//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: Broken Record // by Wheller //------------------------------// Chapter 10 Twilight had her at the throat; Princess Luna was on the ground, her life being choked out of her. “I’m so sorry! I’m trying to fight it! I really am! It’s doing it on its own!” she cried out panicking as her hooves had a mind of their own. Vinyl had been told to stay put, not to do anything should this happen. Forget it; she’s never been very good at keeping promises anyway. Rainbow Dash leapt on top of her, forcing the off-white unicorn to the ground. “Rainbow! Now is not the time for you to start liking surprise snuggles!” Vinyl grunted with annoyance. “I’m not doing it on purpose! My body has a mind of its own!” Rainbow Dash said. “You know that’s funny,” Vinyl grunted as she struggled to get free. “I used the same excuse every time I came home with somepony!” ... Struggle, Vinyl Scratch remember struggle. Her first night as a recovering crash addict was a very painful one, every square centimetre of her body ached in pain. Every hair on her mane and every hair in her tail singed as if a small fire had been lit on each one. Her eyes felt as if they were going to implode, her jaw felt as if it was going to break into a thousand pieces and then break into a thousand more. She screamed in pain, she would have been thrashing about were she not strapped down to a hospital bed. She felt as if she was being boiled alive to be served as a meal for a cannibal. Right now, dying would be a preferable option. Vinyl screamed for death, half-shouting, half-praying for the reaper to come down upon her and haul her off to the endless sleep. She screamed in disappointment when it did not come. Tears rolled down Vinyl’s muzzle, dripping onto her pillow, she tried to get her head turned around to smother herself with it, but alas, no such release. Somehow, Vinyl Scratch managed to drift off to sleep. Her dreams, however, were no better. Her literal pain transformed her dream into a hellish nightmare of endless torture by a sadistic pony with green, crash-dust coloured, coat and mane. She awoke the next morning, feeling incredibly numb. The alchemist’s addiction cure-all had done its job. Vinyl could never forget it. ... “Sorry Rainbow!” Vinyl grunted, as she kicked Rainbow Dash hard in the chest, sending the Pegasus pony flying back and hitting her head hard on the stone wall behind them. Vinyl charged at Twilight, who was too busy squeezing the life out of Princess Luna to take notice, she pummelled the unicorn with a strong headbutt, causing her to release the princess and skitter back onto the floor. “Cast it! Cast it now!” Vinyl called out to Luna. The still wheezing Alicorn rose to her feet, concentrating hard as the light from her horn filled the room, washing over the four ponies in the room. Vinyl felt the light’s warmth hold her, she felt a small presence in the back of her mind retreating, the voice of the evil pony that nagged at her to take a drink, or dust up that was always there, but Vinyl had become extremely good at ignoring faded away. By the time the light faded away, Vinyl felt better than she ever had in her entire life. As Twilight and Rainbow Dash groggily rose from where they had landed, she looked at the other three ponies in the room. “All right kids! Who’s ready to go save the world?” She said, grinning like a madmare, brighter than she ever had before. ... Vinyl Scratch, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Princess Luna were standing outside the door to the throne room. Oddly enough, the guards who would usually be posted here were absent. “I think somepony was expecting us,” Vinyl said. Luna nodded. “Tia likes to watch things from a distance... don’t be surprised if she already knows what the siblings forced you to do Twilight, remember: it is not your fault, and don’t let her pin it on you... not that I think she will...” Luna’s voice trailed off as she pushed opened the door. The hall was empty, apart from Princess Celestia talking with a kangaroo. They presumed that this was the ambassador. “Wow, they got one here fast!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed quietly. “Excuse me, ambassador, we have other guests joining us,” Celestia said majestically. “I am very glad to see all of you.” The kangaroo ambassador turned to face them; he was an older jack, maybe twice the age of Sergeant Tebbs, but his smile was just as genuine. “Hello! I’m Hadrian Goyle, pleased to meet you all.” This was perhaps the oddest name for a kangaroo that they had encountered, but they liked it nonetheless. “Ambassador Goyle? Would you please excuse us? I have a private matter to discuss with my sister and her friends,” Celestia said. “All right...” Goyle said hesitantly, as if this was code for ‘get out of my country and if I ever see you again I will send you to the moon.’ “Sure, I’ll be outside if you need me,” he said accepting the request, and quickly hopped out the doors the four mares had entered in. “Luna... you really should be in hospital...” Celestia said calmly, irking Luna to no end. “Save it. Tia, don’t play dumb with me! I deserve better than that after you walked out on me that day five months ago, you remember your last visit, don’t you?” Luna said. Celestia looked at Luna shyly. “I didn’t know what to do...” “Damn it Tia! You should have done something! I shouldn’t have to prod you into doing everything that you don’t like!” Luna said. “You ruled on your own for a thousand years! You should have it in you to step outside your comfort zone!” Celestia did not have a chance to reply, for Hadrian Goyle frantically hopped back into the room. “Begging your pardon your highness! I’ve just received word from the Hoofson bay; the gryphons attacked in force and have routed the XX Corps! They’re falling back towards the St. Germain River, they need your permission to cross it into Equestria; otherwise they’ll be pinned in and slaughtered!” Celestia looked at the kangaroo, and gave him a soft reply. “No.” The eyes of every pony, (plus kangaroo) widened. “Your highness! That’s 45,000 kangaroos! They’re the bulk of South Island’s military force! If they are all killed, nothing will stop the gryphons from invading South Island!” Goyle said frantically. “My decision stands,” Celestia said. “Out. All of you, out!” “You don’t have to tell me twice, sister. You’re the last pony I want to be around right now,” Luna said with disgust, all of them walked (or in Goyle’s case, hopped) out of the throne room. “45,000 troops... all dead,” Goyle said solemnly. “Who am I kidding? If XX Corps is slaughtered, it’ll be the end of kangaroo civilisation all together.” “Ambassador Goyle,” Princess Luna said confidently. “Tell your forces that they have Princess Luna’s permission to cross the St. Germain River, tell them to fall back to the town of Ponyville in Canterlot Province.” Twilight gasped at Luna’s words. Luna looked at her friend and smiled. “Tia won’t be happy about it, but I’m ready to face the consequences of this.” Goyle looked at the night princess and hugged her. “Thank you! Thank you so much! You’ve saved us!” he quickly hopped off to relay the permission. Luna looked at her friends and smiled. “You three should get home. They’re going to need you.”