The Heart of Pleasure
By Haunter Rayne
Ch 57 – Beaks and Beats

- Back at the Castle of Friendship -

Everypony in the map room now had a stunned look upon their face as Rainbow Dash and Daring Do stood in front of them recanting their adventure. “I really can’t believe what you’ve just told me!” Twilight gasped out aloud. “Not only did you manage to recover a lost artifact of history... you’re telling me that the Griffons decided for themselves that they would rather choose what they’ve learned about friendship over going back to their old ways?”

Dash chuckled and pulled her shoulder bag off from her neck. “Well it’s not like we let any other Griffon know that we had it. It was only Gilda and Gabby who were with us at the time. But once we figured out that it was also a magical artifact that is capable of controlling Griffons without them even knowing... they seemed pretty happy to get rid of it.” Then placing the bag upon the map table she opened it up for all of them to see.

“Ooooohhhh shiny!” Pinkie cheered while the others gasped in awe. The eyes of both Rarity and Spike spread wide but for very different reason.

It wasn’t more than a moment later though before Twilight used her magic to quickly cover the idol in the bag again and then she shook her head. “From you’ve told me this is far too dangerous to just leave laying around. I’m glad you brought it back with you Dash and you have my word we will do exactly as you promised. Excuse, Discord?” The princess asked as she looked over to the Draconequus who was sitting beside Fluttershy.

“Yes my dear Twilight? What may I do for you?” He asked knowingly but allowed her to say the words herself.

“You’ve come a long way in your road to friendship and I can think of no one I would rather trust with this. You could take over the minds of Griffons or anyone else if you wanted to so you would have no use for the idol on your own. Could I ask for you to protect it for us until I can arrange a meeting with Celestia?”

Sneering wide from that pat on the back Discord slithered around through the air and picked up the golden artifact from out of Dash’s bag. “Why thank you for those kind words. I shan't fail you in keeping this item safe until you have need of it again.” Then tilting his head back he dropped the idol down his throat but it was all for show as it magically vanished just before even touching his mouth.

Rarity and Spike both gave a discouraging sigh as the little dragon then grumbled and said, “Awww. I wanted to do that.”

Paying his comment no mind, Twilight turned to Spike and levitated over a quill with parchment to him. “Spike, take a letter for the princess please. We need to arrange a meeting about this as soon as possible. Perhaps tomorrow after classes are out if that would work for her schedule.”

- Later that Night -

“Shrideal! We shouldn’t be this far out from the nest at night! You know that it isn’t safe!” Two young Griffons flew together around the lower edges of Griffonstone mountain just as the last twinkling of sunlight was disappearing over the horizon.

“Come one Anza, don’t be such a little chick about it. And besides… I heard something out here. Maybe there was someone or something that slipped off the mountain.” The Griffons were relatively young, both being about Gabby’s age. The male had dark gray across his upper half with lighter gray underneath. He also had a red tuft of feathers that grew upon his chest.

“I’m not being a little chick!” His flight partner cried. She was a blue Griffon with white feathers around the joints of her legs and across her belly. “You don’t have to go around teasing me all the time. I know you think you always have to be the big hotshot but-”

“RRRRAAWWWLLL!”

“SHRIDEAL!” Anza screamed as something leapt from the darkness below them and pulled her friend right out of the air. “Shrideal! Where are you?! Where did you go?!” Her eyes quickly scanned the rocks of the mountainside and the branches of a nearby tree but try as she might she could not find her childhood companion. “Ahh, move you stupid bird!” She yelled as she lifted a branch and a single raven flew passed her face from beneath. “Shrideal, where are you?!”

Down below where the tree roots bored through a gap in the mountain, a large beast dragged the struggling Griffon away while smiling like the cat that caught the canary. “Mmmphtt!” Shrideal mumbled through his captor’s paw as he kicked and twisted in the dark. The Griffon screamed in fright as the shadow of his captor looked to be that of a gigantic horned beast. But to his confusion the creature holding him didn't match the shadow at all. It was a feline looking animal with no horns whatsoever.

Sharp fangs sank deep into the Shrideal's shoulder causing him to squint his eyes from the pain. The young fledgling took a breath feeling certain that this would be his end. But that was when he felt a sudden rush of force before being flung harshly against the stone wall beside him. "Hhhuuuucckk.... uuughhhaahh...!" The Griffon looked up in surprise at being free of his captor while he watched the panther writhing on the ground. It twisted and spat before out stretching it's tongue and clawing at it with both paws.

"Uhh..." He mouthed out, quickly looking up to the gap in the stone above and wondering if he could fly faster than this cat could leap if he made a break for.

That was when the panther rounded on him snarling angrily while picking feathers out from between its teeth. "Your feathery hide is the most disgusting, vile tasting thing I have ever sank my fangs into! I thought having a little bit of bird on the menu might be nice but your feathers taste revolting!"

"Umm... yay me?" Shrideal asked not feeling sure how to respond. Just then he shot upwards in an attempt to escape but an orange light enveloped him until he crashed to the ground completely drained of energy.

"Ahh, that tastes so much better..." The panther purred while licking the Griffon's essence from his lips. "And not so fast. I don't need to eat you to still be able to kill you." He threatened but frowned as he heard the cry of the female Griffon getting closer.

"Pl-ple... plea-se don't..." Rayne's downed prey whimpled.

"Hmmm." Rayne smirked and picked Shrideal up by the back of his skull causing his body to hang loosely in his grasp. "Maybe." He whispered and a fearful look of hope shined in the young one's eyes. "You have nothing else that I want. Griffon's have no treasure. You all apparantly taste like last week's garbage. And I suppose I have already gotten what I came for." He announced and the fledgling listened quietly while having no idea what he was talking about.

Shrideal shivered as the panther leaned forward and stared right into his eyes. "Very well, as you wish. I will let you go... with one consideration." Suddenly it seemed like the panther vanished into a dark mist but his words could still be heard. "I should really kill you now just for having seen me. But maybe this could work to my benefit later on." An orange light swept over Shrideal and his strength was returned to him. But just as he attempted to flee there was a strong paw that gripped him around the ankle from out of his own shadow on the ground.

"I-I-I'm listening!" Shrideal announced while looking at the paw in abject terror.

"I would have you remember this kindness as I let you go. Remember and remain silent. You are not to tell anyone. Not a neighbor, not an enemy, not a family member... not even whispering in your sleep." Suddenly another paw materialized under his throat with sharp claws gliding along through his feathers. "If you do... I will know. I would know a week from now, a year from now, I would know if you speak of me as you lay old on your deathbed decades from now. And if you tell I will kill you and everyone you love. Starting with that hen flying around up there looking for you."

"I WONT!" He choked out in desperation. "I PROMISE! I'LL REMEMBER THAT YOU WERE KIND! I WON'T TELL A SOUL!"

“SHHHHHRIDEALLL!” Anza sobbed in fright as she flew about the rock face searching for cracks or hidden openings in the stone. Her heart was racing. Tears streamed down her face as if the fear in her had taken liquid form that was now overflowing from her eyes. She feared for herself, she feared for her friend, and she feared for who else in Griffonstone might be threatened if such a creature could sneak up on them so easily. "SSSHHHRRRIIIII-”

“I’m here! Shut up, stop screaming!” The other Griffon shouted as he suddenly appeared from behind the base of the tree looking unharmed. “Hey, hey it’s okay! Everything is okay.” He then pleaded upon seeing the terror on her face and the worry in her eyes.

“You s-stupid jerk!” She shouted instantly flying to him so recklessly that they crashed together a bit. Pulling him to fly further away from the mountain she pounded onto his chest with a fist. “You stupid, jerk, I was, so worried, I didn’t know, what to think, I just, I couldn’t, I-”

Seeing her babble through her tears the male Griffon just pulled her in close and held her to his chest. “Shhhh, shhh it’s okay. I got away. It was nothing.” He lied, looking over her shoulder back to a pair of blue eyes staring up to him from the darkness of the mountainside. Before she could notice, he smoothed the feathers of his other shoulder down to hide the bite wound where he had been held but then released. “It was just one of those egg stealers we hear about sometimes. It had found a hole through to the Abysmal Abyss but it couldn’t hold onto me and it fell down the gorge. It’s gone. It’s okay, it won’t be coming back.” He said to the whimpering hen in his arms.

“A-are you sure?” She asked as she was now quaking in his arms where they hovered together.

“Absolutely. You’re safe, I’m safe... Hey, I’m the hotshot remember?” Shrideal said to her with a charming smile. She looked up to him wide eyed and he stared back to her. Squeezing his hold around her he saw her wings go a bit stiff as he leaned in and closed his eyes. “….OWW!”

“EEEWW! What are you doing?!” She screamed as she kneed him in the groin when he tried to kiss her. Pulling free from his grasp she bolted away from him. “You idiot! As if I would EVER kiss a featherbrain like you! Let’s… let’s just go back to town!” Then she soared through the sky back to Griffonstone so as to not let him see the blush that was burning upon her cheeks.

But Shrideal hesitated while looking back down to the rocks below. The menacing blue eyes continued to stare at him as the Griffon remembered the warning he was given. He watched as the black cat stalked it’s way up into the limbs of the tree until it’s shadow could be seen in the feint evening light. There on the rock face the silhouette changed to appear to have wings even though the panther casting the shadow remained the same. Then in an instant the cat’s silhouette returned to normal and the panther grinned licking his fangs with satisfaction.

“Gah!” The young Griffon gasped as the cat suddenly vanished without a trace. He looked around but try as he might his attacker was gone. But the warning he was given remained. “It never happened… it was just a bad dream…” Shrideal told himself. “…I can’t say anything.” He fretted and pushed the experience from his mind as he raced to catch up to his friend who had left him behind.

- The Next Morning -

“Oh my gosh, like what even?!” Cried a sissy pony who stomped her hoof on the pavement. The streets were already busy in the Manehattan fashion district as up and coming designers perused the window displays of different boutiques to try to stay up to date on the current trends. On this morning however, two mares were halted by a bouncer right beside the fashion emporium ‘Rarity For You.’

“Like I know right? What even is the deal?!” The second mare complained while reaching up to adjust her flashy orange sunglasses. She was a light pink earth pony with a striped blue mane. She reached down to smooth out her hot pink party top as if she felt that being rejected at the door had dirtied her somehow. “Listen, it’s not like you shouldn’t recognize us! Turf and I have been coming here since forever!”

Now the first mare who spoke used her cerulean hooves to make sure that the bright pink bow hadn’t coming loose from her sun bleached ponytail. “That’s right, you tell him Surf! He can’t treat us this way!”

But standing in their path was a large gray stallion who seemed as if he couldn’t care less about their complaints. He wore a tight fitting black suit and had a pair of sunglasses that framed his stalwart face. His mane appeared to be shaven off but his face had a bright blue mustache with a no nonsense goatee. “I told you before." He announced in a deep voice. "You’re not getting in.” He declared as he blocked the doorway to the stairwell leading upstairs.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” Came another mare’s voice as three more ponies came walking up. One was an aqua green mare with bubblegum pink hair. She wore white leg warmers on all four legs and was sporting a bright green party shirt. On the other side was another mare with a purple coat and an electric blue mane that poked out from a ball-cap. But in the middle was a pink pony with a strawberry gummy colored mane which was tied up into two giant pigtails. She was covered in party beads which hung from her neck and there was even included a party pacifier on a string. But now her blue eyes looked curiously as to why the bouncer for the club upstairs seemed to be stopping ponies at the door.

Turf turned towards the three and smiled with relief. “Oh good. It’s Flash Dancer, Azure Velour, and Pacific Glow! DJ PON3’s most loyal regulars. If there’s anyone who can get this sorted out it’s them!”

“What’s going on you guys? Why aren’t you upstairs?” Dancer asked as she walked up from Pacific’s side.

“Like, we’re trying! But blockhead here won’t let us in!” Surf complained in a whinny tone.

Now the three other mares looked to each other with contemplative expressions. Azure spoke up next as she leaned around Pacific’s shoulder and called out to the bouncer. “So what’s going on? Is Vinyl S-”

“Ahem!” Pacific grunted loudly to correct her friend.

“Oops, I mean is PON3 sick or something?” Azure asked and the girls all looked to the bouncer for an answer.

The bouncer shook his head feeling more inclined to answer the three regulars who questioned him politely unlike to the other two brats. “The club’s just not open yet. The DJ isn’t finished setting up yet.”

“WHAT?!” Surf and Turf both cried loudly with their high pitched voices almost rattling the windows of Rarity’s nearby boutique. But that was when they both felt themselves being pulled back together by their tails.

“Oookay so why don’t you two just sit back over here and let me work this out for you. Alright?” Pacific Glow said to them encouragingly. Then her friends worked to keep the yuppies under control while she walked forward and smiled to the stallion. “Hey there Locke." She said greeting him by his name.

“Miss Glow.” He replied to her politely.

“So what’s really going on? Vinyl Scratch always has her club upon by this time of day. Is she doing alright?” She whispered so that the youngsters wouldn’t hear the DJ’s real name. Locke looked around before leaning down and saying, “She told me that she was busy this morning. Didn’t even let me come onto the dance floor. Just yelled that the club would be opening late today. That I wasn’t to let anyone in until she told me to do so.”

Now Pacific looked worried as she balanced her concern for Vinyl’s reputation vs her concern for their friend. “Look, I get it. Things happen. But these young city girls might not be as understanding as my friends and I are. We’ve been around long enough to know how things go down. If the doors don’t open soon then they might leave and start badmouthing the club. And here in Manehattan, a pony’s reputation is really all they have.”

“Everything alright Glow?” Azure asked with concern as Dancer worked to keep the socialite’s attitudes at bay.

“Just a second...” Pacific called back sweetly. “Look, I’m not asking you to let us in before you’re supposed to. If we have to wait, we’ll just chill out and that’s fine. But could YOU go back in and check on her just to make sure that everything is okay? I just want to know she didn’t get hurt or anything.”

Locke scratched his beard not feeling too sure about the idea but he knew that if there was anypony he was likely to take a suggestion from that it would be Pacific Glow. “Alright, I’ll do it. But only because you’re such a regular here and you’ve always been so nice to everypony. Wait here and keep those young ones in line for me.”

“No sweat, we got it!” She cheered happily, placing her pacifier in her mouth and skipping back to the others happily.

- Inside -

Music reverberated off of the walls as a beat with a heavy base rhythm blared out across the empty dance floor. The lights were turned low as the strobe lights spun back and forth throughout the club. The lavender and violet floor tiles sparkled upon the dance floor as all seemed ready to entertain those outside, except for the fact that there was no DJ standing behind the sound booth.

Making his way inside Locke looked around but he could see no signs of the yellowish white mare who owned the establishment. “Hello?!” He called out but his voice was completely drowned out by the music which was blaring even louder than normal. “Hey! PON3! Where you be?!” He called out louder as his deep voice struggled to pierce through the base. “Yo Vinyl!” He tried again but even as he looked around the tables and even near the restrooms he couldn’t find her. However that was when he thought he caught a glimpse of her cobalt blue hair behind the sound booth. “What does she think she's taking a nap in here?” He asked himself before stepping around to take a look. “Yo, what are you-”

However that was when he looked down to have the shock of his life. There was Vinyl laying on the ground behind her sound booth. Her buttermilk colored coat was covered in sweat and her short blue mane was bunched up around her goggles that had been pushed up atop her head. She was not alone though as that was when her bright red eyes pulled back from the pony she was locking lips with to glare at Locke furiously. Laying beside her was a black stallion with a long wavy mane and a blue/green heart shaped cutie mark. He lay with Vinyl wrapped up in his arms as she clung to his shoulders tightly.

Worse yet was that from the direction Locke had approached he now had a full view of up between the mare's legs. Vinyl had her thighs spread wide as her slit was absolutely dripping while the stallion was buried to the hilt within her as he pounded like the two were off on Spring Break. "Oh Celeatia... I am so fired." Locke griped.

The stranger smirked and shook his head as if disappointed by the bouncer's poor decision to interrupt them. Meanwhile Vinyl's face flushed red with embarrassment and anger. Reaching down to expel the stallion from within her Vinyl stood up in front of Locke on now wobbling hooves. Before he could say another word she bent an arm back and then slugged him with her hoof right across his face. "GET... OOUUUTTT!!!" She screamed as his sunglasses went clattering to the floor. Then without even hesitating she return to her partner stepping over his lap. "You aren't fired Locke... but I'm closing the club and going back home to Ponyville for a couple days. "Now don't come back in here." She said as she reached down to lower herself onto the other stallion's cock from above.

Not wanting to push his luck the bouncer quickly made his way back to the front doors. But now he couldn't help notice the sounds of Vinyl grunting as she rode the unknown stallion up and down. Back outside three patiently waiting faces and two impatiently waiting ones watched as Locke made his way back out to them. "Club's closed today. The DJ is headed home for a few days. Check back next week." He said shortly as he avoided looking at any of them.

Meanwhile Pacific Glow gave him a concerned expression asking, "Hey what happened to your sunglasses? Oh! And your eye! Locke, are you okay? Hey?!" She asked but he just turned and made his way down the street to head home without saying anything about what had happened.

- Back in Ponyville, In the Carousel Boutique -

“Oh come on Rarity! Come out and play with me!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she lay half upside down while draped over one of Rarity's many fainting couches.

“Really, I would to Pinkie darling but I’m afraid I just have too much work to do!” She called from the nearby sewing bench as she was working on the next of a series of dresses to finish. “You might have the day off today but I certainly do not. We have our big premier at the Canterlot Royal Fashion Show coming up and I am calling in my entire support staff to make sure we can meet the deadline. It really is a lot of work we have to do.”

“Awwww but Rarity! I miss you!” Pinkie complained.

To this Rarity sat up in surprise. “You- you miss me? But Pinkie, you just say me last night! We see each other all the time!”

“Yeah I know! But I don’t want to just get to see you! I want to hang out with you! You go to the spa with Applejack at least once a week. You always make time for Twilight when she calls you over to the castle. Even Rainbow Dash drags you out to her Wonderbolt events and she shows up for the occasional fashion show of yours. But when do you even have time for Pinkie?” Now the whimpering pony slid from the couch to the floor as if she all of a sudden lacked any bones within her body.

“Ohh, well break my heart why don’t you.” Rarity sighed and set her work down so she could turn to face her friend properly. “How about... oh, eww. Pinkie sweetie please stop doing that. It’s rather gross.” Rarity said with a shudder until Pinkie jumped back to normal with a happy smile. “Much better. And you are absolutely right. Now that doesn’t change the fact that I will still be very busy for the next few days. But why don’t I set aside some time for just the two of us as soon as I get back from this fashion show? It’d be just us girls and we can do whatever you’d like.”

“That sounds super, amazing, stupendous, exciting, exhilarating, unbelievably, ridiculously-!” Pinkie became louder and louder until Rarity’s cat Opalescence suddenly ran from the room.

Quickly rushing over Rarity stuck a hoof over Pinkie’s mouth and said, “I believe that a simple ‘yes please’ will suffice.” She said with a cheeky smile.

Pulling back Pinkie grinned but then politely answered back, “Yes please."

After that Rarity returned to her work bench and spoke aloud as she continued to hem dress after dress. “I have an idea. Why don’t you go see if Rayne is around town? I know that he might be working today but if you time it right then perhaps you could catch him on his lunch break? I have no doubt that stallion could keep even the likes of you entertained for awhile.”

“Oh yeah? You think so?” Pinkie asked excitedly.

“Oh course! In fact, I know so. Rayne can do anything.” Rarity stated proudly as she glanced over to the bag of bits she won from Rainbow Dash back in the Crystal Empire. She snickered at how she only kept it just to tease Dash with whenever she came over.

“Anything?!” Pinkie asked while sounding skeptical.

“Oh yes, I’m quite certain.” Rarity mumbled in response. “I’d put my faith in that station’s ability to fulfill just about any request. I’m sure he could come up with something for you two to do. Why don’t you go… oh I don’t know, go sing a song together or something? In fact...” Rarity paused and glanced over her shoulder with a smile. “Don’t tell anypony that I told you this but I heard from Applejack that Rayne has a lovely singing voice. Maybe you two should go someplace private? Hmm? Where no pony else can here you? And you can… exercise your lungs together?” She then battered her eyelashes feeling certain that would keep Pinkie out of her hair for awhile.

Now the pink pony jumped up with glee. “You mean like a singing competition?! That sounds like a super, terrific, most wonder kind of idea ever!”

“Yes, a sing.. comp-, well that’s… sure. Whatever it is you want Pinkie.” Rarity sighed as her friend had missed the point but she accepted it having nonetheless still succeeded in guiding Pinkie away so that she could work.

“Alrightie well then I’m off! I have a lot of thinking to do if I’m going to ask Rayne for something like THAT! But are you sure he would be up for it? Wouldn’t other ponies think it might be kind of lame?” She asked while giving her signature squeaky noise while pouting.

“Oh no, I’m sure.” Rarity replied as she continued to stare down at her work. “Rayne is not like every other pony. As I said darling. I fully believe that Rayne can do anything.”

Author's Notes:

So the idol can be assumed to be dealt with just as Dash and the others had planned. I currently have no designs for that object to appear in my story again. It was just a McGuffin for the Griffonstone chapter as well as the source of a fun little mini arc in my story. But now it is done.

Shrideal and Anza may reappear again in a distant chapter of my story. They are both OC's that I made only for the purposes of this chapter because they allow a very important turning point in Rayne's development to be shown. First of all, it is possible to see in Rayne's shadow which creature power he is using that he has inherited. I.e. he used the strength of the Arimaspi King to pull Shrideal out of the sky. Also this chapter shows that Rayne has now absorbed the essence of a Griffon within himself too. But having taken for granted the aspect that feathers taste like shit, he allowed the young Griffon to go free rather than commit a senseless murder with no real purpose.

Additionally, their names have significance. Shrideal I came up with from Shirdal which is the name for Griffons in Iranian mythology. Anza I made from Anzu which is a divine storm bird from Sumerian and Akkadian mythology.

So speaking of birds, who caught on that there was an omen bird in this chapter? Anza stumbles upon a raven but only a single one after Shrideal gets grabbed. This is the second time a raven(s) have been shown but no actual murder took place. Can anyone figure out the mystery yet?

Lastly on this part, Rayne's "shadow" is more for the benefit to the readers and it will go mostly unnoticed by the characters in the story as ponies are not always as observant as they should be.

So there were a lot of new faces shown in my story during the Manehattan scene. Flash Dancer, Azure Velour, and Pacific Glow are the dancers regularly shown in Vinyl's dance club. Meanwhile Surf and Turf are a pair of younger party goers but not regular fans of the DJ like the three others are. Additionally those two only know her by her stage name DJ PON3 and don't know her real name like her friends do. Now for the bouncer, he has no official name in the show, comics, or merchandise as far as I can tell. But he has a big lock for a cutie mark so I made up the name Locke for him in this story. It is meant to be pronounced "Lock" with the E being silent.

And yes Rayne bedded himself a DJ. After finishing up in Griffonstone it was his plan to come to Manehattan on the way home specifically to seek this pony out. Her magical talents are a power he desired to steal and at this point it can safely be assumed that he has done so. Also ever though her eyewear looks more like stylish sunglasses they are always referenced everywhere as goggles.