The Adventures of Shadow Chaser: Octavia in the Wolves' Den

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
Chapter 3

Chapter 1

I'm never sure how I find myself in these situations, but, invariably, no matter what kind of job it is, I start to second guess the person who hired me. Let me explain. I'm a private detective, and I'm darn good at my job. If you need information, I'll get you information. If you need somepony found, I'll find them. I've never missed yet. But no matter what happens I always find myself wondering why I was hired and doing some personal digging just to find out.

This one had seemed pretty cut and dried. This pony, Vinyl something, had a friend, Octavia, and Octavia had gone missing. In her desperation to find her friend a friend of mine on the police force had put her in contact with me. It was nothing shady. Neither back room dealings nor underworld connections needed to hire me. My policecolt friend had seen how distraught this Vinyl girl was and had sent her to me. You see, the police have procedure and protocols for these types of things and forever a mile of red tape to get past. I, on the other hoof, work slightly outside the law. Nothing that I do is necessarily illegal, but I wouldn't exactly call myself Dudley Do-Right. Plain and simple, I get the job done. The payment you offer is what motivates me to do it faster or slower. Don't judge me by that. A stallion's gotta eat, doesn't he?

This job had been different though. This Vinyl girl had moved something in me when she walked into my office. It’s not that she was stunningly gorgeous or anything outlandish like that. In fact, when she came to see me she looked about as disheveled as any homeless pony you might see on the streets. She’d been crying, and by the look of her, not eating. It was hard to listen to her story. She’d lived with Octavia for as long as she could remember. They were like sisters. They weren’t into the same types of music but their mutual love and respect of music, and each other, had kept them close. Until one day last week when Octavia had disappeared. There had been no note to indicate ransom if it had been a kidnapping, all of Octavia’s belongings remained in the house, save her cello. For all intents and purposes, Octavia had simply vanished.

As Vinyl had sobbed into her hooves something in her story had hit home. My brother had left me when I was very young. Our parents dead in a terrible train accident, my brother had been left to raise me. I guess the pressure had been too much for him because, before I knew it, he was gone too. I was left to my own devices and as it turns out, I have a knack for surviving, no matter the odds against me. The day my brother had left I’d been given my first job. I found him. In under a week I knew exactly where he had gone and why. I left him where I’d found him. If he didn’t want me around then I sure as hell didn’t need him either. I still chuckle that as I had turned to walk away from him my cutie mark had shown up. A hat. A detective’s hat. Much like those depicted in the Sherlock Hooves novels. From then on, I took whatever snooping jobs I could get my hooves on.

I don’t know if it was her disheveled look or the twinge of painful nostalgia but when she had offered her entire life savings I had to turn her down. I know, a detective who works outside the law and has scruples!? Working pro bono wasn’t usually my thing but I figure if I offer one free search every year, the hit I take can be fixed when the overjoyed pony spreads word of my business. Plus, something about this pony’s magenta eyes caught me and told me this case would be a worthy one. Maybe I’m just a softy for the mares.

After agreeing to take the case and scribbling down all the useful info Vinyl could give me I wished her a good day and sent her home. I told her within two weeks I would have news of her friend’s whereabouts. It would likely only be several days to a week but I’ve learned that, in this business, it’s always best to give yourself some leeway. Besides, from what Vinyl had told me, I felt certain I knew exactly where her friend was.

Hopping the express train to Canterlot, I looked over my scribbled notes. Nothing too extraordinary about this Octavia girl. She’s a quiet pony that seems to live in the background of others worlds. She was pretty, though. It would be mighty unfortunate for me to be wrong on this hunch. If she really had been kidnapped the pony that took her would not want her for her talents on the cello. I pushed that thought from my mind. The fact that both she and her cello had disappeared told me that she had jumped at what she felt might be a big break for her. But why had she not told anypony? Especially her longtime friend and roommate. It didn’t make sense but that was where I came in. It was my job to make sense of chaos and seemingly unconnected events and facts.

I began to doze as the train rolled on. Express was a loose term for this train. What would normally be an all day trip was cut in half, and 12 hours on a train was nothing to scoff at. I knew I’d be sore when we rolled to a stop and, as usual, I was right.

I yawned and stretched, feeling my back pop a few times. Rolling off the bench seat and standing up I was happy I had indulged in a nap. Feeling refreshed as I stepped off the train and met the cool night air I looked up and saw Luna was already hard at work. The moon hung low, looking like a giant pearl in the night sky. I would’ve preferred a half moon or none at all but even with a full moon the darkness of the night was all the cover I would need to get started on finding Octavia.

Chapter 2

I flipped through my notes, standing on the platform as the train behind me began to roll away off to wherever it was they were headed. I found what I was looking for after a moment. Octavia’s parents’ address. Vinyl had it written down for me before she left my office. I guess it was more of an emergency contact type of thing. Phryge and Lydia Octave. I caught myself. Their last name is Octave? So they named their daughter Octavia Octave? Poor kid. I double checked the address and headed down the street, practicing the lies I would have to spin to see what I could get out of her parents.

I steadied my nerves before knocking on the door. I was never fond of lying but found myself in a profession that somewhat relied upon it. I’ll have to talk to AJ one of these days about how she’s able to be so honest all the time. I really don’t know how she does it. She like some kind of… I was cut off mid-thought as the door in front of me opened and I was met with a frown.

“Can I help you?” Her voice was pitched remarkably high, even for a woman.

I put on a slight accent and spoke evenly, “Yes, I was wondering if you had seen Octavia lately.”

“Is this some kind of sick joke?”

That was not the answer I had expected. “No, ma’am. I just need to know if you’ve seen Octavia.”

The high pitched pony seemed to grow even more agitated. “Well, I never!” With that, the door slammed shut and I stood dumbfounded. Vinyl had assured me that no one had told Octavia’s parents, and the Ponyville PD wouldn’t have contacted them yet. What in the world had her so upset? I turned to go and begin another lead when the door opened again. Expecting a caning this time I quickly turned and backed a few steps away from the door.

I was greeted by a colt this time. He did not look happy at me.

“Can you explain to me, sir, why you were taunting my wife just now?”

“Excuse me?”

“You just asked my wife twice if she had seen our daughter. Did you not?”

“Yes, sir, I did.” His emphasis of the word seen had slightly clued me in but he elaborated quickly.

“I’ll have you know my wife has never seen our daughter. She has never seen anything for that matter. She has been blind all her life.”

I swore at myself for not being thorough with questioning Vinyl. Though even if I had, this was not on my list of usual questions to ask. “I deeply apologize, sir. I was unaware. I’m a conductor for the Manehattan Orchestra and Octavia had tried out to be a part of our orchestra and her home address was lost to us but the second address she gave us was here.”

He looked skeptical. As well he should with the line of manure I had just fed him. Still, his gaze turned from anger to one of welcoming. “Are you saying our Octavia has been accepted to the Manehattan Orchestra?”

“Well, not exactly, sir. The Boston Trots,” I said. I never realized a love of classical music would come in handy on the job.

The man seemed almost giddy with excitement now. “Well, sir, why don’t you come on in!” He shook my hoof and pulled me inside. “My name is Phryge. This is my wife, Lydia.”

She looked peeved at the fact that I was in their home now but her husband changed her mood for me, excitedly sharing the news that their only daughter was to be a part of the Boston Trots. Her face changed from one of scorn to joy. They had a small moment of celebration and then realized I was still standing there.

“Oh, come to the living room. I’ll write down Doria’s address and you call tell us about what it’s like to be a part of such a symphony.”

There it was. “Did you say Doria?” I asked, playing my best dumbfounded look as I followed them to their living room.

“Oh yes. I forgot she goes by ‘Octavia’ now. I’m surprised you don’t know her stage name.” He grabbed a piece of paper and a quill scribbling down an address I already had.

“Oh, I wish she wouldn’t use a stage name,” Lydia said, with a sad twinge in her voice.

“Why is that, Mrs. Octave?”

“Well, Doria was my grandmother’s name. I know it’s an old fashioned name but my grandmother practically raised me and taught me all about music. Everything I know I learned from her.” I could see her choking up just at the mention and quickly grabbed a tissue from a nearby box. I touched her hoof and set the tissue on it. She thanked me and wiped her tears. “Oh, but enough about all that. What do you think of our daughter’s playing? Is she really good enough to be in the Boston Trots?”

A part of me had grown tired of the lies so I offered a half truth. “To be honest, I’ve never heard your daughter play. I’m simply the messenger they send out. But from the conductor’s comments, she’s one of the best cellists the Trots will ever see.”

Neither one of them seemed disheartened by my never having heard her play or concerned with the massive hole I had just opened up in my own story. They focused on the part about their daughter being a huge success. So far as I could tell, from what Vinyl had told me, that wasn’t really a lie. Octavia had a lot of natural talent but she apparently stifled herself with a life in Ponyville.

As Mr. Octave handed me the address, I got up and walked toward the door. “I wish that I could stay but I’m trying to catch the next train and if my watch is right, I’ve got about five minutes to make it back to the train station.”

They both smiled and nodded, hugging each other as they followed me to the door. “Well, then you best hurry, sir. Thank you for this amazing news,” they shouted at me as I made it look like I was hurrying off into the night.

I stopped for a moment and shouted back, “I’ll make sure to get you both a free ticket!” And with that I disappeared around a corner.

Chapter 4

As I made my way down through the long passageway I began to feel uneasy. This corridor offered nothing in the way of cover. It was completely straight and a bit narrower than I would’ve liked. No deviations save for the rare left or right turn but all one path, nonetheless.

This is reckless. More reckless than you usually are.

“It’s not like I have much choice. If I want to find this girl I need to know where she’s gone and I know she’s gone down here,” I said, fighting with the voice in my head in an attempt to both steel my resolve and calm my nerves.

You won’t be much help to her if you end up dead in a secret tunnel under Canterlot.

“Yea, and I won’t be much help to her if I just go home and hope for the best. We both know I don’t operate like that,” I came to a corner and slowly peeked my head around making sure the coast was clear before moving on. “Besides, if we’re gonna get paid then we’ve got to do all we can find her.”

You’re doing this job for free, you idiot.

“Then there’s much less to worry about if I die. No pony will be upset that I didn’t finish the job.”

Satisfied that I had silenced the voice in my head, I peeked around another corner. Still no pony in sight but there was a light coming from down the tunnel but something wasn’t right. I let my horn go out, waiting and watching. After a moment I figured out what had caught my eye. The light was moving. And much to my dismay, it was moving toward me.

I had to act quickly. If I didn’t want to backtrack and lose all this time I’d have to try something that even I had trouble mastering. I backed into the corner nearest me, seeing the torch swaying as it moved my way and concentrated for all I was worth, my horn glowing a black color. After a moment the magic aura grew and began to envelope my body. As the light neared me, the spell completed and I hugged the wall remaining perfectly still.

“I’m telling you, she’s not worth the trouble. Do you know how long it’s been since our order had to use these Celestia forsaken tunnels?” His voice sounded old but cultured.

The second colt sighed, “Yes, I’m aware of how long it’s been. You tell me every chance you get.” He had pronounced ‘been’ like ‘bean’ which made me roll my eyes. Yea, these guys were of a very rich and cultured standing.

As they rounded the corner and passed as close to me as they would come I held my breath. If they had looked directly at me they would’ve like seen nothing more than a shimmer. This was a very special spell Twilight Sparkle had taught me, though only after much begging. She had warned me that it would only work if I remained completely motionless and had mentioned something about me not using it to spy on others. I had told her it would be for emergencies only, which wasn’t a lie.

I had used this spell three times in my career. Four, now. Each time I was certain my life would have ended if I hadn’t had it to rely on. Though this time wasn’t exactly life or death for me, it meant being able to continue my hunt for somepony who may be in real peril.

As the two colts turned the corner the older colt stopped. My heart stopped with him.

“I say, what is that smell?”

The other colt laughed. “The smell of a dank tunnel that hasn’t ‘bean’ used in ages.”

Their pretentious laughter carried them onward and I finally let my breath out. What did he mean by the smell!? I waited for them to move a little farther down the tunnel before I dove for the wall in the direction that had come from, becoming visible at the same time. I peeked around the corner and watched them walk away for another moment before I turned and headed up the tunnel. I kept my horn light low and moved a little faster.

What did that colt mean by Order? It’s been a long time since you’ve heard of any secret societies around.

In an attempt to keep my noise to a minimum I fought back with my mind, in my mind. Well, they are secret societies. Normal folks like myself aren’t meant to know about them.

So? That didn’t stop you from knowing about all the previous ones.

I was in most of the previous ones.

Yea, but secret societies don’t just happen overnight. These ponies have a code. A plan. A final solution. How’re you going to get yourself in and not make it obvious why you’re there?

Well, I’m going to continue to be a super spy, probably knock out several guards and rescue the damsel in distress.

You’re such a romantic. It’s going to get you killed.

There are worse ways to go out.

I reached what appeared to be the end of the tunnel. Moving slowly, with my horn as dim as I could make it, I tested the trap door above me. It gave way easy enough. I pushed it up and looked around. No pony in sight, but where was I?

I stepped from the trap door and closed it gently; looking around at the extravagant house I now stood in. The furniture was neat and clean. The floor was covered with ornate rugs. The drapes looked exquisite. There was a fire roaring in the fireplace across from me. Whoever owned this place was beyond rich. This made sense given the rich accents the colts in the passage way had had.

I moved to my right and looked out the nearby window. I could see nearly all of Canterlot. But if I was above everything in town that meant that I was..

You’re in the castle, genius.

Yes, I was in the castle. This job had already thrown me for a loop, with my target singing right in front of me, but this was a different situation entirely. I wasn’t prepared for this magnitude of a case. I backed away from the window and looked to the only door leading out of the room.

Too late to back out now.

The hell it is.

I moved toward the door and looked around in the hallway. The lights were on since it was night time, which would make this a bit of a challenge. I began to slink down the hall. Ducking into rooms here and there, making sure no guards had a chance to sneak up on me.

I don’t exactly know what I was looking for but I felt certain my intuition would kick in when I needed it to.

As I approached another door I recognized something about it. The symbol emblazoned on the door matched the cutie mark of one of the colts I had seen in the tunnel. I turned the knob slowly, expecting a lock. With a little luck on my side, I slipped inside the unlocked door.

I immediately approached the desk. Who was this pony? What did he want with Octavia? I rummaged through papers on the desk, finding nothing of glaring interest. As I searched it became clear just who I was dealing with. This colt was the one who had taken over when Shining Armor had gone on his honeymoon. This was the office of the captain of the guard.

You’re in way over your head on this one.

Looking through the drawers and files I finally found something useful in the trash can, of all places. It was a torn note. I apparently held the right side of the note in my hoof. “…ving …via …geons …’ll talk soon.” It was signed by somepony named Red.

I pocketed the note and felt it was time to be making my exit from the castle. I hustled back down the hallway to the room that contained the trap door. Barring another run-in in the hallway I could make my way out and be checking into a hotel just as Celestia got to work bringing the sun up.

As I moved back through the tunnel I had another argument with myself.

You’re going to need help with this.

No, I won’t. I’ve never needed help.

Tell that to Rainbow.

Rainbow would tell you the same thing. She washed her hooves of me the last time.

You really expect her to stay away if you told her what you’ve found?

I haven’t found anything yet. Some garbage and a secret tunnel isn’t enough to warrant a full scale assault.

Listen to you. Rationalizing being away from the one pony you ever loved. You know she’d be right on your tail if she knew where you were right now.

Yea, well, she doesn’t and she isn’t. And if I can help it, that’s the way it will stay. I won’t have a repeat of last time. Never again.

You’re such a nice colt. Just remember, there’s always Las Pegasus.

I shook my head as I left the other side of the tunnel. Just at the mention I knew Las Pegasus would plague my dreams that night. Sneaking back onto the street and walking to the nearest hotel, I checked in and went to crash. It had been a long night and I needed to collect my thoughts.

As I lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling, I felt a pang of guilt. Las Pegasus. I would never live that down. Rainbow had long since forgiven me but I couldn’t forgive myself. Never again could I bring a partner on a job. Not after her.

I drifted into a troubled sleep, plagued by dreams of what could have been.

Chapter 5

I awoke as the evening sun swept across my face. Feeling just as confused as when I had fallen asleep I lay there for a moment, wondering what the note had said and how I was going to be able to handle all of this. Dealing with the castle was one thing. Dealing with a guard captain that was in a secret society, that I knew nothing about, and that had already kidnapped somepony was an entirely different beast. Much as I hated to admit it, I just might need help on this one.

Told you.

“Oh, shut up.” I rolled from my bed and found my bag. Scribbling a note I addressed it to Twilight Sparkle. I would have to see if the hotel offered mail services this late.

After a quick shower and a bite to eat I checked the front desk to see if they would send my letter. The dragon was just packing up to go home but offered to send my letter if it was ready to go. I tossed him the scroll and he sent it on its way. I thanked him and went to sit down on one of the couches in the lobby. Twilight would respond quickly. That was her way.

Less than five minutes later, the mare behind the counter said I’d received a response. I smiled and took the letter from her with a thanks and a tip. As I ventured back over to the couch I unrolled the scroll and two more scrolls fell out. How she had written three pages in under five minutes was baffling to me. I read the first and it clarified for me.

Detective Chaser,

Thank you for thinking of me and knowing you can always ask for help. I know that isn’t your style. I’ve included two spells that you might find useful. I’m afraid it’s all I can offer without being there in person. Perhaps if you told me more about the situation I could use my connections to help you further. Regardless of your decision, good luck on your mission.

-Twilight

P.S.: Your book is two days overdue. Please return it when you get a chance.

I smiled. Good old Twilight. She could always come through in a pinch, without too many questions of my job. Somepony else always comes through too. I grabbed the scrolls and headed back up to my room. I would practice while the sun was still up and begin my snooping when Luna brought the moon into place.

The first scroll was something I’d always dreamed about. The description said it would allow me to walk on walls and ceilings. While that seemed like a particularly useful skill, I wasn’t sure I could master it in such a limited time. The second scroll I knew I would need at least a week to learn it properly. It was the spell Twilight had invented herself. Teleportation. I read over both spells and decided to get to work on the wall walking.

After a few failed attempts I had a result that I thought would work. I leaned my front hooves onto the wall then followed it with one of my back hooves, supporting myself on one leg. I went to move the last hoof and fell over backwards. After a few more minutes I had figured out my mistake. The spell called for complete trust. The minute you doubted its ability to work, it would stop working.

With that thought in mind I cast it again and this time, I jumped at the wall. Much to my surprise, I stuck. I began to gingerly walk up the wall and then across the ceiling. Amazed at how simple the spell really was I walked back down the wall and, as per Twilight’s standing order, I proceeded to burn the scroll.

She had always said that if too many magic spells made it out to the general public that the results could be pretty disastrous. After walking across my ceiling and down the wall, I didn’t disagree with her. The last thing you want is for somepony to doubt their magic while walking up a building.

I looked at the second scroll and decided I would give it a shot. I read the spell twice to make sure I had it down. I braced myself and thought of the place I wanted to teleport to. In this case, the bathroom of my hotel room. I felt myself strain and then it felt like I was falling. Both subsided quickly and I opened my eyes. I was in my bathroom! I couldn’t believe it.

I went back to the scroll to make sure I had really done everything right and that it hadn’t just been a fluke. After reading and re-reading I decided I’d gotten the basics down. I wouldn’t try for a far distance but any teleportation at all would help me out immensely.

Feeling refreshed, I took out the note I had found in the garbage, hoping that fresh eyes would be able to piece something together. ‘Via’ had to mean Octavia. ‘Geons’ had caught in my mind. Not too many words had that combination of letters and if we were talking about the castle that could only mean the dungeons. It was a long shot but it was all I had.

A long shot? That’s a shot in the dark.

I gathered my things and burned the second scroll. I looked out the window and saw Luna had just taken over the night from her sister. I slipped my bag on and headed out the door.

“Let’s go hunting.”

You’re so lame.

As I headed back to the same club from the night before I decided to take in a show and find out what I could from the inside. I walked in and was met by the same waitress. After the over tipping last night she was probably excited to see me again. She took me to the same table and I order the same glass of cider.

I looked around the room slowly, taking in all the ponies and sounds. Something was off. These were all the same ponies. Not that that was so strange, many bars had regulars. But the ponies in this room were the exact same people who had been here the night previously. No random walk-ins. No one who looked like they didn’t belong. Except you.

My drink came and I thanked the waitress. As I glanced around at everyone I absent mindedly picked up my drink. Don’t drink it. I stopped and looked at the cider, something was definitely off about it. For once my head was right, I shouldn’t be drinking this. For once!?

I set my drink back down and turned my attention to the band. It was the same band, playing the same songs. They finished up what I recognized as their last song and I waited to see if last night would be repeated. Once again, I was not disappointed.

Octavia took the stage slowly. She walked with a slight limp. She sat on the provided chair on stage and said what she had the night before.

“Hello, everypony. My name is Doria and this is my cello. We’ve only got one song for you tonight but we promise it’s a good one.”

I was astounded. What was going on? I waited for the first sad notes of her song but for the first time that night I was met with something new.

Octavia played a brand new song. This song sang of Discord, of betrayal by false friends, of what it meant to be loyal. Not particularly sad in any way. She sounded more angry than anything else. I wondered what had changed to make her want to be so scornful.

Hello? Secret society!

She finished her song and the applause were a bit louder this time. She smiled and bowed slightly before limping slowly off stage.

I wanted to follow her. Every fiber of my being was telling me to just grab her and run. That’d never work. Well, almost every fiber. I waited until she was completely out of sight then headed to the restroom to shift my plan into action.

Once inside I cleared the room and made sure I was alone. With a little luck I’d be able to hide in here all night. Really? That’s your master plan? Hiding in the bathroom? I stepped into a stall and closed the door. Casting my wall walking spell I strode up the back wall and to the far corner of the bathroom’s ceiling and braced myself again. Casting two spells on top of each other was no joke but if this was going to work I had to have some faith in myself.

I closed my eyes, concentrating as my horn grew black. As the aura began to surround me I sat down slowly. Since I had to remain still to use this spell if I had remained standing I would’ve been stuck there for hours. At least now I could be comfortable. I finished the spell and could see the slight shimmer in front of myself. Now all I had to do was wait until closing time.

Chapter 6

As I waited on the bathroom ceiling for closing time, I found my mind wandering to the past. To old jobs that had been so much easier. Jobs that didn’t force me to spend hours upside down on the ceiling of a bathroom. Jobs that had taken me back and forth across Equestria. Las Pegasus crept into my mind. The last time I had been there was the first time I had agreed to take on a partner.

Rainbow Dash had been willing enough. She’d been following me in an attempt to find out exactly what it was that I did. While I had known of her presence the whole time I had allowed her to follow. I never shared much of this life with anypony and it could get lonely. I suppose, in hindsight, it was a moment of weakness. Rainbow had even followed me all the way to Las Pegasus which was where I had confronted her about tailing me.

I had wandered into a crowd and allowed myself to get lost, all the while never losing sight of Rainbow. She had followed what she thought was me for some time before I grabbed her from around a corner, pressing her to a wall with my hoof over her mouth. Not too roughly, but just rough enough that she would take me seriously.

“I’m going to remove my hoof and then you’re going to tell me why you’ve been following me. If you lie to me I’ll know, and I will make sure you never follow me again.” I had said harshly, as I removed my hoof from her mouth, still pinning her to the wall.

“And just how would you do that? I can go wherever I want to and you can’t stop me.” Her arrogance would be her undoing.

“Listen to me. I’ve let you follow me the past few weeks because I’ve been stuck with mundane jobs in Ponyville. This is different. The men who hired me don’t accept mistakes and failure is not an option. If they see you following me, they won’t hesitate to kill both of us.”

Rainbow Dash had stared at me for a long time after that, trying to discern if I was telling her the truth. When she finally spoke, her voice wavered slightly, “Then why would you take it if it’s that dangerous?”

“Because with this job I’ll be able to eat for a year. And I’m not talking eating daisy sandwiches. I could go to a Canterlot buffet every night.” I hated myself for taking this job solely for the money but work had been scarce and I could really use it.

Her eyes widened as the realization of what I did sank in. Big money for finding somepony who didn’t want to be found? Where could she sign up? And that was exactly what she had asked me.

“No. I don’t work with anypony. I haven’t needed a partner in all the years I’ve been doing this and I certainly don’t need one now.” That statement had hurt her.

“Why not? I’m already here. Why not use me for this one job and we can part ways afterward? I won’t even ask for a share of the money.” She did her best to give puppy dog eyes, which she didn’t need to do. She was pretty enough to convince Celestia the sun didn’t need to shine.

I don’t know if it was her looks or her willingness to participate or just my loneliness but something inside me caved. “Alright, fine, you can come along. But if you’re going to do this we have to dye your mane. Those colors are pretty but they’re very noticeable. You need to be as inconspicuous as possible.”

“Dye my mane,” she had said with some hesitation. “But how will it get back to normal once we’ve gone back home?”

“Simple. They have dyes that stay in for about a week and then wash out. You’ll be back to your beautiful self in no time.” I internally kicked myself for calling her beautiful but she hadn’t even seemed to notice.

“Alright, so where do we get started?” Her enthusiasm was uplifting. Maybe this job wouldn’t be so bad.

We headed to a market to get some dye and then checked into my hotel room. Everything had been prearranged by my employer so it was a singe bed room. We’d have to make due. I helped Rainbow with the dye and could help but take in her scent as I helped wash her hair. It was almost too much for me to bear. God, I really was lonely.

As we finished up, Rainbow dried her mane and tail and looked at herself in the mirror. Her bright cyan coat clashed slightly with the black hair but the look suited her. She seemed satisfied and tossed the towel aside.

“So what’s the plan, Shadow? Bust into a club and find someone to question? Snoop around in their hotel room looking for clues? Maybe a high speed chariot chase?” Her innocence of what really went on in my job was cute.

“Not quite, sweetie.” Calling her sweetie had been deliberate. If I was going to convince anypony she belonged with me then marriage was a perfect cover. Though she didn’t quite know my meaning and took a bit of offense.

“’Sweetie?’ Hold your horses, buddy. I’m no pony’s sweetie.”

“Then how else do we explain why you’re here? For this week, and only this week, you will be my wife. It will be the easiest way to get ponies to believe my cover story.”

“What’s your cover story?”

“It changes from pony to pony. Situation to situation. Lie to lie. Just go with it when you hear it. Like I said, no pony around here is too fond of private detectives. But if we look like a couple on our honeymoon then it’ll be easier to play off.”

Rainbow didn’t look pleased with the way I played this. She thought there was more planning. More devious tactics. She thought I was better than I really was. But she held her tongue on the issue and asked instead, “So what’s our first move?”

I snapped back to reality as the bathroom lights flicked off. I’d been lost in the past for quite some time. I moved to check my watch, becoming visible. It was the same time the bar had closed last night. I slowly walked back down the wall into the stall I had originally walked out of and check my pack one last time. It was time to get to work.

I waited a few minutes to give everypony time to get a healthy distance from the bar before I gingerly cracked the door. The club was just as dark as it had been the night before and I brought up my horn light to see.

I approached the stage, knowing just behind it was the trap door that led to the castle, but was stopped short as a bright light flicked on catching me dead in the center of the club. I was caught.

The other ponies surrounded me quickly. The unicorns had their horns glowing, ready to stop anything I might try. I recognized one of the colts that walked toward me. It was Mr. ‘Bean’ I had seen in the tunnel last night.

“Well, what do we have here? A detective snooping around our club after hours?”

“Snooping? I wasn’t snooping I was in the bathroom when the lights flicked off and was looking for the exit.”

“Oh come now, must you lie to us? We know why you’re here. Octavia must be important to your employer. Why else would he send you into the Wolves’ Den?”

“Listen, I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you could just show me out…”

“Enough! Listen detective, you’ll be leaving this place in one of two ways. Dead or unconscious. Just answer me this one question. Who hired you?”

I swallowed hard and tried to recall anything that might help me get out of this. Save a miracle, I was done for. I sighed heavily. Unconscious was better than dead. “I was hired by…” The lights flickered and the turned off. Tables began to shudder and chairs clattered. A booming voice echoed through the club.

“Not another word! This den of liars and deceivers has existed for too long under my watchful eye! I have long known all was not as it seemed! I will be your undoing! Soon the time will come when those associated will be dragged into the light and their deeds made public! Tread carefully, defilers of this kingdom! Your end is nigh!”

The voice echoed and boomed so loudly that I had to cover my ears. I shriveled in fear as the voice finished and lighting appeared inside the club as everyone ran for cover. I was in the middle of this storm within a building praying to Celestia that I would somehow survive when from my squinting eyes I caught a purple flash. Not too unlike the lighting flashes but different. I felt a hoof on my shoulder and then a feeling of falling as the world fell quiet.

As the feeling of weightlessness subsided, I stood slowly, looking around, recognizing my hotel room. Standing next to me, my savior, it was all I could do to not kiss her, Twilight Sparkle. I settled for a hug and a very sincere thank you.

She smiled and returned my hug. “Ya know, if this is the kind of work you always do, maybe you should get a partner,” she laughed sweetly, at her own joke.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as the adrenaline pumped its way out of my system. “You know I don’t work like that, Twi. So what was that? You just conjure a storm inside a night club and then teleport in, grab me, and teleport back out?”

“Oh no, I could never do all that by myself. The voice and the storm belong to..”

“Me.”

“By the moon.” I stared, awe struck. “Princess Luna?”

“One and the same,” she smiled.

“But how.. You.. And her.. and you..?” I stammered, unable to deal with the fact that I had just been saved by the goddess of the night and a very magical friend of mine.

“Calm down, detective,” Twilight chuckled. “We can explain.”

I sat down on my bed and nodded my head. I was ready to listen.

Twilight paced the floor, explaining the whole story. Octavia had not been kidnapped. She had been asked to serve Luna on an important mission. Luna had needed someone who could infiltrate their society with relative anonymity. Being from Canterlot and having a rich upbringing, Octavia had made an ideal candidate. I was assured her involvement was voluntary. As it turned out, she had infiltrated their society with ease. They accepted her as one of the Canterlot elite and as a talented musician, which was something they could use.

The master plan of this order was to bring Discord back from his stone prison. Their plan to unleash him? Gather all the unicorns they could and perform a reverse petrification spell on the statue. Octavia had been employed as a ‘recruitment’ technique. They had cursed her cello to take over the minds of other ponies. Allowing them ease of movement around the city and more power for when they were to unleash the spell.

“But how did they do all this so quickly? Octavia’s only been gone a week. How could they have recruited enough people to be able to unleash Discord? How did you even know of their plans? And if all of this is so important why hasn’t Celestia gotten involved?”

Princess Luna smiled. “My sister handles the day, I handle the night. This society has been operating only at night so Celestia has given me responsibility over it. And just because I raise and settle the moon does not mean I don’t pay attention to Equestia at night. I’ve kept a close eye on their proceedings for quite some time. Since before Cadence and Shining Armor’s wedding. The problem we’re having isn’t that they’ve recruited enough unicorns to unleash the spell it’s that Octavia stopped feeding us intelligence. They’ve either turned her against us, or know she’s a spy and are keeping her prisoner.”

“My money is on the latter, Princess. I found this torn note when I did some snooping last night. It’s hard to make out but I think it mentions the dungeons. That’s where I was headed tonight.”

“The dungeons? I thought the dungeons had been remodeled into more guard housing.” Twilight said.

“The remodeling was no longer needed once the changelings had been defeated. The dungeons remain unchanged.” Luna spoke with disdain. She was not fond of prisons.

I rose from the bed and with as much conviction as I could muster, “Then let’s not stand on ceremony. We’ve got a secret society to kick in the hind end.”

Luna stepped toward Twilight and I. “Agreed. My showing at the bar will force them to act quickly and finish any loose ends. We must move quickly.” With that, she bowed her head and I felt the weightless feeling return for a moment.

I was in for another long night.

Chapter 7

As we moved through the crowded club, I made sure to stick close to Rainbow. She may be headstrong and sure of herself but I wasn’t so confident. This job had made me nervous from the start. I’d found myself in the underworld of Las Pegasus and I didn’t like how things were going down.

Offering me as much money as they had and the wealth of knowledge they had on the target made me wonder why they even needed me. The thought of a double cross seemed unlikely. Why go through the trouble of hiring an out of towner to come find someone you could already find on your own, and then killing them both? It didn’t make sense.

As we moved toward a door marked VIP we were stopped by a bouncer in a tuxedo and sunglasses.

“Private party tonight, sir.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll be in and out before you know it.” A code phrase. Another thing that had been tacked onto this job.

The colt tipped his sunglasses up and glared at me as he leaned to whisper, “You said you worked alone.”

“Change of plans,” I whispered back.

The colt grumbled and pushed the door open for us. I motioned for Rainbow to enter ahead of me as the colt continued to give me a dirty look. After she was inside I quickly followed, stopping her just inside the door in a small dark hallway.

“Stay with me in here. The target should be back here and we need her to trust us. All we have to do is get her to walk out the back door of this club and the job is done. They get their mare and we get paid and hit the next train back to Ponyville. Do you understand me?”

Rainbow nodded seriously but her eyes said she had questions, which she didn’t hesitate to ask. “It’s that easy? Seems kind of fishy.”

“Believe me, I’ve thought this whole thing was fishy from the start. If things start going bad I need you to just take off and get out of town. They won’t be able catch you. Just go back to Ponyville and go about your life like nothing happened. If they know who you are they’ll come looking.”

Rainbow nodded again. Her eyes once again betrayed her and showed me the fear behind them. “So what’s my name?”

That one had caught me off guard. I hadn’t thought about her fake name. I had planned on using my real one. I cocked my head, thinking for a moment before finally saying, “Sky.”

“Sky Chaser,” she mulled her fake married name over for a moment. “I like it.”

I smiled as I turned down the hallway putting my hoof around her. “Shall we, dear?”

She giggled at the ‘dear.’ She really was enjoying this but she cut her laughter short and fell into character.

We walked into the rather small VIP room and looked around. I spotted the target sitting alone in a round booth, sipping at a drink. I nudged Rainbow Dash and motioned toward her table, Rainbow caught the hint and we started walking together toward the large corner table.

As we approached the mare noticed us and began to look nervous. She knew she was being watched by someone. Her eyes looked up and down as if searching for an escape route. It was too late, we were already on top of her.

“Excuse me, do you mind if we join you? All the other tables seem to be full,” I said, using a bit of charm and innocence to try and calm her nerves. It had seemed to work.

She sighed. “Of course. I thought you were somepony else. Somepony not too fond of me.”

I pushed Rainbow into the booth ahead of me and placed myself on the outside. “Why would anyone not like you? You seem like a nice enough pony.”

She smiled awkwardly. “Well, I’m a witness for a murder trial.”

She was a bit more forthcoming with that information than she should have been but my natural curiosity kicked in. “My word. What happened?”

She explained how she had seen the most powerful mob boss in all of Las Pegasus lose his temper and kill one of his own colts. She didn’t know exactly why he had lost control but the rage she described was enough to turn anypony’s stomach.

She explained her nervousness at us approaching her had been due to all the disguised policecolts escorting her around the city. No one was set to be with her tonight and she had decided to go to a club in an attempt to calm her nerves. So far, it wasn’t working.

Rainbow had caught onto my lies and questions. “Well, then we’ll just stay with you for tonight. Celestia knows you look like you could use the company.” Rainbow sincerity had touched even me. I knew she was loyal but this was a level I’d not seen from her.

“So what’s your name?” My mind was beginning to change on the outcome of this job.

“My friends call me ‘Sugar.” She had smiled a sweet smile. This mare had a good heart and I knew why I’d been hired. I couldn’t let them do what they had planned.

“Well, Sugar, how would you like to spend a night on the town with us? We’ll shake these nerves of yours and the tails that you’ve picked up.”

Both Sugar’s and Rainbow’s eyes widened. Sugar began looking around nervously, and Rainbow just stared at me.

“Over my shoulder, the two in the booth staring at us and one by the door. Sugar, my name is Shadow Chaser and this is my wife, Sky. I’ll be straight with you. I was sent to lure you outside and after that Celestia only knows what they would do. But I’ve had a change of plans. We’re going to leave this bar and I’m going to get you somewhere safe.” I placed my hoof on hers. “This is only going to work if you have complete trust in me and do exactly what I say. These guys mean business and they won’t hesitate.” I stared Sugar in the eyes but caught Rainbow staring right at me. She knew I had meant those words for her as well.

“Okay,” Sugar’s voice cracked as the realization of what I had said sunk in. “But how will we get out of here?”

“You leave that to Sky and me.”

I moved out of the booth leading Sugar as Rainbow got out the other side. I caught Rainbow and looked her in the eyes.

“Are you ready?”

She nodded slowly; then her confidence returned. “Yea, let’s do this.”

Luna, Twilight and I had split up. Luna had gone to guard Discord’s statue while Twilight had come with me down to the dungeons. The guards all knew Twilight so no one stopped to ask us questions.

As we neared the dungeons, Twilight suddenly stopped. I stopped with her catching my breath.

“What’s wrong?”

“If these guys are performing secret operations in the dungeons, don’t you think they’d have someone loyal to them guarding the way?”

The thought hadn’t crossed my mind but she was right. She glanced around a corner and confirmed that she had never seen the colt guarding the door to the dungeons.

“Well, detective, what’s the plan?” Twilight stared at me while I thought. I didn’t want to put her in harm’s way but what choice did I have.

“How long do you think you can distract him?”

“Long enough for you to do whatever you need to.”

I smiled at her. “Maybe one of these days I will need a partner. Go ahead down and get to work. I’ll be along shortly.”

Twilight nodded and rounded the corner, walking bravely up to the guard. I heard some indistinct chatter between them and went into action.

Casting my new favorite spell I walked up the wall all the way to the top of the giant vaulted ceiling. I peeked around the corner at the guard and Twilight far below me. I tiptoed around the corner and down the hallway until I was directly above the guard.

What’re you going to do now?

Knock him out.

This will never work.

With that simple negative thought, I fell. Quite a bit farther than I had anticipated but I landed squarely on the guard, one of my hooves impacting the back of his head and he fell into a heap. Twilight stared at me slightly in shock.

“Is he…”

I checked his pulse. “He’s fine. He’ll have one nasty headache though. Come on, we’ve got a damsel in distress to save.”

We entered the dungeons and stopped short. This place was a giant maze. With tunnels twisting this way and that, how would we ever find Octavia?

Twilight looked at me and smiled. “I’ve got this one.” Her horn lit up and she ran forward. She took a couple of turns and then from down the hall through all the bars I could see her. Octavia was lying on the floor.

“There she is!” I shouldn’t have shouted but my excitement got the better of me.

As we neared her cell, she stirred slowly. Backing away from the door she kept her eyes on the floor. They had beaten her. I quickly unlocked the cell and we gingerly stepped inside.

“Octavia? Are you alright?” I let Twilight take the lead.

“Tw.. Twilight? Is it really you?” Octavia looked up. One eye swollen from the beating she had received but both were full of hope now. “It is you! Oh thank Celestia!” She cried and rushed toward Twilight, hugging her tight.

“Twilight, get her out of here. I’ll find my own way back.” Twilight nodded and did as I instructed. But as her horn lit up Octavia cried out.

“Wait!” Twilight stalled the spell. “I’m not alone down here. There’s somepony else. I don’t know who she is, I never saw her, but I could hear them. They’ve beat her constantly over the past several days. You have to get her out.”

I nodded. “Go Twilight, I’ll take care of the mystery pony.” Twilight nodded again. I was hit with a purple flash and left alone. I had to find this mysterious mare and make my exit. This Wolves’ Den wouldn’t give us much breathing room.

Chapter 8

I ran a bit farther into the twisting maze when I came to a solid door with a small window in it. I peered through and my heart stopped. There on the floor curled into as tiny a ball as she could make herself, her cyan coat, mane and tail dyed black. Rainbow Dash.

I backed away from the door and went to work with my lock picking spell, but it was too advanced. My panic and worry slowly turned to rage. At Rainbow for not listening to me, at the so-called ‘colts’ that would beat a mare, at myself for ever letting Rainbow into this world. I fumed. My horn grew dark and black, blacker than the darkest night Luna could muster. I felt my eyes blaze white hot as my rage grew I turned and kicked at the steel door with all my might. Once. Twice.

On the third kick the door didn’t so much give way as it fell off its hinges. The loud crashes of me kicking the door and its subsequent crash to the ground had stirred Rainbow Dash. She slowly stood in the middle of the room. Expecting the worst of any beating she could imagine. But her face quickly changed from one of defiance to hopeful relief as I entered her cell.

She rushed to me, holding me as tightly as she could. Though she would never admit it I could hear her subtle sobs. Whether sobs of pain or joy, I would never know. I pulled her away and brushed her mane out of her face.

“Are you alright, Dash? What did they do to you?”

She grinned a wickedly cocky grin. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

I caught myself on the verge of tears. “Same old, Dash. Come on. Let’s get you out of here so I can finish this.” I put my arm around her and she did the same, letting me support her weight as we limped back out into the hallway.

“Oh how touching. The daring detective come to rescue his damsel in distress.”

We stopped where we were. Mr. ‘Bean’ had finally caught up after the storm inside the club.

“Tell me, is it comforting to know that you’ll die in each other’s arms?”

I pulled Rainbow’s arm from my shoulders and began to set her down against a nearby wall. She immediately protested.

“What are you doing? I can help you beat him,” she whispered, harshly.

“I know you can, Dash, but after what he did to you, this is my fight. You stay over here and try not to look too surprised when I kick his ass.” I kissed her on the cheek and turned to face Mr. Bean. “Ya know, I never did catch your name.”

“Oh, what good are names among those already bound for the grave?” Mr. Bean was sure of himself.

“I just figured you’d like your headstone to be right, because if it’s left up to me yours will read, ‘Here lies Mr. Bean. A colossal prick and mare beater.’ We’ll have to put up a sign that says ‘Please no spitting on the grave.’” I was more sure of myself.

“Let’s just end this, shall we?”

He fired a magical shot from his horn as he finished his sentence. To my luck, his aim was terrible as he missed wide to my left. I rolled to the right and fired back, my aim was a little more true but he was able to dodge in time. We both retreated to cover and took the customary shots at nothing we could hit.

“Just hit him already!” Rainbow’s shout brought a smile. That mare was so impatient.

I rounded the corner again, firing wildly. I took cover as several shot pinged the wall next to me. I had to think of something beyond this. I had to find a way to get around behind him. I looked down the hall and saw I was at a dead end. Great.

I gathered myself for another barrage when I heard the sounds of Rainbow grunting.

“Hey, what’re you doing!?”

“Come out, come out, detective. I’ve got somepony who’s just dying to see you.”

I slowly rounded the corner and saw Mr. Bean standing with his arm around Rainbow Dash. His horn glowed with a charge shot.

“There’s a good lad. Now come out here in the light so I can get a clean shot.”

I walked forward slowly, never taking my eyes from his. Rainbow struggled in his arms and he tightened his grip. I could see Rainbow struggling to breathe.

“That’s it. Now just die like a good little filly.” His horn grew brighter and my eyes wavered to Rainbow.

She was really struggling against him but getting nowhere. I once again felt my rage building. Something inside me had broken. I saw a bright white flash and felt a dazzling heat.

How we had managed to slip from the club without drawing more attention was beyond me. We had, however, picked up a tail and with the three of us moving as one, it would be much harder to lose him.

As we walked, I leaned into the two of them and laid out my plan. “Sky, when we pass another alley, move down it and the fly up to the rooftops as quick as you can, Sugar and I are going to cross the street when you do that. There’s only one colt following us so splitting up will be a better idea. As soon as you’re on the rooftops, head back to the hotel and wait for me. If I’m not there in 2 hours, you get on the next train out of town.”

Rainbow nodded as I turned more toward Sugar. When we cross the street we’re going to find another alley and head down it. I’m going to hide in the alley but I need you to continue to the other side so the pony tailing us can see you. Okay?”

Sugar looked absolutely terrified but she gave me a quiet, “Okay.”

Rainbow wasted no time. As soon as I had finished explaining the plan she took the first alley and zipped up to the roof. Moving out of sight if the tail decided to follow her.

As I thought, the colt still followed Sugar and I as we crossed the street. We came to the next alley and moved down it, I hid behind a dumpster and gave Sugar a reassuring pat as she continued on.

The colt that had been tailing us was none too bright. He followed her obediently and as he stepped next to the dumpster I punched him as hard as I could in the face.

With a clang and a thud the pony bounced off the dumpster and landed on the ground. I looked down the alley to Sugar, who had stopped at the end and turned to see what I was doing. As I approached her smiling, a black carriage pulled up and the door opened.

My heart sank as I saw two colts reach out and grab Sugar. She screamed for only an instant as they gagged her. I ran for all I was worth toward the open carriage but it sped away before I could get anywhere near it.

I felt the anger rise up in my chest. We’d come this far only to fail? No. You couldn’t beat this one if you tried. They’re the mob. One way or another they always get what they want.

I swore at myself. The only way I’d get her back is if I’d been able to stop that carriage. She’d be dead in less than 30 minutes and I was responsible. A feeling of hopelessness filled me. I hated failing more than anything.

I wandered my way through the streets, heading slowly back to my hotel. I would grab Rainbow and leave in the morning. As I reached my hotel, and finally my room, I heard strange noises coming from inside. I quickly opened the door and was met with a scene that makes my blood boil to this day.

Rainbow lay on the floor curled in a fetal position as two colts stopped themselves mid-stomp. A third stood between me and them.

I lost it. Feeling a black rage take over my whole body, the rest was a blur. I fired a shot at the colt in front of me and then charged the two standing over Rainbow. Hitting the first one with the full force of my charge I watched him tumble and crack the glass window of the hotel room, falling to the ground in a slump. I quickly turned and slugged the third colt in the mouth, watching him fall backward and over the bed.

I turned to Rainbow Dash and gingerly picked her up. “You okay, Sky?”

She smiled at her fake name. “Yea, I’m okay. These guys really only got in one good shot before you showed up.” She hugged me tight as an unspoken thank you.

From the doorway we heard the sounds of somepony stirring. The henchman had regained his feet and this time rushed me. I pushed Rainbow away and took the brunt of his charge toppling end over end as we hit the window again, crashing through. Being thirty stories up we had quite a long way to fall. I kicked and bit and punched at the colt falling with me. I wanted him to die before we hit the ground.

Finally, I headbutted the colt as hard as I could and I saw him fall unconscious. Close enough. I spread my arms and legs outward, in a futile attempt to slow my fall. I was getting close and I accepted the Rainbow was alright and she would make it out of the city just fine.

From above me I heard a thunderous boom. I turned in the air to see Rainbow Dash zooming toward me with a black streak trailing her and all of the glass on the side of the tall hotel shattered and began to follow her. I felt her grab my hooves and cut hard out toward the open sky. I smiled as I watched the black streak she was leaving in the night sky. The hotel staff would wonder for years what had happened.

She flew far and fast, leaving Las Pegasus behind us. She eventually slowed down and lost the black streak but she never stopped flying. Not until we had reached the next town with a train station. That was where she stopped.

We had waited all night in that train station. Never speaking. The next morning we boarded the train for a long silent ride to Ponyville. I tried to think of something to say. Something to lighten the mood but there was nothing to be said.

As we walked off the platform in Ponyville, Rainbow had stopped me.

“Look. I know things didn’t go as you planned and that sucks but for what it’s worth. This whole experience was... eye-opening. I don’t know how you do this all the time. I know losing that mare was hard for you. It was hard for me too. But some things we just can’t change. Sometimes, we just can’t win.”

I sighed. “I know, Rainbow. And thank you. Catastrophe though this was, it was nice to have a partner for once. If you work at it you could be a great detective.”

She smiled and giggled slightly, “I think I’ll stick with the weather.” She turned to leave but something stopped her and she turned back to me. “Hey, what happened in the hotel room? I remember seeing you open the door but then I just saw a bright flash and everything felt warm and then you were picking me up.”

“I don’t know. I think seeing you on the floor with those colts standing there. Something just snapped in me and I wanted to do nothing but save you. I guess some part of me just took over.”

“Well, whatever part it was.. Thanks.” She leaned forward and kissed me and for a moment, the world fell away. It was the kind of kiss you see in movies and dream about in real life. As she pulled away, she blushed at me.

“Wow,” was all I could muster in response.

“I am still your ‘wife’ for a few more days. How else could I thank you?” She winked and turned to leave but I stopped her one last time.

“Rainbow. Promise me you won’t follow me anymore. That you won’t try to live the life of a detective and that you’ll just live the life of the fastest pony in Equestria and a proud member of the weather team.”

“Where’s the fun in a promise like that?” She had asked with a coy smile.

“Please Rainbow. I need to know you’ll never end up like you did the other night. Just promise me.”

“I promise,” she said, with a reassuring nod. “No more investigating for me.”

All I could do was smile are her. “Thanks Rainbow. Take care of yourself.”

“You too, Shadow.”

And like that she was gone.

I stood where I had moments before but Rainbow was on the ground and Mr. Bean was nowhere to be seen.

I rushed to Rainbow’s side, helping her to her feet. But she pulled away, staring at me in disbelief and struggling to stand on her own.

“You did it again.”

“Did what?”

Rainbow just stared at me. “You just turned completely black. All of you. Except your eyes. They were such a bright white that I could barely see. You rocketed forward toward us and then I felt a warmth. Like the sun on my face when I take a nap. But somepony was screaming. I guess it was Mr. Bean. I looked in his direction and just saw him fade away and then you grabbed me and laid me down here before it all went away and you were standing back across the room.”

I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t intended to do any of that. I wasn’t even that magically inclined. I shrugged my shoulders at Rainbow Dash.

“Guess I don’t know my own strength,” I said, as I put my arm around her once more.

She laughed softly. “Can we just get out of here please?”

We headed back to the dungeon entrance and were met by Luna and Twilight.

“What happened down here? We heard a scream all the way from the gardens.” Luna looked overly worried.

“Well, Princess, we’ve got one evil leader down and one to go.”

Twilight giggled. “Not quite. When the Princess went to the gardens she cast a guard spell on Discord’s statue. Let’s just say the garden ponies will have to find somewhere to put the new statues.”

Rainbow Dash laughed. “That’s great, Twi. But is there any chance I could get to a doctor?”

Luna stepped forward and cast another spell on all of us and as the familiar feeling of weightlessness wore off I recognized the Ponyville Hospital in front of us.

I looked up at Luna as I helped Rainbow inside. “Thanks Princess.”

I went to visit Rainbow Dash in the hospital a few days later. She was up and ready to get outside but the staff had insisted that she remain at least two more days. Resigned to her fate she’d been reading Daring Do books to pass the time. As I walked in, I laughed softly.

“I used to love those books.”

Rainbow put the book down and hugged me as I walked up next to her bed. “Yea, they’re pretty cool.”

I sat down in the chair next to her bed as she stared at me. I was collecting my thoughts when she spoke.

“Did you just come to sit there or did you want to talk?”

With a smile I said, “You’re so impatient. We’ve got to work on that.”

“That’s what Twilight and Apple Jack keep telling me. Hasn’t worked yet.”

We both laughed half-heartedly before I got serious.

“Why did you go in there, Rainbow?”

She looked out the window, thinking before she answered.

“I don’t know. I’d overheard Twilight talking to Luna one night and I thought I could get in and out without anypony noticing. You’d taught me a lot and I figured I could handle it.”

“Dash, I never taught you anything. I just told you what to do. If you really wanted to help Octavia you should’ve come to me. You know I would have helped you.” I could see the tears welling up in her eyes as I leaned forward and pushed her mane away from her face. “Don’t ever be afraid to come to me. One bad time in Las Pegasus isn’t enough to make me not want to see you. Celestia knows I’ve sorta missed having a partner.”

Her eyes held back the tears and turned hopeful. “You have?”

I had to tread carefully here. “Of course, Dash. You were the first time I worked with anypony and, while it wasn’t the best job I’ve ever had, you saved my life. I’ll always owe you for that. But I don’t want to put you or anypony else at risk. This is the second time I’ve found you on the ground after being beaten and that tears me up inside. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, Dash.”

As a tear rolled down her cheek she leaned off the bed and into me. She apologized for everything. For going off on her own, for following me to Las Pegasus, for not listening to me. I just held her and let her ramble and cry. When she finally fell silent I pulled her away from me and looked her in the eye.

“Dash, I’m only going to offer this one time. If you want to learn how to do what I do then I will teach you. It won’t be easy, you know that. But if you truly want to be my partner then I’m willing to have you.” I was looking her dead in her beautiful eyes.

She smiled and nodded. “I’d like that. I liked being Sky Chaser.”

I kissed her. Her surprise quickly gave way and she melted into me. As we parted, I smiled at her. “Maybe one of these days that won’t be an alias anymore.”

Epilogue

A few weeks after Rainbow had gotten out of the hospital and life had returned to normal I got a visit from Vinyl Scratch. When she entered my office this time it was under much happier circumstances. She sat in the chair provided in my office and spoke in a chipper voice.

“Hey, detective, I just wanted to thank you for finding Octavia. She explained everything and I have to say I’m a little shocked. I could hardly believe it all. We’ve seen some crazy things go down in this town; Nightmare Moon, Discord, and the changeling invasion, but I never imagined that a secret society would want to bring any of those people back. It’s just crazy, ya know?”

I nodded. “Yea, I’ve seen some crazy things in my day but this one was a little over the top for me too.”

“It’s cool now though. You stopped the bad guys and saved the damsel in distress. That’s something to be proud of. But hey, I came in today because I brought someone who wanted to say something.”

Octavia walked in slowly, looking a bit shy at seeing me again. Perhaps even disappointed that she was here. Vinyl must have dragged her along.

“Hello, detective.”

I walked around in front of my desk to talk to them. “Hello, Octavia. It’s nice to actually meet you.”

She smiled softly. “Yes, I think these conditions are a bit more.. pleasant.”

I could sense her inability to voice what she wanted to and looked to Vinyl silently for advice. She lifted her purple shades and mouthed slowly. “Hug her.” I didn’t feel comfortable just hugging someone who looked so awkward but decided that Vinyl probably knew best in this instance.

I approached Octavia and embraced her lightly. She quickly hugged me back, squeezing me tightly and pressing herself into me. I could hear her soft sobs and felt my coat begin to soak up her tears.

“Thank you.”

I smiled and answered her quietly. “Just doing my job.”

She giggled through her tears and squeezed me extra tight for a moment before releasing me and wiping her eyes. “How did you know where to find me? I thought no one would ever come.”

I explained my entire story to her and Vinyl and they stared at me wide eyed as I recounted it all, purposefully leaving out the parts about Rainbow Dash, explaining that the mare Octavia had seen was another detective, which, at this point, wasn’t wholly untrue.

“Detective, that’s.. amazing,” Octavia said in shock. “Truly I was lucky to have you find me.”

Vinyl jumped in with some humor. “Hey, I’m the one who hired him!”

We all laughed softly as I ushered them toward the door. “That’s very true but I did it for free, so we’ll say 50/50, Vinyl. Now if you girls would excuse me, I’ve already got a new project I’m working on that I have to get back to. Stop by any time.”

Vinyl waved and said her goodbyes and walked out but Octavia lingered for a moment.

“Is something wrong, Octavia?” Genuine concern in my voice.

“No, detective, I just wanted to thank you again. I truly will never be able to repay you.”

“You don’t have to, Octavia. I really was just doing what I do best.” I smiled at her.

She embraced me tightly once more. “Thank you.”

I smiled and gave in. “It was my pleasure, Octavia. Now go, live your life. Go try out for the Boston Trots. I hear they’re looking for a cellist.”

She smiled and walked outside running to catch up to Vinyl.

I turned back to my desk and finished the letter I’d been writing.

“… In closing, I apologize for lying to you but it was necessary. But here are the tickets I promised. I wish your family many years of health and happiness. Signed, Detective Shadow Chaser.”

Chapter 3

I wandered down the dark roads of Canterlot looking for my favorite bar. It’d been years since my job had pulled me here and I wasn’t quite sure where everything was anymore. After a few blocks I passed a place that looked interesting enough and decided to give it a shot.

I’ve never been much for jazz but when I walked in and was met with a smooth beat and a scent of different baked goods I decided I could bear my distaste if only for the food being offered.

A waitress approached me and asked me if I was alone tonight. I told her yes and she offered me a small table on the side of room not far from the stage. I ordered a small glass of cider and, as she walked away, adjusted my chair to look over the whole bar.

No one looked out of place. Everypony was just enjoying the relaxation of a late night crowd. Ponies always seemed more mellow this time of night. Especially in a jazz bar, everypony was relaxed although maybe a bit pretentious about it. The band was laying down a smooth vibe. They were hitting all the right notes at all the right times and keeping the show flowing.

The waitress returned with my cider and I sat back in my chair, sipping it and looking over my notes. Vinyl had known so much about Octavia that it was almost scary. All the orchestras she’d tried out for. All the offers from those orchestras she’d turned down. All the friends she still had here in Canterlot from some snooty music school she’d gone to. Vinyl had said she’d never quite fit in there. Yea, because she’s humble. All the offers that Octavia had turned down told me she must have a darn good reason for it. She could be a near millionaire if she just accepted any of these orchestras as her own. But something was keeping her down to Earth. Keeping her in Ponyville.

My curiosity was getting the better of me. What would she have keeping her tied to Ponyville? Vinyl? Something deeper? Surely she recognized that whatever her problem it could be worked out and dealt with after she was rich and famous. Maybe she didn’t want to tarnish her name after she was famous. But money could fix almost anything in this world. Make whatever it was go away or stay quiet. These were all things Octavia would have to answer when I found her.

The band finished up and explained that their time on stage had come to an end. There was a spattering of applause and hoof beats as they took their bows gathered their things. I wondered who was going to take their place. It was much too early for the band to just stop and have the bar left with no music. What do you care? You don’t even like jazz.

I looked back down at my few notes. Trying to see if there was a small detail I had overlooked or something that just caught my eye as the next act took the stage. She spoke in a soft voice, making me reminisce of my childhood days with Fluttershy.

“Hello, everypony. My name is Doria and this is my cello. We’ve only got one song for you tonight but we promise it’s a good one.”

I stared at her dumbfounded, mouth agape and lost in what had to have been some kind of fantastic cosmic coincidence. My target had just walked directly into my world. There she was, less than 10 yards away. Why couldn’t they all do that? Octavia began to play slowly. The song she played was a sad one but it was not out of place for her current setting.

She finished and the few applause that came clearly struck her heart. She was used to bigger crowds and ponies who were there because they loved her and her music. She picked up her cello and began to walk off stage, crest fallen.

I tossed a few bits on the table, probably enormously over tipping but I had to catch her. As she walked backstage I started to follow but was stopped suddenly by a massive stallion. The black shirt, sunglasses and small headset he was wearing spoke for him. Bouncers were never too fond of ponies hassling the musicians. I backed down before he had to say anything, giving him an understanding nod.

I went outside and walked around the building. There were two exits. One the main entrance I had just come out of and a back door, obviously for the musical talent to slip in and out unnoticed. I positioned myself on a nearby bench so I could see the comings and goings at both doors.

After a few hours the bar began to clear everyone out. Patrons out the front. Musicians out the back. However, I never saw the familiar light brown coat I was looking for. Had she pulled another vanishing act? Was there another door I wasn’t aware of? No. I double checked. There were only two doors. She had to still be in there. Before that thought could even finish the lights in the club blinked off. The manager walked out the front and turned to lock the door.

After I was certain the manager was gone, I stood from the bench and made my way around to the backside of the building. I tried the door, fully expecting the thud as the lock held tight. Alright, time for the less than legal part.

I stood back a little and bent down, angling my horn toward the lock. After some slight concentration I heard an audible click. I have to remember to return that lock picking book to Twilight. I tested the door again. It swung inward and I quickly slipped inside, shutting the door quietly behind me.

Inside it was even darker than I imagined. I stopped for a moment to let my eyes adjust. Wait, Twilight taught you something for this situation, too. I smirked and concentrated again as my horn began to glow. Just at the tip. Which was plenty enough light to look around without being noticeable from outside the club.

I wandered slowly inside. Checking instrument cases for cellos and looking for any clue as to where Octavia had gone. The search was useless. Nothing left behind. No note of whereabouts. Like I was that lucky twice in one night.

I was just about to give up and slink back outside when I tripped over something and fell into a drum set with a loud crash. I stood quickly and waited patiently to see if anypony who might be still in the club or somepony out the back door had heard my cacophonous mishap.

I began to breathe a sigh of relief when I heard a knock at the back door. Horse feathers! I moved myself to a back corner of the stage area and hunkered down, hoping to conceal myself if this person tried the door. Of course, they tried the door.

As it swung open I could see a flashlight and a bright blue policecolt’s hat. Times like this, I thank Celestia for a gray coat and black mane. He swept the flashlight left and right. Passing over the drum set and seeing what had made the noise. Satisfied that nothing was out of place, save the cluttered drum set, he flicked the flashlight off and closed the door behind him. Thank Luna’s stars for lazy policecolts.

I stood up and let out the breath I’d been holding. Moving toward the drum set and what I had tripped over I turned my own ‘flashlight’ back on. As I reached the area where I had tripped I recognized a handle sticking up from the floor. Cursing at myself for not being more observant, I lifted the handle slowly.

Sensing no danger from below, I opened the trap door fully. It opened into a stairwell. Three exits. Questions raced through my mind as I descended the stairs. Why had Octavia taken this exit? What was down here and where would it lead me?

I closed the hatch behind me and brought my light up brighter. This night was going to be longer than I thought.