Sparkle's No. 1 Assistant

by Wanderer D

Loyalty Mission 2: Neon Element Pt. 3

Rim Shot stared miserably at the plans displayed in front of them.

“This… this could ruin my career!” Vinyl Scratch muttered. “And that’s nothing compared to the damage to property and the risk you’d be putting the crowds in… just to get back at me for going solo?”

“You were part of our group, what did you expect?” Rim Shot answered bitterly.

“Not this!” Vinyl screeched. “You guys are planning a massive explosion! The theatre could burn down! Sure, I guess I’d be stuck playing background music for things like fashion shows in backwater towns or something, but don’t you care how many ponies you would hurt if this went wrong?!”

“Ha! Nothing would go wrong!” Rim Shot insisted.

“Well,” Twilight Sparkle spoke up, making the drummer immediately curl into a small ball of panic. “If these explosives here, went off out of sequence, the whole structure could collapse in. The force of the blasts would turn Vinyl into mush, and the heat could immediately incinerate the front row. Not to mention the water you wanted to flood the floor with, would come in contact with a lot of damaged electric equipment. But I’m sure you already considered that.”

Rim Shot had paled, although he dared not speak.

Twilight continued, “Riff and Vocal Scale are the ones in control of the explosives so we should take them out first, but Deep Bass and Brass Valve will also be doing their thing with flooding the theatre with sewer water… what I don’t get is how you were going to make everypony think that Vinyl was responsible.”

Rim Shot mumbled something.

“What was that?” Wrex asked, lifting him up by the scruff of his the with no effort. “I thought I heard a pyjak squeak, something about not getting its limbs broken, I think.”

Rim Shot grimaced. “Okay! Okay. We… we stole samples of Vinyl’s mane to leave as evidence and Brass Valve said that she could resonate her magic to Vinyl’s to leave a convincing trail! We also forged a letter we were going to leave partly shredded in the trash bin of her room where she explained that she wanted to go out with a bang!”

“Seriously, all of this because you couldn’t make it on your own?” Twilight Sparkle shook her head. “This is just petty.”

“Are you going to push him out of the window like you told me Shepard did to that one guy?” Octavia asked Twilight.

“Nah,” Twilight shrugged. "The building isn’t high enough.”

“You ponies are crazy!!” Rim Shot shouted. “This is very illegal! I’m going to—mph! Mhphp!”

Vinyl gave the gag-balll one last, tightening pull before looking at the others. “Seriously guys, a lot of ponies could be hurt if this happens. We need to stop it!”

“Well, Rarity should be here soon,” Twilight said. “That will help, especially if she’s been practicing with the gun I gave her.”

“And I brought Viola,” Octavia said, drawing Vinyl’s attention to the black rectangular thing she pulled out. Vinyl’s eyes widened when the thing seemed to bend inside out to create a long-necked gun of some sort that was taller than Octavia was long.

“You named the Widow ‘Viola’?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

Octavia nodded standing on her back hooves and leaning slightly into the sniper rifle and caressed it with one hoof. “When I shoot it... it’s music to my ears,” she whispered.

“That’s so hot,” Vinyl and Twilight both muttered.

“Darling, I love your apartment!” Rarity cooed. “The location is perfect, the size manageable! But…” she grimaced. “You really shouldn’t party hard enough to destroy your furniture, dear.”

“But! That wasn’t me!” Vinyl whined. “My apartment’s sanctity was destroyed by my former band! I promise this place is kept clean and orderly!”

“Surprisingly so,” Octavia said. “I honestly expected this whole place to be a mess, with food cartons on the floor, cables on any conceivable surface and basically smelling of sweat.”

“Hey! That’s Twilight’s room! And yours!”

“Sorry, but you just gave me that sloppy impression.” Octavia smirked, undaunted.

“But… we’ve known each other for years!” Vinyl whined. "You should know better than anypony that I like my stuff in perfect order!"

“And yet, this is the first time I mustered the courage to visit your apartment,” Octavia said, patting Vinyl on the back. “I’m glad to say I’m pleasantly surprised.”

“Rarity!” Twilight exclaimed, walking into the living room with a smile. “How is my favorite designer?”

“Twilight, darling!” Rarity smiled in return. “I’m doing great, thank you for asking, I even had time to buy some new materials here in Canterlot! A trip is never wasted!” She giggled, levitating several rolls of fabric for them to see.

Twilight nodded, walking around Rarity and studying her. “Hey, where’s the M-6 Carnifex I gave you?”

“In a secure location, under lock inside a sturdy safe, protected by several spells including a repellant shield and a misdirection spell.”

Twilight’s eyes were wide. “B-but why would you do that to such a wonderful, beautiful weapon?”

“I have a young, naive sister,” Rarity retorted. “Who I very much want to keep away from our brand of crazy.”

“But! You need a weapon!!” Twilight whined. “You can’t be sexy without weapons!”

Rarity and Vinyl both slowly looked at Octavia, who shrugged. “It’s true.”

“Oh, don’t fret, Twilight,” Rarity said after a moment. “You have to understand, such a weapon in my home is a very dangerous thing to have, especially with Sweetie Belle and the other Crusaders thinking they can save the world, or get their cutie marks on marksmanship.” She sighed. “As much as I loved that little piece of metal-shooting doom, my sister’s safety and the fact that the color scheme clashed with my mane have forced me to take a step away from it for now, but I did not come empty-hoofed.”

Her magic glimmered around her horn and suddenly seven, sharp looking silvery daggers circled warily around her like silent guardians of death. “Diamond-tipped, mithril fighting daggers,” she explained as the others hummed in appreciation. "Crafted by warrior unicorns in the days of Queen Platinum.”

Twilight smiled, but it faded after a moment. “Well, those are nice, Rarity, but I don’t think they’ll be as effective as the Carnifex.”

“Oh, nonsense, dear!” Rarity giggled and suddenly three of the knives were gone, only for two ‘thwaks!’ to announce the destination of two of them on the wall. The third having gone straight through it.

A moment later, Wrex emerged from the kitchen, knife embedded on his shoulder through the armor. “Hey. Someone here lost their butter knife? I found it.”

"I'm so very sorry, Mr. Urdnot!" Rarity apologized once more.

"Nah." Wrex shrugged. "It's okay, I've gotten worse from a vorcha mercenary." He shifted and pulled the knife out. "I have to admit," he said, grudgingly. "You're pretty good at throwing pointy things if this one went through the wall and then through my shoulder armor."

"Well," Rarity preened. "I don't mean to brag..."

"But she will," Vinyl said.

"But I will, yes. I simply have a way with gems and design! After working with needles, a knife is not a problem."

This gave Wrex a pause. "Needles?"

Rarity tilted her head. Did-did Wrex sound slightly nervous? No, she decided. It was just her imagination. She looked around. "Where are Octavia and Twilight?"

"Knowing them?" Wrex spoke up. "I bet they're--"

"Getting ready," Twilight's voice interrupted, drawing everyone's attention to her and Octavia.

Rarity gasped.

"Heh." Wrex leaned on the table, nodding at Twilight. "Finally put it on, eh?"

Twilight wore a dark, body-tight suit with bulky combat armor on top, protecting her barrel, withers, chest and legs. The material seemed to be a combination of some sort of plastic mesh under the plates, what looked like leather (Rarity was hoping it wasn't) and the same material that made Wrex's armor. Her shoulder pads and metallic pieces of armor were decorated with a purple line that matched her mane through the middle with two thinner white lines on either side of it. A red 'N7' was painted on her chest plate.

Octavia had a suit made of similar material, although with much lighter armor and the lines on hers were a deep gray that matched her coat.

"Vinyl, darling, you're drooling," Rarity politely informed the DJ.

"But... so... hot!"

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Well, yes I can see the sex appeal. But which of them do you mean?"

"Both."

Meanwhile, Wrex nodded at Octavia. "Nice armor, Miss Philharmonica."

"Why, thank you, Wrex! I think it goes well with string music, wine and guns."

Wrex's smile grew until he was showing as many pointy teeth as possible. "Ha! No wonder you and Sparkle here get along so well!"

"Rarity, your armor is in my room, it's the white one with the lines matching your mane."

Rarity blinked. "But... darling, I insist on designing my own armor!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Fine, but tonight you need to wear the one that actually works. These ponies we're dealing with are terrorists and you know what we do with terrorists in Equestria."

Rarity's eyes centered resolutely on Twilight. "No, I don't. What do we do with terrorists in Equestria? Give them a slap on the back of the hoof and make them promise to the princess not to do it again?"

Wrex started laughing.