A Knight's Aria

by chillbook1

Chapter 10

Vinyl Scratch and Derpy Hooves rushed into Canterlot Castle, not taking time to announce who they were to anypony. All that mattered right then was finding the princesses, alerting them of what had just transpired. They galloped through the halls and kicked in the door to the throne room, rushing in with no introduction. At the thrones against the back wall were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, both looking at the pair with bemusement.

“Princess Celestia!” cried Vinyl. “Aria is gone!”

“Who is Aria?” asked Luna. “We know of no such pony.”

“Wubs! Sir Wub-Wubs!”

“His name is Aria?” said Celestia in surprise. “He has never told us his true name. But what is this? He’s gone?”

“Locked himself in Tartarus.” said Vinyl sadly.

“Did he vanquish Hades?”

“No. It wasn’t Hades. It was Lady Vocal.”

“It couldn’t have been.” said Luna. “Lady Vocal was just a myth.”

“I swear to you, she’s real. Wubs is locked with her now, serving and catering to her every whim.”

“He’s dead by now.” said Derpy. “Vocal wouldn’t let him live after a betrayal like that. He’s… gone.”

“Did you see him die?” asked Luna.

“No.” said Vinyl.

“Did you hear him die? asked Celestia.

“Nuh-uh.” said Derpy, shaking her head.

“There is an old saying. Trust only that which you can see. If you cannot see, trust your ears. If you cannot hear-”

“Trust your heart.” said Vinyl. “I know. He said it to me. What does it mean?”

“Well, if you did not see him die, and you didn’t hear him die, you can only trust your heart.” said Celestia. “What is your heart telling you?”

“That he’s alive. He can’t be gone, he just can’t be.” said Vinyl, not realising the glow on her horn.

“Do you, in your heart, love him?”

“What? No! We’re just friends!”

“There’s more than one way to love another.” said Luna. “Do you have love for him?”

“Trust your heart.” said Celestia. “If you cannot love, then all hope is lost.”

“Yes. I love him. He’s one of the coolest ponies I’ve ever met.” said Vinyl. A song began to drift from her horn. Not just any song. Her song. As PON-3 FINAL3 began to grow louder, a figure began to materialize before Vinyl. The beat grew faster and louder, just as the figure grew bolder and more distinguishable. The beat dropped, and light exploded out from the figure. When it all died down, a familiar electric-blue stallion was standing in front of Vinyl.

“Who goes there?” asked Aria.

“Wubs!” cried Vinyl, squeezing him in a tight hug.

“Scratch? What? How did you get back in Tartarus?”

“She didn’t.” explained Celestia. “She brought you here.”

“Lady Celestia? How?”

“You are a song. A song that changes at all times.” said Luna. “You normally change aesthetically, and with the popularity with music, but this transformation was a tad bit different.”

“Instead of changing your appearance, you changed who and what you are.” said Celestia. “By telling Vinyl your name, you finally accepted a friend, a true friend, which altered your musical composition. You are now bound to Vinyl Scratch, as she is bound to you.”

Aria thought it over, a smile slowly spreading across his face. He hugged Vinyl, then Derpy, then Vinyl one more time.

“That’s going to be handy.” said Aria. “If you want a permanent spot on the party, that is.”

“What do you mean?” asked Vinyl.

“Would you like to become my partner, rather than companion? Derpy can come, too. I want you two to be knights with me, so we can go on adventures together!”

“Are all of them going to be as dangerous as this one?”

“Just as, if not more.”

“I’m in.” said Vinyl, jabbing him in the shoulder. Derpy just nodded her agreement, her loyalties already in place. She’d go with them wherever they went.

“Uh, Princess Celestia?” said Derpy. “Do you know anything about my eyes?”

“Are you referring to the crossing?” asked Luna.

“No. I can see the future and stuff. That Vocal lady called me an Espy. What is that?”

“Espies are ponies with special abilities, shrouded in mystery. Not much is known about Espies or their potential. This is something you must discover on your own.”

“Speaking of discoveries, I take it Scratch already informed you of Lady Vocal’s fate?” said Aria.

“Yes, she has. What of it?” asked Celestia.

“Lady Vocal survived. Maybe other Muussists survived.”

“Highly unlikely.” said Luna.

“But possible.”

“You’d never find them, even if they are still alive.” said Celestia.

“The universe is massive, ridiculous, and ever-changing, but there is very rarely room for definites such as ‘never’ and ‘always’. Only fools deal in absolutes. Right, milady?”

“That is true, but-”

“Lady Celestia, I have to do this.” said Aria. “This could be my only chance to find more of my kind. If Lady Vocal survived, maybe my father did as well. My parents could be out there someplace, with my brothers, maybe even Baritona! I’m going to try and find them.”

“It is going to be dangerous.” said Celestia.

“I’m aware of the danger, milady.”

“There’s a chance you might fail.” added Luna.

“There’s also a chance that I might not. Let’s focus on that chance.” said Aria, trotting towards the door. Celestia and Luna fluttered over to the door, blocking the exit with their wings. Aria stopped in his tracks, trying to figure out how to get past without disrespecting the princesses.

“What if we forbid you from going on this foolish search party?” asked Celestia.

“With all due respect, miladies, you could not stop me if you wanted to.” said Aria. “So, please and thank you, move out of the way.”

“This is a terrible idea, child! Can you not see how bad this can turn out? Are you bli-” began Luna catching her own stupid comment at the tip of her tongue.

“I understand that it’s dangerous and possibly a little stupid, but this is something I have to do.”

Celestia looked at her sister, an old spark in her eyes relit by Aria’s determination. She smiled morbidly and stepped away from the door.

“3 months. You have 3 months to search and return.” said Celestia.

“Woo-hoo! Another adventure with Sir Wub-Wubs!” said Vinyl.

“Actually, Scratch, this one is just me.” said Aria. Vinyl’s face dropped in sheer disappointment.

“But… I thought you said we could…”

“Yeah, just not for this particular quest. This is something I must do, Alone.”

“If you change your mind, we’ll be in Ponyville waiting for you.”

“Actually, I would prefer it if you and Derpy stayed in the castle.” said Celestia. “If Aria has not returned by the end of his three months, I would need you to bring him back.”

“Furthermore, she would be an excellent escape route if I run into trouble.” said Aria. “Before I leave, I’ll teach you a telepathy song. Since you’re not a Muussist, you won’t be able to use the song very often, only at the full moon, but it’s better than nothing.”

“I get that you have to do this alone, but what about the next one?” asked Vinyl.

“You’ll be coming with me, of course. If you can keep up, that is.”

“Why wouldn’t I be able to?”

“Do I even have to say it? Your extra X chromosome and high levels of estrogen are going to slow you down.”

“You are such a jerk.”

“You said you loved me.”

“You heard that?!” asked Vinyl in surprise.

“Of course. It was obvious, anyway. You were peacocking really hard out there, trying to impress me.” said Aria.

“I was the one peacocking? You were out there bragging about your amazing ‘sight’ and your magic Muussist music.”

“Is it bragging if I’m really that good?”

“Anyway.” said Celestia. “Why don’t you get ready for your quest? I’ll send a guard to bring Vinyl and Derpy to their new rooms, and you can gather the necessary resources to go on this adventure.”

“Your 3 months start today. Do not waste it, Aria.” said Luna.

“Of course, milady. And please, don’t call me Aria.” said Wub-Wubs. “I think I prefer Wub-Wubs.”

“I thought you accepted who you were.” said Celestia.

“I did. It’s just that Aria is too serious. Too angry. Sir Wub-Wubs is the life of the party. Besides, who can stop us with a name like that? The dubstep duo, Dj Pon-3 and Sir Wub-Wubs!” Sir Wub-Wubs exited the room and headed for the armory to find tools and weapons for his journey. Vinyl and Derpy awkwardly glanced at the princesses, unsure of what to do now.

“Have you learned anything from this adventure?” asked Celestia.

“Yeah.” said Vinyl. “I learned that, once upon a time, you were kind of a bitch.”

“He told you of how we found him?”

“Yup.”

“And to think, if Mother and Father would have passed away a year earlier, Luna would’ve owed me 5 bits. That was a lot in my day.”

“Luckily for Equestria, my sister is like a fine wine. She gets better with age.” said Luna. “She has matured greatly since those days.”

“I suppose I have.” chuckled Celestia, gazing out the window. It was almost time for Luna to raise the moon, but it could wait a little longer. Sir Wub-Wubs had dealt with the threat, allowing Celestia to finally spend those precious moments with her baby sister. The night was young, and the moonrise could wait.

Vocal stomped her hooves in rage and fury as her only remaining servant faded from view. She blasted jets of golden energy from her horn, each blast accompanied by a shriek of an angry song. Her magic shattered rocks and shook the cavern, her rage flowing through the entirety of a realm. When she had blown off all the steam she could, she began her way back to Hades’ castle, her new home. She crossed Styx River and climbed up the tall, stone stairs of the blood red castle. A creak broke the silence as she opened the door, old and dusty, untouched for years until earlier today. Vocal dropped to her stomach in the main chamber room, rage in her own failure rising steadily. She closed her eyes, preparing to fall asleep right there.
“Did you really think that would work?” asked a deep, sinister voice. Vocal froze in fear upon hearing the voice, the voice of the stallion she drowned in the Styx. Hades grabbed her by the mane and dragged her out of the castle and down the stairs, being none too careful. His smile grew wider with each THUD! of her head on the stone steps. He dragged Vocal to Styx River, where he punched her in the jaw.
“You sought to drown me in my own river?’ asked Hades, his fiery blue mane growing wilder and wilder. His iridescent purple eyes beamed into Vocal’s soul, pain flying through her mind.
“How are you here?” asked Vocal, still partly petrified.
“This is my kingdom! I do what I wish, and cannot be stopped by a mortal like yourself.” said Hades.
“I am no mortal!” cried Vocal indignantly. “Do you know who I am? I am Lady Vocal, the All-Maker!”
“You are a fool. You thought you could drown me in the Styx River? Why would you think that? Because it worked on my Keeper?”
“What are we doing here? Maybe it’s foolish of me to think this, but couldn’t you just torture me at the castle?”
“You’re right! That was foolish. You should stop talking. It’s best to stay quiet and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”
“You dodged my question.”
“You’re here for judgement, just like all souls who enter my kingdom.” said Hades. “Let’s see: Attempted genocide, mass vandalism, destruction of public and private property, conspiring, treason, attempted murder of an Espy, murder of a Keeper, attempted murder of Hades. I’m not sure, but I think Paradisa is out for you.”
“Spare me your sarcasm, Hades and just send me to the Fields of Punishment.”
“Oh! How funny!” laughed Hades. “You think you’re going to the Fields of Punishment! No. You go to the Fields of Asphodel. But not just any part of the Fields of Asphodel, but Asphodel Meadows. You walk and walk until your hooves bleed, and when they bleed, you crawl until your knees give out. By that time, your hooves should be all better, so you get up and start walking. Only in the Meadows, you have nowhere to go, nothing to do. Just walk.”
“I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy! That’s hell!” said Vocal.
“Enjoy.”
Hades plunged Vocal’s head in the Styx River, submerging her in the purple liquid. She kicked and sputtered, gasping and gurgling for air, but to no avail. She struggled for a few moments, then fell completely still. Hades pushed the rest of her body into the river, watching with a smile as Vocal melted and evaporated into dense, golden fog.
“I love the smell of Spirit Smoke in the morning.” said Hades, headed for his castle. When he arrived, he was met with the shimmery, yellowish projection of Princess Celestia.
“Hello, Hades.” she said.
“Greetings, Princess Celestia.” said Hades. “What do you need?”
“How are you dealing with Vocal?”
“She is walking for all of eternity in Asphodel Meadows. I find it fitting.”
“That is excessive. Please release her from the Meadows. Just let her live in the castle, please. She deserves at least that.”
“Princess Celestia, you are a kind and caring soul, which is something I can respect. Unfortunately for you, Vocal has committed crimes. Granted, these crimes affected Equestria, but, as she never left Tartarus, she is a prisoner in Tartarus. That makes her my problem. If you give me instruction on how to punish her, you are getting involved with my problems. If you get involved with one of my problems, you get involved with all of my problems. Do you want all of Tartarus’ issues on your shoulders, in addition to your kingdom?”
“No, but-”
“Would you call yourself an expert on the sun?”
“I would like to think.”
“I don’t go to Equestria and tell you how to raise your sun, nor do I instruct Luna on how to raise her moon. Do I?”
“No, but-”
“That’s because I’m not an expert on the sun or on the moon. I am, however, an expert on punishing those who deserve punishment.” said Hades. “If I don’t tell you how to do your job, then is it fair that you tell me how to do mine?”
“No, but-”
“Then it’s settled. Vocal will stay in the Meadows until I see fit to release her. It has been wonderful chatting, Celestia, but I must disconnect.”
Celestia shook her head in disapprovement and surrounded her horn in yellow light. She disappeared from Hades’ eyes, leaving him alone to think about his prisoner.
“If I see fit to release her.” he laughed, closing his door and heading towards his chambers. Today had been a strain on him, and his hooves were beginning to ache.

Author's Note:

If you made it to then end, thank you for taking time out of your day to read my story. It means a lot. Review and tell me how to do better, I will sincerely take any and all advice given to heart. I will see you in the next one. Farewell!