to Spitfire, and wanted to become a Wonderbolt. I had to keep up with him growing up, so I was a decent flier myself. However, I soon noticed that he was starting to slow down, and that’s when I realized he had no idea where he was going.

I sniggered, knowing that even with the unknown route, he had agreed to it anyways. I took advantage of this, and shot past him.

“Eat my feathers, Treb!” I taunted as I passed the Town Hall and turned for the Library, seeing him make a wide turn to catch up with the new direction. He was obviously unhappy that he had agreed to this race, seeing that he was now at a disadvantage. I pushed on, passing the Library and pulling a 180 degree turn, to which Treble was unprepared for.

He stopped mid-flight and had to turn around. He shot back up and caught up to me.

“That was a dirty trick you pulled, Freq, you know?” He was visibly irked, but I didn’t care, I was winning.

“Yeah, but you agreed to it, so it’s your own fault.” He grunted and beat his wings faster, trying to at least get ahead of me somewhat. But as we had already reached the train station, another sharp turn was in store, and once again, he was thrown off, and the lead was again mine.

However, now the Acres were in plain sight, and I knew I was beaten unless I pushed hard.

“HA!” I heard him shout from behind me, and I heard wing beats approach me rather quickly. Determined to beat my kid brother, I pushed with all my might, and I heard the wingbeats get softer. The Acres were in reaching distance, and I was about to win when...

A rainbow blur zipped past me and landed in the fields. However, I still flew, and I heard my brothers wing beats catch up to mine. We were neck and neck.

As we crossed over the fields, suddenly confetti exploded from seemingly nowhere, along with a loud.

“WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Exhausted, we both landed next to the spot where the rainbow blur had landed. Only to be assaulted by what could only be described as Pinkie Pie.

“TIIIIIIE! IT’S A TIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! But Rainbow Dash was the one who REALLY won the race, but you two technically were the only ones in this race, and you two tied, but Rainbow did the whole course behind you guys, and in the end she won so EVERYPONY WINS WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”

“Thanks, Pinkie, but I think I can handle it from here.” The cyan pegasus apparently called Rainbow Dash said. I was confused as to how both this pegasus AND Pinkie had found out about the race, but I had grown accustomed to not asking how some things around here worked.

“So *pant* nice race *pant* Torqy.” Treble gasped out between breaths. I flinched in horror as he dropped the nickname I hoped nopony else would ever find out about, in front of the one pony who would be likely to call me the for the rest of my days. I nodded my head in acknowledgement of his compliment, and Pinkie proceeded to inhale in excitement. However, a cyan hoof was inserted into her mouth before she could speak.

“So Torque huh? You’re that new DJ at Club Pon3? Didn’t know you were a pegasus, and a decent flier at that. The name’s Dash, Rainbow Dash. Who’s your friend?” She said, nodding her head at my brother, who was currently lying on his side, trying to not pass out. After a brief moment to catch my breath, I smiled.

“My brother, Treble Run. He’s visiting from Cloudsdale. He’s the better flier of the two of us.” He looked up at her, smiling briefly, before going back to trying to catch his breath. I rolled my eyes before turning my attention to Rainbow. I noticed her pink hoof mitt was no longer anywhere around. I opened my mouth to ask, but was interrupted.

“She’s gone, she left to go somewhere else, something about a pillow needing her help? I don’t know, I’ve stopped asking. So yeah, that was a nice race. I gotta go catch some Z’s, but if you ever feel like racing again, come find me. I’d love to race you for real next time.” And with that, she blasted away, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake. I was left with my brother in the Acres.

And I really didn’t know what to make of the situation that had just unfolded.

So I opted to just lay in the fields next to my brother, as he attempted to catch his breath. We stayed there for a while, just enjoying basking in the sun, and each other’s presence. The sounds of nature were all around us, but I really didn’t care. For the first time in probably 5 years, my brother and I were enjoying ourselves.

After about an hour of simply lying there, my brother rolled over to me and gently bumped my side. My eyes were closed, but he couldn’t see my eyes behind my shades. I turned my head towards him and smiled.

“Hey Torq?”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“I really missed this, you know, us being happy and smiling together.”

“Yeah, me too. I just wish mom could see us...she’d be smiling too.”

“...Yeah.”

I rolled over to look at my brother, a sad smile evident on my face. His was twisted into this pained sort of happiness. I cocked my head to the side and poked him. He turned his head and opened his mouth to speak, the tears starting to flow.

“I...*ahem*...I think...dad would be smiling too.”

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard my brother say. Out of our entire family, dad had taken out most of his problems on Treble, and yet, here he was, saying how dad would be happy.

“...I...Treb...”

“Don’t, Torq. I know what you are gonna say, and I get it. You’ll never forgive him for what he did to our family. But...I know deep down inside my heart that he never really meant to tear it apart. I know that, despite all the bad things that he did to us, that he was still our father, and he loved us. And I think that he would be proud to see us where we are right now. They both would be.”

I was speechless. All I could do was sit there, mouth agape, staring at my brother. He sniffled once and wiped his eyes with a foreleg. Smiling, he sat up and flexed his wings.

“Alright, so we tied that last race, but that was a cheap shot, making me agree to a course that I didn’t know. I say we do an old fashioned drag race next. Whaddya say?” He hopped to his hooves, pawing at the ground and flapping his wings in preparation.

Coming back to reality, I shook my head, trying to clear it of the shock of what happened moments ago. I jumped up as well, but didn’t get into the race mode.

“Uh, actually Treb, I was thinking...can we just like take a walk through town and catch up? I promise we’ll race later, but that last race tired me out. Actually, I know this sounds weird, but I was thinking we could go and get a massage. There is this place in the center of town with these twins who are phenomenal.”

The look of disappointment was evident on his face, but he perked up when I mentioned a massage. I had to stifle a laugh at the sudden change of facial expression.

He hasn’t changed at all, still as impulsive as ever

“Really? A massage? That actually sounds wonderful. I could use a good back rub.”

“Fantastic, then let’s go.”

And so we set off on hoof, towards the center of town. The Acres were about 4 miles outside of the town, so we had plenty of time to catch up on things.

Along the way I told him about everything that had happened ever since I left Cloudsdale; between meeting the friends I made, to the new job, to even the few parties I’d been to. The whole time, Treble had this fascinated look on his face, like he was jealous and excited about what I had been doing. Being everything I wanted to be.

After I caught him up on what I had been doing, curiosity struck.

“So what have YOU been doing since I left?” I asked, bumping into him as I walked. He chuckled, a slight blush evident through his orange fur. He looked away briefly, clearing his throat and shaking off the look of fascination.

“Well, I’ve had my own place for a while now, ever since you got that job with Spitfire, which you already know. I’ve kept my job as a weather pony for a while now, and I’m halfway decent at it. I spend most of my downtime at the house, just kinda writing music that almost never sees the light of Celestia’s sun.”

I smiled.

“You were always doing that, even as a young colt, you would spend your down-time writing music instead of doing your homework. You were a hassle to raise.” He blushed a little and pushed me away slightly.

“Aw shush you. Anyways, after about 2 years of working at the Weather Factory, I was put onto cloud making, with another newbie. Her name was Nocti Mist, and she seemed nice enough. I talked to her occasionally, passing the time. This went of for a few months. After that, we started to talk more, and I got to know her better. We became great friends by the end of my 3rd year. We’ve been that way for a long time.”

He paused to think for a second, the smile getting more sincere, and a hint of a blush sitting on his face.

“Then, about 2 weeks ago, we were just getting off of work. I had told her about the music that I write, and she had said that she wanted to see some of it. So we went back to my house, and I showed her where I do most of my work. She was awestruck by the sheer amount of music that I had written, and she asked if she could hear one of the pieces I wrote. So I agreed and played, albeit a little roughly, one of my songs on the piano. When I finished she looked so full of wonder. I figured that now was as good a time as ever to tell her how I really felt. Just as I was about to tell her, there was a knock at my door. I went to open it and Spitfire was there. I was a little surprised.”

**Flashback**

“Heya Treble. Can I come in?”

“I...guess. I have a friend over, but family friends are always welcome.”

“Oh, I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Not really...Nocti? Come say hi to Spitfire.”

“...H-hi Miss Spitfire...nice to meet you.”

“Oh please, call me Spitfire. Nice to meet ya too. Anyway, I came down to tell ya something, Treble.”

“Hmm? What did you need to tell me.?”

“...Well...it’s about your brother. He kinda messed up big and he had to leave. He’s going to Ponyville to work with a friend of mine. I figured I’d just let you know...in case you wanted to see him.”

“Oh...thanks, I guess.”

“Treb...you should really try to go see him...make amends. Become a family again. Just...think about it, ok? I have to get back, practice and all that. It was nice meeting you, Nocti. Stay safe you two, and try to not get too intimate!”

**End Flashback**

“And with that she just flew off, leaving the two of us blushing and confused. Shortly after, she went home, and the past two weeks have been kinda awkward between us. So, I decided to consider Spitfire’s proposal and came to see you, and here we are.”

I stifled a laugh. I was amazed at how much my little brother had grown.

“Spitfire was always like an older sister to us. She never fails to make me smile.” We had reached the center of town by now. I looked around to see where the spa was.

“Aha! There it is! Let’s go.” I trotted towards the building, Treble close behind me. When we got there, I turned to shoot my brother a smile, and bumped right into another pony, sending both of us to the ground.

“Hey! Watch where you’re go...oh hey Torq.”

“Oh...hey boss. What are you doing here?”

“Oh nothing, just wondering if that blue cretin is still working there. What are YOU doing here?”

I kicked at the ground a little.

“Uhhh...”

“We were just going to get a massage, care to join us?” My brother trotted up next to me, a huge smile on his face. I couldn’t help but snicker a little at his outgoing attitude.

“This goof is my brother, Treble. He’s staying in town for a few days, can he shack up with us? I’ll sleep on the floor and he can have the couch. He won’t be too much of a problem he’s just a little ecc-MMPH!” Her hoof entered my mouth for the second time since meeting her, quieting my ramblings.

“Yeah that’s fine. Just don’t keep me up at night. Oh yeah, and I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind doing a set tonight. I know I said you didn’t have to work today, but I was walking around town and I heard a lot of ponies talking about the club and wondering if there was gonna be a show tonight. Money is money, after all. The place is already clean, whaddya say?”

I sighed.

Well, so much for my night off.

“Yeah, that’s fine, as long as my brother can get in for free.”

“Yeah, alright. Doors open around 9, ok? Don’t be late.”

“Ok Crystal. See you tonight.” And with that she trotted off. I groaned slightly, but Treble nudged me in the side.

“So, she seems nice.” I pushed him away, walking into the Spa.

“Shut up, she’s my boss, and besides, she’s not my type.”

“Oh? So you have a type? What is your type, huh? Spill.”

I grumbled, lifting my shades onto my forehead. I rang the bell on the counter.

“I like the type that won’t eat me if I get them angry. What about you? I’m guessing you’re more the ‘Nocti’ type?”

With that, the blush exploded on his orange fur, even going so far as to reach his ears. As if on cue, the twin earth ponies came through the door and greeted us.

“How can ve help you?” They said in unison. I smiled.

“Two massages please, under the name Torque.”

“Actually, if you are getting two massages, dhen you might as vell get dhe couples package for only 10 bits more. It’s dhe full treatment.” Said the pink one, smiling big.

“A-actually we are brothers, not a couple.” I stammered out.

“Zhat’s fine, you can still get it. You are famous in zhese parts so we will look ze other way.” The blue one said. I smiled and nodded.

“Thank you, then we will do that.”

They nodded, and the pink twin disappeared behind the curtain to go get things ready. The blue one looked over her shoulder to make sure her sister was gone, and then leaned in close.

“I love your DJ-ing, it’s so...vonderful! I’ve been to every one of your shows. Shh, zhough, my sister doesn’t know.” I blushed a little, always a little humble about my shows and the popularity they receive. A white unicorn strode out from behind the curtain, looking fantastic. Hearing the curtain flip closed, the blue twin regained her regular composure, and cleared her throat.

“Zhat’ll be 40 bits.” She said quickly.

I reached for my saddle bags to retrieve the bits, only to realize in horror that I had left them at Crystal’s place.

“Uhh, I uhm, seem to have left my bits at my house...” I turned crimson as my brother face hoofed. I heard from behind my a voice pipe up.

“Oh, you poor darlings. Lotus, be a dear and put their cost on my tab, I’d just HATE it if I had to miss out on a spa treatment because I left my bits at home. Oh and don’t worry about paying me back, darling, I know you well enough that it can be considered a gift from a friend. Ta!” And with that she left.

I was a little taken back by what just unfolded, but I quickly shook it off and smiled at Lotus. She blushed and rang it up. After that, she beckoned us to come with her behind the curtain. We followed and then we were taken into the care of the spa twins.

**2 hours later**

We emerged from the curtain, glistening and refreshed from the treatment.

“Thank you two so much for that. I really needed it.” I said, ruffling my now preened wings.

“Yeah, that was amazing. You two have a really great thing here. Your customers must be very satisfied.” My brother said, smiling goofily.

“You are very velcome. Ve hope you come back soon.” The two of them said in unison.

With that we departed.

“Oh yeah, before I forget. Lotus? Tonight at 9.” I winked and put my shades back over my eyes, shielding them from the now setting sun. I heard an excited squeal and a confused inquiry before the doors closed behind us. I chuckled and Treble rolled his eyes.

“You’re ridiculous, Torqy.” He said sarcastically. I lightly kicked him.

“Hey, what part of ‘for Spitfire only’ didn’t you understand?”

“Oh yeah, whoops. Hey do you know what time it is?”

To be honest I really didn’t know. I had lost track of it when we went into the spa. Curious myself, I took to the sky and looked at the clock tower.

“PONYFEATHERS! It’s 7:30, I gotta get to the club! Come on!” I motioned for my brother to follow me, and he took off and flew behind me. Within moments we arrived at the club, and we settled in front of the doors. I knocked, and after a few seconds Bacchus opened it for me. He cast a wary eye at my brother, but I waved him off. Once inside, I immediately flew over to the stage.

“Whoah...”

Treble’s mouth hung open as he looked at the club. I glanced up at him while I fiddled around with some of the knobs and sliders, already having a plan for the nights set. I rolled my eyes as he slowly clopped over to the stage, his own scanning the vast arrangement of lights and music hardware. I hooked up my headphones to the mixing table and hung them on my neck, making sure they were on.

“Frequency…this is where you work? Sweet Celestia, this set up is stellar! Who hooked you up with all this gear?” He finally reached the stage and slowly flew up next to me. Now that he was actually behind the stage, he once again fell into the awestruck state as he looked over the massive arrangement of records and cds at my disposal. Without looking up I answered him with a small chuckle.

“You think this stuff belongs to me? Ha, no this belongs to the club. Well, everything except for my headphones, I bought those a while back. No, this stuff all belongs to the previous DJ, Vinyl Scratch. Apparently, her and Spitfire know each other, and Spitty let me know about this place, so naturally I jumped at this opportunity.” I tapped him on his shoulder with my right wing and motioned for him to back up.

“Huh?” He asked as he backed up. I then reached over to the selection of records and selected a few from the closest box. Treble then chuckled and backed off a little and sat down. “I’ll just stay out of your way bro.” I stopped and looked behind me at him.

“Oh no, you weren’t really in my way, I just had to grab a few things. You’re fine up here. I know you always liked to watch me work. Don’t even pretend like you didn’t. I always knew you were there, watching me through the crack in my bedroom door.” I chuckled as he blushed and dug his front hoof into the stage floor slightly.

“Oh you noticed? Err...sorry. It’s just that...I always idolized you. After mom and dad left our lives, and before Nocti came into my life, there wasn’t really much for me to do aside from sulk. I would sometimes just lie in my room and listen to you play music in the next room. It was one of the few times that I would smile.” The blush deepened on his face as he finished his statement. I smiled warmly at him, laying the records down in their respective places on the turntables. I then went and gave him a hug.

“I know, Treble. I always knew you were there, that's why I practiced so often, because I knew you were there, watching me. I just wanted to make you happy, as difficult as it was. I also seem to recall one time when I almost caught you outside my room.

*Flashback*

I had heard a small sneeze from outside my door. I smiled slightly, knowing full well that it was Treble watching me. This time I figured I’d confront him and invite him to sit and watch me properly, instead of through a door crack. So, I got up and slowly walked towards the hallway, but I saw the flash of orange fur and the slam of the door in the next room. I pursued my target slowly and deliberately, leaving my room and walking to my brothers. I opened the door slowly.

“Heyya Treb, you wan…” The scene before me proceeded to make me laugh for a long time, and managed to make Treble stop talking to me for a long while.

He was flying above his bed, a slight blush on his cheeks, in a tight circle. He then said in the most bizarre way possible.

“Weeee, I’m a pretty butterfly!” He said the last part in the deepest voice I’d ever heard from him. I then burst out laughing. He shot me a dirty look and yelled at me to get out of his room.

*end flashback*

The intensity of the blush on Treble’s face was priceless.

“Treb, what did you honestly expect to happen after that show, me to take that in stride and still talk to you and not laugh?” I laughed and shook my head.

“Hey I was distraught, and I was young and fragile still. Sorry about not talking to you for a while after that.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he apologized. I smiled at him, and moved to give him a hug, before a piercing voice came from the bar.

“OI! Enough with the reminiscing, you have a show to put on in like 10 minutes, are you ready Torq?” Crystal, perfect timing as always, growled from behind the bar. I blushed and nodded.

“Yeah, almost Crystal. Just gotta sync up the sound system and the lights and then I’ll be all set.” I called back, turning my focus back to the task at hoof.

“Well, good. Look, I’m not sure how the turnout will be tonight, but if it’s packed and your brother distracts you, then you’ll be in for a world of hurt. He’s more than welcome to stay, but only if he doesn’t distract you, got it?” She stamped her hoof as an affirmation, her blue eyes shooting daggers from behind her green shades. I looked behind me at Treble, and he nodded and flew off the stage.

“I’ll leave you to it. Good luck tonight, I’ll be over by the bar. I’m sure you’ll do awesome.” I smiled at him as he flew over to the bar, before my eyes locked with my boss, and her scowl sent a cold shiver down my spine. I gulped and hit the power switch on the light system and the sound system.

I sent the two systems through their paces, syncing them up to the music and making sure all the final touches were in place. Once everything was all said and done, I nodded at Bacchus, and he hit the main light switch, plunging the whole club into darkness. I then hit the black lights, illuminating the club with the ghostly blue glow. The bar had its own light ropes so that it could still be useful, but they weren’t bright enough to interfere with the ambiance of the club.

With a blueish magical glow, the doors to the club were unlocked, and the ponies who had been waiting outside flowed in. I put my headphones over my ears, dropped the needle onto the records, and gave them a spin. And with that, the impromptu night at Club Pon-3 began. The ponies, once they got their hoof stamped by Crystal, began to flow into the dance floor, a few of them donned in glow sticks from horn to tail. One unicorn in particular caught my eye. She had blue glow sticks all over her legs, and was twirling a yellow one rather close to the stage.

It took me a moment to realize that it was the nice mare who gave me the directions to club when I first came to town. What was her name now? Lyra. That was it. I shot her a smile, but the light system probably blocked any sort of view of me on my perch. The mare soon was drawn away by the steady flow of ponies into the dance floor. Not 5 minutes into my set, and there was already a crowd of ponies jumping to the beat in front of the stage. I chuckled, the sound completely drowned out by the speakers. I set my focus back on the set before me.

As time went on, the crowd in front of the stage began to spread out, each pony or couple having their own space to sway and jump to the beat of the music. Over the past 2 hours, I saw at least 3 separate dance offs happen, and the participants involved all had their own skills to put on the board. There was of course the ponies who broke apart the circles that formed by dancing in the most ridiculous ways, the dance off then dissipating and becoming a crowd again.

There was one dance off that Lyra participated in, with her glow stick twirling drawing a decent roar of approval. However, the third circle that happened was met with a stunning roar of approval, but I couldn’t catch a good look at the pony who caused the roar. I only caught a flash of white fur when the strobe light caught it. After that particular one, the circles stopped forming, and some of the crowd began to thin out.

At midnight, the show hit the 4 hour mark and I announced that there would only be 2 more hours of the set, and that I was taking a quick break. I heard the usual disappointed groans from the crowd, but I shrugged it off and put the next record on, hit autoplay, and hopped off stage. I flew over to the bar, nodding towards Bacchus, who smirked and poured me a glass of apple cider.

I eagerly downed the cold drink, quenching my parched throat and cooling me off. Despite tonight not being a scheduled open night for the club, the turnout was impressive. I felt a tap on my shoulder and it was Treble.

“Freq that was awesome! I never knew you could do that much, but then again, that was years ago.” The smile on his face was the most touching thing ever, his amber eyes were shining in the strobe lights. I noticed that his blue and green mane now had an addition of a white glow stick. I smiled at him.

“Thanks Treb, it really means a lot to hear that from you. Where did the glow stick come from?” I said as I nodded towards the cylindrical object in his mane.

“Oh, some mare who stopped by and said hey. She was very polite. I couldn’t really hear her though, the music was loud. Look Torq, I’m getting tired, I’m gonna head to your place and crash, that ok?” He yawned to send home the message that he was speaking the truth. I recalled that he wasn’t a night owl like I was.

“Yeah, just let Crystal know alright? She’ll give you directions if you don’t remember. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” I gave him a quick hug and ruffled his mane, causing the glow stick to fall out. I picked it up and put it behind my ear. He rolled his eyes, and turned to go tell Crystal he was leaving. I made my way back to the stage, smiling and hoofbumping the few who noticed me as I went.

Once back on stage, I put my headphones back on and turned off the autoplay, scratching the record to announce I was back. There was a cheer and then the last few hours of the set began.

In the final hour of my set, the crowd had thinned to include only the die-hard clubbers and fans. I noticed Lyra was still here and I laughed.

I could feel the events of the day starting to catch up with me as the final minutes of the set came to a close, and I hid a yawn. Finally, I had to make the call that none of the clubbers want to hear.

“Alright everypony, I only have one more song for you before I sign off for the night, so go as hard as you can!” With that, I flipped a few switches and used only the red and blue lights, to emphasize the intensity of the song. As it came to a close, I bid the clubbers farewell, and at last the song wound down and ended. There was a lot of cheering, but some of it sounded tired. I disconnected my headphones and turned off the sound and light systems. The remainder of the crowd then left the club, and the main lights turned back on.

I groaned inwardly at the mess left behind by the clubbers, but at least it wasn’t as bad as it was on a scheduled night. There was only the usual mess of discarded glow sticks and body paint. With a yawn I left the stage, flying over to the small office to retrieve the cleaning supplies before going home. When I got to the door, it was locked and the knob was glowing blue. I turned around and huffed at my boss.

“Crystal, I’m tired, and I just want to get to cleaning before I leave tonight.” She snickered, and stopped using her magic to hold the door. She shook her head.

“Nono, go home Torq, I’ll handle the cleaning for tonight. You’ve had a long day, and I expect you here tomorrow morning at 11 sharp. Go get a good night’s sleep.” She smiled warmly, but her eyes were intense, telling that she meant business. Not one to argue with my boss, I nodded.

“Alright, thanks Crystal. Have a good night.” With that, I left the club, waving to Bacchus. He nodded, and I made my way back to Crystal’s place. I flew slowly, reflecting on everything that happened today, what with reuniting with my brother, the spa, and the spontaneous club night. I smiled, happy that this day had played out the way it had.

I reached Crystal’s place, and slowly opened the door. There, curled up on the couch, was my brother, sound asleep.

He looks so peaceful, I shouldn’t disturb him. I smiled, removing my shades and headphones and placing them on the kitchen table. I then carefully took my bracelets off, the gentle jingling sounding like a train in the quiet of the house. Treble stirred, but didn’t wake. I placed them too on the table, then quietly laid down next to my brother. I sighed and smiled, closing my eyes and letting a single tear escape my eyes, happy to be with my brother again.

I then drifted off to sleep.

*The next morning*

I awoke to the gentle tapping on my shoulder. I cracked open one eye to see Treble’s face smiling softly.

“Morning mix-master, it’s time to wake up, Crystal said you have to be at work in an hour.” I groaned, for more than one reason.

“Ugggh, first, don’t call me that, I’d much rather you call me Torqy than that, and I don’t want you to call me that either. Second, I don’t want to be awake yet. Wake me up in half an hour.” With that I rolled over and tried to fall back asleep.

That worked for about 3 seconds.

“Ooooooh, so there are what your headphones look like, I wonder how you turn them on?” I heard Treble call out from the kitchen. I felt my heart skip a few beats, and I shot out of the couch and immediately fell flat onto snout.

“Don’t touch those Treble! They are expensive!” I called from the floor. He was sitting nowhere near the kitchen, but was instead in the hall next to it. His face was smiling and he was laughing. I growled at him and then started to laugh myself. I got up from the floor and walked towards him. I bopped him on the head, making a mock angry face. “You goof.”

“You know it, Torqy!” I shot him an annoyed glance, before walking into the kitchen and retrieving my assorted belongings, putting on my bracelets, the clinking giving me solace. I put my shades on my head and my headphones around my neck. Treble looked at me strange.

“Hey, she wants me at work at 11? I’m gonna pop in early and surprise her.” I answered the unspoken question with a smirk. He laughed.

“Alright, then I’ll come with you, seeing as how I only have a couple more hours here until I have to go back to Cloudsdale. Nocti and I have plans at 2, so I gotta be out of here by 1.” He said with a small blush on his cheeks. I smiled at him, but it was a little sad, knowing that I only had 3 hours left with my brother before he had to go. I shook my head, and nodded towards the door.

“Shall we?”

“Do lets.”

I laughed and he grinned, and we left the house and headed towards the club. This time we took the flight slow and enjoyed the mid morning breeze that rolled through the town. It didn’t take us too long to reach the club, and we touched down in front of the doors. They were already open, which was strange to see this early, because the bar wasn’t open till 11 am. I walked in and Treble followed.

“Hello? Bacchus? Crystal? You here?” I asked as I walked into the club. The floor was spotless, and I had to be a little irked, what with unicorns being able to do jobs like cleaning so easily. I heard voices from the office, and I headed towards it.

“Are we supposed to be here yet Torq?” Treble asked me, and I shushed him.

“Crystal gets here early anyways, so yeah. I think…” I reached the office door and put my ear to it. I heard Crystal and Bacchus’ voice, but there was a third that I didn’t recognize. It was a mare, with an energetic voice, but it was an alto to be sure. I knocked on the door, and the voices abruptly stopped. I heard hoofsteps, and the door opened to reveal a white mare with a blue and sky blue mane, and magenta eyes, with purple shades above her horn.

“Hey there, you must be Frequency.” She mused, extending her hoof with a slight smirk. I recognized the stark white of the fur to be that pony who received the thunderous cheering last night. I returned the hoof shake with a quizzical look.

“Torque, if you will, nice to meet you…”

“Oh, the name’s Vinyl Scratch, the DJ who used to work here.” I looked past her and at the other two in the office, and they smiled and nodded. My eyes grew huge, and I could hear Treble’s slight gasp behind me.

“Really?! Wow, that’s awesome, I thought you were on tour?!” I spewed as I was a little star struck. She smiled big and nodded her head in confirmation.

“I am still on tour, but as a fellow DJ, you should know that we don’t perform till late in the day. Also, my tour just so happened to bring me to Cloudsdale tonight, and I knew that I had enough time to hang out with the gang here. I popped in late last night to see what the new DJ had in him, don’t want my club getting the wrong name for itself. You aren’t half bad, Torq.” I looked back at Treble, and me and him exchanged excited glances. Bacchus then got up from his spot and cleared his throat.

“Well, I do believe it is time to enjoy a drink, what say you?” He asked the ponies in attendance. We all nodded in agreement. I sat myself down next to Treble, and Vinyl sat next to me. Crystal sat in her usual spot, at the end of the bar, closest to Bacchus. “What are we having?”

“Just a cider for me.” Treble said.

“You know my order Bacchus.” Crystal scoffed.

“I’ll ha…” I began.

“2 Soundwaves Bac, for Torq and I.” Vinyl interrupted me with a smile. Bacchus looked at me with a smirk. He then looked at Vinyl with a stern look, to which Vinyl held her hooves up in an innocent gesture. “I’m not trying to get anything out of him, I’m already taken. I just want him to get a chance to try out the drink I created.”

“What? Hey, what is in it?” I inquired, a little cautious of drinking alcohol this early in the morning. Vinyl waved a hoof at me, attempting to dismiss my worry.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing more than whiskey and a tiiiny bit of blue spectra.” She said with a wink. I was actually rather piqued, it sounding very good, but I was curious as to how she created the drink.

“Wait, where did you get blue spectra? Also, Bacchus, you keep blue spectra here?”

“Actually, I brought the spectra with me directly from Cloudsdale, and he doesn’t keep the spectra here, I only get it when I visit Cloudsdale. I have my connections.” She said, rather smugly. She magicked the vial of blue liquid to Bacchus, who grabbed it and prepared the drinks for all of us. Once they were prepared, he passed them out, Treble and Crystal downing their drinks quickly, whilst I looked mine over. I tasted it, and it was very good, if but a little spicy. But then something occurred to me.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you Vinyl, how does Spitfire know you?” I said, setting my drink down. She practically spit her drink at Bacchus, instead, spluttering and choking. I raised my eyebrow in confusion.

“Uhhhhm, she and I are uh, really close friends. We’ve known each other for a long time. I visit whenever I get the chance, but between the Wonderbolts and my club, we don’t get much time to see each other.” She stammered out, a faint pink blush evident on her muzzle. I nodded in understanding.

“Yeah, I get where you are coming from, that must be really difficult to cope with.”

“More than you know.” She said under her breath.

For the next hour and a half we talked, exchanging stories of tours and performances, with Bacchus, Crystal, and Treble all listening intently. We each told horror stories of botched sets and technical difficulties, and we laughed and got along well. However, when clock on the wall said 12, it was time for them to part ways.

“It was nice meeting you Vinyl, make sure to say hi to Spitfire for me.” I said with a warm smile, and a hug. She nodded, and smiled back.

“I will, don’t worry. It was nice meeting you Treble, you looked cute with the glow stick in your hair last night.” She chuckled, getting a blush out of Treble.

“Yeah it was nice meeting you too. I’ll possibly see you tonight, I’m coming to your performance with a friend.” He said with a deeper blush. She nodded.

“See ya boss, Bacchus, I’ll let you two know when the tour ends alright?” She asked, to which they smiled and said alright. With that, she left the club, and an audible pop could be heard as she teleported away.

“Well that was cool, I wasn’t expecting to see the head DJ here today.” I said to Crystal. She laughed.

“Well, it was a surprise for me too when she showed up at the door last night. She spent the night in the office, that's why I didn’t want you to go in there last night. Anyway, you should probably get to work.” She said with a small quaver in her voice. There were a few tears evident in her eyes. Obviously she missed Vinyl, and was really happy to see her.

“Actually, can I come back in a little while? Treble is leaving in 45 minutes, and I’d like to see him off. Please?” I begged, putting on my best pouty face. She rolled her eyes.

“Alright, but you are cleaning the whole club then, stage included, tonight after the set, got it?” I huffed in annoyance, but took the terms of the verbal contract.

“Alright, I’ll be back in a little while then.” I walked out of the club, Treble in tow. The walk to Crystal’s house was quiet, neither of us wanting to break the sad silence. We retrieved his saddlebags, and made the trek to the train station.

I was the first to break the silence.

“Uhm, Treb, I’m really glad you decided to come down this weekend. I really appreciate it. It was a lot of fun catching up.” I could feel the tears starting to come up in my eyes, but I blinked them away. He nodded, not looking at me directly, more-so gazing about the town. He was taking in the new home of his brother.

“I’m really happy I got to talk to you again Torq. I’m glad I got to see you perform, I’m glad we raced. But mostly, I’m glad I got to hear your voice, after all those years.”

There they were, the tears started to fall now. I tried to shake them off, but we had reached the train station, and the train was to depart soon. I pulled him into a hug, and I could feel the wetness of his tears against my shoulder. I held onto the hug for as long as I could.

“All aboard!” Came the dreaded call from the conductor.

I broke the hug, and cleared my throat.

“I want you to know, you are always welcome here. I love you.”

“I love you too, Frequency.You are always welcome to visit my house.”

“I’m sure I’ll see you and Nocti around.” I laughed through my tears. He blushed and gave me one last hug.

“Bye bro.”

And with that, her turned around and got onto the train, just before the doors closed and it departed. It would take him to Canterlot, and from there it was a quick flight to Cloudsdale.

I watched the train go until it left my sight, and then I went back to work, with a heavy heart.

Author's Note

Haha it's me guise! guess who hijacked the collab account!

That's right, the writer for this chapter! Lk12Lk21!

I hijacked it for a reason though. I'm letting you all know that we, meaning the 5 writers for this collab, are still working on this thing. I just so happened to be the only one to FINISH something that we've been working on.

I am also letting you know that as of the 30th of December, I will be shipping off to basic training and AIT and not returning till May 26th, so I will be unable to aid my fellow writers in this escapade. Therefore, this thing will probably go into a long hiatus.

...not that we were regularly updating anyways...

I promise this chapter makes sense, it takes place after The Work Week.

ALSO TORQ IS NOT GAY FOR HIS BROTHER!

later!
~Lk

Chapter 1 - Meeting the Five

A DJ for Hire

The bass, the beats, and the melodies.

That was all that ran through my mind as I stood behind the mix table, throwing out tunes for the Wonderbolts as they did their weekly performances. This one, however, was one of the more important ones for the Bolts. This one, the Princesses were attending, as well as a photographer for the biggest magazine in all of Equestria, Bridle Mares Weekly. The bolts were on their A-game. Every trick, every tight twist and turn, every acrobatic maneuver, was absolutely flawless. My music was fitting their routine perfectly, each and every beat highlighting some aspect of their aerial performance. Everything was going according to plan.
Then, disaster struck.

As the Bolts came in for a high-speed fly-by, I lined up a track that would blow them away. It would build, and then explode as they arc’d out of the flyby. Just as I placed the record on the turntable, however, I knew something was wrong. The beat was too fast, there wasn’t nearly enough bass, and the track didn’t build.
I had made a terrible mistake. I had put the wrong record up on the mixer. I couldn’t stop now, as the bolts had already begun their pass, and they were fast approaching the stands. I made due with the track as much as possible; I turned the bass up as much as possible, I placed my wing on the record to slow it down as much as I could, and I fiddled with the treble bar until the track resembled something like that of a slow and steady mosh track, but the damage was done. There was no way I could make a track like that explode at the end, and as they crossed the mix table, I saw Spitfire look back at me... I knew I was in trouble... I tried my best to make the track climax, but the record was too repetitive, and even when I lifted my wing to speed the track back up, there was still not enough of a climax to make it really pop. The bolts exited their arc and performed a few more aerial stunts, but the show was otherwise over. As they came back down to the middle of the arena and landed on the central cloud column, the crowds went wild, as they always did. Then Spitfire took up the mic and gave her regular speech.

“Thank you, everypony. You always make these performances worthwhile! As the captain of the Wonderbolts, I think I speak for all of us when I say ‘we love the energy you bring to these shows, just as much we love the ponies who bring the energy!’ Today was a bit of a special performance, as we have the two rulers of Equestria, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in the crowds! Give it up for our benevolent rulers!” She paused for the applause and boy did it come. She interjected, and the crowd calmed down slightly, if only enough for her voice to be audible.

“And no performance would be as amazing as it is without the music to back it up, and our faithful DJ, Freq’ Torque, delivered as always! Give it up for Torque!”

The response, broke my heart. The usual roar of applause and cheers was replaced by a small drone of partially thrilled ‘woots’ and half-hearted ‘woo-hoos,’ and the applause was almost non-existent. I looked up to the bolts, and what I saw sealed my depression. Spitfire’s face fell into a mask of sadness, Soarin’ and Fleetfoot looked at each other with disappointment plastered on their faces, and Rapidfire...just looked defeated. I almost felt like crying, but I kept my composure, and gave a small bow. Spitfire took up the mic again, but much of her energy had gone from her voice.
“Alright, everypony, we’ll be available for autographs for only an hour after the show, and then we have to head out. But we all love to have you come and see our shows, ‘cause it always makes us smile to see such an amazing audience. So thanks for coming to see us fly today, and we hope to see you again soon!”

With that, the bolts flew off and landed down on the stands, where they were almost instantly swarmed by photographers and adoring fans. I couldn’t help but smile as I saw one of Soarin’s admirers present him with a pie. His face practically exploded in excitement as he gobbled down the pastry. I then began to pack up my equipment, a little more thoroughly than usual. I had a sickening feeling that this was to be my last performance. I took off my shades and put them in my saddlebag. A single tear escaped from my emerald green eyes as I blinked, rolling down my black fur and onto the mix table below. I wiped my snout, and went back to packing up. I wrapped the cords that supplied the power to the mix table up and placed them in the trunk along with the mix table itself. The last thing I packed away was my record collection. I looked at the record I had played that had ended up messing up the whole routine and took a good look at it. I saw my reflection in the shiny black surface of it, and was disgusted with what stared back at me. In a fit of rage, I threw the record off the cloud and watched as it plummeted towards the earth below. I flew off the mix stand and out to a small cloud formation not far from the arena where I could wallow in peace. I flopped down on the cloud, sending small tufts of the fluff into the air. My blue mane flopped onto my face, the red and silver highlights standing out in stark contrast to the blue. My mane was always strangely colored, but then again, I was always a strange pony. My line of work as a DJ was evidence of that fact. Well, former DJ, as I was sure that today’s screw up would surely lead to my being fired. I laid there for what seemed like hours, just going over what went wrong in my head, when I heard a pair of wings flapping towards me.
Oh great, I thought to myself, here she comes.

“Hey there, Torque,” sounded Spitfire’s voice from above me. I looked up, with my eyes bloodshot from stress and crying. She didn’t have her usual playful or happy grin about her. In fact, she looked solemn and tired. She landed behind me and sighed heavily. “We need to talk.”

I lifted my head to look back at her, but I could only turn about halfway around, before my neck wouldn’t allow for any further movement. With an exasperated sigh, I slowly stood up and turned to face her, my head hanging low. I sat back on my haunches and looked into her face. Her orange eyes burned with a sorrowful glow, which served to only deepen my depression. I knew what she was going to say to me, it was obvious. What I didn’t know was how she would break it to me, and how she would react. She opened her mouth to speak, but I interrupted her.

“Just say it,” I mumbled, “I messed up. I know I did, and it totally ruined the performance. I’m such a failure, and I understand why you’re firing me. I would too, were I in your position.” I flopped down onto my stomach again, my mane splayed across my face, coincidentally covering my eyes as I began to cry once again. Spitfire slowly walked up and nudged my side, to which I responded by looking up at her with a teary expression.

“Well, yeah, you kinda did mess up, Torq’,” she began with a small smirk, “but I didn’t think it messed up the WHOLE performance, just that one part.” I had to smile at that; even in a situation like this, she could always make me smile. Then her smile melted away into a frown as she continued. “However, the rest of the Bolts think that it’s high time you found a new job.” I looked back at the white fluffy surface beneath my body, and felt my eyes well up again.

“I-I’m sorry, I...” I began.

“Don’t apologize; they came to that decision on their own.” Spitfire interrupted with a slight chuckle. “I protested, but you know how stubborn Soarin’ is when his mind is made up, and besides, I think this is a great opportunity for you. You can do anything you want now. You can make a name for yourself out in the wide wonderful world of Equestria.” I looked up at her once again, this time with a small smile inching across my face.
Then she did something unexpected. She pushed me off the cloud.

I flailed about for a few seconds until I righted myself and flapped my black wings enough to reach hover speed. Then I flew back to where Spitfire had pushed me off, ready to get her back. What I found was very different from what I had expected.

She was sitting on her haunches with that same solemn smile she had earlier. I landed next to her and sat, giving her a small shove. She gave a small chuckle, then sighed.

“You know that you always made these performances seem more complete, right?” She said finally.

I looked away slowly. “Yeah, you always say that, but it doesn’t ease the pain of being fired.”

She nodded slowly, and then turned to face me. “Listen, I may have a job opportunity that I think you should check out. My friend Vinyl Scratch, or DJ Pon-3 as her stage name goes, DJ’s for this club down in Ponyville, Club Pon-3, and she’s gotten pretty big. She’s going on tour in two days, and because the ponies didn’t want the place closed down, she put up an ad for a new DJ to take over. So, what do you say?”

This was news to me, but it was good news. I brightened up, if only slightly, as I nodded in agreement.
“Sure, I’ll check it out.” I let out a deep breath and smiled at her. “Thanks, Spitfire. It’s been an honor working with you and the Bolts, and I appreciate the information. I’ll miss you all.” I gave her a quick hug before I flew off to gather my few possessions. I was planning on leaving the mixing equipment behind for the Wonderbolts to give to their next DJ. Before I could get far though, she called out to me again.

“Hey, Torq’! There’s a Battle of the Bands going on over in Manehattan tomorrow night, between some band called Pony Force and some fairly small band called… The Lost Cause, I think. I remember you talking about The Lost Cause with Rapidfire the other day during practice, so I figured I’d let you know.” I shot her a happy smile as I flew off to grab my saddlebags. As I flew back, I called out to her.

“Thanks Spitfire, I could really use a good concert to cheer me up, and with one of my favorite small bands nonetheless! I’m going to miss you and that team of yours, but I’ve gotta go and get to Manehattan. I don’t wanna miss it. See you around!”

With that, I made my way out into the world with a goal: to get that DJ job in Ponyville.

…Right after this concert…

It was a long flight, but I finally reached Manehattan early the next morning. I went to a hotel and got a room for the day, so I would be able to get some sleep before the long night ahead of me.

However, I barely got an hour’s worth of rest, I was too busy going over what had happened the day before, and I fell back into a depressed state. Before I knew it, it was 7 o’clock, and I had to head over to the battle. With my saddlebags around my midsection, I paid for my room and was on my way. It wasn’t too hard to find the place where the battle was to go down, just follow the promotional signs posted on every flat surface in the city. I arrived just as the battle was about to begin.
Then, I let the music wash over me, and I drifted off into bliss for a while.

~~~~~~~~~~

You had me at Shenanigans

“If I had a million bits, I’d buy your looooooooooooove!” I sang somewhat quietly to myself. “Ugh! Bored, bored, bored, bored! Boredom! Boredumb!”

Trains are boring. I mean, REALLY boring! There are about three things to do on a train. I’m tired of sleeping, the landscape has turned into a depressing brown color, and I’ve completely given up talking to anypony on this train.

If only I had actually bothered to wake up and fix the wheel on the freaking chariot! Tch, well, I wouldn’t be on a train to ‘bumbuck’ nowhere… If I had done my job right, Prince Blueblood’s chariot wouldn’t have broken mid-landing; throwing the pompous pony to the ground. He didn’t get hurt; he just got to eat a bit of dirt.
“You would not believe how much political pull a Prince has!” I commented dryly to myself. The very next day, I had a royal decree delivered to my apartment stating that I, “Was hereby banished from the City of Canterlot for (my) gross negligence.” Blah, blah, blah.

I yawned and stretched some before diving back into my head to make another poor attempt at relieving some of the boredom. How did that song go again? My brain shrugs... Well, fine! I decided it was time to listen to some of that wonderful ‘wub wub’ music that the newish DJ, (Scratch?), made. My brain starts to cry in response.

My name is Satin, and my sin is sloth. If you were to just glance at me, you could tell a lot about me from a quick once over. I’m an overly blue stallion with a mane of darkish purple with a streak of black running through the center of it. Both my mane and tail are cropped short so I don’t have to deal with them. I’ve never really had to work for much in my life, due to my… situation. A bit of a back-story on that. I was born with my cutie mark. As far as I know, this has never happened before, and I haven’t looked into it because… well, who cares? I’ve been calling my cutie mark affectionately, ‘The Jack’; it’s a red diamond, with a large black ‘J’ in it. I used to think I was meant to be some famous poker player, and don’t get me wrong I play well enough. I won most local tournament stuff, but when I tried to take myself to the big leagues in Las Pegasus, I got bounced out of there in the second round. Throughout my life I found when I actually tried to do something, I could succeed. I’m what you’d call a “Jack of all Trades.” Being good at anything makes most things fairly boring, though. I’ve taken to just taking odd jobs to make enough bits to get by and just enjoy life. That’s what that damn chariot job was supposed to be. Some mechanic gets sick, I swoop in to save the day, get paid a flank load of bits, and then live.
Eh, best not to dwell on the past.

I glanced into my saddlebags, looking for something to do. After rooting around for a bit, I found my flask and quickly unscrewed it with a quick twist of my magic and tried to take a drink only to find it completely empty.
Well, that’s disheartening. I placed the flask back in my saddlebag. *sigh* “I guess I’ll have to spend the rest of the trip sober. Wait a tick, I forgot about the backup flask!” I dug deep into my saddlebags. “Where are you, you keeper of the cocktail, you holder of the hooch, you chest of… I got nothing.”

“AH HA! Success!” I took a long drink out of it and quickly realized my mistake. I gagged as the strongest, cheapest alcohol I could find slid down my throat.
I coughed as what was basically rubbing alcohol tried to make its way back up. “OH NO YOU DON’T!” I struggled uncomfortably against my gag reflex. My stomach slowly calmed back down. Then I exhaled and took another, slower drink. It’s awful but I’m tired of consciousness. As the warmth began to fill my body, a thought popped into my head.

“Well, things can only get better from here, right?”

The haze floated into my vision, sealing my fate. I passed out soon afterward with a comfortable smile on my face.

~~~~~~~~~~

A Bad Day

The sun shone down hotly on the train tracks. In the distance, a western-style town could just barely be seen. A few birds flew over head, but not much else stirred out on the deserted land. That is, except for the one lone figure following the tracks. A light orange stallion with a red, orange and yellow, three-toned fiery mane trotted along, gazing off into the distance. That’s me. I have yellow eyes and my cutie mark is what appears to be a multi-tailed fox. I have a plain, stone-faced look on; I’m used to being out alone like this. As I walked, I peered up at the birds swerving this way and that as if they had no where they needed to be.

“Ugh… I hate this! Every time I find a new town to work at, somethin’ causes me to lose my cool and then it’s off to the next place! I really need to get this problem under control soon…” I thought to myself as I stared off towards the town ahead.

My name is Ruddy Knuckles, but, because I’ve never liked my name, hardly anypony knows me by it. I go by Ryku, which was the alias I made for myself out of a few of the letters of my original name. I haven’t gone by ‘Ruddy’ in a long time.
I’ve never liked to be around other ponies unless I had to, so being secluded makes me feel a bit more… comfortable. Maybe that was the reason that the sound of an incoming train from behind me made my coat stand on end. I moved a few steps away from the tracks and turned to face the train as it neared my position.

As the train came to a halt, the front most stallion asked, “Hey, you there! Any reason you’re out here in the sun?”

I glared at the pony. “I’m not much for riding trains. Why? Somethin’ wrong with walkin’ where I want to go?”

The stallion shrunk back a little at the cold sound of my words. “H-Hey, settle down a little, mister! I was just offering to give you a ride. We have some free space in the back…”

I thought for a moment and sighed. I AM fairly tired, and the nearest town was still a few miles down the road. “Oh… alright. Sorry for snappin’ at you. I’m not in the best of moods right now. Thanks for the ride.”

“Heh, not a problem! Always willing to help a guy out!” The leader of the group said happily, waiting for me to jump on before getting his team to start moving again.

I jumped on the back car of the train and went out on the little platform on the back. “At least I can rest a little and still be away from the other passengers like this…”

“Hey! You! Ruffian!” A voice sounded behind me.

*Sigh* “So much for that…” I turned around to see a red pony with a green mane and an apple with a money sign on it for a cutie mark standing there, staring daggers at me. “What could you possibly want with me? I just want to be alone…”

“Ah don’t much care what ya want! Ya delayed mah important meetin’ in Appleloosa! What do ya got to say fer yerself?” The persistent pony said.

I held myself back as best I could. “Look, sir, I didn’t ask for the train to stop for me. It just did. You got a problem with the drivers stoppin’ for me? Take it up with them.”

“Don’t ya lie to me! Ah can smell a liar a mile away! If Ah’m late ‘cause a you, it’s comin’ outta yer hide!”

I’d had enough after that. “You wanna try and threaten me when I’ve done nothin’ but jump on the train?! Get the buck outta my face, you snobby jack-flank!” To add emphasis on the last word, I head-butted my verbal attacker back into the train and slammed the metal door to the back car shut, sealing myself out on the little platform. *Sigh* “Some ponies…”

The rest of the trip was quiet and uneventful, and I slowly calmed down as the train pulled into the station. As soon as it was completely stopped, I hopped off and trotted away quickly. “I need a drink…” I thought to myself as I walked around. Suddenly, I saw what I was looking for. “Hmm… The Salt Block Watering Hole… That ought to do the trick…” I then casually strolled into the bar.

~~~~~~~~~~

A Bet Lost

“Hello Manehattan! I’m Dex, and we are The Lost Cause!” I shouted to the crowd before me.

I’m a very rare type of stallion; I like every type of music known to pony-kind, which is normal, but my appearance is what is rare. I’m a pegasus, but my wings aren’t that of a normal pegasus; they’re dragon’s wings. I have a crimson coat and always wear a black hoodie where ever I go. Even at concerts, I wear it. I never take it off. When approached about it, I always immediately say, “It’s something I grew to love and it has memories tied to it, so buck off.”

My cutie mark is a heart with headphones placed around it. My mane is jet black with blood red bangs, and it hangs over my left eye. My eyes glowed a crimson color from the iris, and if you were in a dark room with just me in it, you’d see them glow.

My band mates, the three ponies who always have my back, are Jake Ripcord, Nick Wammybar, and Tim Stix. Jake is a very talented unicorn, and his cutie mark is a guitar. Nick is a very energetic and friendly pegasus, and his cutie mark is a bass guitar. Tim is an earth pony that acts like a bully, yet is very friendly; he just likes to pick on other ponies. His cutie mark is two crossed drum sticks.

I met my three band mates here in Manehattan where I moved shortly after I fled from my home. I and my new found friends started a band called The Lost Cause. We were pretty good considering we did every type of genre thanks to my talent in music. We were challenged to a battle of the bands a few weeks ago, and we are currently up on stage finishing our last song – A cover of a song that I love to sing.

…“Wait!”
“I'm coming undone!”
“Irate!”
“I'm coming undone!”
“Too late!”
“I'm coming undone!”
“One looks so strong!”
“So delicate!”
“Wait!”
“I'm starting to suffocate!”
“And soon I anticipate!”
“I'm coming undone!”
“One looks so strong!”
“So delicate!”

As I finished the last lyrics and my band mates stopped playing, the crowd went wild. Now all we needed was the vote from the judges. There were three judges, and each judge could give a total of ten points. Unfortunately, we lost, twenty-six to twenty-eight. The other, more famous, band won. We’d bet the other band that if we were to lose, we’d leave Manehattan. “Boy, what a mistake that was!” I thought to myself, sighing quietly.

“There's only room for one epic band in this town!” One of the opposing band members had said. As we were packing our things, a black pegasus approached us.

“Hey buddy! You’re not supposed to be back here!” Tim said with a very angry tone.

“Calm down, Tim. He’s probably just another fan of the other band, come to gloat. Let’s get this over with…” I said with a sad expression.

The black pony stood there and glared at the four of us. “Well? Are you here to gloat, or are you here to just stare at us like some crazed fan?” Tim said, waiting for an insult out of the new pegasus.

“Chill, buddy, I’m not here to laugh at you.” The black pegasus said.

Tim grit his teeth. “Then what ARE you here for?”

“Tim, I said simmer down! Now, what are you here for, if you’re not here to laugh about us losing?” I asked.

“I’m actually here to talk to you. I was recently fired, and I had heard that you were playing, so I figured I’d come check you out. I’d heard about you through my brother, and I figured I’d come see you before I left.” The black pegasus retorted.

“Aww, that must suck dude. Gettin’ bounced from a job…” Jake said with a bit of sympathy in his voice.

I sighed. “Yeah, that does suck, especially if you lost a job here in Manehattan. Anyways, you said you were leaving? Where to, if you don’t mind me asking? We won’t be showing our faces around here anymore…”

“I actually got fired from DJ’ing for the Bolts. I was heading off to Ponyville because Spitfire said there was a DJ job opening. Something about the other DJ there going on tour or something...” The new pegasus said.

“Well, sounds like a plan! Hope you don’t mind us joining. We appear to be out of options. After all, we did just loose a bet and are getting kicked out of this ‘wonderful’ city.” Jake spoke up.

Nick smiled. “Right, and I hear that Ponyville is beautiful year round!”

“Then it’s settled! When were you planning on leaving… uh…?” “Freq. Torque. But you can just call me Torque. It’s what Spitfire called me, and it sounds a lot better the Freq'. I was planning on leaving right after the show; I have a long way to go. I wanted to get there as soon as possible.” Torque said.

“Wait, Freq' as in Frequency Torque?! Shit dude! I’m a big fan! I attended all of your concerts when I was just starting out in the DJ genres! Oh, and speaking of the show, how did you like it?” I asked with a grin.

“…Um… Dex? I don’t think there’s time to chat if he wants to leave now…” Jake commented.
I face-hoofed. “Oh… uh… Sorry. Alright guys, grab the equipment and the other things we need and get it into the cart. We’ll have time to chat on the walk to Ponyville.”

“Really? Cool! But he’s right, I really want to start heading out, and seeing as how you all aren’t pegasi, we have to take the train.” Torque stated calmly.

I and the rest of the band, along with Torque, threw all of our bags and equipment in the cart and we began our journey to Ponyville.

“So… About the show. How’d you like it?” Dex questioned, bringing the conversation they had earlier up again.
Torque frowned. “I really think you should have won, but whatever. It’s too late now.”

“You don’t know how it feels to hear a professional like yourself say that to a beginner like me!” I said smiling.

“Uh… Dex? Do you think that we might be able to try some awesome practicing on the train by getting on top of it while in motion and playing?!” Jake said with an anxious look.

“Hmm… We would have to ask, but that’s a good idea.” I said.

“…You guys are crazy… Great, whatever. Let’s just get going. We’ll have to catch the evening train. I’m tired, and depressed, and a little pissed off, so I’m going to sleep when we board. And, before you say anything, trust me. If you all want to practice on the train, go right ahead. I’ve slept through MUCH more obnoxious things before!” Torque finished with a grin.

After a while, the five stallions arrived at the train station. The evening train hadn’t shown up yet, and the schedule said it wouldn’t be there for about forty-five minutes. “Aww, shit! Look at that! The train hasn’t shown up yet…” Nick sighed.
Tim grimaced. “We can see that, Nick…”

“…I’m going for a quick flight to blow off some steam. I’ll still be able to see the tracks, so I won’t be missing the train. Enjoy… whatever you all do…” Torque said as he took to the air.

“Well, I guess we should get some practice in!” I said, smiling at my fellow band members.

Tim gave another annoyed expression. “Dude, we’ll have plenty of time to practice on the train ride. I’m gettin’ some shut eye.” He then walked over to a bench and laid down.

“I am sorry to say this, Dex, but for once I agree with Tim. We need at least SOME sleep.” Jake agreed, lying down on a separate bench.

“What about you, Nick? What are you going to do?” I asked, hoping at least one of my friends would want to do something.
Nick stumbled towards yet another bench. “I’m just going to take a nap. Don’t worry, Dex. As Jake said, we’ll have plenty of time on the train to have some fun!”

I sighed. “Alright… I guess I’ll go sit somewhere and sing something… You guys get some sleep.” I walked towards a tree fair distance away and climbed onto a branch. Sitting on said branch, staring up at the evening sky, I began to sing the first song that came to mind.

“Dear mother, I love you.”
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t good enough.”
“Dear father, forgive me.”
“‘Cause in your eyes, I just never added up…”

~~~~~~~~~~

Eh, It's a living!

“So, ya think ya can fix ‘er?” The big red stallion asked.

“Of course I can. However, you’re avoiding my question, Big Mac’… How did this happen again?” A smaller, brown stallion said as he stared at the mangled wreck that lay before him.

“Uh, about that…” Big Macintosh lowered his head and looked toward to ground. “Me an’ AJ got ourselves into a lil’ argument…”

The brown stallion’s eyes widened and jaw dropped as he stared at Big Mac’, the words still being processed by his brain. “A-Applejack did THIS? She completely destroyed your plow! I-I mean the steel blade is bent and dented like a dragon stepped on it. Look, there are indents of where she bucked the damn thing!”

Big Mac’s head sunk even lower, and his tail hid in between his legs. “Yeah, Ah know… A-Ah don’t wanna talk about it… iff’n ya don’t mind...” The working stallion said, embarrassed. “Look, all ah need ta know is, can ya fix it?”

Shock left the brown pony’s face, as a sly smile replaced it. “Yeah, I can have this good as new by tomorrow. There’s no charge. However, I will need an explanation if you want it back.” The brown pony said, still grinning.

Big Macintosh raised his head. “Heh heh. Fine, Ah reckon Ah owe ya that much.” He said. “Well, Ah best be gettin’ back to th’ farm. Ah’ll see ya tomorrow, Kairo.” Big Macintosh turned and started to leave.

“See you later, Big Mac’.” The brown stallion looked back at the mangled plow. “I still can’t believe AJ did this…”

You know the brown stallion Big Mac’ was talking to? That’s me. Name’s Kairo; pronounced like “Cairo”, but with a “K” instead of the “C”. I’m not going to lie; I’m a very bland pony. My coat is light brown. My main is short and a tiny bit messy with a dark brown color. And to top it all off, my eyes are the most common shade of blue imaginable.
I’m an engineer, a mechanic, inventor, handyman, etc.

When I first started out, it was incredibly difficult, because I’m an earth pony. I had to use my mouth for everything, which wasn’t very efficient. It didn’t taste good, either. In fact, I can still taste the oil in my mouth. Anyways, since my mouth wasn’t adequate for what I needed to do, I decided to build something that would aid me. I built a “backpack”, if you will, that has four mechanical; retractable arms. Each arm has three joints, as well as three digits. The arms can not only grasp any tool, but can transform into a few themselves.

I dragged the mangled plow into my workshop, placed it in the middle of my workspace, grabbed my goggles, and started to play music. The music came from the speakers I had inside my workshop. The music started off slow; I could feel the waves of sound pulsing throughout my body. I gathered the necessary tools and place them where’d they’d be close to hoof and where I could grab them quickly when I needed them. As the music started to pick up in tempo, I popped and cracked my neck in preparation for the drop. I put on my goggles as the song was building up. Next stop, bass city. The moment the song dropped, I began to work, swiftly grabbing the necessary tools. I worked with the beat, letting the music fuel me.

First was the blade of the plow. I took the mangled piece of steel and set it off to the side to use it for scrap, then grabbed a new sheet of steel. With accuracy and speed that only a machine could create, I cut and shaped the sheet of steel into a new blade for the plow. With the music still blaring, it was time for the wood work. I quickly examined what was left and pieced the frame together in my mind. I grabbed some planks of wood that I had lying around, and then used my arms as a lathe and began carving the pieces of the frame. In less than a minute, I was done. Grabbing wood screws and glue, I assembled the frame using one of my arms as a drill. I put the frame down, and then turned behind me to grab the new steel blade. I set the blade in place, and then began to rivet it into the frame. The song finished as I set the last rivet in.

“Well, I hope Big Mac’ doesn’t mind that I had to make a new one instead of fixing his old one.” I said as I relaxed and looked at the brand new plow. I looked at the time. It took me a little over ten minutes to do the job. “Wow, didn’t think I’d get done this early... Eh, oh well. Big Mac’ can wait until tomorrow.” I said to myself. “Let’s see... what else do I need to do?” I walked over to my work log, and saw that I needed to fix the clock tower’s mechanisms. “Right... that. That’s gonna take me quite a while...” I grabbed a plethora of tools, as well as some schematics, and started out towards the clock tower...

~~~~~~~~~~

Ebony and Ivory

~Satin~

Things… Got… Worse…

I woke up when the train stopped, I tried to get up but my head was pounding and apparently we weren’t even there yet. Not wanting to be outdone, some jackasses near the back of the train tried to win the piss me off award by getting into some argument and yelling at each other. They were quickly taken care of by a quick nip of the remainder of that awful brew in my flask.

I fell back asleep for what only seemed like a minute and the train stopped again. This time, I awoke to the general murmur of my fellow passengers as they gathered their belongings. I slowly drew myself out of my uncomfortable sleeping position. My body protested as the random pains awoke. I tried to stretch a bit to get the blood flowing before I threw on my saddlebags as I stepped in line to get off the train. As soon as I get off the train, many things catch my attention. “First off, it’s buckin’ hot here. Secondly, this town is named Appleloosa. This sounds like some Celestia-awful pun about apples. I don’t care for apples. Lastly, this place is so brown and uninteresti... wait... is that a bar?”

I’d like to say I didn’t rush my way over there, but I’d be lying my flank off. Makes me sound like an alcoholic...

As I threw open the doors to the saloon, some of the most offensive music reached my ears. I held my hoof to the bridge of my nose. Of course it’s that twangy banjo BS! I entered the bar solemnly and sat myself at the bar. The bartender looked over and asked me what I wanted.

I threw him a beaten stare, “Better music?”

He laughed and grabbed a tankard, filled it up with a liquid that looked like off-beer, and passed it to me. I nodded to him as I took a sip. Apple cider? Really? My nose wrinkled as I continued to drink it. It was alcoholic at least. The door to the bar swung open again to show a light-orange Earth pony with a mane that looked like it was on fire. I looked over to him, and I recognized him from the train. The newcomer walked over and took a seat to the left of me.

“Hey, barkeep! Can I get an apple cider over here, please?” The stallion asked in an irritated tone.

Hey, I recognize that voice! He’s one of the mule-headed ponies yelling earlier on the train!

“I was sleeping fairly comfortably on the train. You know, until SOMEPONIES started yelling.”

He turned to me from his cider, “Blame the pony that started that nonsense. He yelled at me, so I yelled back. I think he got the message.”

I chuckled a bit, “You. I like you. The name is Satin.” I extended a hoof to him.

He stares at it for second before returning the hoof-bump.

“Name’s Ryku. Nice to meetcha, Satin.” The orange stallion grinned.

“Ryku? That’s an odd name.”

“Well Satin sounds like a girl’s name.”

“Fair enough.” I return to my drink.

Ryku kicked his back legs up onto the bar. “So, what brings you around here?”

“Long, kinda stupid story. The moral of it is don’t piss in anypony important’s cherry-os.”

At that point, the doors to the bar were thrown open, nearly splintering them and revealing a very disgruntled red stallion flanked by a couple of law-ponies.

“There! There’s th’ stallion that did this ta me!”

~Ryku~

I and my new-found acquaintance spun in our seats to find the very same stallion I’d dealt with back on the train staring us down, with two other law-ponies on either side of him.

“Now yer gonna get it, scum! See this?” The stallion pointed to his bruised and lightly bleeding snout. “YOU did that! No pony messes with Big Money and gits away with it!”

Satin leaned back in this chair and grinned. “THIS is the foal you were yelling at?! That’s hilarious! You bent his nose sideways! How hard didja hit him?”

“Only as hard as my head is... oh... crap... yeah, that probably hurt more than I intended...” I stated with a sheepish smile.

“DON’T Y’ALL IGNORE ME! Y’all know who Ah am? Ah’m one o’ the richest stallion’s you’ll ever lay eyes on. The last stallion you both ever lay eyes on, once Ah’m through with ya!”

Satin seemed indifferent as he began talking to the bartender again, but I’d had enough of all this nonsense.
“You know I’m deeply sorry about breaking your pretty little nose,” I respond, my voice filled with sarcasm, “but I don’t care who the BUCK you are!” I get up in the pompous pony’s face and glare directly into his eyes. “Now turn your fat flank around and leave me alone or I’ll do more than just mess up your snout!”

The law-ponies lunged at me just then attempting to pin me to the floor.

I... lost it...

In one swift motion, I flung the duo off of me and into a nearby table.

“Well I guess that’s my queue.” I heard Satin muse from behind me, but I didn’t pay him any mind. My now-uncontrollable rage was focused on one pony.

Big Money.

“So, you still want a fight, huh?! That’s fine with me! I’m behind on my beatin’ quota anyway... heheheh...” I said with venom dripping from my words as I slowly stepped towards the now-cowering stallion.

A blue hoof appeared around my neck suddenly.

“It’s been fun guys, but I do believe we have someplace to be.” Satin said happily.

His horn glowed blue for a second as the bar forcefully melted away. The pungent smell of burned hair filled my nose when the landscape returned to my vision.

“I’ll forgive you this time for not paying attention to the moral of my story, but next time...” He gave me a glare that I could tell wasn’t at all serious.

*Cough* “The buck was that for!? I could have *cough* handled him! Why’d you have to go and teleport me? Speakin’ of which, work on your damn *cough* teleport spell! Ya singed my coat!” I said angrily, staring at Satin. “I should be thanking him, though... that could have gotten ugly...”

The blue stallion just chuckled, “A. I told you I liked ya, so I didn’t wanna see your flank kicked. B. I’ve been drinking; don’t dis the drunken teleport spell. You could have ended up with your hoof attached to your head. And 3. I hated that town anyway.”

“Y-You just said three instead of... never mind...” I glanced around, and the first thing I realized is that we were back at the train station. The NEXT thing I realized is the fact that Satin’s saddlebags were bulging at the seams. “You... uh... didn’t have another reason to leave in a hurry... did ya?” I asked with a grin, my anger calming slightly.

“Well, I figured if I was getting kicked out of town. Might as well give ‘em a reason.” Satin responded as the smile grew ever larger on his face; the clinking of glass could be heard from his bags.

I face-hoofed. “Anyway... I guess we’ll be takin’ the train somewhere new now?”

“I recommend Ponyville, seeing as it’s the next destination this train is going to; and we should probably leave before that rich mule and his flunkies actually find us.” He said as he walked up to the ticket office.

I followed Satin up to the ticket booth. “I got this, Satin.” I pulled out the required bits for two tickets for a ride to Ponyville and hoofed them over to the pony behind the counter. “Two tickets to Ponyville, please...”

We both got on the train quickly and it began moving. As it got to almost full speed, Satin and I went out onto the back ledge of the caboose. We kinda wished we hadn’t.

Several meters away, but gaining fast, was a chariot pulled by two law-ponies. Big Money and two other law-ponies could be seen in the seats.

“Git yer yellow flank back here, ya damn scum!” The rich stallion bellowed.

“Oh for the love of...! Satin give me some of those...” I said as I grabbed four small bottles and one large bottle from Satin’s bags. “GET OFF MY BACK, YOU JACK-FLANKS!”

I threw the first two small ones and knocked out the ponies on either side of Big Money.

“MY BOOZE!” Satin fell to his knees, yelling to the sky.

Big Money’s smile faded and a scowl appeared. “Damn it! Catch up to ‘em now, ya lazy colts!”

Ignoring the overly-dramatic display next to me, I then aimed the large bottle at Big Money and hit him directly in the forehead with it. The third small bottle found its target on one of the drivers, but the last law-pony stopped and ran away. Satisfied, I downed the last bottle of beer. “Ah, refreshing revenge! Thanks for the ammo, friend!”

“YOU REALLY DID IT! YOU MANIAC, YOU REALLY THREW THEM! CELESTIA BANISH YOU! CELESTIA BANISH YOU TO THE MOON!” Satin grabs his saddlebags and his remaining bottles of booze. “Shhhhh... shhh... my pretty bottles... the bad pony can’t touch you anymore...”

“Oh calm down, it was 5 well used bottles. Stop being so dramatic.” I said matter of factly.

“Come on, if you can’t be over the top, where’s the fun?” His almost ever-present smile returned quickly to his face. “Sooooooo, wanna get hammered?”

We shared a hearty laugh as he threw me a bottle from his saddlebags. “Heh, sure thing, brony. This is gonna by a long ride...” I said with a happy smile.

We began drinking the collection of alcohol as the train sped off into the distance toward Ponyville. “I just hope life is going to be easier after we get there... this has all been one exercise in stupidity after another... at least I’ve got some interesting company now… and booze… yeah, that always helps!”

~~~~~~~~~~

Moments of Solace

~Torque~

I was flying slowly around the evening sky. "I have no clue what this new job is going to be like. What if they don't like me? What if I screw up? How are these ponies going to react to a new DJ in town? Who is this mare Spitfire told me about? I.....it doesn't matter. New job, new town. I need to make the most of it."

After a few minutes, I heard somepony singing. I flew a ways until I spotted Dex singing in a tree. I flew down and stood under the tree, listening as Dex sang.

…“If I could hold back the rain would you numb the pain?”
“‘Cause I remember everything!”
“If I could help you forget would you take my regrets?”
“‘Cause I remember everything!”…

Torque sat quietly, listening to Dex as he sang with more power than he’d ever seen before. Dex continued:

…“It all went by so fast; I still can’t change the past.”
“I always will remember everything!”
“If we could start again, would that change the end?”
“We remember everything!”

Upon finishing those two lines, Dex jumped down off the branch, and Torque walked up to him. “Hey, you really do have quite the voice there, kid.”

“Oh! You heard all that? T-Thanks, Torque. The name’s Dex, by the way.” Dex laughed nervously.

“Alright then, Dex. Let’s get over there; the train’s almost here! I said, pointing at the large locomotive coming down the track.

The two pegasi walked over the station platform just as the other band members were waking up.

"Alright! It’s time to head off to Ponyville to start our new lives. I’m going to try to get some sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow." I said, yawning. I took off my shades and laid down on one of the train’s seats. "Goodnight, err... I never got all of your names besides you, Dex."

“The other Pegasus is Nick, the earth pony over there is Tim and Jake is the unicorn.” Dex said. “Anyway, we were going to practice on the roof of the train, guys?”

A collective ‘YEAH!’ sounded as the group got their bags onto the train and set their equipment up on top of it. I watched as they all climbed up and got ready. As the train got to about full speed, they began playing. I listened to the lyrics for a brief moment.

“Nobody gonna take my car,”
“I'm gonna race it to the ground!”
“Nobody gonna beat my car,”
“It’s gonna break the speed of sound!”
“Oooh, it's a killing machine!”
“It's got everything!”
“Like a driving power big fat tires and everything!”
“I love it and I need it!”
“I bleed it! Yeah it's a wild hurricane!”
“Alright! Hold tight! I'm a highway star!”…

I just smiled. “Heh, they really are crazy. I guess this is going to be an interesting new life after all! *Yawn* Well, time for sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day.” I whispered to no pony in particular.

Song's used:
Barenaked Ladies - If I had a Million Dollars
Korn - Coming Undone
Five Finger Death Punch - Remember Everything
Deep Purple - Highway Star

Chapter 3 - Meetings: Awkwardness Ensues

The scene was splayed out in the middle of Ponyville. The yelling of the blue unicorn, the running away of the tan, screaming earth pony, and the rest of the troupe was filled with a fun mix of enjoyment, surprise, and embarrassment.

The townsponies looked on in horror as balls flew off in different directions. A certain cool headed, brown earth pony looked on the scene with a small smile and much interest.

~Kairo~

I walked over to the crowd, staring at this blue unicorn juggling balls. The crowd was in awe at how this absolutely trashed stallion could have such coordination. I started to chuckle.I quickly realized what I was doing; wasting time watching this drunken fool. As I slowly broke off from the crowd, a stallion within the crowd shouted, “Hey, anypony got a banjo?”.

I stopped mid walk and turned my head, befuddled by the question. I saw one of the drunk’s balls flying towards me. One of my mechanical arms let go of the plow, and instantly caught the ball mid air. ‘Damn my reflexes...’I thought as I braced for what was going to happen next.

The plow filled in the gap where the arm used to be. It slammed onto my back. Hard. My legs nearly gave out from the impact; my face straining from the effort to not collapse. I immediately let go of the ball and had the arm take its share of the plow to relieve me. “Fffffff-” I sharply sighed under my breath. ‘Damn, I rely on these things way too much.’ Standing there catching my breath, I saw the wasted blue unicorn walking over to me.

“Dood... you’re like a robot! What can you do?! Can you transform?!” he asked, beginning to ramble off more and more incoherent questions. I really wasn’t in the mood.

Trying my best to just ignore the stallion, I turned and began trotting at a quickened pace towards Sweet Apple Acres to finish my delivery to Big Mac’.

“Hey hey hey! What else can you do?” He said excitedly as he walked to either side of me, inspecting my backpack. “You’re like some awesome Pony/Octopus hybrid. With the giant metal arms and the... well honestly, depressing brown you. Can I try it on?”

I glared at the annoyance that was tailing me and continued my journey to the Apple residence. I heard another pony call out, “Hey, wait up, Satin!”, followed by two new sets of hoof-steps behind me, but I wasn’t too keen on finding out who it was. Instead, I just kept my gaze forward and tried to avoid so much as looking at the drunkard that was following me.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

~Ryku~

“Hey, wait up, Satin!” I called as he chased after a stallion who was obviously annoyed. Said stallion had an interesting backpack on, but I wasn’t really interested in that. As I started following after the two of them, I heard a pony call to some others behind me.

“Jake. Nick. Go after Tim and make sure he doesn’t break anything, please. I’m going to go see what that juggler is doing now. I’ll meet up with you guys later, okay?”

I heard his hoof-steps catch up to me as I followed Satin and the other mystery stallion. He caught up to me and matched my stride. “Hey, you a friend of that blue unicorn?” He asked.

“What’s it to you? Sure, he’s my friend, what’s that got to do with anything?” I snapped.

The crimson pegasus, who had a pair of what looked to be dragon’s wings in place of feathered ones, shrank back a little at my harshness. “Whoa, dude, settle down. It was just a question. The name’s Dex. What’s your’s?”

“Sorry... I just don’t like ponies asking me questions out of nowhere. My name’s Ryku. It’s... well... Hello there, Dex.”

We both trotted along in silence after that bit of awkwardness until we caught up with Satin and his victim.

“Come on! Just for a minute, I just wanna break stuff!” He turned his head to as he noticed us, “Hey Rikky, who’s your friend?”

I glared at the drunken unicorn. “If you ever call me that again, I swear I’ll... ugh, nevermind. You won’t even remember this after you pass out...” I then turned my attention to the now-very irritated-looking brown stallion that Satin had been tailing... well, now we ALL were kinda following him, but... “Sooo... What’s with the backpack, there...?”

“Why does it matter? I don’t know you. Nor do I care who you and your friends are.” he said with obvious and a bit overdramatic frustration.

I was about to respond to this jerk’s answer with a backlash of my own, but Satin jumped in front of me and got up in the brown stallion’s face.

"Oh I see how it is, ya only gonna talk to earth ponies! Someponies just don't like unicorns I guess! You... you... meanie... Damn it, I got nothin’.”

I face-hoofed. “I...just... Look. Don’t mind him. He’s drunk off his flank.” I said to the disgruntled stallion. “We’re just curious about what you have on your back. It’s... interesting...” I was picking my words carefully, trying to be as polite as I could while in the somewhat bad mood I was already in.

“Well, drunkard, if that is the best you can do then don’t bother speaking. As for you...” He glanced back at me. “This ‘interesting’ thing on my back is not a toy. It is not to be gazed at by the intention of ‘messing around’, understand?” He said in a condescending tone.

“Alright, at least now he can be somewhat reasonable...” I thought.

Silence rang out for a moment... well, until Satin broke it....again...

“You do realize you’re going to be my friend, right?” He said with a cocksure smile.

“And~ Satin ruins it...”

The brown stallion stopped dead in his tracks. “I...” he started. “I...” He stood there in amazement. For a minute there was an awkward silence. “No...” he said as he began walking again.

The smile never left Satin’s face, “Yeaaaah you are! I’m Satin, he’s Rikky, and he has dragon wings.” His eyes drifted to Dex as he just really noticed the fourth member of our party. He finally left the tan pony alone to inspect the pegasus.

I facehoofed. Again. I’m pretty sure I have red mark by now. “Anyway... So, what’s your name, sir?”

He groaned. “I see you’re persistent. I guess there is no giving up with you, so why not? It’s Kairo.”

“Okay. I’m Ryku. The drunk is Satin, and this here is ---” I was cut off by our fairly quiet fourth member.

“...And I’m Dex. Nice to meet you, Kairo.” Dex said with cheer in his voice. It seemed to lighten the mood, if only a little.

After that last exchange, we continued down the road for a few more minutes while Dex, Kairo, and I chatted while Satin trailed behind us still inspecting Dex’s wings. After a while, Kairo glanced around and said, “Hey... it's too quiet... where’d the annoying one - Satin, was it? Yeah, where’d he go?”

I looked back and realized that my hammered friend had indeed gone missing. I thought for a moment before looking at Kairo. “Did we happen to pass any bars or anything of the like while we were walking, did we?” I asked with a smile.

Kairo looked back and nodded. “Yeah. We passed Club Pon-3. Why?”

“Don’t worry about him. He’s fine. He’ll show up later, I’m sure. Hidin’ in a bush or somethin’. Sounds like somethin’ he’d do, anyway.”

Dex cocked his head to the side. “He always like that?”

I smiled again. “Only when he’s drunk. Sooo... yeah.”

“He sounds kinda like Pinkie Pie when he’s like this...” Kairo chuckled under his breath, just loud enough for Dex and I to hear.

“Who?” I asked.

Kairo shook his head. “Trust me. You’ll meet her soon enough. Look. We’re almost there. That’s Sweet Apple Acres just over that hill. That’s where I’m heading to make my delivery. I guess you two are welcome to come along if you wish.”

I nodded. “Satin disappeared, and I’m in a town I don’t hardly know at all. I don’t have anything better to do, so I might as well. How about you, Dex?”

“I told my friends I’d meet up with them later. Until then, I’ll just hang with you two, okay?” Dex asked.

Kairo and I nodded and we all headed off towards Sweet Apple Acres, still following Kairo and his strange backpack.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

~Satin~

Freaking epic ponies live in this town. First off, a pony with wicked metal death arms and then a pony with dragon wings! DRAGON WINGS! I bet he can breath fire too.

As soon I saw the bar, I figured it was time to do what I always do. Grab a drink, write a bit, and then... find work or something. Celestia knows I need the bits.

As I wandered in, I noticed a small group of ponies crowded around the bar celebrating... something. I made my way to an open table, took off my saddlebags and dove into them to find my journal. The ratty old thing was beaten up pretty bad: water damage, bent edges, and a wee bit of burnt pages. I still love the thing. I open up to a, sort of, crisp page as I begin my newest entry.

Entry: Poneville (I think that’s the town’s name)

Well, things are getting interesting. Sorry I didn’t write while in Appleloosa, l really didn’t stay too long. Met a new friend though. He’s... something. His name is Ryku, and he got me in some fun shenanigans (That word :D) also he and I got kicked out of town. Long story short, totally his fault and not mine.

After a fun train ride with my new compadre, joking and such, we got into Poneville today in the afternoon, this place is fantastic so far. I learned how to juggle on the way into town and there was a little bit of dragon wings here, little bit of extendo arms there, and I’ve only been here for like an hour and I’ve seen like a maximum of 10 stallions here and that was in the town square! Odds look good, my brother. (insert creepy smile)

Anyway, Imma send you and Mom and Dad a letter fairly soon. If only to check in with you guys and give you guys a current city. Feels like I might be in this town for a good bit. Already am super best friends with Rikky, the eight legged pony monster, and the red one with the wings.

Anyway should probably sign off, the ponies in the bar are celebrating something and when there is a celebration going on, that usually means free drinks!

~Satin~

I closed the journal and gingerly placed it back in it’s place in my saddlebags before turning my attention to the commotion going on around the bar. I walked into the group of ponies as they began a collective laugh, I decided this was a good point to join in.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

~Torque~

I was having a great time, talking and laughing with the few attendees, Crystal, and the barkeep, right up until a blue unicorn interrupted our merriment.

“And then they all bucked, right guys?”

Crystal, using her magic, scratched the needle off the record. A collective glare turned on a bit in his general direction. The bar had gone completely silent. “What?”

I shot a quick glance at the barkeep, who just shook his head. I looked back to the new unicorn, who was obviously drunk already. I then broke the painful silence.

“Nothing, it’s just... we were all kind of wondering why you are here. So... why ARE you here?"

“Uhhhhhh alcohol...?” He said sheepishly. I looked around at the rest of the little celebration. The attendees nodded in understanding, the barkeep just smiled and shook his head. The only one who seemed to be annoyed was Crystal.

“Hmmm, well I guess that makes sense. This IS a bar after all.” I said dryly. Crystal sighed and nodded to the barkeep. He chuckled once, pouring a shot and laying it on the bar. Immediately it was surrounded by a green aura, whereupon it was levitated towards her. She downed it like a pro, which wasn’t surprising, seeing as she owned the club.

So that’s how it’s gonna be. I can live with that.

The smile quickly returned to the new stallion’s face. “Well now that the awkwardness is out of the way, my names Satin!” He said as another shot was poured and passed to him. He downed it and flipped it over with his magic, in almost defiance to Crystal.

“Ya, uh huh.” She said, seeming uninterested. I looked back and forth between the two unicorns, then back to the barkeep. He raised an eyebrow, a small smirk inching its way across his snout. I looked to the other attendees, who smiled and promptly laid out a few bits.

“3 bits on Crystal.” Said the tan earth pony closest to my left. His cutie mark was an hourglass, and his mane was a deep black. The other attendee, a black pegasus, much like myself, with a mane that paralleled the colors of the sky and clouds, set down 5 bits.

“Naw, I think the blue one’s got her beat.” He said definitively. His cutie mark was a cloud with a lightning bolt coming out of it. The tan colt shook his head.

Now grasping what was going on, I smiled. Reaching up, I removed my shades and placed them on the bar. The barkeep’s smile got larger as he poured me a shot. I tossed it back, feeling the strong alcohol burn my throat. I shook my head, setting the glass upside down.

“2 on Torque.” Said the barkeep with a wink. I ruffled my wings slightly, still recovering from the burn.

“A duel to the drunk then?” The blue unicorn said still staring at Crystal. She sat still for a moment, pondering the challenge. Another shot was placed in front of her, and she looked down at it. She stared at it for a moment. Without warning, the shot was surrounded with a light blue aura, and it was levitated towards the blue unicorn. He promptly downed it, setting the glass upside down with a smirk. The rest of the bar, including me gasped.

“That was MY shot! You want a duel? Fine. You’re on!” She flashed the barkeep a fierce look. Moments later, a new shot was poured. This one never hit the bar, as Crystal snatched it up and banged it back, firmly placing it upside down.

The blue unicorn released a chuckle. “Oh this gonna be fuuuuuuun.” I looked back to the barkeep, only to have another shot placed before me. Not wanting to be behind, I drank it, setting the glass down with a shiver.

I think I’m out of my league here. I thought to myself, as the shivers stopped. The two unicorns downed their third shot without a flinch. Way out of my league. The third was placed in front of me.

“I’m not letting you two beat me!” I said, snatching up the shot and swallowing it. I was already beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol, but I wasn’t done yet.

“You ready to lose, blue?” Crystal chuckled, taunting the unicorn as the fourth glass was placed in front of her.

“Oh that’s adorable, you still think you can beat me!” He threw back at her with a grimace. She scowled at him, her horn sparking to life as she lifted her shot.

“Fine. Together then.” She said, looking over to me. I cringed slightly, not liking how quick these drinks were coming. With a reluctant sigh, I lifted the shot up.

“Bottoms up.” She said with a smirk. The two unicorns tossed them back, while I slowly swallowed mine. I cringed and coughed slightly as it flowed down my throat. I ruffled my wings, trying to shake the burn off.

“No offense my little stallion, but you should probably sit this out. Mommy and Daddy are drinking.” He said as he raised the 5th shot. I opened my mouth to object, but I was interrupted.

“You know, Torque, the blue moron here has a point. We’re gonna need you tomorrow, and if you have a hangover, that’s gonna make things difficult.” Crystal said as she tossed back her 5th shot. I looked over to the barkeep, but he nodded in agreement. I heard the snicker from the other pegasus come from behind me, and the barkeep shot him an angry look, and the tan earth pony chuckled. I heard the sound of a wing slapping against the other pony. I sighed quietly.

I guess I kinda expected it, I’ve never been much of the drinker. I had to stay at the top of my game. I thought to myself. Nodding slightly, I grabbed my shades.

“I’m out. What time is it...?” I asked hesitantly, realizing that I never asked the barkeep for his name. He looked looked at me with a smile, setting down the two remaining contestants’ shots.

“It’s 11 p.m. thereabouts. And it’s Bacchus, by the way.” He chuckled, levitating my empty glasses over to the sink.

“Thanks, Bacchus. I had fun, and I’m looking forward to working here.” I put my shades on my forehead, and took a few test steps. I was a little wobbly, but not terribly. I looked at the two attendees. “Goodnight, gentlecolts, hope to see you around the club sometime.” They nodded, saying goodnight and going back to watching the contest. They were now on their 7th shot, and were showing no signs of stopping.

“Hey Torque, you need a place to crash? My couch is always open.” Crystal offered, her speech slightly slurred. I shook my head.

“No, I’m all set. Thanks anyways, though. Goodnight.” I said, unfurling my wings and flapping towards the exit.

“Hey! Pegasus!” I turned to look as the blue unicorn yelled out to me, “Thanks.” I smiled.

“No problem, you’re always welcome here. See ya around!” I called out as I left the club and flew into the night sky.

Wow, what a great day, and that was only the first day. Can’t wait till tomorrow! I need to find a cloud to crash on.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Satin~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

There are a few situations where it’s really hard to talk your way out of. A freaking needle scratch stopping the music as a collective glare trains itself on you is one of them. First off, that’s surprising enough to throw you off any train of thought. Secondly, all that glare is really off-putting.

I’m just happy that pegasus broke the ice for me, I thought for sure that, “and then they all bucked” line would have worked.

I should do something nice for him. Maybe a drink, maybe a shrubbery, if I’m feeling really charitable I might even give him a drink AND a shrubbery.

Anyway, on to my greatest challenge that I can actually remember. I turned back to my adversary. Her face was a mask of disdain, bemusement, and I hope respect.
Well, well, well my worthy opponent, it’s time for my ultimate weapon... WITTY BANTER!

“One down, one more to go. Are you ready for this little miss unicorn?” I said with a smirk.

A lovely shade of red grew in the indignant young mare’s as my game of poke the bear began to near completion.

“When you pass out, we’re just going to throw your drunk flank out in the streets!” She threw back at me.
“Ahhh not going to invite me up to your bed after this?” I kept on my unwavering smile even though I may have just caused my own death.

And the game has reached it’s completion.

The bar fell silent for a second as a collective *gasp* was heard. And then, Bacchus broke the silence with a huge guffaw. The entire bar filled with laughter, even the bitchicorn managed to chuckle a bit.

It was still a contest of some sort as the shots were passed out and downed accordingly. 6th shot thrown down, and I’m still feeling fantastic. 7th shot was given out, no change. But on the 8th shot I saw the glimpse of victory. I saw her falter for just a second. She brought the shot up to her mouth for a second and then stopped, blinked for a second, shook her head, and then finally took the shot.

This is going to be easier than I thought, I usually am at least a bit tipsy by the time my opponents get to this point. I’m a little bit sad about that. Although, probably not best to point this out or the new game might end far too quickly.

Another pair of shots were passed out and made to disappear. I can feel the familiar haze of drunkenness coming back, that'll happen when I've been drinking all day.

"Heh, heh, heh this might be more even than I thought. Maybe I shouldn't have challenged anypony to a drinking contest when I've figuratively been drinking all day..." I scratch my chin in thought for a second. "Wait no, it's the other one. Literally! That's the word I'm looking for!"

A bunch of confused looks were thrown in my direction. The bartender raised an eyebrow at me.

“All day? That’s a really bad idea son. Going to waste your life in the cups.” He said matter of factly.

“Son? I’m freaking twenty... somethingish.” I said with a bit of uncertainty.

I could see the confusion increase in the group.

“Look, when you live like I do some facts and figures go by the wayside.” .

“And what... and what does th-th-that mean?” Crystal said cutting into the conversation ever so eloquently and not drunk at all. She tossed back another shot, punctuating her question.

I had to think about that for a second. I tilted my head back towards the ceiling as I began, “Well... you know how everypony finds out what makes them special and what they want to do with their life? Usually ending up with them getting their cutie mark. Yeah well, that’s not for me. I’ve never really been happy sitting around trying to be good at one thing. I decided when I was about 16 to leave my family behind and find what made me happy. Since then, I’ve just been bumming around the world, getting into trouble, drinking too much, and losing bits of body parts.” I said as I gestured toward the missing chunk of ear on the left side of my head.

Once again, silence rang out in the bar.

Oh Luna, I’ve gone too serious again. Hate when I do that. Zaps all the smiles out of the
room instantly!

I was about to try and lighten the mood when it happened. A loud *THUD* filled the air followed by an even louder snoring. I came back to attention to the party.

Crystal had passed out and hit the table, then began snoring... It actually came off quite cute. I guess she can be adorable when she’s not getting super angry at me and yelling.

I floated her last shot of the golden amber liquid to me and threw it back in triumph.

“Ha, poor little thing. I guess I’ve won this round!” I gave another loud laugh, “This stuff was good!” I said as I placed the empty shot glass back on the table. “What were we drinking anyway? It was really good!” I asked happily.

Bacchus floated the glass back to himself and began to chuckle, “Something we’re famous for ‘round this area, AppleJack Daniels!”

My eyes grew in horror as one of my suppressed memories creeped back into my head.

“Oh… buck… me! I don’t remember what that does, but I think it’s bad!” I rushed over to my saddlebag and grabbed my journal. I flipped to the last page of it. Written on the top of the page in bold lettering was:

Alcohol you shouldn’t drink.

I began to scan the page looking for the liquor in question.

Hurry up this could be a bad one! Remember that one time where that thing happened. That was awful!

About in the middle of the page, I finally reach an entry not written in my hoof or magic writing.

‘AppleJack Daniels – If you drink this you’re going to explode, you idiot. Get away from civilization.’

I could feel the fear make leaps and bounds towards a crazy level. I throw the journal back on top of my saddlebags. I turned back to my clearly confused compatriots.

“Well, sorry to drink and run but if I don’t leave now something terrible is going to happen. Which direction is a forest, field, lake, something away from ponies?” I asked hurriedly.

The bartender and one of the patrons looked at each other and then back at me.

“I really don’t have much time. Please hurry!”

Bacchus pointed behind himself.

“Thank you! And don’t worry about my stuff, I’ll be back for it tomorrow!”

It looked like they were about to object, but I couldn’t stay any longer. I channeled the teleportation spell and… that’s the last thing I remember about that night…

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

~Dex~

Kairo, Ryku, and I walked through the gate of Sweet Apple Acres, or at least that’s what Kairo called it. I didn’t really pay much attention; I was too busy staring at that awesome mechanical contraption on Kairo’s back.

“Maybe I could get him to build another one for some of my band’s concerts... I don’t exactly know what I’d do with it, but it would be cool!”

“So, Sweet Apple Acres. What exactly is this place, Kairo?” I asked, finally taking my eyes off of his contraption.

“Well, it’s a large farm that grows apples for the most part, owned by the Apple Family.” Kairo responded calmly. “You two and that drunk, Satin that was with us, are obviously not from around here.”

Ryku frowned for some reason I wasn’t sure of before he answered. “Yeah, you could say that. Me and Satin came from Appleloosa. You could say we had a bit of a... disagreement... with a wealthy stallion there and were ‘asked’ to leave. How about you, Dex? Where are you and your friends from?”

I looked at the ground. “Jake, Nick, Tim, and I were from Manehattan, but we were forced to move due to a stupid bet in battle of the bands challenge that we lost. The rest of the story really doesn’t matter...” I said, stating the small part of my life I had lived only a day ago.

“I thought so.” Kairo said with a smile. “Well, here we are. Big Mac’ should be around here somewhere... AH! There he is.” Kairo pointed to a large red stallion with a yoke around his neck coming out of the nearby barn. “Hey, Mac’! I got your plow fixed up good as new. Sorry I’m late... I slept in a LOT longer than I thought I would...”

Big Mac’ gave a grin and a deep, light-hearted chuckle. “Don’t worry yerself none about it, Kairo. Ah may not have gotten much in th’ way of work done ‘round th’ farm, but Ah sure did need th’ rest. Thanks fer gettin’ it fixed up, anyway. Now about th’ story ah owe ya...”

Kairo cut him off mid sentence. “It will have to wait until later,” he began, “I seemed to have picked up a few... acquaintances...”

It was then that Ryku moved up next to Kairo. “Hey, don’t let us hold ya up. We’ll go walk around, if that’s alright with you, Big Mac’.” He said with a gentle nod.

“S’long as th’ two of ya don’t break nothin’, I don’t see why not.” Mac’ responded.

“Thanks, Mac’!” I said, following Ryku farther into the farm.

Behind us, I heard Big Mac’ start his story with Kairo listening intently. All I caught of it was the beginning, which started with: “Well, Me an’ AJ were workin’ the field, an’ Ah happened ta make a certain comment about seein’ her in that there gossip paper a while back...”

I caught up to Ryku a few moments later, and he just gave me a quick nod before continuing towards the farmhouse. “Hey, Ryku? What really happened in Appleloosa? You really didn’t sound like you were telling the truth back there.”

“Well... Honestly? It was all Satin’s fault. Believe it or not, that unicorn can be very hot-headed when he’s sober!” Ryku replied.

Although something still seemed off about his answer, I let it slide. Before I could think of anything else to ask, the orange stallion came up with his own.

“So... What’s with those strange wings, of yours? Are they dragon wings?” He asked with a slight bit of interest.

I released a sigh of annoyance, “Everypony asks that. Look, my father was half dragon. I dunno how it works going back a few generations and honestly I don’t want to know.”

“Um... Come to think of it, neither do I...” Ryku said with a shiver.

The was a few moments of awkward silence between us as we ascended the stairs to the front door of the farmhouse. As we neared the door, however, that silence was violently broken by somepony inside.

“What in tarnation could ya’ll possibly want?!” Yelled a very disheveled-looking orange pony in a stetson-style cowpony hat. “Did that hulkin’ brother o’ mine send ya here ta try an’ get me to let ‘im sleep in the house again?”

I swear to Celestia, I almost laughed. Almost. This mare looked like she wasn’t in the mood for it though. “Uhhh hi, no we’re new in town and we’re just looking around.” I said, picking my words carefully so as not to further anger this abrasive pony.

Ryku, on the other hand, had a different idea... “Hey, what’s with the rudeness, mare? This how the Apple family treats all if it’s guests?!”

“An’ just what in the hay is that s’pose ta mean?!” The mare asked, her face turning the color of her older brother.

Ryku kept pushing. “You heard me! For all the buck you’re dishin’ out on your brother, he sure has been much more hospitable that your sorry flank!”

“Now what in the sam hill gives ya the right ta come on MAH farm and start somthin’ with MAH family?!”

Ryku’s face was now the same shade as her’s. “I didn’t start this little yellin’ contest! YOU DID! Ya want to push the blame on me, ya got another thing comin’!”

...I think I know what actually got them kicked out of Appleloosa... Satin is the one with anger issues... riiiiiiiiiiiiight.

“Alright everypony, calm down. Nopony wants a fight---”

At this, both of the red-faced orange ponies’ stares locked onto me. “YOU STAY OUTTA THIS!” They both shouted in unison.

I shrank back, but then something I didn’t expect happened. After they yelled at me, they both turned to each other with surprised looks. Then, as quickly as the fight had started, something new happened. Both of them broke out into huge grins and started laughing. Ryku was rubbing the back of his head and AJ was hiding her face behind her hat, and they were both blushing hotly, clearly embarrassed. I sighed in relief. At least that’s over!

After she’d calmed down a bit, the orange mare smiled at Ryku and I. “Sorry ‘bout that, fellas. Ah’ve been in a bad mood since yesterday when mah idiot brother decided to make a smart comment while Ah was tryin’ ta work. Why don’t y’all come in?” The three of us trotted into the house before Applejack continued. “Ah’ll make up some apple juice or somethin’, an’ i’ffn ya need ta, y’all can sleep in the barn tonight. Ah guess Ah can fergive that brother o’ mine this once.” She walked into the kitchen and came back with a tray with three glasses of apple juice on it. She set them on a nearby table, then looked back at up. “By the way, the name’s Applejack. Who are you fellas?”

“Names Dex, and my hot-headed friend here is ---” I was cut off my a hard swat to the back of my head.

“And I’m Ryku. Thanks for the warm welcome, Applejack.” The fiery-maned stallion said.

“Anyways... thanks for the offer, but I’ll probably just find a cloud to sleep on.” I said as nicely as I could.

“I’ll take you up on that offer. I could use a place to stay, and the ground is where I feel safe, thanks.” Ryku said, giving a quick, playful glance towards me.

Applejack chuckled and nodded to Ryku, saying he could stay. After they drank their apple juice, we all went onto the front porch of the house and said our goodbyes. I took off back towards town, and, as I was flying, I watched as Ryku was led to the barn by Applejack before she returned to the farmhouse.

Once Applejack disappeared into her house, I flew up to the nearest cloud and settled down on it. After a night of adrenaline-filled music-playing, and a day of meeting some strange and epic ponies, a good night sleep seemed to be something I truly needed. I closed my eyes and was nearly asleep, when a familiar voice shook me from my slumber.

“Hey, Dex! We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Nick’s energetic voice sounded from right next to me.

It’s hard to forget that the most hyper member of my group is a pegasus...

“Well, I was up here trying to sleep...” I said irritatedly.

“Oh... uh... Sorry, Dex.” he said as he started rubbing the back of his head with a hoof.

I sighed. “Nah, it’s okay, dude. Just go bug Tim or something. Knowing me, I’ll be up early anyways.”

“Alright dude. I’ll talk to you later. Goodnight.” He said, flying off.

“Yeah, same to you.” I said waving my friend off. Then I lazily turned back to my plush cloud bed and promptly passed out.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

~Ryku~

I looked around the Apple family’s barn. It wasn’t anything fancy, just some hay bales here, a cart of apples there, and everything was just kinda strewn about in no particular order. I didn’t mind though; it was a place to sleep and be safe for the night. That reminds me... I still need to find a job... I wonder who around town is hiring? I thought to myself as I walked back to the front of the barn. It’s still a little early. I might as well go find out what that brown stallion with the backpack...Kairo, was it? Yeah, I might as well go see if he and Big Mac’ are done with their story...

I took a step outside the barn and immediately spotted the two earth pony stallions, still in the spot Dex and I had left them, chatting away. I walked up to them, catching what seemed like the tail-end of long, drawn out story.

“'...and then AJ turned to me an' said: "Is that so? An' jus' what makes ya so sure o' that? Huh? I'll show YOU Ah’ve still got some kick left!!" And that's when mah plow got turned inta scrap metal...” Big Mac’ was just finishing the story as I approached. Kairo stood next to him, staring in awe.

“Well then...” he muttered, “Remind me never to get on your sister’s bad side...” With that, the brown stallion broke into a smile and gave a small chuckle.

I had absolutely no idea what had been said, so I jumped at the chance to insert myself into their conversation. “So... what’s this about Applejack and a plow?”

Both of them turned to me at this, Mac’ with a bit of surprise on his face and Kairo with irritation, and then laughed a bit more before Mac’ answered. “Ah don’t really want to go over it all again, but, long story short, don’t git on mah sister’s bad side. Things can git ugly fast, iff’n ya do.”

“Heh, trust me, I already figured that one out the hard way! Me and Dex just left your farmhouse. I kinda... sorta... got into an argument with her... But everythin’s fine! We worked it out, thanks to Dex.” I blushed with embarrassment as I remembered what happened. “Anyway, she offered me a place to sleep in the barn, and told me to tell ya that you’re welcome to come back to the farmhouse.”

The red stallion smiled just then. “Whew! Thanks for the news, kid. Ah was dreadin’ another night in that there barn. By the way, Ah don’t think Ah ever caught yer name...”

“Ryku, and you’re welcome. Well, I’m gonna hit the hay. Literally. G’night, Big Mac’. G’night, Kairo.”

“I think I will head off to my home as well. Goodnight you two.” Kairo said with an eerily creepy smile that somewhat resembled satisfaction.

I watched as the engineer pony turned and started making his way back down the road we’d come from. After he was out of sight, I nodded to Big Mac’ and made my way back to the barn. Before I shut the barn door, I noticed Mac’ slowly, cautiously approach the farmhouse door. After a few moments, an irritated-looking Applejack opened said door, and stared at her brother. Soon, however, the annoyed look was replaced with a smile as the two hugged each other before making their way back inside the house. I grinned at the sight, and closed my own door before walking over to a nearby hay pile. Alright. Tomorrow’s gonna be a long day. I’d better get some sleep tonight if I want to be ready for everything... I slowly slipped away into a dream, and after several minutes, I was out cold.