Manehattan Nights: The Story of a Cellist and a DJby StarStriderChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1Alone in a dingy upper class lounge, a gray Earth Pony sat silently staring into the deep red hues of her wine. She was fussing with it slightly, swirling it around and giving it a sniff. With a soft sigh she turned to face a window, looking down at the ponies on the busy streets. This truly was city that never sleeps. The Cat Strings usually has a jazz band playing on nights such as this, today however the stage was left empty, a soothing yet dull orchestrated tune playing from a phonograph on the bar counter. A small uninterested sip of the fruity alcohol entered her lips, tasting it for a moment before setting it back down with a sigh, her usual drink of choice not quite cutting it. 'Why does this bother me so?' she reflected on her internal turmoil, playing the prior days over 'What has gotten into me, I'm acting like a little school filly!' With a slight huff she picked up her wine again, only to give it a sniff and dismiss it in frustration, pondering over whether or not she should order something stronger. Suddenly she felt someone approaching her from behind. The fur on the back of her neck stood up as she saw a strange purple glint reflecting in the window, she turned around quickly with a excitement, only for it to fade as she discovered the glint belonged to a lanky stallion wearing a particularly flashy purple broach. Her face give an awkward twist as she looked at the thing. “Hello there, miss.” he grinned all too pleased with himself, “My name is Savant, I couldn't help but notice you were sitting all alone! What a travesty to befall such a beautiful mare! I simply had to come over and offer you.. some.. Miss?” he tilted his head, the gray mare had looked away in disinterest, now trying to flag over the waiter. “Miss if it is a drink you desire, please allow me! I would gladly join you in partaking in spirits!” The stallion proclaimed in chipper, his smile faltering a tad as he met those glaring purple orbs that felt as if they were digging into his very soul “S-So I take it you'd like to be left alone..?” A curt nod was all the refined cellist afforded the stallion, who coughed awkwardly and ventured back off to his table, hushing his friend who was chuckling at his misfortune. The mare cared not however, promptly ordering a glass of whiskey from the waiter as he finally arrived. She sat looking out the window again, watching the seemingly never ending flow of carriages moving along the streets. She was quickly snapped out of her trance as her new drink was placed at the table, with a nod of thanks, she took the glass, preparing to down it in one go when suddenly she caught a purple glint in the window again. Gingerly she set down the glass and flicked her ear, nostrils flaring as she tried to contain her uncouth emotions. “I believe I have already asked you to leave once, if you do try to harass me again I might have to ask the bartender to have you thrown out.” The firm words left an odd silence in the air, however she refused to turn around and give the stallion the time or day. Yet suddenly, all over her firmness and aggravation melted away in one fell swoop as it wasn't a stallions voice who answered, but a mares. A mare she was used to sounding so full of confidence, now sounding unsteady and hurt “Alright Tavi, I'll get out of your hair...” ~2 months Ago~ A pair of mares trot down the streets of Manehattan, each with a large instrument case strapped onto their backs, seemingly comical compared to the small ponies underneath. However, Earth Ponies were always known for their strength. “I don't see why we couldn't simply call a carriage, it would have made the returning journey ever so much easier.” The soft blue mare whined, adjusting the large case on her back and blowing a treacherous tuft of brown mane out of her eyes A giggle left the taller gray mares lips, earning herself a glower from her companion, quickly waving it off “We are merely 4 blocks from the concert hall, Beauty. It would be a waste of bits.” Beauty Brass let out a hmph and tilted her head up “Well I wouldn't complain so much if we didn't have to take the road where all the ruffians are!” she glanced at all the bright neon signs for different bars and clubs dotted along the streets Octavia Melody kept giggling a bit before nudging her friends shoulder a bit “Ruffian? Beauty dear, do you remember back at Canterlot High when you tried to sneak into places like these?” she dodged the blue hoof trying to shush her with a smirk. “That was ages ago! You promised never to speak of it!” The cellist opted to ignore her friend, looking instead at the establishment they were trotting past, a big neon pink sign spelling out the words 'Dance-O-Rama'. She let out a slight snort at the originality of what was obviously a night club, loud bass beats being heard from within even before the sunlight began to wane. The sound of electronic music was never too pleasing to her, yet she couldn't deny the looks of pure happiness on the faces of the ponies leaving, rushing off to... do whatever club ponies do, she supposed. A snort from her companion broke her out of her thoughts “How can anypony enjoy music that loud?” Again the gray mare tried to hold back a giggle, remembering how many times she would find Beauty stumbling out of establishments such as this. Before she could respond however, something crashed into her side, making both her and her friend stumble and struggle to keep their instruments on their backs. Quickly she started looking for what hit her, those aggravated purple eyes falling upon a sprawled out white unicorn, face down on the sidewalk, groaning and rubbing blue mane. “Please, watch where you are going, ma'am.” Octavia let out a bit of a tut, then offered a hoof to the unicorn who obviously ended up worse than her. The mare frantically felt around before pulling up a purple pair of sunglasses, pulling them over her eyes before accepting the hoof and getting back up into a standing position. “Woah, a... Sorry about that dudes! Er... mares!” She dusted herself off, looking nervously over her shoulder Beauty let out a disgusted noise and tilted her chin up “See Octavia? Ruffians!” Shushing her friend, the gray mare took a few looks over the obviously nervous unicorn “Is everything alright, ma'am?” “Ma'am?! What do I look, 40?” that got surprised blinks from both the musicians, “Ugh... Sorry, I just got done with my set, you see, I was the DJ at this club, and there were these two fillies...” As if on cue, there was an ear screeching squeal as two earth ponies who looked barely out of high school came galloping down the street “DJ-PON3!” With a gasp the mare quickly started trying to scamper away “You gotta hide me!” “What? Where?” Octavia questioned “Yeah, and we got these heavy instruments.” Beauty added, watching as the DJ looked between the two of them one last time before turning a corner and bolting off, the two fillies quickly making pursuit. The two musicians simply blinked at each other before laughing at the situations “I'm glad our line of music doesn't bring those kinds of fans.” “You're telling me!” The two of them fell back in line and quietly trotted the last two blocks before entering a more residential area, approaching an apartment complex. The building was newer compared to the ones around it, but still quite aged compared to the more lush buildings downtown. The doorpony greeted both mares with a nod before opening the door for them, Octavia giving him a bit as they entered the building. Their room was on the seventh floor for the complex. The pair had hoped that it would bring them luck someday. A quick fumbling of keys led them into the slightly larger than average entryway, flicking on the lights and enjoying the scent of the cinnamon potpourri they had agreed to leave around the the living areas. Inside was a modest living room with a couch and two chairs, music stands and different instruments neatly lined against one of the walls. A small kitchen and dining area attached, with a shared bathroom and two decently sized bedrooms on the other end. It wasn't much, but the mares agreed together after graduating from university together that they wanted to start from the ground up, putting aside the luxuries of Canterlot to get their own place after being accepted into the Manehattan Symphony Orchestra. The two of them as if synchronized slung off their instrument cases and gently removed the instruments, checking them for any damage before placing them on their appropriate stands, the large cello standing beautifully next to Beauty's pristinely polished tuba. With a nod, both mares split up, Octavia went to take a shower while Beauty started popping some popcorn. After drying off, the gray mare slipped into a plush robe and rejoined her companion on the couch, taking a few bites of the offered snack. “Can you imagine what our parents would say?” she giggled a bit “Octavia! That is commoner food! Only commoners eat commoner food!” She couldn't help but chortle more at her own impression, especially after Beauty joined in. “Oh posh posh, that couch is so drab!” The blue mare started snickering, but Octavia grinned teasingly “Beauty dear, you're giving an impression of yourself!” She grinned and dodged a flicked piece of popcorn at her. With a roll of her eyes, the mare stretched her limbs out and suppressed a yawn “That concert went on for too long. I appreciate that the new conductor likes pushing us, but even the audience was starting to get sore from how long it went on!” Octavia let out a soft hum, thinking over the events of the day and the pain she was feeling in her haunches “At least you don't have to stand on your hind legs while performing. It becomes so tiring.” she thought to herself for a moment, the silence lingering for a bit before she decided to continue “At least we get a few weeks off. Do you have any plans with Frederick?” Beauty suddenly looked lovestruck, looking up at the ceiling and sighing softly “Oh yes, we have many plans. Unfortunately not until later in the week.” she seemed to break out of her trance for a moment to grin at the pony next to her “What about you, Octavia? Do you have a special stallion yet?” Her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink as she felt heat rise in them, “No, you would be the first to know if I did.” she finished with a soft sigh, looking over at her friend as she felt a hoof rest on her shoulder “Just give it time, Octavia. You'll find someone great!” “Not at this rate...” she slumped a bit before taking a deep breath and straightening her back, giving her companion nod “But, there's still hope yet!” “That's the spirit!” the blue mare gave her friend a pat on the back before yawning and getting up, slowly loosening her bowtie “I believe it is time for me to 'hit the hay', as the ruffians say!” Octavia watched as she giggled proud of herself and said goodnight before retreating to her room, leaving her alone in the quiet room. With another sigh she got up and tossed what was left of the popcorn, getting herself a glass of wine and heading for her own room. Inside was a bit less organized than the rest of the dwelling, but still neat. A desk for her to work on and an old cello in the corner. She grabbed a beat up sketch pad and climbed into bed, curling up and swirling her wine, taking in the deep complicated scent before take a sip, a smile crossing her face. “Prance, I can smell the fresh orchards and a slight hint of cedar...” With another sip she cracked open her sketchbook, looking out the window at the city around her. No pony would consider her a fine artist, at least not in the form of drawing, but she still liked to dabble secretly, sketching out the lines of the buildings and the ponies below. She worked on it til her wine was finished, then with a yawn she set the glass and the book aside, adjusting herself under the covers and looking up at the stars. “Maybe someday, it is quite lonely with just one true friend...” The next morning she woke up early as ever, stretching and wincing as her hooves cracked a bit, still sore from the long performance the night before. Gracefully getting out of bed, she went to her desk and plopped down, pulling out a brush and fixing up her bed head, straightening it out in a pristine matter, tying it up before going to do her tail in the same matter. She sarted humming a sweet melody as she worked on a particularly hard knot, smiling at her appearance in the mirror, then pulling out a bowtie and effortlessly tying it on, so used to it that she could do it with her eyes closed. Once she was freshened up and ready for the day, she made her way for the kitchen. As she made her way past hear room mates closed door, she could hear muffled snores coming from within. With a chuckle at the expense of her long time friend, she took the few steps from the living room to the kitchen, starting up some coffee and oats. It wasn't long before the smell of fresh java brought the still half asleep blue mare stirring out of her room, in her bathrobe and not even brushed up. Octavia resisted the urge to tease her on the matter, instead just offering a cup of coffee, two creams and three sugars. “Well good morning, sunshine.” She said with a yawn, rubbing her eyes “Why does everything still hurt?” “Good morning.” She replied, smirking at her later comment, leaving it alone otherwise. Sitting down at their small table with her own cup of coffee, black, and two bowls of oats, sugar and cinnamon mixed in. Beauty sniffed the aroma and gladly started digging in, nodding her thanks “You and your cinnamon.” The two enjoyed their breakfast together chatting about the night before, the late riser offering to do the dishes while Octavia rested on the couch, looking over sheets of music she was working on. Soon after, Beauty came around and sat on one of the chairs in the room. “Do you have any plans for today? There is an art gallery that just opened up, I was hoping to go see it! “ Octavia smiled at the offer and nodded “I'm free all day, and that sounds lovely. We can head over whenever you would like.” This got a gleeful clap out of Brass, the pony bolting up to go finish getting freshened up, coming back moments later with a bonnet and simple yellow dress on “Lets go!” With a sigh and a smile at her eager friend, Octavia stood up and grabbed her saddle bags, looking at the time to see it was almost ten in the morning “Alright, let's. But it's your turn to get lunch.” Beauty nodded in agreement and hurried her friend out the door, excited for the day ahead. Author's Note Hey guys! Thank you for reading my story. It's been 3 years since I've written anything, and I suddenly felt inspired to write this. I hope you enjoy it! Also I don't have any pre readers, so sorry for any mistakes in the story I went over it twice trying to get everything Chapter 2The two mares cantered down the streets once more, however there was much more traffic this morning as all the ponies were heading to work, or running around on errands. Staying close together, they followed a brochure that Beauty had gotten from a friend, the map leading them to an event hall consisting of mostly glass construction, walls within could be seen adorned with different paintings and sketches, a few sculptures sitting out as well. Making their way through the crowds, the friends got two tickets and headed inside. The structure did a good job at shielding the noise of the busy town outside, a faint hum of what sounded like elevator music playing around the entrance. There was a slight musky smell in the air, which Octavia attributed to the paintings. Her friend gave a nod before trotting off to look at some of the sculptures on display, meanwhile Octavia wandered toward the paintings. Most were original pieces, some were copies of famous pieces, and a few were... Well Octavia didn't know what to make of them. She was currently tilting her head trying to make sense over a canvas that seemed to have some paint splattered on it, with rubber ducks glued randomly about the canvass, two of them hanging off the corners by wire. Just as she gave up trying to understand, she heard a voice from behind her. “Come one, come all, to look at the beautiful art of DJ-PON3!” That voice. That name. The cellist turned to see a familiar white unicorn standing on a mailing crate, waving a baton around a painting of her face. Well, technically 4 paintings. They were all the same, but with different colors used in each, arranged in a square as a mock attempt to recreate a piece she knew had to do with a famous band or artist, but she couldn't quite remember who. Observing the scene, she saw as ponies in dresses and vests gave her disapproving glares, moving away from the piece depicting her and going to the other side of the gallery. The DJ let out a bit of a huff and flailed her baton at the piece “Hey, you don't know what art is!” “And you do, miss?” Octavia walked up with a smile “So you are a disk jockey and an artist?” The alabaster pony turned and smirked at who she saw “Hey, it's you! That mare I er... Ran into... Heh, sorry about that!” The gray mare gave a quick wave of her hoof and kept grinning as she looked over the piece. She thought it looked pretty nice for what it was, but couldn’t imagine it hanging in her living room. “Octavia Melody.” she held out her hoof. The other mare stared blankly at it for a minute before hopping off her box and shaking it “Names Vinyl! Vinyl Scratch. But my stage name is DJ-PON3!” The cellist flicked her ears a bit at how loud her new acquaintance was, trying to maintain her smile “So I hear. Nice to meet you non the less. You paint?” “Huh? Well uh I mean kinda I do sometimes but... Oh! Oh no, I didn't paint this, I dunno who did. My publicist got this set up and told me I should come by and help show it off!” “You have a publicist?” she tilted her head curiously “You bet! Publicist, manager, agent, handler, he’s everything!” she grinned wide. Octavia cleared her throat politely “I see. You interpreted that advice as standing on what is essentially a soapbox and shouting at the gallery goers?” “I.. well er...” the DJ scrunched up her face, giving an annoyed look at the cellist “Look I don't know how to deal with this fancy pony stuff! I'm only here because I'm supposed to 'broadening my horizons'” The mare gave her a coy smirk “'Fancy pony stuff'? This is hardly the Gardens of Canterlot, or the or the Palace of the Celestial Sisters. I'm sure you'd do just fine standing by the piece mingling with ponies that come and go. I would also suggest mayhaps learning a bit about artist who you are supposed to be promoting.” Vinyl blushes a bit “Yeah well... This whole thing is dumb! I shouldn't have come.” she grabbed her baton and headed for the door, Octavia following her with a slight giggle. “Wait now, you can't just abandon your post. What will your publicist think?” “Buck him, he doesn't know what he's talking about, fancy ponies just listen to orchestrated junk anyways!” She huffed as she kept heading for the door The cellist let out an offended scoff and followed after her, her face growing a bit warm “What's wrong with Orchestral music? It's soothing and entrancing, it's the output of one's soul, it's--” “Boooring!” She got cut off as the offensive DJ jabbed her hoof into her chest “I like my stuff; electronic music! Stuff you can dance to, make you wanna lose control and go wild!” “You can dance to classical.” she brushed the hoof away from her chest “And who would want to... 'lose control'?” This made the DJ smirk, obviously pleased with herself “See it works both ways, I don't understand fancy ponies, and you don't understand ponies that like to have fun!” “I like to have fun! Who doesn't? And stop calling me a fancy pony!” Octavia puffed a hot breath out of her nose. She pondered for a moment why the DJ had such a smug look on her face, before noticing there were more than a few ponies staring at them. With a blush she pushed herself past Vinyl “That's the last time I try to give you help!” A bit of chuckling, then the alabaster mare cantered up try and stop the cellist “Hey hey, no hard feelings. Here.” she reached into a bag and pulled out two slips of paper, hoofing them over “Two VIP passes to my show tonight! If you like having fun, prove it.” She gave a challenging smirk More flush entered Octavia's cheeks and she looked at the passes, feeling frustrated and nervous at the same time “At... Dance-O-Rama. I don't know, that place-” “Look, I'm telling you will have a good time. Live a little!” she waved them around teasingly Octavia thought about it for a moment, not sure what she was thinking as she snatched them “Fine! I'll go, but you have to agree to come to one of my shows as well.” The DJ smirked and nodded “Alright, it's a deal. What do you do, read poetry?” For all the confidence Vinyl seemed to have, Octavia's smirk grew wider yet with her own “I'm in the Manehattan Symphony Orchestra. Second chair cello.” The deadpan and groan the followed was heard throughout the whole gallery. Brass found Octavia by the door a moment later, the DJ already gone “What happened? It sounded like someone just got stabbed!” The cellist gave a slightly nervous giggle and shook her head “No, nothing like that. Remember that DJ that ran into us last night? She was here.” Beauty gave an indignant look as the events from last night were recalled to her memory “And what did that ruffian do this time?” “No no, it was nothing like that. She was trying to promote a portrait of herself, but was failing quite miserably at it. I tried to give some pointers, but she got offended, one thing led to another and... Well...” she lifted her hoof, showing the blue musician the tickets. After looking over them, she looked back up at he friend with wide eyes “How did that lead to this? Surely you don't mean to attend!” Octavia took a deep breath “Well, I might have made a deal with her. I'd go see her show if she came to see one of ours.” The flabbergasted look on her friends fast told her all she needed to know about her thoughts on the matter. “You can't be serious, with those... those... ruffians!” “Relax, we might have some semblance of fun. Besides, you used to enjoy these kinds of events.” “That was ages ago, when I didn't know any better!” Beauty crossed her hooves, before suddenly giving Octavia an incredulous look “Wait... what do you mean we? I'm not going!” “Oh Beauty, please? I made a deal, I have to go! Don't leave me alone.” she nursed her bottom lip at the thought of being in a place like that all alone, big mean ponies all around her... “You don't have to go, you know.” she sat there, thinking for a moment, leaving Octavia to just look her over quizzically. “But.. Oh I suppose you're right... Come on, let us enjoy the rest of the gallery.” she nudged the day dreaming mare back towards the art. The sun was just starting to set in Manehattan as the duo made their way home. They had just left their favorite tea shop where they had dinner, Octavia was carrying a box with a new bow for her cello in it on her back. “You know, Octavia, I've been thinking...” Beauty said as they entered the bar district, the last stretch of road before they were home “I really did used to love those clubs back in Canterlot... Maybe we should go.” The cellist gave her friend a scoff “You can't be serious, after all that ruffian talk?” “Yeah well... I don't know, maybe it'll just be some sort of closure for the type of lifestyle I used to have, you know? And besides, you made a deal.” She stated matter of factly “But, early, you...” a frustrated sigh left her mouth before continuing “Alright, we'll stop by.” after a bit of digging, she pulled out the tickets and looked at the time “Well, it says the show starts at 6, so it's been going on for half an hour. We should still have some time to see the end of it.” Brass gave her a knowing smile and started leading her in the direction of the club “The end of it? You really don't know how these things work, do you?” Octavia simple shook her head, making Beauty grin at her ignorance “These things tend to start as the sun goes down, and last til it comes back up!” a hint of excitement was detected in her voice. Octavia was beginning to suspect all of her brooding ruffian talk was all just a façade to make her seem like she fit in with the upper class society. This thought was aided by how Beauty swiped her pass from the cellist and galloped up to the bouncer in front of the club, sticking her tongue out at the line of ponies waiting to get in as she was allowed in. Standing on her own now, the gray mare realized she had no choice. She couldn't leave Brass all alone in there. One last scan of the building, it's blacked out windows, old brick construction, and posters plastered on the wall featuring the eccentric unicorn who gave her the pass “Hmm.. I guess she must be pretty big time, if she has her own posters.” she muttered as she slowly trot up to the bouncer, showing her pass and waltzing in as once again the line of ponies waiting groaned in annoyance. Chapter 3Octavia slowly made her way into the club, a short hallway leading to a simple push through door ahead of her. The loud thump of bass accompanied by sharp bursts of an indescribable instrument permeated around her. She looked about for a coat check with hopes to drop off her new bow she had just purchased, but to her dismay there was only ratty old carpet, a bunch of pinned up fliers, and two ponies in the hall. A pegasus and a unicorn, she inspected, the latter wearing a short pleather jacket, a studded collar around her neck, her mane which Octavia imagined was normally quite beautiful was done up in an appalling manner that to her recollection was called a mohawk. The pegasi, a stallion, was much more subdue in his look, tan fur with a blond mane, raggedy and unbrushed. He wore a red plaid shirt, mingling with the unicorn as she pulled out a cigarette with her magic and lit it up. The earth pony cellist scrunched her face as the smell started wafting her way. She thought about complaining, mentioning a fire hazard, but decided not to engage with the ponies that... She had to admit with a bit of shame frightened her. Quickly stepping pass them, she straightened her bowtie and pushed her way into the club. Immediately, she regretted that decision. The thump of the bass was no longer muted, the strange accompanying sounds mixed with it all blasting across the room straight to her ears. Octavia had always had sensitive ears, she figured every great musician should, and now for the first time in her life, she wished she hadn't. She looked about for her misplaced friend while her ears fell so flat against her head, some would think she didn't even have any. “Beauty?” She called out, blinking as she couldn't even hear her own voice “Beauty? Beauty Brass!” She called out louder, finally hearing herself but not assuming her voice traveled far. With a scan of the room, she began to take in her surroundings. The dance floor was a blackout zone, no lights other than the colored spotlights shining down on the stage as well as the crowd in front of it. Ponies of all races and genders dancing like wild animals in a large group as the music pulsed over them. Her eyes glanced over spiked manes and glow sticks before lifting back up to the stage, seeing the unicorn behind the ear ache she was bound to have for the next week. Vinyl was in her element, standing on her hind legs at a table surrounded by large speakers, her head bobbing as a single ear cup from a pair of headphones was pressed to her skull, held in a soft blue magic. The DJ worked feverishly at her mixing board, changing different levels and settings the cellist could hardly fathom. The result was the crowd in front of her going wild, so she figured the mare must know what she was doing. Octavia's eyes lingered on the DJ for a few moments before she saw Vinyl's shades turn in her direction. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she wondered if the unicorn mare could see her, a question answered as the smile on her face grew more akin to a grin. The DJ suddenly, slammed her hooves down on the mixing board, scratching her way into an abrupt transition, the audience barely having time to react as the new mix started quickly after. The earth ponies ears twitched as a quick beat filled the room, this song was much more energetic than the last, the unicorn obviously giving her all to get the ponies worked up. Just as the song was about to repeat the same beat for what seemed like the tenth time, there was a high pitched screech and the song suddenly burst into a new form of energetic notes, the crowd cheering wildly as strobe lights began to flash over them. The cellist merely shielded her eyes with a hoof, a hiss leaving her lips as the bright light assaulted her. She looked away from the stage for some kind of refuge, spotting a bar off to the side of the dance floor. It was unshielded from the music or effects, but it had it's own lighting, and it would allow her to look at something other than the blinding strobes. Slowly she walked over, eying the ground to make sure she didn't step on knives or needles, even though there was nothing of the sort to be seen. She sat down on a worn stool, setting her boxed cello bow leaning against the counter. A soft sigh left her lips as she looked down at her hooves, “What am I doing?” “What will it be?” A stallion asked, breaking her out of her melancholy. She looked up to see the bartender, a muscular pegasi drying off a glass in his hoof. Octavia blushed and thought for a moment before responding “What pinots to you stock?” The stallion gave her a quizzical look, raising a brow. “Err.. Sherry?” With a smirk the bartender pulled out a glass and set it down, grabbing a bottle of amber liquid and pouring it into vessel, topping it off with a large round piece of ice. “This is the fanciest drink we stock, missy. Whisky. Enjoy.” He finished off with a grin and went to refill a couple other glasses. A gray hoof played with the glass a bit before lifting it up to her nose, a quick sniff was all she needed to know this was bottom shelf swill. Still, a drink was a drink, and hopefully it would help get this pounding out of her ears. As she took a sip, trying her best to not choke it up, she began to really listen to the music that played all around her. The beat making her chest pulse a bit. She couldn't help but tap her hoof on the bar counter; Yes the music was too loud, and the company around her was questionable, but she couldn't deny the beat or the melody that accompanied were truly a well enough sounding thing. That is however, until the deafening sound of stadium horns blasted over the speakers. “Yo, Yo, Yo, that's the way to party, Manehattan! Awoooo!” The DJ cheered, and the crowd quickly followed suit. The song changed again, blending what sounded like the beat from the last with the vocals of a song Octavia remembered being told was very popular with general public. Her ear twitched visibly as the vocals started, not really understanding what the base was all about, or why colts and fillies cared so much. Still, the beat was good... But that was all Vinyl. A scrunched looked appeared on her face as she came to that revelation, quickly finishing her drink and setting the cup down with a hoof full of bits. Usually whiskey was to be taken slowly, enjoyed as it went down. But this swill deserved none of that. She ordered a simple glass of lemon soda next, not wanting to get tipsy in a place like this. Although, she had to admit, no pony seemed to be bothering her. However the night was still young, and she had to be prepared for the worse! At least, that's what she told herself while she sat chest puffed out in the stool, holding a glass of lemon soda. A sigh and a few sips later and she left the bar to try and find her friend. The strobe lights had stopped, which made it much easier for the gray mare to look around. However the mob of ponies in front of the stage was so dense, the cellist didn't suspect she could spot one of the princesses in it. She managed to wrestle her way into the crowd of dancing ponies, but the darkness mixed with the flashing lights was making it simply too hard to identify the ponies around her, let alone her own hooves. Suddenly a new song came over the speakers, this one more subdued than the last. It still was loud, and the beat strong, however it lacked the sharp high notes of the last few songs, instead a more mellow encompassing melody swelled around the beats. The cellist closed her eyes as the music swam around her, picking out the different notes and rhythms combining to make the song. She started subconsciously tapping her hoof against the ground once more, feeling the beat once more in her chest. A quick glance around her and she saw the ponies still dancing as if she weren't even there. '...What could be the harm in joining in? Oh Celestia if my parents could see me now, I would be disowned.' Octavia thought to herself as she started moving her hooves about, shifting her weight around. A smile crept onto her face as she worked different steps into her dance, combining several motions from a waltz she had been practicing. Once more she looked up to the DJ at the mixing table, seeing a big grin on her face as the glasses still seemed to be aimed in her direction.
Chapter 1Alone in a dingy upper class lounge, a gray Earth Pony sat silently staring into the deep red hues of her wine. She was fussing with it slightly, swirling it around and giving it a sniff. With a soft sigh she turned to face a window, looking down at the ponies on the busy streets. This truly was city that never sleeps. The Cat Strings usually has a jazz band playing on nights such as this, today however the stage was left empty, a soothing yet dull orchestrated tune playing from a phonograph on the bar counter. A small uninterested sip of the fruity alcohol entered her lips, tasting it for a moment before setting it back down with a sigh, her usual drink of choice not quite cutting it. 'Why does this bother me so?' she reflected on her internal turmoil, playing the prior days over 'What has gotten into me, I'm acting like a little school filly!' With a slight huff she picked up her wine again, only to give it a sniff and dismiss it in frustration, pondering over whether or not she should order something stronger. Suddenly she felt someone approaching her from behind. The fur on the back of her neck stood up as she saw a strange purple glint reflecting in the window, she turned around quickly with a excitement, only for it to fade as she discovered the glint belonged to a lanky stallion wearing a particularly flashy purple broach. Her face give an awkward twist as she looked at the thing. “Hello there, miss.” he grinned all too pleased with himself, “My name is Savant, I couldn't help but notice you were sitting all alone! What a travesty to befall such a beautiful mare! I simply had to come over and offer you.. some.. Miss?” he tilted his head, the gray mare had looked away in disinterest, now trying to flag over the waiter. “Miss if it is a drink you desire, please allow me! I would gladly join you in partaking in spirits!” The stallion proclaimed in chipper, his smile faltering a tad as he met those glaring purple orbs that felt as if they were digging into his very soul “S-So I take it you'd like to be left alone..?” A curt nod was all the refined cellist afforded the stallion, who coughed awkwardly and ventured back off to his table, hushing his friend who was chuckling at his misfortune. The mare cared not however, promptly ordering a glass of whiskey from the waiter as he finally arrived. She sat looking out the window again, watching the seemingly never ending flow of carriages moving along the streets. She was quickly snapped out of her trance as her new drink was placed at the table, with a nod of thanks, she took the glass, preparing to down it in one go when suddenly she caught a purple glint in the window again. Gingerly she set down the glass and flicked her ear, nostrils flaring as she tried to contain her uncouth emotions. “I believe I have already asked you to leave once, if you do try to harass me again I might have to ask the bartender to have you thrown out.” The firm words left an odd silence in the air, however she refused to turn around and give the stallion the time or day. Yet suddenly, all over her firmness and aggravation melted away in one fell swoop as it wasn't a stallions voice who answered, but a mares. A mare she was used to sounding so full of confidence, now sounding unsteady and hurt “Alright Tavi, I'll get out of your hair...” ~2 months Ago~ A pair of mares trot down the streets of Manehattan, each with a large instrument case strapped onto their backs, seemingly comical compared to the small ponies underneath. However, Earth Ponies were always known for their strength. “I don't see why we couldn't simply call a carriage, it would have made the returning journey ever so much easier.” The soft blue mare whined, adjusting the large case on her back and blowing a treacherous tuft of brown mane out of her eyes A giggle left the taller gray mares lips, earning herself a glower from her companion, quickly waving it off “We are merely 4 blocks from the concert hall, Beauty. It would be a waste of bits.” Beauty Brass let out a hmph and tilted her head up “Well I wouldn't complain so much if we didn't have to take the road where all the ruffians are!” she glanced at all the bright neon signs for different bars and clubs dotted along the streets Octavia Melody kept giggling a bit before nudging her friends shoulder a bit “Ruffian? Beauty dear, do you remember back at Canterlot High when you tried to sneak into places like these?” she dodged the blue hoof trying to shush her with a smirk. “That was ages ago! You promised never to speak of it!” The cellist opted to ignore her friend, looking instead at the establishment they were trotting past, a big neon pink sign spelling out the words 'Dance-O-Rama'. She let out a slight snort at the originality of what was obviously a night club, loud bass beats being heard from within even before the sunlight began to wane. The sound of electronic music was never too pleasing to her, yet she couldn't deny the looks of pure happiness on the faces of the ponies leaving, rushing off to... do whatever club ponies do, she supposed. A snort from her companion broke her out of her thoughts “How can anypony enjoy music that loud?” Again the gray mare tried to hold back a giggle, remembering how many times she would find Beauty stumbling out of establishments such as this. Before she could respond however, something crashed into her side, making both her and her friend stumble and struggle to keep their instruments on their backs. Quickly she started looking for what hit her, those aggravated purple eyes falling upon a sprawled out white unicorn, face down on the sidewalk, groaning and rubbing blue mane. “Please, watch where you are going, ma'am.” Octavia let out a bit of a tut, then offered a hoof to the unicorn who obviously ended up worse than her. The mare frantically felt around before pulling up a purple pair of sunglasses, pulling them over her eyes before accepting the hoof and getting back up into a standing position. “Woah, a... Sorry about that dudes! Er... mares!” She dusted herself off, looking nervously over her shoulder Beauty let out a disgusted noise and tilted her chin up “See Octavia? Ruffians!” Shushing her friend, the gray mare took a few looks over the obviously nervous unicorn “Is everything alright, ma'am?” “Ma'am?! What do I look, 40?” that got surprised blinks from both the musicians, “Ugh... Sorry, I just got done with my set, you see, I was the DJ at this club, and there were these two fillies...” As if on cue, there was an ear screeching squeal as two earth ponies who looked barely out of high school came galloping down the street “DJ-PON3!” With a gasp the mare quickly started trying to scamper away “You gotta hide me!” “What? Where?” Octavia questioned “Yeah, and we got these heavy instruments.” Beauty added, watching as the DJ looked between the two of them one last time before turning a corner and bolting off, the two fillies quickly making pursuit. The two musicians simply blinked at each other before laughing at the situations “I'm glad our line of music doesn't bring those kinds of fans.” “You're telling me!” The two of them fell back in line and quietly trotted the last two blocks before entering a more residential area, approaching an apartment complex. The building was newer compared to the ones around it, but still quite aged compared to the more lush buildings downtown. The doorpony greeted both mares with a nod before opening the door for them, Octavia giving him a bit as they entered the building. Their room was on the seventh floor for the complex. The pair had hoped that it would bring them luck someday. A quick fumbling of keys led them into the slightly larger than average entryway, flicking on the lights and enjoying the scent of the cinnamon potpourri they had agreed to leave around the the living areas. Inside was a modest living room with a couch and two chairs, music stands and different instruments neatly lined against one of the walls. A small kitchen and dining area attached, with a shared bathroom and two decently sized bedrooms on the other end. It wasn't much, but the mares agreed together after graduating from university together that they wanted to start from the ground up, putting aside the luxuries of Canterlot to get their own place after being accepted into the Manehattan Symphony Orchestra. The two of them as if synchronized slung off their instrument cases and gently removed the instruments, checking them for any damage before placing them on their appropriate stands, the large cello standing beautifully next to Beauty's pristinely polished tuba. With a nod, both mares split up, Octavia went to take a shower while Beauty started popping some popcorn. After drying off, the gray mare slipped into a plush robe and rejoined her companion on the couch, taking a few bites of the offered snack. “Can you imagine what our parents would say?” she giggled a bit “Octavia! That is commoner food! Only commoners eat commoner food!” She couldn't help but chortle more at her own impression, especially after Beauty joined in. “Oh posh posh, that couch is so drab!” The blue mare started snickering, but Octavia grinned teasingly “Beauty dear, you're giving an impression of yourself!” She grinned and dodged a flicked piece of popcorn at her. With a roll of her eyes, the mare stretched her limbs out and suppressed a yawn “That concert went on for too long. I appreciate that the new conductor likes pushing us, but even the audience was starting to get sore from how long it went on!” Octavia let out a soft hum, thinking over the events of the day and the pain she was feeling in her haunches “At least you don't have to stand on your hind legs while performing. It becomes so tiring.” she thought to herself for a moment, the silence lingering for a bit before she decided to continue “At least we get a few weeks off. Do you have any plans with Frederick?” Beauty suddenly looked lovestruck, looking up at the ceiling and sighing softly “Oh yes, we have many plans. Unfortunately not until later in the week.” she seemed to break out of her trance for a moment to grin at the pony next to her “What about you, Octavia? Do you have a special stallion yet?” Her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink as she felt heat rise in them, “No, you would be the first to know if I did.” she finished with a soft sigh, looking over at her friend as she felt a hoof rest on her shoulder “Just give it time, Octavia. You'll find someone great!” “Not at this rate...” she slumped a bit before taking a deep breath and straightening her back, giving her companion nod “But, there's still hope yet!” “That's the spirit!” the blue mare gave her friend a pat on the back before yawning and getting up, slowly loosening her bowtie “I believe it is time for me to 'hit the hay', as the ruffians say!” Octavia watched as she giggled proud of herself and said goodnight before retreating to her room, leaving her alone in the quiet room. With another sigh she got up and tossed what was left of the popcorn, getting herself a glass of wine and heading for her own room. Inside was a bit less organized than the rest of the dwelling, but still neat. A desk for her to work on and an old cello in the corner. She grabbed a beat up sketch pad and climbed into bed, curling up and swirling her wine, taking in the deep complicated scent before take a sip, a smile crossing her face. “Prance, I can smell the fresh orchards and a slight hint of cedar...” With another sip she cracked open her sketchbook, looking out the window at the city around her. No pony would consider her a fine artist, at least not in the form of drawing, but she still liked to dabble secretly, sketching out the lines of the buildings and the ponies below. She worked on it til her wine was finished, then with a yawn she set the glass and the book aside, adjusting herself under the covers and looking up at the stars. “Maybe someday, it is quite lonely with just one true friend...” The next morning she woke up early as ever, stretching and wincing as her hooves cracked a bit, still sore from the long performance the night before. Gracefully getting out of bed, she went to her desk and plopped down, pulling out a brush and fixing up her bed head, straightening it out in a pristine matter, tying it up before going to do her tail in the same matter. She sarted humming a sweet melody as she worked on a particularly hard knot, smiling at her appearance in the mirror, then pulling out a bowtie and effortlessly tying it on, so used to it that she could do it with her eyes closed. Once she was freshened up and ready for the day, she made her way for the kitchen. As she made her way past hear room mates closed door, she could hear muffled snores coming from within. With a chuckle at the expense of her long time friend, she took the few steps from the living room to the kitchen, starting up some coffee and oats. It wasn't long before the smell of fresh java brought the still half asleep blue mare stirring out of her room, in her bathrobe and not even brushed up. Octavia resisted the urge to tease her on the matter, instead just offering a cup of coffee, two creams and three sugars. “Well good morning, sunshine.” She said with a yawn, rubbing her eyes “Why does everything still hurt?” “Good morning.” She replied, smirking at her later comment, leaving it alone otherwise. Sitting down at their small table with her own cup of coffee, black, and two bowls of oats, sugar and cinnamon mixed in. Beauty sniffed the aroma and gladly started digging in, nodding her thanks “You and your cinnamon.” The two enjoyed their breakfast together chatting about the night before, the late riser offering to do the dishes while Octavia rested on the couch, looking over sheets of music she was working on. Soon after, Beauty came around and sat on one of the chairs in the room. “Do you have any plans for today? There is an art gallery that just opened up, I was hoping to go see it! “ Octavia smiled at the offer and nodded “I'm free all day, and that sounds lovely. We can head over whenever you would like.” This got a gleeful clap out of Brass, the pony bolting up to go finish getting freshened up, coming back moments later with a bonnet and simple yellow dress on “Lets go!” With a sigh and a smile at her eager friend, Octavia stood up and grabbed her saddle bags, looking at the time to see it was almost ten in the morning “Alright, let's. But it's your turn to get lunch.” Beauty nodded in agreement and hurried her friend out the door, excited for the day ahead. Author's Note Hey guys! Thank you for reading my story. It's been 3 years since I've written anything, and I suddenly felt inspired to write this. I hope you enjoy it! Also I don't have any pre readers, so sorry for any mistakes in the story I went over it twice trying to get everything
Chapter 2The two mares cantered down the streets once more, however there was much more traffic this morning as all the ponies were heading to work, or running around on errands. Staying close together, they followed a brochure that Beauty had gotten from a friend, the map leading them to an event hall consisting of mostly glass construction, walls within could be seen adorned with different paintings and sketches, a few sculptures sitting out as well. Making their way through the crowds, the friends got two tickets and headed inside. The structure did a good job at shielding the noise of the busy town outside, a faint hum of what sounded like elevator music playing around the entrance. There was a slight musky smell in the air, which Octavia attributed to the paintings. Her friend gave a nod before trotting off to look at some of the sculptures on display, meanwhile Octavia wandered toward the paintings. Most were original pieces, some were copies of famous pieces, and a few were... Well Octavia didn't know what to make of them. She was currently tilting her head trying to make sense over a canvas that seemed to have some paint splattered on it, with rubber ducks glued randomly about the canvass, two of them hanging off the corners by wire. Just as she gave up trying to understand, she heard a voice from behind her. “Come one, come all, to look at the beautiful art of DJ-PON3!” That voice. That name. The cellist turned to see a familiar white unicorn standing on a mailing crate, waving a baton around a painting of her face. Well, technically 4 paintings. They were all the same, but with different colors used in each, arranged in a square as a mock attempt to recreate a piece she knew had to do with a famous band or artist, but she couldn't quite remember who. Observing the scene, she saw as ponies in dresses and vests gave her disapproving glares, moving away from the piece depicting her and going to the other side of the gallery. The DJ let out a bit of a huff and flailed her baton at the piece “Hey, you don't know what art is!” “And you do, miss?” Octavia walked up with a smile “So you are a disk jockey and an artist?” The alabaster pony turned and smirked at who she saw “Hey, it's you! That mare I er... Ran into... Heh, sorry about that!” The gray mare gave a quick wave of her hoof and kept grinning as she looked over the piece. She thought it looked pretty nice for what it was, but couldn’t imagine it hanging in her living room. “Octavia Melody.” she held out her hoof. The other mare stared blankly at it for a minute before hopping off her box and shaking it “Names Vinyl! Vinyl Scratch. But my stage name is DJ-PON3!” The cellist flicked her ears a bit at how loud her new acquaintance was, trying to maintain her smile “So I hear. Nice to meet you non the less. You paint?” “Huh? Well uh I mean kinda I do sometimes but... Oh! Oh no, I didn't paint this, I dunno who did. My publicist got this set up and told me I should come by and help show it off!” “You have a publicist?” she tilted her head curiously “You bet! Publicist, manager, agent, handler, he’s everything!” she grinned wide. Octavia cleared her throat politely “I see. You interpreted that advice as standing on what is essentially a soapbox and shouting at the gallery goers?” “I.. well er...” the DJ scrunched up her face, giving an annoyed look at the cellist “Look I don't know how to deal with this fancy pony stuff! I'm only here because I'm supposed to 'broadening my horizons'” The mare gave her a coy smirk “'Fancy pony stuff'? This is hardly the Gardens of Canterlot, or the or the Palace of the Celestial Sisters. I'm sure you'd do just fine standing by the piece mingling with ponies that come and go. I would also suggest mayhaps learning a bit about artist who you are supposed to be promoting.” Vinyl blushes a bit “Yeah well... This whole thing is dumb! I shouldn't have come.” she grabbed her baton and headed for the door, Octavia following her with a slight giggle. “Wait now, you can't just abandon your post. What will your publicist think?” “Buck him, he doesn't know what he's talking about, fancy ponies just listen to orchestrated junk anyways!” She huffed as she kept heading for the door The cellist let out an offended scoff and followed after her, her face growing a bit warm “What's wrong with Orchestral music? It's soothing and entrancing, it's the output of one's soul, it's--” “Boooring!” She got cut off as the offensive DJ jabbed her hoof into her chest “I like my stuff; electronic music! Stuff you can dance to, make you wanna lose control and go wild!” “You can dance to classical.” she brushed the hoof away from her chest “And who would want to... 'lose control'?” This made the DJ smirk, obviously pleased with herself “See it works both ways, I don't understand fancy ponies, and you don't understand ponies that like to have fun!” “I like to have fun! Who doesn't? And stop calling me a fancy pony!” Octavia puffed a hot breath out of her nose. She pondered for a moment why the DJ had such a smug look on her face, before noticing there were more than a few ponies staring at them. With a blush she pushed herself past Vinyl “That's the last time I try to give you help!” A bit of chuckling, then the alabaster mare cantered up try and stop the cellist “Hey hey, no hard feelings. Here.” she reached into a bag and pulled out two slips of paper, hoofing them over “Two VIP passes to my show tonight! If you like having fun, prove it.” She gave a challenging smirk More flush entered Octavia's cheeks and she looked at the passes, feeling frustrated and nervous at the same time “At... Dance-O-Rama. I don't know, that place-” “Look, I'm telling you will have a good time. Live a little!” she waved them around teasingly Octavia thought about it for a moment, not sure what she was thinking as she snatched them “Fine! I'll go, but you have to agree to come to one of my shows as well.” The DJ smirked and nodded “Alright, it's a deal. What do you do, read poetry?” For all the confidence Vinyl seemed to have, Octavia's smirk grew wider yet with her own “I'm in the Manehattan Symphony Orchestra. Second chair cello.” The deadpan and groan the followed was heard throughout the whole gallery. Brass found Octavia by the door a moment later, the DJ already gone “What happened? It sounded like someone just got stabbed!” The cellist gave a slightly nervous giggle and shook her head “No, nothing like that. Remember that DJ that ran into us last night? She was here.” Beauty gave an indignant look as the events from last night were recalled to her memory “And what did that ruffian do this time?” “No no, it was nothing like that. She was trying to promote a portrait of herself, but was failing quite miserably at it. I tried to give some pointers, but she got offended, one thing led to another and... Well...” she lifted her hoof, showing the blue musician the tickets. After looking over them, she looked back up at he friend with wide eyes “How did that lead to this? Surely you don't mean to attend!” Octavia took a deep breath “Well, I might have made a deal with her. I'd go see her show if she came to see one of ours.” The flabbergasted look on her friends fast told her all she needed to know about her thoughts on the matter. “You can't be serious, with those... those... ruffians!” “Relax, we might have some semblance of fun. Besides, you used to enjoy these kinds of events.” “That was ages ago, when I didn't know any better!” Beauty crossed her hooves, before suddenly giving Octavia an incredulous look “Wait... what do you mean we? I'm not going!” “Oh Beauty, please? I made a deal, I have to go! Don't leave me alone.” she nursed her bottom lip at the thought of being in a place like that all alone, big mean ponies all around her... “You don't have to go, you know.” she sat there, thinking for a moment, leaving Octavia to just look her over quizzically. “But.. Oh I suppose you're right... Come on, let us enjoy the rest of the gallery.” she nudged the day dreaming mare back towards the art. The sun was just starting to set in Manehattan as the duo made their way home. They had just left their favorite tea shop where they had dinner, Octavia was carrying a box with a new bow for her cello in it on her back. “You know, Octavia, I've been thinking...” Beauty said as they entered the bar district, the last stretch of road before they were home “I really did used to love those clubs back in Canterlot... Maybe we should go.” The cellist gave her friend a scoff “You can't be serious, after all that ruffian talk?” “Yeah well... I don't know, maybe it'll just be some sort of closure for the type of lifestyle I used to have, you know? And besides, you made a deal.” She stated matter of factly “But, early, you...” a frustrated sigh left her mouth before continuing “Alright, we'll stop by.” after a bit of digging, she pulled out the tickets and looked at the time “Well, it says the show starts at 6, so it's been going on for half an hour. We should still have some time to see the end of it.” Brass gave her a knowing smile and started leading her in the direction of the club “The end of it? You really don't know how these things work, do you?” Octavia simple shook her head, making Beauty grin at her ignorance “These things tend to start as the sun goes down, and last til it comes back up!” a hint of excitement was detected in her voice. Octavia was beginning to suspect all of her brooding ruffian talk was all just a façade to make her seem like she fit in with the upper class society. This thought was aided by how Beauty swiped her pass from the cellist and galloped up to the bouncer in front of the club, sticking her tongue out at the line of ponies waiting to get in as she was allowed in. Standing on her own now, the gray mare realized she had no choice. She couldn't leave Brass all alone in there. One last scan of the building, it's blacked out windows, old brick construction, and posters plastered on the wall featuring the eccentric unicorn who gave her the pass “Hmm.. I guess she must be pretty big time, if she has her own posters.” she muttered as she slowly trot up to the bouncer, showing her pass and waltzing in as once again the line of ponies waiting groaned in annoyance.
Chapter 3Octavia slowly made her way into the club, a short hallway leading to a simple push through door ahead of her. The loud thump of bass accompanied by sharp bursts of an indescribable instrument permeated around her. She looked about for a coat check with hopes to drop off her new bow she had just purchased, but to her dismay there was only ratty old carpet, a bunch of pinned up fliers, and two ponies in the hall. A pegasus and a unicorn, she inspected, the latter wearing a short pleather jacket, a studded collar around her neck, her mane which Octavia imagined was normally quite beautiful was done up in an appalling manner that to her recollection was called a mohawk. The pegasi, a stallion, was much more subdue in his look, tan fur with a blond mane, raggedy and unbrushed. He wore a red plaid shirt, mingling with the unicorn as she pulled out a cigarette with her magic and lit it up. The earth pony cellist scrunched her face as the smell started wafting her way. She thought about complaining, mentioning a fire hazard, but decided not to engage with the ponies that... She had to admit with a bit of shame frightened her. Quickly stepping pass them, she straightened her bowtie and pushed her way into the club. Immediately, she regretted that decision. The thump of the bass was no longer muted, the strange accompanying sounds mixed with it all blasting across the room straight to her ears. Octavia had always had sensitive ears, she figured every great musician should, and now for the first time in her life, she wished she hadn't. She looked about for her misplaced friend while her ears fell so flat against her head, some would think she didn't even have any. “Beauty?” She called out, blinking as she couldn't even hear her own voice “Beauty? Beauty Brass!” She called out louder, finally hearing herself but not assuming her voice traveled far. With a scan of the room, she began to take in her surroundings. The dance floor was a blackout zone, no lights other than the colored spotlights shining down on the stage as well as the crowd in front of it. Ponies of all races and genders dancing like wild animals in a large group as the music pulsed over them. Her eyes glanced over spiked manes and glow sticks before lifting back up to the stage, seeing the unicorn behind the ear ache she was bound to have for the next week. Vinyl was in her element, standing on her hind legs at a table surrounded by large speakers, her head bobbing as a single ear cup from a pair of headphones was pressed to her skull, held in a soft blue magic. The DJ worked feverishly at her mixing board, changing different levels and settings the cellist could hardly fathom. The result was the crowd in front of her going wild, so she figured the mare must know what she was doing. Octavia's eyes lingered on the DJ for a few moments before she saw Vinyl's shades turn in her direction. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she wondered if the unicorn mare could see her, a question answered as the smile on her face grew more akin to a grin. The DJ suddenly, slammed her hooves down on the mixing board, scratching her way into an abrupt transition, the audience barely having time to react as the new mix started quickly after. The earth ponies ears twitched as a quick beat filled the room, this song was much more energetic than the last, the unicorn obviously giving her all to get the ponies worked up. Just as the song was about to repeat the same beat for what seemed like the tenth time, there was a high pitched screech and the song suddenly burst into a new form of energetic notes, the crowd cheering wildly as strobe lights began to flash over them. The cellist merely shielded her eyes with a hoof, a hiss leaving her lips as the bright light assaulted her. She looked away from the stage for some kind of refuge, spotting a bar off to the side of the dance floor. It was unshielded from the music or effects, but it had it's own lighting, and it would allow her to look at something other than the blinding strobes. Slowly she walked over, eying the ground to make sure she didn't step on knives or needles, even though there was nothing of the sort to be seen. She sat down on a worn stool, setting her boxed cello bow leaning against the counter. A soft sigh left her lips as she looked down at her hooves, “What am I doing?” “What will it be?” A stallion asked, breaking her out of her melancholy. She looked up to see the bartender, a muscular pegasi drying off a glass in his hoof. Octavia blushed and thought for a moment before responding “What pinots to you stock?” The stallion gave her a quizzical look, raising a brow. “Err.. Sherry?” With a smirk the bartender pulled out a glass and set it down, grabbing a bottle of amber liquid and pouring it into vessel, topping it off with a large round piece of ice. “This is the fanciest drink we stock, missy. Whisky. Enjoy.” He finished off with a grin and went to refill a couple other glasses. A gray hoof played with the glass a bit before lifting it up to her nose, a quick sniff was all she needed to know this was bottom shelf swill. Still, a drink was a drink, and hopefully it would help get this pounding out of her ears. As she took a sip, trying her best to not choke it up, she began to really listen to the music that played all around her. The beat making her chest pulse a bit. She couldn't help but tap her hoof on the bar counter; Yes the music was too loud, and the company around her was questionable, but she couldn't deny the beat or the melody that accompanied were truly a well enough sounding thing. That is however, until the deafening sound of stadium horns blasted over the speakers. “Yo, Yo, Yo, that's the way to party, Manehattan! Awoooo!” The DJ cheered, and the crowd quickly followed suit. The song changed again, blending what sounded like the beat from the last with the vocals of a song Octavia remembered being told was very popular with general public. Her ear twitched visibly as the vocals started, not really understanding what the base was all about, or why colts and fillies cared so much. Still, the beat was good... But that was all Vinyl. A scrunched looked appeared on her face as she came to that revelation, quickly finishing her drink and setting the cup down with a hoof full of bits. Usually whiskey was to be taken slowly, enjoyed as it went down. But this swill deserved none of that. She ordered a simple glass of lemon soda next, not wanting to get tipsy in a place like this. Although, she had to admit, no pony seemed to be bothering her. However the night was still young, and she had to be prepared for the worse! At least, that's what she told herself while she sat chest puffed out in the stool, holding a glass of lemon soda. A sigh and a few sips later and she left the bar to try and find her friend. The strobe lights had stopped, which made it much easier for the gray mare to look around. However the mob of ponies in front of the stage was so dense, the cellist didn't suspect she could spot one of the princesses in it. She managed to wrestle her way into the crowd of dancing ponies, but the darkness mixed with the flashing lights was making it simply too hard to identify the ponies around her, let alone her own hooves. Suddenly a new song came over the speakers, this one more subdued than the last. It still was loud, and the beat strong, however it lacked the sharp high notes of the last few songs, instead a more mellow encompassing melody swelled around the beats. The cellist closed her eyes as the music swam around her, picking out the different notes and rhythms combining to make the song. She started subconsciously tapping her hoof against the ground once more, feeling the beat once more in her chest. A quick glance around her and she saw the ponies still dancing as if she weren't even there. '...What could be the harm in joining in? Oh Celestia if my parents could see me now, I would be disowned.' Octavia thought to herself as she started moving her hooves about, shifting her weight around. A smile crept onto her face as she worked different steps into her dance, combining several motions from a waltz she had been practicing. Once more she looked up to the DJ at the mixing table, seeing a big grin on her face as the glasses still seemed to be aimed in her direction.
