//------------------------------// // 4. Overture // Story: The News and the Noise // by DudeManGuy //------------------------------// KNOCK KNOCK Octavia opens her eyes, noticing an unexpected dampness on her cheek. Craning her neck to look at the door, she realizes that she had fallen asleep on the floor. The wet sensation is a puddle of drool, still seeping from her gaping maw. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK The door pounds three more times. Each one hurts in Octavia’s ears, blood rushing back to her head as she slowly awakens. The clock reveals that 2 hours had passed since her last conscious memory. ‘I must have fallen asleep...’ she thinks to herself. A gentle, dainty yawn escapes her mouth as she stands on wobbly hooves. The blur of the room around her suggests that her eyes are not fully adjusted to life quite yet. KNOCKNOCKNOCKNOCKNOCK “I’ll be right there!” she yells, yawning once again and rubbing the crust of sleep from her eyes. The door knob is slippery, as it had just been washed last night. Using two hooves, Octavia levers the door open to see a surprising, yet not altogether unpleasant sight. “Oh...! Vinyl! You’re here... early.” “Yeah... I’m here.” Vinyl replies, looking sheepishly at the floor. Her normal confidence and attitude was replaced by a nervous and unsure waver. Octavia looks at her, worried, but more so happy to see her again after so long. “Come on in, it’s been far too long.” Vinyl enters the room, dragging her hooves. The draft from the poorly insulated hallway blows in creating a new mood of the room entirely. It was chilly, but it was also 4 in the morning. Vinyl sits on the floor and let’s out a relieved sigh. “I’ve been on my hooves all night.” “Oh you poor thing you look dreadful! Is something the matter?” Octavia prods, almost hoping to be able to take care of her long lost roommate. “Tired... Anxious... Missed you...” Vinyl mutters before collapsing to the floor. “Haven’t had a stiff drink in over a month and I’d really like one...” Tears begin to well up in Octavia’s eye. ‘She’s actually trying to get better...’ she thinks, hoping that the effort is because of her. “I can’t offer you alcohol, but you really must get some rest. Come, you may use my bed until morning. We can catch up when we’re both awake enough to hold a decent conversation.” Octavia leads Vinyl to the bedroom and helps her under the covers. Vinyl on instinct curls up on the mattress and cuddles the blanket tight to her chest. “Thanks girl, you got my back...” she whispers under tired breath. Octavia yawns once more and sits on the edge of the bed. Before she can catch herself, she falls on her back next to Scratch and drifts off... ----- It was the day that everypony had been anticipating. The day of the Summer Sun Celebration. Canterlot bustles with ponies from door to door. The locals from the city delight in the increased business, and the visitors from Manehatten, Fillydelphia, Ponyville, and Cloudsdale roam the streets with ecstatic intent. What most of them were looking forward to was of course to see the princess. Celestia watches from her balcony as her beloved city is filled with bright new faces, and yet she can not find the strength to smile. “I’m deeply worried for them Luna.” Celestia sighs, closing her eyes and turning away. “I fear that the worst may indeed come.” “I fear too, sister. I shall stay on watch until we are assured there is no danger.” Luna reassures. Tensions were high in the palace, especially after the riot that had crippled a portion of the guard. “What do you think that stallion meant, Luna?” Celestia asks, hoping to absolve the prodding aches in her head. “Why I’m not their Queen... What did he mean?” “Do not worry my sister. He was an instigator for a mindless mob. Anypony who would willingly attack the royal guard is clearly in no correct state of mind.” Luna consoles, with little results. “I hope that the violence will be at least contained. I hate to think that these visitors will come under harm.” “We all do sister, but there is no point in it any longer. You have kept your resolve under scrutiny of the radio, and have stayed diplomatic until now. Once action is taken, we will strike, and the conflict shall be over.” “If you could do one thing for me, Luna.” Celestia begins. “Yes, sister?” “I must begin preparing to address my subjects. Go find Twilight and her friends. I know they’ll be here. I wish to see them.” she concludes. If there were any ponies that could make her feel safe, they were her prodigal student and friends. Luna only gives a nod and flies out the window, knowing just where they might be. ----- “Oh this place is just divine, Twilight!” Rarity compliments as she takes a sip of tea. The cafe was small, and the business was anything but upper class, but it was a nice place to sit and talk. The six friends sit around a table, each enjoying a donut or a drink, reveling in the holiday’s warm atmosphere. That is until Luna kicks open the door. “LADY SPARKLE AND FRIENDS HAVE BEEN SUMMONED TO THINE PRINCESS! COME WITH US IMMEDIATELY!” she shouts to the dismay of the proprietor. Twilight bolts to her feet in surprise, knocking the table over and spilling coffee and tea all over the floor. Rarity screeches as her tail is soaked with boiling beverages. “Princess Luna! Is everything alright?” Twilight asks frantically. This was unusual, even for the princess of the night. “Sorry Twilight... I suppose I could have spoken to thee more softly. We at the palace have been on edge all day, and Celestia wishes to see thine friends and yourself to calm her royal nerves.” Luna explains. “We were also expecting to have to search harder for thy presence.” “Right away your majesty. Come on girls, let’s go.” ----- There’s a comforting warmth around Vinyl as she opens her eyes. Through half closed lids she couldn’t see much. It’s soft, particularly cuddly, and seems to also have arms, which wrap around her body like a mother, or perhaps... “Bitch what are you doing?!” Vinyl screams as she kicks hard, sending Octavia barreling off the bed. “What the fuck you doin’ up in my grill like that!” Octavia rubs her head after that unpleasant awakening. She didn’t remember falling asleep... again. All she remembered was sitting on the bed next to Scratch and... Now it made sense. Over the course of the night, Octavia had rolled over and put her arms around her roommate. Vinyl, in her tired and vulnerable state, had snuggled up to her. There was an uncomfortable silence. “So um... Sorry?” Octavia offers. “Whatevs, at least we got some rest...” Vinyl reassures. “And for the record, you’re comfy as fuck.” Octavia blushes and looks over at the window. Perhaps this could turn into something great? She silently wishes for the courage to speak, but it just doesn’t come. “Oh no bitch, I know that look.” Vinyl continues. “Hell no, hell fucking no! I never meant for this to get weird, so just forget it!” she practically screams, her face lighting up as she looks at the door. “I just needed to tell you to leave...” “What?” Octavia snaps back to attention at these words. “Leave? What ever do you mean?” “I’m covering the Celebration on my show, and I know that something is going to happen. Trust me Octavia, something is coming and it’s not going to end well.” “Don’t tell me you’re going to attack the princess! I’ve listened to your show every morning for two and a half weeks now and you might want to keep your head down. Don’t worry about me!” Octavia scolds. “You listen every morning?” Vinyl cocks her head to the right and stares at Octavia, almost flattered. Octavia scratches the back of her neck and laughs nervously. “I uh... missed your voice...” There was another awkward silence. Vinyl sighs and begins walking towards the exit. “Look, it could get violent at the courtyard and I don’t want you hurt because of me.” she explains, hoping the message could just hit home and be left at that. “I hope you know what you’re doing Scratch. If I find out you’re behind this I’m going to be very unimpressed.” Octavia explains. “I’ll stay away from the ceremony... But promise me you won’t get yourself killed.” “Promise Phil, I’ll be back without even a scratch.” Vinyl replaces her glasses dramatically and walks out the door. Octavia grimaces at the use of her old nickname, but it was almost nice to hear it again. She plants herself on the floor and looks out the window towards the palace. “Octavia you are a mess.” she muses to herself. “Of course she wouldn’t want you... That was a silly idea to begin with.” ----- “Princess, we’re here!” Twilight exclaims, running into Celestia’s chamber in a frantic gallop. The others follow behind her, also quite concerned. “Is something wrong?” “Not yet my student... But I fear for the well-being of all attending.” Celestia sighs as she turns from the window. “I only wished to speak with you before I have to address them all. And I also wish to ask you something.” “Anything princess! If you need us to go kick some flank for you then we’re on it!” Rainbow Dash salutes. Celestia chuckles timidly and shakes her head. “No that will not be necessary Rainbow Dash, but I appreciate the enthusiasm. No, my question is for Twilight.” “Ask away princess, I’d be happy to answer anything you have to ask.” Twilight smiles, always eager to speak with her mentor. “In what way are you, and I suppose your friends too, affiliated with DJ Pon-3?” Twilight’s mouth stands agape for a second in shock. Was the princess really worried about her becoming a traitor? “Princess Celestia we only know each other from town. I’ve never supported her message, she’s just a neighbor.” Celestia lets out a relieved breath as her warm, caring smile returns to her face. “That is good to hear Twilight. She spoke of you on her show and I was worried that you might have turned against me.” “Never. I’ll always be your faithful student.” Twilight comforts. It was getting to be the time in which Celestia would have to walk out to the Court Yard and speak to her adoring people. She begins to walk towards the door and stops, looking back. “If anything happens to me, I want you all to work next to Luna in retaining order. I am not worried about myself, but innocents are at risk.” She explains, and walks out to face the crowd. ----- “Good afternoon Equestria, this is DJ Pon-3 live from Canterlot. I’m here at the Summer Sun Celebration and we are all just waiting for the princess to come out and make her speech. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited. Now we have a guest here, a mailmare I believe she said. Care to introduce yourself to the listeners?” “Oh, sure thing! I’m Ditzy Doo and I deliver mail! I’m a mailmare!” “That you are Ditzy. So what brings you here?” “The Summer Sun thingy with the princess! I’m here for that.” “Aren’t we all, Ditz, aren’t we all. I’ll be right back with you folks in just a minute. Until then, enjoy the holiday!” Vinyl lifts the headphones off of her head and slams them on the counter. She shoots a disapproving stare at Ditzy. “Could you sound any more idiotic? If you weren’t too stupid to fight back I wouldn’t even bother bringing you.” “Aw but Scratchy I was just saying hi to Equestria!” Ditzy laughs, waving her arms in the air to indicate a large expanse. “Don’t be mad at me, please?” “I’m not mad Ditzy. Well, I won’t be if you do your part right, which I’m honestly concerned about.” Vinyl begins setting sound levels on the console, focusing most of the audio in a speaker that had been set up near the area that Celestia would be speaking from. Right on cue, Princess Celestia appears from behind the arch of the palace entrance and makes her way to the stage. Vinyl puts her headphones back on her head and powers up the microphones. “And we’re back everypony, just in time for the main event. Princess Celestia is making her way to the stage as I speak. Let’s listen in, and enjoy the festivities!” “My loyal subjects. I come before you as your princess, as your ruler, but overall, as your friend. I am pleased to see so many faces, familiar and new, that have come to our grand city to join me in the raising of the Summer Sun. Come tomorrow morning, Summer shall officially begin, and I will be looking over all of you fondly as you bask in the sun’s warmth and glory. I would also like to assure each and every one of you that even after the unfortunate events of the past few days, we are working our best to keep you all safe. The riot that broke out in the garden two days ago is still sore in our minds, and those injured are in our thoughts, and our hearts. But this is not a sign of hard times to come! We will remain a peaceful, prosperous country just as we always h a v e..... A n d I l o o k f o r w a r d.......” Her words slow to a crawl and stop. The crowd freezes, all in awe and fear of what has just happened. The princess is effectually frozen in time, her mouth open as if to continue speaking, and her gaze still happy and warm. There was silence. It was a painful, eerie silence that was almost deafening. Vinyl squints as her head begins to hurt. It took a lot out of her to keep this going, but focusing was just not enough. Her horn continues to glow, though it couldn’t be seen. Tinted glass had been installed on purpose, for it would be almost too obvious if the audience could see her using her magic. Then somepony approaches from the palace. Six someponies actually. Twilight and her friends. “She’s just what I need...” Vinyl cackles to herself as she focuses her magic towards Twilight. Meanwhile, a shrouded pony, clad in a black bodysuit, makes their way through the crowd. Not an inch of her coat is showing, and all that can be picked out is the large pair of headphones on her ears. She’s also carrying a couple of small vials. Nopony pays her much mind, until she’s standing on the stage in front of Celestia. “Princess!” Twilight cries out, as her horn begins to glow. Strangely enough, she didn’t remember casting any spells. Her horn begins to pulse, and what look like sound waves resonate from it. Suddenly she gets a glimpse of everything from a different set of eyes. She sees life in front of her in slow motion, and there are bars on the front and sides of her vision displaying motion and frequencies. It was almost like... Using Twilight as an amplifier for her own magic made things a lot easier. As the masked mare begins mixing the contents of her vials together in front of the dumbstruck crowd, Vinyl uses her hoof to point out the scene. Her vision closes in on it, and as the chemicals react, she focuses even more. The liquids mix into a green mire, producing a thick fog. After a few seconds, it pops, and a small, contained explosion engulfs the inside of the glass vial. Then came the fun part. “I recognize those chemicals! Where in Equestria could they have gotten those?” Twilight yells as she tries to figure out where she is. Her distorted vision certainly made it hard to keep her balance. All that truly matters is if her friends can help the princess. She hopes that they have. The world stops. Mentally pressing the stop button, Vinyl highlights the explosion and copies it. She then locates several other points and samples the explosion in. Keeping each explosion selected, she then takes the very last fader on her console and pushes it up slowly. As the level rises, the explosions gain mass. Eventually, all most ponies could see was a green chemical explosion. To those watching in real time, it looked as though the mysterious villain had mixed the liquids to create a nuclear catastrophe. Confusion and panic breaks out as what was supposed to be a fun celebration turns into a crisis. “Y’all still with me?” Applejack yells, hoping that her friends hadn’t been lost. None of them could see anything, and their eyes all stung from the airborne acids of the explosion. “Still here darling, though I can’t speak for my mane!” Rarity answers. “Where’s the jerk that did this?” Rainbow shouts, dashing back and forth trying to get a hold of anything. “Oh my goodness! Where are you! EEE” Fluttershy screams, falling to her knees and breaking out into tears. This was all much more than any of them had imagined. Pinkie Pie doesn’t answer, but the sound of somepony coughing mixed with the rhythmic bouncing of hooves can be heard through the smoke. Applejack decides it’s her, but then wonders about Twilight. “Hey Twi, you there?!” Twilight was there, but she could also see a lot more, and hear a lot less. The world around her had become a grid, and a voice rang in the back of her mind. It was distorted, angry, and sinister. “Thanks for your help Twilight, I couldn’t have done this without you.” “Get out of my head!” Twilight screams as her head pounds, feeling as if it had been overloaded with pressure. The voice stops and her vision becomes normal. The blinding chemicals also dissipate to reveal something even more terrifying. Celestia was gone. In her place was a radio. “Thank you all for coming, but I’m afraid your princess has left.” speaks the very same voice that Twilight had heard. “We will be taking your city graciously, and if any of you wish to protest then be my guest. Join us and celebrate the coming of a new day! No longer shall we live under the tyranny of our oppressing princess. Good day, and I shall be speaking to you again.” “Final step... I can do this.” Vinyl mutters to herself, lifting a pill up in front of her nose. Placing it on her tongue, she feels the bitter taste crawling down her throat. She swallows, lodging the offending medicine into her belly. Her vision blurs, all sound begins to dampen, and her world was dark. “And now... We wait...” ----- “Scratch!” Vinyl hears a familiar voice, but still feels lost in darkness. There was nothing around, except for that warm feeling she remembered from that morning. “Scratch, please wake up!” It sounded as though somepony was crying. The darkness gained color slowly, her vision peering through nearly closed eyelids. It was a soft brown, pressed close up against her face. “Scratch please don’t leave me!” “O... Octavia?” Vinyl manages, finally coming out of her coma. “You’re alive! Oh goodness you had me so worried!” Octavia held Vinyl close, her face stained with tears. “Is she awake?” comes another voice. Another familiar voice. It was Twilight Sparkle. What was she doing there? “Yes... Yes she’s awake.” Octavia answers, wiping a tear from her eye. Vinyl looks up and around. Vision was still blurry, but she could tell that Twilight and her friends were all there. “Oh... Hey everypony... What’s this all about?” “Well when the princess disappeared we immediately came to check yer radio booth ‘cause we were thinkin’ it maybe had somethin’ to do with you.” Applejack answers. Her voice was laced with a hint of animosity, but seemed quite sincere. “But then we got there and you were passed out. Based on a quick diagnostic scan, you seem to have been drugged by the attackers.” Twilight finishes. They all look apologetic at Scratch. “Did you bring me here?” Vinyl asks, confused about the outcome of the attack. “Yeah, your marefriend here showed up and we brought you here to get better.” Rainbow Dash continues to explain. Octavia blushes and waves a hoof. “Now now, I’m nothing of the sort! We’re roommates, and we’ve been best friends since music school.” she corrects. Vinyl sits up on her own and scratches at her head. ‘It worked’ she thinks, sounding a little surprised to even herself. ‘I got away with it, and they don’t even suspect a thing?’ “I figured you girls would want me dead... After all, I’m probably the reason this happened...” “Well we were mad at first, but then Twilight reminded us that that level of magic would be near impossible by any normal unicorn. They even used her as a beacon for their horrid display, imagine that!” Rarity scoffs. “Yes, but you should really think about being a little nicer on your show.” adds Fluttershy. She was backed up against the wall with her hooves over her nose. The whole incident certainly gave her a fright. “Well, we ought to be going. Pinkie took off to make sure the donut shop was safe, of all things. We’ll see you again I’m sure.” Twilight turns to leave. Her friends do so as well as they all file out of the room. Octavia looks Vinyl Scratch in the eyes, tears taking over most of her vision. “It’ll be ok Scratch. It’s over, and now you can relax. I want you to come back and live with me... Please!” Octavia pulls Vinyl in for a hug and begins crying on her shoulder. Vinyl runs her hoof through Octavia’s mane for comfort. “It’s ok Octavia. I’m alright, and I’ll move back in tomorrow. It’s all going to be ok.” she consoles, though her face did not match her words. A smile, though not a loving one, took over her face, and her eyes become wild. She was laughing in the back of her mind. ‘Operation Scratch is go.’