A blue-maned unicorn mare trotted up to her nightly workplace, the sign outside proclaiming the establishment's name to the public like an earth-bound sun. The name was Cataclysm, the hottest nightclub in Canterlot. It was a multi-story building with several of its levels dedicated to the club, a place of booming bass and flashing lights. Even out here, the mare could hear the throbs of the turned-up bass. It reverberated through the ground, creating a booming feeling inside her. She felt her emotions surge, a rise of happiness growing within her as she approached the burly guard at the front. She flashed her credentials to him, which was met with a nod. She nodded her thanks and pushed open one of the massive silver double doors that led into the club.
What lay inside was the purest amount of party anypony could imagine. Ponies were dancing, lights were flashing, there were handsome stallions and beautiful mares... this was why she loved her job. She proceeded across the dance floor to the disk-jockey table, where she proceeded to relieve the current DJ of her duties. Once the stand-in had cleared out, she set up her equipment. Turntables were inspected, the system was turned on, microphones checked, bass turned up as high as it would go. Next, the mare rifled through her numerous vinyl records for one that would kick this party off right. Yeah, that ought to do it! she thought as she selected one and put it on the turntable. She pressed play with her hoof, donning her violet sunglasses and scratching the record a few times for effect. Soon, the sound of breaking glass echoed, and the hit song You May Be Right blared throughout the club, which was met with a cheer from the clubbers.
She nodded her head to the beat, humming along to the tune. She glanced down from her elevated podium to the dancers below, seeing them flail about in no particular fashion. Some were dancing as couples, others in groups, others alone. Some were laughably drunk, others flirting, others flirting while laughably drunk, all making for a rather chaotic crowd. Absentmindedly, the disk-jockey decided to add in some laser lights for effect, sweeping the dance floor with red and blue rays of colour that swept back and forth.
By now, the track had nearly ended, so she decided to turn down the music, letting it fade out. Then, she got on the microphone. "Good evening, Cataclysm!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "Now who's ready to party 'till the sun comes up?!"
She put on a dance remix of a famous love ballad. The dancing continued, and with the press of a button, the laser lights changed from a sweeping pattern to one of strobing, swirling patterns on the floor. Some fog machines activated to add to the effect, enveloping the dance floor in cool mist. She herself felt an inner desire to go and dance, to have a good time out there with everypony else. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy disc-jockeying, it was that sometimes she wanted to have a little additional fun, too.
Once the current song had ended, she immediately started to mix in some dubstep, setting the series of tracks to play while she departed her post to get a drink. Expertly, she dodged several dancers while she crossed the dance floor in order to reach the bar in the center. It was glowing the same teal colour as the floor, the club's name displayed across the top above the shelves of drinks. The mare sat down across from a few other bar patrons, who were idly chatting away, obviously inebriated. She hailed the bartender with a hoof, a salt-and-pepper unicorn stallion with a rugged sort of handsomeness that only a bartender would possess. He approached her with a smile, a glass hovering in his aura as he industriously scrubbed it with a cloth. "Well, well, well," he began, "If it isn't our Number One DJ. And how are you tonight, Vinyl?"
"Just fine, thanks," the mare replied. "And yourself?"
"Work is work. It'd be nice to get out there and have a good time though. Now, what can I get you?"
Vinyl considered a moment. "A vodka martini, please. Shaken, not stirred," she added with a smirk. She then fell silent as a strange thought crossed her mind. A thought about a friend she cared deeply about. She had known this friend since foalhood, they had gone to the same musical academy, and they were even roommates. Though they both enjoyed different styles of music, one thing was clear. Over the years of their friendship, Vinyl Scratch had developed a deep regard for this friend. One so deep, there was no denying it. She had fallen rather hard for this roommate of hers.
But how to go about a confession? She knew her friend was supposed to meet her here after a concert. Perhaps she should come clean and tell her then? Vinyl tossed around several plans, ultimately deciding to ask the bartender for advice. "Say, Al?" she began. "Have you ever, ah, how to put it? Have you ever been in love?"
"Oh, of course. It's a wondrous world, that." the bartender replied with a smile. "Let me guess. You've got somepony you love?"
Vinyl Scratch nodded.
"Well, allow me to give you some free advice. Just like that song goes, tell her about it. Be honest, be yourself, tell them how you feel. Don't let it slip away. Perhaps start simply; ask him or her to meet you for coffee or something. Or take them to a dance. Then, find an opportunity, and confess."
"Great advice," Vinyl said. "Thanks."
The stallion nodded, taking a container off the shelf behind him and pouring the drink, of which the disc-jockey passively noticed the brand. As she did this, another patron sat down next to her, greeting her as she slid onto the nondescript bar stool. "Hey, Vivi," the pony, a grey-coated violet-eyed mare with a long black mane greeted. "Hard at work or hardly working?"
"You know the answer," Vinyl replied. "Glad you could come to visit, Mel."
Octavia Melody smiled endearingly at her longtime friend. "Of course. I've always got time for you."
"Hey, Al!" Vinyl called. "A glass for the mare, please. Put it on my tab."
"Coming right up!"
Some idle chatter came up from the pair, and it wasn't long before two glasses of clear liquid were slid in front of the friends, Vinyl taking hers in her aura.
"Thank you!" She rose to return to her station, motioning for Octavia to follow. They could continue their chat there.
Vinyl didn't know what to do. Here she was, talking face to face with her crush. She changed the song to kill time, switching it to some electro-swing record. Talking wasn't exactly something she was good at; though she was a fun-loving disc jockey, she was still a bit of an introvert. She idly added special effects as the song continued, listening to Octavia talk about her latest performances. That mare had some real talent; it was one thing to stand in front of a turntable and play the latest and greatest dance songs, but it did not require nearly as much skill and practise as it did to perfect the cello. It just so happened that Octavia was skilled in that art; not only that, but she was also a proficient pianist.
How can I possibly win over somepony so skilled? Vinyl wondered. Not only was she skilled, but she was beautiful; her violet eyes matched her flawless, black mane which flowed down her neck. I've never dated... let alone asked somepony out!
"Isn't that hilarious, Vinyl?" Octavia asked through spurts of laughter.
Vinyl turned her gaze around, suddenly realising that she had let her mind wander away from their conversation. "Oh," she replied as she putt on the all-time rock favourite Trot This Way. "Yeah."
"I mean, he just went absolutely crazy on the triangle! I know that Oattenbach's Can-Can is an energetic piece, but if that triangle player kept that up, it would have been the Can't-Can't!"
Vinyl Scratch turned her thoughts from her growing feelings towards Octavia and the ongoing battle of emotions within her to the turntables. Expertly she began to work her disk-jockey magic, adding some strobe lights as well as other special effects to the song. Skipping it here, scratching it there, adding in a few laser light sequences. Octavia watched her with wide eyes, admiring every motion, every press of the pedal. "Speaking of crazy..." She guided her roommate's hoof, causing the blue-maned mare to glance away quickly, a blush lighting her face. "Let's have some fun."
She guided her friend's hoof to another record, nodding as Vinyl raised it in her aura. She spun it around with a smile, changing it out just as the previous song ended. Vinyl let the new song fade in while the other faded out, evoking a cheer of approval from the crowd of energetic young ponies.
"Thanks," Vinyl said. "I was thinking it would be cool if I mixed it with It's Tricky. You read my mind again."
Octavia smiled. "Anytime."
"Say, why don't you give it a go? Have a little fun."
The grey-coated mare stepped up to the turntables. "Okay, what do I do?"
"Pick a song, put it on the turntables, and away you go." Vinyl pointed with a hoof to a set of buttons to Octavia's left. "Those control special effects and lighting. The hoof pedal can be used to control certain effects."
Octavia rifled through the records Vinyl had brought, seeing several she recognised. She selected one she knew ought to be a hit with this crowd, replacing the current track with it just as it ended. Before she put the needle to the record, her hoof pressed the microphone key. "Alright everypony," she began. "We are going to have some fun. But before I play this track, I need you all to circle around one pair in the middle of the dance floor. Once you do that, we will begin."
Vinyl looked at her friend with confusion. "What are you playing at, Mel?"
By this time, everypony had formed the circle, a young stallion and his marefriend in the centre. "Okay. When the track begins, the center pair will start dancing. Then, I will yell, 'Snowball!' This will be the signal for the pair to split off and bring new dancers into the centre. The cycle will continue until everypony is dancing." Octavia moved her hoof to the needle, nudging it onto the record and pressing play. "Let's Rock This Town!"
The dancers started out awkwardly at first, but soon picked up speed. Hooves were stomping to the beat of the swing song, ponies were cheering, everything was just perfect.
"Snowball!" The lead couple split off, each grabbing a new partner. Now, two couples were in the centre, each of the original pair with a new pony.
"Where did you learn that?" Vinyl asked.
"Oh," Octavia replied, "I've known swing for a long time, actually."
The blue-maned mare raised her sunglasses, gazing down from the turntables to the ponies having a fantastic time down on the dance floor.
"Snowball!"
Secretly she wished that she could join them. Just to break away from controlling the music and letting the music control her, flow through her on the dance floor. The cue to change out was called several more times, alternating between the two friends.
"Alrighty, looks like everypony's dancing! That leaves just us!"
Vinyl was slightly taken aback by the question. "Wait, what?!"
Octavia took Vinyl's hoof in hers, leading her down to the dance floor. "Let's dance, you crazy mare!"
"Mel, wait!" She didn't know how to swing dance. She could break-dance, but never had she tried swing. And from the looks of things, it would be nearly impossible to change Octavia's mind. At least she had the chance to have some fun. Well, thought Vinyl. Ain't that a kick in the head!
End Part 1
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