Dungeon sighed as the little bell above the shop door rang again. Another browser. Almost nobody had bought anything this month. It was really starting to bug him. He needed to turn a profit soon. His money from last month was almost gone. It was times like this when he wished he could still be out adventuring. Only the scars that crisscrossed his body reminded him why he should stay put.
After he realized that there wouldn't be anypony else coming through that door, he sat behind the counter. He pulled out his old game system (a Neigh-tendo 64), and hooked it up to the TV he kept behind the counter. He had it in case he ever had a sudden urge to play. He was very attatched to this particular system. Not only because it was so rare. This was his first system. Just hearing the electronics inside it whir filled him with joy. It was because of this system that he found his Cutie Mark, after all. He still remembered that as though it were yesterday.
*****
The day was cold, rainy. It was a rather depressing day. Though, it wasn't out of the ordinary. The winters around Trottingham were always like this. Cold, rainy, and depressing. A day like this was enough to make Dungeon Lock blend in with the drab background of the alleyways he would walk down on his way home from school. Usually, his bright white coat and firey red and orange mane stood out against the faded bricks in these alleys. But not today.
Little Dungeon rather enjoyed taking this route home. His parents were sending him to an expensive private school. And boy did he hate it. The other foals were snobs, and were always boasting about this thing their parents bought or that thing their parents bought. Dungeon didn't care whatsoever, and could never figure out why all those others did. He preferred to play with the common foals at the public school. They were nicer, and much more fun. Most of his classmates made fun of him for it, but he didn't let their teasing get to him. They were jerks, and they'd never change. Fine by him.
Today was no different. He went to school, and took the teasing of the others. Unfortunately, the weather sapped him of his usual attitude. His classmates beat him down, and he went home rather sad. On his way home through the alleyways, the rain began again. It was an ice cold rain, and Dungeon didn't want to be caught in it. He ran into a nearby shop. It was dry and warm. Quite a pleasent change from the weather outside.
"Hello? Is somepony there?" Asked an old mare as she came out into the store.
"Yes ma'am. I was just trying to get out of the rain is all." Dungeon replied.
"Oh, that's quite alright son. I was just cleaning up, and thought the wind blew the door open. Feel free to look around." The mare replied.
Figuring that the rain wasn't going to let up anytime soon, Dungeon began looking around. Nothing caught his eye right away. There was some candy at the counter. But nothing really sparked his interest beyond that. So he offered to help her clean up to pass the time. The mare accepted his help, and gave him a feather duster. For the next hour, Dungeon helped the shopkeeper clean up and organize. One thing he enjoyed about being a unicorn was how easy multitasking was. He would use his magic to lift things from the shelves, and dust them the conventional way.
He had almost finished cleaning, when something finally caught his eye. He noticed the cords coming out of the grey box which was enclosed in the amber aura of his magic. He brought it up to the shopkeeper.
"Excuse me ma'am. What's this?" He asked.
"Oh, that? That's the Neigh-tendo 64. My son said some kid would have more use for it than he would. So it's in my shop." She explained.
"How much is it?" Dungeon instantly responded.
"It's seventy five bits." She told him.
The smile vanished from Dungeon's face. He didn't have anywhere near enough money on him, and his parents wouldn't just give a foal that much. The mare noticed the change in Dungeon's expression.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"I would like to buy it. But I haven't nearly enough money." He responded with a sigh.
"I'll tell you what. If you promise to come here and help out for the rest of the month, you can have it. I think that's a fair trade." The shopkeeper offered.
"Really?!" Exclaimed the excited Dungeon.
"Only if you promise." She replied.
"I promise! I'll come here every day for the rest of the month." Dungeon quickly replied.
The mare smiled, and thanked him for his promise. She took the game system from the foal before her, and placed it in a box alongside the controllers and a few games. She looked back at the elated colt, and saw that he could hardly keep still. She chuckled, and closed the box.
"Here you are. It sounds like the rain's let up. You get along home before your parents start to worry." The shopkeeper told him.
Dungeon beamed, unable to contain his joy. He thanked the mare at least a hundred times before he left. He bolted home, smiling the whole way. His day had made a complete turn around. He rushed into his house, and was greeted by his father.
"Hey, hey. Slow down son. What's got you so excited?" His father asked with a chuckle.
Through his excitement, Dungeon managed to tell his father what he had gotten. He explained the deal he had made with the old shopkeeper, only to be met with praise. His parents advocated hard work. It was how they earned their first class standing.
After getting permission, Dungeon rushed into the family room and hooked up the game system. He stayed there for hours, gaming to his heart's content. In that time, he beat half of the hardest games in the box. It was almost like he had a talent for games.
When he stood up to go to bed, his mother gasped. He looked around, trying to figureout why. Then, he finally looked at his flank. It was no longer blank, but sported the image of the game controller he had just put down. He couldn't believe it. He had finally earned his Cutie Mark. A smile crossed his face almost instantly.
*****
The little bell above the shop door rang as it opened, and Dungeon came out of his memories. He turned around and faced his friend, Vinyl Scratch. He almost instantly felt butterflies in his stomach. He had developed a very big crush on the DJ not long after he met her.
"Hey Dungeon. 'Sup?" She asked.
"Not a lot Vinyl. What about you?" Dungeon replied.
"I got bored at the club, so I decided to pop in. Hey, where's your sunglasses?"
"Oh, I don't tend to wear them in the shop. Hey, would you like to play a game? I just hooked up my N64." He offered.
"No way! An N64? I haven't played that since I was a filly!" She exclaimed.
Dungeon placed a controller on the counter, and she grabbed it instantly. They gamed for a few hours, only stopping because Dungeon kept winning. That, and Vynil had to go back to her club. She had work to get done before they opened for the night.
After another hour, Dungeon realized there wasn't going to be anymore business and closed up early. He put on his sunglasses, and headed into town. Dungeon's sunglasses were different. They're specially tinted. The tint is so dark, thant it's impossible to see his eyes from the front. This helped him talk to others. Mainly because they had no way to read his true emotion. He could control his emotions very well, but the eyes will always tell the truth.
After night fell, Dungeon went to Vinyl's club. He was a regular there. He and Vinyl would talk whenever she came over to the bar. They would talk about anything and everything. Except for Dungeon's feelings, of course. He never had the courage to tell her. But that was about to change. Dungeon had finally worked up the courage to tell her how he felt.
Dungeon took a seat at the bar, and ordered a drink. He sat there and enjoyed the beats for a bit. Soon enough, Vinyl came over. The two started talking. Suddenly, Dungeon began to make his move.
"Vinyl, there's something I've been wanting to tell you." He began.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Vinyl, I really-" He was cut off.
"Hold on a sec. My marefriend is coming over." She said.
Before Dungeon could react, Vinyl got up. She came back to her friend with another mare in tow. She gave the mare a quick kiss, and sat back down.
"Dungeon, this is Octavia. 'Tavi, this is Dungeon Lock." She said, introducing them.
"Charmed." Said Octavia, extending a hoof.
Dungeon smiled through his glasses, and shook her hoof. His eyes were showing different emotion. It was a combination of jealousy, hatred, and sadness. Vinyl turned back to Dungeon.
"You were saying?" She asked.
"I was saying, that I really like your beats and your friendship." He answered, with another fake smile.
"Thanks! I knew you were a good best friend." She said, hugging him.
"Thanks Vinyl. I'm pretty tired. I think I'm going to head home. Nice to meet you Octavia." He said as he got up.
Without another word, Dungeon left. He kept on walking, keeping a neutral expression on his face. The beats from the club faded into the distance with each step. Once it was nothing more than a faint pulse, he took off running. He headed for the Everfree Forest. He didn't care about any of the consequences, he just wanted to be alone. The further in he ran, the darker it became. Like an idiot, he kept his sunglasses on. He couldn't see where he was going, but kept on running. Eventually, he tripped and fell face first into a tree. Within moments, he blacked out.
