Appledashery

by Just Essay

Not Even a Scratch

Early in the morning...

...the front door to the Mortuana suite clicked open.

Vinyl Scratch entered, dragging an equipment case behind her. She took two steps in... when she saw Rainbow Dash. The mare froze in place.

Rainbow Dash smiled. She stood beside the kitchen counter, holding two cans of soda. "Uhhhh... h-hey there, Vinyl!"

Vinyl stared. Vinyl frowned. With icy precision, she telekinetically closed the door behind her.

Rainbow Dash gulped. "I... uh... I figured you might need some caffeine to continue doing your twenty-four hour wakefulness thingy... so I went down into the lobby and bought some Dr. Pony. Who doesn't like Dr. Pony, am I right—?"

"I don't drink soda."

"Oh?"

"I don't and I never have," Vinyl said coldly.

Rainbow gulped. "Ah... well... the fewer kidney stones the better, right—?"

"I searched all over for you," Vinyl said, glaring at the mare. "I scoured Las Pegasus. Upper and Lower."

"Mmmmmm..." Rainbow grimaced. "Yeahhhhhhh..."

"I bugged the police to no end. Their resources are spread thin as it is. Between the rampant tourism and drug runners nested deep within this city, they've barely got the time and energy to go searching for missing ponies... especially pegasi who think it's a bright idea to ditch their friends at a nightclub and go galloping into the desert without so much as saying a word—"

"I met Listing," Rainbow said.

Vinyl froze in place. Her features slacked slightly. In a calm breath, she lowered her shades... squinting quietly at Rainbow Dash. "...Listing Breeze?"

"Mmmhmmm." Rainbow nodded.

Vinyl licked the inside of her muzzle. At last, she trotted over until she was leaning against the other side of the kitchen counter. Clearing her voice, she spoke in a gentle tone: "And... are you... doing okay, Rainbow?"

"I am now," Rainbow Dash said. A deep breath. "I'd give you a bunch of details, but I don't want you getting any more worried than you already are."

"Let's not worry about my worry right now," Vinyl said. Her brow furrowed. "Did... did Listing try to... do anything stupid?"

"She's still Listing, if that's what you mean."

Vinyl sighed. "I'm not sure I even know what I mean anymore."

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. "It's okay. She... uh..." Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, gazing at the hotel room floor. "She saved me from a bunch of muggers the night I wandered out of the Last Stand's nightclub."

Vinyl's ears twitched.

"Yeah. I made an idiotic move. Just... one of my less-than-awesome moments of self-collapse, y'know? I didn't feel comfortable in that place, and it broke me. So I went out for a stroll... ran into some bad company... and Listing Breeze showed up out of nowhere. She saved my hide... if only to use it as friggin' leverage to guilt trip me into doing some dirty work for her..."

"She's here in Las Pegasus?"

"Yeah... but probably not for much longer. Not after..." Rainbow grimaced.

Vinyl was silent.

Clearing her throat, Rainbow opened a soda can, took a heavy swig, then exhaled. "Long story short, I'm done with her."

"I had no idea you were undone with her."

"Fine. Let's just say I'm doubly done," Rainbow grunted. "More like quadrupely done. I'm through with her endless mountains of manure. I just... didn't have the strength to give her the shove until now... until this most recent reunion."

"What changed?"

"Huh?" Rainbow looked over.

"What changed so that you were finally able to give her the cold shoulder after all this time?" Vinyl asked. "No offense, Rainbow Dash, but when it came to Listing—"

"—I was a real cowardly lame-o. Yeah, I know."

Vinyl sighed. "I was going to say something along the lines of an 'unfortunate victim.'"

"'Unfortunate' works, sure. But the way I see it... I've only ever been responsible for the lows I've endured," Rainbow Dash said. "But no more. At least not where Listing is concerned. She's history, now. Now and forever."

"And she just..." Vinyl shrugged. "...let you go? Just like that?"

"I kicked the crap out of her, Vinyl."

Vinyl Scratch blinked. "Oh." She blinked again. "About damn time."

"I know, right?" Rainbow Dash sipped on her soda.

Vinyl sighed. "I suppose some apologies are in order."

Rainbow nearly choked. She squinted. "You mean me, right?"

"No." Vinyl exhaled through a shudder. "This vacation... this whole thing may not have been my idea, but I am mostly responsible for it—especially since it was my tour that we were piggybacking." She gulped. "Face it, Rainbow. The rest of the girls and I practically kidnapped you. If we hadn't coerced you into this trip, then maybe you'd never have gotten mugged or—"

"Don't apologize," Rainbow said. "Don't you get it? I've kicked the earth away, Vinyl."

"Have you?"

"Yeah. All things considered..." Rainbow Dash smirked, lifting the soda can. "...it's the best dang vacation a girl could have asked for." She took another sip, burped, and pointed at the red container. "Can you believe that this thing was once cough syrup?"

"Never touch the stuff."

"Eh... you're probably better off."

"Do the others know?"

"Huh?"

"Do the others know you're back?" Vinyl asked. "That you're safe?"

"Caramel does," Rainbow Dash said. "She's... not doing too hot right now."

"I... figured." Vinyl exhaled. "Every time I've tried talking to her, she's kept me and the rest at a distance. Which is strange, for Caramel."

"She's recovering," Rainbow remarked. "Slowly but surely." A sigh. "Nothing she isn't used to."

"You've hung out with her, I take it?"

Rainbow nodded.

"Loyal to the end." Vinyl leaned back, folding her forelimbs. "If only you were as good about taking care of yourself as you are about looking out for the rest of us."

"After this week?" Rainbow smiled. "I think I'm on the right track."

"Still, Lyra and Bon Bon would love to know you're in one piece," Vinyl said. "They've been worried sick. Especially Bon Bon."

"Right..." Rainbow took a final sip for courage and exhaled. "I think I'll tell Bon Bon first. Uhm... which room is she staying in?"

Vinyl pointed.

"Thanks a ton." Rainbow turned tail. "Hopefully this won't take long."

"Best of luck," Vinyl said. "I'll... uh... be in the far side of the suite." She trotted off. "Wearing headphones."

Comments

[Crochettail]

"Who doesn't like Dr. Pony, am I right—?"

Nope.

[Hestia]

As always, seeing Rainbow and Vinyl interact is just priceless. It brings me so much joy!

[MidnightReflection]

Rainbow Dash smiled. She stood beside the kitchen counter, levitating two cans of soda. "Uhhhh... h-hey there, Vinyl!"

>levitating
And suddenly, Rainbow was a unicorn.

[Phoenix Kitten]

"Best of luck," Vinyl said. "I'll... uh... be in the far side of the suite." She trotted off. "Wearing headphones."

Shrieking or squeeing inbound.

[Leftover of Saikano]

7250671 They are fizzy lifting drinks.

[RoboRed]

"I don't drink soda."
"Oh?"
"I don't and I never have," Vinyl said coldly.

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH VINYL

[zaponator]

Something tells me the next conversation will be just a tiny bit less cool and rational.

[RyuImperator]

7250971
The painfull one

[arancaytar]

so I went down into the lobby and bought some Dr. Pony. Who doesn't like Dr. Pony, am I right—?"

"I don't drink soda."

"Oh?"

"I don't and I never have," Vinyl said coldly.

It's okay Dashie, I can never keep the characters from different Skirts verses straight either.

Edit: Then again most of them aren't straight in the first place.

[arancaytar]

7251945
I mean she can talk and she's not madly in love with Tavi either.