The silence of a house was disturbed by a loud knocking as a white unicorn mare, with an electric blue mane, struggled to wake up. A splitting headache accompanied her as she groggily walked out into the hallway towards the insistent knocking. The room she slept in had a myriad of posters depicting different artists, several bearing her likeness with the title DJ-PON3 Live.
“Alright! Alright! Jezz... I swear if someone ain’t dying then you’re gonna be the one in a body bag buddy.” She mumbled the last part to herself trying to shake away the hangover, about to greet the unlucky visitor.
“Ok, what...?” she stopped mid sentence quite surprised to see a familiar massive unicorn stallion, his coate as white as hers with a well combed blond mane and a black collar around his neck, his eyes a bright blue. “Bro!!! It’s been ages. How are ya?” The mare reared up and gave her sibling a warm hug.
“I am quite fine. Now Vinyl if you would please let go of me, I have come to take you back home.” The stallion responded in a posh Canterlot accent.
“Wait, wut?” the confused mare pulled back and just noticed about half a dozen guards rallied behind her brother.
“I said that I have come to bring you back home. And please try to use proper words whilst talking.” the stallion was calmly brushing off some dust that had settled on his coat when Vinyl embraced him.
“Hahaha. Oh right that’s a good one, ya really had me going there Bluie.” The serious expression Blueblood gave back said otherwise. ”Ahh.. you’re not kidding?” Vinyl was deflated, she loved her brother like every sibling would but he could be so thick headed sometimes.
“Yes. After hearing about the dragon raid I came as quickly as I could. This little backwater town is clearly not suited to offer adequate protection for ponies of our status. Besides, it is high time you let go of this music of yours and begin acting in a manner proper to your status. Perhaps find a nice stallion from a good family to marry into. Now go and gather your things.”
Vinyl just facehoved at that request. They’d been over this same argument twice already and it looked like the third was not gonna be the charm. “Listen Blueblood I get you’re doing this out of concern for me. But aunty said that I could do whatever I wanted with my life and that I didn’t have to be some fancy court lady. Now you could either drop this and join me inside for breakfast or we can sit out here and have the same argument we’ve been having since I left the palace.”
“Aunty also said to never run from our responsibilities, something you seemed to have forgotten when leaving Canterlot. Our line has ruled this land before Celestia married into the family and we still have a major role in the governing of the country.” He entered the house ignorant of his sister protesting stare, but his guards weren't as disrespectful. “Now go and gather your things, after you have lunch not breakfast. I want to leave as soon as possible.” Making Vinyl aware of the late hour in the day.
‘So we’re arguing.’ Vinyl lamented, but just as things started to heat up a handaxe just got embedded into the wall between her and Blueblood.
“By Tempus cock. Take it outside.” A seven foot tall hulking blond woman was bending low to pass through the door to the living room having just woken up from a night of heavy drinking, green eyes bloodshot and her blond mane even more of a mess then usual.
The guards ponies charged with protecting Blueblood quickly snapped to attention running into the house and forming a defensive line between this giant assailant and their frozen prince. Vinyl was also a bit confused taking a moment to remember what happened last night. She remembered playing at one of Pinkies welcome parties for the five who beat up the dragons the night before then it all came together. “Down boys, it’s cool. That’s just my house guest. And could you stay still, that clanging isn't helping my headache.”
Blueblood turned a incredulous eye towards his sister. “You can’t be serious! It almost took our heads off with that crude weapon.”
“Hey! Watch what you say about my fathers axe. Or next time I’ll actually aim for the head.” the towering woman stumbled her way into the hallway wearing her bearskin cloak and breastplate. She was a bit cranky not just from the hangover but also from having spent the night in her armor. Otherwise she had no weapons on her besides a oversized gauntlet on her left hand.
“I’d listen to her if I were you bro.” The white mare warned her brother more out of a desire to avoid any more unnecessary ruckus, she doubted that the woman would seriously hurt anyone.” And no offense guys, but trust me, she’s above your pay grade so stand down.”She gestured for the guards ponies, who were still a bit on edge, to relax.
“This is why I want you back in Canterlot Vinyl. This place is much too savage for the likes of us. And the fact that these... apes are freely running about this town only makes matters worse.” He started to regain some of his composure.
“Oh for Celestia’s sake.This apes took...” Vinyl was about to mention how they took on a group of juvie dragons when inspiration struck her.
“Listen bro...“ She started grinning from ear to ear. ”I don’t think my new bouncer would take to kindly to that remark, and would want satisfaction as you’d put it. So here’s how we’re gonna settle things. The two of you are gonna duele and if you win then fine I’m coming home back to the family business, but if you lose then we’re never gonna talk about this ever again, sounds good?”
Blueblood took a moment to take in the offer, this could be the opportunity he’s been waiting for to get her back in Canterlot. He had access to all the royal guards, both day and night, surely they would be more than a match for any pony Vinyl had hired in this town. ”Very well dear sister, I accept your proposition. So who is the unfortunate pony that has to face Equestrias finest?”
Vinyl only grinned wider seeing that her brother took the bait, she knew he wouldn’t accept a challenge coming straight from her and this way they could fix this problem his way without him losing face. “Who said it was a pony.” She raised a hoof and pointed towards the giant mess of a woman in the room whom was just as confused as Blueblood.
“Wait what?” Tula asked no one in particular still a bit dizzy. She manage to catch bits of their conversation getting the general idea, and truth be told this was not the weirdest thing she had woken up to after a night of drinking.
“You can not be serious. This bumbling brute surely is not fit to represent royalty on the field of honor. By the look of her, she barely understands what is happening around her.” And with that comment he beat the final nail in his metaphorical cofine.
“Alright I’ll do it. So this fight is to the death or just until I smack the bitch out of him?”Tula walke besides her new “boss” rubbing her sore eyes but quite content with the idea of beating this smug pony. She then pulled the axe from the wall hooking it on her belt.
Vinyl gave her a grateful look mouthing the words ‘Thanks’ then turned to her brother. “Looks like she gets it. So are ya gonna pony up and do this or are ya chicken?”
“Very well.” Blueblood confident in the fact that he would teach her a lesson in manners. He accepted pulling a pure white sock off his right leg that matched so well with his coat no one could have told he was wearing it. He then walked up to his sister and her friend.”What is your name?”
“Tula.” just as she said that he reared up on his hind legs slapping her across the face.”Then miss Tula, I hereby challenge you to a duel! Tomorrow at sundown we shall met for the settling of our grievances. As the one challenged it is your right to choose the nature of this encounter.”
Tula had a read mark on her face where the sock hit and slowly took of her gauntlet.” How about a good old brawl?” she then slapped the prince across the face with the thing, dropping him to the floor like a sack of potatoes. The guards were about to jump the barbarian girl, but one angry stare from her made them reconsider. Instead they helped the prince back on his feet then left the building in one piece.
“Listen thanks for helping me but did ya really need to hit him that hard?” Vinyl glad to see that her brother was managing to walk on his own after that hit.
“It’s not like I threw the first blow. And wasn’t I supposed to answer the challenge the same way?” She never did understand how these nobles and their conduct, when it came to fighting. Back on the tundra they’d just draw a large circle and see who’s the first to fall.
“Yeah, he kinda asked for it. But still he’s my brother and someone’s got to look out for him.”
“Wait that’s your brother?” Tula took a double take on the retreating stallions unable to see a similarity between the two besides their white coats.
“Yup, born and raised together. But forget that, I guess your hangover’s even worse than mine. Come on into the kitchen, I know a sure fire two step recipe to cure what’s ailing us. And that beast too.”That last part was referring to the barbarians gut that started growling it’s protest at being empty for far too long.
“First a bit of the dog that bit you.” she grabbed a pot of coffee adding a little something from a nearby bottle.”Good thing Tavy knows me and left a ready pot out.” She then poured a cup and passed it to Tula before pouring herself one.
Tula picked it up and took a whiff of the black liquid inside. Mixed in with the strong aroma of the brew was the familiar scent of alcohol.
Meanwhile Vinyl took 8 eggs from the fridge cracked them open and started beating them in a bowl together with some grated mozzarella and a splash of milk plus the proper seasoning. After pouring the mixture in a hot pan to cook she chopped up a few pickles, onions and peppers in a bowl then added a splash of oil and some other condiments. Wrapping everything up in two large tortillas she passed one to her guest at the kitchen table. “Here, enough grease to soak up most of the booze from last night. And Tula, thanks for sticking to the story about you being my new bouncer.”
“No problem boss, but what happened last night? Everything’s still fuzzy.” she took a bite out of her breakfast.
“Call me Vinyl. Boss makes me feel like my brother. And as for last night… you and your friends pretty much drank a whole barrel of cider. Now that was impressive.”
“Oh... Applejack and her brother... challenged me... and Oric... to a drinking match..., you also... joined...” Tula could barely speak and eat. It was like she was afraid someone would come and take her food away, a barbarian to the end.
“Don’t choke on me hehe. And yah, gave up after the 15th mug. Could have done a lot better if I hadn’t drank earlier. Still... better then Dash, She fell on her ass after the 10th round.”
“ So who won?”
“AJ gave up after her 24 mug. You fell unconscious after the 31st. Big Mac and Oric well they tied at about 39. The two would have kept going but we ran out of cider .” Vinyl spat out the scores, her mouth full of eggs and pickles.”I’d loved to see who would have won”
Tula was surprised and impressed with Mack, she had yet to see someone able to match Oric when it came to booz.
“So...gulp, what are you gonna do about the duel tomorrow?”Vinyl asked swallowing down a mouthful of breakfast.
Tula had just swallowed down what was left of her breakfast burrito letting out a satisfied belch.“Don’t know, is your brother any good in a fight?”
The unicorn almost choked on her food at that thought.”Ahahahaha... Blueie, good in a fight. No, heck I’ve seen kinds around the schoolhouse that could put up more of a fight then him. He’s probably going to get someone from the royal guard to represent him or something like that. That’s probably why he wanted to hold it tomorrow.”
“Well Pinkie told me the other day that there was some sort of training grounds by a lake nearby. I going to pass by there and see how you ponies fight. Maybe spar with some of the local fighters.”
“Training grounds?” Vinyl asked scratching her head in confusion. Ponyville didn’t have a town guard let alone a training ground for them. Then she remembered that Snowflake decided to move the gym by the lake for the summer. “I don’t think those grounds are what you think they are but I might know someone who can help you.”