She Rocks My Worldby LightningSwordChapters"When the bill come, they start trippin'!""Stop worrying and just follow me.""Leave the girl alone!""Keep doin' what you do . . ."Intermission"Get rid of this guy.""Lemme see what you got!""All this trouble you done caused!""When the bill come, they start trippin'!"“You're paying for it this time, man,” Spike said over his carton of Chi-Neighs food, impatiently snapping his chopsticks together. “I'm not payin' for it,” Nocturne retorted over his own serving. The roadside restaurant they'd gone to was just a little bit expensive, but it had some of the best food in Manehattan, and it was frequented by many ponies. In this case, a bat-winged Pegasus stallion and a young dragon having some bonding time. They both wore smart suits and fedoras to match their respective colors: Spike's in black, and Nocturne's in white. “No way, Nocturne, I paid last time,” Spike argued, shaking his head, “Besides, I'm starting to run out of allowance. Just because Twilight's a princess now, it doesn't mean we're loaded!” “Spike, you're the one who wanted to come here, not me,” Nocturne complained, “If you didn't want to pay, you shouldn't have agreed to this.” Spike gave an aggravated sigh, “See, this is why I don't like going out to eat with ponies. When the bill comes, they get all antsy.” Nocturne scoffed and rolled his crimson eyes, “Yeah? Well, that's why you're payin' for it.” From their seats, Nocturne and Spike could see out the window, and had a good view of other ponies walking down the street in Manehattan's evening bustle. Well-dressed stallions waltzed down the walk with their snouts in the air, carriages and coaches pulled some of Equestria's elite down the streets, and lovely young mares turned heads as they walked down the road with a shake of a skirt and a twist of a tail. “Mmmm, look at that!” Spike drew Nocturne's attention to a particularly striking Earth pony mare with a long, blonde mane, “Nice!” Nocturne shrugged, “Yep, pretty cute.” He then turned to Spike with a smirk, “Not quite Rarity, though, huh?” Spike suddenly blushed and looked away, “Huh? Oh, no, of course not! I mean, Rarity's much prettier!” Nocturne chuckled and kept eating, but stopped again when he saw a cab pull up to the side of the road. Its only passenger stepped out, paid the driver, and looked around up and down the street. Nocturne saw her, and was entranced; she was a beautiful Pegasus mare, yellow in coat and pink in mane, and wearing a slinky, yet tasteful evening gown. “Ooooh, nice!” Spike caught Nocturne's glance and teased him, “Good catch, big guy!” “Oh, wow . . .” Nocturne gasped as he watched her move. She was captivating, even as she looked nervously up and down the street. Spike poked Nocturne in the ribs with his elbow, “Yeah! She's one P. Y. M., all right!” Nocturne was too smitten to hear Spike. “I think she looked at me . . . .” he said dreamily. “Hm! She's drivin' you wild, huh? Wanna get a better look?” “What?! No! Well, maybe . . . . . I don't know . . .” “Come on! Just go introduce yourself! I'll be your wingman!” Nocturne hesitated, but Spike seemed insistent. Maybe it was a way to get out of paying for dinner, but at this point, it didn't really matter all that much. He knew he liked that beautiful mare, and wanted to talk to her and get to know her better. Reluctantly, he allowed Spike to urge him out of the restaurant and into the street, closer to the pretty pink-maned pony. Nocturne and Spike opened the doors and stopped on the sidewalk, watching as she trotted through crowds on the other side of the street. As she moved, Nocturne was stricken with longing; he'd seen no other mare like her before. He'd come to Manehattan a lot with Spike to have a bite to eat, and each time, there were attractive ladies passing by that he would have liked to speak to. It happened pretty much every night, but he'd never gotten up the courage to make a move. But somehow, looking at this pink-maned beauty made all the others insignificant. He wanted to meet her. He wanted to know her. She completely rocked his world. “Oh, mother of Celestia, that's it!” Nocturne announced, “Spike, that's . . . . she's got to be the prettiest mare I've seen all day! Heck, the prettiest ever!” “Chill out, buddy,” Spike assured him, “I see the way she makes you feel. Just get her attention.” “I don't know . . . . you think I can?” “Hey, this time around, you're golden. Just yell out to her. Nice and strong!” “Okay, here goes . . . hey! Over here! Hey, could you look this way, please?” She glanced around as she walked, overlooking the stallion and his 'wingman', and continued along her path. For some reason, the look of nervousness still persisted. “Uhh, not really strong enough, Nocturne,” Spike shook his head, “You're keepin' it in the closet.” “I can't help it, Spike,” Nocturne continued to stare longingly at the mare, “She's so pretty . . .” “She looks upset,” Spike replied, “She needs somepony to hold.” The two saw that she was headed for the Waterhorse Hotel, and an idea clicked between them. Where else would a gorgeous girl like her be going dressed like that? She definitely had party plans in mind for tonight. And what better place for a romantic chance encounter than a party at the Waterhorse? Spike and Nocturne glanced at each other, and saw their plan unfold itself in each other's eyes. “Let's go.” Nocturne and Spike both slipped into the street when traffic lessened, and crossed over to the other side, following the Pegasus mare's path. As they left, they heard someone very loud and very angry yell after them about something or other: “Hey! You two! You forgot to pay for the food! Come back here! Hey! You! You got a bill coming! Hey, come on, get back here! Next time I see you, you're history, you punks!” "Stop worrying and just follow me."The Waterhorse Hotel may have looked nice on the outside, but inside, it was overrun by some of the worst ponies in Manehattan. To many underworld connections, the Waterhorse was a front for a mob operation, and many gangsters took their business here, whether it be drugs, weapons, or prostitution. Things were run pretty smoothly in the Waterhorse, and today was no different. At least for a while. The front door opened, and a lovely young Pegasus mare walked into the lobby. She nervously tossed back her pink mane and looked around, as if hoping nopony would spot her. She continued straight, aiming for the front desk, until she felt her tail grabbed from behind. She turned, and saw a tough-looking Unicorn stallion with tan fur and a shaggy black mane seizing her by the tail with his magic. He leered at her as he pulled her in close, “How you doin', baby?” The mare tried to struggle at first, but the stallion's magic was unyielding. He pulled her to one side of the lobby and towards the bar, where a gang of stallions waited for somepony. When the Unicorn showed up with the Pegasus in tow, they parted and allowed them into the group. The leader, a tall, dark Earth pony stallion in shades, saw the Pegasus coming, and held up both front hooves expectantly, as if waiting for an explanation. The mare saw the look on his face and became even more anxious, “Um . . . what?” “Oh, so you don't know?” Shades snapped back, “I'm gettin' a little tired of you not wantin' to show up as often as you used to. What, is this you thinkin' you have some kinda choice here?” “Well . . .” the mare muttered softly, her voice getting softer with each word, “I . . . I just thought . . . . well, I don't . . . really want . . . to be in the . . . . in the group anymore . . .” Her timid statement was met with a slam of a hoof on the bar, at which she squeaked, terrified. “So, this is you thinkin' you have a choice!” Shades snarled, “Well, let me tell you somethin' doll. Nopony gets outta the group without the say-so from Big D! And that's 'cause Big D runs Manehattan! Everypony in this building belongs to him! The clerk at the front desk, the waitresses, the bartender over there, the mule who does the sweeping, everypony! That means you! And there ain't no questions about it!” “But . . . but you . . . . treat me so badly . . . all of you . . . .” “So what?! You ain't here to talk about your feelings! You're here to give me some good pony tail when I ask! Maybe if you're lucky, you won't come out with bruises this time!” Shades tapped his hoof on the bar, and the bartender brought him and his crew a round of drinks. They each took a mug and began to chug. The mare sat at the bar, looking downcast. She gave a slight whine, but didn't speak as Shades sat his mug down and looked her over like a naughty foal. It made her want to look around and hope Shades and his crew were the only ones here tonight. The door opened again, and two more guests stepped into the Waterhorse's lobby. Nocturne and Spike walked straight down, casing the place as they walked. Spike had involuntarily glanced back when an Earth pony stallion by the door had come after them, yelling out, “Hey! Hey, private party goin' on here! Hey!” Once he'd quieted down, Spike looked at him uneasily; he'd nodded toward the bar. A glance in that direction, and he saw that he'd nodded to a particularly lethal-looking group of stallions, with that one mare stuck in the middle, looking miserable. “Jeez,” Spike shivered, “This is starting to look like that one Michael Trackson music video. You know, the one with Chris Bucker and Marlon Bronco?” “I can see her,” Nocturne mumbled subtly to Spike, ignoring his words, “She's over on your side, by the bar.” “Man, I got a bad feeling about this,” the dragon answered, “We don't wanna be starting something here.” “Stop worrying and just follow me,” Nocturne replied calmly, “Put on a catchy tune and be distracting, and I'll take care of everything else.” “Hold it!” Spike stepped in front of Nocturne and pressed his paws against his chest, “I'm serious, man. I'm feeling just a bit threatened, now.” “I got this!” “No way, Nocturne! Listen to me! You're not invincible! Come on!” Nocturne merely eased him out of the way, repeating coolly, “Spike, I got this.” And he continued down the walk to the front desk. As Nocturne passed by the bar, he stared at the mysterious beauty he'd followed here. Now, instead of looking nervous, she looked sad, as if the tough-colts around her somehow forced her to stay where she was. One of them could even be her coltfriend, Nocturne suddenly thought. But if that were true, she'd look a lot happier to see him, and happy was one thing she couldn't possibly be right now. If one of them was, he was clearly ignoring her, maybe worse. If not, then the opportunity was only that much more perfect. Another look saw one of them, and Earth pony in shades, hold her hoof to his lips and kiss it. That one was definitely her coltfriend. And by the look on her face (Nocturne almost felt guilty at having to suppress his excitement), she was completely repulsed by this shades pony. Nocturne saw the mare look back at him, and could swear he looked in a mirror for a moment. She looked entranced with him, fixated, as if she'd felt the same way about him that he did about her. It could be possible; after all, her present company seemed to make her want to be anywhere else at the moment. But it seemed more than just getting away from these sleazeballs. Much more. Across from the bar was a small karaoke stage that was being set up, and Nocturne turned and made his way towards it, giving the pink-maned mare a reassuring look beforehand. Slipping between ponies at tables and ducking wreaths of cigar smoke, he went up to the stage and slipped behind the curtain. One quick look at Spike, and he was sure things would go smoothly; the little dragon stood on a chair next to a nearby jukebox, going through his change and pouring through a host of different tunes, ready to begin. Nocturne quickly pushed past a brawny Unicorn stallion, knocking him down as he worked the curtain ropes with his magic. The rope slipped from his telekinetic grasp, and the curtain spread wide, leaving only a thin, yellow, translucent screen covering the stage. The stage lights shone behind it, and striding up to the middle was the silhouette of a slender, bat-winged Pegasus in a fedora. This was the signal. Spike jammed in a couple of bits and picked a good jam to play for Nocturne's little serenade. “My life . . . .” Nocturne lifted a hoof slowly, his silhouette matching his every move. He bent at the knees and straightened his lifted leg ninety degrees. The music began at a slow pace, almost unheard at first among the bustle. Once Nocturne's voice could be heard, the chatter slowly died down, and more and more eyes fell on him. “. . . . will never be the same . . . .” He stood on his hind legs, unfurled his wings, and lifted both front legs straight up over him, right at the cue of a single note from the horn section in the playing song. The crowd followed his shadow's movements, transfixed and impressed with the show. “. . . . you rid me of my pain . . . .” Nocturne slowly turned and pulled his wings back in, still on two legs. He threw a front hoof out to the side, popped into a spin, and struck another legs-out pose with wings spread, at another prompt from the horns in the song. “. . . . it's in your trot . . . . . give what you got . . . .” Nocturne turned to the side, keeping smooth and steady, and folded his wings again. He held up a front hoof and made a short, slow sweeping gesture to finish the overture. “. . . . I cannot explain . . . .” Now that the audience was watching, the show could begin. Author's Note Again, changed lyrics in keeping with the rules. I hope it was enough, I was at a loss. "Leave the girl alone!"They were probably here by now. Either that, or Shades was going to have some explaining to do next time he was seen. It would be the last thing he'd ever say with a whole tongue. Whistling to himself, 'Big D' sat back in his chair, finishing up an origami bird he'd started to pass the time. It would've been easier to use magic, but that would have defeated the purpose. Killing time was one thing he was good at. Hell, he was good at killing something; what it was depended on his mood. That girl of Shades' was getting to be a nuisance. She'd done nothing but whine for the last week or so, harping on about one thing or another every day. It was usually about the illegal activities going on at the Waterhorse, but most often it was about the response Shades had had to give to her incessant whining. It was a shame he'd had to respond that way, too. Bruises didn't look good on that pretty yellow body. Well, maybe around the plot, but then she'd cover them up. What a drag . . . The paper bird slipped out of his furry right paw, and gripping it in his sharp left talon almost pierced the damn thing. It may pass the time, but it was so aggravating sometimes. The screen lifted off the stage, and Nocturne was back on all fours, smoothly and casually walking up to the edge of the stage. The song Spike picked out, a brisk, easy, and jazzy R&B jam, blared loud on the jukebox, and Nocturne subtly moved in time with the beat. He'd take a step, bob his head, adjust his collar and his hat; he wasn't particular. He let the music do the work for him. It told him what to do in its own language, and it always knew what to do. By now, the entire lobby was watching him move, including the pink-maned mare and her unwanted company. Nocturne stepped down off the stage, and was back on his hind legs; he turned into a deft backspin, pushed his hat forward on his head, turned to the other side, then walked forward, back on all fours, adjusting his hat once again. He liked to play with his hat while he danced. He didn't really know why; it was just one thing the music told him to do. He saw the Pegasus mare slowly get up and walk toward him, and his heart skipped a beat. He kept his cool, though, and kept moving with the rhythm. This was going to work after all. At the bar, the mare was stopped by one of the group, a thin, reedy Pegasus with molting wings and a slicked-back mane. “Where do you think you're going, hot stuff?” he asked, half-lusty and half-confrontational. “I was . . . well . . . I was just going to watch the show,” she replied nervously, “It looks really . . . . interesting . . .” She trailed off when she glanced back in Nocturne's direction. “Not gonna happen,” Slick shook his head, “Big D will be down any minute, and he'll want you—” “Let her go,” Shades rolled his eyes, “If she wants to watch that clown, let her. If she's smart, she won't get far.” Slick glanced at Shades, then back at the mare, skeptical at such a claim; finally, though, he stood aside and let her pass. She walked away from the bar and toward the stage, and Slick looked at Shades angrily. “Way to go!” he berated Shades, “Once she gets with that creep, she's out of here! And all because you couldn't keep her on a leash! Didn't think about that, huh, smart guy?” “Chill out,” Shades replied, “Like I said, she won't go anywhere if she knows what's good for her. I'll make sure of that. Besides, if she splits, she answers to the boss, and to me.” He glanced back in the mare's direction, and had to do a double take. She was gone. A glance at the stage, and he saw that Nocturne was gone, too. Shades ground his teeth together angrily and took off his shades, putting them in his suit pocket. “That guy . . .” he growled, “. . . that . . . that . . . .” His frustration seemed to be split between finding an appropriate slur and admitting that Slick was right. Slick walked up next to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder to get his attention, “I think he wants to die . . . .” Nocturne stared into the eyes of his new company, and she stared right back, past the shadow cast by his fedora. Once they'd met up, they'd turned a corner into a stairwell so they could be alone together, and hadn't even spoken a word to each other about it. This was encouraging; they didn't even know each other's names, and they were already in sync. “Well,” Nocturne quipped, “I'm glad we lost that crowd.” The mare blushed and smiled at him, “Thanks for getting me out of there. Those stallions, well, they're not very nice.” Nocturne glanced behind him, “Yeah, I had a feeling. But, you know, if you're looking for an escort out of here, I'd be happy to oblige.” “That's really nice of you, but . . . well, how are you going to get me out without them knowing?” “Don't sweat it,” Nocturne grinned, gesturing out to the lobby with his head, “We'll distract them. I got somepony on it. Or rather, some dragon.” The mare glanced in the direction indicated, and saw a group of ponies by the stage, all joined in a group dance to the beat of the song. They were being led by a certain short, purple dragon in a black suit and fedora. The mare smiled and giggled, seeming more relaxed in Nocturne's presence. So much so that she found herself drawn to him; she lifted her head up towards his, slipping a little closer to him at a time. Nocturne did the same, craning his neck down to meet her, and their noses nearly touched, as if to kiss. The mare suddenly gasped and backed away, “Oh, we shouldn't do this! What will they think? What will Shades think? What will their boss think? Oh, dear! I'm sorry, but I can't. At least not now.” Nocturne felt dejected for a second, but found hope in the mare's last words. “Don't worry,” he assured her, “My friend and I will figure something out. We'll get those jerks away from you. Count on it.” The mare smiled at him, looking comforted by his words, and nodded. She turned to walk out of the stairwell, and was quickly greeted by Shades and his crew. “Oh!” she squeaked, “Um . . . hi, guys.” “Save the cutesy crap, doll,” Shades spat, “Where is he?” “Who?” she replied, trying to keep the anxiety out of her voice. “I said cut the crap! You know who I mean! The weirdo with the bat wings and the hat! Where is he?” “Oh, right . . . you mean him?” She pointed over his shoulder, and when they turned, they saw Nocturne, standing close to the stage and back to dancing to the tune of the R&B jam on the jukebox. He was back up on his hind legs, performing spins, locking his legs, and adjusting his hat; each move captivated the crowds. Spike temporarily left the dance group he'd started as a distraction to join Nocturne's side, and the stallion dropped back onto all fours. “Would you look at that?” he muttered to his dragon friend excitedly, “Quite the slip I gave those guys! Man, you were right! I think she likes me!” “Stop pressing your luck, Nocturne!” Spike muttered back as they continued to dance, “Leave the mare alone!” Nocturne was pretty sure that wasn't going to happen. Even if there wasn't a spark between them, he had to do something. This mare was in big trouble, and he needed to get her far away from these thugs as soon as possible. All he needed was an explanation. And maybe, another well-placed group dance. That always helped. "Keep doin' what you do . . ."The group that had joined in was slowly getting bigger, and Nocturne and Spike kept up the distraction as well as they could. By now, the pretty Pegasus' stalkers had stopped to watch the show themselves, seeming to be confident that they were keeping good tabs on their quarry. What they hadn't noticed was that she had slipped away from them again. Slowly grooving to the tune of the song, the pink-maned mare tipped away from the gangsters, blending into the liveliness of the scene that Spike and Nocturne had started. She was making her way to another set of tables, where a few card games were going on. “I'm telling you, man,” Spike muttered as they continued to dance, “You can't keep this up! These ponies are serious!” Nocturne dropped back down on all fours, turned to the gambling tables, and stiffened his back as he segued into a departure. “So am I,” he muttered playfully to his short contemporary, “Just keep the show going, little buddy. Things are looking up.” Spike almost continued his warnings, but Nocturne was gone, and the dragon growled. “That guy's gonna be the end of me!” he lamented quietly as he spun twice on the spot, keeping with the rhythm, “I should've just paid the bill!” Nocturne finally caught up with the Pegasus mare, and they reflected the same dreamy look back at one another. They had both definitely been waiting for a moment like this; even earlier, when they'd first spoken to each other, it wasn't quite as magical as this. “Keep dancing and act natural,” said Nocturne as they approached each other. The mare obeyed and slowly moved her hooves to the tune, swaying her body in time with Nocturne's. “You know, I'm a little nervous,” the mare admitted, “I've never really done this before, and with those ponies watching me and all . . . . but there's something else. Something I felt before, when we first met . . . I just feel like . . . . like my life won't quite be the same again.” “I felt the same way,” Nocturne replied, his heart racing and his hooves gliding, “I just feel that you changed me somehow . . . the way I walk, and talk . . . . it's—” “Unexplainable?” the mare finished for him. “Yeah,” Nocturne smiled; that's exactly what he was going to say. He felt such a rush, as though he were holding on to his sanity with everything he had. But he knew he was only scratching the surface; in time, this would slowly evolve into love and happiness. All there was to do now was wait patiently and keep up the groove. The mare crept in close to Nocturne's side, and the two swayed together in perfect unison. “You know, it seemed to me,” he whispered in her ear as she blushed, “that now that we're together like this, something just feels . . . . I don't know . . . complete. Don't you think so?” The mare looked up at him with a lovestruck grin, “Yes. It's like I can be true to my feelings now. I feel like I don't have to look for security anymore . . .” she trailed off and laid her head against his shoulder, “. . . now that I'm with you . . .” Nocturne cuddled with her, taking in the aroma of her mane, “Mmm . . . then just keep on doing what you do, girl.” The mare giggled, and they continued to dance slowly to the music. A short distance away, Spike seemed to be casting off his earlier bitter attitude, and was even enjoying himself; he led the pony group behind him with comical zeal and impressive precision. As well he should; he learned everything he knew from Nocturne. As Nocturne and his companion danced together, she glanced over his shoulder and saw her overseers approaching again. Luckily, they seemed to not notice them yet. “Oh, no, here they come again!” she whispered, starting to shake and close to disrupting her rhythm. “Stay calm,” Nocturne told her gently, “Ease out into the buffet area. I'll join you in a minute.” The mare nodded, and slipped away from the card tables just before her unsavory followers looked her way. They saw Nocturne and approached him roughly, and the Pegasus with the slicked-back mane spoke first, “Hey! You! Where'd she go?” Nocturne locked his legs and pushed his hat forward on his head, grinning smugly, “You lookin' for somepony?” The Earth pony in shades spoke next, “Don't jerk us around, creep! I'll deck you one if I find out you're runnin' off with my mare!” “And don't be lookin' so smug, either,” the slick-haired Pegasus added roughly, “Our boss runs this place, and he don't take too kindly to freaks like you invadin' his space!” “Your 'boss'?” Nocturne bit back, “Well, if he's not here, what's the problem?” “He's upstairs,” the Earth pony in shades clarified, “And if he sees you messin' with us, you're dead!” Nocturne's kept his sly grin, “If he's that insecure, then find him his own marefriend.” His expression quickly went dark before he danced away, “Maybe he'll treat her better than you treat yours.” As Nocturne slid lithely out of the gamblers' midst, the slick-maned Pegasus angrily made to follow, but was stopped by the Earth pony in shades. “I said chill!” he admonished, “Big D won't be happy if we start something with this loser. He makes the first move, it's all on him. Got it?” The Pegasus seethed at Nocturne's cocky movements, then turned to his superior, “Unless he really is messin' around with your mare, isn't that what you mean?” The pink-maned Pegasus saw Nocturne coming toward the buffet tables, and felt her heart flutter. Shyness was beginning to dissipate more and more, and she felt a return of that comfort she'd felt when they'd first met. Her feelings were her own. Her decisions were her own. And she decided to invest her feelings in another pony, one that would treat her far better than that meanie Shades. Her only problem: she was afraid of how he'd react. Nocturne slipped up next to the mare and kept his voice low, “Keep dancing. They're right behind us.” “Okay,” she mumbled back and continued moving her hooves to the song. She danced between two long tables of food, while Nocturne jumped up to an upper level against the wall, separated by a semi-transparent curtain. She saw his form move gracefully past the diners at their tables, and was amazed at how fluid, how precise his movements were. This stallion wasn't too easy on the eyes (what with the bat wings being a slight put-off), but anypony who could move like that made the wings irrelevant. There was something different about this pony. Something interesting. Something . . . . . alluring. She suddenly had a thought; she'd been a fool to think her feelings were her own. She could neither control how she felt nor explain it. This Nocturne fellow had a strong hold over her, and even though she dreaded Shades finding her with him (as well as Big D's reaction to her desire to leave), she liked being under Nocturne's spell. The mare kept herself parallel with Nocturne as he pulled back the curtains, stood up on his hind legs and spun on the spot. She smiled at his grace and skill and trotted up to him as he came toward her. He smiled back at her, and she felt her face redden. “Alone at last,” Nocturne grinned, and the mare giggled, “Tell me something, what's this hold these guys have over you? Why do they want you so badly?” The mare anxiously wrapped a lock of her mane around her hoof, “Well . . . it's kind of a long story.” “I've got time,” Nocturne replied, reassuring her. “It's not that easy. I can't say too much, or . . . . well, I just can't.” She felt tears welling up, and blinked a few times trying to get rid of them. Nocturne continued his reassurance with a hoof on her back. “We'll figure something out,” he said, “I'll do everything I can to help you. That is,” he paused, easing into the question, “if you'll have me.” The mare looked up at her rhythmic companion, feeling the tears fade away and her confidence increase more than ever. She nodded, and she allowed him to take her hoof into his and kiss it. Big D leaned back in his chair and whistled. Up until he'd started on his little origami bird, he'd had the time to sit down and watch “The Godstallion” all the way through (still an excellent film). Now that he was through with his bird, his boredom forced him to take off his hat and spin in around in his paw and talon. And still, he whistled. He did this only when his boredom got to be annoying. He hated being annoyed. Shades and the others had been annoying him for quite a while. So had that cute little piece of plot that Shades always dragged around. Now that they had annoyed him for whatever reason, he was close to considering making them all pay for it. And if he did consider it, Celestia help whoever got in his way. Author's Note Debating whether I should do a chapter for the "intermission" scene with the lady in the suit in the empty room . . . IntermissionA dark room with a single spotlight illuminating a small area. One lone figure in the middle of it all, one hoof to her fedora, her head pointed down at the floor. She began to move, taking a long, sultry sidestep that segued into her own dance number. She pushed herself up onto her hind legs and turned into a graceful spin. She stopped, bent at the knees, and moved her hips and bottom to the tune of the song playing in the lobby. She moved surprisingly nimbly in high-heeled horseshoes. Nocturne eased into the dark room, also on his back legs, shuffling in with his usual precision and fluidity. His fedora shadowed his eyes under the single spotlight, and he brushed his suit jacket behind him as he moved. He met the mare in the fedora, and the two moved in close for a partner dance. They moved well in time with one another, staying in sync as their bodies swayed to the beat. Nocturne felt her hoof slide down his chest, and she allowed him to run his hoof through her pink mane . . . Her poofy pink mane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Pinkie Pie?!” The mare dropped back onto all fours at the same time as Nocturne, and she gave him a bright, somewhat insipid smile, “Yep! Hi, Nocturne!” “What are you doing here?” Pinkie Pie giggled, “I'm your dance partner, silly-vanilly!” “How did you—” Nocturne stopped for a moment when he slowly realized something strange. He looked at his surroundings, seeing nothing but the dark walls and the solitary spotlight overhead, and asked the obvious question, “. . . . . Where the hell are we?!” Pinkie looked around in the same way, then turned back to Nocturne, that same lost smile on her face, “Beats me!” “Well, why are you dancing, too?” “I just heard the song you were jammin' to and thought I'd give it a go! Where's that song coming from, anyway?” Nocturne tried to explain, but the awkwardness and stress was too much to deal with. He sighed and adjusted his fedora, “Look, Pinkie, I need to get back. I'm . . . kinda in the middle of something, here . . .” “Oh, yeah!” Pinkie replied excitedly, “This is the part where you woo the pretty mare some more with your awesome dancing, huh?” She pointed the opposite way from where Nocturne entered, “Just go that way, prancin' machine! You'll be back before ya know it!” Nocturne glanced at the direction Pinkie indicated and replied, still feeling the awkwardness, “Uhhhh . . . thanks.” “Go on, no time to thank me! Get going! Dance your pants off! Get the girl! Save the day! YAY!” She urged Nocturne to the other side of the room, sending him on his way with a sportsman's slap on the rump. She then shuffled back into the center of the room and continued her sultry dance alone. She popped back up onto her hind legs, made another deft spin, and leaned back, one hoof on her fedora, with a sexy grin, “You know you want me . . .” Whether she knew she was alone in the room by this point was unclear. "Get rid of this guy."Nocturne and his 'date' made it back to the bar, having given her watchers the slip once again. Spike continued to jam to the beat of the jukebox, and everypony around him stayed in time with his rhythm. Finally having the time and space to talk more, Nocturne picked a spot at the bar, and he and the pink-maned mare took a seat. “So, who's this boss those pinheads keep taking about?” Nocturne began. “You mean Big D?” she asked, “He runs this hotel for his secret businesses and things.” “'Big D'?” Nocturne repeated, trying to stifle a grin, “Does he have a bit of an inferiority complex?” “Oh, no, Nocturne. Big D is no laughing matter. He's the most powerful gangster in Manehattan. He runs the largest mob organization in all of Equestria. He uses places like this as a cover for all kinds of . . . . naughty things.” She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hooves. “So what do his guys have on you? Why can't you just leave?” “I can't. Shades brought me into this group when I was broke and trying to work the streets, and Big D said I could stay if I helped out. Shades said I didn't have to live the life of a street-trotter anymore, but in exchange, I'd be his marefriend.” She glanced up at Nocturne, but quickly turned away, ashamed, “I almost wish I was back on the streets . . .” Nocturne caressed her shoulder with a hoof, “Is it really that bad? I mean, I know he's a gangster and all, but how much worse could it get?” Now, she looked up at Nocturne fully, her eyes watering, “You don't know what he does to me.” Nocturne was afraid of this. He'd suspected it while giving those tough guys the slip a minute ago, but he didn't want to believe that what he'd suspected was true. Now he knew. “Shades has a temper,” she continued morosely, “A bad one. If I'm ever late, or I don't please him the exact way he wants, he gets so angry and makes me feel awful. Sometimes, he hits me, and not even when he's mad. Once, after a night together, I couldn't sit for two weeks.” Nocturne felt his heart crumble. He had no idea what he'd gotten himself (and Spike) into. Running afoul of gangsters led by a powerful mob boss was one thing, but one of them mistreated an innocent mare—that was heinous. True, this 'Shades' guy was likely untouchable because of who he reported to, but that didn't scare Nocturne. This girl had suffered enough, and needed to get away from these dregs once and for all. And when she did, she'd have the comfort of a real stallion. Nocturne saw that Spike was still keeping the crowds moving, and had cast away his nervousness entirely. He was even singing to the tune of the song on the jukebox—terribly: “And giiiiiiirl . . . Ah'll nevah git enuff . . .” Nocturne chuckled and shook his head, “He's a good kid, but he just can't sing,” and made to turn back to the mare, when he caught the crowds bustling behind them in the corner of his eye. Shades and his boys were shoving through them, fast approaching once again. “Stick around this time,” he advised his companion, “We'll just make them think I'm still putting on a show.” He then climbed up onto the bar and kept up his dance, working his body into a fever pitch. “Oh, please be careful,” she tried to warn him. But Nocturne was always careful when dancing; he'd worked hard to be so. Jumping back up onto his hind legs, Nocturne was off, sticking out his front legs, spinning, locking his back legs, adjusting his hat, and all the other minute, precise movements he made while dancing. The Pegasus mare followed him down the bar from the floor; she was too amazed to stay in one place. The crowd was really fired up now, too; he was keeping them all astounded. Even when he'd gotten a bit carried away. There were still a few bottles and glasses left sitting on the bar, and Nocturne didn't really care to notice. In fact, it was almost as if he went straight for them. He lowered himself back onto all fours just to kick a bottle into the wall with his front leg; it shattered and sent a spatter of liquid all over the wall and floor. Jumping back up onto two legs, Nocturne aimed a kick at another bottle, sending it into another wall. It too, shattered and made a mess. “That son of a dog-ugly mule!” Slick growled as he and Shades came back to the bar, “Now he's wrecking the joint!” He turned to Shades to air his grievances, “Look, man, either we put this guy down now, or Big D's gonna grind us! So either you do something, or I will!” Shades lowered his sunglasses and glanced between Slick and Nocturne as the latter climbed down off the bar and stood next to his mare, “You're right. You will.” He then seized a glass mug off the bar and slammed it against the wood, shattering half of it creating a convenient weapon. The crowd saw and heard this, and began to panic. This was a common signal for a bar fight to break out. Spike's crowd began to disperse, ponies hung out by the walls and stared nervously, and Shades' boys gathered around him as he waved the glass weapon hanging on his hoof. The pink-maned mare stepped closer to Nocturne, releasing a fearful yelp. Glancing at her, Nocturne whispered in her ear, “Run. Now.” “What?” she looked up at him, fret lining her eyes, “But what about you?” “I'll be fine, just go.” Hesitating, the mare left, with Nocturne urging her with a hoof. Shades and his boys stepped slowly up to Nocturne, their body language confrontational. Nocturne stood his ground; he was in way over his head and it made him nervous, but there was a solution to this. He was never quite sure how it worked, but it worked every time. And now was the time to try it again. Yes, this was the moment to summon up a bunch of random ponies from out of nowhere and perform a group dance number. Nocturne backed slowly up onto the karaoke stage, and Shades and his crew stepped forward closer and spread out, closing him in. “He's not going anywhere, boys,” Shades told his flunkies confidently, “Get rid of this guy.” “Psh!” Slick taunted Nocturne, stepping up further than anypony in the group, “You backin' down now? We was just gettin' started!” Nocturne reached the middle of the stage, turned, and slammed a hoof down onto the floor. Dropping from the ceiling were four stallions, each dressed in their own suits and fedoras. One was a tall and stocky Unicorn, white-coated and blue-maned, with fierce eyes and a glistening shield for a cutie mark. The second was a brown Earth pony with a darker brown mane and a mark in the shape of an hourglass. The third was an orange Pegasus with a blue mane and a cool look in his eyes; he also sported a shield mark, but with a lightning bolt emblazoned on it. The fourth was another Earth pony, also orange in coat, but with a puffy brown mane and a bizarre cutie mark that seemed to look like a halved grilled cheese sandwich. Now, the field was even. Slick was the one to hold his ground now. “You wanna play?” he said smugly, in spite of his surprise at Nocturne's sudden crew stepping down from the stage, “I love to play . . . .” A chubby Earth pony rushed into the office while he stared out the window. “Hey, boss!” he yelled, “There's trouble downstairs!” He knew it. He knew that insufferable nimrod Shades would start something in his place. Ever since that Pegasus skirt came along, Shades had been a bundle of nerves, just waiting to buck up the next pony who ticked him off. It was only a matter of time, but he'd hoped Shades would try and keep the mess out of any of his places. Looks like he'd failed. Big D swiveled around in his chair to face front, his fedora resting in his lap. His bored whistling stopped when he faced fully forward, took a look at his messenger and gave a subtle nod. “Now.” "Lemme see what you got!"“Come on, big colt, lemme see what you got,” challenged Slick, an arrogant look gracing his greasy face. He and the rest of Shades' group were now fanned out and fully facing Nocturne's new crew. From the looks of it, there was bound to be a brawl, here and now. Nocturne flexed his left front leg and cracked the joints before stepping off the stage. He turned his head toward his own group of four and gestured for them to follow. Each stallion did so, climbing down off of the stage at Nocturne's sides, just as fanned out as Shades' guys. The numbers were about even, but Nocturne knew this wasn't about numbers alone. At that moment, it was about who made the first move. Or who had the best moves. “You mean that's all?” Slick taunted, his cocky grin widening, “Please! That ain't nothin, scrub! Show me what you got! All you got!” Nocturne matched Slick's cocky sneer, cracked his other leg, and brushed the tip of his hoof against his chin in rude dismissal. All that huffing and puffing, and Slick seemed to forget that the guy who'd sicced him onto Nocturne in the first place was now hiding behind the group, a broken mug on his hoof, far away from the action. So, I'm the scrub, Nocturne thought snidely, Sure . . . sure . . . Nocturne and his surprise reinforcements stared back at Shades' crew, biding their time; the entire lobby was quiet as everypony that remained stared on. Even Spike, who up until then had been carefree in his job as a distraction, stood in awe of these unusual events. It reached a point where the tension was thick enough to border on suffocating. Finally, after what seemed like hours, a Unicorn in a far corner struck a match with his magic, and that seemed to be the signal. Nocturne and his posse all jumped and stomped simultaneously, striking a pose and standing stock-still. Nocturne's right front hoof pressed to his suit jacket front, and his four associates mimicked his movements in perfect sync. All five stallions slid their hooves down one side of their suit jackets and brushed them aside, pinning them to their backs. The quintet went still once again after that, but it seemed to work as a gesture of warning; none of Shades' group made a move to start a fight. Little by little, activity began to bustle in the hotel lobby once again, but not the typical movement or sound of a running hotel—the very environment seemed to react to the tension of the scene. A faucet behind the bar began dripping loudly. A horseshoe-shiner went back to work, scrubbing to the tune of the song that had just ended on the jukebox. The janitor mule pushed his broom across the floor, joining the beat. The clacking of a mare's expensive horseshoes accompanied these sounds in rhythm, and the rest seemed to assemble by itself. A stallion at the bar clip-clopping his hooves against the ground; a lighter being tapped against a table; a hoof gently tapping the side of a full glass—the cacophony almost completely replaced the jukebox tune from earlier. At a table, an eager colt stomped his hoof against the ground, and a Unicorn mare unfolded her fan—almost signaling the end of the quiet. All five stallions began dancing in perfect synchronicity: a bend of the legs, five front legs pointed up and out, one swing, two swings, and a third brought each hoof back to the floor with a bang. A subtle, collective nod, a jump, a turn, a twist of the hats, and another collective stomp led to a smooth, eerie bobbing of the head. “HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Nocturne signaled for all five of them to jump up on two legs for a group pose. Understandably, everypony watching was befuddled. Nocturne and his stallions dropped back on four hooves, and Nocturne himself took a deep sigh. Summoning random ponies out of thin air and intimidating a group of gangsters with a group dance number was surprisingly exhausting. Slick shook off the confusion first, “You mean that's it? A fruity little dance! You ain't nothin', man! Show me all you got!” He had had Shades' crew back up between the tables by now, so his threats and provocations were quickly becoming emptier. Nocturne signaled for his four backups to follow, and the five advanced, ready to prove it. Nocturne stopped when a smaller table blocked his way, and he growled as he upended it, pushing it into a wall and sending a pile of playing cards and more glasses of booze tumbling to the floor. This was a signal to Shades' crew; a Unicorn stallion on their side stepped up, aiming a switchblade at Nocturne with his magic and puffing on a cigarette. “Better freeze, punk,” he ordered in a throaty growl. Nocturne scowled at him, whacked the switchblade out of the air, and brought the same hoof down on the stallion's mouth, swiping the smoke out of his lips. “That's bad for you, you know,” the bat-winged pony quipped before putting his front leg under the Unicorn's belly, lifting him up, and flipping the unprepared stallion onto his back. Nocturne stepped over him without so much as a glance. Another group jump, and Nocturne and his posse were back in sync and moving again (Nocturne marveled at how easy it was to start one of these group numbers; this never happened in real life!). The fivesome brushed off their left shoulders with the opposite hoof and snapped their hooves against the floor; they even trotted in perfect time with each other, until Nocturne broke from the group by pushing his hat forward. It led to a jump back onto two legs, a singular spin, a lock of the legs, and another call to his guys to follow his lead, “HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!” As Nocturne and his backup dancers continued bobbing and weaving without music, Slick finally lost his temper. “You stupid, sorry piece of rat guts!” he bellowed, “Stop prancing around like a loon and give me your best shot!” Nocturne didn't seem to listen; he brushed back his suit jacket, swept the air with a hoof, dragged it back, adjusted his hat, gave a slow turn, and— BAM!! One hoof-punch, and Slick was sent reeling, crashing into another table. Finally, Shades and his boys jumped in to attack, and Nocturne and his group fought back. The Unicorn sent beams of light into his foes' faces, the Earth ponies kicked and bucked their enemies, and the Pegasus flew circles around two ponies, making them dizzy and dropping them like a sack of bricks. Nocturne threw another hoof-punch before realizing how the scene was playing out. This was not looking fun anymore; he had just started a fight in a gangster bar. “Spike!” he yelled out, hoping his little scaly friend was unharmed. Spike ran in from the karaoke stage and jumped up on top of the bar to see over the chaos, “Nocturne! You all right?!” He then grunted as an Earth Pony came flying out of the melee and landed on the bar—and Spike. The dragon groaned in pain and belched out a flame that caught against the wall behind the bar, and thanks to Nocturne having doused the wall and bar with the remnants of other ponies' drinks, the alcohol spread the fire quickly. Nocturne popped up over the heads of the pony brawlers and replied, “Run, Spike! Get the car! I'll join you when I can!” “Wait, you're staying?! This place is about to burn up! We gotta beat it, now!” “I'll be right behind you!” Nocturne yelled back, slamming his back hooves into another mobster, “Just get out of here!” “Wait, you're not going to find that mare we followed, are you?” “SPIKE, JUST GO!!” The little dragon nodded his reluctant assent; the fire was creeping up to him across the bar. As he turned, another Earth pony came at him, but this time willingly, he aimed a hoof at Spike and made to knock him off the bar. Spike ducked and swiped at the pony with his claws before jumping and running. He didn't realize how quick and how lucky he'd been; all he'd done to the Earth pony was take off a layer of fur. The pink-maned Pegasus had reached the front door just as the fire started. She had pushed it open and was almost out when she was pulled back by her tail and thrust into the adjacent wall. Standing over her, the broken mug still hanging on his hoof, was Shades. “You're not goin' anywhere, you little traitor!” Shades bellowed, “Big D's gonna break you for this!” “Please, no!” she begged, shaking all over, “The building's on fire! We have to get out!” Shades slammed his hoof down on her tail to keep her from escaping, “You're gonna explain this mess to the boss, whether you make it out alive or not!” “Please . . .” she squealed, cowering and misty-eyed, “Please . . . let me go . . .” Shades' answer was interrupted; the fight had spread to the front door, and two ponies that had been duking it out had bumped into Shades. Shades' hoof was moved, and the mare was able to get up, but the brawlers were now in front of the door. Shades roared in fury and lifted his broken mug, about to attack the two stallions fighting, and the mare seized her chance; she jumped up on two legs, brought her hooves down on Shades' hoof, and slammed it, and the broken mug, directly on top of his head, dazing him. The battling stallions rolled out of the way, and the mare ran out the door, but not before turning toward Shades to make sure he was all right. Already, one of his cronies was dragging him to one of the emergency exits. Before leaving, she turned and genuinely assured, “Oh, I'm ever so sorry! I hope it didn't hurt too badly!” "All this trouble you done caused!"The fight was getting really serious now. Every table had been broken, chairs and glass bottles that had been used as weapons lay used and broken on the floor, and ponies escaped the burning hotel lobby injured and limping. The fire had engulfed nearly the entire first floor, and the bar brawl had dispersed at last. Saving one's own life was now more important than settling some foalish vendetta. Nocturne pushed aside the broken remnants of chairs and tables, and saw that he was alone in the burning building. The scene had escalated in a big hurry, and now whether he'd leave alive was startlingly unclear. He just hoped Spike had made it out all right. And he'd hoped his beautiful pink-maned angel had gotten out safely. As bad as this was, the fire was only a short-term escape; she still had to deal with the long term. “Damn it, move!” Nocturne yelled as he struggled to push aside an upturned table. He was close to the emergency fire exit, but as he approached it, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned, and in the stairwell, he saw him standing there, fedora and shades accentuating his smart black suit. He was tall, thin and serpentine, with a horse head and a myriad of different animals making up the rest of his body. He reached up with his talon and deftly pulled the shades off, a smug look plastered all over his features. “Pretty cute in there,” he said with a wispy, almost hoarse voice, “And the fire was a nice touch.” Nocturne glared at him. There was no doubt in his mind; this was the boss his Pegasus love had talked about. He was the one Shades and his gang feared. He ran the Waterhorse Hotel, the underground of crime in Manehattan, and the rest of the city with it. “I know who you are,” Nocturne growled, staring daggers at the criminal. It was true. This was 'Big D'. Big D smiled and pointed a furry finger gun-style, his smug grin unfaltering. “Bing-bang,” he chuckled, “Ahh, I knew that yellow dame was too much trouble. As much as I love a good fire, it's not good for business. Far as I'm concerned, she's your headache now.” Confusion didn't stop Nocturne from scowling, “You're just letting her leave? Not something I'd expect you to do.” Big D's grin went from arrogant to malicious, “Exactly. It's no fun to be predictable.” He chuckled again and rolled his eyes, “I'm gonna find a better place to watch the fireworks. Later.” He turned back, held up his paw in a lazy wave, and vanished in the blink of an eye. Nocturne's look of contempt remained, but the cracking of burning wood urged him out the emergency door. He'd better be glad he left when he did, Nocturne thought, not just because of Big D's reputation or his part in the lovely Pegasus' misery, but from something just as disappointing. That was the worst Marlon Bronco impression I've ever heard in my life! The four stallions who'd served as Nocturne's backup dancers all converged in the front parking lot, scratching their heads in confusion. “What was that all about?” the white Unicorn asked, “Even my wife knows that I don't like to dance.” “I dunno, I kind of liked it,” the orange Pegasus shrugged, “Up until the bar fight and the fire, it was kinda fun.” The brown Earth pony put a pensive hoof to his chin, “I don't even know how to dance. I never had time to learn.” “Funny how it just kinda came together, though!” the orange Earth pony grinned, “I mean, what are the odds, right? Just being in the right place, moving in the right way, all at the right time? It's spooky!” There was a brief pause in which the stallions exchanged awkward looks. Finally, a crumbling part of the roof of the hotel was the signal that their time here was now spent. And the brown Earth pony summed it up well in one simple phrase: “Let's get the heck out of here.” “Nocturne!” She called out to him from across the back parking lot; as soon as she'd seen him safely escape the burning building, she'd felt her heart overflow with joy. She'd only known him for a few hours, and he'd already been the best thing that had happened to her in a long time. Nocturne saw her from all that distance away, and looked as elated to see her as she was to see him. They galloped toward each other, seeing each other's forms grow with the lessening distance, until they were finally together again. “Oh, thank Celestia, you're all right!” Nocturne cried as they embraced. Feeling their warm fur pressed against each other was worth it. All the confrontations and the intimidation, all the violence and the turbulence, all the risks and close calls: just that moment was worth every second of it. Once they parted, the mare voiced her concerns, “Did everypony else make it out?” “I'm pretty sure I was the last one out,” Nocturne replied reassuringly, then glanced at the back of the burning building, “Funny . . . I never thought a place called 'the Waterhorse' would burn so quickly.” The mare couldn't help but smile as she looked up into his eyes, a warm blush tinging her delicate face. Nocturne's face reddened as well, and from that moment, there was no further need for words. The two closed in on each other again, and shared a long, passionate kiss. She wrapped her front legs around him, and he ran a hoof through her long pink mane. The rarest love, they were sure they'd found—the one like him to call hers, and it was perfectly mutual. “Hey, Nocturne, come on!” The voice was borne in on the rumble of an engine, and Nocturne and his love broke their embrace and turned toward it. Spike had rolled up into the parking lot in their classic convertible, the engine roaring and ready to take them all out of this crazy scene. “Come on, man, get in!” Spike yelled again, and the two Pegasi ran toward the car and jumped in, Nocturne riding shotgun and the mare jumping into the back. “Let's go, let's go!” Spike urged, “Jeez, we wouldn't be in this messed-up situation without all the trouble this mare just caused!” “What?!” Nocturne argued, “What has she done?! If anything, blame my raging hormones!” “Whatever, dude, just buckle up and hang on!” “Um, excuse me?” the mare spoke up tentatively, “Please don't think I'm being mean or ungrateful or anything, but . . . . why is the baby dragon driving the car?” Spike scoffed as he gunned the engine, “Lady, you just saw a guy bring out four stallions out of the blue and do a dance routine in perfect sync without rehearsing! Don't question it!” Nocturne chuckled and shook his head as he held onto his hat, “Man, what a night!” Author's Note Thanks for reading, everyone! Shamone!
"When the bill come, they start trippin'!"“You're paying for it this time, man,” Spike said over his carton of Chi-Neighs food, impatiently snapping his chopsticks together. “I'm not payin' for it,” Nocturne retorted over his own serving. The roadside restaurant they'd gone to was just a little bit expensive, but it had some of the best food in Manehattan, and it was frequented by many ponies. In this case, a bat-winged Pegasus stallion and a young dragon having some bonding time. They both wore smart suits and fedoras to match their respective colors: Spike's in black, and Nocturne's in white. “No way, Nocturne, I paid last time,” Spike argued, shaking his head, “Besides, I'm starting to run out of allowance. Just because Twilight's a princess now, it doesn't mean we're loaded!” “Spike, you're the one who wanted to come here, not me,” Nocturne complained, “If you didn't want to pay, you shouldn't have agreed to this.” Spike gave an aggravated sigh, “See, this is why I don't like going out to eat with ponies. When the bill comes, they get all antsy.” Nocturne scoffed and rolled his crimson eyes, “Yeah? Well, that's why you're payin' for it.” From their seats, Nocturne and Spike could see out the window, and had a good view of other ponies walking down the street in Manehattan's evening bustle. Well-dressed stallions waltzed down the walk with their snouts in the air, carriages and coaches pulled some of Equestria's elite down the streets, and lovely young mares turned heads as they walked down the road with a shake of a skirt and a twist of a tail. “Mmmm, look at that!” Spike drew Nocturne's attention to a particularly striking Earth pony mare with a long, blonde mane, “Nice!” Nocturne shrugged, “Yep, pretty cute.” He then turned to Spike with a smirk, “Not quite Rarity, though, huh?” Spike suddenly blushed and looked away, “Huh? Oh, no, of course not! I mean, Rarity's much prettier!” Nocturne chuckled and kept eating, but stopped again when he saw a cab pull up to the side of the road. Its only passenger stepped out, paid the driver, and looked around up and down the street. Nocturne saw her, and was entranced; she was a beautiful Pegasus mare, yellow in coat and pink in mane, and wearing a slinky, yet tasteful evening gown. “Ooooh, nice!” Spike caught Nocturne's glance and teased him, “Good catch, big guy!” “Oh, wow . . .” Nocturne gasped as he watched her move. She was captivating, even as she looked nervously up and down the street. Spike poked Nocturne in the ribs with his elbow, “Yeah! She's one P. Y. M., all right!” Nocturne was too smitten to hear Spike. “I think she looked at me . . . .” he said dreamily. “Hm! She's drivin' you wild, huh? Wanna get a better look?” “What?! No! Well, maybe . . . . . I don't know . . .” “Come on! Just go introduce yourself! I'll be your wingman!” Nocturne hesitated, but Spike seemed insistent. Maybe it was a way to get out of paying for dinner, but at this point, it didn't really matter all that much. He knew he liked that beautiful mare, and wanted to talk to her and get to know her better. Reluctantly, he allowed Spike to urge him out of the restaurant and into the street, closer to the pretty pink-maned pony. Nocturne and Spike opened the doors and stopped on the sidewalk, watching as she trotted through crowds on the other side of the street. As she moved, Nocturne was stricken with longing; he'd seen no other mare like her before. He'd come to Manehattan a lot with Spike to have a bite to eat, and each time, there were attractive ladies passing by that he would have liked to speak to. It happened pretty much every night, but he'd never gotten up the courage to make a move. But somehow, looking at this pink-maned beauty made all the others insignificant. He wanted to meet her. He wanted to know her. She completely rocked his world. “Oh, mother of Celestia, that's it!” Nocturne announced, “Spike, that's . . . . she's got to be the prettiest mare I've seen all day! Heck, the prettiest ever!” “Chill out, buddy,” Spike assured him, “I see the way she makes you feel. Just get her attention.” “I don't know . . . . you think I can?” “Hey, this time around, you're golden. Just yell out to her. Nice and strong!” “Okay, here goes . . . hey! Over here! Hey, could you look this way, please?” She glanced around as she walked, overlooking the stallion and his 'wingman', and continued along her path. For some reason, the look of nervousness still persisted. “Uhh, not really strong enough, Nocturne,” Spike shook his head, “You're keepin' it in the closet.” “I can't help it, Spike,” Nocturne continued to stare longingly at the mare, “She's so pretty . . .” “She looks upset,” Spike replied, “She needs somepony to hold.” The two saw that she was headed for the Waterhorse Hotel, and an idea clicked between them. Where else would a gorgeous girl like her be going dressed like that? She definitely had party plans in mind for tonight. And what better place for a romantic chance encounter than a party at the Waterhorse? Spike and Nocturne glanced at each other, and saw their plan unfold itself in each other's eyes. “Let's go.” Nocturne and Spike both slipped into the street when traffic lessened, and crossed over to the other side, following the Pegasus mare's path. As they left, they heard someone very loud and very angry yell after them about something or other: “Hey! You two! You forgot to pay for the food! Come back here! Hey! You! You got a bill coming! Hey, come on, get back here! Next time I see you, you're history, you punks!”
"Stop worrying and just follow me."The Waterhorse Hotel may have looked nice on the outside, but inside, it was overrun by some of the worst ponies in Manehattan. To many underworld connections, the Waterhorse was a front for a mob operation, and many gangsters took their business here, whether it be drugs, weapons, or prostitution. Things were run pretty smoothly in the Waterhorse, and today was no different. At least for a while. The front door opened, and a lovely young Pegasus mare walked into the lobby. She nervously tossed back her pink mane and looked around, as if hoping nopony would spot her. She continued straight, aiming for the front desk, until she felt her tail grabbed from behind. She turned, and saw a tough-looking Unicorn stallion with tan fur and a shaggy black mane seizing her by the tail with his magic. He leered at her as he pulled her in close, “How you doin', baby?” The mare tried to struggle at first, but the stallion's magic was unyielding. He pulled her to one side of the lobby and towards the bar, where a gang of stallions waited for somepony. When the Unicorn showed up with the Pegasus in tow, they parted and allowed them into the group. The leader, a tall, dark Earth pony stallion in shades, saw the Pegasus coming, and held up both front hooves expectantly, as if waiting for an explanation. The mare saw the look on his face and became even more anxious, “Um . . . what?” “Oh, so you don't know?” Shades snapped back, “I'm gettin' a little tired of you not wantin' to show up as often as you used to. What, is this you thinkin' you have some kinda choice here?” “Well . . .” the mare muttered softly, her voice getting softer with each word, “I . . . I just thought . . . . well, I don't . . . really want . . . to be in the . . . . in the group anymore . . .” Her timid statement was met with a slam of a hoof on the bar, at which she squeaked, terrified. “So, this is you thinkin' you have a choice!” Shades snarled, “Well, let me tell you somethin' doll. Nopony gets outta the group without the say-so from Big D! And that's 'cause Big D runs Manehattan! Everypony in this building belongs to him! The clerk at the front desk, the waitresses, the bartender over there, the mule who does the sweeping, everypony! That means you! And there ain't no questions about it!” “But . . . but you . . . . treat me so badly . . . all of you . . . .” “So what?! You ain't here to talk about your feelings! You're here to give me some good pony tail when I ask! Maybe if you're lucky, you won't come out with bruises this time!” Shades tapped his hoof on the bar, and the bartender brought him and his crew a round of drinks. They each took a mug and began to chug. The mare sat at the bar, looking downcast. She gave a slight whine, but didn't speak as Shades sat his mug down and looked her over like a naughty foal. It made her want to look around and hope Shades and his crew were the only ones here tonight. The door opened again, and two more guests stepped into the Waterhorse's lobby. Nocturne and Spike walked straight down, casing the place as they walked. Spike had involuntarily glanced back when an Earth pony stallion by the door had come after them, yelling out, “Hey! Hey, private party goin' on here! Hey!” Once he'd quieted down, Spike looked at him uneasily; he'd nodded toward the bar. A glance in that direction, and he saw that he'd nodded to a particularly lethal-looking group of stallions, with that one mare stuck in the middle, looking miserable. “Jeez,” Spike shivered, “This is starting to look like that one Michael Trackson music video. You know, the one with Chris Bucker and Marlon Bronco?” “I can see her,” Nocturne mumbled subtly to Spike, ignoring his words, “She's over on your side, by the bar.” “Man, I got a bad feeling about this,” the dragon answered, “We don't wanna be starting something here.” “Stop worrying and just follow me,” Nocturne replied calmly, “Put on a catchy tune and be distracting, and I'll take care of everything else.” “Hold it!” Spike stepped in front of Nocturne and pressed his paws against his chest, “I'm serious, man. I'm feeling just a bit threatened, now.” “I got this!” “No way, Nocturne! Listen to me! You're not invincible! Come on!” Nocturne merely eased him out of the way, repeating coolly, “Spike, I got this.” And he continued down the walk to the front desk. As Nocturne passed by the bar, he stared at the mysterious beauty he'd followed here. Now, instead of looking nervous, she looked sad, as if the tough-colts around her somehow forced her to stay where she was. One of them could even be her coltfriend, Nocturne suddenly thought. But if that were true, she'd look a lot happier to see him, and happy was one thing she couldn't possibly be right now. If one of them was, he was clearly ignoring her, maybe worse. If not, then the opportunity was only that much more perfect. Another look saw one of them, and Earth pony in shades, hold her hoof to his lips and kiss it. That one was definitely her coltfriend. And by the look on her face (Nocturne almost felt guilty at having to suppress his excitement), she was completely repulsed by this shades pony. Nocturne saw the mare look back at him, and could swear he looked in a mirror for a moment. She looked entranced with him, fixated, as if she'd felt the same way about him that he did about her. It could be possible; after all, her present company seemed to make her want to be anywhere else at the moment. But it seemed more than just getting away from these sleazeballs. Much more. Across from the bar was a small karaoke stage that was being set up, and Nocturne turned and made his way towards it, giving the pink-maned mare a reassuring look beforehand. Slipping between ponies at tables and ducking wreaths of cigar smoke, he went up to the stage and slipped behind the curtain. One quick look at Spike, and he was sure things would go smoothly; the little dragon stood on a chair next to a nearby jukebox, going through his change and pouring through a host of different tunes, ready to begin. Nocturne quickly pushed past a brawny Unicorn stallion, knocking him down as he worked the curtain ropes with his magic. The rope slipped from his telekinetic grasp, and the curtain spread wide, leaving only a thin, yellow, translucent screen covering the stage. The stage lights shone behind it, and striding up to the middle was the silhouette of a slender, bat-winged Pegasus in a fedora. This was the signal. Spike jammed in a couple of bits and picked a good jam to play for Nocturne's little serenade. “My life . . . .” Nocturne lifted a hoof slowly, his silhouette matching his every move. He bent at the knees and straightened his lifted leg ninety degrees. The music began at a slow pace, almost unheard at first among the bustle. Once Nocturne's voice could be heard, the chatter slowly died down, and more and more eyes fell on him. “. . . . will never be the same . . . .” He stood on his hind legs, unfurled his wings, and lifted both front legs straight up over him, right at the cue of a single note from the horn section in the playing song. The crowd followed his shadow's movements, transfixed and impressed with the show. “. . . . you rid me of my pain . . . .” Nocturne slowly turned and pulled his wings back in, still on two legs. He threw a front hoof out to the side, popped into a spin, and struck another legs-out pose with wings spread, at another prompt from the horns in the song. “. . . . it's in your trot . . . . . give what you got . . . .” Nocturne turned to the side, keeping smooth and steady, and folded his wings again. He held up a front hoof and made a short, slow sweeping gesture to finish the overture. “. . . . I cannot explain . . . .” Now that the audience was watching, the show could begin. Author's Note Again, changed lyrics in keeping with the rules. I hope it was enough, I was at a loss.
"Leave the girl alone!"They were probably here by now. Either that, or Shades was going to have some explaining to do next time he was seen. It would be the last thing he'd ever say with a whole tongue. Whistling to himself, 'Big D' sat back in his chair, finishing up an origami bird he'd started to pass the time. It would've been easier to use magic, but that would have defeated the purpose. Killing time was one thing he was good at. Hell, he was good at killing something; what it was depended on his mood. That girl of Shades' was getting to be a nuisance. She'd done nothing but whine for the last week or so, harping on about one thing or another every day. It was usually about the illegal activities going on at the Waterhorse, but most often it was about the response Shades had had to give to her incessant whining. It was a shame he'd had to respond that way, too. Bruises didn't look good on that pretty yellow body. Well, maybe around the plot, but then she'd cover them up. What a drag . . . The paper bird slipped out of his furry right paw, and gripping it in his sharp left talon almost pierced the damn thing. It may pass the time, but it was so aggravating sometimes. The screen lifted off the stage, and Nocturne was back on all fours, smoothly and casually walking up to the edge of the stage. The song Spike picked out, a brisk, easy, and jazzy R&B jam, blared loud on the jukebox, and Nocturne subtly moved in time with the beat. He'd take a step, bob his head, adjust his collar and his hat; he wasn't particular. He let the music do the work for him. It told him what to do in its own language, and it always knew what to do. By now, the entire lobby was watching him move, including the pink-maned mare and her unwanted company. Nocturne stepped down off the stage, and was back on his hind legs; he turned into a deft backspin, pushed his hat forward on his head, turned to the other side, then walked forward, back on all fours, adjusting his hat once again. He liked to play with his hat while he danced. He didn't really know why; it was just one thing the music told him to do. He saw the Pegasus mare slowly get up and walk toward him, and his heart skipped a beat. He kept his cool, though, and kept moving with the rhythm. This was going to work after all. At the bar, the mare was stopped by one of the group, a thin, reedy Pegasus with molting wings and a slicked-back mane. “Where do you think you're going, hot stuff?” he asked, half-lusty and half-confrontational. “I was . . . well . . . I was just going to watch the show,” she replied nervously, “It looks really . . . . interesting . . .” She trailed off when she glanced back in Nocturne's direction. “Not gonna happen,” Slick shook his head, “Big D will be down any minute, and he'll want you—” “Let her go,” Shades rolled his eyes, “If she wants to watch that clown, let her. If she's smart, she won't get far.” Slick glanced at Shades, then back at the mare, skeptical at such a claim; finally, though, he stood aside and let her pass. She walked away from the bar and toward the stage, and Slick looked at Shades angrily. “Way to go!” he berated Shades, “Once she gets with that creep, she's out of here! And all because you couldn't keep her on a leash! Didn't think about that, huh, smart guy?” “Chill out,” Shades replied, “Like I said, she won't go anywhere if she knows what's good for her. I'll make sure of that. Besides, if she splits, she answers to the boss, and to me.” He glanced back in the mare's direction, and had to do a double take. She was gone. A glance at the stage, and he saw that Nocturne was gone, too. Shades ground his teeth together angrily and took off his shades, putting them in his suit pocket. “That guy . . .” he growled, “. . . that . . . that . . . .” His frustration seemed to be split between finding an appropriate slur and admitting that Slick was right. Slick walked up next to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder to get his attention, “I think he wants to die . . . .” Nocturne stared into the eyes of his new company, and she stared right back, past the shadow cast by his fedora. Once they'd met up, they'd turned a corner into a stairwell so they could be alone together, and hadn't even spoken a word to each other about it. This was encouraging; they didn't even know each other's names, and they were already in sync. “Well,” Nocturne quipped, “I'm glad we lost that crowd.” The mare blushed and smiled at him, “Thanks for getting me out of there. Those stallions, well, they're not very nice.” Nocturne glanced behind him, “Yeah, I had a feeling. But, you know, if you're looking for an escort out of here, I'd be happy to oblige.” “That's really nice of you, but . . . well, how are you going to get me out without them knowing?” “Don't sweat it,” Nocturne grinned, gesturing out to the lobby with his head, “We'll distract them. I got somepony on it. Or rather, some dragon.” The mare glanced in the direction indicated, and saw a group of ponies by the stage, all joined in a group dance to the beat of the song. They were being led by a certain short, purple dragon in a black suit and fedora. The mare smiled and giggled, seeming more relaxed in Nocturne's presence. So much so that she found herself drawn to him; she lifted her head up towards his, slipping a little closer to him at a time. Nocturne did the same, craning his neck down to meet her, and their noses nearly touched, as if to kiss. The mare suddenly gasped and backed away, “Oh, we shouldn't do this! What will they think? What will Shades think? What will their boss think? Oh, dear! I'm sorry, but I can't. At least not now.” Nocturne felt dejected for a second, but found hope in the mare's last words. “Don't worry,” he assured her, “My friend and I will figure something out. We'll get those jerks away from you. Count on it.” The mare smiled at him, looking comforted by his words, and nodded. She turned to walk out of the stairwell, and was quickly greeted by Shades and his crew. “Oh!” she squeaked, “Um . . . hi, guys.” “Save the cutesy crap, doll,” Shades spat, “Where is he?” “Who?” she replied, trying to keep the anxiety out of her voice. “I said cut the crap! You know who I mean! The weirdo with the bat wings and the hat! Where is he?” “Oh, right . . . you mean him?” She pointed over his shoulder, and when they turned, they saw Nocturne, standing close to the stage and back to dancing to the tune of the R&B jam on the jukebox. He was back up on his hind legs, performing spins, locking his legs, and adjusting his hat; each move captivated the crowds. Spike temporarily left the dance group he'd started as a distraction to join Nocturne's side, and the stallion dropped back onto all fours. “Would you look at that?” he muttered to his dragon friend excitedly, “Quite the slip I gave those guys! Man, you were right! I think she likes me!” “Stop pressing your luck, Nocturne!” Spike muttered back as they continued to dance, “Leave the mare alone!” Nocturne was pretty sure that wasn't going to happen. Even if there wasn't a spark between them, he had to do something. This mare was in big trouble, and he needed to get her far away from these thugs as soon as possible. All he needed was an explanation. And maybe, another well-placed group dance. That always helped.
"Keep doin' what you do . . ."The group that had joined in was slowly getting bigger, and Nocturne and Spike kept up the distraction as well as they could. By now, the pretty Pegasus' stalkers had stopped to watch the show themselves, seeming to be confident that they were keeping good tabs on their quarry. What they hadn't noticed was that she had slipped away from them again. Slowly grooving to the tune of the song, the pink-maned mare tipped away from the gangsters, blending into the liveliness of the scene that Spike and Nocturne had started. She was making her way to another set of tables, where a few card games were going on. “I'm telling you, man,” Spike muttered as they continued to dance, “You can't keep this up! These ponies are serious!” Nocturne dropped back down on all fours, turned to the gambling tables, and stiffened his back as he segued into a departure. “So am I,” he muttered playfully to his short contemporary, “Just keep the show going, little buddy. Things are looking up.” Spike almost continued his warnings, but Nocturne was gone, and the dragon growled. “That guy's gonna be the end of me!” he lamented quietly as he spun twice on the spot, keeping with the rhythm, “I should've just paid the bill!” Nocturne finally caught up with the Pegasus mare, and they reflected the same dreamy look back at one another. They had both definitely been waiting for a moment like this; even earlier, when they'd first spoken to each other, it wasn't quite as magical as this. “Keep dancing and act natural,” said Nocturne as they approached each other. The mare obeyed and slowly moved her hooves to the tune, swaying her body in time with Nocturne's. “You know, I'm a little nervous,” the mare admitted, “I've never really done this before, and with those ponies watching me and all . . . . but there's something else. Something I felt before, when we first met . . . I just feel like . . . . like my life won't quite be the same again.” “I felt the same way,” Nocturne replied, his heart racing and his hooves gliding, “I just feel that you changed me somehow . . . the way I walk, and talk . . . . it's—” “Unexplainable?” the mare finished for him. “Yeah,” Nocturne smiled; that's exactly what he was going to say. He felt such a rush, as though he were holding on to his sanity with everything he had. But he knew he was only scratching the surface; in time, this would slowly evolve into love and happiness. All there was to do now was wait patiently and keep up the groove. The mare crept in close to Nocturne's side, and the two swayed together in perfect unison. “You know, it seemed to me,” he whispered in her ear as she blushed, “that now that we're together like this, something just feels . . . . I don't know . . . complete. Don't you think so?” The mare looked up at him with a lovestruck grin, “Yes. It's like I can be true to my feelings now. I feel like I don't have to look for security anymore . . .” she trailed off and laid her head against his shoulder, “. . . now that I'm with you . . .” Nocturne cuddled with her, taking in the aroma of her mane, “Mmm . . . then just keep on doing what you do, girl.” The mare giggled, and they continued to dance slowly to the music. A short distance away, Spike seemed to be casting off his earlier bitter attitude, and was even enjoying himself; he led the pony group behind him with comical zeal and impressive precision. As well he should; he learned everything he knew from Nocturne. As Nocturne and his companion danced together, she glanced over his shoulder and saw her overseers approaching again. Luckily, they seemed to not notice them yet. “Oh, no, here they come again!” she whispered, starting to shake and close to disrupting her rhythm. “Stay calm,” Nocturne told her gently, “Ease out into the buffet area. I'll join you in a minute.” The mare nodded, and slipped away from the card tables just before her unsavory followers looked her way. They saw Nocturne and approached him roughly, and the Pegasus with the slicked-back mane spoke first, “Hey! You! Where'd she go?” Nocturne locked his legs and pushed his hat forward on his head, grinning smugly, “You lookin' for somepony?” The Earth pony in shades spoke next, “Don't jerk us around, creep! I'll deck you one if I find out you're runnin' off with my mare!” “And don't be lookin' so smug, either,” the slick-haired Pegasus added roughly, “Our boss runs this place, and he don't take too kindly to freaks like you invadin' his space!” “Your 'boss'?” Nocturne bit back, “Well, if he's not here, what's the problem?” “He's upstairs,” the Earth pony in shades clarified, “And if he sees you messin' with us, you're dead!” Nocturne's kept his sly grin, “If he's that insecure, then find him his own marefriend.” His expression quickly went dark before he danced away, “Maybe he'll treat her better than you treat yours.” As Nocturne slid lithely out of the gamblers' midst, the slick-maned Pegasus angrily made to follow, but was stopped by the Earth pony in shades. “I said chill!” he admonished, “Big D won't be happy if we start something with this loser. He makes the first move, it's all on him. Got it?” The Pegasus seethed at Nocturne's cocky movements, then turned to his superior, “Unless he really is messin' around with your mare, isn't that what you mean?” The pink-maned Pegasus saw Nocturne coming toward the buffet tables, and felt her heart flutter. Shyness was beginning to dissipate more and more, and she felt a return of that comfort she'd felt when they'd first met. Her feelings were her own. Her decisions were her own. And she decided to invest her feelings in another pony, one that would treat her far better than that meanie Shades. Her only problem: she was afraid of how he'd react. Nocturne slipped up next to the mare and kept his voice low, “Keep dancing. They're right behind us.” “Okay,” she mumbled back and continued moving her hooves to the song. She danced between two long tables of food, while Nocturne jumped up to an upper level against the wall, separated by a semi-transparent curtain. She saw his form move gracefully past the diners at their tables, and was amazed at how fluid, how precise his movements were. This stallion wasn't too easy on the eyes (what with the bat wings being a slight put-off), but anypony who could move like that made the wings irrelevant. There was something different about this pony. Something interesting. Something . . . . . alluring. She suddenly had a thought; she'd been a fool to think her feelings were her own. She could neither control how she felt nor explain it. This Nocturne fellow had a strong hold over her, and even though she dreaded Shades finding her with him (as well as Big D's reaction to her desire to leave), she liked being under Nocturne's spell. The mare kept herself parallel with Nocturne as he pulled back the curtains, stood up on his hind legs and spun on the spot. She smiled at his grace and skill and trotted up to him as he came toward her. He smiled back at her, and she felt her face redden. “Alone at last,” Nocturne grinned, and the mare giggled, “Tell me something, what's this hold these guys have over you? Why do they want you so badly?” The mare anxiously wrapped a lock of her mane around her hoof, “Well . . . it's kind of a long story.” “I've got time,” Nocturne replied, reassuring her. “It's not that easy. I can't say too much, or . . . . well, I just can't.” She felt tears welling up, and blinked a few times trying to get rid of them. Nocturne continued his reassurance with a hoof on her back. “We'll figure something out,” he said, “I'll do everything I can to help you. That is,” he paused, easing into the question, “if you'll have me.” The mare looked up at her rhythmic companion, feeling the tears fade away and her confidence increase more than ever. She nodded, and she allowed him to take her hoof into his and kiss it. Big D leaned back in his chair and whistled. Up until he'd started on his little origami bird, he'd had the time to sit down and watch “The Godstallion” all the way through (still an excellent film). Now that he was through with his bird, his boredom forced him to take off his hat and spin in around in his paw and talon. And still, he whistled. He did this only when his boredom got to be annoying. He hated being annoyed. Shades and the others had been annoying him for quite a while. So had that cute little piece of plot that Shades always dragged around. Now that they had annoyed him for whatever reason, he was close to considering making them all pay for it. And if he did consider it, Celestia help whoever got in his way. Author's Note Debating whether I should do a chapter for the "intermission" scene with the lady in the suit in the empty room . . .
IntermissionA dark room with a single spotlight illuminating a small area. One lone figure in the middle of it all, one hoof to her fedora, her head pointed down at the floor. She began to move, taking a long, sultry sidestep that segued into her own dance number. She pushed herself up onto her hind legs and turned into a graceful spin. She stopped, bent at the knees, and moved her hips and bottom to the tune of the song playing in the lobby. She moved surprisingly nimbly in high-heeled horseshoes. Nocturne eased into the dark room, also on his back legs, shuffling in with his usual precision and fluidity. His fedora shadowed his eyes under the single spotlight, and he brushed his suit jacket behind him as he moved. He met the mare in the fedora, and the two moved in close for a partner dance. They moved well in time with one another, staying in sync as their bodies swayed to the beat. Nocturne felt her hoof slide down his chest, and she allowed him to run his hoof through her pink mane . . . Her poofy pink mane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Pinkie Pie?!” The mare dropped back onto all fours at the same time as Nocturne, and she gave him a bright, somewhat insipid smile, “Yep! Hi, Nocturne!” “What are you doing here?” Pinkie Pie giggled, “I'm your dance partner, silly-vanilly!” “How did you—” Nocturne stopped for a moment when he slowly realized something strange. He looked at his surroundings, seeing nothing but the dark walls and the solitary spotlight overhead, and asked the obvious question, “. . . . . Where the hell are we?!” Pinkie looked around in the same way, then turned back to Nocturne, that same lost smile on her face, “Beats me!” “Well, why are you dancing, too?” “I just heard the song you were jammin' to and thought I'd give it a go! Where's that song coming from, anyway?” Nocturne tried to explain, but the awkwardness and stress was too much to deal with. He sighed and adjusted his fedora, “Look, Pinkie, I need to get back. I'm . . . kinda in the middle of something, here . . .” “Oh, yeah!” Pinkie replied excitedly, “This is the part where you woo the pretty mare some more with your awesome dancing, huh?” She pointed the opposite way from where Nocturne entered, “Just go that way, prancin' machine! You'll be back before ya know it!” Nocturne glanced at the direction Pinkie indicated and replied, still feeling the awkwardness, “Uhhhh . . . thanks.” “Go on, no time to thank me! Get going! Dance your pants off! Get the girl! Save the day! YAY!” She urged Nocturne to the other side of the room, sending him on his way with a sportsman's slap on the rump. She then shuffled back into the center of the room and continued her sultry dance alone. She popped back up onto her hind legs, made another deft spin, and leaned back, one hoof on her fedora, with a sexy grin, “You know you want me . . .” Whether she knew she was alone in the room by this point was unclear.
"Get rid of this guy."Nocturne and his 'date' made it back to the bar, having given her watchers the slip once again. Spike continued to jam to the beat of the jukebox, and everypony around him stayed in time with his rhythm. Finally having the time and space to talk more, Nocturne picked a spot at the bar, and he and the pink-maned mare took a seat. “So, who's this boss those pinheads keep taking about?” Nocturne began. “You mean Big D?” she asked, “He runs this hotel for his secret businesses and things.” “'Big D'?” Nocturne repeated, trying to stifle a grin, “Does he have a bit of an inferiority complex?” “Oh, no, Nocturne. Big D is no laughing matter. He's the most powerful gangster in Manehattan. He runs the largest mob organization in all of Equestria. He uses places like this as a cover for all kinds of . . . . naughty things.” She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hooves. “So what do his guys have on you? Why can't you just leave?” “I can't. Shades brought me into this group when I was broke and trying to work the streets, and Big D said I could stay if I helped out. Shades said I didn't have to live the life of a street-trotter anymore, but in exchange, I'd be his marefriend.” She glanced up at Nocturne, but quickly turned away, ashamed, “I almost wish I was back on the streets . . .” Nocturne caressed her shoulder with a hoof, “Is it really that bad? I mean, I know he's a gangster and all, but how much worse could it get?” Now, she looked up at Nocturne fully, her eyes watering, “You don't know what he does to me.” Nocturne was afraid of this. He'd suspected it while giving those tough guys the slip a minute ago, but he didn't want to believe that what he'd suspected was true. Now he knew. “Shades has a temper,” she continued morosely, “A bad one. If I'm ever late, or I don't please him the exact way he wants, he gets so angry and makes me feel awful. Sometimes, he hits me, and not even when he's mad. Once, after a night together, I couldn't sit for two weeks.” Nocturne felt his heart crumble. He had no idea what he'd gotten himself (and Spike) into. Running afoul of gangsters led by a powerful mob boss was one thing, but one of them mistreated an innocent mare—that was heinous. True, this 'Shades' guy was likely untouchable because of who he reported to, but that didn't scare Nocturne. This girl had suffered enough, and needed to get away from these dregs once and for all. And when she did, she'd have the comfort of a real stallion. Nocturne saw that Spike was still keeping the crowds moving, and had cast away his nervousness entirely. He was even singing to the tune of the song on the jukebox—terribly: “And giiiiiiirl . . . Ah'll nevah git enuff . . .” Nocturne chuckled and shook his head, “He's a good kid, but he just can't sing,” and made to turn back to the mare, when he caught the crowds bustling behind them in the corner of his eye. Shades and his boys were shoving through them, fast approaching once again. “Stick around this time,” he advised his companion, “We'll just make them think I'm still putting on a show.” He then climbed up onto the bar and kept up his dance, working his body into a fever pitch. “Oh, please be careful,” she tried to warn him. But Nocturne was always careful when dancing; he'd worked hard to be so. Jumping back up onto his hind legs, Nocturne was off, sticking out his front legs, spinning, locking his back legs, adjusting his hat, and all the other minute, precise movements he made while dancing. The Pegasus mare followed him down the bar from the floor; she was too amazed to stay in one place. The crowd was really fired up now, too; he was keeping them all astounded. Even when he'd gotten a bit carried away. There were still a few bottles and glasses left sitting on the bar, and Nocturne didn't really care to notice. In fact, it was almost as if he went straight for them. He lowered himself back onto all fours just to kick a bottle into the wall with his front leg; it shattered and sent a spatter of liquid all over the wall and floor. Jumping back up onto two legs, Nocturne aimed a kick at another bottle, sending it into another wall. It too, shattered and made a mess. “That son of a dog-ugly mule!” Slick growled as he and Shades came back to the bar, “Now he's wrecking the joint!” He turned to Shades to air his grievances, “Look, man, either we put this guy down now, or Big D's gonna grind us! So either you do something, or I will!” Shades lowered his sunglasses and glanced between Slick and Nocturne as the latter climbed down off the bar and stood next to his mare, “You're right. You will.” He then seized a glass mug off the bar and slammed it against the wood, shattering half of it creating a convenient weapon. The crowd saw and heard this, and began to panic. This was a common signal for a bar fight to break out. Spike's crowd began to disperse, ponies hung out by the walls and stared nervously, and Shades' boys gathered around him as he waved the glass weapon hanging on his hoof. The pink-maned mare stepped closer to Nocturne, releasing a fearful yelp. Glancing at her, Nocturne whispered in her ear, “Run. Now.” “What?” she looked up at him, fret lining her eyes, “But what about you?” “I'll be fine, just go.” Hesitating, the mare left, with Nocturne urging her with a hoof. Shades and his boys stepped slowly up to Nocturne, their body language confrontational. Nocturne stood his ground; he was in way over his head and it made him nervous, but there was a solution to this. He was never quite sure how it worked, but it worked every time. And now was the time to try it again. Yes, this was the moment to summon up a bunch of random ponies from out of nowhere and perform a group dance number. Nocturne backed slowly up onto the karaoke stage, and Shades and his crew stepped forward closer and spread out, closing him in. “He's not going anywhere, boys,” Shades told his flunkies confidently, “Get rid of this guy.” “Psh!” Slick taunted Nocturne, stepping up further than anypony in the group, “You backin' down now? We was just gettin' started!” Nocturne reached the middle of the stage, turned, and slammed a hoof down onto the floor. Dropping from the ceiling were four stallions, each dressed in their own suits and fedoras. One was a tall and stocky Unicorn, white-coated and blue-maned, with fierce eyes and a glistening shield for a cutie mark. The second was a brown Earth pony with a darker brown mane and a mark in the shape of an hourglass. The third was an orange Pegasus with a blue mane and a cool look in his eyes; he also sported a shield mark, but with a lightning bolt emblazoned on it. The fourth was another Earth pony, also orange in coat, but with a puffy brown mane and a bizarre cutie mark that seemed to look like a halved grilled cheese sandwich. Now, the field was even. Slick was the one to hold his ground now. “You wanna play?” he said smugly, in spite of his surprise at Nocturne's sudden crew stepping down from the stage, “I love to play . . . .” A chubby Earth pony rushed into the office while he stared out the window. “Hey, boss!” he yelled, “There's trouble downstairs!” He knew it. He knew that insufferable nimrod Shades would start something in his place. Ever since that Pegasus skirt came along, Shades had been a bundle of nerves, just waiting to buck up the next pony who ticked him off. It was only a matter of time, but he'd hoped Shades would try and keep the mess out of any of his places. Looks like he'd failed. Big D swiveled around in his chair to face front, his fedora resting in his lap. His bored whistling stopped when he faced fully forward, took a look at his messenger and gave a subtle nod. “Now.”
"Lemme see what you got!"“Come on, big colt, lemme see what you got,” challenged Slick, an arrogant look gracing his greasy face. He and the rest of Shades' group were now fanned out and fully facing Nocturne's new crew. From the looks of it, there was bound to be a brawl, here and now. Nocturne flexed his left front leg and cracked the joints before stepping off the stage. He turned his head toward his own group of four and gestured for them to follow. Each stallion did so, climbing down off of the stage at Nocturne's sides, just as fanned out as Shades' guys. The numbers were about even, but Nocturne knew this wasn't about numbers alone. At that moment, it was about who made the first move. Or who had the best moves. “You mean that's all?” Slick taunted, his cocky grin widening, “Please! That ain't nothin, scrub! Show me what you got! All you got!” Nocturne matched Slick's cocky sneer, cracked his other leg, and brushed the tip of his hoof against his chin in rude dismissal. All that huffing and puffing, and Slick seemed to forget that the guy who'd sicced him onto Nocturne in the first place was now hiding behind the group, a broken mug on his hoof, far away from the action. So, I'm the scrub, Nocturne thought snidely, Sure . . . sure . . . Nocturne and his surprise reinforcements stared back at Shades' crew, biding their time; the entire lobby was quiet as everypony that remained stared on. Even Spike, who up until then had been carefree in his job as a distraction, stood in awe of these unusual events. It reached a point where the tension was thick enough to border on suffocating. Finally, after what seemed like hours, a Unicorn in a far corner struck a match with his magic, and that seemed to be the signal. Nocturne and his posse all jumped and stomped simultaneously, striking a pose and standing stock-still. Nocturne's right front hoof pressed to his suit jacket front, and his four associates mimicked his movements in perfect sync. All five stallions slid their hooves down one side of their suit jackets and brushed them aside, pinning them to their backs. The quintet went still once again after that, but it seemed to work as a gesture of warning; none of Shades' group made a move to start a fight. Little by little, activity began to bustle in the hotel lobby once again, but not the typical movement or sound of a running hotel—the very environment seemed to react to the tension of the scene. A faucet behind the bar began dripping loudly. A horseshoe-shiner went back to work, scrubbing to the tune of the song that had just ended on the jukebox. The janitor mule pushed his broom across the floor, joining the beat. The clacking of a mare's expensive horseshoes accompanied these sounds in rhythm, and the rest seemed to assemble by itself. A stallion at the bar clip-clopping his hooves against the ground; a lighter being tapped against a table; a hoof gently tapping the side of a full glass—the cacophony almost completely replaced the jukebox tune from earlier. At a table, an eager colt stomped his hoof against the ground, and a Unicorn mare unfolded her fan—almost signaling the end of the quiet. All five stallions began dancing in perfect synchronicity: a bend of the legs, five front legs pointed up and out, one swing, two swings, and a third brought each hoof back to the floor with a bang. A subtle, collective nod, a jump, a turn, a twist of the hats, and another collective stomp led to a smooth, eerie bobbing of the head. “HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Nocturne signaled for all five of them to jump up on two legs for a group pose. Understandably, everypony watching was befuddled. Nocturne and his stallions dropped back on four hooves, and Nocturne himself took a deep sigh. Summoning random ponies out of thin air and intimidating a group of gangsters with a group dance number was surprisingly exhausting. Slick shook off the confusion first, “You mean that's it? A fruity little dance! You ain't nothin', man! Show me all you got!” He had had Shades' crew back up between the tables by now, so his threats and provocations were quickly becoming emptier. Nocturne signaled for his four backups to follow, and the five advanced, ready to prove it. Nocturne stopped when a smaller table blocked his way, and he growled as he upended it, pushing it into a wall and sending a pile of playing cards and more glasses of booze tumbling to the floor. This was a signal to Shades' crew; a Unicorn stallion on their side stepped up, aiming a switchblade at Nocturne with his magic and puffing on a cigarette. “Better freeze, punk,” he ordered in a throaty growl. Nocturne scowled at him, whacked the switchblade out of the air, and brought the same hoof down on the stallion's mouth, swiping the smoke out of his lips. “That's bad for you, you know,” the bat-winged pony quipped before putting his front leg under the Unicorn's belly, lifting him up, and flipping the unprepared stallion onto his back. Nocturne stepped over him without so much as a glance. Another group jump, and Nocturne and his posse were back in sync and moving again (Nocturne marveled at how easy it was to start one of these group numbers; this never happened in real life!). The fivesome brushed off their left shoulders with the opposite hoof and snapped their hooves against the floor; they even trotted in perfect time with each other, until Nocturne broke from the group by pushing his hat forward. It led to a jump back onto two legs, a singular spin, a lock of the legs, and another call to his guys to follow his lead, “HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!” As Nocturne and his backup dancers continued bobbing and weaving without music, Slick finally lost his temper. “You stupid, sorry piece of rat guts!” he bellowed, “Stop prancing around like a loon and give me your best shot!” Nocturne didn't seem to listen; he brushed back his suit jacket, swept the air with a hoof, dragged it back, adjusted his hat, gave a slow turn, and— BAM!! One hoof-punch, and Slick was sent reeling, crashing into another table. Finally, Shades and his boys jumped in to attack, and Nocturne and his group fought back. The Unicorn sent beams of light into his foes' faces, the Earth ponies kicked and bucked their enemies, and the Pegasus flew circles around two ponies, making them dizzy and dropping them like a sack of bricks. Nocturne threw another hoof-punch before realizing how the scene was playing out. This was not looking fun anymore; he had just started a fight in a gangster bar. “Spike!” he yelled out, hoping his little scaly friend was unharmed. Spike ran in from the karaoke stage and jumped up on top of the bar to see over the chaos, “Nocturne! You all right?!” He then grunted as an Earth Pony came flying out of the melee and landed on the bar—and Spike. The dragon groaned in pain and belched out a flame that caught against the wall behind the bar, and thanks to Nocturne having doused the wall and bar with the remnants of other ponies' drinks, the alcohol spread the fire quickly. Nocturne popped up over the heads of the pony brawlers and replied, “Run, Spike! Get the car! I'll join you when I can!” “Wait, you're staying?! This place is about to burn up! We gotta beat it, now!” “I'll be right behind you!” Nocturne yelled back, slamming his back hooves into another mobster, “Just get out of here!” “Wait, you're not going to find that mare we followed, are you?” “SPIKE, JUST GO!!” The little dragon nodded his reluctant assent; the fire was creeping up to him across the bar. As he turned, another Earth pony came at him, but this time willingly, he aimed a hoof at Spike and made to knock him off the bar. Spike ducked and swiped at the pony with his claws before jumping and running. He didn't realize how quick and how lucky he'd been; all he'd done to the Earth pony was take off a layer of fur. The pink-maned Pegasus had reached the front door just as the fire started. She had pushed it open and was almost out when she was pulled back by her tail and thrust into the adjacent wall. Standing over her, the broken mug still hanging on his hoof, was Shades. “You're not goin' anywhere, you little traitor!” Shades bellowed, “Big D's gonna break you for this!” “Please, no!” she begged, shaking all over, “The building's on fire! We have to get out!” Shades slammed his hoof down on her tail to keep her from escaping, “You're gonna explain this mess to the boss, whether you make it out alive or not!” “Please . . .” she squealed, cowering and misty-eyed, “Please . . . let me go . . .” Shades' answer was interrupted; the fight had spread to the front door, and two ponies that had been duking it out had bumped into Shades. Shades' hoof was moved, and the mare was able to get up, but the brawlers were now in front of the door. Shades roared in fury and lifted his broken mug, about to attack the two stallions fighting, and the mare seized her chance; she jumped up on two legs, brought her hooves down on Shades' hoof, and slammed it, and the broken mug, directly on top of his head, dazing him. The battling stallions rolled out of the way, and the mare ran out the door, but not before turning toward Shades to make sure he was all right. Already, one of his cronies was dragging him to one of the emergency exits. Before leaving, she turned and genuinely assured, “Oh, I'm ever so sorry! I hope it didn't hurt too badly!”
"All this trouble you done caused!"The fight was getting really serious now. Every table had been broken, chairs and glass bottles that had been used as weapons lay used and broken on the floor, and ponies escaped the burning hotel lobby injured and limping. The fire had engulfed nearly the entire first floor, and the bar brawl had dispersed at last. Saving one's own life was now more important than settling some foalish vendetta. Nocturne pushed aside the broken remnants of chairs and tables, and saw that he was alone in the burning building. The scene had escalated in a big hurry, and now whether he'd leave alive was startlingly unclear. He just hoped Spike had made it out all right. And he'd hoped his beautiful pink-maned angel had gotten out safely. As bad as this was, the fire was only a short-term escape; she still had to deal with the long term. “Damn it, move!” Nocturne yelled as he struggled to push aside an upturned table. He was close to the emergency fire exit, but as he approached it, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned, and in the stairwell, he saw him standing there, fedora and shades accentuating his smart black suit. He was tall, thin and serpentine, with a horse head and a myriad of different animals making up the rest of his body. He reached up with his talon and deftly pulled the shades off, a smug look plastered all over his features. “Pretty cute in there,” he said with a wispy, almost hoarse voice, “And the fire was a nice touch.” Nocturne glared at him. There was no doubt in his mind; this was the boss his Pegasus love had talked about. He was the one Shades and his gang feared. He ran the Waterhorse Hotel, the underground of crime in Manehattan, and the rest of the city with it. “I know who you are,” Nocturne growled, staring daggers at the criminal. It was true. This was 'Big D'. Big D smiled and pointed a furry finger gun-style, his smug grin unfaltering. “Bing-bang,” he chuckled, “Ahh, I knew that yellow dame was too much trouble. As much as I love a good fire, it's not good for business. Far as I'm concerned, she's your headache now.” Confusion didn't stop Nocturne from scowling, “You're just letting her leave? Not something I'd expect you to do.” Big D's grin went from arrogant to malicious, “Exactly. It's no fun to be predictable.” He chuckled again and rolled his eyes, “I'm gonna find a better place to watch the fireworks. Later.” He turned back, held up his paw in a lazy wave, and vanished in the blink of an eye. Nocturne's look of contempt remained, but the cracking of burning wood urged him out the emergency door. He'd better be glad he left when he did, Nocturne thought, not just because of Big D's reputation or his part in the lovely Pegasus' misery, but from something just as disappointing. That was the worst Marlon Bronco impression I've ever heard in my life! The four stallions who'd served as Nocturne's backup dancers all converged in the front parking lot, scratching their heads in confusion. “What was that all about?” the white Unicorn asked, “Even my wife knows that I don't like to dance.” “I dunno, I kind of liked it,” the orange Pegasus shrugged, “Up until the bar fight and the fire, it was kinda fun.” The brown Earth pony put a pensive hoof to his chin, “I don't even know how to dance. I never had time to learn.” “Funny how it just kinda came together, though!” the orange Earth pony grinned, “I mean, what are the odds, right? Just being in the right place, moving in the right way, all at the right time? It's spooky!” There was a brief pause in which the stallions exchanged awkward looks. Finally, a crumbling part of the roof of the hotel was the signal that their time here was now spent. And the brown Earth pony summed it up well in one simple phrase: “Let's get the heck out of here.” “Nocturne!” She called out to him from across the back parking lot; as soon as she'd seen him safely escape the burning building, she'd felt her heart overflow with joy. She'd only known him for a few hours, and he'd already been the best thing that had happened to her in a long time. Nocturne saw her from all that distance away, and looked as elated to see her as she was to see him. They galloped toward each other, seeing each other's forms grow with the lessening distance, until they were finally together again. “Oh, thank Celestia, you're all right!” Nocturne cried as they embraced. Feeling their warm fur pressed against each other was worth it. All the confrontations and the intimidation, all the violence and the turbulence, all the risks and close calls: just that moment was worth every second of it. Once they parted, the mare voiced her concerns, “Did everypony else make it out?” “I'm pretty sure I was the last one out,” Nocturne replied reassuringly, then glanced at the back of the burning building, “Funny . . . I never thought a place called 'the Waterhorse' would burn so quickly.” The mare couldn't help but smile as she looked up into his eyes, a warm blush tinging her delicate face. Nocturne's face reddened as well, and from that moment, there was no further need for words. The two closed in on each other again, and shared a long, passionate kiss. She wrapped her front legs around him, and he ran a hoof through her long pink mane. The rarest love, they were sure they'd found—the one like him to call hers, and it was perfectly mutual. “Hey, Nocturne, come on!” The voice was borne in on the rumble of an engine, and Nocturne and his love broke their embrace and turned toward it. Spike had rolled up into the parking lot in their classic convertible, the engine roaring and ready to take them all out of this crazy scene. “Come on, man, get in!” Spike yelled again, and the two Pegasi ran toward the car and jumped in, Nocturne riding shotgun and the mare jumping into the back. “Let's go, let's go!” Spike urged, “Jeez, we wouldn't be in this messed-up situation without all the trouble this mare just caused!” “What?!” Nocturne argued, “What has she done?! If anything, blame my raging hormones!” “Whatever, dude, just buckle up and hang on!” “Um, excuse me?” the mare spoke up tentatively, “Please don't think I'm being mean or ungrateful or anything, but . . . . why is the baby dragon driving the car?” Spike scoffed as he gunned the engine, “Lady, you just saw a guy bring out four stallions out of the blue and do a dance routine in perfect sync without rehearsing! Don't question it!” Nocturne chuckled and shook his head as he held onto his hat, “Man, what a night!” Author's Note Thanks for reading, everyone! Shamone!
