A Nightmare Comes to Fruition...
"I can't wait to show this to Tavi! Gold Mint really outdid himself this time."
Vinyl said, padding the little black box that contained the prize within.
"Certainly seems that way." Bon Bon said, eyeing her package. "His smithing made the lyre look like it had just been minted. And here I thought this old thing was almost beyond salvaging, let alone being refined upon. I am certain that Lyra will be overjoyed."
Vinyl Scratch and her friend Bon Bon had just finished their shopping for their gifts for their respective spouses. Vinyl had Octavia's trademark bowtie, albiet one with a red ruby affixed to it and a miniture MP3 to boot, while Bon Bon possessed Lyra's instrument, which though previously had been a battered wreak due to... A quirk of Lyra's which best remains untouched, now sparkled brightly in the sunlight, it's silver ivory being that of the Hoofington Dazzle Sparkle variant, thus the metaphor. Both were jubiantly trotting down the road in a local garden which led to their respective homes. They stopped for a short break in a clearing.
"Say Vinyl, how much are you willing to bet that Lyra is going to be estatic when she finds out my gift for Hearts 'n Hooves Day?" Bon Bon asked, stopping near the local park. Vinyl took a philosophical posture, scratching her chin.
"Hmm, I dunno... Perhaps if you're lucky, she might give you something good, like maybe making some cake for you for once. Or maybe something like..."
"Like what?" Bon Bon asked, brow raised. A mischief grin form from Vinyl, snickering.
"Like some hard on hot bang up leas--"
Bon Bon shoved a hoof up Vinyl's muzzle, blushing furiously red through her sandy coat.
"VINYL! Please not in public, there are foals around here for Celestia's sake! She hissed.
A crack from a nearby bush shifted Bon Bon's perspective, which widen in horror as she caught sight of a group of foals.
"WHAT IN CELESTIA!?"
The foals flinched in surprise, before they quickly came tumbling out of the bush.
Vinyl managed to unhoof herself from Bon Bon, grinning madly at Bon Bon. She could only stare with horror as she came to the realization of what the unicorn was about to do. "Don't you even dare." She hissed. Naturally, Vinyl complied in her own fashion. "RAAAR! WE ARE THE MUFFIN MONSTERS! WE SHALL DEVOUR YOUR SOULS!" She spoke in dramatic fevor, adding a rough scratchy low octave. Needless to Bon Bon's dismay, the foals visibly recoiled. "I told you that she was a witch Leaf Storm!" A young earth pony mare screamed. With all due haste they could muster, they scampered off. "H-hey! Wait for me!"
Bon Bon jaw hanged agape, eye twiching. Vinyl, now free from her attention, was now on the ground cackling loudly with mad glee, a glint in her eyes..
"BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh Celestia. You should have seen the look on your face Bonnie, it was absolutely the cherry on the topping. You should be an actor, you'd make a great movie monster." Bon Bon facehoofed, a scowl clearly implanted on her face with a twitch every few seconds. "Mark my words Vizenica Scratch, you'll rue the day." She thought to herself.
"... Ugh! Sometimes I just wonder how Octavia manages to keep her sanity intact around you Vinyl. You're enough to drive anypony crazy if they tried to work with you for a week, let alone share the same household!" Bon Bon rubbed her right ear with her hoof, the start of a headache already beginning to form.
"Gaaah, I certainly hope this doesn't causes any problems for either Lyra or myself. I already have had enough drama to deal with Lyra's antic and her 'hobbies" thank you very much!" Bon Bon shuddered. One of the cons that came living with the mint green unicorn was that she had... A most peculiar hobby that would have an observer question the sanity of the musician.
"Hehehe, I guess my charm must simply be that good." Vinyl winked. Bon Bon only facehoofed harder, who stared daggers at the unicorn. "You are crossing a very dangerous line Vinyl.
"Tell ya what Bon Bon, after double HH in the El Nino Cafe, I can deal you something that'll make the green unicorn scream. I've been friends with her since middle school you know."
Bon Bon sighed, returning a small grin returning. "Alright, but I am holding you to that word Vinyl. If you try anything sneaky, not even Celestia herself could save you from my wrath."
"Oooooh, scary. Oh spare me, great squeaky one! Oh woe is I, forgive thy transgression Oh Great One, bwhahaha!" Vinyl choured dramatically, collapsing to the ground in a way that wasn't unlike that of a certain seamstress.
"But let's get- Bon Bon?" She turned to see that Bon Bon was already far ahead, on her way out. "Oh come on, wait for me!" She shouted, sprinting to catch up with the candy maker.
******
After promising to make Bon Bon her specially made themed music for her shop, (For half a year at least and among other things.) they shortly arrived at Bon Bon's Bon Bons.
"Sweet Celestia, finally! These saddle bags were really digging into my shoulder."
"Hmm, must be the straps. That cotton fabric thing-" Ignoring Vinyl's tirade, Bon Bon entered into her shop/home, only to let out a startled yelp.
"Oh for the love-, as if I don't have enough on my hooves to deal with!" She almost shouted, stomping the ground. "Damn Celestia's mane!"
"Oh boy. Something managed to piss off Bon Bon. Somehow I doubt this day is gonna end well." Vinyl muttered.
Curious, she made her way inside. SOMETHING must have smashed her mood. Bon Bon only reserved the worst that the Equestrian language had to offer for the most retched of circumstances. The last time that happened.... Vinyl shuddered.
"Happy thoughts Vinyl... Just pretend that your life isn't in potential danger of being a boxing bag for a madmare." With that, she equiped her trademark grin. It couldn't be that bad, could it?
"What's up Bonnie? You sound like that there is some horrible abomina-... Dear Celestia!"Vinyl paused, her eyes bulging out at... Actually she didn't know what it was to be honest. The closest comparison was that it was some simple pastery treat that had a manticore take a dump on it, THEN had a hydra sneeze its bogger snot all over it, with some poison yoke for the icing.
"Wow.... What is THAT supposed to be?" Vinyl sniffed, wrinkling her nose.
"GAUGH, this thing put the S in stink. Oh Octavia can turn the most simple recipes into bio weapons, but I am starting to think that she has a rivial now." She gagged as it sagged, releasing a noxious odder into the room.
"Woowwie, did something just die in there?" She looked at Bon Bon with a concerned demeanor, only to be bewildered as she was tossed a gas mask, Bon Bon herself donning a HAZMAT suit, along with various other bottles and containers that had the bio danger symbols on them, reading "USE FOR EXTREME EMERGENCIES".
"I know what this is, but oh Celestia I wish that I didn't." Bon Bon said sighing, carefully prodding at the "cake" with a stick as if it were a volitile bomb waiting to go off.
"Well... Then what WAS this supposed to be?" Vinyl asked, making sure that some time passed. A mad Bon Bon was a dangerous one, as a few stallions learned the hard way back in Canterlot.
"... One of Lyra's unfortuante Hearts n' Hooves day gifts."
Vinyl felt that her jaw would have smashed a hole in the floor if it were possible.
"Umm... No offense Bon Bon, but haven't you tried to help her with.... Well you know." She worded very carefully. Once again, the author would like to state for the record that there has been more than a few unfortuante incidents with regards to insulting the earth pony's spouse when she is in a foul mood, civil as though as she may be.
"To be brutally honest, I expect Pinkie Pie to show up any-"
"GAAAAAAAAAAAOH!" Pinkie Pie suddenly launched out of a pot that was left unused, landing with a vaccume attached. Brandishing her sucction tube, her eyes were filled with a deadly fiery, glaring at her target. "I can tolerate burnt pizza, sulfiric rainbows, even Applejack's bake bads, but holy guuackawhakamoly, this takes the cheese." She stated in no uncertain terms most venomously, oozzing hate.
"What..." Bon Bon and Vinyl said in unison.
"BACK TO THE UNPASTERY HELL FROM WHENCE YOU CAME, HIGHTEN BURNING FUUUUURY!!!" Before either Bon Bon or Vinyl could react, the room darkened. The store was gone, leaving only the three mares and the hideous enemy in front. Pinkie's eyes turned an angry yellow, the ground around her cracking violently with static. A blue jet of flame bursted forth from the nozzle, engulfing the cake, which let out one last dying moan before being turned to ashes. After the ordeal, things returned to normal, and Pinkie sucked up the remaining ashes.
"All done!" She beamed.
Meanwhile, the duo that have been watching all this time... Really, dear reader. What would YOUR reaction be? Description fails to capture the amount of shock that rendered both of these two mares temporary comatose.
".... Bon Bon, you've been living here longer than either Tavi or I, mind filling me on what's going on? I mean, I know that the girl has her beserck button but wow... I didn't know that she could be so.... Volatile."
"Quite franky Vinyl, I have no idea in the slightest. I know that she takes her career seriously, but this..." She said, pointing to where the cake was. "Is ub'er level manga stuff, straight out of Dragon Cup Z©." Viny stared at her disbelief.
"What!?" Bon Bon said defensively. "Just because Lyra is the energetic one doesn't mean't I don't hold similar interests in some of the same stuff as she is in. Actually, I got her into it." Vinyl held a facehoof for a few moments, before rolling her eyes.
"Sheesh. What if the wh-"
"Don't jinx it!" Bon Bon shouted, plopping a hoof in Vinyl's muzzle.
Pinkie then suddenly made eye contact the two. Both of them were frozen to the spot, staring into those now creepy eyes. Bon Bon felt that she was starring down a serial killer, ready to butcher them, while Vinyl felt that something was put in the cupcakes this morning.
"Oh you silly willies. It was only just one of "those" baked bads. Luckily, your auntie Pinkie has it all taken care of." She beamed. Both Bon Bon and Vinyl decided to hold their tongue. Pinkie was simply being just that, Pinkie Pie. Just as they were about to brave their chances, Pinkie Pie abruptly started to shake, her mane poofing out with a bang, then spin her head around 360 and a crack of the tail.
"Shaky tumbles, mane explosion, head spin and a tail crack... Oh boy, this one is a HUGE doozy." Pinkie said, looking at the ground with a most ponderous thought, something very un-Pinkie like.
"Pinkie, would you mind telling us what you mean exactly by huge?" Bon Bon asked.
Pinkie closed the distance, staring the cotton pony straight in the eyes. Bon Bon could only sweat furiously as she started to consider the stories about her-
"Something bad has happened. Really bad." The pink pony stated bluntly. A deathly cold suddenly permeated the atmosphere.
"Um Bon Bon is it just me, or did somepony turn down the thermostat?"
Bon Bon simply shook her head.
"You aren't the only on-"
They were interrupted by a loud bang from the store entrance. A ragged Carrot Top was panting hard, looking like she just witness something that ponykind was never mean't to know. ".... Vinyl, Bon Bon!" She coughed, wobbling a bit. "Carrot Top!"
The three ponies rushed to the Carrot seller, Bon Bon catching her just in time as Carrot Top collapsed.
"Slow down Carrot, rest for a minute." Bon Bon said.
"Pinkie, get her-" Pinkie Pie had a cup already tipped into the orange mare's mouth, which Carrot Top gulped down the water greedily. "-nevermind... you three stay down here, i'll get the first aid kit." With that, Bon Bon shot to the 2nd floor of her home to the bathroom. Only a few more seconds passed before Carrot Top threatened to burst into tears again.
"Oh Celestia. Vinyl, something terrible has- I tried to save them." Carrot continued to sob incoherently, digging her muzzle into Vinyl's mane. Vinyl herself could only hold Carrot Top awkwardly as she brainstormed her brain to think up, well anything to defuse the tension at that point.
"Uh Pinks, little hel- aw crap, what now!?"
She caught Pinkie Pie in another one of her doozy moments. This one was unnervingly different from her usual routine, though. Instead of going poofy, shaking like a gong ball and exploding with fireworks, Pinkie Pie appeared as if she was being possesed by some demonic entity from Tartarues itself, her body contracting in ways that would look downright painful. She continued to violently bounce for a few more seconds before Pinkie promptly come to a sudden halt. Dazed, she slummed on the floor.
"Owwwie.... I never wanna do that doozy ever again. My hooves feel very slumpy, or is that jello? And my mane even feels iffy." She somehow moaned energenticly, which Vinyl could only take as Pinkie being Pinkie Pie. Bon Bon came dashing down the stairs, gripping a container that had a mageneta feather being crossed by two nurses.
"Alright, help me open this Vin-." She paused as she spotted Pinkie Pie wobbling painfully towards one of the tables in the room before collapsing against it, knocking down the table with her. The table for some suspicious reason had an open flour bag on top of it. The end result was a very dusty white Pinkie Pie.
"... Ummm, did I miss something?"
"Pinkie Pie just had another one of her doozies and NOT of the good kind. Actually, it looked like a very BAD one, worse than usual."
"So? She gets them all the time. Plus whatever the problem is, usually they are taken care of before they become problematic."
"... but my hoovsies hurt. And to answer your question Vinyl, something VERY bad has just happened. I feel like something just burned out, like the bestest party ever was crashed by that meaniestgrumpintheworld Gilda. Then she set fire to Sugarcube Corner and started her own evil muffin making factory of world domination."
Despite the silly simile, Bon Bon, Carrot Top and Vinyl felt the air around them becoming a lot denser, as if gravity decided to pull down the curtains. Carrot Top especially became panicked.
"Oh nonononononono, this simply can't be happening. Why did this terrible thing had to happen?"
"Slow down Carrot Top! I'm afraid that you've lost us at the terrible part." Bon Bon said, patching her wounds while Vinyl tended to Pinkie Pie. Carrot Top breathing remained ragged still though.
"They're hurt. I -" It-its my fault." She sobbed.
"Just cut to the chase Carrot Top. That bawling of yours is starting to get old." Vinyl said with a huff of irritation. Bon Bon could only glare at her, as if to say "How dare you!". Vinyl could only roll her eyes.
"*hick* It's Lyra and Octavia. I- I gave them some magic rune to enhannce their instruments. Wh- when they wh- were still playing though, they suddenly collapsed in screaming pain. Then the blood, oh sweet Celestia the blood! It was leaking out of their manes and muzzles!"
"WHAT!?"
Like lighting, both Bon Bon and Vinyl's attention shot up to eleven, their eyes scrutinizing the mare accusingly, a combination of shock, horror and fear coursing through their bodies. Vinyl jaw went slack, her hooves numb while Bon Bon cupped a hoof to her muzzle, struggling to keep the screams from spilling out, her imagination running wild.
"Where are they?" Vinyl asked, her voice void of her usual charisma, fear edging into her tone.
"The Park...."
Without a moment more, both the mares bolted off to where their fillyfriends were, possibly in very mortal danger.
"Please be okay..." They thought in unison.
After a couple of minutes worth of galloping at full speed, they both felt a lump in their throat as they spotted a crowd formed at the Park's center. They forced their way in, shoving away anypony in their path, some of them being trampled in the process.
"Octavia, where is she!?"
"Where is Lyra, please tel- OH MY CELESTIA!"
In the center where the crowd formed around, two forms laid still, a considerable pool of blood forming out near the heads of a mint green unicorn and grey mane earth pony. Their instruments were completely totaled, Octavia's cello a smoldering wreak, it's based cracked in two, while Lyra's lyre seemed to have melted, merging to a bench that both Bon Bon and Lyra sat at occasionally. Various members from the crowd were tending to them, using whatever was on hoof to mend whatever damages that they could. Their efforts though seemed to be in vain.
"TAVI!"
"LYRA!"
Both mares shouted, rushing to the side of their respective fillyfriend.
Upon closer inspection, they saw that their physical forms have been changed as a whole, some areas more drastic than others.
*****
Instead of her usually lithe and aglile frame, Octavia's frame had a more muscular image, being slightly bigger than Vinyl was. Peering over her fillyfriend, she gasped in shock as she Octavia's eyes locked to her own. She noticed that though Octavia's face looked largely intact, something was off with her facial futures. Vinyl filed that thought away, more immediate matters required her attention.
"Sc-Scratch is that you?" Octavia called out. Something about it though sent a tremor through the albino unicorn.
"You... What... GAH!" Something was digging into the sides of her skull. Vinyl pressed both of her hooves to her head, the start of a pounding headache beginning to form. Vinyl felt her whole body tremble. "Why do my bucking hooves feel so damn wonky!?" She screeched, feeling nauscious to her stomach. The information being processed was overloading Vinyl's ability to manage it. She could vaugely make out somepony calling out to her, but they were only distant echos.
"Vi-Vinyl, what's wrong with- *cough* with my voice?"
Vinyl took a glance over. Instead of her lithe form, she took on a more muscular appearance. A thought jolted itself, screaming out to the DJ, sweeping away her obvious denial.
"It's... Tavi alright..."
"No you fool! Something's wrong, yet you deny the obvious. Just look closer."
"STOP IT! JUST STOP!!"
She mentally bashed herself. She was THE Vinyl Scratch. She made it through worse and damnit, she was going to make it through this one. Brought back to her senses, Vinyl cupped both of Octavia's hooves.
"Tavi, everything is going to be fine. The paramedic pegasi are on their way, just hang on for a little bit. Also, I got a wicked awesome present for you Tavi. You wanna know what it is?" She spoke energeticly, taking out the block box that contained her gift. Octavia only could only roll her eyes with a chuckle. She was Vinyl alright, who breezed through the most dramatic of situations with a casual wide grin. Before giving Octavia any time to formulate a response, she opened the box.
"So... That's why my ribbon has been missing. You are just full of surprises, aren't you Scratch?"
"Yup! Here you- GAAHHH!" As Vinyl used her magic to place the bowtie around Octavia's neck, Vinyl felt what like a sudden stab of pain vibrate in both her horn and hooves, before immediate pain stabbed through them. Her ears deafened with bells ringing, further smashing what little concentration that Vinyl could muster.. As quickly as it came though, it vanished. Something else felt odd as well, something empty. As Vinyl put a hoof to massage her head, she was quick to notice that there was nothing there.
"Where's my bucking horn?" She muttered.
"Dear Celestia, what is that thing forming on her head!?" One of the bystander's shouted, breaking Vinyl's concentration, shifting her focus back to Octavia.
Her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"WHATTHEBUCKINGHELL?!?
*********
