Dazzling Things
Twilight opens a metal door to a lengthy corridor lined with lockers and trophy cases. She looks left, then right, then exhales. "'Kay. Coast is clear." She motions with her lavender hand. "This way. Stick close to me," her voice is a low murmur. "Classes are still in session. We should be able to get the studio with relative ease."
Easy for her to say...
I trot... er... walk forward, one lumbering limb after another. I feel the world wobbling and shaking around me. One teeter too much—and I plummet once again.
"Ghhhgh!" She catches me, her gray voice billowing between us as she struggles to keep me upright. Seriously... does she realize how damn skinny she is in this universe? "Honestly, Vinyl, I know this is all very disorienting, but I figured you would catch your balance faster than I originally did!"
I let loose a magenta sigh through frowning teeth. Where are a pair of straws when you need them? I'm sure these stupid "finger" thingies could manage a sharp word or two...
"Alright, this way!" she hisses, leading me by hand. "And I'll try once more to fill you in."
She takes a deep breath as we pass by multiple classrooms filled with muddled voices, brown and amber.
"So... there's a group of siblings... evil sisters called 'The Dazzlings,'" she explains. "Adagio Dazzle... along with Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk."
My pale brow furrows above my shades.
What.
"They like to control ponies with their singing voices... or at least they used to, that is, before a few months ago when I last came here and assisted my friends—my other friends in human form—along with the other you—the human you—in a super radical Battle of the Bands concert where we defeated them with musical rainbows and laser beams."
...What.
"Because—you see—the Dazzlings were originally a trio of demented sea sirens who mind-controlled innocent ponies in ancient Equestrian pre-history until Starswirl the Bearded banished them to this world and they've been hiding out here ever since..."
... ... ...WHAT.
"But, anyways, like I said..." Twilight leads us around a corner, peers around, and then heads for a series of doors. "...we defeated the Dazzlings—me and my human friends. The jewels that contained both their magic and their singing talents shattered during the Battle of the Bands. Since then, they ran off, hiding in obscurity... or so I thought. I made a trip back here just the other day, to visit my other friends, and that's when I found out that you had gone missing... erm... the other you."
She twirls around and faces me with a worried look on her face.
"And that's when I was given... when I was given..." She fumbles, licking her lips as she digs both hands deep beneath her blouse. "Mfffnngh... hold on a second. This world's Zecora taught me this trick—Ah!" She finally yanks out a slip of paper with crazily pasted letters from random magazine clippings. "THIS. Apparently this world's Applejack found it hidden beneath the lid of her locker. It's the first thing she showed me upon arriving."
Blinking, I take the thing awkwardly between two digits and hold it before my shades.
In crooked, uneven font, the note reads:
TO my NEMESES, the RaiNbOOMs,
MY siSTers aNd I haVe CaPTURed YOUr pRECiouS mUte FRIend, ViNYl ScRAtCH. You ONCE usEd HER to BOOST yOUr HarMOnic MAGic iN thIS WorLd, NoW hEr TALent Shall SerVe US! Do NoT MaKe AnY aTTempT to Save heR or WE will DESTroY hEr anD Eat HeR SOUL! If YoU ThiNK wE aRe BLUffInG, ThEN asK YoUR spEcIaL FRIEND from EqUEsTRIA, TwiliGHT SpARkLE, anD shE WILL vouCh FoR OUR beAStLY WaYs.
SINCeRely,
ADaGio DazzlE.
I blink, turning the paper around in my grasp.
Talk about a massacre of magazines...
Oh... and I suppose that "other me" is in trouble too...
"I took this note back with me to the Palace in Equestria," Twilight explains. "Spike and I did a mana-analysis. There's no doubt in my mind. Adagio Dazzle's leyline signature is all over this leaflet. She is, in fact, the one who prepared this note and left it for Applejack to see."
I cock my head to the side, looking confused.
"I know." She nods. "It begs the question. Why would they leave a note in the first place? Well, Adagio knows that I would stop at nothing to save a friend of my friends, and—with the power of mind-controlling song gone from their jewels—there's no telling just how crazed and desperate they are. Even still..." She sighs, leaning up against a doorframe with a sad expression. "My magic isn't of much use in this world. I can channel harmony—sure—but only with the help of the rest of my human friends. However..." She frowns with determination. "It's my fault that they got involved like this to begin with. I should have gone after the Dazzlings right after the Battle of the Bands, to finish what was started by bringing them to justice. But... b-but I got distracted, and I allowed my naivete in this world to take control of me. And now, you're suffering for it. I mean... you're other you... Unnngh..." She buries her face in her hands.
I reach a limb out to comfort her... but I suddenly don't know what is safe to touch and what isn't. So, I sigh and let my arms hang by my sides.
"I... I-I can't let my friends in this world get involved," she says in a muffled tone. "Magic is still something very new to them, and Adagio has made it clear that if she notices we're coming after her, then she'll lash out at Vinyl... or even more ponies... I-I mean humans." A deep, gray breath, and she finally opens the door in front of us. "But that's when I had a brilliant idea. Quick. Come inside."
I nod, shuffling into the dimly-lit room. She closes the door behind us and hits a switch. I squint as overhead lights buzz into existence. I see the setup for a drum-kit and several guitar stands. There's even a recording booth against the far end of the chamber.
Huh... not bad...
Twilight continues: "You see, even if magic doesn't quite function the same in this world as it does in Equestria, the very essence of it transfers over along with the soul who possesses it. That's why I've been able to wield the Elements of Harmony on occasion over here. Tell me, Vinyl..." She scribbles on a notepad and hooves... I mean hands it my way. "Since you've arrived, have you still been able to see colors from the sensory elements around us?"
I don't even need a pen to answer. Still, for Twilight's sake, I scribble a three letter word with my teeth and twirl the pad around to her.
"Hah!" A gray burst, and she smirks. "I knew it! That means your acute senses, for better or for worse, still work on this side!" She paces across the studio, approaching a series of locked cabinets on the far side. "I have a theory: Adagio Dazzle can't be too far from here. If it's true that she's got the other Vinyl kidnapped and is trying to force her to help restore her and her sisters' musical abilities, then they need a proper facility to do that, and there isn't much outside the nearby cities that can help in that area."
I pivot the pen in my teeth and scribble across the notepad again. Once done, I hold the sentence up to Twilight.
"Exactly!" She snaps two fingers, producing a red burst. Wow... that's a cool trick. "Who better knows Vinyl Scratch than Vinyl Scratch? You have a skill and a mind like no other, Vinyl. If anypony can find your other you—wherever she's hidden—it's... well... you!" She gestures at a cabinet in front of her. "And the search starts right here!"
Squinting, I lean forward, then shuffle the rest of the way until I'm crouching before the closed panel. There's a combination lock holding it in place.
"It's embarrassing, I know, but... I-I can't get it open," Twilight says, her lavender skin blushing slightly. "None of us can. I even had this world's Pinkie Pie try it. No party cannon or mallet seems to do the trick. Principal Celestia hired some dang good contractors when they built this school."
Principal Celestia...?
Oye...
"So I figured maybe you might have an idea of how to open it. If you need some time to get into a homo sapien doppelganger's headspace, I understand—"
I grasp the lock's dial in two fingers, spin left, then right, then left again, then right one last time. Click! The lock pops loose, and I slide the cabinet open.
"... ... ..." Twilight Sparkles blinks. "Orrrrrrrrr you could just knock it out in one swift go. Eheheheh..." She rubs the back of her mane, wincing. "Well, there's two Hamiltons I owe Rainbow Dash here."
I glance back at her, eyebrow raised.
"Eh... don't ask."
With a shrug, I reach in and pull out two things. One is a turntable inside its case... which turns out to be really heavy to lift without telekinesis. Dayum. The other thing is... is...
I stand up straight, turning over a tiny white rectangular solid in my hand. It's strangely heavy, and there's a glass panel right above a plastic dial. The Hell is this thing?
"Oh... uh... it's for playing music!"
I squint at her. I hold the thing up while making a crooked face.
"Yes! On this side of the mirror, they don't need to spin records or harness manacrystals. Here! I'll show you!" She opens another cabinet drawer and grabs a pair of dangling cords that she fastens into my primate ears. "And then you stick this part into the player and you press this button here..."
I do so, fumbling. The glass panel lights up, and I see a tracklist consisting of an assortment of hauntingly familiar names.
"Recognize the songs?"
I hesitantly nod.
"You should, I bet." She smiles. "This is Vinyl's favorite iPod. An 'older generation,' whatever that means. Rarity says she's an 'audiophile purist,' and she likes to put all of her latest mixes on this. That includes the stuff that she writes. And—as you can already tell—you both have a lot of the same tracks under your belt. Well... I guess it's just this Vinyl's 'belt,' considering that she's usually the one wearing clothes and you're usually one who's... phweeeee... the horse..."
I'm too busy flipping through the various tracks with the dark highlight. There are so many songs here—written by another me. And what intrigues and scares me all at once is that more than half of them—I know—are Tavi influenced.
So there's an Octavia on this side of the mirror as well?
Good Goddess... do I even want to see her without fur?
A shudder rolls through my body. I try to distract myself by flipping to another page of tracks. I blink hard... for I suddenly see a lot of songs that... I've never ever heard of.
"See a bunch of stuff you don't recognize?"
I nod.
"Fluttershy... erm... this world's Fluttershy has told me that Vinyl was working on a brand new album immediately following the Battle of the Bands," Twilight explains. "In Equestria, there was no musical duel between the Rainbooms and the Dazzlings. So it's logical to expect that this world's Vinyl got influenced to make a bunch of different songs that you didn't."
I exhale in magenta contemplation.
I bet the other Vinyl never got to incorporate some true blue vocals into her work.
Heh... poor her...
The device's highlight rests on a single title. My brow furrows in curiosity, and I lean Twilight's way, pointing at the thing.
"Huh?" Twilight glances over my shoulder at the name of the track: "'Bacon Hair Sunrise?'" She shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine."
I scratch my head. Then, throwing caution to the wind, I slap my monkey finger over "play."
Almost instantly, my whole world explodes with vocal streams of gold, red, and orange—coming together in a pulsating, orgasmic focal point of brilliant platinum. I'm so gloriously thrown out of whack that Twilight has to help me down onto a piano bench behind us.
"Vinyl! Vinyl!" She yanks the earbuds out and grasps my shoulders. "Ohmigosh! Are you okay?"
I pant... pant... pant... then gaze up at her. My nod is a sweaty, crazed thing.
"You gave me quite a scare!" Pouting, she stands back up and walks towards the far end of the room. "Anyways... get an ear for your other self's handiwork. It just might give us... or you a 'scent' we can follow. You catch my drift?"
I nod, swallowing a dry lump down my throat.
Yeah. Sure.
Save my other self from dangerous short-skirted she-sirens. Whatever.
With fumbling limbs, I shove the earbuds back in and coast along with the second half of the track. I close my eyes with a delicious smile.
I've no friggin' clue where the other Vinyl got these vocals...
...but Luna help me if I don't kidnap her myself to find out.
Squeeee...
Stats
Page generated in 0.071 seconds
Total duration
777 users online
1,074,541 hits today, 1,872,792 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
derpicdn.net/img/2012/6/24/18518/large.png
kek
This is going to happen, and it's going to be fun.
Heh. Seem where she didn't get blue vocals, she got "bacon" vocals.
WAT
I still have absolutely no clue what the point of this arc is. I'm not complaining, mind, and I'm interested to see what will happen. It just seems so... out of left field.
Also, I'm not one to point out typos, usually, but for the love of gawd:
(BTW, the first one is the correct one.)
6564924 You deserve all the hugs for that pic. Pretty much the one I was about to search out. Thanks for saving me a few minutes of time! <3
Squeeee...
It's Adagio Dazzle not Adagio Dazzling.
The Dazzlings is the group name.
Well, damnit. All this time and I couldn't find a picture that could express what I saw in Vinyl and her Whats and her Oi moments. Safe to say I think Twilight is a bit too casual with "Lets safe people from super powerful she-demons who have no power at all in this world..."
... ... ... WHAT?
Huh, that part totally skipped my mind for a second.
Also, dat ending... Hot damn does Shimmer's singing voice have a god awesome singing voice or what. Sweet, sweet, bacon goodness.
We need Sunset's VA singing Bacon Pancakes.
THEN we need some serious remixes of said Bacon Pancakening song.
THEN life would be complete.
Whohohoo! Awesome chapter well done dude, awesome job!
6564924 Ooooo that picture though... *sucks air through teeth* Sweet buttery Jesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqvcf_euRdg
6565173
+1 for bacon pancakes. Made some after seeing that episode the first time. Not bad, just different.
Good chap, and yeah sunset Shimmer has a great singing voice. And if she thinks that good she should hear Equestria Girls "My Past is Not Today" cause that is a LOVELY song.
Calling it now, those are the siren's vocals.
6565350 i think they are Sunset Shimmer's vocals. “Bacon Hair Sunrise” kinda gives it away.
*snerks, before losing it and just giggling madly*
Man... that'd be pure heaven. Get Tavi, Sweetie and Sunset together for a jam session. Neither Vinyl would have to worry about money ever again.
...Baconhair sunrise.
Okay, that's hilarious.
6565782 She doesn't worry about money as is. Her problem is a lack of inspiration.
So, what you're saying is that Vinyl likes Sunset's vocal stylings? Okay, I think that we can accept that!
Aaaand we've hit triple digits! Kind of weird to think of it, considering I caught up on chapter 21.
6565350
Considering it's called "Bacon Hair Sunrise" (and it's described as gold, red, and orange), it's almost certainly Sunset Shimmer.
If there were time, I'd suggest they learn fingerspelling. Then they wouldn't have to rely on the availability of writing implements. However, since they don't know when the Sirens are going to utilize the local Vinyl's equipment...
EVERYONE! Try the tongue twister! Say it 5 times fast:
6565782 Are you kidding me? Sweetie and Tavi alone almost knocked her out. And with her reaction to a sunset only mix, she would'nt have a chance in tartarus of ever finishing the track. No, shed be comatose before she finished taking all the samples.