Person 4: Scratchin Melodyby ElementBrigadeChaptersChapter One: Welcome to InabaChapter Two: Warm Welcome My FlankChapter Three: Meeting Detective Dojima and AdachiChapter One: Welcome to InabaChapter One: Welcome to Inaba (Canterlot Train Station) Nighttime has fallen in the town of Canterlot. Everyone within it was either closing up shop for today or opening up since some of the shops are only open during the night. Yep, everything was peaceful and quiet in Canterlot...well almost quiet. As a certain disk jockey pony and her classical pony friend were making their way down the street of Canterlot heading towards the train station after finishing up a gig at Canterlot Castle. “Stupid *hic* Neon Lights. He thinks he is so *hic* cool with his music and stuff.” Vinyl said, making her way down the train station of Canterlot in a drunken state of mind. “I should’ve won that DJ *hic* death battle.” “You lost fair and square Vinyl. Was it really necessary for you to drink to the point where you’re drunk?” Octavia groaned, walking next to her friend while listening to her complain in a drunken stupor. “I’m not drunk...just off my A *hic* game.” “You almost tried to clear out all the liquor in the entire tavern! Not to mention that you were trying to advance on me in the most ridiculous of ways…” Octavia snapped back. “You need to stop drinking so much.” “The day I stop drinking is the day we move to *hic* a new place,” Vinyl said as she collapsed onto the floor. “And that won’t happen any...time...soon.” Octavia rolled her eyes as she had to pick up her friend and place her over the shoulder as she carried her over to the nearby platform, but not before walking over to the station pony. “Two to Ponyville please.” She asked as she handed the young youthful pony four bits. “Here you go, ma’am.” He smiled as he looked at Vinyl being carried. “Long night huh?” “You have no idea.” “Well, at least you can enjoy the nice trip back to Ponyville. Especially on a night like this one.” “Let’s hope so.” With a simple nod, Octavia made her way to the platform and waited for the train to arrive. When a train did arrive though, something seemed off. “Huh, odd. The train for Ponyville doesn’t normally look like that.” She thought to herself as the cellist walked inside and set her friend on the first seat she could find. Preferably by a trash can if she wakes up and ends up sick because of the amount of alcohol she had consumed. As the train began to move, a sudden feeling of fatigue rushed over her body. After carrying her from the tavern next to Canterlot Castle and to the train station, it wouldn’t be a surprise for that to happen. Failing to fight off the urge to sleep, Octavia soon drifted off into slumberland. As soon as the train began to enter into a tunnel. A sapphire glow envelops the DJ pony as she soon disappeared. (The Velvet Room) Vinyl moaned for a bit before starting slowly opening her eyes. As her vision began to clear up a bit from the sudden grogginess, a surprised expression appeared on her face as she found herself in what she could guess was the inside of a carriage. Only this carriage wasn’t being pulled by anypony and from looking outside it was completely foggy to the point where you could barely see anything. “Where the hay am I?” “Welcome to the Velvet Room.” An odd voice soon began to echo all around her as the unicorn tried to find out who was saying that. Soon though, the fog began to clear up and she saw a man with a very long nose at a table. “Whoa! Dude, what happened to your nose? No offense or anything, but dear Celestia that’s on a long nose...wait a minute. Who the hay are you?” “Ah, it seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny.” The man chuckled to himself as he looked at Vinyl. “Okay… Igor. Mind telling me where I am and how I got here? Wait did you ponynap me or something?” “Patience, I am getting there,” Igor insisted. “This place is between dream and reality. Mind and matter. It is a room that only those bound by a ‘contract’ may enter. It may be that such a fate awaits you soon.” Once he was done speaking, he moved one of his arms in a gesture to say that it was Vinyl’s turn to speak. “Now, why don’t you introduce yourself?” “Vinyl Scratch, but most ponies call me DJ-Pon3 when I’m playing at clubs and stuff,” Vinyl said as she leaned back in the chair she was sitting on. “Hmm, I see…” Igor said. “Now, let’s take a look into your future, shall we?” In a split second, Igor extended his hand to the table that was in front of him Vinyl could see a deck of cards on the table. “Do you believe in fortune telling?” With a snap, seven cards quickly landed on the table in a hexagon shape with one in the center. “Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the results are always different. Life itself follows the same principles, doesn’t it?” He chuckled once more as he posed the question to Vinyl and turned the first card in the right-hand corner. “Hmm…the Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems that a terrible catastrophe is imminent.” Igor explained, turning another card. “The card indicating the future beyond that is…the moon in the upright position. This card represents ‘hesitation’ and ‘mystery’…Very interesting indeed.” “And what the hay is all this supposed to mean?” Vinyl asked as she tilted her glasses up a bit. “It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you.” The man explained once again. “In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny. If this mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that doesn’t happen.” With a swipe of his hand, the cards disappeared and also, Igor remembered something important. “Ah! I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you,” He said while moving his hand to introduce the woman that was to his left. “This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place, like myself.”The woman then nodded her head as she this time spoke up. “My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey.” “Wait, what do you mean by my journey?” “We shall attend to the details another time, but until then… Farewell, Ms. Scratch.” Igor said as Vinyl’s vision began to blur and she began to feel tired. (Real World, Morning) [Attention passengers, we will arrive at the Yasogami Terminal in a few minutes. Passengers heading for Inaba City and Yasoinaba station, please go to the other side of the platform.] “Ugh...five more minutes…” Vinyl said to herself before trying to open her eyes a little. Right away, something did not feel right to her. For one thing, the wooden seats that would be on a train from Canterlot to Ponyville were replaced with something that felt like a mini-sofa. Another thing was that she… felt different. Like something was missing. “Vinyl, GET UP DAMMIT!!” “GAH!” In a fit of shock and startlement, Vinyl quickly woke up from her sleep as she immediately fell to the floor of the train she was on. “Geez Tavi, give me a heart attack, why don’t yeah? Why did you yell at me like that?” “Why else? Look around you!” She said, looking back at her. “You’re not being very descriptive about that Tavi. Aren’t we on the friendship express to Ponyville?” Octavia groaned, shaking her head as she looked back at her. “Does this look like the Friendship express to you?” She asked Vinyl as the train was coming out of the tunnel. Immediately once the light filled the room, the DJ’s question was answered… and replaced with a new one. “WHERE THE BUCK ARE WE!?!” Chapter Two: Warm Welcome My FlankChapter Two Warm Welcome my Flank “Mother of Celestia! How did we end up somewhere outside of Canterlot!?” Octavia said, still shocked that they were not in Equestria anymore. “How long did we sleep for us to be in another country!? More importantly, how did we end up in another country!? The Friendship Express isn't connected to any countries outside of Equestria!” She asked while looking outside at the scenery. “I don’t know. I was still knocked out, so I figured you’d wake me up when we got back to Ponyville." Vinyl said while rubbing her eyes. "You fell asleep while I was knocked out didn’t you?” “Well excuse me for being tired from carrying your drunken flank around Canterlot! Ugh, it’s the Canterlot wedding all over again. Only this time we end up in a strange place with no idea how we got here.” “Calm down Tavi,” Vinyl said as she pulled herself off the floor. “I’m sure we can just ask somepony where we are and we can get back. I mean it can’t be that hard, right?” “R-Right, right. We just need to stay calm, and just ask somepony where we are and how to get back to Equestria.” Octavia said, rubbing the back of her head. “Okay, so from what I’ve heard on the intercom. He said that we were gonna be heading to a place called Inaba in a few minutes.” “Inaba? Sounds like something you would hear in Neighpon. Wait, are we heading to Neighpon?” “I doubt it. As I said before, the Friendship Express doesn't connect to countries outside of Equestria. Just different areas of Equestria.” “Well, that doesn’t give us much to go by, does it? Maybe we got teleported here by a unicorn?” “Unless they have the same magical level as the Princesses, then I doubt that would happen," Octavia said before looking over at Vinyl. "And who on Equis would do that to us?" "Maybe somepony who has it out for us...or Discord. He has been known for stuff like this." "Discord is reformed, remember?" "Just because he's reformed doesn't mean he would do stuff like this." "I suppose..." Octavia said before shaking her head. "Look, thinking about how we got here isn’t helping us. Let’s just ask somepony in this town called Inaba, and see how we can get back home.” “I suppose you're right about that.” (Yasoinaba Station) The train began to slowly stop in front of the train station’s platform. As the doors to the train cart opened up, Vinyl and Octavia exited the train before looking around at their new surroundings. It was a bit surprising to them seeing how this place called Yasoinaba was strangely but almost similar to Neighpon. Well, minus the flashy build boards, electricity, vending machines, and Celestia knows what else. Making their way out of the station, Vinyl slightly pulled up her shades as she looked around at their surroundings. “Geez, look at this place. It looks like Neighpon only...different.” “Indeed. The language is the same, just a bit different.” Octavia said as she squinted her eyes at the Japanese writing above the train station entrance. “Y-Yaso...i...i...naba...ugh my neighponese is getting rusty. I can barely read what it’s saying.” “Try not to strain yourself, Tavi. Let’s just hope somepony here speaks Equestrian and can tell us where we are.” Vinyl said as she patted the earth pony’s back for comfort. “That might be hard seeing how there’s nopony around here. I mean this is a train station after all. You think there would be some...pony...here.” “You okay Tavi?” “Um...Vinyl.” “Yes?” “I don’t think we’re in Equestria.” “What makes you say that?” Vinyl asked as Octavia pointed a finger next to the DJ. The unicorn looked to her left as she saw a human with black colored hair, green eyes, a blue hat on her head, and was wearing a punky rockstar outfit that she thought she would wear if she was into rock-n-roll music. There was an awkward moment of silence between both the ponies and the human until Vinyl decided to break it by saying something. “Sup.” The DJ pony said as she waved a hand at the girl, who in turn waved back at them awkwardly. “Um...hi...Who or what in the world are you two?” “I’m Vinyl Scratch, and the pony beside me is Octavia Melody,” Vinyl answered as she pointed a thumb at Octavia who was waving and smiling awkwardly. “We’re ponies.” “.....O-Okay.” The girl said as she backed away a bit with a mixed expression on her face. “Oh, perfect, you speak equestrian. Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know where we are by any chance, do you? We’re kinda lost and have no idea how to get back to Equestria.” “I...have no idea what you’re talking about...wait, are you two cosplayers or something?” “The hay is a cosplayer?” “Someone that dresses up as their favorite character from their favorite anime or cartoon show. So are you cosplayers or not?” “I can assure you that we’re not cosplaying,” Octavia said as she flopped her ear. “We’re ponies.” “S-Sure you are, and I’m the club leader of the crazy people club.” The girl said in a sarcastic tone. “Whatever, I don’t have time for this.” She said as she walked past Vinyl and Octavia. “Geez, and here I thought your parents were rude Tavi,” Vinyl said as she turned her attention back to the girl who was still walking away from them. “At least tell us where the nearest town is!?” She yelled only for the girl to ignore her and continued walking off. “Man not only is she rude, but she’s a total jerk as well.” “You can’t blame her for acting like that. If I was in her shoes, then I would want to get away from us...though she could have done it better than come off as rude.” “Whatever, let’s just find a town or something that can help us. Maybe this place has a map that can lead us to a town.” “You mean over there?” Octavia said as she pointed at the billboard with a map on it next to them. “How did we not see that?” “I guess because we got sidetracked by that weird hairless ape creature thing.” The Earth pony said as she looked over the map of what she could guess was Yasoinaba. “I can barely understand some of it, but I think we’re right now at the train station. So if we take this road from here, then we’ll be heading to this town here.” “Hm,” Vinyl lifted her shades as she looked up at the sky. “Well it’s morning, so we might be able to make it there by noon time today. Unless we can get a ride into town, then we’re gonna have to hoof it and walk.” “You think we can catch a bus to this town?” “If it goes just like with that creature from before, then we might as well hoof it to town,” Vinyl said as she started walking. “If we run half the way, we might make it before the sun begins to set.” “The one time I’m glad I didn’t bring my cello with me.” With a sigh of dread, Octavia followed after the DJ pony as they made their way down the road that led to Inaba. (Inaba) (Afternoon) Inaba, a rural town in Japan that is located near the countryside. Despite it being near the country, it’s a somewhat peaceful place for those who enjoy the quiet countryside, going to the Amagi Inn to enjoy the local hot spring, food, and relaxation, or going to the town’s most famous shopping market, Junes. Besides the town's history, culture, and low criminal activities, Inaba is a nice and relaxing place. Off in the distance next to the bus sign and gas station, A bus could be seen stopping in front of the sign as people started to get off of it. As the bus was about to leave, Vinyl and Octavia quickly jumped off the roof of the bus as it drove down the street away from Inaba. “Well, that could’ve gone better than expected.” “I can’t believe you got me to do this. Especially on that...whatever in Equestria is that strange carriage.” “At least it didn’t take us all day to get here. Not to mention we didn’t have the right currency for that carriage, so why not just hop on top and ride for free without anypony noticing?” “Because it’s illegal to do that! I mean seriously what if the royal guard or some kind of law enforcement saw us on top of that?” “Oh come on, you gotta lighten up a bit Octavia,” Vinyl said as she placed a hand on Octavia’s shoulder. “We’re here now, so there’s no point in worrying.” “You saying that is not making my anxiety feel any better,” Octavia said as she felt her stomach begin to growl. “I need something to eat.” “How many bits do you have on you?” “Fifty-five bits. What about you?” “Five thousand bits,” Vinyl said as she reached into her pocket to pull out a bag full of bits. “How did you even get this many bits!?” “I save up my bits at times depending on the places I perform. Mostly in Canterlot or Manehattan, those are the biggest places I get paid a lot more than anywhere else." Vinyl answered as Octavia stared at the mare with a dumbfounded expression on her face. "Come on, let’s see if this place has a fast food place or something that accepts Equestrian currency.” “You are taking this way too well, Vinyl.” “Well one of us has to,” Vinyl said as she and Octavia began to walk down into the shopping district of Inaba. As the duo made their way down the street, some of the people that were standing outside or walking down the street were looking at the two with questionable looks. Mostly because it was either the way they look or because they were seeing weird anthropomorphic ponies that you would see in a child’s cartoon show walking down the street of Inaba. “Those weird creatures are looking at us,” Octavia whispered as she walked up close to Vinyl. “Well, what do you expect? We’re ponies walking into a town full of weird hairless ape creatures. You can’t expect them not to look at us like they did back on that strange carriage thing.” “I wish you would take this more seriously, Vinyl. I mean, what would happen if somepony tries to attack us or something worse?” “What can be worse than what we’ve seen in Equestria? I mean we live next to a forest filled with monsters. So I’m pretty sure we can handle anything this place has to throw at us.” Vinyl said as she caught a whiff of something tasty. “You smell something?” “You bet your sweet flank I do. Come on, it’s this way down the street.” Vinyl said as she rushed off down the street. Moments later the DJ pony appeared in front of what she could guess was some kind of restaurant. What with the lingering aroma of food coming from out of the building? “What...is this place?” “I don’t know. But whatever it is that’s making that delicious smell, has got to have some food in there.” The unicorn said as she opened the door to the building as she and Octavia entered inside. As the doors to the restaurant opened, the musicians' eyes widened as the inside of the building was almost similar to the restaurants they’d visited back in Equestria. Only this one was a bit smaller, they couldn’t read the language that was written on the signs, and there were humans in the restaurant and then ponies. “Well, looks like we found ourselves a place to eat.” “What makes you think we can eat here?” Octavia asked as she noticed the humans staring at her and Vinyl. “Oh dear, they’re staring at us.” “Like I said before, be prepared for them to look at us like that.” The DJ said as she walked over to a seat next to a human male.”Come on Tavi, have a seat.” “This is so embarrassing,” Octavia said as she tried not to look embarrassed as she took a seat at the counter next to Vinyl. “Yo! My friend and I would like to order something off the menu!” “Welcome, how can I help you two today-.” The man in the kitchen paused halfway into his sentence after seeing Vinyl and Octavia. “Hi, we would like to order something please.” “...Um...w-what would you like to order…?” The chef asked, still shocked at what he was seeing in front of him. “Question, are you two cosplaying for something or what?” “This is the second time someone has asked us this. We’re not cosplaying dude, we’re ponies. Living, breathing, talking ponies. What, you have never seen one before or something?” “Vinyl, please don’t make a scene while we’re here. We’re trying to get something to eat, and I prefer not to get thrown out of here with getting something to eat.” Octavia said, tugging on the DJ’s tail. “But...fine…” Vinyl said, sighing as she looked at the chef. “You got anything to eat?” “W-What would you like to order?” The chef asked as Vinyl looked at the menu on the board above the chef. “Give us today’s special,” Vinyl said as the chef went back into the kitchen to prepare their orders. “Do you even know what’s on the menu here?” Octavia asked. “For the most part, but it’s not like we could’ve asked him. That would make us look stupid.” “More like to make you look stupid, but that didn’t stop you from acting stupid.” “Octavia, since when have I ever done anything stupid?” Vinyl asked in a playful tone. “That drinking contest you had with Neon Lights wasn’t you acting stupid?” “.....Okay besides that one.” “I can pull out a list of things you’ve done that was stupid from the day we met to now.” “Oh yeah, well….shut up,” Vinyl said as she sighed in defeat. “How many times have you lost an argument with me?” “Sorry for interrupting ladies, but your food is ready” The chef replied as he gave the mares their order. “Here you go, tropical vegan surprise.” “Whoa, talk about going fancy,” Vinyl said as she picked up a pair of chopsticks and tried to eat her bowl of ramen. After a few tries, the mare was able to get a piece into her mouth. “Sweet Celestia this is good~!” “I wish you would lower your voice when we’re out in public like this,” Octavia said as she began to start eating. “Although I do have to admit, this is pretty good.” “Glad you like it. Most folk don’t order the special that much.” The chef said as he placed a mini plaque with a small piece of paper. “Here you go.” “Uh… What’s this?” Vinyl asked, partially confused. “You’ve never seen a receipt before?” He asked, a little surprised. “You still need to pay for the meal, even if you two are a nice change of pace from the usual customers we get.” “Um, any idea on what it says, Vinyl? Because I can barely read this.” The cellist asked as she handed Vinyl the piece of paper. “Forty-two yen…Guess it must be this country’s currency?” Vinyl replied. “Maybe a few bits can work here.” She said before reaching into her pocket to pull out fifty bits and placed them on the counter.“There we go, that should do it.” As she said that, the chef took a moment to inspect the coins… before looking back at her. “What the hell is this? This isn’t yen… Are you trying to dine and dash, ladies?” “The buck are you talking about? I paid the damn check. And even if it’s not your currency, these bits should cover it seeing how they’re made of gold.” “These bits of yours look more like fake gold… and I also don’t like your attitude, lady.” The chef replied, just as two other people walked into the restaurant. “Excuse me! I work hard to get these bits where I come from buddy. Compared to what you do, I get paid a lot more when I’m DJing at a club!” “Vinyl, please for the love of Celestia don’t make a scene here of all places. Especially if the law enforcers end up coming in here because you’re causing trouble.” Octavia pleaded, only to go on deaf ears as she watched Vinyl continue arguing. “Is there a problem?” One of the two people that walked in a few moments ago asked as she went to where the argument was unfolding. “This customer is trying to dine and dash on me by paying with fake yen!” The Chef retorted, causing Vinyl’s anger to stir up. “We’re not, you hairless ape!” That had the woman that was there take out something she kept in a holster on her hip as she pointed it at Vinyl. “Ma’am, please calm down or I will have to tase you.” She warned, while her partner was watching. “Kiss my flank bitch! I’m not going anywhere until this guy takes my bits-!” Just as she said that Vinyl was shot by the woman’s taser as she was subdued to the ground and shocked by the dispensed electricity. “DEAR CELESTIA, THIS IS THE WORST… PAIN!!!” While Vinyl was on the ground spasming in pain from the taser, The police officers turned their attention to Octavia who sighed as she raised her hands. “It’s Canterlot all over again.” Chapter Three: Meeting Detective Dojima and AdachiChapter Three Meeting Detective Dojima and Adachi (Morning, Inaba Police Station) “Ugh…Did anypony get the number of that carriage?” Vinyl asked as she began to regain consciousness. “I see you’re finally up Vinyl,” Octavia said as she looked at the DJ pony with an annoyed expression on her face. As the DJ lifted herself a bit, she found Octavia and herself in a small room with a bed, a TV, and a table at the center of the room. “Where the hay are we?” “We’re in jail thanks to you and your outburst at the restaurant.” “So this is this country's jail," Vinyl said as she looked around the cell they were in. "I would’ve imagined it to be more...well like the ones back in Canterlot.” “We’re in a different country, Vinyl. You can’t expect everything to be the same….then again I’m not surprised we’re here in this place.” “Oh come on, it’s not we’re in trouble or anything?” “We are in trouble! Thanks to you we’re in this jail cell! Who knows what will happen to us now? We might end up being taken away to some secret room with no chance of escape!” “Oh come on, I doubt they’ll do that. And if that were to happen we can just teleport out of here with my magic.” Vinyl said as her horn lit up. “Remember?” “Oh..right...um....” “You forgot I had magic didn’t you?” “No...I just figured they would have something that would...um...block your usage of magic.” Octavia said as her face turned a shade of red from embarrassment. “Shut up!” “Haha! You forgot about it-” Before Vinyl could finish her statement, the door to the cell they were in opened up. Entering the room from what they could tell was a rugged-looking man wearing a gray dress shirt, red tie, and black pants. Next to him was a scrawny-looking person wearing the same clothes as the rugged man only he was wearing a black jacket and had on a white dress shirt. As the two entered the room they soon walked over to the table in the middle of the room. The rugged man motioned the two mares to come over to the table as they took a seat in front of them. “Are these the ones that were brought in last night, Adachi?” The rugged man asked. “From what the officer said, these are the two that were arrested last night for causing a disturbance at the noodle shop, Dojima-san,” Adachi said as he eyed the two mares. “Two cosplayers were causing a ruckus in the noodle shop.” “We’re not cosplayers, you idiot. We’re ponies.” Vinyl said, glaring at the man named Adachi. “Right...mind telling us your names please?” Dojima asked. “I’m Vinyl Scratch, and this is my lovely friend Octavia Melody.” The DJ pony said as she jerked a thumb at the earth pony, who placed a hand on her face. “Is it too late to get a different cell all to myself?” Octavia asked as she felt her friend pull her in for a hug. “But Tavi. If you get a cell to yourself, that means we won’t be able to cuddle with each other~” Vinyl said as Octavia tried to push her away from herself. “Hey!” Dojima yelled, as the ponies turned their attention towards him. “I asked for your names, not whoever you’re cosplaying as.” “Those are our names dude. We’re ponies from Equestria that just happen to end up here by mistake. So if you could let us go now, we’ll be on our way back home...if we can find a way back home that is.” Vinyl said as she noticed Dojima and Adachi look at each other for a moment, then back at the DJ Pony and the musician. “Sure you are, and I’m the king of crazy town,” Adachi said with a sarcastic tone in his voice. “You expect us to believe your ponies from the magical land of Equestria? I may not be the smartest person around, but you need to come up with a better lie than that.” “Mister...Adachi, right?” Octavia asked as Adachi nodded. “My friend here is speaking the truth about what we are and where we come from. I know it may be hard to believe, but you have to believe her when she says that we’re not from here.” Dojima simply sighed in annoyance as he placed a hand on his face before looking at the two mares with a serious expressions on his face. “Okay, say that we believe you. Do you have proof to make your claim?” “You want proof huh?” Vinyl said as she pulled herself away from Octavia. “Where we come from, unicorns can use magic. Wanna see a unicorn like myself levitate your friend Adachi?” “You levitate me?” Adachi asked as he started laughing. “Oh, I would love to see that kid. Go ahead, give it a try.” “Gladly.” Vinyl’s horn began to glow as a magenta-colored aura surrounded Adachi, as he levitated into the air. Both Dojima and Adachi were dumbfounded at what just happened, well mostly Adachi who was flailing his arms around in the air while yelling at Vinyl to put him down. The DJ pony shrugged as she placed him back on the ground gently. “....Could you explain the situation you two are in. Spare no details on how you ended up here.” Dojima asked as he looked over at Adachi. “Get a piece of paper and write this down, Adachi.” “R-Right, Dojima-san.” Adachi said as he quickly pulled out a notebook and pen from his pocket, and began to write. “Well, it all started last night before we got here. I was pretty much drunk after losing a drinking contest with Neon Lights.” “Neon Light?” “One of Vinyl’s friends/rivals back in Canterlot,” Octavia answered. “.....Okay….um...how old are you two?” “We’re seventeen,” Vinyl answered. “Aren’t you a bit young to be drinking alcohol?” Adachi asked. “What are you my mom or something? I live on my own back in Equestria...well me and Tavi do live on our own, but you get what I’m saying right?” “What’s the drinking age for your town called….Equestria?” “Equestria is a country, we live in Ponyville.” Vinyl said as Adachi and Dojima looked at each other for a moment, then back at Vinyl. “What?” “All this you are telling us is kinda hard to believe. I mean it sounds like something you would hear in a child’s fairy tale book or a cartoon show.” Dojima said as he scratched the back of his head. “I know a spell that might be able to help with convincing you,” Vinyl said as her horn started to glow. “Want me to cast it on you?” “I prefer that you don’t ma’am. Can you please continue with your explanation?” “Yeah, yeah. Now, where was I again...oh right. Okay so I was pretty drunk after l lost the drinking contest with Neon Lights, so I had to call Octavia to come and pick me up from the bar in Canterlot. I don’t remember much of it seeing how I was going in and out of consciousness, but I do remember Octavia getting me on the Pony Express.” “Vinyl was pretty much knocked out when I brought her on the train. The weird thing about the pony express was that it didn’t look like the one that usually comes to Canterlot. It looked like the train was replaced or upgraded to a better working train.” Octavia added. “So you got on the train that you didn’t know and for some reason it brought you two here to Inaba, correct?” Dojima asked as the two mares nodded. “Would it be possible to take the same train that you both were on from the Inaba station back to your country?” “I...don’t know really. I mean we don’t know if that’ll work or not...wait.” Octavia looked over at Vinyl. “Vinyl, can’t you teleport us back to Equestria?” “Can’t do that,” Viny answered. “Why not, you do know how to teleport right?” “I do, but can’t teleport from a different country like we’re in right now.” Vinyl’s horn began to glow brightly for a moment before it disappeared. “I can use some of my other magic and teleport from places that I know around here if I’ve been there before. But with the magic that I have, you’ll have to be an Alicorn to do that.” “Alicorn?” Adachi asked in confusion. “There are four types of ponies in Equestria. Earth Ponies, Unicorns, Pegasi, and Alicorns. Octavia is an Earth Pony and I’m a Unicorn as you just saw when I lifted you into the air.” “R-Right, and what do each of your types of ponies do?” “Earth Ponies are well in tune with the earth around them. So they’re pretty good when it comes to farming or lifting heavy things, Unicorns can use magic which is pretty much self-explanatory, Pegasi can pretty much fly in the air and control the weather in Equestria, and Alicorns are pretty much like all three types mixed into one and have a ton of magic.” “So in a way, you two are stuck here until you’re able to find a way back home?” Dojima asked as Vinyl nodded. “Well that or until our princesses figure out that we’re gone and try to find us...but I have my doubts on that one.” “Take this seriously, Vinyl,” Octavia said as she had a deadpan expression on her face. "If nopony finds us, we'll be stuck here forever...no offense Mr. Dojima sir.” “None taken, your friend is right by the way. Don’t you want to get back to your country?” “Well yeah, but it’s not like I can become an alicorn with just a snap of a finger.” The DJ Pony said as she snapped her fingers. “All we can do now is wait and see how things turn out.” “Hm...well seeing how you two aren’t from this country, and from what you told me and showed. I’ll let you both out of here.” “Wait really?” “Dojima-san, are you sure that it’s wise to let them go?” Adachi asked as he finished writing. “I mean from the report that said they did try to skip out on their meal last night.” “Hey, I paid the guy with the bits that I had on me!” “With what? Fake money that you would see in a board game?” “No,” Vinyl said as she pulled out a bit from her pocket and levitated it in front of Dojima and Adachi. “That bit is made out of gold, so this place should be able to accept this, right?” “Adachi, take this..um...bit to the boys down in the crime lab to see if what Vinyl said is true,” Dojima ordered. Adachi was a bit hesitant to grab the bit floating in front of them, but quickly grabbed it and began to make his way out of the room. “Now back to what I was saying. You two are free to go, but you will be living with me for the time being until you can find a way back home.” “Wait, you can’t be serious?” “Vinyl, think about it. Do you think that anypony will give us a place to live? Not to mention, do I need to remind you of what happened at that soup shop?” Octavia asked, which caused Vinyl to groan in annoyance. “I prefer not to get into trouble again, and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to get hit by that weird device they used on you, correct?” “Okay, I get it. I don’t need you to remind me of my buck up." Vinyl said as she looked over at Dojima. "Alright Dojima, what are the rules when we go to your house?” “You are not allowed to go out late at night, you can’t bring any alcoholic drinks into the house. I prefer not to have you smell like alcohol while my daughter is at home. Try not to cause trouble to the point where you are arrested and I’m being called in to get you out of the station. Seeing how you both are Seventeen, you will be going to school here as well.” “.....Is it too late for me to say that I was lying about being a pony from Equestria?” Vinyl asked as she felt Octavia elbow her in the rib. “Ow!” “Not that I’m against the conditions upon living with you, but wouldn’t going to school be a problem?” Octavia asked. “Tomorrow we’ll be going over to Yasoinaba High School. We’ll explain the situation to them and hopefully, they’re willing to let you both in for the time being. This will give you an insight into this country's history and culture.” Before Dojima could continue, he noticed Adachi walk back into the room with a surprised expression on his face. “That was quick, so what Vinyl said was true?” “She’s telling the truth,” Adachi said as he handed the bit back to Vinyl. “Despite it looking like something from a child’s board game, that bit is worth fifty-five hundred thousand yen.” He said, which caused Dojima’s eyes to widen as he looked over at Vinyl and Octavia. “How many...um...bits do you have?” “Well combined with Octavia’s and a few that I lost last night...I say about five thousand fifty-five. And seeing how what you told me how much each that would be...what like...what about a billion or so yen or something, right?” Vinyl asked. “Wait wouldn’t that mean we’re freaking rich or something?” “I doubt it seeing how we can’t use our currency to buy stuff with it here.” “You can, but you need to have it in our country’s currency. I’ll see what I can do about that but for now.” Dojima pulled away from the table he was sitting at and motioned Vinyl and Octavia to follow him. “Let’s get you both situated with your living arrangements.” “This day just gets weirder and weirder by the second,” Octavia said as she and Vinyl followed Dojima and Adachi out of the room.
Chapter One: Welcome to InabaChapter One: Welcome to Inaba (Canterlot Train Station) Nighttime has fallen in the town of Canterlot. Everyone within it was either closing up shop for today or opening up since some of the shops are only open during the night. Yep, everything was peaceful and quiet in Canterlot...well almost quiet. As a certain disk jockey pony and her classical pony friend were making their way down the street of Canterlot heading towards the train station after finishing up a gig at Canterlot Castle. “Stupid *hic* Neon Lights. He thinks he is so *hic* cool with his music and stuff.” Vinyl said, making her way down the train station of Canterlot in a drunken state of mind. “I should’ve won that DJ *hic* death battle.” “You lost fair and square Vinyl. Was it really necessary for you to drink to the point where you’re drunk?” Octavia groaned, walking next to her friend while listening to her complain in a drunken stupor. “I’m not drunk...just off my A *hic* game.” “You almost tried to clear out all the liquor in the entire tavern! Not to mention that you were trying to advance on me in the most ridiculous of ways…” Octavia snapped back. “You need to stop drinking so much.” “The day I stop drinking is the day we move to *hic* a new place,” Vinyl said as she collapsed onto the floor. “And that won’t happen any...time...soon.” Octavia rolled her eyes as she had to pick up her friend and place her over the shoulder as she carried her over to the nearby platform, but not before walking over to the station pony. “Two to Ponyville please.” She asked as she handed the young youthful pony four bits. “Here you go, ma’am.” He smiled as he looked at Vinyl being carried. “Long night huh?” “You have no idea.” “Well, at least you can enjoy the nice trip back to Ponyville. Especially on a night like this one.” “Let’s hope so.” With a simple nod, Octavia made her way to the platform and waited for the train to arrive. When a train did arrive though, something seemed off. “Huh, odd. The train for Ponyville doesn’t normally look like that.” She thought to herself as the cellist walked inside and set her friend on the first seat she could find. Preferably by a trash can if she wakes up and ends up sick because of the amount of alcohol she had consumed. As the train began to move, a sudden feeling of fatigue rushed over her body. After carrying her from the tavern next to Canterlot Castle and to the train station, it wouldn’t be a surprise for that to happen. Failing to fight off the urge to sleep, Octavia soon drifted off into slumberland. As soon as the train began to enter into a tunnel. A sapphire glow envelops the DJ pony as she soon disappeared. (The Velvet Room) Vinyl moaned for a bit before starting slowly opening her eyes. As her vision began to clear up a bit from the sudden grogginess, a surprised expression appeared on her face as she found herself in what she could guess was the inside of a carriage. Only this carriage wasn’t being pulled by anypony and from looking outside it was completely foggy to the point where you could barely see anything. “Where the hay am I?” “Welcome to the Velvet Room.” An odd voice soon began to echo all around her as the unicorn tried to find out who was saying that. Soon though, the fog began to clear up and she saw a man with a very long nose at a table. “Whoa! Dude, what happened to your nose? No offense or anything, but dear Celestia that’s on a long nose...wait a minute. Who the hay are you?” “Ah, it seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny.” The man chuckled to himself as he looked at Vinyl. “Okay… Igor. Mind telling me where I am and how I got here? Wait did you ponynap me or something?” “Patience, I am getting there,” Igor insisted. “This place is between dream and reality. Mind and matter. It is a room that only those bound by a ‘contract’ may enter. It may be that such a fate awaits you soon.” Once he was done speaking, he moved one of his arms in a gesture to say that it was Vinyl’s turn to speak. “Now, why don’t you introduce yourself?” “Vinyl Scratch, but most ponies call me DJ-Pon3 when I’m playing at clubs and stuff,” Vinyl said as she leaned back in the chair she was sitting on. “Hmm, I see…” Igor said. “Now, let’s take a look into your future, shall we?” In a split second, Igor extended his hand to the table that was in front of him Vinyl could see a deck of cards on the table. “Do you believe in fortune telling?” With a snap, seven cards quickly landed on the table in a hexagon shape with one in the center. “Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the results are always different. Life itself follows the same principles, doesn’t it?” He chuckled once more as he posed the question to Vinyl and turned the first card in the right-hand corner. “Hmm…the Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems that a terrible catastrophe is imminent.” Igor explained, turning another card. “The card indicating the future beyond that is…the moon in the upright position. This card represents ‘hesitation’ and ‘mystery’…Very interesting indeed.” “And what the hay is all this supposed to mean?” Vinyl asked as she tilted her glasses up a bit. “It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you.” The man explained once again. “In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny. If this mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that doesn’t happen.” With a swipe of his hand, the cards disappeared and also, Igor remembered something important. “Ah! I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you,” He said while moving his hand to introduce the woman that was to his left. “This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place, like myself.”The woman then nodded her head as she this time spoke up. “My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey.” “Wait, what do you mean by my journey?” “We shall attend to the details another time, but until then… Farewell, Ms. Scratch.” Igor said as Vinyl’s vision began to blur and she began to feel tired. (Real World, Morning) [Attention passengers, we will arrive at the Yasogami Terminal in a few minutes. Passengers heading for Inaba City and Yasoinaba station, please go to the other side of the platform.] “Ugh...five more minutes…” Vinyl said to herself before trying to open her eyes a little. Right away, something did not feel right to her. For one thing, the wooden seats that would be on a train from Canterlot to Ponyville were replaced with something that felt like a mini-sofa. Another thing was that she… felt different. Like something was missing. “Vinyl, GET UP DAMMIT!!” “GAH!” In a fit of shock and startlement, Vinyl quickly woke up from her sleep as she immediately fell to the floor of the train she was on. “Geez Tavi, give me a heart attack, why don’t yeah? Why did you yell at me like that?” “Why else? Look around you!” She said, looking back at her. “You’re not being very descriptive about that Tavi. Aren’t we on the friendship express to Ponyville?” Octavia groaned, shaking her head as she looked back at her. “Does this look like the Friendship express to you?” She asked Vinyl as the train was coming out of the tunnel. Immediately once the light filled the room, the DJ’s question was answered… and replaced with a new one. “WHERE THE BUCK ARE WE!?!”
Chapter Two: Warm Welcome My FlankChapter Two Warm Welcome my Flank “Mother of Celestia! How did we end up somewhere outside of Canterlot!?” Octavia said, still shocked that they were not in Equestria anymore. “How long did we sleep for us to be in another country!? More importantly, how did we end up in another country!? The Friendship Express isn't connected to any countries outside of Equestria!” She asked while looking outside at the scenery. “I don’t know. I was still knocked out, so I figured you’d wake me up when we got back to Ponyville." Vinyl said while rubbing her eyes. "You fell asleep while I was knocked out didn’t you?” “Well excuse me for being tired from carrying your drunken flank around Canterlot! Ugh, it’s the Canterlot wedding all over again. Only this time we end up in a strange place with no idea how we got here.” “Calm down Tavi,” Vinyl said as she pulled herself off the floor. “I’m sure we can just ask somepony where we are and we can get back. I mean it can’t be that hard, right?” “R-Right, right. We just need to stay calm, and just ask somepony where we are and how to get back to Equestria.” Octavia said, rubbing the back of her head. “Okay, so from what I’ve heard on the intercom. He said that we were gonna be heading to a place called Inaba in a few minutes.” “Inaba? Sounds like something you would hear in Neighpon. Wait, are we heading to Neighpon?” “I doubt it. As I said before, the Friendship Express doesn't connect to countries outside of Equestria. Just different areas of Equestria.” “Well, that doesn’t give us much to go by, does it? Maybe we got teleported here by a unicorn?” “Unless they have the same magical level as the Princesses, then I doubt that would happen," Octavia said before looking over at Vinyl. "And who on Equis would do that to us?" "Maybe somepony who has it out for us...or Discord. He has been known for stuff like this." "Discord is reformed, remember?" "Just because he's reformed doesn't mean he would do stuff like this." "I suppose..." Octavia said before shaking her head. "Look, thinking about how we got here isn’t helping us. Let’s just ask somepony in this town called Inaba, and see how we can get back home.” “I suppose you're right about that.” (Yasoinaba Station) The train began to slowly stop in front of the train station’s platform. As the doors to the train cart opened up, Vinyl and Octavia exited the train before looking around at their new surroundings. It was a bit surprising to them seeing how this place called Yasoinaba was strangely but almost similar to Neighpon. Well, minus the flashy build boards, electricity, vending machines, and Celestia knows what else. Making their way out of the station, Vinyl slightly pulled up her shades as she looked around at their surroundings. “Geez, look at this place. It looks like Neighpon only...different.” “Indeed. The language is the same, just a bit different.” Octavia said as she squinted her eyes at the Japanese writing above the train station entrance. “Y-Yaso...i...i...naba...ugh my neighponese is getting rusty. I can barely read what it’s saying.” “Try not to strain yourself, Tavi. Let’s just hope somepony here speaks Equestrian and can tell us where we are.” Vinyl said as she patted the earth pony’s back for comfort. “That might be hard seeing how there’s nopony around here. I mean this is a train station after all. You think there would be some...pony...here.” “You okay Tavi?” “Um...Vinyl.” “Yes?” “I don’t think we’re in Equestria.” “What makes you say that?” Vinyl asked as Octavia pointed a finger next to the DJ. The unicorn looked to her left as she saw a human with black colored hair, green eyes, a blue hat on her head, and was wearing a punky rockstar outfit that she thought she would wear if she was into rock-n-roll music. There was an awkward moment of silence between both the ponies and the human until Vinyl decided to break it by saying something. “Sup.” The DJ pony said as she waved a hand at the girl, who in turn waved back at them awkwardly. “Um...hi...Who or what in the world are you two?” “I’m Vinyl Scratch, and the pony beside me is Octavia Melody,” Vinyl answered as she pointed a thumb at Octavia who was waving and smiling awkwardly. “We’re ponies.” “.....O-Okay.” The girl said as she backed away a bit with a mixed expression on her face. “Oh, perfect, you speak equestrian. Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know where we are by any chance, do you? We’re kinda lost and have no idea how to get back to Equestria.” “I...have no idea what you’re talking about...wait, are you two cosplayers or something?” “The hay is a cosplayer?” “Someone that dresses up as their favorite character from their favorite anime or cartoon show. So are you cosplayers or not?” “I can assure you that we’re not cosplaying,” Octavia said as she flopped her ear. “We’re ponies.” “S-Sure you are, and I’m the club leader of the crazy people club.” The girl said in a sarcastic tone. “Whatever, I don’t have time for this.” She said as she walked past Vinyl and Octavia. “Geez, and here I thought your parents were rude Tavi,” Vinyl said as she turned her attention back to the girl who was still walking away from them. “At least tell us where the nearest town is!?” She yelled only for the girl to ignore her and continued walking off. “Man not only is she rude, but she’s a total jerk as well.” “You can’t blame her for acting like that. If I was in her shoes, then I would want to get away from us...though she could have done it better than come off as rude.” “Whatever, let’s just find a town or something that can help us. Maybe this place has a map that can lead us to a town.” “You mean over there?” Octavia said as she pointed at the billboard with a map on it next to them. “How did we not see that?” “I guess because we got sidetracked by that weird hairless ape creature thing.” The Earth pony said as she looked over the map of what she could guess was Yasoinaba. “I can barely understand some of it, but I think we’re right now at the train station. So if we take this road from here, then we’ll be heading to this town here.” “Hm,” Vinyl lifted her shades as she looked up at the sky. “Well it’s morning, so we might be able to make it there by noon time today. Unless we can get a ride into town, then we’re gonna have to hoof it and walk.” “You think we can catch a bus to this town?” “If it goes just like with that creature from before, then we might as well hoof it to town,” Vinyl said as she started walking. “If we run half the way, we might make it before the sun begins to set.” “The one time I’m glad I didn’t bring my cello with me.” With a sigh of dread, Octavia followed after the DJ pony as they made their way down the road that led to Inaba. (Inaba) (Afternoon) Inaba, a rural town in Japan that is located near the countryside. Despite it being near the country, it’s a somewhat peaceful place for those who enjoy the quiet countryside, going to the Amagi Inn to enjoy the local hot spring, food, and relaxation, or going to the town’s most famous shopping market, Junes. Besides the town's history, culture, and low criminal activities, Inaba is a nice and relaxing place. Off in the distance next to the bus sign and gas station, A bus could be seen stopping in front of the sign as people started to get off of it. As the bus was about to leave, Vinyl and Octavia quickly jumped off the roof of the bus as it drove down the street away from Inaba. “Well, that could’ve gone better than expected.” “I can’t believe you got me to do this. Especially on that...whatever in Equestria is that strange carriage.” “At least it didn’t take us all day to get here. Not to mention we didn’t have the right currency for that carriage, so why not just hop on top and ride for free without anypony noticing?” “Because it’s illegal to do that! I mean seriously what if the royal guard or some kind of law enforcement saw us on top of that?” “Oh come on, you gotta lighten up a bit Octavia,” Vinyl said as she placed a hand on Octavia’s shoulder. “We’re here now, so there’s no point in worrying.” “You saying that is not making my anxiety feel any better,” Octavia said as she felt her stomach begin to growl. “I need something to eat.” “How many bits do you have on you?” “Fifty-five bits. What about you?” “Five thousand bits,” Vinyl said as she reached into her pocket to pull out a bag full of bits. “How did you even get this many bits!?” “I save up my bits at times depending on the places I perform. Mostly in Canterlot or Manehattan, those are the biggest places I get paid a lot more than anywhere else." Vinyl answered as Octavia stared at the mare with a dumbfounded expression on her face. "Come on, let’s see if this place has a fast food place or something that accepts Equestrian currency.” “You are taking this way too well, Vinyl.” “Well one of us has to,” Vinyl said as she and Octavia began to walk down into the shopping district of Inaba. As the duo made their way down the street, some of the people that were standing outside or walking down the street were looking at the two with questionable looks. Mostly because it was either the way they look or because they were seeing weird anthropomorphic ponies that you would see in a child’s cartoon show walking down the street of Inaba. “Those weird creatures are looking at us,” Octavia whispered as she walked up close to Vinyl. “Well, what do you expect? We’re ponies walking into a town full of weird hairless ape creatures. You can’t expect them not to look at us like they did back on that strange carriage thing.” “I wish you would take this more seriously, Vinyl. I mean, what would happen if somepony tries to attack us or something worse?” “What can be worse than what we’ve seen in Equestria? I mean we live next to a forest filled with monsters. So I’m pretty sure we can handle anything this place has to throw at us.” Vinyl said as she caught a whiff of something tasty. “You smell something?” “You bet your sweet flank I do. Come on, it’s this way down the street.” Vinyl said as she rushed off down the street. Moments later the DJ pony appeared in front of what she could guess was some kind of restaurant. What with the lingering aroma of food coming from out of the building? “What...is this place?” “I don’t know. But whatever it is that’s making that delicious smell, has got to have some food in there.” The unicorn said as she opened the door to the building as she and Octavia entered inside. As the doors to the restaurant opened, the musicians' eyes widened as the inside of the building was almost similar to the restaurants they’d visited back in Equestria. Only this one was a bit smaller, they couldn’t read the language that was written on the signs, and there were humans in the restaurant and then ponies. “Well, looks like we found ourselves a place to eat.” “What makes you think we can eat here?” Octavia asked as she noticed the humans staring at her and Vinyl. “Oh dear, they’re staring at us.” “Like I said before, be prepared for them to look at us like that.” The DJ said as she walked over to a seat next to a human male.”Come on Tavi, have a seat.” “This is so embarrassing,” Octavia said as she tried not to look embarrassed as she took a seat at the counter next to Vinyl. “Yo! My friend and I would like to order something off the menu!” “Welcome, how can I help you two today-.” The man in the kitchen paused halfway into his sentence after seeing Vinyl and Octavia. “Hi, we would like to order something please.” “...Um...w-what would you like to order…?” The chef asked, still shocked at what he was seeing in front of him. “Question, are you two cosplaying for something or what?” “This is the second time someone has asked us this. We’re not cosplaying dude, we’re ponies. Living, breathing, talking ponies. What, you have never seen one before or something?” “Vinyl, please don’t make a scene while we’re here. We’re trying to get something to eat, and I prefer not to get thrown out of here with getting something to eat.” Octavia said, tugging on the DJ’s tail. “But...fine…” Vinyl said, sighing as she looked at the chef. “You got anything to eat?” “W-What would you like to order?” The chef asked as Vinyl looked at the menu on the board above the chef. “Give us today’s special,” Vinyl said as the chef went back into the kitchen to prepare their orders. “Do you even know what’s on the menu here?” Octavia asked. “For the most part, but it’s not like we could’ve asked him. That would make us look stupid.” “More like to make you look stupid, but that didn’t stop you from acting stupid.” “Octavia, since when have I ever done anything stupid?” Vinyl asked in a playful tone. “That drinking contest you had with Neon Lights wasn’t you acting stupid?” “.....Okay besides that one.” “I can pull out a list of things you’ve done that was stupid from the day we met to now.” “Oh yeah, well….shut up,” Vinyl said as she sighed in defeat. “How many times have you lost an argument with me?” “Sorry for interrupting ladies, but your food is ready” The chef replied as he gave the mares their order. “Here you go, tropical vegan surprise.” “Whoa, talk about going fancy,” Vinyl said as she picked up a pair of chopsticks and tried to eat her bowl of ramen. After a few tries, the mare was able to get a piece into her mouth. “Sweet Celestia this is good~!” “I wish you would lower your voice when we’re out in public like this,” Octavia said as she began to start eating. “Although I do have to admit, this is pretty good.” “Glad you like it. Most folk don’t order the special that much.” The chef said as he placed a mini plaque with a small piece of paper. “Here you go.” “Uh… What’s this?” Vinyl asked, partially confused. “You’ve never seen a receipt before?” He asked, a little surprised. “You still need to pay for the meal, even if you two are a nice change of pace from the usual customers we get.” “Um, any idea on what it says, Vinyl? Because I can barely read this.” The cellist asked as she handed Vinyl the piece of paper. “Forty-two yen…Guess it must be this country’s currency?” Vinyl replied. “Maybe a few bits can work here.” She said before reaching into her pocket to pull out fifty bits and placed them on the counter.“There we go, that should do it.” As she said that, the chef took a moment to inspect the coins… before looking back at her. “What the hell is this? This isn’t yen… Are you trying to dine and dash, ladies?” “The buck are you talking about? I paid the damn check. And even if it’s not your currency, these bits should cover it seeing how they’re made of gold.” “These bits of yours look more like fake gold… and I also don’t like your attitude, lady.” The chef replied, just as two other people walked into the restaurant. “Excuse me! I work hard to get these bits where I come from buddy. Compared to what you do, I get paid a lot more when I’m DJing at a club!” “Vinyl, please for the love of Celestia don’t make a scene here of all places. Especially if the law enforcers end up coming in here because you’re causing trouble.” Octavia pleaded, only to go on deaf ears as she watched Vinyl continue arguing. “Is there a problem?” One of the two people that walked in a few moments ago asked as she went to where the argument was unfolding. “This customer is trying to dine and dash on me by paying with fake yen!” The Chef retorted, causing Vinyl’s anger to stir up. “We’re not, you hairless ape!” That had the woman that was there take out something she kept in a holster on her hip as she pointed it at Vinyl. “Ma’am, please calm down or I will have to tase you.” She warned, while her partner was watching. “Kiss my flank bitch! I’m not going anywhere until this guy takes my bits-!” Just as she said that Vinyl was shot by the woman’s taser as she was subdued to the ground and shocked by the dispensed electricity. “DEAR CELESTIA, THIS IS THE WORST… PAIN!!!” While Vinyl was on the ground spasming in pain from the taser, The police officers turned their attention to Octavia who sighed as she raised her hands. “It’s Canterlot all over again.”
Chapter Three: Meeting Detective Dojima and AdachiChapter Three Meeting Detective Dojima and Adachi (Morning, Inaba Police Station) “Ugh…Did anypony get the number of that carriage?” Vinyl asked as she began to regain consciousness. “I see you’re finally up Vinyl,” Octavia said as she looked at the DJ pony with an annoyed expression on her face. As the DJ lifted herself a bit, she found Octavia and herself in a small room with a bed, a TV, and a table at the center of the room. “Where the hay are we?” “We’re in jail thanks to you and your outburst at the restaurant.” “So this is this country's jail," Vinyl said as she looked around the cell they were in. "I would’ve imagined it to be more...well like the ones back in Canterlot.” “We’re in a different country, Vinyl. You can’t expect everything to be the same….then again I’m not surprised we’re here in this place.” “Oh come on, it’s not we’re in trouble or anything?” “We are in trouble! Thanks to you we’re in this jail cell! Who knows what will happen to us now? We might end up being taken away to some secret room with no chance of escape!” “Oh come on, I doubt they’ll do that. And if that were to happen we can just teleport out of here with my magic.” Vinyl said as her horn lit up. “Remember?” “Oh..right...um....” “You forgot I had magic didn’t you?” “No...I just figured they would have something that would...um...block your usage of magic.” Octavia said as her face turned a shade of red from embarrassment. “Shut up!” “Haha! You forgot about it-” Before Vinyl could finish her statement, the door to the cell they were in opened up. Entering the room from what they could tell was a rugged-looking man wearing a gray dress shirt, red tie, and black pants. Next to him was a scrawny-looking person wearing the same clothes as the rugged man only he was wearing a black jacket and had on a white dress shirt. As the two entered the room they soon walked over to the table in the middle of the room. The rugged man motioned the two mares to come over to the table as they took a seat in front of them. “Are these the ones that were brought in last night, Adachi?” The rugged man asked. “From what the officer said, these are the two that were arrested last night for causing a disturbance at the noodle shop, Dojima-san,” Adachi said as he eyed the two mares. “Two cosplayers were causing a ruckus in the noodle shop.” “We’re not cosplayers, you idiot. We’re ponies.” Vinyl said, glaring at the man named Adachi. “Right...mind telling us your names please?” Dojima asked. “I’m Vinyl Scratch, and this is my lovely friend Octavia Melody.” The DJ pony said as she jerked a thumb at the earth pony, who placed a hand on her face. “Is it too late to get a different cell all to myself?” Octavia asked as she felt her friend pull her in for a hug. “But Tavi. If you get a cell to yourself, that means we won’t be able to cuddle with each other~” Vinyl said as Octavia tried to push her away from herself. “Hey!” Dojima yelled, as the ponies turned their attention towards him. “I asked for your names, not whoever you’re cosplaying as.” “Those are our names dude. We’re ponies from Equestria that just happen to end up here by mistake. So if you could let us go now, we’ll be on our way back home...if we can find a way back home that is.” Vinyl said as she noticed Dojima and Adachi look at each other for a moment, then back at the DJ Pony and the musician. “Sure you are, and I’m the king of crazy town,” Adachi said with a sarcastic tone in his voice. “You expect us to believe your ponies from the magical land of Equestria? I may not be the smartest person around, but you need to come up with a better lie than that.” “Mister...Adachi, right?” Octavia asked as Adachi nodded. “My friend here is speaking the truth about what we are and where we come from. I know it may be hard to believe, but you have to believe her when she says that we’re not from here.” Dojima simply sighed in annoyance as he placed a hand on his face before looking at the two mares with a serious expressions on his face. “Okay, say that we believe you. Do you have proof to make your claim?” “You want proof huh?” Vinyl said as she pulled herself away from Octavia. “Where we come from, unicorns can use magic. Wanna see a unicorn like myself levitate your friend Adachi?” “You levitate me?” Adachi asked as he started laughing. “Oh, I would love to see that kid. Go ahead, give it a try.” “Gladly.” Vinyl’s horn began to glow as a magenta-colored aura surrounded Adachi, as he levitated into the air. Both Dojima and Adachi were dumbfounded at what just happened, well mostly Adachi who was flailing his arms around in the air while yelling at Vinyl to put him down. The DJ pony shrugged as she placed him back on the ground gently. “....Could you explain the situation you two are in. Spare no details on how you ended up here.” Dojima asked as he looked over at Adachi. “Get a piece of paper and write this down, Adachi.” “R-Right, Dojima-san.” Adachi said as he quickly pulled out a notebook and pen from his pocket, and began to write. “Well, it all started last night before we got here. I was pretty much drunk after losing a drinking contest with Neon Lights.” “Neon Light?” “One of Vinyl’s friends/rivals back in Canterlot,” Octavia answered. “.....Okay….um...how old are you two?” “We’re seventeen,” Vinyl answered. “Aren’t you a bit young to be drinking alcohol?” Adachi asked. “What are you my mom or something? I live on my own back in Equestria...well me and Tavi do live on our own, but you get what I’m saying right?” “What’s the drinking age for your town called….Equestria?” “Equestria is a country, we live in Ponyville.” Vinyl said as Adachi and Dojima looked at each other for a moment, then back at Vinyl. “What?” “All this you are telling us is kinda hard to believe. I mean it sounds like something you would hear in a child’s fairy tale book or a cartoon show.” Dojima said as he scratched the back of his head. “I know a spell that might be able to help with convincing you,” Vinyl said as her horn started to glow. “Want me to cast it on you?” “I prefer that you don’t ma’am. Can you please continue with your explanation?” “Yeah, yeah. Now, where was I again...oh right. Okay so I was pretty drunk after l lost the drinking contest with Neon Lights, so I had to call Octavia to come and pick me up from the bar in Canterlot. I don’t remember much of it seeing how I was going in and out of consciousness, but I do remember Octavia getting me on the Pony Express.” “Vinyl was pretty much knocked out when I brought her on the train. The weird thing about the pony express was that it didn’t look like the one that usually comes to Canterlot. It looked like the train was replaced or upgraded to a better working train.” Octavia added. “So you got on the train that you didn’t know and for some reason it brought you two here to Inaba, correct?” Dojima asked as the two mares nodded. “Would it be possible to take the same train that you both were on from the Inaba station back to your country?” “I...don’t know really. I mean we don’t know if that’ll work or not...wait.” Octavia looked over at Vinyl. “Vinyl, can’t you teleport us back to Equestria?” “Can’t do that,” Viny answered. “Why not, you do know how to teleport right?” “I do, but can’t teleport from a different country like we’re in right now.” Vinyl’s horn began to glow brightly for a moment before it disappeared. “I can use some of my other magic and teleport from places that I know around here if I’ve been there before. But with the magic that I have, you’ll have to be an Alicorn to do that.” “Alicorn?” Adachi asked in confusion. “There are four types of ponies in Equestria. Earth Ponies, Unicorns, Pegasi, and Alicorns. Octavia is an Earth Pony and I’m a Unicorn as you just saw when I lifted you into the air.” “R-Right, and what do each of your types of ponies do?” “Earth Ponies are well in tune with the earth around them. So they’re pretty good when it comes to farming or lifting heavy things, Unicorns can use magic which is pretty much self-explanatory, Pegasi can pretty much fly in the air and control the weather in Equestria, and Alicorns are pretty much like all three types mixed into one and have a ton of magic.” “So in a way, you two are stuck here until you’re able to find a way back home?” Dojima asked as Vinyl nodded. “Well that or until our princesses figure out that we’re gone and try to find us...but I have my doubts on that one.” “Take this seriously, Vinyl,” Octavia said as she had a deadpan expression on her face. "If nopony finds us, we'll be stuck here forever...no offense Mr. Dojima sir.” “None taken, your friend is right by the way. Don’t you want to get back to your country?” “Well yeah, but it’s not like I can become an alicorn with just a snap of a finger.” The DJ Pony said as she snapped her fingers. “All we can do now is wait and see how things turn out.” “Hm...well seeing how you two aren’t from this country, and from what you told me and showed. I’ll let you both out of here.” “Wait really?” “Dojima-san, are you sure that it’s wise to let them go?” Adachi asked as he finished writing. “I mean from the report that said they did try to skip out on their meal last night.” “Hey, I paid the guy with the bits that I had on me!” “With what? Fake money that you would see in a board game?” “No,” Vinyl said as she pulled out a bit from her pocket and levitated it in front of Dojima and Adachi. “That bit is made out of gold, so this place should be able to accept this, right?” “Adachi, take this..um...bit to the boys down in the crime lab to see if what Vinyl said is true,” Dojima ordered. Adachi was a bit hesitant to grab the bit floating in front of them, but quickly grabbed it and began to make his way out of the room. “Now back to what I was saying. You two are free to go, but you will be living with me for the time being until you can find a way back home.” “Wait, you can’t be serious?” “Vinyl, think about it. Do you think that anypony will give us a place to live? Not to mention, do I need to remind you of what happened at that soup shop?” Octavia asked, which caused Vinyl to groan in annoyance. “I prefer not to get into trouble again, and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to get hit by that weird device they used on you, correct?” “Okay, I get it. I don’t need you to remind me of my buck up." Vinyl said as she looked over at Dojima. "Alright Dojima, what are the rules when we go to your house?” “You are not allowed to go out late at night, you can’t bring any alcoholic drinks into the house. I prefer not to have you smell like alcohol while my daughter is at home. Try not to cause trouble to the point where you are arrested and I’m being called in to get you out of the station. Seeing how you both are Seventeen, you will be going to school here as well.” “.....Is it too late for me to say that I was lying about being a pony from Equestria?” Vinyl asked as she felt Octavia elbow her in the rib. “Ow!” “Not that I’m against the conditions upon living with you, but wouldn’t going to school be a problem?” Octavia asked. “Tomorrow we’ll be going over to Yasoinaba High School. We’ll explain the situation to them and hopefully, they’re willing to let you both in for the time being. This will give you an insight into this country's history and culture.” Before Dojima could continue, he noticed Adachi walk back into the room with a surprised expression on his face. “That was quick, so what Vinyl said was true?” “She’s telling the truth,” Adachi said as he handed the bit back to Vinyl. “Despite it looking like something from a child’s board game, that bit is worth fifty-five hundred thousand yen.” He said, which caused Dojima’s eyes to widen as he looked over at Vinyl and Octavia. “How many...um...bits do you have?” “Well combined with Octavia’s and a few that I lost last night...I say about five thousand fifty-five. And seeing how what you told me how much each that would be...what like...what about a billion or so yen or something, right?” Vinyl asked. “Wait wouldn’t that mean we’re freaking rich or something?” “I doubt it seeing how we can’t use our currency to buy stuff with it here.” “You can, but you need to have it in our country’s currency. I’ll see what I can do about that but for now.” Dojima pulled away from the table he was sitting at and motioned Vinyl and Octavia to follow him. “Let’s get you both situated with your living arrangements.” “This day just gets weirder and weirder by the second,” Octavia said as she and Vinyl followed Dojima and Adachi out of the room.
