Cold Runner the disguised changeling knocked on the door, with timid determination hoping that this didn’t go sideways for him. The tingling from the previously consumed drugs had dimmed out into a nice subtle feeling, the alcohol still warmed his chest, both reinforcing the hammering from his heart. On the other side of the door he heard the sound of hooves muffled by a carpet, then the door opened and revealed a stallion that was neither Vinyl Scratch or Neon Lights, this was a new stallion, the stallion spoke with a raised eyebrow as he looked at the disguised changeling. “Yes?” He asked, his eyes moving with a calculating form. Cold Runner offered a timid smile and held up the pass in his wings. “I-I was hoping to meet with Ms. Scratch after the show.” The stallion took the pass in his hooves and looked over it carefully, nodding as he hoofed it back to Cold Runner. “Looks good to me, just no funny business with her, ya hear?” Nodding as the stallion stepped aside to let him in, Cold Runner stepped out of the hallway and into the spacious lounge, trotting quickly in and settling on one of the two couches in the room, based off the coolness of the seat below him he guessed that he was okay to sit here.

The new stallion took the seat opposite from him, leveling a curious gaze at him. “So, what’s your name kid?” Cold looked around the room while he answered, something about the coolness in the stallions gaze made the masquerading changeling uncomfortable under the disguise. “I-It’s Cold Runner, and you are..?” The stallion smiled as he replied. “Monochrome Noir at your service, maybe. Tell me Cold Runner, what do you do around here?” Cold Runner finally leveled his own gaze to Monochromes, feeling as if the stallion could see right into and through him. “I uh, well I work at the local coffee shop, it’s a nice place to work, I made two wonderful friends while working there, Storm Rider and Rose Dawn. Rose Dawn is...well, she’s nice enough, just don’t call her” He took a quick glance around and then back to Monochrome who raised an eyebrow again. “Just don’t call her ‘Dawnie’ she hates that. Makes her all uppity.” Quickly he covered himself with his wings and tensed up, when no impact came he opened his eyes and sighed with relief. “Sorry, she has a tendency to come from nowhere.”

Monochrome chuckled at his antics and smiled. “Don’t worry about it, thanks for the warning though, what about the other friend? Storm Rider?” Cold smiled, and relaxed at the name. “Well, Storm Rider is...smart, definitely. He’s fit, he’s always on time to work, productive too. He also has lots of connections around Canterlot, I think he’s actually the reason i’m here tonight.” A small barely noticeable blush played on the pegasus’s face as he finished, more noticeable was the way his wings had slowly risin’ themselves to his side halfway as he talked about the other stallion. Monochrome grinned at the site “You like him huh?” The blush deepened on Cold’s face as he nodded softly, “You should make tonight special then, if he is the reason your really out here that is.” Cold Runner let out a sigh and shook his head.

“I-It wouldn’t work out, besides, I think he and Dawn might have something going on between them and I wouldn’t want to get in the way of that.” Nodding softly the stallion was about to speak when the door opened and both Neon Lights and Vinyl Scratch stepped into the room, seemingly stuck in a conversation as they moved across the room to sit on the couches, the mini fridge opened and two bottle of water floated out to the two DJ in a red glow. “I told ya Neon! I told you they would love it! Octavia’s classical music mixed with our awesome music making skills killed it! Did you see the way they were moving? Fucking great!” Vinyl said with a huge grin on her face as she pulled off the purple shades and set them on a table next to her. Neon Lights nodding as she spoke, “I’ll admit Vinyl, I as a bit skeptical at first but now? Now I think that’s all they want! But, we should flip it up this next round with that sample we’ve been working on!” Taking a swig from the bottle, he smiled, eye’s widening at the new pegasus in the room. “Oh shit, my bad dude I didn’t see ya there! Name’s Neon Lights! Nice to meetcha!” Holding up his hoof as he leaned across the small table in the center between the two couches, Cold leaned forward and bumped his hoof smiling at the easiness of the DJ. “No problem, names Cold Runner, nice to meet you too!” Vinyl smiled and offered her hoof for the same gesture. “Names Vinyl Scratch, nice to meet ya dude.” Cold nodded and bumped hoofs with her.

There it was again, hidden among the white teeth was the nearly indistinguishable outline of the long canine he had seen before. In the small moment that his eyes had flicked down, Vinyl noticed he saw and kept grinning. When he looked back up into the DJ’s eyes he knew she knew that he had seen, the spark in her eyes almost seeming like a dare for him to say something about it. Offering a timid smile he kept his body tensed and ready to go. “So, what brings ya back to the most wanted in place inside the club? You don’t seem like the type to come to these kinds of places very often.” Vinyl stated, putting him on the spot.

He relaxed at the lack of hostility, the last thing he wanted was to become prey. “Well, I’ve always kind of admired you guys from afar.” He was lying through is teeth. “My friend Storm Rider, a unicorn, introduced me to the genre and then to you guys, gotta say, when smoking I can’t think of a better genre to listen to.” They knew it. The lack of glow sticks or body paint didn’t help his case. And the lack of a fangasm didn’t help either. Vinyl nodded and went along with him. “Damn right, we make the best wub wub anyplace, any time. Say, who did you come with tonight? Nice looking stallion like you had to have come with someone right?”

Cold Runner nodded. “Usually i'm the shy guy of the group but my friends Rose Dawn and Storm Rider brought me along tonight, but all they had to say was that you guys would be here tonight and I would have been onboard.” Vinyl nodded and smiled, looking at Neon. “Hey, would you mind calling those two to the stage? Bring them back here in about fifteen minutes? Until then just kind of talk with them?” Nodding, he stood up, “Sure, but what are you going to do?”

Vinyl grinned and looked at Cold Runner. “I’m gonna take our friend here on the trip of a lifetime, and then he can go home with his friends if they want.” Accepting the answer, Neon exited and as the door closed the DJ and stallion looked at each other and nodded. Cold Runners heart rate shot up as they both turned towards him. “So,” Vinyl spoke carefully. “I know you saw it, he saw you see it” She motioned to Monochrome. “So, what do you plan to do with the information? Tell your friends?” Cold Runner quickly shook his head.

“N-No! I-I mean, no, I won’t say anything to anypony, swear on it!” Vinyl rubbed a hoof under her chin as she looked at him, he knew she was a vampire, and he didn’t want to tell anyone now, sure. But she wanted insurance. “Right, right, now abou-” She cut off as she dashed on top of the disguised changeling, pinning him and bringing her fangs to bear. “I want to believe your being honest, really, I do. But I also want insurance that you won’t use this against me in some way.” Leaning down and looking at Monochrome who didn’t say anything but nodded. She bit into the disguised changelings neck, recoiling back as a flash of green fire erupted beneath her. Looking down, she saw two cyan eyes with a light white inside them staring back up at her. Green blood dripped gently from her fangs as she licked it up, smiling. “Oooo, an exotic catch~ Lucky me~” The green blood gave the taste of a sweet fruit in her mouth, before she dove back down for more a carapace covered hoof shot up to her chest, making her pause. “W-Wait! Wait! Please! We both have secrets! We have to trust one another if we want to keep them a secret! Mutually assured destruction comes if we don’t!” The changeling blurted out quickly, holding his neck with a hoof.

“Please Vinyl!! I have a good thing going for me! I work at a coffee shop and have two wonderful friends! I have my own house! I can’t afford to say anything! I’ll lose everything!” The changeling below her pleaded with her and groaned softly in pain from the bite. Vinyl fixed him with a serious glare and whispered into his ear. “If you say anything to anypony, I’ll know and I’ll leave little clues to what you really are in those two friends lives, eventually they would figure it out. From one monster to another.” Backing off the changeling and retrieving a box of band aids she slapped two onto the neck of the changeling as he sat up. Nodding and keeping a wary eye on Vinyl he looked to the other pony in the room, Monochrome. He had the same cool look in his eyes, a small smile on his face. “How come you didn’t help me?” Monochrome just opened his mouth and the changeling saw the same fangs Vinyl had. “Oh...Makes sense, I guess.”

Turning back to Vinyl and changing back to his pegasus form he asked, “So, what was the trip? Or was that it?” Vinyl took a second to recollect herself before she got up and poured three glasses of Stalliongrad vodka, returning to the couch and sitting down as she floated out two squares that were wrapped in foil. “As a gesture of good faith, I’ll watch you while we do this.” Cold Runner raised an eyebrow “Okay but that doesn’t answer what it is.” Vinyl tossed her vodka back and grimaced gently, “Gahh...It’s called acid, don’t worry just relax. It’s hallucinogenic and body high intensive. You hold it under your tongue and wait an hour for it to kick in. After words you just relax and enjoy yourself.”

Cold Runner took a deep breath and threw back his own vodka as Vinyl explained it, swallowing as fast as he could, grimacing lightly and coughing. After taking a deep breath he looked at Vinyl who still had the two squares floating besides her, now without the foil however. She grinned softly, “Ready champ?” Cold Runner sighed, “Not really, but i’m always willing to try new things for the first time.” Vinyl smiled and made the example, opening her mouth and floating it under her tongue then letting it rest there as she closed her mouth. Cold repeated the action as she floated it into his mouth.

“So what now?” He asked, Vinyl smiled in reply, “Now you keep it there for the next fifteen minutes and wait an hour.” as he nodded the door opened and the three ponies walked in. Vinyl waved at them, “Hey guys!” She had returned to her chill demeanor in seconds. “Cold? What are you doing in here?” Rose asked with surprise, Cold gave a sheepish smiled and rubbed the back of his head. “Uhh...Luck?” He offered, Storm gave him a deadpan look and shook his head. Rose trotted over and took a seat in one of the bean bags next to the couch, “You’ve been pretty lucky lately then, but it seems to have rubbed off on us so i’m not complaining dude.” Vinyl smiled and slid her shades back on, relaxing further back into the couch. “Yeahs he’s a lucky stallion alright, drinks with a DJ, two good friends, a nice life if you ask me. Hope nothing ruins it for him.” The statement was clear to the disguised changeling, dont fuck anything up.

Neon retook his spot on the couch next to Monochrome, Storm taking a seat on the soft carpet. A bottle of alcohol floated over to them, Storm’s eyes widened. “Woah...No way! No fucking way!” He said with excitement in his voice as he took the second and third bottle that were floated over, acting like a filly on Hearth's Warming day morning, “This is Griffin Stone whiskey! Where’d you guys even get this stuff!?” He looked up and grinned, shaking his head as no one answered him “Doesn’t matter, but this is really good shit. Wonder if ol’ Gilda has any in stock..?” The bottles were floated back in Vinyls grasp, glasses following as she poured everyone a good amount.

“A good whiskey? Hell yes. Cheap? Fuck no.” Vinyl replied, to his question as she drank some and placed it back on the table.

Thirty minutes had passed and everyone had been talking, including Vinyl who was currently retelling a story of a DJ job in Manehatten. “And then he got thrown out the fucking window! HA!” Everyone burst into laughter at this, Cold had been chuckling and now was laughing with everyone else as he slowly relaxed over time. His gaze kept returning to the two stallions across from him though, his courage had increased since the liquor had taken effect and he was thinking about seeking some private time with either of them. His eyes lingering on Storms rump and cutie mark, a steady blush rising to his cheeks. Soon the room was quiet and everyone was looking as Cold, Rose shook him gently. “Cold?” turning to look at her he smiled.

“Yeah?” He took a sip of the whiskey and raised an eyebrow.

“You gonna answer the question?” She asked

“I was asked a question? Huh...Could the inquiree of said question repeat it?”

Vinyl spoke up and grinned. “Sure. Whatcha starin at?”

Sputtering he looked around his face burning up. “I-I was uh, I was just admiring how cool Storms cutie mark looks! Looks better than mine, anyway!” He chuckled nervously and his courage shattered back to what it was before.

Vinyl grinned wider and laughed. “Hahaha! Wooo! You were staring at his ruuummppp!”

Storm’s ears shot up and he looked at Cold, who in turn splayed his ears back and looked away from his best friend. Rose looked in between the two and grinned. “I always knew you two were a couple! Haha! Hell yeah!” Storm spoke up “Hey! Hey! We’re not together! I’m straight!”

Cold froze up at it, he hadn't even considered that, he had always assumed that he was fine with either one. Cold took another drink from his whiskey and dryly stated while looking at Monochrome “Told ya.” Monochrome snorted and drank his own whiskey in turn.

Storm looked at Cold and frowned, “Wait you were interested in me?” Cold didn’t reply but nodded after finishing his cup and motioning for Vinyl to refill it.

“But...Why?” He asked still looking at Cold, who sighed softly. “Well, to start your smart, your handsome, we get along really well, and the three of us always do everything together. So, I just thought that, y’know, maybe something could happen, but I never asked you because I thought you and Dawn had something going on.”

Rose burned a bright red at this. “W-What!? Me and him?! Psshhh...” She looked over to Storm and grinned. “Unless you want to?” Storm chuckled and finished his drink as well. “Ask me when i’m not drunk Dawn.”

Cold looked at Vinyl who grinned more at him. “Hey, at least now you know dude.” Cold snorted and brought the cup up to him again. “Maybe I didn’t want to know Vinyl, maybe I didn’t want to know.” He took several sips and looked back to her, and she chuckled and patted his shoulder, speaking quietly to him barely enough for him to hear her. “Better find somewhere comfy kid, shits about to hit.” Nodding, he obeyed and got a little more comfy in his seat.

Soon enough the situation was broke when Neon brought it back to telling stories about his earlier DJ days and how much of a rough start he had.

At some point in the night Vinyl had passed Cold as second pair of glasses, these one red instead of purple, to wear to hide his ever expanding pupils. Rose and Storm rose to their hooves slowly and grinned, looking at Cold. “You ready to go dude?” Cold looked to Vinyl and she shrugged. “Your welcome back anytime, I’ll put you guys on the list.” Nodding, Cold stood and Monochrome stood with him. “I’ll make sure they get home safe.” Vinyl and Neon nodded and returned to drinking, the four ponies walking out with some difficulty, mostly the two pegasi and unicorn, the vampire walking like it wasn’t affecting him, only a slight stumble in his step.

Cold was leaning against the vampire for support as they walked drunkenly toward his house. Storm calling out as he and Rose waved goodnight. “Be Careful going home Cold! We still need you at the coffee shop!” Cold chuckled softly and waved back. “Yeah, you too Strom!”

He and Monochrome continued to his house, Cold leaning more against the vampire than before. “Hey Monochrome?” He asked softly.

Monochrome looked down at the smaller stallion and raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

“Would...Would you mind keeping me company tonight? I just want someone to watch me while im on this trip. I-It’s getting kind of hard to walk right now, and i’m not sure I can walk up my stairs.” He said, his point pronounced more as he nearly fell down.

Monochrome held him close, causing Cold to blush and look away. “Thanks for that…” Monochrome nodded and held out a steadying hoof for him, “No, I don’t think I would mind. It’s the least I can do for how Vinyl brought up that problem tonight.” Cold was about to speak when Monochrome spoke before he could though. “Don’t start thinking that this makes us friends, i’m usually not like this but...Alcohol can do amazing things. And don’t expect anything more than me just watching and making sure you don’t freak out and hurt yourself.”

Cold nodded, a little crestfallen at the notion. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t wiggle like the bug he is and worm his way into this vampires heart. Assuming he even swung that way. Still leaning against the taller stallion, he fumbled with his keys, eventually unlocking his front door and stumbling in as Monochrome came in and closed it behind him.

Losing his disguise as he fell onto the couch, the world moving around him, as he looked to his hoof, giggling softly as it lagged behind and moved around as he looked at it. Monochrome trotted over and sat on the other and of the couch, watching the changeling closely as it observed itself under the effects of the drug. The night would be a long one tonight.

Author's Note

Jeez, i'am really pumped about this story. But the next update will be delayed so that I can update my other story A Praetorians Duty. Anywhoozers, I really hope you all enjoy the story so far and please, feel free to leave a comment down blow, and don't forget to rate it and to those of you who are keeping a special eye on the story, thank you very much!