The Griffon of Metal and The Pony of Bass
Who'd a thought a griffon could play?
Gilda was not having a very good day. She’d flown all the way out to Ponyville (A trek that took days because she didn’t want to take the train. Fuck the train. She’s not paying fifteen bits to ride to Ponyville when she can fly there for free.) to see her friend Rainbow Dash. She’d hadn’t seen her for years and flew out so she could catch up with her school buddy, and hopefully crash on her couch. Unfortunately a series of events including herself (she was very tired for having flown days as previously mentioned, and her nerves were worn a bit thin), A pink pony (One of Rainbow’s new friends), and a party held in her honor (one that shredded her very last nerve and caused her to unleash quite a bit of pent up stress), Gilda had left in quite a huff. In fact she had said some very hurtful things. Things said in anger that she hadn’t meant.
So here she sat. Drinking cheap alcohol at the bar inside the only club in Ponyville. A club she couldn’t remember the name of. Not that she cared that much anyway.
Her bag of necessities sat next to her stool, across which laid one of her prized possessions. Her guitar. She didn’t play professionally by any means. She simply enjoyed playing for any who’d listen. She could play monumentally better than what was being put through the speakers at the moment.
The music grated on her nerves. Nerves, as previously mentioned, that had been already shredded once today. Any more rage-filled outbursts and she’d probably end up having a heart attack, or a brain aneurysm, or both.
Gilda grumbled into her beer as she looked down into her glass. “Stupid ponies with their stupid friendship, and their stupid parties, and their stupid fluffy... fuzzy.... bodies.” She grumbled. The drop hit in the song and it made her cringe. She glared over at the DJ on stage. He was a young unicorn stallion barely into his twenties, with a blue coat, a brown mane with bleached tips, and eyes hidden by gaudy reflective shades. He looked smug and overconfident. His audience however, didn’t appear too enthralled by his music.
“Ugh, what do you even call that?” Gilda muttered into her beer.
“Yeah.... he’s new... I thought I’d give him a shot on the set but... so far I’m not impressed.” A voice spoke up next to Gilda, causing her to turn and see.... surprise surprise, another pony. This one was a mare. A white unicorn mare, with a two-toned electric blue mane, and eyes hidden behind violet shades. Said unicorn was leaning against the bar and giving Gilda a small smile.
“Why is that still up there then? It’s giving me a headache.” Gilda glared at the mare.
“I don’t have somepony to replace him yet.” The mare shrugged. She trotted over and sat on the stool next to Gilda’s. “Vinyl Scratch, or DJ Pon-3 if you want my stage name.” ‘Vinyl’ held out a hoof.
Gilda looked down at the hoof blankly. She sighed, reached out a claw, and shook it. “Gilda.”
“Don’t see many griffons around here. What brings you to Ponyville?” Vinyl asked with a raised brow.
She wasn’t leaving... Great..... Now Gilda had to talk to her.
“Was here to see friend for a few days.” Gilda grumbled turned back to her drink. She found it empty. When did- She sighed.
“Hey Berry, another for my friend here.” Vinyl called to the mare behind the bar before turning back to Gilda. She glanced down at Gilda’s belongings. “Soooo... I take it, it didn’t go well?”
“You could say that...” Gilda said slowly, now just feeling drained. She didn’t want to deal with people right now. She just wanted to drink in peace. Thankfully the barmare slid over another beer. She popped it open and took a swig.
“Wait.... were you the griffon who yelled at Fluttershy and blew up at that party earlier?” Vinyl asked, realising who she was talking to.
Gilda visibly winced. “Yeah.... Flew here. Didn’t get much rest.”
“Dude, badass.”
Gilda blinked and looked over at the grinning mare. “Come again.”
“You flew here right? You flew all the way here carrying all that?” Vinyl gestured a hoof to Gilda’s belongings. Gilda nodded. “Lemme guess, Pinkie Pie wouldn’t give you and Dash a moment’s peace?”
Gilda nodded her face hardening. “You could say that...”
“So let me see if I can guess what happened. You flew all the way here, got very little time with Dash thanks to Pinkie, snapped once or twice due to frayed nerves, and you finally exploded at the party. Which made everypony think you’re a terrible person.” Vinyl said resting her elbow on the bar and resting her chin on her hoof.
“How’d you know that?” Gilda asked narrowing her eyes at the mare. “Have you been stalking me?”
“Maybe.” Vinyl grinned. “Actually Ponyville’s a small town, word travels quickly here. Also I maaaay have been following you.... a bit...”
Gilda quirked a brow, growling a little. “ And why were you following me?”
Vinyl leaned in. “I wanted a predator to know the feeling of being hunted.” Gilda recoiled with wide eyes and a slight blush. Vinyl burst out laughing. “Ah Ha! heh. Just kidding. I was actually interested in that guitar you’ve been lugging around.”
Gilda looked down at her guitar. “This? Just something I do for fun.” She shrugged and took a drink of her beer.
“Oh really?” Vinyl smirked and folded her forelegs over her chest. “You think you’re better than that guy?” She nodded her head at the DJ on stage.
Gilda looked over at the DJ as well. “Anything is better than that.”
“Prove it.”
Gilda’s head whipped around. “What?”
“Prove it.” Repeated the mare.
“I don’t have to prove myself to you.” Gilda’s growled as her eyes narrowed.
“Well how about this then, you join me on stage, we rock out for a song or two, and I’ll, I don’t know, pay for your hotel for the next few days.” Vinyl tapped her chin in thought. She looked at Gilda. “What you think?”
“Hmmmmph... Fine.” Gilda grumbled puffing out her feathers. “One song!” She shoved a talon in Vinyl’s direction.
“Sure, whatever you say.” Vinyl chuckled softly. “Berry can you put Gilda’s stuff behind the bar?”
“Sure Vinyl.” The barmare nodded.
“Cool.” Vinyl got up from her stool. “Let’s go. Grab your guitar.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Gilda hopped off her seat, stretched briefly and slung her guitar over her shoulder. She followed the waiting mare. Gilda wasn’t particularly nervous about performing. More annoyed that it was actually happening. But she was getting a free stay somewhere. Spo there was that.
“Hey. Gray. Off.” Vinyl half-yelled as Gilda and her got on stage.
“What, but I’m not done!” The stallion actually sounded offended.
“Too bad. Ponies aren’t into it. I’m taking the stage.” Vinyl said as she stopped the music. There was a small burst of applause and a couple shouts of joy from the audience. “See?”
“Well fine!” The stallion snapped. “ This place can’t handle me anyway.”
“Whatever dude.” Vinyl said to the irritated DJ as her left. She tossed a cord to Gilda, who rose onto her hind legs and used her wings for balance. Gilda plugged the cord into her guitar and began to quietly tune it. The audience was clearly curious as to what was going to happen.
“You think you can keep up?” Vinyl chuckled as she got behind the DJ booth. She flipped through the records. “No. No. No. Crap. Why is this even here? No. No. Ah Ha! This will do!” She cheered as she pulled out a couple of records and switched them out for the records on the mixer.
“Just play something. I’ll show you what I’m capable of.” Gilda said, nodding when her guitar was properly tuned.
“Okay.” Vinyl grinned and turned towards to microphone. “Good evening ladies and gentlestallions. I’ve got a treat for you. For one night only, my friend Gilda here, and I the great DJ Pon-3, will combine Metal and Dubstep.”
Gilda raised a brow and shook her head. She flexed her claws as she gripped her guitar tighter.
“Let’s do this.” Vinyl said with a grin.
Gilda felt the beat and immediately started to strum. She bobbed her head to the music. Not a bad choice for the mare’s part. With the first. She could feel something. Something was trying to claw it’s way out of her, compelling her to play.
“STOP ACTING LIKE A-”
She couldn’t help but shred on her guitar as the words erupted from the speakers.
As the song became more frantic, so did her playing. She could stop her body from moving as she continued playing. The feeling. Something was driving her onwards.
When the song ended Gilda felt like it ended too soon. Gilda was panting and shaking. She wasn’t done.
“Shit dude. You can play.” Vinyl’s voice got her attention. The DJ had set her shades atop her horn. Vinyl was staring at her with a surprised expression on her face. Vinyl’s eyes were a deep bloody red. Gilda couldn’t help but stare for a moment before shaking herself.
“Thanks. Wanna do another one?” Gilda asked, popping her neck and shaking out her forelegs.
“What happened to only one song?” Vinyl grinned.
“Just put on another song.” Gilda grumbled.
“I thought you’d might want to keep playing.” Vinyl nodded and switched tracks.
This song started slowly and it allowed Gilda to ease into her playing. This time the feeling was less frantic and urgent. More like a feeling of being pushed to play better. Gilda blamed Magic for whatever it was. As she played, Gilda half-bounced in place, tapping a paw to the beat of the music.
When the music stopped this time the feeling stayed.
“Another one?” came Vinyl’s call.
“Do it.” Gilda nodded.
Gilda could help grinning as she played. This is what she’d been missing in her life.
Actually she found herself feeling almost happy. Like she was channeling all of her stresses into her playing. Now if she could only find the right words to tell that pink pony who kept butting into her time with Rainbow.
The song changed without any talk between the mare and the griffon.
There. That one worked perfectly.
Gilda felt almost in sync with the DJ and she loved every second of it.
The music stopped and Gilda realized she’d closed her eyes. There was a crowd going nuts in fronts of the stage. Vinyl was soaking up the adoration. “Okay, okay. One last song.” Vinyl looked over to Gilda. Gilda grinned and nodded at her in response.
Now this! This was a song she could get into! Her talons flew over the guitar as she head banged to the beat.
Once again the song ended too soon. Gilda panted and shook as she heard the cheers from the crowd. She unplugged her guitar and slung it over her shoulder. Feeling worn but good. She slowly made her way off stage and back to the bar. When she got back to her seat she almost collapsed onto the bar. The barmare gave her a glass of water and Gilda drank it down in moments.
A minute or two later more music started up and Vinyl came to sit next to her. “I sit corrected. You can definitely play.”
“I told you I didn’t need to prove myself to you.” Gilda sat up straight with a couple pops of her spine. “I was kinda cool actually. Maybe we should play together again sometime.”
“Tartarus yeah!” Vinyl hoof-pumped. She looked over at the griffon and once again leaned against the bar. “So I owe you for a hotel. I’d invite you over to my place but my roommate doesn’t like me inviting people over unannounced.” Vinyl grinned, looking as worn out as Gilda for some reason.
“You’d invite me, a griffon over to your house?” Gilda raised a brow. “You just met me.”
“So? You rocked out with me. I’d say we’re friends.” Vinyl’s grin turned mischievous. “In fact I may need to buy you dinner.”
“I’m not opposed to the idea.” Gilda shrugged. “I could eat.”
“Soooooo....... it’s a date?” Vinyl asked with an excited grin.
“Sure.” Gilda nodded.
“It’s a date.”