Immortality: Vinyl Scratch's Challenge

Vinyl could sense Pinkie's unease and disapproval as the trio was escorted down the hall days later. They would be present as Princess Twilight interviewed ponies for the Element Bearers.

"I don't agree with this," Pinkie muttered.

"I know, Pinkie," Lyra responded with a sigh. "It's not like we have any choice to go, do we?" Vinyl looked over to see Lyra jerking her head, as if to get her magic working.

"Just try not to anger Twilight," Vinyl commented. Lyra cast an annoyed glance in my direction.

"I don't know how we're going to get out of here, but we have to be prepared for anything," she told us in a low voice. Vinyl couldn't believe Lyra was risking this stuff in front of the guards, who were mere yards away.

Vinyl glanced out the castle's windows. She was mildly shocked to see hundreds of ponies down below, waiting to be called in for an audience. This was a big event, but this many ponies wanted to be a Element of Harmony? Vinyl couldn't believe it.

When they finally made it to the throne room, Twilight was wearing a different tiara, and her hair was styled into an elegant look.

"Pinkie shall sit closest to me," she directed. Pinkie did so, sitting in a shorter chair next to Twilight. Vinyl and Lyra sat on Pinkie's right. Vinyl tried not to look bored. She had a feeling the guards were watching her closely.

"Bring in the first pony," Twilight ordered. Vinyl watched the guards escort a blue Pegasus mare into the room. Her hair was tied into a ponytail.

"Good morning, Unicorn Princess," she said, bowing.

"What is your name?" Twilight asked.

"Lightning Strike," the mare replied confidently but politely.

"And which Element do you believe you should represent?"

"I think, your Highness, that I would be most suited for the Element of Loyalty," Lighting Strike answered.

"Why?"

"I know how important it is to stick by my friends, and, as an athlete, I know how important it is to be loyal to your team," Lighting Strike explained. Twilight nodded.

"Next."

Lightning Strike was shepherded out of the room, and another pony, a tan Earth Pony, came into the room.

"I'm Bonnie Drops," she introduced herself before Twilight could speak.

"Bonnie Drops?" Lyra burst out. "Are you related to Sweetie Drops?"

Bonnie nodded as Twilight hissed, "Be quiet, Heartstrings!"

"My deepest apologies, Unicorn Princess," Lyra responded, bowing her head. "I forgot myself."

Lyra knows her manners, Vinyl thought as ponies came in and out of the room. There was Berrybug, a Pegasus who was auditioning for Generosity, a Unicorn named Beignet auditioned for Honestly. Vinyl was amused when one stallion, a orange Unicorn with scraggly yellow hair, didn't realize the Element of Laughter was already taken. She almost laughed out loud at his confusion. Twilight wasn't so amused. She immediately had him leave the room and suspended from entering Canterlot.

Hours passed, with more ponies coming in and out. Vinyl passed the time by matching up the ponies with another pony from her memories that looked similar. For example, one mare, Dark Dusk, had the same grey color scheme as Octavia.

Finally, Twilight was finished listening to ponies. Vinyl and Pinkie breathed sighs of relief when Twilight announced they were done. Lyra stayed still and respectful.

"Did you see that mare Cloudpuff?" Vinyl asked Lyra. "I felt bad for her when she tripped." Lyra looked at her. Vinyl knew Lyra, and she knew how to read Lyra. The look in Lyra's eyes made Vinyl realize Lyra knew something about Twilight.

"I will call the new Elements in tonight," Twilight announced. "Everypony is dismissed.

"Except you, Pinkie," Twilight added. "You'll stay with me."

"What about my friends?" Pinkie asked.

"They'll be escorted back to their room," Twilight responded simply. On cue, two guards approached Lyra and Vinyl.

"We know, we know," Vinyl grumbled. "We'll go back to our room."

"Watch it!" Lyra hissed. "We may be immortal but we can still get very very hurt." Vinyl sighed.

"I don't want them following me everywhere," she complained.

"Be quiet," one of the guards snapped. Lyra's expression said I told you so.

Lyra and Vinyl were left alone in their room. Lyra immediately flopped onto her bed.

"I sometimes want to pretend I'm a little filly, when I didn't know I was immortal," she sighed.

"Then why don't you? Pretend, I mean."

"Because there's no point." Lyra turned to face Vinyl. "I would have to come and face reality sooner or later."

"I guess so," Vinyl responded. "What do we do now?"

"Wait for Pinkie to come back, I guess," Lyra replied. Vinyl nodded. She used her telekinesis to bring a pen to her side, and she began to doodle a comic.

Bass Mare is the newest superpony! She thought as she drew. With her awesome bass cannon, she can defeat anypony! But the evil Shadow Lurker hates music, and plans to rid Equestria of it!

But, she continued her narration, Bass Mare is always one step ahead of him! With secret information revealed to her, she travels to his lair and blows it up with her bass cannon!

Vinyl paused to draw the scene, then continued, With the Shadow Lurker defeated, Equestria's music is safe once again! As an added bonus, Bass Mare gets to DJ at the hottest party in all of Equestria!

"The end," she said aloud.

"End of what?" Lyra asked from the bed.

"Nothing," Vinyl quickly replied.

~

It seemed like forever to Vinyl, but they were finally escorted down the hall to listen to Twilight's proclamation as to whom the Elements would be harnessed by.

"There's Pinkie!" Lyra muttered. Vinyl saw Pinkie standing at the foot of Twilight's throne, looking miserable.

"Poor her!" Vinyl whispered as a guard told them, "Sit here, please." Vinyl and Lyra silently slid onto one of the benches that had apparently been created for the announcement.

Vinyl swung her hooves like an impatient foal as more ponies filed into the room.

"Vinyl," Lyra whispered. "Twilight's going to do something very bad."

"I take your word for it," Vinyl responded in a low voice. Before they could continue their conversation, Twilight cleared her throat. The assembly quieted.

"I, the Unicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle, will now announce the new bearers for the Elements of Harmony," she proclaimed with a solemn expression on her face. "If and when I call your name, you will come up and stand next to Pinkamena Diane Pie, who has automatically become the Element of Laughter.

"The Element of Loyalty shall be Lightning Strike. The Element of Honesty shall be Bonnie Drops. The Element of Kindness shall be Flaire Flask. The Element of Generosity shall be Dark Dusk. The Element of Laughter shall be the aforementioned Pinkamena Diane Pie. The Element of Magic shall be the Unicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle." Twilight rose from her throne as the other five ponies gathered underneath her.

"My decision," she added, "is final."