VI – Change in Plans
Chapter VI
Change in Plans
Velvet was cleaning the mugs behind the empty counter. “What, you want another one? What happened to ‘one-chug-go?’”
Vinyl shrugged, her eyes on the empty dance floor. It was just the two of them, the club having closed a few minutes ago. “I’m just in the mood.”
With a smirk, Velvet leaned over the counter. “Trouble in paradise?” She set a bottle in Vinyl's range.
“What the hay are you talking about?” Vinyl grabbed the bottle, popped it open and took a chug.
“Every morning you’re in a hurry to talk to this mare on the radio.” Velvet bumped her shoulder. “Maybe you got hit by a bolt from Princess Cadance.”
That Vinyl didn’t spill her drink all over herself was a testament to her reflexes. She sputtered for a few seconds before slamming the bottle to the table and laughing raucously. “Is that what you think’s going on? Seriously, Velvet?”
“I dunno, you won’t tell me anything.” Velvet shot her a scowl, but the twitch turning the corner of her lip up gave her away. “If you won’t come clean, all I can do is conjecture and listen to rumors.”
Vinyl raised an eyebrow. “Who’s making rumors?”
“Bouncing, of course.”
“Of course.” Vinyl leaned forward, peering eyes set on Velvet. “And you didn’t help any, I bet.”
With a light chuckle, Velvet brought her hooves close together and looked at Vinyl from between them. “I may have added just a little.”
“Wonderful.” Vinyl took another long chug. “Guess I shouldn’t worry about it too much. It’s not like I’ve seriously cared about what ponies think of me anyway.” Her thoughts jumped back to her lunch with Flash, prompting a blush. “Well, most of the time.”
“So when are you going to go and sweep Adi off her hooves?”
“Oh, stop it.” Another chug. “I’m not even a fillyfooler. Ah—” she thrust her hoof before Velvet’s smirking face, “—a little experimentation with a certain famous cellist in our high school days does not count. It was just once, for crying out loud!”
Velvet raised her hooves high with what had to be her most innocent expression. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Don’t pull my leg, V, you were thinking it.”
“Yeah, yeah I was.” Velvet giggled and went back to cleaning mugs. “I’m never going to let you live that down.”
“So you say every time it comes up.” Vinyl examined her bottle, saw it was about a third full. “I wish I knew what I was thinking back then.”
“I wish I knew what you were thinking now.”
Vinyl swung her hoof, missing the grinning bartender by inches. “You’re one to talk. I bet you still hold the record for most detentions in a high school career.”
“Probably.” Velvet grinned. “I still have the joke plaque Principal Pencil Pusher gave me at graduation.”
The two shared a chuckle and Vinyl finished her bottle. She used her magic to drop it into the garbage. “Well, I should probably go. I’m at a good part with that album I’ve been working on, and I—”
“Bull, you’re just dying to hear Adi’s sweet, sweet voice again.” Velvet set her hooves beneath her chin and batted her eyes. “Go on, be with your little filly.”
“Ugh.” Vinyl rolled her eyes with a smile and turned for the exit. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, V. I’m gonna wanna hear the details on some of these rumors later.”
“Aye-aye, Cap’n.”
The first chill of autumn hit Vinyl like a ton of bricks. If there was one thing she didn’t like about living in Canterlot, it was the cold that came with being on a mountain. As she trotted through the streets, she took some comfort in the knowledge that the Upper Levels were much colder. The silly snobs had their equally silly superiority come back to bite them in the flank every winter, and that at least brought a smile to her face.
She moved through town quickly, eager to get into the warmth of her apartment. She stopped by a Southern Coast restaurant that she knew made a great seapetal stew, arriving just as it was opening for the day. The rest was a straight run for her place, dodging the morning ponies who were insane enough to wake up just after sunrise.
As she trotted along, the bag of takeout hovering over her shoulder, she thought about the rumors Velvet had mentioned. Adi and her, a couple? Vinyl chuckled at the thought. They hadn’t even met in pony yet. Was it possible to fall for somepony when you didn’t know what they looked like? Besides, her brief high school fling made it clear she didn’t want to go down that particular road.
Adi wasn’t her type, anyway.
Then who was her type? She’d thought about it before, and—
Vinyl shook her head forcefully, tossing away that train of thought before it could gather steam. She had no interest in it, because it always led to her having the same depressing conclusions.
Still, the ideas ran through her head again. Sensing the trap, she was thrilled to see her apartment come into view around the corner. She would get in, warm up under some blankets and chat with Adi while enjoying her stew and working on her new album. That would derail the problem for certain.
Through the front door, up the stairs, down the hall, a brief fight with the keys. Vinyl took in the warmth of her apartment with glee, bouncing into the doorway with a relieved sigh. A proper coat would be required tomorrow, beyond a doubt! Setting her pack aside, she trotted into the kitchen and set the takeout container down before grabbing a blanket from the closet of her bedroom.
A yawn escaped her lips as she sat on the cushion by the table. Perhaps the album could wait; working a few extra hours for Bouncing wore her out more than she’d expected. Still, she was comfortable, her seapetal stew was warm and she’d had a good night. A little talk with Adi would complete a solid evening; she reached forward and flicked the switch on the radio.
She nearly fell on her back as a commercial blared in her face. Vinyl frantically turned down the volume, then glared at the radio. Had she changed the frequency on accident? She picked up the device to study the display… and cocked her head. No, it was the right frequency. Puzzling over this abrupt change, she took a moment to listen as the radio played more commercials. Then the DJ’s voice arose:
“Welcome back, everypony, and thank you for listening to the all new CATZ2 radio station, expanding your musical world with the very best of—”
“What?” Vinyl dropped the radio and snatched the microphone. “Can you hear me?”
The DJ kept talking, ignorant of her words. She stared at the radio, then the mic. Her heart pounded against her ribs. “Adi? Adi, are you there?”
The announcer finished his monologue and some rock music began to play. Vinyl perked her ears towards the radio, listening for any sound that might be Adi’s voice in the background. She heard none. “Come on, Adi, talk to me. I’m still here! If you can hear me, switch to frequency three-six-point-two.”
She turned the knob to the proper frequency, the music being traded for static. A few seconds passed. “Adi, you there?”
Time passed.
“C-come on, Adi, be there.”
Nothing.
Her heart in a vice, Vinyl changed back to the old frequency, the rock music filling the room once more. “Adi! Please, let me hear from you.”
As the music continued to play, Vinyl closed her eyes and tried to think. She’d seen this kind of thing happen before, back when she still considered radio chatter a big hobby. What had her father said about it? She couldn’t be sure, something about radio frequencies being magically protected. So what would Adi do if she couldn’t get through?
Vinyl grabbed the radio and began turning the knob to different channels. Static. Static. Country music. More static. With bated breath, she slowly circled through dozens of frequencies. Never did she hear Adi’s voice.
“Think, Vinyl, think…” She set the radio down once more and buried her head in her hooves. “I’m late. Th-that’s all. Maybe she got tired of waiting and went to bed without me. That makes sense, right?”
She looked up, eyes set on the power switch. Taking a long, heavy breath, she used her magic to shut the radio off.
“This afternoon.” She pulled her stew close and hunched over its steaming warmth. “She’ll be on this afternoon and we can figure out a new frequency then. This isn’t a problem.”
The world answered with an unpleasant silence.
Vinyl ran through the streets, her breath fogging before her face and the radio hovering just ahead of her. The moon was a faint sliver of light in the clear sky, just barely enough to make her path visible. Canterlot Castle, her destination, towered over her like a silent colossus. Her pounding hoofbeats echoed almost as loudly as the blood in her ears.
Her hooves skidded on the cold ground when she made the turn, and she fell on her side. Vinyl wasted no time climbing to her hooves, her eyes going over the radio to check it for damage even as she bolted alongside the wall. Her lungs burned from the long gallop across the city, but she didn’t dare slow down.
There, the door! She slid a second time, nearly falling again. Her hooves pounded the door and she tried to shout, but her voice came out hoarse. It didn’t matter, so long as she got somepony’s attention. She banged and banged, gasping for breath but refusing to stop.
At last the door opened, but only a crack, and a sleepy looking mare with a guard’s golden helmet poked her head out. She scowled at the breathless Vinyl. “What the hay are—”
“Flash… Sentry,” Vinyl managed to gasp. “Emergency… L-let me in!”
The guardpony’s scowl lessened as she took in Vinyl’s ragged form. “What’s this all about?”
Vinyl pressed a hoof to her chest and gasped a few times. “I need to see… Flash Sentry. Right now! Somepony… somepony’s in trouble.”
Studying her for several seconds, the guardspony grumbled and glanced about the empty roadway by the castle. “Well, you sure as Tartarus look like you’ve got something important to say.”
“I do!” At last Vinyl was able to suck in a single, long breath of air that recovered her breathing to manageable levels. “Let me in, please. I’ve got to get help. Flash can get it for me, I just know it!”
The guard rubbed her chin in thought but finally nodded. “If this is some kind of trick, I’ll throw you in the bucking dungeon myself. Get in here and stay quiet.”
Vinyl did as she was told. If she weren’t in such a frantic state of mind, she might have marveled that even the guards’ barracks of the castle had marble floors and vaulted ceilings. Instead she merely let her hooves dance and waited for the blasted guard to take her precious time re-locking the door.
“This way.”
She followed the guard deeper into the castle, heading down a number of halls that were lined with simple blue doors. They passed through a particularly large one at the end of a hallway to enter a wide room that looked almost like a waiting area. A pair of ponies sat at a nearby desk playing cards. They looked up upon the arrival of their guests.
“’Ey, Caster,” the guard behind the desk called. “Who’s the civilian?”
Caster’s grimace had yet to fall off her lips. “Either one of Flash’s fanfillies or a pony in a lot of trouble.”
The other guard scoffed and went back to his cards. “Must be nice to be a pretty colt. What, does he have one in every city?”
Vinyl let out a snarl and galloped to the desk, slamming the radio on top of it and scattering their cards. “I don’t have time for your yammering! Where’s Flash? I need him!”
The guard behind the desk sneered. “There are lots o’ mares that claim ta ‘need’ Flash.”
His companion pouted. “And I was winning that game.”
“Naw, ya weren’t.”
“How would you know? Where you reading my cards again, you damn cheater?”
“Ya can’t prove Ah ever did, knucklehead.”
Vinyl raised her hoof, prepared to slam it on the desk, but it was caught by Caster’s magic. She struggled against it as Caster turned to the other two. “C’mon, guys, she’s a feisty one. Tell me where Flash is stationed so I can get her outta our tails.”
“Alright, fine.” The guard opened a drawer and pulled out a logbook. He flicked the pages with his magic for a few seconds before finding one that was mostly empty. “Sentry, Sentry… ’ere he is. He’s still on duty fer...” He glanced at a clock on the wall. “’Nother couple hours.”
Vinyl’s hoof finally jerked free from the magic, and she nearly fell from the sudden motion. “Where is he?”
“It’s against protocol ta—”
“Where is he?”
Caster sighed. “Just tell us, Rook. I already told her she’s going to jail if I find she’s just chasing tail, and besides—” she patted Vinyl’s shoulder, “—she does seem pretty determined. I’m inclined to believe her.”
“Yeah,” the other guard grumbled, “and I wanna get back to our game.”
With a sigh, Rook closed the book. “He’s guardin’ Princess Cadance’s chambers, as usual. Like he said, must be nice ta be a pretty colt.”
Vinyl turned to gallop off, but slid to a stop with a curse as she realized she had no idea where she was going. She glanced back, hooves dancing yet again as Caster rolled her eyes and approached. “Come on, let’s find your stallion.”
As they walked through the marble halls, it dawned upon Vinyl that she’d never seen the inside of the castle before. The thought delivered a shot of extra nervousness into her blood, and her eyes darted about at the splendor that seemed to seep from every crevice and corner. She didn’t let it distract her for long, though; her eyes went back to her radio and she felt that familiar chill down her spine.
What if it was too late?
“H-how far is it?”
“Eight floors up.”
Vinyl whimpered. She grabbed the radio out of the air and tucked it under one leg. “I’m coming, Adi. Just hold on.”
Caster glanced back at her with a curious expression, but said nothing.
Time seemed to wear on. They passed through endless halls, great rooms with unknown purposes, up enough stairs to make Vinyl’s legs hurt. Every corner was gilded, every column was ornate, every window towering. Yet it was all eerily empty, their hoofsteps echoing in the cool air. Vinyl used to always wonder what it was like in this grand place. Now she wished she’d come during the day.
After what seemed like an eternity, they passed into a large hallway that was a bit less ornate than the others. With the soft red carpet and gentler tones, it struck Vinyl as more… pleasant. Perhaps it was the residential area of the castle? That thought had her tired hooves dancing yet again, for if accurate then they were almost to their destination.
They rounded a corner, and there was Flash standing alongside a fellow guard before a large red door. Vinyl let the radio float in her magic once more and bounded towards him.
“Flash!”
He turned his head towards her, his bored expression dropping swiftly as his eyes bulged. He opened his mouth, but stopped short of calling back, his eyes darting to the door.
Vinyl came to a stop before him. “Oh, thank Goddess! I need your help, you’ve got to—”
Flash pressed both hooves to her lips and hissed, “Keep it down, the princess is sleeping. What the hay are you doing here?”
She pushed his hooves away and shoved the radio between them. She managed to keep her voice low, but it wasn’t easy. “It’s Adi! She’s gone, I can’t talk to her and I don’t know how she’ll react to being alone again. You have to help me get her back!”
“And how am I supposed to do that?”
She floated the radio to the side and stepped closer. “Princess Luna. I need to get into the Night Court to speak to her, now. Adi can’t wait another week-and-a-half for an appointment!”
Flash shot Caster a wide-eyed look, then turned it on his partner on the other side of the door. Vinyl didn’t even look to get their reactions; she focused all her attention on Flash, her lip trembling.
“You’re going to get me fired,” he whispered. “What makes you think I can get you in there?”
“Because you’re a guard,” she replied firmly. “You’re my friend, and there’s too much at stake.”
He groaned and shook his head. “Vinyl, I can’t just waltz into the Night Court and—”
“Please!” She came forward, pushing him against the wall with her forehooves and locking eyes with him. “You’ve got to help me! Adi could be doing something extreme as we speak. She needs help, and this is the only thing I know to do. Please, Flash.”
He stared at her, his back pressed to the wall and his eyes set with hers. A second passed. Another. He glanced once more to his companion and Caster, then stared at Vinyl a bit more. She could almost see the gears turning in his head.
She leaned a little closer. “Please.”
At last he let out another groan and shoved her off. He pointed to Caster. “You.” He pointed at the floor. “Stay.”
“But I’m supposed to be—”
“Stay.”
Caster grumbled but did as she was told, taking Flash’s place by the door. With a firm nod, he turned to Vinyl. “Hold on.”
Vinyl blinked as he walked behind her. “Hold on? What are you—hey!”
With a powerful flap of his wings, Flash caught Vinyl by her shoulders and lifted off. The hall flew past in a blur. “Whoa, waitaminute, I’ve never flown before!”
“Yes you have, you just don’t remember.”
“I have not! Put me down!”
“You wanna get to the Night Court quickly, don’t you?”
She looked up at him with wide eyes. Though her heart hammered in her chest, she stopped fighting and focused on the goal. The radio was trailing behind them, and she quickly brought it forward and wrapped it in her hooves for safekeeping. “Th-thanks, Flash.”
“Don’t thank me,” he replied. “You’re gonna hate me in about five seconds.”
“What? Why would Iiiieee—whoa, whoa, that’s not a door!”
Vinyl tucked her hind legs in and let out a shout as Flash flew between a pair of columns, past a balcony and into the night sky. Canterlot was spread hundreds of feet beneath her.
She sucked in a sharp breath and clutched her radio. “If y-you drop me I w-will kill you.”
He shot her a wry grin. “Don’t tempt me.”
“Not fun—augh!” Her stomach dropped as he made a wide turn, her hind legs rising in an arc. “This is not fun, not fun at all!”
Flash laughed. “And to think, you wanted to make a sport out of this.”
Vinyl gritted her teeth and fought to keep her lunch down. She didn’t dare speak or even move lest he lose his hold. They had circled the castle and risen several floors, and now Flash took them towards a large balcony. They darted over a tower, Vinyl instinctually raising her hind legs in fear of hitting the blue ceiling. At last Flash slowed to a steady descent, dropping her gently to the balcony floor.
Vinyl collapsed to her barrel, clutching the radio and trembling. She took a few short gasps, then glanced up to find Flash landing before her. “I hate you.”
He smirked. “Told ya.”
Legs wobbling, she climbed to her hooves and glared at him. “Next time you want to take me flying, give me some war—”
He pressed a hoof to her lips, his expression going solemn as he gestured with his head to the balcony window. She paused, then glanced over. The darkly lit throne room was just on the other side of the glass, and there, sitting upon the throne and addressing some noblepony, was Princess Luna.
Vinyl could only gape. She’d never been so close to royalty before, and the princess struck an imposing figure; she sat tall, her eyes hard as steel and her lips set in a firm scowl. The thought that she was about to interrupt the princess’s court when she looked so upset already made Vinyl tremble. She looked down at the radio and closed her eyes, recalling that first night when she’d heard Adi sounding so lost and scared.
She had to do this.
“Hold it.” Flash pressed her back before she could approach the window. “Let me. I’m less likely to get sent to the moon.”
Vinyl’s eyes widened. “D-does she actually do that?”
“Not that I know of.” Flash turned and studied the princess with a solemn frown before adding, “But there’s a first time for everything.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat and stood back, shivering in the cold night air.
Flash approached the window and rapped gently on the glass. It took him three tries to catch the attention of the nearest guard, who approached with a miffed frown. The guard, an older thestral, pushed open the window and peered at the two of them with shining yellow eyes. “What’s all this, then?”
Flash spoke with firmness, his manner entirely professional. “I have a message for the princess, if I may be allowed.”
The guard considered him, then Vinyl. He huffed and glanced back at the unaware princess. “You taking responsibility? ’Cause I sure as Tartarus ain’t.”
“Yes, I’ll take responsibility.” The answer came without hesitation, which made Vinyl’s ears perk. She quietly wondered what ‘taking responsibility’ entailed in this instance. Judging by the way the guard’s eyebrows rose, it couldn’t be a small matter. She wanted to thank Flash by her expression, but he didn’t look back.
The guard stood aside. Flash waved a wing in Vinyl’s direction and she followed in a low stance. The guard eyed her, but she was too nervous to say anything other than a feeble “Thank you.”
The throne room wasn’t as huge as Vinyl had expected, but it was still significant. The area was lit only by dim blue torches, giving the entire throne room an eerie atmosphere. Princess Luna’s mane sparkled in the gloom, her piercing focus set upon a noblepony who, by his constant fidgeting and occasional stutter, seemed to think his issue wasn’t as important as he had originally believed. For the most part, however, the throne room was empty.
Flash turned his head and spoke without looking at Vinyl. “Wait here.” He started to walk, but paused and turned his head again. “Don’t worry, I hear she’s not as mean as she looks.”
Vinyl sat and held the radio to her chest with ears low. She watched as Flash stealthily moved along the wall, going behind a few guards who gave him looks varying from bored to curious to threatening. He took it all in stride, keeping his head held high and his gait firm. Vinyl had to acknowledge being impressed.
Stepping up to the side of the thestral closest to Luna, he whispered in the guard’s ear. She glanced at him before nodding and stepping back. With no more obstacles, Flash moved in and leaned just over the arm of the throne. Vinyl could see him whisper something; Luna’s reaction was only the faintest shift in her hard eyes.
Vinyl could feel her heart pounding as Flash continued to speak. “Come on, come on…” She let out a whimper as the princess, her head immobile, looked in her direction. Though her stiff body language suggested her focus was on the noblepony, Vinyl had the sensation that Luna’s whole attention had been suddenly set upon her.
It wasn’t a good sensation.
Luna raised her hoof, and the noblepony stopped speaking. The princess whispered to Flash, not once losing her harsh demeanor. Though a few more words were exchanged, the throne room had grown unnervingly quiet. At last Luna waved a hoof and Flash stepped back with his head bowed.
The princess turned her eyes back to the noblepony and lowered her hoof. When she spoke, her words were as cold as her expression.
“Thank you, Sir Needlepoint, for your opinion, but I am afraid a new matter has arisen that I should see to promptly. If you would write for me a report summarizing all you have told me and concluding your intentions, I promise that I or my sister will address your concerns as promptly as possible. I should take this opportunity to point out that thus far I am not swayed, so I suggest you word your arguments very carefully.”
The noblepony bowed and fled the court as if the princess were firing lasers at his flank.
Luna shook her head as the door closed, her stoney demeanor melting. “Archimedes? Tea, if you please.”
One of the thestrals at her side nodded. “Diamond Flower Shoreline?”
The princess nodded. “This night most certainly calls for it.” As the thestral departed at a trot, Luna glanced towards Vinyl, who flinched. “Well, come on. You went through all this trouble to cut in line, you might as well make your request.”
Sucking in a deep breath, Vinyl made her way to the front of the throne on hooves made of jelly. Flash, still standing near the princess, gave her a firm nod, which she returned with far less confidence.
Luna studied Vinyl, her manner firm but lacking the harshness from before. “What is your name?”
“V-Vinyl Scratch, your majesty.” She was at last before the throne, and promptly dropped into as deep a bow as she could manage. “I’m very sorry for barging in like this, but I have something really important to say.”
“If I had a bit for every time I heard that, Miss Scratch, Equestria wouldn’t need a budgeting office.”
Vinyl grimaced, but held her tongue. She sat up and set her radio down between them. “This time, it is a matter of life and death. My friend is in trouble, and I need your help to save her.”
Luna’s eyebrows rose. “That sounds serious indeed. Do explain.”
Vinyl raised the radio up so that it would be clearly visible. “A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a transmission on this two-way radio. The pony I heard was on the verge of committing suicide. I have been speaking with her every day since then, trying to determine why. She hasn’t opened up to me, but I am convinced that she’s in very serious trouble.”
Luna set a hoof to her chin as she studied the device. “Go on.”
Vinyl licked her lips and glanced at Flash, knowing what she was about to say would sound ridiculous. Still, she swallowed her anxiety and spoke up. “The pony’s name is Adi, and she claims to be from…” Her cheeks started to burn. “To be from outer space.”
For a second time, Luna’s eyebrows rose. Rather than the dubiousness Vinyl expected, however, Luna seemed curious. This gave her the courage to hurry through the rest of her explanation.
“I believe that the best way to make her open up to me and reveal what’s really going on is to directly disprove her story. My original appointment with you was to ask if there was some way to do that. Yet now I find that I’ve lost communication with Adi; it’s like she’s not on the airwaves at all.”
Vinyl tapped the radio for emphasis. “Princess Luna, the frequency we were using to talk to one another has been taken over by a new, protected radio station. I need to get the station to change frequencies so that I can talk to Adi again.”
“I see.” Luna leaned forward. “And you want me to just order this radio station to change frequencies?”
Vinyl nodded frantically. “Any other way is too slow! My friend, she’s scared of being alone. Terrified! I… I’m afraid she’ll do something drastic if she doesn’t hear from me soon. Please, Princess, I can’t let her die.”
Luna tilted her head with a solemn frown. “I would ask why you haven’t tried other frequencies, but surely you wouldn’t be here if you’d not tried that already.”
“I’ve tried every single frequency I can.” Vinyl shook the radio at her. “I don’t know why I can’t find her. She must be on the same frequency as before, yet I can’t find out unless I can get past the bucking radio station!”
Some of the guards cast wary glances at one another at her swear, and Flash facehoofed.
Yet if Luna were offended, she made no sign of it. She sat back and tapped her hooves together while studying Vinyl with a thoughtful expression. “Let’s say I did as you asked and your friend is there. What exactly do you expect me to do then?”
Vinyl paused to gather her thoughts. She’d had plenty of time to think on this subject. “Y-you can… can prove her story is false. All you have to do is determine that the radio frequency isn’t coming from the sky. That alone will solidly disprove her story and force her to acknowledge whatever trouble she’s really in.”
“You’re mistaken,” Luna replied curtly. “If she truly believes what she says, it will take more than my word to convince her. After all, to you I am a princess, but to your friend I will be merely another voice on the radio.”
“It won’t be like that!” Vinyl shook her head frantically. “She’ll believe you, I know she will.”
“Suppose your friend is merely insane,” Luna pressed. “You would be wasting my time.”
“She’s not insane!” Vinyl jumped forward and glared at Luna; neither the princess nor her guards flinched. “I came here looking for help and you insult my friend. She could be tying a bucking noose around her neck as we speak. You’re the one wasting my time!” She stomped and snorted steam. “If you won’t do it, just say so and I’ll find somepony else who will!”
Vinyl made to leave, but came to an abrupt stop as she felt the radio pulled out of her magical grip. She turned around to see the device floating towards the throne. “Hey, give that back!”
Luna ignored her and took the radio in her hooves. She examined it from all angles. “This is an old device. How is it nopony else has spoken to your friend? Surely others must be able to reach the same frequency.”
“I…” Vinyl hesitated, her anger fading to a small hum in the back of her mind. “I really don’t know.”
“And why would she only answer to one frequency?” Luna cast a raised eyebrow Vinyl’s way. “Are you sure she did not simply go on vacation?”
“And go where?” Vinyl shook her head as the fire came back. “She’s spoken to me every day for four weeks! Why would she go somewhere and not tell me?”
“Or something happened to incapacitate her, like a straightjacket.”
A ball of ice formed in Vinyl’s chest, knocking the air out of her. She sat and bowed her head, legs shaking. “Y-you are a cruel mare, Princess. P-please…” She rubbed her eyes and looked up. “Give it back. I’ll go and find some other pony to help me. I just h-hope Adi isn’t dead by then.”
Luna did not answer for a time, instead continuing her study of the radio. After a few seconds, she asked, “What is the name of the radio station in question?”
“What?” Vinyl blinked and cocked her head. “CATZ2.”
The thestral who had left earlier now appeared at Luna’s side with a steaming cup of tea. Luna set the radio on the arm of the throne and took the tea in her magic, taking a dainty sip.
“Archimedes, I want you to find the producer of the local radio station, CATZ2. Tell them I wish to have a meeting as soon as possible about a temporary break in their service.”
Vinyl’s jaw almost hit the floor. “Y-you mean you’ll do it?”
Luna nodded with a smile. “I find your conviction for a friend refreshing. There are many ways you could have approached this situation – arguably better ones – but you took a risk and came straight to me. I admire that. Besides,” she added with a grimace, “this will be far more interesting than my usual night.”
It took Vinyl several seconds to fully grasp what was happening. “Th-thank you, thank you so much! Oh—” She ran her hoof in circles on the marble floor, “—and, uh, sorry I shouted and all that.”
“Don’t be.” Luna’s smile grew warm. “I am glad to finally meet somepony who will be upfront with me.” She took another sip of her tea. “Now then, it will take some time to make arrangements with the station, and I will need to be briefed on the technology; I must acknowledge I am not as versed in it as I would like for this situation. Do you live far from the castle, Miss Scratch?”
Vinyl stared at Luna for a couple seconds before the exact question lodged in her brain. “Oh! Um, it’s in the Lower Levels, Princess.” She blushed and devoted herself to studying her hooves.
“Well, I won’t have you going all that way just to come right back. Mr. Sentry.”
Flash stepped forward and saluted. “Princess.”
Luna turned her smile on him. “I believe there is room in the barracks to let Miss Scratch have some rest, yes? Escort her there. I will send for you both when I am ready to proceed, which I imagine will be sometime in the morning.” She turned back to Vinyl. “Will that suit you, Miss Scratch?”
“Of course!” She bowed deep once more. “Thank you again, your highness. Thank you so much!”
“You are very welcome. You’re dismissed.”
Flash nudged Vinyl, prompting her to stand and head for the doors. As soon as they closed Flash let out a long sigh. “I can’t believe she said yes.”
Vinyl tackled him to the floor and rubbed cheeks with him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“Hey, lemme go before somepony thinks you really are after my tail!”
“Too late for that,” the guard by the door grumbled. Upon hearing him, Vinyl leapt off Flash with her face as hot as dragon’s fire.
“Great.” Flash climbed to his hooves. “Now the entire castle’s going to be taunting me about it by morning.”
“Oh, woe is you,” the guard said, rolling his eyes. “It must be so stressful being a pretty colt. Thank Celestia the majority of us were born ugly; clearly we are blessed.”
Flash gave an exaggerated “Ah-hah, ah-hah” before grabbing Vinyl by the leg. “Come on, let’s go before things get worse.”
“S-sorry,” she mumbled as he led her through the halls.
Flash held his head low and maintained a bitter scowl. “Eh, forget about it. They’ve been teasing me about the same crap ever since I signed up to be a guard.”
Vinyl considered this, glancing back at the guard just as they turned a corner. “Do you really have a bunch of mares chasing your tail like they say?”
He groaned. “Three, okay? There were just three mares, and I broke up with each of them ages ago! It’s not my fault they turned out to be possessive nutcases.”
“Uh-huh.” Vinyl glanced about to ensure nopony was around before moving close. “Well, I don’t wanna look like some starry-eyed fanfilly, but since you risked so much for me…” She pressed the top of her muzzle beneath his jaw. “Thank you.”
He came to a pause, not saying anything until she stepped back to find him staring wide-eyed at her. His lips curled in a dopey, lopsided smile. “Uh… you’re welcome.”
Vinyl snickered and whacked his shoulder. “Come on, Bolt Butt, you’re supposed to be showing me to a room. Note: a room, not your room.”
“I wasn’t thinking that!”
“Uh-huh.” She chuckled at his red-faced glare, but quickly sobered as they rounded the next corner. “I hope the princess works fast. Every second feels like a second too long, y’know?”
He sighed and nodded. “Don’t worry, Vinyl. I’m sure the princess will work as fast as she can under the circumstances.”
She glanced at him and chewed her lip. “This means a lot to me, Flash. I was really af… worried.”
He examined her before setting a hoof to her shoulder. “I know, Vinyl. Adi will be okay.
“I’m sure of it.”
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My god man, the suspense is killing me!
Luna is awesomest Princess?
Luna is awesomest Princess.
Keep up the good work!
You know, I was actually worried about Vinyl's situation, I was fearful that she would not get what she needed to talk to her again >.> Great work on the emotional aspect of this story, Paul.
Nooooo! Adi, come back! Now I'm sad.
As usual, awesome chapter. (Especially since Luna was there.
)
s2.quickmeme.com/img/7f/7fa6b0be9d5614e6e8aa57089f47c718ec462a462188bb1b058a1456cfd02d12.jpg
Is humanity really fallen? Like, no one left?
5481052
Should I get the defibrillators?
5481113
No, no, no.
Luna is awesomest pony. Princess is a given.
5482161
Trying to slow things down? I did nothing of the sort... at least not intentionally. Some examples?
5483240
You'll have to wait one more chapter to get the answer, I'm afraid.
5483342
I think 20cc of update would suffice.
5483909
Oh, that's a shame. Those meds won't be in until at least the 17th. If you don't think you'll last that long, I can put you in touch with the family cemetery service.
PS – Yes, my family really does run a cemetery.
5483955
That's fine, as long as none of you are into necrophilia.
I'm sorry.
... This is just me thinking out loud here, but how fast is Adi orbiting Equestria? Or is she in geosynchronous orbit? And (just further rambling) wouldn't you think that Adi would, if she could control the orbital position of her spacecraft, do some testing to try to pinpoint Vinyl's location on Equestria (by using line of sight mechanics)? I was just thinking this up because I would not be surprised if Adi, for once during their chats, accidentally lost communication with Vinyl due to not being able to have a decent connection/LoS. And if Adi is in geosynchronous orbit ... then I think we may have a sin in convenience due to if Adi was positioned on the other side of the planet, she may not have gotten anyone to answer her signal (then again, we wouldn't have this story to begin with if this was so).
Best of luck, stay healthy, and update soon!
-Sky66
5485367
Hmm... I am torn. I could answer your speculation, but I don't want to spoil even the tiniest thing, because that's just something I prefer not to do.
I think I'll wait and let the next chapter resolve some of these issues.
Well if nothing else, Adi is getting to listen to some tunes and the news. And I enjoy how Luna is willing to drop things to get a request done if she considers it important. Too many would ignore a cry for help because they had been interrupted or it would interrupt a business.
Hm. I wish I knew more about how radios work, I only remember a thing or two from physics class.
I was surprised when Vinyl went to Flash, but I guess it makes sense. She doesn't really have many other pones to go too for help. Both her and Adi are going to need some professional help I'd they make it through this.
Edit: If these 2-ways operate on an AM frequency, in theory it wouldn't matter if Adi had drifted to the other side of the planet. If you can crank the power going through a low frequency AM band you can get the signal to travel an incredible distance.
I am interested that Adi can't see the planet. Radiowaves propagate at the speed of light, which means that if Adi is close enough for nigh instantaneous communication, then an Earth sized planet would be clearly visible, and from her initial desperate communication, it sounds as if she can't even see the planet.
Hehe, further, as someone who has a bit of experience with ham radios, I want to know the specs on Vinyl's radio. It seems to so easily communicate with something so far away, which is impressive because of its implied diminutive size.
5570146
There are a lot of strange circumstances regarding this,which are commented on frequently later in the story. A lot of it makes no scientific sense, and the characters are acutely aware of that. I intended to be a kind of 'running gag' of unexplainability.
The story keeps getting better and better. I'm really enjoying it.
5570146 Easily Adi's technology is so advanced as to where it knew just what adi needed to keep her alive. Vinyl. Adi needs Vinyl and now she does. In outer space, your frequency doesn't connect to you, you connect to frequency, see what I'm saying? Exactly. Aliens. Hah, you knew it was aliens all along though huh smart guy?
Oh this is getting good. The terror was palpable; that's an accomplishment for ANY author. Kudos!