Underworld - Chap 1

Chap 1

Story will not be officially up til Chap 3. Feed me yo comments!

Beneath Equestria lies a hidden world. One filled with creatures of shadow and darkness, though not necessarily out for blood.... save for a few of them, of course, though most won't bite too hard, at least the nice ones won't. Still, few know of this place, and those who do stay far away.

But not Vinyl Scratch, a creature of two worlds, a creature of impulse and self-indulgence, and now... a mentor?!

When an attack in the Everfree Forest leads to an emergency conversion of Scootaloo, Vinyl is initially apathetic. However, a year later, her conscience has finally caught up with her. She will teach the filly how to work her fangs.

Meeting her, a strange immortal who wishes to die, a living Nightmare that simply wants to coexist, and an old, fallen friend with strange, new priorities, Scootaloo will uncover the mysteries of not only the underworld, but of her existence.

And most of all: she will learn that vampires to do not god damned sparkle.

Without a doubt, the Soul Well was one of the most popular hang out spots for all ghouls in the Ponyville sector of the Underworld. Vampires, the undead, eldrich abominations, and all manner of dark creatures sat at mist-surrounded tables within. Skull-lamps lined the rock-encrusted walls, though their light wasn't required in excess for most. It was a relaxed atmosphere, really. One where the souls of the damned were served in fancy glasses complete with rotten olives, one where dark, gothic poetry was often read in strange, ancient languages upon a dusty stage, and one where many of the creatures, wise in their years, spent their time reading books.

It was fine for nearly everyghoul there... save for one individual.

On a bench on stage she sat, slumped over with a dreary look on her face. She was a unicorn-turned vampire with purple shades that obscured two, fiery red eyes, and one that in her current natural form held a crooked, black horn. With it, she summoned a misty, black magic that was used to strum an ancient looking blues guitar. From it came an ancient, strange, and dissonant melody. One with no structure a normal creature could understand.

Still, the dark ones below could, and seemed to appreciate it, though not as much as the musician would have fancied. There was no dancing, no life... the place was nothing but a shared coffin.

She sighed, glancing at a clock on the wall. It was three until high moon, or as those above called it, three until midnight. Normally, she would be on the path to Ponyville by now, through a series of twisting caverns leading to an ancient portal. But that was not the case anymore. The world above was not her's anymore. It hadn't been for nearly a year. The gates had closed. She was trapped below for now, barred from going topside except for feeding.

Trapped in boredom.

She glanced to the door. The younger ones would be arriving soon. Eager chupacabras, shadow spirits, vampires, and the like, all vying for the more potent souls sold at the place. Though still, even when intoxicated on their energies, their own energy was less then par, and they did not appreciate the entertainers sense of music, either.

Wubstep... its eloquent structure. Its strange sound that could be soothing to both dark and light ears alike. One that everypony and ghoul could enjoy if given the chance.

She winced. Or perhaps she was just kidding herself... her life in the light was over... her old shades were not fit for the land of darkness. Most dark creatures were just too different: they enjoyed different things. And one day, she feared, she may become like them, when her age in the new life would outweigh the old.

Just as she felt like falling asleep, something a vampire rarely needed, the door to the tavern creaked open. In it trotted one of the stranger ghouls below. He wore a tattered outfit, and while on his off hours he would be quite chatty, lively, and even flirtatious, but when he was on the job... he was all business.

She didn't like it when he was in that mode.

The entertainer gave him a glare as he approached her, before glancing down as her guitar, trying to ignore him completely. Yet, it was never that easy with him.

"Ms. Scratch," he spoke. He was now at the edge of the stage.

She narrowed her eyes, glancing away from him.

"It's not like you to be so silent, you know."

She continued to look away as her playing became, if possible, even more dissonant and minor.

"When in Ghoulville, do what the ghouls do."

A beat of silence.

"That's not you."

Finally, she glanced at the stallion, her eyes narrowed.

"Maybe, but all good things come to an end, don't they?"

"And no mistake is fatal."

Scratch gave a sarcastic chuckle. "It might as well be." She held up a hoof. "If you could call it a mistake."

The Guardian returned it with a slight smile. "Are you sure?"

"About which thing?"

"It being fatal."

Vinyl squinted an eyebrows, his gaze intensifying on the Guardian.

"The hell do you want from me?"

The Guardian narrowed his eyes. "I want you to fix your mistake."

Vinyl scoffed. "It wasn't even a mistake! She deserved it!"

She then closed her eyes, sighing and glancing down.

"Well... at the time, I thought she did." She then glanced back up at the Guardian, her expression stern, but sad. "Imagine it, Guardian. Imagine you were nothing, your childhood taken from you, your home non-existent, and imagine you were dying... alone. Would you want it to happen, or would you rather take a helping hoof and buck all the crap thrown at you?"

The stallion remained silent.

Scratch took a deep breath. "You can't understand, can you? It may sound weird, but I think you've lived for so long you've forgotten what it means to truly be alive! It's why you fought so hard to trap me down here. Away from what I cared about!"

She swallowed painfully, an image of a certain mare flashing in her mind. She expected the Guardian's eyes to be cold, apathetic when she found the nerve to look into them again, yet instead... she found only sympathy.

"If I really felt that, why would I be here willing to give you a second chance?" he asked.

She threw him another sarcastic laugh. "Yeah... uh huh. It sounds like you only want me to clear my conscience! Well, it's clear as the skies above, sir!"

The Guardian raised an eyebrow. "Is it?"

Scratch remained silent.

He took a step forward, his eyes piercing her own like a Nightshade Arrow.

"Don't let my sympathy make you think you can try to yank me around, Vinyl," he growled. "You stole a Light Stone, one of the few we had, and let it fall from your grasp. You lived above without permission, exposing not only yourself but everyghoul in the underworld to danger. To top it off, you created the first new vampire in thirty years without even taking her under your wing! And you don't think you deserve to be punished?! After defying your new responsibilities!? You are arrogant, reckless, and impulsive as they come!"

Vinyl opened her mouth to say something, but soon shut it, her rage turning to such a shame that felt as if it were clenching her heart. And it was very transparent, it seemed.

The Guardian took a deep breath at that, but smiled once again Vinyl's way.

"And you know the reason why is pisses me off so much?" he asked.

Vinyl gave a long groan. "I'm sorry, but does it seem like I have any bucks to give?"

The Guardian rolled his eyes, throwing her a slightly annoyed, but easy-going glance.

"It's because looking at you is like looking into a mirror to my past."

Vinyl raised an eyebrow, before gazing him over once again.

"Hard to imagine you young."

"And it's hard to imagine you old."

Vinyl actually put on a smirk at that. "Haw."

She then took a deep breath.

"Alright, let's talk business: I know you love that. What exactly do you want me to do, and what will I get out of it besides a window-waxed conscience?"

The Guardian's smile widened.

"You'll get your ticket back."

Vinyl's eyes widened, and she soon found her mouth gaping. She could not believe the words she was hearing. If it were coming from anyone but the Guardian in business mode, she would have thought they were joking...

Never hurt to make sure, though.

"You're serious?" she asked.

"Absolutely. The council took pity on you. Well, all save for Queen Chrysalis, but you know how she is."

She gave a grunt. "Dead inside?"

The Guardian returned it with a blank, annoyed look. "Don't be so quick to misjudge her. She has a wise head on her shoulders."

"Are you serious?! Sometimes I think her brain is as full of holes as her legs!"

The Guardian's annoyed look soon became fierce. "Listen, if you want this job, I do not want to hear anymore disrespect to the councilors, understand?"

"What, are you dating her or something?" she grinned. "I know how you are with mares. And her being a shape-shifter, well... we both know where that could go. Bow chika-wow-wow!"

"Nor anymore disrespect towards me," he snapped. "I'm the one who brought you up in the first place! Hell, you owe me more than just kind words, as a matter of fact!"

Vinyl's grin quickly faded off her face.

"Sorry, I was just joking..."

"Wait until my off hours for that," he growled.

Vinyl winced, expecting further words, but instead, the Guardian took a deep breath, his half-smile returning.

"Though... I can't say I haven't thought of that before."

Vinyl blinked, her eyes widening. The Guardian cleared his throat.

"Anyway, your job should be simple. You should be done with the first phase of it in a matter of hours."

Vinyl raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly. "No offense, Guardian, but simple isn't really your forte from what I've read."

The Guardian shrugged, before doing a double take.

"Wait, was that a music pun?!"

She nodded eagerly, grinning ear to ear. "Fo shizzle!"

He winced as if he had just ate a pure soul, rubbing his temples. "Alright, obviously you're not taking this seriously whatsoever. And not-so-obviously, I can admire that... sort of, but you're seriously starting to push it to the limit."

Vinyl's grin remained.

"And ride along the razor's edge!" she sang.

The Guardian gave her a glare, though soon thought for a second, before actually nodding with a bemused expression on him. "Well... I like that song, so I can forgive you for that."

Vinyl shook her head in an exasperated manner.

"Sweet Celestia-"

"Tartarus..."

"Shush, I know, but you are friggin' unpredictable, you know that?"

He smirked. "Likewise. And at least you'll be teaching her not to take life so seriously."

Vinyl furrowed her brow, her grin disappearing again. "Wah? Teaching who? What exactly am I doing, Blacky?"

"It's Captain or Guardian when I'm on duty," he grunted. "And it's simple really. Your biggest mistake wasn't stealing the Light Stone, no: that wouldn't hurt anyone, even though it was selfish. But you did create a new vampire without even bothering to show her our world and rules; The 'stupid crap' you apparently regard as unimportant."

Vinyl gulped, her guilt swelling in her chest like a batch of bad blood. "I- It just ain't me to be a mentor. I flow where the souls flow, you know? I'm part of the breeze."

With that, the Guardian narrowed his eyes before bringing them right before her's. Vinyl had seen him on bad day's, but she had never seen him so... unamused.

"What you did was not being a 'Freebird.' What you did was irresponsible. It's like making love without birth control. If you make a mistake, you owe it to her and to your heart, as cheesy as that sounds, to take any consequences under your wing!"

Vinyl gazed away from him.

"You... said I'm a mirror of your past, right? Has it ever happened to you before? I know you're not a vampire but... your-your analogy."

The Guardian closed his eyes, sighing.

"Freebird has a good solo. A really good solo." His expression turned stern as she gazed back upon him. "Now... are you willing to help?"

"Why me, though? I'm not mentor material, especially when it comes to this! There's got to be a better vampire out there. Where's Alucard?"

The Guardian winced.

"Alucard has... refused. It's you're job for two reasons. One, your dark energy levels haven't reached the point where they can cause harm to those above on extended leaves, and two, as I've said, it is your duty and responsibility."

Vinyl glanced away from him, wishing he was wrong but knowing he was right. It would be hard: mentoring her. She wasn't much of a model vampire. However, part of her urged her on, her conscience and her desires doing battles.

It's the right thing to do...

It's not who you are...

You turned her, it's your responsibility...

I did it to save her life!

You only extended it a year or so if you do nothing. And like Alucard always said, doing nothing in the face of sin is as bad as committing that evil itself!

With that, Vinyl took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and prepared herself for commitment. She owed the kid. She really did. And perhaps the child's energies would help reignite her own... the surface could await them both for a time. A short time, but a time nonetheless.

And maybe it'd be a good one.

There was only two of them at the moment. The rest of the room faded from existence... as she nodded her head.

The Guardian smiled at that. "Is that a yes?"

Vinyl nodded again, a determined expression on her face.

"It's a hell yes, Blacky."

For once, Vinyl saw a hint of respect and approval upon him. "I knew you had it in you. But... just out of curiosity, what was her name? They didn't have it on the report. She was always just 'The Filly'. You know it, right?"

"Yeah! It's- it's..."

Vinyl squinted and thought for a second, back to that day when her world turned from dark to pitch black, and her mind returned to the past.

---

In a flash of green light, Vinyl appeared in a rain soaked forest, her jagged, vampiric inherited horn showing its ragged self as a flash of lightning scoured the area. With a slight smile, she quickly performed a spell, black mist hovering around the horn it was generated from, and suddenly, it became the that of a normal unicorn's. She performed another spell, and her somewhat bat-like ears quickly morphed to their pre-vampiric forms once again: perfectly straight, devoid or any abstract quality's. Even if it was just an illusion, it made her feel good to be able to hang onto a piece of a past, even if she could change who she truly was.

At that, despite the darkness and shade, she quickly levitated a pair of sunglasses from her travel bag and levitated them onto her ears, and with that gesture, she was no longer Vinyl 'Alucard' Scratch, she was DJ-PON3.

An alter ego she wished she could be full time. Unfortunately, it was just as false as her horn.

As another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, she began to trot through the dense brush of the monster sanctuary known as Everfree. Her distant cousins now, but not the type of monster she was.

They were monsters that didn't need to hide in the shadows. Monsters of light, not darkness. Monsters who needed no souls to feed on, no blood, fear, or love: just meat and shrubs.

For the most part.

At that, she heard a rustle a distance away, and she immediately halted, falling into a defensive stance. Still, fear never came to her. Tangling with the monsters of light was nothing new. Whenever she came to the surface they seemed to throw down all their differences and come at her as if she were a seasoned steak. They were as out for blood as she was occasionally, though it was a shame she didn't have much to offer in her vacant veins.

She waited, ready for one to pounce, yet... something felt different. Usually, they would charge right out of the brush, ready to pierce her on their teeth. But whatever this was seemed to be interested in observing her...

"Octavia, is that you?!" she called.

No response.

She squinted her eyebrows. "Who's there?! You can show yourself! Just your friendly neighborhood Vinyl Scratch here, is all!"

She heard a yelp, and the sound of something fleshy being struck. A second later, a blue pegasus came screaming out of the forest, bruised and battered, before crashing down before her hooves.

"Rainbow Dash?!" Vinyl gasped.

Rainbow let out a deep groan, coughing up blood, before painfully glancing up at Vinyl's eyes.

"Vinyl... help..." she whispered.

"Of course!" she yelped. "W-What can I do?"

"N-Not me," Rainbow barely manage to squeak. "It... took her."

Vinyl shook her head, squinting her eyebrows. "What took her?! Who?"

"Scoota-" Rainbow managed to gasp. "Scoota...loo."

With that, Rainbow went limp, her wings and head sagging into the wet soil.

"Rainbow?"

No response came. Rainbow Dash was a lifeless corpse lying in sheets of rain, yet there was nothing she could do. She detected a flicker of black energy left in her, despite her being a creature of light, but she was too far-gone... only the reaper could save her now.

Before she could even think further, or even panic, she suddenly heard a screech, and out of the woods came a black tendril of shadow.

It was here when her memories disappeared for over two hours.

---

"Ms. Scratch?"

Vinyl remained motionless, her mind overflowing with memories, and perhaps even fear.

"Vinyl! Come on, snap out of it. I know you lost a few memories that day but you have to have her name! Do you want me to tell you?"

Vinyl gazed at him with pained, haunted eyes. The memory had gone through her dead heart like a stake.

"I know her name, and like I said earlier, I know her background. She was this little orphan pony who was always doing these- these crazy tricks on that scooter thing of her's. She... lost her mentor that day... to something I can't even remember, but from what what I have scars from."

The Guardian nodded. "Who's still on the run, it seems."

Vinyl raised a hoof, her voice growing hopeful. "I remember a tendril, though, this time! A black, weird, tendril..."

The Captain shook his head. "That won't narrow it down. Many dark magics can produce that, and there are memory spells that could be used."

"Yeah, but..."

The Guardian closed his eyes.

"Focus on the filly," he said sternly.

Vinyl sighed slightly. "I don't know how everypony's names match what they do so easily, sept for your's, I guess, but her name was just like that."

"Something involving scooters?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it was... it was..."

Vinyl winced, her body shivering as if every dead nerve had suddenly lept to life.

"Scootaloo."