“Once upon a time, in the land of Equestria, there was a king who was kind and ruled with friendship in his heart. This king’s name was Solaris. The ponies of the land loved Solaris, for he took care of them and made them feel safe. As long as the sun rose in the morning and laid to to rest at night, they all knew everything was going to be fine. But one day, a terrible storm blew through the kingdom causing houses to tumble over, farms to become barren, and the sky to cloud over for days upon end. Worried, Solaris asked his ponies to come inward to the center of Equestria where his castle was built. The word of the king was not something the ponies ever took lightly, so they gathered what belongings they had left and all moved from the borders of the land to the center. A large stone wall was built around the center city, the royal city, and around that wall the ponies of the land built their own town, that of Trottingham!”
“Booo! This story is boring.”
“Vinyl Scratch! You stop that this instance!”
“Well he’s telling it all wrong!”
“He’s telling this story to foals, Vinyl! Leave him alone and come on. I have things I need to do before the gala tonight and you promised me that you’d help!”
“But Tav—”
“And how am I telling this story wrong‽” A brown stallion with spikey hair and a hourglass cutie mark on his flank called out to the bickering mares.
“Well, storyteller—” Vinyl began before she was interrupted.
“Time Turner, for your information.” Time Turner said, scowling.
The young foals that were sitting in front of his storytelling puppet podium in the middle of the town square began to disperse, their eyes locked onto the white mare with weird, shiny spectacles on her muzzle.
Vinyl stood up from her seat, one of the many benches that sat in front of the bright, royal-blue podium. She walked down the side of the benches, stuck her nose into the box and against Timer Turner’s own nose.
“For your information, you’re a horrible storyteller,” she said, her glasses dipping down her nose to glare at the stallion with cerise eyes.
Time Turner gulped. His blue eyes shrinking to pinpricks as he watched the mare.
“Vinyl,” A soft voice of another mare called over to them. “Please leave the poor stallion alone. He was just telling a story to the foals.”
“Octavia,” Vinyl sneered back, “He’s telling it all wrong. Not to mention how borrrrinngggg he’s telling it.”
“O-o-oh?” Time Turner tried to regain his composure. “If it’s so b-bad, why don’t you try? Haha... Don’t hurt me!” He quickly ducked under the box, his puppets burying him.
Vinyl backed up a few steps, her expression taking on one of embarrassment. “M-me? I was just saying you should t-tell—”
“Vinyl, you insulted the poor stallion and now you’re saying you can’t do it?” Octavia said as she stepped up to her marefriend’s side.
“B-but, Tavi’,” Vinyl stuttered, her hoof pushing her glasses back up on her nose to cover her eyes. “Ya just s-said we gots to go do the thing. Ya know, the thing.”
Octavia stared blankly as the white mare begin to point in the direction of the market.
“The thing?” The grey mare bemused, her eyebrow lifting to question the other mare.
“Yeah, yeah. You know, the thing you were saying.” Vinyl said, her chest puffing out as she nodded rapidly. ‘We gots to go do it, before tonight.”
“Yes, please. Take her and go. I have another show to do in half an hour.” Time Turner’s voice echoed through his podium, the fear still evident in his tone.
“Half an hour?” Octavia smiled as she turned to walk down the aisle of bench seats. “I think we have time.”
“Yes! Time, to go do the thing!” Vinyl made to quickly follow the mare but a grey hind hoof stopped her. “Huh? I thought we had time.”
“We do have time,” Octavia lowered her eyelids as she looked back over her shoulder, the smug smile on her face making Vinyl gulp. “Time for you to tell your story.”
“M-m-my story?”
“Mhmm, now go on.”
“What‽” Vinyl and Time Turner’s voice overlapped each other, the fear and shock evident in their tones.
Octavia lowered her hoof and turned around. She watched as Time Turner slowly rose from behind his podium. Stringed puppets were wrapped all around his torso and neck, and a little, white stallion with gold button eyes and crown rested on top of the brown stallion’s head between his ears—the puppet used to represent King Solaris.
Vinyl and Time Turner turned to stare at each other, or at least Time Turner stared at Vinyl. She, on the other hoof, was looking at the puppet trying not to laugh.
“If you two are done having a staring contest will one of you please set up the podium for the next show?” Octavia said as she tapped her forehoof against the dirt. “We don’t have all day.”
“But Tavi’, why are we even doing this?” Vinyl whined, her lower lip sticking out in a pout.
“W-what she said.” Time Turner nodded causing Solaris to fall down his muzzle and onto the podium’s small stage.
“Because I want to see what story you think you can tell better than Time Turner here,” Octavia said before she mumbled. “Plus you need to be taught a lesson about humility…”
“What was that?” Vinyl asked, tilting her ear towards her marefriend.
“Oh nothing, just talking to myself. Now, go on.”
Vinyl’s ears tucked back onto her head as she hesitantly turned back to the podium. She walked slowly, looking back every few steps only for Octavia to motion for her to keep going.
Stopping to stand next to Time Turner, the two ponies stared at each other then looked out to the grey mare with trepidation.
Octavia smiled as she backed up to sit on the closest bench. “Why don’t you work together to make the story better?”
“Together?” Vinyl and Time Turner once again overlapped each other, their tones this time one of agitation. “There’s no way we can—”
“You can, and you will. Now, why don’t you discuss how the story should go?”
“Well I know the story we should tell, and it’s sooooo much better than how Solaris made Equestria boring.” Vinyl said, nodding.
“Vinyl Scratch! How dare you—”
“Wait, you have another story about how Equestria became Equestria?” Time Turner interrupted Octavia’s scolding. His expression was one of pleasant surprise, which was disturbing to the two mares.
“W-well, not exactly, but um… one about about the King, that wackjob Discord, and the true hero who sets things right in Equestria. With sexy results.” Vinyl said, her forehoof rubbing against the side of her other one, and a mischievous look.
“Vinyl.” Octavia’s voice was one of soft warning, her eyes locked onto Vinyl’s glasses.
“What? They didn’t say we couldn’t tell the story.”
“But Princess Twilight didn’t say we could.”
“Princess Twilight?” Time Turner asked, looking between the two mares. His eyes lit up with excitement.
“But the story is about us too! And besides, it’s not like Dash will care much. She did save Trottingham,” Vinyl said as she puffed out her chest. “With our help of course.”
“Are you talking about Rainbow Dash‽ The same Rainbow Dash that—” Time Turner shouted before he was muzzled by a strong magenta aura of magic.
“Don’t spoil the story!” Vinyl whispered loudly, her glasses dipping down as she glared over them.
Time Turner nodded rapidly as he lifted his forehoof to rub at his muzzle after the magic hold was released.
“Great. Now that we can finally agree on something, let’s get storytelling!”
“We are so bucked.” Octavia mumbled, her forehooves covering her face as she shook her head. Her plan to call Vinyl out on her shit just backfired, spectacularly.