All Night Long

Vinyl Scratch's heart beat in her throat. Everything had gone from zero to one hundred in a matter of seconds. One moment, she was watching Octavia Melody make her look like a rookie at disc-jockeying, the next, the very same pony had dragged her out onto the dance floor! Now here she was, locked hoof in hoof with the very mare she had intended to confess her true feelings for. How could she do that now? And if that wasn't the worst of it, she knew for certain that she could not swing dance.

"Octavia!" Vinyl protested as she began to face her friend on the dance floor. "I can't swing dance!"

Now, the pair of musicians had reached the centre of the circle. Ponies around them were dancing, performing various two-step and four-step dances, a bit of twirling involved in several routines. In her mind, Vinyl could already see several ways in which this endeavour could turn disastrously wrong. Sure, she was more than proficient at several other types of dancing, but swing was not something she was accustomed to.

"Sure you can!" Octavia replied, shouting over the booming bass and cheering crowd. She took Vinyl's hooves in hers, beginning a simple three-step swing to the rhythm of the song. Vinyl stumbled over her own hooves a little on the first two steps, but soon began to grow familiar with the way the dance worked. They continued in this manner for some time, the blue-maned disk jockey quickly committing the steps to memory. Left, together. Right, together. Back, together. It was fast-paced, difficult at first. However, she quickly began to see that this was far better than breakdancing.

"See?" Octavia asked with a smile. "You're getting it!"

Vinyl turned away, a blush on her features. "A-alright, you got me." Suddenly, a thought burst into her mind. "Wait, who's going to change the song?!"

"I already took care of that," her dance partner explained. "I set it to auto-play every song on that record."

The current song ended, being replaced by another electro-swing record. This time, Octavia decided to add in some more complex steps to their dance. "Now that you've gotten used to it, try this." Expertly she extended one hoof out, raising it and giving Vinyl a little nudge with her other. This caused the blue-maned DJ to twirl, only to be caught and dipped backwards before being returned to the original dancing position. The two then returned to the regular dancing routine.

Maybe this isn't so hard, Vinyl thought. Perhaps I'll ask her during one of our dances. It was a simple plan. All she had to do was wait for the right time to confess. Her mind was set; nothing could change it. As the song ended, she was returned to all fours, delivering a quick hoof-bump to her friend. "I'm going to go change the song real quick," she explained. "Then we can keep dancing."

Octavia smiled. "If you don't mind, I'd like to change the song. It's nearing the end of your shift, so I think you may as well have a bit more fun."

"Oh, uh, sure. Thanks, Mel."

As the grey-maned musician left to go figure out the turntables once more, Vinyl took a quick break to the bar to grab another round of drinks. Al was watching the dancers with interest, a broad smile on his older face that positively radiated happiness. "How's it going, Vinyl?" he asked upon seeing the disc-jockey.

"Well, I just got a crash course in swing dancing!" Vinyl replied happily.

"That's great!"

"And I know how I'll tell her!"

Al paused a moment. "Her? I had no idea you were that kind of mare, but I'm not one to judge. What'll it be for ya?"

"Another round of vodka, please. If you wouldn't mind, could you mix that with lemon-lime?"

"'Course. I'll have a waiter take it to your station." The bartender turned around to prepare the drinks. Vinyl watched him intently, studying his hoof motions. He was almost akin to a chemist; the way he worked his magic of brewing was so precise. That was what made Cataclysm so popular. Good music, good drinks.

Soon, Vinyl heard Octavia's voice over the speakers. "Alright everypony! We've got one more song for you tonight. Let's go out with a bang!"

The unmistakable riff of the song Hoofloose began to echo throughout the club, the crowd responding with a rising cheer. Vinyl trotted over to the dance floor, not bothering to take part in this one. Instead, she simply passed by, meeting Octavia at the turntables just as a stallion dropped off their next round of drinks.

"You sure like the classics, don't you?" Vinyl asked as she took her glass in her aura.

"You are correct. Oldies, but goodies."

"Agreed." The two clinked their glasses together, each taking a sip and directing their gaze to the dancers below. As the song ended, Vinyl began to pack up what wasn't necessary. The night had gone by quickly; it was already two o'clock in the morning. Octavia saw her packing up, clearing her throat to get her friend's attention.

"Vinyl, I think we should play one more song. Just to give them something to wind down to."

"Sure," Vinyl replied. "I'll be on the floor."

As she trotted off to the dance floor, Octavia put a record on. She got on the microphone, lowering the lights as she spoke. "We have one more song for you," she said, her voice amplified by the subwoofers. "This one goes out to my good friend Vinyl Scratch."

Vinyl's eyes grew wide with shock as the lights changed colour, illuminating the room in a cool icy blue that matched her mane. What was her friend playing at? Then came the sound of violins, followed by a chorus of voices. Octavia strolled down the ramp to the floor, meeting her at the base. "M'lady," she began, "May I have this dance?"

The disc jockey blushed once more, hesitantly putting her hooves in her friend's, letting the black-maned mare lead her to the centre of the floor. They began to sway slowly, to the rhythm of the slower song. They remained this way until Octavia broke the silence.

"You know, there's something I want to tell you." She sounded hesitant, as if she was worried about her friend's reaction.

"Go ahead," Vinyl replied quietly.

"There are many ponies in this world, Vinyl. But there are none such as you. Ever since we met, I knew I couldn't deny what I was feeling. Try as I might, I knew that one day I'd have to tell you. And I thought now would be as good a time as any."

Vinyl's heart was pounding. What came next? Was this a confession?

"And I just wanted to say, I..."

"I love you, Octavia!" Vinyl suddenly blurted. "I've always loved you!"

Octavia's face lit up with a broad smile. "Everypony loves somepony..."

As the song ended, the two mares spun each other, Vinyl being bent over in a dip once more. But one thing was different. It wasn't just a dance move. This time, the two were locked in a deep, passionate kiss. The world around them faded; all that mattered to Vinyl was the mare in front of her, no longer just a friend, but a lover.

"And," Octavia finished, breaking off the kiss. "There's nopony I'd rather love than you."

The End