//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Broken Record // by Wheller //------------------------------// Chapter 8 The carriage carrying Twilight Sparkle to Ponyville landed softly on the ground, in a hurry, Twilight hopped off the back and burst through the door of her Library. “Front and centre everypony!” She called out. Vinyl was already in the main room, Rainbow Dash trotted down the stairs. Twilight waved them outside. “We have a serious problem on our hooves girls, Rainbow Dash, find Rarity and meet us at Fluttershy’s cottage, Vinyl and I will get Applejack and meet you there,” Twilight instructed. “What’s going on Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I‘ll tell you when we’re all together, I don’t have time to explain it twice,” Twilight said. This was good enough for Rainbow Dash, and the Pegasus flew off. Vinyl and Twilight stopped by Sweet Apple Acres and grabbed Applejack as they said they would, and arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage about the same time that Rainbow Dash did with Rarity. Fluttershy stepped outside to find that her friends had all assembled in her front garden. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Is something wrong?” Twilight nodded in affirmation. “There is something I need to fill you in on... about Princess Luna, I’m sorry for lying to you all, but Luna hasn’t been away on a diplomatic mission, like I said she was. She’s been locked up in the Royal Hospital Psychiatric Ward for the last five months undergoing treatment.” Everyponies’ mouth fell wide open. “Why would ya’ll lie ta us like tha’! Luna’s our friend too!” Applejack called out in surprise. “Because Princess Celestia asked me to keep it confidential, the only ponies that knew were myself, the Princess, her personal guard, and the doctors treating her,” Twilight said. “Tha’ don’ make it right! We deserved ta know the truth!” Applejack said angrily. “I know, that’s why I’m telling you all now, Luna has escaped. Princess Celestia has good reason to believe that she is hold up in the old castle in the Everfree forest, she’s very unstable, and we need to find her and bring her back.” “You want me to follow you into the Everfree forest to help your friend? Say no more Twilight, I’m with you.” Vinyl Scratch said, opening her saddlebag and pulling out her Magnum Revolver, opening the breech to check the ammunition, satisfied, she snapped it back shut. Applejack however, was still fuming with anger. “Ah’m sorry Twilight, but Ah make it mah personal policy ta not help liars, yer on yer own.” Twilight Sparkle was taken aback by Applejack’s reaction, she knew that she wasn’t going to take well to having been lied to, but she hadn’t expected a full out refusal to help, that was so unlike her! “I’m afraid I must agree with Applejack,” Rarity said, bowing her head slightly, as if deep in thought. “You three,” she said, pointing at Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Vinyl. “Have been keeping a lot to yourselves lately, I know you have! If you can’t trust us with such information, then I don’t think we can be friends.” Rarity and Applejack departed without another word, leaving Twilight, Rainbow, Vinyl, and Fluttershy standing in the garden, watching them leave. Fluttershy was transfixed on Vinyl’s revolver. “Um... You aren’t planning on using that on any of the animals in the forest. Are you?” Vinyl looked at Fluttershy with deadly seriousness. “Since the fire, all the animals have gotten hyper-aggressive, if one of them tries to hurt my friends... I’m putting them down.” Fluttershy squeaked with fright at Vinyl, backing up slightly. “I’m sorry Twilight... but I can’t go with you. I can’t be a part of something where somepony would kill those poor creatures.” Fluttershy turned and walked away, leaving Twilight, Vinyl, and Rainbow Dash alone. “What just happened here?” Rainbow Dash asked in surprise. “Our... our friends just abandoned us,” Twilight said dumbfoundedly. “How could they do that?” Vinyl frowned at what had just happened. She looked at her friend, ready to explain herself. “Sorry I drove off the last one... but when I need to make a choice between the life of my friends and the life of one of those creatures... well, it’s an easy choice.” “You didn’t do anything wrong Vinyl,” Twilight assured her. She looked at her two remaining friends. “Thank you... thank you both for standing by me. It means a lot to me.” “Are you kidding? I’d never leave you hanging Twilight!” Rainbow Dash cried out. “Applejack is being jerk; I might just have to beat some sense into her later!” “As long as you’re willing to accept them, my horn and hooves are at your disposal,” Vinyl said. Twilight smiled. “Well, let’s not waste any more time then! Let’s go!” ... Vinyl kept her eyes open, checking around for any signs of trouble. Twilight too had drawn her revolver out; she agreed wholeheartedly with Vinyl that they needed to protect themselves. Everfree had never been quite right... now it was so much worse. Vinyl was impressed at just how large the forest was, they were heading north northwest at 335 degrees, Everfree was much longer than it was wider, Iron Hoof of Cromwell was parked five kilometres from here at the south-western end of the forest. The kangaroo commando camp was at the exact opposite side of the forest, and they had divided themselves between the two. Vinyl followed behind Twilight and Rainbow, the two of them seemed to know where they were going. They had reached a river which Vinyl suspected fed the Lake of Origin, but looking into the water revealed her only as she was now. “Eyes open,” Twilight said. “This might get ugly.” Twilight took a step into the river; it was shallow and easy enough for them to cross at. Vinyl didn’t know why Twilight was worried, but she figured that there was a good reason. Rainbow Dash leapt into the air and landed on the other side. Vinyl and Twilight stepped quietly across the river, getting across to the other side without incident. Twilight sighed a sigh of relief. “Okay, let’s go.” “What were we worrying about?” Vinyl asked. “The sea serpent.” ... The trio of ponies walked to the edge of the grounds of the ancient castle. They had made it without any serious hiccups. And they were beginning to think that it was all too easy. They crossed the open grounds towards the deteriorated castle’s Observatory. Memories of being here nearly two years ago were flooding back to Rainbow Dash and Twilight. “Look!” Rainbow Dash pointed off to a high tower in the distance where they could see a light shining from. “There she is! Up there!” Twilight and Rainbow Dash galloped towards the tower, causing Vinyl’s eyes to widen with fear. “Stop!” she screamed, causing the two ponies to freeze in their tracks. Vinyl took her revolver and fired a single shot straight in front of her. The bullet impacted on a magical energy shield, sending sparks flying as the energy of the impact was distributed across the entirety of the shield, which stretched around the entirety of the Observatory. “Goggles,” Vinyl said point at her eyes. “Just enough contrast to see it.” Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at each other and swallowed hard. They didn’t want to think about what would have happened had they touched it. “Wonderful,” Twilight said. “To think we came all this way in order to come across an impassable barrier.” Almost as if on cue, the magical shield crackled, and retreated from its position, it fell completely, as if its caster had been expecting them. Which considering it was Princess Luna, she likely was. Vinyl nodded in affirmation, it was safe to go forward. The three mares took their steps past where the shield had been and sighed in relief, though jumped in surprise when the shield came back up around them when they were all inside its perimeter. “Well,” Twilight said. “No going back now.” ... The three climbed the stairs of the observatory, slowly and carefully taking in the surroundings, some of the walls were blank; some of them had small, indecipherable scribbles that looked incredibly old on them. Some of them had writing that was fresh. Not insane! They lie! Saw a pony get into a blue box. Box disappeared. Must study. Blue Moon! In the distance they heard music begin to play, accompanied by beautiful singing. “Blue Moon! You saw me standing alone...” The trio of mares picked up the pace, and soon enough they had reached the top of the stairs, inside the room was a record player, books scattered about the tables and floors, and most importantly Princess Luna bobbing her head to the music. “Blue Moon! Now I’m no longer alone!” Princess Luna said, her horn began to glow, as a magical shield dropped around each of the three mares. “Without a dream in my heart!” Princess Luna sung, looking at each of the three ponies before her. “Without a love of my own...”