Plan B

by SpongeOfManyColours

Help Is On The Way

Chapter 5 – Help is on the Way

“This is not as many ponies as possible!”

Lyra looked to her hooves. She had gotten who she could for Bon-Bon, and it turned out that that extended to Octavia, Vinyl Scratch, two pegasi and two small children. Most if not all of them looked at least a little confused, and certainly not like potential saviours of Princess Celestia, but all Lyra could do was look apologetically at Bon-Bon.

“I’m really sorry. I did everything I could think of,” she admitted. Then she looked back up to see Bon-Bon giving her the warmest look. She felt a cream-coloured hoof slide under her chin, and she almost melted into butter.

“And I appreciate it,” Bon-Bon said. “It’ll do, I was just high strung. Now, I want everyone to pay attention!” With that, she walked towards the nearest bookshelf. Lyra’s gaze snapped to Bon-Bon’s body, watching as every step she made moved her body gracefully, with her long legs, sensual thighs, her round…

“Lyra, who is this mare?”

Lyra was snapped out of her staring by Octavia’s Trottingham accent sharply slicing through the air, next to her ear, and the mint unicorn gave a startled squeak.

“Ummm, what? Oh, her? She’s just… umm…” She spluttered, struggling to give an answer, before looking back to the cream earth pony and smiling dreamily. “Booooooon Booooooon…” She said as a quiet, half-awake coo.

“Right,” Octavia said, scepticism dripping from her tone. “And what do you know of your future wife?”

“Really? Did she say that?” Lyra asked excitedly, before re-evaluating the question. “Oh, right… well… she’s trying to save Princess Celestia.”
“And?”

“Well, she’s nice… because ummm...”

“Well?”

“Would a nasty person be trying to save the Princess?” Lyra asked.

“I’m not saying that, but... whatever, why are we here?” Octavia stressed. “Vinyl and I are musicians and you’re a repair-mare. Why should we get involved in monsters and whatnot?”

“Princess Celestia was kidnapped by a monster, Octavia,” Lyra pointed out. “She might need help.”

“Exactly!” Octavia hissed. “Think about it; the Princess was thrown around like a ragdoll, and we’re supposed to charge after her like we’re the Knights of the Round Stable or something! We could die!”

“Bon Bon seemed to chase it off,” Lyra said defensively. “If we just help her, she should be able to keep us all safe from whatever that thing was.” Her golden eyes glazed over again. “And maybe, if one of us was scared, she could comfort them, maybe with a hug with those strong legs of hers, and maybe when our coats meet we can feel one another’s heartbeat, and when we brush lips…”

“Blast it, Lyra, control your hormones. You’ve known her for less than a minute.”

“Yeah. Maybe I could get to know her better as we share a blanket to battle off the cold, but it’s still cold so we have to embrace each other tightly and...”

“Urgh.” Octavia rolled her eyes, but the grey mare’s expression became one of reluctant agreement. “Though I suppose you have a point. This creature is clearly a threat to us all, and... I concede that perhaps I was overestimating the danger somewhat.”

“So, that’s a breakdown of just how dangerous this mission is going to be,” Bon-Bon said grimly, clearly at the end of a lengthy speech. “It’ll be a mess; blood everywhere, flying fragments of bone, the works. I can only really say that maybe half of us would actually survive, should we go ahead with this. So, does anyone need me to repeat anything?”

Lyra didn’t even see Octavia leave. All she heard was a loud “WOOSH!” and there was an empty space where an earth pony once stood. The mint unicorn looked sympathetically towards Vinyl Scratch, who, for the first time that night, seemed anything other than bubbly and fun. Even behind the large, purple shades, it was difficult to hide the eyebrows furrowing in pain and disappointment. Before Lyra could say anything, the white pony signed something, the meaning completely lost on Lyra, and made her leave.

“Octavia…” Lyra morosely said, before looking back to Bon-Bon. “Sorry, honey, I didn’t catch any of that.” Rather than being irritated, instead Bon-Bon blushed furiously.

“Oh, ok. I can start over,” she said shyly, pretending not to notice the groans from the others in the room. “So, the pony who attacked Celestia is Nightmare Moon; known aliases include the Mare in the Moon and the Nightmare…”

“And Princess Luna!”

Immediately Bon-Bon glared to the unicorn filly who had shouted out. “No, it really isn’t. Luna died donkeys years ago.”

Muffins hovered over to Dinky, who seemed adamant. “Sweetie, please. Also, Miss Bon-Bon, do you have to use donkeyist language in front of the kids?”

“It makes sense, though,” Dinky said. “Luna was alive a thousand years ago, she had a grudge against Princess Celestia, and according to legend…”

“Look, squirt,” Bon-Bon coldly interrupted, her frown pitiless. “- it ain’t her. There's no record of Luna turning into Nightmare Moon, and the fight between her and Celestia occurred months after Nightmare Moon first showed up. That legend was made up so little fillies like you don’t learn what killing is before you’re supposed. That and the importance of doing what your older sisters tell you.”

“So the moon thing didn’t tip you off?”

“Don’t get smarmy with me, brat,” Bon-Bon said viciously, and the unicorn backed off. Now, though, two pegasi landed either side of her, wings spread.

“You wanna repeat that one?” Rainbow Dash shouted. Muffins, gritting her teeth, looked ready to pounce. Immediately, Lyra got between them and Bon-Bon.

“Perhaps!” She shouted, getting all of their attention. “Maybe we should focus on the fact that the princess was kidnapped and not argue over who it was!”

It took a moment of silence, but eventually everyone backed down, with Bon-Bon’s expression softening, and the two pegasi folding their wings and standing upright. Finally, the cream pony continued. “Thank you, Lyra. So, according to this book, we have a pretty good way to stop Nightmare Moon; the Elements of Harmony, five magical artefacts said to represent different aspects of friendship. Loyalty, Generosity, Laughter, Kindness and Honesty. When five ponies who particularly embody those traits wield them, then they can be extremely powerful sources of anti-dark magic and pack a wallop.”

“But, Bon-Bon,” Lyra said, looking confused. “How are we supposed to use them? I mean, I know quite a bit of magic, but I’ve never even heard of them.”

“Pffft,” Bon-Bon said with a shrug. “I only found out about them with Pipsqueak over there.” She gestured to the patched pony, who now wore a very proud expression. “But it doesn’t matter; all we need to do is bring them back to Ponyville, and then find the five ponies they match up to. At that point, it’s out of our hooves.” Lyra nodded appreciatively.

“That… sounds surprisingly simple.”

“And the complicated bit?” Muffins prompted. Bon-Bon immediately became more interested in her hooves.

“Well, yes. There is a complicated bit,” the earth pony conceded. “They’re… sort of in the Everfree Forest.”

“Not the Everfree Forest!” Lyra shouted dramatically, her heart leaping to her throat as her stomach spun into a tight knot. There was a pregnant pause, before she looked to Muffins and whispered to her. “What is the Everfree Forest?”

“A forest,” Muffins answered. Lyra nodded.

“Right. Good to know,” the mint unicorn said, nodding patiently. “Well, it can’t be more dangerous than simply letting Nightmare Moon take over the world. I’m in!”

“Awwww yeah!” Rainbow Dash leapt up, doing a loop-di-loop in the air. “Let’s kick some monster butt!”

“But what about the Elements?” Dinky suddenly spoke up. Bon-Bon looked down to her. “What if they kill her?”

Bon-Bon did seem to think about it, before nodding. “Yes, they probably would.”

“But… but you can’t do that! If you kill Princess Luna…”

“Then I’ll have to have gone back in time because, as I pointed out, she’s already dead,” she said, before walking right past her. She looked to Lyra, before looking to the others. “Sort out your affairs, and meet me at the path. Lyra, you come with me.” She walked out of the door, not noticing Lyra’s look of feverish excitement as she followed. Dinky snarled.

“Urgh! Is no one listening to me because I’m a child?”

“Well, I’m listening to you because I have the mind of a child,” Muffins pointed out. Dinky rolled her eyes.

“Mom! Not the time for jokes!”

“Dinky, you take that back right this very instant!” Muffins shouted in horror. Dinky growled, and began to walk towards the door. Then she felt a hoof slam onto her tail and drag her back. “Oh no you don’t; I’d sooner have you drink a whole bottle of that special water me and Cheerilee were drinking than go on a secret mission into the Everfree Forest.”

“Mom!” Dinky bitterly snapped. “She can’t kill her! You can’t let her!”

The cross-eyed pony’s expression softened, becoming sympathetic and calm. “Are you absolutely sure that it was Princess Luna?”

“Yes, Mom!” Dinky said, before trying to walk away and making no progress, simply walking in the spot. Muffins considered her options, before letting out a sigh.

“Fine. Then I’ll make sure that she doesn’t kill Luna,” she said. Dinky’s head whipped around.

“Mom?”

“You stay here,” Muffins said, before looking to the door. “I’m going to help her get the Elements, and if they will kill Luna, then I promise that I’ll get rid of them and find another way.”

“But, Mom, you can’t,” Dinky pointed out, now turning around. “Your eyes. What if you get hurt?”

“I’ll have been in worse, Dinky,” Muffins said, leaning down. “Trust me.”

“But you can barely get through a dinner party without throwing a plateful of food all over yourself,” Dinky insisted. A hurt expression came across Muffins’ face, and Dinky’s eyes widened in shock. “M-mom, I’m sorry… I just…”

“I know, and it’s fine,” Muffins said. “But you’re only young. I’d walk through fire to keep you safe, and I refuse to let you put yourself at risk.” She looked down to her child with pleading eyes. “Please. It’s me who should protect you, not the other way around.”

“Mom… I…” Dinky mumbled, looking down in shame. “I don’t want you to get hurt just for me.”

“You are too mature for your age,” Muffins whispered softly, and immediately Dinky giggled, though when she looked back up her eyes were welling with tears. Seeing them before they could roll down her cheeks, Muffins kissed each in turn, making the grey filly beam. “Hell, you’re too mature for my age.”

“Don’t swear in front of the kids,” Dinky whispered, and both of them laughed. Muffins looked up to Rainbow Dash.

“Dash? Can you do me a favour?” Immediately, Rainbow Dash had a frown on her face.

“But I wanted to fight monsters!” She protested. Muffins hovered up to her.

“Then you can tackle that one,” she said, gesturing downward. “I know my daughter; the moment I’m out of the door, she’ll do what she can to sneak out and follow me.”

“No I wouldn’t!” Dinky said, stopping her march to the door. Both of the pegasi dropped down, with Rainbow Dash looking to Muffins.

“You sure you can do it?” She asked. Muffins nodded. Then Rainbow Dash smiled. “Then so am I!” With that, the cyan pony suddenly pulled Muffins into a strong hug that threatened to break the grey mare’s back. However, Muffins returned the gesture, wrapping her hooves around Rainbow. The cross-eyed Pegasus looked up, only to see Dinky making kissing gestures with her hooves. There was a desperate shake of the head from Muffins, and Dinky just rolled her eyes.

“Hey, that hoof of yours is getting awfully low, Muffins," came a confused raspy voice, and Muffins' eyes widened.

“OKRAINBOWDASHTHANKYOUFORTAKINGCAREOFDINKYBYE!”

There was a high-pitched whistle as Muffins shot off, flying through the door of the library and leaving it juddering wildly, threatening to fly off of the hinges. Rainbow Dash grimaced at the large, Muffins-sized hole that was left in the woodwork, before looking to the two foals she was now in charge of.

Or the only one that was left.

“Dinky, where’s the other kid?”

Dinky looked around. “Pipsqueak? He was here? I never even noticed him; he can be so quiet when he wants to be.” To this, Rainbow Dash didn’t respond, except with a scowl that could crack stone.

“You’re grounded, Dinky.”

“You can’t ground me, only Mommy can ground me.”

“And what would Mommy do if she was here?”

“… give me lots of warm fudge?”

Rainbow Dash didn’t give Dinky the satisfaction of a response immediately, and tried not to crack a smile at the rebellious spirit of the young girl.

“As cool as you are, Dinky, you’re still grounded,” she pointed out.

---

“Five minutes until the train back to Trottingham. Ok, I can last that long.”

Octavia was pacing nervously on the Ponyville train platform. A few ponies that arrived, hoping to get out of Ponyville while they still could. The sudden appearance of dangerous monsters usurping the authority of Princess Celestia and straight up crushing her in battle did not improve the appeal of the town. All Octavia had was her precious cello slung over her back, which she had retrieved from the town hall; after all, some things weren’t worth risking life and limb for, but musical instruments definitely were. The grey mare looked down the tracks.

“Blast,” she murmured under her breath. “Why couldn’t it be here now? Don’t they know that there could be another attack any moment?”
Suddenly, the sound of a hoof meeting concrete boomed behind her, and the earth pony slowly turned around. Vinyl Scratch stood there, seeming to expect a response. Octavia blinked. “Vinyl, darling, if you’re trying to show your emotions, you need to take your shades off. Are you angry? Upset? Happy? I really can’t tell.”

A silver-ish glow came across Vinyl’s shades, and they floated off of her. Octavia seethed. “Oh. Disappointment. This is not going to be fun.” There was a series of hoof waves, and Octavia rolled her eyes. “Actually, Vinyl, yes, I fully intend on leaving right now, why do you ask?” There were some more waves of the hoof, and Octavia nodded. “Granted, Vinyl, monster attacks are a problem, but might I remind you that I am a cellist? Shall I serenade the creature into submission, or should I just hit her with my bow?”

There was another piece of sign language. Octavia gasped. “Vinyl, I am not abandoning you! I am as loyal a friend as I can be!” Vinyl’s brow furrowed, and there was more hoof waves. “Well, no, leaving for my new job doesn’t count,” Octavia protested. Vinyl continued. “I tried to write to you every day when I was in Hamburg, but pig mail takes so long to get here. I probably got back before most of the mail did.” Then there was another wave of the hoof, and Octavia dipped her head. “Well, no, but I think he knew I might end up having to break our relationship off for my career.”

Then she saw one last piece of sign language, and a massive weight slammed onto Octavia’s shoulders.

“Well, I didn’t think you needed the help anymore,” she murmured ashamedly. “You arranged to move here, and I thought you were ready for it. I wasn’t ready to leave Trottingham, is all.” Vinyl Scratch made a long series of gestures, which Octavia didn’t bother interrupting. However, her face changed several times as she watched, going from indignant anger to silent regret and everything inbetween. Finally, the grey mare rose a hoof.

“Vinyl, that’s enough!” The white unicorn froze in place, struggling to stand on one hoof while her other three were tangled together behind her head. Octavia took a sharp intake of breath. “I didn’t know you were that lonely, but didn’t you do a fine job of telling me! No letters, no visits, not even a phone call!” There was another gesture. “I know you couldn’t phone me, I just couldn’t think of a third thing to say! And that’s it, isn’t it; what about you abandoning me? You chose to come to this town before I was ready; do you know how lonely it got? I only spoke to Lyra today on the train, and it was because you weren’t there, Vinyl! You left me without a friend, and now because I am concerned for my own safety, I’m abandoning you?” The white unicorn began to raise her hooves, her face twisting in concern. “You don’t get to escape blame, Vinyl,” Octavia pointed out. “You’ve left me just as many times as I’ve left you, and you never made any attempt to contact, and I was confused and alone and I wanted to apologise and didn’t know why and now you think I’m the villain here... urgh, I mean, why do I feel so rotten about it?!”

Vinyl Scratch made an audible gasp, and Octavia’s hooves leapt to her mouth.

“Why… why should I feel so rotten about it? Th-that’s what I meant,” the grey mare stuttered, trying to back away. She turned around, hoping not to look to the white unicorn. “Vinyl… I’m sorry. I know I’ve not been the best friend to you. And I know that you need help, and I’ve been refusing to give it to you just because of my own hang-ups.” She sat down. The white unicorn walked over slowly, and sat down in front of her.
There was a twist of a white wrist, and Octavia shrugged.

“Actually, yeah, I did,” she said. “In fact, the orchestra I was going to perform with didn’t even know me. I faked some forms so they would let me come down as a replacement for if one of the cellist got sick. I was already on the train when they told me that the cellist actually was sick; I came to apologise, but I’ve now gone and ruined it because I’m scared.”

Before she could process it, two hooves wrapped around her shoulders, and Octavia froze in place. The grey mare didn’t move, remaining stock still, but she felt her own cheeks becoming wet with tears. Then she buried her face in Vinyl’s shoulder and pulled her even closer. “Vinyl, I’m sorry. I love you.”

Vinyl Scratch moved away and made some more gestures. Octavia laughed, and lightly knocked the white unicorn with her hoof.

“As a friend; I’m still straight,” Octavia giggled, wiping the tears from her eyes. She looked up to Vinyl Scratch, a small smile on her face. “How can I ever apologise? How do I make this right?”

“So now there’s only three of us. Well, fantastic.”

“I said I did what I could, Bon-Bon.”

“You know what; despite going up against what is pretty much a god, I actually like our chances.”

The voices were faint from the distance, but instantly recognisable. Octavia and Vinyl Scratch looked to one another. There was no pause, and no need for consideration, as Octavia put a hoof on Vinyl’s shoulder.

“You wait here, and I will come back,” Octavia said. The white unicorn beamed, and allowed her past as the grey earth pony chased after the two ponies who were walking towards the far off treeline. It took longer than initially expected, but Octavia managed to catch up.

“Ladies, I am back!” She proudly announced herself, her chest puffing out as her coat bristled. All three of them looked to her.

“You left?” Bon-Bon asked, immediately deflating Octavia’s sense of bravado.

“’Back’ is a very strange name,” Muffins commented, dropping Octavia’s pride further. Lyra, however, seemed more receptive.

“Hey, Tia. Thanks.”

“Well, my dear friend,” Octavia said, a smile returning to her. “What are friends, if not loyal to the end?”

“Actually, you’re more loyal in the end because you did leave…”

“Lyra, don’t ruin this for me.”

Author's Note:

Well, now I have to rewrite all of the chapters to build up to that ending with Octavia and Vinyl Scratch.

Note to all other writers; plan stuff out beforehand for the best results.

Comments

[NobodieZ]

Again pretty good work, a balance of drama, character development and comedy.

“Blast it, Lyra, control your hormones. You’ve known her for less than a minute.”

[lillytheomegawolf]

A shame this seems to have gone quiet...