Chronology notes:
Stop! You are reading the fourth story in the Bonds of Eternity Series.
The first story in the series is Family found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1307/
The second story in the series is Nihil Novi Sub Sole found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1444/
The third story in the series is Friends in High Places found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1716/
Trust
Chapter 1
Vinyl Scratch’s eyes popped open, her stomach was churning, she leapt up from the sofa in the Ponyville Public Library that she had grown so accustomed to sleeping on and threw open the front door. She did not make it three steps outside before vomiting.
Vinyl felt awful, her head pounded, her stomach was doing somersaults, and she could only imagine how she looked to others. She’d felt sick like this for a while now, during most of the trip back from South Island. Vinyl had figured it was sea sickness, as her symptoms had seemed to go away upon returning to dry land, now they were back, and they were worse than ever.
“Vinyl Scratch?” said a voice from behind her.
“Hello Princess Luna...” Vinyl managed before vomiting again.
“You are clearly unwell, come let me help you!” Luna said. Vinyl felt her touch as she tried to help Vinyl to her hooves.
“I’m fine!” Vinyl said, brushing her away, she accidentally bumped her own head in the process, and Vinyl felt as if something had come away, still sticking to her leg, she felt it and discovered something that horrified her greatly.
“Vinyl Scratch... You are lying in the street, in your own vomit... and your mane is falling out. You are not fine. I was afraid of this...” Princess Luna said.
“You know what’s wrong?” Vinyl asked before vomiting again.
“Yes. I suspected since the night that the artefact shattered, I think this confirms it, you’re suffering from radiation sickness... I’m so sorry Vinyl Scratch, but the radiation that the artefact emitted is of the worst kind,” Princess Luna said, her voice was filled with sadness. “I am so sorry...”
“Its nopony’s fault but my own,” Vinyl said, followed by another round of vomiting. “Uh... I was the one who broke the artefact. Now I’m going to die because of it.”
“That is a rather... pessimistic outlook,” Princess Luna said simply.
“What are you saying that there’s hope? You’ve told me everything there is to know about this radiation, don’t give me false hope,” Vinyl said with a scoff. “I hate false hope.”
“Well... all right, I suppose you do have a point. Here though, I want you to have this,” Princess Luna placed a small bottle of pills into Vinyl Scratch’s open hoof. “They will help to alleviate the symptoms.”
“Thanks... I guess,” Vinyl Scratch said, vomiting again. She twisted open the bottle of pills and swallowed one, hopefully, it would stay down. “You know... it’s too bad I don’t have my gun anymore... at least that way it wouldn’t hurt.”
Luna gave a small sigh of pity for the mare lying on the ground at her hooves; Vinyl ignored it and rose to head back inside. “Princess Luna? Thanks.”
“Vinyl Scratch? What if I told you that there was one option?” Luna said as Vinyl re-entered the library.
Vinyl paused and turned to look back at the approximate location of where she thought Princess Luna was standing. “Well... than I’d say you have my undivided attention.”
...
“Twilight!” said a voice in the darkness.
Twilight Sparkle’s eyes popped open, somepony was prodding her while she slept. Twilight sat up and discovered that Vinyl Scratch was at her bedside, poking her. Twilight looked at the clock. It was two in the morning.
“Vinyl Scratch...” Twilight said groggily. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”
“Nope!” Vinyl said, flashing her trademark grin at her. “Kind of stopped mattering to me what time it was when I can’t see what clocks say. I sleep when I’m tiered; I’m awake when I’m not.”
Twilight Sparkle respected her friends disability, but was frankly too tired to care. Twilight was a very grumpy pony when she was tired. “Vinyl... it’s two in the morning, what do you want?”
“Oh... I’m sorry,” Vinyl said as a frown formed on the mares face. “I knew it had to be early... but I didn’t think it was that early.”
“It’s okay, Vinyl. What do you want?” Twilight asked as she set her head back down on her pillow.
“How would you like to go on a trip?” Vinyl asked. “To the Hoofson Bay Area?”
“The Hoofson Bay... what? Vinyl, what in Equestria do you want to go there for?” Twilight asked. “I mean, is there even a point in travelling with your... condition?”
“I know it sounds silly,” Vinyl said. “I sort of... have an obligation to fill, and I can’t go by myself. I’d fall off a cliff or something.”
“Some might argue that would be an improvement,” Twilight said groggily.
“Ha ha. You’re funny!” Vinyl said sarcastically. “Seriously thought! It’ll be fun! Bring your friends! Bring the little dragon dude! It’ll be great!”
Twilight sat up and looked over at Spike, sound asleep in his basket, and then she thought. With their recent victory against Discord, she and her friends could all use a holiday. “All right, Spike and I will go if you can convince everypony else to go.”
“That won’t be a problem! Vinyl Scratch has a way with words!” Vinyl said grinning madly at her. “This’ll be fun! I promise!”
“Yeah... yeah. Let me go back to sleep!” Twilight said, rolling over and pulling the covers over her head.
“Goodnight Twilight,” Vinyl said. “Thank you... you’ve done more than you know,” she added under her breath as she trotted back down the stairs.
...
It was the first day of November, and so far, Vinyl Scratch had gotten most of Twilight’s friends on board. Some had been easier to convince than others. Pinkie Pie, for example, had agreed to go before Vinyl Scratch could get past the word “holiday.” Fluttershy agreed when Vinyl promised that she’d insure that the animals she took care of would be looked after. Rarity had agreed after Vinyl had insinuated that she could get a jump on wearing fashionable winter attire, as it would start snowing in the Hoofson Bay well before it started snowing in Equestria.
Applejack had been slightly more difficult to convince, but Vinyl Scratch had managed to do it by offering her a lucrative contract with Sweet Apple Acres to cater the next event she threw. Of course, Vinyl didn’t exactly have any events she was planning on hosting, but she could certainly throw together something... after they got back, of course.
Rainbow Dash was probably going to be the hardest to get, apart from being the head of the Ponyville weather team; she was also training Whirlwind to be... something.
Vinyl didn’t remember exactly what she was training Whirlwind for, but it wasn’t something that she was going to stop doing to take a holiday unless Vinyl was really... really convincing.
She discovered Rainbow Dash where she usually was at this time of the day, standing in the town square, yelling at Whirlwind to fly laps between town hall and the windmill faster.
“Hi Rainbow Dash,” Vinyl said with a smile.
“Oh! Hey Vinyl! I had heard you got back to town!” Rainbow Dash said. “Hold on a moment. YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT WHIRLWIND! FASTER!”
Rainbow Dash gave Vinyl a shrug. “He’s being lazy.”
“Clearly, He’ll learn though, I mean, come on, he’s got the best flier in all of Equestria training him!” Vinyl said with a grin.
Rainbow Dash proudly agreed with her. “Hey... you’re buttering me up for something aren’t you!?”
“What... Rainbow, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard... is it working?” Vinyl Scratch asked.
“Totally! Please continue!” Rainbow Dash said with a grin, followed by more shouting at Whirlwind to fly faster.
“Well, Whirlwind also has the foremost expert on winter weather tutoring him, I mean, we were all talking about Ponyville’s weather record for last winter for months in Canterlot, it was most certainly impressive. Clearly, no other Pegasus could have pulled it off.”
“Ha! That was nothing! I could have done it in my sleep!” Rainbow Dash said proudly.
“And I’m putting together a trip to the Hoofson Bay, and we’d love it if you could join us, you’re expertise would be invaluable. Plus, you could get a head start on training Whirlwind for cold weather flying! Not to mention it would be fun! I know you love fun things!” Vinyl said with a grin.
“All right! All right! I’ve heard enough!” Rainbow Dash said. “You’ve sold me! Whirlwind and I will go!”
“Awesome!” Vinyl said. “This is going to be a great trip, I promise! And it’s all the better that I’ve got one of my best friends going with me.”
“Who? Me?” Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle.
“No, Whirlwind. Of course you! Who could ask for a better friend?” Vinyl said.
“You know, stroking my ego isn’t going to get you everything you want,” Rainbow Dash said.
Vinyl Scratch just stared blankly at her.
Rainbow Dash gave in. “Okay... okay, maybe it will.”