What If: My Second Life

CHAPTER 17: The Offer

The stage was dark and a big crowd turned for this concert. It was one of the biggest of the year and no pony would want to miss it. Even all the girls showed up to see Jace and Vinyl perform! Coal wasn't anywhere to be seen though. No pony knew where he was.

* * * *

AHHH. So many ponies! FUCK. Calm down Jace! Get a hold of yourself! Your doing this because..Because....BECAUSE STUFF. God! I'm so nervous! What if something goes wrong? What-

“Jace, stop stressing out. Your getting WAY to worked up about this whole thing.” Vinyl was walking up to him, in a nice dress. She got up on her hind legs and was leaning against some crates. “How do I look?~” She did a little twirl and then trotted over to him. Jace had a finger on his lip just in case blood started to gush out.

“Y-You look sexy love..” GAH. FUCK. SO. STRESSING.

“STOP. STRESSING.” Vinyl tackled me and kissed me all over on my face. “I know your going to do fine. Have Zeke give you some confidence or something. I want my fearless boy-toy back~” She winked at him and smiled, hopping off. “I need to get some things taken care of before showtime. See you out there! Love you!”

Jace got into a situp position and watched the flank of his lover teasingly sway back and fourth. “TEASE.” There was a laugh and then the closing of a door. Jace sighed and rubbed his face a bit. “Zeke! Get out here.” A black flame shot out from the floor and then went away, showing Zeke in a pony form. He had a pitch black mane that draped over his left eye. His coat was a pure white with a skull cutie-mark. His horn was black unlike his coat. You could barely see it against the black hair.

“You called?” He asked with a smile. He trotted over to Jace and helped up his student. “I guess Vinyl happened?”

Jace nodded and sighed. “I'm really nervous here Zeke. There are so many ponies! I hope nothing goes wrong...”

“Just remember those dance moves I taught you and your fine.”

“Doesn't really help that you took Vinyl's form in that dream and made me grab your flank. Better not be going queer on me Zeke.”

“Whaa~ Meeee? Never~” Zeke laughed and made himself levitate to Jace's height and look him straight in the eyes. “I got the effect covered. Blackness on a whole 'nother level my friend.” He raised his head proudly and lowered himself down. “I've got it allll covered.” He trotted to a crate and hopped up on it. “Just call when your ready. Also, you look nice in a tux man.”

“Why, thank you..” Jace was starting to get confidence back. He straightened his tie and flatted his shirt out. He checked the cufflinks to make sure they were in securely. “Alright. FIVE MINUTES PONIES!” The workers got to their positions immediately and Vinyl came out on cue. Her hair was put up and she had makeup on. MAKEUP. Jace was honestly speechless.

“W-Wow babe! You look really nice.”

“You don't look half bad yourself. You ready to go out there?”

“Ready as I'll ever be. I can't believe we're actually doing this...”

“I'm glad we're doing it. No more people bugging us about it.” She nuzzled his hand and Jace bent down to kiss her on the nose. Then, the curtains opened.

* * * *

The stage was pitch black, just as Zeke said he would make it. It was more of a shroud of dark then anything. One single light turned on, lighting up the DJ booth. Every pony in the crowd roared when a hooded man walked out, but gasped when the hood was pulled off. It was Coal and not Jace. Coal cracked his neck and fingers and started up the song. It started off as the sound of static when you first put the needle on a record. Then slowly fading in was the piano and soft bass to Ruffneck Bass. The lights turned on and Jace and Vinyl were standing in the middle of the stage, slow dancing. Every pony whistled and cheered for the two as they danced close.

Right when the bass dropped, Jace and Vinyl ran over to the booth and Coal got off, and ran off backstage. The two started to DJ and switch positions like they did before. Jace found a hat left on the floor and picked it up, wearing it sideways like a dweeb. As the middle slow portion of the song came back in, Coal ran out, taking position and the two went back to their dance, laughing joyously as they did. It was a romantic moment for the couple. No one got the hint yet though.

As the song was drawing to a close, the only instrument left in the song playing was a piano. As the last few notes were played, the two kissed right there on stage, where everypony could see. The reaction was a large amount of gasping, then cheering. But this cheering, was far past the kind when the two started to mix. It was the most amazing thing the two have ever heard.

When the kiss was broken, the darkness faded in on the two and everypony was still cheering for the two.

* * * *

Even though the darkness was back to the stage and nopony could see the two, Vinyl and Jace had started to kiss again. They wanted to make a night to remember for themselves. The sound was blocked by the darkness as well, so it was just the two, on stage, kissing.

After what seemed like hours, the two finally parted from each other. They hugged for a bit and then went off to get changed. Zeke was still sitting there, his hirn glowing a blood red color as he was channeling the magic.

“Zeke have you seen Coal?” Zeke looked at him and then pointed to the hallway. Jace ran to the hall and was just getting his cufflinks off. He saw him walk past and talk to a stage manager. “Coal!” Jace ran over to him and hugged him close. “Dude that was awesome! Thank you so much!”

Coal chuckled a little. “Don't mention it dude! It was a blast! You need to teach me how to do more of that so I can get in on doing this.” Jace shook his head and smiled.

“Maybe later. But, thank you so much. When I get this paycheck, your getting half. I'm not going to take no for an answer!” Jace patted Coal's chest and then jogged over to Vinyl's door. He knocked on it and heard the sweet 'Come iiiin~'. He opened the door and she yelped.

“Noo~ I'm naked~~!” Jace was about to close the door when he remembered. He walked in and sighed.

“I'm not used to that.”

“I know! That's why I DID IT.”

Jace walked over and got down to hug her close. “Mmm.. I love you so much.” Vinyl smiled and kissed his cheek.

“I gotta get this crap off me. Give me five minutes.” Jace nodded and promptly exited. He walked to his dressing room and took off the tuxedo he was wearing. He threw on a tight black shirt and some baggy torn up jeans. Rarity made them for him, but didn't enjoy putting the holes in her work. Jace was all over that though.

He walked out, his custom headphones around his neck. He looked over at the stage manager who looked back and motioned to the curtain. “Am I?” He shook his head and then turned a bit, motioning towards Vinyl's room now. Jace nodded and ran for her room, opening the door. “It's time to get out there.”

She pushed down her sunglasses and smirked. “Let's do this.”

* * * *

As the light came back on, Vinyl walked out and got up to the booth. She smiled and pulled the mic close. “LET'S SPIN THIS SHIT.” As the song went up with a bass, Jace ran out and jumped onto the booth as it dropped, headbanging and mixing alongside Vinyl. The crowd loved it and started bouncing up and down.

In the back, Coal was facepalming because he knew what this was. “Goddammit Jace.” Is all he could mutter under his breathe. The video Epic Pie Time started to replay through his head as he listened to the music, remembering how crazy Pinkie was in that video.

As the song slowly came to a close, Jace slowly increased the volume to another song, more happy and techno rather than rave and bass heavy. It was the genre Happy Hardcore, another thing that Jace loved to mix in his spare time. Vinyl backed off from this, because she specialized in hardcore heavy dubstep and not this happy uplifting techno.

Jace bobbed his head to the music, turning knobs and hitting buttons on cue as he was listening to the music. He's listened to this music a million times over trying to perfect his mixes over countless hours in his friend's soundproof basement and a DJ booth.

His music was bumping up the crowd quite a bit. They cheered for him and held up signs that said, 'We Wub You Jace!' or 'DJ CX 4 LIFE.' It was really getting him going and he switched over back to dubstep, getting the crowd going even more, just freestyling to some heavy bass music.

After a while, he put his headphones down and jumped on the booth, wiping off his shoulders and putting his hands on his hips. He looked around at the crowd then raised his arms to the sky, getting immense cheers. Then, he jumped into the crowd.

They all caught him and the screaming made Jace's ears ring, but he loved it! He could feel countless kisses from mares getting planted on his cheeks as he surfed along the crowds of ponies that came to see him and Vinyl.

After a good amount of time, he pointed back to the stage and all of the ponies knew what to do. They all moved him back to the stage so he could go mix some more music for them to dance too. He was having the time of his life at this concert, so he decided to play the song and sing along.

“I, had, the time of my liiife...And I've never felt this way befooore...And I sweear..This is truue. And I owe it all to you..” The last word he stopped on, he repeated it over and over again on the booth, making it go faster in tempo, until... “Dirty bit, remix.” Then the bass dropped and all hell was broke loose from the speakers. Pure dubstep goodness was being fed to the crowd's ears and they wanted seconds!

Coal had at this point wormed his way into the crowd and found the girls. They were all jumping up and down and having a blast at this concert. Everyone was whooping and hollering at the two lovers, both going at it.

There was a pony in a black suit that walked up in the middle of the song and whispered into Jace's ear. Jace looked over at the pony and took off his headphones, whispering into Vinyl's ear before walking backstage with the well dressed pony. He didn't know anything about him, just that he wanted to talk to him.

* * * *

“Can you play anything else than techno?” The pony finally asked as he got behind the curtain. Jace stopped in his tracks and had a look on his face that meant total confusion.

“Uhh, you mean dubstep?” The pony rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Dubstep, whatever! Can you play anything else but that?”

“Uhh, I sing and I can play some guitar..”

“Perfect!” He pulled out a card from his pocket and handed it to Jace. “This is my card, you'll make more bits when you do concerts this way. Drop by and we can do business. The only thing is that you'll have to leave tech- dubstep behind..”

“WHAT?! Leave dubstep?! I'm sorry, but you're nuts..” Jace turned, and the pony bit onto his shirt.

“Wait! I can make you an offer... How about... At your concerts you play dubstep, but you also play guitar and sing with a band..”

“Sorry but no deal. I can't have any showboats in these concerts that we have so much fun with..” Jace moved and pushed a curtain back, looking over at Vinyl who was mixing by herself, looking like she was having a hard time. It sounded like the song was coming to a close at this point. Then, a thought struck Jace about the two of them. 'With a house like we have, and if we have kids...' He looked back at the pony.

“If that band plays behind a curtain and can't be seen, then you have yourself a deal. I won't do it under any other circumstances. People trying to steal my thunder is the thing that I don't agree with. This is for me and Vinyl, not so some band can get some recognition.”

The pony sighed and held out his hoof. “Your busting my apples here kid, but you got yourself a deal.” Jace took hold of the ponies' hoof and shook it.

“Pleasure doing business with you mister...”

“March. Jack March.” Jace looked over and saw that Jack's cutie mark was a pair of drumsticks crossed over in an X. “Your drummer.”

* * * *

“Jace!! What in the BUCK was that all about?!” Shit.. “What's the big idea about you leaving me out there all alone to DJ THAT kind of a song without help?! I'm just one unicorn!”

“Vinyl, calm down. I got us a deal that means getting us more bits for our concerts.”

“Is THAT what that was about?! THE MONEY?! Jace Xegen! When in the buck did you care about the money?!”

“WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT US.” This shut Vinyl right up. “I thought that if we were to have children, we would need more money than we already make. This will give us enough gold in our pockets to get nice stuff for our future family.” Vinyl was slack jawed when she heard this and on the verge of tears.

“Y-You took the offer f..For us?”

“Why wouldn't I? You mean the world to me Vi and....I want our kids to have good lives, and this is how we're gonna do it.”

Vinyl was shaking at this point and Jace had to pick her up and set her in his lap. He stroked her mane and kissed on her cheeks to get her to stop crying. She didn't say anything more but just let Jace hold her for about an hour. The concert was over by now and ponies were dispersing from the courtyard to go to the hotel for the after party.

There was a knock at the door and Coal opened the dressing room door. “Guys? Are you coming to th- oh... Sorry..” He went to close the door but Jace stopped him.

“Tell everypony we'll be there in a few, we just need some time to go over a few things.” Coal nodded and closed the door behind him. Jace turned to see Vinyl standing up and rubbing her eyes on her foreleg. “You alright to go love?”

Vinyl nodded slowly and put her glasses over her eyes so nobody saw the glowing of her eyes that showed she had been crying right before the party. “Let's get wasted and have a good night..” She said with a small smile.

Author's Note: Rock and dubstep in concerts?! THE FUN HAS BEEN DOUBLED! I'm sorry if this is getting out of hand but, I mean common! There isn't really a pony out there that can play guitar that well since, you know, hooves. There has to be some story out there that has gone way more over the top than this one. Also, this is a re-imagining of another story. The parts that pretain to actual story have more Coal's writing in it than mine. I'm using this time to stretch my own writing style and try out new things to see how you guys react. If you don't like it, I'll just write something that won't have it anymore. All it takes is a large amount of negativity towards the idea and then it's gone. I want to write something entertaining and what everybody wants.