I’m walking around the Castle Town portion of Canterlot. The place is a bit new to me, or rather, I’m a bit new to the town. As such, I get my usual surprised glances, shut doors and the like. I decide to check out what kind of stuff goes on around a posh place like this.

I walk along seeing fancy shop after fancy shop. This place is practically built on consumerism. It’s more than a little irritating. Surely these high-class ponies have more entertainment than shopping. Ah who am I kidding? I don’t belong here, I’m far too... rustic, I suppose.

I turn a corner and the first building I see I have to give a double take. It looks like. A dance club? And not like some schmancy ballroom, this place is for parties. Oh thank Nayru, I have hope for this town yet. I approach the door, but it says it’s closed until much later in the afternoon, practically night. Ah, one of those kind of clubs. Perfect. I make a mental note of how to get back here for later.

Even after having checked about ten more blocks, I don’t see any more similar places of entertainment. I feel the urge to shake things up a bit, break the doldrums of this one-rave-town.

But what to do? Man I miss Discord sometimes, but there’s still two and a half years until his detention is up. I sigh heavily.

I run out into the street and approach the first pony I see. I grab him by his... whatever horses have instead of shoulders.

“What do you bores do for fun all day!?” The stallion just freaks out and bolts, of course. I stay in the middle of the streets and raise my arms to the sky. “This place is so boring!!” I’m approached by a guard.

“Sir, I’m sorry you’re bored, but if you continue yelling like that, I going to have to charge you with noise pollution and disturbing the peace.”

“Fiiiiine...” I just walk off and find a cafe where I sit down. Unsurprisingly, I’m not served as I don’t look like I’d have money. Or because I’m a freak. Hard to tell with these stuck up ponies. Suddenly I’m approached by a... pony? Shape is right, but it’s wearing so many facial and bodily-obscuring clothes I honestly can’t tell. I can at least tell it has a horn. Pink, but that doesn’t really help much.

“Hello there.” Well, definitely a feminine voice.

“Uh... hi?”

She chuckles. “Yes, I’m actually talking to you. You don’t seem very... accepted.”

“Yeah, and all the stuff around here is so expensive it’s crazy.”

“Let me buy you something.”

“R- really?” This is a surprise. She’s... actually nice. “I mean, thanks. You’re the first pony here to even give me a chance.”

“I don’t see why I shouldn’t.”

She goes inside the cafe and returns with a pair of... I’m not sure. It’s some kind of pastry, but I don’t quite have a name for it. Anyway, I take a bite. Not bad.

“So, I suppose I should introduce myself. I’m Anthony.”

She places her hoof in my hand and I shake it.

She gives me one of the most sincere smiles I’ve seen.

“My name is Cadence.”

I have to admit, this pony is nothing like the usual ponies around here. We just sat and talked, she always had a happy smile and seemed to be enjoying my company just as much as I’m enjoying hers.

She does occasionally shift her eyes to the side, but I suppose a bit of paranoia isn’t bad. She’s so nice I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s been mugged before. We continue our conversation, just sharing anecdotes. Of course, I refrain from mentioning my more intense experiences, but I still manage to make my life sound interesting.

I’m recounting one of the more humorous stories and in a fit of laughter, she throws her head back and her hat falls off. Suddenly she gets a deer-in-the-headlights look, and then a guard runs over. “Oh drat.” She mutters.

“Princess Cadence, there you are! You know you shouldn’t wander away from your detachment!” He gives me a hard glare. “You never know what kind of weirdos you’ll meet.”

“Well, uh, hope to see you later, Cadence!” I shout after her as she’s led away by her escort.

“Bye Anthony! Uh... gotta go!”

Princess huh? That’s unexpected. Guess she gets just as bored with this place as I do and has to sneak out. I make a point of figuring out where I can meet Cadence again. Maybe Celestia or Luna would know, princesses and all that.

Well, I’ve managed to wait out the day, and now I’ve returned to the dance club I found earlier. I don’t know what these ponies would consider heavier music but I suppose it can’t be too bad. I walk in, and I’m... surprised. First of all, I’m not kicked out for being weird. Second of all, it looks like a normal human setup for the interior. Large speakers, a dance floor with plenty of room, enough light to see but not so much that it’s very well-lit.

And the ponies. Oh man, those that are wearing clothes are definitely wearing what I’d consider ‘party-wear’, and plenty of them have glowsticks! I’m getting really psyched up. I approach a random mare with a glowstick band around her neck.

“Hey, this is my first time here. Is the music good?”

“Oh you bet, this place is the bomb! And tonight, they even have DJ-PON3 on, she rocks!”

Okay, now I’m really excited.

After a bit of waiting, it’s showtime. Some colored lights shine down on the turntable set. Out walks a white unicorn with some really neat shades and the craziest mane I’ve ever seen, and her cutie mark is a pair of bridged eighth notes.

Everything about this pony just screams ‘Party!’. When she reaches her turntables, the crowd just goes absolutely wild.

She holds up her hooves to calm down the crowd and leans into the mic.

“Hello Canterlooooot!”

Even though I’m from out of town, the energy radiated by the crowd pumps me up so much I cheer with them. She continues once the cheers die down.

“Yeah! We’re gonna have some fun tonight! Everypony got their ‘sticks?”

I can’t help myself, I’m so pumped!

I shout at the top of my lungs. “I am the stick!!!” I strike a rocker pose and Spark up, bathing the nearby ponies in my glow.

DJ-PON3 looks out into the crowd at me, before responding just as loudly. “He is the stick!! Let’s get this party started!!”

The lights start flashing rapidly as the music comes on. It’s exactly like I expected, only a lot better. Still glowing, I just go absolutely crazy. I probably look like a moron with the way I’m dancing, but at the moment, I couldn’t care less. This is exactly what I’ve needed since I got to Equestria! I move my body along with the techno, interlaced with some of the heaviest bass lines I’ve heard. I feel like my body is just filled with energy as I feel the music pump through my body. The floor could be shaking for all I knew, it probably was, but I felt so in the zone that nothing could bring me down off of cloud nine.

I just keep dancing, feeling the heavy beat intersect the wavering electronic undertones, and I feel like a party animal. All the other ponies are the same. This DJ could lay down music like a master of sound. Not a single pony in the club was sitting down or even standing still. DJ-PON3 does some magic spell or whatever, and she walks away from the stage to join the partygoers.

Eventually, I can’t move anymore, and I’m completely all danced out. Then DJ-PON3 walks over to me, and with a ‘follow me’ gesture, she leads me through a door. It’s a back room of sorts, like a small lounge. You can still hear the music clearly, but it’s quiet enough to have a conversation. I sit down, letting out a breath.

“Man, that’s some great music.”

DJ-PON3 grins wide. “Thanks, new guy!” She reaches into a mini fridge and pulls out a bottle. She tosses one to me and, according to the label, it’s root beer. This day is just about perfect!

The DJ takes a long draught from the bottle and sets it down on a table next to her. Then, another pony walks in. A pristine, dark mane, and a light gray coat. She practically embodies what I’d imagine a ‘Canterlot’ pony to look like. She greets the DJ, weird, but I’m not one to judge weird things.

“Those were some pretty neat moves out there, new guy! I’ve never seen anypony dance like that before!”

“It helps to not have two left feet.” This gets a chuckle out the gray mare, but not the DJ, who turns to her friend. “I don’t get it, what’s so funny, Tavi?”

“Never you mind, Vinyl.” She replies, covering her mouth as she chuckles. “So, you are certainly a new face around here. May I have your name?”

“Anthony.” I give a little bow. “That was some really really good music. You got serious skills, girl.”

“Hah, a fan already eh?” The DJ gets a cocky grin. “Well, I hate to toot my own horn...”

The gray mare finishes for her friend. “Yet, she will anyway.”

“Tavi!”

“It’s true.”

I grin at the exchange. “So, you’ve gotten my name, what’s your handle? Or do you live by your stage name?”

She finishes her root beer, and lets out a loud burp, to which the gray mare sighed at the terrible manners. Not that I’m much better though.

“Name’s Vinyl Scratch.” She takes off her shades and she has some nice magenta eyes. “Guess by your reaction out there, you might be a regular?”

“Hope so, this place rocks!”

“Hah, that’s what I like to hear.”

“You already know what I like to hear.” we share a grin.

“You’re a pretty cool guy, Anthony. So what are you, anyway?”

“I’m a human.”

“Huh...” She turns to the gray mare, who shakes her head. Vinyl turns to me and shrugs.

“Sorry, I’m one of a kind. So who’s your friend?”

The gray mare stands up straight and gives what I assume is the pony equivalent of a curtsey. “My name is Octavia. I am the lead cellist for the Royal Canterlot Symphony.”

“And what’s a classy mare like you doing down here in a rave house?”

“I’m here with Vinyl. I actually don’t mind the heavier form of aural entertainment, honestly.”

“Yeah, ‘cause I rock.” Vinyl replied.

“And apparently, so do I, since you have not missed a single one of my recitals yet.” Octavia grins.

“H- hey, I, uh, I...”

I try and save my new DJ pal. “Hey, nothing wrong with having a bit of culture. All music can be just as entertaining, it all depends on who’s behind the instrument.”

Vinyl lets out a sigh of relief. “You’re not a bad guy, Anthony. It’s getting pretty late and I gotta wrap this party up. Hope you come by another time, I’m back here next week.”

“Sweet! If I’m around, I’ll totally be here.”

“Glad to hear it, dude. Catch ya later!”

“Goodbye Anthony, it was nice meeting you.”

My first night on the town in Canterlot. I’d call tonight a success. Tired, I head back to the castle and to my room. I feel completely worn out, but in a good way.

Next Chapter: Chapter 33 Estimated time remaining: 30 Hours, 47 Minutes