This is not death.
There's too much green.
I follow the hum.
I clasp onto it.
I'm pulled out of the tan murk, ascending faster and faster with each heart beat.
At last, I emerge, my ears ringing.
Soft voices emerge from the haze.
One familiar. Another scarcely so.
"...simply in an alicornia-induced sleep. She should be up and awake at any moment."
"Is... is there any chance of... of...?"
"Brain damage? Fear not, Your Majesty. She simply overloaded the leylines affixed to the schism. I've read Nurse Red Heart's files on Miss Scratch quite clearly. This is something she's endured many times. It's an unfortunate albeit manageable consequence of living with her condition."
"You don't think that charging the crystal would have put her through extraordinary stress?"
"I'm... under the impression that the guard who intervened didn't know that Miss Scratch's leylines were so sensitive. But I assure you that no damage is done. Let's just be glad that medical assistance arrived precisely when—"
I sit up with a jolt. Cold sheets roll off of me. There are cables attached to my forelimb and horn. A crimson beeping sound persists to my side.
"Oh! Speaking of which...!" A wrinkly face turns towards me from across a tiny hospital room. Dr. Clark smiles, trotting away from Twilight Sparkle in the cold blue light. "Miss Scratch! A delight to have you awake! Now... just relax. Take deep, even breaths. You are in the best care in all of Equestria—"
His words fade, along with the colors of his breath. I'm looking left and right, eyes squinting against the naked lights. The world swims. I kick away at it, spinning the colors, sorting through them. It's a nightmarish task, entangling me with errant reds and golds and blues and...
Indigo.
There it is.
Tavi...
"—if you would just sit tight as I perform a few quick tests on—"
I burst out of bed. The cables are still attached, and I cause the table of equipment to shift and rattle.
"Miss Scratch..." Dr. Clark stammers, his voice hitting a rosy pitch. "Miss Scratch, please, you are in no condition to—"
Teeth, gnashing, I rip the cables off of me. I trot away from the bed, tossing sheets and a rattling bed pan.
"Miss Scratch—"
I shove past him, wheezing. A magenta splash, and I see Twilight rushing towards me. No. She's rushing towards the Doctor, blocking him. "Doctor. It's... It's alright." Gray and grayer. "I'll keep an eye on her."
"But... your Highness, this is most unorthodox—"
"She won't interfere in anything! I promise!" She scampers after me. I'm in the hallway now, or at least I think so. Everything's spinning. Ponies in white turn towards me. All is gold and gasps. "Vinyl! Vinyl! Hold up—"
I don't listen. I don't care.
I don't stop.
Indigo.
It's just a few doorframes ahead. Towards the right. Faint and fluctuating.
Goddess, please...
I'm stumbling, scampering. I knock into something... or I knock something over. I don't know.
"Vinyl—" Gray bursts behind my table.
I surf the magenta waves, rolling toards a lone door. Ponies are gathered there. Eyes flash my way, widening.
"Vinyl, she's okay! Listen to me—"
I slump against the door. Gnashing my teeth, I squint against the blinding haze, staring through the sheet of glass and metal wires.
Nurse Red Heart is pacing around a thick wad of white sheets. It takes a few seconds to realize that my best friend is lying beneath them. I see velvet gray fur. The hint of a sleeved leg. A mane... where is her mane? Where is her breath?!
"She's alright!" Twilight rushes towards me. "Tavi's going to be fine! Do you hear me?"
Telekinesis tugs at my shoulder, but I shrug it off, struggling to yank the door open. The knob won't budge.
"Nurse Red Heart can't afford to be interrupted right now. She's keeping Octavia stabilized." Twilight presses her hoof to my shoulder. "You kept her awake in time for Red Heart and her team to arrive. Your roommate's going to be okay. She just needs to recover with magic stabilization therapy. That's what the crystals are in there for, see? Just like the one you protected her with."
I stand tall, shivering. My gaping muzzle presses to the glass.
At last, Nurse Red Heart hears the commotion. She turns to blink at the face staring in through the door. A smile crosses her muzzle. She leans down towards the mare in the bed, murmuring something. There's the tiniest, most fragile flicker of indigo... and a bandaged hoof raises up, waving meekly.
I hold a hoof over my muzzle, shuddering.
"See? It's okay, Vinyl." Twilight's face drifts in to smile at me. I can't see it through the waves of magenta rolling out... among other things. "You did it. You saved her. Octavia's going to be okay thanks to you."
I clench my eyes shut. I shake. I heave.
"Now... please... will you come back to your room so that Dr. Clark can look you ov—Vinyl?"
I'm slumping down against the door. My legs are butter. I can't stop sobbing.
Somehow, through the dizzying miasma, I detect a sharp series of echoing hooftrops, followed by a lovely breath.
"Is she up? My goddess. Make way. Please. Everypony." Beau's strong forelimbs wrap around me. "Hey, girl..."
A squeak leaves my throat, almost knocking me out. I spin around and bury my face in his shoulder. He holds me tight, stroking my back and nuzzling me close.
"It's okay. Everything's gonna be okay, Vine." He murmurs in my ear, rocking me gently as the breathy waves weep out of me. "You're as brave as they get, girl. Don't you fret one bit. Tavi's lucky... she's so dayum lucky..."
Another sob. I hang onto Beau as the magenta tide drags at my legs.
There's somepony luckier...
For the next few minutes, I'm crying through a smile. At some point, Beau helps me back to my hooves and leads me back to my room. But I scarcely notice.
Indigo...
Blessed... blessed indigo...
I could drown in it...
Oh thank goodness...she's alright.
Excellent song choice, Skirts. I can just picture it right now, as if from some emotional scene in a movie. From as Vinyl wakes up, to when she's running down the halls (maybe a little slow-motion in there), all other sound muted except that which ties her to Octavia. The swelling melody in the background. The great relief she feels as she's sobbing in Beau's forearms.
Beautiful.
can't wait to see whats next!
Tavi's not gonna remember a thing, is she?
God dammit.
Based on the title of the previous chapter, please tell me it doesn't end like this. It is nice that Tavi and Vinyl are ok, and that Beau is there to comfort her, but, it wouldn't feel right for this to be the last chapter.
That's two chapters in a row that you've gotten me to tear up.
You are too good at this.
Gawd, I'm relieved. I mean, I didn't think the story would take a turn for the tragic, but with Skirts nothing is guaranteed. Now we can just hope that Talonsmith gets what's coming to him. And that Flash gets a promotion.
Also, I'm looking forward to Vinyl and Octavia meeting face to face, and to get confirmation whether Vinyl said what I
hopethink she said. TwilightUCrazy suspects Tavi won't remember, but I dunno. The story seems to be winding toward its conclusion, and I see resolution on the horizon. The question becomes, will Tavi feel the same way? I hope so, but hope doesn't count for much in this sort of situation. If nothing else, there's something poetic about Vinyl returning the favor by saving Tavi's life.Thank goodness.
This story has been featured more times than there are people in China.
And there was much rejoicing!
God, I haven't teared up at a story in a very... very long time. I'm pleased to say that you have fixed this.
I love you.
6659696 And by that I mean the feels.
Wow, she didn't even grab her shades, and on top of that, she's crying, so her head must be reeling so bad right now from all of the colors and lights.
6659664
Talonsmith definitely isn't getting out of this situation unscathed. Can Flash be promoted? I mean, he's already a royal guard, so the only thing he could become would be a Royal Captain, and Shining Armor is the only pony we've ever seen to hold such a position. As for Tavi feeling the same away about Vinyl, it probably won't end romantically. There is no romance tag on this story, so odds are against us here. Even in his romance stories, Skirts seldom has the protagonists actually admit their feelings for each other so... Damn.
Wow. I guessed wrong.
REJOICE, MY BRETHREN AND SISTREN! THEY BOTH SURVIVED!
6659712
Well, Shining's not in the position anymore, after all...
Also, I love Beau. He hasn't had that much screen time, but he's pretty darn well developed despite it, and I adore his character.
6658431 True, true.
still freaking out inside
The way this was written had my anxiety and tension skyrocketing with each new line.
6657332 And if your looking for psych horror, you could always try out of character or Bon Bon Bon Bon Bon Bon.
6660558
Skirts has a thing for unnecessary pony words. The hell is "Dr. Pony"? (I mean, I know what it is, but its kind of weird) There's really no reason for Pony-X everything unless Celestia is bored as all hell and trying to see how much she can screw with the populace until someone points it out.
Vinyl, I've said this before but it needs to be said again: TELL HER.
YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES!!!!!!!!!!!!
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/wingsoffire/images/7/70/Twilight_sparkle_yes.gif/revision/latest?cb=20140321232216
THEY SURVIVED!!!!!!!!
Another chapter? I can't look. Is... is the story over?
> [incomplete]
Oh thank Luna.
Aaaaannnnnnnd....
YES! YESYESYES!
Now hurry and stitch her up, doctor, she's got a smooching appointment.
6660567
I don't like the overuse of this trope either, but see its usefulness in Writing Around Trademarks. Referencing a real-world drink (especially when it's as central to the main character as in this story) feels like a clumsy product placement. Putting it behind a paper-thin disguise alleviates that while still making the meaning clear.
That said, I like to imagine what it would be like if we gave cities weird names like Humanville or Handington or Fingerburgh or Manhattan.
Beautiful man, beautiful
I am happy! :D YUS! So glad, so glad...
Now I wait... for the next one... what will happen?
Who knows.
6661186
Okay, that one genuinely made me chuckle =D
6661186
Still, instead of, say, Pony Mart, just call it P-Mart. And some things really don't need it, like aforementioned maretropolis.
Well, that was certainly a surprising and heart wrenching twist to the story. A bit out of left field for sure, and I'm glad they're okay.
I'm a little surprised at those who are suspecting this is the end of the story, we still haven't learned much about 'The Event' and it would be poor form to just toss that kind of revelation in at the end as a sudden 'here you go' type of thing. While Skirts does like his cliffhangers, I don't think he'd be that cruel to just end it here without a real proper resolution of the plot points.
6661186 How about Hairhattan?
You know, since there is a Manhattan.
On that note: Girldelphia.
Skirts, quit making me cry.
Wait, no. Never stop, you beautiful bastard.
6661283
As a bonus, I just found out there is a real Humansville, MO.