Lost in the Rhythm

by Calamity Jay

Chapters

I - The Risk Taker
II - A Spot of Trouble
III - Backstage Pass
Author's Interlude: New Story Changes

I - The Risk Taker

Lost in the Rhythm

Redux

Written By: Jay The Stormtrooper

Edited By: Zoetic Zebra, Alcatraz, Eppie Genetic, and Lunatone

Chapter I - The Risk Taker

"Well? What do you think?" The cyan pegasus mare stood by my side as I stared apprehensively at the large nightclub standing before me. "I promise you its gonna be great. You'll have tons of fun!" Now before I continue allow me to get one thing straight: I don't like going to big parties. Especially ones like this. Back home, I was a man with strong intellectual integrity. In other words: a nerd. And being a nerd, I enjoyed nerdy activities. Most of aforementioned activities didn't involve things like this.

Needless to say I did not approve.

"Yeah, I'm not too sure on this one," I argued, fixing my crooked glasses. "We've been over this, Dash. You already know where I stand on this." I have known this mare for six months and yet she still doesn't take my dislike for partying into account.

The diminutive pegasus snorted and frowned up at me. "Look, if you're really serious about meeting a mare, then you're not going to do it sitting at home doing nothing. I'm telling you this is the best way to meet somepony!" As much I loathed to admit, she was right. I wasn't going to get anywhere just sitting on my ass at home, twiddling my thumbs. I've been here in Equestria for a while now. As time went on, I began to feel lonely. I've been talking with Rainbow about getting with a mare and she believed this was a practical solution. Though, I do disagree.

How did I come about meeting frustatingly exuberant, little pony? Well, during my first few days living here in Ponyville, I met the young pegasus while I was sitting around in a remote part of town. She saw me and, wouldn't you know it, we ended up becoming friends, though there weren't too many things we shared in common. Next thing I know we're hanging out daily. When I first arrived here, it was difficult for me to completely start over by making a new life for myself and finding new friends. Thanks to a certain princess, she began introducing me to the local populace. Most ponies were a little surprised to see a six-foot tall ape standing in front of them, but eventually, and with much needed encouragement, the ponies eventually felt more comfortable with me hanging around. Although, this is the last place I thought I would have to go.

"Yes I 'm very well aware of that, but couldn't we find a simpler solution? You know, one that does not involve going to this place?" I gestured over to the pulsating nightclub, where there was a long line of ponies waiting to get inside. This little social space was known as The Spinning Vinyl, it's white and blue neon sign hanging above the entrance. A fitting name, since apparently DJs both local and well known would perform here on a daily basis. The music, in my opinion, was less than tasteful. I preferred some softer music. You know, the type that doesn't make me want to pull a Kurt Cobain.

"Look," She groaned in frustration. "I know you don't like clubs and all that, but just trust me on this one, Ethan. You're never gonna get anywhere if you don't take a few risks." I never liked taking risks, not even as a teenager; I always liked to play it safe. As of now I was well into my early twenties, you know the golden years of young people. Once you get to the thirties it just goes downhill from there. "C'mon, I'll be there with you. Would you rather be doing this with somepony who won't have your back like me?"

"I would rather not do this at all," I clicked my tongue, crossing my arms; a look of apprehension adorning my face. "I mean, I can handle having a few drinks, but dancing is where I draw the line."

"Now there's an idea!" She exclaimed, floating up in front of me. "We'll just go in, have some drinks, mingle with a few ponies, and who knows? Maybe somepony will like you." That seemed to make sense to me. I didn't have to make a fool out of myself dancing, I could just have few drinks, leave when I felt like it... I know I was going against everything that I believed in, but I really wanted a drink. Been a good long while since I've had one. I hesitantly started to consider Rainbow's proposition.

"So I don't have to dance?" She nodded. "I can leave when I want?" She nodded again, unkempt hair shifting. "Alright then, Rainbow. You've talked me into it. But, on one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"You owe me twenty bits, if I go home alone," She seemed a bit astounded at the terms of my wager. "And if by some miracle I end up going home with a mare, then that proves you were right, and I'll pay up. Sound fair?"

"Seriously?" she frowned at me, "that's a bit too much don't ya think?"

"Rainbow, you're forcing a scholar to go into a nightclub," I said, "that's like making a fish climb a tree."

"Can you please stop using weird human references?" she rolled her rosy eyes. "What does that even mean?"

I couldn't stop myself from face palming. "Rainbow. Seriously. Even a foal could probably figure that one out." Okay, maybe that was a bit over the top. "Look, I'm sorry.. I really would rather not do this."

"Its fine," she assured, waving a hoof, "but seriously, why twenty bits?",

"Like I said, this is something that I'm not too excited about."

"Do I really to agree to this?" She asked, arching a brow at me.

I thought for a moment. "Honestly, if I come out of this empty handed, then yes you do," I said, crossing my arms. "I'm still getting used to things around so I'd say the odds of me going home alone are pretty high."

"Yeah, but the only way you'd have a bad time is if you actually try to have one," she argued, "seriously, this is the biggest club in Ponyville!" And that really isn't saying much for this backwater town.

"Look, do we have a bet or not?" I knew she couldn't stand up a challenge. Hopefully her competitive nature would help me out here.

She scratched her chin thoughtfully for a brief second. "Hmm, fine!" she held out one of her hooves and I met it with my fist. "So, ready to go in?"

I looked at the club standing before me. At that moment it felt like the club had gotten bigger, looming like some sort of monstrosity. My legs were quivering and I wasn't even inside yet; Rainbow stood by my side waiting impatiently for me to make my first move. "Well?" She asked, raising her eyebrow inquisitively. It seems like my body can't keep the promises my mouth makes.

"Just give me a second," I still just stood there, my palms moistening and my knees locked up tighter than a vault in Fort Knox.

"Now?"

"Nope," I muttered.

"How about now?" She tapped her rear hoof impatiently.

"Any second now, just give me a moment." I said as I ran my hand through my short brown hair. This however did not appease her as well as I wanted since she began using her head to nudge me into the club. "Waitwaitwait, I'm not ready yet!"

"Nope! We're going in now," she grunted as she pushed me to the entrance. Despite her small size, she did have brutish strength. Then again I was not exactly packing in the muscle department. I am a fairly tall, skinny man so it was no surprise that she was able to move me with ease. Dash barely reached up to my lower stomach. Oddly enough, the tallest pony I've seen only went up to about four feet. "Look, I'll be right there with you. Just relax!"

"But- but there's a long line!" I complained. "I don't think the other ponies would be okay with us just cutting in front of them!" My complaining was all for naught since she still kept pushing at me with her powerful little hooves. And I mean little, she was smaller and more petite than most ponies I've seen.

"Please! You think I need to wait in line?" I heard her laugh as we got closer and closer to the front door, where a burly black earth stallion was standing as the bouncer. "Just watch this."

We finally reached the door and he took notice of our approach. At first I had hoped that things would be simple and we would not be able to get in so easily. My worst fears were confirmed when he smiled genially at us.

"Sup, Rainbow!" he chuckled, his voice several octaves deeper than mine. "I see you have your human friend there with you."

"Sup, Gage! And yeah I brought Ethan along this time!" she bumped her hoof against his. "Anyways, we're just going to head on in, mind letting us through?" Goddamn you Rainbow and your popularity.

"Sure thing," he turned around and unhooked the rope with his teeth and nodded for us to go through. I could hear the sounds of other ponies complaining about the two of us getting to go in first when they've been waiting for a while.

"Hey! Why do they get to go in before any of us!" I heard a mare shout.

"Yeah! Why do they get to go in?!" a stallion added.

"Relax, you all, you'll get to go in. Eventually," I heard Gage guffaw as he roped off the entrance once again. Rainbow nudged me further into the depths of the club. From the entryway I could hear the music getting louder.

We entered the heart of the club and right away I could feel the sensation of the music vibrating my bones. The rhythm of the music pulsed in my chest as if it was my own heartbeat. My ears felt like they had gone numb to everything else and all I could hear was the loud techno music. All around there were ponies of all kinds loitering about, either carrying a drink with them or just talking and laughing with others. At first I expected to see everyone stare at me as soon as I walked in, but most were either too drunk, high, or busy to notice the tall human walking in. I was relieved, to say the least.

Usually everywhere I went in this town I drew a lot of attention. Whether I wanted it or not. Even though I've been here for a while, I still manage to draw some curious stares my way. Thankfully, the townsponies have been generally welcoming.

"So! What do you think!?" she shouted over the loud music. The club was very well designed and not too big; toward the back I could see the bar (Hell yes). Far to the right from the entrance was the stage, where two unicorn DJs were jamming away at the turntables, the amps breathing fire out to the crowd. In the very center of everything was the dance floor, where ponies were stomping their hooves and swinging their heads this way and that, cheering and laughing. Along the sides were booths, mares and stallions alike occupying them and having a drink. Despite the nice interior design, I only had one thing to say:

"I think you're insane for talking me into this!" I shouted back.

"What?!" she replied, perking her ears.

"I said you're insane for making me do this!" I yelled louder.

"What?!" she yelled back, scrunching up her nose in concentration. My temper flared at that point.

"I said you're insane!"

"Oh!" she smiled, but scowled as soon as she realized what I said. "Hey! I'm not crazy, I just take risks! Unlike you, egghead!"

"Well, excuse me for the being the careful one!" I shot back. "Urgh, this damn music! I can barely hear my own thoughts!" I'm pretty sure if I could hear them, they'd be telling me to get the hell out of here.

"That's how you know the music is good!"

"Look, can we just go the bar?" I begged as I begun the treacherous trek over to the shrine of alcohol in the back. "I need some way to make this less insufferable!"

"Sure! Right this way!" I followed her deeper into the crowd, bumping into a few others here and there; on the way I received some more fresh stares. Hooray for me. You'd think they'd be used to me by now. At last we arrived at the bar, which was tended by a dark pink mare with a purple mane. I believe her name was, Fruit Punch? "Yo! Berry Punch!" Eh, right neighborhood at least. "Mind getting a couple of ciders for me and my friend here?" We took our seats at the bar and thankfully the stools were tall enough for me.

"Sure thing, Dash," She replied cheerfully and flashed us both a toothy grin before she turned and trotted towards the ice chest where they kept the hard apple ciders. Now, when it came to Equestrian alcoholic drinks, I preferred cider over everything else. I tried a couple of other drinks in my time here and let's just say I found their flower-flavored wine less than satisfactory. Ironically, one of the more popular drinks here in Ponyville was apple cider. More specifically because of the apple orchard, called Sweet Apple Acres run by Applejack herself, would sell their famous home brewed apple cider. Luckily I was here for their highly anticipated cider season and I tell you, I have never tasted something so good in my entire life. Me and Rainbow camped out in front of the farm for two whole days, just to get a taste of that sweet nectar.

Speaking of apples, for some reason Applejack wasn't as open with me like Rarity or even Fluttershy. Sure we would talk like nothing was wrong, but in the end, I always felt an awkward vibe with her. I thought that maybe she was still adjusting to my presence, but I didn't want to dwell on that for too long.

The barmare slid us our drinks and went about her business. I popped off the cap and took my first sip of this heavenly nectar, feeling the warm alcohol fall down my throat as I swallowed. "Ah, that's the good shit right there."

"Yeah," she agreed, taking a big gulp of her beverage. "you really needed to take a load off!"

"You could say that, yeah!" For a little while, we had small talk as we knocked back our drinks. I remember back in our first few conversations, I was always bitching and moaning about how I didn't fit in and I wasn't meant for this world, and 'I don't belong here' this and 'I need to go home' that. Nowadays I just talk about normal things like work. When Twilight got me a job as an archivist in the mayor's office, things actually started to look up for me. Almost to the point where I felt normal. Well, as normal as it could possibly be. Even though I don't technically fit in, after I started doing my daily routines, I began to feel like I did fit in. Sometimes things even felt as if I was back home.

However, sometimes, there are some nights where I suddenly wake up, scared out of mind, and forget where I am. Then I realize that I'm here, and not back home. Yeah, I'm still adjusting. Speaking of which, one thing that I never fail to notice is how skewed the damn population is. Throw a rock at any house here and odds are a mare will come out and yell at you. My point being that this town is dominated by females. Whether or not this is how things are in other cities is beyond me.

Before I knew it, I burned through about three bottles and my buzz was coming up on the horizon. And good timing too.

"Whoo!" Rainbow cheered as slammed down her fifth cider bottle. Damn, this mare could drink me under the table if she wanted. "So! You having fun yet, Ethan?" she nudged me with her elbow a little too hard and made my glasses fall off my nose. "Oops, sorry dude!"

"Its fine," I picked them up and slid them back on. Despite everything, I was able to give her a half-buzzed smile. "Okay, I'll admit, yes I am having a bit of fun," I admitted, taking another sip of my next cider. "I gotta say, thank you, Rainbow for doing this for me. I'm glad to know that you have my back on this. Without you, I wouldn't have any good friends here." I reached over and ruffled her mane.

She giggled and pulled away. "Yeah yeah, don't get all sappy on me now!" her ears perked up when the song that was playing changed into a electric guitar tune mixed with synth and drums. "Aww, yeah! This is my jam! I have to dance to this! Wanna come with?"

"No I do not," I grumbled as I continued drinking. "You can go ahead and shake your tail if you want, I'll stay here and enjoy my cider! Besides, you said that I don't have to dance remember?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot!"

"Really, we just went over that less than a half hour ago."

"Yeah yeah, whatever! I'll be back in a little bit!" With that she took to the air and bolted into the dancing crowd; within seconds she was stomping her hooves with the others and dancing the night away.

"Hmph, crazy mare," I chuckled, going back to my drink. After I finished the one I had, I ordered two more bottles and slammed them back, all within about fifteen minutes. "Oh jeez," I muttered as I burped a little too loudly. My head was starting to swim. Just what I wanted.

I turned in my seat and looked out into the crowd to try and spot her. Then again, it wouldn't be that hard trying to spot a brightly colored mane bobbing about in the crowd. Ah, there she was. I failed to stifle a laugh as I saw her shaking her flank with a big, toothy grin on her face. Right now I'd say she's about tipsy on the drunk scale. Okay, now she was doing the pony equivalent of 'grinding' with some stallion. I guess that bumps her up past sloppy and all the way up to horny. "Well, at least one of us would be going home happy tonight," I lamented as I took yet another drink. "Heh, looks like I'm gonna be getting twenty bits." It was more a Pyrrhic victory. Sure I'd be about twenty bits richer, but what about the real reason I came here? I mean, maybe I wasn't putting too much effort into this, but the way I see it, no mare doesn't seem interested in me in the slightest. Now I know getting with a mare, a female horse, may seem disturbing to some, but as a guy whose gone six months without the presence of a woman, I'm willing to make a few exceptions. Even then, these mares aren't like the ones back on Earth. Every pony here is all colorful with huge, bright eyes, and cute little muzzles. I rest my case. I'll be honest, I've stared at a few flanks here and there. Even Rainbow's...

Kinda hard not to stare when clothing isn't really a commodity.

Anyway, from what I can see, the odds are definitely not in my favor. "What the hell am I doing here?" I grumbled. Seems like coming here really was a mistake. Although this place was crowded, I still felt pretty down. On Earth, I was never really any good at parties. Always tucked into my shell like a turtle. I looked to the floor again and saw Rainbow still dancing without a care in the world.

I felt like I should leave. "Alright, you win this one, Rainbow. Again." I dug into my pocket to take out the bits to pay for my drinks; I pulled them out and set them down on the bar. "Time to blow this joint."

Suddenly, a voice froze me in my tracks as I was about to get up. "Hey!" The voice came from my right side and I slowly turned. At first I thought it was going to be some drunk that wanted to pick a fight with me. But that thesis was quickly disproved.

A snow white unicorn mare, with a wild, electric blue mane and tail, and purple shades over her eyes sat next to me. And the worst part was that I was so busy drowning in my own self pity that I failed to notice her. She was difficult to read with the sunglasses on. I couldn't tell what she was thinking. All I could see was the small smile she wore.

Of all the things I could say, I said this: "Uh, can I help you?"

"Maybe," she giggled, her voice carrying a confident tone, "mind telling me why you look all down in the dumps?" At the time, I was still a little grumpy, so I didn't respond very earnestly.

"Hmm, I should ask why you care," I grumbled.

"Jeez, I just asked a question, 'scuse me for trying," she took a sip of what looked like whiskey from her glass. "I'm guessing you're gonna take off now aren't you?" She seemed a bit disheartened that I was leaving. Maybe I should stay for a little while more.

"Uh, no not really," I adjusted my glasses. "Forgive me, I'm in a bit of a bad mood."

"Yeah no kidding, Mr. Grumpy Pants," she teased, "you know, I know almost every name of every pony that's been in my club. But you're not a pony, I've seen you around town, but not in here. Mind telling me your name?"

"Whoa, wait a tick, your club?" I raised an eyebrow, "This is your club?"

"Well duh, I didn't name it The Spinning Vinyl for no reason!" she laughed, taking another sip of whiskey. "I named it after me! Its officially my legacy!"

"So your name is Spinning Vinyl?" she broke into a fit of giggles, tapping her hoof on the bar as she laughed. "Was I that off?"

"Not really," she said, coming down from her mirth. "You got the Vinyl part right. But add Scratch to that and you got, boom!" she mimed an explosion with her fore legs. "Vinyl Scratch! Owner of this fine establishment! Nice to meet you." She held out her hoof expectantly, I responded by bumping it with my fist.

"Nice to meet you as well, Ms. Scratch."

"Just Vinyl will do," she giggled.

"Alright then, Vinyl," I agreed, nodding, "by the way, nice place you got here."

"Thanks, but you still haven't told me your name, mister," she said with a coy smile, waggling her hoof.

"Oh! Where are my manners?" I joked. Just so you know, I am not always this talkative. Everything from here on is the cider's fault. "My name is Ethan. But add a Collier to that and bam! You got Ethan Collier, pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure is all mine, Mr. Caw-lee-err, is it?"

"You got it, but just Ethan will do," I copied her statement from before and we both laughed for a few moments. We finally quieted down and both took some pulls off our drinks before continuing our conversation.

"So, what brings you to my club?" she asked as Berry refilled her glass without a word.

"Well, not to offend you or anything, I didn't exactly plan on coming here tonight," I said, wincing, "not because your club is bad or anything, but simply because I don't like clubs in general. Never did, not even back on my world."

"Then why did you come?" she queried, her smile fading, "I mean if you don't like clubs then you shouldn't have come then should you?"

"Well thanks to a certain pegasus," I looked out into the crowd to see Dash still dancing like crazy, "I was convinced to come in here and have a drink."

"I'm guessing you don't dance?"

"How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess." she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Right," I sighed ruefully, "but the real reason I even considered coming in here was, and I know I'm going to sound shallow saying this, to meet a mare."

"Meet a mare? In a nightclub of all places?" she asked incredulously, pressing a hoof to her chest dramatically. "Why, that is the most shallow thing you ever could have done!"

"But I uh- I didn't mean it like that I mean- uh..." I stammered, a blush forming on my cheeks. It was when she started laughing loudly did I get confused. "Something wrong?"

"Oh no, nothing's wrong," she gasped as she came down from her second laughing fit. "Its just you look so cute when you're all blushing and nervous. I almost shed a tear!"

"Am I really? I mean I never saw myself as cute when I uh, you know, blush," my cheeks flushed red and I scratched the back of my neck. It's a little tic of mine that happens when I'm embarrassed.

"Hey," she chided, "relax will ya? I'm just joking with you."

“Right, joking," A few moments of painfully awkward silence passed between us. I hadn't the slightest clue how to keep this going. Apparently she did.

"So, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?" Where should I begin on this one?

"Well, uh, back on my world, I studied civil engineering. I was about to graduate, but uh, I ended up here."

"Really? Sounds pretty interesting. I'm guessing you're a real smart guy aren't you?" she asked, taking another sip from her half empty glass.

"I don't like to brag, but yes I am," I chuckled, reaching for my bottle once again. "Top of my class at Harvard University!"

"Wow, sounds pretty cool," she said, her compliment causing my chest to swell with pride. "You always been so smart?"

"From what my parents told me yes I was, ever since I was a boy" I regretted mentioning my childhood. It only brought back those familiar emotions I've tried to keep buried for so long. But those thoughts can come back another time. Right now I had other matters to tend to. With that out of mind, I took a harmless glance at her cutie mark, just to get an edge on what she liked. An eighth note. Musician, eh? "So you like music."

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Lucky guess," I said, mimicking her gesture from before. "Have you always liked music?"

"Yep! Ever since I was a little filly I loved music! My parents were musicians and I followed in their hoofsteps!" she stated proudly, taking another sip. "Oh and by the way, if you really wanted to know if I liked music you didn't have to look at my flank." She smirked knowingly as my cheeks turned red once again.

"Uh, how did you-"

"You can't fool me you know," she giggled as she finished off her glass. "Although I don't really blame you."

"Why is that?" I asked, "and forgive me for being rude." The way she said that. Jeez. A bit conceited isn't she?

"Its fine, and most stallions like to look at my flanks and less up at these," she pointed to her hidden eye. "Then again, I guess the shades keep them from doing just that, but hey! They're my trademark!"

"Well, I can clearly see why they like to ogle you," I said, causing her smile to widen. Was I seriously flirting? "but maybe you should take those off more often, give them something else to look at? I for one would like to see your eyes."

"Eh, maybe later," she finished off her glass and slammed it down. "I'll see you around, I gotta go do something."

"And what would that be?" I hoped I didn't scared her off or something. "Was it something I said?"

"Oh no, don't worry about it," she said, giggling, "I just have to go do something." She quickly got off her stool and started to trot off. "Oh! You know, as owner of this club, I'd appreciate it if you come out and dance to the next DJ."

"Um, I don't know if I should," I scratched my neck. "I'm not the best at dancing."

"Ha! You think the rest of these ponies know how to dance? Believe me, I've seen worse. And the next DJ coming up will be able get you jumping. If not, then I dunno what that DJ is gonna do! See you around!" she flashed another smile and trotted off to the back of the club, her tail flicking at me. So there I sat, frozen, dumbstruck. What was with this mare? Why did I feel so confused? Were we flirting or something? I didn't want to assume anything. Oddly enough, these ponies tend to be more animated than humans, giving me an edge to see what they were thinking and feeling. But this mare, I could not tell what she was thinking!

I turned back around and leaned forward onto the bar, placing my hands on my face. "Oh man, I did say something wrong," I mumbled. Great work, Ethan. This was your only chance, and you screwed it up. Smooth. Maybe I should just go back to my cottage-

There was a loud scratch from the from the DJ booth and everyone started cheering and stomping their hooves. I turned around and saw that the two unicorn DJs finished their set and were now waving at the crowd and bowing. Suddenly an arctic blue unicorn with an ash mane, three white stars on his flank, appeared in front of the stage with a microphone in his magical grasp. "Hello Ponyville! How we doing today?" Tumultuous stomps and loud cheers answered him. "I'm sorry I couldn't quite hear you, how we doing?!" Somehow the crowd got louder and my ears let me know how upset they were. "That's great! Good to hear that! Anyways, how's about we give it up for this awesome dynamic duo, Solstice and Equinox!" The yellow and orange unicorns bowed one more time, the crowd of ponies cheering at them. After taking in the applause, they turned tail and trotted off to backstage.

The unicorn onstage waited for the two DJs to leave and several roadies began moving equipment.

"Alright everypony! The main event will be on in a little bit! So we're just gonna take a ten minute break and we'll get right back to you! Sit tight!" With a flash he disappeared and everyone on the floor hastily trotted off to their booths and tables to find a seat and softer, generic music started playing from the speakers.

I saw Rainbow trotting happily out from the crowd, sweat glistening on her forehead and neck; nevertheless she had a bright, cheery smile on her face. She came back to me and sat down on her stool. "Oh, sweet Goddesses! That was sooooo awesome! Ethan you should've been out there with me, dude!" She exclaimed, blowing at her bangs.

"Well I'm glad you fun there, Rainbow," I said, helping her straighten out her mane, which looked a bit disheveled from all the dancing. "Jeez you really should brush your mane, and do you remember what we talked about, or did you forget while you were out there?"

She drunkenly swatted my hands away. "Hey, you know I'm toooo cooool to brusshhh my hair anyways!" she slurred out. Well, guess who just got bumped up to hammered. "And ya know what?" she pointed her hoof at me. Oh God, I could not hold back a grin. Rainbow was hilarious when she was drunk.

"What?" I smiled widely, "please speak your mind!"

"You better come and dance wit me when DJ Pon3 comes on! She's like, the best deejay in Ponyville! You have to dance to her music!"

"DJ Pon three?" I asked. "Who in the world is that?"

"Oh c'mon! What are you that dense?" She said, ridiculously throwing her hooves into the air. "I mean, like, whaddaya you live under a rock?" I forgot to mention she can be a little more abrasive when she's had a few.

"No, last time I checked I lived in a cottage near the outskirts of Ponyville," I said, offering her a smirk.

"Hey!" she snapped, socking my shoulder, "don't go and get shnippy with me, Ethan! I swear like, I'll give you the biggest, wettest, sloppiest kiss you ever got!" Okay, now things are getting a little uncomfortable. Especially when she started leaning in to make good on her promise.

"Hokay, no," I gently shoved her away, earning me a scowl from her, "As much as I'd like to, I'm afraid things might get a little weird if we did that, so I'll have to turn down your umm... Generous offer." She pouted and crossed her forelegs. God, she makes that look cute.

"Pfft! Whatever, I didn't wanna kiss you anyways!" she then slumped her shoulders and leaned against the bar. "Ethan?" Rainbow looked up at me, ears flattened.

"Hmm?" I spared a curious glance at her.

"Why don't you love me?" she asked, fluttering her eyes at me. I lost it there. I broke into a fit of laughter that made my stomach hurt. "W-What?"

"C'mon, you know I love you," I pulled her into a one-armed hug. "Just not that way." I bopped her nose playfully. "Anyways, who's this DJ? I've never heard of her.

"She's like, one of the best DJs in all of Equestria! Seriously she's world famous! And the owner of this place!" Huh, so she's a world renowned DJ and- my heart skipped a beat. Was that mare... no it couldn't be!

"Whoa whoa, wait, timeout," I made the 'T' with my hands, "she wouldn't happen to have wild blue mane and tail? Sunglasses? About your size? Unicorn?"

"Yeah, how'd you know? I thought you never heard of her?" Oh if you only knew Rainbow.

"Oh uh, j-just a hunch," I scratched my neck again with a quivering hand. I don't know what it is, but whatever god is watching over me must be chuckling to himself. Fuck, when did I lose my breath? "Oh God I can't breath..." I clutched at my chest. Rainbow noticed immediately.

"You okay there, big guy? Need another drink?"

"No!" I said a bit too abruptly, my voice cracking,"no no, I'm fine, just a bit of allergies," I wheezed out the last few words to try and convince her, but the little pegasus was smarter than she led on.

"Seriously, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Yes, a really good looking ghost.

"No its not that, but don't worry I'll tell you about it soon," I assured her. Then, without warning, the lights dimmed and the stage lit up with blue light, the spotlights blinking rapidly, the soft music stopped; blue light that matched the mane of the mare I just met. "W-what's going on?!" I asked as ponies started filing onto the dance floor cheering and yelling.

"Its DJ Pon-3! She's about to go on! You have to come out and dance! C'mon!" she pulled at my shirt with her teeth.

"Hey, c'mon! We had a deal!" I complained "you know I can't dance for shit!"

"I don't care if you dance like a little colt! You are coming out with me, right. Now!" she yanked on my shirt even harder and I stumbled off my stool. "Look! Just please do this! You won't regret it, I promise!" Truthfully, she didn't give me much choice on the matter. I was pulled closer into the sea of excited ponies, Rainbow continuously nudging me.

Before we went out further, I stopped her and she let me go, thankfully. "Wait!" I turned back to the bar and took another drink from my cider. "Okay, now I'm good!" Alright, now that I had a full tank, I allowed her to lead me out onto the dance floor. Next thing I knew, everyone was on the dance floor. And I mean everyone! I had to press my arms to my sides just to keep from being jostled around by these ponies! Okay, now I regret my decision. I had half a mind to leave Rainbow here, but God knows how devastated she'd be if I left her hanging. The roadies onstage seemed like they had finished setting up and promptly left, leaving everyone to wait anxiously.

Before I could wallow in my regret further, the unicorn stallion popped back in front of the stage with his microphone. "Sorry about the wait, everypony! We just had to set a few things up, but now who's ready for the real party to begin!?" Cheers and stomps answered him. "Alright! Now without further ado, give me your eyes and your ears, and put 'em right up there!" He pointed to the DJ booth, which now only had one turntable and the amplifiers were loaded up and ready to fire. "So give it up, fillies and gentlecolts, for the Mistress of Music, the Devilish Dubstress, the legend in the making herself, the one, the only, DJ Pon-3!" Fog started to flood the stage and strobe lights began flashing. The crowd erupted into a cacophony of cheers, stomps, catcalls, and hollers. Even stranger was that I was cheering! Me! I couldn't believe it!

Then, a bright flash came from the stage. Out of the smoke stepped a mare that I immediately recognized. I had hoped that it was just coincidence. I hoped that I was wrong, that Vinyl was just the owner of this club. But I was right. By the sweet lord, Jesus was I right. The mare that stood there on the stage... was the mare that I was flirting with, not ten minutes ago. I couldn't shake the feeling that this night was only beginning. And I would be owing Rainbow twenty bits.

Author's Note

Okay, here's chapter 1 edited. I took out several unnecessary lines and rewrote lines that I thought could be said differently. The changes may not be very noticeable, but for those of you who have been reading it, you'll see some things have changed. I've even changed the chapter name. Expect more changes like these.

Hope you all enjoy. See ya in the next one.

II - A Spot of Trouble

Before we dove into this, I didn't give you too much detail on who I am did I? Right, right. Allow me to officially introduce myself: I'm Ethan Collier. Former student at Harvard University School of Engineering. President's List placer and Summa Cum Laude graduation candidate along with other honors. I would have received them if I didn't end up here. Oh well, am I right? I lived in Chicago, Illinois for most of my life before moving to Boston for college. Nice town. Good bars. Not that I spent all my time in them. Since I was a kid, I knew that I was smarter than most. I didn't know what it was, just that I could figure things out faster than the others. Yes, my hand was always raised first when the teacher asked a question.

My smarts got me bullied. A lot. In a town like Chicago, my intelligence drew a big ol' target on my back.

It affected my life pretty big, but eventually I grew out of it. Didn't let all that shit bring me down. Though, I wouldn't go so far to say that my awkward tendencies didn't evolve from those tough situations. My brain was my greatest tool. Even if it didn't help all the time, it could help most of the time.

Although, I can't really say that about this little situation.

To say I was nervous would be the understatement of the century. Or perhaps in all history.

In truth, this may not have been all that bad, but the way my heart was beating itself to death inside my chest, I'd say I have a fucking problem. And I didn't have a phone to call Houston for help.

So there I stood in the middle of the dance floor, among all these excited, jumpy ponies, with Rainbow standing next to me. Of course, she promised that breaking through my comfort zone would help me in the end, I'd be hard pressed to agree with her. Thankfully, at least she had the humility to keep up her end of the deal and stay here with me.

And thanks to that I haven't short-circuited completely.

But just standing down here, looking up at her... was incredible. She stood on that stage as if it was her throne, she was the queen, and we were her loyal subjects. And right now I'd be more than willing to be her king. Confidence radiated off of her as she grinned down at everyone in the crowd, her shades glinting from the bright lights. I became mesmerized by her goddess-like appearance, ignoring the multitude of noise and the outrageous amount of ponies occupying the dance floor.

Finally, she spoke, or might I say, hollered into her microphone. "Whoo! Wub a dub dub, mothafuckas! Yyyeaahh! How we all doin' tonight!?" More stomps and cheers. Especially from me. Except for the stomping part. Clapping would do for me. "Wow, that is loud! I want it louder!" Somehow, to my frustration, it got even louder in here. I swear, her voice is almost the same as Rainbow's, rivaling her own tomboyish tone, but with unmistakable feminine flare. "Awright! Now that that's out of the way, who's ready for the real party to start!?"

Every single pony in the room shouted for her to get a move on. Even me.

"I'm sorry what was that?! Didn't quite catch that!" She shouted. Oh come on! I get it! You like it loud! "Yeah, that's how I like it! But wait wait, hold up! Before I begin, I just got one question to ask all of you beautiful ponies!" And human, Vinyl. Don't forget there's a human "Tell me," she pulls out a record and sets it on the platter. "Are you ready..." I tightened every single muscle in my body to brace myself. "TO SCREAM ME SOME MORE?!"

The music blasted out from the speakers. I felt my face pushed back by the sheer force of the sound wave. When the needle dropped, quite literally every single pony started moving in some way or another. I glanced down at Rainbow to see her busting out a series of moves with a joyous grin.

And as for me? Well, I kinda just stood there really... arms tucked at my sides trying to avoid contact with other ponies and not knowing what to do at the moment. It's spooky how accurately this moment represents my whole situation in Equestria. Not knowing what to do with myself and trying not to get hurt in the process. I suddenly felt a pair of hooves on my left shoulder and I hear Rainbow yelling in my ear over the music.

"Ethan! C'mon, dance!" she hollered.

"I don't know how!" I yelled in reply.

"It's easy! Just move your body! Like me!" She got back down on all fours and demonstrated a few dance moves of swinging her head to and fro while stomping her hooves. "See?! Like that!"

My frustration reached an all new high. "I don't have four legs, dumbass! I can't dance like a pony!"

"I don't care! Just move to the music!" I was already close to crashing, my left eye twitching slightly, and my neck was really itchy. So I scratched it. "C'mon! Trust me, just let the music move you!"

This music was really hard to dance to. For me, at least. No one else in the club seemed to have a problem. The beat was indecipherable. I could not, for the life of me figure out a way to move my body to it. The last thing I wanted to do was to make myself look like a fool in front of everyone. Then again, why should I care? Most of these ponies probably won't remember tonight. And if I'm lucky, I won't either.

The music changed to a different song.

This time I did as Rainbow told me and I listened carefully to the music. With each and every beat, I could feel the bass pumping in my chest, the melody running through my head. I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath, and blocked out everything else, but the music. I lost myself in its rhythm, listening to every single note or whatever they call it in dubstep. And suddenly, there it was. I could feel the rhythm flowing through me and the strange thing about it- it scares me when I say this, it really does- I liked it. I was enjoying it! This scratchy, irritating noise was suddenly growing on me.

And I decided to show it. I opened my eyes. At first I made subtle movements, slowly swaying my body and nodding my head to the beat. Then I stepped it up a notch by tapping my left foot and swaying side to side even faster. I could see Rainbow smirking at me as I attempted to get my groove on for the first time in my entire life. Who knew it would take music from a unicorn to get me dancing for the first time. Not even Earth artists could make me move.

The disc scratched, the tune changed again, but this time into something softer.

Nevertheless, ponies still kept on jumping to the beat and I could feel the stomps of their hooves rumble through the floor. I remembered Vinyl's words. She wanted to see me move, to dance to her music. Shit, if she wanted to see me move, then by God she will see me move. No matter how ugly it looked! With that, I then proceeded to bust out as many moves as I could. Which, in reality wasn't that many considering I did not know many moves to begin with. In all honesty, I wasn't really pulling off any specific moves. My moves were just moving my arms and legs in such a fashion that I hoped they were somehow dance moves.

Hell, if I thought these moves were cool, then by human standards, they must be shit...

Either way, I didn't care. I was too focused on the music. Every song that Vinyl had on her set was breathtaking, and not because I was getting tired from dancing, but because there was just something about her songs that spoke to me. A few times I looked up at the stage to see her focusing on her music, putting her very soul into each and every song that she played. And she was so beautiful too, her mane shone from the blue lights illuminating the stage and every time she swung her head it seemed to leave behind tiny glimmers of light. She looked like she was having the time of her life and enjoying every second of it, all the while sporting a gleeful grin.

And you know something? I was enjoying this too. A grin crept it's way onto my face and it stayed there the whole time I was dancing. I remember Rainbow flew up in front of me, I grabbed a hold of her forelegs, and we danced around in a circle like little children playing ring-around-the-Rosie. Before I got too dizzy, we stopped and I continued on with our frivolity. I'm not too sure, but if my memory is right then there were a few times where Rainbow thought it appropriate to stand on her hind legs and lean against me while she ground on my body. I think I even got real into it by holding her by the hips and grinding along with her.

What, we were both a little drunk. What do you expect?

Sweat was forming on my brow. It got so bad that some of it got on my glasses. Instead of wasting time to clean I just decided to take them off completely until I needed to put them on again. Rainbow looked like she was sweating quite a bit as well. Shit, every pony was sweating! I could literally feel the heat emanating from their bodies.

I heard Vinyl speak up again over the music. "Aww yeah! Everypony having a good time?!" Everyone, including me, shouted 'yeah' in reply. "Awesome! It just warms my heart to hear that! Now before I finish up my set, I'd like to say a little something," The music paused and everyone stopped to listen. "Before I came up onto the stage tonight, I met a certain someone," I noticed how she said someone instead of somepony. "I'm sure you all know who he is. A long time ago he showed up in our town, lost, confused, and lonely."

Now I knew she was talking about me. "I got a chance to meet him and talked for awhile, ya know?" Vinyl said, a casual grin on her face as she leaned on her turntables, hoof supporting her chin. "A real cutie, too. You mares out there are probably missing out on something great." I heard a few mares scream loudly from the crowd. A shudder ran over me as I blushed profusely. In the corners of my vision, I could see a few ponies eyeing me up curiously. Last thing I needed right now...

"Real nice stallion too," she continued, adjusting her glasses. "I hope all of you have made him feel right at home. This is also his first time in my club." A few cheers came from the crowd. "So, in honor of the occasion, I'd like to turn this into an official 'Welcome to Vinyl's Club' party!" More cheers erupted. "First, let's hear some stomps for Mr. Ethan Collier!" Every single pony around me smiled and began wildly stomping their hooves. Some even came up to me and bumped their hooves against my fist. From my left came a light purple pegasus mare with a wild silver mane and tail; she floated up into the air and planted a kiss on my cheek and wrapped her hooves around my chest in a somewhat inebriated hug.

I swore I saw Rainbow's eye twitch.

"And secondly!" Vinyl continued, her voice booming over the sound system. "All drinks are on the house tonight! My treat!" Everyone in the bar cheered raucously. I spared a look over the sea of ecstatic ponies and saw Berry Punch's ears flatten against her head. She surely had a busy night ahead of her. "Now let's get this party jumping!" She placed another record on the platter and spun it, scratching it as another tune blasted out from the speakers.

The music raged on and on for what seemed like hours. Every so often Vinyl would let out her own cheers and yells while we bounced away on the dance floor. It became so very intense. My muscles started to burn from my vigorous movements. My legs felt like they were going to give out any second. My whole face was covered in sweat and my shirt was nearly drenched. Good thing I put on deodorant before coming out. I realized sometime later that my moves had become less snappy and quick, but now they were wide and slow. Later it evolved into head nodding and swaying to the rhythm. A few times Rainbow bumped into me, trying to force back into it. I couldn't. My exhausted body wouldn't allow it. But she continued dancing like she hadn't even broken a sweat.

Man. Dancing's hard. Really should have spent some time in the gym.

Suddenly, I felt the song that was playing rising into a fever pitch, the rhythm getting faster and faster. I think this is what ravers call 'the rise' in a dubstep song. And they were right, it felt like the speakers were about to explode if the music got any louder. It went higher and higher, ponies all around waiting for 'the drop' to come. Sweet Mary did it come. The whole place might as well have been set on fire.

My sweat came in large beads, soaking my cheeks and hair. And that's not the nervousness and anxiety at work. Thanks to Vinyl's music, I was actually sweating from something other than that. I feel that it is proper to say that her music changed me in a way.

From the powerful sound that came from the drop, I felt my body become rejuvenated. I proceeded to push past limits I didn't even know I had. And you know, I hate to say it, and I really hate to say it, but Rainbow was right. I wasn't going to get anything done for myself sitting at home. Here I am having quite possibly the greatest time of my life. She may be dumber than a sack of hammers, but she has her moments.

Before I felt that Vinyl's performance was going to last all night, and I'm sure she would if she could, the music felt like it was falling and falling until it stopped and everything was quiet. Or I had gone deaf and my ears clocked out permanently. I thought so until I heard Vinyl speak up once again. "Awright everypony! Hope you had an awesome night tonight, I sure as hay did!" More cheers and stomps. "Well, I hate to do this, but unfortunately, I have things to do in the morning. You know, the usual manager bullshit, yada, yada, yada," she said, waving her hoof dismissively. The crowd laughed at her little quip. "But don't worry my little ponies, I'll be back again next weekend! And the next one after that, and the next one after that, and every weekend after! Goodnight, everypony!" She disappeared from the stage, leaving the rest of us out on the dance floor to ride out our musical high. Roadies moved out onto the stage and began moving equipment off backstage.

The club seemed to deflate after that. Every single pony left the dance floor and either left or went back to their seats and drinks; the same generic music played from the speaker. As for me and Rainbow, we stumbled back over to the bar and plopped down onto a couple of open stools. Though, the bar was indeed a bit crowded. Since Vinyl's little announcement, everyone was excited to become even more drunk then they already were. It took me a few moments to realize how out of breath I was.

"Jesus Christ... how long were we out there?" I asked, a bewildered grin on my lips.

"I dunno," she said, shrugging her shoulders, "could've been an hour, two, or maybe even three hours. You're really out of shape, ya know that? I oughta make you go run in the mornings."

"You can do that anytime after tomorrow," I said, laughing, "'cause I'll be too busy sleeping off this hangover."

"Oh and another thing I need to ask you," Oh no. Here it comes, "how does Vinyl know you and why the hay didn't you tell me you talked to her?! I mean c'mon! Why didn't you tell me?!" Her eyes widened as she suddenly became irritated. Though, that could be an understatement. Remember how I said she can be a little mean when she's drunk? Consider this Exhibit A.

"Well, I'm sorry, alright!" I argued, holding up my hands defensively. "How the hell was I supposed to know she was a world famous DJ!? I barely found out as soon as she went onstage!"

"Still! I'm your friend you should've just told me!"

"Well, she basically told all of Ponyville so wish granted," I laughed, despite myself. Berry slipped me another cider and I took a sip from it. "Besides, it ain't no big deal, alright?"

"Whatever, it's fine," she snorted loudly and got off her stool. It wasn't fine. Even with mares in Equestria, 'its fine' basically translates to 'fuck you'.

"Where you going?" I asked as she began trotting away in a hurry.

"Don't worry I'll be back, I'm just heading to the little filly's room," she replied, "just try not to get into any trouble while I'm away, alright?"

"Mhm, I'll keep that in mind," I said, taking yet another sip from my bottle. With that she went off in search of the restroom, leaving me here with my thoughts. And my cider. Strangely, I couldn't decide if she was mad or excited that I met Vinyl. But why would she be mad? I mean, if Vinyl's that famous you'd think she'd have taken it easier. I decided not to dwell on it and enjoyed my drink. I just sat there and sipped on it until it was about halfway done. "Jesus, she's taking long," I said, turning around to try and spot her over the crowd.

That was until I saw a pair of sunglasses looking back at me.

"Gah!" I exclaimed, dropping my cider all over the table. "Damn, you have a really nasty habit of sneaking up on me!"

"Oop! Party foul!" she giggled, using her magic to clean up the mess. Much to my amazement. "Hey, its not my fault you scare easily!" She climbed up onto Rainbow's vacant stool. "So! How did you like the show?"

I took a second to compose myself before answering. "Well for one thing I feel like my ears are dying," I said with a laugh, rubbing my left ear, "but on the other hand, I enjoyed it. I really did."

"Aw," she tilted her head with a smile, "didja really?"

"Well, I don't know if you saw me dancing like a maniac, but yes I did," I responded, grinning at her, "you know, when Rainbow dragged me out there I was so damn nervous."

"Why is that? Were you that scared?"

"Yes I was," I shamefully admitted, my brow furrowing, "but when the music started playing I kinda got lost in it and just forgot about everything else. I forgot about the fact that I'm... away from home. Even if it was just for a moment. I forgot about all of it. For the first time since I've been here, I felt genuinely happy. And glad, too! I have you to thank for that!" I said, raising my bottle to her in a small toast.

"Well, besides all of that, I'm glad you had a good time," she said, giving me that same charismatic smile. Berry slid her a glass and poured a fair amount of whiskey. "You know, as a DJ I get a certain satisfaction seeing ponies dance to my music. It just feels good whenever I see anypony just simply move to it. I don't care how you move just as long as you do. Know what I'm saying?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Yeah I do," I agreed, smiling at her, "and you looked like you were having the time of your life onstage. Is it like that for you in every performance?"

"Oh yeah, you have no idea, if I had the stamina of ten ponies then I would do all night shows every night if I could!" she said, laughing.

"Really? Then why didn't you?" I queried, arching a brow, "for a moment there, I thought you were going to play all night."

"Well, a usual night I would perform at least for another couple of hours, but I decided to cut it a little short," she said.

"Why is that?" I asked, curious.

"Dunno, just wanted to cut it a little short. Have other things to do tonight." A little red flag popped up in my brain. There was something written on it that I couldn't read at the time.

"Like what?" I didn't get an answer before another pony approached us. By the looks of it, it was a pegasus stallion with a light green coat, yellow eyes, and dark green mane and tail.

"Hey, Vi!" he greeted her with a hoof bump. "Great show tonight!"

"Aw, thanks Four Leaf!" she said, smiling, "glad you enjoyed it.

"I'm glad I came," he said, chuckling. His voice sounded young. Probably barely broke out of his adolescence. "You must be Ethan, right?" I nodded and bumped his hoof with a grin. "Great to meet you! I'm Four Leaf!"

"Pleasure's all mine, bro," I said, my words nearly slurring together. Looks like I was getting near the threshold. This guy, however. He seems nice. Actually, he's probably the first stallion I've met in a long time. Sans Applejack's brother and Spike, Four Leaf seemed like a guy I could get along with.

"So, you headin' out now, Four Leaf?" Vinyl asked curiously. The young stallion pursed his lips and nodded.

"Yep," he said, "Rainbow Dash has me on the early shift. Have to move all the clouds into position for this week's coming rain." So he's on the weather team? Rainbow hadn't mentioned him. "Well, I gotta get home. Nice meeting you, Ethan." We bumped fists (hooves) again and he turned tail towards the exit and stepped around a few drunken party goers.

"Well, he seems nice," I said, laughing, "do you know him?"

"Yeah," she replied, sipping her whiskey, "he just turned twenty this year. Since then, he's been coming and going ever since. He's a little annoying, though." This guy was annoying?

"How so?"

"'Cause, he's a real young dude," she replied matter-of-factly. I was confused by her response, but after thinking it over, I understood what she meant. "He's real cocky now that he's finally of age. I mean, he just barely graduated from primary school not two years ago. In the past, he's even tried asking me out." He must have a hard time walking around with those steel spheres under his tail.

"And, you said no?" I asked slowly.

"Yeah, he's totally not my type, either," she said, finishing off the rest of her drink with a sigh, "I've also got like nine years on the kid." So she's twenty-nine? What the hell? Even she's older than me. Rainbow acts like a teenager, but she's actually twenty-seven. I had turned twenty-five before coming to Equestria.

"Well, don't hate the kid for it," I said, causing her to peer at me, "I mean, how can you blame him for trying to go for you?" I tread carefully from here on. "Approaching a mare of your caliber, I don't think I could ever have the courage of asking you out so blatantly." My words came out steadily thanks to the six or seven ciders in me. Although, I felt like she could see right through me. Even with those shades on.

"You trying to butter me up, mister?" she asked, a coy smile sitting below her glasses.

"Is that a bad thing?" I chided.

"Nope, not in the slightest," she sighed and stretched her upper body out. Quite bendy, she is. "Say uh, you got anything else to do tonight?"

"Umm, no not really," I replied, "just waiting for Rainbow to come back from the bathroom. Now that I remember, where is she? Its been a good ten minutes."

"Its a busy night so there's probably a line to get into the bathroom," Vinyl suggested.

"Yeah, I wouldn't doubt it," I said, scoffing, "what about you? What are you going to do with the rest of your night?" Now the red flag's message came through to me. It read: 'you are taking a huge risk'. But to my inebriated mind, I couldn't care in the slightest.

"Well," Vinyl grinned thoughtfully for a second, "since you're not gonna be too busy and I want to know more about you, how's about we go backstage where my suite is? Its got a nice little sofa, wine cooler, and a bathroom in case you need it. It's great! I think you'll like it."

So I bet you're wondering as to why in the world I would ever agree to this. I would be going against my morals and ditching Rainbow Dash in the club. I didn't care. A good looking mare was inviting me to her private suite in the back of the club. Who was I to refuse? "Alright, sounds good."

"Shall I lead the way?" she asked, getting off her stool and flicking her tail at me like the way she did before.

"I would love it if you would," I finished off the cider I had in my hand and put it back on the counter. I was about to take out some bits to pay for the drinks, but I remember Vinyl said drinks were free tonight.

I then followed Vinyl backstage to her suite. Taking one last look at the bar, my winged friend still hadn't come back. Hopefully she won't be too mad at me for ditching her. I remembered what she told me. 'Well, looks like I got myself in a bit of trouble.'

Rainbow finally shoved her way out of the mare's restroom and back out into the club. "Sheesh! Since when did using a toilet become so hard for some ponies!?" she fumed to herself as she stepped out onto the club scene.

Something was off. Rainbow looked to her left where the bar was and there was a certain human missing from his seat. "Agh, Celestia damn it, Ethan!" she let out a snort as she stopped in her tracks and sighed. "Looks like he finally caved. Probably went back to his cottage. Maybe I'll go pay him a visit." Before she could leave, a drunk earth stallion stumbled in front of her.

"Heyyyy there, hot stuff *hic* you wanna take a ride on my-"

"No," Rainbow replied flatly as she trotted past the drunk stallion, who proceeded to collapse on the floor, passed out. She found her way out of the club, flapped her wings, and took off into the night sky to go back to her friend's cottage. "I sure hope he's back in his cottage. I'd never forgive myself if he gets in trouble."

Author's Note

Here's the edited version of chapter 2.

Enjoy.

-J.

III - Backstage Pass

Vinyl casually led me backstage, strolling by the groups of technicians and roadies moving large pieces of equipment about. The workers all wore black t-shirts with Vinyl's cutie mark embroidered on their sleeves. None of them paid us much attention as we passed by them; most were too busy moving around heavy pieces of equipment. She pulled me by my hand (with her magic) towards a hallway that led deeper into the confines of the club. Loitering against the wall in backstage were the two unicorn DJs conversing with that other unicorn. I didn't know his name sadly.

We entered a narrow hallway, the dark walls lined with promotional posters of other pony artists. "C'mon! Just down here," she urged, smirking back at me. I said nothing in return as I stumbled along after her. The alcohol in my system made things like walking a little difficult. We finally arrived at a brown, wooden door with a bronze placard that said "DJ Pon-3" placed in the center of it.

"In here, c'mon!" she whispered excitedly, opening the door and hurriedly pulling me in. Upon entering, the first thing I noticed was that her suite was very exquisitely designed. A vanity mirror with a dresser below it rested in front of the door, the lights surrounding it lighting up the room. To the left of that was indeed a drink cooler with several bottles of beer, liquor, and wine. Sitting against the wall adjacent to the door was a dark brown sectional sofa which looked pretty comfy. And the center piece for this nice little room was a glass coffee table littered with empty beer cans, bottles, and cigarette butts. Surprisingly, there were even a few pills lying about here and there.

I tried to ignore them.

"Wow, uh, nice place you got here-" My words were silenced by a pair of lips. It took my cider-adled mind a little while to register her mouth suddenly mashing against my own. My back impacted the door behind me and I felt her hooves press against my chest. Her mane tickled my cheeks as she snogged me for all I was worth. Shockingly, her lips didn't feel the way I thought they would.

They were soft and felt almost human. Almost.

"Mmm," she moaned into my mouth, heavily mashing her lips against mine. I went along with this for a little while, my hands frozen at my sides while her hooves caressed my upper body. However, she took it a little too far when she decided to slip the tongue.

"Mm, okay," I gently pushed her away, "could we, uh, stop a moment?" I asked, holding her shoulders and staring into her bespectacled eyes. Our vigorous snogging session knocked my own glasses askew. "As much as I'd love to do this, can we just, you know, take it slow?"

Vinyl seemed to hesitate a moment before her signature smirk came back. "Yeah, sure thing," she dropped down to all fours. I didn't notice that my heart rate had suddenly sky rocketed. Not to mention, I could feel the downstairs department waking up. Yeah, it's been awhile. Although, from my reaction, Vinyl did seem to deflate. If only momentarily.

"Say, is there a bathroom here?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. She gestured over to the door on the opposite side of the suite.

"Yeah, it's right over there," she said, gesturing towards it, "feel free to use it." I nodded and squeezed past the coffee table and sofa, ducked under the low entryway and stepped into the bathroom. Upon switching on the light, I saw the bathroom was just as elegant as the suite itself. To my right was a glass shower stall with a ceramic, countertop sink to my left, followed by the toilet. Which was way too small.

Goddammit. Stupid thing barely came up to my knees. With all the ciders in my system, I had to settle some business in the oval office. I finished up and walked over to the sink, where a mirror sat above the bowl. I washed my hands and then removed my glasses to splash some cool water against my face.

"Hoo, boy," I sighed, leaning against the sink. Staring at my reflection, I saw exactly what the night has done to me. My hair was matted down with sweat and stringy. Before I came here, I didn't bother shaving so there was a blatant shadow on my face, the brunt of it focused on my upper lip, chin, and my cheeks.

"Alright, you can do this," I whispered quietly, breathing in and out to compose myself. "Just, play it cool. Just play it cool, alright? You got this?" Nodding to myself, I gave the mirror a quick smile and brushed some beads of sweat off my forehead.

Okie dokie, let's do... this? I froze solid as I reentered the suite. The lights were suddenly dimmer than when we previously walked in. From up above, speakers that I hadn't noticed before emitting quiet, almost romantic music. The sweet sound of a saxophone and trumpet combo mixed with drum, bass, and synthetic melody floated elegantly out from the speakers. On the couch rested Vinyl, but not how I remember her. She lounged on her side facing towards me, her back hooves crossed and she propped herself up with one of her fore legs. In her magic she held a thin wine glass that contained bubbly champagne. Weird combo.

Good God, this felt way too rehearsed. She was a stone cold pro. A total fox.

"Oh, hey there," she took a sip before turning her gaze over to me, a smirk forming on her lips. "Care to join me?" I nodded and carefully shifted towards the couch and carefully set myself down onto the fluffy cushion. The DJ floated over another glass for me filled with liquid courage and I smiled gratefully.

"Thanks," I said, clinking my glass against hers. "Cheers."

"Cheers," she replied, giggling as we took a lengthy swig from our drinks. The drink was surprisingly smooth for an Equestrian champagne. I thought it would taste like flowers or something.

"God," I exhaled, having chugged a good portion of it, "that's some smooth stuff right there."

"It is, right?" she floated the bottle and waved it at me. "It's an import from Prance. Made by some family, I think."

"Sounds fancy." I assumed "Prance" was their France.

"Yeah, it ain't too strong, but I think this'll make it better," my heart raced when I saw her levitate one of the pills scattered around on the table. Drugs? I couldn't imagine what they were or what kind of effect they would have on me. Truthfully, I didn't want to find out, but my choice was made when she leaned closer to me.

"Here, open wide," she said, giggling as she scooted nearer.

"W-What is that?" I asked warily, fighting the urge to swat away the floating pill. It was smaller than a penny, but I bet it held some sort of psychedelic property. "It's nothing bad, right?" Vinyl grinned and laughed for a moment.

"It's not bad," she replied, "it's an herbal mixture that intensifies certain, what's the word, sensations." Now, I was curious.

"What kind of sensations?" I asked, tempted.

"Open up and find out," she teased, waggling the pill. Words failed me as I cautiously opened my mouth wide. She lowered the curious little supplement onto my tongue and, oddly enough, it didn't taste bad. It had a sweet flavor, actually. Oh well, bottoms up then. I closed my mouth and turned my head upwards to let gravity do the work for me. Thankfully, the little tablet went down easily.

"Wow, that was just as smooth," I smiled at Vinyl as she took her own pill. "So, how long does it take?"

"Give it a few," she assured, lounging on her side, "but in the meantime, why don't you tell me a little more about yourself?" An interested smile spread across her muzzle.

"Well, not much else to say," I said ruefully, "my life back on Earth wasn't exactly jumping."

"What do you mean?" she asked, obviously curious.

I chuckled and twirled the liquid inside my glass, my foot resting against the glass coffee table.

"Well, I was just a student," I continued, "that's all I was. I studied a lot, played video games, and other nerdy stuff."

"And that's why you didn't want to come party tonight, huh?" Vinyl asked, laughing as I nodded quietly. "Don't worry about it, ya know. A lot of ponies don't like to party until they go to one of my parties."

I arched a brow and chuckled. "Oh? Conceited are we, Ms. Scratch?"

She giggled and nudged my thigh with her hoof. "Don't be mean, Mr. Collier," she said, "you know you liked it."

I felt myself move closer to her. At the time, I didn't notice this, but my cheeks suddenly began heating up. They were small signals at first, but I was paying too much attention to Vinyl. I also had barely noticed how sexy she looked in this light.

"Yeah, maybe I did like it," I said, smirking at her; I involuntarily placed a hand on her fore leg, my libido suddenly turned up to twelve. "What of it?"

"Nothing," Vinyl replied, smirking back up at me, "but I really did like the way you were moving to my music. You looked so alive out there." Though the lights were dim, I could still make out her rosy cheeks. It seems whatever that pill was seemed to be taking effect on her as well. I didn't see her take one, but I assumed she took one while I pumped myself up in the bathroom. Her tone became breathy and I noticed that she began to fidget more; her tail flicked to and fro. "I loved the way you look when you're partying hard like that."

Moving ever closer, I took her hoof in my hand, planting a small kiss on it; her coat was velvety and smooth. I rubbed the spot I kissed, causing her to gasp quietly.

"Yeah? I really loved the way you looked onstage," I said in a near whisper, "you were so fucking awesome up there. I could listen to you all night." I didn't know what drove me to say these things. This wasn't like me one bit. In the back of my mind, I started to gain some sort of idea what she gave me.

"Really?" she asked, moving her face up closer to mine, a small smile on her face. "Is that the only thing you wanna do all night with me?" Now we're cooking with fire. I know I asked her to take it slow, but I started not to care anymore. I wanted her here and now. To hell with the niceties.

"I can think of a few things," I said, moving my hand towards her barrel, "I don't know if you'd be okay with it, though." Not a word escaped me as I slowly glided my palm down her furry abdomen, nearly reaching her flank. She gasped and her mouth .

"Oh, yeah," she said, a coy smile forming on her lips. "I'd be so okay with it." I would take her right here and now, but there was something I wanted to see first.

"Good, good," I whispered, brushing a lock of her electric blue mane out of her eye, "but, could you do me a favor?"

"Mmm, yeah?" she moaned, stretching her hind legs out.

"Mind losing your glasses?" I asked. "I wanna see those eyes of yours." Her confident and cocky attitude seemed to melt like a mask made of wax. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it; her head recoiled backwards a bit, like she was stunned. Perhaps I hit a nerve.

"I... I don't know," she said, doubt clear in her voice, "I never really take them off unless, I uh..."

My high faded a bit as I realized I overplayed my hand. "Look, if you don't really want to, I understand," I assured her, "I just wanted to see your eyes."

"No, no," she said, laughing nervously, "it's just, nopony has ever really seen me without my glasses." Even though she seemed genuinely afraid of me seeing her eyes, I wasn't about to take no for an answer. Especially since this drug she gave me made me hornier than a- Oh my God.

She gave me an aphrodisiac. Fantastic. Well, it didn't matter at this point. And neither did her protests, even when I raised my hands up to her muzzle to slip off her shades.

"Wait," she begged silently, just as my fingers touched the metal frames, "please, just, whatever you do, don't laugh, alright?" I didn't know why she asked that, but I proceeded with care. I lightly grabbed the frames of her glasses and she gently held onto my hands with her hooves, as if she was guiding me. We never broke eye contact as I lifted the stylish eye wear off the bridge of her cute little nose.

And then, all I could see was red. In the dim light of the suite, I was able to make out two bright, ruby red gems that rested on the face of the snow white mare. The color contrasted heavily with her coat, forcing the crimson shade to stand out even further. I was in love.

"Wow," I said, chuckling, "they're, well, I can't really say." She blinked those lovely peepers of hers and brushed a bit of her mane back nervously. God, that was adorable.

"I-I, y-you m-mean to say you don't l-like how they l-look?" she asked, visibly afraid. It was somewhat refreshing to see that even her, the charismatic mare that radiated confidence and vigor, could falter under pressure. Perhaps the mare I saw onstage was just a front.

"No way in hell," I said, holding her cheek with, "they're probably the loveliest pair of eyes I've ever seen." And I didn't lie either. Even with all these ponies having colorful eyes, hers attracted me like no other.

"Y-you're just saying that aren't you?" she turned away from me in shame, hiding her face with a hoof.

"No, I swear," I said, tugging her chin so she would look at me, "I'm a man of my word. They're beautiful, and that ain't no lie."

"Promise?" she asked hopefully, her lips hovering near mine.

"Cross my heart," I whispered, deciding to close the distance between us. Our lips touched once more, yet this time it was more sweet and less passionate. Pulling back for a second, I tilted my neck to better accommodate her and resumed kissing those luscious lips she had. We didn't speak with words anymore. Only with our actions.

She shifted on the couch, forcing me to lean back against the sofa with her sitting on my lap. My hands had a mind of their own as I ran them down from her shoulders all the way down to her hips, resting them on her flanks, which, now that I realize it, were curvaceous and plump. I could feel each individual curve as I caressed her body. Not to mention they were soft and pliable, like dough. Vinyl pulled away from my lips, throwing her head back as she let out a breathy moan, her mane hanging back. As she did so, I madly peppered her collarbone, placing little love bites all over her neck and shoulders.

Meanwhile, my trousers exponentially grew tighter and tighter with each passing moment. I was becoming desperate now. The effects of the pill I took made me feel like my senses were dialed to twenty. Well, at least some of them.

"Ah~!" she half-shouted while I continued my ministrations on her. Although, it seemed like she'd had enough because she pressed her hooves against my shoulders, pressing me firmly on my back. "Don't move."

My words died in my throat as she jumped off the sofa and sat down in front of me, her horn igniting. I felt a tugging at my belt buckle and saw that she was indeed attempting to take off my pants. "Here, lemme-" my hands were swatted away by her hooves and she glared at me.

"Let me do it," she muttered, teeth gritted. In her hypnotizing red eyes, I could see nothing but unbridled lust.

At that moment, a wave hit me. A metaphorical one, mind you. My eyes rolled up into my head as a strange sensation flowed throughout my whole physical being. I remember this feeling. During a hospital visit, they had to hit me with morphine. I broke my leg that time and the feeling of relief was mixed in with pleasure and, well, even some sort of ecstasy.

"Whoa," I nearly yelled, throwing my head back. I heard Vinyl giggle lustfully, stroking my thighs with her tender hooves.

"Mm, you high, baby?" she asked dreamily. I assumed, from her tone of voice, that the effects of the drug had taken full effect on her as well. I opened my eyes to see that my vision became somewhat lopsided, as if my brain was flying in an air balloon or something, and saw her trying to undo my belt.

Her horn glowed with a bright blue light and my belt buckle was sheathed by a telekinetic spell. The tugging feeling returned as I saw her staring at my belt with a hard glare adorning her muzzle. It was stronger this time. I could feel the sense of urgency emanating from her body. She seemed practically desperate.

"Aw, fuck it," she muttered, shaking her head, "sorry about this, babe." I didn't have time to respond before her horn grew brighter like a light bulb about to burst. She let out a grunt and suddenly my belt snapped in half. The buckle was sent flying to the left and clattered to the floor. Looking down, I saw that she quite literally ripped my belt off. I heard Vinyl giggle and I saw her sporting a mischievous, half-lidded smirk. "Oops. Sorry~," she teased.

"Don't worry, I'll get you back for that," I said, quickly leaning forward and grabbing her chin; I kissed her hard and passionately, slipping my tongue in between her luscious lips. Moaning loudly, she pushed herself into our embrace, the two of us fighting the other for dominance. I quickly lost when she used her magic to grab my wrists and pinned them to the back of the sofa. "Hey! No fair!" Goddamn cheating unicorns.

"All's fair in love and war, babe," she said, giggling. "Now, let's get these off of you." The button was easy for her to undo. She bit down on the hem of my jeans and popped the button out, after that she slowly, almost teasingly pulled down my zipper, staring up at me with those dark red jewels of hers. I wasted no time in lifting up my hips and allowing her to pull my pants all the way done. Although, she arched a brow when saw my boxers. "What the- there's more underneath?"

I laughed and started unbuttoning my shirt. "Well, think of it like a gift," I said, pulling my arms out of the sleeves as I threw the article of clothing to the side. "And you're the one unwrapping it."

"Mmm, looks like big present," she said, licking her lips seductively as she began stroking my now half masted length. "I can't wait to play with it." Vinyl gripped the waistband of my boxers and began lowering them down, prompting me to lift my hips once more. Now, I was completely naked. Feeling her soft, furry body near my own bare form felt heavenly.

"Wow, it looks different," she mused, nuzzling the underside of my cock, forcing me to groan aloud. "Mmm, it smells so good though. I love it." Vinyl kept eye contact with me while she stuck out her tongue and ran it upwards from my balls up to the tip of my cock.

"Fuck..." I muttered, my lower body tightening like a stretched rubber band. I spasmed once more when she began lapping at my glans again like it was a lollipop. Ugh, such a dirty reference. She then engulfed my tip once more, bobbing up and down on it slightly. I wondered if she liked it rough. Reaching forward, I grabbed a handful of her mane and tried to force her further down into my crotch.

"Mmm," she purred, seemingly approving of my actions. Seems like she does like it rough.

"Oh, fuck, keep going," I growled, forcing her further and further down on my shaft, until I could feel the back of her tongue. Maybe she could go just a little more. I kept her going lower, until her nose was almost sitting in my lap. Now, I could definitely feel the very back of her throat. Not a single attempt to try and object. In fact, she was still moaning through the throbbing organ pulsating inside her mouth. I hadn't felt this good in such a long time. I was going to try and make it last. However, my deprived body disagreed with me. Vinyl moaned yet again as I twitched threateningly and my lower stomach began to burn like a hot kettle.

"I'm gonna come, Vinyl," I warned releasing her mane. Though, instead of releasing my cock from the depths of her maw, she began bobbing her head faster, my entire length drenched in her saliva. Oh, God, it felt so good. So warm. So wet and moist. I couldn't hold it any longer. "Fuck!" I screamed right as my body tightened up as if I was struck by lightning.

I instinctively reached forward and grabbed her mane once again, forcing her to swallow the entirety of my cock into her mouth. Meanwhile, I fired shot after shot of potent jizz into her mouth. Vinyl pulled back and released me from her grasp. Unfortunately, I wasn't finished riding out the waves yet. I twitched and shot several more times while she stroked me with her fetlock in an attempt to coax more out of me.

"Aww, yeah, baby," she moaned, smiling with half lidded eyes as she made me come. "Come all over me. Just like that." Even though I came like madman, I still had some juice left in me. I didn't want to finish like this. I wanted to be inside her. To fuck her until she couldn't take it anymore. Her chest and some spots on her muzzle glistened from the spare amounts of cum that splashed onto her.

"Come here," I ordered, grabbing the back of her head and bringing her in for a rough kiss. I didn't care if she just had my dick in her mouth. Our tongues engaged in an intense battle for domination, one that I was intent on winning. And win I shall. Quickly and sharply, I stood up, bending down to bodily lift Vinyl into my arms. Her hind legs and tail dangled as I held her up under her fore legs.

Just then, an idea came to mind. I shifted my hands to her flanks and lifted her up some more, carefully positioning myself.

"A little help here?" I asked breathlessly. She smiled knowingly and lifted her hips, horn igniting as she telekinetically lined up my cock with her sopping wet pussy. Maybe some time later, I could get a taste...

"You wanna fuck me?" she asked with a sly grin. I nodded in reply. "You really wanna fuck me?" I nodded again. "Then gimme all you got." With that, I entered her with absolutely no hesitation. Upon first impression, it felt, well, different. But in a good way. I sank my whole length into her warm, velvety canal. I could feel every single muscle twitch, tug, and squeeze against my girth. So tight and wet.

The intense arousal I felt coursing through my body was overwhelming. It was almost as if I was another person entirely. Although, now I had finally become one with another person. Or pony in this case. And it felt good. Vinyl's hind legs hooked over my elbows and I held onto her luscious flanks with my hands. She, along with her messy mane, bounced madly while I pumped my hips upwards to meet hers.

"Aah!" Vinyl moaned aloud, throwing her head back in blissful ecstasy. The angle I fucked her in was a bit awkward since I was standing, but it was exciting nonetheless. "Oh, yeah! Fuck, yeah! Faster!" Her fore legs suddenly clung to my upper body, her muzzle inches from mine as we gazed into each other's eyes. Vinyl's crimson beauties were so hypnotic, they were my focal points as I made sweet, passionate love to her.

"Oh, fuck," I groaned as Vinyl stopped her rigorous thrusting to twist and grind her hips against mine. From here, I was pushed into the most intimate reaches of her nethers. The friction provided by her hips rubbing against mine and the constricting sensation from her pussy, combined with the aphrodisiac in my system, I felt like I'd transcended this realm and gone into another.

Eventually, I started to get tired of holding her up while fucking her senseless. Believe it or not, holding up a pony does get exhausting; my arms started burning from the effort and my calves as well. I needed to put her in a better position. I cradled her in my arms, holding her close to my own body, and faced the couch, planting my knees on the cushioned seat before I set Vinyl down. Her hind legs were wrapped around my waist as I got into a more comfortable position.

"Oh, I've never done it like this before," she said, biting her lip and smirking. "Pretty kinky. I like it."

"Baby, you don't know kinky," I said right before I slipped a hand down between her hind legs. This little move elicited a gasp. Fortunately for me, and I would never have guessed it, pony mares have a clit. How do I know? Well, let's just say it was a lucky guess. The sexy little mare below me squirmed and squirmed, her eyes were shut tight and she bit down hard on one of her hooves. But I was done treading water. It was time to dive in.

I slipped my middle finger into her warm depths, slowly pulling it in and out. Her moans grew exponentially louder, to the point where she turned and screamed into the couch cushion. I guess the drug's effects magnified her senses ten fold. Much like how I felt.

"Oh, sweet Celestia~!" she moaned, turning her head to scream into the sofa cushion. Her chest heaved rapidly as a her crotch suddenly became damp and sticky. I knew she had finally came for the first time tonight. Looking down and seeing her all flustered, covered in sweat and cum, her cheeks red and rosy, and her mane all disheveled was the hottest and most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

The DJ stared up at me with narrow eyes, obviously exhausted from the intense orgasm; her mouth hung open as she struggled to catch her breath. Knowing the fact she liked it rough and kinky, an idea popped into my head.

Lifting up the hand that did all the work, my fingers wet from her cum, I inserted them into her mouth; she instinctively wrapped her lips around them. I shivered when I felt her tongue swirling around my fingertips as she tasted her own essence. I was gone. I wasn't Ethan the shy, skinny, nerdy dude anymore. I was less than that. An animal I'd become. My baser instincts were in full control. Rational thought was thrown out the window. This drug I took amplified these feelings and reduced me to a lust-filled beast.

A low growl vibrated in the back of my throat. I forcefully grabbed her hind legs, pulling our hips closer together; my cock hovered over her ready and moist pussy. With baited breath, she watched me enter her. I wasted no time in putting my entire length inside her most intimate of reaches. Her slippery walls seemed to welcome me, dragging me further inwards.

Vinyl wailed loudly, her abdomen shooting into the air as she convulsed madly beneath me. When I finally bottomed out, I pulled back and rammed into once more only to repeat the process over and over. Her petite body was rocked by my larger frame; her eyes were closed as she tried to keep herself steady. Yet, her flat hooves found no purchase on the cushions of the sofa. She saw it plausible to hold on to me. My arms were placed on either side of her barrel; she placed her fetlocks on my shoulders, holding on for dear life.

Meanwhile, I kept thrusting into her without a care in the world. Every repetition, my hips would impact her own, leaving a loud smack to echo around the room.

"Aghh, faster. Harder."

I didn't reply. No matter how loudly she begged and moaned, I didn't answer. Leaning down, I placed kisses and love bites all over her collarbone and chest. However, I left a particularly hard bite on her neck, sucking on it just to make sure she had something to remember me by.

"More. Harder!"

Her pleas frustrated me. I was giving her all I had and she wanted more? God, she's a tough one. A flash of arousal shot through me. So she wanted me to go faster, huh? Fine. I'm game. Another growl escaped me. Steeling myself for the labors to come, I took a deep breath and reared back my hips, right before I went all out.

"AhhhhhhHHHHhh! FuuUuuck!" she cried out, leaning her head back against the armrest. She opened her eyes and I saw them rolling back up into her head. I gave it everything I had. Despite the fact I was exhausted from the night, I still had some gas left in tank.

"Gnnghh!" I groaned, my whole lower body burning from the vigorous effort. Unfortunately, I wasn't going to last much longer. My cock twitched madly inside of her. Even if I came already, my outer limits were nearby.

Just. One. More. Push.

My eyes, which were shut tight from the pain, shot open when I gave one final thrust before the dam broke. The whole of my body tensed up; the entire area near my lower torso was on fire. Pure ecstasy ran through me. But this time, it was much more powerful.

"Gahhhh!" I gasped, my head being thrown up into the air. Vinyl let out her own scream and buried her face into my chest, biting down on any piece of my skin she could find. I felt like my soul was being pulled out of me. Exaggeration I know, but that's how I felt.

And it felt good.

It took me a moment to realize I collapsed atop poor Vinyl, whom still held on to me tightly. She seemed just as tired as i was. Our bodies were stuck together. I released everything I had left inside her. Truthfully, I didn't know if I could get her pregnant, but the way I was now, I couldn't care less.

Ugh. So tired.

"I dunno about you," I grumbled, struggling to speak, "but I can't move."

"Me neither," she murmured with a tired smile, eyes half closed. "Here, I'll do the work." A quiet hum and a bright blue glow illuminated the space around us and our bodies were encased in her magical grasp. I didn't like being lifted by magic, but I let it slide this time. She carefully turned us around until my back was against the sofa. "There."

The lights in the suite were dimmed and a white, woolly blanket was floated over to us; the romantic ambient music stopped finally. Not that either of us heard it. Though we were hot and sweaty, the room was well ventilated and I could feel myself cooling down.

I didn't have the energy or the desire to get dressed and leave. The safest option would be to just sleep here with her. Of course, I didn't mind. Her furry body felt good against my skin. Almost comforting. It's been so long since I've been this close to anyone. This was a nice refresher.

"Hey," she whispered to me, "you comfy?" Well, I was still inside of her. But I didn't care.

"Yeah," I said, nodding as I wrapped my arms around her, one on her hip and the other around her neck. She smiled and sighed, cuddling even closer to me in an effort to find a more comfortable position. I stared into her red gems, admiring how they glistened in the dark.

I didn't know why, but I planted a soft peck on her nose, prompting her to giggle weakly.

"What wassat for?" she asked drowsily.

"Sorry," I chuckled, "your eyes are just so beautiful."

"Thanks," she said, right before closing her eyes. "I'm gonna... get some... slee..." And that was all she said before falling silent. Her breathing slowed to a gentle rhythm. Now this was the kind of soft music I liked.

My mouth opened wide as I let out a yawn. I guess it was time for me to hit the sack. I settled into the plush sofa, laying my head next to hers. Before sleep took me, a few thoughts lingered. This was perhaps one of the best nights I ever had in my entire life. Maybe I won't remember any of it, but I hoped that perhaps some things would stay. Maybe I'd find out in the morning. Seconds later, my mind drifted out into the sea of slumber, dragged away by the current.

Outskirts of Ponyville, Ethan's Cottage

"Ethan! Open up!" Rainbow stood outside the door of her human friend's cottage, waiting for him to come and answer the door. If he was even there.

"C'mon! I sorry if I made you leave your zone or whatever you call it!" She knocked sharply on his door one more time. "Ethaaaaan!" Her shouting led to no avail. He was not coming out any time soon. Not without persuasion.

"Ethan, I swear I will buck your door open if you don't let me in!" No answer. "Okay then, have it your way!" It always worked this way with her and Ethan. If he didn't want to comply, she'd convince him to. She about faced the door and lifted her hindlegs up into the air. With a grunt, she delivered a powerful two-legged buck and busted the door open.

"Alright you braniac, where are you?" She trotted into living room, which was currently vacant. In fact it was the way she saw it when she dragged Ethan out of his cottage to the nightclub. A half-eaten lettuce sandwich and a book on Equestrian creatures that Ethan was going to read for the evening. Everything was untouched. "Are you in your bedroom?" She went into the hallway and saw the ajar bedroom door, the lights off and the bed still neatly done.

"Ethan! Are you here?!" Silence answered her. "Goddesses damn it, Ethan. Where did you wander off to? Urgh, I gotta make sure he's alright."

With that, Rainbow exited his house, closed the door, and took off into the night sky in search for her friend. "I really hope you're okay..."

Author's Interlude: New Story Changes

Hey guys, how's it going? Good, I hope. Now, I know for some of you reading this, you might find what I'm about to say a little upsetting. Of course, you may have been enjoying the ride so far and are dying to see what happens next in the final two-three chapters remaining in this story. However, after some debate with other authors and within my own person, I've decided that change is in order. During my tenure here on fimfic, I've improved myself as a writer and have developed newer techniques that can increase the effectiveness of my writing. When I first started on this site, I didn't have that much of a clue on how to write properly, even if it was only for fanfiction. But any form of literature, is still literature.

Now that I have over three years of writing on my belt, I can say, without a shred of doubt, I can write something better than what you see now. If you didn't my blog post, then yes, I am talking about this story in particular. I had gone back to read certain chapters and, well, up to the middle of chapter five is where I took things further than they were supposed to go. I'm sorry to say that I made this up as I went along and I believe it deserved much more than that. In truth, I did whatever popped into my head and transformed what was supposed to be a romance story including one of my favorite MLP characters, into this needless drama-filled crime fic. Not at all what I intended. Looking at the ratings I've gotten, as well as a review from a colleague of mine, I realized that I can indeed do better than what I wrote during this story's inception. Write something that is deserving of 300+ upvotes. As I said before, I know some of you may not agree with what I'm about to do (deleting all the previous chapters), but I guarantee something better will take the place of what once was.

So, later this week, probably on Friday or Saturday, I'll be deleting chapters 6-13. Chapter 5 is where I'll be making the basis of the new story changes. I'll be taking out some characters that didn't matter too much and changing dialogue here and there. Now, again, I apologize in advance to you faithful readers who supported this work of mine, but now is the time for new things to come forth. I know you probably enjoyed the ride, but now you can get in line for a new one. And yes, you don't have to be this tall to ride it. Let me know what y'all think in the comments. And with that, I hope you all have a nice week. Peace out.

-J.