Vinyl Scratch - Napalm Nanokiller

Chapter 8

Native Faith

Vinyl laid on her bed, empty magic shots laying on the table next to her. It had been a few days since Strike had given her a pony to kill, and Vinyl only assumed it was to make sure that maid didn't find her again. The radio crackled softly in the background, playing the news of Blueblood's assassination.

"...Maid Corps personnel attempted to neutralize the suspect, however, upon inspection of the vantage point, a hidden bomb exploded, killing seven maids. A pegasi maid engaged Scratch, only to be shot down with a spell card and killed in action."

"Amateurs." Vinyl smirked, forgetting why she was even afraid of the Maid Corps.

"Maid-Captain Violet Trois then engaged the suspect at Hoofley Bridge, but was fought to a standstill." the newscaster said. "The Royal Guard has issued a statement demanding that civilians do not engage Vinyl Scratch, and instead call the nearest law enforcement personnel."

Vinyl sat up on her bed. The heat wasn't going to die down for decades.

The newscaster muttered for a while, before stuttering. "Breaking news...Canterlot noble and businesspony Fancy Pants has been confirmed dead in his home. Canterlot Fire Department officals have confirmed the discovery of five dead, believed to be Fancy's wife, supermodel Fleur de Lis and their three foals. Reports are sketchy at the moment, but it is being treated as suspicious by the Canterlot Police. More on this as it develops."

Vinyl clicked the radio off as Strike opened the door. "Did you just hear the news?"

"Yeah, that guy Fancy Pants is dead..."

"Accident." Strike said. Her smile turned evil. "I accidentally used a spell card at him. While you were sleeping, I slipped out. Train connections are a wonderful thing."

"You killed him?!" Vinyl said, surprised. "I thought you were the type to get other ponies to do your dirty work?"

"Eh, sometimes you just need to do it by hoof." Strike said. "Anyway, there's an issue."

"What?"

"Your next target. She knows about you."

"Who is she?"

"Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Vinyl stared at Strike. "Why are you trying to kill the Royal Family?"

"We're not going to fuck about here. We're levelling her and we're gonna make it bloody."

"Why?"

"She's close to Celestia." Strike said. "I have to tell you the truth...I have a grand plan in action...and I want you to be my partner in it."

"What is your plan?"

"Well...we're going to take Equestria."

"What?!" Vinyl shouted. "How?"

"Right now, the military are making plans to act on Blueblood's intel. They believe that Saddle Arabia is harboring terrorists. I also sent them a document that incriminated you as a terrorist leader."

"What!?" Vinyl screamed. "Why the fuck would you do that?!"

"To give the Royal Guard the perfect excuse to invade Saddle Arabia!" Strike said, giddy like a puppy being fed cocaine. "While the military is occupied, you and I are going to decapitate the Equestrian government!"

"...Where do I fall in with this?"

"Vinnie...Vinyl..." Strike said, putting her foreleg around Vinyl. "I want you to be my co-ruler. For a new, better Equestria - We won't be held back by morals...we will only be held back by the laws of physics, and even then..."

"We'll do the impossible?"

"We'll see the invisible...so will you fight the power?"

"...Fuck yeah I will!" Vinyl said, smiling, and putting her foreleg around Strike. Vinyl looked into the doctor's eyes. Fuck, why don't I hate her any more?!

"I knew you'd come to your senses, Vinyl." Strike said. "Take the rocket launcher. End Twilight's short career."

Vinyl looked down. "If it is for infinite power, let it be so."

Violet Trois looked through the piles of newspapers on her desk. All of them proclaimed the name of the traitor Vinyl Scratch. Her blood boiled at that name. The name of the mare that made her a ronin meido. She could not serve another master, as such practise was forbidden.

"I will find you, Vinyl Scratch." Violet whispered. "And you will die. Honor must be avenged."

Violet looked over to a poster depicting Vinyl. It proclaimed a regular spot for the mare at a nightclub in Ponyville.

It was a long shot, but it was the only clue.

Violet stood up, and walked to her maid uniform and knife rack.

"The next station is Ponyville Parkway. Please ensure you take all personal belongings when you leave the train. Any unattended items will be taken by the police and maybe destroyed." the intercom droned. Vinyl looked at her cargo.

Vinyl looked out the window towards the large town of Ponyville, coffee cup in hoof. Since Sparkle's ascension, the town had enjoyed so much tourist money that the mayor had won a fifth term in office. Vinyl thought about her days living here, before the monster attacks became so frequent that she fled the insurance hell Ponyville had become. Strangely, it all happened after Twilight moved there during the Nightmare Moon Incident. Vinyl connected the dots in her head...

Twilight caused the Nightmare Moon Incident so she could take the credit for taking her down! And then the Second Discordian War...happened here and Twilight took him down! And then that Trixie mare returned and instituted her fascist rule while Celestia was conveniently away...The Ursa attacks, the Kaiju incident, the Ponyville Hydroelectric Dam disaster...All engineered to make Twilight the hero of Equestria...

"Oh, you are so dead..." Vinyl said, tapping her suitcase. "I liked this town, Sparkle."

Vinyl read over the file on the young princess again. Twenty three years old, born to a wealthy military family, mother a former Solar Maid, and father a commandant for the Third Spell Card Division, brother is a former Guard Captain who became the commander-in-chief of the Crystal Defense Force. Element of Magic and inventor of the modern spell card system along with Hakurei Industries.

Vinyl took a final sip of her coffee, and continued reading.

Has friends in high places. Close contacts include:

A forest ranger captain called Fluttershy.

An Air Force lieutenant, Rainbow Dash, currently training for Wonderbolt combat squadrons.

A dressmaker and former barehoof boxer named Rarity.

Applejack, heiress to the Sweet Apple Company.

Pinkie Pie, a ronin meido who served Jet Set before his death in a duel.

Spike, a dragon.

All will fight to the death to protect her.

Vinyl whistled in surprise. She never knew that her old friend Pinkie Pie was a ronin meido. The others were unimportant. But killing the Element of Magic?

Vinyl knew it had to be done so that she could rule Equestria.

"The next station is Ponyville Parkway. Please ensure you take all personal belongings when you leave the train. Any unattended items will be taken by the police and maybe destroyed." the intercom droned. Violet Trois checked her spell deck, her knife and her insignia. She knew her first pony to talk to would be Pinkie Pie, a fellow ronin meido and contact of Scratch. Violet looked out the window. Ponyville was the seat of Twilight Sparkle, and her Sparkle Maid Corps. Violet thought about the princess. As a maid, she was sworn to protect all members of the Royal Family, even those adopted in. Princess Twilight was the Element of Magic - the backbone of Equestrian national defense, behind the Solaris missiles.

Violet looked over to a young colt staring at her. "May I help you?"

"You look so cool!" the colt said, excited. "Are you a Maid?"

"I was." Violet said, sadly. "My master was killed dishonorably."

"So are you going to avenge him?" the colt asked.

"Of course I am." Violet replied. "My master was Prince Blueblood."

"My mommy was talking about him today." the young brown colt replied back. "She was upset."

Violet went into her pocket and showed the colt the blood-stained pocket watch. "I found this in my master's hoof the day he died. I was at his side. I was very upset too..." Violet said. "I shouldn't be telling you this. You are too young."

"I'm not too young, I'm eight!"

"When you are young, you believe that you know everything. Do not think that. Think that you know nothing, so that you will learn." Violet said. "If nothing else, serve to elevate those around you."

"Wow..." the colt said, taken in by the ronin meido's apparent wisdom.

The train shuddered to a halt. The colt turned around. "Bye, miss! I gotta go now!"

"Goodbye." Violet replied, watching the brown colt rejoin his mother, chatting excitedly about the maid he spoke to.

Violet allowed herself to smile, before standing up to leave the train.