02: That Music and Concert
In the next forty five minutes the dance club went from almost deserted to absolutely packed. There was barely enough standing room on the floors, and anypony who wanted to walk somewhere had to force their way through the massive crowd just to move a few feet. Though the building could hold just over four hundred ponies, the crowd easily numbered closer to six hundred, and the ponies who were denied access were less than happy about being left outside, though all of them stuck around in hopes that enough ponies inside got kicked out, giving the less fortunate ones outside a chance to get in.
Big Mac was more than grateful to be the only non-stagehoof allowed access to the backstage area. All around him ponies in black shirts rushed around to check and double check everything; making sure every plug was securely in place, ensuring each wire, instrument, and speaker was exactly in the right spot, adjusting the lights to fall where Vinyl Scratch and Starshadow would be standing... the list just went on and on.
Finally the ponies cleared the stage and the lights over the massive crowd dimmed and died. The crowd went silent for a few seconds until the lights on the stage lit up one side just in time to catch the two stars of the show walking on stage. Upon seeing the two mares the crowd exploded, the roar and cheers deafening Big Mac. Starshadow and Vinyl seemed completely used to the enthusiastic greeting and they waved at their fans as they took their places; Vinyl Scratch behind her turntables and Starshadow at an electronic keyboard.
"YEEAHHHH! What's up, Ponyville!" Vinyl yelled into her microphone. "Are you READY TO DROP?"
The crowd cheered again and Vinyl put on the first track. Big Mac stumbled back as the loud music assaulted his eardrums and the bass felt like somepony was striking his chest with a hammer. Apparently he was the only one who found this sensation uncomfortable as every pony in the audience began dancing like madponies.
Bobbing her head up and down to the beats Vinyl was playing, Starshadow adjusted some controls on her keyboard and began adding her part to the show, her music blending seamlessly with Vinyl's just as the strobe lights above the stage began to flash rapidly. Both musicians began dancing to the music also while continuing to play, and Big Mac couldn't help but stare at the sight in front of him. As he was behind where Vinyl and Starshadow were positioned he could only see their backs and he was given a completely unobstructed view of both their flanks. Vinyl Scratch was doing more headbanging than dancing but Starshadow was swaying her hips side to side as she continued to play. With the strobe lights flashing over and over her dance movements were broken up and it looked more like a flipbook, but Big Mac couldn't take his eyes off of the slender mare. He was glad no pony could see him stare harder as he saw that her tail was swinging higher and higher, eventually revealing her tight little flank to him and showing off her sex to him. He wasn't able to get a clear look thanks to the accursed strobe lights, but the few second-long glimpses he got of her flank was beginning to get him excited.
Just as he thought his eyes were getting used to the strobe lights the music suddenly changed to a completely different beat. Big Mac frowned in disappointment as Starshadow slowed her movements to a simple hoof tapping, her tail once again falling down to cover her sex. He snorted in frustration as his hopes of her dancing resuming didn't come true, and for the next few songs her dancing was kept to a minimum.
After over an hour of partying the music slowed to a steady softer beat, signaling an intermission in the concert. Vinyl and Starshadow ducked off stage, the pegasus walking up to Big Mac and flashing a grin at him. "So, what do you think so far?" she asked him.
Big Mac couldn't quite hear her as his ears were still ringing from the loud music, but he understood enough to answer her. "It's... loud." he said honestly.
Starshadow couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, I guess it is." she said in agreement. "How'd you like my dancing? I did it just for you."
Big Mac felt his face fire up and he was sure that he was even redder than usual right then. He hoped that she couldn't see just how much extra color there was in his features it was in the dark. "I, uh... it was... um, I..." he stammered, unsure of what to say or how to say it.
Starshadow smirked mischievously, his reaction one of the ones she was hoping to get. "I have to go get ready for the second half of the show. If you liked the first half, you're going to love what we have planned next."
Once again Big Macintosh had no time to ask what Starshadow meant before she rushed off to join Vinyl in their private dressing room. Figuring he'd follow the crowd's example he went off to grab a drink of water before the next half of the show started. As he pushed his way through the crowd of sweaty ponies he caught pieces of conversations about the two mares performing tonight;
"... so sexy. I'd give my left nut to be her special somepony."
"Dude, no way she'd go for a colt like you. You're not even old enou-"
"... heard she's bi. You think she does stuff with Vinyl after the shows?"
""Celestia, I hope so! Can you imagine a threesome with them?"
"The only threesome you'll ever get to do is if you use both your hooves! Haha!"
All around him stallions and mares alike were talking about nothing but Vinyl Scratch and Starshadow. Vinyl was wildly popular on her own, even Big Mac had heard of the DJ, and it seemed that she and Starshadow were even more popular as a duo. It was clear that many of the ponies here were willing to travel across all of Equestria for the chance to see them play together. Big Mac still wasn't sure that he'd do nothing but travel after a band as they toured around the continent, but from the conversations most stallions were having they were motivated by more than just the music.
He finally reached the bar and ordered a glass of water. The bartender turned around and Big Mac recognized Bar Back. "Hey, you decided to stay for the show!" Bar Back exclaimed. "I bet you're glad you stuck around after all, huh? You didn't break anypony in half during the dancing, though, did you?"
Big Mac shook his head. "Naw, I was backstage, nopony to bump in to back there."
"Backstage?" Bar Back asked in surprise. "How in Luna's flank did you get permission to be back there? Even my staff isn't allowed back there during the show. Vinyl's manager is one strict bi- er, mare."
"The other mare gave the okay after I helped her bring in her equipment." Big Mac explained.
Bar Back dropped the glass of wheat beer he was filling for another customer. "Wha- what?" he asked in bewilderment. "Other mare? You mean Starshadow?"
Big Mac nodded. "Eeyup."
"You sure it wasn't Vinyl who you helped?" he asked.
Big Mac shook his head. "Nope, it was the dark blue pegasus." he confirmed.
"Well now, that's mighty strange." Bar Back said thoughtfully. "I've never heard of her doing anypony any favors like that, even if you did help her earlier. Heck, she won't even talk to any other pony. I think she said all of four or five words to me when she first arrived."
Big Mac wasn't sure that Bar Back was talking about the same mare that he was. Starshadow had warmed up to him without any issue, even if he did catch her after she fell and helped her bring in her equipment. He lifted up the glass of water and downed the entire glass in one large swig. Bar Back grinned and refilled Big Mac's glass. "Well, whichever pony got ya back there, you're the luckiest stallion in Equestria. I don't think anypony besides the staff has ever gotten a backstage pass to one of these concerts before."
The lights dimmed slightly and the music changed to a slightly faster beat. "Sounds like they're about to start up again." Bar Back said. "Better get back there before they begin again."
Big Mac nodded and turned to fight his way back through the crowd. Bar Back looked at the red stallion and shook his head. "Starshadow, huh? Lucky bastard." he muttered with a smile.
Big Mac made his way back to his place behind the stage a few seconds before the lights died down completely. During the intermission the stagehooves had moved the stations on the stage, and now the turntables and keyboard were right next to each other. As before the music and crowd died down as the lights dimmed, and for a few moments Big Mac couldn't see anything clearly. He thought he saw two dark shapes moving on the stage and suddenly the stage became softly illuminated in light and the bass came thumping back on. The crowd remained mostly hushed as the bass picked up tempo and two figures clad in black cloaks stood behind the places Vinyl Scratch and Starshadow should have been.
A sultry, seductive voice spoke out over the thumping bass. "Are you ready, Ponyville?" one of the figures asked the crowd.
The crowd roared in response, almost drowning out the music completely. The cloaks covering the two ponies on stage suddenly glowed and the dark hoods were lowered, revealing Vinyl and Starshadow. Big Mac didn't think it was possible but the crown yelled even louder, causing both mares on stage to grin. Starshadow turned to look back behind her and winked at Big Mac before returning her attention to all her fans. "Then let's drop this shit hard!" she yelled to the crowd as Vinyl slammed home another record.
The deafening music started once again and everypony in the crowd began to dance again. Once again Vinyl and Starshadow kept their own movements down to a minimum, coming nowhere close to revealing as much as they did earlier when the concert began, and the cloaks still covering their bodies didn't help. Only two songs went by before the music died down to a steady beat and Vinyl picked up a nearby microphone. "PONYVILLE! You ready to kick it up another notch?" she called out. The crowd roared in agreement and stomped their hooves in approval, causing the entire building to tremor slightly. Vinyl smiled and lowered her purple glasses, taking a step back from the edge of the stage. "You are? Then LET'S DO THIS!"
Her horn glowed and with a loud BOOM a dozen strategically placed cannons all around the large room went off, showering the crowd with various colors of glow-in-the-dark neon paint as the lights almost completely shut off. At the same time Vinyl Scratch and Starshadow whipped off their cloaks, revealing their bodies. Both of them had been painted with intricate designs and patterns in the same glowing neon paint as had been shot out from the cannons, and the music kicked back up and soon surpassed the earlier volume level.
Between the strobe lights now going off, the WHUMP WHUMP WHUMP of the bass, and the flurry of colors battering his eyes and mind, Big Mac felt like he had just stepped into the middle of a fireworks factory that was on fire. His wandering eyes soon fell back on Starshadow's flank, which was finally swaying to and fro to the beat of the music. The glow of paint could be seen on her rear, but he was paying so much attention to her rear that he missed seeing Starshadow turn her head again as she looked back at him. She saw that all of his attention was on her rear, and with a mischievous grin she flicked her tail up to once again expose her ass to him.
Big Mac forgot to breathe as her flank was fully exposed. It wasn't her naked rear that caught him by surprise, it was what she had painted on her ass. A giant red heart was painted over her ass, the indent at the top of the heart just dipping below her puckered hole and the pointed tip at the bottom ended right on her clit. The rounded sides of the heart curved up and covered most of her flank, and his name decorated the upper portion of the back of her thighs, "BIG" painted on her left leg and "MAC" on her right.
Positive that there was absolutely no way he could have missed her little surprise, Starshadow turned her attention back to the crowd of ponies in front of her but kept her hips and tail swaying to the music, leaving her flank more exposed than not just for Big Mac. She had to move more than Vinyl did to add her portion of the music, but every single movement she made was smooth, graceful, and just downright sexy. She had her eyes closed as she let her head swing side to side to the rhythm, but she slowly turned her head to look at Big Mac again. She peeked at him from behind her mane as it lay partially over her face from her dancing, and she saw that he had finally broken his gaze from her ass and was staring back at her, his eyes locked to hers in wonderment, awe, and... desire.
Starshadow gave him another wink and licked her lips, giving her slender butt a slight wiggle to tease him again. She abruptly turned her attention back to her keyboard and worked the controls for a bit, setting the keyboard to loop the last few notes she had played. Once her keyboard was all set she walked out from behind her instrument and began dancing for the crowd.
The ponies went wild, especially the stallions. Whistling and hoots of approval could be heard above the loud music, and Big Mac sensed a rare jolt of jealousy go through his head for some reason. Starshadow's dancing immediately became the main focus of attention as every set of eyes fell on her and her seductive movements. The entire time she kept her rear facing Big Mac, showing that her little message was for his eyes only. Still, her dancing was more than enough to excite some stallions in the crowd enough to get them hard, but thankfully for them none of the ponies around them noticed.
As Vinyl Scratch started the last song of the night she too joined Starshadow on the stage and began to dance to the beats blasting out of the speakers. Unlike her companion, Vinyl had no reservations about shaking her flank at the crowd. The crowd once again erupted in cheers as both mares showed off their bodies with their dancing. As the song began to near its end Vinyl turned to Starshadow and stared deeply into her eyes. Starshadow returned the same gaze to her partner, and everypony in the audience held their breath as they prayed to have their wishes granted. Even Big Mac abandoned his usual reserved thoughts as he hoped to see the two mares...
Just as the song reached its final climax Starshadow and Vinyl Scratch leaned in and kissed each other, making sure to show the audience that they were indeed using their tongues, too. The crowd went absolutely crazy and drove every single pony into a frenzy. Big Mac could see from his position that Starshadow was enjoying the public display of affection quite a bit; one of her hind legs was lifted up in the air and her pussy, still visible to him only, was showing signs of glistening wetness and was causing some of the neon paint around her lower lips to run. Her wings shot open from the excitement and pleasure she felt, and the crowd got to see her delicate wings painted and sprinkled with glitter, enhancing her beautiful appearance even more. However, Big Mac got an even better view. She had written him another message on the back of her wings, writing out 'play with me 2night?' on them with the same paint and glitter as were on the other side of her wings, once again only showing him her secret message.
Unfortunately, the song finally ended as did the show. The hoof stomping of approval Vinyl and Starshadow received was overwhelming, and their little show at the end had every single stallion now trying to figure out how to release their pent up excitement. The mares in the audience had an easier solution available to them, and they could also choose their perfect 'assistant' from the overwhelming number of males. The two mares on stage were also slightly aroused by their intimate contact and smiled at each other before Vinyl turned and stood beside Starshadow. Both mares took a bow and Vinyl brought the microphone over to herself. "Thank you Ponyville! You were awesome! Special thanks to my friend, Starshadow, for helping make this show one of my bests EVER!"
The crowd cheered and waved, and the two mares waved back before the curtains fell, hiding them and allowing them to relax. Vinyl fell on her back with a large grin on her face. "Celestia, they loved that!" she said.
"What, that little kiss at the end? Of course they did." Starshadow said, gratefully accepting a bottle of water from one of the assistants.
Vinyl grabbed a bottle and splashed the cool liquid on her face. "No... well, that too, but I meant the show in general. I've never heard them cheer so much before! Seriously, why don't you come on tour with me? I'm headed to Canterlot next for a month or two for some shows. The pay is awesome, and you'd be an instant celebrity! Come on, please?"
Starshadow shook her head, grimacing slightly at the mention of her home city. "It is a tempting offer, but I can't, at least, not right now... Thanks though." she admitted.
Vinyl frowned for a moment. "I don't know why you won't say yes. Just... please keep thinking about it, okay? I'd love to have you with me." she said. Starshadow couldn't tell if there was a double meaning behind her words, but Vinyl Scratch quickly put the smile back on her face and changed subjects. "So, you doing anything tonight? We're having an after-party here once everypony leaves. We have the place to ourselves all night and tomorrow, and I saw a couple of stallions out there that looked like a lot of fun."
Starshadow once again shook her head. "Sorry, Vinyl, but I have plans for tonight. I'm going back to my hotel and have a drink or two with the stallion who helped me earlier." she replied, nodding in Big Mac's direction.
Vinyl lifted her glasses to get a closer look at who Starshadow was talking about. She didn't get a good look at the stallion earlier as she was too busy making sure her stuff was set up correctly, but as she peered past Starshadow she gasped as she recognized the stallion.
"What the... you're going to hang out with Big Mac?" she gasped. "Wait a... what is he even doing here?"
"What do you mean?" Starshadow asked Vinyl. She knew that Vinyl Scratch lived in Ponyville whenever she wasn't traveling and she probably knew everypony in town, but wasn't sure if Vinyl knew something about the big red stallion that she didn't. "He's not dangerous, is he?"
"Dangerous? Oh Celestia, no, nothing like that." Vinyl said. "I'm just shocked he's here. He delivers the hard apple cider that they serve here, but he never stays around for the show. I've tried to get him to stay, I even offered him a backstage pass! But he never accepted my offer."
"Really?" Starshadow asked. "I offered him the same thing and he said yes."
Vinyl didn't know whether to hug Starshadow in congratulations or wring her neck in jealousy. "You lucky... you better tell me all about it the next time we see each other!"
"I will." Starshadow giggled before excusing herself. She gave Vinyl a hug goodbye before trotting happily over to where Big Mac was waiting. "So, how'd you like the show?" she asked him, giving him a wink.
Big Mac was sweating heavily, though part of that could be attributed to the warm temperature inside the building. "Um... it was, er, definitely.... unique." he stammered, trying to find the right words.
"Oh? The music or the other show?" she asked teasingly. Big Mac didn't know himself; it all fit together perfectly despite him not liking this type of loud music. She didn't wait for his answer and beckoned him to follow her. "Come on, let's go get a drink." she said.