Out on the Town
"Thanks for inviting me over tonight Octavia," Gem was saying with a smile. "I'm trying to extend my friend group, and I figured you and Vinyl would be a good place to start." The three girls we currently at Octavia's house in the ritzier section of Canterlot, a place that rivalled Shadowfall Manor in its grandeur and opulence.
“It’s no trouble, my dear,” Octavia said with a smile. “Vinyl and I are always glad to have you with us!” She was wearing her usual school outfit of a white dress shirt, pink bowtie, a purple vest, and a pink skirt with a treble clef sewn into it, with long white socks and black shoes to finish.
“Totally,” Vinyl agreed, grinning. She wore a dark grey t shirt with long white pants and dark grey shoes streaked with lightning bolts. “You’re a cool gal, Gemmy.”
Gem blushed, “I must admit, I feel a little guilty not talking to you both more often,” she said. “The only time I get the chance is during alliance meetings!”
“Like I say, it’s no trouble,” Octavia repeated, placing a hand on Gem’s knee. “We know you’re busy saving the school with the other Rubies, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!”
“Absolutely,” said Vinyl, sipping from a Dr. Pony bottle as she spoke. (Octavia and Gem were both drinking sparkling grape juice.) “The whole school loves ya, they were all on your side when Trixie got smoked!”
Octavia drew a hand across her throat, “Vinyl, no! We agreed not to discuss Gem’s... er... difficulties! No offense,” she added quickly.
“None taken,” Gem said, giggling. “I think the whole group has been turned evil at one point or another by now... except for Emerald.”
“Which reminds me,” Octavia continued, “You say you’ve been to the world Sunset hails from before... and there are duplicates of us there?”
Gem nodded. “I’ve met them! The other Octavia is the first chair cellist for the Royal Symphony Orchestra, and she’s roommates with the other Vinyl.”
“Sweet!” Vinyl beamed. “I’d love to room with Tavi, but her folks would never go for it.”
Octavia sighed. “It’s true, my parents are too prim and proper to allow such cohabitation, even if they do say they support my orientation. I’ve often wondered what living in such a world would be like, one free from social taboos where everyone can be what they want and not have to worry about social status.”
"Sad but true," Gem agreed, shaking her head. "I wonder too... you should hear my mother talk, she thinks I'm going to be the death of the family when I reveal myself to Trottingham. Pathetic, really." She looks thoughtful. "You two will be 18 soon, right? You could move out, get a place of your own, and live as you wish that way!"
“Yeah, Tavi, we’ll be going to Muleillard anyway, and your folks said they’d spring for an apartment while you were there,” Vinyl remarked.
Octavia thought for a moment. “Yes, that is a possibility ... I should make sure it’s okay anyway, I wouldn’t want them to revoke my funding and my trust fund doesn’t revert directly to me until I’m twenty-one.” She turned back to Gem. “When do you plan to make your announcement? Vinyl and I might be able to attend, and we could stay with my auntie while we’re there. She’s a lot more open- minded than dear Mother about such things.”
"After graduation," Gem says. "I'll spend the weekend with my cousin Carrie, there will be a press conference, and I think a photo session... chances are Mother will try to ruin everything, but I won't let her, and neither will Father!" She takes a sip of her juice. "I'm hearing rumors they might be separating... which is perfectly fine by me, to be honest. After that stunt she pulled with Perry Scope, I don't trust her anymore."
“I can’t believe she actually tried that,” Vinyl said, a touch of anger in her voice. “Even Tavi’s mom would agree, and she had a private eye snooping around on me when we first started dating.”
“Mother wanted to be sure about your background,” Octavia explained, “given the fact that I’ve had a few suitors who only wanted to get their hands on our finances ... and me, by extension. You’ll note that once she found out you were on the level, as you would so quaintly put it, she stopped her inquiries and welcomed you as my sweetheart. Never once did she try to stop me from living as I wanted to live.” She pats Gem’s hand. “I’m just glad you were able to escape from under her thumb.”
"Me too," Gem says, smiling back. "Just look at me now! So much happier now that I've been freed from her gilded cage." Looking around, she thinks for a moment. "Have you two got any songs in progress, out of curiosity? I'd love to hear them!"
“Well, there is one that Vinyl has been working on. She started writing it after her last disastrous relationship, and I liked it so much she’s fleshed it out more. I’ve even performed some backing vocals,” Octavia replied. Vinyl inserted a disc into the player, and as the music started, she turned up the volume.
Gem smiles and claps, "Beautiful work, you two! I love it! You sing wonderfully Octavia, you should do it more often!"
Octavia blushes. “I prefer to let my cello sing for me, and express my voice through its tones.”
Vinyl chuckles. “That’s high-falutin’ talk for ‘I’m mic-shy.’ Took me forever to convince her to sing even in the background, and only with no one else around.”
Gem chuckles. "I understand that, I went through something similar when I first began raising my voice to its current register." She pauses a moment, then speaks in her old, male voice, sounding exactly like her Equestrian counterpart: "It used to be that I spoke like this," she explains. "But slowly, I began raising my pitch, much like a cello, until eventually I reached the stage that I'm at now. I didn't really sing at all until I started dating Raven, when we went on our first proper date together."
“You should record something with us some day,” Vinyl said, “and if Raven’s interested, she could join us too.”
“You do have a lovely voice,” Octavia said, “and I remember Raven’s singing from the Battle. Such power and intensity.”
Gem smiles, "Just like the girl herself," she says. "And you know, that's not a bad idea! I'll ask her at school tomorrow." She finishes her drink. "Speaking of, I should probably be getting home... I'll try to catch you at lunch tomorrow, and we can talk more about recording."
“That sounds lovely,” Octavia says, smiling. She and Vinyl walk Gem to the door. “We had a lovely time with you, we simply must do this again sometime.”
“Absolutely,” Vinyl agreed. “I’m kinda sorry we never hung out more, you’re really cool.”
Gem blushes and smiles, giving both girls hugs. "We're still young, there's plenty of time for that," she says. "I know I'd love to visit with you more."
“Hey, don’t be a stranger,” Vinyl says, wrapping an arm around Octavia. “Maybe you two could come to the club with us some Friday night.”
“Ooo, capital idea!” Octavia gushed. “It’s an eighteen-and-under club,” she explained, “no alcohol, lots of music and dancing, I think you’d like it!”
“We go a couple times a month on Friday nights,” Vinyl continued, “and if you and Raven wanna tag along, we’d love to have ya.”
Gem oohs, bouncing a little, "Yes, that sounds like a lovely idea! I'll be sure to let Raven know!"
“Great! Let us know at school and we can make plans to go some night.” Octavia smiles again. “Thank you again for coming, Gem, have a great night!”
"You too!" Gem blows them a kiss each, then heads to her car and drives home.
A week or so later, Raven and Gem are dressing for their first night at the club together. "I don't want to wear anything too formal," Gem says, "But formal is all I've got... can I borrow some of your clothes, Raven?" They stand in Raven's room, considering their outfits.
Raven thinks, then digs into the closet and pulls out a denim skirt and T-shirt. “Here, wear this,” she says, tossing the clothes to Gem. “Is my outfit okay?” She twirls in front of Gem, wearing a leather jacket, T-shirt, and leather mini skirt with knee-high boots.
"It's perfect!" Gem says with a smile, slipping into the offered clothes. "Exactly what I'd expect from you: intense, passionate, tough, and streetwise!"
Raven blushes. “We’re meeting Tavi and Vinyl at the club, right?” she asks. “I’ve never heard of this place before.”
Gem nods, "I think it might be new... just perfect for girls our age though." They say goodbye to Corvus and drive across town to the club, parking outside the entrance.
Octavia and Vinyl are waiting outside. Vinyl waves. “Yo! Over here!” she calls out. She whistles as Gem and Raven approach. “Whoa, looking good, you two! Glad to see you came here tonight!”
“It’s very good to see you again, Gem,” Octavia says, giving Gem a hug, then hugging Raven. “And good to see you too, Raven, thank you so much for coming.”
"No prob, gals!" Raven says, hugging Octavia back as Gem twirls. "Let's go dance the night away!" Octavia and Vinyl join up with Gem and Raven and the four walk into the club.
A pulsating beat greeted the group as they made their way toward the bar area. The dance floor was heavily populated with teenagers releasing some stress from another hard week at school. Lights in the dance floor flashed in time with the beat of the music, and a light fog drifted over the dance floor. Beams of light danced around, reflected from the mirror ball, briefly lighting up couples in the darker areas of the club getting a little bit more romantic.
Approaching the bar, they were greeted by the bartender. “Hey Vinyl, Octavia ... friends of yours? And I guess you’re having your usuals?”
The two musicians nod, "This is Gemini Shadow and Raven Sable," Octavia explains, introducing both. "This is their first time! What have you got for first-timers?" Vinyl asks.
“Ah, gotcha,” the bartender says. “Two Cherry Poppers and two Tropical Fanny-bangers for you two, coming right up.” He moves away and starts making the drinks.
“That’s his thing, giving the drinks here dirty-sounding names. Ours are just pineapple and mango juice,” Vinyl explains. “It’s just his thing.”
The bartender returns with two tropical-looking drinks, complete with umbrellas and plastic swords, and two fizzy dark-red drinks. “Enjoy, girls. Tavi, you running the tab tonight?” he asks. Octavia nods. The bartender nods as well and goes to the other end of the bar.
Raven sips her drink. “Ooo, black cherry fizz,” she says, taking a bigger drink.
"It tickles!" Gem smiles happily as she sips, bobbing her head in time to the beat of the music. A boy with blue hair sidles up to the bar, eyes Gem and her outfit, and says "Hey girl, how about we ditch these chicks and go someplace a little... rougher?" He winks, placing his hand on her shoulder.
Before Raven can pounce on him, Gem places her drink on the bar. "I don't believe I will, thanks," she informs him calmly. "Go bother somebody else." She then casually performs the Vulcan nerve pinch on him, sending him to the floor.
The other three stare in awe. “You have got to teach that to me,” Octavia says.
Gem chuckles, "Of course I will, Octavia! After my attack, I knew I needed to defend myself."
The music changes, and Vinyl says to Gem, “If you two want to dance, go ahead, we’ll watch your drinks for you.” She grins.
Raven extends her hand, having heard Vinyl’s suggestion. “Shall we?” she asks.
Gem takes Raven's hand, "Let's do!" And they dance, looking like they're having the time of their lives, Gem especially. She twirls and twists, ponying up without even knowing it.
Watching from the bar, Octavia and Vinyl see Gem and Raven transform. “It still amazes me every time they do that,” Vinyl whispers to Octavia. Octavia nods slowly.
The girls drink and dance as long as they can, going home just as midnight rolls around. Gem smiles to Octavia and Vinyl. "I had an absolutely amazing time tonight, girls... same time later?"
“Sounds good to me,” Vinyl replies. “Tavi will call you to confirm. See ya later.” Vinyl walks off with a very tired and happy Octavia. “Goodnight, you two,” Octavia calls out..
"Goodnight!" Gem and Raven call back, heading home themselves. On the walk back, they are approached by the blue-haired boy from earlier, who grabs Gem's hand and pulls her away from Raven, knocking her against the wall so she fell, out cold."Hey bitch! What do you think you're tryin' to pull, getting me thrown outta the club like that?" he shouts, his words slightly slurred.
Gem frowns at him. "I was defending myself from the likes of you, you unrepentant scoundrel!" she exclaims. "Let go of me at once!"
"Like hell I will," the boy said, reaching down and unzipping something. "You're a bad girl, and bad girls oughta be punished!" He pulled down Gem's skirt and panties, then froze. "What the... The hell?! You have a dick!"
"I do," Gem said, in a very cold voice. The air around her seemed to freeze. She brought up her panties and skirt with one hand as the other hand brought out her magic screwdriver, which she pointed in the boy's ribs. "I was attacked by ruffians like you once before, and I will not allow myself to be again!"
"You oughta be dead," said the boy, taking out a knife. "You're a tranny! All trannies should die!"
Gem's eyes started to glow as she rose into the air, calling forth the magic in her body. Her hair lengthened, and pony ears sprouted on the top of her head. "Enough of this!" she shouted, reaching out with one glowing hand. The knife zoomed toward her and she grabbed it, throwing it to the ground and stomping on it. "I will not be a victim again! Not today, not tomorrow, not ever!" She clapped her hands, creating a shockwave that sent the boy flying into, ironically, the police station doors.
Captain Armor, who was passing, looked around in surprise. "Flash Sentry?! What the-"
"Excuse me, officer," Gem said as the magic faded, "But this boy has just tried to sexually assault me."
"You and half the girls in town," Shining Armor said, cuffing the boy. "Don't worry Gem, he won't be bothering you again."
Raven woke up a few hours later, moaning in pain. "Ugh... Did someone get the license plate of that truck?" she asked.
Gem chucked, placing a hand on her girlfriend's forehead. "Welcome back, darling."
"What happened?" Raven asked. "The last thing I remember is getting slammed into the wall!"
"A boy tried to kill me," Gem explained. "He didn't get very far though."
"And you stood up to him? All by yourself?" Raven asked.
Gem nodded. "Well, with some magical assistance."
Raven smiled. "That's my girl."