I’m an Archon now. No, more than that; I’m a member of the Order. It’s funny, when I really think about it. I don’t have Fine’s schemes, or Fleur’s beauty. I lack Caballeron’s experience, Gulfstream’s anger or Surprise’s ferocity. I can’t even touch Octavia; that mare puts all of us to shame, if she’d just realize it.

So what do I have that makes me worthy of this lofty position? Why do I get to make the big pony decisions? I know the answer. I can even say I like the answer. I always had the drive. It was a subconscious thing for most of my life; most ponies think I’m lazy, and I would agree.

But something happened to me. Neighrobi opened a door. In the weeks afterwards, I gradually became aware of just how fragile my happy little life was. My family had already taken a severe blow.

Somepony had to protect it.

—Vinyl Scratch, Book of Shadows XLVIII

May 27, 1007

The first thing Vinyl became aware of was a constant burning that blanketed her face. It was more nuisance than issue, but the potential sources were a cause for concern. The resultant worry is what drove her from the recesses of half-sleep to the gradual knowledge of proper consciousness.

The second thing she realized was that she was in a bed. The world outside her soft sheets was cool, but no light came to her. She considered opening her eyes, but the thick layer of weariness over her mind made her hesitate.

“Vinyl?”

Her ears perked, the movement seeming strangely lethargic. She recognized the voice in spite of through the fog of her mind, and a tremble of elation coursed through her. “Trixie?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” As Vinyl sluggishly rolled to face the voice, Trixie’s gentle hoof touched her shoulder. “Welcome back to the land of the living.”

Vinyl tried to open her eyes, but only blackness met her. She reached up and felt the soft touch of gauze around her face. It reminded her of her last conscious moments, but she lacked the energy to grow properly excited. What might have been a demand came out as a whisper. “Where am I?”

“We’re on the King Bullion,” Trixie replied, her voice quiet. “We’re about a third of the way back to Equestria.”

“Oh.” Vinyl struggled to think. Why did she feel like her brain was pushing against a giant thought filter? “What about Ammy? Is she okay? Is she—”

Trixie shushed her. “She’s here. She’s sleeping at the foot of the bed. She came out of the camp, safe and sound.”

“Vinyl?”

A gasp burst from Vinyl’s throat at that sleepy voice. “Yes, Ammy, I’m here. Oh, thank the Goddess.” Her forelegs reached out, and once again she noted her slow movements.

After a few seconds, something small nuzzled her hoof. She grabbed Amethyst and pulled her close, legs shaking as a grin reached her lips. “I thought I’d lost you. I thought I’d lost both of you.”

“I’m okay, Vinyl. Really.” Amethyst let out a yawn. “The zebras were really nice to me. They gave me books to read.” She snuggled into Vinyl’s chest, a sensation that the unicorn absolutely loved.

“And all I did was a lot of walking with the Royal Guard,” Trixie grumbled. “Some help I was.”

Vinyl smiled in Trixie’s direction. “You tried, that’s what’s important. I don’t like that you went off like that, but I understand why you did. I’m just glad we all got out of it alright.”

An elongated silence passed over them. Vinyl felt the blanket of sleep threatening to take back over, but she resisted it as best she could. She reached up to touch the bandages around her head, examining them with the tip of her hoof. “Guess the rest of the tour’s canceled…”

Trixie huffed. “How can you think about work at a time like this?”

“I dunno,” Vinyl admitted. “My head’s all woozy.”

“Must be the medications.” Trixie hesitated before continuing. “The doctors gave you some pretty heavy stuff for the pain. They said it may take a good two weeks before it stops completely.”

“Oh… I see.” Vinyl stopped toying with the gauze and instead focused on holding Amethyst. By the steady breathing sounds, she imagined the filly had already fallen back to sleep. “Is she really okay, Trixie?”

“She’s just tired.” Again with the hesitation. “She was honest, Vinyl. The zebras didn’t hurt her at all, but I’m told that the state of the camp when they found her was… graphic. Nightmares are keeping her up again.”

The screams of the camp came back to Vinyl, ghost drifting through her head, and she shivered. “I can only imagine.” She silently cursed whoever that white pegasus was. What if Amethyst was traumatized for life? The poor foal had enough bad memories to deal with.

Things were quiet for a while, and Vinyl heard Trixie take a seat in what she presumed was a nearby chair. Her mind swam with images and thoughts, most disconnected and frivolous. They lulled her back into a sense of torpidity. After a time, one finally came to the surface that helped her wake back up a little. “Hey, Trix?”

It took a few seconds for Trixie to respond, and her voice was airy. Perhaps it had been longer than Vinyl had thought? “Yeah?”

“Did they say when I can take the bandages off? Not being able to see bites.”

Trixie said nothing.

Slowly, Vinyl turned her head to where she thought her sister was sitting. “Trix?”

“A week, maybe a day or two longer. B-but… Vinyl…”

“Yes?” Vinyl wanted to sit up, but recalled the foal still snug on her chest. “What’s wrong? You’re starting to worry me.”

“Your eyes, they…”

“What’s wrong? Trixie, talk to me.”

Another long, terrible moment of silence left Vinyl feeling cold inside.

“They’re burned out. I mean, not literally, you still have eyes, but the f-fire…” The fear in Trixie’s voice was palpable, and it clutched at Vinyl’s heart like a steel talon. “The doctors tried their best. Really. There was n-nothing they could do.”

Vinyl stared at the blackness. It almost seemed to stare back; mocking, ominous.

“Are you saying I’m… I’m…”

A pair of hooves clutched hers. “I’m sorry, Vinyl. I’m so sorry.”

Trixie wept. It was a quiet sound, but in the silence of Vinyl’s mind it seemed to rattle inside her brain. She gazed at the black; fear and loss and confusion mixed to leave her numb. She remembered the experience when she’d been blindfolded. Now she faced a far more powerful blackness, an impenetrable dark that gripped her soul with the chill of a Grypha winter.

This was her future. She wanted to scream. Instead, she just lay there, taking in her new world.

Trixie cried enough for the both of them.

It was Amethyst’s rhythmic breathing that clued Vinyl in to her awareness. The second thing was the motion of the airship and rising sensation in her stomach, indicating that the King Bullion was dropping altitude. She shifted, but moved as carefully as she could so as not to wake Amethyst. Having been bedridden since their departure and with no way to determine the time of day, Vinyl’s sleeping habits had grown unpredictable at best. It might be mid-afternoon or midnight and she wouldn’t know the difference in the air conditioned room.

But Amethyst was tucked under her leg, and by the sound of her she was fast asleep. Vinyl would have to assume that meant it was night. If Trixie was in the room, there was no indication of it.

She remained there for a while, mind blank as she listened to the distant hum of the ship’s engines. Thinking was something she actively avoided lately, because it always led to the same questions of uncertainty. So much of her life was doomed to change and she didn’t have the first clue how to address any of it. To think of it as daunting was understating the situation considerably.

Amethyst was safe. Trixie was safe. That made this worth it. Vinyl told herself that until she believed it.

The trepidation wouldn’t fade, though. Was her career over? Could she learn to make music without her eyes? Perhaps. What disturbed her more was the thought of the record company assigning her a new producer. They would, of course… but then, that made Polished Prose feel like a mere item to be replaced once it had worn out.

She could still see him lying with his wife in a pool of their own blood. It made her stomach twist every time. Polished wasn’t some tool to be replaced, but that’s what would happen. The suits would talk about how they were sad for his loss and offer their condolences, but then they’d turn right around and ask about her recovery time. She understood the corporate sellouts. She prayed they would at least give her a week after landing to recover. Even a few days would be nice.

Which was more than the press would give her. She’d already been informed that reporters were lining up at the Baltimare skyport, jostling to be the first to get their hooves on an interview.

Such sickening thoughts. Vinyl did her best to push them out. Better her mind stay numb while it could still afford to be.

Thirst gnawed at her. She licked her dry lips.

Her ears perked to the sound of water running in the kitchen sink. She considering calling out to Trixie, but then thought about Amethyst and stilled her tongue. She shifted her head as hoofsteps approached. They paused by the bed, and a straw tapped against her lips. Smiling appreciatively, Vinyl sucked down the water.

“Thanks, Trixie,” she whispered once she’d finished. “What time is it?”

It was some time before a response came.

“Late. Or early, depending on your viewpoint.”

Vinyl froze; that was not Trixie. “Who are you?”

“I wish I could say a friend,” the male voice replied with a sigh, “but I don’t think you’d accept me as such.”

The glass landed on the nearby end table, and Vinyl heard her visitor sit in the chair next to the bed. Her mouth opened to call for Trixie, but she held back; whoever this was, he’d be able to whatever he wanted before Trixie could get in the room. “Answer the question.”

This time the response came easily. “My name is Verity Fine Crime.”

A sharp breath entered Vinyl’s lungs. She knew very little about politics and didn’t pay any attention to the government, but even she knew that name. Heart pounding, she whispered, “W-what do you want with us?”

“Nothing.” His words were quiet, even hesitant. “When I read the reports about the Neighrobi mission, I decided to come as soon as your ship approached Baltimare.”

Vinyl opened her mouth to ask how he’d even arrived on the airship, but closed it with a loud click of teeth; more important things needed to be discussed. She considered her words carefully, well aware that saying the wrong thing to this particular Archon would likely result in her permanent disappearance. “I did as Octavia asked. We p-played our part. Just leave us alone.”

“I would like nothing better,” he replied. “I know you probably won’t accept this, but I came to apologize. It was Octavia’s very first command mission, and she botched it. I take full responsibility for what happened to you, your friends and family.”

At first, Vinyl only gazed towards his voice in a dumbfounded stupor. Then a fire ignited within and she barely resisted a snarl. Her sense of self-preservation vanished. “That’s it? After all the crap we went through, you think you can just apologize to me?”

His voice was firm. “No, I don’t. So in addition to the apology, I want to do something for you.”

She pointed to the bandages around her face. “You think you can make up for this? For Polished Prose?” She waited for an answer that didn’t come. “I just want to go back to a normal life, but I can’t do that now, can I?”

“You think I am unaware?” Fine’s voice had grown harsh, a veritable growl. “Terrible things happen all over the world, Miss Scratchington, and the Archons aren’t perfect. The only difference between us making a mistake and you is that you don’t have to live with the lost lives of innocents when you inevitably screw up.”

Vinyl glared as best she could under the circumstances. She neglected to mention her sincere doubt that the Archons cared a wit about innocent lives.

Fine spoke again before she had a chance to consider her reply. “You are either extremely lucky to have come out with only the loss of your vision, or horribly unfortunate that you came out of the events alive to see what the next great Equestrian horror story will be. I promise you, there is more to come.”

Vinyl raised her head, anger and fear stirring within her. “W-what do you mean, more? What else is my family going to go through?”

“I couldn’t say,” he answered, his tone growing soft once more. “If you’re truly fortunate, then bad luck has had its way with you and will focus its attention elsewhere. But, given what I know, I find that unlikely.”

“What do you know?” Vinyl leaned up a little more, knowing she risked waking Amethyst with her movement. “Please, tell me.”

Fine kept quiet for some time, and Vinyl feared he wouldn’t answer at all.

“Vinyl,” he said at last, “I do wish I could tell you more, but I don’t have the luxury.”

“But—”

“Please, don’t press me. I can’t offer you what you want. Instead, I offer you a favor. Anything you’d like. If it is within the Archons’ power, then I will see it done. This is not something I offer often, or lightly, but yours is a special circumstance.”

Hesitation kept Vinyl from snapping at him. She took her time, pondering the situation and his offer. The very idea of taking something from the bastard left her sick to her stomach, but…

“If I accept this… will you leave us alone? For good?”

“That might not be in your best interest,” he said, “but if that is what you want.”

She chewed her lip, wondering if it was worth the trouble. Asking something from the Archons felt almost like making a deal with Tirek. Then again, by working with Octavia, hadn’t she already formed the pact? Was this any worse just because he was the leader? Maybe she was already doomed by association.

“I…” She cringed. “I want…”

“Vinyl?”

She paused. “A-Ammy. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s okay. Do you need anything? Water or… or…” The filly sucked in a sharp breath.

Vinyl reached up to touch Amethyst’s shoulder. “Ammy?”

The shriek was so piercingly loud that Vinyl nearly jumped out of the bed. Before she could comprehend what was happening, Amethyst was clutching her throat and sobbing wildly between screams. “Ammy! What the buck is—”

“Don’t let him kill me!”

Vinyl’s jaw dropped even as she held the trembling filly close. “What? Did you have another nightma—”

“He’s the mud pony!” Amethyst screamed. “He was th-there! I’ll be a good pony, I promise, just don’t b-burn me!”

“Amethyst, please,” Fine said, his voice placating. “I would never—”

“Liar!” Amethyst buried her head in Vinyl’s shoulder. “I don’t wanna burn like Daddy!”

By this point, the pieces of the puzzle had connected in Vinyl’s head. A mud pony, she’d said.

Some muddy stallion took me away while Daddy… D-Daddy burned.

“Get out.”

“Vinyl, I—”

“Get out! Get the buck away from my family! Out, out, out, out, out!”

Trixie’s voice rose over Amethyst’s screams. “What’s going on in here?!”

Vinyl didn’t reply, instead glaring as best she could at the spot where Fine’s voice had been. She rubbed Amethyst’s back and took in her sobs. “Get out, you bastard, and if I ever find out you came near us again—”

“Vinyl?” A hoof touched her shoulder. Worry laced Trixie's tone. “Who are you talking to? Why was Ammy screaming?”

The tension faded and Vinyl released a breath she’d not known she’d been holding. She sat up slowly, with Trixie’s help, and rocked back and forth. “It’s okay, Ammy. He’s gone. He won’t hurt you. I promise.”

But Amethyst didn’t seem to hear her. She only wept and repeated the same line over and over again.

“I’ll be good, please don’t kill me. I’ll be good, please don’t kill me. I’ll be good…”

Vinyl stumbled on the step, but Trixie was there to keep her on her hooves. There was a quiet pause as Vinyl took a moment to rebalance, then she gradually moved forward. Cool grass was replaced by hard floor that clopped pleasantly under her hooves. The house was warm, though a cool breeze rushed at her back.

She tried her best to recall what the hall looked like. The walls, the pictures, the furniture. It seemed so vivid in her mind’s eye, but when she turned to enter the living room her shoulder bumped a wall. Something dropped to the floor, and she heard the faint sound of magic as whatever it was rose back up.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be,” Trixie whispered, guiding her around the corner. “Ammy, help her to the couch while I get the air conditioning going.”

“Okay.” Amethyst sounded tired, but she put a hoof to Vinyl’s shoulder and guided her forward. Again, Vinyl struggled to picture the world around her; Amethyst’s little couch, Trixie’s favorite rug, the rarely-used fireplace. That image shattered the moment she walked farther to reach her couch than she’d envisioned. Her legs shook.

“Here we are.” Amethyst manually raised Vinyl’s left hoof to touch the couch.

Vinyl said nothing, but slowly climbed on. Her head hung low as she realized she was too far to the right from where she’d planned. She thought about moving over to her preferred spot, but couldn’t work up the energy to try.

A cool breeze ruffled her mane.

“There.” Trixie’s hoofsteps approached. “That’s better. How do you feel, Vinyl?”

Like an invalid.

“I’m… okay.” Her voice had to have given her away. She turned her head towards Trixie, but the pony said nothing. Vinyl wished she could still see faces. She’d never known how important they were for gauging reactions.

She so desperately wanted to see Trixie’s face.

“That’s good,” Trixie answered at last. “I think we all should just take a break for the next few days. I’ll go out later to get some groceries.”

“Okay.” Vinyl sighed and laid down properly.

The couch was blue. She knew it was blue. It was her favorite couch, and it was just the right shade. She tried to imagine its vivid color, but whatever she thought of seemed dull in comparison. She rested a hoof before her face, then tried to imagine the blue against her white coat. The colors in her mind… were they accurate? Was she way off? How could she have forgotten that color so easily?

Because she’d never paid attention. She’d become so accustomed to the couch and its colors that she’d stopped giving them any thought. It was blue, and it was a blue she liked, but she couldn’t remember the exact shade. Was it darker than her mane? She thought so… but then, what shade was her mane?

Had she really forgotten her own hair color?

Her distress must have shown. Something moved on the couch, and she felt a small body pressing against her side. Amethyst nuzzled Vinyl’s foreleg, and she obediently raised it only to lower it over the filly. Amethyst snuggled against her shoulder, and Vinyl pulled her in close.

Purple.

Amethyst was supposed to be purple.

Why did her colors seem so faded?

“Vinyl?”

“I’m alright,” Vinyl whispered through her tears. “I am. I’m o-okay…”

Trixie whispered soothing nothings into her ear. Soon she was on the couch too, holding Vinyl and Amethyst in a tight hug. They barely fit on the furniture, but Vinyl couldn’t care less.

Trixie was supposed to be blue, too.

Vinyl let out a small sob. “I’m s-sorry I can’t remember. I want to remember so badly…”

“It’s okay, Vinyl,” Trixie whispered.

Amethyst nodded against her chest. “We’re here. We’ll help.”

Vinyl could only weep, but even as she did she acknowledged the one bright light she had in this darkness:

Her sisters were there, and she loved them.

“Alright,” Trixie said once Vinyl was comfortably seated, “let me just turn it on.”

“No.” Vinyl waved her off. “Don’t. I need to figure it out for myself.”

She could almost feel Trixie’s hesitation. “Are you sure? I can at least guide your hoof.”

Vinyl ran her hoof along the synthesizer, anxiety and familiarity coursing through her. She attempted to instill confidence in her voice. “I’ve been working Synthia for a long time. I know this machine. I just need to practice, that’s all.” She reached for the corner of the device, feeling for the start switch. She wrinkled her muzzle when the first thing she found was a knob.

“Back a little farther,” Trixie offered.

Following the instructions, Vinyl found the familiar switch and flicked it. Sitting straight once more, she sucked in a slow breath and touched one of the keys. A high D-flat met her ears, crisp and beautiful. She immediately followed the chord up the keyboard, taking in the wondrous sound.

For the first time since Neighrobi, she smiled.

“I can do this.” She reached for a C key, winced when she hit an A. Another try hit the mark, and her confidence swelled. “I’m not out of the game yet. Being blind doesn’t mean I can’t create.”

“I’m sure you’ll do great,” Trixie said, and the pride was clear in her voice. “That’s my big sister; nothing gets in your way for long.”

“It’s gonna take me a while to get the hang of playing by hoof and ear.” Vinyl started experimenting with the knobs. She pressed a few more keys and got some new sounds, then categorized in her mind exactly what knobs she’d manipulated to get that particular effect. “I should probably start looking into Braylle, see if they have symbols for sheet music.”

She experimented a little more, enjoying the assorted tones from her keyboard, before Trixie finally spoke up. “Wow. Had I known this was all it would take to get your spirits up, I’d have sat you in front of Synthia the day we got back.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered,” Vinyl mused. “I needed to come back when I was ready to. You can’t force this kind of thing.”

“I guess that’s true,” Trixie admitted. “You need anything? Food, water?”

“I’ll take a back massage and a few dozen truffles.”

Vinyl could almost see Trixie’s deadpan look. “Well, I see your humor’s coming back.”

“It is…” Vinyl paused, gazing towards her synthesizer. That familiar, heavy feeling in her chest was back. “There are so many things I took for granted, Trixie. Light, color, texture, even something as mundane as shapes. But this? This is something that I can hold on to, that I can work with. I can see the music, play with it, meld it. This is what I have left, and I intend to make the most of it.”

She could hear Trixie shuffling from her spot nearby. “I get it, Vinyl. You need this. I’m not gonna question it.”

Not knowing why, Vinyl relaxed at those words. “Sorry, Trix. It's just… new perspective, y’know? I don’t know how to deal with this yet, but I think this is a step in the right direction.”

“Me too.” Trixie’s hoof touched her shoulder. “I’ll help you out, Vinyl.”

Vinyl turned to her, worry settling in. “I… uh… I thought you planned on leaving after the tour. Y’know, to test out your new experience?”

Trixie was quiet for some time, but her shuffling hooves seemed strangely loud. “I was going to do that, yeah. I wanted to practice my act again and travel like I did before.” She sucked in a sharp breath, and Vinyl could imagine the determination in her eyes. “You still need somepony to help you, at least until you figure out how to take care of yourself without eyes. Amethyst’s nightmares have been getting worse since… since whatever happened on the King Bullion. You need me here, Vinyl. I’m not going anywhere until I’m satisfied that’s not the case.”

A smile might have formed on Vinyl’s face if not for the unpleasant reminder of her family’s poor state. “I appreciate that, Trixie. Really, I do, but… We all have dreams. I know I’ve talked about you going off on your own before in a bad way, but that was before I thought you were responsible enough. I don’t want your dreams to fade away because you’re too busy taking care of us.”

“Fade?” Trixie huffed a laugh. “The dreams of the Great and Powerful Trixie never fade, they only grow brighter! You and Ammy will pull through this in time, and then Trixie will be free to do as she wills.”

Now Vinyl did smile, and it was genuine. “I’m sure that she’ll shine like a star.”

Trixie’s chuckle was sheepish. “Sh-she is too, but I have to stay, at least for now. After everything you risked to protect us, leaving now would make me the poster foal of selfishness. I wasn’t able to do anything for you two, so…”

“You did what you could at the time.” Vinyl kept her voice soothing. She reached forward, and after a moment she felt Trixie’s cheek press against her hoof. She pulled the pony close. “What you did is no less noteworthy. Don’t punish yourself just because you came out of Neighrobi unscathed.”

“I shouldn’t have left,” Trixie mumbled. “You needed me to be there, and I… I went galloping off to pretend to be a hero. Goddess, what’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing. There’s nothing wrong with you.” Vinyl rubbed the shivering pony’s back, feeling strangely calm compared to how she’d felt over the past week. “I wouldn’t even say you made a mistake, Trix. I mean, at least you didn’t go trusting some mysterious organization to protect you while walking right into hostile territory. If anypony was stupid, it was me. At least you had enough brains to work with a reliable organization like the Royal Guard.”

“Yeah, really reliable,” Trixie huffed. “They were out on wild goose chases. They didn’t even know where to look until some anonymous tipster pointed them to that little backwater town they found you in.”

Vinyl’s ears perked. “Anonymous tipster?”

“You didn’t know?” Trixie pulled back, though she kept her hooves on Vinyl’s shoulders. “Somepony dropped a letter off at the base with directions. They even told us you and Ammy were there.”

There was no doubt in Vinyl’s mind where the tip originated from. Had that been Octavia’s plan all along? Vinyl realized that she may have been little more than bait. If she ever met that pony again…

“Vinyl?”

“Sorry, just thinking.” She sighed and offered a weak smile. “So, you’re sure you want to stay? I won’t blame you if you decided to follow that dream of yours.”

“I’m sure.” Trixie’s tone was rock solid. “Like you said, I came out of Neighrobi unscathed. That puts the brunt of taking care of this family on me, at least until you get back on your hooves.”

Vinyl smirked. “Oh, so you’re the big sister, now? Think you can wear the big horseshoes?”

With a laugh, Trixie countered, “Filling in your horseshoes? Easy! I dunno the last time you checked, but Trixie’s getting a leg up on you in the size department.”

“I told you to stop eating so many cookies, didn’t I?” Vinyl’s crack was rewarded with a light hit on the shoulder, though it didn’t do a thing to her grin. “Hey, it’s not my fault you’ve got the appetite of a parasprite.”

“Yeah, yeah, everypony’s a comedian. If you’re done insulting Trixie’s fine flank, she’s gonna go check on Ammy.”

Vinyl sobered, her head turning to follow Trixie’s hoofsteps. “How’s she doing? I know she’s not telling me everything.”

The hoofsteps ceased, but Trixie didn’t immediately answer. When she did, her voice was quiet. “Ammy’s… okay. I think. She’s been busy studying like a good girl.”

“But the nightmares are getting worse.”

Trixie’s response was a little too swift. “Not worse, no. They just won’t go away. Even when I share the bed with her, she still…” More hoofsteps told Vinyl that Trixie was turning to face her. “What happened on the King Bullion, Vinyl? What scared her so much?”

Memories of Fine Crime’s visit haunted the back of Vinyl’s mind, as they had ever since that unfortunate evening. She considered telling Trixie the truth, but this was the one thing that they’d kept from her. Amethyst had entrusted Vinyl and Vinyl alone with the reality of her nightmares, and though it hurt to keep Trixie out…

It was something that Amethyst herself would have to tell Trixie, in her own time.

“All I can say for sure is that something reminded Ammy of her past.” Vinyl turned back to her keyboard. She had to hide the guilt in her face. “Maybe it was something that happened in that town that triggered it, I don’t know. She got over it once, surely she’ll do it again?”

“I hope you’re right,” Trixie replied. “I can’t stand seeing her like that.”

Trixie left, and Vinyl sat in silence for some time. She thought about what she knew of Amethyst’s past and repressed a shiver.

But Amethyst was strong. Vinyl knew it, she’d seen it. The filly would recover, she had to.

Praying she wasn’t belittling a much bigger problem, she tried to focus on her work. She couldn’t sit idle forever. Work would take her mind off things. They all had to move on at some point.

Better to get started now.

The screams didn’t wake Vinyl, for she’d been waiting for them. They weighed on her heart, links to a chain growing longer and heavier by the day. Feeling no need to hurry, she rolled off her bed and made her way to the door. A month of darkness had trained her well, and she passed into the hallway without incident.

The shrieks grew louder as she walked along the second floor hallway, counting her steps. After the eighth one she stopped, ears flat against her skull as the sound reverberated through the wood.

“I don’t wanna burn! Don’t let me burn, please! He’s coming, coming to burn me!”

Vinyl had no tears to offer, no words of comfort. It would do Amethyst no good, not at this stage. She merely sat and waited, taking in the cries until, at long last, they faded into sobs. Vinyl could almost set a watch to the timing, were she able to see the hands. She didn’t have to press her ear to the door to know that Trixie was carefully rocking the filly back to sleep. It would take time.

She turned for the stairs, legs moving with practiced precision, and entered the kitchen. She went straight to the sink and turned it on, then grabbed some glasses. She had learned how to use her magic to pick things up without sight, provided she touch them first, but still hadn’t gotten the hang of levitating objects when she couldn’t tell what obstacles were in the way. A half-dozen shattered glasses had been enough to teach her to stick to using her hooves for now.

Two glasses of water filled, she set them on the table and sat in her chair. Her head remained bowed, her thoughts drifting to the past month. It hadn't been pleasant, but she didn’t stop her line of thinking. She knew what had to be done… even if she dreaded the consequences of it.

“Oh. Hey, Vinyl.”

Vinyl’s didn’t look up as Trixie entered the kitchen. “You sound exhausted. You have for a while now.”

“You’re no sunflower, yourself.” A rustling sound indicated that Trixie had settled across from her at the table. “She’s doing better. It’s two in the morning. Normally she’d have had three of them by now.”

The words didn’t comfort. “She’s not getting better,” Vinyl said. There was no question in her tone, for there was no doubt in her mind.

Trixie took a moment to reply. “No, she’s not. She’s too exhausted to do anything, she barely eats… I don’t know what to do. It’s like the fear has become entrenched in her very soul.”

They were quiet for a time. The familiar tick-tock of the wall clock echoed in Vinyl’s head. She never realized how soothing that sound was until recently. Now, when the weight of her problems wore her down, sometimes she'd just sit and listen, and let the steady certainty of time smooth out the wrinkles of her brain.

It didn’t help this night.

“So,” Trixie said, her words forced, “when do you go back on tour?”

“I dunno. The record company’s been uncharacteristically lenient about that.”

“Oh. I see.”

The conversation petered out before it really began, and once again they sat in silence. Every now and then, Trixie would shift audibly in her cushion, and Vinyl knew she was looking at the ceiling. It annoyed Vinyl, but she said nothing. It wasn’t like she could blame her for worrying.

“This situation can’t continue.”

Trixie’s response came quick. “Oh, and here I was thinking the night terrors were a good thing. Silly me.” Then, after a pause, “Sorry, I’m sorry. That just came out.”

“It’s alright, Trix,” Vinyl said with a weak smile. “We’re all on edge these days.”

There as a quiet clunk, presumably of Trixie setting her glass down. “You sounded pretty confident. Do you have an idea for Ammy?” The hope in her tone was impossible to miss.

“Yeah.” Vinyl bowed her head once more, steadying her nerves. “I don’t know if it will work. I don’t even know if it’s worth trying. The risks are huge, but… but I can’t think of anything else.”

“So what are we going to do?” Trixie asked. “Bring her to a shrink? I doubt that’ll do her any good.”

Vinyl sucked down a long breath. “No, nothing like that. There’s an… acquaintance. He might be able to help, he might not, but he owes me a big favor. He might know somepony that can do something.”

Doubt laced Trixie’s voice. “That sounds far-fetched. Who is this pony?”

“I’d rather not say.” Vinyl chewed her lip and turned her face away. “He’s a total bastard. I wouldn’t go to him unless I had no other choice, but with Ammy being as she is…”

“I get it.” Trixie’s tone was soothing. “It’s worth a try, right? When do we leave?”

Vinyl shook her head. “We don’t. You and Ammy will stay here. She can’t travel in her condition, and one of us has to stay behind to look after her. I have to do this on my own.”

If Trixie intended to argue, she gave no indication of it that Vinyl could detect. “Alright, I’ll look after her. Are you sure you’re up for a trip?”

“Being blind doesn’t keep me from travelling, Trix.”

“I know… I just worry about you too,” Trixie said dejectedly. “So where is this mystery stallion?”

“Canterlot.” Vinyl spat the name as if it were poison.

“That’s not too far, at least.”

“It’s not far enough,” Vinyl whispered. There was no way to know if Trixie heard it.

Another scream pierced the ceiling, making Vinyl wince. Trixie’s hoofsteps traced an image in her mind; out of the kitchen, up the stairs and into the bedroom. If Vinyl heard the clock right, she’d travelled the distance in less than three seconds. She listened to the screams until they faded away. Trixie didn’t come back down.

Vinyl took in the quiet tick-tock of the clock, desperate to have it sooth away her fears.

Not tonight.

Author's Notes:

We're near the end for Vinyl's book, but I can't say how close. Depending on how things work in the writing, it could be one chapter or two. We'll just have to see which it ends up being. I'm still debating on which member will be next.