The Scratch Ends Here

by TigerSwirl448

Chapter 4: Not Likely, But Possibly

Chapter 4

Not Likely, But Possibly

---

Lyra paced on the platform waiting for the train to arrive. Watching Lyra pace back and forth was her adopted daughter, Star. The unicorn watched as her mother trotted past her from left then right. Star gulped, trying to find some way in breaking the tense silence, it was starting to get awkward and it was worrying her seeing her guardians worried sick.

"So um..." Star stared rubbing the back of her head. "Who's this Octavia and Vinyl Scratch? I swear that Vinyl name sounds familiar."

Lyra stopped turning to her. Star shrugged turning away. Lyra sighed sitting down next to her wrapping her arm around her. "Vinyl and Octavia were old friends of mine and Bon’s. I knew Vinyl since we were in school together. She introduced me to Bonbon then we all met Octavia later on. Vinyl and Octavia... are like me and Bon you see, and um..." Star grinned seeing Lyra sweating trying to explain the uncomfortable subject. Star hugged her making her stop stammering.

"Okay, I get it." Lyra let out a sigh of relief. "But I'm still curious about them. How come I've never heard of them since you guys were such good friends?"

Lyra blushed with guilt. "Well Star... Octavia and Vinyl separated about ten or eleven years ago. Octavia is a cellist you see and Vinyl was an up and coming DJ so they had to split for a time to proceed to their careers. Octavia came here a few years ago for one of her concerts and such, but you were too little so you had to be with Twilight at the time."

Star sighed rolling her eyes. "And a night I would have been better off hearing a boring Cellist playing the cello than listen to another story about Star Swirl the Bearded. I mean who wants to learn about some old stallion making magic?"

Lyra chuckled ruffling Star's mane getting her to giggle. "Oh she wasn't that bad."

Star sent her a playful glare. "It was the worst night ever!"

Lyra started laughing hard, her worries forgotten. Star started imitating Twilight, talking as if giving a lecture. Lyra shook her head at how funny her daughter was acting. Suddenly there was a train whistle from the distance and the happiness left Lyra's face immediately. Star sat down watching Lyra getting nervous all over again. The train came to a full stop next to the platform and the doors opened, letting the ponies off. Lyra sat waiting on the platform watching every pony walk out of the train. Then she noticed a familiar gray mare, waving to her with a smile. Lyra grinned, trotting over. Star trailing her.

"Where is she?" Lyra asked with concern. Star sat down next to her. Octavia motioned inside. Lyra ordered Star to stay outside as she trotted into the train. Lyra turned and gulped with nervousness seeing Vinyl laying on the bench with her hood over her face sleeping. Octavia pointed to the bags at the rack above her. Lyra nodded and used her magic to float the bags to the door, calling to Star. Star nodded and used her magic to float the three bags out of the train, trotting to the gate. Lyra turned back to the seat to watch Octavia as she gently probed Vinyl to wake up. Lyra heard a groan that made her turn pale. This couldn’t be Vinyl... Could it?

Lyra walked over for a closer look seeing Octavia smiling. "Look Vinyl, it's Lyra, you remember Lyra, right?" Octavia pushed back the hood a touch so Vinyl could see Lyra and Lyra could see her. Lyra was speechless and in shock seeing Vinyl's yellowed eyes.

"Goddesses Vinyl what happened to you?" Lyra asked her voice cracking. Vinyl used her hoof to pull her hood back over her face. Octavia sighed.

"Well that's an improvement." She said flatly. Lyra stared at the mare with confusion. Octavia noticed the look. "She hardly moved through the whole ride. She's in pain." Lyra sat down dumbfounded. Octavia returned back to Vinyl stroking her head.

"Vinyl we have to leave the train. Don’t worry, Lyra is here to help you walk." Lyra watched the exchange trying hard not to cry. She had never seen Vinyl like this, never! Vinyl nodded slowly and stretched her front legs onto the floor.

"That's it, just take it one step at a time just like this morning." Vinyl's front legs started shaking as she rested her weight on them to move her back legs. Her front legs gave out, Lyra gasped and spread her magic to catch Vinyl before she crashed on the floor. Octavia sighed in relief, thanking Lyra with a smile. Lyra nodded back and started floating Vinyl out the train. Octavia gulped and followed the unicorn out. She noticed the smaller unicorn and gave her a smile. Lyra slowly lowered Vinyl on the platform to her hooves. Lyra turned to Octavia and lessened her grip on her. Octavia rushed to her right side as Vinyl started falling to her right. Lyra took her other side to hold Vinyl up. Star trotted over but Lyra shook her head.

"No Star, just carry the bags back home. We'll catch up." Star nodded looking at Octavia then at Vinyl. She used her magic to envelope the three bags in a pink aura then trotted back to the cottage. Octavia turned to see Lyra looking at her.

"The filly?"

"Oh, you haven't met her yet. That's Star, the filly I told you about the last time you were here.”

Octavia nodded. "Oh yes I remember her. Wow, she had her cutie mark and everything."

Lyra grinned as they started taking the long slow walk to the cottage. "Yep, she works with Bonbon after school now. While I'm not taking care of the little ones she does the foal sitting now."

Octavia was surprised. "Foals?"

Lyra blushed. "Oh right... um, Star was the first we adopted. Bon and I decided to adopt one more but we ended up with two." Lyra chuckled. "Wait until you meet them." Octavia grinned.

"Well, I know I already said this before; I truly am grateful for you and Bonbon for letting us stay with you. I know Vinyl had a place here but I wasn't sure ..."

Lyra nodded. "She did but she had to move with her family to Manehattan."

"Oh." Octavia said.

Suddenly Vinyl jerked and went to a bush by the trail and vomited. Lyra went pale. Octavia sighed turning away. "I was hoping to make it to the cottage."

"Wait, how many times had she done this?" Lyra asked in panic.

"This was the second time today." She reached in her saddle bag to produce a washrag that was damp and cool. Vinyl collapsed on her knees spitting and coughing. Octavia was there to wipe her forehead first then wiped her lips and chin. Lyra peeked to see red on the rag.

"What did she eat?"

Octavia shook her head. "Nothing. She only drank some broth and water but that was it." Octavia sat by Vinyl hearing her whimper covering her eyes. Lyra gulped.

"Is this from that poison you talked about?" Octavia nodded. Lyra growled. "What the buck is happening to her? Who would want to do this to her?!" Lyra exclaimed. Octavia shook her head.

"I don’t know, Lyra. But somepony wants to hurt her and so far he's succeeding." She nuzzled Vinyl's cheek. "Vinyl get up."

Vinyl shook her head whispering. "What's that?" Octavia asked gently leaning closer.

"I can't..." She mumbled.

"What do you mean you can't?"

Vinyl sniffed shaking her head. Octavia sighed rubbing her face. "Well try, please." Vinyl sniffed and placed her front hooves on the ground first then stated to struggle standing up. Once she was on all four hooves, her legs shook violently then she collapsed on the ground and started crying silently. Octavia gulped turning to Lyra for help. Lyra nodded wiping her eyes and used her magic to lift Vinyl up.

"Here, put her on my back. I'll manage." Octavia said pointing to her back preparing for Vinyl's weight. Lyra shrugged and slowly lowered Vinyl onto Octavia's back. Octavia turned to Lyra expecting her to cancel her spell, but Lyra shook her head.

"You'll carry her but I'll hold her so the weight won't hurt your back." Octavia nodded.

"Thank you, Lyra. Hurry, lead the way."

Lyra nodded and the two mares trotted. When Vinyl groaned out, "Stop," they started to walk instead of trotting. Lyra guided Octavia to a cottage by the creek. Star was already there talking to Bonbon. Bonbon trotted over after seeing them.

"Octavia, it's so nice to see you." She said with a small smile. She heard groaning and turned to Vinyl still on Octavia's back and enveloped in blue magic. "Vinyl? Is that you?" Vinyl managed to look up and made a small grin. Bonbon gasped at the color of her eyes. "Oh my... it's worse than I originally thought. Here come in, quickly. Star has already taken your bags into the basement room."

Octavia grinned at her and nodded her thanks. She followed Star to a door leading to the basement. She gulped ready to descend the stairs but felt Vinyl's body lift off her back. She turned to see Lyra wink at her.

"Here, let me." She trotted down the stairs with Vinyl floating in front to her. Octavia entered the basement behind Lyra to notice a pull out bed couch in the center of the room with fresh bed sheets and blankets already set on it. Octavia could see her two suitcases and Vinyl's bag by the wall. Octavia could see a small bathroom at her right and a radio set by the farthest wall for parties. She was surprised to see a computer near the radio. She could see two foals sitting by a computer watching them. One was a unicorn colt sitting on a chair, the second foal was a filly pegasus sitting on the floor by the colt.

"There we go," Lyra said lowering Vinyl on the bed. Lyra let out a sigh of relief rubbing her head.

"Are you alright?" Octavia asked. Lyra nodded and sat down hard with a sigh.

"Yeah I haven't used that much magic in a while." She turned seeing the kids. "Oh um ... Racer, Rain, you two go upstairs." The two made faces of disappointment then ran up the stairs to the first floor. The pegasus stopped to turn and look at Octavia then looked at her cutie mark.

"Now Rain." Lyra raised her voice making the filly blush as she ran up the stairs. Octavia watched as Lyra rubbed her head then trotted to the small bathroom rummaging around inside. Octavia nuzzled Vinyl and smiled. Vinyl just stared back with a frown.

"Here," Octavia turned hearing Lyra approach with a bucket hanging from her teeth. She set the bucket by the bed. "Just in case she doesn't reach the toilet in time." Octavia smiled.

"Thank you." Lyra shrugged. She cleared her throat turning to the radio.

"If you want you could listen to the radio or use the computer. It's not the latest faster model but it works fine. Oh and don’t mind the kids, they come down here to play. But I'll let them know not to disturb you two." Octavia nodded.

"What were their names?" Octavia asked. Lyra grinned.

"The pegasus' name is Rainbow Shine, and the unicorns name is Racer. Racer is six, and Rain is the youngest at five." Octavia chuckled.

"That little Rainbow." Octavia said chuckling. “She’s a cutie.”

"We call her Rain for short. She likes that name better it seems. She doesn't like being called Rainbow, because many fillies and colts think she's Rainbow Dash's daughter." Lyra chuckled. "So she goes by Rain instead. Racer is just starting to learn how to use magic, but he likes to move things around with his mouth and hooves rather than use magic for doing that. I starting to get the feeling that one of his parents was an earth pony.” Lyra frowned, turning to see Vinyl sleeping. She used her magic to unfold a blanket and placed it over Vinyl so she could be warm. Octavia smiled at her for a thanks then she started pulling off her hoodie.

"Oh, and if you two need anything just holler upstairs. I'm usually the one at home but sometimes Bonbon is here too, so you know." Lyra mentioned walking to the stairs. "Is there anything else you need?"

Octavia's head popped out of the tight hole of the hoodie. She shook herself then fixed her mane. "Oh uh yes, please. Water for Vinyl."

"Anything for you?"

Octavia shrugged. "I guess some tea would be nice." Lyra grinned.

"Cool, Bonbon has already made some. I'll get your tea and Vinyl's water, be right back." Lyra trotted up the stairs. Octavia could hear a young colt's voice whining then the door shut, leaving Octavia in silence. She let out a sigh and sat down by the wall thinking. She looked over at Vinyl to see her still asleep. She turned to her hoodie and pulled out her phone ready to call Brass.

The door opened upstairs and Lyra went down floating two mugs. One was steaming while the other wasn't. Lyra directed Octavia to a small table at the back where she placed the two mugs.

"Here you go, some nice warm tea and a mug of cool water. I hope this will help." Octavia nodded.

"Yes, thank you." She paused thinking. "Do you know of anypony that can keep a secret?"

Lyra sat down with a look of concern. "Why?"

"Listen to me Lyra. Vinyl does need a doctor and we need to find somepony that can help us but keep it a secret from the press." Lyra nodded.

"I'll go over to the Caring Center and talk to the lead doctor there. I've been in his care before and if I talk to him, I probably might get him to keep this hush-hush." Octavia grinned.

"Really? That's great but you saw how drained she was." Octavia said motioning her hoof to Vinyl's sleeping form. "She won’t walk. Can he come here?"

Lyra thought for a moment then nodded. "I'll try and get him to come here. Right now?"

"If that's not too much trouble."

Lyra grinned. "Sure, I'll run over there and on the way I'll grab some things. Vinyl can only hold broth?"

"Yes, so far that's the only thing I gave her other than water that she has kept down." Lyra nodded.

"Alright, Vegetable Stock is a must. Alright, I'll go and see him and bring him here." Lyra trotted to the stairs then stopped turning to Octavia. "Is there anything you need?"

Octavia gulped thinking then remembered Brass's words on gossip. "Um yes, I don't usually ask for these, but by any chance, is there a good musician gossip magazine here?" Lyra gave her a look. "I just need to be sure I get info on somepony in particular." Lyra shook her head.

"Don’t worry about that, Bonbon gets the Equestria Daily magazines, you know, the Lead Provider of Entertainment News?"

"Is it good?"

Lyra chuckled rolling her eyes. "Well yeah, that magazine was how we learned of your concert a few years back. I'll mention it to Bon then when she's done with reading a magazine, she'll give it to you. How's that?"

Octavia nodded. "Yes that will work, thank you." Lyra nodded climbing up the stairs.

"Oh and Bonbon's up here if you need anything." She called down as she disappeared past the door leaving it open. Octavia let out another weary sigh rubbing her forehead from another headache. She turned to the bed seeing Vinyl sleeping soundly. She walked over and decided to pull off Vinyl’s hoodie so she wouldn’t get too warm under the blanket. Vinyl was dead asleep and groaned from a source of pain that Octavia couldn't find. Once the hoodie was off, she folded it and set it on a chair. She crawled into the bed to lay by Vinyl, nuzzling her cheek then she too fell asleep.

* * * * * *

"Octavia?"

Octavia opened her eyes from the dream to see Lyra with her hoof to her shoulder shaking her. "Hey, sorry to wake you but here's Doctor Hoofstein. He's the doctor I told you about." Octavia turned to see the gray unicorn stallion with a syringe cutiemark on his flank. He was dressed in a jacket. On his back were his saddlebags full of medical supplies. He nodded to Octavia for a greeting but frowned staring at Vinyl as she slept.

"You must be Octavia? My name is..." He blushed and cleared his throat, "Squirt Hoofstein." Octavia made a small smile and dipped her head.

"Nice to meet you sir." She got off of the bed so she could talk to him. Lyra walked over to the radio set and sat down, watching them. The doctor used his magic to float the saddlebags off his back, he reached inside for standard equipment such as a stethoscope and a clipboard and pencil. He looked at Vinyl hard to see anything about her.

"So, Lyra mentioned to me that this unicorn is very ill, please tell me more." He stated writing on his clipboard.

"Well Doctor, last night Vinyl called me asking for my help. When I found her, she was covered in vomit with this horrid odor and she was terribly weak." He nodded writing what Octavia just said.

"Anything she had consumed?"

"Actually I had this thought. Now before I say anything, Vinyl drank a lot. I discovered a newly opened whiskey bottle opened on her counter and a shattered shot glass on the floor of her apartment. And I thought perhaps she was poisoned?" The doctor turned to her then at Vinyl, poking her with his pencil. Octavia gave him a flat look. Really? She thought to herself. Lyra snickered behind her hoof.

"Poisoned? Hmm?" The doctor wrote on his clipboard continuing his visual examination. "Anything else? Like what came up with the vomit?"

Before Octavia could answer Lyra cleared her throat causing the two to turn to her. "Blood. She threw up blood." That gave the doctor a start, turning to Vinyl with alarm.

"Blood? Oh dear, this is serious. Uh, now tell me real quick, why we can't take her to the hospital?" Octavia sighed and retold the doctor everything she pieced together and what Vinyl told her. The doctor nodded still not pleased.

"I see. And yes I do agree with the gossip. Every town, even Ponyville, has ponies that are all into gossip. But still, if you don't mind I would like to get some blood samples from her and possibly ... well if it's not too much trouble, I would like to have a fairly good sample of her vomit if she throws up again. If that's not too much to ask."

Octavia shook her head. "No, please take all the samples you need. I just hope that I'm wrong and Vinyl has a horrible case of the stomach flu." If only, she thought feebly to herself.

Doctor Hoofstein went ahead and did some exams on Vinyl, checking her breathing and her pulse. She woke up during this and did as the doctor ordered her to do without complaint. Octavia couldn't help but turn away with sadness. She couldn’t bear seeing Vinyl so... so lifeless. She doesn't seem to have emotions, she just looked like a breathing doll. The doctor packed away the blood samples and his clipboard away. He pulled on his jacket and his saddle bags.

"Alright it'll take a couple of days for me to get results for the blood tests. But as soon as I get the results I'll be back here to give you the diagnoses. But right now, make sure she drinks plenty of fluids and give her vitamins. From my examination and from what you have seen, she's loosing vital nutrients and fluids and needs to be taken care of and a careful watch over."

Octavia and Lyra nodded hearing his orders. "But at least try to make sure she eats something."

"We will give her vegetable broth and hopefully she doesn’t throw that back up." Octavia said nodding her head.

The doctor nodded. "Well this might be a failed tactic, but make sure she moves around at least a couple times a day. But by just feeling her legs, they seem fine."

Octavia nodded understanding what he was taking about. "We'll try that."

"Good, good." He nodded with a sigh. Octavia gulped seeing the look on his face.

"Anything else we should know?" Lyra asked with worry. Hoofstein sighed turning back to the two mares.

"All I should tell you is that to make sure she is ... comfortable." Octavia jumped at that. He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sorry. She's unresponsive and practically... I'm sorry. Just expect the unexpected of situations." Octavia turned away, feeling her heart beat and breathing quicken at his words. Lyra patted Octavia on her back then turned to him.

"Are you sure? Is it possible ... that she won't live?"

Hoofstein shrugged. "It's a very high possibility. I'll be in awe if she does live in the next two days at most by how much she has been through. I must go before the nurses wonder where I am. And don’t worry, I won’t say anything to them about this. I'll make up a name for her so that her tests would be submitted. Good day." He trotted to the stairs then paused, turning back to see Octavia biting her lip. "I'm sorry Miss. Octavia. I'll pray for you two." Octavia looked up sniffing, wiping her eyes.

"Thank you for your help." He gave her a sad smile then trotted up the stairs. Lyra gulped loudly then trotted up the stairs to tell Bonbon the news. Octavia turned to the bed to see Vinyl staring at her, her eyelids heavy, her tongue lolled out from when the doctor checked her throat. Octavia gulped, delicately pushed her tongue back into her mouth trying hard not to cry, but it was too hard not to. Vinyl closed her eyes as tears poured from her eyes too.

Octavia leaped up on the bed to lay by Vinyl again, making sure she was warm under the blanket. She curled up by her, crying herself to sleep. She couldn't bear the feeling of losing her best friend and the mare she loved. But Lyra's question did flow in her mind.

Who would kill such an innocent and highly obnoxious unicorn like Vinyl? Was it a sick gag that went wrong? Was it a dirty rivalry with another DJ that was rubbed the wrong way from Vinyl's humor? Or was there possibly an affair and Vinyl got involved and this pony tried to kill her for it?

These questions haunted Octavia all through night.

Author's Note:

Here is chapter 4 and yes it's up early! Edited by Xhoral1865, "Thanks bud!"

Now I bet you guys noticed the new cover art? Well I have been looking for a good piece of art but never found it. Until the other day I typed up Sad Vinyl Scratch on Deviantart and the picture you see as the cover art was what I found and it fit perfectly for the story, so I picked it. The source is on the pic.

Alright, so what did you guys think? Is this Vinyl's last stand? How will Octavia save her now? What's the cause of Vinyl's sickness? The story continues in Chapter 5, coming soon.

Comments

[ObligedShelf7]

I have a bad feeling that this fic is going to make me cry.

[nobodywaseverhere]

3980223 i already am

[CaveYoshi]

Right where you put ""We will give her vegetable broth and hopefully she doesn’t throw that back up," my friend and I have no idea who spoke. Can you tell us who did?

[TigerSwirl448]

6127019 Oh, at the time I wrote it I thought it would be obvious. It was Octavia. I went ahead and added that. Sorry 'bout that.