//------------------------------// // Revelation // Story: The New Talent // by Vinyl Mfing Scratch //------------------------------// Revelation Vinyl and Ray awoke the next day well rested and, quite comfortable. They lay in the summoned loveseat for about an hour before deciding that they'd better get up and finish Vinyl's paperwork, lest it be late. They did so in under an hour and filed it just before the first radio pony showed up to start their morning talkshow. Ray decided that he'd better go work on writing a few songs and Vinyl went around the studio to make sure eveything was in place, after telling the stallion that she could handle it on her own. As she returned to her office, she was surprised to see that the loveseat had reverted back to her desk, and everything was still in place on it. Vinyl smiled. "Gotta love him." She said. She sat herself at her desk and reorganized it to make sure she had everything she needed for the day. When everything checked out she left the office and went to her old Dj booth that happened to be next door to the room the radio ponies from earlier had decided to use. She started up her equipment and brought out her notes that were scribbled with suggestions, lyrics, and other random ideas she had for her music. Just as she was about to test out some of her thoughts on her equipment, there was a loud knocking on the door. She looked up from her notes and was surprised to see the stallion that was standing there. Vinyl waved him in and smiled, "I knew you'd be back to visit." She said as she pulled her ex-boss into a hug. He quickly returned the gesture and pulled away, "Vinyl, I need to get into my- uh, //your// office. I left my, uh, well lets just say that I left something here that was very important." Vinyl gave him a confused look before flicking off the switch to the room as she lead him out. "Sure thing, dude." She said, with a tone of mild confusion. As they walked into her office, the stallion walked over to the back of the desk and pushed the chair aside. He crawled underneath it and pushed a few buttons and, after a moment of silence, a compartment hissed and then protruded out of the bottom of the desk. 'I hope whatever spell Ray used didn't mess with whatever's in that thing.' She thought with concern. Evidently, it hadn't, as the former studio manager pulled out a decently sized crimson gem in his hooves. It seemed to radiate, as it visibly pulsed a magical aura. Vinyl watched as the stallion pulled off his saddlebags, which she hadn't noticed he'd been wearing, and pull out a box not much bigger than the gem. He placed the game in the box and replaced it in his saddlebags before returning them to his back. "So, what was that, exactly?" Vinyl asked, as the other pony turned himself towards her, flinching as he saw her and letting out a small yelp. "Sorry Vinyl, I'd forgotten you were there." He told her, his voice shaky. "Vinyl, has there been a break in recently?" He asked. Vinyl blinked and slowly opened her mouth to answer. "Uh, yeah.. They really just made a big mess and left. Didn't even take anything." "Oh Celestia, this isn't good. They were after that," He gestured to his saddlebags, "And they won't stop until they get it." Vinyl fell quiet. "Unless we stop them first." Said a stallion's voice. Vinyl and her previous employer snapped their heads in the direction of the voice, which happened to be the office doorway. In the doorway, stood Carbon. "Carbon? How long have you been there?" Vinyl asked. "I've been around since you thought I left the other day. I told you I'd be keeping an eye on you. Looks like that's payed off." "Wait a minute.. Your name is Carbon? Like the ex-special-forces Carbon?" The other stallion said. "That's the one." The previous studio manager looked the special-forces stallion in the eye, "You can't say you don't remember me. I was in your unit, remember?" He inquired to the other stallion. Carbon looked as if he was contemplating something of severe importance for a moment before looking back to the ex-studio manager. "What was your name again?" Carbon asked him. "Wave, Sound Wave. Remember?" He said. A sudden wave of recognition washed itself over Carbon's face, before he nearly broke Sound's ribcage in a friendly hug. "It's been too long, Sound. Too long. I'd always wondered what you'd get yourself into after we retired. Now I find you you haven't retired at all, still running around pissing people off." Carbon Sound gave a nervous chuckle to what his former associate said, "All in a days work, I guess." Carbon laughed. "As modest as ever." He started, "But back to the matter at hoof. Why would anypony be looking for that?" "Well.. It's a long story. Lets just say that powerful items are hard to keep a secret." Sound said, "And I really need to get it away from here before they come back." Up to this point, Vinyl had been quiet. "Well I'm coming too!" She told the stallions. "And it's not like you don't need the extra help." Sound Wave's mouth opened quickly to protest, but closed shortly after. Vinyl was right. He'd need help doing what it was he was planning to stow away the gem where nopony could find it. Albeit reluctantly, Sound agreed. "But.. It wouldn't feel right about putting you in danger like that, Vinyl. If something happened to you..." His voice trailed off. Carbon picked up the conversation. "Nothing bad is going to happen to her, because I'm going too." He said firmly, leaving no room for Sound to argue. Sound hung his head in defeat and looked back up after a moment of letting the situation sink in. "Anypony else?" He asked rhetorically. "Yeah, I'll go." Vinyl laughed and turned towards the doorway to her offce. Surely enough, there stood Ray, looking as casual as ever. "How'd I know you'd turn up for this?" Vinyl asked as she gave a large smile to the dark blue unicorn. "Because you know me so well." He said, returning Vinyl's smile as and giving her an affectionate nuzzle. "Okay! So, four tickets to the Highway to Hell, coming right up!" Sound Wave said with an almost contageous amount of false enthusiasm. The group agreed that everone should gather a few things and meet back at the front of the studio. When they all came back, packed saddlebags on their backs, they walked out of the studio, Vinyl locking the doors, and they took off at a brisk trot. Suddenly, there was the sound of a guitar strumming a few times and drums working their way into a beat. The party of looked towards the source, which was Ray. He'd packed a radio in his saddlebags. Carbon and Vinyl laughed hysterically, while Sound Wave had a look of mild dissaproval. "You really did that." He said. Ray looked over with an innocent look. "Did what?"