Chapter 3: Unexpected Events
You think this is just the end? No, it's the beginning of a chapter. A series. A new laughter to an entire cataclysmic reaction.
Vinyl slowly walked into the large halls of the grand, and extravagant, gold-white castle of Canterlot. Twilight, obviously, followed next to her, as they walked up the large, crimson, red carpet; in which was trimmed with gold lacing. Vinyl looked around at the décor of the castle: It was typical royal colours -- purple, gold, white -- and there were large pillars supporting the main hall to where the thrones were. The windows were all pictures of what has happened in Equestria's history: From the rise of Equestria, to the fall of Discord. It was all there.
As Vinyl continued further down the large path, Celestia's voice could be heard talking. Vinyl's ears perked up and she turned to see a large, rainbow-flowing mane, white Alicorn standing in front of her.
"Ahh... Vinyl Scratch. It's so wonderful to see you.", Celestia smiled, and it made Vinyl quiver a bit.
Vinyl was scared to see Celestia. Although Celestia was mostly peaceful, she has heard awful stories about how mares and stallions get banished to the moon or the sun.
"It's ... Wonderful to see you, too, Princess.", Vinyl bowed lightly, trying to ignore this fear.
Celestia smiled, and looked at Twilight.
"Is she ready, Twilight?", Celestia asked calmly.
"Yup. I've told her of all the dangers and she still wants to go, Princess. So, I don't think we can stop her.", Twilight looked at Vinyl's red eyes, and smiled.
Vinyl returned the smile and then looked up at Celestia again.
"Well, are you ready, Vinyl Scratch?", Celestia asked softly.
"Of course I am. I've been waiting all day for this! I promise, I'll be back in a month.", Vinyl said, giddily.
Celestia smiled, and then bowed her head low to Vinyl Scratch. Vinyl moved back a little, scared on what she was going to do.
"I hope you realise, that you will return in exactly one month. No later, no sooner. It's how the spell works, unfortunately. So, please, be very careful.", Celestia gave a small frown as she said this, worried for her subject.
Vinyl stared as she spoke, taking in the words deeply.
"I will be, Princess. I promise.", Vinyl gave a smile to re-assure her words. Maybe she wasn't ready to leave?
I can do this... There can't be that many dangers there. I can do this. Believe in yourself, Vinyl!, Vinyl encouraged herself with this thought, and looked deep into Celestia's eyes.
Celestia rose her head and her horn started to glow a bright, white, colour.
A small vortex opened above Vinyl Scratch. It was white and green and was warping directly upward into the ceiling. Or at least from Vinyl's perspective, it did.
"Be careful.", As Celestia said this, the portal pulled Vinyl, and only Vinyl, into it.
She was thrown around like a cat with a bag of cat-nip. She screamed in terror, obviously, and was rolling in circles, getting dizzy.
"Whooooaaaaaa---aaaaah!", Vinyl yelled, as she neared the end of the vortex.
Vinyl was shot out and flew, about 100 feet, over a grassy land. She hit it with a rolling thud, pulling some dirt with her. Vinyl's mane was straight when she shot herself up, sitting on the grass. Her eyes were darting around, as if she had just woken from a horrible dream.
"That... Was...", Vinyl slowly smiled. "AWESOME!", she said, in excitement.
Vinyl stood up, her mane going back to normal, and she looked at the landscape. Around her, was a massive field with crops, what looked like carrots and corn, and in front of her, was a pen filled with large, stallions. They looked a lot different then the stallions she knew of.
Next to the pen was a barn-like structure. It had an odd smell coming from it, like somepony was burning something. And next to that, was a house. It was big, and blue, and had black shingles. It looked very plain on the outside. From where Vinyl was standing, she could barely see the inside. In fact, she thought this place was a dump.
"Hrmm.. Maybe you could give me directions to where I am?", Vinyl looked up at the stallion's pen.
A horse slowly chewed on... Whatever it was chewing on. It didn't answer.
"Uhm... Hello? I asked a question?", Vinyl said, looking up at the horse with her bright red eyes.
The horse chewed, then swallowed. It opened its mouth and look like it was going to give an answer. Instead, it made this noise:
"Neeeeeeeiiiiiggghhhh!"
Vinyl stepped back. Mostly from the horses breath, but also from the horse making such a noise.
"Uhg... What the hay is wrong with you?...", Vinyl shook her head and gave up trying to talk to the stallion.
She walked around the pen, and closer to the house. She wanted a better look at what was inside. Vinyl looked around as she forwarded the house and started to make landmarks of the scenery in the distance. It looked like a city: Large towers jutting into the sky, and the noise of beeping was heard.
Vinyl stepped under one of the houses lower windows, and pulled herself on the sill. She looked inside the dark house to see a mahogany furnished living room. It had pictures of large 'humans' in a group, hugging each other and the wallpaper was a cabin-log pattern. The couches were striped, black and white like a zebra, and something was sitting on it.
Or rather sleeping.
"That must be a human!", Vinyl said quietly, trying to respect the 'human's' sleep.
Vinyl let herself down, and looked to her right. Seeing no door, she walked around to the left of the house. Right away, she found white, cement, steps that lead to a door. There was also a strange metal object that had large rubber wheels. It reminded her of motorized carts back in Equestria, but it looked a lot different.
It's design was that for aerodynamics, not for travel. It was low to the ground and had the colours of a racing pegasus, red and black. In fact, the number '72' was on the side of the object, and large metal gates were on its 'windows'.
"Is this what humans travel in, maybe?", Vinyl forwarded herself to it, but realised she was here for something else: That human.
"Right. Stay on task, Vinyl.", Vinyl said to herself.
Vinyl turned to the door of the house, and looked up at it. It was a Victorian structure, much like her own door at home. It made her smile, but worry at the same time.
"Maybe humans knows of the same architecture as us ponies?", Vinyl commented to herself.
She approached the door, up the steps, and tapped her hoof on it. From the inside, she heard scuffling of something moving to the door and something talking. The door opened to reveal a large, brown hair, green eyes, 'human'. He was wearing a plaid, red and green styled, shirt with dark blue pants. It reminded Vinyl of some of the designers she knew in Equestria.
"What 'n t' Lord's name...?", The human looked down at the unicorn that was in front of him. He couldn't help but rub his eyes, thinking he was seeing a hallucination.
"Well, hello, there! My name is Vi--"
"Whoooa, wait a tootin' sec' dere... Did ya just talk?", The human said, as he looked down at the unicorn, interrupting her.
"Well, yeah... Don't all ponies talk here...?", Vinyl said to the human.
The human slammed the door for a second and all Vinyl could hear was gasping and breathing. With a bit of yelling. On the inside, this is what was happening:
"Wut in t' Lord's name put dat dere 'pony' to make 't talk? Dat seems impossible!", The human yelled to himself.
"Maybe ah'm just seey'in things...", The human turned around and opened the door, to see the unicorn again.
He slammed the door, and shook his head.
"Nupe. Ah ain't seey'in things...", The human turned around and opened the door again.
"Is something wrong?", Vinyl asked.
"Well, wut's wrong is dat yu're a talkin' pony thing, and dat ain't right.", The human said.
"How isn't it right? I mean... I thought ponies talk everywhere.", Vinyl said.
"Have yous been livin' unda' a rock? Ponies dun' talk. At all.", The human gave a response calmly.
"Well... That's odd... It explains why that stallion didn't talk to me...", Vinyl said, looking at her hoof inquisitively.
"Wut? Talkin' to my horses? That--"
"Anyways, my name is Vinyl Scratch. What's yours?", Vinyl held out a hoof, as to be formerly shaken.
"Errr... Mai name is Clarence. Clarence th' 3rd.", 'Clarence' said, slowly.
"Clarence? Well, it's nice to meet you.", Vinyl pulled her hoof away, seeing as Clarence wasn't going to shake it.
"Well.. Yus... Anyways, Ah'd love to chit-chat, but, Ah've got import'nt things t' do.", Clarence was about to close the door, hurriedly, but was stopped.
"Wait, I need to ask you something.", Vinyl said.
Clarence rolled his eyes and opened the door again.
"I... Need a place to stay. May I stay here?", Vinyl asked.
Clarence laughed loudly, looking at the unicorn.
"Ohhh-ho-ho-ho. Did'ya jus' say ya'll wanted t' stay 'ere?", Clarence said, jokingly.
"Yeah... I have nowhere else to go...", Vinyl looked upwards at Clarence and gave a 'puppy-eyed' look.
Clarence sighed and muttered.
"Dang-it parents an' ya'll teachin' me dem good manners.", Clarence opened the door wider, to let Vinyl into the house. Vinyl took this as a sign to walk in, and Clarence didn't stop her. He closed the door behind Vinyl, and started to walk in front of her.
"Looky here, Ah know Ah jus' let ya'll waltz in, but, it dun't mean ya'll are welcomed here. Ya'll is a talkin' pony an' it's beyond any'thin Ah've seen before. So, ya'll better lay yer hooves off mai stuff. Ya'hear?", Clarence said smoothly, and slowly for Vinyl to understand.
Vinyl heard the pleas and strain of anger in his voice. She slowly nodded, fearful of him now.
"Y-yes.. I uhm.. Understand.", Vinyl said, softly.
"Guud, 'cause ya'll are stay'in in dat barn out dere. Ah can't let some little pony ruin mai house. Ah'm willin' to feed ya, but ya'll need to earn your place.", Clarence pointed out the window to the large red and white barn as he said this. Vinyl sighed and nodded again.
"I understand...", Vinyl looked to the ground, hoping to appease Clarence.
"An' dun't be gettin' soft on me. Dat ain't gun' work 'round here.", Clarence turned and walked into the living room that Vinyl stared at before. He walked out and held some keys in his right 'hand'.
"Ah'll fix ya'll some food, den ya'll are headin' straight to dat dere barn.", Clarence walked forward down the mahogany hallway and turned left, to which Vinyl assumed was the kitchen.
She slowly walked forward, unsure if she was allowed to go in or not. Vinyl looked around at the wall decor and noticed that it was decorated with more pictures of 'humans' in a large group with this Clarence fellow. Vinyl looked up a bit further and noticed there was an upstairs to the house.
As she approached the turn to the kitchen, Clarence called to her.
"Dun't ya'll think 'bout goin' up dere. Dat's mai room.", Clarence was fixing up a bowl of fruits and vegetables. For an omnivorous creature, he knew what Vinyl ate. It surprised her.
"Uhm.. Okay... But.. Doesn't my presence surprise you at all, Clarence? I mean... If you don't have talking ponies..."
"Yeah, 't does. Ya'll are th' weirdest sort of thing Ah've seen, ever. Ah still feel like Ah'm hallucinating and thinkin' dat yu're just a figment of mai imagination.", Clarence was slowly cutting carrots into the small white bowl that was next to him.
The kitchen seemed small, and was unfurnished. There was just two windows, one where the sink and counter was to the left, and one straight forward from the doorway that Vinyl stood at. To the right was just small cabinets that Vinyl assumed were filled with food.
"Wut 'bout ya? Dun't ya'll find 't weird too?", Clarence returned the question.
"Well.. I wanted to come here. I was tired of where I was, so, I'm spending a month here to relax. I mea--"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Did ya'll just say a month?", Clarence stopped cutting and gripped the hilt of the knife he held.
"Y-yes... A m-month...", Vinyl looked up at him, with fear in her eyes.
"Guh... Well, dat's just great. Well, Ah'll see wut Ah can fix in for ya'll's placement. But dun't ya think yuh haven't earned a place 'ere yet.", Clarence was pointing the knife at Vinyl, at a distance, and was jabbing the air as he spoke.
"I completely understand, Clarence.", VInyl said softly, sitting her rump on the floor to relax.
"Guud. Now, Ah have some fruits an' vegies in dis here bowl. Ah'll lead ya to the barn and yu'll sleep dere for now. Just until Ah fix up everything...", Clarence started to walk closer to Vinyl, setting down the knife and picking up the bowl.
"And when ya've earn yur place.", Clarence said. It seemed like he wanted to drive that point into the white unicorns head.
"I understand...", Vinyl let out a quiet sigh as Clarence started to lead her out the door, and too the barn...