Vinyl Secret.

by Proud Blank Flank

The Final Scratch.

Chapter 9: The Final Scratch.

The foot steps grew heavier and heavier. Vinyl could see the shadow of the Royal Guard shown on the wall. Her heart raced, she cringed into the corner of the room farthest away from the stairs. Then - out of pure luck and timing - something stirs up outside, shouts and screams are heard, and in response the guard whips his head around in a double take and descends the stairs quickly.

“What's going on?” one of them said.

“It looks like a robbery!” the other responded.

“We'll be back tomorrow morning,” one of the guards said.

The guards leave, slamming the door behind them. Vinyl could hear them shouting and chasing the robber down the road. Vinyl slowly crawled her way to the window to peer out at the two guards running off into the distance after whoever the criminal may be. Vinyl turned around afterward and found Blaze packing her things into her satchel bags with little patience.

“It's not safe here. You need to go,” Blaze said.

“Go where? I don't have anywhere else,” Vinyl whined.

“Don't worry. I'm going to bring you to a friend of mine. She lives in the Everfree forest so I doubt the guards would think to check their; and besides, it's just for the night,” he assured her.

She looked down for a second in disappointment.

“You're gonna come back for me right?” she asked, looking up.

“Of course. Once the guards come back, I'll head over there to come get you,” Blaze said.

“Okay. Are you sure she'll let me stay? What's her name?” Vinyl pondered.

“Her name is Zecora and yes, she'll definitely help,” said Blaze as he finished packing her bags.

Once it reached midnight, Blaze and Vinyl quietly made their way through Ponyville, snooping around ever so quietly They dashed behind buildings, traversed through alley ways, and ducked under carts to the edge of town. Once they finally reached the Everfree forest, they moved quicker and became reckless with their foot steps. No pony would hear them out here anyway, nor would anyone be out here at this time of night.

The canopy of the trees within the Everfree forest made it impossible to see anything. Only the glow of the moon had helped any and it still wasn't enough to see past even their hooves. Everything sat still, no sounds, no light, no nothing from any direction. Not even a breeze crossed their path. The mud under their hooves silenced their foot steps to the point where they couldn't even hear their own.

“Ugh, I can't see anything,” Blaze said, bumping into Vinyl, “sorry.”

“Me either,” Vinyl said, “wait.”

Vinyl stopped and Blaze once again bumped into her.

“What did you stop for?” He asked.

“Just. . . Hold on.”

Vinyl closed her eyes and concentrated her mind on her eyes. Her eyes twitched and her body tensed. She whispered “come on, come on” to her self over and over. She was just about to give up before a discharge sounded and echoed through the forest. When she opened her eyes, everything illuminated in bright and soft greens. She had successfully commanded her night vision to activate.

“What was that?” Blaze whispered.

“It was me. Night vision, remember?”

“Oh yeah, you told me about that.”

Vinyl rolled her eyes but Blaze didn't see.

“Just follow me,” she commanded him.

Blaze put one hoof on Vinyl's back as they continued their journey. Vinyl had no idea where to go, only Blaze knew where Zecora's hut is and he couldn't see a thing.

“Where is Zecora's place?” she whispered back to him.

“It should be somewhere straight ahead,” Blaze said.

Vinyl wasn't sure if he knew was he was talking about. It's not like he could see anything and she herself had no sense of direction when there was darkness everywhere. Vinyl turned her head side to side, scanning the area around them, 'till finally-“There!”

Vinyl spotted a small hut inside a tree. It was dim and poorly lit but Blaze could see it well enough to make it out for himself. Vinyl focused again, deactivated her night vision, and Blaze took his hoof off. They trotted the rest of the way side by side. They slowed to a stop outside the door to catch their breathe. Blaze knocked on the door impatiently, looking at Vinyl and nodding. The door opened slowly and a familiar zebra peers out suspiciously.

“Who comes knocking at this late? You know best to come before eight,” Zecora warned.

“Zecora it's me Blaze. Listen, I need a favor. My friend here needs a place to sleep, just for tonight and I'll come back to get her in the morning,” Blaze asked.

A pause.

“I see. . . And who would this pony be?” Zecora glanced at Vinyl.

“My name's Vinyl Scratch. Please, It's just for tonight. I won't take up much room and I'll stay out of the way,” Vinyl pleaded.

Zecora thought for a moment then opened the door completely, steeping out the way. “There's always room for a new friend and a bed for you I will lend.”

“Oh, thank you so much,” Vinyl said before looking at Blaze. “and thank you too.”

“No problem, I'll be back in the morning,” Blaze replied.

Vinyl levitated her satchel bags off Blaze, taking them inside with her. Zecora nods to Blaze then closes the door. Blaze sighs and turns around and is quickly faced with a problem.

“How am I supposed to find my way back?” he whispered to himself.

The door opened behind him and Zecora had a lit torch within her mouth.

Eventually Blaze found his way home and rested well through the night. The guards game back and searched the whole station and found nothing. Blaze readied himself and made his way to Zecora's home to retrieve Vinyl.

“They took her away in the middle of the night and took her away without a fight.” Zecora told Blaze.

“. . . Seriously?” Blaze doubted.

Zecora assured him once again, telling him that two Royal Guards had taken her an hour after they arrived. Blaze's heart sank. He felt his was his fault for her capture, and now he had to go find her. He figured she'd be in Canterlot and at that point, he figured he'd at least find her parents a long the way, though they probably already know.

Vinyl sat still in her cold, dark, gray stoned cell. She sat against the back wall with her arms around her legs which are pressed against her chest. She cried softly to herself and whispered pleads of help. Her hair a mess and her white hide was now stained with dirt and dust from the dirty cell. Every once in a while a guard would come by to check on her. After a few hours of silence and solitary, she had finally received some water and some food. She gobbled up the food and water as if she hadn't eaten in days.

“Come with me,” said a Royal Guard as he opened the cell door.

Vinyl didn't respond at first, but then looked up and realized it wasn't her imagination. She got up slowly and exited the cell. A second guard stood behind her while the first one lead the way. She worried about her fate. She thought of every possible outcome, from banishment, to permanent imprisonment. The dark halls turned into fresh, pristine hallways of colored glass and sunshine. She knew where she was going, straight to Celestia's throne. They entered the double doors that lead into her throne room and told her to stay until Celestia arrived to decide her punishment. The guards stood on opposite sides of the room among other guards.

Minutes seemed to last hours go by for Vinyl, until finally Celestia entered and sat upon her throne, clearing her throat, and pulling out a scroll.

“Vinyl Scratch. You've been brought here for me by the Royal Guards for me to decide what to finally do with you,” Celestia said, her face didn't show any positive or ay negative emotions. “I have reviewed the charges you have been pressed with, and personally looked over the evidence. You've been charged with murder, a serious and unforgiving crime.”

Vinyl's heart pounded in anxiety. She wants it to be over with, for Celestia to say “banished” or “permanent imprisonment” and move on. Cold sweat ran down Vinyl's forehead and her mind shut down. She couldn't think, she could only stand there while Celestia became white noise.

“And that is why I'm here to announce. . .”

Here it came.

“I'm releasing you to your Guardian,”

Vinyls' ears flopped and pinned against the back of her head. The words echoed inside of her head, but then she shook her head.

“Wait, released?”

“Yes, released,” Celestia confirmed.

“I don't understand. . . “

Celestia nodded to the royal guards standing near the doors, upon which they pulled them open. A familiar face walked in slowly, taking long strides with pride, while smiling at Vinyl. A pony who shouldn't even be here, but some how existed within the same room, entered.

“S-Star Shy?” Vinyl whispered.

“Yes, It's me Vinyl.” Star shy smiled.

“But. . . You're alive. . . I thought. . . I thought I killed you”

“For one, you didn't kill me, Vinyl. After the Royal Guards investigated the scene, they discovered that the glass shard within my forehead was the result of a light bulb exploding from short circuiting. The EMP caused it, but if it weren't for the data we collected from your brain, they wouldn't have been able to build and repair mine.”

“That's why the lights were off. . .” Vinyl whispered. “But wait, why did I have blood and gashes from the glass on my hooves?”

“You didn't do it Vinyl. I'm not sure how it happened, but my best guess is that your brain took longer to shut down then it took for the glass shard to impact me. So I'm guessing as your brain shut down, you must of attempted to pull the glass shard from my forehead,” Star Shy explained, pulling back the hair from her forehead to reveal the stitching.

“But. . . But you still activated it,” Vinyl stated.

“Yes. . . and I'm sorry. I've had some time to truly think about things, and I shouldn't have done what I did. But I am here to make up for it, Vinyl.”

“How, how could you make up for it?”

“What if I told you, I could give you normal eyes again?”

“. . . You. . .You can do that?”

“Yes, we've been practicing our technique ever since the accident, we hoped that the day you were done giving us the data we needed, we'd give you the eyes you wanted.”

“So you didn't intend on making me live this way forever?”

“Exactly. We didn't plan on keeping you this way, we simply used the robotics in order to gather data and to give us time in order to perfect our technique.”

“But. . . How can I get my eyes back? It's been so long.”

“That's why we had someone sign up to donate there's since the day of the accident.”

Star Shy turned as Vinyl's father, her mother, and Blaze entered the room. The three stopped and her father stepped forward.

“Vinyl, your father signed up to give you his red eyes,” Star said.

“It's true Vinyl, I'm willing to donate them to you,” her father said.

“No. . . I won't let you give up yours for me,” Vinyl said.

“I insist, Vinyl. I'm doing this for you, and I'm not taking no as an answer.”

Vinyl's eyes teared up as she ran to her father into a hug.

“We'd do anything for you, Vinyl,” her mother said as she joined the hug. Blaze just stood back and smiled.

The hug broke apart and Vinyl's father and mother thanked Blaze for looking after their daughter and apologized for any problems this caused him and Oxide. Blaze assured them that he was glad to help.

Vinyl's eyes open slowly, her vision is extremely blurry at first, but soon comes into focus. Her father,who now wore a bandage over his eyes; her mother, Blaze, and Star Shy stood on both sides of her hospital bed and Star Shy raised a mirror to her face. Vinyl gasped and smiled. Glistening red eyes shimmered in the mirror. Vinyl's eyes watered and a single tear of joy ran down her cheek.

[The End]

Thanks to Star Shy (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003619293441&ref=ts) For letting me use her OC.
Thanks to Kenny Core for letting me use his OC, Oxide.
I Do Not own the cover art for the story.

Comments

[Wing Zero 032]

Well, this is a little anti-climatic....

great ending for a great story thought

BTW: FIRST!

[Toolkit]

Well, It's over. Oh well, it was great while it lasted. Keep writing great stories.

[Mcyav]

This chapter felt a little rushed, but it did have a nice end to it. I would recommend re-writing this chapter at some point, or at least going through it again making small changes here and there. But I look forward to more from you!

[Proud Blank Flank]

488090 Yeah, I know. I'll be working on that all day.

[East Coast]

340492

...A guide to writting fanfiction...WHY HASN'T ANYONE THOUGH OF THIS BEFORE?!

[TheCloudShy]

NEVER.

STOP.

WRITING.

LULZ KIDDINNN
I L:heartVE YOUR STORY
ABOUT ME :D

SOOO YUS.
JUSSSSSSS
YOU SHOULD WRITE S'MORE ADVENTURES
OF ME :3

[sirmay]

mea was ok