Trust

by Wheller

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Twilight quietly rose from her bedroll and unzipped her tent, making sure to move as quietly as possible. She eyed the surrounding landscape. It was empty with the exception of the tents around their camp. Taking care not to wake Vinyl Scratch, who was sound asleep on the bedroll beside her, she went over to Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie’s tent, prodding them gently awake.

“muhwasit?” Rainbow Dash said groggily. “Twilight...?”

Twilight put a hoof to her lips, shushing Rainbow Dash quietly. “I need to talk to you and Pinkie Pie outside. Please be quiet, I’m trying not to wake Vinyl Scratch.”

“Nrgle...” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Fine!”

Twilight exited the tent and crossed to the tent occupied by Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack, quietly waking them and bringing them all out to a spot several metres from the camp. She considered for a moment whether or not to wake Spike and Whirlwind, who were sharing another tent, but eventually decided against it. Spike needed his sleep, and she didn’t know if she could trust Whirlwind to keep what she wanted to talk about quiet.

“Wha’s this all ‘bout Twi?” Applejack asked, doing her best to stifle a yawn.

“I was in the middle of the most pleasant dream when you woke me darling!” Rarity said.

Twilight looked around at her friends, and ushered them in close. “I’m worried about Vinyl Scratch. She’s been acting... off.”

“How so?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“She’s been way too quiet this entire trip. While we’re walking I can barely get a word out of her. I’ve never seen her so quiet!” Twilight exclaimed. “If she were anypony else...”

“I don’t know Twilight... she seemed talkative enough earlier...” Fluttershy said. “We talked a little bit yesterday... she seemed like she was fine.”

Twilight shrugged. “I know I’m not really the best pony when it comes to this kind of stuff... Rainbow Dash? Could you talk to her? I think she’d be more likely to open up to you.”

Rainbow Dash gave Twilight an odd look. “Why me!?”

“Vinyl asks about you a lot,” Twilight said with a shrug. “Please just try Rainbow.”

“You do realise I’m probably the worst pony to ask about this, right?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Please try Rainbow Dash! For her sake,” Twilight pleaded. Rainbow Dash sighed and eventually gave in.

“Fine! I’ll do it,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’ll talk to her in the morning.”

“Thank you Rainbow, anything you learn might be useful!” Twilight said. The group dispersed and quietly snuck back to their tents. Twilight slipped back into her bed roll and had to clasp her hooves over her mouth to keep from screaming.

Vinyl Scratch had her goggles off, and hanging around her neck. Her eyes were wide open. She then let out a loud snore and began to shuffle slightly in her sleep. Vinyl Scratch slept with her eyes open, and it was quite frankly, incredibly creepy.

Twilight rolled over and couldn’t help but feel uneasy as Vinyl Scratch continued to stare at her while she slept. Never mind the fact that the mare was blind.

Vinyl Scratch let out a loud snore and began to stir. Twilight rolled back over and watched her, her hooves still clasped over her mouth. Vinyl’s eyes began to blink rapidly and she lifted her head slightly from her pillow.

“Twilight? Are you awake?” Vinyl asked quietly.

Twilight pretended to be asleep, she said nothing, but continued to watch the blind mare lying across from her.

“I guess not,” Vinyl said quietly as she set her head back down on her pillow. She let out a loud sigh and Twilight couldn’t help but notice that she looked incredibly sad. She watched as a tear fell from Vinyl’s eye and landed on the ground with a silent splatter.

Twilight wanted to open her mouth, she wanted to ask Vinyl what was bothering her, but her mouth had other ideas. Try as she might, she couldn’t ask.

“Have I ever told you how much I appreciate the kindness you’ve showed me?” Vinyl asked, clearly not expecting an answer. “Probably not, I haven’t exactly stuck around long enough this time around, but here I was, a complete stranger to you, I waltz into town one day, and you just let me stay at your place? I mean, who does that? Somepony tries that in Manehattan or Canterlot, you’re lucky to get away with only three detectives that start following you, making sure you’re not carrying...”

Vinyl let out a small chuckle. She turned and looked directly at Twilight and smiled at her, a simple smile, just a purse of her lips, and not the madmare’s grin that she usually gave. “You and me? We’re from completely different worlds... heh; I guess there are multiple levels to that statement too. Thanks for listening Twilight, even though you’re not conscious to know it. Goodnight.”

Vinyl Scratch rolled back over and went back to sleep. Twilight found herself wanting to cross the room and give the mare the biggest hug she’d even gotten.

...

Morning came, and Rainbow Dash was incredibly nervous, she was standing not three metres away from Vinyl Scratch, who was sitting on the edge of camp, facing towards the west and lost in thought. Twilight had asked her to talk to the blind mare, but Rainbow Dash had no idea what she was even going to say. She swallowed hard, and took the first trudging step towards her, and then the second, and then the third, until she was standing right next to her.

Vinyl Scratch turned her head and gave the mare a grin. “Hi Rainbow Dash.”

“How do you know who it is when someone comes up to you?” Rainbow Dash asked, taking a seat next to her.

Vinyl twitched her ears at her, doing her best to call attention to them. “I pay attention. What’s up Rainbow Dash? What can I do for you?”

“I... uh...” Rainbow Dash said. She was completely lost for words.

“Twilight put you up to asking me how I’m doing, didn’t she?” Vinyl asked, placing a hoof on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder.

“How...?” Rainbow Dash began to ask, Vinyl cut her off with another grin.

“I pay attention. You can tell Twilight that I’m just fine! I’ve just been doing a lot of thinking, that’s all,” Vinyl said.

“What about?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“We’re going to be going through Manehattan on our way to the Hoofson Bay... I’ve got an old friend that I plan on paying a visit... she and I didn’t split on the best of terms, so I’ve been planning out what I’m going to say to her,” Vinyl said simply.

“This friend... what happened between you and her?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I hurt her,” Vinyl said simply. “More than one way. I hurt her a lot, and I’ve got a lot to apologise for,” Vinyl gave Rainbow Dash another grin. “Do me a favour? Tell Twilight to stop worrying? More important things to worry about than me on this trip.”

“All right,” Rainbow Dash said, giving Vinyl a small smile and a tight hug.

“Oh! Rainbow Dash! You’re so soft!” Vinyl said mischievously.

“Knock it off!” Rainbow Dash said flatly. Both mares looked at each other and gave a hearty chuckle.

...

The group of nine walked for seven days, they were making excellent timing, they were sixty kilometres out from Manehattan proper, and if they kept up the pace, they’d reach Manehattan at midday. Good thing to, as Applejack’s reserves of apples was beginning to run dangerously low, they decided that they would be spending the entire day in Manehattan to restock on provisions; they’d spend the night at Vinyl Scratch’s lavish and excessive Manehattan flat.

Vinyl Scratch had lied to Rainbow Dash. She had always intended on going to see Octavia, but not until the return trip. Vinyl would be telling Octavia the truth about what happened to her. She had wanted to give good news. Now she had forced herself into visiting Octavia before she was ready to.

Vinyl had seemed to convince Rainbow Dash that she was fine, though she became more careful. Making sure to take the anti-radiation sickness pills when she was sure that nobody could see her do it, she made an attempt to make conversation more with the others of the group of nine to try and drive off Twilight’s suspicions. Lest she discover the truth before Vinyl was ready for them to know it.

She would tell them only when she knew her fate was sealed. Vinyl was putting a lot of trust into the plan that Princess Luna had come up with that late evening in Ponyville.

Unfortunately, she had put trust in little else.

Comments

[Apocalypse Pony]

Tell them already Vinyl....

[DreadedCandiru2]

Ah, my.....her need to not be pitied is coming to bite her in the flanks again.

[Starcat5]

This can only end in bloody tears. ...by which I mean tears laced with actual blood. Provided by Octavia smashing a glass bottle right in Scratch's face.