You pluck the string once.
"No, too low."
You twist the nob and try again.
"No, still too low."
You twist the nob a bit more and pluck again.
"Oh lord, way too high."
You gently turn the nob again the opposite direction and try once more. This time, the string produces a gentle hum.
"Perfect!"
You pick up the instrument in your lap and stand up. Plucking each individual string with your thumb, you take a moment to ensure they are all properly tuned. After plucking each of them and listening closely, you feel satisfied and set the instrument on its stand.
It was the general routine you followed. During your downtime, you were either out having fun with friends or you were in the studio tending to the equipment. Granted, the job would be easier if you had any magical prowess like the unicorns here, but you had your own little niche that made things much simpler for you compared to the ponies.
Being one of the only humans in Equestria, you had a sort of status among ponies. Some adored you, some were fascinated by you, some were afraid of you. There were foul rumors and falsities that humans apparently had in this land, but you knew better than anyone- er, anypony, that they were all lies.
Still, it was a nice gig to live with. Your stature certainly made your little group stand out. It wasn't too often that ponies had humans for partners, especially in your business. Being one of a two-person...two-pony...two-creature group, you made up the oddity of the band. As the only human in the music industry in Equestria, you were known far and wide among ponies, if not always for the most pleasant reasons.
You grab a can of soda and walk over to a few beanbags in the corner of the room, taking care not to trip over any cables. Again. Making your way over, you plant yourself on one of the bags and fold your legs. You really didn't have much else to do until she got back. You had taken care of the tuning, cleaning, and other preparations you did on a regular basis. You let out a small sigh of boredom, waiting for her to return.
She's usually not gone for extremely long periods of time. It shouldn't be too long until she returns, especially knowing her reason for having left in the first place: to get her shades fixed. After a small incident during the last show, her trademark shades were cracked, and she only now decided to get them repaired. Not only is it a wonder that she's even a functioning life-form, what with how clumsy she can be, but it amazes you that she doesn't have any spares of those glasses. If something were to happen to them just before a show, what was she to do?
You shake your head a bit. There was no need to insult her, even if it's only in your mind. After all she's done for you, a little quip like that isn't going to break up what the two of you managed to forge. Cracking open the can of soda, you take a quick swig. It was one of the only beverages besides water and alcoholic drinks you could actually keep down. Everything else had hay or some other grass mixed into it somehow, or was otherwise displeasing to you. The sugary substance flows down your throat, and you relish in its almost acidic taste.
Setting the can down, you simply lean back and wait. Letting out another sigh of boredom, you glance at the clock on the far wall. It was just past three, so she should be back right about...
"'Sup!"
Now. Turning towards the door, you find a familiar white mare walking through, shades resting over her eyes. The door glows blue with her magic aura and shuts itself behind her. With a smile on her face, she walks up and plants herself in the beanbag next to you. Leaning her head back, she levitates her shades off her head, her eyes closed.
Watching the glasses float through the air, you start. "Nothin' much, just got done tuning and whatnot." You pick up your can and take another sip before continuing. "How much were the shades?"
Without opening her eyes, she responds. "Thirty bits to fix the lens."
You choke a bit on your soda. "Thirty bits, you kidding me? A bit much, 'ey?"
"Relax, it's no big deal." She says, waving a hoof dismissively. She doesn't look at you as she talks.
"Still, I could have fixed them myself if I'd known it'd be that much." You reply.
"What, are you a lens-crafter all of a sudden?" She asks, sarcasm lacing her words.
"No, but it can't be that hard. Or that expensive!" You exclaim. "I'm telling ya, you got fleeced."
She waves a hoof again. "Whatevs, if they're fixed, they're fixed." She sits up and looks at you, finally opening her eyes. "That's all that matters, right?"
"If you say so...." You reply.
The mare you were arguing with was none other than Vinyl Scratch, otherwise known as DJ P0N-3. As your only other band member, you had been friends with her for as long as you can remember. It was rather odd how the two of you became partners in the trade. She had taken a liking to your whole 'being a human' thing, and wanted to put it to good use. At first, you refused, feeling like you were being treated like a circus monkey. With the band name the two of you ended up using, that feeling was only amplified.
After some coaxing, you had finally given in, and Vinyl immediately took you under her proverbial wing. She had an experimental form of music making that she wanted to test out, working with both pre-made tracks and live performance. As it turns out, you had quite a knack for playing the bass, and with time you and her had developed a phenomenal system. She provides the majority of the track while your bass-playing gave a special edge to the music. Given your appendages, you had a much easier time using the instrument than did ponies.
And so far, it had proven to be a huge hit. Ponies from all over loved the style you two took, and you had gig after gig lined up. Albums, interviews, live performances, it came with it all. At the time, you doubted you would have ever made it as far as you did, what with you being of a totally different species. But still, it all seems to have worked out. Here you are, lounging around, waiting for your next gig.
Speaking of that...
"So, Scratch," you start. She had specifically asked you to call her that instead of her first name quite awhile ago. "When's our next gig?"
"Not sure, lemme check." She gets up and begins to trot over to the other end of the room towards her desk. You couldn't help but notice her tail swaying a bit more than usual.
You figured it was nothing. As she hunches over her desk, you take a moment to examine her. Her mane and tail were two shades of a shocking blue, and her Cutie Mark displayed a simple musical note. It took her forever to explain the deal with Cutie Marks to you. You figured they were just tattoos or something. Her coat was a spotless white, and adorned on her head was a simple horn. The whole idea of magic seemed far-fetched to you a long time ago, but you have seen it enough times in action to no longer have doubt in it.
Possibly her most striking feature was her eyes. Though many ponies never actually got to see them, they were a vivid magenta, a shade which contrasted with pretty much everything else about her. Only those who were close to her or were otherwise just lucky got to see them without the sunglasses over them. You never understood why she hid them so much.
After a moment, you realized you were just idly staring at her flank. Tearing your gaze away, you begin to observe the other side of the room. Why were you staring at her like that? It's not like you were attracted to her. Hell, she's not even the same species as you!
Then again, ever since your induction into the lives of ponies, you had slowly grown more and more fond of them. What once would drive you to disgust, was now something you rather liked in them. In fact, you even found yourself being attracted to mares, in a way. Not so much a full-fledged, 'love at first sight' sort of thing. You just found them more appealing to look at.
Of course, you couldn't do something like this with Vinyl. She's your closest friend and only band-mate! Who knows what could happen to the friendship you've forged if something like that got in the way. You had to think about the future of the band, after all. As much as you love her for her personality, you couldn't simply try to turn it into...that.
After a few minutes of her glancing over papers, she finally speaks, snapping you out of your thoughts. "Huh, turns out we've got one tomorrow night!"
You sit up slightly. "Seriously?"
"Yeah, it's at some new place called Discord Fever. Just opened up a few weeks ago, looks like." She says, scanning the papers.
"Crap, how'd I forget about that..." You respond, rubbing your head.
She shrugs. "No big deal, we've got enough practice time in." She turns away from her desk and walks to you. "If we're doing that new song though, we might wanna touch up a bit first, right?"
"Yeah, let's do this." She offers a hoof to help you up, which you accept. Pulling you from your sitting position, you get to your feet and prepare to head to your bass. Pulling your hand away, you look down to Vinyl and notice her pulling her hoof back rather slowly. It was almost like she was reluctant to pull away.
You shrug it off as nothing. You crack your knuckles and head over to your bass as Vinyl heads to her booth. Picking it up by the neck, you throw the sling over your head and grasp the neck. Running your calloused fingers down the strings, you familiarize yourself with the instrument as you do every time before playing. Plucking the strings, you check to see if they had warped at all in the short time since you tuned them.
Satisfied with their performance, you turn to Vinyl. Standing behind her usual turntables, she presses a few switches and turns a few nobs, adjusting her sound levels and whatnot. You weren't really interested in the technical mumbo-jumbo behind her equipment. All you cared about is that it sounded good. She didn't mind, it just made her job easier with you not asking questions all the time.
Stretching out your neck, you ask Vinyl. "All set?"
She flashes a toothy grin. "Let's spin this shit!"
And so the wub carried on, late into the night.
~*~*~
"Huh. Nice turnout."
"Yeah, guess this place has gotten good rep."
"It's cool enough. Never seen a club this...unique."
"I know, but hey, when you base it off the Spirit of Chaos, it won't be any less than 'totally messed up.'"
"Can't argue with that."
You and Vinyl were waiting offstage for your cue to start the performance. While waiting, you had taken a bit of time to look around and get a better feel for your venue.
It was easily the most unique club you had ever been in. Every section of it was themed after some kind of animal, ranging from lions to dragons, eagles to buffalo, and the like. Despite what should be a catastrophic collection of creatures, the club was actually designed very well. It wasn't childlike either, despite how it may sound. The building was dark and edgy, and would invoke fear in those who weren't expecting it. Each part blended with the others and created a sort of harmony, as ironic as it sounds. Whoever the architect was for this building did a damn good job.
The dance floor was something else. It was almost in the shape of the number eight, and it covered most of the floor of the building. The amazing part was that it was weight sensitive, and went crazier depending on how many ponies were getting down on it. Every now and then it displayed the face of Discord. To accompany the image was a recording of someone's, presumably his, wicked laughter. Every time it happened, some ponies jumped, others ignored it, and some just partied even harder.
With the turnout being rather large, you were ecstatic. It was only a matter of time before they would call the two of you to play your fill. With your bass and her booth resting on the platform, the two of you wait for your bit to start.
"So, when are we supposed to go up?" You look back to Vinyl and your eyes meet hers. She quickly tears her gaze away and directs it to the crowd again. Was she just staring at you?
"I-In just a minute, once this song finishes out." She responds.
"Sweet. Think they'll like the new tune?"
"You kidding?" She looks at you incredulously. "With how you rock those strings? They'll be begging for more when we're done!"
"Oh, you flatter me!" You respond. She suddenly looks a bit bashful. "Something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh! Nothing, nothing..." She replies quickly. That was weird, you think to yourself. She's never spoken like that before.
At that moment, you notice the song that was currently playing begins to peter out. "Guess we're about to go up."
"Yup!" She responds, excitement in her voice. Lowering her shades over her eyes, she holds up her hoof. "Ready to do this?"
"Yeah," you respond, bumping her hoof with a fist. "Let's do this!"
"Alright, mares and colts!" The intercom booms. "Thank you all for coming out tonight to Discord Fever! To help us shake this house down, give it up for the one, the only, P0N-3 AND THE M0NK3Y!!" With that, the crowd erupts into applause.
Shaking your head, you speak. "I still hate you for that name."
"Oh, come on, you know you love it!" She says, punching you lightly. "Now let's go!"
Rolling your eyes, you follow her onto the stage. Coming out from behind the barriers, you throw your arms up into the air, letting the crowd go wild in your presence. Vinyl is just as into it as you are, waving to the crowd and enticing more cheers from them.
The spotlight was right on you, and you could feel your pulse heightening. This is what you loved most about your job. Not the fame, not the money, not the recognition, but the rush. The rush of running up onstage and playing before a massive crowd, that spark of plucking the bass while hundreds are watching, there really was no equal feeling. It was something you relished in, and you always got antsy when you had to wait for it.
You pick up your bass and throw the sling over your head. With it secured in place, you run a hand down the neck, reacquainting yourself with the device. The two of you waited for a moment, allowing the cheering to die down to the point where they could hear you. You step right up to the microphone.
"What is up, everypony!?" You yell, receiving a roar of cheers in response. "Glad you could all make it tonight, we got a great lineup for you all! To kick things off, we're gonna play a bit of a new piece for you tonight!" The crowd cheers yet again, clearly hyped for the performance.
You cast a glance back to Vinyl, who was as eager as you were to start. She bore a massive smile on her face as she idly bobbed her head, ready to begin.
Turning back to the crowd, you lift a hand. "Alright, so here we go!" You say, ready to start. Just before you give Vinyl the cue to start the track, you get an idea to get even more cheers from the crowd. Turning back to the mic, you speak. "This one is for all the mares out there!"
Your little trick worked. Every female attendee suddenly burst into screaming, shouting your name and pleading for you. One mare in particular absolutely lost it. It was that mint-colored unicorn you often saw at your performances. She really liked you specifically, for whatever reason.
Turning back to Vinyl to give her the cue, you notice something. Her smile has shrunk slightly, and she wasn't head-bobbing anymore. You stop for a moment, wondering if she was alright. She looks up to you, and instantly resumes her vigor. Without another thought, you give her the cue to begin.
Using her magic, she levitates a needle onto the disc, and the track begins playing. The track starts slowly, only consisting of a few warps which slowly led up to the inevitable "punch." It gives the sensation of being on a roller coaster, slowly ascending until finally hitting....
The drop.
Immediately, you begin slapping and plucking the strings, producing your lead. Vinyl's booth provided the beat, while you produced a steady flow of notes. Your hand slides all around the neck, changing to and fro between frets. You grow vigorous with your slapping, further indulging yourself in the feeling.
The beat from Vinyl constantly crashed into you, making your hairs stand on end. Your heart beats furiously with the flow of music and sound waves, and you could practically feel the adrenaline pumping through you. It's what you lived for. There was absolutely no other feeling like it.
You absolutely lose yourself in the strings. The screams of the crowd begin to drown out as you slowly grow to only hear your strings and her beats. You had found that the less distractions that infiltrated your mind, the better your performance would be. Eventually, you grew to only be aware of two individuals during your playing: yourself, and Scratch.
After a good forty seconds of consistent slapping and plucking the strings, you stop playing and throw the lead over to Vinyl, giving her command of the music. She cranks it up a bit and the beat grows louder, smashing into your body with every blast, rocking you to your very core. Her beats shook the house, and the all the ponies could feel it.
You and Vinyl took turns taking up the lead. She would turn it up a notch or two when your breaks came. During your downtime, she would raise a few sliders and twist a few nobs, forcing the beat to grow louder and boosting her bass. Once your bits came, she would lower again to let your trademark bass work take over.
It was a system you had developed and perfected over a long course of working together. You play, she relaxes. You relax, she plays. It was a strange system of balance among audacity that had been catered to and trimmed over the course of your career. Though it took quite a while to get it absolutely perfect, the end result was well worth it: a perfect harmony among musicians.
And of course, the fans took notice of this perfection. When you weren't playing, you were gesturing to the crowd, trying to get them more hyped. Ponies all around bounced and moved in unison with your playing and her beats. Manes whipped around, hooves stomped on the ground, and bodies shook. The floor flashed in conjunction with the movements, recognizing the insane amount of activity occurring on its surface. It really was a sight.
All around, strobe lights and lasers flashed about, adding to the mood. Vinyl's booth came equipped with special switches to control the lights as she saw fit. During the more subdued parts of the song, smooth and elegant blues and purples faded in and out. During the heavy hitting bits, reds, greens, and yellows flashed wildly, synchronizing with the madness.
At certain points, you and Vinyl shared the lead. Both you and her provided a good portion of the song at the same time, and you had found a balance to make both stand out. She recognized which parts more prominently featured your bass and which parts were more suited to her part. She would either raise or lower both your instruments to make each stand out in their own way during your little duet segments.
You open your eyes during one of your down-times to observe the chaos around you. Ponies bouncing, beats booming, lights flashing...This. This is what you lived for.
And so the wub carried on, late into the night.
~*~*~
You push open the door to the studio, absolutely exhausted.
After you had finished up the first piece, the crowd never stopped cheering for more. You played song after song, but the crowd was never satiated. Even after what you and Vinyl planned to be the last piece, you still ended up giving an encore. As much as you love the fans and their enthusiasm, even you need breaks!
After the encore of encores, you finally called it a night. Signing a few autographs and taking a few pictures, the two of you managed to sneak away after about an hour of dealing with fans. At least the streets were relatively clear of ponies, so the two of you made it back without much trouble.
It was late at night when you had finally arrived back at your studio. It was nothing short of a mess. A mass of wires were strewn about all over the floor, along with several cans and chip bags. You weren't really inclined to clean up right now. Setting your bass on the floor, you immediately waltz over to a beanbag and plant yourself on it, relieving your legs.
"Aw, man..." You start. "Remind me never to play an encore for an encore..."
Vinyl walks through the door, bringing her equipment with her. "Yeah, really." She responds quickly.
You sit up a bit. "Need help with all that?" She was dragging quite a bit. You asked earlier if she needed help, but with as stubborn as she can be, she refused. You figure it couldn't hurt to ask again.
Grunting as she pulls it all into the room, she responds. "Nope, got it." Setting her equipment down, she trots down a hallway to her room.
You couldn't help but notice something was off about her lately. Ever since the show ended, she had been acting sort of...reserved. She responded quickly, wasn't smiling as much, and generally was just acting without her usual enthusiasm. She didn't even seem too hyped during the autographs you did.
After a moment, she reentered the room, her shades no longer over her eyes. You felt the need to ask. "Scratch, everythin' okay?"
"Yeah, why?" She responds, keeping her statements short and simple.
You stand up and walk over to her. "You just seem kinda, I dunno...out of it today." You kneel down to her level and put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch visibly. "You sure you're alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine, alright?" She says harshly. You retract your hand as she backs away from you. Tearing her gaze from your eyes, her vision darts all over the room. "I, I just...I'm going out." Without another word, she begins heading for the door.
You open your mouth to respond, but before you even get the chance, she's already out of the room, the door slamming behind her. You close your mouth and let your arm drop to your side. What was that all about? In all the time you've spent with her, she had never spoken to you like that, nor had she suddenly gotten so angry. What the heck is up with her, you wonder. You shake your head. Whatever it was, it was really getting to her. Nothing really ever upsets Vinyl, so this has to be something serious. With no way of diagnosing her anger, you figured the least you could do was help ease it.
Looking around, you try to find anything that you could do to help cheer her up. With taking her out somewhere out of the question, you figure something a little more laborious was in order. You turn your gaze to her equipment. Her speakers, discs, all that good stuff within her cases. Perhaps you could do her a little favor. Maybe polish up all of her junk, give it a better finish, or something.
You stand up and walk over to the compartments she left on the floor. Turning one of them around, you find this may be a bit more difficult than you thought. On the front was a latch, bound by a number lock. It had four digits, all currently set to zero.
You start to consider what the pass code could be. Generally, it's a number that holds great importance to the owner, like an important year or something. What could she have set it to? Going with your first instinct, you twist the numbers to match her birthday. Setting the first two digits to the day and the second two digits to the month, you press the button to open the latch.
It remains solid. Swapping the numbers around to have the month first and the day second, you try the button. Again, it remains shut. You couldn't help but question why she had never told you the code. It's not like you would have done anything malicious with it!
You run your hand through your hair. What could she possibly have set the code to be? You had no other ideas that stuck to you as 'this could be it.' Letting out a small sigh, you consider possibilities. Viable ones were few, and you wondered if there was anything that could be used to solve the puzzle.
Suddenly, you get an idea. Perhaps she had something in her room that would give you a clue! Giving yourself a mental pat on the back for your plan, you stand up and turn to the hallway behind you. Walking down the corridor, you stop in front of the second door on the right. The door to Vinyl's room.
Grasping the handle, you turn it slowly and enter. You had some strange, irrational fear you were about to walk in on something...embarrassing. With Vinyl being gone, you ignored the feeling and pushed the door open. You didn't come in here too often. You usually only ever came in to get Vinyl or to let her know of something.
Shutting the door behind you, you get a better examination of the contents of the room. On the left was her bed, which hugged the wall. It bore a white blanket with two pillows, both sporting blue cases. The sheets were hanging limply over the side, and it looked like the bed hadn't been made for weeks. On the walls were posters of famous musicians. A good number of them had autographs, and they were all hung up quite neatly. Each and every one was completely spotless. A small lamp stood in the corner of the room, and a few wires were strewn across the floor.
Directly across from the door was a desk, which had papers covering the majority of its surface. A few books about the science of sounds and other things were resting on the desk's higher shelves. You never knew Vinyl invested this much into her knowledge of her trade.
You walk up to the desk, and begin glancing over the papers. Some of them were deals with record companies, some detailed upcoming performances, and the like. A few papers just had childlike doodles on them. You laugh a bit, thinking that someone like Scratch would occupy herself with drawing dopey pictures like these.
You push some of the papers aside, looking for a clue as to her code. Among the papers, you spot something. In a small shelf that was obscured by papers, you find a small blue notebook. Curious, you reach for the notebook. Something in your mind was telling you to stop, telling you this was wrong, but you ignored it. Why would Vinyl hide secrets from you? The two of you practically shared everything, there was no need for her to hide from you!
You pull the book out from the shelf and flip the cover open. Beneath it was a bunch of musical sheets. You recognize them as some of the songs you two perform. Your unparalleled detective skills told you this was her record of all your songs. You begin to idly flip through the pages, recognizing each and every piece of music.
You stop on a more interesting page. This one was different from the rest. It almost looked like it belonged in a diary, signed with Vinyl's name and everything. You feel a tad guilty, looking at what could be a personal entry from her, but some part of you just wanted to know what it was. You skim over the entry.
Totally gonna get it today! Hope he feels the same, I've been wanting to do this for awhile. I'm praying he doesn't make it too hard...like he always does.
Other than that, there wasn't anything to this particular entry. You assume she's referring to you in the entry, but what was she hoping for? She must have been talking about some gig or record deal, or something similar. You shrug it off, and continue flipping.
As you flip the pages, you come across a rather peculiar one. This one was marked by a green sticky note. On the page was a melody you didn't recognize. Even more odd was this song had lyrics written on it.
In all the time the two of you performed, you let the instruments speak for themselves. Not once had either of you pitched the idea of any vocal music, and only ever produced instrumental pieces. Why was she developing a musical track with lyrics?
Confused, you glance over the page again. The lyrics were very scarce, with only a few words here and there. Flipping to the next page, you find a lot of scribbles. It looked as though there were once words, but nearly all of them were illegible. Several stanzas worth of words were marked out, and you had no way of knowing what they might have said.
Among all of the markings, there was one patch of words that was still readable.
I cannot describe
The feelings that I hide
Cut me like a knife
Steady, smooth, and deep.
You read it again, unable to process it. What did this mean? Would she have just written gibberish, or was this symbolic? You rub your head, trying to figure out both A, her motivation for writing this and B, why she was writing lyrics in the first place.
As your mind mulls over it, you hear a sound. Turning around, the book still in your hand, you find the door opening.
"How could I forget my shades?" You hear, as the figure enters the door. Once she makes her way in, she freezes in her tracks upon seeing you.
You were in her room, going through her things. That book, and on that page, no less.
The two of you simply stare at each other. You're unable to form any words as she stares you down, her expression unreadable. Does she mind, or was she about to explode?
After a moment, she averts her gaze. Clicking her tongue she speaks. "Yeah. Real nice."
"S-Scratch, I-"
"So this is what you do while I'm out, huh?" She quips, cutting you off.
"No, no, I was just-"
"So this goes along with whoring yourself out to all the mares, huh?" She asks. Wait, what?
"Wh-What are you talking about?" You ask incredulously.
"Don't play dumb! All those mares in the crowd were just for fun, huh? Get their hopes up and throw 'em down, right?" She yells.
"Scratch, that was just a-"
"You know what? Don't bother, just forget it. You are a class-A idiot, you know that?" You recoil a bit at her words. You've never seen her this furious over anything, let alone at you.
"Scratch, what's-"
"No, stop!" She yells, refusing to allow you to finish any sentences. "Forget it! I'm out!" Her voice cracks slightly as she turns around and starts for the door.
You have no idea what is happening. Before your very eyes, your friendship with Vinyl was breaking. You had done something seriously wrong, and she was no less than pissed off at you for it.
You had to fix it.
Without even thinking, you toss the book back onto her desk and quickly walk up to her. Kneeling down to her level, you put a hand on her shoulder, making her stop on the spot.
"Vinyl!" You start. "Please, tell me what's wrong."
She doesn't move for a moment, keeping herself facing the hallway. You keep your gaze on the back of her head, ready to meet her eyes as soon as she turns around. As you wait, you hear something. Was that....sniffling?
After what feels like an eternity, she slowly turns. You feel a knot form in your stomach as her tear-filled eyes come into view. Her face had lost the ferocity it held only moments ago, and now held nothing but despair.
"Just forget it..." She whispers.
"No." You respond plainly. "I'm not about to. If I've done something to hurt you, I'm going to fix it."
"You can't fix it. Just forget it." She responds, her voice not going above a whisper.
"I'll be damned if I don't try. Vinyl, look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snoop around in your room, honest. I was just trying to figure out the code to your case out there." You respond. Lying definitely wasn't something you wanted to try right now.
She stares at you for a moment, seemingly examining your words for authenticity. You keep your eyes focused on hers, almost losing yourself in those pools of magenta. You blink, trying to remain focused on the situation at hand. For some reason, it was getting difficult to do so. Those eyes just captivated you. You found yourself growing more and more attached to them.
After a moment, she sighs. Taking your hand off her shoulder, she turns around to face you fully. Once she was properly facing you, she sits down and takes a deep breath.
"Of course..." She starts. "It would be for a good reason, wouldn't it."
"Vinyl..."
"The code is..." She pauses for a moment, looking anxious about telling you. "The code is your birthday."
You suddenly feel a tad dumbstruck. "My birthday? But, why me?"
"Because I-" She plants a hoof over her mouth and stops herself from talking. Tearing her gaze away from you, she closes her eyes. "Celestia, you just can't make this easy, can you?" Her voice cracks more and more as she speaks.
"Vinyl, please....if I'm hurting you, tell me." You plead. She keeps her gaze away from yours.
"I'm sorry, alright?" She manages. "You gave that song to all the mares, and I just thought that you...I don't know, I'm so stupid..."
"You are not stupid." You say sharply. "If anyone is, I am. If I had known that would have hurt you, I never would have said it. I'm the one who should be sorry."
She shakes her head. "Why are you doing this to me?"
Your mouth goes agape slightly and you grasp her shoulders with both hands, making her shiver slightly. "Vinyl, please. I can't help you if you don't tell me."
"Every little thing you say, every thing you do...you're just stabbing away at me more and more every day..." She whispers. She draws a shuddering breath as a tear rolls down her cheek.
You could tell she was deliberately dodging your question. Something you did or were doing was making her this way. Why can't she tell you? She knows as well as you do that there's no need for secrets. Why is she so afraid of you, and why won't she accept your help?
Something clicks in your mind.
I cannot describe
The feelings that I hide
Cut me like a knife
Steady, smooth, and deep.
"Cut me like a knife..." You involuntarily say aloud.
She slightly retracts herself away from you at the words, her face contorting with fear. Her breath was growing more and more rapid, and she refused to look at you. Your heart was being torn apart, knowing that you were causing this. You had never felt so guilty for anything. Nothing you had ever done could compare to this, making your closest friend this upset.
Closest friend...you toss those words back and forth in your mind. Was that really all she was? She had provided you a fulfilling job. She had aided you in your lowest moments. She had been there for you when you needed her. She had shared both great laughs and bittersweet moments with you. In short, she was the one who was always there. Calling her a 'close friend' felt like a hollow sentiment to you.
Was she really just a great friend?
You bring a hand up to her cheek, causing her to gasp slightly. You turn her head to face you.
"Vinyl. Look at me." You say. Her eyes remain closed. "Look at me." You repeat, putting a little more force into your words.
With reluctance, she opens her eyes, letting you take in the pools of magenta once more. Her eyes remain partially closed due to her expression.
"Please," you ask once more. "Tell me what is wrong."
She stares into your eyes for a moment, her vision darting between them. Her breathing seems to have leveled out just a bit. "I...I can't tell you."
"Yes, you can. You can tell me anything, you know that." You reassure her.
"No, I mean I can't tell you..." She whispers.
"...What?" You ask quizzically.
"I can only show you." She replies.
"Please." You ask, egging her to go on.
She closes her eyes tightly. Her lips are trembling, and you can feel her shivering beneath your hands. Whatever she wanted to show you, it was taking every bit of willpower she possessed to not back down right away. Even then, she was still reluctant to go through with her action. Seeing her this afraid was just tugging at your heart.
You wait.
And wait.
And wait. You wait for what feels like an eternity.
Just when it seems like she was never going to move, she suddenly pushes her head forward, connecting her lips with yours. You lift your hands off of her in surprise, and your eyes widen. She was kissing you. The contact between your lips wasn't forceful, more over just a gentle peck, but she was kissing you. Her lips were soft, and their touch sent tingles through your body.
After only a brief moment, she pulled away, refusing to open her eyes. Her face was as red as a ruby, and she was shivering even more. It seemed as though she was waiting for you to make the next move.
This was it. Your next action would make or break everything. Your mind was torn. You are a human. She is a mare. Something in the back of your mind was telling you, or rather, screaming at you, that it was wrong. You were different species, this shouldn't be happening. She's an animal, for Celestia's sake!
Your mind stops for a moment. Something clicks inside your brain. An animal...? Really? Do animals own houses? Do animals run farms? Do animals form bands?
Do animals fall in love?
She's not just some animal. She's more than that. Hell, every pony is! She had feelings and desires, just like you. She had musical preferences, just like you. She had a taste in fashion, just like you. She had found someone she loves...
...just like you.
You snap out of your stupor and look to the mare in front of you. She was still shivering like mad, and still refused to open her eyes. It was killing you to see her this way, and you could no longer stand it. You lift a hand to her cheek and bring her to face you. Her eyes remain shut all the way.
With nothing holding you back in your mind any longer, you close your eyes you bring yourself forward and reconnect your lips with hers. You hear her breathe in sharply as you connect. She pulls back slightly out of shock, but not enough to break off the kiss. Tingles run down your spine once more as you press against her lips.
After holding the kiss for just a brief moment longer than she did, you pull away. Looking into her eyes, she is completely dumbstruck. Her mouth quivers slightly at the act you had just performed.
You give her a small smile. "You could have just said so."
Her mouth slowly turns to form a smile. In one swift motion, she throws her hooves around your shoulders and draws you in for another kiss. With both of you accepting the movement, the kiss was far more passionate this time. She presses herself into you, deepening the contact. Her mouth opens slightly, and her tongue delicately dances across your lips. You open your mouth to allow her entry, and she immediately takes the invitation. Her tongue swirls around your mouth, lavishing in every crevasse.
Not one to be outdone, you lift up your own tongue to fight with hers. The two of your swirl your muscles around one another, fighting for dominance. She tasted heavily of blueberries for some reason. You found the taste to be rather pleasant, and it only made you want more. You push her tongue back, taking the battlefield into her mouth. She moans slightly as you explore her, taking in every nook and crevasse.
After a few moments, the two of you break away, gasping for breath. Once you had gotten the much needed oxygen back into your lungs, you look up. Your gaze meets hers, and she takes a very sly look on her face.
Before you could question, you felt yourself being enveloped in a very odd force. Your vision is suddenly filled with a shade of blue, and you feel yourself being lifted off the ground. You're suddenly flung through the air, crash landing on her bed.
You lift your head slightly, only to find her jumping over the edge of the bed. Landing directly over you, she stares down at you with a lustful look in her eyes.
She immediately leans her head down, meeting her lips with yours. She kisses you repeatedly and hungrily, fulfilling her desire. She has been wanting this, needing this for such a long time. You weren't about to disappoint her.
You wrap your arms around her and pull her closer. You pull her until your bodies are touching, sharing your warmth. Her chest expands and shrinks rapidly, pressing against you more and more. Her tail idly wraps around one of your legs as she continues kissing you.
You run a hand down her body, taking in the feel of her form. Her fur is as smooth as silk, and her muscles were quite toned. It sort of surprised you really, what with how lazy she can be. You gently touch her sides, further examining her body. She moans quietly at your touch, craving more and more. You run a hand through her mane, taking in the feel of it as well. Despite it's jagged appearance, it was soft and silky. You run your hand through its fine hairs a few times, lavishing in its delicacy.
In one motion, she suddenly grabs you and rolls you over, putting you over her. Without hesitating, she pulls your head back in and continues kissing you. No longer looking for perfection, she was kissing you rapidly, hardly pulling away for even a second.
Feeling a bit more bold, you run your hand down her body again. Moving your head along with your hand, you begin to kiss lower and lower on her. You start at her jawline and move down to her neck, then her chest. Your hand eventually meets her flank, which you caress delicately.
She let's out a loud moan of pleasure as you both massage her flank and kiss her chest. Her breathing becomes hot and heavy as she reaches her hooves around your head, holding you tightly. You continue to pepper her with kisses, eliciting further moans from the mare.
After a few more moments, you feel her hooves grasp the sides of your head, pulling you back up to her level. She kisses you once again, letting her tongue linger on your lips. After a brief moment of contact, she pulls away, breathing heavily all the while. Once the two of you manage to catch your breath, she stares into your eyes. Her mouth hangs agape, and her tongue teasingly hangs out.
She gives a sly smile. "Ready to do this?"
You smile in return. "Yeah. Let's do this."
And so the wub carried on, late into the night.
