Knight of Equestria - On Distant Shores

by SupraMacPringles

Chapter 25: How Vinyl Got Her Groove

The otherworldly sound of the time machine hummed unnoticed as it arrived to a large field. The doors opened, and the Doctor was the first to lean his head out. He quickly looked back and forth, assessing the situation. Matthew Nabal leaned out above him to do the same.

"This is still earth, right?" Matt inquired to his space-faring friend.

"Yes, definitely. Probably." the Doctor replied.

One by one, the four mares aboard the TARDIS sequentially leaned out as well.

"Y'know Doctor, when I said I wanted to go do something fun, an empty field in the middle of nowhere wasn't what I expected." Vinyl remarked.

Everyone got out of the crowded doorway and out into the field. The Doctor locked the door behind them.

"I think we could all go for some fun, after all that train business." Bon-bon added.

"What's going on over there?" Lyra asked, gesturing to the opposite direction of the TARDIS' doors.

Across more length of the field, there was some sort of gathering going on. Banners and flags with strange logos were strewn about, and there were quite a lot of ponies nearby.

Vinyl seemed to recognize the gathering somehow. "Whoa... is that Hoofstock?!" she exclaimed.

"What's Hoofstock?" Bon-bon inquired.

"Only the biggest music festival in Equestria!" Vinyl responded. "I've been to nearly every one since I was a filly. I wonder what year this is..."

Matt let out an audible groan. "We live in a world of puns, and it just now occurred to me..." he said.

The Doctor pulled out his bronze and silver rod and began scanning the area, ignoring Matt's input.

"Nineteen ninety... something. Most likely." he said.

"I suppose that would be good for some fun." said Bon-bon.

"Yeah, I could go for some old music." Lyra stated in agreement.

Octavia let out a sigh. "Very well, since we're here. Let's head over." she said, sounding somewhat disinterested.

"Something the matter, Octavia?" Bon-bon asked as the group started walking.

"Oh no, it's nothing..." she responded.

"Octavia here has classic tastes." Vinyl said. "Like... really classic."

"Do you still play cello for the Canterlot Orchestra?" Lyra asked the gray mare.

"But of course!" Octavia responded proudly. "Although things have been rather bland without you around, Lyra."

"Yeah well, y'know. That stuff's behind me now." the mint pony responded.

Matt could tell Lyra was dancing around the subject, but he knew it wasn't his place to ask.

The group arrived at a field of tents and stalls of all sorts, all in front of a massive stage. Dozens of ponies littered the place, all assuredly avid music lovers.

"Oh, uh... oh dear. You know, I don't really do well in crowds, so I'll just head back to the TARDIS for now..." Matt said, looking into the large crowd of multicolored ponies.

"Really? You seemed fine on the train, and we were wedged in pretty tight." Bon-bon replied.

Matt hadn't noticed, but she was right. He had kept his composure during the entire ordeal on the train.

"Well I guess that's because I needed to be calm, given the circumstances."

"Aw, come on, dude! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" Vinyl declared.

"I thought you said it happens every year?" Matt rebutted.

"You know what I mean."

"Honestly, I don't. Really though, it's no big deal. I'll see you all in a bi-" Matt turned around to walk away, walking directly into a poorly rooted flagpole. After recoiling from the pain and making certain his nose wasn't bleeding, he watched as the flagpole fell backwards, directly onto a tent.

Shouts were heard from inside the tent. "Oh no... do you think they're alright?" Matt asked.

A moment later, rumbling and what seemed like a small explosion erupted from the tent.

"They were." Lyra responded dryly.

...

Later, Matt, Vinyl and Octavia were all sat on a blanket near the stage.

"I hope nopony's hurt badly." Octavia said.

"It didn't sound too good." Vinyl added.

Matt was feeling awful over his accidental damage, remaining silent as they waited for the Doctor, Lyra, and Bon-bon to return and update them on the ponies involved in the accident. He sat there, legs crossed and waited patiently. Before much longer, the trio returned with smiles on their faces.

"Great news!" the Doctor declared. "No one was hurt too badly. I mean, they're alive at the very least."

Matt sighed in relief. "That's good to hear." he said.

"However..." the Doctor began, taking a moment to swivel a hoof in the air to try and formulate an explanation.

"We have to perform in their place." Lyra said bluntly.

"Yes, exactly. What she said." the Doctor added.

Matt, Vinyl, and Octavia were a tad taken aback.

Bon-bon noticed their shock. "I know it's sudden, but they really needed somepony to put on a show, and I know at least three of us are musicians..." she said, letting it slip that she was the pony to sign them up as a band.

"B-but I don't even have my cello..." Octavia said.

"We don't really have a choice. At least, I don't." Matt said, clearly resolved to make up for his earlier blunder.

"I tried saying we didn't have any equipment." said Lyra. "But they insisted that there is a ton of spare stuff backstage."

"Well I'm up for it!" Vinyl shouted, striking a pose. "C'mon, let's go!" she says as she heads off backstage, the rest of the group in tow.

...

Backstage, Matt and the ponies found that there were indeed a large amount of extra equipment for them to use. Instruments, amplifiers, cords of several different varieties all sat unorganized in a sort of pile. The stage itself was was mostly blocked off by a large purple curtain.

"A thought occurs;" Matt began. "How do ponies even play instruments?"

"Like this." Lyra responded, levitating a blue bass guitar out of the pile and giving it a few strums with her magic.

"So I see. But what about earth ponies?" Matt questioned.

By this point, the Doctor had retrieved a guitar from the pile as well. The Doctor sat on his haunches and began to attempt to strum the instrument, finding it to be far easier than he imagined.

"How are you even doing that without fingers?" Matt inquired.

"No idea. Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, eh?" The Doctor replied.

"I didn't know you could play guitar, Doctor." said Bon-bon.

"Neither did I." he responded with a smirk.

"What about you, two-legs?" Lyra asked. "You ever perform before?"

"I have, actually."Matt was confident in his ability to play any instrument in the pile, but reached for a keyboard-guitar hybrid. "This'll do."

"Well this is going better than I hoped! I didn't know everypony other than me had musical talent!" Bon-bon exclaimed gleefully. "I guess I'll just... grab this tambourine, or something." she added, dusting off a shimmering tambourine. Upon shaking it, she realized that it let out various drum noises. Depending on which way she shook it, different noises and effects came out of it.

"Oh hey, that's one of those 'Drumbourines'." Lyra said. Bon-bon just stared at her, confused. "It's an enchanted instrument. Basically it's a hoofheld drum set." she added, clearing up Bon-bon's expression.

Vinyl, meanwhile, had been setting up her turntable. "This is gonna be so rad! I've always wanted to play at Hoofstock." she said.

Her partner, however, was having a far less enjoyable time. After searching through the pile for several minutes, Octavia had come across an issue; she didn't know how to play anything other than the cello and violin, neither of which were here.

"I-I guess I'll just be providing moral support from back here..." she sad somberly.

Vinyl placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't sweat it, Octy. The five of us should be more than enough."

Seeing Octavia cheer up a bit, Vinyl Scratch walked over towards the curtain separating the band from the waiting crowd. "There's gotta be a major crowd out there. I wonder if anypony knows about the change of band..." she peered around the curtain to check out the crowd, noting its still immense size. She nodded in approval until she spotted something that made her blood run cold.

Near the front of the stage was a young white Unicorn with an electric-blue colored mane, a large pair of purple sunglasses held up by her horn.

...

"Uh... Guys?" Vinyl brought her head back in from outside the curtain. "I think we have a problem. I'm out there."

"What? What do you mean you're out there?" Matt asked.

"I mean, I- me- little me is out there." she responded.

"Well I guess that makes sense. You said you had gone to Hoofstock every year since you were young." Bon-bon said.

"Well, yeah, but isn't it a problem for me to be here with... me?" Vinyl inquired.

"Probably." The Doctor replied. "The odds of it not being a problem are very small. Did she see you?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Good. You should stay out of sight."

"But what about the show?!" Vinyl asked, almost shouting.

"Sorry, V. This paradox stuff is something you don't wanna mess with." Lyra responded.

Vinyl let out a disgruntled sigh, before going back to her usual grin. "It's no big deal, I guess. There's always next year."

One of the festival staff ran into backstage, seemingly in a hurry. "Hey, are you folks about ready yet? This crowd is getting wild."

"Give us about five minutes." Lyra replied.

The staff member looked relieved and left the way he came in. The four performers, minus Bon-bon, began hooking up all their wires and amps and such. Bon-bon shook her drumbourine in all directions once more to try and memorize the noises it made.

Vinyl and Octavia just watched the other get ready.

"You don't remember something like this happening?" Octavia asked her companion.

"Not really. I just recall that one year I went the headliner was just some no-name band." Vinyl responded.

"You folks ready back there?" a voice yelled from outside.

"Yep!" replied Bon-bon.

"As I'll ever be." Matt shouted.

The curtain began to open slowly. Matt had began to quake a bit in his position. Lyra noticed this. "Nervous?"

"Just a tad, yes." he said in response, seizing his shivering and taking a deep breath.

As the curtain opened wider, the four stepped out to bright lights and a very confused looking crowd. There was no cheering, no jeering, just constants whispers of confusion. Noticing this, the Doctor stepped forward to an adjacent microphone.

"Ah, stunned silence. We do have that effect on ponies." he said, pausing a moment, presumably so ponies could laugh, which no one did. "Anyways... I regret to inform you that the mane attraction couldn't be here tonight due to a sudden case of explosions..."

Matt brought his palm to his face. There was another silence, a few coughs, and somepony shouting 'play Freebird' in the audience.

"... So in their place, you get us! And we are... we are..." Bon-bon added to the Doctor's introduction speech.

Matt tapped his mic to be sure it was working. "We are... The Band With No Name. Enjoy." he said, desperate to get started before the Doctor could make anymore horse-related puns.

...

As the impromptu band they had assembled began to play, Vinyl once again poked her head out to check on the crowd.

"They're doing pretty alright, considering nopony's thrown something yet." she said.

"I'm just surprised it sounds something like music..." Octavia responded.

Vinyl Scratch brought her head back in and laughed at Octavia's remark.

"Oh, c'mon Octy. I think it sounds pretty good, especially since they didn't get a chance to rehearse."

"I suppose so..." Octavia trailed off in thought. "How're you doing?" she asked.

"I'm a little bummed about not getting to perform, but other than-"

"No, not you you, her you."

"Oh. lemme check." Vinyl responded once again poking her head out to check on her younger self.

She noted that the crowd was seemingly enjoying the unique sound that the 'Band With No Name' was producing, including the filly version of herself.

"She's digging it. I am too, honestly. It sounds so... familiar." she said. Before a thought struck her.

"Y'know... I'm starting to remember this." she said.

"Does it match up to how this show went when you were young?" Octavia asked.

"Not exactly... It's almost as if... I'm forgetting... what i remembered?" Vinyl said confusedly. "Octavia... What if this changes me?"

"W-what do you mean, 'changes you'?" Octavia replied.

"My taste in music is a big part of who I am... and what if this changes that? I remember after getting my cutie mark at my first concert, I was somewhat confused. I knew I loved music, but it wasn't until like a year later that music really spoke to me, y'know?"

"And you think this Hoofstock is..."

"Where it happened, yeah... It's fuzzy and I'm not sure if I'm remembering it right, but... I'm almost sure this was where it happened. The only thing is... this isn't the music I remember. This is definitely different."

"You don't think this could really change who you are, do you?" Octavia asked.

"I dunno. I really hope not."

"Vinyl Scratch, there is more to you than your taste in music. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"So... you'd be okay with it, right?" Vinyl asked in a serious tone.

"Of course. Vinyl, you could despise music altogether and it wouldn't change how I feel about you." she replied, sweetness in her voice. "Although... I'm not sure if we even would've met if you didn't have the tastes you do."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Good thing that can't be changed, right?"

The two shared a glance that meant neither of them were sure if that was true or not. They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the noise from the concert turn more and more into music, and farther and farther away from what Vinyl remembered.

"I have an idea." Octavia declared. "Just to be sure. I'm going to regret it later, though."

...

Nearly an hour and a half of performing had gone by, and Matt and the rest of the band were becoming very tired. On top of performing their best for the crowd, they were having to come up with more and more material every few minutes.

In between songs, the lights on stage turned off suddenly. They then shone back on, all pointing to a spot near the front of the stage. Slowly, the floor opened up and what looked like a turntable slid out of the stage, much to the band;s confusion. Even stranger, Vinyl Scratch wasn't the pony wearing headphones and standing over the table; it was Octavia.

After a brief pause, assuredly for dramatic effect, Octavia hit a switch on the console in front of her and the records began to play. The band watched on in amazement as Octavia began working the table. More amazing was her apparent skill at doing so.

All sorts of electronic 'beeps' and 'wubs' began playing and the crowd went wild. The band stopped staring and began to join in. The white filly with the electric-blue mane was entranced, with a glint in her eye so bright that Octavia had noticed it. She also noticed that the filly's eyes weren't glued to the table producing the music, but to the gray mare herself.

Nearly another hour later, the band all decided their duty was done, took a bow and walked off stage one by one. Octavia continued working the table until the lights flickered before shutting off for about five seconds. When they came back on, the music faded and Octavia and the turntable had vanished.

As the staff and new fans rushed to meet the Band With No Name, they quickly discovered that the band had seemingly vanished, instruments left behind.

...

"That... was pretty amazing, Octavia." Lyra complimented her longtime friend.

"Didn't think you had it in ya." Bon-bon added.

"I didn't." she replied with a chuckle. "I borrowed 'it' from Vinyl."

"I guess being with me this long must've rubbed off on ya!" Vinyl replied proudly.

They had reached the TARDIS now, and all filed in once The Doctor unlocked the door.

"I must apologize for getting us into this mess in the first place." Matt said.

"Eh, forget about it, big guy." Lyra said tiredly.

"Yeah, it was fun." Bon-bon added.

"But do you know what wasn't fun?" Vinyl asked rhetorically. "Being the only one not jammin' at Hoofstock!"

The TARDIS began it's de-materializing as Vinyl made a fatal mistake.

"There's gotta be something on this thing that can play music..." she said while touching a few knobs and switches on the TARDIS' center console.

Before the Doctor could even shout his warning, the blue box began spinning out of control, tossing the inhabitants too and fro, before a sudden stop made Matt Nabal lose consciousness.