Treasured Moon & Stars: Vol. 2 Treasures From Mirrors

by TigerSwirl448

Chapter 6: Welcome Home

Chapter 6
Welcome Home

Vinyl blinked open her eyes to see the bright sun above her. She groaned and slowly sat up on her rump as she rubbed her head feeling a strange headache. She looked around to find herself laying in a familiar place. She stood up just as a strong breeze blew by. She covered her face as the breeze blew loose sand and trash around her. Once the wind subsided Vinyl blinked several times to find piles of metal and trash everywhere.

"I know this place." She whispered looking around in a circle. Then she stopped to see the skyline of the Manehattan Space Port. And true enough the blast of wind came from a ship that blasted off. She gulped looking at the garbage heaps hearing the echoing laughter from children. She walked forward following the sound of laughter. She walked past a junk heap and gasped to see actual children playing together in the trash finding old treasures. She could see a pegasus colt using a screw driver putting together some plates of metal to make a box. She turned hearing a scream to see a filly chasing two other colts with a pipe and an old pirate hat on her head.

"Arrgh! I'm the pirate queen of the galaxy!" She screamed out as the colts ran away dressed in armor like royal guards.

Vinyl walked into the clearing with shock as the children continue to play without even noticing her. One filly noticed her and waved at her. Vinyl jumped then slowly waved back. The filly was shoved by another foal.

"Tag you’re it!" The earth pony screamed out running away. "Glory's it!"

"Oh yeah!" The pegasus called Glory asked running after the earth pony.

Vinyl reached back then slowly sat down in a pile of old rotting wooden wheels watching all the children play. No pony was hurting each other but playing. What made it astounding was seeing well-dressed foals while the rest of them, who were street orphans.

"But how? No pony played here since I was..." She blinked seeing more kids playing. Together. It was like watching the Crusaders playing together but this was larger in scale.

"Scratchie?" Vinyl gasped hearing a male voice and looked up and gasped to see a familiar earth pony stallion staring down at her from the top of the garbage heap she was sitting at. He slid down the heap and landed on the ground next to her staring at her. Vinyl blinked for a moment as she slowly stood up staring at the blue stallion with a dark blue mane and his golden eyes looked just as pure as she remembered.

"Noteworthy?"

Noteworthy blinked several times staring at her with shock. He grabbed her arms, pulling her closer to him to get a better look at her. He looked at Vinyl’s blue mane, he grabbed a hand full of her blue locks and tugged.

"Ow! Hey, what gives?" Vinyl yelped out pulling away from him.

"Oh wow..." He whispered smiling. "It is you! I thought...Wow."

"Wow, what?" Vinyl asked confused.

Noteworthy was an old childhood friend of Vinyl's. They grew up together and they would always play in the junk yard with the other kids. The last times she saw him...

"Wait a second," Vinyl whispered pulling back, pointing at him. "You're... you’re dead as a colt! How did you-" Noteworthy grabbed her by her arms to stop her.

"I am dead, Scratchie." Noteworthy said sadly though he was smiling.

"But you're a stallion!" Vinyl whispered seeing that he was an adult, not a colt anymore.

Noteworthy chuckled looking down at himself, he was dressed in a nice shirt with a vest, and his trousers looked clean and patch less.

"Yeah, I've been here for ten years." He said with a sad smile. Vinyl was in shock.

"Ten years? That was when you died." She whispered.

Noteworthy closed his eyes nodding.

"But how... I'm... Dead?" Vinyl whispered looking at her hands then around her starting to panic.

"No," He said silently smiling at her.

"No? I'm not dead?" She asked confused.

"Correct, but not." Noteworthy said, wrapping his arm over her shoulders like he used to do when they were younger. "Right now you are walking between life and death.

"I am?" Vinyl whispered with fear.

Noteworthy nodded with a frown. "Yeah, you are."

Vinyl collapsed hard on her knees, then on her tail breathing hard, trying to understand what happened to her. Noteworthy sat down next to her placing his large blue hand on her scrawny shoulder.

"I'm glad to see you again, Scratchie. It's been so long since I last saw you."

Vinyl sniffed feeling tears, she looked up at him smiling. "I've missed you so much. There were many times I dreamt of killing myself to see you and my... mom."

Noteworthy smiled and stood up. "You can see her."

"What?" She asked staring up at him again. He nodded taking her by her arm and pulling her up on her feet.

"Yeah, come on." Noteworthy lead the way down the familiar trail that Vinyl used for going home back in their childhood.

"Really?"

Noteworthy could see the desperation in her eyes. He nodded with a smile.

"Really, but we must hurry.”

Vinyl nodded running after Noteworthy through the junkyard, then they took the old dirt road up the hill reaching the old rickety gate that was the entrance to the old junk yard. Vinyl stopped to see a unicorn playing a guitar, she gasped, recognizing the pony. His old rotting clothes were now fresh and new and colorful, his old squished hat was now crisp and new with a fresh black band around the white hat.

"Guitar Pick?" Vinyl asked with shock as a vision of the past popped up. An old withered stallion sitting on a paint can playing with his old well used guitar. The strings all stretched out as he played the difficult tune. She shook her head to see him now, smiling. The old stallion tipped his hat.

"Nice to see you too, squirt."

Vinyl gasped pointing at him as Noteworthy was chuckling. "You... you can't talk!"

"I can, now." The stallion said chuckling as he started playing the strings between his fingers. Noteworthy took her by her hand and pulled her with him up the incline toward the small village. Vinyl blinked hearing children laughing as they ran past her and Noteworthy. Vinyl stopped to watch them run and screaming with true smiles on their faces. Vinyl followed Noteworthy up the incline until they reached the tiny neighborhood filled with nice handmade homes. Vinyl was in shock, the last time she saw these homes, they were rotting away or too damaged to be livable.

"Noteworthy, hello!" An elder voice called. Noteworthy waved at the elderly mare as she waved back. "Is that Grace?" The woman asked.

Vinyl stopped and blushed at the mention of her real name. And even worse she didn't remember the old mare. She bit her lip trying to remember her name.

"That's right, Mrs. Dew. It's her." Noteworthy answered smiling.

The old mare walked over without her cane. Vinyl blinked remembering back in her memories that the old mare would always sit in her rocker with a hard scowl on her face. She would always get up with her cane and shuffle to her house, but now she was walking straight up on her two back hooves without her cane. She walked up to her fence to Noteworthy and Vinyl.

"Look at you," the mare said chuckling, pinching Vinyl's cheek. "You look like old Vinyl Scratch. Where is that ruffian?"

Vinyl rubbed her cheek with a blush seeing the old woman actually smiling at her.

"I don’t really know where he is, Mrs. Dew."

Suddenly the old woman gasped with a sparkle in her old brown eyes.

"Why Grace you actually called me Mrs. Dew?! What has this world come to?"

Vinyl blushed. "Well I have matured since then, Mrs. Dew."

Mrs. Dew chuckled patting Vinyl on the shoulder. "Welcome home, dear. We all missed you. Oh, and tell your mother good day for me?"

"We will!" Noteworthy answered back pulling Vinyl with him up the street.

"Holy... I almost forgot the old mare." Vinyl whispered feeling emotional seeing familiar faces at their yards or porches waving at them. Actually this place looked like it was the first time it was built. All nice and clean. Not broken down like it was when Vinyl was a child growing up.

"Where are we Noteworthy?" Vinyl asked feeling tears in her eyes.

Noteworthy smiled. "Can you believe this place? It’s the heavens, Scratchie. Can you imagine a place like this filled with so much peace?"

"Peace? Here? Never!" Vinyl said with shock.

"It's true. Everypony that died back there was taken here to grow up." Noteworthy said seeing Vinyl shake her head amazed by all this.

The two turned the corner and Vinyl stopped seeing the picket fence that marked her old house. Noteworthy smiled and stepped back. Vinyl blinked wishing for him to come with her. He read her eyes and shook his head.

"Sorry, Scratchie. I have to go and take care of the little ones at the junk yard. That's my place here. Like it was before."

Vinyl bit her lip again watching him stick his hands into his pockets and walked back down the road to his junk yard home. Vinyl turned rubbing her arm to see the house that her own father had built for them. She sighed pushing open the gate and let it shut behind her. She turned to see the white fence set up as if it was fresh and new. She gulped at the weirdness of it all as she walked forward to the porch. The small, two-story home looked brand new, just like in the photographs of when the house had been finished.

She looked down to see the grass so lush and green. There were small bushes that were there in the beginning, the old chair swing was there too! Vinyl gulped stepping up the three steps onto the porch looking at the swing. She turned to the white doorframe and placed her hand on the painted wood. She gulped hard looking at the sky blue door. She sighed and knocked on the door.

She gulped hearing footsteps. She reached up to find that she was wearing her sailor cap and pulled it off. That was when she noticed that her hat looked brand new and clean. She looked down to see her spacer gear that had been ruined by Blueblood's guards and pirates, only to see that they looked brand new. Her shirt wasn't stain, her vest had no patches, and even her trousers looked well and maintained. Even her boots were polished.

"Damn," She whispered as the door opened. She turned and gasped just as the earth pony mare on the other side gasped as well. Vinyl blinked her eyes burning seeing the short beautiful mare before her. A light magenta mare with light blue mane and her beautiful purple eyes. She's dressed in her brown dress with her white apron over her dress.

"Grace?" The older mare asked in that sweet voice that Vinyl yearned to hear for so long.

"Mama?" Vinyl whispered the dam that held back her tears broke at seeing her. Her mother lunged forward and hugged Vinyl holding her tight. Vinyl hugged her back crying into her shoulder. She felt her mother's lips on her face. Vinyl could hear her mother's soft sobs and felt the tightening of her arms.

"Welcome back, my little Gracie."

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Twilight paced to the left as her friends were sitting on the wooden bench stuck on the dirt wall, or laying on the dirt floor. Raindrops was fiddling with her fingers glaring at the wall and would glance to the floor next to her, watching Princess Luna sleep. Blossomforth was standing at the corner thinking as well. Derpy was sleeping next to Scootaloo, who was sleeping on the floor. Sweetie Belle was dozing off against Apple Bloom’s shoulder as Apple Bloom watched the unicorn pace. Spike was watching with worry.

It had been two hours since the crew of the Fancy Flute had been captured by the zebras and taken to the cavern. As they traveled through the forests, Twilight noticed that the zebras were whispering to one another in their language. Some were angry while others were nervous. Not to mention the fact that four zebras were carrying the comatose princess spacer. By the looks of fear on their faces, it was no doubt that they must have known of Luna. Twilight remembered hearing one of the young warriors pointing at Luna when they brought her out of the cabin block. He looked spooked. The leader ordered for something since the younger warrior bowed and called for them to carry Luna. But the looks of it, they were very gentle with her.

Once they reached the caverns and were taken to their cells everypony's wounds were tended to. Twilight thanked the healer as she ordered a sleeping pallet for the sleeping Princess. The zebras had left them alone ever since.

There were voices past the blanket door where zebras were guarding the doorway. Twilight stopped pacing, staring. Apple Bloom shook Sweetie Belle awake as Spike woke up Derpy and Scootaloo. Blossomforth and Raindrops turned, watching the shadows from behind the curtain. Three ponies came through. Two zebra warriors moved to the two corners of the room with their knives and spears out in the open for all to see. Twilight stared at the pegasus mare that walked in. She blinked as the pegasus stared at her with shock.

"When the royal said that you were here Twilight, I thought it was a lie." Twilight gasped, really seeing her for the first time.

"F-Fluttershy?" Twilight whispered stepping forward only to get shout from the zebra as he held up his spear. Twilight backed up feeling tears in her eyes. "You were alive all this time?" Twilight whimpered.

Fluttershy blinked turning away toward the zebra and said a word in Zebrican language. The zebra blinked with surprise and nodded with a bow. He ordered the second zebra to follow him out of the cell leaving Fluttershy alone with the outsiders. Fluttershy sighed rubbing her arm.

"I thought you turned to them Twilight."

Twilight shook her head knowing who Fluttershy meant. "No, when I was given my orders I deserted as soon as I could. I tried to find you. I've been looking for all of you for years!"

Fluttershy blinked at the surprise at that. "You were looking for me? Why?"

Twilight blinked at the surprise harshness in her friend's voice. "Friends forever right? Just like before all this came to pass. We were unstoppable together in the war! You me, Rarity, Pinkie, we were nothing without you."

"You mean you know where the others are?" Fluttershy asked intrigued.

"Well two of them went... Wait, you've seen Octavia?"

Fluttershy snorted with a glare. "The Royal?"

Twilight started to get worried. "Fluttershy, where is Princess Octavia?"

Fluttershy shrugged. "Around."

"Alive?" Raindrops snarled. Fluttershy gave the pegasus a look.

"Alive, yes, but where she is I won’t tell you." Fluttershy said harshly, turning away.

Twilight gulped thinking. "Fluttershy, I don't what had happened to you but I can already tell you too have been through the blunt of the government and the military. I know how that feels, Fluttershy. They had put me in house arrest after what happened to us at the throne room. I was stuck in the Celestial University for months before finally escaping."

Fluttershy looked at Twilight to see her in tears. "You don’t think we all went through all that stuff too? Applejack was tortured!"

"I already knew that."

"Rainbow Dash was tricked into joining the-"

"I know about her, too!" Fluttershy screamed out, glaring at Twilight. "You don't think I knew what she had become? She was a traitor to us! Loyalty my ass!" Everypony went silent, staring at the pegasus as she bit her lip to keep from crying out. Twilight blinked then walked carefully toward her angry friend.

"What happened?"

"Rainbow Dash hurt me, Twilight. It was so painful."

Twilight blinked, thinking for a moment. She turned to Blossomforth for help. Blossomforth cleared her throat.

"I think those rumors about Rainbow Dash were true."

"What happened?" Raindrops asked silently with curiosity.

"It was said that there were several pegasi in Canterlot that didn't join the royal guard. And they were arrested and were all beaten by the guards. I think Rainbow Dash was the one that gave the order."

"When was this?" Twilight asked.

Blossomforth thought for a moment. "It was before the laws were passed that all children, pegasi and unicorn, forcing them to go into military academies all over the planet."

Twilight gasped. "Daring was in that flogging, I remember seeing her scars one night. She never changed clothes in front of me again after that. She always left me alone to do so."

"Huh?" Apple Bloom asked. Twilight blushed.

"We had to share a room in Manehattan one week and I walked in on her pulling on her shirt and saw her scars."

Fluttershy gulped rubbing her shoulder. "They used more than whips. They used fire, water, even magic from unicorns to torture us and punish us."

Twilight gulped. "I... I don’t know what to say Fluttershy. But please believe me, Rainbow has changed." Twilight pleaded holding on to Fluttershy’s arms. "She's a fugitive just like us and we all have the same goal."

"Oh? And what goal would that be, Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight glared at her friend. "We know that the government is corrupted into this mad mess and we have Princess Octavia, the first and only Hybrid Princess in the royal family."

"What?" Fluttershy shown her confusion then. "What is a Hybrid?"

"Is she serious?" Spike asked looking to Scootaloo pointing at Fluttershy. Scootaloo shrugged.

Twilight sighed. "How long have you been here, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy pulled away from her. "What's so special about that?"

"Fluttershy, how long have you been on this planet? Tell me."

Fluttershy stared at her old friend then sighed. "Since I left Canterlot."

"That was more than twenty years ago."

Fluttershy shrugged. "I don't pay attention to the years out here. What's your point?"

Twilight sighed rubbing her eyes. "Fluttershy, the government went south after you left. The royals and royal guards took control of the galaxy, creating new laws and forbidding Earth ponies life."

Fluttershy blinked, thinking. "Applejack mentioned something about the royals taking over the Green Belt."

Twilight nodded. "Her family and possibly hundreds more are now slaves to the royal guards. Not to mention hybrids, ponies that were born with Earth pony blood. They are now treated like trash. They are but fighting slaves, sex slaves. These ponies are classified as criminals even as foals. And the princess you have here is the first ever living Hybrid princess in the royal family born under Prince Tick Tock and his Hybrid wife, Duchess Sapphire Melody. They were killed about a month ago by Octavia's uncle, Prince Blueblood. And only she can change the laws."

Fluttershy blinked several times, leaning against the dirt wall, thinking.

"And now, it's time to reunite our friends and find the Elements of Harmony.” Twilight stated. “With the princess's aid along with her connection to the Crystal Guardians we can find the Elements and use them against Canterlot and the queen."

Fluttershy's ears perked at the word and turned to look Twilight in the eye. "You really want to use the Elements against Celestia?" Twilight turned away clenching her fists.

"Twilight, Celestia is like your second mother." She said with sadness. Twilight turned hearing the old Fluttershy come out. She sighed with shrug.

"I'll think about it when the time comes. But right now Rainbow, Applejack, and I need you Fluttershy. We need you to help us find Rarity and Pinkie Pie and then we'll fight back and get our revenge for the pain they gave us and for all ponies that are like us."

Fluttershy thinks for a long moment after the revelation of what has happened. She sighed.

"You all will remain here until I believe you are safe enough for the tribe."

"Huh?" Apple Bloom asked standing up. "But what about my big sis'?"

"Sis'?" Fluttershy asked.

"Applejack is my big sister," Apple Bloom said standing up. Fluttershy thought for a moment then she nodded waving for her.

"Come with me then." Apple Bloom looked at Twilight to see her nod once. Apple Bloom walked over to Fluttershy. Fluttershy placed her hands on her tiny shoulders looking to Twilight to see her worried frown.

"I'll take her to Applejack, but depending on the situation, she'll stay or come back in here with the rest of you."

"Where's Vinyl?" Scootaloo asked standing with Derpy. "Where's our captain?"

Fluttershy sighed bowing her head. "She is resting now, being given care by my teacher and I. It will take time for whatever is inside her body to be purged."

"But when can we leave and see our friends?" Derpy asked.

Fluttershy sighed with annoyance. "When I can be sure you all can be trusted then you shall be blessed by Shaman Zecora and our chieftain. Until then don't cause any trouble and stay here."

Everypony in that room weren't happy with these turn of events but Twilight sighed and nodded. "Alright,"

"What?" Spike exclaimed. "But what if she's hurting our friends?"

"Please Spike, I know Fluttershy, she won't hurt them." Twilight turned back to Fluttershy. "But please tell us about them. Are they okay?"

Fluttershy nodded. "They are. They are just like you right now, in separate rooms until we believe them to be trustworthy." She looked down at Apple Bloom. "Come along, the sooner you see your sister the sooner I can leave and heal more of my people."

Twilight watched Fluttershy take Apple Bloom through the door and the zebra guards stomped at attention leaving them guarded. Twilight sighed shaking her head as she sat down on a bench by Sweetie Belle hugging her close.

"So much for kindness." Raindrops snorted standing against the wall. "So now what?"

Blossom sighed as she sat down by her protégé. "We wait."

"But Commander we should be protecting, Octavia."

Blossom gave her a look that caused Raindrops to blush, her ears folded back on her head. "I mean we have to protect the Princess."

Blossom sighed through her nose, leaning back on the bench. "We must wait, and if there is a threat we will attack. Let’s wait until Apple Bloom returns to us and tell us everything."

Twilight nodded. "Good idea." She sighed watching Derpy going back on the ground, Scootaloo curled up under Derpy's wing. Spike sat down by Twilight's left curling up on the bench. Twilight smiled and placed her hand over Spike's head, stroking his scales. She sighed with worry.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Vinyl was led away from the door to the family couch. Her mother, Raspberry Tart's purple eyes shined bright as Vinyl tried hard to regain control of her emotions.

"Mama... I'm so, so sorry for everything-" Her mother shushed her silently stroking her face, pulling her into a hug.

"Shh, my baby. Nothing could have prevented what would have happened to me." Vinyl sniffed hugging her mother again, crying on her shoulder.

"But I would have been there for you. You were all alone."

Raspberry smiled closing her eyes. "I was sorry for leaving you like I did, Grace. It was so hard knowing that I left my child alone in such a horrible world."

Vinyl sniffed pulling back to see her mother smiling at her. "But at least I know that you came back and as such a strong, beautiful young lady." Vinyl blushed.

"Mama, please. I'm no beauty like you."

Raspberry chuckled stroking Vinyl’s cheek. Vinyl smiled feeling that familiar stroke that her mother would always do when she was a child. It felt so good to feel that touch again. Raspberry sighed sitting back to admire her daughter again. "My, my, my, I never got a good look at you, dear. I was so emotional in seeing you I never got to look at you." She took Vinyl's hands pulling her up to her feet. "Let me get a good look at you, Gracie May."

Vinyl stood up blushing. "Mama, I don't use that name any more." Raspberry circled Vinyl to look her over. She stopped and sighed with her hand over her mouth with amazement.

"Look at you, you are the spitting image of your father. You have his height definitely."

Vinyl chuckled shaking her head as her mother shook her head as well. "You even dress like him, I swear that is where you get your fashion sense from. I would love to see you in a dress sometime."

"Mama! Please, dresses get in the way. And it’s too..."

"Too what?"

"Girly for me."

Raspberry started to laugh, hugging her daughter, and kissing her on the cheek. "You are definitely your father's daughter." Vinyl rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. She never felt so much happiness in a long time being with her mother and inside her house. It feels like Vinyl never lost her mother as they talked. She sniffed the air smelling something familiar.

"Mama is that..."

Raspberry chuckled walking to the kitchen door. "Why yes, I was making dinner when you came by. As I recall it's your favorite."

Vinyl blinked salivating. "Your best sour cream carrot noodle soup?"

Raspberry chuckled with a nod. "Oh yes it is." Raspberry chuckled wrapping her arm around Vinyl and led her though the door into the warm kitchen. She could smell the smells of the carrots and the noodles and the sour cream broth. Even the beginnings of Raspberry's famous berry tarts. Vinyl gasped seeing the tarts.

"No way! You still make these?" Raspberry chuckled rubbing Vinyl's back.

"Well of course, it's family tradition." Raspberry smiled. "Speaking of tradition, I never got to teach you how to make them."

Vinyl stared at her in shock. "Mama, I'm not a baker, I'm a spacer.”

She feel her mother slap her playfully in the stomach. "Oh come on now, Gracie, every mare in my family was taught the secret recipe of every berry tart. And I know you and your father love the raspberry ones."

Vinyl blushed imagining the baked tarts. "Oh yeah,"

Raspberry chuckled as she rolled up her sleeves. "Now... oh, where is that girl?"

"Huh?" Vinyl asked intrigued. "You have a new little helper?" She joked pulling up her sleeves too.

"Actually I do. But where did she ... Oh that's right I went her off to get more eggs from the coop out back." Vinyl shrugged.

"Well I guess I'll meet the one that replaced me in the kitchen." Vinyl chuckled as she turned to see the pots and pans sitting by the sink. "How about I clean these for you."

Raspberry smiled seeing Vinyl move to the sink. "Wow, that would be helpful, I would have my replacement do it but she's still young and small. Thank you, dear."

Vinyl blushed. It was strange being called “Dear” or by her real name “Grace” again. All her life since her mother's death, she was always being called Bitch, Runt, Brat, even Vinyl. So hearing these names made her feel good and happy. It was as if the gods of old were giving her a long awaited reward for surviving this long.

"So, you call yourself a spacer?" Raspberry asked as she took a lump of dough and started kneading it hard with her palms. Vinyl nodded wetting a rag and start to wash a pot.

"Yeah, I have been sailing in space for the last five years."

"Five years? How old are you?"

Vinyl smiled. "Eighteen, Mama."

"Eighteen... blessed Luna my daughter is a full grown mare now."

Vinyl chuckled rinsing off the pan and setting it on the counter to dry. "Well, I don't call myself a mare, Mama."

"Alright I'll stop teasing you." She paused thinking until she sighed. "So what do you do as a spacer? Navigator? Helmspony, bosun mate which I doubt."

Vinyl laughed. "No, I'm a captain of my won ship."

"Captain?! My, just like your father. He was a captain for some time until you were born."

"He was?"

"Oh yes, Captain Vinyl Scratch, Captain of his ship the uh... Drat, I forgot the name of that old ship."

"What happened to it?" Vinyl asked interested.

"Hmm, I think he took that ship apart to build this house. Most of the wood for the foundation was made from his ship. He sold everything else to get money for the furniture and built all the baby furniture for you."

Vinyl smiled finishing off a pot. "Speaking of Dad, is he here with you?" Vinyl asked turning to see her mother with a sad frown.

"I haven't seen him Grace. He's either alive or he is..."

Vinyl blinked and turned away, thinking with shock remembering several things that were given to her.

"Say hello to your Daddy."

"Never thought I would see the same Vinyl Scratch standing right in front of me. Except I was sure that he was older and she was a stallion."

Vinyl dropped the pot back in the sink covering her eyes with her hands. "He was alive." She whispered.

"Grace? What's wrong?"

"Dad's alive, this whole time."

Raspberry took a hold of Vinyl and spun her around to face her. "Vinyl's alive? How?"

Vinyl sniffed. "I thought they were just lies to get me to talk but . . . First the pegasus then Blueblood."

"Blueblood?" Raspberry asked intrigued and worried. "The Prince Blueblood of the Manehattan royals?"

"Yeah, he knew dad. He..." Vinyl paused thinking, trying to connect the pieces she missed all this time. "Mama, what did dad do most of the time when he left for space?"

"Well he worked with merchants that's all I know, Sweetie."

Vinyl sighed rubbing her eyes, trying to put together the puzzle. "Wait, Blueblood said something about Dad to Captain Dash. She's the one that told me that Dad was with Blueblood."

"Captain Dash?"

"When that prince told Rainbow to tell me who the stallion was she answered dad's name. He’s alive somewhere in space and possibly with the royals as a prisoner. At least I hope so."

Raspberry smiled with a sniff. "At least I can be a peace knowing my husband is still alive and not in Tartarus." Vinyl turned her in surprise.

"Why would Dad be in Tartarus?"

Before Raspberry could answer there was a sound of the back door opening and closing.

"I got them!" A young voice called out. Raspberry turned and smiled.

"Oh thank you, dear. Please bring them here."

Vinyl watched as her mother grinned up at her as she walked over to the table. Vinyl blinked hearing the footsteps of somepony walking in. Vinyl gasped seeing a young purple earth pony carrying a basket of eggs. She stopped to stare with shock at Vinyl. Vinyl's mouth dropped open seeing the filly's eyes. They were pure purple like Raspberry’s eyes and her mane was a dark blue like her father's. Suddenly Vinyl remembered.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

The stallion stood at the doorway kissing Raspberry on the lips hugging her. Vinyl was a young filly at the time. She rushed over with her favorite wooden sword. The stallion, dressed in a coat and thick pants and black boots smiled kneeling down to grab Vinyl and swing her around before kissing her on the cheek.

"Aw my little Gracie!"

"Papa, take me too!" Vinyl begged. Her father turned to Raspberry to see her sad smile. He sighed holding Vinyl against his hip.

"I can't Gracie, you’re too young and too scrawny to be on a ship."

"But Papa, I want to go out to space too! Like you!"

Her father chuckled kissing her on the nose. "Gracie May, if you come with me who will be here to protect your mother and the baby?" As he said that he placed his hand over Raspberry’s swollen belly, smiling at her. Vinyl had her tongue stuck out thinking.

"Who can I trust with this task?" He asked looking around the area as Raspberry covered her mouth hiding her smirk and giggle.

"Me!" Vinyl said smiling.

"Oh well it is the most dangerous of tasks, it more dangerous than facing a super nova!"

"Me, Papa, me!" Vinyl yelled out as her father stoked his blue goatee, thinking.

"Ah how about you? My second mate, Gracie May!" He said lightly flicking her nose.

Vinyl nodded as she was tried to get down. Her father knelt down placing her back on the ground looking her in the eye.

"Alright second mate Grace May Scratch, you will take the post of protecting and watching your mother and your baby sister or brother while I'm away. Is that clear?"

Vinyl saluted. "You can count on me Papa, I'll protect Momma and my baby brother or baby sister!"

Her father nodded with a salute. "Good on ya, Scratchie." He said ruffling her messy mane getting a giggle. He stood up, kissing Raspberry one last time, then pulled away with a sad smile. Raspberry covered her mouth trying to hide her frown from Vinyl as she watched him. Vinyl gasped and ran after him.

"Wait Papa!" He stopped turning around.

"I can't stay longer, Gracie."

"But Papa, promise me that when you come back, I'll be on a ship with you?"

He thought for a moment then sighed smiling at her. "When I come back Grace we'll sail together to the stars and beyond. Finding treasure and become legends."

Grace smiled up at him. "Promise?" Her father pointed up to the sky, Vinyl looked up to see the stars.

"To Luna's Moon and beyond, my little spacer." He hugged her tightly kissing her on the head. Vinyl only hugged back smiling. Her father gasped. "Oh, here's something I forgot to give you." Vinyl stepped back as her father reached into his satchel and pulled out a silver whistle.

"Your whistle?" Vinyl asked with surprise.

"I want you to have it, Gracie. Learn to play it like I did and maybe you can teach your new baby brother or sister how to play. Promise me you'll never lose this?"

Vinyl nodded taking the silver whistle into her hands. "Promise, Papa! And don’t you worry, I'll protect Mama!"

"That’s my girl." He whispered. He kissed her on the head then turned to walk down the trail. "Go stay with Mama. I'll be back as soon as I can." He called.

Vinyl ran back to Raspberry to stand by her watching her father, Vinyl Scratch disappear into the sunset. Raspberry sniffed wiping her eyes looking down at Vinyl feeling her tug her skirt.

"Papa gave me his whistle, Mama!" Raspberry smiled.

"He must believe you will take care of us. Now come along, dinner is getting cold."

Vinyl nodded hugging her mother. Raspberry leaned over a touch to hug her daughter. Vinyl smiled feeling the baby move as she rubbed Raspberry’s belly like her father did.

"And don’t you worry,” She said feeling the baby move. “I'll be a great big sister to you. We'll play and I'll teach you how to play tag and fort in the junk yard and maybe I can play you tunes on Papa's penny whistle like he did to me."

Raspberry chuckled. "Come along now, you'll play the whistle when you’re done eating."

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Vinyl blinked out of her memory and stared at the young filly in a light blue dress. "Is that..." Vinyl whispered pointing at the filly. Raspberry smiled walking over to take the basket, kissing the earth pony filly on her head. She whispered in the filly’s ear then turned to Vinyl with a smile as tears leaked out of her eyes again.

"Grace, this is your sister, Blueberry Twinkle. Twinkle this is your older sister Grace May. Remember I told you about her?" The earth pony nodded smiling up at Raspberry as she walked over to Vinyl.

"How?" Vinyl whispered with shock. "You were-"

"I know." Raspberry answered sadly. "If I had lived longer, Blueberry would have been born. But she died with me and was born here. She’s now ten years old."

"Ten?" Vinyl gasped staring at the ten year old. She gulped and slowly knelt down to get a good look at her little sister, an Earth pony hybrid. Vinyl sniffed rubbing her eyes shaking her head.

"Even if you were born before Mama left, you wouldn't have lasted a day." She whispered wiping her eyes. She shook her head sitting down on the floor crying now. Blueberry went down on the floor then wrapped her arms around Vinyl, hugging her.

"I remember you." Vinyl opened her eyes hearing her sister's voice. "I remember you always talking to me when I was inside Mama." Vinyl looked up at Raspberry to see her crying seeing her daughters together for the first time. Vinyl gulped and wrapped her arms around the filly hugging her back.

"You’re beautiful, and you're my sister. My baby sister."

Blueberry smiled crying as well. "One question, Grace."

Vinyl sniffed pulling away. "Yeah?” She asked wiping her eyes.

"Can you play Papa's whistle?”

Author's Note:

Ba-bam! Here is Chapter 6! Big thanks to Xhoral for the editing.

So what did you guys think of this? I mean you guys already sort of knew from the description that Vinyl would have some sort of surprise in the afterlife. But did you guys thought it was her mother? Or even her baby sister? What about the backstory of Fluttershy? Crazy huh?

Chapter 7 will be a big one to the storyline. Let's just say a lot of stuff is revealed in the next chapter. This chapter might answer some questions that have been plaguing your minds since Book 1. It'll be up soon.

Let me know if there are any mistakes Xhoral and I missed. Thanks.

EDIT: Added something extra for people that were confused about Luna. I'll pay more attention to that. But Luna does not have many parts until the last ten or so chapters of the story. So don't expect her much until later on.

Comments

[Kenshinryuu]

I love Vinyl seeing her mother, old friends, and the baby sister she never got to meet. But half of me was expecting Luna or Octavia to be Raspberry's new assistant. AND HOW IS LUNA SUDDENLY IN WITH TWILIGHT AND THE OTHERS???? Last chapter there is no mention of her being found and you even said so!

[TigerSwirl448]

4364558 gah I thought adding luna there would have worked. I guess it didn't, alright I'll get that fixed better. I'll change it when I get to a computer later.

[PrincessLunaTheGamer]

This... This is interesting.

[The Metallic Dash]

AMAZING CHAPTER THIS IS THE GREATEST STORY OF ALL TIME

[TigerSwirl448]

4420006 Gosh, you're making me blush.

I'm happy you enjoy the story. More stuff coming up.

[The Metallic Dash]

4420473 HOORAY

[Misty Horse]

I don't recall anything about it, but was sweetie belle already infoormed of them being friends of rarity? I ask this because everyone else reacted to it with shock and, as i said, i don't recall it.