Chapter 13
Nova
A week after the chase and the escape from Hoofington, everypony was going about their business. Octavia was busy sanding the deck with help from the pegasi twins. After the whole ordeal and after Vinyl had a good nights night rest, Vinyl decided to give the pegasi a chance since Octavia blew her cover and told the twins of her real identity. Daring wasn’t so sure, even Twilight was suspicious of the two new mares. Octavia mostly looked to the mares as her heroes and her friends for saving her virginity and the life of Vinyl. If it weren’t for their help they would all have been in deep trouble.
Octavia stopped sanding to wipe her forehead with her arm, feeling sweat as she sat back on her rump to let blood flow through her legs, which had lost feeling after sitting on them for so long. She sighed, looking up at the giant, blazing star nearby that was causing the heat wave. She turned, watching the twins still working and sweating as much as her.
“How are you two doing that?” Octavia asked, panting.
Cloud Chaser looked up to give her a wink. “Flitter and I worked on vessels forever Princess.”
Flitter nodded. “Yeah and we have worked like this before, too. Sanding it 'til it’s as white as a sheet they say or our backs would kiss the cat ‘o nine tails.”
“The cat of what?” Octavia asked confused.
“She means the whip.” Cloud Chaser said.
“Oh my,” Octavia said with shock.
Flitter chuckled. “No worries your Highness. Every ship has the cat.”
Octavia shook her head. “That’s just terrible.”
“It’s not that terrible.” The captain’s voice said surprising the three mares. The three paused to turn to look up at Vinyl, checking their work under her hat. “Taking a break are we?”
“Not at all, Cap.” Cloud Chaser said hurriedly, continuing sanding. Flitter was right behind her.
Vinyl looked down at Octavia and quirked her eyebrow up, motioning with her head to the deck. Octavia glared at her, she fixed herself into a kneeling position and started to sand the deck again, panting. Vinyl walked away, then stopped to look at Octavia's tail to see it high in the air as she leaned forward like the pegasi, pulled back, then pushed forward again.
Vinyl made a ghost of a smirk as she walked away toward the quarter deck, where Daring was sitting on the steps reading a book she had gotten from the old professor she encountered at Hoofington.
“Is this seat taken?” Vinyl asked smiling. Daring looked up and turned to her side and motioned for Vinyl to sit down as she turned a page of the book. Vinyl sat down and pulled out a cigarette. “Care for a smoke, Doc?” Daring looked up from the journal, fixing her reading glasses.
“No thank you, Captain.” Vinyl shrugged, sticking her stash back in her vest pocket and lit up the cigarette with a match.
“What are you reading?” Vinyl mumbled around the cigarette perched on her lips.
Daring made a frown as she waved her hand like a fan to air away the smoke from her face. “Just an old journal Professor Star Burst gave me. Everything we need to know about the legends of the last voyage of Luna, her treasures, and her adventures.”
Vinyl grunted in response, leaning back against the stairs with her elbows perched behind her. She pulled out her cigarette and pointed it at the book. “Does that mention anything about that Moon?”
“A little yes, I’m still reading his observations and thoughts on several subjects about Luna’s disappearance.”
Vinyl cocked an eyebrow at that. “Her disappearance, don’t you mean her death? Ain’t Luna dead?” Daring shrugged, sighing softly.
“Well that’s the theory of course. For the last fifty or so years many scholars believe that it might be possible that since Celestia is a goddess-like being and lives forever, why not Luna? She might be marooned on the Moon or possibly still alive.”
Vinyl chuckled. “Won’t that be something?” Vinyl paused to watch Octavia work as she stopped to stretch her aching back. “What about that necklace of hers. Is it real?” Vinyl asked, still not sure if what Octavia said was true.
Daring actually had Octavia retell her story to Vinyl in the mess deck at breakfast that morning. Vinyl wanted proof so Twilight tested the gem with her magic only to pass out. Everypony was afraid for her until she woke up several minutes later, rubbing her head saying that something forced her to sleep. Daring then concluded that if the Tear was supposed to protect the wearer then that’s exactly what happened to Twilight.
Luna's Tear protected Octavia from Twilight, thinking she was a threat, using her magic to test the gem’s limits. In turn draining Twilight of magic and causing her to lose consciousness. Since then Vinyl said that she believed it, but only a fraction.
“Well,” Daring said closing the book. “It definitely has magical properties. Twilight is telling me she is encountering strange headaches and visions since she touched Luna's Tear. I’ve told her to write in her journal what she sees and hears and to reveal them to me if she notice anything strange.”
Vinyl took a draw from her cigarette, thinking deeply at this. “What kind of things is she seeing?”
Daring shrugged. “You think you should give those three a break?” She asked, changing the subject. Vinyl looked up to see the three mares panting and soaked with sweat. Vinyl then looked up in the sky.
“Hmm, well it is pretty hot in this part of the galaxy. Yeah, I guess I should.” Vinyl stood up leaving Daring alone. The professor sighed and decided to leave the area and went to study more privately. Vinyl walked over to the three mares and sighed.
“Alright, you three did enough for today. Go into the mess deck and get some fluids in ya before you pass out from heat exhaustion.”
Octavia let out a sigh as she fell back onto the deck panting. The two pegasi stopped working and started cleaning up, leaving Octavia and Vinyl alone as they head down the steps to mess deck. Vinyl stood over Octavia letting her shadow block the mare’s view of the sun. Octavia opened her eyes breathing hard through her nose seeing Vinyl staring down at her.
“Are you going to sunbathe or get up?”
Octavia glared at her and sighed again, slowly sitting up, using her vest to wipe off her face and forehead. Vinyl reached toward her with her hand. Octavia stared at her hand, then up at Vinyl curiously. Vinyl shrugged and left Octavia alone sitting on the deck. Octavia blinked, watching the strange Captain leave her behind to stand with Derpy on the quarterdeck. Octavia shook her head as she slowly stood up and walked wobbly to the mess deck to get something to drink and something cold to put around her neck.
Vinyl watched Octavia disappear below and sighed shaking her head.
“What?” Derpy asked.
“Huh? Oh it’s nothing.” Vinyl answered drawing in another take of the cigarette. Derpy gave her a look that looked silly with her crossed eyes.
“It’s nothing, huh?” She asked with a smirk.
Vinyl nodded looking up at the sky. “Hmmph, do you know our heading?”
“I might not see well Vinyl, but even I know our heading.”
Vinyl nodded with worry and confusion staring at the yellow-white sky. “Let me know if anything changes.”
Derpy was startled by Vinyl’s tone. It was a voice of foreboding trouble. “What... what type of changes?”
Vinyl turned to glance at Derpy then turned away, scratching her cheek thinking. Derpy blinked and gulped looking at the sky again now seeing the picture.
“You don’t think we’re near a star?”
“Maybe, we’ve seen these skies before.”
Derpy gulped again. “Where should I go?” Vinyl stood still with one hand on her hip and the other holding her cigarette, staring with deep thought at the deck below thinking. Finally after a few seconds of tense silence, Vinyl turned to Derpy.
“Keep to the heading. We just keep watch on the skies and the heat. If the heat doesn’t lighten up and we have no dark skies then we’ll be in for a ride.”
Derpy gulped. “Should we tell the Professor?”
Vinyl shook her head. “Nah, if the need arises I’ll tell her.”
Derpy gave her a crossed look. “Vinyl-”
“Hey, who’s the Captain? I am, and I say that we keep the heading north-north-east. Unless something happens we’ll be in the clear just like last time.”
Derpy watched as Vinyl tossed her bud over the rail, scratching her back, walking down the stairs to the second hatch, where she headed for a nap. Derpy bit her lip, staring at the sky, rolling up her sleeves to her elbows seeing her coat was wet with sweat.
“Last time, we were lucky to change course before we were sucked in.” Derpy muttered darkly with a sigh.
Late that evening, the sky had darkened only to a deep golden red. Derpy and Vinyl kept a close watch of the sky. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were in the engine room, replacing an energy tube that calculated the amount of energy the solar sails take in. Sweetie Belle was sitting in Twilight’s room as Twilight brushed her mane, telling her stories about Canterlot. Professor Do was napping in her room, head nestled in the crook of her crossed arms over the journal.
Octavia was in her hammock, letting the drifting of the ship sway her from side to side as she looked up at the ceiling. She sighed, wrapping her arms around the back of her head as a pillow as she thought about everything that has happened. Especially the mysterious Captain Scratch. Octavia tried going through some information she got from Scootaloo the other day while she was helping the pegasus filly check the stocks of food and supplies.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Octavia was finishing checking the supplies in a large closest inside the engine room, when she finally asked the question to the filly. She turned to see Scootaloo going through her toolbox, looking for a tool.
“Scootaloo, how long have you known Captain Scratch?” Scootaloo looked up from looking into one of the engine hatches staring at Octavia.
“How long have I known Vinyl?”
“Yes, how did you meet her?” Octavia asked using a piece of paper to mark on the clipboard Scootaloo offered. Octavia was terrible with those silly tablets everypony had with them to make such lists. Scootaloo had enough of watching Octavia pressing the wrong buttons so she gave her a clipboard with paper instead.
Scootaloo stuck her top half through the engine hatch, looking around inside. She pulled out a pair of pliers from her pocket and start tinkering with the wires and loose bolts within the engine.
“I’ve known Vinyl for five or six years.”
“But that would make you... very young?”
Scootaloo sighed reaching for the edge of the hatch and pulled herself out, wiping her face leaving a smear of grease on her forehead without thinking. “Well yeah, I mean I knew her before I could really talk. She saved me you know.”
“Saved you?” Octavia asked with curiosity.
Scootaloo blushed turning away with sadness in her eyes. “It was a long time ago.” She turned to Octavia as if contemplating if she should tell Octavia anything. After a few moments she sighed closing the hatch on the engine.
“I lost my family when I was three.” Octavia blinked at the news. Of course it was obvious since Scootaloo seemed to be an orphan and a little too young to be on a ship like this.
“I’m sorry.”
Scootaloo shrugged. “What can you do? I don’t even remember their faces anymore. I was too young and too scared. All I know is that royal guards did it.”
“But how can you remember that?”
“I remember the soldiers shouting orders and the color of their uniforms. That’s all I remember of that place and that time.” Scootaloo leapt up on a barrel and sat on the top with her hands clasped together on her knees thinking. Octavia took a seat on a bucket to listen. Scootaloo rubbed her eyes with a sigh. She reached for it then pulled off her handkerchief that was over her head. Octavia blinked covering her mouth to hide her shock seeing part of Scootaloo’s scalp was scar tissue from a horrible attack. Tuffs of dirty purple magenta mane popping out of the top of her head. Scootaloo smirked sadly rubbing her scalp.
“When I was four, some slavers caught me off the streets and took me to the slave pits in Manehattan.”
Octavia gasped again this time dropping her hand to her lap. “There’s a slave pit in Manehattan?” How can that be? She was certain that there was no slave fighting activity in Manehattan.
“There was,” Scootaloo corrected with a glare. “The royals found out about the slave pit there. After all they don’t want ponies to know that there was such a place in their port city. So it was destroyed. Before it was destroyed, hundreds of us were transported to Fillydelphia, the capital of slave competition in the galaxy. Vinyl was one of the ones that were transported too.”
Octavia blinked and turned away, she could hardly believe it. Everything her mother had said about slave fights were true. Manehattan was just like Fillydelphia until her father decided to finally take over since her uncle wouldn’t do anything about the problem in Manehattan.
“How long were you there?”
Scootaloo shrugged. “A couple of years I think. You can hardly tell day from night in the underground cages. Which you probably already knew.” Octavia blushed with a spike of anger about that but nodded for the filly to continue.
Scootaloo sighed. “In those games they would throw anypony in for a show of gore and rape. I was tossed in with other slaves and we were forced to fight. There was a surprise bonus some bastard paid for. They threw out this kind of gel or slime, then somepony lit it on fire.” Scootaloo went silent biting her lip to keep her chin from trembling. Octavia’s eyes widen realizing what the scar tissue was from.
“I fell when a pony pushed me in the slime and... I was lucky to be alive.” Scootaloo whispered. Octavia turned away shaking. This was beyond horror this was just too sick and horrid to even do to fillies. Not just fillies and colts but to all pony kind. How could ponies be this cruel? How can they think this was right or sickly fun?
“I’m so, so sorry, Scootaloo... I wish there was something I could have done.” Octavia said feeling tears in her eyes. Scootaloo smiled sadly pulling the handkerchief back over her head tightening it around her head.
“Even if you could have done something, it would never stop Princess.”
Octavia stared at her as if she was Princess Luna herself. “How-”
“Really Princess, nopony can stop what ponies have done. The Queen made it so ponies like me, Vinyl, Derpy, even Spike aren’t allowed to have souls.”
Octavia stared at Scootaloo in a new light. “You’re mixed?”
Scootaloo shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t remember my parents or my ancestors. All I know is that I’m a pegasus and everypony turns a blind eye to a homeless orphan pegasus in the streets. All they see in us living in the streets as either Earth lovers or mixed. They’d rather have us wiped out than live. That was what Vinyl always told me.”
Octavia glares at her. “Well Captain Scratch is wrong. There are ponies out there like me believe that what is going on is wrong.”
Scootaloo looked up at Octavia with a glare. “Really? Then where were they when ponies needed them most? It was thanks to that bucking queen that we are nothing but cockroaches to kill! We die every day, not just in Manehattan, Princess, but everywhere! The Royals won Princess! Soon you’ll see that too.” Scootaloo leapt off her barrel and left Octavia alone in the engine room contemplating on what she was told.
Octavia left the engine room an hour later for dinner to finally see a new light to her situation and to the crew. One side of the room there is Vinyl and her crew of the Fancy Flute, Scootaloo among them. Octavia turned to the other side to see Twilight, Daring, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and the twins sitting together. Octavia can see where the lines are marked. You have those that probably suffered under the royals. While on the other worked or somehow had to work for the queen.
Octavia grabbed her dinner and decided to eat outside, nopony dared challenged her decision.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Octavia opened her eyes, feeling tears again. She was always taught that no matter what, always fight for the common good. Fight for the needy and the lost in the space port. Not to mention fight for her race. But what Scootaloo told her is to give it up, just like the royals had led everypony to believe. The past cannot be changed and neither should the future they worked so hard to achieve.
Octavia turned over and started to cry. It's not fair! She recently scolded her mind. It’s not fair that ponies all around are suffering and no one but the Queen can do anything about it and just as Scootaloo said, the Queen abandoned the earth pony race and those with earth pony blood. Her own father did something but wasn’t that enough to show that not all royals are haughty evil creatures? Perhaps to most ponies but how much can those like her can do to try and heal old wounds that had were already healed to scars? Can she heal the long, deep scar in this galaxy? Where can she start?
She looked down to see Luna's Tear on her chest glowing. She reached for it and held it in her hand, looking at the crystal. She blinked, realizing something.
“Luna...” She whispered remembering an old story she heard as a filly. A slave was telling stories to the slave children outside the kitchen. Octavia was young and sneaky at the time and hid in the kitchen. During that time the slave was telling the story about the royal sisters.
“One sister can’t rule without the other. No matter what.” Octavia whispered in awe staring at her crystal. “The Sun must have the Moon. The Moon must have the Sun.” She recited sitting up wiping her eyes staring at the stone smiling. “There must be a Day and there must be a Night. One cannot revolve without the other and only the Sun can heal the Moon and the Moon can heal the Sun! That’s it!” She leapt out of her hammock. She had to find Professor Do and tell her about her discovery.
As she ran up the stairs she looked up in time to see a ripple of light. “What was-?” After she stuttered there was a big bang and the whole ship rocked, causing Octavia to fall back down the stairs into the wall then to the deck, groaning. Her vision went white and her ears rung loudly from the hit. She passed out for only a second then reopened her eyes, hearing yelling.
"I need every able bodied Spacer out here now!" She heard Vinyl scream out and the quarter deck bell rang frantically. She slowly sat up, feeling weak from the hit. She went down on deck feeling another wave of power hit the ship causing her to drop face first back to the deck, holding her head going into a fetal position screaming out at the loud noise.
“Octavia!” She blinked, hearing a voice calling her. “Octavia!” She slowly looked up to see Twilight running down the stairs towards her, holding on to the walls to keep from falling down the steps. She knelt down beside Octavia, helping her sit up. “Are you alright?”
“I hit my head.” Octavia feebly answered, grabbing Twilight by her arm to keep herself steady.
“Can you stand?” Octavia was starting to panic.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know yet, hurry let’s get above.” Twilight wrapped her arm around Octavia’s back under her arms and helped her stand up. Octavia regained her footing but still shaking as the two mares started up the steps feeling the ship shift again. They reached the top and both mares stared at a strange vortex of fire and light. It looked huge from their position and the ship is being pulled to the giant vortex.
“What is that?” Octavia whispered in awe. Twilight was stunned staring the strange vortex.
“Get your life lines on!” Vinyl screamed out from the quarterdeck. Scootaloo was already tying a rope around Sweetie Belle’s waist as Apple Bloom tied hers. The twins are already going up the ratlines with lines of rope trailing behind them. Their life lines already around their waists.
“Secure the sails!” Daring yelled out, checking the radars and input screens, flipping through screens for anything in the sky. Derpy and Vinyl are both holding the wheel trying hard to control to ship. Scootaloo grabbed some lines of rope, running to Twilight and Octavia.
“Hurry get your life lines on.” She ordered. Twilight feebly followed, tying herself a fancy knot. Scootaloo checked the tightness and durability of the knot before moving to Octavia. She quickly tied a knot around Octavia's waist as the princess continued to stare at the maw of the vortex. It was starting to evolve into something every spacer feared.
“Is that..?”
Scootaloo nodded. “A black hole.”
“A black hole? How?” Octavia whispered in awe.
“A star has died.” Twilight answered. “When a star dies then it releases a nova and sometimes they evolve into that! A super nova!” Twilight yelled out pointing at the large circle of black that is the black hole.
“That’s the reason for the sheer heat. The star was ready to blow.” Scootaloo said then gasped. “Get down!” She dropped to the deck placing her hands over her head. Twilight grabbed Octavia and they crashed to the deck as another powerful wave of heat and power washed over the ship.
Vinyl groaned from the push then pulled herself back to the wheel. She blinked, seeing Octavia on the deck with Twilight and Scootaloo. “Get up Sweet Cheeks, get up in the sails and help the twins get them down!”
Octavia looked at Vinyl as if she was crazy. The look the unicorn gave her was answer enough. She’s a member of this crew now and she must do her duty. She nodded standing up. She ran to the ratlines at the side of the ship. She gulped. She pulled on her safety rope to find it attached to the center mast.
“Luna, protect me.” Octavia whispered kissing the jewel for luck. She swung herself up onto the rail then started climbing up the ratlines with difficulty. Twilight turned to the quarter deck and started running up the steps, feeling a blast of hot air pushing her to the side. She continued up then soon stood by Daring, watching the monitors.
“What are we going to do?” She asked.
Daring was thinking. “These waves are so unpredictable!” She yelled out to Vinyl and Derpy as they continued to control the ship.
“How do we get out of this?” Derpy screamed out feeling another powerful wave hit the ship causing her to slip Vinyl had to hold the wheel to keep her helmspony up.
“Don’t ask me! We avoided the last one!”
“The last one?” Twilight screamed out over the harsh whiplash of wind.
“Yeah, we discovered a star was blowing up so we took a northern route and avoided it entirely.” Vinyl screamed back. “It was a great light show though!”
Spike groaned curled up in a ball under the monitors shaking badly. "Forget about the light show! We're in the light show!" He cried out, wrapping himself tighter into a ball. Vinyl winced seeing him in such a state, he hated loud noises. Thanks to the tortures of being a fighting slave gave him that fear. Not to mention the rocking and lashing of the ship was is probably making him sick.
“Spike!” Twilight screamed out, grabbing him and holding him. “Are you alright?”
“No! I’m not alright!” He cried out, shaking even worse.
Vinyl noticed this as Derpy gets her footing again. “Twilight get him below!”
Twilight nodded, carrying Spike with her down the steps then into the mess deck below. Vinyl pointed to Scootaloo as she shakily got up, feeling the ship take a lurch to the left. Scootaloo tumbled and hit the side, holding onto the ratline spokes to keep from rolling away again.
“Scootaloo, you...” Vinyl paused, thinking for a moment. She noticed Sweetie Belle was just hiding and scared to death just as Spike was. She has to go now! “You and Sweets get below and get that engine checked!”
“Aye-aye!” Scootaloo turned to see Sweetie Belle with her arms over her head, hiding behind the stairs. She ran over to her unicorn friend taking her arm to get her attention. Sweetie Belle screamed out then noticed it was her friend.
“Come on, we’re going below.” Scootaloo pulled out her pocket knife to cut Sweetie Belle’s lifeline and her own rope so the two fillies could run below decks without getting caught in a line of rope. Once the two fillies disappeared Vinyl heard Daring let out a cry of alarm.
“What is it, Doc?” Daring was busy pressing buttons with a look of panic on her face.
“The control monitors went through a power surge!” She screamed out with fear.
“What?!” The two mares screamed out at Daring as she tried desperately to power the controls back up.
Vinyl flicked her ears up hearing a very bad sound. She turned to see that the single mast’s power lights went low then completely off. The lights were the beacons to show that the solar sails were gathering power from the star's light and now they were turning off! The ship was now malfunctioning! The ship made a slow turn to the left, making the ship float sideways towards the black hole. Vinyl and Derpy started turning the wheel, trying to get the ship back in better alignment. Vinyl heard Apple Bloom scream out as she started floating up. That could only mean one thing and that meant huge trouble.
“Gravity is down!” Vinyl screamed out, holding on to the wheel for dear life. "Grab something and hold on!" She screamed out. Daring gripped onto the control panel making sure her life line was more secured to her waist. Derpy yelled out, wrapping her legs around the wheel with her arms. Apple Bloom continued to float higher and higher, quicker and quicker as the suction from the black hole was close. She was screaming for help as she floated past Octavia.
“Apple Bloom!” Octavia screamed out then felt her body floating up. She gasped and quickly pulled herself into the ratlines and held on tight. The pegasi twins gasped and held on to the yardarm as well. Apple Bloom went past the large Canterlotian flag when she suddenly yelped out with pain as her rope leash snapped taunt, hurting her back.
Vinyl turned to see the golden speaker tube by the rail. She turned to Derpy to see her nod, hanging on tight. Vinyl lifted up her legs placing them on the wheel then kicked off grabbing the golden tube. She yelped as her first hand slipped. She grabbed the rail holding her steady. She wrapped her arm around the rail then pull herself to the tube.
“Scootaloo! Fix this shit now!” She screamed out. “Scoots! Can you hear me?!” Vinyl looked around but couldn't see anypony else floating yet besides Apple Bloom. She was grateful for the safety lines now. Speaking of Apple Bloom, Vinyl looked up and watched how she was now pulling on her rope leash towards the ship. Brave kid,Vinyl thought to herself thinking that the earth filly will be fine.
Octavia watched Apple Bloom pull herself closer and closer to her position. Octavia reached up, grabbing Apple Bloom’s line. Once she had a good grip she wrapped her legs around the ratlines and started pulling with both hands, reeling Apple Bloom back to the ship.
“Can you reach?” Octavia screamed out as another wave plowed through them. Apple Bloom was crying now feeling the blast pushing her away from Octavia.
“I can’t!”
“Just a little farther!” Octavia yelled out reaching and practically stretching her fingers as far as they could to the small hand. She pulled on the rope with a hard tug then grabbed Apple Bloom’s hand and started pulling her into her embrace against the ratlines. Apple Bloom wrapped her shaking arms around Octavia crying into her chest.
“I got you, I got you.” Octavia cooed, kissing Apple Bloom on the head. A second blast of heat and pressure rocked the ship, shaking everything. Octavia held on tight to the ratlines and the filly in her embrace.
“Vinyl!” Vinyl gasped hearing Sweetie Belle’s voice through the speaker tube.
“Kid, where’s Scoots?” Vinyl asked grunting from the impact from the wave holding on tight. Her legs were already in the air as she tried to pull herself back into the ship.
“She’s busy trying to fix something in the wire room.” Sweetie Belle answered.
“Ow! Dammit!” A scream was heard in the background, no doubt about it, it was Scootaloo.
“How long?” Vinyl pleaded looking over to the side seeing something giant floating towards them.
“She said it’ll take a few minutes... Vinyl?”
Vinyl ears went flat on her head seeing the giant space rock hurtling towards them. It must have been space debris from the explosion. “Brace yourselves!” Vinyl screamed out, hanging on tight. Octavia blinked hearing a yell. She looked down, then heard Apple Bloom gasp. She turned to see a giant hunk of space rock hurtling to the ship. Derpy screamed out, covering her eyes with her hands. The twins both cursed, hugging onto each other. Daring was staring at the rock with true fear.
“Luna have mercy, please!” Octavia cried out squeezing her eyes shut awaiting impact.
Octavia opened her eyes hearing Apple Bloom’s cheer. As if she did answer her prayers, Luna must have caused the black hole to gain power. The giant space rock slowly started to back away. Everypony started to calm down and loosen their grips on one another or on anything without slipping off. But once the rock was far enough away the black hole seemed to have been growing larger. Apple Bloom was now whimpering again. Daring gulped again, slamming her fist on the monitors. Derpy yelped out covering her eyes again. Vinyl gulped feeling the pull from black hole now more than ever.
“Gravity’s fixed!” Sweetie Belle’s scream was accompanied by a whirling sound of a motor as gravity returned causing everypony to fall back on the ship.
Vinyl sighed lying flat on her back with relief. She stared at the black hole then a thought popped up. “I forgot something!”
“What?” Daring screamed out hitting the screen again. Suddenly the monitors popped back to life. “Bless you Luna!” She praised, flipping switches. The ship’s engines started to roar back to life.
“Later,” Vinyl called out as she leapt over the rail onto the deck. She made a dash to the second hatch into the hammock room and cargo bay. She ran straight past Cloud Chaser’s hammock to reach into a barrel filled with old blankets. Vinyl pulled out the blankets finding an old yellowed piece of paper. She reaches in to grab the folded piece of paper with a sigh of relief but then something caught her eye to the side. She looked down to see Cloud Chaser’s things were everywhere, probably from the loss of gravity. One of the items that caught her eye however was a small tablet. The kind you can stick in your pocket.
“Where did a spacer get the bits to buy that?” Vinyl thought out loud as she stuck the folded paper in her trousers pocket then reached for the small device and pressed the side to turn it on. She winced closing her eyes from the bright blue light.
Once her eyes got adjusted to the bright light she felt her body get the chills seeing the three dimensional logo of the Canterlotian Royal Guard symbol floating in a hologram. The wings symbolizing the pegasi branch. Vinyl used her finger to scroll through reports and orders unit she saw one highlighted, Special Mission.
Vinyl pressed the tab and what she saw made her catch her breath. She dropped the tablet and ran up the stairs to the deck above just as another wave hit the ship. She hit against the side wall hard groaning from the pain on her shoulder. She reached the hatch opening and looked up in time to see Octavia and Apple Bloom were together on the first yardarm untying a knot to let the sail free.
Vinyl would be yelling for why the sails are getting loose if it weren’t for the fact that Cloud Chaser was standing behind Octavia with a knife ready for a stab.
“Octavia!” Vinyl screams out.
Octavia blinked hearing her name being called. She heard a scream from Apple Bloom and turned, hearing Cloud Chaser snarling at her.
“DIE!”
Octavia pushed Apple Bloom to the side and tried to dodge. She screamed in pain, feeling the knife in her back. Vinyl ran up the ratlines with practiced ease, reaching for her knife with her magic. Apple Bloom was hanging off the yardarm using her leg to try to pull up as Vinyl leapt over her pushing Cloud Chaser away from Octavia. Cloud Chaser laughed, holding the bloodied knife with blood flowing to her hand. Vinyl held up her knife in a defensive posture staying balanced and keeping the pegasus away from the princess.
“You were working for the royal guard!” Vinyl yells out over the wind and explosions around the ship. Cloud Chaser grinned.
“Sure did hybrid!”
Octavia was trying hard to not move her arm as she continue to hold on to the yardarm. She looked at Cloud Chaser with dread. “But... Why?”
Cloud Chaser gave her a look and started laughing. “What type of a question was that? Why? Because I’m from Canterlot, Hybrid bastard, and we’ll make sure you are dead and we’ll be forever known as heroes for protecting our righteous galaxy of Equestria!”
“We?” Vinyl asked raising her brow.
“Vin-!” Octavia’s screamed out only to be silenced when Flitter grabbed hold of her, holding her up with a hand over her mouth and a knife to Octavia’s neck. Vinyl turned with surprise seeing the second twin. Vinyl had forgotten that Cloud Chaser had a twin. Vinyl was now surrounded, both mares having knives, wings, and one of them had the princess. Vinyl kept looking from one twin to the other. She has her knife pointing towards Cloud Chaser as her eyes bore into Flitter’s.
“Let her go.” She snarled.
“I’m afraid it’s an order, Captain.” Flitter said snidely pressing her knife into Octavia’s neck causing her to stiffen. “We were trained for this since we were fillies and we will fulfill that mission.”
“Killing the Princess?”
“That was our goal and we were told to kill all who dare try to stop us." Cloud Chaser said with a heatless snort. "We were prepared to kill off her family too, even the traitor Rainbow Dash. But since they're dead too, you will die with her.” Cloud Chaser said with a victorious grin. Vinyl stiffened, standing up straighter as Cloud Chaser chuckled. “Let’s have some fun and let you watch the princess scream in agony, huh?”
Vinyl roared and launched forward at Flitter. Flitter was surprised enough that she released her hold a touch. Octavia took the chance and bite hard on Flitter’s hand causing the pegasus to scream. Cloud Chaser lunged forward to stop Vinyl. Vinyl turned in time to grab Cloud Chaser, using her own knife to stab Cloud Chaser in the wing joint, twisting the knife. The mare let out a howl of pain from the dislocated wing. With the momentum from Cloud Chaser’s leap Vinyl tossed the injured mare off the mast and didn’t bother watching her fall to her death on deck.
"CC!" Flitter screamed. She turned to Vinyl, snarling. She hit Octavia in the side of her head with the hilt of her knife. Octavia fell forward, about to fall off the yardarm, when Apple Bloom grabbed her vest and pant, keeping her from falling. Flitter growled, ready to get revenge on the one who killed her twin. Vinyl smiled, pulling down her goggles over her eyes.
“Nopony hurts a member of my crew and gets away with it!” Vinyl threatened darkly, though she kept the smile on her face.
Flitter snarled, "I'll make sure you beg for mercy Hybrid bitch!" Flitter charged toward Vinyl, letting out a battle cry. Vinyl backed away, allowing the mare to swing her knife. Vinyl tried to dodge, but some slashes still hit their marks. She soon felt a cut on her arm, then her face, and one on her neck. Vinyl made a quick throw of her knife. Flitter dodged the blade. The knife landed, point first, right above Apple Blooms head, causing her to scream in fright. Vinyl cursed, making a backwards leap. She slipped, falling on her back on the yardarm and started to roll over the edge. She grabbed the end of the yardarm for dear life, feeling the suction of the black hole nearing them. Flitter laughed as an electrical charge arced behind her. Vinyl watched as the vengeful mare raised her boot in the air and stomped on Vinyl's fingers, causing her to yell out in pain.
“Say hello to your Daddy.”
Vinyl stared up at her with shock. “What?” Vinyl asked surprised. Flitter only laughed ready to make a kick to the face. Vinyl just watched with true fear. This can’t be the end for her. A spacer’s worst death is not suffocation or flying in space, it’s being sucked in a black hole!
Suddenly Flitter was pushed forward, with that small push Flitter lost her footing and flew over Vinyl, out of the artificial gravity of the boat. Flitter was screaming and flailing her arms as she started flying in the air. Vinyl looked up to see Apple Bloom standing in front of her on the yardarm glaring at the mare.
“You leave her alone... Uh oh.”
Vinyl turned to see Flitter with her wings outstretched. Around her waist was her life line that is still connected to the main mast. Flitter started pulling herself back to the ship. Apple Bloom was shaking her head backing away, she grabbed a shroud line to keep herself steady on the yardarm.
Octavia groaned, opening her eyes and rubbing her head. She turned, seeing Vinyl’s knife sticking to the mast. She reached for it, seeing Flitter pulling herself closer and closer to the ship. Octavia could see the taunt rope next to her and grabbed it. Flitter felt the vibration in her rope leash and looked up, eyes widening in fear. Octavia glared at her and started sawing the thick line.
“Go to hell.” Octavia muttered darkly, cutting through the rope. The rope snapped, causing the assassin to fly away into the black hole beyond. Octavia held her stomach, feeling sick. Apple Bloom helped Vinyl back on the ship by grabbing her shirt and vest and pulling her into the ship’s artificial gravity. Vinyl grabbed the shroud line and held on tight, breathing hard from the rush.
“Everypony hold on!” Daring screamed out from below them. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride!”
Vinyl grabbed Apple Bloom and pushed her to the ratlines. “Get down, go grab onto something!” She ordered. Apple Bloom nodded and started climbing down as fast as she could. Vinyl got Octavia up in a sitting position straddling the yardarm. Octavia looked pale and sickly. Vinyl could tell Octavia was starting to faint.
“Stay with me Princess.” Vinyl pleaded, patting her on the cheek. “Stay awake!” She screamed, but Octavia finally passed out in her arms. Vinyl could see the black hole, only a mile ahead of them, and the suction was becoming unbearable. They couldn't get out of the pull now.
Vinyl took Octavia by her arms and start dragging her to the ratlines. She reached for the ropes and pulled Octavia closer to her as she started to awkwardly climb down the ratlines. Once in a perfect spot Vinyl placed Octavia in front of her and held her close, pressing herself against her into the ratlines to add weight to keep Octavia from flying away. Vinyl squeezed her eyes shut.
“I hope you know what you’re doing?!” She screamed out to Daring knowing this is some sort of plan.
They entered the black hole.
A few seconds there was nothing but darkness and dead silence. It took forever for Vinyl’s ears to detect a powerful bang. Vinyl squeezed tighter around Octavia and the ratlines feeling the ship take off from something. Vinyl let out a scream, feeling the force of the blast. Over her own screaming she could hear Derpy and Apple Bloom screaming too.
Then as soon as it started, it ended. The air felt cool on Vinyl’s skin and her eyes weren’t burning from the heat or the light. She opened her eyes hearing cheers and shouts of being alive. Vinyl opened her eyes wider, panting, to look around. She was the deep blue of night. She could see the white specks of stars and planets all around her. She looked to the control panel to see Twilight hugging Daring as Spike was dancing around singing “I’m alive, I’m alive!” Over and over again.
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were dancing with Spike, singing with him. Derpy looked exhausted as she smiled sleepily, waving her hands in the air. She fell on her rump on the deck, then and fell on her back. She was exhausted for sure.
“Captain?” Vinyl turned to see Octavia waking up looking up at her blushing. Vinyl blushed as well.
“Are you alright?” Vinyl asked with a small smile. Octavia nodded, pulling up her arm and yelled in pain, dropping her arm back on the ropes. Vinyl nodded. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you patched up.”
Octavia blushed even deeper. “Thank you but...”
“Yeah?”
“Um, can you let me go?”
Vinyl blinked and looked around to find herself still clinging to the ratlines with Octavia under her. She chuckled nervously. “Oh, uh, yeah, ahem, let me help you off.”
Octavia nodded as Vinyl slid to the rail and helped Octavia off and held her steady. Vinyl looked at Octavia to see her staring back at her strangely.
“You-”
“Sweet Luna! Have mercy!” Twilight screamed out suddenly interrupting Octavia.
Vinyl and Octavia turned to see Twilight with her hand over her mouth staring at something on the deck. Cloud Chaser is laying in a haphazard heap by the stairs, dead. Vinyl looked down to see the impact where Cloud Chaser hit the deck. There was a large splatter of blood where her head was. Then when the rockets went off, she slid leaving a blood trail to the stairs. Everypony else noticed the dead spacer and turned to see Vinyl holding up Octavia by her good arm.
“What-?” Daring began but Apple Bloom got everypony’s attention pointing at Cloud Chaser’s body.
“She and her twin were tryin’ to kill Octavia!”
Daring looked at Vinyl to see her looking grim. She nodded. “The Princess needs a patch job, she was stabbed.”
Twilight ran over immediately as Octavia started to pass out again. Twilight caught her and held her, looking at Vinyl to see her turn away with a blush. Twilight noticed the slow blood stain forming on Octavia’s back.
“She was stabbed in the back. Professor?”
Daring nodded. “Take her to the mess deck and set a table Twilight, I’ll go get my emergency kit and we’ll patch her up.”
Vinyl sighed. “Do what you can, she was stabbed by her shoulder blade.” Daring nodded.
“Take care of that monstrosity then.” Daring glared at the dead body of the pegasus. “Where’s the twin?” Daring asked turning to Vinyl.
Vinyl turned to the bright orange-yellow spot far away from them. “Probably burnt to a crisp from that last blast. She’s gone now.” Daring nodded.
“We lose good ponies like that. They turn them into brainwashed monsters and sent to kill innocents. It’s a waste of life.”
Daring left to go grab her things as Vinyl stood there, not feeling well. She stared at Cloud Chaser’s body and turned away, gulping audibly keeping her dinner down. She hadn't seen a body like this since she was a slave. She looked down at Cloud Chaser’s back to see the knife wound around her wing joint and the wing looked like it was twisted out of the socket. She shook her head hard, trying to get the horrible memories out of her head. She didn’t want to do that to any other pony if she couldn’t help it.
After fighting her memories, Vinyl grabbed the body’s vest and with a mighty shove with her magic Vinyl tossed it overboard. Vinyl watched the body fall then start to float away from the ship catching the current. The only blessing Vinyl gave Cloud Chaser was spitting over the rail and a curse to hell. She turned and walked to the storage closet under the stairs and grabbed a bucket and mop. She filled the bucket with water from the mess deck then came back up stairs to the main deck. She stuck the mop head into the bucket then started mopping the blood trail, praying that Octavia was alright.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Below in the mess deck Daring wiped her forehead with her arm as she started getting the thread through a small needle for stitches as she watched Twilight concentrating, using healing magic to try healing Octavia’s muscles before Daring sews the wound shut. Daring sighed, remembering Apple Bloom’s tale about the fight on the mast. The knife that Cloud Chaser used was well made to be messy and deadly.
When Octavia was stabbed in the shoulder blade area instead of her neck or her spine, the blade shredded her muscles. While she was hanging on for dear life she was tearing her muscles around the wound, making it worse. With help from Twilight’s healing magic Daring was hoping to not have to sew the muscles back together. By the look of the unicorn's face, it was taking longer than it should, and was quite possibly a very serious wound.
Twilight sighed, releasing her hold on the magic, panting hard, sweat pouring out of her pores from the exertion of power.
“That’s as much as I can do Professor.” Daring nodded patting her on the shoulder.
“Rest, you did well.” Twilight nodded walking to the steps and sat down feeling the breeze from the outside air filtering into the mess deck. Daring leaned, in placing her reading glasses on her snout to see.
“Let’s see what we have left here.” She paused, pulling the small lantern near Octavia’s shoulder to get a better look. Twilight did an excellent job, but the muscles are still torn and would need to be healed properly. She sighed and turned to see Apple Bloom sitting with Spike and Sweetie Belle.
“You three, come here.”
The three nodded and walked over. Sweetie looked very pale seeing the opened shoulder for the surgery. Apple Bloom was standing in front of Octavia’s face watching her sleep. Spike stood on a stool nodding to the professor.
“What do you want us for?” He asked curiously.
Daring sighed. “She’ll no doubt wake up soon. I have to sew her up.”
“Why call us?” Sweetie asked gulping hard.
“I need two of you to sit on top of Octavia and keep her as still as possible.” Sweetie Belle and Spike nodded and climbed up on Octavia. Spike sitting on top of Octavia’s legs while Sweetie Belle sat on Octavia’s lower back bracing herself.
“Apple Bloom, take this.” Daring said reaching into her bag and pulled out a square of leather. Apple Bloom took it.
“For what?” She asked.
Daring sighed. “Octavia will yell out so if she does, roll it up first,” Apple Bloom nodded and rolled up the square into a cylinder. “Good, when she opens her mouth to scream I want you to stick it in sideways into her mouth and tell her to bite down. This will be extremely painful for her.” Apple Bloom nodded with a gulp.
“How come you know so much about this Professor?” Sweetie Belle asked worriedly.
“I was a medic in the wars, Sweetie Belle. Every soldier waking up from an operation like this will scream even at the tiniest bits of pain their body is suffering from can be burning hell to them. Ready?” She asked the three youngsters.
Spike and Sweetie Belle nodded. Apple Bloom gulped and nodded. Daring nodded reaching for the needle she set aside in whiskey and used her hand to hold down Octavia’s skin and looked at her.
“Terribly sorry, Princess.” Daring stuck the needle through and started stitching as fast as she could. About the third time Octavia’s body twitched and started to move.
“Hold her down,” Daring warned staying steady as she continues to sew.
At the fifth Octavia’s eyes shot wide open.
“What-!” She screams out suddenly Apple Bloom stuck the cylinder of leather into Octavia’s mouth.
“Bite down.” She called out holding onto Octavia’s shoulders as Daring was finishing up.
“There! Now just tie it up here, Spike get that whiskey bottle please. Oh keep that in her mouth, Apple Bloom.”
“Why?” Apple Bloom asked as Octavia turns trying to see but let out a whimper feeling the pain in her shoulder and upper back. Daring thanked the dragon pulling the cork with her teeth and spit out the cork tilting it over Octavia’s sewn wound.
“This,” she poured a small amount of whiskey on the wound and Octavia squeezed her eyes shut squirming with Sweetie Belle still on top of her. “There,” Daring said with a sigh of relief grabbing a warm wet rag and patted the wound dry. “Now you can take it out of her mouth.”
Apple Bloom took the rolled up leather from Octavia’s jaws as Octavia panted with tears running down her face. Apple Bloom looked at the wet cylinder to see Octavia’s teeth marks and whistled in surprise by her jaw strength.
“What’s going on?” Octavia whispered sniffling.
“Playing doctor.” Spike said simply, starting to clean up Daring’s instruments with Twilight.
“Doctor?” Octavia asked.
“You got stabbed, remember?” Apple Bloom asked silently with sadness. Octavia sighed and smiled at the filly reaching with her bad arm and cried out. Daring and Sweetie Belle helped her sit up as Octavia held her arm. Daring pulled down Octavia’s shirt from around her neck where she pushed up the shirt before the surgery.
“Here,” Twilight said grabbing some linen. She walked over to Octavia and wrapped her arm with the linen then wrap the two ends around Octavia’s neck and tied them making a sling. Octavia winced as Twilight helps reposition Octavia’s arm into a confortable position with the sling. “There, how does that feel?”
Octavia sighed and nodded. “That feels fine. Thank you.” Octavia wiped her face with her sleeve. Twilight smiled and looked down at Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom looked up at Octavia.
“You saved me, twice!”
Octavia blinked and smiled, she reached with her left hand and ruffled Apple Bloom’s mane. “I couldn’t let you get lost or hurt could I?” Apple Bloom giggled and hugged Octavia, minding her sling. Octavia smiled, patting her on the back. Daring looked at Twilight and smiled. Twilight smiled in return and sighed.
“Well we had a very interesting night. We survived a Super Nova that turned into a black hole and we saved the Princess.” Twilight blinked suddenly. “Speaking of that, Professor, we need to talk to Captain Scratch about Octavia.”
“No need.” Everypony turned to see Vinyl leaning against the wall on the last two steps to the deck sporting her sailor cap on her head. She walked forward looking at Octavia then at Daring. “Can she work or not?” She asked sourly.
Daring raised her brow hearing the sour tone in Vinyl’s voice. She pulled off her reading glasses. “Octavia will be on sick bay Captain, until her muscles are completely healed. That knife did a number on her shoulder. She can’t move her right arm without ripping more tender muscles.”
Octavia blushed, turning to Vinyl to see her looking at her thinking.
“Fine, sick bay until further notice. When you are starting to feel more limber I’ll give you small jobs with hardly any muscle work.” Vinyl turned and started walking back to the stairs. She paused to point at her. “Until then Sweet Cheeks, go below and sleep in your hammock. Regenerate and get better.” Octavia blinked, seeing Vinyl’s eyes filled with concern. Vinyl tipped her hat and started up the stairs and disappeared.
Octavia blinked, wondering what the heck just happened. Vinyl never worries about her, the only thing the Captain is worried about is making sure Octavia got her work done. Octavia slowly slid off the table and started walking away from the group as she trotted up the stairs, wincing as her body movement hurt her shoulder. She turned seeing Vinyl standing at the bow smoking again. Octavia walked forward slowly, then determined, as she quickened her pace.
“Why?” She called out.
Vinyl turned to her a little surprised. “What?”
“Why did you come and save me? You hardly care about me.” Vinyl raised her brow staring at Octavia as she glared at her. “It’s just like in Fillydelphia, you could have left me there to be raped or killed but you saved me anyway.”
Vinyl turned away.
“Look at me while I’m talking to you, Vinyl Scratch.”
Vinyl stayed silent as she continues watching the sky, thinking of what to say. Octavia blinked, bewildered.
“You have nothing to say? There has to be a reason why you suddenly care about a royal like me!” She yelled out, sticking her finger into Vinyl’s chest, pushing her slightly off balance. Vinyl glared at her then turned away, remaining silent. Octavia sniffed and turned away, storming off past Daring as she head down the second hatch to the hammocks. Daring turned to see Vinyl placing her hand over the spot where Octavia touched her as she turned away. Daring read her stance and her face, Vinyl was hurt and tense.
“Captain?” Vinyl jumped staring at Daring. “Something wrong?”
Vinyl shook her head. “Nothing,” she said shortly turning away. “Don’t you have some maps or some shit to check on or something?”
Daring turned away and nodded. “If you want to talk-”
“I don’t want to talk.” Vinyl snapped harshly.
Daring nodded. “I understand.” Daring walked away, leaving Vinyl leaning against the rail, pulling her hat lower over her eyes to hide her tears. Why is it so hard to tell the truth?