• Published 30th Sep 2014
  • 1,966 Views, 52 Comments

Kamen Rider Bass - Noise



Strange monsters are starting to show up around the city of Manehattan. Vinyl Scratch stumbles upon the Noise Driver and finds herself caught in the middle of battle for the fate of Manehattan. Can the Riders save the city from the Changelings?

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Episode 13 - The Echo

“It’s hard to be excited about getting the Flight Driver back. This is the last thing I wanted to happen.” The Doctor mulled around the crew room, glancing at the Driver resting on the table.

Ditzy was sitting down, staring at the Driver. “It’s a shame Claw was able to get away.”

“Yes, well, now we know her identity. Grizelda Gryphon, or Gilda, as she seems to go by. We’ll send Big Macintosh to search for her in Lower Manehattan today. She’s to be taken down on sight.”

Ditzy continued to stare at the Driver in silence for awhile. The Doctor was lost in thought, pacing around the room when Ditzy finally wrenched her eyes away from the device, standing up and placing her hands on the table. “Doctor, I’ll help too.” She sat up, “Let me use the Flight Driver!”

The Doctor look her, taken aback. “Wh-what?”

Ditzy was quick to continue, “This whole problem is my fault. I can use the Flight Driver to help fix this and get the others back.”

He shook his head, “Sorry, Ditzy. We can’t just go giving these to anyone. These need specific people to draw out their full potential. Besides, we already have our intended Rider coming in today. Impatient lil’ bugger already came to Manehattan and has been waiting in a hotel for awhile. She’ll be here for briefing and all that good stuff in a few hours.”

Ditzy fell back down into her chair, “B-but…”

“Relax, Ditzy. You’re needed elsewhere. Just keep doing what you’re doing. We’ll have them back soon. Even if we still don’t know who Noise is; she’s not the most careful person. We’ve been able to get close to her multiple times already. The only thing we have to worry about now is finding Music. As careful as she is, she has to screw up eventually.”

Ditzy’s gaze slowly lowered, “...y-yeah…”


---


Vinyl awoke at nine in the morning to her phone’s nagging ringtone. She rubbed her eyes and sat up on the comfy mattress graciously provided by Lyra. She grabbed the phone laying on the carpet next to her. Much to her surprise, it was coming from Fancy Pants. She gave her eyes another quick rub and answered the call, “M’what’s up, Fancy?”

“Ah, there you are Miss Scratch. Sorry for calling twice. Miss Wildfire has finished your little project. She’s quite insistent on having you come in and pick it up in person as soon as possible.”

“Damn, that was fast. Do I have to be in costume or what?”

“That is up to you. If you are keen on keeping your identity a secret, she has already stated that she would not mind you ‘being in costume’ as you put it. If it would put you at ease, I could go with you. I assure you that your secret would be safe with her.”

“Naw, naw. You don’t have to come with me. I’ll figure it out before I get there.”

“Very well then. I’m glad I could help, Miss Scratch. Don’t hesitate to call or visit again if you need my assistance.”

“Thanks a bunch, dude. Talk to ya later.” Vinyl hung up and stood; stretching out a little. She walked to the bathroom for a quick shower. Before going in, she turned to Lyra’s bedroom door. A note was on the door.

At work. Will be back later. Feel free to make food or raid the fridge.

Slightly curious, she tried to enter, but found the door to be locked. She shrugged and went straight for the bathroom.

Vinyl hadn’t used a taxi in a long time. With Lyra not around to give a ride she didn’t want to leave her motorcycle stranded at a mechanic’s. Partly due to not wanting to have to sneak around an entire city and a little bit of laziness, Vinyl decided to just go in person and hope things went for the best. Using the address Fancy Pants texted her, she arrived at what looked like a generic mechanic’s building with a large sign at the top that simply read “Mechanic”. Despite it’s unimpressive appearance, it housed a large, currently open garage. She awkwardly walked inside and looked around the place; hoping to spot this “Wildfire”. A man working on a van slid out from underneath and caught sight of Vinyl as he wiped his forehead. He glanced at her for a second before looking straight up and yelling out, “Oy, boss! Someone’s lookin’ for you!” He looked back at Vinyl again, “She’ll be out in a minute, miss.” With that, he slid back under that van.

Shortly after, a black haired woman emerged from behind the van, greeting Vinyl and looking her over, “What can I do for ya?”

“Uh, Fancy Pants told me to come here to uh...to pick something up.” Vinyl tried to keep her voice down so as not to alert any of the other workers.

Wildfire slowly nodded. “Mmmhmmm. Gotcha, follow me.” She quickly walked to a small garage door in the back, closing it behind Vinyl. A blue tarp covered something in the middle of the room. “Hot damn, so you’re that white ninja, huh?” She was slowly circling Vinyl; sizing her up.

“Y-yeah.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna tell anyone. Can ya show me?”

She shook her head. “S-sorry. Can’t. It’s hard to explain. If I do it here, you’ll have some government agents or whatever crawlin’ around asking questions.”

Wildfire took a step back, “You got men in black chasing ya too? Oooooh damn! Are you some kinda super secret mutant cyborg that escaped from some top secret lab or something?”

Vinyl gave her a strange look, “W-what? Naw dude, I’m just some regular girl. I have something that let’s me transform, that’s all.”

“Cool, cool. I’ll just have to stick to checkin’ out the action on the news.” She walked towards the tarp. “I really wanted to give this thing a name, but I decided, eh, I’ll let you do the honors. I should be thanking you for giving us something awesome to work on.” She rested a hand on the tarp, running a hand along it.

Vinyl was a little concerned. “Us? You mean, those other guys worked on it too?”

“Well duh. There’s no way one person can throw all this together. Especially not with all the bells and whistles you asked for. They know too, sorry. Don’t worry though, these guys are all trustworthy. You might’ve noticed em sneaking a few looks at’cha. That’s the most you’re gonna get, they’re not gonna hassle ya.” Vinyl let out a sigh of relief, though still looked nervous about the idea. “More importantly, it’s time to show this baby off!” Wildfire grabbed the tarp with both hands and tossed it aside, revealing a blue sports motorcycle. On the front sides were two rounded dome-like protrusions. They were hard to notice unless inspected up close.

Vinyl walked around the bike, looking it over and seeming overall impressed. “I’m likin’ it. So how about the other stuff?”

Wildfire gestured to the seat, “Give it a shot. Take a seat and press that button there in the handlebar.”

Vinyl sat down and grabbed the handlebars. Fiddling around, she managed to find that a portion of it where her thumb rested was able to be pushed in. She tried, but nothing happened.

“Push in hard. I made it so you wouldn’t accidently set it off while casually drivin’ her.”

Vinyl pushed in harder and finally felt the button click in. The bike’s color began changing from blue to white; leaving a blue stripe on the middle of both sides. The bumps on the front sides had a blue center which left a thick white border on the edges, similar to that of Vinyl’s Driver. Above the two headphone-like earmuffs two long translucent blue fiberglass bands emerged and connected with each other above the earmuffs in an arc. This completed the look. She got up from the seat and inspected the new transformed look. “Oh man! That’s friggen awesome!”

Wildfire watched with pride, her arms folded across her chest. “Glad’ja like it. S’not every day someone asks me for something interesting. The boys had a blast too. The color changing paint thing was Turbo’s contribution.”

“What about about a bright light or electromagnetic camera jamming stuff or something to keep people from seeing me transform?” Vinyl asked, her excitement not fading one bit.

“Oh, don’t worry, that’s all there. It’ll only happen while it’s on. We assumed if you were doing that while parked, you were already somewhere safe. And the light? About as painful as looking at the sun. The pulse will disable nearby cameras for up to a minute, cellphone cameras included. It’ll also do it when you switch it back.” She approached the handlebars and pressed the switch, changing it back to it’s normal blue form. “To top it all off, this baby can take a lot of punishment, not that I’m sayin’ you should go swingin’ it around. We put a lot of love and overtime into this thing, ya better take good care of it.”

Vinyl nodded, sitting back down in the motorcycle’s seat. “Not a problem. How much did it cost by the way?”

“A heck-of-a-lotta money, I can tell ya that much. Parts and labor aint cheap ya know. Especially not the parts this baby’s sporting. Don’t worry though. Fancy Pants already footed the bill, at a discounted price of course. I owed him big time.” Wildfire reached into the pocket of her jumpsuit and pulled out key attached to a key ring. “There’s the key to the ignition. You need this delivered to your place or did you catch a ride here?”

Vinyl shook her head, “Thanks, but I took a taxi here. I’m taking this thing for a ride.”

Wildfire grinned, “Perfect. I gotta get back to work. Feel free to stop by anytime. Tune-Ups are free for the first six months. Have a nice day.” She opened the small garage door and stood by the side, commanding everyone to clear a path. Vinyl turned the key in the ignition. She took a moment to enjoy the purr of the engine and the overall feel of the bike. She kicked the stand up, and started to slowly cruise out, waving to the men in uniform as she passed through. The employees burst into a thunderous cheer, admiring their work and applauding their would-be hero, a sudden liveliness that confused the few customers inside.

---

“Oh, Chrysalis? Are you here?” Diamond Tiara called out from the middle of her first floor living room.

Not long after, Chrysalis emerge from the the second floor, leaning over the railing. “Yes, Miss Tiara. I was just about to go for a walk. What can I do for you?”

Diamond chose to stay put, looking up towards Chrysalis, “I’d like to exercise my half of our arrangement.”

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow, “Oh?”

“There will be a formal event held in two days. A gathering of Manehattan’s elite. I will be in attendance naturally, but I honestly loathe these things. I’d like something to liven up things up. I have a photo and information of someone I’d like you to infect.” Chrysalis made her way downstairs, taking the paper and attached photo from Diamond Tiara. “I’d also like either you or your little servant to be there for my protection in case things get a little out of hand.”

Chrysalis scanned the document, “Oh? Such an important looking human.”

“As if,’ Diamond scoffed, “I’m sick of the little pissant thinking anyone can hold a candle to me. He needs to be reminded of his place here. Take care of it as soon as you can.” She turned and walked away.

“As you wish, Miss Tiara.”


---


Rarity left the front counter of the Starry Brew cafe, having just finished her shift. She noticed Lyra sitting with someone she had never seen before. She decided to drop in and say hello.

Lyra looked over and smiled, “Hey, Rarity. How’s work? You can sit down if ya want.”

“Thank you.” She sat down and looked at the red haired stranger across the table. “Who might your friend be, Lyra?”

“This is Longplay. But we just call him LP. Remember my friend, Vinyl? He’s her brother.”

“Ah yes. The quiet one who only orders hot chocolates. Good evening, mister Longplay. My name is Rarity, nice to meet you.

LP waved her off, “Please, just LP. And nice to meet you. You another friend of Lyra and my sister?”

“Well, I’ve known Lyra for quite some time now. Your sister I’ve only recently met. We haven’t really spoken much, though she seems nice. She’s just really quiet. I’m not certain if it’s just me.”

He chuckled, “Naw, sounds about right. She loves her hot chocolate. She just has some problems getting comfortable with people. Don’t worry, she’ll warm up to you eventually. You can get her to open up if you mention something she likes.”

Lyra grinned, “That actually happened last night. I had a friend over and they started geeking out over some book series the whole time. Now she’s insisting I read it so I can...” She raised her hands and made air quotes, “‘...understand the hype...’” Lyra turned to Rarity while LP laughed. “So, how was work? Fluttershy still being stiff?”

Rarity frowned a little, “Her shift is being covered by Gyro today. Fluttershy… She’s been through quite a lot the past few days. After yesterday, she’s in no condition to be working today.”

Lyra’s smiled started to fade, “What happened?”

Rarity shook her head, “I’ll have to tell you later. I wouldn’t want to kill the atmosphere.”

“Well you’re doing a great job so far.” Lyra sarcastically remarked.

“So” LP exclaimed in an attempt to draw attention away from the subject, “Tell me about yourself Rarity.”

Rarity gladly went along with his ploy, “Certainly. I’m a manager here at the Starry Brew cafe. My true passion, however, is fashion. I’m looking to break into the scene very soon.”

“She’s good.” Lyra happily added, “You should see the dresses she’s made. They’re beaut...”

“Sup Lyra.” Vinyl waved to Lyra and Rarity, making her way to their booth alongside Twilight. “Funny seeing you here...” She glanced to her left, noticing her brother in the seat across from her. Her eyebrow started to ascend, “And my brother too, is here too why is he here alone with you without my supervision, I’m sitting down.” Twilight bowed to Lyra and Rarity, taking a seat next to Vinyl.

LP looked over at Twilight with a goofy grin on his face, “We were just talking about other things, but this is now much more important. Nice to meet you miss. Name’s Longplay, LP for short. Who might you be?”

Twilight introduced herself, “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’m just visiting Manehattan for awhile. Nice to meet you too, mister LP.”

“And what are you two doing here?” LP asked, his grin not fading as Vinyl cautiously watched from between the two.

“I actually was just coming here for a drink and Vinyl happened to drive by and pulled in.”

“Oh, how nice of you Vinyl. Sounds like you two are pretty clo...”

“Thanks bro.” Vinyl’s voice was calm, but she made no attempt to hide the death glare she was giving her brother. “Now before you say something you regret, let’s move on to something else.”

“How about all these monster attacks that have been happening recently?” Rarity said.

“Yeah. No one knows where they’re coming from.” Lyra added, “I’ve heard it’s some kind of alien parasite that’s infecting the people here.”

Rarity shivered, “Egh, don’t say even suggest something disgusting like that. Whatever it is, I hope the police can figure out a way to deal with them soon. I worry every day now that one might attack me, or worse yet, my little sister.”

Twilight shook her head, “It’s definitely been quite a cause for concern. I’m sure it’ll blow over soon. We’ve been getting lucky with those strange vigilantes in suits, but I’m certain that the police force will figure out a way to get rid of these monsters for good.”

“I sure hope so. They’ve caused enough havoc as it is.”

Vinyl’s phone started ringing, it’s loud volume catching the group’s attention. “Sorry, I forget to turn my phone volume down when I’m not driving.” She quickly pulled out her phone out of her pocket. She froze when she saw the caller ID. Her eyes became vacant and she started to appear anxious.

LP glanced over at her screen, noticing something was wrong. He started to become concerned and placed a hand on her shoulder, “You want me to talk to him with you?” Vinyl silently shook her head. She silently gestured for Twilight to get up so she could get up from the booth as well. Vinyl walked outside the cafe and put the phone to her ear while heading around towards the side of the building.

LP sighed and rested his back against the seat. Lyra was the first to speak up, “What was that all about?”

“It’s our dad.”

“Is… is there something wrong?” Lyra asked, looking outside to see that Vinyl was leaning against a window a few booths over . She was still talking to someone on her phone.

LP followed Lyra’s eyes, noticing Vinyl as well and went back to looking in Lyra’s direction, “Don’t look at her. She might notice.” He took a deep breath before continuing, “First of all, I wanna thank you girls a lot for being her friends. That means a lot to both of us. Now, don’t ever tell her I told you what I’m about to tell you.” He looked cautiously at Rarity as he said this.

“My lips are sealed.” Rarity assured him. Twilight and Lyra promised to keep silent as well.

“Vinyl… Vinyl was an accident. Our parents never wanted a second child, but things happened. Mom ended up going through with it for the sake of her public image. The problem is they never really paid much attention to her. The worst of it was when she overheard them talking about her. She was still young when it happened. She came to me that night asked me what ‘being an accident’ meant. When it finally hit her a few years later, it hit her like a truck. They moved to Canterlot for work when she was nine and left me to take care of her. They send us money and call us once a month to talk to us. It’s never pleasant for her.”

Rarity was the first to speak, “That’s just awful. Have you ever talked with them about this?”

“A few times. As much as I’ve tried, nothing’s really changed.”

Lyra couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Vinyl, “Wow… I would’ve never guessed.”

“I know I like to tease her a lot when we’re out and about, but I really do want her to find someone nice. I don’t care who, as long as she’s happy.”

“What should we do when she comes back?” Twilight asked, “We need to do something to cheer her up.”

LP shook his head, “Naw. Knowing her she’s gonna wander off after this. Just let her be for now. I’ll talk with her later.”


---


Vinyl made sure the door was closed behind her before finally answering the call. “H-hi, dad. What’s up?” She walked over to the side of the cafe, slumping against the nearest window.

Hello, sweetie. How are you doing?

“I’m doing fine.”

That’s nice. I hear there’s been a lot of weird terrorist attacks of some sort happening around Manehattan.

“Y-yeah. But I’m fine. It’s mostly in the Upper Manehattan area anyway. I don’t really have to worry much.”

That’s a relief. Oh, I heard your brother is visiting too. Is he with you right now?”

“No. No, it’s just me right now.”

You still doing the disc jockey thing?”

“Y-yeah. I’ve been getting a lot of good gigs. Y-you should come to one some time.”

I’ll keep that in mind whenever things lighten up around here.

“Bu-... You said the same thing last time, dad…”

Sorry, things have just been really busy. Have you decided when you’re going to head back to college?

“O-oh… I-I’m still thinking about that. S-sorry.”

That’s okay, you can get back to it when you’re ready.”

“Yeah…” The two became silent, neither having anything to say for a solid minute. “Are… are you and mom gonna visit an-”

Oh, sorry hun, I gotta go now, I’ve got a meeting to attend. I’ll talk to you again soon.

“W-wait.”

Bye sweetie, love you.” The call ended immediately after.

“Bu- Dad!” Vinyl quickly moved her phone into view to confirm the call had ended. She sighed as her right arm fell limp to her side, though still holding on firmly to her phone. Her left hand soon found itself holding on to her right arm as she stared at the floor, motionless.


---


Lyra watched Vinyl like a hawk as she came back inside, looking defeated. “Is everything okay, Vinyl?”

Vinyl didn’t respond to her. “I’m gonna go walk for a bit.” She said, looking at LP. She went back outside.

“I really wish there was something we could do.” Rarity got up from her seat, “Sorry I have to leave on this note, but I really should get home now. See you all later.” She gave a quick smile and nod as she left, though she knew full well that the atmosphere was going to be heavy for awhile.


---


“Yes! I win again!” An over excited Scootaloo yelled, having just scored another victory in a game of Light Speed.

Her opponent stomped in mild frustration. “Darn. How are you so good at this?”

Scootaloo shrugged, “I dunno.”

“Oh well, I’m gonna get some more tokens. You’re next.” The boy stepped off the arcade machine’s floor panel, allowing the boy behind him to step on. The new challenger put a token into the machine and gave the two player start button a quick slap. Scootaloo took a quick look behind her, hoping to spot a familiar rainbow mane. Upon hearing the machine start counting down, she got back into position, legs spread and arms raised up high. The two competitors gazed fiercely upon the three by five array of large circular buttons on the wall before them. As the arcade speakers called out the word “Go”, a column of three buttons in the center lit up. Scootaloo’s hands shot toward them, smacking them as fast as she could. Each button she pressed lost their light, but another button on her side lit up to take it’s place. Scootaloo’s feet remained planted firmly as she methodically hit the buttons as they lit up, keeping a steady pace between each button press. She lost her pace only a few times but easily recovered each time.

The boy next to her wasn’t faring as well. He was scrambling around while scanning the array feveriously for each new target, arms flailing from one end of the array to the other. He looked over twice during the match to watch his opponent and a few times and tried to copy her stance but failed to see why it was working for her. He quickly went back to his frantic hunt and peck approach. The machine declared that the time was up and the two gazed up at the score displays, neither player surprised at the difference in points.

Scootaloo leapt up, throwing her fist into the air. “Yeaaah! Reigning champ!” Her competitor snapped his fingers and walked off after a high five with Scootaloo as a sign of good sportsmanship. Scootaloo left the machine to take a break, her hands aching a little from the constant high speed button slapping she was doing. She ran towards the front door of the party establishment where Cheerilee was looking outside, fiddling with her cell phone. Scootaloo came to a halt in front of anxious adult, “Excuse me, Miss Cheerilee. Is Dash here yet?”

Cheerilee shook slightly, “N-not yet, Scootaloo.” Scootaloo was a little saddened by her response. “Don’t worry, Scootaloo. I’m sure she’s just waiting for the right time to show up and surprise you.”

Scootaloo’s smile returned, “Yeah. I bet it’s gonna be great. Thanks, Miss Cheerilee.” She ran off to enjoy more of the party.

Cheerilee watched her go and turned back around, her smile fading. She pressed the call button on her phone and pressed it to her ear, as she went back to scanning the view outside, “Oh, Rainbow Dash… Why aren’t you picking up?”

A voice cheerily chirped up from behind her. “It’s almost time to break out the cake and presents miss.”

Cheerilee quickly spun around, relaxing a little at the sight of the bubbly pink haired employee. “Sorry, give me just a little more time to try and get a hold of someone. She’s supposed to be here. Don’t bring out the big surprise yet.”

The employee saluted, “Okie dokie lokie! I’ll stall as best I can. You just let us know when you’re ready.” With that, she skipped back towards the party.

Cheerilee tried calling again while she looked at the kids sitting down at a table, drinking and chatting amongst themselves.

“Um, excuse me.” Another voice came from behind her, causing Cheerilee to quietly yelp as she spun around again. A young woman and a taller, older woman were now standing in front of her. Fluttershy reeled back a little, seeing Cheerilee’s distress. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Cheerilee wiped off the little bit of sweat that had formed on her forehead. “I-It’s okay. I’m just a little nervous is all. Can I help you? I’m not part of the staff, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

Fluttershy shook her head, “No. I’m actually here for Scootaloo’s party. A friend of mine told me to come here.”

“A friend of yours? Rainbow Dash? Are you Rainbow’s friend?”

“Y-yes. My name is Fluttershy, and this is my mom, Posey.” Her mother nodded and waved.

“Oh please tell me you know where Rainbow Dash is. I’ve been trying to reach her all day.” Fluttershy was starting to visibly frown at the mention of Rainbow’s name. “She’s supposed to be here. I can’t believe she’d be late like this. She’s not even answering her phone.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes and took a deep breath, keeping her composure, “R-Rainbow Dash… Won’t be able to make it. I’ll… I’ll explain when the party’s over.”

Cheerilee was surprised. She didn’t think anything would have stopped Rainbow from showing up from this party, especially after she had put so much effort into it. “O-okay. I guess I’ll break the news to Scootaloo and get started on the cake and presents.”

“Wait!” Fluttershy immediately responded, shocking Cheerilee. She was quiet for a moment. Her mother put a hand on her shoulder for support. “L-let me tell Scootaloo, please.”

Cheerilee was getting more concerned about the situation. “Um, sure. Go ahead. I’ll tell the staff to bring out the cake and presents in a few minutes. Thank you both, by the way, for coming.” Fluttershy nodded and walked towards Scootaloo’s table. Posey sat a few tables away and watched, allowing Fluttershy to handle the situation herself, but ready to jump in if needed.

The whole table quieted down and looked up at the adult standing near them. Scootaloo cocked her head. She recognized the woman. “I remember you. You’re Dash’s friend, right? I don’t remember your name.”

“It’s okay, it’s been awhile, Scootaloo. My name is Fluttershy.” She looked at the other kids, “Is it alright if I talk with her alone for minute?” The children looked amongst each other and agreed to leave them be. They all moved away, though trying to remain somewhat close so they could attempt to eavesdrop on the conversation. Fluttershy took a seat next to Scootaloo. “I’m sorry, Scootaloo. Rainbow won’t be able to make it to your party.”

Scootaloo looked heart broken. “Wh-what? Why?”

“W-well… She…” Fluttershy found herself starting to choke up. “I-I’m not allowed to say too much, but… You see-”

Scootaloo’s smile slowly began to return. “Is it because of the superhero thing?”

Fluttershy visibly flinched, “Y-you know about that?”

Scootaloo nodded, “Mmhm. She told me. I guess it’s okay, if she’s busy protecting people.”

“Scootaloo… Rainbow might be gone for awhile. She said she’s really sorry. She said she’ll explain everything when it’s over.” Scootaloo lowered her head, staring down at the table. She was starting to tear up a little. “I’m really sorry.”

Scootaloo shook her head and wiped her eyes. “It’s okay. I know it’s gotta be real important if she had to break her promise for it. She’s always there when we need her, and I bet someone needs her right now more than me. So, it’s okay. She’ll be back when she’s done, right?” She looked up at Fluttershy, her eyes still tearing up.

Fluttershy smiled, and nodded with confidence. She was able to keep herself composed on the outside, but on the inside, Fluttershy hated having to lie to her. She was still saddened over the loss of her friend and it was taking every ounce of strength she had to keep herself from crying, “That’s right.”

Scootaloo wiped her eyes with her shirt sleeves. Before she could say anything, the pink haired employee called out to everyone, “All right everybody! It’s time for the cake!” Everyone looked up as she came to Scootaloo’s table, placing a big cake in the center with ten candles currently lit. Everyone sang the birthday song before Scootaloo blew out her candles.

After everyone had sometime to enjoy the cake, a male employee rode in through the front door on an orange motor scooter. He was balancing five presents on a large platter behind him with one hand while steering the scooter with the other. “Hey there, we almost forgot the presents. What’s a birthday without presents.” He slowly and carefully drove to the table carrying the cake and set the platter of presents down. Scootaloo went through all of them, generally pleased with everything. Once finished, the man looked down at the motor scooter he was still sitting on. “Oho, whoops. I almost forgot about your last present. How silly of me.” He removed the key and hopped off the scooter. Twirling the key on it’s key ring in his finger a few times. He clutched it tight in his hands and presented the key ring to Scootaloo, bowing down as he did so. “For you, from a very special, very colorful friend.” It took a few seconds for the realization that this scooter was hers to finally hit Scootaloo.

“Oh my gosh! She got me a moped!? Rainbow Dash got me a moped!? Oh my gosh, Rainbow Dash you’re the best!” She grabbed the key ring and started jumping all around, continuing to scream out her surprise.

The female employee couldn’t help but laugh. “Nice job, Cheese. Didn’t think you’d be able to improvise such an amazing entrance like that so fast.”

The male employee smiled, basking in the praise and Scootaloo’s excitement, “I like to think I’m pretty good at improvising, Pinkie. I also used to work at a fancy restaurant for a while, so I know how to balance stuff on a plate.”


---


Vinyl had made it home not long after she left the cafe. She went inside and laid on her bed for a few hours. When Trixie had eventually come in, Vinyl left to go walking outside. She still wanted to be alone. She had not been keeping track of time but decided it was time to go back to her apartment now that it was getting dark. She had somehow managed to wander into an empty skatepark. Even though she knew it was a monthly thing, she always dreaded the days the calls came. It was almost always the same, with a few minor differences. They would feign interest in anything she brought up and pretend to be interested in her life She could easily tell that they were just going through the motions. There was a time when she was jealous and even hated her brother for being the one they actually cared for, but that didn’t last too long. She didn’t know why she still tried to win their affection, even though deep inside, she knew they would never care.

“My, my, tonight is just full of surprises.” A somewhat familiar voice said from behind. Vinyl had heard the voice, but was too deep in thought pay attention. “Not only do I find a Rider, but I find the girl that got away as well.”

The continued sound of the voice finally snapped her out of her trance. Vinyl turned around to find a familiar face. It was her. The Changeling Queen.

“You!”

She felt a surge of adrenaline pump through her body. She wasn’t even searching for the Queen, and she had finally decided to show up. If she could beat her here, then there would be no more Changelings.

“I’m glad you remember me. But I’m curious, your drive… It’s changed since we last met. Why is that?” Vinyl’s hand shot up to her headphones. “Odd, it’s changed again. Slightly, but it’s changed.” Vinyl transformed and readied a record in both hands. “Oh? Another Rider? Tonight is just full of surprises.” Vinyl threw both records at the Queen, both of which she easily backhanded away. “Very well, Armored Rider.” The skin from her hands up to her shoulders started to flake off, leaving her with black chitinous arms with a few gaping holes in them, “You have my attention.”


---


“Ey Ditzy, I think we got a problem here. What does it mean when there’s this really big black spot on the map? Like, bigger’n usual.” Applejack pointed up at the monitor, looking over at Ditzy who had just come into the room with two cups full with drinks.

“What!?” Ditzy ran to AJ’s side to get a better view, causing both drinks to slosh about and spill on the floor and her arm. “Oh no. Oh, this is bad.”

“What’s the matter? Should I call the others?” Applejack asked, quickly reaching into her pocket.

“Yes. That really big black dot mean the Queen’s doing something big, and Noise is there too. They might be fighting right now. Call everyone. I’ll call the Doctor. Tell them it’s the Queen and they need to drop whatever they’re doing.”

“O-okay.”


---


Vinyl threw a few more records and ran behind them. Chrysalis moved to the side while swatting one of the records to the ground beside her. As Vinyl went in ready to punch, Chrysalis was also ready, swinging her arm to the side at neck level. Vinyl stopped and leaned back just in time to watch Chrsyalis’ arm swing over her face, feeling the force of the swing as it passed over her. Vinyl leapt back, any thoughts of engaging her in close quarters combat potentially crushed. She needed to defeat her in one quick blow, a feat she wasn’t confident in pulling off, but the anger currently rising in her was beating out any reasonable doubts in her mind. The Queen was still standing in place, showing her lack of concern for the white Rider. She raised her hand up, beckoning Vinyl with her finger, “Why don’t you just come here. I’d like to get a better look at you.”

This pushed Vinyl over the edge, her mind quickly settling on a plan of attack. She spawned multiple records in both of her hands, and began tossing them wildly. Some were aimed at Chrysalis while others seemed to fly off to the sides. Chrysalis swiped away all the direct shots, grabbing one in the process as Vinyl charged forward again. “Hmph, you’re getting sloppier. Your emotions are clouding your judgement. You won’t even be able to scratch me like this.” She swung her arm up, throwing the held record back at Vinyl. Vinyl was able to veer to the side just in time, feeling the record graze her right shoulder as it whizzed by. Almost back in close range, she quickly pulled a slider down on the mixing board on her arm. The record still at Chrysalis’ feet suddenly exploded, catching her off guard. Vinyl created a record in her right hand, her middle finger sticking out through the hole in the middle. It began spinning in her finger, it’s speed increasing fast with each second. Before Chrysalis could regain her focus on Vinyl, two of the records that were thrown out to the sides earlier had been bouncing around and were finally on a course straight for the Chrysalis’ neck. She wouldn’t be able to block both records and block Vinyl at the same time.

Chrysalis leapt back to avoid the records and readied herself to catch the approaching Rider. Vinyl continued her rush and leapt forward once she was in striking distance, putting all of her strength into pushing herself into the Queen. Chrysalis was able to grab her right arm with her own just in time. The record was still spinning in Vinyl’s hand, her palm seemingly impervious to the razor sharp record as she tried to force it into the Queen’s chest, “Impressive.”
To her surprise, Vinyl continued trying to push the record forward rather than free herself from her grip, pushing with every fiber of her being. “I just have to beat you and it’ll put a stop to all of this!”

“You should be more worried about yourself.” Chrysalis grabbed Vinyl’s neck with her free hand and started applying pressure. Vinyl showed no signs of backing down, pushing the spinning record closer and closer, now mere inches away from making contact. Chrysalis was starting to sport a wide grin. “How impressive. You still fight with such ferocity even in the face of such pain?”

Vinyl’s body felt like it was on fire, starting to feel herself feeling faint from the lack of incoming oxygen, but finally managed to strike flesh. “Almost there!

Chrysalis looked down with unnatural glee at the spinning record shredding her skin as she continued trying to fight back Vinyl’s hand. Chrysalis was getting excited, her volume slowly rising, “This feeling. I haven’t felt this in so long. This intense drive. It’s so familiar.” She reared her foot back and slammed it into Vinyl’s gut, putting a stop to her attack and dropping her to her knees. “Come on. I want to see more of you. I want to feel more of these emotions!” Vinyl had just managed to get back to her knees when she felt a powerful punch to her gut. She felt a hand on her shoulder keeping her up as Chrysalis’ foot kicked her full force in the chest. She fell back, unable to fight, but still holding on to her transformation. Chrysalis stood over Vinyl, chuckling to herself, “It’d be such a shame to kill you. I’ll allow you to live for now. I look forward to seeing you again.” Vinyl rolled over to her stomach, struggling to prop herself back up to her knees. Chrysalis was already so far away, there was no way Vinyl would be able to catch up to her in her current state.

Feeling somewhat safe, she let her transformation drop, staying grounded for a few minutes to let herself recover enough to walk home. She stumbled her way back to the street. It was barren except for a few motor vehiecles that were audible in the distance. Vinyl turned around, seeing a light start to approach. Remembering that she hadn’t moved since she transformed, she decided to take her chances. She threw her arms up and waved to a car, which to her surprise, actually caused it to slow to a stop. The driver rolled down his window, “What’s the matter miss? Need a ride?”

“Yes. Please.”

The man in the window shrugged and waved a hand, “Aw heck, hop in.” Vinyl carefully walked around to the passenger side, doing her best to hide her pain. “Just tell me where ya need to be and I’ll getcha there as quick as I can, s’long as you ain’t to far out. If the cops stop us by the way, just tell em we just got outta work and were on our way home. They’re startin’ to set up some kinda road block, so we ain’t exactly s’posed to be here right now.”


---


Vinyl arrived home safely, quietly heading straight for her room. Trixie was no where to be seen, which saved Vinyl the effort of having to explain herself. She entered her room and promptly flopped on to her bed.

“Took you long enough. I was actually starting to get worried.”

Vinyl recognized her brother’s voice coming from her bathroom. She hugged her pillow, responding with a low groan.

“You gonna be okay?” LP’s question was answered with another groan. He left the bathroom and sat down on the bed. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. But I got you something to cheer you up.” He reached under the bed and grabbed two packaged toys, placing them in front of her face. Vinyl looked up from her pillow, her eyes quickly fixated heavily on the small pony dolls in front of her. LP chuckled to himself. “Figured you’d like it. Don’t worry, Trixie didn’t see me bring them in. Your secret’s still safe.”

Vinyl sat up and hugged him from behind, “You’re the best.”


---


Gilda was leaning against a dumpster behind a shopping plaza somewhere in Middle Manehattan in the middle of the day. She was worse for wear, panting heavily as she kept a close eye on her surroundings, “Dammit, first the police are all over me and then another dude with one of those super gizmos. Friggen hammer hit like a truck.” She slammed her fist against the dumpster. “Dammit it all! I get rid of one fucking problem and now I get like, twenty more! I can barely show my face anywhere anymore without getting chased by police or running into that hammer wielding prick.”

“Hm? What have we here?” A female voice asked from behind

Gilda quickly pulled a 180, her right hand held in front of her belt buckle,“The hell do you want? You after me too?”

The woman was wearing a formal, green Chineighse dress, “I was out on business and I happened to find a very interesting human sprinting by. What ever are you running from?”

“Bad answer, hag.” Gilda ran her nails across her belt buckle, leaving what appeared to be a red gash on the buckle where her nails had passed. She raised her right arm and pumped it down, fist clenched. “You got five seconds to run before I rip you apart.” A brown armor materialized around her.





“I take it you’re not with G.U.A.R.D. I can see the drive in your heart. You desire absolute power. The power to take whatever you want and crush all in your way. I can give you that power. More than that weak Driver ever could.”

Gilda lowered her arm down, “I’m listening.”

“Join me. Shed your humanity. Allow me to transform you into a Changeling and feel power like you’ve never dreamed.” The skin on the woman’s left hand began to flake off, leaving a jet black chitin shell with a gaping hole around her palm.

Gilda considered her offer for a minute, “And how do I know you’re not trying to pull something?”

The woman placed her hand on her hip. “You are free to walk away. I will not follow you and I shall speak to no one of our encounter. Join me, and I shall give you shelter and power. The choice is yours. I will not extend this offer should we meet again.”

Gilda didn’t take much time to decide. It was gamble on greater power or continue being hunted down, “Aright. You got a deal. Whaddu I do?”

The woman pointed to her belt, “Remove your Driver and I will do the rest.”

Gilda hesitated for a moment, but her mind once again went to the alternative option of leaving and being relentlessly hunted down. She ran her palm across her Driver, causing the red gash to vanish and her armor to disappear as well. Reaching back and undoing the belt, she tossed the driver to her side and held her arms out to the side, “Aright, super belt’s off.”

The woman approached Gilda and pierced her sharp black hand inside Gilda’s chest. Gilda’s mouth opened to scream, but no noise came forth. The woman removed her hand after a moment and caught Gilda before she could collapse. “You shall find yourself weak for a few hours until your body adjusts. I will call for a vehicle to escort you to safety until then. I will give you one warning, and you would do well to remember it. You will soon find yourself in a grand estate. If any harm comes to any of its inhabitants, I will personally kill you.”

Author's Note:

So, this one, all things considered, was surprisingly on time-ish. Editing and posting was delayed due to being at a local poni con, car issues and throat sickness all in a short two weeks, but all in all, good stuff. I'm posting this right before me and Mani-Roar go to get some pizza so I'm not really sure what commentary to throw out here. I'll do it later maybe if I remember. Hope you enjoy.

Also, I imported from Google Docs again, so if anything seems odd or out of place, please let me know and I'll fix it.