Broken Record

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 3
Epilogue

Chapter 1

Chronology notes:
Stop! You are reading the Eighth story in the series started by The Kindness of Strangers!

Please read The Kindness of Strangers first!
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/389/

The second part of the story is Putting the Pieces Back Together found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/407/

The third part of the story is Midnight in the Heart of Equestria found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/419/

The fourth part of the story is Tomorrow is Always a New Day found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/433/

The fifth part of the story is To Each Their Own found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/526/

The sixith part of the story is Imperfect found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/600/

This story is the direct sequel to Paradiso found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/687/

Broken Record
Chapter 1

“My name is Vinyl Scratch. Artist, musician, jack of all trades and master of none, Though you may be more familiar with my stage name: DJ Pon3.”

“Vinyl? Who are you talking to?”

Vinyl Scratch looked up from where she was laying. She was in Twilight Sparkle’s Library, lying on her sofa. It had become her home away from home, if she could call any of her three apartments in Canterlot, Manehattan, and Fillydelphia hope.

“Twilight Sparkle, there is something very important that you need to know about me: I talk to myself, alot,” Vinyl said with a grin. “Did I wake you?”

The lavender unicorn smiled back at her. “No, I was up to begin with, Rainbow snores.”

“I know! I can hear her down here,” Vinyl said with a smile. “You must have really worn her out.”

Twilight turned bright red. “Vinyl!”

“Relax! It’s perfectly normal! I would know!” Vinyl grinned mischievously.

Twilight deadpanned her. “Vinyl Scratch. There is nothing about you that is perfectly normal.”

“You make an excellent point!”

Twilight smiled at her friend and bid her goodnight, she returned upstairs to her sleeping partner, leaving Vinyl alone down stairs. Vinyl chuckled at Twilight and Rainbow Dash, her only two friends in town had recently become romantically involved with each other, something Vinyl Scratch had seen coming kilometres away.

No, that wasn’t exactly true. They weren’t her only friends, She’d recently made friends with a kangaroo who’d been living in town, Benjamin Willoughby. Bonding with the kangaroo had been difficult, as he was highly introverted and preferred keeping to himself, though Vinyl figured that might have something to do with his training and his life experiences.

Benjamin Willoughby was a member of The King’s Own South Island Dragoons. An armoured cavalry regiment of the Commonwealth of South Island Army, holding the rank of trooper. South Island was at war with the Twin Gryphon Kingdoms, Equestria’s neighbouring country. Vinyl Scratch, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle had met Willoughby in the Hoofson Bay Area, a neutral territory that the gryphons had occupied to strip mine for resources. Vinyl had met Twilight and Rainbow on their way to find a missing ambassador when they had been captured by an overzealous gryphon known as Gilda. Willoughby and the rest of the crew he belonged to had saved the three mares at the last minute, bonding the ponies and kangaroos together.

That all seemed like ancient history at this point. It made the rest of her life seem prehistoric. Vinyl chuckled at her own joke, rolling over on her back and looking up at the ceiling.

Friendship, real friendship, was something that had been few and far between during most of her life. Not that she was socially awkward or anything, she’d just never had much of an opportunity to make friends as a filly. What was the point when your parents just decided one day that they were picking up and moving after living in a place for only two months?

She’d had a few, but could remember only a few of their names and none of their faces. She wouldn’t recognise any of them were they to bump into each other on the street tomorrow, and likely they wouldn’t either.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true, Vinyl was somewhat famous. She wasn’t Sapphire Shores famous, not by any means of the word, but she was famous in her own niche.

No, that wasn’t exactly true either. DJ Pon3 was famous; nopony knew who Vinyl Scratch was. On the converse, Vinyl had spent many nights with ponies that she had neglected to learn the names of either. So really, she had no right to complain, which she didn’t.

“You must be getting old, Vinyl, you’re getting nostalgic for your old life,” she said, quietly to herself.

Vinyl Scratch didn’t know where she was born. There were records of it, sure, and she could find them if she tried, but she had never really seen the point, her first memories were of Marenassass, an independent city between Canterlot and Fillydelphia provinces. She remembered playing in the front garden of her house when her father came home from his job, telling her that he’d gotten a new job and that they would be moving. They had lived there for three months.
Her father was something of a sore subject. Vinyl Scratch immensely disliked her father; he was lazy, impertinent, and arrogant. He couldn’t hold a job if his life depended on it. Vinyl knew now that her father could have been much worse, he could have been an alcoholic, he could have abused her, but he didn’t. That role belonged to her mother.

Vinyl’s mother was always angry about something, and her drinking habit usually made it worse. Generally, she was angry about her husband, not being able to keep a job. Money had always been tight, but most of it went to pay for mother’s alcohol. Vinyl hated her on the drink, when mum started drinking, the last thing she wanted to do was be around otherwise she was liable for a beating. Vinyl had been relatively well behaved for a child, but her mother always found an excuse to punish her.

She had realised early on in life that her parents weren’t going to provide for her. If she wanted to get anywhere, she would have to do it herself. She spent most of her days out in the city, gathering up bottles, tin cans, and all amounts of refuse that she could in order to turn in for money. It didn’t get her much, but enough to get by.

She remembered the time her mother found her stash of money under her bed, accused her of stealing, gave her a good beating, and then took her money to buy more booze. Vinyl became much better at hiding things after that, a skill that she would put to great use much later in life.

Then one day, her father came home and announced that they were moving again. Vinyl’s family had been living in Manehattan at this time, and Vinyl was about the age of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She told her father flatly that she wasn’t going with them.

She didn’t need her parents to survive. She’d pretty much been doing it on her own, and what was she getting for living with them? A dead beat dad and an abusive mother, the roof over her head was of no consequence, it was with that, Vinyl Scratch packed her few possessions and went out into the Manehattan streets to live on her own, to this day, she hadn’t seen her parents since that fateful day, but it didn’t matter, they were dead to her.

Of course, life on her own was still difficult for a young filly, all alone in the big city. She was young, idealistic, and naive, and here she was, living alone, in the underworld of Manehattan, Equestria’s hive of scum and villainy. Manehattan wasn’t like Canterlot, not by a long shot. The royal guard kept Canterlot practically crime free, it had the distinction of being a big city, with small town safety. The city ponies in Canterlot behaved themselves, because they knew that Princess Celestia was watching them. Manehattan didn’t have that luxury.

Vinyl had been forced to do things as a filly. Things that Twilight or Rainbow Dash would cringe at. Things that Vinyl still cringed at in the dead of night.

Her eyes had grown heavy, and began to droop. Vinyl Scratch drifted off to sleep, dreaming of her mother beating her.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“The bloody hell is that doing here?”

Captain Reginald Blackthorn and Lieutenant William Cutting were sitting in an observation post at the top of the tallest tree they could find in the Everfree forest, the two kangaroos were looking out to the west, having spotted a target moving towards the forest from the far side of the forest.

“Lost, it’s got to be!” Cutting said, giving his opinion.

“Sure is, four hundred kilometres into the Equestrian border? Pretty damn lost! Four hundred kilometres is a long way to go, think of how many could have seen Lef-tenant!” Blackthorn said half-heartedly.

“Consider how many might not have, there’s a lot of sparsely populated countryside to travel, if it is lost, that might explain why it hasn’t gone back yet.” Cutting said.

“In any case, get somebody down there and take care of it!”

...

There weren’t a lot of tried and true ways for a street urchin to make money. There was one, however, that worked extremely well, assuming that you didn’t get caught.

Zap was the commodity in Manehattan in this day and age. What seemed like everypony wanted it, and worse, there was plenty to go around. Vinyl was ashamed of the fact that just after leaving home, she’d been roped into dealing zap for a very nasty Gnoll by the name of Trigger.

Gnolls, known colloquially as ‘Diamond Dogs,’ were native to the Splendid Valley, which was a fair distance from Manehattan, that didn’t stop a few of them who were exceptionally greedy to travel this far west. Gnolls loved gems and shiny things, and Trigger was quite smitten with the Equestrian Bit. When Vinyl started working for him, she’d thought that she’d gotten a good deal, she’d been allowed to keep five per cent of the profits for herself, and the remaining ninety five went back to him, and he would certainly know if she had been cheating. She didn’t dare steal from Trigger, he would make the beatings given to her by her mother seem like a mild spanking.

And so here Vinyl was, dealing zap on a street corner, taking all the risk, and not making anything for herself in return. Trigger had given her a place to live and food to eat, but it turned out it was nothing more than a scam to sap more money out from under the young filly, not yet old enough to have her cutie mark, in the end, she was lucky to be living on a hundred bits a month during the middle of a recession.

Despite being on the short end of the stick of their arrangement, Trigger kept Vinyl around, she was popular with his customers, and many would seek her out and buy from her especially, when customers came around, Vinyl would occasionally sing a few of the songs that she knew. She wasn’t the best singer in Equestria, but she wasn’t bad either.

“Blue Moon! Now I’m no longer alone! /Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own!” Vinyl sang.

A small crowd had gathered listening to the unicorn filly sing, she finished up the song, and had nearly an entire city block stomping their hooves in applause, even everyday people began giving her bits just for the singing that she did.

Trigger found out quickly and generously allowed her to keep six per cent of the money she got from singing.

Then one morning, everything changed. Vinyl was out in the streets, singing and selling zap, when she looked up, hearing a loud booming noise, and sky filled with a band of expanding colour. Vinyl recognised it as the fabled Sonic Rainboom, from a story that her father had told her when he wasn’t being a self-righteous bastard.

Vinyl knew at that point that she wanted to sing about that, but she knew no songs about such an event. She had the brilliant idea that she would make one up!

She knew nothing about music, she could sing, kind of, but she couldn’t make a song. She went to the library and found a book on music theory, which would basically become her best friend. She’d come in to the library, return it, and then take it out again with such frequency that the head librarian would eventually give it to her, since no pony else was clearly using it.

Vinyl spent months with her head buried in that book learning how to make music, arranging her song about the Rainboom carefully so that would be perfect, and five months later, her work paid off.

She preformed her song the next morning, and hadn’t even been able to finish before the applause started, the city ponies started throwing bits at her by the dozen for her performance, but despite all the money that she’d made from her song, nearly all of it going to Trigger anyway, Vinyl earned something more important, her cutie mark, a barred quaver, appeared.

Vinyl knew at this point that music was her calling. She wanted nothing more than to write music.

The problem was, getting Trigger to let her.

...

Vinyl Scratch awoke from her slumber, raising her head off her pillow. It was early, probably around four.

“Why am I awake at this hour?” she groaned to herself, she wanted to close her eyes and go back to sleep, but that wasn’t happening. Sleep had become out of the question, she decided that a walk wasn’t out of the question. Donning her goggles and saddlebag, she quietly stepped out of the library.

“Just like birds of a feather, a rainbow together we’ll find! / Volare! Oh Oh/ E Contare oh oh oh oh!” she sang to herself, as she often did on walks. Unfortunately, the other residents of Ponyville were exactly glad to hear the song.

Vinyl heard a window open, and a mare called out to her. “Do you mind!? Trixie is trying to sleep!”

Vinyl looked up at the window to discover Trixie half hanging out from it, looking down at her.

“Heh, sorry Trixie! My bad!” Vinyl called back to her.

“Vinyl Scratch... Trixie knows you’re a musician, but she requests that you wait until everypony is awake before singing!”

Trixie pulled her head back inside the window, and presumably went back to sleep.

Vinyl continued walking, and discovered the relatively unfamiliar figure of a kangaroo in the street. Oddity, they weren’t usually up this early. Then again, neither was she, Vinyl got closer to the kangaroo and discovered that it was the Tank Driver, Corporal McNair.

“Hey! Driver Nephi! What’s going on?” Vinyl asked.

McNair looked at her blankly, before feebly responding. “My name is McNair...”

“I know what your name is Stephen,” Vinyl said plainly, “What’s going on?”

“I’m... not allowed to tell you,” McNair said softly.

“Aw come on! That’s lame sauce! Tell me what’s going on!” Vinyl said, mock pleading with the kangaroo.

“Vinyl... I’m serious, I can’t tell you. I’ve been specifically ordered not to,” McNair said.

Vinyl’s grin vanished. “It’s... not bad, is it?”

“I’m not allowed to tell you,” McNair repeated.

Vinyl frowned. “Of course not... whatever it is? Stay safe.”

McNair nodded at the unicorn as she went about her way.

That was disconcerting. Something was bothering the kangaroo, but she wasn’t allowed to know what it was? It meant that gryphons were probably involved.

Or other kangaroos.

Vinyl had met the kangaroos of No.38/42 Commando, Lieutenant Cutting was decent, Captain Blackthorn reminded Vinyl of her father, and she’d only had words with a few others. She walked to the edge of Everfree, opened her saddle bag and levitated out her 11mm magnum revolver that she’d reclaimed from Twilight’s care.

Everfree had never been a safe place, and she wasn’t going a millimetre inside it without a little assurance.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Vinyl froze; she heard a quiet plinking noise off in the distance. Any other pony wouldn’t have been able to hear it. The noise belonged to silenced submachine gun fire.

Vinyl picked up speed, rushing towards the source of the gunfire, the kangaroo commandos were in trouble and she had to help. Then the gunfire stopped, Vinyl wandered into the kangaroo commando encampment, and lying on the ground was the body of a manticore.

“Bloody hell! This forest is a death trap! How can something so big be that quiet?” one of the kangaroo commandos called out.

“I do believe you were warned,” Vinyl said. Poor choice on her part, as the commandos all swung their submachine guns around, pointing them at Vinyl and cocking them.

“Guns down lads,” Captain Blackthorn ordered as he hopped over to where the unicorn was standing. “You can put that away.”

Vinyl looked at her magnum revolver, nodding, and slipping it back into her saddlebag. “Captain Blackthorn.”

“Vinyl Scratch. Mind explaining what you’re doing here?” Blackthorn asked.

“Mind explaining what you’ve ordered the cavalry boys to keep quiet about?” Vinyl said flatly, answering Blackthorn’s question and asking one of her own in the process. “I’m guessing that you wouldn’t take too kindly to having anyone know you’re out here. If I haven’t done enough to earn your boy’s trust, then we’re going to start having some serious problems.”

“Are you threatening me, Vinyl Scratch?” Blackthorn asked.

“I’m giving you something to think about,” Vinyl said plainly.

Blackthorn looked back at Lieutenant Cutting, who nodded at him; Vinyl had been a trustworthy and valuable ally to the kangaroos so far.

Blackthorn agreed with Cutting, and gave in. “You want to know? Fine, I’ll show you.”

...

Freedom. Vinyl Scratch had freedom. She’d been out of Trigger’s employment for several years at this point; she spent most of her time at the public library, teaching herself everything she could about music. If she was going to be able to pay Trigger off, it would be through writing music.

Vinyl had her muzzle deep into a book, not paying attention to anything going on around her. She hadn’t seen the pony that had come up to her.

“So, you’re the pony that’s hauled off the entire music section.”

Vinyl jumped slightly, standing over her was a dark grey earth pony with a treble cleft cutie mark.
“Well?” the earth pony said again.

“Oh... uh, sorry, do... you need one of these?” Vinyl asked.

The earth pony smiled at her. “No, I’m merely surprised that anypony else uses the music section besides me. I’m Octavia.”

“Vinyl Scratch,” Vinyl said with a grin.

Octavia quickly became the first real friend that Vinyl had had in a very long time. They got together to study music, which naturally progressed into hanging out at coffee shops, going shopping, gossiping about celebrities, and eventually, getting involved in the club scene.

The first time that Vinyl had gone to a club had certainly been the most memorable. She listened to the music; it was unlike anything else she had ever heard of before. She loved it, the bass, the machine gun beats, the scratching of a record.

That was the sound that hooked her. She went out and got herself a turntable the very next day.

“You? A DJ? You’re kidding me,” Octavia said. “House music is so... low, Vinyl, any idiot with a turntable can do it. You can do so much better!”

“Well, fortunately for me, I just happen to be an idiot with a turntable!” Vinyl said with a grin.

Despite her initial misgivings, Octavia was incredibly supportive. Vinyl worked hard to make her routine perfect, and it was something that Octavia could respect, though she did think that Vinyl could have easily become a great composer of classical music.

Vinyl had gotten herself a gig, DJing opening for another, when Octavia had approached her.

“While I think that you could be doing so much better... but I figured that you simply can’t go out there without any... gear, so I got you these,” Octavia said, presenting Vinyl Scratch with a pair of violet goggles.

Vinyl smiled, donning the goggles and smiling brightly. “Hey! These are cool!”

Octavia looked over her goggle clad friend and groaned loudly. “By Celestia! I think I’ve created a monster!”

Both mares giggled.

...

“What am I looking at?” Vinyl Scratch asked as she looked out into the clearing on the western end of Everfree forest.

“What does it look like?” Blackthorn asked.

“It looks like you have twenty tied up gryphons and a tank,” Vinyl said.

“Good eyes, because we do have twenty tied up gryphons and a tank,” Blackthorn said mischievously. “Mark VIII Cruiser tank, to be more precise.”

“That’s all fine and dandy,” Vinyl said. “What is it doing here?”

“See the gryphons? It chased them here. According to the commander, a Sergeant Wilkes, he didn’t realise he’d chased them into Equestria, and with no markings on the border, had no idea he’d left the Hoofson Bay Area until we told him.”

Vinyl frowned. “You do realise, that if word gets back to the Twin Gryphon Kingdoms that so many kangaroos are in Equestria, they’ll think Equestria and South Island have joined forces and declare war.”

“You think we haven’t realised that?” Blackthorn said. “You think it’s what we want? Because it isn’t, South Island is doing fine in the war and doesn’t need to drag Equestria into it... We were sent here because we’d heard rumours of Gryphons infiltrating Equestria, and High Command is ready to extend the hand of friendship and help should the Gryphons declare war... right now though? We want to stop the war from spilling over if we can help it.”

Vinyl frowned at the kangaroo. “Newsflash Captain! You’ve failed! That platoon that attacked me, Willoughby, and Cutting in Whitetail was proof enough that you failed! Now you have twenty prisoners on Equestrian soil!”

Blackthorn nodded. “We’d leave if we could, really, we would. Fact of the matter is, both tanks don’t have enough fuel to get back, and No.38 Commando’s now deceased commanding officer accidentally set the fuel that they had brought with them... along with most of the forest on fire.”

Vinyl scowled at the kangaroo. “If the gryphons declare war, we’re going to have a serious problem, captain.”

She turned and left the kangaroos to their own devices. This was getting out of hand.

...

Vinyl had loved it, the lights, the colours, the sounds of her DJing performance, but what she loved the most was that by the time she had finished, the club ponies began stomping in applause.

Vinyl Scratch’s life had begun to turn up, for the first time, she was happy. Everything was going her way.

Trigger had accidentally swallowed a bit and choked to death on it, the police seized his funds and nopony stepped in and directly took over his business, Vinyl was rich. She had all the money that Trigger had given her, intending to scam her out of future earnings and now she didn’t have to pay it back.

Vinyl Scratch and money, however, did not end up being a good combination, as time went by. Her life became dedicated to pure hedonism. Vinyl partied, she started drinking heavily, she became addicted to zap, and soon enough, Octavia had become the designated, “keep Vinyl Scratch from dying” pony.

Vinyl had practically ceased to be Vinyl Scratch; she’d adopted the stage name of DJ Pon3. Something that which Octavia dismissed as childish, but Vinyl insisted was “cool.”

Vinyl had never realised how much Octavia truly cared about her until recently. She had put up with more than a fair share of garbage from the unicorn, and what had she done in return? Vinyl repaid Octavia’s kindness by vomiting on her after having too much to drink and regularly ditching her to have a-less-than-romantic-more-about-pleasure-encounter with a Stallion and/or Mare that she didn’t know the names of.

The night that Octavia had given Vinyl Scratch her goggles, she had said that she’d created a monster, they’d laughed about it, but it hadn’t ended up being a joke like they’d intended.

It had become the truth.

A drunken Vinyl Scratch and Octavia were walking home from a club one night, it was an odd situation, as Vinyl would usually ditch Octavia by this point for a late night romp, but for some reason that Vinyl could not recall, on account of the drunkenness, she had not done it that night.

Vinyl stumbled along while Octavia guided her home.

“I loves you O!” Vinyl said, nuzzling her friend as they walked. “You’re my bestest friend! Always lookin’ out for me.”

“Easy there lover-girl, I’m not one of the ponies you usually go home with!” Octavia said plainly.

“Sometimes I wish you were!” Vinyl said. “Sometimes I pretend they’re you!”

“I really don’t need to know about your love life, Vinyl,” Octavia said.

“Some love life, those ponies don’t love me, they love DJ Pon3, and the booze and the drugs!” Vinyl said. “Not like you! You were my friend before DJ Pon3. That’s why I loves you!”

And with that, Vinyl vomited in the street, passing out and requiring Octavia to carry her back to her apartment.

“I love you too Vinyl Scratch...” Octavia said quietly as she carried her friend off into the night.

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The late night walk was supposed to put her at ease. Now the sun had risen and Vinyl Scratch was anything but. She was walking along the path between Everfree and Ponyville; there was a small cottage, with a Pegasus pony standing in the front garden, watering her flowers.

Vinyl had stopped and started watching absentmindedly, and that was about the time the yellow Pegasus looked up at her. Their eyes met, and Vinyl Scratch felt rather creepy having stood and watched.

“Uh... hi!” Vinyl said, trying to defuse the situation. “I like your flowers, they’re very... nice.”

Smooth, Vinyl Scratch, very smooth.

“Thank you,” the Pegasus said quietly, looking down at the ground.

“I’m Vinyl Scratch, what’s your name?” Vinyl asked. Brilliant, now you’re making this more awkward. Good for you Vinyl.

“Fluttershy...” the Pegasus said quietly.

Fluttershy... that sounded familiar.

“Oh? You’re Fluttershy?” Vinyl said. “Twilight and Rainbow Dash told me about you!”

“Oh? You know Twilight and Rainbow?” Fluttershy said, apparently, being friends with those two had put Fluttershy more at ease. “Oh, you must be the unicorn that they met going to the Hoofson bay.”

“Yep! That’s me, Vinyl Scratch,” Vinyl said with a smile.

“I haven’t seen a lot of Twilight or Rainbow recently,” Fluttershy said. “Not since they got... you know, together. I didn’t want to come visit while they were... you know, together.”

Well, if that wasn’t the best way of making it awkward, Vinyl Scratch didn’t know what was.

“Heh, yeah, I live with them now, Twilight has quite the pair of lungs... if you know what I mean,” Vinyl said with a grin.

Fluttershy blushed, she did.

“Well, I’m going to let you get back to... whatever it is you’re doing, nice talking to you!” Vinyl said, and trotted away, Fluttershy gave her a quiet goodbye.

That was the single most awkward conversation of her entire life.

...

Vinyl was well experienced with hangovers at this time in her life. By Celestia, they hurt. She rolled out of bed and found Octavia sleeping on her couch.

“O?” she called out to her.

Octavia opened her eyes. “Good morning, drunk and disorderly,” she said sarcastically.

“I’m not drunk... yet!” Vinyl said with a grin. “As for disorderly...”

Vinyl crossed the room to the couch and laid down on it and began snuggling with Octavia who groaned in annoyance.

“Do you remember what you said to me last night?” Octavia asked.

“Nope! Why?” Vinyl asked.

“You told me that you loved me... and that you wanted me,” Octavia said. “Considering how drunk you were, I’m not surprised, you’ll mount anything that moves when you’re drunk.”

“Heh! Did I really? Well to be honest, you are kind of hot,” Vinyl said with a mischievous grin.

“Now you’re just saying that to mess with me,” Octavia said with mild annoyance. “Because you know I’m not into mares.”

“Oh Octavia! You know me so well!” Vinyl said snuggling her friend inappropriately.

“Stop that. I will not hesitate to kick your teeth in!” Octavia said.

“Oh you’re no fun!” Vinyl said, letting her friend go.

Vinyl realised now that Octavia didn’t have time to be fun, making sure that Vinyl didn’t suddenly die had become something of a full time job for the earth pony.

“Where we goin’ tonight?” Vinyl asked.

“Vinyl? Is it necessary to party every day of the week?” Octavia asked.

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Vinyl said with a grin. “Come on party pooper!”

“Fine,” Octavia growled.

“All right! Can’t think of anything else I’d rather do than spend the night hanging out with my best friend!” Vinyl cried in excitement.

Octavia knew that Vinyl was just going to get drunk and ditch her for some random club pony, but she went with her anyway. She put up with it; she hadn’t the heart to tell her how horrible a friend Vinyl was.

...

“What are we going to do with them?”

Captain Blackthorn hadn’t the faintest idea, they had twenty gryphons prisoner, and they hadn’t the resources to move them. Particularly not without being seen. They couldn’t leave the Mark VIII cruiser tank behind either. Not to mention Tebbs and his crew living in Ponyville.

Blackthorn was out of options.

“Sir?” Cutting asked again.

“Lef-tenant Cutting? How would you fancy a trip into town?” Blackthorn asked.

...

The two kangaroos hopped out of the Everfree forest, past Fluttershy’s cottage, the Pegasus was still standing outside, watering her flowers, she looked up to see the two kangaroos, and instinctively dropped her can.

Blackthorn and Cutting entered town, Everypony set their eyes upon them. All movement in town, they entered the centre of town, everypony was watching them in silence.

“Could someone please tell me, where I can find Twilight Sparkle?” Blackthorn asked. Everypony pointed towards the Library, Blackthorn and Cutting hopped along the high street and promptly knocked upon the door.

Twilight opened the door and gasped slightly. “I don’t know you.”

“No, no you don’t,” Blackthorn said. “We need to have words.”

...

“You’ve been spying on us,” Twilight said angrily. “How long? How long has South Island been spying on Equestria?”

Blackthorn sighed. “Seven months,” he said plainly.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “What? You’ve been in the Everfree forest for seven months!?”

Blackthorn shook his head in negative. “No, my team has only been here a few days... Before that, South Island sent a single commando by the name of Roy Melbourne to ascertain the possibility of an alliance between Equestria and South Island. Sergeant Melbourne has since been reassigned to the Hoofson Bay.”

Twilight’s mouth fell open in surprise; she had met Roy Melbourne during an ill-fated walkabout in the Mohoofie Desert several months prior.

“Melbourne spoke highly of you in his after contact report, I quote: ‘Twilight Sparkle has a good head on her shoulders, she’s clever, she might even be a genius, but she’s being hindered by a lack of knowledge about the outside world. Not exactly her fault, none of these ponies seems to know anything about the rest of the world either.’” Blackthorn said.

“What exactly are you hoping to accomplish here Captain?” Twilight asked.

“CSI has been trying to get an ambassador into Equestria for years, but the requests are always turned down, come back nearly as fast as they get sent with the same message. No. I understand you have certain... pull with your countries leader. I would like you to convince her to see the ambassador,” Blackthorn said politely.

“What happens if I say no?” Twilight asked.

“Then we go back into the Everfree forest, pack up out gear, and walk to the border between Equestria and the Hoofson bay. We’re not gryphons, Twilight Sparkle. If we were, I’d have my pistol out and pointed at your head, telling you to do it or I’d blow your head off,” Blackthorn said.

“I’ll do it,” Twilight said. “But do be aware, you are asking a lot from me. When the time comes, I’ll be asking for just as big a favour from you.”

“Duly noted, CSI is in your debt,” Blackthorn said.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Twilight said. “Princess Celestia is not going to be happy that you’re here and is quite likely to... deal, with you personally.”

Blackthorn looked at her and gave a slight smile. “I’m a Commando, ma’am. I’m already dead.”

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“Canterlot, huh?” Vinyl Scratch said. “Going to be gone long?”

“A few days, tops. I figured that a letter wouldn’t cut it... not like Spike is around to send it anyway,” Twilight said, she was packing her saddlebag with a few days previsions.

“You know, I’ve been meaning to ask, where is the little guy anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“You remember that dragon a few months back? The one that practically destroyed the town, He was a member of the Green Dragonflight; they’re not the most friendly. Spike is playing ambassador... officially anyway, there’s a more capable pony that’s actually doing the negotiating,” Twilight said.

“You know, I’m kind of surprised it didn’t come up sooner.” Rainbow said with a shrug.

“We have been kind of busy keeping the world from exploding every five seconds,” Twilight reasoned as she slipped her saddlebags on her haunches. She had conceded to Blackthorn’s request and was off to visit with Princess Celestia, a task that she was not looking forward to in the slightest.

“No funny business while I’m gone!” Twilight said, pointing at Rainbow Dash. “If I fall victim to any pranks when I come back, you’re butt is sleeping outside until the end of summer.”

Rainbow Dash was taken aback by Twilight’s statement. Twilight merely grinned at her, and walked out. It took Rainbow Dash a full minute to realise that Twilight had been making a joke.

“They grow up so fast!” Vinyl said with mock sniffles, sounding as if she was a proud parent sending their child off to university.

“Shut up Vinyl.”

...

Crash was the bane of existence for the Manehattan Police Service, as it was for Vinyl Scratch, for very different reasons. The police were very aware of her time as a drugs dealer for Trigger when she was younger, and had every reason to suspect that she might be dealing in crash. Looking back on it, she couldn’t blame the MPS for this line of thought; she’d been the most infamous zap dealer in Manehattan when she was a filly. Though, as time went on, more ponies came to her for her singing than what she was dealing. Regardless, that wasn’t enough to keep MPS from leaving her alone.

Vinyl was regularly visited by Uniformed Police Constables and warned not to loiter, and on occasion, a Detective from CID would try to buy from her. Vinyl could always tell who was a police officer and who wasn’t, she’d never been caught. Of course, being caught didn’t matter, Every Detective Constable and up at CID knew who she was and what she did. They could just never prove it.

Those times were in the past. Vinyl hadn’t dealt in years, she was using now instead, she had never touched zap in her time as a dealer, she wasn’t stupid, trying the stuff would have been stealing from Trigger. Stealing from Trigger would mean a ruthless beating that would put anything her mother had given her to shame.

Zap wasn’t popular anymore though, now it was crash.

Vinyl liked to go on walks in the evenings before heading to a club; every so often she’d catch a DC following her.

“You’re wasting your time; I know you’re a copper!” She’d call out. Most of the time, she’d take a turn and the DC would keep on walking trying to stay cool, rarely, they’d turn around and walk the other way in defeat. Particularly brave ones would continue to follow, usually taking steps to lag behind.

Regardless, they were wasting their time; Vinyl was exceptionally good at hiding things.

Vinyl had been off zap for several months by the time she’d gotten hooked on crash. Octavia had begged her to get off zap; the usually collected earth pony had broken down in tears upon asking her to give it up. She’d promised Octavia she’d kick the habit, and did get rehabilitated for it.

Unfortunately, it did not last; Vinyl Scratch had never been able to keep her promises to Octavia. She had become addicted to crash pretty much day one that it appeared on the streets. Knowing that Octavia would not be pleased with her, she hid her use of the drug from her, and managed to keep it from her for several weeks. She had always been good at hiding things.

...

“Pinkie Pie? Are you here?”

Vinyl Scratch had wandered into the banks of the lake of origin, looking around for the pink pony. She saw nothing but herself in the lake.

Wait. If she saw herself only as she was now, that meant...

Vinyl Scratch turned to her left, Pinkie Pie was sitting only a few metres away, looking down into the lake. She was crying.

“I’ve decided I no longer want to be called Pinkie Pie, It’s too... fun,” the pink pony said. “I don’t feel like fun right now.”

Vinyl Scratch trotted over to where the pink pony was sitting, and plopped herself down next to her. “Fair enough, what would you like me to call you?”

“What do you care?” the pink pony asked.

“That’s an interesting choice for a name, ‘what do you care’ it is then,” Vinyl said with a grin.

Pinkie Pie gave Vinyl a look that felt like a hundred knives were being driven into the unicorn’s belly. “Call me Pinkamena. It’s my birth name.”

“Nice to meet you Pinkamena, I’m Vinyl Scratch,” Vinyl said, offering a hoof to shake. Pinkie Pie did not accept it; she merely stared at it for a few moments before looking back across the lake.

After a few minutes, Vinyl spoke again. “I’m not putting it down until you shake,” she said grinning at her. Reluctantly, Pinkie took the hoof for a quick shake, lasting merely a second before she turned back to look at the lake again.

“Do you like looking at the lake?” Vinyl asked.

“No. It only shows bad things,” Pinkie Pie said. “I look at it because that’s what I deserve.”

Vinyl put her hoof around Pinkie Pie’s shoulder, pulling her close to her. “That’s not true! Not true at all! Nopony deserves bad things unless they’ve done bad things to others.”

“I have done bad things to others. I beat up my friends,” Pinkie Pie said quietly.

“Maybe, but I’m sure that if you asked for their forgiveness, that they’d give it to you! Twilight and Rainbow care about you Pinkamena!” Vinyl said reassuringly.

Pinkie Pie turned her head and looked into Vinyl’s eyes. “No they don’t. They care about Pinkie Pie, and Pinkie Pie isn’t real. Never was,” she said sadly.

“You might be surprised that they’ll like you as you really are!” Vinyl said trying to reassure her.

Pinkie Pie was not having it, her eyes became very small, and her frown turned to a look of anger. “Why would anypony like this!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, pushing Vinyl off her. “Nopony wants a friend like me! Don’t ever come back here or I’ll kill you!”

Pinkie Pie ran off into the tree line, sobbing loudly as she ran, Vinyl frowned, and while nopony could see it behind her goggles, she was crying to. She rose to her hooves, and walked back towards town. Being a friend was the first thing on the list of things in life she’d failed at.

...

“You know, I really shouldn’t be surprised, but here I am, surprised anyway,” Octavia had said sadly.

“You worry too much O. I got this!” Vinyl had said. She realised now that she had been trying to convince herself just as much as she had Octavia.

“No you don’t, Vinyl. You’re an addict.”

“I am NOT an addict! I... I can quit anytime I want,” Cheesy. Vinyl Scratch was supposed to be the witty one.

That had been the night Vinyl Scratch and Octavia’s friendship had ended. Vinyl had broken Octavia’s jaw late one night in a Manehattan club washroom. Octavia had been trying to help; she’d been trying to dump Vinyl Scratch’s stash of crash down a sink to keep the unicorn from killing herself with it.

Vinyl repaid the kindness the only way she’d known how, by hurting Octavia, this time physically.

September 22nd, Year 1001 of Celestia’s reign, was the end of a friendship. She’d been taken to the Royal hospital in Canterlot’s drug rehabilitation centre, the best of its kind in all Equestria, treated for her addiction, and for the first time in a long time, Vinyl Scratch’s head was clear, free of the influence of zap, crash, and alcohol. She realised just how awful she’d been.

And that needed fixing.

That was when that earth pony doctor, black coat and mane, eyes of amber came to her and suggested that she travelled. The Hoofson bay was nice, he’d said. Travelling would do her a world of good, it’d get her head clear, and in the place she’d belong.

It had, Vinyl Scratch had met Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash on that trip. It had been the most important event of her life.

She barely remembered the earth pony doctor; she probably wouldn’t even recognise him without his medical coat on if she saw him tomorrow. She owed him her thanks.

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Twilight Sparkle stood at the door of the throne room of Princess Celestia’s castle, she was hesitant to go in, and rightfully so, she had no idea how the Princess would react to the request. Equestria had been refusing ambassadors from the Commonwealth of South Island for years, and Twilight knew not why.

Reluctantly, she entered the door and approached the princess. “Your Highness. I apologise for asking to see you on such short notice.”

“Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Celestia said with a smile, “I can always clear a busy schedule to see you, my most faithful student, and I know that you would not ask if it were not of the upmost importance.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “I’ve come here ferrying a request... for a friend.”

“A friend? I see that they did not accompany you, most unfortunate, is this a new friend?” Princess Celesta said.

“Yes,” Twilight said. “Relatively new yes, we felt that it would not be... appropriate for him to accompany me.”

“Oh? It’s a he?” Celestia said, smiling playfully.

“He is also a kangaroo,” Twilight said, Princess Celestia’s smile began to fade, she knew what was coming.

“He has asked me to request that you accept an ambassador from the Commonwealth of South Island,” Twilight said, she swallowed hard, things were either about to become very bad, or very good, and Twilight frankly did not know which.

“Has he?” Princess Celestia said plainly, Twilight was worried, but ended up being caught off guard by what Princess Celestia said next: “Tell me Twilight Sparkle, do you think I should accept an ambassador from South Island?”

“You... you’re asking me Princess? That’s such an important choice!” Twilight proclaimed.

“Indeed it is,” Celestia said, nodding her head in agreement. “A decision that I would make with my sister, however as she is... indisposed, at the moment. I turn to your counsel.”

Twilight didn’t like that she’d been put on the spot like that, she was afraid of making the wrong decision, and what the Princess would do if she made it. She weighed the options carefully, as she thought about it, she realised that Blackthorn’s request had been that, a request. He hadn’t demanded it of her, he’d asked, politely in fact!

“Yes, yes, I think you should accept the ambassador,” Twilight said. “The kangaroo that asked me is an honourable individual with noble intentions, his request was genuine.”

“Very well then, I shall accept an ambassador from the Commonwealth of South Island into my court. I thank you for your council, my faithful student,” Celestia said regally.

Twilight felt as if she’d had a boulder lifted off her shoulders, she relaxed, and bowed respectfully towards her mentor. “How is Princess Luna?”

...

Twilight and Princess Celestia were standing outside Princess Luna’s room, in her private ward inside the Royal Hospital. Two guards were posted at the door, not willing to let anyone in without Princess Celestia’s explicit order. (Apart from the doctors who were treating her.)

They stood aside and allowed them entry. They opened the door, and Princess Luna was lying on the floor in the corner of her padded cell, bound in a straight jacket, rocking back and forth.

“Fly me to the moon! Let me play among the stars...” she sang, but stopped as she heard the door open. Rolling around to face the door. “Stay the fuck away from me!”

Twilight stepped back in surprise at the Princess’ profane outburst.

“Luna?” Celestia said sweetly. “It’s me! Tia and Twilight Sparkle!”

Luna gasped. “Twilight Sparkle! Twilight! Twilight! Please! Come here! Come here!”

Twilight looked to Celestia for guidance, the Princess ushered her forward, but gave her a look that emphasised caution.

Twilight slowly approached the fallen Princess, kneeling down in front of her.

“Hi Luna, how are you?” Twilight said, realising almost instantly as the words rolled off her tongue that she likely didn’t want to hear the response.

“They’re hurting me!” Luna cried out. “They eyes! They’re hurting me so much! Help me Twilight, please! Save me from them! They won’t stop hurting me!”

“Who are they Princess?” Twilight asked.

“They eyes! They are them! They hurt me, torturing me! They always have, and always will! Help me! Please!” Luna cried out.

Twilight rose and stepped back from the Princess in fear.

“No! Twilight! Don’t leave me! You have to help me! Please don’t abandon me to them!” Luna cried out.

Twilight couldn’t bear to watch any more. She and Celestia backed out from the room, Luna screamed her name, shouting for them to come back and help her.

The guards closed the door, and Twilight looked to Princess Celestia. “She’s... insane.”

Celestia nodded sadly in agreement. “My poor sister, she thinks her doctors are torturing her.”

Twilight watched as a tear ran down her mentor’s muzzle, her sister was in pain, and there was nothing she could do to help.

...

Rainbow Dash felt someone brush up against her. No, now they were fully embracing her. She opened her eyes and groggily asked: “Twilight?”

It wasn’t Twilight.

Vinyl Scratch was lying in bed with Rainbow Dash, snuggling her. “Please don’t be mad, today was a rough day,” Vinyl said seriously.

Rainbow Dash looked at the off-white unicorn in surprise. She’d been woken up by Vinyl Scratch’s surprise snuggles before, but this time she wasn’t messing around.

“What’s wrong Vinyl?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I met Pinkie Pie,” Vinyl said, giving a small sniffle. “Actually, I met her the other day, but I met her again today... it didn’t end well. She said she would kill me if I ever came looking for her again.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash asked in surprise, that didn’t sound like Pinkie Pie at all!

“I’ve had ponies threaten to kill me before, Dash, that’s not the issue, she’s just so... sad and there was nothing I could do,” Vinyl said. “I’m a terrible friend Rainbow, I always have been.”

Rainbow Dash rolled over on her side and gave Vinyl a hug. “No you’re not! You proved that you were a good friend in the Hoofson bay! You’re dependable! You stood by us when we needed you... and while I hate to admit it, you’re actually funny.”

A small smile formed on Vinyl’s face.

“I don’t know what we’d do without you Vinyl Scratch,” Rainbow Dash said, she took her hoof to Vinyl’s mane, messing it up. “So no crying! You’re a good friend!”

Vinyl squeezed Rainbow Dash, giving her the biggest hug she’d ever gotten.

“Thank you.”

...

“Check the reserves! How much do we have?”

Sergeant Archibald Wilkes, Commander of Mark VIII Cruiser tank Iron Hoof of Cromwell sat on the turret of his parked cruiser tank, watching over the gryphon prisoners he and his crew had chased into Equestria from the Hoofson bay.

“Let me put it this way, sir, it’s nothing short of a miracle that we got here. That prototype engine is really something sir!” called the kangaroo from inside the tank, checking over the fuel gages.

“Not in earshot of the enemy! I’d rather not have to execute the lot of them because you can’t keep your mouth shut, Sapper Dougan!” Wilkes called out.

“Might as well,” one of the gryphons said. “We were all deserting when you jumped us anyway; we’re already dead to the kingdoms.”

The other gryphon prisoners groaned loudly, yelling at the first one to shut his mouth.

“That’s enough!” Wilkes called out. “You’re all prisoners of war, and shall be treated as such... unlike you lot, we have standards, but I won’t be shedding any tears if your government executes you when they get you back, which will happen eventually. Look forward to your prospects in life.”

Sapper Dougan popped his head out of the tank’s turret, shaking his head; there was no possible way for them to get back to get back to their operational area in the Hoofson Bay.

“Wonderful,” Wilkes said. They were stuck here in this damned forest, he’d seen the wildlife, and while it was something that the tank’s 7.55mm Sesa machine guns could handle, they couldn’t actually use them effectively. Unless the stupid creatures ran at them from the front, one of the machine guns was useless, the other one was mounted on the turret, and assuming that the batteries powering the turret didn’t go out, which without running the engine, they eventually would, it took more time than they usually had against a swift manticore.

Wilkes cursed the commandos; they’d brought them right in the middle of a death trap. It wasn’t a complete loss, however, as Captain Blackthorn had generously provided two of his commandos for defence.

Wilkes spat sarcasm silently at the Captain. As much as he hated to admit it, he was just as much caught up in something he didn’t want to be as the ponies of Equestria were.

...

“Are you sure that you don’t want my guards to fly you back Twilight?” Princess Celestia asked.

“No thank you princess,” Twilight said respectfully, “I rather enjoyed the walk through Whitetail Wood on my way here, and it will be nice to walk through it again.”

Princess Celestia nodded in understanding; she too, loved the beauty of Whitetail Wood, though she rarely ever got a chance to see it any more.

“I’ve sent a letter to the Commonwealth of South Island personally, I think they will be most excited to finally have an ambassador visit my court, don’t you think?” Celestia said regally.

Twilight nodded in affirmation, however she did not have a chance to reply, bursting through the doors to the throne room as a red coated earth pony, clad in a doctor’s coat. The Royal guards moved to intercept him, grabbing him and forcing him to stop before he could get any closer to the Princess.

“Your Highness! Your Highness!” the doctor pony called out. “I bring word from the Royal Hospital!”

“Guards release him!” Celestia called out, they responded promptly. Allowing the doctor to fall to the ground.

“I bring word from the Psychiatric ward! Princess Luna has escaped!”

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The carriage carrying Twilight Sparkle to Ponyville landed softly on the ground, in a hurry, Twilight hopped off the back and burst through the door of her Library.

“Front and centre everypony!” She called out.

Vinyl was already in the main room, Rainbow Dash trotted down the stairs. Twilight waved them outside.

“We have a serious problem on our hooves girls, Rainbow Dash, find Rarity and meet us at Fluttershy’s cottage, Vinyl and I will get Applejack and meet you there,” Twilight instructed.

“What’s going on Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I‘ll tell you when we’re all together, I don’t have time to explain it twice,” Twilight said.

This was good enough for Rainbow Dash, and the Pegasus flew off. Vinyl and Twilight stopped by Sweet Apple Acres and grabbed Applejack as they said they would, and arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage about the same time that Rainbow Dash did with Rarity.

Fluttershy stepped outside to find that her friends had all assembled in her front garden. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”

Twilight nodded in affirmation. “There is something I need to fill you in on... about Princess Luna, I’m sorry for lying to you all, but Luna hasn’t been away on a diplomatic mission, like I said she was. She’s been locked up in the Royal Hospital Psychiatric Ward for the last five months undergoing treatment.”

Everyponies’ mouth fell wide open.

“Why would ya’ll lie ta us like tha’! Luna’s our friend too!” Applejack called out in surprise.

“Because Princess Celestia asked me to keep it confidential, the only ponies that knew were myself, the Princess, her personal guard, and the doctors treating her,” Twilight said.

“Tha’ don’ make it right! We deserved ta know the truth!” Applejack said angrily.

“I know, that’s why I’m telling you all now, Luna has escaped. Princess Celestia has good reason to believe that she is hold up in the old castle in the Everfree forest, she’s very unstable, and we need to find her and bring her back.”

“You want me to follow you into the Everfree forest to help your friend? Say no more Twilight, I’m with you.” Vinyl Scratch said, opening her saddlebag and pulling out her Magnum Revolver, opening the breech to check the ammunition, satisfied, she snapped it back shut.

Applejack however, was still fuming with anger. “Ah’m sorry Twilight, but Ah make it mah personal policy ta not help liars, yer on yer own.”

Twilight Sparkle was taken aback by Applejack’s reaction, she knew that she wasn’t going to take well to having been lied to, but she hadn’t expected a full out refusal to help, that was so unlike her!

“I’m afraid I must agree with Applejack,” Rarity said, bowing her head slightly, as if deep in thought. “You three,” she said, pointing at Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Vinyl. “Have been keeping a lot to yourselves lately, I know you have! If you can’t trust us with such information, then I don’t think we can be friends.”

Rarity and Applejack departed without another word, leaving Twilight, Rainbow, Vinyl, and Fluttershy standing in the garden, watching them leave.

Fluttershy was transfixed on Vinyl’s revolver. “Um... You aren’t planning on using that on any of the animals in the forest. Are you?”

Vinyl looked at Fluttershy with deadly seriousness. “Since the fire, all the animals have gotten hyper-aggressive, if one of them tries to hurt my friends... I’m putting them down.”

Fluttershy squeaked with fright at Vinyl, backing up slightly. “I’m sorry Twilight... but I can’t go with you. I can’t be a part of something where somepony would kill those poor creatures.”

Fluttershy turned and walked away, leaving Twilight, Vinyl, and Rainbow Dash alone.

“What just happened here?” Rainbow Dash asked in surprise.

“Our... our friends just abandoned us,” Twilight said dumbfoundedly. “How could they do that?”

Vinyl frowned at what had just happened. She looked at her friend, ready to explain herself. “Sorry I drove off the last one... but when I need to make a choice between the life of my friends and the life of one of those creatures... well, it’s an easy choice.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong Vinyl,” Twilight assured her. She looked at her two remaining friends. “Thank you... thank you both for standing by me. It means a lot to me.”

“Are you kidding? I’d never leave you hanging Twilight!” Rainbow Dash cried out. “Applejack is being jerk; I might just have to beat some sense into her later!”

“As long as you’re willing to accept them, my horn and hooves are at your disposal,” Vinyl said.

Twilight smiled. “Well, let’s not waste any more time then! Let’s go!”

...

Vinyl kept her eyes open, checking around for any signs of trouble.

Twilight too had drawn her revolver out; she agreed wholeheartedly with Vinyl that they needed to protect themselves. Everfree had never been quite right... now it was so much worse.

Vinyl was impressed at just how large the forest was, they were heading north northwest at 335 degrees, Everfree was much longer than it was wider, Iron Hoof of Cromwell was parked five kilometres from here at the south-western end of the forest. The kangaroo commando camp was at the exact opposite side of the forest, and they had divided themselves between the two.

Vinyl followed behind Twilight and Rainbow, the two of them seemed to know where they were going. They had reached a river which Vinyl suspected fed the Lake of Origin, but looking into the water revealed her only as she was now.

“Eyes open,” Twilight said. “This might get ugly.”

Twilight took a step into the river; it was shallow and easy enough for them to cross at. Vinyl didn’t know why Twilight was worried, but she figured that there was a good reason. Rainbow Dash leapt into the air and landed on the other side.

Vinyl and Twilight stepped quietly across the river, getting across to the other side without incident.

Twilight sighed a sigh of relief. “Okay, let’s go.”

“What were we worrying about?” Vinyl asked.

“The sea serpent.”

...

The trio of ponies walked to the edge of the grounds of the ancient castle. They had made it without any serious hiccups. And they were beginning to think that it was all too easy. They crossed the open grounds towards the deteriorated castle’s Observatory. Memories of being here nearly two years ago were flooding back to Rainbow Dash and Twilight.

“Look!” Rainbow Dash pointed off to a high tower in the distance where they could see a light shining from. “There she is! Up there!”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash galloped towards the tower, causing Vinyl’s eyes to widen with fear.

“Stop!” she screamed, causing the two ponies to freeze in their tracks. Vinyl took her revolver and fired a single shot straight in front of her.

The bullet impacted on a magical energy shield, sending sparks flying as the energy of the impact was distributed across the entirety of the shield, which stretched around the entirety of the Observatory.

“Goggles,” Vinyl said point at her eyes. “Just enough contrast to see it.”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at each other and swallowed hard. They didn’t want to think about what would have happened had they touched it.

“Wonderful,” Twilight said. “To think we came all this way in order to come across an impassable barrier.”

Almost as if on cue, the magical shield crackled, and retreated from its position, it fell completely, as if its caster had been expecting them. Which considering it was Princess Luna, she likely was.

Vinyl nodded in affirmation, it was safe to go forward. The three mares took their steps past where the shield had been and sighed in relief, though jumped in surprise when the shield came back up around them when they were all inside its perimeter.

“Well,” Twilight said. “No going back now.”

...

The three climbed the stairs of the observatory, slowly and carefully taking in the surroundings, some of the walls were blank; some of them had small, indecipherable scribbles that looked incredibly old on them. Some of them had writing that was fresh.

Not insane! They lie!

Saw a pony get into a blue box. Box disappeared. Must study.

Blue Moon!

In the distance they heard music begin to play, accompanied by beautiful singing.

“Blue Moon! You saw me standing alone...”

The trio of mares picked up the pace, and soon enough they had reached the top of the stairs, inside the room was a record player, books scattered about the tables and floors, and most importantly Princess Luna bobbing her head to the music.

“Blue Moon! Now I’m no longer alone!” Princess Luna said, her horn began to glow, as a magical shield dropped around each of the three mares. “Without a dream in my heart!” Princess Luna sung, looking at each of the three ponies before her.

“Without a love of my own...”

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The song ended, Princess Luna pulled the needle off the record and crossed the room to the table; she picked up a glass jar full of ashes in her mouth and began spreading the jar’s contents around the perimeter of the room.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Vinyl only watched in silence at the Princess’ task, utterly confused as to what she was doing. Eventually she made her way back around to the front of the circle she had made, and set the empty jar back down.

“I love that song, you know? It was written during my exile... but it might as well have been written for me,” Luna said.

“You know Princess? You’re not a bad singer!” Vinyl said, grinning like a madmare. “It’s almost a shame that you’re the princess, otherwise I think your calling would have been as an entertainer.”

Rainbow and Twilight looked at their friend oddly, unsure of where she was going with this, but they chose not to say anything unless Vinyl was onto something.

“Why thank you!” Luna said with a smile. “I don’t think we’ve met miss...?”

“Vinyl Scratch... though you may be more familiar with me as DJ Pon3.”

Luna tilted her head to the side. “Who?”

“That’s all right, I’m sort of famous, but not like Sapphire Shores famous,” Vinyl admitted.

“Who?” Luna asked again.

“Heh,” Vinyl chuckled. “I’m not Pips Domino famous,” noting the author of the song that Luna had been listening to.

Luna chuckled. “Nopony is Pips Domino famous.”

“When I was a filly, I used to sing his songs on a street corner, I love them!” Vinyl said enthusiastically.

“As do I... I’m not lowering the shields. Nice try though,” Luna said, seeing right through Vinyl’s attempt to gain her trust through mutual admiration. “You all are practically swimming in the Siblings taint. I’m not taking any chances.”

“Princess please! You have to come back with us! You’re not well! Your doctors only want to help you!” Twilight cried out.

Luna snorted, steam billowing from her nostrils. “My doctors are the Siblings Nightmare!” She shouted.

And then it all started to make sense. Twilight understood Applejack’s behaviour at Fluttershy’s cottage. After the explosion of Sugarcube corner the previous October, She and all her friends had gone to the Royal Hospital for treatment... they too had all been treated by the Siblings Nightmare in some way, the Siblings had poisoned their friends against each other. They had to, and it made since why.

They were the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. The same magic that had split Nightmare Essence, the Herald of Chaos, from Princess Luna and separating him into the Siblings Nightmare. The Elements of Harmony only worked when they were all together, and by poisoning them against each other, it gave the Siblings unchecked power to do as they pleased with Equestria, nopony could stop them.

Twilight’s mouth fell open at the realisation. Princess Luna nodded at her.

“Then... you’re not...” Twilight began.

“No. Despite their best efforts, sanity is something I still have,” Luna assured her.

“But... surely, Princess Celestia...”

“Tia knows far more than she’s letting on. She’s not going to do anything about it though,” Luna said. “Not much she can do without breaking the rules, and it’s not something she’s willing to do.”

“Rules?” Twilight asked in confusion.

“You have me there. I don’t remember a lot from before being Nightmare Moon and the exile on the moon. I do remember something about the rules... just not what they are,” Luna said with a shrug. “What I do remember is mostly about Tia, you wouldn’t know it, but she’s the shy one. Not me. When I first came to Ponyville, it was because a thousand years passed... and I had just gotten done being Nightmare Moon. Tia on the other hoof wouldn’t do anything outside her comfort zone unless I prodded her to,” Luna said. “Before my exile, Equestria enjoyed healthy relations with the Cossacks, once I was gone, Tia shut them out and everypony gradually forgot all about them.”

The three ponies cocked their heads in confusion.

“Exactly,” Luna said. “Tell me Twilight; does Kazaki konfederatsiya, sound at all familiar to you?”

It did. The package from South Island containing engine parts for the Lord Stuart had a customs stamp that said that. Twilight nodded her head in affirmation.

“Hold on, if Princess Celestia shut everyone else out, what about the gryphons? Why did we talk to them?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I would imagine because there wasn’t much other choice,” Luna said. “Gryphons are hyper-aggressive, and they also happen to be right on our doorstep. Keeping them happy was something that Tia needed to do to satisfy her need to protect her children... and now that she’s accepted the ambassador from South Island; it’s going to be impossible to continue doing that... Equestria will go to war... the problem is we have nothing to go to war with. Gunpowder may have been invented in Equestria, but we’ve long since forgotten it,” Luna said, half talking to herself more than anything else.

“The kangaroos will help us! I’ve seen it!” Rainbow Dash called out.

“Yes. That might be why you’re swimming in their taint,” Luna said. “While I have no doubts that South Island will support us, you should take everything you saw with a grain of salt. The Siblings Nightmare are not here to help us. Everything they’ve done has been in their best interests, not ours. If they showed you something, it’s because they want it to happen that way.”

“They said that the flashes were from Overdrive...” Rainbow said.

“And some of them likely were,” Luna said. “He’s out there, in this forest right now, the Grey Smoke? That’s him.”

“You seem to know a lot princess...” Twilight said.

Luna smiled and gave the unicorn a small chuckle. “Twilight Sparkle, do you think that you’re the only pony who reads? When I got back, the first thing I did was read every book in the Library you studied at in Canterlot. I read at 4000 words a minute, I pick up on things. I learned a lot about the state of the rest of the world, Kangaros, their allies and Gryphon currently fight on each of our world’s five continents, save one. South Island itself, Gryphons can’t get there because they’re too tied up fighting the Cossacks on what they call the Ostfront.”

“They wouldn’t be dumb enough to attack Equestria if they’re overstretched are they?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Dumb? I wouldn’t call it dumb, what kind of resistance would they meet? There are thirty kangaroos in Equestria with two tanks that are barely operational. The rest of the populace have never even seen a gun before, let alone have any idea what they do. There hasn’t been war in Equestria since before I was exiled. The Gryphons could march from the Hoofson Bay to Canterlot before meeting any kind of resistance at all if they outflanked the Kangaroo XX Corps,” Luna said.

“That’s all fine and dandy! What are we doing standing around here while we could be doing something about it!” Rainbow Dash called out in annoyance.

Luna frowned at the pegasi before her. “I would... the problem is I don’t know where to go from here. I was most concerned with escaping from the Royal Hospital... it was actually way easier than I thought it was going to be, that ward I was in was designed to keep Unicorns from escaping, the designers didn’t think to provide safeguards against a unicorn who could break a window and fly out it,” Luna said with a small smile.

“It seems to me that the key is going to be the kangaroo ambassador, and getting Princess Celestia to go to war with the gryphons. If they’re going to attack anyway, the least we can do is get as many kangaroo troops here when they do,” Twilight said. “I don’t exactly like that idea, but I don’t think we’ve got any other options.”

Vinyl and Rainbow Dash agreed.

“You three aren’t going anywhere until I figure out how to clear the Siblings taint from you. I can’t take the chance that they programmed your subconscious to attack me the moment you’re free... It’s more the Paragon style, but I wouldn’t put it past them,” Luna said, opening a book and flipping through the pages.

“What? We’d never do that!” Rainbow Dash cried out as if she was insulted.

“Correct. You wouldn’t. That’s why they wouldn’t give your body the option,” Luna said plainly. “Ah ha! Found it! Remove magical influence... hmm, oddly simple.”

Luna shut the book and walked up to where the three mares were standing. “I’m going to drop the shield, more likely than not, one of you is going to attempt to attack me. I’m going to defend myself with a stunning spell. Whatever you do, don’t move from where you’re standing under any circumstances. If one of you has had their subconscious tampered with... well then there won’t be anything you can do with it.”

Luna lowered the shield around the three ponies to cast the spell.

Twilight leapt forward.

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Twilight had her at the throat; Princess Luna was on the ground, her life being choked out of her. “I’m so sorry! I’m trying to fight it! I really am! It’s doing it on its own!” she cried out panicking as her hooves had a mind of their own.

Vinyl had been told to stay put, not to do anything should this happen. Forget it; she’s never been very good at keeping promises anyway. Rainbow Dash leapt on top of her, forcing the off-white unicorn to the ground.

“Rainbow! Now is not the time for you to start liking surprise snuggles!” Vinyl grunted with annoyance.

“I’m not doing it on purpose! My body has a mind of its own!” Rainbow Dash said.

“You know that’s funny,” Vinyl grunted as she struggled to get free. “I used the same excuse every time I came home with somepony!”

...

Struggle, Vinyl Scratch remember struggle.

Her first night as a recovering crash addict was a very painful one, every square centimetre of her body ached in pain. Every hair on her mane and every hair in her tail singed as if a small fire had been lit on each one. Her eyes felt as if they were going to implode, her jaw felt as if it was going to break into a thousand pieces and then break into a thousand more.

She screamed in pain, she would have been thrashing about were she not strapped down to a hospital bed. She felt as if she was being boiled alive to be served as a meal for a cannibal. Right now, dying would be a preferable option. Vinyl screamed for death, half-shouting, half-praying for the reaper to come down upon her and haul her off to the endless sleep.

She screamed in disappointment when it did not come. Tears rolled down Vinyl’s muzzle, dripping onto her pillow, she tried to get her head turned around to smother herself with it, but alas, no such release.

Somehow, Vinyl Scratch managed to drift off to sleep. Her dreams, however, were no better. Her literal pain transformed her dream into a hellish nightmare of endless torture by a sadistic pony with green, crash-dust coloured, coat and mane.

She awoke the next morning, feeling incredibly numb. The alchemist’s addiction cure-all had done its job.

Vinyl could never forget it.

...

“Sorry Rainbow!” Vinyl grunted, as she kicked Rainbow Dash hard in the chest, sending the Pegasus pony flying back and hitting her head hard on the stone wall behind them.

Vinyl charged at Twilight, who was too busy squeezing the life out of Princess Luna to take notice, she pummelled the unicorn with a strong headbutt, causing her to release the princess and skitter back onto the floor.

“Cast it! Cast it now!” Vinyl called out to Luna.

The still wheezing Alicorn rose to her feet, concentrating hard as the light from her horn filled the room, washing over the four ponies in the room.

Vinyl felt the light’s warmth hold her, she felt a small presence in the back of her mind retreating, the voice of the evil pony that nagged at her to take a drink, or dust up that was always there, but Vinyl had become extremely good at ignoring faded away.

By the time the light faded away, Vinyl felt better than she ever had in her entire life. As Twilight and Rainbow Dash groggily rose from where they had landed, she looked at the other three ponies in the room.

“All right kids! Who’s ready to go save the world?” She said, grinning like a madmare, brighter than she ever had before.

...

Vinyl Scratch, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Princess Luna were standing outside the door to the throne room. Oddly enough, the guards who would usually be posted here were absent.

“I think somepony was expecting us,” Vinyl said.

Luna nodded. “Tia likes to watch things from a distance... don’t be surprised if she already knows what the siblings forced you to do Twilight, remember: it is not your fault, and don’t let her pin it on you... not that I think she will...” Luna’s voice trailed off as she pushed opened the door.

The hall was empty, apart from Princess Celestia talking with a kangaroo. They presumed that this was the ambassador.

“Wow, they got one here fast!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed quietly.

“Excuse me, ambassador, we have other guests joining us,” Celestia said majestically. “I am very glad to see all of you.”

The kangaroo ambassador turned to face them; he was an older jack, maybe twice the age of Sergeant Tebbs, but his smile was just as genuine. “Hello! I’m Hadrian Goyle, pleased to meet you all.”

This was perhaps the oddest name for a kangaroo that they had encountered, but they liked it nonetheless.

“Ambassador Goyle? Would you please excuse us? I have a private matter to discuss with my sister and her friends,” Celestia said.

“All right...” Goyle said hesitantly, as if this was code for ‘get out of my country and if I ever see you again I will send you to the moon.’ “Sure, I’ll be outside if you need me,” he said accepting the request, and quickly hopped out the doors the four mares had entered in.

“Luna... you really should be in hospital...” Celestia said calmly, irking Luna to no end.

“Save it. Tia, don’t play dumb with me! I deserve better than that after you walked out on me that day five months ago, you remember your last visit, don’t you?” Luna said.

Celestia looked at Luna shyly. “I didn’t know what to do...”

“Damn it Tia! You should have done something! I shouldn’t have to prod you into doing everything that you don’t like!” Luna said. “You ruled on your own for a thousand years! You should have it in you to step outside your comfort zone!”

Celestia did not have a chance to reply, for Hadrian Goyle frantically hopped back into the room. “Begging your pardon your highness! I’ve just received word from the Hoofson bay; the gryphons attacked in force and have routed the XX Corps! They’re falling back towards the St. Germain River, they need your permission to cross it into Equestria; otherwise they’ll be pinned in and slaughtered!”

Celestia looked at the kangaroo, and gave him a soft reply. “No.”

The eyes of every pony, (plus kangaroo) widened.

“Your highness! That’s 45,000 kangaroos! They’re the bulk of South Island’s military force! If they are all killed, nothing will stop the gryphons from invading South Island!” Goyle said frantically.

“My decision stands,” Celestia said. “Out. All of you, out!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice, sister. You’re the last pony I want to be around right now,” Luna said with disgust, all of them walked (or in Goyle’s case, hopped) out of the throne room.

“45,000 troops... all dead,” Goyle said solemnly. “Who am I kidding? If XX Corps is slaughtered, it’ll be the end of kangaroo civilisation all together.”

“Ambassador Goyle,” Princess Luna said confidently. “Tell your forces that they have Princess Luna’s permission to cross the St. Germain River, tell them to fall back to the town of Ponyville in Canterlot Province.”

Twilight gasped at Luna’s words. Luna looked at her friend and smiled. “Tia won’t be happy about it, but I’m ready to face the consequences of this.”

Goyle looked at the night princess and hugged her. “Thank you! Thank you so much! You’ve saved us!” he quickly hopped off to relay the permission.

Luna looked at her friends and smiled. “You three should get home. They’re going to need you.”

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The Iron Hoof of Cromwell had been parked in the middle of the High Street next to the construction site of the new Sugarcube Corner. Likewise, the Lord Stuart had been parked next to it. Trooper Willoughby and Sapper Dougan were dumping one of the Light tank’s reserve fuel cans into the cruiser tank. The Kangaroo Commandos had surrounded the area, piling up sandbags with the help of Trixie, Derpy, Lyra, and Bon Bon.

“Clearly, they got the message,” Vinyl said as the trio walked down the street.

Trixie turned and looked at the new comers, “Well don’t just stand there! If Trixie can lift sand bags, then so can you!”

“What is that supposed to mean!” Rainbow Dash cried in annoyance, unaware that Trixie was dying of Magical Degradation Syndrome. Otherwise known as Lighthorn’s disease.

Vinyl wasted no time and started helping pile up sandbags.

Sergeant Tebbs hopped up to Twilight and Rainbow Dash, giving them an odd look. “I don’t know what you ponies did... but thank you.”

Tebbs hopped off and climbed inside the Lord Stuart. Trooper Willoughby followed him in, starting up the Light tank’s engine and driving off.

Rainbow Dash had gone to help place sandbags, while Twilight was waved over by Captain Blackthorn and Lieutenant Cutting. They needed somepony with the lay of the land, and that was Twilight Sparkle.

...

“How ya doing Trixie?” Vinyl asked as she placed a sandbag down.

“Trixie is... fatigued, but not complaining,” Trixie said plainly. “They don’t know, and they don’t need to,” she said nudging her head towards the kangaroos.

Vinyl nodded respectfully, she found it admirable that even someone in Trixie’s condition was able to put it aside to lend a helping hoof. Many a pony as sick as her would have used it as an excuse to get out of helping.

Though the more that Vinyl looked around, there weren’t that many ponies helping. Big Macintosh and Braeburn were around the corner, hauling carts filled with sand bags to the other end of the High Street, other than that...

“Where is everypony?” Vinyl asked.

“Hiding,” Trixie said. “Most have barricaded themselves in their basements and cellars. When the commandos told them what was happening, and asked for volunteers to help build fortifications. There was mass panic. Everypony started running around frantically. And then Applejack got everyponies attention and told them to hide as best they could.”

Applejack was going to be a problem.

“Big Macintosh! Braeburn! Ya’ll come on home right now! We got nothin’ ta do with these folk!” Applejack called loudly from around the corner. Vinyl and Trixie trotted around the corner to find Applejack yelling at Big Macintosh and Braeburn.

“’These folk’ are riskin’ their lives ta defend this town sis. They need ev’ry hoof they can get, an’ ah have four perfectly good’uns,” Big Macintosh said.

“Gul’darnit Big Macintosh! Yer family needs ya at home!” Applejack said. “Apple Bloom is still traumatised from wha’ happened ta her in Whitetail Wood!”

It was if a cord was struck inside Vinyl’s brain. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had been incredibly brave during the gryphon attack in the Whitetail Wood, the fillies were young, but they were much stronger than Applejack gave them credit.

“Is there a problem here?” Vinyl Scratch asked.

Applejack looked over at the off white unicorn and scowled. “This don’t concern ya’ll none, leave us be!”

“I don’t think so,” Vinyl said.

“Ah said... leave us be!” Applejack had raised a hoof to kick Vinyl, but the unicorn was faster, in a split second, her magnum revolver was drawn and pressed against Applejack’s temple. The hammer cocked with a small click.

“You may have differing opinions, and that is perfectly fine, but now is not the time for you to express them,” Vinyl said coolly. “As for right now, you will either stay and help, or you will leave. You will not be a hindrance right now.”

Applejack cautiously eyed the revolver that was at her head, she gave an angry snort along with a single word answer: “fine,” and with that, she backed off, trotting off down the road, she turned back and looked at Vinyl, scowling angrily. “This ain’t over, ya-hear?”

Vinyl slipped the revolver back into her saddlebag and looked at Big Macintosh apologetically. “I’m sorry for doing that.”

Big Macintosh merely shook his head in shame. “Somethin’ gotten in ta her. She ain’t ordinarily like that.”

“She’s just sacred, ‘cuz,” Braeburn reassured. “We all are!”

“Ah know, but Applejack ‘as gotten real aggressive as o’ late. Ah’m afraid she’s gonna try somethin’ tha’s gonna get her an’ other folks killed.”

...

“Hey... Apple Bloom! Come here!” Scootaloo whispered in from the far corner of the Sweet Apple Acres cellar, Applejack had gone out to look for Big Macintosh and Braeburn, leaving the Cutie Mark Crusaders alone.

“Scoot? Why are ya whispering?” Apple Bloom asked in confusion.

Scootaloo looked blankly at Apple Bloom for a moment before giving a response. “Uh... I don’t know? Come here!”

Apple Bloom looked over at Sweetie Bell, who was sitting on the ground behind a shelf full of canned apples, staring off blankly into space, deciding that she’d be fine just sitting there, Apple Bloom crossed the room to where Scootaloo was sitting, a bulging saddlebag at her hooves.

“I got something... but you can’t tell your sister we have it or she’ll probably take it away from us!” Scootaloo said.

“What is it?” Apple Bloom asked, Scootaloo opened her saddlebag and dumped out its contents. What vaguely resembled an Austin Submachine gun dumped out, along with 10 magazines of ammunition, Apple Bloom gasped in surprise. “Where did ya get tha’?”

Scootaloo looked down at the ground, guilt wracking her brain. “I... kinda stole it. There was a pile of like... fifteen of them in the town square that nopony was using! So I took one!”

Apple Bloom looked over the kangaroo submachine gun, it only vaguely resembled it as Scootaloo had slapped a number of modifications to it to make it easier to use. At the end of the gun’s barrel, Scootaloo had attached a ball-jointed vise it could be fastened to an open window and swung freely allowing them to better aim it. The trigger guard had been carefully removed so that one of them could pull it with a hoof instead of holding it in their teeth and pulling the trigger with their tongue. Lastly, Scootaloo had taped a kangaroo hand torch to the side, so that the weapon could also be used as a spot light if need be. It didn’t look pretty, but it worked.

“Scoot?” Apple Bloom said looking at her friend, who looked incredibly worried.

“When you grow up around... my family, you learn to make what you need, when you need it, with what you got lying around... No Cutie Mark for making this though,” Scootaloo said giving her friend a small smile. “We both saw those gryphons in Whitetail Wood... if more are coming here... I can’t work this thing on my own, I tried! I know you don’t like guns, but I need your help if they do come here. I’d ask Sweetie Bell, but I don’t think she can stay focused long enough,” Scootaloo said. The two fillies looked over at their friend, still staring off blankly into space.

“Ah don’ wanna hurt nobody!” Apple Bloom cried.

“I don’t either,” Scootaloo admitted. “But I don’t think that we’re going to be given much of a choice if gryphons come to us.”

Apple Bloom looked at her friend sadly. “All right. Now put tha’ away! Hurry! Before Applejack comes back!”

Scootaloo nodded, collapsing the stock and vise mount and put the Crusader Machine Carbine back into her bag, along with the rest of the ammunition.

They looked at each other, each of them could see the fear in the other’s eyes, and glanced over at Sweetie Bell, for a moment, they were jealous of her.

She was completely oblivious to the fact that anything was wrong.

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Night came and went. Vinyl Scratch’s stomach was doing somersaults; she was standing on the balcony of the Ponyville town hall, next to a kangaroo commando by the name of Private Dillingham. The kangaroo had spent most of the night looking through the scope of his 14.5mm calibre Jacks Anti-Armour Rifle, grunting “Yes” or “No” to any question Vinyl threw to him, regardless of whether or not the question was answerable by a yes or no.

Vinyl had long since given up speaking to Dillingham; she was now focused on watching the north-western horizon though a pair of binoculars, any minute now, elements of the XX Corps were going to be rolling over that hill, and the gryphons wouldn’t be far behind them.

They had spent the majority of the day yesterday fortifying Ponyville to the best of their ability, it wasn’t going to be enough, and a single cruiser tank sitting in ambush positions wasn’t going to be enough to repel who-knows-how-large-a-force-of-gryphons.

Wireless had been getting nothing but static all night. However at dawn, they received an update from Ambassador Goyle, It wasn’t as bad as they thought it was going to be. A miscommunication had indicated to elements of the Kings Own South Island Dragoons and 2nd South Island Tank Regiment that a Gryphon Airborne Infantry Division had overrun the XX Corps headquarters, and upon moving to respond were ambushed by a gryphon mechanised battalion and were forced to fall back.

In actuality, XX Corps repelled the assault, but lost Wireless contact with their superiors, leading with the Kings Own South Island Dragoons headquarters sending back bad intelligence, which eventually handed itself to Ambassador Goyle.

Of course, this was still bad, because gryphons were still coming this direction, and a single cruiser tank in an ambush position still wasn’t going to be enough.

Dawn, the first kangaroo tanks rolled over the hills and into view.

“This is Starman to... anyone! Come in!” cried a voice over the wireless receiver.

Dillingham picked up the transmitter and spoke aloud into it. “This is Private Dillingham, 38/42 Commando; I need a situation report for Captain Blackthorn, Starman.”

“We’re in the shite right now! How’s that? We’ve got three M3s left, Two VC Fireflies, and 4 Mark VIIIs, and an entire mechanised company is right on our tails!” Starman called frantically.

“Understood, get into town and take up an ambush position in the streets. Fireflies up front, those 78mm cannons will earn their keep today!” Dillingham said.

Vinyl looked through her binoculars at the familiar, M3 Light tanks and Mark VIII Cruiser tanks. This “Firefly” was new. It sported sloping armour plates on the front; its cylindrical turret mounted a gun that was much larger than the 37mm on the M3 and even the 76mm on the Mark VIII.

“RF 78mm High Velocity Cannon. It’s an improved copy of the Gryphon 18 pounder,” Dillingham said, it was the most talkative he’d been all night. He looked through the scope of his Jacks Rifle and discovered another sight. “Three Sen Gun carriers! Mounted infantry platoon! No, scratch that, Two Sen Gun Carriers and a Medium Machine Gun Carrier.”

Vinyl looked at the kangaroo, he’d become rather talkative in the last minute and a half, but then as she thought about it, he was probably trained to call out targets.

The kangaroo tanks and infantry carriers drove their way into town, parking along the major streets, Kangaroos piled out of their carriers and started putting up more sandbags around their tanks, South Island Armour was much faster than Gryphons, they had ten to fifteen minutes at the most before everything hit the fan.

Much to the dismay of many town-ponies, kangaroos had commandeered their homes, setting up their Sen LMGs and Armstrong Medium Machine Guns in the windows.

“This is probably not the place where you want to be standing,” Dillingham said finally.

Vinyl looked at him oddly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Let me rephrase that, I don’t want you standing next to me with your head glowing like that! They’re gonna see you, and I don’t want to die without being able to do something,” Dillingham said.

Vinyl was slightly annoyed at first, but then she figured that he had a point, she departed from the balcony without a further fuss.

“Vinyl?” called a voice from the other side of the street; Twilight and Rainbow Dash were standing at the other end of the street, beckoning to her.

“What’s up?” she asked as she crossed the road to where they were standing.

“I think that maybe we should sit this one out,” Twilight said. Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement.

“What?” Vinyl asked. She was surprised by her friend’s line of thought. Twilight and Rainbow Dash had been the major proponents of helping out, and now they wanted to sit on the sidelines?

“These are all professional soldiers, Vinyl; they’ve been trained to do this! We haven’t, if they have to worry about us, they’re going to get distracted. If they get distracted, they’re going to end up dying,” Twilight said solemnly.

“I’m not going sit by and do nothing,” Vinyl said, checking her revolver’s ammo for the fifth time in the last five minutes.

“I’m not asking you to,” Twilight said. “Come with us. I’ve got an idea.”

...

Dillingham kept his eyes open... any second now.

He’d been repeating that over and over inside his own mind every few seconds.

A gryphon light tank rolled over the hill. Dillingham pulled the trigger, with a roaring boom! The bullet exploded out of the barrel, impacting the light tank and piercing the front armour right through the driver’s side, the driver had definitely been hit, as the tank did a hard left, carrying them off on a new course away from the town.

Score one for South Island.

The second tank over the hill was a heavy. Not so lucky, the Jacks Rifle was useless against heavy armour, he ignored it and waited for another tank to come over, another heavy. Dillingham let it pass; the third was a light tank. He fired again, this time, piercing the turret; the bullet ricocheted along the interior of the third tank, stopping it in its tracks, the next one over as another Light tank. Dillingham fired again, this time blowing out the suspension, and stopping the light tank dead, he unloaded a second round into it as the turret had begun to transverse towards him.

The heavy tanks he’d allowed to pass had taken notice of him. Time to move! He abandoned the heavy Jacks rifle; it wasn’t going to do him any good in the streets against heavy armour. Dillingham dashed back inside where he’d left a Spring Projected Grenade, Anti Tank, or SPGAT and a bag filled with ammunition and dashed out into the street and forward into another building at the edge of town.

“Glad of you to join us, Dillingham,” Captain Blackthorn said sarcastically as he cocked his SPGAT.

“I love you too, Captain,” Dillingham said with equal sarcasm. “Got four before the heavies spotted me.”

“Better than nothing,” Blackthorn said. “Hardly a dent though.”

“There is nothing I can do to make you happy is there Captain?” Dillingham asked.

“Nothing short of winning the war by yourself and dying violently in the process,” Blackthorn said jokingly, he peaked out the window and watched as a Gryphon Heavy Tank passed underneath.

“Now!” Blackthorn called out, pulling the trigger and with a small pop sent the SPGAT charge flying out the window, and impacting the turret, Dillingham followed, hitting the turret as well, both shots penetrated the weak top armour of the tank. Killing the crew and bringing the tank to a halt.

“Gotta love gryphons,” Dillingham said. “Their primary strategy is to attack from above. So naturally, they’ll make the top armour of their shite tanks the weakest.”

“Well we already knew that they were stupid, Dillingham.”

...

Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Vinyl had made their way to the edge of the Everfree forest.

“For the record, this is the second worst idea you’ve ever had,” Rainbow said plainly.

“What was the first?” Twilight asked.

“You haven’t done it yet,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug.

Twilight shrugged back, she pulled out her revolver and fired all six shots into the air.

That was when they heard the roars of Manticores.

“Run!” Twilight shouted.

...

Treads whined as two VC Firefly tanks rolled backwards through the High Street, both fired their 78mm cannons in synch with each other, pelting the heavy armour of a hostile tank chasing them down, one shell bounced off scattering harmlessly, one penetrated, stunning the crew, sending the tank driving head long into one of the shops and exposing the weaker side armour, 78mm shells could handle that, both tanks fired again, penetrating the tank and exploding on the interior, Blocking off the street to hostile infantry.

Gryphon mechanised infantry had since dismounted and were charging the town with anti-tank weapons. Speed had always been a key component of South Island tank design; a well placed anti-tank rocket could gorge a medium tank like it was paper.

Despite Blackthorn and Dillingham’s jokes about gryphon intelligence, stupid was one thing that they were not. They knew to keep their heads down, and while they were all capable of flight, mechanised infantry were trained to fight on the ground, as the shoulder mounted heavy weapons that they utilised made flying practically impossible, firing an anti-tank rocket from the air was asking for their shoulder bones to break.

Medium Machine Gun fire had forced the gryphons to keep their heads down, and behind tanks for cover, the kangaroos had thought ahead, and had placed sections of infantry with Sen Guns inside buildings, when mechanised infantry passed through the street, a window would pop open and the gryphons would be cut down. By the time anyone had noticed what was going on, the windows had shut, and the kangaroos redeployed.

The gryphons had them outnumbered, but the kangaroos had them outbrained.

They heard a roar.

All around town, both gryphon and kangaroo ceased fighting. Everyone looked west. Manticores flew over buildings, enraged by the noises that they’d heard from town, the gryphons made the mistake of shooting at them, enraging the beasts more. Within moments, no kangaroo was to be found, so with no other options before them, the manticores went after the only targets they had, the gryphons.

Many of them ran, the dumb ones abandoned their anti-tank rockets all together and flew away only to be cut down by their own autocannon fire for desertion. Many of them tried to fight, only to be gutted by the manticores sharp claws and stinger tail.

The manticores chased the gryphons out of town, sending the company into full retreat. The two VC Firefly tanks manoeuvred out of their hiding places to take shots at the gryphon armour in retreat, and take care of any manticores that got it in their heads to come back towards town. Few did, they were far more interested in the gryphons.

It had taken the kangaroos several minutes to realise that they had actually repelled the assault. When they did, everyone started cheering in triumph.

The town ponies that had hidden during the attack poked their heads out from their holes. The fight was over. Ponyville had been defended.

...

Twilight, Rainbow, and Vinyl were standing in the high street, looking over the huge mess that had been made here. Twilight noted that major sections of Ponyville constantly needed rebuilding. In the last two years, the town had suffered an infestation of parasprites, nearly demolished by a dragon, had the post office and Sugarcube Corner explode. Catch fire, and now was the victim of a gryphon attack. Several burned out wrecks of tanks were scattered through the streets, most of them were gryphon, but several kangaroo tanks had been claimed. The M3 Light Tanks, Starman, and Jolly Roger. Along with Mark VIII Cruiser tank, Hobart’s funny.

Iron Hoof of Cromwell had been badly damaged, but deemed salvageable by the tank’s Royal South Island Engineers crew.

“We need to stop having messes to clean up,” Rainbow Dash said.

“This is why we can’t have nice things!” Vinyl Scratch said with a grin. Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight looked at her in confusion. To which she told them to just forget it.

“This crisis is over,” Twilight announced. “Now it’s time to start preparing for the next one... knowing you, Vinyl. You’re going to want to leave again,” Twilight said with a small chuckle.

“Nah,” Vinyl said. “I’ve decided that I’m staying right here... forever!”

She knew that Twilight had been kidding, but Vinyl had finally decided, like she had in her fillyhood, that she didn’t want to move around any longer. “Sorry, you girls are stuck with me!”

Vinyl pulled her friends close, messing up their manes with her hooves.

Oh how good it was to have friends.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Lake of Origin.

Vinyl Scratch mused over the meaning of the sign as she looked over the large body of water that was situated some hundred metres deep into the Everfree forest. She approached the water’s edge, looking into it. Her reflection was not looking back at her.

Instead, there was a filly, younger than the Cutie Mark Crusaders with red eyes, an off white coat, and a blue mane looking back at her. It was her.

“What?” Vinyl asked as she studied the water.

The filly looking back at her eyes widened, she raised her forelegs up in a defensive position. “No mummy! Don’t hit me!” she cried out.

Vinyl gasped and stumbled back, tripping over a rock and landing on her back, gasping for air.

“First time looking into the lake?” a voice asked from behind her.

Vinyl sat up and snapped her head around, pointing the magnum revolver at the source of the voice.

Sitting behind her calmly was a muted pink earth pony, a straight, dark magenta mane, and three balloons for a cutie mark. Vinyl looked at her with confusion.

“What did you see?” the pink pony asked.

“I saw... me, as a filly, begging my mother not to hurt me,” Vinyl reported.

The pink pony gave her a smile, not a genuine one, but like she was smiling at Vinyl’s misfortune. “Welcome to the Lake of Origin. Where it never lets you forget where you come from.”

The pink pony ushered Vinyl to the embankment, and both of them looked into the lake at the same time, seeing themselves only as they were right now.

“This is the only safe way to look at the lake. Have to trick it!” the pink pony said. “See? It’s confused right now, because it doesn’t know what to show that applies to the both of us.”

“Who are you?” Vinyl Scratch asked.

“I’m Pinkie Pie,” the pony replied.

“You’re Pinkie Pie?” Vinyl asked in shock. She didn’t match Twilight and Rainbow Dash’s descriptions of her.

“Why? You know me from somewhere?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I’m friends with Twilight and Rainbow Dash,” Vinyl said plainly.

Pinkie Pie frowned and backed away from the Lake of Origin. “Oh, them.”

Vinyl followed her back up the embankment. “They’re worried about you, you know? Afraid that something’s happened to you, with you being all alone in this forest.”

“I’m not alone,” Pinkie Pie said plainly. “I’ve never had the luxury of being alone.”

Vinyl looked to the pony to offer up some explanation, but she did not give any.

“They’re all better off without me anyway,” Pinkie said. “They don’t need me, haven’t needed me since we beat Nightmare Moon... tell you what, that was some irony right there, Pinkie Pie, the element of laughter... and the pony that was only truly happy once in her life.”

Vinyl frowned.

“My friends never knew me, not the real me. I acted crazy so that they’d like me, I threw parties that they’d want to go to... who’d want to be friends with the real me?” Pinkie Pie said with a sigh.

Vinyl placed a hoof on Pinkie Pie’s shoulder; the pink pony turned around and looked at her. Vinyl gave her a smile. “I don’t think you’re that bad. You might be surprised with what your friends would think if they knew the real you!”

Pinkie Pie sighed. “It doesn’t matter, not after what I did... not after I saw them.”

“Who broke your heart Pinkie Pie?” Vinyl Scratch asked.

“Twilight,” Pinkie said with a sigh. “You know? I was the first pony she met when she came to town. I liked her the moment she said ‘hello.’ I didn’t know what to say back, so I panicked and ran off. Then I threw her a party and hoped she would like me! And then the other day... I saw her and Rainbow Dash, kissing... and I knew. I knew my chances were gone.”

Pinkie Pie shut her eyes tight and tears began to drip from them, Vinyl frowned and wiped the tears from Pinkie Pie’s face.

“Hey! Come on now! No tears!” Vinyl said encouragingly. “It’ll be all right!”

Pinkie Pie pushed her away. “Leave me alone!” she cried out and galloped off into the distance.

Vinyl frowned. “Well Vinyl Scratch, I guess that’s another thing you can add to the list of things in life you failed at,” she said to herself, she rose to her hooves and continued on her way. Pinkie Pie needed to be by herself for a little while.

...

Trigger, as to be expected, was not willing to let Vinyl go without a damned good reason. Vinyl brought in more money to him than any of his other dealers, letting her go would be bad for business. Vinyl, however, had expected this, and had spent the last few days rehearsing what she was going to say.
“Out? You want out?” The Diamond Dog exclaimed in his high pitched voice. “The only thing that is out is the question! You bring me more money than any other of the useless ponies! You don’t get to quit! Every pony knows you by name and asks for you specifically! You’re too good for business!”

Vinyl swallowed hard, and spoke. “That’s why I need out boss, everypony knows who I am and what I do... including the police.”

Trigger’s ears perked up. “Chose your next words carefully pony, if I hear you’ve sold me out to copper...”

“No... no, I’ve been too smart to get caught... so far, but the police know what I do, and they know I work for you, eventually they’ll find evidence to prove it... I make you a lot of money, boss, but I’m also your biggest liability,” Vinyl said, repeating word for word as she’d been practicing.

Trigger thought about what the unicorn filly had been saying. She had a point, not to mention that she was far too popular with the undercity scum to just get rid of.

“All right, fine! Consider your employment with my organisation terminated. You’re free to do as you please... in fact, I’m going to give you a five thousand pounds to get you started, let it not be said that Trigger isn’t generous!” Trigger said, a small smile forming on his face.

Vinyl had taken Trigger up on his offer, figuring that it was more dangerous to say “no thank you,” when he was obviously trying to lock her into another debt trap.

“I do expect to be repaid... every penny,” Trigger said.

“Of course! No problem at all!” Vinyl said enthusiastically.

“With interest!”

...

“Lef-tenant Cutting?” Captain Blackthorn asked.

“Took care of it, hiding on the forest’s western edge where no pony is going to find it,” Cutting replied, knowing what Blackthorn was going on about it.

“Excellent!” Blackthorn said. “Now, I’m writing up my report to command, I need your opinion on objective one.”

“We proved the rumours true, sir. I think command needs to take the action that they’ve always wanted to,” Cutting said.

“I wholeheartedly agree Lef-tenant... Let’s just hope this doesn’t blow up in our faces.”

Epilogue

Epilogue

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo practically had to drag Sweetie Bell out of their hiding hole, the fighting was over. Sweet Apple Acres was located about a kilometre to the southwest of Ponyville, the gryphons hadn’t even made it this far. Scootaloo’s Crusader Machine Carbine had gone unused, something that the fillies were both grateful for.

“Sweetie Bell! You need to snap out of it now!” Scootaloo said.

Sweetie Bell looked at Scootaloo blankly, as if she didn’t even recognise her. Scootaloo rose a hoof and gave Sweetie Bell a hard smack across her muzzle, to which she felt instantly guilty for afterwards

“Ow! Hey!” Sweetie Bell called out, bringing a hoof up and rubbing where Scootaloo had hit her. “What was that for?!”

Scootaloo looked down at the ground. “I’m sorry Sweetie... that was wrong, I shouldn’t have done that.”

“I forgive you!” Sweetie Bell said cheerfully. “I know you didn’t mean it.”

Guilt filled Scootaloo intensely.

“Well wha’ do we do now?” Apple Bloom asked. “All the fightin’ is over.”

“I guess we should probably go home?” Sweetie Bell suggested.

Scootaloo frowned. “Home... yeah, I guess,” however, Scootaloo was quick to put on a smile for her friends, “I’ll come find you guys tomorrow morning, maybe we can get our Cutie Marks by helping clean up town!”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell grinned in excitement at the prospect. “Cutie Mark Crusader War cleaner-uppers! YAY!” they cheered.

Scootaloo waved them goodbye as they went to walk home. Sweetie Bell turned northeast, heading into town, Apple Bloom had gone inside her house. When Scootaloo was out of sight from both of them, she doubled back into the farm fields, heading for their clubhouse as fast as she could.

She didn’t want Apple Bloom or Sweetie Bell that she didn’t actually have a home to go back to.