I lurch forward under a creaking sound.
For the moment, I lose track of Spike's voice... his tiny red claw scrapes and frail breaths.
Why's it blacker than black? Have I been asleep all this time?
Oh wait. The Palace, of course. Sonuva...
I find myself trudging down the main foyer of the Princess of Friendship's Castle. Everything here is supremely dark, a reverse canvas upon which my magenta sighs melt, turning to dim ashes. Spike's ahead of me. He's a living pin drop in the middle of empty mindlessness.
Yeesh, no wonder Princess Twilight didn't like moving into this place, according to Rarity at least...
In truth, though, the silence is quite unnerving. I look left and right, gazing into desolate rooms with nary a soul to be seen or heard shuffling.
Where are all the guards? Everypony is gone. Even...
I crane my head to the side, tilting an ear towards the ceiling.
Nope. No brown here. He must be retiring to his bunk this evening.
What could have Twilight Sparkle all up in a tizzy? And in such a manner to demand an empty castle devoid of her Royal Protectors?
Not even the Elements of Harmony are here. Unless Spike counts. Wait... is Spike an Element? If so, then Harmony's super big on Gem-Eating and nopony has known it until now. Not even Princess Celestia...
"Miss Scratch! Snap out of it!" Spike hisses.
I wince. My eyes blink open just milliseconds before I risk trotting straight into a crystal column. Teetering to the right, I reorient myself, trailing after Spike's wiggling tail. I watch as he scampers on ahead, opens one of two double doors, and exposes a crystalline set of stairs leading down... down... down into further darkness.
Whoah... this place has a dungeon?
... ... ...and why are we headed there?
"Look, Miss Scratch, I know all of this must seem terribly... terribly rude," Spike says. "Freaky, even. But trust me..." He points down the stairs. "Princess Twilight needs your help. She's waiting down there right now. Just one flight down. I told her I'd fetch you super-quick, and here we are."
I cock my head aside. Gazing at him, I point curiously down the stairs.
"No, she... uh... she didn't ask for my help. Not this time." He leans back, wringing his claws. "She... uh... wants me staying here to look out for the Castle... to distract anypony who shows up until the two of you are done."
My lips purse slightly.
"Yeah. It's that serious. Just..." He waves a hand at the stairs. "Just go and talk to her. I'd do what she says if I were you. Not that... uhm... she'd do anything mean or cruel if you refused. I mean... I guess Equestrian law is pretty lenient on treason these days..."
I arch an eyebrow.
"Look, will you stop standing there?!" He huffs, puffs, and gives me a tiny shove. "I've done my part! Now you do yours!"
I wince, stumbling slightly as I find myself standing at the top of the stairs. The door closes behind me with a crimson clap of thunder. Rivulets of color echo outward, outlining the curved steps leading down in a spiraling arc. In return, a gray voice wafts up, once more outlining the steps for me.
"Spike?" Snowy, foggy breaths, sprinkled with panic urgency. "Spiiiiiiiiike?! Is that you?! Did you go get Miss Scratch yet? Is she home?"
Now I'm truly... seriously concerned.
With sudden wakefulness, I trot briskly down the stairs. I pause once or twice to adjust my shades. At last, with a flounce of my spiky mane, I clear the first flight. I level out on the first basement level. There, I see the Princess' soft outline in a cloud of black energy, like eerily backlit smoke.
"Vinyl Scratch!" She gasps, her gray voice issuing outward from the murky black haze above and behind her. "Oh, praise Celestia!" She rests a hoof over her chest, heaving. "For a second there, I thought you might refuse my request. Not that I would blame you, I suppose, at this hour and... c-considering how little a time you've been my minstrel..."
I blink. I point up the stairs.
But your little fire lizard summon made it sound like I'd lose my head...
"Spike isn't very graceful at what he does, but I'm proud of him for getting your attention right away by any means." Twilight proceeds to gallop back and forth between mana-powered instrument panels. "This is a matter of utmost important! A spontaneous friendship mission!" I can see now that he's a sweaty, frazzled mess. "And I'd be failing in my duties as a Princess if I let it fall apart! What's more... I'd be a really... really rotten pony!"
I glance to the side. I see two sets of saddlebags and... trenchcoats? I don't get it. Those outfits are so friggin' huge, they'd fit towering diamond dogs, not ponies. What in the hay is going on here?
"I know it's asking a lot of you, Vinyl, but I need to know whether or not you're one hundred percent committed to this..."
I glance awkwardly at her.
Committed to what?
"I've chosen you because... b-because of your unique senses, Miss Scratch," Twilight says. "But, it's m-more than that. You see, I went to the other side to check on my friends... erm... my other friends... and I discovered something very startling. I don't have the conventional magic to find all the clues I need. But you? You might stand a chance to help me snoop out the latest problem and get to the bottom of things! And... and..."
She scuffles to a stop. She turns to face me, and I see a confused pale unicorn's vexed expression reflected in her eyes.
"...the long and short of it is this." She marches firmly in my direction, powered by a panting, gray voice. "This isn't just any friendship mission. It's a mission to save someone whom I owe a lot to. A pony who helped me and my friends out when we desperately needed. And in the end, I think you'll find that you'll have saved yourself. Erm... eheheh..." She tries to smile, but her gnashing teeth makes it look like she's foaling a child. "It... it will make sense. Just trust me. Please." Gulping, she leans forward with sparkling eyes. "Can I have your helping hoof in this?"
I gaze at her. My eyes sweep across the basement interior, the blackness stretching beyond and above me. I suddenly want to be anywhere but here.
I don't realize I'm nodding until I hear her exhalation of relief.
"Oh, thank you... thank you, Vinyl. For the trouble... I-I promise to reward you handsomely. If... if that makes you feel any better."
I don't know what to feel.
"Alright. There's very little time, so I can't go over every single detail just yet." She trots across the room, approaching a tall black thing covered in an even blacker tarp. Only when she gets close to it do my eyes start to detect the contours of the obscuring fabric. "First and foremost, I need you to promise me one thing."
"...?"
"I need you to promise not to panic." That said, she yanks the tarp off, and I find myself... looking at myself.
My muzzle twists.
What does my reflection have to do with anything...?
And that's when she cranks a lever. I watch as a magical tome lights up with electrical energy, igniting a glowing frame around the tall, tall mirror.
... ... ...huh...
...
...Well...
This just raises all sorts of questions.
6555224 Yes. Yes it does.
Okay, I didn't see that coming.
Who's she going to help? And will she even have her condition in the human world, since it's tied up with her magic?
Off to the new world!!! Good luck Vinyl.
6555256
Dunno, she could still end up with damaged vocal cords because the Mirror hates you like that. And there's still the question of what H!Vinyl might be up to.
6555256 her condition isnt actually connected to her magic. Its called Synesthesia, and it is a real world condition.
6555339
In this case though, Vinyl's was caused by a magical mishap, so it very much is connected to her magic.
6555362 yeah, but that's the same as if a guy with no leg, cause he lost in in a car accident, goes to equestira. He'll still have no leg regardless of if there are cars or not. Whilst the cause of vinyls condition was a magical accident, the actual condition is, and has been said by the author to be, cognitive. Meaning that it is a direct condition of the brain. The actual Synesthesia is not magical in any way, so she should retain it when she goes through the mirror
Okay... So, based on Twilight's description, I've got a feeling that it is human!Vinyl who is in trouble! This could be interesting because, as others have pointed out, there is no telling how the Mirror may translate Vinyl's condition into a human body.
*Gets bucket of popcorn*
OH BOY...
So, anyone else going to find it weird that Twilight isn't going to give her even the slightest warning about what's going to happen? Demanding 100% commitment when you don't even tell her she's going to another universe, much less about to change species?
I know Twilight is scatterbrained, but it's this sort of lack of information that created the Tyrantlestia meme.
"Well, Equestria HAS gone pretty slack with treason I suppose." > Cutest line
Whelp. This is going to get freaky. *grabs new batch of popcorn* let's see where this goes.
EDIT: Clarification: Octi carrying her kitty like a plushie and mumbling dream talk was the cutest MOMENT in this. But Spike's line was the cutest SPOKEN dialogue. xD
Also, just can't wait for Vinyl's reaction if she meets youknowwho at youknowwhere.
6555224 On the bright side, potential bacon flavored cameo!
Wwwwwwell then... this is gonna get interesting.
Is it Equestria Girls time?
ARE WE GOING TO SEE
BACONHAIRBEST HUMANTwilight has clearly been taking lessons from Celestia in Speaking in Riddles.
This must be after Rainbow Rocks, since that's when Sunset helped them. Or possibly even after Friendship Games.
If not for that, I'd be sure that pony-Vinyl is actually the Vinyl we see in Rainbow Rocks, since her muteness and the color effects in Music To My Ears are pretty much the basis for her condition in this story. It would be an incredible coincidence that human Vinyl suffers from the exact same condition, given that it was caused by an accident and she doesn't even have an... checks back... Inner Alicornia to schism.
Edit: Oh snap, Vinyl is the one who helped her!
(I guess that means she's using "pony" in the loosest sense.)
The Vinyl has been doubled!
Double Vinyl.. interesting... very... interesting...
Carry on, you've captured my attention.
*sits on stool and waits.*
This is going to be good.
6555678 Would that be a new record?
6555678
Doubled?
6556234
A new record?
Nah, just flip it over and find Side B.
Well, this is certainly a plot twist - assuming we're going all Equestria Girls here for the next couple chapters. I'm intrigued as to where Skirts is going with this. I'm predicting that we'll discover more about Vinyl's backstory - perhaps even 'The Event' though this. Like taking a trip into the past, whatever happened to Vinyl might be happening to her Human counterpart. Or I could be completely wrong and this is just some weird attempt at a crossover.
Time for my favourite quote of all time!
38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lu6e4ge9qC1qc5s9to3_250.gif
I'm picturing them on the other end, with Twilight giving Vinyl the help she didn't get when she first crossed. (Simply because there was nobody around to help, or who would understand why she needed help.)
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
6555339 6555374
No, the fact that it's magic makes the properties of the condition very different. It doesn't work the same way as real-world synesthesia, because it interferes with her magic. The synesthesia is a symptom, not a cause.
Case-in-point: not all of the colors Vinyl sees are sounds (the turquoise of death, the blackness of Harmony magic, etc). Not only that, but she can also sense intent in the voices of other ponies (sincerity, love, etc).
This sort of stuff is beyond normal synesthesia (which is purely aural), and it's safe to say that the two aren't perfectly analogous