Fire For a Dry Mouth

by FamousLastWords

Rating: teen
Tags: Spike, Romance, Profanity, Slice of Life, Narcotics, Roseluck, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 6084

Roseluck needs somepony to attend a concert with her. Or somedragon.

A commission for Lucky Seven

Roseluck is beyond excited for the concert she'll be attending tonight, but unfortunately, a cancelled invitation from her best friend threatens to ruin her evening. How could she have fun if she had to go by herself? Luckily, a certain dragon enters the picture at the right time to turn things around.

Oh yeah, she might want to mention it's a metal concert...

Edited by Soaring
Coverart by mealnyschaffer

Published 2020-11-17 01:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-11-17 01:20:01 UTC

Lunar Wilderness

Author's Note

Hey guys!

I just wanna give a special shoutout to Lucky Seven for commissioning this story! He's a great friend of mine and I really appreciate getting the opportunity! Roseluck is his favorite character and Spike is mine, so getting to write them together was a blast!

Anyway, I hope you all like it and feel free to leave any comments or criticisms below!

Thanks!

Lunar Wilderness

Roseluck danced around on her hooves, impatiently looking at the setting sun. Unfortunately, Roseluck’s impatience got the best of her, her eyes darting to the nearby watch she had sitting on her flower stand. It was five in the afternoon. In just thirty minutes she’d be on her way to Manehattan to the concert, and she could pretend that life and all the problems contained within were nonexistent for a few hours.

She glanced at the two tickets she had sitting on her stall as well, by the lockbox she used to store bits. Her best friend, Lily, should be arriving any second to pick up her ticket and they could leave as soon as she dropped her lockbox off at her home.

She was beyond excited. A night of nothing but music and fun in the city is just what she needed on a Saturday that was as busy as today was. Heck, the entire week had been busy. Great for business, sure, but not so great for the mental faculties. She needed to let loose, and this show was the perfect way to do it.

As if on cue, she had her thoughts broken up by the sound of a set of hooves trotting towards her position. She turned around and sure enough, Lily was right there waiting for her.

“Heyo!” Roseluck exclaimed with a wave.

“Hey, Rose,” Lily replied.

Roseluck quickly grabbed the extra concert ticket and held it out to her. “I’ve got your ticket right here! You might get to the station a little before me since I have to drop the bits off at home first, but—“

“Actually,” Lily spoke up with a frown adorning her face. “I’m gonna have to pass on the show tonight.” She threw some bits on the flower stand. “That should cover the money you spent on the ticket plus a little extra. I’m sorry, hun.”

Roseluck grimaced. “But why? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Lily said. “Everything is okay, but I stopped by Octavia’s music shop a bit ago to check out the band you mentioned would be playing, and I just don’t think it’s something I can handle. I could barely listen to one full song, much less a whole concert!”

“Aww, but you’ve never even been to a concert before! You don’t know what it’s like.” Roseluck shook her head. “You’ve gotta try it at least once. Besides, it’s only partly about the music. It’s also about just the environment in general, you know? The lights, the crowd, the cheap diner food afterwards… it’s an experience!”

Lily sighed but remained firm in her resolve. “Sorry, Rose. I just don’t think it’s something I’d enjoy. Plus I’ve got a headache coming on and I’m just more in the mood to go home and get an early night’s sleep. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

Roseluck rolled her eyes. “I guess. Just, you know, you have to go to a concert with me at least once before you die, alright?”

“Deal.” Lily smiled and began trotting away. “Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow. Have fun!”

“I’ll try!” Roseluck called out after her.

She took a moment to look at the extra ticket in her hoof. Yeah, good luck having fun by herself. Not only was going to a concert alone lame, it was in Manehattan no less. Not exactly the safest place for a mare to be alone at night. As much as she didn’t want to, she may as well cancel it at this point and just get some extra sleep, too.

Unless…

She quickly scanned her eyes around the town square in search of anypony else that may be remotely interested in going with her. They’d have to be somepony she knew at least relatively well, plus somepony that could handle a concert.

Applejack? No, this didn’t seem to be her style. Plus she already mentioned earlier in the day about having dinner plans with her family. Derpy? Nah, they honestly didn’t know each other too well. Not to mention she might hurt herself given her natural clumsiness. Concerts could be dangerous like that. Granny Smith? Definitely not. That was a life insurance policy waiting to be filled out.

Roseluck released a sigh and leaned back onto her haunches. There weren’t that many ponies out and about this time of day, much less ones that would go to a show with her. Looks like she’d just have to cancel and make better plans for the next—

“Hey, Roseluck!”

She shook off the self-pity trance she was in at the sound of her name. She looked on the other side of the cart to see Spike the dragon standing there.

“Oh, hey Spike!” She replied with her best customer service smile. “What can I help you with?”

He tossed a few bits onto the counter. “I just need a couple tulips if you could.”

“Excellent choice,” she replied, handing him the desired flowers. “You got a date or something tonight?”

“Oh no,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m just in town helping Rarity with a few new designs. She wants to see how these will look as an accent to a new hat she’s making. I’ve got nothing going on like that.”

Her eyes lit up and travelled to the extra concert ticket then back to the dragon before her. He was strong and tall enough now that he shouldn’t have a problem with getting lost in the crowd or anything. He was at least a good foot taller than her. Not to mention he was a dragon, so he’d keep most creeps at bay.

Maybe… Just maybe… This could work.

First things first, she had to make sure he was old enough to get into the club it was at, given their eighteen or older policy. She could worry about asking him about the show afterward.

“Say, Spike…” Roseluck began. “Before you head off, I don’t suppose I could ask you a question?”

The dragon, with flowers in claw, shrugged. “Sure thing. Go for it.”

“How old are you now? No offense or anything, I’m just trying to keep up to date on all my friends and acquaintances, haha.”

He waved a claw. “No worries. Honestly, it seems like nopony can ever get a good estimate on my age. Probably because dragons grow a bit differently than you all. But yeah, I’m twenty-one. Officially an adult and privy to all the headaches and torment that come with it.”

Roseluck mentally pumped her hoof in celebration. “I know the feel, trust me.”

OKay, now was the time. She needed to just ask him and see what happens. It’s not like she had anything to lose, but she had everything to gain and then some. Not only would she get to go to her show, but she’d get a reasonably handsome dragon to be her chauffeur for the night on top of it.

“So, I know you mentioned you didn’t have much going on tonight,” she said, tapping her hoof with nervous excitement. “That being said, I’ve got an extra ticket to a concert tonight in Manehattan and I was kinda needing somepony to go with since my last invite cancelled on me. Any chance, you, I don’t know, might be interested?”

Spike cocked his head to the side. “I mean, I’m free tonight, but what concert is it? Who’s playing?”

Here came the moment of truth. She’d just have to be up front and honest with him and hope for the best.

“I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of them. They’re a band called Between the Bridled and Me with Prance Gavin Prance as the opening act.” She gulped, ready to be denied at any second. “Just to let you know, it’s a metal show so—“

“Woah!” Spike exclaimed, his jaw slightly agape. “I love both of those bands! I can’t believe you know them. Nopony else around Ponyville ever seemed to be into that kind of music.”

Roseluck blinked. That was not the response she was expecting. She wasn’t even sure how to respond. “Y-You know them?”

“Heck yeah!” Spike said, jumping with excitement. “I actually wanted to go to this show, but it sold out before I could get tickets.”

Roseluck took a turn jumping for excitement this time. “That’s awesome! I love both of these groups. Honestly, I never would’ve guessed you were into metal, Spike.”

“Look who’s talking,” he replied with a chuckle. “The local flower pony is a closet metalhead. Who would’ve guessed? And just to get this straight, you’re asking me to come with you?”

Roseluck nodded. “Mhm. That’s right.”

“Like a date?”

She froze. “Um, well…” Once again, her brain was tasked with responding to an unexpected variable. “I guess it is, but not like a date date. Just, you know, a date.”

Spike let out a strong laugh. “No worries, I’m totally down. I just have to run these flowers by Rarity’s place and I can meet you whenever and wherever.”

Roseluck smiled brightly. “Awesome! Well, the doors open at seven and I get off work here in twenty minutes. I just have to run by my house to drop the bits off, so if you wanna meet at the train station at like six, we should make it in time. Sound good?”

“Sounds good!” Spike nodded and smiled. “I’ll see you then!”

With that, he dashed off, leaving a very happy Roseluck in his wake. She clapped her hooves together, smiling all the while. She was going to get to enjoy her concert after all. Life was cool, sometimes.

——————————————————————————————————————

“I can’t believe the train was late,” Roseluck sighed as they were finally able to exit into the Manehattan train station. “Why do these things happen, Spike? I swear the world didn’t want me to go to this concert today.”

Spike rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “I guess it’s just one of those things. Luckily it’s only eight-fifteen. We should get there during the break between bands and still get to see the headliner.”

Roseluck smiled. “True. But Prance Gavin Prance would’ve been awesome to see. Maybe next time, though.”

“Where’s the venue again?” Spike asked. “I can’t remember where they’re playing specifically. Was it Pop Tart’s Ballroom?”

“Yep!” Roseluck stated. “It’s just about a fifteen minute walk from here according to what I remember when I bought the tickets.”

“Excellent. Let’s get moving before we miss any more!”

With that, the two darted out of the train station and into the city. It was well after sundown now, so the streets were lit up with bright lights from the street lamps and skyscrapers. It was quite a magnificent sight for Roseluck in particular as she didn’t get that many opportunities to come to the city.

As the two were quickly making their way down the sidewalk, Spike couldn’t help but notice the look of wonderment on her face. He smiled at her. “So, I take it you don’t come around here super often?”

“Heh, not really,” Roseluck replied. “I’m cooped up in Ponyville most of the time. Don’t get me wrong, I love my home and town, but seeing something new every once in a while is…”

“Good for the soul?” Spike ventured a guess as to the end of her thought.

“Exactly!” She exclaimed. “But… It's also a little bit nerve-racking. I honestly wouldn’t have come up here if I had to go on my own. Even if it’s just a small chance that I would’ve gotten lost, I’d rather not be lost here on my own.” She looked up at him and smiled. “So, I guess what I’m trying to say is thanks for coming with me.”

“Oh, heck yeah,” Spike replied. “I’m always down for a concert, and nopony should have to miss a show like this, so I’m glad I was able to help. But you mentioned earlier that your friend couldn’t make it, right? That’s gotta suck that you have to go with a borderline acquaintance instead of your best friend, huh?”

Roseluck frowned. “Yeah, it does a little. No offense, by the way.”

“Heh, none taken.”

“But yeah, there wasn’t much I could do.” Roseluck rolled her eyes, mild traces of frustration still visible due to the narrowing of her brow. “She cancelled on me last minute.”

“Ouch!” Spike grimaced. “Not that it’s my business, but any particular reason why?”

Roseluck sighed once more. “She listened to the bands that were playing and said she wouldn’t have had a good time. Said it was too crazy for her.”

“Oof, that’s rough,” the dragon said. “Honestly, it’s not even just about the music when you’re at a metal show. The whole, like, environment is electric! It’s an experience I try to get everypony to experience at least once.”

“Right?” Roseluck shouted a bit louder than she intended. “But, ultimately, it’s her choice and I tried to explain that to her, but some ponies just aren’t cut out for it, I guess.”

“True.” Spike let out a small chuckle. “You wanna know something funny?”

“What’s up?”

“Believe it or not, a year or so ago, I actually got Twilight to come to a show with me.” Spike couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “It was wild.”

“Wait a minute,” Roseluck said, having to stop in her tracks. “Twilight? As in Princess Twilight? Ruler of Equestria? The Twilight that even before she was a Princess was a total bookworm?”

“The very same!”

“Oh, I’ve gotta hear this!” Roseluck exclaimed, continuing trotting next to Spike once more.

“Okay, so get this,” Spike began. “She had the weekend off from duty to take some personal time and it was a Friday night. I had tickets to go see Filly Annihilator and Unicorna Shore, two of the most outrageously brutal bands out there.”

“No way!” Roseluck interjected.

“Yes way,” Spike continued. “Anyway, Twilight’s not the biggest metal fan in Equestria, as I’m sure you can imagine, but she said she was wanting to try something new, so I actually convinced her to come with me. That being said, she wasn’t exactly down for just going normal, so we got her all dressed up in some metalhead clothing. Black skirt, black top, ripped fishnet socks and I even had the makeup ponies come in and give her black and silver hair dye. She was totally unrecognizable.”

Roseluck’s mouth was now ajar. “You’re kidding. I can’t even imagine!”

“Oh, it was as sight to behold,” Spike replied with a chuckle. “Anyway, she was totally unrecognizable and we went to this show. It was over in Canterlot, actually, at the dance hall. Anyway, we get there and I make the mistake of just assuming Twilight would freak out with all the ponies there and the alcohol and loud music and grotesque lyrics and all that. But, not gonna lie, I totally misjudged her.”

“She actually liked it?” Roseluck asked. “She liked Filly Annihilator?”

“Not just that,” Spike said. “I was prepared to literally just hang in the back with her the whole time, but partway through the first act, she just starts going crazy! She’s head banging, downing a few beers, and before I know it, she legit ran up and jumped onto the top of the crowd and started crowd surfing! I had to go in there and keep her from falling. And then, a bit later on when the crowd was starting to get tired out, you know what she does?”

“What?”

“She started a freaking pit!” Spike threw open his arms. “It was massive! Nopony wanted to get outdone by a first-time metal mare, of course, so it just grew and grew, then a circle pit formed around it, and she held her own for two songs straight! It was honestly one of the best moments of my life.” Spike had a wide smile at this point. “And since then, she’s gone to a couple more shows with me. She’s still not the biggest fan of the music itself, but she loves the live experience. It’s awesome!”

Roseluck released a small laugh, her mouth still hanging open. “I would’ve never guessed! The ruler of our nation is a closet metal freak. I love it!”

“Eeyup.” Spike folded his arms and nodded. “But you can’t tell anypony. Even though we think it’s cool, you know how some ponies are about metal and stuff. They’d find it inappropriate and probably write all kinds of slander about her.”

“For sure,” she replied. “My lips are sealed.”

Spike was about to continue, but their conversation was broken up by the echoing sounds of drums crashing followed by a loud, reverberating bass rumble.

“Hey, we’re almost there!” Spike exclaimed.

Roseluck looked down the street and sure enough, there was a large, lit up sign over one of the shorter buildings reading ‘Pop Tart’s Ballroom’. “Heck yeah! Sounds like they’re doing a sound check. Let’s go!”

The two ran down the sidewalk and towards the building. When they finally arrived, there was the traditional sight of some ponies standing around the front doors, smoking and chatting while another pony with a long beard and beanie on was inside a small, glass-windowed ticket booth. They both dashed up to the booth and Roseluck put their tickets on the wood shelf right by the designated hole.

“Alright, two?” The pony said. “You and him I take it?”

“That’s right,” she said.

“Alright,” the pony replied. “Here are your bracelets. Go ahead and put a hoof through the hole.”

Roseluck did as she was asked and the pony attached a blue, paper bracelet around her hoof. Spike did the same with his claw.

“Alright, you two are good to go! You can check in your bag at the front. Enjoy the show!” The ticket pony smiled and waved them into the front door.

“Alright, let’s do it!” Spike said with a grin.

Roseluck nodded. “Let’s go. I can’t wait!”

The two opened up the wooden doors of the venue which immediately led to the main hall. They had arrived right when they predicted, between artists. There were a couple ponies on stage, setting up the microphones and ensuring the speakers worked. Ponies and other creatures were littered everywhere. To the left was the bar which had a crowd of creatures around getting their beer and water, while on the right was a row of tables where ponies were selling merch for the bands. T-shirts, hoodies, and hats were hanging up behind them, showing off all the cool designs they had.

Roseluck took off the bag she was carrying and ran over to the side where a pony behind a counter was taking them. She dropped it off and ran back to join Spike.

They walked further in and were blasted with the various smells ranging from sweat to weed to alcohol, but it made both of them feel right at home. As far as noise goes, there was chatter coming from all directions mixed with a pony on stage sound-checking the microphones, shouting ‘check!’ into each one until the volume was just right. It was loud enough that they had to shout just to hear each other.

“This is so awesome!” Roseluck shouted to Spike, clapping her hooves against the concrete floor.

“I know, right?” He shouted back. “Let’s try and get up near the front. This is the only time to do it before Between comes out.”

Roseluck nodded and followed Spike for a moment before gently latching a hoof onto his elbow. He turned around to see what was up.

“It’s just so we don’t get separated, hehe,” she said, averting her eyes.

He winked at her. “No worries.”

The two strode onto the main floor which was becoming more and more littered with ponies, gryphons, and even a few hippogriffs. Luckily, Spike was larger than most of the other creatures and he was able to use his size and strength to lead them both about ten feet or so from the center of the stage. At that point, the wall of creatures was so thick that there was no way to get through.

The stage itself was elevated about four feet off the ground, but was directly connected to the floor without any fences or barricades. Roseluck personally liked this better as it allowed for more fan interaction with the band.

Roseluck finally let go of Spike’s elbow once they were locked into position and as the minutes passed, creature after creature started flooding the floor until there was no way they could move even if they wanted to. They were pretty much crunched together at this point. A little close for comfort, but Roseluck and Spike had both been to enough concerts that it was expected.

“Dang!” Spike exclaimed.

“What’s up?” Roseluck asked.

“I should’ve gotten us some water before the show started.” He looked around at the growing sea of ponies behind them, all locking into place. “Oh well.”

Before Roseluck could respond, the final pony on stage that was tinkering with the drums left behind the curtain in the back and all the lights in the room went out, leaving naught but total darkness. This elicited a loud cheer from everyone.

A few lights on the stage began to shine a flash flood of silver and green over the crowd, spinning in circles before finally landing on the stage. A loud bass tone then dropped, reverberating through the floor and rattling the ears of all present, accompanied by a flash of lights from the top of the stage. The spinning lights now all flipped backward to shine directly on the large curtain covering the back of the stage.

And that’s when it all started to kick in.

Outside of the curtain in the back, the stage was still mostly shrouded in darkness. The figure of a male gryphon came out from behind the curtain and took a seat at the massive drum kit located near the back of the stage, eliciting the first cheer from the crowd. This was followed by a quick succession of bass pedal kicks echoing through the room in a steady beat.

Two stallions came out next, one walking up to the keyboard on the left and one picking up the bass guitar on the right. The keyboardist began playing a soft piano melody that rang out over the crowd, kicking the speakers in the front and back into action. Meanwhile, the bass guitarist began playing heavy, steady, palm muting rhythms over the melody on the lowest string, creating a loose and heavy sound that shook the room.

Spike and Roseluck could barely contain themselves along with the rest of the crowd. Roseluck was hopping in place, her body brushing up against Spike’s with every motion. The dragon had his fist in the air and was shouting along with most of the crowd.

Up next, a female hippogriff and a stallion came out with guitars already on their backs. They flipped them around and each played heavy, palm-muted notes to match the bass while the keyboard was whirring in the background, getting faster and faster.

The crowd was now jumping and cheering, losing containment rather quickly. Lights began flashing now, illuminating the stage and flashing bright, silver light onto the crowd. Roseluck was cheering along with Spike now and even though the show hadn’t started, a pit was beginning to form a few feet behind them.

Finally, a purple, female gryphon came out from behind the curtain, eliciting the largest cheer yet. The music stopped as she picked up a microphone from the stand and flew a few feet in the air and called out to the crowd.

“Everyone! We are Between the Bridled and Me! Are you ready to lose your fucking minds tonight?!”

All the lights shut off once more and the crowd erupted into a mob of cheers and screams. Then, the lone, sharp sound of the high-hat cymbal being hit three times cried out, begging for more to come.

The lights all over the stage flipped on, greens, silvers, and shades of yellow illuminated the entire room for a brief instant before the whole band kicked into gear. As they did, the curtain in the back fell down, revealing the band’s logo, a large skeletal gryphon skull with a star behind it and encircled with the band’s name.

All hell broke loose…

The vocalist let out a guttural scream from the depths of Tartarus as the drums began to go insane, not a single cymbal or tom being ignored. The bassist played an incredibly low, absolutely violent tone behind the guitarist, one of which was matching the bassist’s rhythm step for step, creating an unholy and punishing riff while the other played a shredding and chaotic lead section. Meanwhile, the keyboardist was losing their mind, head banging and playing a haunting and borderline frightening synth rhythm that tied it all together.

The crowd had lost control and security could do little to bring it back. Creatures were jumping and screaming from front to back. A huge pit formed in the middle of the crowd with at least twenty or more participants going at it. Ponies were falling to the ground either from an ill-placed jump or too much alcohol, but were quickly picked up again by any creature close to them.

Spike instinctively grabbed Roseluck and pulled her in front of him to shield her from the pit as it started getting wilder. The song was in full-effect now and so was the crowd. It was absolutely entrancing.

Roseluck, for her part, was barely even aware that she was moved as she was too busy head banging and leaping to her heart’s content. Every pound of the drum, every reverberation of the bass was another excuse to move her head and stomp her hooves. Every scream from the vocalist was a reason for her to scream along. It was absolutely exhilarating!

Spike couldn’t keep from moving either. He was spinning in circles, banging his head while resisting the urge to jump into the pit with the others and instead stayed behind to make sure Roseluck was okay. He was sure she could handle herself, but she did make a point to have them stick together.

Roseluck, however, had no intention of just rocking out on her own, either. She flipped around to face Spike and gave him a playful glare. Without saying a word, she grabbed his claw in her hoof and darted toward the pit, taking him with her. Spike smiled widely once he realized what was going on. He followed her as fast as he could and just as a heavy hitting breakdown slaughtered the room, the two broke through the edge and jumped into the pit.

The band was all playing a drop-tuned rhythm, chug after chug and head banging in synchronous. Every low-end note they hit brought more creatures into the pit. Spike and Roseluck did everything they could to survive. Pushing, shoving, spinning, head banging: it was enough to almost give them a heart attack from pure energy and excitement. And it continued for almost a full minute before the breakdown finally ended and the song came to a close.

The crowd exploded into applause and screams of praise. Going into the pit meant that Roseluck and Spike lost their place but they were more than happy with where they ended up.

This show was fantastic and they loved every second of it!

———————————————————————————————————————

The crowd slowly began to dissipate after the final song and encore from the band, but Spike and Roseluck were still standing in the middle of the floor, panting and drenched in sweat. Well, Spike would have been if dragons could sweat, but he had enough of Roseluck’s on him from how close they were for the last hour to make up for it.

Her mane was essentially plastered to the side of her face at this point. She used her hoof to wipe some of the excess away and push it off of her eyes. Even though she looked less than perfect, she still had the widest grin Spike had seen in some time plastered on her face.

“That was amazing!” She said between breaths. “I just… wow! It’s been way too long since I’ve been to a metal show and these guys killed it!”

“I know right!” Spike agreed, punctuating his statement with a clap. “I had no idea they’d perform so well. How about Missy though, with her screams?”

“I know!” Roseluck panted a few more times before finally being able to collect herself. “It was so insane!”

They took a few moments to just catch their final breaths and looked each other in the eyes. Roseluck at least couldn’t remember the last time she had so much fun.

“Spike, I’ve gotta say, this was like the best date… er… date type thing, ever!” It was at this point she realized she had a tight grip on his claw with her hoof, having not yet separated it from when they linked up during the final track. “Oh! My bad!” She quickly let go and blushed.

The dragon waved it off and shook his head. “No worries, hah. I agree one-hundred percent. Anyway, they probably wanna get this place cleaned up, so let’s say we bounce?”

Roseluck smiled up at him and nodded. “Agreed.”

They were on their way to the front door when Roseluck noticed the merch stand once more. She saw a hoodie hanging up behind one of the ponies that was pure black with the Between the Bridled and Me logo in bright red on the back. She needed it!

“Hold on one sec, Spike!” She said. She ran over the bag check counter and got hers and immediately began sifting through it. “Oh no!”

“What’s up?” Spike asked, walking over to her.

“When I brought the bits home after work I forgot to put some in here for the concert, Dang! I really wanted a hoodie.” She looked up at him with a frown so sad it’d make Pinkie’s mane unravel.

“Well, you still have the bits I brought in there, right? You know, the ones I handed you before we left? Just use those.” Spike shrugged and smiled.

“But…” Roseluck looked at the pouch of bits in her bag. “But those are yours. I couldn’t take them from you just for some merch.”

Spike shook his head. “Then don’t think of it as taking them. It’s payment for letting me come with you. I mean, I oughta owe you something for the ticket and all.”

Roseluck sighed. “Alright, if you say so. Thanks, Spike.” She quickly wrapped him in a tight hug, once again getting sweat all over him. She peeled back and saw the wet spot on his chest. “Oops, sorry, hehe.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s a concert hazard.”

She nodded and ran off to the counter and purchased the hoodie of her dreams. It was so soft and perfectly sized and just… cool! She folded it up the best she could and fit it into her bag before dashing back to Spike.

“Hey,” the dragon said. “Let’s say we finish off the night by grabbing a bite to eat. There’s a little diner just a few buildings down that makes great post-concert food. My treat. Celestia knows I could use something to eat.”

Roseluck’s stomach growled at the mere thought of food. She was still under such an adrenaline rush she had barely noticed she hadn’t eaten practically all day. “Alright, you convinced me. Lead the way!”

The two of them left the venue and strolled down the street to the diner. The nighttime air felt magical given how hot they were. By the time they reached it, most of the sweat had disappeared from the both of them and they began to feel much more refreshed.

Once inside the establishment, they had to make a little effort to find a seat. It was a small place and very retro in design. It had checkered flooring and bright, yellow painted walls. Despite the fact that it was now getting close to eleven at night, it was rather full of creatures from the concert. Luckily, there was a booth back in the far corner where they could sit. Once the waitress came, Spike got a bowl of oatmeal and some chocolate milk while Roseluck ordered a hayburger with fries. They both also got a huge glass of water, of course.

Spike leaned back in his seat. “So, we’ve got a bit while we wait on our food, I guess. Tell me, what was your favorite part about the show?”

Roseluck leaned back as well and smiled. “I dunno. Just the whole thing really. It was awesome from start to finish. If I had to pick though, I’d probably say that opening breakdown and jumping in the pit. That was so much fun!”

“Totally!” Spike replied. “You held your own in there, too. I take it you’ve done that quite a few times before?”

She shook her head. “Nope, that was my first time!”

“No way!”

“Yep.” She laughed. “I don’t know what came over me. Everything was just so intense and I had so much energy. I figured that was the best way to let it out. Not to mention I had you there to keep me safe.” She gave him a playful wink.

“Oh, so I was your bodyguard essentially,” the dragon replied with a chuckle.

“Totally.” She laughed a little as well. “But you were also a great concert partner. When I’ve gone with friends in the past, most of the time they just stand in the back or something. You’re the first one to actually, I dunno, get into it with me. It was awesome, Spike.”

“Hey, I loved it!” The dragon replied. “My favorite part, though, was probably when Missy flew out over the crowd during that solo in the middle of the show.”

“Oh, that was awesome!” Roseluck shouted a bit too loud. “Thanks for letting me climb on your shoulders by the way. She actually gave me a hoof bump because of that!”

“No problem! I’m glad you had fun!”

The two sat in silence for just a moment, taking it all in before Roseluck finally broke it.

“Hey, Spike, I really need to thank you.” She stirred her straw in her water. “Not just for coming with me, but for being so awesome, too. I mean, you got into it, you protected me from the crowd and in the mosh pit, and you even beat the crap out of that one creep who tried to grab my flank. I just… I don’t know what I’m trying to say. I guess I just had a great time hanging with you tonight.” She chanced a glance up at him to see that he was smiling back at her.

“I did, too.”

“You know…” She took a deep breath and tried not to think about the possibly humiliating thing she was about to say. “Maybe we could do this again sometime… but as an actual date instead of a date type… thing. If that makes sense.”

Spike chuckled and nodded. “You know what? I’d like that a lot. There’s another show next month at that place. I See Sombra and A Neigh To Remember. We could always do that together?”

“Hmm,” she smiled. “Let’s do it. But if it’s okay, maybe you should stop in Ponyville a bit before that, too. Just to say hi and maybe go get some ice cream or something. Because, you know, a month is kind of a long time.”

Spike rubbed the back of his neck and blushed ever so slightly. “I think I can make that happen. How does next Saturday work for you?”

She grinned. “That works great.”

Spike held up his glass of water and she did the same. They clinked them together and both took a sip.

“It’s a date!”