Vinyl Scratch - Napalm Nanokiller

Chapter 9

Septette for the Dead Princess

Vinyl ran quickly through the crowds. Ponyville was a connected town. It wouldn't be long before the police and Sparkle Maid Corps were aware of her.

Violet Trois looked into the crowd. She could've sworn she saw Vinyl's electric blue tail. Shaking her head, she looked down. "You're being paranoid, Trois. Fear is the mind killer."

Some ponies looked at Violet oddly.

"What?" she asked the crowd, flashing her insignia to the crowd in an attempt to make them realise who they were messing with. They backed away while Violet advanced through the crowd.

"So anyways, when the Lunarian ponies woke up, their princess was missing and she was never heard from again!" Pinkie Pie said, teary-eyed from laughing at her own story, her face covered in cheesecake, and making her listener Rainbow Dash laugh even harder. "Anyway, that's how I lost my medical licence."

Rainbow Dash's expression fell. She felt a strange rumbling in the large cake she and Pinkie were sharing. Suddenly, a small baby alligator burst from the cake.

"Gummy! No!" Pinkie said, extracting the alligator and wiping her hooves on the tablecloth. "It's filthy in there..."

"What?"

"Nothing!" Pinkie said. "Give me a spell card. I want to show you a neat trick..."

Rainbow Dash gave Pinkie a weak spell card. "Don't worry. I've got tons of Defense Skill cards."

Pinkie produced a strange machine out of seemingly nowhere. "Now, most spell cards wouldn't be able to withstand this voltage." Pinkie explained, while Rainbow Dash was looking at something much more interesting. "But I'm fairly sure your spell card-"

The spell card fired thousands of electric tendrils out into the air before combusting, with a very loud, high pitched humming noise, punctuated by the scream of an unfortunate pegasus.

"What was that noise?" Dash asked, still not paying attention.

"...The sound of progress, Dashie." Pinkie said, an evil grin on her face.

Vinyl watched the display from the other side of the street, a small smile on her face. She approached Pinkie.

"Pinkie!" Vinyl said, waving the party pony over.

"Vinyl?!" Pinkie said, running over to the DJ.

"I'm back in town. Only for a bit though. I gotta go to a gig in Baltimare." Vinyl said, hoping that Pinkie had gotten back on the acid and so had not heard the news of the assassination.

"So, why did you shoot Blueblood?" Pinkie said.

Vinyl's blood ran cold.

"Uhh..."

"You don't have to keep secrets from me, Vinyl." Pinkie said. "What happens in my fungeon stays in my fungeon."

"A fungeon!" Vinyl heard Strike's voice calling, and laughing from inside her head. "A fucking fungeon!"

"Pinkie. In public!" Vinyl reminded the Element.

"Oh yeah." Pinkie said. "Fuck, keep forgetting that."

"You're high right now, aren't you?"

"I think I sniffed burning magic again..."  Pinkie said, squinting. "Shit gets everywhere, you know?"

"Yeah." Vinyl said, thinking about her vampiric hooves. "So, how have you been?"

"Mostly messing around with spell cards." Pinkie said. "I mean, seriously. Fucking spell cards, how do they work?"

"Miracles, I'm assuming." Vinyl said.

"May as well ask Twilight about it."

Vinyl's ears pricked up. "Twilight? I haven't seen her for years. Where is she?"

"She's in her library still. Most likely."

"Golden Oaks, right?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. See you around, Pinkie!" Vinyl said, adjusting the case on her back and leaving the narrow street.

Violet exited the cafe, unsatisfied by her inquiries to Vinyl's location. She swore she heard a pony call out the name 'Vinyl' while she was talking, but she shook her head.

"Fear is the mind killer." Violet said to herself. She looked around, only to see Pinkie Pie walking back to her table and friend.

"Pie!" Violet called out. "Hello?"

Pinkie looked at Violet. "Hello!"

Violet sat down at the table with Dash and Pinkie. "I hear you're a contact of Vinyl Scratch."

"Yeah!" Pinkie said. "I just talked to her!"

"What!?" Violet shouted. "Where?! When? Where is she now?!"

"Did you say Vinyl Scratch?" Dash asked. "Didn't she kill Blueballs or whatever his name was?"

Violet instinctively gave Dash a violent backhoof. "His name was Prince Blueblood. Don't forget it!"

"Oh, was he your coltfriend?" Dash mocked.

Violet turned and showed Dash the Cutie Insignias on her flanks. Dash's expression turned from one of laughter to one of horror.

"Maid-Captain Violet Trois. Maid Ninety-Nine of the Blueblood Maid Corps. Pleased to meet you."

Dash extended a shaky hoof. "Officer cadet Rainbow Dash...Weather Patrol."

"I've heard of you. Commendation from Captain Spitfire of the First Wonderbolt Squadron. Saved the academy from a tornado, didn't you?"

"Yeah, that's me!"

"Ninety-three percent kill rate." Violet retorted. "Would be a hundred, but Scratch has escaped me."

"Wait, you're looking for Vinyl?" Pinkie said. "She's headed for Twilight!"

The gears clicked in Violet's brain. Princess Twilight Sparkle is a hero in the eyes of the public. Fillies are named after her. If she were to be killed, the nation would be angry at the government for not preventing her death. Violet thought. And then the anger would turn to the Maid Corps. It would be the second death they failed to prevent. What if Scratch was trying to have the Maid Corps disbanded? What does she have against Maids?

Violet felt her stomach drop. Everything made sense to her.

"Oh, shit." she said slowly. "Where is the Princess now!?"

"She's in her library." Pinkie said.

"Where is the library!?" Violet said, grabbing Pinkie by the chest. "Tell me!"

"23 Sandy Clay Street." Pinkie replied. Violet released the pony.

"...Where is Sandy Clay Street?"

"Just look for the giant-ass tree." Dash said, pointing down the street to where Vinyl was headed. "She went down there."

Violet turned around, before sprinting as fast as she could. This was one death she was going to prevent. She could feel the pocket watch in her front pocket, reminding her of what was at stake.

Princess Twilight Sparkle stared at her maids. As per the Maid Conditions, she was given a squad of twenty five maids, all selected from the Equestrian Special Forces. Twilight looked them in their glassy eyes. Not one of them moved even as Twilight began to make erratic movements to make them move. They stood there; perfect automations of a pony.

"Okay..." Twilight said to herself quietly. She turned to face her maids. "What is your aim?"

"Your protection and execution of orders." the maids replied in perfect sync.

"How will you do it?"

"By any means necessary." they replied.

"How do you attack?" Twilight boomed.

"In every way possible." the maids sounded back.

"And what if there is no possibility?" Twilight asked.

"Then we make one!" they declared.

"Wha daur meddle wi' me?!" Twilight declared, before her maids followed suit, stating the motto of her maids and of her family. Twilight had always been very proud of her family history, dating back to the Discordian War. Sparkles had always been fearsome warriors, intelligent commanders, and almost godlike tacticians, known for their thick, terrifying Highlands accents, a trait sadly lost on the newer generations.

Twilight looked at her maids, and they reminded her of her mother; herself a former Solar Maid. It was she who asked Princess Celestia to trial Twilight, on the fateful day of the First Rainboom...

Twilight looked at her maids again, still in formation, not a single sign of discomfort among them. Twilight noticed a mailpony from the corner of her eye, and she turned to face him.

"Your Highness." the mailpony said, handing Twilight a letter. The address was from the Crystal Empire palace. Twilight smiled as she opened the letter, revealing the offical Crystal letter mark.

Dearest Twilight,

I know how anxious you've been over the past five months. Your new duty, the training of your Maids, Cadance's pregnancy and of course, the recent terror attacks. I know you'll be safe, Twilight. I personally made sure that Celestia chose the best unicorns for you.

Well, I've got some excellent news. Cady and I got the test back from the hospital today. We were unsure of whether to know the sex of our foal, but Cadance eventually decided to be tested. You're going to have a niece in four months.

I've heard of Blueblood's death. It's terrible and ghastly, but I know his maids did what they could. Don't worry about yourself, Twily. Nothing will happen to you. Blueblood was a hated politician. He had a bloated Maid Corps (Seriously, one hundred!?) and he was the most terrible drunkard. Of course, I should not speak ill of the dead.

Cadance sends her love and regards, and hopes you can visit soon.

Yours Forever,

Your loving brother,

Shining Armor.

Twilight couldn't help but grin, before turning to her maids.

"Dismissed!" she said, trying to sound stern to her maids, but actually hiding how truly ecstatic she was. She figured her maids understood, but Twilight still needed to be an authority figure. She heard steps behind her, and saw Spike.

"Maids giving you hassle?" Spike said, looking up at Twilight.

"Just drilling them." Twilight said. She jumped up in the air and hugged Spike without warning.

"Woah! I know some ponies get their jollies from being in control but jeez!" Spike said, reacting to the sudden hug.

"I'm going to have a niece!" Twilight cried. "It's the best news ever!"

"Heh. Your brother's finally got to it?" Spike said.

"Yeah." Twilight said. "I am so happy right now I can just scream!"

"I can tell!" Spike said. He noticed a maid running at Twilight. She was wearing blue colors, rather than Twilight's maids' white uniforms.

Violet saw two Sparkle Maids instantly react to her, blocking her path to the Princess. She turned to one. "I need to talk to the Princess!"

"What's your name?!" one barked.

"Maid-Captain Violet Trois, Blueblood Maid Corps!" Violet replied. Upon hearing this, the two Sparkle Maids escorted her to the now-concerned Twilight.

"What's the matter, Maid-Captain?"

Violet panted, before getting enough air to reply. "Assassin...Blueblood's murderer is after you..."

"What?!" Twilight said, incredulously. She turned to her maids. "Everypony get inside! Stay away from windows!"

"I will neutralize her before she has a chance. You must flee, Your Highness." Violet said. "Keep your maids close."

Twilight and her maids retreated inside the library. Vinyl watched the commotion from the window of a nearby house as the final piece of her launcher clicked into place.

"I've always wanted to say this..." Strike said, giggling like a madmare.

"What?"

"Use of thermobaric weapons authorized. Level the building." Strike said.

"Really?" Vinyl replied. "Not anything like: 'Rocket Peace!' or something like that?"

"Nope!" Strike said, happily. "But yeah, you've got a thermobaric warhead. That should make sure she burns."

Vinyl aimed the launcher at a small window of the library.

"Rocket Peace: Fox Two!"

Exhaling, she fired the now magically-enhanced missile, and watched as the tree disappeared in a firestorm. Dropping the missile launcher to the ground, Vinyl sighed as she watched a Sparkle maid run from the conflagration, burning completely to ashes due to the extreme heat involved in a fuel-air explosion before she could even make four feet.

Vinyl knew that there was no possible way for anypony to survive that. Vinyl noticed the trail the missile had left. Running down the stairs and out of the house, leaving the launcher behind, Vinyl went to take a closer look.

She saw a dragon walk out from the flames. And then she saw a pony she never wanted to see again.

"Violet?!" Vinyl said, too loudly.

"Scratch!" Violet said, pointing at Vinyl. "There! There's the assassin!"

The dragon growled, before sprinting at Vinyl, roaring with the bellows of a thousand beasts. Before Vinyl could react, she felt an incredible pain in her flank. Looking around, she expected to see her Cutie Mark.

It was a mangled, bloody mess. The dragon's claw was still embedded inside. With a final tug, it ripped free, taking chunks of flesh with it. Vinyl sprawled to the ground, already warming up a retaliatory spell.

"You. Killed. Twilight." the dragon growled, choking back tears and shaking Vinyl's flesh free from his claw. "Die!"

Vinyl looked around, to see the maid choose a spell card.

"Dammit!" Vinyl spat. "Give me a break!"

Violet advanced on Vinyl, spell card ready. She noticed the unicorn's horn glowing.

"Melody Sign: Presto Furioso!" Vinyl cried, a large blue shield of magic surrounding her, before firing itself as lasers in all directions. Violet jumped back, before jumping to a horizontal position to avoid the laser beams. Vinyl stood up, despite the pain in her left hind leg.

The magic laser slammed into the dragon, launching him through a neighbouring house. The townsponies who gathered to see the flames ran from the attack. Vinyl turned around, only to see the dragon shrug off the attack like it was nothing special.

"Oh. A dragon." Vinyl said to herself. "They don't like dying quickly."

"Librarian!" Violet said. She rushed Vinyl and began wrestling her. "Summon every guard you can find!"

"No, Maid!" Spike shouted. "This bitch is mine!"

"You must not risk yourself like this!" Violet said, grappling with Vinyl. "You must retreat!"

"I will not!" Spike said. "I take no orders from ronin meido!"

"Spike!" Violet shouted. "Leave now-"

Violet was cut off by the violent suplex Vinyl performed. Vinyl turned to the baby dragon. "Leave, and I'll forget about my Cutie Mark."

Spike's eyes narrowed. "Meido?"

Violet regained her voice. "Yes?"

"Leave us. That is my order as Imperial Librarian."

Violet stared at Vinyl, before looking at Spike. "As you wish, Sir."

Vinyl and Spike watched the ronin meido walk away, before turning to each other.

"The dishonor you have shown Princess Twilight Sparkle is far more than the dishonor you showed Prince Blueblood." Spike growled. "There is only one way to end this."

Vinyl looked as the dragon wandered into the flames of the library, before emerging again with a ritual suicide knife. He handed it to Vinyl.

"There is only one honorable way to go." Spike stated.

"You are right..." Vinyl said, before grabbing the dragon and stabbing the blades upwards at his throat area, past the natural coverage of the scales and into the flesh of the dragon. The blade penetrated the skin, and when Vinyl withdrew the blade for a second strike, a gush of purple blood accompanied it - a sure sign that a vein has been severed. Vinyl stabbed again, this time cutting the windpipe. Death would be in a matter of minutes now, even for an incredibly strong dragon like Spike.

"You forget, Master Spike." Vinyl whispered, dropping the stricken librarian to the ground and watching his life flow from his throat. "I do not fight with honor. And I will not commit suicide because you asked kindly."

"May you...be cursed to the Hell of Blazing Fires!" Spike gasped, before he spat a splat of blood on the ground, and lay still.

Violet watched the disgraceful display. Vinyl had not an ounce of what made a pony a pony. No honor, no ability to reason, and she definitely had no conscience. Violet's rage boiled, and she gripped her knives.

"Vinyl Scratch!" Violet screamed at the unicorn. "You are a monster beyond redemption! For these treasonous acts, you will die!"

"Oh yeah?" Vinyl replied calmly.

"Only when one of us lies dead will this feud be resolved!" Violet shouted. "I will offer no mercy in your unceasing persecution! When you die, I will follow you to Hell! When you live, I will haunt you like a shadow! I do not forgive! I will not forget! Expect me, Vinyl Scratch!"

The world around the pair was silent. The townsponies watched as the wounded Scratch and Violet faced each other.

"Oh fine." Vinyl said, the wound in her leg giving her great pain. "I'm Vinyl Scratch, former DJ for the Ponyville nightclub Neon Night. I have fought the Blueblood Maid Corps and won. I have fought you previously, and I escaped. I survived the Manehatten Gold Factory explosion...Fuck, I caused the explosion!" Vinyl declared. The Ponyvillians recoiled in horror as they watched Vinyl's wound begin to reseal itself as the magic from the dead princess flowed to her hooves, causing them to glow. Her wound disappeared, albeit with her Cutie Mark permanently destroyed. "Look Ponyville! Look as I devour the essence of your princess! I am more than a mare! I am steel, flesh, carbon, and magic combined. I am the next step of evolution. Nothing can kill me, ronin meido. I have looked Death in his empty eyesockets, and I rejected his notion of Heaven and Hell. There is one world I inhabit, and it is the world I shall rule! Violet Trois, you fight against the very concept of eternity!"

Violet looked Scratch in the eye.

She was calling for a duel. A practise reserved for only nobles and their maids.

"Scratch, you call for a duel." Violet said, quietly. "I accept."

The town gasped, as they began to watch even more intently.

"My name is Maid-Captain Violet, Blueblood Maid Corps. You murdered my master, offended his honor and then had the nerve to retreat rather than stay and face your death in combat. You offended me that day. And today, you have murdered again. This time, you have murdered Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Imperial Librarian Spike, and the Sparkle Maid Corps. You once again fought without honor, or a shred of decency." the maid said, still looking the hated mare in the eye. "I served in the Third Spell Card Division of the Royal Marines. I was in Griffonia when the Felis Question went hot. I do not remember that night, only the results. I have personally killed over ninety griffon troops. I watched their eyes plead me for mercy as I shot their friends beside them. I remember it every night, and they are the sweetest dreams I have. Killing you, Scratch, will replace those dreams." Violet said, calmly, watching Vinyl's reaction. The gathered townsponies remained silent, as mothers hid their foals from the coming bloodshed. "Honor will be mine. For Prince Blueblood. For Princess Twilight Sparkle. For Imperial Librarian Spike. For my murdered maids, and for the murdered maids of Sparkle. For every victim you have claimed, you shall suffer the nuclear flame of the Hell of Blazing Fires for another thousand eons. You might be eternity, but I am a Maid. Ceux qui cherchent notre perte sera seulement trouver la mort."

Vinyl blinked, trying to think of a way to one-up Violet. She was using the Royal tongue again.

"Say 'votre mort va être hilarant, femme de chambre. Et c'est avant que je parte pour votre maison et baise ta mère.'" a voice sounded from inside Vinyl's head.

"Votre mort va être hilarant, femme de chambre. Et c'est avant que je parte pour votre maison et baise ta mère!" Vinyl said automatically. What the fuck..?

"Ma mère est une sainte, salaud!" Violet yelled in reply. "One Spell Card!"

The townsponies spectating gasped.

"Fine." Vinyl said, warming up her horn.

Violet drew her Spell Card. Vinyl mentally selected her card.

This is it, Trois. Violet thought. Make her pay.