A stunning white unicorn walked between tables carrying a large tray in an aura of magic. Her dazzling, vivid blue mane shone beneath the strobing lights overhead, and her deep red eyes caught the attention of every pony she trotted past. She paused at her destination and shifted all her weight to her left while brushing the mane out of her face.

"Good evening fillies and gentlecolts. My name is Vinyl, and I'll be taking care of you this evening." She placed the tray containing four glasses of iced water down in the center of the table.

She held her bright and shiny smile as the group gave her their orders, and jotted them down on a notepad attached to her foreleg. "Awesome, I'll be back with those drinks in a minute. Is there anything else I can get for you?"

After a couple of inappropriate remarks, Vinyl trotted off, still smiling. Having worked in the place for so long, she was quite accustomed to the less-than-charming crowd the business often attracted. However, despite that fact, she had never allowed herself to be affected by the rudeness of customers. She instead found her focus always fixed on the various ponies taking the spotlight atop the largest of the stages the building had to offer.

She shook her head, and looked forward with her chin up, knowing her chance to shine would come soon. As she trotted past one side of the bar, she spotted a familiar face trotting in.

"Raindrops! 'Bout time your lazy flank showed up! Longest break ever?" Vinyl teased.

A bright yellow pegasus with a tiffany-blue mane trotted up to her, shrugging. "What? I'm back early..."

Vinyl bumped her shoulder with a hoof and grinned as she trotted through the double-doors next to the bar, placing her table's order.

"Good evening Ms. Scratch. I've got some exciting news for ya." Vinyl turned and spotted a light blue pegasus looking at her. The mare lowered her glasses and chuckled at the unicorn.

"Lemme guess, am I fired?" Vinyl shook her head and leaned against a counter, crossing her hooves.

"We have a newbie starting tomorrow night, and you'll be taking her under your wing... or horn – whatever you unicorns say." She laughed again and fluttered her wings, before heading back towards her office.

"Psh, of course I have to train the new meat. Why do I always get these babysitting tasks? Hmm?" Vinyl smacked her chest and waved a questioning hoof at the cook behind the counter, who simply shrugged.

"Whatever, this won't be my life forever. Just one chance, and I'll show them what I can do..." The tired unicorn wiped her eyes and yawned before taking a deep breath and throwing her bright smile back on.

She grabbed a tray of drinks with her magic and pushed through the doors. "Here we go..."

Closing time. The illuminated sign above the establishment flickered off as the once-dark night sky began to glow an off-blue to the east. With a yawn, Vinyl stepped through the front doors wearing a large pair of purple sunglasses, followed by her friend.

"Talk about a long night, sheesh. I'm ready for bed, how about you?" The exhausted unicorn stretched her haunches and wiggled her tail.

Raindrops blushed and smiled at the sight. "Yeah, I... I guess I am."

A part of the pegasus wanted to invite her friend to stay over, or maybe to get some breakfast, or even just to stay and talk for a little while before they went their separate ways. Instead, she simply stood silently while the white unicorn trotted off down the street.

Vinyl could almost feel those aqua-blue eyes running up and down her back, but she pressed forward. As she reached her apartment, she gently nudged the door open and wandered in. She trudged through the mess of empty pizza boxes and plastic bottles. Entering her bedroom, she dragged the sheets off the floor and back onto her bed, then magically shut her curtains to block out the creeping sun.

"Another day, another... something." Vinyl climbed in and set her large purple shades on a small table next to the bed, before nuzzling her pillow and closed her eyes.

She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling.

How long am I gonna do this? It's been three years, and I'm goin' absolutely nowhere... She rolled back over on her side and faced the far wall.

A makeshift stage and turntable sat on a wheeled base, catching her eye. She stood up and trotted over to it, a sadness in her eyes. "Vinyl, maybe it is time to grow up... go back to school... get a real job..."

She stared down at the two black disks, placing a hoof on one and giving it a gentle nudge. "Who are you kidding..."

A tear began to form in Vinyl's eye as she turned away and climbed back into bed. With a painful sigh, she pulled the sheets over her head and forced her eyes closed. This wasn't the first time she'd had these kinds of thoughts. What once seemed like a sure thing, her dream of living a life of music, was fading away, as reality began to take its place.

Swallowing these uncomfortable thoughts, she drifted off to sleep with the intentions of changing herself, hopefully for the better.

Octavia inched her eyes open. She had forced herself to sleep through the afternoon, knowing she'd be up all night. She took the appropriate amount of bits downstairs to pay for another night in the hotel, then realized she'd be out of money long before her first paycheck. Shoving that thought away, she headed out. It was getting dark and the hot summer air had been replaced by a cool evening breeze.

It didn't take her long to reach her destination: eClipse. Octavia cringed and shook her head before pushing through the front doors. She trotted up to the large stallion standing in front of the entrance to the main area.

"Hello again." She patted him on the chest and smiled. "Tonight's my first night and I'm supposed to be getting trained, would you be so kind as to point me in the right direction?"

"Sure thing, little miss." He blushed and pointed towards a set of double doors leading into the kitchen. "Look for the blue-maned filly with a white coat, she's supposed to train ya."

Octavia nodded cheerfully and trotted through the doors. There were several ponies rushing back and forth, all carrying the necessary items needed to complete their tasks with the utmost sense of haste. Octavia felt nearly overwhelmed as she attempted to squeeze past them and find this blue-maned mare.

"Um, excuse me?" She attempted to stop a pony for help, but he rushed past without so much as glancing at her.

Rolling her eyes, she pressed forcefully through the crowd, and made her way to the other side of the busy hallway. Suddenly she spotted a vivid blue mane.

"Oh, oh! Hey, excuse me!" Octavia quickly cantered over to her and tapped the three water droplets on her flank.

Raindrops snapped her head backwards with a glare. "Hey! Oh..." She smiled, and laughed lightly. "Sorry, I thought you were that pervy cook trying to sneak a feel again."

"Oh, no of course not." Octavia blushed. "I was told that a white mare with a blue mane was supposed to train me here, but you're the only blue-maned mare I see around here."

"Ah, you're looking for Vinyl. I'll go see if I can find her for you, she's probably waiting tables right now." Raindrops trotted out onto the floor and Octavia waited, growing more nervous with every minute.

This was all so new to her. Such a frantic and upbeat environment was entirely unfamiliar, and this music even more so. It began to invade her body, causing her to tap a hoof and bob her head. Her nerves began to settle, and all she could focus on was this strange music. Suddenly two mares burst through the doors in front of her, startling her into a squeak.

"Newbie, this is Vinyl Scratch. Vinyl, this is the newbie. Have fun you two." Raindrops grinned and trotted back towards her end of the kitchen, readying drinks and supplies for the bar.

Octavia tilted her head, almost entranced by the bright red eyes in front of her. Vinyl resisted the urge to facehoof, weary of this routine every time she met a new pony.

"This is why I usually wear my glasses, but our boss says no. Anyway, what's your name?" Vinyl pulled Octavia off to one side of the kitchen so other ponies could more easily trot by.

Snapping back to reality, Octavia cleared her throat and spoke. "I'm Octavia Oatsenburg."

"Nice to meet you. Now, follow me and I'll show you what to do." Vinyl was in a hurry to get this young mare walking on her own four hooves so she wouldn't be slowing her down for too long.

The two trotted back towards the cook, and Vinyl peeled a small sheet of paper off the notebook on her front leg and clipped it to a wire above the counter.

Octavia took note of what was going on. She saw a pony carrying out a large tray piled high with plates of hay fries and seasoned potato skins. Glancing through the double-doors as the pony trotted past them, she saw the bright flashing lights and a group of ponies dancing beneath them to the very loud music.

"What is this place? I thought it was just a bar, or club, or something? What's with the food and stuff?" she asked, a little confused.

"Well, it's supposed to be 'Dining meets the club scene' or whatever. And it works pretty well even though we only serve appetizers," Vinyl explained, laughing as she grabbed a tray of drinks. "I've been here for almost three years and the place is packed every night."

"So will I be doing what you do then?"

"You sure will. Let me drop these off and I'll let you start your first table," Vinyl said cheerfully. She felt in an unusually good mood today, holding her normally sharp tongue and off-color attitude in check.

Excited to earn her keep, Octavia threw on her most friendly smile and followed the mare out onto the floor. She attempted speak over the booming bass, but struggled to be heard. "What should I do?"

Vinyl alternated between fluttering her lashes and nodding her head like a tough-mare as she saw fit while trotting past several familiar ponies, unable to hear a word Octavia was saying. Soon, they approached their table where three young stallions sat.

"Okay Ocavalia, you gotta lay on the charm if you want these scrubs to leave you a decent tip. You gotta make 'em think that tipping may lead to a little more later, which of course it won't, but they're stupid." Vinyl winked and turned to the table, setting the tray in the center.

Octavia blushed and glanced to the floor. "Um, it's Octavia, actually."

Vinyl ignored her, concentrating on the work at hoof. "Hey there boys, just let me know if there's anything I can do for you. Anything at all."

Octavia watched closely as Vinyl worked, the less-than-girly mare seeming almost like a different pony. She flicked her mane and batted her lashes, as if she were attempting to flirt with the brutish-looking colts. They all seemed to respond appropriately and Vinyl threw on a look of resentment as soon as she turned away, signaling Octavia to follow.

"So, uh... What's with all the flirty stuff?" The young somewhat naïve mare raised an eyebrow and followed her mentor closely.

"I wasn't flirting. It's just that sometimes you gotta play these chumps if you want decent tips," Vinyl explained.

Octavia looked around and saw dancers up on pedestals with stallions waving paper-bits at them. Other waitresses were trotting around with their tails high and their flanks wagging in a seductive manner. Gulping, she turned back to Vinyl.

"Tips?"

"Yeah, tips. They're what makes working here worthwhile. We can't survive on our salary alone, and if you play your part right, the tips are usually pretty good." Vinyl turned and looked down into Octavia's widening purple eyes.

It was all beginning to weigh on her. She had never really thought about exactly what she'd be doing here, but it was starting to become clear. Regret attempted to creep into her heart, and returning home was beginning to sound like a better idea than ever. She looked down to the floor and watched as it flashed beneath the strobes overhead.

Vinyl noticed the young mare's troubled expression and placed a hoof under her chin, lifting her head. "Hey now, it'll be fine. I don't know you or anything, but I can tell you're gonna to do well here. So chin up kiddo."

Octavia took comfort in Vinyl's words as if she were a foal being comforted and encouraged by a teacher. She decided to give it a go – it couldn't be worse than crawling back home and admitting defeat.

"Okay. So tell me what to do and I'll get started." She spoke lightly but with an air of responsibility in her voice.

"Right, see that table over there?" Vinyl pointed towards three young stallions just taking a seat across the dance-floor. "Go take them a tray of water and I'll meet you over there, okay?"

Octavia nodded and turned towards the kitchen for a tray. Vinyl smiled, shaking her head as she stood back to watch.

Standing on her back hooves, Octavia held the tray out in front of herself with her front ones. She struggled to keep her balance as she pressed through the double-doors. After a moment, she got used to it and made her way through the crowd towards the table.

She began to feel wobbly when their hungry eyes began scanning up and down her body. As she reached the table, she lost her balance and slipped, slamming the tray into the side of the table and sending the cups flying backwards into the crowd of dancing ponies. Vinyl quickly jumped up and caught two cups in her magic, but didn't manage to stop the water or the third, which crashed to the floor and splashed over the group. She groaned and nodded towards another waitress who grabbed a cloth and moved to clean the spills.

"Ocavelli! What the hay was that?!" Vinyl shouted, angrily stamping towards her trainee.

"I, uh... It was an accident!" Octavia attempted to defend herself while the three colts laughed.

With a deep breath, Vinyl placed her hoof over her horn and calmed herself down. "I'm so sorry gentlecolts. If you're ready, feel free to let me know what you want I'll be back with that as quickly as possible."

Octavia blushed and lowered her head behind her trainer's flank, feeling rather embarrassed. The two then trotted back towards the kitchen.

"Alright, you gotta be careful. The last thing we need is somepony getting hurt."

"Right. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to... to uh, fall." Octavia scratched the back of her mane and raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I'm not sure why she wants me training you, because I don't think you're cut out for this job." Vinyl shook her head and leaned against the wall with a hoof over her eyes.

Octavia looked completely crushed. She cringed away and looked up with wide, watery eyes while biting her lip.

Vinyl rolled her eyes and pushed off the wall, trotting past the young mare. "Look, you were just nervous right? And it's way easier with magic anyway, maybe you should try something else."

Upon hearing those words, Octavia stood straight up and whipped her head around to face the condescending unicorn. "Way easier with magic, huh? I should do something else because I can't do what unicorns do, right?"

"Well, hey! Come on now, I didn't mean it like that." Vinyl shrugged and smiled apologetically.

"I've been told that before, and I proved them wrong. I can do this too!" Octavia stood on her back hooves and puffed her chest out, now having something to prove.

"Wait, Ocova, you lost me." Vinyl raised an eyebrow and stroked her chin thoughtfully with a hoof.

"It's Octavia damn it!"

"Right, but what are you talking about? Are you saying you can do magic?" Vinyl wondered, now curious.

Octavia marishly flicked her hoof up and inspected the tip as she spoke. "Some call it a new kind of magic, others just say I'm an unusually gifted earth pony. Either way, I defy all unicorns who say I'm not fit to play a cello, or any other instrument for that matter."

"Oh, that's it? Not impressed." Vinyl turned away and began searching behind the counter.

"What?! Not impressed? I'll have you know that I performed at the Grand Galloping Gala the past three years in a row!" Octavia huffed. She was hardly proud of the fact, but needed to prove herself.

"Ooh, fancy," Vinyl replied, voice layered with sarcasm, as she pulled her big purple glasses out from her saddlebag and threw them on with a grin.

"You have no idea. So tell me, do my talents not impress you because you so greatly exceed them with your own amazing ability to carry a tray to a table using magic?" Octavia turned her nose up and placed her hooves beneath a second tray of water, preparing to carry it out with no real destination in mind.

"You ain't even begun to see my talents yet, little Oatsy. And I'm not impressed by you playing some boring old instrument for a bunch of tight-saddled old ponies. Every week on free-performance night, some pegasus comes in here playing her fiddle like some kind of pro, and she isn't using magic either. I doubt you can match those skills with your slow-paced Gala crap." Vinyl didn't withhold her disdain for the upper-class, not having realized her waitress-in-training was among them.

"I'll decide for myself when I hear her performance whether or not it reflects any sort of talent." Octavia held her nose in the air as she lifted the tray and began to trot out.

"And just where are you taking that?" Vinyl laughed, not really concerned.

Octavia didn't answer. She simply trotted out into the crowd, this time sure to keep her balance.

"Vinyl Scratch! What have I told you about those sunglasses of yours?" A blue mare came trotting around the corner.

"Right, right. I forgot. Sorry Breezy." Vinyl quickly tossed them back into her saddlebag.

"Don't lie to me Vinyl, I know you better that. Now where is Oatsenburg? Aren't you training her?" Breezy Blue asked, glancing around the kitchen.

Vinyl cringed and gulped, a drop of nervous sweat forming on her face. "Um... Yeah, well... She's having trouble adjusting, and said she'd much rather be a dancer."

"She did?" Breezy tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, she said it looks like fun." Vinyl grinned and wiped her muzzle with a hoof.

"Well, alright then, if that's what she wants. She better be good though, I don't need another goofball working up a laugh-fest out there." Breezy Blue shook her head and trotted off back to her work.

"Ha, yes!" Vinyl jumped and hoof-pumped the air.

"Whoa there. What's got you so excited, hmm?" Raindrops wandered in and noticed her friend's unusual enthusiasm.

"Ah, nothing. I'm just putting a snooty upper-class mare in her place. She's gonna love it." Vinyl grinned deviously as Octavia trotted back through the doors with an empty tray.

"Who, her? She hardly seems snooty to me." Raindrops shrugged and trotted away.

"Well, what do you know anyway? Get out of here, will ya?!" She shooed the already leaving pegasus away, and turned back to Octavia to deliver the 'good news'.

"Okay, so Breezy Blue, our boss, came in here sayin' she wants you to take over the empty dance table. You're pretty cute and you suck at carrying trays so this'll be perfect for you. Anyway, I told her you were looking forward to it. You can dance, right?" Vinyl placed a hoof on Octavia's shoulder and guided her out the doors, pushing her towards the empty stage.

"Wait, what?! I can't dance, no no no, there must be some mistake! Why would you do this to me?! I... wait, just hold on a minute!" Octavia lifted her hooves in protest with a slightly terrified expression on her face.

"Aw, it's easy. Best part? No magic needed, so get up there you." Vinyl dragged Octavia to the stage, hopping up and pulling the other mare up after her.

Immediately, Octavia began to lose what little cool she had. She looked out over the seemingly thousands of eyes staring up at her, waiting to be entertained.

"What's wrong? I thought you said you performed at the Gala, so don't tell me you have stage fright." Vinyl began to back away and climb down.

"That was different!" In a state of panic, she grabbed the unicorn and hugged onto her, refusing to be left alone up there.

"Octavile, what in Equestria do you think you're doing?!"

"I won't be left alone up here. You're my trainer, and if I'm to dance up here, then you're to teach me." Octavia attempted to rationalize her impulsive behavior as best she could, not quite willing to admit just how scared she really was.

Vinyl laughed, a bit surprised at how reasonable the request sounded, and how that meant she had just put herself in a very awkward position by mistake. "Okay okay, I see what's goin' on here. You wanna dance with me and this is your way of asking since you're so shy."

Vinyl grinned and leaned up, taking Octavia's hooves in her own and helping her off the floor.

"I... what?! No! You couldn't be more wrong. I am not a dancing kind of mare, and I just need a bit of help learning before I make a fool of myself, nothing more." Even as close as they were, Octavia still had to raise her voice to be heard over the pumping music. She glanced over her partner's shoulder to see all the eyes still looking up at them.

"Right, whatever you say Oatsy." Vinyl winked, knowing she was likely getting on the mare's nerves. "Okay, this isn't really regular dancing. Look around at the other mares and just do what they do, it isn't hard. But hay, while I'm up here I might as well earn some extra bits, right?"

Octavia opened her mouth to speak and instead found herself again staring down at the horde of ponies beneath her.

"Hey, don't pay any attention to them. Just feel the music and let yourself go." Vinyl felt suddenly responsible for the younger mare, and actually wanted her feel alright.

Octavia closed her eyes and began to slowly sway. Vinyl looked to the growing crowd beneath them and shrugged.

Dance with her! Smack her flank! Kiss!

The crowd of excited ponies shouted, in a near-frenzy. Two mares on one stage was not something they were used to seeing.

"Psh, just ignore them and focus on the dancing." Vinyl shouted, placing a hoof on Octavia's shoulder as she jumped up and shook her mane back and forth to the rhythm of the thumping bass.

Octavia opened her eyes and stepped back, noting how easily her trainer was getting into this. She took a deep breath and threw on a bright smile. The mare allowed her earlier musically-induced exhilaration to invade her body once again. She began tapping her hoof and swayed on the spot for a moment, then did her best to mimic the mare across from her, standing on her back hooves and whipping her mane around to the pulsing beat.

"You sure look like you're having fun," Octavia called, not sure if she could be heard over the music.

Vinyl nodded and pulled Octavia close to her, wrapping her hooves around her waist and forcing her to rock her hips harder than before. The young gray mare slowly and nervously loosened up, allowing her limbs to wave freely and her body to sway in the same way her trainer's was. Eventually, she even began to enjoy it. She looked out over the sea of ponies filling the club, at the bright, colorful lights shining down, then to the happy crowds beneath her dancing in similar ways. Surrounding the stage were dozens of groups of ponies tossing their bits up around their hooves, almost begging for physical contact.

"Just listen to 'em Oatsy, they love you! You're doin' great! Really not bad for a Gala-girl."

Vinyl pushed her trainee away and fell to all fours, before holding a hoof out over the edge of the stage and brushing it across the tips of all the spectators' muzzles. They seemed overjoyed at this, pulling out more bits and throwing them across the stage. She then spotted Raindrops, who smiled and winked at her, nodding towards the tables she should have been tending to. Vinyl pouted and watched her too-easy friend roll her eyes and silently agree to take over for her.

Octavia paid little attention to the pile of bits accruing beneath her. Instead, her eyes were fixed on a much larger stage at the other end of the dance floor, as she used a single hoof to hold herself up and twirl around a pole in the center of the stage. She jumped back and forth around it while whipping her mane about and rocking her hips to the powerful beat that she had allowed to invade and control her body.

She wondered why it was empty, and how she could make it her own.

Vinyl stood back up and span around, allowing her long mane to twist around her neck and batting her lashes as she looked back down into the eyes of the crowd beneath her. They ate it up, loving the sensuality in the mare's expression. Vinyl seemed like a natural, milking the crowd for all they were worth.

"Hey there, y'alright?" Vinyl wrapped a hoof around the clearly-distracted mare and turned her around so that their chests were touching.

"Oh, yes... yes. Sorry, I got a bit preoccupied. Tell me, what's with the big stage over there?" Octavia coyly smiled and blushed, realizing now was likely not the best time.

"Yeah, that's just for the big shots when we have bands and live performances and stuff like that. None of that tonight though," Vinyl explained.

"Ah, I see," she said with a slight pout.

"Maybe if you're really as talented as you think you are, you can get a spot up there sometime." Vinyl nudged her with an elbow and winked.

Octavia shook her head and turned back to the crowd, suddenly noticing the large pile of bits beneath them. "Wow, is that all ours?!"

Vinyl rolled her eyes yet again. "It sure is. Well... I'll explain later."

Another track started and the two mares continued jumping and dancing happily on stage. Several hours passed and the crowds began to thin as closing time approached. Eventually it was just the staff left, and a few drunkards wobbling through the exit doors.

"That was really good, you're practically a natural Oatsy." Vinyl forcefully smacked her shoulder and laughed, slipping on her glasses from the saddlebag.

"Me? You're the natural, it seems. I was very impressed by your style and fluidity. You really seemed to handle yourself well, while I was merely improvising based on the instructions you provided." Octavia looked up with a sense of humility.

"Well, I used to dance every night, but I got tired of it after a while. All the ponies staring at you like you're some kind of freshly picked cabbage just begging to be taken... it's just not for me. I'll admit though, it was fun doin' it up there with you tonight." Vinyl rubbed her mane down and slid a bucket of bits over to Octavia's hooves.

"Is this... mine?" she asked with starry eyes.

"Yup, that's half, minus the club's cut." Vinyl trotted towards the exit doors as she prepared to head home.

"Wait! Um, Vinyl. Thanks for this. I'll be honest, I'd have hated waiting tables. This is much more to my taste, as distasteful as it seems. I suppose I'm just built to perform." Octavia giggled as she considered what she had just said.

"You're built like a cute little tank, aren't ya?" The rambunctious unicorn delivered two playful punches to the young mare's chest and side.

"Haha, yes, well... that's quite enough of that..." Octavia tentatively stepped aside and pushed the exit doors open.

As they stepped out, they were stopped by a shout from behind them. "Oh, you two! Wait a moment please." They turned to see their boss walking out after them. "Vinyl, I realize you switched for a reason, but if you wouldn't mind, I'd love for you to stay with Oatsenburg while she learns to dance, and manage customers at her stage. You two have great chemistry together, and you really drew a crowd tonight. You made a good pile of bits, and I didn't see a bit of fighting over how to split 'em up. That's good workmanship, and good for the business, so I wouldn't mind having both of you permanently share that stage."

Octavia looked to Vinyl and nodded rapidly, hoping she'd agree.

"Permanently, huh? I'll have to think about it, but sure, I'll get up there with her again tonight if that's what you're asking. On one condition that is." Vinyl grinned as widely as she could.

Breezy rolled her eyes. "And what would that be?"

"Let me wear my shades while I'm on the clock." Vinyl lowered them cockily, her red eyes staring straight into her boss'.

"Ha, is that all? Go for it. I expect good things from you two in the future, and don't be afraid to give those pervs the show they want. Just keep it under control." Breezy Blue laughed and headed back inside, locking the main entrance behind herself.

"Well, looks like we're dance-partners then, huh?" Vinyl raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"I suppose we are."

Octavia nodded her head at the unicorn in farewell, and turned to head down the street in the opposite direction, her saddlebag now full of bits, and her worries of being unable to stay the week at the hotel no longer an issue.

As Octavia trotted merrily towards what was currently her home, a yellow pegasus fluttered up behind her and placed a wing over her back.

"Hey there newbie. Doing well? I just wanted to talk to you about a few things, if you don't mind."