"So, Vinyl, how did things go after the guard showed up?"

It had been a week since Vinyl was released from custody. The day after the incident they were required to take her in, as multiple reports had her knowingly selling drugs personally. With a little investigation such words were found to be slander, but Vinyl got it rough. She started rehab and few clubs agreed to host her after she was done, mostly due to the rumors that started shortly after the bust. She wasn't low on funds, but there were plenty of people and ponies that loved juicy gossip. Thanks to it, she virtually lived out of my apartment trying to avoid the crazy fans and paparazzi. To my everlasting gratitude, it worked.

"Well, I have to go to rehab, gotta complete it otherwise they can't alter my record. Once it's done though, the papers will be the only trace of what happened. Sadly, there's probably be a lot of them."

She tried to hide behind a confident smile, but there was nothing within those ruby eyes that told me she was happy. She even stopped wearing her trademark sunglasses. It was...disconcerting, seeing her without her trademark sunglasses on, but she was trying her hardest for herself, and certainly for the bet we made.

"So, when I finish rehab, I can choose anywhere, right?" Her question took me out of my thoughts and forced me back to reality.

"As agreed, when you complete it, I will go on at least one date with you, anywhere you want. However, I do hold the right to refuse certain things."

"Yeah, I understand." I blatantly stared at her as the joke I was expecting did not come out of her mouth.

"You didn't even make a joke, that is a new one."

"Yeah. Sorry, not really feeling myself today."

"Vinyl, you haven't felt yourself since that night a few days ago. I think you need to go outside and spend sometime just having a little fun." That was all it took to make Vinyl snap.

"I can't! I didn't say this before, but I am basically under house arrest. I can't leave the house for anything but my meetings, and even then, I'm escorted by a guard to make sure I don't slip up. I know it's more for helping me than not trusting me, but I can't even do that!"

"That...explains some things."

"I can't even have more than two friends with me at a time, so I choose you and Octavia as often as I can."

"Wh-"

"I didn't say anything cause I didn't want either of you two worrying about me. You guys are like family to me. And, I think I've worried the two of you enough."

The depressed form I saw Vinyl take on at that moment tugged at my heart. I just wanted to hug her, to comfort her. It was the moment I would remember for the rest of my life. The moment I realized...I loved Vinyl.

"Vinyl, do you like boardgames?" She stared at me, the beginnings of tears in her eyes tearing at me all the same. "I am certain I can find a few games to play between the three of us. Does that sound fun?"

I gave my best smile, though I doubt it came off as anything but unsure. Her tears were freed as she laughed, but I like to think of them as tears of joy, not sorrow.

"So, this is your temporary certificate?"

I held in my hands a piece of paper, signed by an unknown name, with Vinyl's printed in a fancy script. It was supposed to be a temporary certificate, to be replaced after another six months of staying clean.

"Yeah. Hard to believe it's already been two months."

"Yeah, and a promise is a promise. So, milady, where shall we go this evening?" With a playful frown, she hip-checked me.

"Don't call me 'milady'. Let's just get this night started!"

There was no more stopping her from taking my hand, and forcing me to follow in her path. We eventually found ourselves in a nightclub that had decided to give the DJ another shot - provided she never turn up positive on a drug test again.

"Yo yo yo! The name is DJ Fishie Mcnizzle! Jam out to some sick beats y'all!"

With a wave of his hand, he started some rather badly mixed music. Vinyl and I immediately realized why she would soon be taking up the spotlight here: he wasn't even actually mixing his music. It was previously made and replayed here to save himself effort. Vinyl and I stayed a few minutes, trying to at least enjoy some company, but even the prospect of booze wasn't enough to keep us there for long. But, just as we were about to leave, he made perhaps the stupidest mistake in his life.

"Alright, that was warm-up. Time for my best beats dawgs!"

I was about to drone him out, when the sweet sounds of some familiar music found themselves in my ears. It was a song I had known for a long time. It was the first mix I had ever heard Vinyl make. In an instant Vinyl dragged me towards the stage. It was then that I noticed two very odd things: first, not a single person was dancing, they were all staring at the stage in disgust; second, the bouncer at the stage door opening it for us and following us to the stage. It seemed Fishie was going for a one-way trip outta here. As we approached, he began to really dig his own grave. A grave we would be happy to put him in.

"Yo! What the fuck chickens? You afraid of the great beats I lay down? Can't handle my awesomeness? Come on little shits, learn to appreciate my good music for once," he sneered, looking down at the crowd.

"You mean 'my' good music!"

With a sharp turn, he came face to face with a very angry Vinyl, several staff of the club, and two rather large bouncers. There was barely any room to see him from where I was, so I was concealed by the aforementioned ponies and people. He quickly got smart and realized that no one would believe him. Vinyl was a recovering addict and victim with an otherwise impeccable record, and from the way he has been acting, no one in the audience was going to accept his word. Not to mention, anyone, and anypony, that frequents clubs would have heard it at least once.

"F-fuck!" In a flash he headed for the exit door, Vinyl getting to it before giving up her chase to come back towards me. She gave me a sheepish smile, and just as we were about to leave, we got introduced to one of Vinyl's favorite sounds.

"Pon-3! Pon-3! Pon-3! Pon-3!"

The entire crowd began cheering for her, egging her on to finish the terrible DJ's set. She glanced at me, and with a single hand gesture, I told her to go for it. In a flash her eyes lit up as she grabbed me and rushed us to the turntables. The crowd went wild with cheers as she quickly did what she could to get things ready, and I, under her directions, got rid of the discs she deemed unusable, replacing them with songs she herself wanted.

It took her four minutes to set everything up, and a further five hours to finish her set. The two of us worked together, spinning a few records, dancing a little, and having a fun time overall. It was when she gave a good-bye to the crowd that I realized that I had genuinely had as much fun doing this as I did playing in the orchestra with Octavia.

That thought started an entire series of other thoughts that ended when we ran into, of all ponies, Octavia. She had heard Vinyl had basically stolen another DJ's crowd and had come to support us, even though it was almost two in the morning. With a happy smile, the three of us started walking to my apartment, the place we had all started calling home as of late. It was then that the conversation that would change my world began.

"So Sam, I-I have something I need to ask you."

"What is it Octavia?"

"Who- who do you like more, me, or Vinyl?"

I stopped in my tracks as Vinyl and Octavia both turned scarlet. The two of them were my best friends, ponies who supported me when I needed it most, and the ones I would naturally help whenever they needed help.

"Octavia! We agreed we wouldn't ask about it!"

I quickly turned to Vinyl. She was still blushing, but the irritation on her face was as clear as the full moon on a cloudless night.

"I know. But I just can't ignore it anymore! I need to know."

Octavia turned towards me, Vinyl not far behind as the two looked at me expectantly. My apartment was less than five minutes away, but they asked me here, in the middle of a deserted street instead.

"Sam, please. I know you aren't an idiot, nor are you oblivious. You know we both like you, and we know you like us both. But right now, I honestly, honestly need to know which one of us you like more!"

I could see Octavia shiver with anticipation, and her question certainly unnerved me. I had known they both liked me, but I played oblivious as I sorted out how I really felt. I guess in a way I was right, but nowhere near what I had originally thought. Truth be told, for the past week, the two of them had been swimming in my dreams but I never thought I would have to make a choice this soon. My mind raced as time seemed to speed up, forcing me to be aware and think hard. It was at that moment, when my nerves were on end, that I noticed footsteps coming towards us. I turned around just in time to see the DJ from before, brandishing a pistol.

"Get down!"

I quickly rushed and put myself on top of the two mares, and in the next moment I heard two gunshots whiz by overhead. They echoed loudly as the three of us screamed. I heard him cuss as a faint clicking was heard, followed by a rush of footsteps. I got up just in time to get knocked down again, the man on top of me holding the pistol as a bludgeoning weapon instead of a gun.

With a rage filled scream he brought the gun down, only to be met with a barrier. The orange hue immediately tipped me off that it was not Vinyl's as the man on top of me was quickly lifted up, and tackled by a town guard wearing the signature armor of the night watch, a shiny black that seemed far darker in nature than the day guards armor . In an instant seven more armor-clad bat-ponies arrived, quickly gathering and subduing the assailant, and one with some silver highlights in their armor checked on us.

"I am Sergeant Moonwine, charged by Princess Luna to patrol the area. Are the three of you okay?"

With a quick inspection, we found ourselves relatively unharmed but shaken. Taking a look, I notice that Moonwine was also a bat-pony mare, the first one I met if memory served. I remember how embarrassed she was when I muttered out how cute she looked. Their golden, cat-like eyes, leathery wings, and small, protruding fangs gave an air of danger while their dark, almost black hair and dark, grey coats solidified their affinity for the night.

"Yeah, we're fine. Maybe a few scrapes, but unharmed. So, Sergeant Moonwine, thank you for the quick save." She blushed lightly as her eyes drifted over me, lingering a bit longer than I had thought they would, before returning my stare.

"Just doing our job. Like how now I am escorting you home if you are sure you are uninjured. By the order of the Princesses, all those involved in an attack involving humans, as victims or perpetrators, should be watched for signs of anything odd. There have been a few poisoning cases, and looking at his 'spare ammo', I can almost guarantee that this may have been a one way trip." The three of us stare in fear at the DJ, before Octavia looks towards us.

"Do either of you know why he would do this?"

"Yeah Tavs, he was a DJ at the club I am scheduled to work at. He tried to steal my work and got tossed out by both staff and patrons before I finished his set with Sam. I guess in the few hours we spent there he got himself a weapon to shut us up or something."

"But, how did he get here then? Isn't there a screening process?" I decide to speak up, Moonwine starting to watch around us as the other guards started to disappear into the night.

"There is, Octavia, and for now the question of how will have to wait. We should get to my apartment and hope that he decided not to get friends. My apartment isn't too far away, Sergeant." Before I could continue, she raised a hand and answered swiftly.

"I know, I was assigned here by Luna to watch over you as she considers you a good friend. However, small talk will have to wait until we are in a safer place." With a nod, the four of us head towards my apartment, a new problem emerging.

"I only have three bedrooms in my apartment, and I don't feel like offering the couch, so Octavia, Vinyl, mind sharing a be-"

"We are not sharing a bed again." The two interrupted me, with raging blushes going as their eyes unintentionally dropped to their own forms.

"I didn't mean like that, but that only leaves one of three options."

"I don't bite, mister Sam." I could practically feel her smile as Octavia and Vinyl grabbed at me, we had just reached the door to my apartment, and I didn't have the luxury of waiting. I swiftly removed my arms and opened the door, Moonwine dashing in first to see if an intruder had beat us here. A few minutes later and the four of us were sitting in my living room, talking for a bit before hopefully going to sleep.

Author's Notes:

Chapters will return to a longer length soon. Just getting major changes out of the way. From here, the story starts to change. Without the bullet that first brought Sam to the world of nightmares, can he hold on to the world? Or, will there be even MORE changes from the fates?