//------------------------------// // day in town // Story: Spirit // by Crystal Shard //------------------------------// It was early the next morning Spirit was awakened by Vinyl shaking him slightly. "Hey kiddo want to have some fun?" though still sleepy Spirit sat up and smiled. "Great common." Spirit quickly followed as Vinyl lead him into the kitchen, once he walked in he noticed a towel sitting in front of the dishwasher. "Alright sit there." Vinyl directed as she pointed to the towel, then handed Spirit a pair of shades. "Now hang on." With that Vinyl started the dishwasher and Spirit was shocked as the entire kitchen shook while music blared from the washer, which also caused him to slowly move along the floor as the towel seem to glide. After a while Octavia walked in holding her ears glaring at Vinyl. "VINYL!" "OCTY GOOD MORNING!" "IT WOULD BE IF I WASN'T VIBRATED FROM MY BED!" "WHAT!?" "I SAID IT WOULD BE IF I WASN'T VIBRATED FROM MY BED!!" "WHAT!!?" "TURN THE WASHER OFF!" "WHAT!!!?" "TURN! THE! DISHWASHER! OFF!" "I CAN'T HEAR YOU, LET ME TURN OFF THE DISHWASHER!!" Octavia glared at Vinyl as the DJ turned around and turned off the dishwasher. "I thought we had a deal that you would wash the dishes after dinner, so that you wouldn't be waking me up early in the morning." Octavia scolded, as she looked at Vinyl. "WHAT!?" Vinyl yelled, just before a smile spread across her face. Octavia didn't seemed as amused, getting Vinyl to remove her ear plugs. "What did you say Octy?" "YOU KNOW DARN WELL WHAT I SAID!" Vinyl held up her fore-hooves like she was expecting an assault before she started to laugh slightly. "Alright I was just kidding with you, besides Spirit had fun didn't you?" Vinyl asked, as she looked at Spirit who had a big grin on his face as the shades sagging slightly down his face. "Wuuuuuuuub." was the only thing Spirit said before he fell over with a big grin on his face. "Wow guess he can't handle the wub." "THAT WAS AWESOME!" Spirit yelled from the floor, getting Vinyl to smile at Octavia. "He has joined the Wub side." Later that morning Spirit was sitting at the breakfast table still with the shades on smiling as he looked at Octavia and Vinyl. "So what are we going to do today?" Vinyl asked, as she looked at Octavia. "Oh well I have to get our kitty from the vet." Octavia said, as she smiled at Vinyl. "You have a pet?" Spirit asked, as he smiled at Octavia. "Well it's a family pet really, she'll be your pet also." "Really?" Octavia nodded and smiled as she saw how excited Spirit was. "What's her name?" Octavia was about to say when she heard Vinyl snicker, as she looked at her partner she could see Vinyl covering her mouth with both hooves. "Her name is Little Scratch." at the mention of the name Vinyl burst into laughter and looked at Spirit who seemed slightly confused by the outburst. "Oh come on don't you see how that's funny?" Spirit shook his head still confused by Vinyl's reaction. "Well I guess I'll explain it to you." "DON'T YOU DARE!" Octavia gave Vinyl a look that Vinyl had only seen once before, and that was when she snapped a scroll on her cello, and she paid for that mistake, boy did she pay for that mistake. "He is far too young to know of such things, and those kinds of jokes." Octavia leaned close to Vinyl still giving her the stern look. "And I would be very upset if you should try and explain such things to him at such a tender age." "Oh You're talking about matting." Spirit said, as he realized what was going on, getting Octavia to look at him shocked causing her to lose her balance and fall face first into Vinyl's lap. "Uh mom are you alright?" As the trio walked down the street around ten in the morning Vinyl noticed that Octavia still had a bit of color in her cheeks from the morning events. "Oh Octy what's the matter?" "I just can't believe they already taught him about that, he's barely old enough to attend school." "What?" Spirit looked back at Octavia slightly confused. "What did you mean about school?" "Well once I got your records from the orphanage I learned that you'll just be old enough to start the first grade." Octavia said, with a bit of pride as she smiled at Spirit. "But I already started school." "You have, but you're not old enough." Octavia was slightly confused by this new turn of events. "Yeah the orphanage shipped me off at the start of the school year last year, and school was terrible, all the yelling, marching, and push ups." Octavia stopped, as she heard this information, then looked at Vinyl who didn't look very pleased at all. "Hey Kiddo you wouldn't happen to remember what the name of this school was would you?" Vinyl's voice sounded strain to keep a happy tone, as she looked at Spirit who was nodded. "It was called The Stable." Vinyl started to grind her teeth as well as one of her hooves on the ground. "Octy I need to go see somepony." "Vinyl, no he's away from there and when the trial comes he can tell the Princesses everything." "The Princesses?" Spirit smiled, as he turned and looked at both his parents. "I'm going to get to see the Princesses, and not be on trial, take that Metal Jacket." Spirit crossed his forelegs proudly, but this also confused both Vinyl and Octavia. "Spirit have you been before the Princesses before?" "Well I've seen them allot, mostly when they made appearances, I think I've seen Princess Luna a few times in my dreams but I can't really be sure." "Then what was that about not being on trial kiddo? Have you been on trial before?" Vinyl asked, as she sat down in front of Spirit. "No, but at the stable Metal Jacket was the head of the school, and he's the one who punished me if I didn't do well, and just before I left he said." Spirit stopped and started to use his magic to get a stallion voice to come from his. "You might be passing all your classes now but if you don't straighten up and obey your caretakers I'm not going to be surprised to read in the paper one day that your going before the royal sisters for trial." "Wait." Vinyl put a hoof to her head then looked at Spirit. "You said when you didn't do well he punished you." "Yeah when I first started I didn't understand anything, and when I asked the teachers for help they only yelled at me to keep quit and do my work, I couldn't keep up with the older colts and I always got sent to his office because of poor grades, well in the beginning, but then one day as I was laying in the box." "The Box?" Octavia questioned, not really knowing much about these sort of places "It's where they put, what they classified the trouble makers." Vinyl answered, as she looked at Octavia. "Yeah after the first week of bad grades he put me in the box, my grades didn't improve because I still had no idea of what I was doing, and even when I tried to explain it to him he would tell me to stop snivelling and take my punishment like a stallion." Vinyl stopped Spirit and then looked at Octavia. "Remind me to call my father when we get home." "Vinyl." "It'll be alright I just want to talk to him about this, because that school is still being ran by Royal Guard ponies which means Metal Jacket is a Royal Guard." "I know, but what do you have in mind." "Oh nothing, I just want my dad to bring him to our home so I can punch him in the nose personally." "And that's what I thought you had in mind, we'll discuss it later tonight, but Spirit please continue." Spirit looked at Octavia and smiled. "Well I think about three weeks past after I was put in the box, I was cold, hungry, and I looked down at the workbooks I had to finish, then for some reason it just started to click. Well kind of as I used my horn for light to see what I was looking at, everything just seem to be so simple to me, as if somepony flipped a switch in my head." "So they let you out of the box then." "Not before I got another hiding for, as Metal Jacket put it, it was for wasting so much time." "I'm calling my father." Vinyl said, as she looked at Octavia who thought about arguing but then just nodded. "Well how about we put this behind us for now." Octavia said, hopping to change the subject. "How about we go pick up Little Scratch, and then go get a nice lunch." "Yeah, because I want to see what the family pet looks like." Octavia smiled at Spirits excitement and started to walk off with him, but then noticed that Vinyl hadn't followed, as she looked back she spotted Vinyl at a payphone. It wasn't until Octavia and Spirit came walking out of the vet, with Little Scratch sitting on Octavia's back that they met up with Vinyl again. "Where you been mama." "Hu?" Vinyl was taken back slightly as she looked at Spirit, getting his smile to fade slightly. "It is alright to call you mama isn't it, I just figured it would be easy to tell which one of you I would be talking to, since she's mom, I thought calling you Mama would be alright." Spirit looked almost hurt getting Vinyl's heart to sink slightly as she walked up and pulled him close. "It's cool, you just caught me off guard that's all kiddo, I was just thinking about something." "Oh?, was that the burning smell in the air?" Octavia asked, smirking slightly as she looked at Vinyl. "Oh ha ha Octy, well I got a surprise for our little colt here, in two days he's going to meet my parents." "Really?" Spirit perked up and smiled at Vinyl who nodded and looked at Octavia. "Vinyl, in two days my parents are coming over to meet Spirit." "I have two set of grandparents double cool." As Spirit started to walk away he didn't see the look of concern on his parents faces. "So where are we going now?" Spirit asked, as he looked up at the sky. He jumped slightly as Little Scratch jumped on his back moving from Octavia. "What do you say Little Scratch, a brand new day full of so many possibilities." in response the little kitten meowed apparently liking her new owner. "I say we hit the toy store again." Vinyl suggested, only to get a glare from Octavia. "Or not." "Go with "or not" we have to go to the bank." "Why?" Octavia pulled Vinyl close and whispered quietly to try and make sure Spirit didn't hear her. "Because the vet bill was more than I thought and I need to get more bits before we go to the market." "Oh,... why are we whispering." "Because I don't want Spirit to ask why Little Scratch was at the vet, then have to explain that you found her napping on one of your amps and you decided to give her a wub wake up." "Hey I said I was sorry, I didn't know the little fuzzball hit the volume nob when she climbed up on the speaker." "It's alright, I just don't want to give Spirit a bad idea about us and pets." "Cool." Vinyl moved away from Octavia and then noticed Little Scratch had climbed up and was currently sitting on Spirit's head. "Hey Octy look, Little Scratch got some head." Vinyl laughed slightly at her joke and then turned to Octavia who had walked away from her, and was paying a news pony for a paper. "Why did you get a paper, we have it delivered to the house every day? (*SMACK!*) OW!, what was that for?" Vinyl asked, as she rubbed the back of her head where Octavia had hit her with the paper. "We'll discuss it tonight, after Spirit is in bed." Later, as the trio waited in the bank, Vinyl sat board, while Spirit sat in the play area for foals playing with Little Scratch and a piece of string, while Octavia stood in line, a very long line. "It'll be hearts warming before she gets to the front of the line." Vinyl complained, as she sat down next to Spirit who looked at Vinyl then quickly back at Little Scratch who grabbed the string and pulled it out of his magical grasp. "Hey, no fair I wasn't looking." "Meow." Vinyl smirked, as she looked at Spirit and Little Scratch. But her attention was quickly drawn away when the doors flung open and 4 griffons came swooping in taking down the Security Ponies. "Spirit get down." Vinyl said, as she forced Spirit to lay down like the rest of the hostages. "Alright this is a hold up, if every one of you pathetic little ponies remain on the ground, and don't cause me or any of my friends trouble then we'll be out of your manes in no time, and just to prove we mean business." the Griffon leader turned and picked up one of the guards by the throat and raised his free claw and brought it down, the guard closed his eyes and braced for the killing blow when he heard music. The blow never came and as he opened his eyes in confusion he noticed the Griffon was just as confused, but was then followed by a sinister laughter. "Evil is a weed that bears bitter fruit." a voice said from everywhere, but at the same time nowhere. "WHO SAID THAT!? SHOW YOURSELF OR THIS PONY DIES!" "If you insist." Again the music started to play over the speakers, but this time an earth pony wearing a wide brimmed black hat, a black crimson-lined cloak with upturned collar over a standard black business suit, with a white mask that covered his face appeared out of thin air. "Change of plans, he'll be are example." with that the leader snapped his claws and the three other griffons attacked only to have their first attack fail as the pony seem to turn into smoke, only to materialize behind them and grab one by the tail and fling it into a wall knocking it out. "One down." "THAT WAS MY COUSIN!" The leader of the group yelled, as he glared at the pony. "That would explain how easy he was dealt with." The pony said, as another griffon got up when his back was turned and tried to strike him from behind only to have the pony turn to smoke again this time materializing right next to him. "Dirty back stabber." the pony reached up and then slammed the griffon's head into the ground leaving him knocked out. As the Pony turned to face the third griffon it started to preform several fighting stiles showing what it was capable of before charging the pony, who promptly spun around and bucked the griffon with all his might in the beak sending the start struck creature slamming into the metal safe. As the final thug griffon fell to the floor the pony turned and faced their leader smirking. "Give up?" "Not a chance I still have the upper claw here." The griffon made his point as he pressed a claw against the guards throat. "So unless you want this floor to be the same color as the lining of your cloak, I suggest you back off." "I really don't think you're going to do that." "Yeah and why not?" "Because your going to let him go." "I will not." "But you already have." The griffon looked down at his captive only to find the guard no longer there, he had somehow been tricked into letting go of his only bargaining chip he then turned his attention to the one that had caused him all the trouble. "I'LL RIP OUT YOUR EYES!" The Griffon yelled, as he charged for the pony only to be sent flying backward, into a stone pillar, by a large gust of wind as the pony raised his right fore-hoof. With the Griffons down the guards quickly placed magical cuffs on them and called for the Royal Guards to have them taken away. As for the mystery pony he bowed slightly, then vanished in a puff of smoke. "Wow,... hey Spirit did you see that?" Vinyl asked, as she looked at Spirit only to find him asleep. "Must have been to much excitement for the little guy." It was a little later as Octavia and Vinyl were heading home, forgoing the market for another day, Spirit sleep on Octavia's back while Little Scratch found a comfortable place sleeping on Spirit, Vinyl was helping by using her magic to make sure Spirit didn't fall off, as well as taking a little of the weight off her friend. "Come on Octy he was awesome." "No he wasn't, he put everyponies life endanger by him showboating like that." "And what would you have wanted him to do." "Better to be safe then sorry, the Griffons would have only gotten away with bits." "Yeah but how can you be so sure that they would have left any of us around, besides no pony got hurt, we're all safe. Besides if just one of those griffons would have threatened you they would have found themselves getting all their feathers plucked at once." Vinyl leaned in close and nuzzled her friend slightly. "Octy I don't want anything bad to happen to you." Octavia was taken back slightly as she heard the emotion coming from Vinyl's voice, it was clear that she was shaken up by the days events. "What about Spirit?" "I know some Diamond Dogs who would be enjoying some Chicken tonight." Octavia snickered slightly getting Vinyl to smile. "Hey Octy, what was that music playing across the speakers, it sounded awesome." "You mean while our so called hero fought those ruffians, well to be honest I believe it was a rock and or roll version of the Phantom." "OOOOO That's what he should be called then." "What who should be called?" "The Pony, he should be called The Phantom." "Don't be ridiculous, giving him a name just supports his actions and I'm not about to do that." "Fine, but don't forget about tomorrow." "What about tomorrow?" "It's Monday, remember the radio show?" Vinyl asked, as she smirked a little. "Oh I completely forgot, and i didn't even set up a foal sitter for Spirit." "Then bring him with us, come on Octy we can even bring him on the show and introduce him to our fans." "I'm not sure that's a very good idea." "Don't be silly it's a great idea, we can show him where we work, and let him come on the show for a bit, maybe even let him play a song, come on." "I just don't think it's the right thing to do." "Your not ashamed of him are you?" "WHAT!?" The glare that Octavia gave Vinyl could almost rival Fluttershy's stare. "Vinyl Scratch you know darn well I am not ashamed of our colt, and how dare you even suggest such a thing." Octavia saw the smile on Vinyl's face and knew she had walked right into a trap. "So it's settled, Spirit will come with us tomorrow, and we'll give him a taste of fame." Octavia rolled her eyes and then looked at her friend. "I'll get you for that, you know I will." "Well maybe I can make it up to you tonight, after we put our little rock star to bed." "Rock star, if you haven't noticed he mostly always plays classical." "Fine, classic rock." with a grown from Octavia, Vinyl knew she had won another argument.