Trust

by Wheller

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Vinyl Scratch popped another anti-radiation sickness pill into her mouth and swallowed hard. Princess Luna had been right about one thing, they were certainly helping. She had been able to keep food down the entire day.

Now here she was, locked in the washroom in Ponyville’s public library, shaving off the rest of her mane. It was falling out anyway, might as well get rid of it, lest somepony else notice. She’d contacted a wig maker in Canterlot to see if they could fashion a replacement for her, and as it turned out, oddly. They had one in stock that was identical to her now shaven mane.

Vinyl found that a little bit odd, simply because she was only popular within a certain niche of the population, but she shrugged it off and hoped it was convincing, she couldn’t exactly check, and had to take the word of the wig maker on this one. She used her magic to scoop away the old, and then put on the new. Doing her best to make sure it was on straight, she eventually gave up upon realising that there was no way for her to make it perfect without being able to see what she was doing.

Vinyl Scratch unlocked the washroom door and trotted back out into the main room, Twilight was packing her saddlebag, presumably full of winter clothes and gear, Vinyl couldn’t be sure exactly, but then, what else would Twilight be packing.

“Spike? Checklist please!” Twilight called out.

“You got it!” the little dragon called out.

“Scarf!” Twilight called out.

“Yes.”

“Boots!”

“Yes.”

“Tent!”

“Yes.”

“Obnoxious house guest?” Vinyl Scratch called out with a huge grin on her face.

“Huh... I don’t see that one on the list,” Spike said as he looked over the list that Twilight had made. “Better add it!”

“That won’t be necessary Spike,” Twilight said simply. “We couldn’t forget that one if we tried.”

“Nope!” Vinyl said with a grin, she crossed the room and threw her forelegs around Twilight’s neck, pulling her close for a tight embrace. “Thank you... thank you so much.”

“Vinyl... I didn’t realise this trip meant that much too you... Is something wrong?” Twilight asked.

“Wrong!? No! No! What makes you think something’s wrong? I’m... just glad to be around my friends again, that’s all,” Vinyl said with a smile. “Now come on! Let’s not keep the others waiting!”

Spike climbed up on Twilight’s back and the three of them departed from Ponyville’s Public Library, trotting down towards the windmill where they’d be meeting the rest of Twilight’s friends and Whirlwind.

Twilight looked up to see that Rainbow Dash was once again ordering Whirlwind to fly laps between the windmill and town hall.

“Rainbow Dash! Ease off him! We’ve got a long walk ahead of us, and it’s cruel of you to push him like that just as he needs to be rested!” Twilight called out.

Rainbow Dash let out a small sigh and called to Whirlwind that he could stop.

The grey coated Pegasus landed softly on the ground in front of Vinyl Scratch, and despite having flown who knows how many laps at high speed, Vinyl Scratch could hear him breathing normally. Although she figured that might have had something to do with who the Pegasus was, or maybe more importantly, who he had used to be.

Whirlwind was the second chance reincarnation of Overdrive, the Paragon of Order. Despite seemingly not having Overdrive’s memories, it still made Vinyl a little nervous, who knows how he would act were he ever able to get them back? Princess Luna had told her that there were more ways that just exposure to the artefact that could bring back old world memories.

“Vinyl Scratch! Darling!” Vinyl felt as if she’d been tackled by a large marshmallow creature as Rarity had pulled her close. “Have you done something new with your mane?! It looks so wonderful! Unlike the dreary shape it was in when you came to visit me the other day!”

Crap! Vinyl was hoping that nopony would notice. “Uh... not really, I don’t really try to style it or anything. I mean, I don’t really see the point...”

“Oh, that won’t do at all! Not being able to see is no excuse for lacking fabulousness! You simply MUST let me style it for you when we return!” Rarity exclaimed.

“Uh... sure?” Vinyl said, right now she was ready to try anything she could to get Rarity to let go of her, the fashionista was sure to notice that she was wearing a wig before anypony else did. “Anyway! We better get going! We’ve got a long road ahead of us!”

Rarity released her and the group of nine trotted off along the road. Vinyl made sure to take a place up near the front, as far away from the fashionable eye of Rarity who was sure to notice the physical symptoms in her mane and coat before anyone else. She walked beside Twilight, who had Spike sitting on her back; the little dragon was examining a map of the road.

“Twilight?” Spike asked. “This map doesn’t have the Hoofson Bay on it at all!”

“That’s all right Spike! We’ll follow the road all the way to Manehattan, and then follow the Hoofson River up into the Hoofson Bay Area!” Twilight said simply, sure of herself and her plan.

Vinyl could only grin; Twilight had made this same mistake in the Old World when she, Vinyl, and Rainbow Dash had gone to the Hoofson Bay Area to learn the fate of a missing ambassador. The Hoofson Bay and the Hoofson River, despite being named after the same explorer, Hedrick Hoofson, were in no way related to each other in the slightest. They didn’t go anywhere near each other even though considering the name, it would be a logical assumption.

Vinyl Scratch, of course had known that they weren’t related with each other, even the first time around, but she planned to let Twilight make the same mistake again. They would be retracing the same path that they had taken in the old world, and that was the part of the long road that they needed to be on.

“Hey! What’s that over there?!” Spike called out, causing everypony to stop in their tracks. Spike folded up the map and hopped off Twilight’s back dashing over to whatever it was that he had seen.

Vinyl was pretty sure that she knew what it was, judging by how long they had been walking.

“Twilight! Come look at this!” Spike called out. “There’s definitely an opening behind all these rocks!”

Yep. Vinyl Scratch thought, exactly where she thought they were.

“That’s odd, there aren’t any caves marked on this map at all!” Twilight said, “Certainly not any this close to Ponyville!”

Twilight’s voice was filled with excitement and curiosity, Vinyl Scratch knew that they were in front of the caves that lead to the back entrance of the Everfree Plains Ballistic Research and Development Facility. The caves had been sealed up for a reason. This was a world of second chance, there could be no third.

Vinyl placed her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Twilight, no.”

“What?! Vinyl! Don’t you want to know what’s in there?!” Twilight asked. “There could be anything in there!”

“Or, nutin’ at all!” Applejack called out.

“Besides... we’d get dirty if we tried to dig through!” Rarity said, feeling that was justification enough.

“I didn’t bring any dynamite with me this trip!” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced around the group. “I would have if I’d known! Sorry Twilight!”

“Pinkie Pie? Why do you have dynamite?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Ppsh! I use Nitro-glycerine to make cupcakes! Why would I not have dynamite!?” Pinkie Pie called out.

“I think loud explosions would scare the critters...” Fluttershy said with a squeak.

Vinyl tuned out each of the disembodied voices of Twilight’s friends and leaned in close. “I know what’s in there,” She whispered.

“What is it?” Twilight whispered back.

“Something we’re not meant to have,” Vinyl said. “Sorry Twilight.”

Twilight was clearly not happy with the answer, but she gave in. Spike climbed back onto Twilight and the group set out again. Twilight, Spike, and Vinyl up front, Pinkie Pie and Applejack directly behind them, Fluttershy and Rarity were bringing up the rear. Rainbow Dash and Whirlwind were flying directly overhead.

“Don’t worry Twilight, there’ll be plenty of interesting stuff for you to geek over when we get there,” Vinyl said with a grin.

“Oh it’s fine,” Twilight said. “Besides, we would have had a tough time getting through the rocks anyway without explosives... remind me to take the ones Pinkie Pie has away when we get back, I don’t think she should be trusted with those.”

“Hey!” Pinkie Pie called back. “I only blew up my kitchen once! Never mind the fact that Mister and Missus Cake never let me run Sugarcube corner by myself ever again...”

The group couldn’t help but let out a giggle.

Comments

[KaijinZero]

wait. pinkie uses nitroglycerine in her cupcakes? not suprised at all.

[DreadedCandiru2]

I'm also not surprised that Twilight still made the mistake she made the last time; Equestria might be less isolated but that doesn't mean that geography is something that interests Little Miss Magic.

[Wheller]

19754

Vinyl has taken massive discharges from the artefact, twice.

Willoughby had minimal exposure. He'll be fine.

[DreadedCandiru2]

19839
This clearly implies that Vinyl won't be fine; she might survive whatever cure is in the offing but it'll probably mean that a certain mailpony will have to live up to her Bond of Eternity and be responsible for taking care of an invalid for years on end.

[Wheller]

19992

Oh come now, I'm not THAT evil.

... Okay, maybe I am...

[oblivion2k]

20015
Well, she's probably going to be sterile now. Thankfully, this won't have any impact on derpy and vinyl's relationship, heh.
Besides, they already have Dinky, one is enough.