After a rather nice dinner served at Fiona’s apartment, dinner that the boys had picked up from a traiteur near Henry’s house, the class Pon-3 went on with the final part of their Octavia’s Birthday activities: taking the cellist clubbing for the first time.

Pulling the cellist away from her newly-gifted electric cello had been quite a trial in itself. It took the combined efforts of Fiona and Beatrice to get her in the former’s bedroom in which the girls had previously brought many clothes that were suited for going in a nightclub. As soon as the girls were changed and had playfully cat-walked out of the host’s bedroom, earning approving clap of hands of their four male classmates.

The way Fiona swayed her hips and winked at Henry and Harpo earned her a sharp, drawn-out whistle. Both boys agreed on her choice of clothing: her knee-high leather boots of dark orange and cream white, which were matching her signature scarf and her cowgirl hat, her very short denim shorts that showed a lot of her legs, and on top of that her green flannel shirt that looked like it was a size, if not two, too small for her. If how much of her bare stomach it displayed was of any indication.

Beatrice had been the second one to exit their host’s bedroom, her cheeks flaring pink when Fiona let out a short “Wooohooo!” before making her do a spin on her foot to show off her flounced, light blue, spaghetti strap dress to the boys, who all voiced their appreciation along with a few thumbs up. With the exception of Frederic who was stunned into silence by the sousaphonist’s choice of clothes, his mouth slightly agape.

“You think he liked it?” Beatrice whispered with worry at her hat-wearing friend, glancing at the stunned pianist nervously. “Why didn’t he clap like the others?”

“Girl,” Fiona rolled her eyes and pulled the brunette closer. “Ya see how his mouth is wide open?” Beatrice nodded slowly. “This here is a sign that yer so purdy that he’s unconsciously waitin’ for ya to bury yer tongue in it!” The violinist explained with a small chuckle as her friend turned as red as a fire truck.

In the mean time, Laura had managed to pull a very embarrassed Diana inside the room. The boys, including Frederic who had recovered from the shock of Beatrice’s dress, blinked when they saw the diminutive girl also wearing a flounced dress, but hers was a bit simpler than Beatrice’s. The skirt of the dress was a bit longer and less flouncy; instead of a series of strings with pearls, the straps of her dress were two thin bands of black fabric that clashed against her bare, white shoulders.

“Hang on!” Laura called as she pulled her smartphone from her trousers’ front pocket. “I promised your Mom I’d take a picture!”

“...WHAT?! NO!” Diana shouted before the noise of a photo being taken was heard a couple of times.

“Why not? You’re cute in that dress. Isn’t she, Nathan?” The lyrist asked the closest boy.

“Really cute,” The blond guitarist assured with a short nod, making Diana’s ears go red as tomatoes.

“And what about me?” Laura asked with a smile, striking a pose in front of the boys, lifting the back of her hair with her hands.

She took a deep breath and puff her chest forward, showing off the small, yet never the less eye-catching cleavage given by her grey and silvery, sleeveless top. Laura spun on herself slowly, proving to the girls that those pants were in fact giving her a good-looking rear. Frederic rolled his eyes while shaking his head before discreetly looking at Beatrice who was still chatting with Fiona. Nathan didn’t even pay attention as he was speaking with a red-eared Diana about the club where they were about to go.

Harpo and Henry on the other hand...

“You’re pure evil, you know that?” Harpo asked slowly while Henry was covering his eyes.

“Really now?” Laura asked back innocently.

“You dare show yourself in that get up….” Henry dramatically sobbed, waving at Laura’s outfit. “...To get us all riled up and then we remember that you play for the other team!”

“Sorceress!” Harpo waved his fist angrily. “Dirty, lesbian, sorceress!”

“Thanks for the compliment!” Laura chuckled loudly, soon joined by the two distraught boys.

“Honestly, ever since you’ve confessed your preferences, you three have been playing at that game of temptress and frustratedly tempted,” Viola commented as she and Octavia walked out of the other violinist’s room. “When are you going to stop?”

Viola had decided to put on a very classy, black dress that reached down to mid-thigh and tightly hugged her smooth hourglass figure while displaying a moderate-sized bust. Black lace covered her bust from below the breast and across the shoulders, but showing off a correct but still attractive cleavage.

As she put a few locks of her hair back in place in front of the living room mirror, Viola missed the dark stare thrown her way by Laura when her audience turned its gaze on the lower part of her figure. A behavior that prompted their host into assuming her authority by whacking the harpist and the drummer at the back of their skulls.

While Harpo and Henry were rubbing their heads with sore expressions, Octavia, shaking her head in disapproval at the pair, dusted off the dress Viola had lent her. She was wearing a light grey dress with the left shoulder free that was hugging her waist and hips but otherwise fell free. It was cut above one knee and fell down the other, revealing her pretty legs without appearing too easy.

The boys, for their part, had more or less followed the same pattern for their clothes: a nice pair of trousers and a long-sleeved shirt. Frederick was the only one who had opted for a suit jacket that matched his trousers, the others having just taken their everyday jackets with them.

“Ready ta go, y’all?” Fiona asked as she took the keys of her flat on the kitchen counter. “Then, let’s go clubbin’!!” She shouted happily after everyone nodded, some with a lot more enthusiasm than others.

… And here I thought that my first club night would be with Vinyl… Octavia thought with disappointment. … Maybe I send her a message and have her ‘’coincidently’’ be at the club... She mused as she checked the cellphone inside her purse.

“Ha, so Octavia is gone for the night?” Celeste asked softly as Vito served her a glass of martini. “Good for her, it was about time she stops spending her birthday with an old goat like you.” She added with a warm chuckle after Vito nodded.

“You’re almost my age, Celly,” Vito reminded with a smirk. “If I’m an old goat, what are you then?”

“A much younger-looking goat, I suppose,” Celeste shrugged with a smile. “Seriously though, it’s nice to hear she’s out having fun with her friends…”

“Indeed,” Vito nodded.

“I’m surprised you didn’t follow her,” Selene stated as she brought her glass to her lips. “I remember when you first dropped her at school… We had to tell the janitor that you were not a creepy kidnapper,” she added with a short laugh.

“Hahahaha!” Vito let out sarcastically. “I’d love to see you when you have your first child, Selene. We’ll see if you’d be that different from me.”

“That’s if she finds someone up to her standards of course,” Celeste commented with a sly grin.

“So...” Vinyl let out after observing her boss and her co-worker chat with Vito since they arrived. “If I get this right, you two have been coming here every year for Octavia’s birthday?”

“Yes,” Celeste nodded along with her sister. “I was one of Sonia’s, Octavia’s mother, best friends in high school. We kept in touch for a very long time.”

“Matter of fact, it was because of Sonia that Vito here became a board member of Grandmother’s school,” Selene added briefly, pointing at their host with her thumb. “We’ve known Octavia since before she even first kicked inside Sonia’s belly.”

“Mannagia… you’re like Octavia’s honorary aunts or something?” Vinyl asked with surprise. Se Ottavia e io siamo scoperti, non penso chè cè la farro viva fuori della cita… [If Octavia and I are found out, I don’t think I’ll make it out of town alive...]

“Very, very distant honorary aunts,” Celeste admitted slowly. “We don’t really have a lot of contact with her outside of our functions at School.”

“But we do come visit for her birthday and for Christmas.” Selene reminded by pointing at the large, squared birthday gift that she and her sister had brought with them.

“Did the kids tell you what they were planning to do for tonight?” Celeste asked with curiosity, changing the topic of conversation.

“Not at all.” Vito shook his head quickly. “The boys didn’t seem to know this morning…”

“Now, where could a dozen of musically-oriented teens go on a Saturday night to celebrate a birthday?” Vinyl asked with a knowing smile.

“... The Night Exhibition on Tchaikovsky at the Canterlot Central Museum?” Selene suggested.

“I heard they have Music Saturdays at the restaurant La Truffe Française…” Celeste thought out loud.

“Maybe there’s a recital playing tonight… Though it would be weird that I forgot about it if there is…” Vito frowned pensively.

Vinyl simply stared at the three people before her in a stunned silence. After a few seconds of saying nothing, she brought her coke to her lips and emptied her glass with one swig. Then she slowly stood up and walked out of the kitchen, much to everyone’s incomprehension, and grabbed her biking jacket.

“Where are you going?” Vito, Selene and Celeste asked simultaneously.

“Away to save myself from your old influence!” Vinyl called before heading to the garage. “Ciao, Anziani!” [Later, Elderly!]

The young teacher left the three people in their forties in the kitchen of the Philharmonica residence. They looked at each other for a few seconds as they heard a motorcycle ride away from the mansion.

“Well, since the youngsters are all out for the night, why don’t we go out ourselves?” Celeste suggested, frowning at having been called an elderly.

“Why not,” Selene replied with an approving nod, quickly mimicked by Vito. “Let’s party as they say!!”

“Tchaikowski Night Exhibition?” Vito proposed cheerfully.

“YEAH!” Celeste and Selene cheered loudly in response.

At the great intersection at the bottom of the road that went up to the Echelon Hills, Vinyl pulled over after sensing her phone vibrate in her jacket inner pocket. After stopping her bike and pulling her helmet off, she took out her cellphone.

From: Ottavia

They are taking me to the ManeHatOn downtown… Do you think you can happen to be there? It would a great birthday gift :”)

Vinyl smiled softly at the message before typing her reply.

To: Ottavia

I don’t know… I already have a gift for you after all, and your friends are going to be there.

Quickly enough she got a reply from her student.

From: Ottavia

Pretty please… I’d like to kiss you before the end of my birthday....

Vinyl sighed with a shake of her head.

To: Ottavia

Come posso dire no a questo? Sto arrivendo, Tesoro! [How can I say no to that? I’m on my way, Sweetie!]

As soon as she sent her reply, Vinyl put her phone away and her helmet back on. Now she just needed to find that club.

“They do have an interestin’ sign,” Fiona commented as the class Pon-3 was in the line to enter the brand new nightclub.

“Why did they use a top hat wearing horse?” Octavia wondered out loud about the glowing, blue neon sign before the entrance.

“It’s not a horse, it’s a pony!” Laura argued softly.

“Does that even matter?” Nathan asked.

“There are differences!” the lyrist insisted strongly.

“Whatever,” Harpo called softly. “It’s our turn,” he added before the group walked in front of the pair of huge bouncers that were standing by the entrance.

“IDs, please,” The one at the left asked in a deep, throaty voice.

All students digged into their pockets or purses for their ID, and Octavia realized something important: She wasn’t the youngest of her class at all. She winced internally when the bouncer picked Laura and Diana’s, realizing that they were likely to get rejected. Though the bouncer quickly gave Laura’s back and examined Diana’s with attention. He frowned for a bit, then he blinked in shock.

“Are you related to Daniella Hoovet by any chance?” he asked slowly.

“You know my Mom?” Diana asked back with surprise.

“From around… She knows that you’re here?” he asked with a stern stare. Diana assured with a nod. “Then you’re good to go. Have fun!” he added while stepping away to let them in. “And Happy Birthday to you, Miss,” he added for Octavia.

The group politely thanked the bouncers and walked inside the club. On their way in, an attendant stamped the back of their hands with a deep red horse with a top hat before they went straight for the dance floor, choosing to not let their jackets to the cloakroom.

As soon as they came into the club part of the building, their ears and eyes were assaulted by deep, thundering basses and rainbow colored streaks of light, respectively. After recovering from the sudden transition between the dance floor and the corridor, the group quickly got into the rhythm of the music and started partying.

After dancing for a while, Octavia and Diana managed to snatch an empty booth for themselves and their friends, and Nathan, Henry and Harpo went to the bar to order drinks for their group. The small flautist was panting from her dance that had taken its toll on her while Octavia was still relatively fresh, considering she hadn’t danced as energetically as her friend.

“So are you having fun, Octavia?” Diana asked after catching her breath.

“I am!” Octavia beamed at her friends. “I don’t know why we never tried to come before.”

“Well, the fact that we weren’t really old enough might have had its influence,” Diana guessed softly. “I wouldn’t come here every week though. It’s exhausting.”

“True!” Octavia agreed with a certain nod before glancing back at their friends. “Looks like Beatrice is making progress with Frederic,” she commented with a warm smile.

Indeed, the sousaphonist had gathered enough of her courage to dance ‘’exclusively’’ with her beloved pianist a few minutes ago. Now, the pair was moving to the rhythm of the DJ’s, a tall man with spiky black hair and dark shades, performance, and each beat was drawing them closer to one another.

“Looks like it,” Diana smiled as Beatrice took Frederic’s hand in her own.

“Hey!” Laura called as she slammed herself against the back of the booth. “You girls have seen Fiona and Viola? I lost them in the crowd a good ten minutes ago.”

“No,” Octavia craned her neck to look for her rustic violinist’s hat in the crowd. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?”

“I thought they were just a few feet from me,” Laura explained. “Apparently, I was wrong.”

“I hope they’re not at each other’s throat,” Diana stated as she stood up on her chair to look for the missing pair.

“Why would they be?” Laura asked with a cocked eyebrow. “They seemed fine last time I saw them.”

“Because that’s what usually happens when you leave the two of them on their own for more than ten seconds!”

“Indeed,” Octavia approved the small blonde’s statement. “They don’t need more than accidently bumping into each other to get started…” she added with a small sigh.

“...Oh, yeah! That’s true!” Laura nodded. “Sad, but quite true…”

Soon after, the boys arrived with their drinks. Octavia quickly warned them that they couldn’t find the two violinists, something that prompted them in turning heels to look for them. They only took one step away from the booth when a familiar voice called from behind the booth.

“Don’t try to look for them in the crowd, you’d only get lost yourself,” Vinyl recommended as she set her bike helmet on the back of the booth, startling all her students present, and making Octavia’s stomach do a triple back-flip. “Look from above… Or in this case, just look above!” she added with a small chuckle.

Before anyone would question their teacher’s presence, said teacher pointed her finger slightly above the crowd and her students followed it with their gazes. The six pair of eyes widened in shock when they found the missing violinists. Viola and Fiona had climbed on top of one of the few podiums scattered across the dance floor and were dancing together without any care for the world. They were standing on the highest stage of the podium, about five or six feet above the ground, confined in the two and a half squared meters wide surface of the construction’s top.

Viola had her back turned to Fiona. Both their bodies were so close that they bumped into each other more than once as they swayed their hips to the music. The pair of violinists had their eyes closed and their arms snaking around one another, briefly brushing against their skin or outfit every now and then. At one point, Viola let her head fall backwards, making it land on Fiona’s awaiting right shoulder before they both grinded against each other and the cowgirl’s hands delicately made their way against the other violinist’s belly.

“...Well, they kinda are at each other’s throat!” Laura let out with a growing blush as the usually classy violinist snuggled the more down-to-earth one’s neck and the orange fabric that covered it.

“Just not the way we imagined them to be,” Henry commented with a shocked chuckle, while Viola twisted her arm to caress the left side of the other violinist’s face.

“I know we wanted them to get along a bit more...” Harpo then saw Fiona exhaled in what looked like a blissful expression in reaction to the other violinist’s caresses and snuggles. “... That’s kinda too much though.”

“Hang on! What’s Fiona doi…” Octavia started with a higher pitched tone as the cowgirl turned her face toward the one of the brunette in her arms.

“Oh my…” Nathan let out in shock as the violinists’ lips brushed against one another for the time of a blink.

“...God!” Diana ended as Viola’s tongue flashed out of her mouth to subtly lick Fiona’s upper lip before they both stared at each other with half-lid eyes.

“Oooookay, so THAT happened alright...” Vinyl called in a surprised tone, reminding her students of her presence and making them look away from the dancing violinists.

“What are you doing here?” Diana asked with curiosity, glad to have something else to talk about.

“Well, first of all, it was about time I went to a club in Canterlot,” Vinyl explained. “Second, it was either going out or staying at home with Octavia’s father, and the Heliopolis’ and listen to their old stories of yore! And third, your dad asked me to be on the lookout so that Frederic doesn’t make any move on you!” she added for the birthday girl who frowned in response.

“Sorry, what?” all the students asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“I know, it sounds ridiculous to me too, but it’s the truth.” Vinyl chuckled before she spotted the pianist in question with Beatrice. “Especially since it’s obvious that he’s only got eyes for our sometimes childish sousaphonist,” she added with a warm smile.

In the more than half hour that followed, the class Pon-3 enjoyed the presence of the seasoned clubber that was their teacher. Well most of the class did as Beatrice had kept Frederic busy on the dance floor, much to their friends’ pleasure: it’d been so long since they have been pushing the brunette to act on her feelings without grand success, and the two violinists were still lost in their own little world of dancing and body grinding, and no one seemed to dare pulling them out of it.

Surprisingly, Octavia thought that Laura was quite silent despite the presence of Vinyl, since she’s been dying to get close to the blue-haired teacher. But at the moment, she was busy gawking at Fiona and Viola with a look of envy clear on her face. Not that Octavia could blame her much, as quite a lot of other patrons were staring at the pair just like her. Many boys were paying more attention to the two violinists than their respective dates, at said dates’ greatest displeasure.

After chatting with them for a good ten minutes, Vinyl convinced her students that a club was for dancing; she wanted to add drinking but figured it couldn’t have been the best advice she could give to her students, and sent them back to the dance floor while she’d keep their booth occupied. Octavia cast a quick glance at Vinyl before her teacher encouraged her to move along with her friends.

E talmente carina con quel’ abito! [She’s so cute in that dress!] Vinyl thought amorously as her dress-wearing student/girlfriend joined her friends on the dance floor.

She took her glass from the table of her booth and brought it to her lips, when a voice came from her right.

“It must have been quite the downfall for you to be reduced to babysitting, Pon-3!” A man called with a clearly mocking chuckle.

Vinyl blinked in shock a couple of times, tensing intensively, as she recognized the voice next to her. It was a voice she hadn’t heard in almost ten months now, yet it still lit up the same fury as back then. Taking a deep breath and exhaling for a long time, she rested her glass back on the table, ignoring her trembling hand that spilled a few drops of her beverage.

“I’m surprised to see you here, MC-W1sh!” Vinyl spat her interlocutor’s stage name like it was poison. “I didn’t know that rats could make it to Canterlot,” she added when she faced the black haired man with his signature black shades, white tie and black shirt.

“Then why are you here?” Neon Lights, AKA MC-W1sh, asked in a mocking retort before smiling softly. “After all, you’re the one who ran out of creativity, not me!”

“...” Vinyl cast a dark glare at the other DJ before glancing back at the dance floor.

“Oh, come on, it was just a joke!”

“And look, I’m laughing my ass off to it,” Vinyl replied with a cold, sarcastic tone.

“Sheesh, moving away from Manehatten took away your sense of humor,” Neon commented before making his way inside the booth. “Mind if I sit?”

“I do, but you’re going to sit anyway,” Vinyl answered as he sat right next to her. She immediately moved away from him a bit. “You didn’t answer my question. Why are you here?”

“Well, as matter of fact I work here!” Neon replied waving at the club. “New resident DJ of Blueblood’s newly installed ManeHatOn in Canterlot!”

“Shouldn’t you be behind your turntables then?” Vinyl asked coldly while frowning at the other DJ’s latest achievement.

“I should but I needed a break, and these two girls are quite stealing the show, don’t you think?” He asked, pointed at Viola and Fiona who were still entranced by each other’s dancing, or simply by each other for all Vinyl knew. “I just put a nice playlist on for a few minutes.”

“Huh-huh…”

“So, what have you been up to these days?” Neon asked with genuine curiosity.

“Work,” Vinyl replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Yeah but what work? You kinda disappeared from Manehatten’s scene and bury yourself in some shit hole in Canterlot. There were even some rumors that told you were dead!” He stated with a hint of annoyance.

“Deluso?” [Disappointed?] Vinyl cocked an eyebrow at her interlocutor.

“Huh… You remember I don’t understand Spanish, right?” Neon asked with unease.

“Neon…” she called in an exasperated tone. “Be nice and just FUCK OFF! Okay?!” Vinyl nearly shouted, startling the DJ a bit.

“Jeez, no need to shout! I swear you’re ten times more tense than a bowstring.” Neon raised his hands in defense. “You really need to get laid, girl!”

“...” Vinyl simply flared her nostrils in response.

“Fine, fine!” Neon decided to give up and stood to walk away from her. “Just…” He grinned slyly. “If you ever feel the need to release your stress and if your high schooler boy toys can’t help, you can alway come and see me… You know, for old times’ sake.” he added with a sultry tone, ogling Vinyl’s tantalizing curves restricted by her biker jacket and her skintight jeans.

Faster than he would have thought her capable of, Vinyl leaped from her seat and slammed her hand on his crotch. He had to bite his lower lip to not shriek like a girl when she squeezed his family jewels with strength while casting him a killer look.

“Ascoltami, ed ascoltami bene…” [Listen to me, and listen to me good... ] Vinyl whispered in a cold, anger-filled voice. “You ever mention that old times’ sake bullshit, just think about putting your junk inside me, or worse: bad-mouth ANY of my students one more Goddamned time, I’ll make sure that the only musical career you have left would be the one of a castra singer,” she threatened sternly, twisting her catch for good measure, earning a small squeal from Neon. “Do you understand?”

“Gh..IGH…” Neon muttered in response, his face bright red from the pain.

“Hai capito, THEODORE LAFLEUR?” [Do you understand,...] Vinyl asked again, using Neon’s real name with pure hatred while pressing his jewels tighter than before.

Neon nodded quickly before Vinyl pushed him away from the booth rather violently. A bouncer made his way toward the teacher before Neon waved him to stay put. Under Vinyl’s dark stare, tonight’s DJ walked back to his turntables, his legs arched a bit and his left hand massaging discretely his sore parts. The bouncer glared at Vinyl for a few seconds before he went back to his post.

After rubbing her threatening hand against the cushions of her bench to clean it, Vinyl sat heavily on her chair. She rubbed her eyes with her other hand, chasing the tears that had started to roll out of them. The teacher sighed wearily and emptied her glass in one gulp, not counting the half of it that had spilled on the floor due to her violently shaking hand. She then searched her students with her eyes, hoping they had not seen what just happened.

They luckily didn’t as they were clearly having too much fun. Beatrice and Frederic were sort of lost in their own little world, their eyes not leaving each other as they twirled around the dance floor. An out of breath Diana was led to the bar by Nathan, their fingers entwined together to make sure that the diminutive flautist didn’t get lost in the crowd.

Laura and Henry were trying to hit on the same girl with the smoothness of baby rhinoceroses, only to have the blue and white haired girl walk up to Harpo and start dancing with him. While surprised that the cute girl went to him at first, Harpo quickly relaxed and showed to all that the harpist was also pretty good at plucking the right strings of a girl.

Octavia, who had been dancing nearby, witnessed the scene and did her best to not laugh at her two friends’ bad luck. She failed lamentably at that. Her crystal like laugh ringing perfectly clear to Vinyl’s ears despite the loud music of Neon filling the club. Laura and Henry quickly shrugged and joined the cellist’s mirth by laughing just like her.

The sight of her students enjoying the music that could have been hers without her downfall in the DJing business, and the more than happy expression on Octavia’s face as the cellist danced with her friends, was enough to bring her good mood back. Despite all the bad memories linked to her downfall, she could never wish to have had things happened in any other different ways as they were right now.

The group remained in the club for a good two hour long period before an exhausted Diana almost passed out on Nathan’s shoulder. That prompted the group to finish their drinks and leave, not without Harpo getting his surprise date’s phone number. While the girls headed outside, Vinyl and the four boys scattered around the club to find the two violinists that had spent all their time here together and away from the group. Not that anyone minded much as it would have been very difficult to question them about what happened on the podium with the club’s music blaring all around. They searched until they all received a sms from Octavia telling them that the pair had left with Viola’s car.

While the dozen students could have fit in the van of Frederic’s father, needing a few of them to sit on other’s laps, they had decided to come with two vehicles both for comfort and the possibility for some to return early if it was necessary. It was also in that regard that Fiona had entrusted Diana with the spare key of her flat.

After a rather long debate from the girls about returning to Fiona’s place for the planned sleepover with the unplanned couple probably doing something in the apartment, they finally decided to go to Fiona’s apartment, according to plan and to obtain answers about their dance. As a matter of comfort, since there were only seven seats in the van, Octavia asked if Vinyl could drop her at Fiona’s place with her bike. Something the teacher had agreed to without any problem.

As her bike was parked outside the club’s parking lot, Vinyl told the ones in the van to go ahead and that she’ll likely catch up with them on the road. After Frederic drove the group away, Octavia and Vinyl went to the latter’s bike, finding it in a rather quiet area two streets away from the club. As soon as they were alone by the white and blue bike, Octavia pulled her teacher/girlfriend into a tight embrace.

“...Ouch!” Vinyl let out playfully after Octavia nearly snapped her neck when she hugged her.

The cellist’s response was to press her lips against Vinyl’s with strength. The teacher rolled her eyes before kissing back with gusto, wrapping her arms around the younger woman’s midsection. They made out for a good minute or two before Octavia pulled her tongue out of Vinyl’s mouth delicately, allowing the blue-haired to suck on it softly until it was past her lips.

“Hai passato un buon compleanno, Tesoro?” [Did you have a great birthday, Sweetie?] Vinyl whispered softly as Octavia nuzzled her chest while purring like a cat.

“It was excellent so far… Il bacio l’a fatto perfetto!” [... The kiss made it perfect!] Octavia cooed amorously. “Thank you for coming.”

“I wasn’t gonna miss the opportunity to give you your present, was I?” Vinyl asked with a chuckle before opening the trunk under her bike’s seat. “It’s not wrapped up but, since you’re going to use it now.”

Octavia took a step back and let Vinyl extend a helmet in her direction. Despite the advanced hour, and thus the darkness that went with it, Octavia clearly saw that it wasn’t Vinyl’s usual spare helmet. This one was brand new, unlike the other which had a few scratches on the surface. It was pure, shiny black if not for the deep purple lines of composition that started from the the top of the helmet and twirled all over its surface along with a series of musical notes. Octavia took it in her hands and curiously read the notes, imagining the song in her head.

“I don’t know the song on it,” Octavia remarked casually.

“No surprise, you’re the first person to have read it beside me,” Vinyl explained softly. “The idea came to me after Nightmare Night… It’s a melody for you,” She added scratching the tip of her nose.

“You..You wrote it for me?!” Octavia brought her hand above her mouth while her eyes were shining thanks to the unshed happy tears trapped in them.

“It’s not finished yet,” Vinyl told sheepishly. “I composed a bit more than what’s on the helmet. I’ll let you hear it once it’s done. You like it?”

Octavia nodded fervently. “It’s a great present, Vinyl. Grazie mille.”

“That’s only a part of the present,” Vinyl explained with a smile. “Now that you have your own customized helmet, you need to become a proper biker…”

“...What?”

“I convinced your father of letting me teach you how to ride a motorcycle.” Octavia gasped in shock at the news. “From now on, every Saturday or Sunday, you and I are going to take my bike, ride to some secluded area where I can train you to ride properly.” Vinyl smiled softly at the clear excitement on Octavia’s face. “And as a side bonus, we’ll have one day per week completely for the both of us. What do you say? Cool or cool?”

Octavia simply jumped in Vinyl’s arms to give her a big hug and kissed her passionately once again. It was obviously beyond cool for her.

“Come on, now,” Vinyl called after breaking the kiss. “The others will start to ask questions if we are too late,” she added before straddling her bike.

“..O-Okay,” Octavia nodded, putting her brand new helmet on.

She swiftly climbed on the back seat of the bike and passed her arms around Vinyl’s waist. After giving a few strokes of gas, the white and blue motorcycle sped away from downtown to go to the small suburb in which Fiona lived.

Author's Notes:

BOOM! When Past meets Presents.... damages are to be expected :p

Here goes Octavia and Vinyl's moment during the former's birthday.
I hope you've enjoyed it ^^
I know I did.

Like I said in my blog post, there's an extra chapter that's coming your way.
(Still need feedback from one member of my faithful team)

Mariacheat-Brony out!

PS: edited and proofread by GWG, G3K0771, and Deamonbunny (sorry I almost forgot to put you there guys ;'()

PPS: a cookie for the first one who guesses Harpo's surprise date