"Steady now, Vinyl.  Concentrate.  Breathe.  Strike.  Repeat."

Vinyl nods and focuses on the sheet music in front of her.  She readjusts her violin and raises her bow onto the strings.  After careful concentration, she begins to play the piece.  Each note flows out perfectly, complimenting the last to create a state of serenity in the room.  I pick up a few seconds into the piece with my cello, dancing my bow across the strings in a way that intertwines the two instruments in perfect harmony.  I close my eyes to allow myself a deeper concentration with our work.  Every passing second, every passing note, a wonderful, colorful display appears before me.

As I hear the song crescendo, my imagination follows suit.  In a bleak, dark, endless void, I float aimlessly.  With every new note that flows from the strings and into my mind, an array of colors enters the void.  Faster and faster they come, surrounding my incorporeal form.  As I am surrounded by objects of living color, they begin to dance with the rhythm.  Each bow strike from Vinyl and I leads the colors as they follow in a demonstration of explosive color almost like a fireworks display.  

As the song slows down, the erratic display does so too.  The colors stretch and twist to blanket the black void.  They begin to flash erratically and spin out of control.  As the song slows further, the flashing stops and the colors now are shaped to form a scene. I now see a temple glowing in a divine light with me standing in the center on top of a marble mosaic floor.  From above me, the roof is carved out to allow the peaceful light to envelope around me.  Around the perimeter of the marble floor, robed ponies materialize.  They have their forelegs outstretched, and the light intensifies as if they are blessing me.  

The song picks back up again, and the temple walls dissipate as well as the robed ponies.  Now I am standing in a lush, hilly grassland.  The winds sweep the land and cause the pedals from thousands of flowers to rush pass me.  In the sky, day and night go by in milliseconds.  The sun and moon rise and set in instants.

As the song ends, night falls on the meadow and stays put.  The moon and stars disappear, the pedals disappear, the grassland disappears.  My eyes open to find Vinyl staring at her instrument, then to me, then back to her instrument.

She whistles.  "Daaaaaaaamn.  That was-holy shit that was awesome!  It was like so...the song was...wow-damn-like damn I can't even think of anything to say."

I twirl my bow before setting it down with my cello on its stand.  I approach Vinyl and kiss her cheek.  "You've improved greatly, Vinyl.  Not a single mistake this time."

She nods.  "I'm tellin' ya Tavi, we gotta do a duet sometime."

"Perhaps."  I state.  "However, you have to learn how to play with your emotions rather than just read sheet music all the time.  Did you notice how I didn't use sheet music when we played that song?"

"Yeah, but I just assumed you memorized the song."

"Half-true.  I know the basics but I also feel the songs that I play and add emotion and passion to it.  Classical isn't just 'read sheet music', it's a work of art."

She snorts.  "Well obviously!  ALL music is like that, Tavi...except rap."

I scoff at her remark.  "Oh please.  You're telling me that that headbanging club music has emotion in it?  I fail to see that."

She rolls her eyes.  "You know, after all this time I thought you would learn by now there's other music out there.  My music is an expression of my energetic personality and optimism.  And other stuff like rock n' roll isn't just 'headbanging rubish'.  The ponies in those bands tell their stories and express their lives through their music!  Many rock n' roll bands have been through so much that music is their only escape from reality!"

I groan.  "Yes, Vinyl, I'm aware of that!  I know about rock n' roll, and you know what?  I don't have a problem with it!  My father listened to it when I was a filly.  I like some of it, and I understand what some of it means.  However I'm talking about this-this music-no, noise that is unnecessarily loud, with singers that find the urge to scream bloody murder and wear black clothing with spikes and makeup and-UGH they look and sound like monsters!"

Vinyl blinks.  "Yeahhhhh, I don't understand that either...BUT the point still stands--"  The phone then rings, stopping our conversation.  "Holup!"  Vinyl states before chasing the phone.  "Hello?...Oh hey Mr. Wave...Pssh, yeah, obviously!  Who doesn't?...Well, I know I'm just-you know what I mean..."  Vinyl suddenly drops the phone and stumbles trying to catch it.  "Hold on what?..."  Her eyes go wide, and the largest smile I've ever seen from her dominates her lips.  "No.  Way....You did not!...I don't believe you...Nope, still don't believe you...You know what?  I will!"  She hangs up and immediately lifts me up in her magical grasp.  "We're going to the studio right now."

I struggle against the azure spherical prison.  "Vinyl Scratch, put me down!  You know how much I hate this!"  She obeys, and drops me.  "Now what's going on?"

Vinyl grabs me by the shoulders.  "Sound Wave just got me two tickets to Celestia's Castle!"  She squeals, "I can't believe it!"

I tilt my head at her.  "Tickets to Celestia's Castle?  You mean the music concert or--?"

"YES!  And you know who will be there at Celestia's Castle?!"  She starts shaking in anticipation.

"Uhmm, The Trotting Stones?"  I carefully ask.

"NO!"  With bursting out excitement, she roars with bestial might, "THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS!"  Vinyl then begins hug the tickets like they are her children and squeal.  "We're gonna see The Red Hot Chili Peppers live!  Oh Sweet Celestia almighty yes!"

Taking a moment to fix my mane after that barrage of sound, I slowly ask, "The Red Hot Chili Peppers?  The same band that you constantly sing songs from spontaneously?"

She furiously nods.

"Great," I say sarcastically.  "And I assume you're going to drag me along to give me an excuse to stay in bed all day with a swollen brain."

She releases her grasp on me.  "The Red Hot Chili Peppers is the greatest band fucking ever!  Like I've told you before, many times.  John Feathernate is not from this world.  Flea is the God of Bass.  Chad is a kickass drummer.  And Antpony is a poet.  You should be honored to attend this sacred concert!"

"Besides from you, I've never heard of them."

"Pssh, not surprising.  BUT, since they are the best, it is obligatory to sing out loud while simultainiously hitting the nearest object to produce a beat to one of their songs whenever the urge hits you."  She starts to sway back and forth while tapping a hoof on the floor to make a beat.  "Can't stop addicted to the shin dig!  Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big!  Choose not a life of imitation, distant cousin to the reservation!  Defunct, the pistol that you pay for!  This punk, the feeling that you stay for!  In time I want to be your best friend, East Side love is living on the West End!  MMM!  So good!  Oh but that's not it.  There's also Around the World, and Funky Monks, Under the Bridge, Alicornication, Scar Tissue, Otherside, the list goes on and on."

"How about you just go and have your fun, I'll stay here where there's no neanderthallish noise killing my brain cells."

She backs away and shoots me an aggravated glare.  "Whooooooooooooooa!  Did you just--here, lemme give you a rundown here, again:  The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a funk rock band, not dubstep, or heavy metal, or rap.  Now I know you like classic rock; don't think I haven't caught you bobbing your head to The Stones.  The Peppers are like...sex for your soul.  Listening to them is like...orgasmic.  Oh and Antpony Keidis...there are no words that can express his genius or his passion for music."  Vinyl looked off into the distance with a goofy grin.  "He's the only stallion I'd go straight for."

I raise a brow at her.

"What?  C'mon, there's always that one pony that you just wanna have sex with.  I mean, I love you Tavi, but if Keidis were to ever come on to me, I would just..."  She starts to snicker, "Give it away!"  Silence.  "That was a song reference if you didn't catch on.  Give it away - Blood Sugar Sex Magik, a.k.a. best album ever next to Alicornication."

"I'm not sure how I feel about that."

She grabs my hoof.  "Like I said, you should feel honored.  Now, off to the studio!"

(\/);,,;(\/)

Vinyl's manager is...quite a character.  She's always spoken highly of him, but now that I've actually met him for the first time...I'm not so sure how I feel about him.  I can tell you he's very energetic, very sarcastic, and doesn't seem to know when a joke goes too far.  Although through all that, he's a nice guy...to an extent.

"Vinny, baby!  How's my number one DJ doing today, huh?"

Sound Wave is a charcoal colored unicorn.  His mane is a shiny neon purple.  Right now, he's wearing a white suit and I cannot see his cutie mark.  

Vinyl and Sound bump hooves.  "I'm feeling great thanks to you!"  She hold the tickets in her magical grasp that he gave to her moments earlier.  "How the buck did you get these anyway?!"

Sound's expression turns from excited to flat in an instant.  "Vinny, you do realize what the name of my company is...right?"

"Uhh...Chop Top Records?"

"And who is my father?"  

"Chop Top."  Vinyl said flatly.

"And what is the second line to the song Can't Stop?"

If she didn't have her shades on, I assume Vinyl's eyes are going wide.  "'Chop Top; he says I'm gonna win big!'  Your dad was one of the Peppers original record producers!  Hole-y shit!  How did I never make that connection?!"

Sound gently ruffles up Vinyl's mane.  "Because you're a doofus, Vinny.  Now to business."  He walks over to his desk and sits on his chair with a solemn look.  "Those tickets aren't exactly free, ya know."

Vinyl groans.  "Alright what do you want?"

His gaze soon shifts over to me.  "Ms. Harmonious."

I look between Vinyl and Sound and clear my throat.  "Yes?"

"I need you to answer one question, and the tickets are all yours."

"Alright."  I reply carefully.

His soul-penetrating stare immediately softens and a bright smile replaces it.  "Are you two banging or what?"

"OBJECTION!" Vinyl yells.  "I plead the fifth!"

Both Sound and I look at her with confusion.  "The fifth what?"  I ask.

Ignoring my question, Vinyl continues.  "My client cannot be forced to answer that question as it violates her rights of self incrimination."

Sound smiles.  "That's all the answer I need.  Have fun you two, hope the kiss-cam catches ya!"

"I will not stand for this oppression!"  Vinyl yells again as she drags me out the door with her.  "Anarchy!  Revolution!  Long live Lenin!"  We make it out the door of Sound Wave's office and Vinyl drops her demeanor.  "Asshole."  She mutters with disgust.

I look at her.  "While his question was a bit...blunt...why couldn't you just tell him the truth?"

She snorts.  "None of his business.  But forget that, we have a concert to go to!"

She grabs my hoof again and rushes me out the door.

(\/);,,;(\/)

This is worse than I thought.  The entire population of Equestria must be huddled together at this concert.  Remember that day at the market after Hearth's Warming?  That was merely a fraction of the chaos ensuing here right now.  The band hasn't even come on stage yet and the crowd is roaring with bestial fury!  I can't even imagine how much malevolence will occur once they do come on stage.  There are ponies standing on other ponies' backs, unicorns levitating cameras everywhere, and pegasi attempting to fly closer to the stage only to be stopped by security.

However, the worst part is that we have front row tickets.  Sweet Celestia I hope I don't have another heart attack being this close to the speakers.  

It's almost dusk.  Vinyl is standing to my right, leaning on the guard rail in front of her and trying to refrain from exploding with anticipation.  The filly refuses to sit still for a second.  It's like a dog when you say the word 'walk' and they rush for either you or the door jumping around in excitement.  

Another roar from the audience, and a look on stage tells me that the band is finally coming out.  From behind the side curtains, four middle-aged ponies, three unicorns and a pegasus, walk on stage each wearing an outfit.  One of the unicorns has a black and white long sleeved shirt and red shorts.  The pegasus is wearing a blue and white collared shirt and gray pants.  The second unicorn has a sleeveless blue polo that looks like he ripped it off and a blue baseball cap turned backwards.  

And the last unicorn...is he wearing a skeleton suit?  Lovely.

"Oh my gosh it's them!  It's the Red Hot Chili Peppers!  OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOSH!"  Vinyl yells from beside me.  "I can't believe that I'm actually here seeing them LIVE!  It's just sooo," she cuts herself off to squeal, "OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOSH!"

The band immediately picks up their instruments and begin to play.  A heavy, high pitch guitar rift erupts with drum and bass to follow up.  Surprisingly, my chest doesn't hurt as much as I thought.  The less bass the better.  However, it's more so of my ears that hurt now from the close proximity to the speakers.  I think I should be fine; no heart attacks today.

"So exactly who's who?"  I yell to Vinyl, curiosity getting the better of me.

She brushes up to next to me and points to the one with the red shorts.  "That's the singer, Antpony Kiedis.  Be prepared to be raped by his lyrics."  She moves to the guitarist.  "The best guitarist in the world, John Feathernate.  You will die once you hear him play 'Can't Stop' and 'Give it Away'."  Now to the pony in the skeleton suit.  "FRIKIN FLEA WITH HIS SKELETON SUIT!  HAHAHA!  HE DON'T GIVE FUCKS!  Oh jeez!  Flea, the God of Bass.  Nothing more needs to be said."  Now the drummer.  "And Will Fe-- I mean Chad Smith.  Sorry those two get confusing sometimes."  She holds a hoof to her mouth to stop from snickering.  "Ohhhh, jokes.  He's a kickass drummer, so frikin good.  They're all so frikin good!  Just you wait."

A few more seconds of the introduction led to what seems to be their first song.  The beat dramatically changes to a softer, almost piano sounding music.  

"By the Way."  Vinyl yells.  

"By the way what?"  I ask.

"No, the name of the song is 'By the Way'.  It's not one of my favs, but still purty good."

The singer, Kiedis I think is the name, starts to sing in a higher pitched soft voice.  The crowd starts to sing along with him.  Apparently this annoys Vinyl, because she's not afraid to voice her opinion.  "Dammit!  Stupid crowd, I hate it when they sing along with the band!  It drowns out his voice and makes it sound bad."

"Standing in line

to see the show tonight

and there's a light on,

heavy glow."

Hmmm.  Not too bad I suppose.  At least it's not headbangingly obnoxious.

"By the way

I tried to say

I'd be there, waiting for

Dani the girl is singing songs to me

beneath the marquee, overload"

The song then immediately changes to a fast paced style.  I stand corrected.  The guitar gets lower pitched, and the band begins to jump and dance around the stage like madmen.  A few more seconds in, and now it becomes like a rap-rock sort of song.

"Skin that flick

she's such a little DJ!

Get there quick,

by street but not the freeway.

Turn that trick

to make a little leeway.

Beat that mic,

but not the way that we play!"

I would be lying if I said I'm not at least intrigued.  This song goes from one style to the next almost instantly and, honestly, pretty smoothly.  Props to them.  Doesn't mean I'm a fan, however.  This style of music is still annoying.

The song continues all the same without much change.  Vinyl is still running in circles, and I'm still in need of aspirin.  The crowd roars once more once the song ends, and the band transitions into their second song.  This one also starts off slow and light.  No doubt it will probably be like the last one and go back to heavy and fast paced.

"Ooooh," Vinyl says.  "Scar Tissue!  I love this one!  It's like one of their most iconic songs!"

"Scar tissue that I wish you saw.

Sarcastic Mr. Know it all.

Close your eyes and I'll kiss you 'cause

with the birds I'll share.

With the birds I'll share

this lonely view.

With the birds I'll share

this lonely view"

The song continues, and, unlike the last one, there is no sudden change in style.  This one is actually not that bad.  It's peaceful, not headbanging, something I can probably relax to.  I'll give it a six and a half.  Later into the song, the guitarist, Feather-something Vinyl said, did a solo.  It's a little too high pitched for my taste and kind of made my ears flatten, but nonetheless it's not dreadful.

"WOOO WEEE!"  The bassist says.  "Hello Canterlot!"  I couldn't help but giggle; he has a funny voice.

The next song begins, this one being fast paced, energetic, and made the band members dance around wildly.  The music escalates until it suddenly becomes silent with only...uh...Feathernate playing his instrument.  Soon, the vocals, drums, and bass come in.

"All around the world

we can make time

rompin' and a stompin'

'cause im in my prime.

Born in the north

and sworn to entertain ya--"

Yea, I don't like it.

(\/);,,;(\/)

"Vinyl?"  I ask, heavily annoyed and tired.

"Yeah?"  She responds, still full of energy and excitement.

"How much longer will we be here?"  

It's already been over an hour, and hundreds of chords, notes, octaves and everything in between assaulted my eardrums and gave me a migraine.  I'm exhausted from standing in a crowded place, with hundreds of screaming morons, and pretending to have a good time so that Vinyl will have a good time.

"Dunno."  She answers.  "'Nother hour maybe."

Sweet Celestia.  I just want to go to bed right now.  Ten songs have gone by since the "Around the World" one.  Only one other has appealed to me in the slightest.  I think it was "Otherside".  Although, Vinyl complained once again because the crowd sang along with the band on that one.  It was an adequate single.  Slow, soft, somewhat relaxing.  

As the crowd roars once again, I can safely assume another song is coming up.  This time, Vinyl screams her head off.  "SWEET MOTHER OF FAUST FINALLY!"  She grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me.  "THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!  CAN'T STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"

Please help me somepony.

It starts off at a low volume with the guitar gradually increasing.  Once it reaches its climax, all other instruments stop save for the guitar.  Hmmm.  I'll admit the beat is intriguing.  It's like an equilibrium between headbanging and steady rhythm.  Let's see how this one goes.

"Can't stop addicted to the shindig!

Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big!

Choose not a life of imitation,

distant cousin to the reservation!"

Ahhhh yes.  This is the one that Vinyl constantly sings all day long.  How she doesn't get tired of it is something that amazes me.  There's a point where too much repetition, even of something that's fun or exciting, gets tiring.  Even I can't play Lux Aeterna for more than two or three times before I must move on.

The band is now dancing around the stage more wildly than ever.  The guitarist is flying around doing corkscrews, flips, spins and the like while still playing on par with the others.  The bassist, this of which I've noticed a few times, would always sink his head and body down low and bob his head to the rhythm, but this time he's jumping in circles.

"Defunkt, the pistol that you pay for!

This punk, the feeling that you stay for!

In time, I want to be your best friend!

Eastside love is livin' on the west end!

Knocked out, but boy you better come to!

Don't die, you know the truth as some do!

Go write your message on the pavement,

burnin so bright I wonder what the wave meant!

White heat is screamin' in the jungle!

Complete the motion if you stumble!

Go ask the dusk for any answers,

come back strong with fifty belly dancers!"

The last line is sung by the bassist.  His voice is still funny.

"The world I love

the tears I drop

to be part of

the wave can't stop!

Ever wonder if it's

all for you?

The world I love

the trains I hop

to be part of

the wave can't stop!

Come and tell me when it's

time to.

Sweetheart is bleeding in the snow cone!

So smart she's leading me to ozone!

Music, the great communicator.

Use two sticks to make it in the nature!

I'll get you into penetration!"

Alright stop right there, Kiedis.  I saw the way you looked at Vinyl when you sang that!  Wiggling your eyebrows and smirking.  Disgusting pig.

"That gender of a generation!

The birth of every other nation!

Worth your weight, the gold of meditation!

This chapter's gonna be a close one!

Smoke rings I know you're gonna blow one!

All on a spaceship persevering,

fear no need for any interfering!"

"WHAT?!"  Vinyl yells, then laughs.  "Holy shit he messed up his own song!  Ha!  He sang the wrong line!  Then he mumbled the next line 'cause he knew he messed up!  Damn!"

"Mop tops are happy when they feed you!

J. Butterfly is in the treetop!

Birds that blow the meaning into BEBOP!"

The bassist once again sings the last line.  However, he over exaggerates his voice and sounds hilarious.

Alright I'll admit the song is catchy to say the least.  I'm not saying I like it...but I don't hate it either.  I can tolerate it...maybe even do a little jig, but no more!  It's adequate.  That is all.

Vinyl must never know.

"The world I love

the tears I drop

to be part of

the wave can't stop!

Ever wonder if it's

all for you?

The world I love

the trains I hop

to be part of

the wave can't stop!

Come and tell me when it's

time to.

Wait a minute

I'm passing out

win or lose

just like you.

Far more shocking

than anything I ever knew

how 'bout you?

Ten more reasons why I need

somebody new

just like you.

Far more shocking

than anything I ever knew.

Right on cue."

A guitar solo erupts from Feathernate while Flea keeps the same beat on his bass.  Feathernate flies into the air twirling around and playing.  Once he stops ascending, he draws out his pegasus magic to create static causing small bolts of lighting to erupt from his guitar with every note.  The crowd roars at the wondrous display.  Vinyl grasps me tightly while showing absolutely no effort to contain her excitement.  I'll even admit myself the display is rather nice.  But that's all it gets...nice.

"Can't stop addicted to the shindig!

Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big!

Choose not a life of imitation,

distant cousin to the reservation!

Defunkt, the pistol that you pay for!

This punk, the feeling that you stay for!

In time, I want to be your best friend!

Eastside love is livin' on the west end!

Knocked out, but boy you better come to!

Don't die, you know the truth as some do!

Go write your message on the pavement,

burnin so bright I wonder what the wave meant!

Kick start the golden generator!

Sweet talk, but don't intimidate her!

Can't stop the gods from engineering;

feel no need for any interfering!

Your image in the dictionary!

This life is more than ordinary!

Can I get 2 maybe even 3 of these?

Comin' from space

to teach you of the Pleiades!

Can't stop the spirits when they need you,

this life is more than just a read-through!"

Once the song ends, Vinyl seems to have lost all feeling in her muscles and collapses onto me for support.  "Ahhhhhhhh!" she sighs dreamily, like a teenage filly after receiving a compliment from her crush, "This is the best day of my life!"

At least one of us is having fun.

(\/);,,;(\/)

It's over.  Finally.  Over.  I can go home now, take a few hundred, no, thousand grams of aspirin and go to bed.  No, actually, not aspirin.  I need something stronger...morphine, yes that will work.  A few gallons should do just fine.  Just replace all of my blood with morphine and let me relax in peace.

The music died down, the band said their 'thank you for coming out here tonight' blah blah blah, and the crowd is dispersing.  Vinyl looks as if she is drunk for the first time, and I think she doesn't realize that the concert is over as she is still bobbing her head.  "Come on, Vinyl, we're going home.  I say as I wrap a foreleg around her shoulders and start walking.  

All the way home Vinyl did nothing but hum or lazily sing one of the songs that was played earlier today.  All the way home, the only thing I can do was formulate a plan on how to steal the entire stock of morphine from Canterlot General.  You know, I wonder what it will feel like to just mix morphine and alcohol in a syringe and inject it into my brain.  Maybe that will be enough to fix the damage that has been done today.

Once we make it through the door, I gently set Vinyl down on the bed.  After rummaging through my medicine and liquor cabinets, I myself settle down next to her in bed.  Alright, yes I know that mixing medicine and alcohol isn't a smart thing, so I'll just leave out the aspirin.  A few shots of good ol' Captain Morgan will put me right at ease.

I sit upright on the bed with the glass in hoof.  I only made it through one and a half glasses before I feel Vinyl's hooves prodding my sides.  "Yes, Vinyl?"

She giggles.  "Today was the best day of my life."

"I'm glad you had fun."  I say as a take another sip.

The bed shakes, and I can feel her hooves wrapping around my torso.  "I love you, Tavi."

I smile.  "I love you too, Vinyl."

She slowly moves her head up to kiss my cheek multiple times.  "You're the best marefriend ever."  She tugs on my body in an attempt to bring me down on the bed.  

I giggle and try to push her away.  "Vinyl, I'm not drunk enough yet."  

She overpowers me, and I fall victim to her onslaught of kisses.