Symphony of Peril

Among the most painful experiences of Octavia's life, the return trip from the caves had to rank near the top.

At least it was twelve hours or so since she exited the cave's maw, though not even the bed's cushions and the hotel's luxurious decor could've healed her still aching muscles. It was as though Octavia carted around an entire wagon full of cellos and looped the perimeter of Canterlot thrice before collapsing to rest.

Sunlight peered through one of the hotel's larger windows and onto Octavia's bed. She opened her crusty eyes, aquamarine watercolors and a few splotches of white and brown were all she spotted. Groaning, Octavia plopped her head against the bed's pillow, a soft thud ringing in her ears. She'd love to get back to investigating and apprehend whoever tried harming her, but there was just something about staying in bed for a little longer that soothed her soul. She turned to her left; the clock atop one of the desks read seven o'clock on the dot.

"Maybe I can sleep for another hour or three," Octavia whispered under her breath. She yawned. "It's not like I have anywhere to be right now."

A trio of knocks polluted the air.

In a flash, Octavia's eyes widened, still slightly bloodshot. It felt like minutes ago when she wrapped herself in the thick blankets and drifted off to sleep. And as she slowly sat upright, Octavia swore she hadn't forgotten any meetings or assignments at this specific time and day. Forgetting was more Neon Lights' shtick, not hers.

The knocks returned once more, their speed intensifying.

Octavia rolled her eyes and groaned. "What is it?" she asked.

"It's Spitfire," the voice behind the door announced. "It's time to do some investigating. It's seven in the morning and the more time we have, the better." She paused for a moment and then exhaled. "Get moving!"

A soft giggle left Octavia's lips. This was the Spitfire she knew and heard about, acting serious and tough.

Planting her hooves on the cold, smooth floor, Octavia rubbed her eyes and stumbled over to the room's oak door. Almost bumping into some of the cabinets and desks that adorned the room, she managed to reach the door without toppling over, though half-awake and inches away from planting her face against the wood like her bed.

Octavia opened the door. As expected, Spitfire was on the other side, wearing her flight uniform again as well as a bright smile. Vinyl was with her, also smirking a little, and Rarity completed the set as she rubbed her eyes and occasionally stretched her limbs. At least Octavia had some company when it came to drowsiness.

"Glad you're awake now," said Spitfire. She motioned toward Octavia and stepped back. "You're all set for investigating today, right?"

Octavia slowly nodded. "I am," she drawled.

"Good. I do have a discovery I want to show all of you, and it might bring us one step closer to solving this mystery."

"Another clue?" asked Vinyl. She cocked her head.

Spitfire shook her head. "Not exactly. See, while everypony else was snoozing, I decided to head on over to the library and do a little digging on some of the more mysterious things we've found. More specifically, I had a hunch that there might've been more to this 'PA' than one might think, and one of the books I found had something that revealed more than I expected."

"You're sounding more like Twilight every other minute," Rarity deadpanned under her breath.

"What was that?"

Rarity shook her head and blushed. "Nothing!"

Spitfire shot a glance at Rarity, the latter diverting her gaze. The four remained silent for a few seconds as all that echoed in the hallways was a clock's ticking, seemingly begging for attention. With a brief chuckle, Spitfire turned back to Octavia and made eye contact. "As I was saying, there's a book that hints at who 'PA' is. I doubt this pony is the one responsible, but I figured any information would be good to pass along."

"So what did you find?" Octavia asked. She nudged closer to Spitfire as their chests almost bumped into each other; her hooves touched the Wonderbolt's shoulders. "Tell me, please."

Spitfire shuffled back. "Easy there, Octavia."

"Sorry." Octavia's cheeks flushed. Letting go of Spitfire, she brought her hooves back to herself.

"Anyway, during my research, I was directed to a book titled A Brief History of Equestrian Royalty."

"Royalty?" Rarity blurted out. She shivered, teeth clacking and pupils shrunk. "So you mean the princesses might know what's going on?"

"I wish I knew." Spitfire stretched a hoof toward Rarity. "But let's take this one step at a time, okay?"

Rarity took a series of quick, deep breaths; she sounded as though she'd just finished climbing the tallest mountain in Equestria.

"Okay, so has anypony ever heard of Princess Amore?"

"You mean Princess Cadance? Mi Amore Cadenza is something she occasionally goes by, though most call her Princess Cadance."

"Not Cadance." Spitfire shook her head. "According to what I read, Princess Amore once looked over the Crystal Empire, though much of her history vanished as though she never even existed. All we can say for certain was that she was beloved by her subjects and enjoyed fun, but that's not exactly descriptive. I even tried spelunking through the rest of the Royal Canterlot Library in the hopes of finding one book or even one chapter about her, though I came up empty-hooved." A sigh escaped her lips. "Sorry."

"It's fine, dear." Rarity patted Spitfire's back, a slight smile across the former's face. "You tried your best."

"And what does Princess Amore have to do with our investigation?" asked Octavia.

Vinyl nodded in agreement, eyebrow arched.

"Not much as far as I can tell," said Spitfire as she straightened her posture. She paused for a moment and pursed her lips. "However, according to the book that mentioned her, a letter addressed to Amore revealed that she was sometimes referred to as 'PA' like in the evidence we found."

"What?" Octavia and the others shouted in unison. Rarity's jaw drooped as low as it could whereas Vinyl couldn't stop blinking.

"I doubt Princess Amore is directly involved in any of this, especially since scholars say she died over a thousand years ago. That and the fact she was known to be friendly toward almost everypony. But the connection between that and the sign we found in the cave is impossible to ignore."

Octavia and the others nodded in agreement. Their eyes were glued to Spitfire.

"This then begs the question of why somepony would adopt the same alias that Princess Amore did. Is it a coincidence, or is there more to it than we think? Regardless, we should try gathering as much information about Amore as possible. Maybe something will show up this time around."

"That sounds like a reasonable plan," said Octavia. Fully awake, she swiftly closed the door to her hotel room, locking it up as a click rang in her ears. "I doubt we'll be able to find anypony in the vicinity who knows about Amore, but it's worth asking around just in case we're able to get some information."

"I have an idea," said Vinyl, raising her hoof. "It may not work, but it's worth a shot."

Rarity turned to face Vinyl, cheeks tautened. "What's your plan, dear?"

"We put up posters all around Canterlot asking if anypony knows Princess Amore's history and legacy. Those who do will meet up at the Star Swirl Hall and we'll conduct interviews from there." Vinyl cleared her throat. It was rare for her to speak up for an extended period of time. "Also, we'll split up to cover more ground. Tavi and I will take the west section while Rarity and Spitfire will do the east. Anypony who wants to speak right away are also welcome to do so."

"I like that idea," said Spitfire. She nodded with a slight smile across her face. "It's the most efficient method and we'll still have some company to keep us safe." She glanced around the room, making eye contact with Rarity and then Octavia for a moment. "Sound good to everypony?"

"I think it sounds marvelous," Rarity answered.

"Agreed," said Octavia. "Let's head out as soon as everypony is ready."

Canterlot was a claustrophobic pony's worst nightmare. Almost every other second, Octavia was brushing her shoulders against passersby, not because she or anypony else yearned crashing into each other for whatever reason, but because there was simply no room. It was much like trying to tread water in the middle of a raging river; Octavia and Vinyl were both along for the ride. At least unlike the Twilight Ball, the elites of Canterlot seemed somewhat friendly. Some ponies still scowled at her when they butted into each other, though for the most part, everypony apologized profusely or said nothing.

Then again, it wasn't as though she'd hear most of what they whispered with a hurricane of voices filling her ears.

There were also more pressing matters at hoof; Octavia's assignment in decorating the city with posters asking her question was more imperative than figuring out what the words of strangers were, and it wasn't as though what they muttered had any relation to Amore's past.

"This had better work," Octavia murmured under her breath. Sweat dripped down her forehead and tickled her cheeks.

The posters and signs proposing the question about Princess Amore were all stuffed in her saddlebag, the stacks of paper as heavy as concrete blocks. As helpful as her saddlebag was, its primary function must've been accidentally bumping into others and causing twinges through her back. She'd given up counting the times she apologized to others once she passed twenty instances.

At least she had Vinyl helping out with some of the other stacks.

Vinyl always stood by her side, regardless of whether the situation was irritating or catastrophic. Some memories, them witnessing the changelings raining down on Canterlot during a wedding, were among the more memorable moments they shared. At least the investigation wouldn't get as hectic as that. That was her hope.

Octavia sighed, then glanced over her shoulder and gazed into Vinyl's eyes. "Do you think we'll get any responses?" she murmured.

Vinyl shrugged, sticking a poster against a colossal yet smooth wall. "I'd imagine so. Canterlot is a busy place."

Octavia scanned the environment once more, the cobblestone roads beneath her flooded by a sea of pastel ponies. She then turned back to Vinyl, eyebrow arched. "I think busy might be an understatement," she deadpanned. After a few hoofsteps, she planted a poster against a different building, this one characterized by a rough and warm texture. "Still, it should mean that somepony who knows even a bit about Princess Amore will see the poster and share some details."

"That's why Canterlot is the best place to do this." Vinyl nodded, smiling. "Everypony is out and about during the week."

"You make a good point."

Octavia paused for a moment and rubbed the top of her head. If the library lacked any details on Princess Amore other than her physical appearance and a few miscellaneous facts, then relying on Canterlot's population may not be the best of ideas. It wasn't that they weren't intelligent; the truth was that libraries, particularly the Royal Canterlot Library, were like vaults of information and literature. If they lacked such knowledge, then the odds of finding somepony who knew a few things were slim.

Perhaps somepony may have already checked out or bought one of the books. Unlikely given the topic's obscurity, but Octavia couldn't help herself from rubbing her head at the thought.

And as Octavia scanned the perimeter of Canterlot's packed roads, a lone figure caught her eye. Standing atop one of the buildings was a greenish unicorn adorned with a robe, her eyes darting left and right as she snooped on the ponies beneath her like an owl. Already, Octavia's mind whirred into action as she pondered what the unicorn was doing up there. If she was trying to avoid suspicion, she was doing a horrible job at it.

The odds of her being related to Octavia's investigation grew the longer she stared at her.

Octavia blinked.

The unicorn vanished like a mirage.

"Was I dreaming that?" Octavia asked herself. She rubbed her twanging forehead, teeth clenched. Heartbeats filled her ears. "Maybe I'm just a bit tired." She took a few deep breaths and her chest loosened. "No, it felt too real to be a mere dream. But maybe she's not related to the matter at hoof. I'd hate to cause a misunderstanding." Pausing for a second, Octavia then nodded slowly as an idea reached her. "Okay, if I see her like that again, I'm telling the others. Perhaps it was just a coincidence."

"Is everything okay?" Vinyl questioned as she tapped Octavia's shoulder.

"I'm fine." A sheepish smirk ran across Octavia's visage. She rubbed the back of her neck, blushing. "Vinyl, are you sure anypony will have answers?"

Vinyl bobbed her head and winked.

"Let's hope you're right." Octavia plastered another poster on a wall. "I doubt we'll come up with nothing after this is all over, especially with so many ponies out and about." She surveyed the crowded pathways one more time, clicks and clacks reaching her ears. "I'll honestly be surprised if nopony comes up with anything before sundown."

"Nothing?" Rarity blurted out, eyes widened. She gasped. "This has to be the worst possible thing! What are we going to do with no clues?"

Octavia and Vinyl nodded in unison, their frowns grim. "Sorry, everypony," Octavia muttered. "We tried our best, but nopony knew a thing about Princess Amore. Not one response."

At least the cafe they sat outside had a relaxing atmosphere. The candles lit in the middle of the table glowed like a firefly and a grayish smoke bellowed from the flame and into the air. The aromas of coffee, tea, and a variety of baked goods rushed into Octavia's nostrils, provoking the faintest of smiles from her. Even the skies lit by the setting sun proved a dazzling sight, the blue and orange colors like that of a dream. However, all of them put together were far from enough to heal the aching disappointment of getting no replies.

At least it helped out in some manner. The Shooting Star Cafe was Twilight's favorite place to dine in all of Canterlot, and for good reason if the scents hinted at anything. Scholars and researchers adored arranging meetings there or just taking in the wondrous sights for some private philosophizing. Octavia would've loved to have nibbled on a treat or sipped a cup of coffee, however. Maybe she'd just order something anyway and share it with her friends so she could please her taste buds.

Despite this, there were much more important matters at hoof.

"Well, I thought it'd work," said Vinyl. With a downcast expression, she sighed, lips curled into a deep frown. "Sorry."

"It's okay, dear," said Rarity. "We tried our best, and that's what's most important."

"Rarity is right," Spitfire added. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting to receive many replies, and not getting a single response stung, but—" Spitfire placed a hoof on her chest "—but I don't know what went wrong." With a few deep breaths, Spitfire feigned a smirk. "We did everything right, but I guess learning about Princess Amore will be tougher than anticipated. That must be it."

"Did somepony mention a Princess Amore?" a voice asked. Standing on all fours and then trotting toward the group was a unicorn mare, her coat a pale yellow and her mane a red with purple and violet stripes. A black, ragged sweater with a hint of grime adorned her chest as did a large pair of glasses and a slight grin on her visage. Octavia had never seen such a mare before, but she felt familiar at the same time, almost as though if she was a splitting image of Twilight. "I might have a little something to share."

"Are you Moondancer by any chance?" asked Rarity.

"You know her?" Vinyl responded as she arched an eyebrow.

Nodding, Rarity adopted a slight grin. "Twilight told me about her during her trip to Canterlot not too long ago. She's one of the most magnificent scholars in all of Equestria!"

Moondancer blushed. "Please, I'm only an amateur when it comes to research."

"No need to be so bashful, dear." Rarity stood up and waved toward Moondancer, the latter nodding and taking the fifth empty seat at the table. "Anyway, how are you?"

"I'm well. I've been researching the magic of cutie marks for some time now, though I've only found a few minor additions to the lecture Twilight gave on the subject. It's amazing how much Twilight learned about them since there's still a lot we don't know about them. Speaking of which, were any of you in attendance by any chance?"

Everypony else shook their heads.

"Ah. It's okay." Moondancer smirked slightly. "Not everypony is interested in the same subjects I am." She paused for a moment, then exhaled. "Anyway, what's on your mind regarding Princess Amore? I know a few details about her history, most of it being unearthed recently, but it's not much in the grand scheme of things." Rubbing her muzzle, Moondancer then raised an eyebrow. "Come to think of it, how come you're interested in Amore?" She paused before extending her forelegs out a bit, cheeks flushed. "Not criticizing you or anything, just curious."

"Well, you must've heard what happened to me in the Twilight Ball," said Octavia.

Moondancer nodded. "I don't know how I'd not find out what happened there. Not only does news spread fast in Canterlot, but it was all everypony was talking about today. I don't think I've heard any other gossip. Anyway, I'm guessing you found a clue at the scene related to something about Princess Amore, right?"

"That's correct," said Spitfire. "To be specific, somepony used the initials she commonly went by in a letter, and it seems too unusual to be a mere coincidence. And since Princess Amore hasn't been alive for over a thousand years, do you think it's possible that somepony took her initials on as an alias? Is there something more to this regarding her history or legacy? Anything would help at this point."

Moondancer tapped the table with her hoof, soft clacks ringing in the air. "Well, I don't know much about her legacy, but I do know that there were repeated attempts to overthrow King Sombra during his lifetime."

"What?" Rarity shouted, mouth agape. "What happened? I thought Sombra had the entire Crystal Empire under his hoof!"

"That's true, but ever since Sombra's defeat, more information about life under his rule has been slowly trickling out of the Crystal Empire. Of particular interest was a rolled up letter sent between two ponies. They called themselves the Guardians of Love, and the letters archaeologists found relating to them mention bringing Princess Amore back to life so that she'd defeat King Sombra and free the crystal ponies. They kept a record of everything via letters so that even if Sombra's dark magic messed with their memories, they'd recall what their goals were. It was a small operation throughout its lifespan, but quite clever in its design."

"And I'm guessing they weren't successful," said Octavia.

"Of course." Moondancer bobbed her head for a moment. "But they came close on a number of occasions. Most of their progress was hindered by infighting among the group and a few agents being arrested by Sombra's forces. Those arrested were never seen again, but they pressed on regardless."

"And didn't Sombra use ghastly dark magic to keep the crystal ponies in check?" asked Rarity. "I remember learning about that from Twilight."

"That's what everypony says, which makes these letters even more fascinating." Moondancer's eyes widened. She rubbed her hooves together and cracked a slight smile. "Archaeologists are on the verge of an amazing discovery once thought to be lost forever, and it may provide all sorts of answers to questions we never knew we had."

Spitfire smiled in return. "It does sound amazing," she said as a matter of fact. "But did the Guardians of Love use the initials 'PA' when they addressed each other?"

"That seems to be the case. The sender and recipient of each letter have been referred to as such."

"And when did the Guardians of Love fold as an organization?"

Shrugging, Moondancer donned a bemused expression. "I don't know, but the latest letter discovered was around eighty-seven years ago according to the date inscribed. That's what the archaeologists have been reporting back in the Crystal Empire. Most of the ones found, however, are at least hundreds of years old."

Spitfire's posture perked up. Making eye contact with Moondancer, she then leaned an inch closer to her. "So could this be a former member?"

"I think you may have your answer. Chances are one of the suspects you're looking for is a crystal pony, as they were the only ones in the Crystal Empire during Sombra's reign and the only ones to adopt Amore's alias."

"But we'd need to find a members list first. Otherwise, it's about as good as knowing nothing at all." Spitfire rubbed her muzzle, humming for a moment. "What to do?"

"I'll try to see if I can keep you all updated." Reaching into her sweater's pockets, Moondancer procured a note card and a pen, jotting down an address with impeccable cursive. "Here's my address if you need to message me for any reason. My house is easy to spot—" Moondancer blushed "—since it's kind of worn down. But having this will be useful for sending letters back and forth."

"Thank you, Moondancer," said Octavia. She grabbed the note card and placed it into her saddlebag. "We're honored to be working with a mare like you."

"You're welcome." A bright smile adorned Moondancer's face. "I'm glad I could help."

"I'm curious," said Vinyl, brow arched. "How do you know all of this stuff?"

"Well, none of the secrets uncovered have caught the attention of ponies outside the history and archaeology fields. And as somepony who loves researching and learning, I fall under both categories." A warm smile decorated Moondancer's visage. "Ever since I reunited with my friends, Twinkleshine has passed along some of Amethyst Star's discoveries. She's a renowned archaeologist, and her latest discoveries happened to relate to what we just talked about." She rubbed the back of her neck. "It's convenient for all of you, but fascinating to a mare like myself.

Vinyl bobbed her head.

"We're glad to have you on board. But what—" Octavia cut herself off and cleared her throat "—what should we do for now? Princess Amore's initials and the details you've given us are the only new clues we've come across today. Not to mention one of the suspects is still being searched for."

"Wind Rider, right?"

Everypony nodded in unison.

"Well, maybe shift the focus on seeing if you can track him down." Moondancer shifted her focus to Spitfire. "Since everypony calls him a former Wonderbolt, maybe you'll know where he flew off to, Spitfire." She pressed her hooves together and a sheepish smirk ran across her face. "Just a hunch."

"The other Wonderbolts are helping search for his whereabouts," said Spitfire. "We've brought our attention to a few spots he's known to spend time at more often than others as a starting point and spreading out from there. If he was smart, I'd imagine him going to the last place anypony expects."

"And is Wind Rider smart?"

Rarity shrugged. "Well, besides having a grotesque taste in scarves, he was able to conceal how he framed one of my friends for quite some time. He was found out eventually, but it took a lot of work to get there."

"I see." Nodding, Moondancer rubbed her muzzle; she hummed a melodic tune for a few seconds. "We'll probably need to look in the least likely place he'd hide in order to find him. At the same time, if Wind Rider is as clever as you suggest, he might huddle up somewhere ponies would expect to see him, knowing that those tracking him down would find certain locations too obvious."

"So that puts us back to square one," said Octavia. "How bothersome."

A sigh escaped her lips. Already her head ached a little as she formulated the different possibilities. If her memories were telling the truth, Wind Rider was often seen hanging out at pubs during the night and ordering whiskey. Octavia never considered herself a huge follower of the Wonderbolts' activities. However, some stories were planted in Equestria's subconscious long enough for everypony to know at least one or two things about the team or a member. It was a part of what made them well-known.

Maybe there was a Wind Rider story somepony knew that might act as a clue.

Octavia's eyes lit up like light bulbs; electricity coursed through her veins as she sat upright. "Do any of you have Wind Rider stories?" she asked.

"I do," Spitfire replied, waving her hoof. "He used to play billiards all the time because he thought it made him look cool and sophisticated. I remember Silver Lining telling me about the first time he met Wind Rider as well. To put it bluntly, they didn't exactly get along that much. Everypony was surprised they both managed to avoid getting themselves kicked out of the Wonderbolts whenever they got in shouting matches."

"And how does that help?" asked Vinyl. She cocked her head. "No offense."

"Because their shouting matches often took place at Mile High Pub in Cloudsdale. I doubt Wind Rider made his way over there, however, given the distance between here and Cloudsdale. But he's a fast flier, so he might've been able to glide over there without anypony noticing him. I sent Blaze and High Winds over there as part of the investigation process."

"Let's hope they come back with some good news," Octavia added. "I think we could all use some after all of these troubles."

"Same here, dear," said Rarity. She wiped her forehead. "Anything blissful would be a good start."

"Captain Spitfire!" a voice called out. "We've got him!"

In a flash, Rarity donned a beaming grin. "See what I mean?" She chuckled and placed her hooves behind her head. "Just the kind of news we've been waiting for."

A pair of figures swooped in from the sky as clacks rang in the air upon touching the ground. Folding their wings, the two Wonderbolts clad in their uniforms approached the group. One of the mares had a similar color scheme to Spitfire, only her orange mane was darker and lacked a second color. Blue eyes were also behind the goggles on her face, a clear difference to Spitfire's amber eyes. Beside this mare was another Wonderbolt, her coat a bright white and her mane a fluffy blue.

They were Blaze and High Winds respectively; the former wore a stern expression across her visage while the latter was decorated with a calmer, brighter expression. They were complete opposites as far as Octavia could tell; even their coat and mane colors contrasted with each other, though the playful banter she heard from their moving lips and the pair brushing up against each other suggested a friendship.

"You got Wind Rider?" asked Spitfire. She stood up, the smirk on her a sign she already knew the answer.

Both Blaze and High Winds nodded together. "We sure did!" Blaze shouted as she pumped her hoof into the air. "Found out the slimy snake was hanging out in the Mile High Pub as predicted, and it was a cinch stopping him."

"Is everypony okay?"

"Yep!" High Winds cheered. "Nopony got hurt. The mission was a piece of cake."

Octavia leaned over toward Blaze and High Winds, ears twitching. "Where's Wind Rider right now?" she questioned. "Can we see him for questioning?"

"That old geezer is being held by the Royal Guard right now," said Blaze. She crossed her forelegs and flapped her wings, a slight breeze swirling beneath her as she became airborne. "Normally, they don't allow ponies unaffiliated with them go and question ponies who've just been arrested, but since the Wonderbolts and the Royal Guard often work together on cases, I think they can make an exception this time around."

"I'd imagine that's the case," said Moondancer as a matter of fact. Tugging her sweater's sleeves, she shivered a bit. "Anyway, I guess you have your destination now." A soft giggle left her mouth. "I'll be at my humble abode if you need me." Pushing her chair away, Moondancer stood up and cracked a smile. Octavia couldn't help but respond in kind. "Nice meeting you all!"

"Same here, Moondancer," said Octavia. She then turned toward the rest of the group. "Shall we head on over to where Wind Rider is being kept."

Everypony else bobbed their heads together, grins across their faces.

"Let's get to the bottom of this."

For once, Octavia's muscles loosened a tad. It was wonderful breathing freely again and not having to fret over the possibility of turning up with nothing. If there had been nothing to work with, Octavia knew she'd just see every molehill as a mountain until something came up. And solving this mystery felt easier for once with Moondancer on their side; she was practically a living encyclopedia if ponies told the truth.

Octavia's shoulders were no longer being crushed by the weight of the world.

However, some of the tension still lingered.

Wind Rider's confession was likely only the beginning of a long series of interrogations. There was the enigmatic question about Princess Amore still hanging overhead. And Octavia knew it'd likely take more than just his words to find out the full truth and discover who'd tried to harm her.

One step at a time; that was Octavia's procedure moving forward.