//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Broken Record // by Wheller //------------------------------// 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.”