Chapter 4 - The City of Royalty
Vinyl groaned and turned over in bed when sunlight from the open window hit her eyes. Rubbing them, she sat up and noticed that someone had opened the curtains. More importantly, she was the only one in the room; Derpy’s side of the bed was empty and all Vinyl could hear were the chirps and hums of insects outside.
She slid out of bed. The floor felt cold under her hooves and a hot shower suddenly seemed like a great idea, but her stomach grumbled aggressively; Snacks from the hospital vending machine couldn’t exactly keep her stomach full overnight.
Opening the door to the hallway, Vinyl slowly made her way down the stairs where she could hear idle conversation coming from the kitchen. Walking inside, she saw Derpy sitting at the kitchen table, all ready for school and enjoying a thick stack of pancakes with a pat of butter placed squarely at the top. Rarity was poised over the stove, eyeing a pan full of sizzling circles of batter.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Derpy called with a wave, then returned to her pancakes.
Rarity’s ear perked up at the mention of the name and she turned around to see Vinyl. “Oh, good morning, Vinyl! I trust you had a pleasant rest?”
“More or less.” Vinyl scratched at her shaggy mane, roughly patting it into place, and sat at the kitchen table.
“Ms. Rarity is making pancakes,” Derpy said taking another bite. “These are the best!”
“Thank you, darling.” Rarity nodded. “Would you like some, Vinyl?”
“Yeah, that would be great,” Vinyl mumbled, getting up again to get some coffee from the pot and collapsing back into her chair.
“Are you doing any better?” Derpy asked.
Vinyl took a sip before answering. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit exhausted from yesterday. I don’t imagine today being any easier,” she added with a shake of her head.
“Just hope for the best. You never know; maybe she will get out today.”
Vinyl took another slow sip of coffee. “Hopefully.”
“A stack of our finest cakes for today’s special guest!” Rarity said, placing a plate of heart shaped pancakes in front of Vinyl.
Vinyl was a bit surprised by the presentation and couldn’t keep herself from smiling. “Thanks, Rarity. Maybe mom and I should come over in the future for your cooking.”
“And here I thought you were visiting me because you enjoyed my company.” Rarity pouted, then winked and chuckled a bit. “That would be delightful.” She sat down at the table with her own plate, when Derpy looked at the clock on the wall and immediately got up.
“Sorry, I have to head for school or I’ll be late. It was a pleasure, Ms. Rarity! Call me later, Vinyl!” Derpy grabbed her bag she sat next to the table and ran out the front door.
Vinyl began digging into her pancakes.
“Your friend is one of the kindest mares I’ve met. She told me how you two originally met. That was certainly,” Rarity paused to search for the perfect word, “surprising.”
“Yeah, that was fun. Minus getting beaten up.”
“…Vinyl,” Rarity said, the usual pleasantry gone from her tone.
“What?”
“You should be more careful in the future. You’re the only thing your mother has.”
“I know.” She sighed, dropping her knife and fork onto her finished plate of pancakes.
“So, your mother. Is she going to be okay? I didn’t want to ask last night.”
“She told me she was fine.” Vinyl got up from her chair. “I’m going to get ready.”
Hair damp from her shower, Vinyl grabbed her saddlebags and walked back downstairs where Rarity was beginning to open up her shop.
“Thanks, by the way,” Vinyl scratched the back of her head. “For housing Derpy and me.” Vinyl said.
“No problem at all, dear. Tell your mother I said hi and for her to get well soon, okay?”
“Will do. Later, Rarity.”
Vinyl opened the front door and left the boutique. Outside, the summer heat hit Vinyl and she yawned, walking back to the hospital.
Arriving at the front entrance, Vinyl went in and immediately went over to the hall where the elevators were and rode up. Navigating the complex halls had become fairly easy by the third time around, and soon she came upon her mother’s room.
“Vinyl?” Claret said, looking at the clock on the wall. “It’s not even the afternoon yet.”
“I wouldn’t be able to focus at school, not with what’s going on and all.”
“Vinyl, you can’t skip school and—” Claret struggled to find something to say, but she took a deep breath and sighed instead. “It’s fine. However, let’s just not make this a frequent thing. Okay?”
“I’ll try.”
“Vinyl,” Claret said sternly.
“I mean ‘yes, Mom.’”
“Good.” She smiled. “I have good news and bad news, Vinyl.”
“…Bad news?”
“Just sit down.”
Claret waved Vinyl over to the chair beside her bed and she sat.
“The good news is that they are going to discharge me this afternoon; they are just looking over some last things before I can go.” She then sighed. “The bad news is that I am being asked to make an appointment at Canterlot Medical Center.”
“What for?”
“For some deeper examinations to make sure I am fully all right.”
“Mom…” Vinyl paused, “Is everything going to be okay?”
“Everything’s going to be fine, Vinyl. We just need to go to Canterlot for some more detailed check-ups.” Claret said, trying to smooth a troublesome lock of hair.
“Why can’t they just do that here!?” Vinyl yelled, but caught herself, surprised by her own intensity. Claret jumped a bit at her tone and shot her daughter a quieting stare.
“Vinyl, calm down. Please.”
“I’m sorry.” Vinyl placed her hooves over her face. “I’m just concerned, you know? What if it’s something really bad?”
“They have better doctors and equipment in Canterlot than here; in fact, they’re the best in Equestria. If they find something, I’ll already be in the perfect place to get it taken care of.”
“I— I guess.”
“Come here.” She opened her forelegs.
Vinyl got out of her seat and was wrapped up in her mother’s hug.
“No matter what happens, things will turn out fine in the end.” She petted her daughter’s mane. “Okay?”
“Okay, mom.”
Vinyl didn’t move at all while her mother petted her mane. Even though she was a teenager, there were some simple things she would never outgrow.
“I’m feeling better, by the way. Whatever the doctors gave me, some rest, and a meal have helped significantly.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Vinyl, yesterday… Did you want to talk about it with me? What happened?”
“I don’t want to, but… that was the scariest thing I’ve been through, mom. I thought something really bad was going to happen to you. For the past few nights, whenever I’d close my eyes I couldn’t escape from it and it’s been bothering me.”
“Well, it’s all over, and they’re just bad memories now. I’m here with you, dear.”
“Forever and always, mom?”
“Forever and always.”
A day had passed; Vinyl and Claret were boarded on the early morning train to Canterlot. The two sat next to each other in a business class car, which included its luxury amenities.
“I never asked, Vinyl, how was the stay at Rarity’s?”
“It was good. She gave Derpy and me our own room and made us breakfast the next morning. She said she liked meeting Derpy, too.”
“That’s good; I’ll be sure to write a letter thanking her.”
“I also said we’d visit more often; I figured you wouldn’t mind.”
“Not at all; actually, it’s something I mean to do a lot more often than I actually do. It’s just a shame it took a seizure to get us to spend more time together.” Claret withdrew her saddlebag, pulling out some stationary and a pen. She placed the pen in her mouth and began writing.
“Mom, how much longer are you supposed to not use your magic?”
Claret delicately spat the pen back into her bag. “Whenever the doctors say I can. I will say, I haven’t written like this in a long while. Makes you realize how much we rely on our magic for daily tasks.”
“I guess, but what about playing the piano? Aren’t you supposed to go on a tour this summer?”
“I made sure to call the record company during my stay in the hospital. They said that I should take my time and not put more strain on myself.”
“All right.”
“If worse comes to worst, I’ll just have to cancel my summer tour until I am feeling better.”
“That’s kind of disappointing. I know it’s business for you, but going around Equestria with you has become something I look forward to each summer.” Vinyl sighed.
“I didn’t say we couldn’t still take a trip, Vinyl. Even if I can’t play, we could still visit a place like Manehattan if you want.”
“Yeah. That would be pretty cool.” Vinyl smiled.
“Also, since we are going to Canterlot, I want you to have this.” Claret withdrew an envelope from her bag and passed it to Vinyl.
“What is—“ Vinyl opened the letter to find three one-hundred bit bills. “Damn, Mom. What’s this for?”
“It should be enough to last you today and tomorrow during our time in Canterlot. As hard as it is for me to believe sometimes, you are almost an adult. I trust you can take care of yourself while you are there. It’s better than staying held up in a hospital.”
“I get that, but this still seems like a lot. This isn’t a test, right?”
Claret laughed. “No, dear; it’s Canterlot. Everything there is more expensive than it is in Ponyville.”
“Well, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, just don’t spend it all in one place.” She smiled.
“I’ll try not to.”
The train arrived in Canterlot just before noon. Vinyl and Claret were two of the first to get off, carrying only their saddlebags. Walking out of the train, Vinyl looked at the great structures around them. Canterlot was as well known for its royalty as for its ostentatious architecture.
“Stick close to me, Vinyl. We need to check in to the hotel first.” Claret begun walking towards the exit to the station.
Vinyl nodded and followed behind her mother.
They remained quiet while they dashed to the hotel, which towered over them as they approached. A well-dressed stallion opened the door, welcoming the two and they checked in at the front counter. His smile wavered and he eyed Claret’s horn as she grabbed a pen and signed in with her mouth. Her signature was shaky from years of disuse and she smiled awkwardly at Vinyl. They soon went up to their room and dropped their bags off.
“Well, I need to head to the hospital.” Claret said, wiping the sweat off her forehead.
“You look pretty tired. Are you sure you don’t wanna sit down for a minute before you go?”
“I can’t delay my appointment, Vinyl.”
“Well, can I walk with you there then, at least?”
“You aren’t going to stick with me at the hospital the entire time are you?”
“No, I’ll have more than enough time to go around Canterlot by myself. I’d just… like to be with you for a few more minutes.”
“All right.” Claret smiled.
Leaving the hotel, Claret again led the way while Vinyl followed behind. Along the walk to the hospital, Vinyl examined all of the buildings they passed including boutiques, restaurants, cafes, and various specialty shops.
“You know, Vinyl, I used to live here before you were born.”
“Here?” Vinyl asked, pointing to the tall building next to them.
Claret shook her head. “I just meant Canterlot. The apartment itself is on the other side of the city. It’s not much to look at, anyway. Just a cramped studio apartment. There isn’t much for kids to do here in general compared to Ponyville. It’s more or less a place for adults.”
“You met dad here before you moved, didn’t you?”
Claret tensed. “Yes.”
“That’s it?”
“Hm?” Claret blinked, confused by the question.
“I keep trying not to press the subject too much, but seriously. I ask about my dad and all you have to say is one word?”
“It’s one more word than he deserves, leaving the way he did. You were so little, Vinyl, and I was left all alone to take care of you.”
“Just like that?”
“He said ‘goodbye’ if that’s what you mean, and I was given an amount of money equivalent to his share of the bills for a ‘reasonable’ length of time. It still feels the same.”
“I know, but like you said, I’m nearly an adult, and I still don’t even know his name, what he does— nothing.”
“We moved on, Vinyl. We loved each other once, but settling down in a small town wasn’t part of his plans. Neither was having you, and that wasn’t something that we could just agree to disagree on.”
“Asshole.” Vinyl muttered under her breath.
“Let’s not talk about him, there is a reason I don’t bring him up often.”
“Yeah,” Vinyl sighed. “Sorry.”
Vinyl searched for something else to talk about, but nothing would come so they kept silent for the rest of their walk to the hospital. More like a campus than a single building, the large facility was comprised of multiple buildings for individual wards and tall towers to house patients all joined by a central garden. The two stopped at the large entrance with a plaque that read ‘Admissions.’
Claret took a deep breath.
“Well, we’re here. I guess this is where we separate. Be sure to behave while you are out by yourself, okay? I will meet you back at the hotel later this afternoon.”
“All right, mom.”
“I love you, sweetie,” She smiled.
“Love you, too.”
Claret pulled Vinyl into a quick hug, then let go and walked inside through the front door of the hospital while Vinyl waved. She didn’t like having her mother go by herself, but at the same time she knew she would just get in the way of the doctors.
Turning around, Vinyl pulled out her wallet, looking at the three one-hundred bit bills.
“I'm in Canterlot and I have three hundred bits, where do I start?”
Vinyl kept patting the pocket with her wallet inside as she walked down the business district, looking through the windows of shops displaying luxurious clothing and other various expensive items.
None of it really grabbed Vinyl’s interest, but then she stopped at an empty shop and saw her reflection in the glass. She didn’t mind her look most days, wearing her thick glasses and a jacket; her mane however was nothing but a mess and looked bland with it’s plain blue.
She then noticed a shop across from the closed one titled ‘Studio Heart.’
Vinyl patted her mane. “Wouldn’t hurt to get a different style.”
She walked inside the shop and was greeted by a unicorn standing over her.
“Hello young lady, are you looking for someone?” she said, with a practiced smile.
“Uhh… I’m sixteen, and no.”
“Oh, haha. My apologies. You look younger than others your age.”
“Uh-huh,” Vinyl said.
“Well, are you interested in anything today?”
“I want something… special. For my mane and tail. I don’t know what, though.”
“Maybe I can help you.” The mare stepped away from the counter and pointed to a table containing a stack of fashion magazines. “Perhaps you can find something in here to give you some ideas? Just give me a shout if you see anything that piques your interest. My name is Diamond Mint, by the way.”
"Thanks Diamond." Vinyl picked up several of the magazines and sat at a chair, browsing through a few pages. One magazine had elegant styles that didn’t interest her at all, so she tossed it back onto the table. She leafed through another magazine with more casual styles, but none of them were different enough from her current mane and tail. What was the point of spending money on a genuine Canterlot styling if she was just going to end up looking the same?
Then, out of the corner of her eye, a mare with a bright neon green spiked mane caught her eye, emblazoned on the cover of a magazine titled ‘SHRED.’ Photographed mid-headbang, everything about her screamed ‘defiant’ as she wailed on her equally green guitar. It wasn’t a style Vinyl exactly followed, but it piqued her interest unlike the past few magazines.
She got back up and placed the page on the counter.
“Can you do something like this, but with my current mane color?”
“Let’s see.” The mare picked up the magazine and eyed it closely. “I can definitely do something like this.”
“How much would you think it’ll set me back?”
“Depends. I can do a quick restyle, tail trim, and dye for around 150 bits—” Vinyl whistled and she snorted. “But we also offer an enchanted dye package for an extra hundred bits.”
“What is the difference between regular and enchanted?”
“Notice how this mare’s mane has a sort of shimmer?” She tapped on the magazine page. “With the regular stuff, you don’t really get that effect. Besides, the color only lasts about two months before your hair grows out and you can see your natural roots. With the enchanted dye, it lasts for a lifetime until you get another enchanted dye to replace it.”
“Can you promise me you can keep it under 300 bits?”
“I’m supposed to charge per coat if we need more than one, and we probably will, but…” She took a quick glance at the back of the shop and waved her hoof for Vinyl to come closer. Vinyl leaned in a bit and the mare lifted her tongue, revealing a thick metal piercing. “Some of us can only rebel in ways the customers can’t see.” She winked at Vinyl. “Everybody here wants the same prim and proper crap. A kid coming here asking for a style like this? I can dig it. I’ll do you a solid and keep it at two fifty, and I’m gonna do it damn good.”
Vinyl smiled. “That sounds cool.”
A few hours had passed since Vinyl had begun her makeover. The stylist began with a regular shampoo and condition of her mane and tail and a quick trim, but Vinyl spent a majority of her time with tin foil in her mane and tail applying the dye.
“All right. Let’s get this off and see how it turned out.”
The mare pulled strip after strip of tin foil from Vinyl’s mane, forming a large pile beside the chair. When she removed the last piece, she guided Vinyl to the nearest full sized mirror.
“What do you think?”
Vinyl put her glasses on and her eyes widened. Her flat blue mane was now spiky and shimmering with different shades of blue. She almost looked like an entirely different mare.
“…Different.”
“Normally when a customer says that, they are trying to find a nice way to say ‘awful.’”
“Nah. I like different.”
“Well, as long as you like it. As promised, it’s only 250 bits.”
Vinyl pulled the envelope out from her jacket and withdrew the three one-hundred bit bills, the mare went over to the register and returned Vinyl’s change in a few separate bills.
“Thank you. Have a good evening.”
“Evening?” Vinyl checked her watch, it was almost 6PM. “Oh shit, mom is going to think I got lost or worse. Thanks a bunch!”
She quickly bolted out of the store and back to the hotel where she would meet her mother during the afternoon.
Vinyl stopped at the entrance to their room and unlocked the door with the spare key she was given, stepping inside she found the lights were off and, walking around the hotel room, no one except her was around.
“Is she still at the hospital?” Vinyl left the room and closed the door behind her, sighing. She then headed back to the hospital.
The sun had already gone down that evening and the lamps in Canterlot came on to fill up the dark streets and shops with light.
Arriving at the hospital, Vinyl walked up to the front desk where a stallion sat there.
“Can I help you with something?” he said.
“Yes, is Claret Rondeau still here?”
“One moment please.” He glanced at a sheet of paper with a list of names. “She is on the second floor, room 237. She is to be discharged soon, however. I recommend you just wait here.”
“Um, all right.” Vinyl nodded and sat in the waiting room, waiting for her mother. Soon her mother came out from the hall and Vinyl walked up to her. “Hi mom.”
“Hel— Vinyl!?” Her eyes went wide seeing Vinyl’s new mane and tail. “Dear, what did you do to your mane?”
“Um… surprise?” Vinyl grinned widely, then let it fall when she realized it wasn’t working. “I, uh, got a bit of a makeover.”
“I can see.” Claret blinked.
Vinyl scratched at the ground with a hoof. “Do you like it?”
Claret tilted her head and thought for a moment. “Well, it’s certainly not something I would get. But,” she added quickly, “it definitely seems like you.”
“Thanks. Did the doctors say you are okay?”
“Oh, um.” Claret bit her lip. “Well, I’ll be all right, but they said I will have to start taking medication… and I’ve been forbidden from using magic until they clear me to.”
“So, definite ‘no’ on the tour this summer?”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
Vinyl’s ears drooped.
“Let’s not be sad over it. Did you get anything to eat yet?”
“No.”
“Neither did I. Let’s see what we can find in the way of dinner.”
Vinyl and her mother left the hospital, walking side by side and talking about what they did that day. Vinyl wondered why her mother would still not be able to use her magic. For now, though, it was enough to hear she was all right.
Stats
Page generated in 0.037 seconds
Total duration
710 users online
816,703 hits today, 2,561,572 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.®
Wow, great chapter! I though Claret would have really hated that new mane style, but I guess not.
>"Don't spend it all in one place!"
>"Okay."
>spends almost all of it in one place
Teenagers...
*Sniffle*
Don't worry about me. I'm just letting it all out before the big trip down to my feels.
I'd suggest removing 'have' from that, or replace supposed with normally and I'm with I or I'd.
"I'm supposed to..."
"I normally have to..."
"I'd normally have to..."
Whichever you feel flows best.
6730424
Thanks, hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Oh, goodness. This will not end well. (Naturally.)
6730443
Should be "Worse."
Hmm...
Maybe something's wrong with her mom's magic?