Far reaching sand that covered the massive landscape. Sand dunes with piles of it all reaching out endlessly. A metal tower with an ominous power to it with its walls cracking with age. After all the work that has been put out, Vinyl finally found what she was looking for. No more failed sources, no more leads that didn't go anywhere. She finally arrived to get back her lost friend. Vinyl's armor chinked with each step, each chain of her chainmail, hoof gauntlets, and back leather strap. Although she was weary from all the battles she has waged against the accursed Sounded. Ponies born from noise and generated from this exact tower.
A whole mess of wars against ponies that weren't even real. Just murmurs of a lost unicorn, sealed by a traitorous dragon. Being able to create armies of lifeless husks of ponies to do any bidding he wanted. Any chance of redemption, forgiveness, or even friendship was lost with all that has been done. Vinyl was sent alone, it is the only thing to be done for she was the only one needed to finally end this endless war. Determination was in her eyes, there was no way she could fail at this point. The scar on her left eye itched a bit, but she didn't even bother to care.
One step forward and the tower surged its magical power. An aura of rainbow-ish magic surrounded the place, it was ready to defend itself from the small pony standing some meters away.
Vinyl flared her horn while masses of generated ponies flowed out from the magical force field. Running after her with blank expressions and without cutie marks on them. Vinyl lifted her neck up towards the sky and shot a magical beam, hitting a single cloud amidst the bounty of the blue sky, turning dark and vicious with energy crackling all around it. A storm of magical thunder slammed into the dunes, picking off the multitude of Sounded. They evaporated into dust after exploding from the shock of the thunderous blasts. With most of the Sounded destroyed and weakened, the force field began to vanish in and out. Her horn flared once more, and a large thunderbolt shot through the forcefield, completely demolishing it to pieces. The magical fragments vanishing into thin air as they fell off the towers structure.
In went Vinyl, each step met with a clink from her armor. The double door entrance was so ancient with archaic symbols of a time too old to be remembered etched into its frame. She pressed her hoof through the door to find long chairs lined across the long hallway. There stood the traitor near the statue of a red maned alicorn. He was breathing heavily, his green claws smoking like it was burned on fire.
Vinyl continued through the church, each step was met with Spike hurling levitated chairs at her before being blown apart. Pieces of old wood flew everywhere.
"Damn YOU!" yelled Spike.
Another chair flew right at her, which was predictably destroyed. More chairs as Spike screamed in anger, all burnt and blown with magic. With a lack of chairs, Spike lay exhausted, barely able to stand on the statue. Spike couldn't move, too tired to be angry and too drained to fight. Spike suddenly grasped his neck, Vinyl levitated Spike from the ground, scratching the magical circle with his burnt claws. Vinyl stared at him, so weakened and hurt, it looked like everything caught with him in the end, but she wasn't going to end it so quickly.
"Where is Octavia traitor."
"..."
Vinyl threw Spike into the wall, the distinct crack of a few bones resounded as Spike twitched painfully. Unknown to her, the vacant expression of Spike gave no merit to any interrogation. She then encased him in a magical stretchy ball to which he would not be able to escape. Looking around the church, she found a crevice near the statue. Vinyl pushed the statue with all her might, it slid enough to show a stairway underground. It was the only thing she had left to go for. Down the stairway she went, a creak with each step on the old dusty wood.
Darkness encased the stairs she went down from. Lighting her horn up magically as she found no more stairs to descend. Vinyl looked around the now illuminated small room. There, behind two large candles was Octavia behind some type of mirror. With the catacomb of decay, the pristine sound of music played heavily from the mirror. Vinyl neared it and touched the mirror screen before her sight became blindingly white.
She opened her eyes and saw Octavia just as she was so long ago. Wearing the same white dress of luminance that captivated so many the last time she did her musical solo. Surrounded by white and a black symbol beneath where she played.
"Octavia!" said Vinyl happily, running towards the cello playing unicorn.
She got close, so close that she could see her face to face. Vinyl hadn't seen her in so long, her face was just as she remembered, grey and black mane smelling of lilacs. There was no hope of self-control, tears flowed out from her to see her lost friend unharmed and in such good condition. All the times she ever fought, the work she did to get this far, the hopelessness that almost made her give in to failure. All those years had given fruit for she had her Octavia once again. A hug came upon the unicorn as she played, and something gave in for the lost Octavia.
"V-v-vinyl?"
The white unicorn gasped, her cheeks red with tears. Everything was going to be fine, no more war, no more of sadness.
"Whah? Whats going on? I remember... we were at the orchestra, then... nothing."
"I don't ever want to you lose you again Octavia, its... so great to see you!"
"But, what? Where are we? What is all this?"
"I'll explain everything, I've been through so much to find you Octy, I've done everything I could and now your here."
"Wait, why are you wearing armor? And what is this place?"
"Octy, I'll explain everything soon, I just... its been so long, we need to go home, were everypony is waiting."
"Well, I don't know what to say..."
"Don't worry, lets just get out of this shithole, follow me."
Vinyl and Octavia went towards the mirror residing where she entered this place. She held Octavia's hoof as they both went through it. Vinyl was filled with an expression of absolute bliss while Octavia stared confused. Up the stairs, they were situated right back into the church. She went to the ball where Spike was encased.
"What is that Vinyl?"
"Oh its nothing, nothing for you to worry about, I've done all the worrying for so long, I don't want any of it on you."
"Vinyl? What happened?"
Vinyl Scratch looked down to the ground, so much had happened and it was just too much for her to recount everything.
"I... there has, well."
"Please Vinyl, I need to know what is going on."
"Octavia, I've done so many things, bad things, good things, but, all I ever done was for you and all of Equestria. I'm just sorry that I couldn't save you sooner."
"What!? Save me? From what?"
A loud whirring came from outside, Vinyl looked towards the exit of the church and turned to her compatriot.
"Its time to go Octavia, I don't want you to disappear on me again."
The two ran outside, to find a helicopter turning fiercely from its wings. Octavia looked at the metal thing and became surprised.
"Well thats our ride." said Vinyl staring at the metal thing. "Ready to get on?"
"What is that thing!?"
"Its our ride, just like I said before, geez Octy, you have been gone for too long."
The helicopter flew down into the ground, sand flying everywhere. The two ran up to the machine while Vinyl giggled in joy. As they took off, Octavia yelped from the sudden and quick take off. They flew onward towards the sunset before vanishing from viewpoint.