//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Tomorrow is Always a New Day // by Wheller //------------------------------// Chapter 4 The trio got up at the crack of dawn, packing up their camp and setting off for Manehattan. Twilight wanted to get as close to the Hoofson bay as possible before the weather started to take a turn for the worse. It was the final day of November. At midnight tonight, they could expect Cloudsdale and the other pegasi cities around Equestria to start pumping out snow. Manehattan was still a two week walk from their present position. Something of which Rainbow Dash had to remind her of, as they wouldn’t get very far before snow hit. Vinyl Scratch seemed unworried, laughing inwardly as the two other ponies argued with each other. “Chill out everypony. We’re all friends here,” Vinyl had to remind them. Twilight looked at her fellow unicorn and sighed. “I’m just stressed out... by things...” “What things?” Vinyl asked. Twilight muttered slightly that it was something she didn’t want to talk about, and with that, the white unicorn dropped the subject. Vinyl Scratch wasn’t one to pry. In truth, Twilight was still bothered by what had happened in the end of October. Sugarcube Corner exploded, her friend Montana Ulhan’s suicide, Princess Luna being locked in an insane asylum, to name a few. Twilight had stopped blaming herself for these things happening... but that didn’t mean that she was over them. She shut her eyes, and the image of Monty Ulhan’s body hanging by his neck from the ceiling of his flat returned to her, just as vivid as the day it had happened. No, she would likely be haunted by that image for the rest of her natural life. It wasn’t something you could just forget. The most unlikely unicorn had helped her accept that it wasn’t her fault, Trixie, of all ponies, but there was nothing that could make her forget. Rainbow Dash was flying several dozen metres in the air looking for a good spot to camp for the night. The first snow of December would be a heavy one. And they needed a place to sleep at where they wouldn’t find themselves buried under a tonne of snow come morning. Vinyl Scratch was doing her best to make conversation with Twilight, but the lavender unicorn was clearly lost her thoughts, unable to give answers more than an “uh huh” or “yes.” “It’s a good thing that you’re paying attention you know. There's always the threat of an attack by say, a dragon. The kind that eats the sun once every 30 days. It's a nuisance, but what can you expect from reptiles? Did I mention that my nose is on fire? And that I have 15 wild badgers living in my saddlebags?” Vinyl said. Twilight had started paying attention, and took to glaring at the odd unicorn pony next to her. Vinyl grinned at her. “I’m sorry, would you prefer ferrets?” ... Rainbow Dash was happy to be in the air. She could see so much from up here. And even though it was still very far away, she could see the Manehattan skyline from here. She was slightly annoyed, because she could fly there in a couple of hours. But no, they were walking. Rainbow looked down to see Vinyl trying to make conversation with the egghead, but not making any progress with it. Come on egghead! Open up a little! Rainbow Dash wanted to yell it at her, but chose not to. She was somewhat worried that Vinyl was getting the impression that Twilight and Rainbow didn’t like each other that much, which was far from the truth. Twilight was one of her best friends, and honestly, was the reason that she had even become friends with the others at all. Before Twilight had shown up in Ponyville, she was acquainted with Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy, sure. But Rainbow wouldn’t have gone so far to call them friends, but when Twilight showed up and the six of them ventured into the Everfree forest together, that was when each of them started becoming friends. Truth of the matter was she owed Twilight. Rainbow shook her head, she was getting distracted. She needed to find a place nearby where they could set up camp, preferably sooner rather than later. First snow of the winter season was always a doozy. She spotted a clearing three kilometres up the road and five hundred metres into a small wooded area. Even the heaviest snow fall wouldn’t burry them alive there. Rainbow returned to the ground and relayed the spot she’d discovered to the two Unicorns. “It’s gonna be super-cold tonight. Cloudsdale kind of over does it on December first,” Rainbow admitted. “I got ideas on how we can stay warm,” Vinyl said grinning madly. Rainbow blushed. It went right over Twilight’s head. “I’ve thought ahead, and brushed up on a spell that’ll keep our tents warm on the inside,” Twilight said proudly. “My way would have been more fun,” Vinyl said, her grin got even wider and Rainbow did her best not to show that she was blushing. The trio made their way into the clearing and quickly erected camp. Twilight got a fire going and the trio sat down for dinner. Neither Rainbow nor Twilight could cook worth a damn. Vinyl Scratch surprised them by taking a few from what each of them had and whipped up something that she refused to tell them the name of, stating that it was “her personal specialty, and they didn’t need to know anymore than that.” Rainbow had been somewhat hesitant to try it, considering that it had been prepared by the mischievous unicorn, but ended up giving in after Vinyl took her first bite. “Vinyl, may I ask you a personal question?” Twilight asked her. “My favourite kind!” Vinyl said grinning. “What made you want to go to the Hoofson Bay?” Twilight asked. Vinyl smirked, setting her meal down. “Have you ever woken up one morning and asked yourself ‘what the hell am I doing with my life?’” Twilight and Rainbow were both caught off guard by Vinyl, who smirked again and continued her story. “Suffice it to say, I’ve been a successful pony. I’ve got money, a job I love doing, and plenty of free time to do as I damn well please. Not going to lie to ya. Most of my adult life’s been oriented to hedonistic desires, the usual routine with me was wake up at six, in the PM, go to some club, party, get horribly drunk, go home with some random mare and/or stallion that I didn’t know the name of, ride the magic until six in the AM, and wash, rinse, and repeat. Do that for a couple years, and then one day you wake up and ask yourself, ‘Vinyl, there’s got to be more to this.’ Sure enough, same exact day, I run into a black earth pony on the street, and he says to me. ‘Yes Vinyl Scratch, there is more. Look to the north and you’ll find it.’ I’m pretty sure he was one something, but then again I was too. The more I thought about it, the more I thought he was onto something. So here I am. I been places, but the one place I’ve never been is north, the Hoofson bay. Ought to check it out ya dig?” Twilight and Rainbow’s mouths were hanging wide open at Vinyl’s story, surprised to hear that ponies actually lived like that in the big cities. “Are you crazy?” Twilight found herself asking without thinking, she snapped her hooves over her mouth as the words left her tongue. “Indubitably!” Vinyl said grinning. ... Night fell, and each of the ponies drifted off to sleep, in the distance, watching closely was an all black earth pony, amber eyes shining brightly. He watched as the fire Twilight Sparkle had built several hours before burned out. Snow was falling, Nightcaller was watching. “Take a photograph. It’ll last longer,” A disembodied voice said from the darkness. “Don’t be ridiculous. Our memory outclasses every photograph ever taken Nightshadow.” Nightshadow glided out of the darkness, appearing in a wisp of smoke next to his brother. “Your presence is not required here Nightshadow. Why have you come?” Nightcaller asked. “The Rainbow one has forgotten her nightmare. I intended for her to remember it,” Nightshadow said confidently. “Do not lie to me brother. You may be the master of deceit, but I know your mind intimately. You came for her,” Nightcaller said. “Now you are the one being ridiculous,” Nightshadow scoffed. “Whatever you say, brother, whatever you say.” Nightcaller said mockingly. The two Siblings Nightmare stood watching the camp; they were long gone by the time morning came.