Prologue 6: The Laughing Gypsy
Prologue 6: The Laughing Gypsy
“I’m just saying…”
“No you’re not!”
This brought the minty green coated unicorn mare up short. She paused in her walking to look over at her companion incredulously. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
The earth pony mare at her side sucked in a deep breath, and the unicorn winced. “You’re not just saying! You’re walking too! Oh! And seeing. And breathing! Oh, oh! You’re also living, and thinking! ...I think. You’re not secretly undead are you, Lyra?”
The possibly undead unicorn in question, Lyra just rolled her eyes. “No Pinkie I’m not undead.”
The bright pink coated mare at her side blew out a heavy breath. “Whew! Because boy oh boy if you were undead I’d have to splatter your evil undead brains all over the road and that’d be sad for me because I’ve grown pretty fond of you over the last couple years. Also that’d be pretty gross for any other travellers coming by this way.”
Lyra squinted at Pinkie, searching the other mare’s face for some sort of sign that she was joking. “I never know if I should take you seriously or not.”
Pinkie Pie gave Lyra a wink. “There are three things Pinkamena Diane Pie is serious about my dear Lyra. Her art! Making the crowd happy! And bashing out the brains of any undead monstrosities that are dumb enough to cross her path.”
“Huh. How come this’ never come up before? Why the big hate for zombies and stuff? I mean sure nopony likes them but you seem to uh… especially not like them.”
A brief flash of a frown crossed the normally ever smiling mare’s countenance. It was gone as quickly as it appeared however. “Well I never suspected you might be undead before of course.”
Lyra rolled her eyes. “Of course.”
“Oh! Know what else you’re doing? not helping me pull this really heavy wagon! Technically since you’re actively not helping, that’s you doing something in a roundabout sort of way.”
Lyra’s grimace grew stronger. Heaving a sigh she stepped up next to the sturdier earth pony mare and fitted the second harness around her withers, lending her own strength to pulling their home and during a show, their stage. “So you feel that way about ALL undead?”
“Yupperooni!”
Casting a meaningful glance toward the wagon she raised an eyebrow. “Even…”
Pinkie followed her gaze. “What? She doesn’t count silly.”
Lyra wrinkled her nose in confusion. “What? Why not?”
“Because I said so is why not of course! Now what were you saying earlier?” Pinkie turned a bright, toothy smile Lyra’s way.
Lyra blinked in surprise. “Uh…” She frowned. “...I have no idea.”
With a cheerful shrug Pinkie continued down the road without a care in the world. “Must not have been very important then.”
***
“So?”
Lyra frowned, sitting inside the wagon with the third member of their travelling troupe. Vinyl was a pale white mare with an unruly blue mane streaked with bright electric zig zags. Brilliant crimson eyes seemed to reflect the light filtering through the window oddly in the darker corner of the large wagon she occupied. “...she Pinkie’d me.”
“Jeez Lyra, again? You have to stop letting her distract you like that.” Lyra’s fellow unicorn winced as a shaft of bright sunlight penetrated the gloom of her corner, and she hastily tugged down the dark tinted goggles she always wore over her eyes.
Her fellow bardess didn’t look up from tuning her lyre. “If it’s so important Vinyl, you talk to her.”
Vinyl raised her hooves defensively. “No way. Besides she never listens to me. When I try to talk serious with her she just laughs, says ‘Oh Vinyl.’ and ruffles my mane like I’m a filly. We’ve known each other since we were fillies. I’m still just a playmate to her. You’re the one who graduated from the big fancy music school. She listens to what you have to say.”
Now Lyra looked up from her work. “Will you at least be there with me to keep me from falling under her spell?”
Vinyl rolled her eyes. “Yeah you big baby, I’ll come outside.”
Lyra smiled brightly. “Thanks Vinyl! I know you get headaches.”
The other unicorn shrugged and slipped a green-dyed leather vest over her shoulders. “It’s fine, really. Pinkie says if I keep at it I’ll adjust. She’s right too I think, it’s a lot better than it was a few years ago. Before I couldn’t go out at all.”
Lyra offered a sympathetic smile. “Well if I didn’t know, I’d never be able to tell. Neither can anypony else for that matter.”
Vinyl smiled back and took a deep breath, following Lyra out into the, in the goggle-wearing unicorn’s opinion, far too bright sunlight. The colorful canopied wagon was an especially bright eye sore to her sensitive eyes. The flashy colors of the gypsy clan she and Pinkie both hailed from were more of an insult to her sight than anything in the noontime sun.
The pair found their quarry humming cheerfully as she spread a colorful blanket out along the side of the road where they’d parked their wagon. Pinkie Pie was in the middle of setting up an impromptu picnic. “Pinkie… I thought we weren’t stopping until we reached Hoofington?”
Pinkie looked up as her fellow clan mate approached. The pink mare was wearing her favorite silk headband, a billowing green skirt, and numerous jingling bangles around all four legs. “Heya Vinyl! Out and about in the sunshine huh? Good for you!”
“Yeah you know me, I love workin’ on my tan. Why did we stop Pinkie?”
Pinkie’s smile dimmed just the slightest bit. “I was hungry. And tired. I know I’m the only earth pony but hauling you gals around all day can work up a sweat. So I thought I’d take a little break and we could all have some lunch.”
The pair of unicorns flinched at Pinkie’s words. Though she delivered with her trademark cheer, there was a very subtle undercurrent of irritation only a pony who had known her for a long time would pick up on. Vinyl smiled sheepishly. “Sorry Pinkie. I’ll do some pulling. It’ll be good for me to be out in the sun a bit more anyway.”
“Okie dokie lokie! Thanks for the offer! I dug out the last of the good stuff from Trottingham so let’s dig in girls!”
The unicorns settled on the blanket, Lyra eagerly working her way through some of the preserved fruits. Vinyl rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. “Hey uh Pinkie…”
Sympathy welled up in Pinkie’s huge blue eyes. “I have some of the special sauce on yours Vinyl.”
Shame mingled with gratitude as the white coated unicorn levitated the offered meal toward herself. Lyra managed to hide her revulsion at the coppery scent coming from the ‘sauce’. “Th--thanks Pinkie… it’s just been a bit y’know?”
“I know Vinyl. I keep track.” Pinkie said no more on the matter, and neither unicorn was interested in continuing that particular topic of conversation.
Working their way through the food, Vinyl started shooting Lyra meaningful looks, jerking her head toward Pinkie Pie. Her fellow unicorn shuffled uncomfortably on the blanket. “So Pinkie…”
“Hey! Have you girls heard anything about Hoofington? It’s supposed to have the biggest pumpkin in the whole kingdom! We totally have to go see that am I right?”
Lyra’s jaw tightened. “Pinkie.”
“Oh! And new taverns! I love new taverns! They always have something new to eat or drink, or new songs to learn!”
“Pinkie Pie!”
Pinkie blinked at Lyra’s sudden outburst. “Yes, Lyra?”
Lyra stammered at having Pinkie’s sudden, undivided attention. “A--ah well… VInyl and I were talking…”
“That’s nice. I like when my good friends get to be good friends with each other.”
Vinyl placed a supporting hoof on Lyra’s back, and the bardess took a deep breath. “We want you to stop charming money out of the audience!”
Pinkie tilted her head in confusion. “But being charming is a really big part of being a performer!”
Lyra shook her head. “That’s not the kind of charm I mean Pinkie, and you know it.”
Pinkie looked from Lyra, to Vinyl. “You really feel the same?”
Vinyl shrugged. “I mean… it was fine when we were first starting out. Celestia knows I did it too, and I have other ways of using charm magic y’know? But we’ve gotten really good with our music now Pinkie. I kinda… WE kinda…” Vinyl straightened her shoulders. “No. We really want to try making a go of it with just our art Pinkie. We’re better than needing charm magic to pay for our food.”
Now the curly maned mare looked to Lyra. “You too?”
Lyra shrugged a little. “I’ve kinda always had a problem with it. But I’m not a… y’know..”
“Gypsy?”
“Not that there’s anything wrong with that!” Lyra very hastily put in. “Just… just that you uh, well you have a… a reputation.”
Pinkie lowered her eyes, thinking quietly. Both Vinyl and Lyra held their breath as the leader of their troupe contemplated. She snapped up grinning ear to ear once more so suddenly both unicorns recoiled in surprise. “Okie dokie! No more charm magic! We’ll just earn our money the old fashioned way!”
Both unicorns broke into bright grins, until Pinkie continued. “Picking pockets!”
***
A thoroughly miserable Pinkie Pie glared down at the surprisingly strong unicorn pulling their wagon. “This is betraying everything our family taught us you know!”
Vinyl rolled her eyes, not bothering to comment. Lyra sat a little ways from Pinkie in the wagon, and cleared her throat softly. “Pinkie we’re really good. Our music really moves ponies, and they pay what we earn through our art. Don’t you want to make an honest living?”
Pinkie snorted heavily. “But that’s so boring!”
Lyra shrugged. “Maybe a little. But don’t you love how it feels when the crowd watches you dance? The smiles on their faces that your performing brings to them?”
Pinkie nodded vehemently. “Of course I do! It might be my favoritest thing in the whole world. But...but honest living?! That’s betraying everything our family taught us!”
“Uh, Pinkie?” Vinyl called up from the front of the wagon. “I was born into the clan, you were adopted when your folks gave you the boot. We had to steal because nopony would actually pay us willingly. Lyra being here gives us, y’know… credibility. I think at the very least we can just try it her way once. It might be nice to not be run out of town after ponies start to notice things going missing.”
Another snort was the pink mare’s response. “Fine! Fiiiiiiine! We’ll do it your way Lyra. We’ll be… honest.” The last word was spoken as if it held a potent toxin within itself, and the mare wanted it out of her mouth as quickly as possible.
Lyra grabbed her friend in a tight hug. “Thank you Pinkie! You’ll see! This’ll be great! We can start getting our names out there! Become real performers!”
“We are real performers Lyra!”
Lyra wasn’t listening to Pinkie anymore. “We’ll start small, work the little rural towns. Build our reputation up some. Start going to the bigger cities and before you know it…” She sighed. “Canterlot.”
Pinkie’s ears perked. “Canterlot?”
The minty coated mare nodded dreamily. “Canterlot. Cultural hub for the entire world. Only the best and brightest are allowed to play there.”
Vinyl called out from up front again. “Didn’t you say you went to school in Canterlot?”
All at once, the joy and excitement fled Lyra’s face. “...I don’t wanna talk about it.”
Regardless of her numerous faults, Pinkie Pie was not a pony to let a friend stay upset. Scooching closer, she sat flank to flank with Lyra. “Hey cheer up. We’ll do things your fancy bard school way okay? If it goes good and we make as many bits as normal, we’ll stick with it!”
Lyra smiled tentatively. “Really?”
Pinkie drew a hoof across her chest. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”
Knowing that was the most sacred oath the gypsy bardess could make, Lyra smiled and gathered Pinkie in a tight hug. “Thank you Pinkie Pie.”
Happy for her friend’s abrupt shift in mood, Pinkie returned the hug. “Sure thing green bean!” A little shiver ran up the mare’s spine. “Oop! We’re here!”
Lyra blinked. “We are?”
Vinyl suddenly called out. “Hey we’re here!”
Lyra shook her head. “Pinkie how do you always know.”
The mysterious pink mare shot her friend an exaggerated wink. “I’ll tell you when you’re older.”
Lyra sighed. “...I’m a year older than you Pinkie Pie…”
***
Hoofington was a small rural farming village on the northern edge of the Everfree Forest. It produced some of the finest vegetables in all of Equestria, and was populated by simple, down to earth ponies. Primarily a village of earth ponies, the only pegasi were the local weather team. It was rare for the town to receive visitors, and certainly rare for the visitors to be quite as colorful as the trio of mare’s who rolled into town with their brightly painted wagon.
Pinkie Pie trotted proudly ahead of the unicorn pair presently hauling the wagon. “Hello Hoofington! Come one, come all! Ponies of all ages! Fillies and gentlecolts alike! Come see Pinkamena Pie and her fundamentally, fabulous, fantastical, friends as we put on the finest show you’ve ever seen!”
The mare was bellowing at the top of her lungs, and drawing plenty of attention from the townsponies who were already starting to gather around the wagon. Sunlight glinting off the bright golden hoops dangling from the pink mare’s ears, the crowd broke into excited ‘ooos’ and ‘ahhs’ as Pinkie Pie nimbly performed a series of flips, springing backwards from her forehooves to her hind hooves as the wagon swung open revealing a large stage.
The acrobatic mare landed on all fours with a solid clop atop the stage. “My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie! But Pinkie works just fine for my friends both old and new!” She threw her forelegs out wide to indicate the crowd. “With me this very lovely afternoon is my very dear half sister, Vinyl Scratch!”
At the announcement of her name Vinyl stepped out from behind the curtain. Ribbons trailed from her mane ruffling in the light breeze. A billowing skirt to match Pinkie’s ruffled about her flanks as she bowed low. Her crimson eyes hidden beneath the dark tinted goggles.
“And our very good friend, Lyra Heartstrings!”
Taking a deep breath, Lyra stepped out from behind the curtain next. A jeweled headband kept her mane from falling in her eyes as she dipped into a bow. A bright red leather vest stood out in stark contrast with her pale green coat.
“Fillies and gentlecolts, I truly hope you enjoy the show!” Pinkie flipped back behind the curtains, as Lyra retrieved a well worn lute. The crowd looked interested as she held it not with her magic as most unicorn’s would, but gripped it solidly in her hooves, beginning to strum slow, drawn out notes from the instrument. Lyra’s eyes were closed as she focused on her music, tuning out the rest of the world and hearing only the sounds produced by her instrument.
Vinyl was swaying back and forth to the tune of Lyra’s violin. A crimson aura of magic flickered to life around her horn as a small stringed instrument levitated to rest before her. Lifting a small pair of beaters she began to rapidly tap out a rapid harmony in arpeggio . The crowd was soon bobbing their head in time with the rhythm, much to the performers delight.
Rapid hoofsteps drew everypony’s attention to the center of the stage. A collective gasp arose from the crowd as Pinkie reappeared. Balanced perfectly upon her hind legs she leapt out, skirts flaring as she twirled to the center of the stage and began a rapid series of hoof taps in perfect time with the rhythm Vinyl was pounding out.
The crowd was fully enraptured by the performing trio. So much so that nopony at all paid any heed to the tiny orange pegasus filly slipping between the hooves of the dazed crowed. She moved with sure, swift precision darting from patron to patron and helping herself to a bit or two from each of their pouches. Her ear would occasionally flick toward the stage and the entrancing music, but she forced herself to pay attention to the task at hand.
Darting from mark to mark the nimble pick pocket helped herself to quite the little stash of coin. Her breath caught in her throat as a firm hoof clapped down on her back, slamming her flat into the dirt while she was in the midst of a quick snatch. Her hoof caught in the belt pouch and it was tugged firmly from its owners waist, scattering coin all across the ground.
The filly looked up with wide eyes at a sternly glowering stallion. Wearing a finely kept black suit and a slim brimmed hat upon his head. “Filthy little thief! After all I, and the temple have done for you this is how you repay our kindness?!”
The stallion’s bellowing rose above the music, causing the bards atop the stage to falter and the crowd to begin murmuring at first in confusion, then in anger as they noticed the subject of the disturbance.
“Scootaloo…”
“Little thief…”
“Good for nothing waste…”
The stallion ground his hoof firmly between the fillies shoulder blades, drawing a gasp of pain from her. “Lady Celestia show you mercy you little criminal, because I have certainly run out of it!”
The filly, Scootaloo, cried out in pain. “You don’t show us any mercy! You make us work until our hooves crack you wicked old goat!”
Eyes blazing with fury the stern priest reared back preparing to smash his hoof down upon her with more force. A pink blur flashed through the crowd, catching his hoof just before it could strike home. “Hey now, that’s no way to treat a filly. Even a thieving one.”
The priest’s eyes widened further in outrage as he tugged his hoof away. “Unhand me you filthy gypsy! You and your unclean troupe of whores are not welcome in our town!”
The fur was bristling on the back of Pinkie’s neck as the priest switched from beating a filly to insulting herself and her family. Sensing her unpredictable sister about to lose her temper, Vinyl hastily cantered to Pinkie’s side. “C’mon Pinkie, he’s not worth it. This isn’t our business.”
Vinyl realized her mistake a split second too late. The priest’s eyes boggled madly as he sucked in his breath. “Unclean demon spawn! This is no mare! It is a monster masquerading as a pony! Do not be fooled my friends! It comes to spread it’s tainted plague to our good village!”
The crowd switched from focusing on the pickpocket to Vinyl Scratch. The unicorn backed toward the wagon slowly. “Hey now, watch those accusations father.”
Lyra could sense when a situation was going from bad, to catastrophic. This was one of those times. She quickly stowed their instruments and folded the stage back into a proper wagon.
Pinkie watched silently as the priest advanced on Vinyl Scratch. His hoof firmly clasping a symbol of Lady Celestia. “Reveal your true nature monster!” A flash of magic rolled through the crowd at his command, hitting Vinyl scratch and rocking the mare back on her haunches. Her goggles flew from her head to land in the dirt near the front of the wagon. Dazedly she blinked her revealed, beastial red eyes open, long fangs visible in her mouth.
The crowd gasped in shock and fear, before the stallions began to stand in front of their mares and advanced menacingly on Vinyl. The panicking unicorn raised her hooves defensively. “I know it looks bad but I’m not a monster! I don’t feed on other ponies! I swear!”
“Lies! Do not listen to the beast! It will spew all manner of mistruths to protect itself! Strike it down my brothers! We must not suffer it to continue darkening the bright lady’s world!” The raving preacher was whipping his flock into a bloodthirsty mob. Some grabbed improvised weapons. One let fly a heavy stone, sending the projectile unerringly toward the revealed vampiric mare.
For the second time, a pink blur flashed through the crowd as Pinkie vaulted over their heads, taking the rock against her flanks that was meant for her sister’s head. She landed gracefully on her hooves, facing the crowd sternly. “If you want us to leave, we’ll leave. But everypony better calm down before somepony gets hurt.”
“The gypsy protects her pet monster! Strike her down as well!”
Pinkie glanced at Vinyl from the corner of her eye. “You and Lyra get out of here. I’ll take care of this.”
Vinyl hesitated only a moment before nodding and racing to Lyra’s side. Levitating her goggles back into place over her eyes, she and her fellow unicorn broke into a rapid gallop for the road out of town. A number of the ponies in the mob began to give chase.
Pinkie watched with an impassive eye as the crazed ponies broke into a run after her friend and sister. Really she considered both of them her sisters, she just hadn’t told Lyra that yet. Maybe when they got a chance to rest after this. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The crowd at first ready to bash her head in paused in confusion at her odd behavior.
“The sinful mare accepts her fate! Deliver her to Tartarus where she belongs!”
Their holy stallion’s words spurred them forward once more. Pinkie breathed in slowly, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a long exhale. As she breathed out her mane and tail seemed to lose all their buoyancy and lay flat against the side of her face. Her eyes snapped open, the joy filled blue orbs hard and focused.
Faster than the average eye could follow she flipped forward onto a forehoof and spun, her hind legs splayed wide and hooves clipping the muzzles of the closest ponies in one smooth movement. Springing forward she landed on her hind legs and delivered a rapid series of jabs to the largest stallion in the bunch. The huge pony blinked dumbly for a second before toppling heavily onto his side.
Pinkie was already moving as he fell, weaving smoothly in and out of the clumsy attacks by the townsponies. Hind and fore hooves struck out at all angles, smashing muzzles, crunching bone, and toppling a pony every time she struck out. The mob was starting to give her a wide berth, allowing her a clearer view of the one pony she sought out.
Sprinting forward she kicked off the ground going into a spinning leap, somersaulting over the heads of the mob to land before the preacher. The formerly bellowing stallion recoiled in shock at her sudden appearance. Pinkie drew her hoof back, mystical energy swirling around it. “You should have let us finish our song.”
***
“How we looking Lyra?!”
The unicorn in the wagon peered out the back, wincing as Vinyl’s wild galloping caused it to hit a large bump, jostling her inside and causing her to bang her head against the roof. “...we lost them.”
Vinyl slowed to a canter, taking deep breaths as she did. “I’m gonna feel this in the morning.”
Lyra hopped down from the wagon coming around to her friend’s side. “...you okay?”
Vinyl scowled throwing the harness off herself. “No. I’m not okay. I can’t believe how stupid I was! Pinkie could be hurt back there! We just left her!”
Lyra tried to smile comfortingly. “Between the three of us she can definitely take care of herself the best.”
The other mare grimaced, running her tongue over her teeth. “Damn fangs still won’t go back in.”
“Hold on…” Lyra retrieved her lyre and began to pluck a few rapid notes. Golden motes of magic swirled about her instrument, flowing over Vinyl and dispelling the priests magic. The white unicorn sighed in relief as her fangs retracted.
“Thanks Lyra… you’re pretty awesome you know that?”
Lyra smiled thinly. “I know.” She looked back the way they’d come. “She’s never gonna let us perform without the charms again, is she?”
Vinyl leaned against her friends side in a gesture of comfort. “I dunno. I mean… this was a pretty big disaster. Bigger than Trottingham for sure. If they were thralled they wouldn’ta noticed the filly, and Pinkie wouldn’t have stuck her nose in.”
Lyra grunted in annoyance. “Ugh. Ugh. You’re right. She’s right! We can’t be legitimate performers! What was I thinking?!”
“You weren’t thinking silly, you were dreaming! And that’s never a bad thing.”
The two unicorns whipped their heads around at the sound of Pinkie’s voice, their troupe leader trotting out of the trees casually.
“Pinkie!” Both rushed to her side. “You’re okay! I was so worried!” Vinyl threw her fore legs around her adopted sister in a tight hug.
Pinkie’s eyes boggled at Vinyl’s unnatural strength. “...too… tight… can’t… breathe…”
“Oh!” Vinyl stepped back quickly, a few relieved tears leaking from her eyes. “Sorry! Sorry I just… I was worried.”
Lyra smirked. “I wasn’t.”
Pinkie flashed a smile of her own. Her mane and tail back to their normal full bodied poof. “Well c’mon girls! The four of us should get a little more space between us and the town.”
Lyra and Vinyl exchanged equally confused looks. “Four of us?”
As if on cue, a dirty coated orange pegasus filly peeked out of the bushes waving nervously. “Uh… hi.”
Lyra raised an eyebrow. “Pinkie Pie, there’s a filly following you.”
“Yup!”
Vinyl and Lyra shared another look, this one of concern. “Pinkie, why is this filly following you?”
Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Well she’s coming with us of course! She couldn’t stay THERE after all. That mob probably would have gone looking for her once we were long gone you know?”
Vinyl nodded slowly. “Yeah… I guess so. We can take her to the next town I suppose…”
Pinkie snorted. “What? Why do that? We have plenty of room! We’ll give her some training, see if she can learn to play something, it’ll be great! Besides we already know she has some other talents if our whole legit thing doesn’t work out.”
Now Lyra looked if at all possible, more surprised. “What? You mean you’re willing to give it another chance?”
Shrugging cheerfully Pinkie trotted to the front of the wagon. “Sure thing! Can’t let one little setback ruin your big idea. This is your dream after all, right?”
Lyra sniffed loudly, mob attacks and sudden filly appearances forgotten. “Right.”
“So! Girls. This is Scootaloo.”
The filly waved a hoof timidly. “...hullo.”
Pinkie smiled warmly. “Scootaloo this is my sister Vinyl, and our friend Lyra.”
Scootaloo looked between the two unicorns quietly. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too Scootaloo, you’re a very polite young filly.” Lyra smiled kindly.
“Yeah good to meet you kid. Pinkie I’m uh, gonna go get some shut eye if that’s okay? I did a lot of galloping back there.”
“Sure thing Vinyl! Why don’t you show Scoots here around the inside a little bit. Find her a corner to call her own.” Pinkie called back as she fitted the harness over herself.
Vinyl nodded toward the back door of the wagon. “C’mon kid.”
Scootaloo followed her inside, staring rather pointedly at her mouth. “Are you um…”
Vinyl sighed. “A vampire? No. I’m half. My mom was bitten when she was carrying me. When I turned thirteen I uh, changed more than most fillies do when they become mares if you get me. You don’t have to be scared of me, I don’t eat ponies or anything creepy like that.”
The filly gulped. “Do you drink blood?”
Vinyl cleared her throat uncomfortably. “Well! This is home. Just hammocks in here mostly. This one’s me, Pinkie is above me and Lyra’s over there. We can string a new one up for you, not too big a deal. None of us snore so that’s a bonus.”
“So… this is your home?”
Vinyl shrugged. “Be it ever so humble. I know it ain’t much but yeah, this is home.” She was surprised to find the filly’s eyes brimming with tears.
“And… I get to live here now?”
Vinyl’s expression softened into a smile. “...Yeah kid. I guess this is your home too.” She stiffened uncomfortably as the filly threw herself into her fore legs, embracing her tightly. Gradually she returned the gesture, patting her back. “Okay kid… Welcome home.”
***
“Pinkie.. you know she’s not a puppy right? She’s going to need a lot of care. What kind of life is this for a filly?”
Pinkie frowned at Lyra’s question. “A great one. Me and Vinyl lived like this and look at us!”
Lyra’s eyebrow quirked upward. “A borderline lunatic and her half-vampire half-sister. What could be more a picture of a healthy environment?”
“Exactly!”
Lyra sighed in exasperation. “Okay… fine. We’ll worry about the filly later. For now… what are we gonna do about money? You might’ve missed this, but we didn’t get a single bit in town.”
“I saw your performance back there, it was quite moving.” A new voice spoke from the trees off the road.
Pinkie and Lyra jumped in alarm and whirled toward the sound. A white coated unicorn mare trotted toward them, smiling pleasantly. Her bright pink mane and tail the equal of Pinkie’s coat. “Oh dear, I Didn’t frighten you did I?”
Pinkie narrowed her eyes, examining the newcomer. “...a little.” She was never surprised by anypony.
“I’m so sorry. Please accept my apologies.”
As quickly as the frown formed, a smile replaced it. “It’s alright! Always happy to meet a fan!”
Lyra seemed less apt to trust than her friend. “Can we help you with something?”
The mare nodded. “I certainly hope so! I was hoping you’d be available for hire.”
Both mares’ ears perked at that. Lyra’s eyes shining with hope. “We are! Absolutely!”
“Wonderful!” The mare smiled wider. “I’m throwing something of a party in a town a few days from here. It’s called Ponyville, and we’re having our yearly Summer Sun Celebration. I’m something of a… recruiter you could say.”
Pinkie seemed content to let Lyra take the lead on the conversation. “Have you hired many acts?”
The mare shook her head. “Not too many. Just a few important players I really want in town for the Festival. The Festival lasts the weekend, and you’d need to remain in town for the duration. At least on performance every three hours or so. Does two thousand bits sound fair?”
Pinkie let out a low whistle. “You must love performers.”
The mare’s smile was a touch mischievous now. “Miss Pie, for this performance I want only the best.”
Pinkie Pie Chaotic Neutral
Monk: 3 Bard: 5
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 10 “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a second! A ten? A TEN intelligence?!”
“Well I mean, you’re not exactly known for your deep thinking Pinkie.”
“Uh! And what exactly is THAT supposed to mean?!”
“Well… I just, y’know…”
“May I direct your attention to ‘Griffon The Brush Off’ in which I, Pinkamena Diane Pie debuted the homemade hoof propelled flying machine I designed and created with my own hooves.”
“Huh… I forgot about that. You did make that didn’t you?”
“You betcha! So let’s see that int score bump up a little higher huh?”
“Alright, alright… uh…”
Intelligence: 14 “We’re getting there but c’mon now. I did blueprints, all kinds of crazy complicated math, this was a pretty hefty engineering project here.”
Intelligence: 16 “How’s that?”
“NOW we’re talkin’!”
“So what about wisdom?”
“Duuuuump stat!”
“You know it’s pretty important for a monk right?”
“I got booted for being a pretty crappy monk remember?”
“Good point…”
Wisdom: 9
Charisma: 19 “Ooo I like that 19. How’re you gonna handle my pinkie sense?”
“...ignoring it. It’s too hard to write.”
“Hack.”
Special Abilities
Flurry of Blows, unarmed strike, evasion, still mind
Bardic music, bardic knowledge, countersong, fascinate, inspire courage +1, inspire competence
Favored Spells
Dancing Lights, Know Direction, Hypnotism, Sleep, Invisibility
Vinyl Scratch Chaotic Good
Bard: 2 Fighter: 2 “Ouch! That’s the racial level penalty?”
“Yes. Now hush this is super distracting.”
“My lips are zipped!"
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 22 “Sweet Celestia! A 22?! That’s bigger than anything Twilight ‘power gamer’ Sparkle has!”
“Well half-vampires get +6 to their Dex scores…”
“...is it too late to write mama Pie getting bit by a vampire into my backstory?”
“Yes Pinkie, now be quiet!”
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 18
Special Abilities
Natural AC +3, Damage Reduction 5 unless silver or magic, Darkvision, Fast Healing, +4 on saves vs necrotic effects, immunity to poison, disease, sleep, and paralysis, Spider Climb at will, Charm gaze attack
Lyra Heartstrings Neutral Good
Bard: 7
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 10
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 18
Favored Spells
Dancing Lights, Read Magic, Alarm, Cure Light Wounds, Blur, Silence, Dispel Magic
Stats
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Pinkie annoying the stat recorder.
Priceless.
I kinda wanted to throw my own OC at that 'preacher', and let her have a few choice words with him. My OC is a Spellsinger, by the way.
Next chapter: we finally get everypony to Ponyville.
This ... I want you to be my DM. Please. I will PAY you, to be my DM. at least, I would, if I had any money.
so vinyl is a dampire, interesting.
A half-vampire? Correct, that's nice powergaming. I was always partial to the power of a werewolf, for only +3 levels (in 3e).
Oh, and Pinkie Pie needs to be listed as Ex-Monk if she's Chaotic.
This is an amazing story so far! You are a great writer!
I've never been able to get into DnD, or tabletop in general, so this story is sort of my first glance at how things work.
Just a quick heads up, It's labeled Chapter 6 instead of Prologue 6, if that matters to you
Good ol' Pinks
Yay Monk (well, ex-monk) pinkie!
Y'know, with all that talk about disliking undead i honestly thought for a moment that you were going to make her part ranger (favored enemy: undead, see?) or something.
Great!
How delightful. I've seen lesser campaigns run well on a less interesting party. I do so look forward to this.
I eagerly await the next chapter!
The whole end thing with Pinkie had me in tears, I was not expecting that!!!
Bwahaha I laughed my ass off when she started interrupting the ability scores. Now that's going to be fun to read out loud.
Monk. I'm liking this idea.
Well I think I'm gonna follow this story to the end.
3298735 no! I will pay more!
But he's right I would love to play a campaign with you.
Heh, Monk, didn't expect that. Was thinking more in lines of Snowflake Wardance (spend one use of bardic music, add Charisma mod to attack rolls for the number of rounds equal to Perform(dance) ranks), but then again it only works with slashing weapons...*gasp* honed hooves!
Awwwwwwwwww yeahhhhhhhhh! Great chapter, +10 for including best pony.
Well that was an interesting take on Pinkie... it doesn't help that I sometimes RP with a girl who plays a vampyric Vinyl Scratch.
Been a while since I've seen a 'Scootaloo is an orphan' thing though, so that's interesting.
Also, everypony loves zealots...
And pinkie's a monk/bard. Well that's just hilarious.
I'm actually very disappointed in Celestia. She saw that performance so she saw what came after, she let that priest act that way in her name, not cool.
This one had me literally rolling from my seats. Pinkie was just spot on. And when she went all Monk on those townsponies? Awesome! Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go back to refreshing my memory on Dungeons and Dragons. This blasted fiction has got me wanting to randomly create some character sheets that wont ever get used
That and the fact if I'm going to create a DnD crossover-with-another-game-fiction, I'm going to need the refresher.
Darn it I was hoping that Pinkie would have the Gypsy character class
but now that I think about it ...
Pinkie is RPing a gypsy ( she was not born a gypsy after all).
a RPG character roll playing a RPG character? that has got to be some kind of inception thing going on
I can see Pinkie doing that and never ever breaking character ...
Chapter one! YEAH! Can't wait.
My patience was rewarded. It's easy to put pinkies personality into words but it's also easy to screw up as well. I'm glad this wasn't the case this time.
3299188 how does bard translate to slut?
So Pinkie Pie is a gypsy. Will she work her gypsy magic?
(I just like this version better.)
Well that's it for introductions for each of the mane six. You included background ponies like Vinyl Scratch and Lyra, but not voiced character like Trixie?
Probably have something planned for he then. I wonder what she is? Warlock, necromancer or illusionist? Perhaps something we wouldn't expect like an Arcane Pyrotechnician. Just guessing, but I'm sure it will be fun.
On another note, I suppose Discord's reality warping power is a supernatural ability. I'm not sure what you would classify being empowered by chaos and how you would write that. More chaos equals +1 to all stats? Would Discord's shape changing be a different ability? Hmm, a lot to work out there.
One more thing. Did you forget Scootaloo's stats or are you waiting for something to be revealed further?
Honestly I loved this! If you never finished I'd be saddened by the lose, but I would be happy to have these amazing character biographies
Nice twist there, making Vinyl and Pinkie half-sisters ^^ I notice you said chapter 1 is coming "to a website near you"... Is it gonna be here as well as elsewhere?
I know a lot of people have already said this, but I don't think any author gets tired of hearing people say that they liked their work.
So... I like your work. Please keep going.
3299228 debauchery.
I totally called it on Pinkie being a bard, though I was caught off-guard with the monk part (makes sense as it make her more useful in combat-plus she gets scary when Pinkamena comes out)
Also, I love her constant need to break the fourth wall
Well, that was an interesting turn of events, making Pinkie an ex-monk.
Good job with the zealous priest. I do love throwing those around, especially when dealing with the tiefling that appears from time to time in my campaign. Luckily it ended with one meeting their god, and it wasnt the tiefling.
3299307
Trixie could be like Raistlin, focusing heavily on two different arcane schools. ie Necromancy and illusion (though replacing illusion with evocation or transmutation would be a good idea.)
Pinkie just fulfilled every commoners dream of the dark ages: Beating the living tripe out of a priest.
These prologues are pretty good. Though something tells me Paladinshy and Fighterjack are gonna bump heads at some point, I'm guessing that mark AJ's got is some Paladin mark of shame or something.
Even in an RPG story Pinkie manages to level the 4th wall.
My question is. How are you gonna handle the about idk 20 different ponies in this story so far XD.
I LOVE how you wrote pinkie pie I can actually see her as a character again and not a walking comedy bit.
Red eye vampire.... how did i not see that coming. (aside from the fact i didn't know if vinyl was in this story or not)
3296152
Big Mac will be coming up soon.
3296323
Thanks! Yeah I'm sure not everyone will like the altered Mane 6, but they had to fit the setting. My goal was to make them fit in a Dark Fantasy world, while readers could still read about them and say "Yeah, that's still Twilight."
3297353
Enjoy em lol
3297559
Thanks!
3297685
She hasn't sought atonement because she isn't sorry for what she did.
3298191
Yes indeedy! And thanks, glad you enjoyed the little switch up. XD
3298459
AJ's sword will be statted out when it's fully revealed. As it is now, her sword is 'big piece of heavy metal in sheathe'.
3298716
Well everypony on their WAY to Ponyville. There'll be some Mane 6 meetings at the least.
3298735
XD My pony game is full. O_O
3298753
:F
3298767
I've always played incredibly loose with the AL restrictions. Paladin's don't HAVE to be LG in my campaigns, they just have to match their deities Alignment. I always felt Chaotic Good deities or Chaotic Evil ones deserved holy (or unholy) warriors championing their causes too.
3298791
Thanks for the kind words!
3298797
Aha, well I'm trying to write it so you don't need to know DnD to enjoy it. ^^;
3298798
It DOES matter to me! x.x Anyone know if there's a way to change it? Or do I gotta resubmit it?
3298825
3298835
It crossed my mind, but it's just backstory hate.
3298836
Thanks!
3298881
Yeah... I've DM'd some awful PCs before. XD
3298912
Chapter 1 should be out soon, then I'm gonna be slowing down on the updates.
3298923
It was kinda a spur of the moment thing. :x
3298994
I'm glad folks seem to enjoy that. I debated for a while if I should do it or not, but ultimately the Character Sheets themselves are kinda 4th wallish, so that felt like a good place to have Pinkie be Pinkie.
3299008
The life of a monk kinda meshes well with her canon background, so I felt like it would be a fun little bit of back story flair for her.
3299022
Thanks! :o
3299093
Initially I'd thought of Scootaloo being party of the gypsy clan Pinkie and Vinyl hail from, then as I mulled it over I came up with what happened in the story.
3299098
Kinda an unusual combo, yeah. XD
3299125
She more or less lets anypony act in her name however they like. She never runs around bellowing about being a deity, she quietly allows ponies to consider her such since it brings so many of them together.
3299133
This was the prologue I was most concerned with honestly. I have a difficult time writing Pinkie Pie. It's really tricky finding the right balance of her off the wall zaniness, while trying to ground her a little more in reality. Folks seem to enjoy her here however, so I feel like I did okay.
3299143
Ha ha, I suppose it does! The civil war will be gone into more detail soonish.
3299148
I tend to stick to the core classes alas.
3299201
Sooooon.
3299212
Yeah I always worry myself silly over writing Pinkie. XD;;
3299228
Kinda curious about this too. I've never heard of slutty Pinkie. ^^;
3299307
Oh not to worry, the Great and Powerful Trixie has a BIG role to play down the line. Not in this story, but she'll be showing up.
3299311
Oh I'll finish. Unless I get hit by a car and die or something, then I guess I wouldn't. I have this one fully planned out for the most part now, and the sequel more or less worked out too.
3299313
It's gonna be here, I was just being a doof.
3299338
I never get tired of hearing it! XD Thank you for the kind words.
3299373
She's just being Pinkie Pie. :o
3299430
Like the rest, I wanted Pinkie to have an interesting background.
3299441
It's called a Brand of Justice, sort of a permenent spell mark that activates and causes pain to the bearer when certain conditions are met. In this case holding an open blade.
3299525
Well only in the character sheet section. XD
3299528
Well! I'm establishing a diverse side cast so that I have plenty to work with for future stories later. I could do an entire story about the Apple Family, or Pinkie's troupe at this point.
Out of all the racial characters I've played with or been allied with, never vampires.
3299601 Maybe so, but just sitting there while a priest abuses an orphan seems a bit much.
What version are you basing this on? It can't be 3.5 cuz that's only +4 Dex... still +4 (or +6) Dex, auto Improved Initiative, Auto Lightning Rexflexes... Vampires are every Rogues dream... Well except for the whole part where everyone thinks you're a bloodsucking monster...
Its a shame I missed this update, but hot dang was it a great thing to see in the morning. Loved that you included vinyl, and I wonder where I these, if you will ever include the yang to the ying beyond what you have done here in octavia, or would she be more dao than pow? Anyhow, or who, respectively, Nice to see you having scootaloo in this, and done very nicely. Though I will share that the preacher, yeah, I really hope he's finding breathing, and by side effect completely unintentional meaning, living, a tad difficult.
Those ones tend to exactly be a blight on both the nature of what they profess. Not to mention well, there are better ways and means to root out actual evil, not cultivate your little sheep.
Pinkie Pie: Breaking the 4th Wall and Meta-gaming because why not!
Also, I really like the background for all the characters so far! I can't wait to get to the main story!
3299601 And yet, it fits her so well.
Eh, bards do whatever they want. Pinkie is the same.With all six of them done, I think Fluttershy is gonna be the most interesting out of all of them.
Now that's a good chapter, real good.
I'm sorry to be a broken record, but godDAMN this story, y'all! I just... it's so good! Although, I do wonder how you will manage to balance so many characters at once. You seem to have a firm grasp in things, so I'm not TOO worried. Still, any idea how long this sure to be amazing story will be?
3299730 She can't just fix every bodies problems for them, and a princess can't just swoop down from nowhere and scold everybody, she also woulda blown her own cover, ALSO, Pinkie stopped him anyway