Symphony of Peril

It wasn't often Octavia had the opportunity to visit the Royal Canterlot Library, though given the two or three times she trotted into the library, she distinctly recalled gawking at the sights without fail.

This particular visit was no different. Her eyes widened and twinkled upon stepping inside.

The library's inner walls were all decorated in a dark blue much like the night sky. Octavia had never seen it donning such decorations, though the rumor was that Princess Celestia somehow infused the rooms with a peculiar kind of magic that changed the walls' color depending on the time of day. Shining white and gold colors adorned the library during the day that could've lit even the darkest of caves while the dark blue and silver colors Octavia spotted represented the night. If the books she read were telling the truth, the Royal Canterlot Library earned such a feature because Celestia wanted something to remember her sister by before the latter's return.

Such a thought warmed Octavia's heart, a soft smile across her face.

However, if she and her friends were ever going to solve the growing mystery, they'd all have to shut out the stunning sights and focus on the books which resided within bookshelves or niches within the wall. There were tens of thousands of books, some spotless and others covered in a thick blanket of dust. A few were close to falling apart if the ragged covers were anything to go by. At least half of them could've hid some information relevant to the investigation.

"Where should we begin?" asked Octavia. She surveyed the library, noting each of the bookshelves labeled with detailed descriptions of what rested inside. "If we're going to get to the bottom of this, we'll have to find out whether the Platinum Staff even existed. Perhaps it's buried in a book about Star Swirl's treasures." She paused for a moment, taking a quick breath. "One of the library's sections must involve treasures."

"That's right," said Spitfire. "One of the library's sections deals with treasures. Heck, one segment explicitly features books about treasures connected to Star Swirl. How do I know this?" She snickered for a moment. "Well, I was in the Royal Canterlot Library not too long ago." Glancing back at Octavia and company for a moment, Spitfire then trotted ahead. "Follow me. Try not to get lost."

"It's only a library, dear," Rarity replied. She slowly wrapped her mane around her hoof. "I doubt we'll get lost."

"You've never been to the Royal Canterlot Library, have you?"

"You're serious?" Freezing in place, Rarity's pupils shrunk and her mouth hung agape. "You're actually serious? I thought that was hyperbole."

"I'm almost always serious." Spitfire quickly gazed back at Rarity, the latter shuffling back for a moment. "Stay close behind, okay?"

Rarity nodded. "Understood."

A few minutes had passed by, nopony else uttering a peep as they weaved around bookshelves and noted the different labels affixed to them. Octavia couldn't help herself from raising an eyebrow at the specificity of a few bookshelves, The History of Changeling Agriculture in Winter Months being so specific to where she stifled a giggle. Somepony out there probably yearned to research something like that, and if the filled bookshelves were anything to go by, the Royal Canterlot Library had plenty of scholarly evidence.

The more time Octavia spent wandering about the library, the clearer it became to her why such a place earned Princess Twilight's approval. And as it turned out, Spitfire wasn't blowing things out of proportion. Octavia wondered if the library even had an end or if it just stretched on for eternity.

Octavia pondered whether finding the book would've required days of searching. Weeks may have been possible if luck wasn't on her side.

However, much to everypony's relief, the group had arrived at a bookshelf labeled Treasures of Star Swirl the Bearded: Confirmed with an adjacent bookshelf titled Treasures of Star Swirl the Bearded: Disputed or False. Octavia squinted at the latter, noticing the wooden frame extending toward the horizon as book after book occupied each niche. Some were only a few inches thick while others were large enough to act as weapons. At least all of them had their titles emblazoned on the spine.

"There should be something about the Platinum Staff here," said Vinyl as a matter of fact. Trotting into the hallway and bobbing her head, her eyes swiveled about as they studied each book present. "Let's search for any books about it to start out. Oh, and anything that catches your eye works."

"That sounds like a plan," said Octavia. Twiddling her mane, she pursed her lips. Her tail swished about like a swing. "Any information on it will help a little, but something seems a bit off." Her chest tightened. The room was darker than before, but the lights overhead shone as they always did. "We should be careful either way."

Vinyl bobbed her head. "Naturally."

Octavia and the others all trotted ahead, following Vinyl's lead. Most of the books seemed rather generalized, offering unspecific titles or a brief overview about each of the treasures. Much to her luck, a few did manage to specify what rumored treasure they discussed, though such luck was countered with said books all having nothing to do with the Platinum Staff. And after completing one length of the leftmost bookshelf, Octavia resumed her search on the second row.

It was the same story there.

The third row wasn't of value to her as well.

She clenched her teeth, sweat dripping from her brow as she glared at the array of books. While learning new things appealed to her and she didn't mind discovering new facts or theories about the subject, now wasn't the time for dabbling with secondary research. And flipping through all of the generalized books would've taken hours at best. The sun would've returned by the time they all scurried through just the indexes to each book.

A sigh left Octavia's lips.

"I think I found it," Vinyl muttered without warning.

Octavia, Rarity, and Spitfire all swiveled their heads to where Vinyl stood, the DJ tugging a book away with her magic. It was among the smaller texts, though the title was enough for Octavia's visage to become brighter than the sun. The Legend of the Platinum Staff was printed on the book's leather cover, the golden letters twinkling.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Spitfire. She and everypony else approached Vinyl, eyes glued to her. "This probably has the answers we need."

Vinyl merely nodded in response. She sat down and flipped the book open, stopping once she reached the opening chapter. Adjusting her shades, she scanned the page's contents, Octavia and Rarity both joining in from behind her shoulders. Much of the opening paragraph was fluff or leading up to something important, though a chill coursed through Octavia's spine as she continued reading. Her teeth clacked together. The library itself became much colder as if by magic.

"This can't be good," Vinyl muttered. She glanced up at Octavia and Rarity. The latter two shrugged and stepped back, Vinyl resuming her reading, skimming through the pages at a blistering pace. Most of the time, she made her way to the first few pages, but she quickly scanned some of the book's other pages.

Sweat dripped down Octavia's forehead.

Either there was nothing else of value or a plethora of information adorned the pages.

Part of Octavia wished for the former. She clenched her teeth

"So the Platinum Staff is believed to hold immense power," said Vinyl. "But the truth is that nopony even knows if the staff ever existed." She caught her breath. "It's rumored to be housed in an abandoned temple. Exactly which temple and its general location are unknown." Her lips sagged into a frown. "I checked the index tons of times, but got nothing."

"That doesn't help at all," said Rarity. In the blink of an eye, she tugged her mane, cheeks tautened. "We're trotting into something catastrophic at this rate, something like that Alicorn Amulet from a while ago, but—" she cocked her head "—but why was this atrocious group so concerned about anypony else finding out? Such fiendish actions couldn't have been without reason." Pausing, Rarity then rubbed her muzzle. "Perhaps they were worried somepony else knew about it."

"Or maybe it was a trap," said Octavia.

"What do you mean, dear?"

Octavia exhaled. While her statement was uttered without thinking, something about the staff's mysterious origins, the bandits' possible motives, and the messages planted into other ponies' minds prodded her. The tension lingering in the air hadn't helped.

As Octavia juggled each fact and idea, the pieces slowly fell into place. It all came back to Wind Rider's confession.

If Wind Rider wasn't one for giving in so easily, then perhaps spilling the truth was his goal from the start. But if that was the case, Octavia wondered why he even bothered trying to deny his role in the first place. Everything she meandered into had more layers or questions; the mystery caused Octavia's forehead to twinge. Blinking, she sighed and rolled her shoulders.

"Something doesn't seem right," Octavia continued. "Does anypony else find it suspicious that the bandits have been trying to discourage looking up information about the Platinum Staff? You'd think they would try to make their operations as undercover as possible."

Vinyl bobbed her head and arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, but maybe they're weird like that."

"They probably are." Taking a quick breath, Octavia then made eye contact with Vinyl. "But they must have a valid reason for acting this way. They might be trying to plant curiosity into ponies' minds." She tapped her hoof against the floor, clacks echoing in the room. "Maybe they're actually honest about such warnings."

"We're making this larger than it is," said Spitfire. "I doubt they've enacted a plan that complicated." Stepping back, she fiddled with her goggles. "Regardless, once they have enough clues to determine where to go, they'll snatch the staff. But why couldn't they just do it themselves? Are they too lazy to look at some books?"

"Wind Rider did say they were a large organization, so perhaps they'll have that old mare track down and get the answers from somepony who knows." Octavia picked up the book. Closing it, a harsh thud rang in her ears, Octavia then pushing the book back where it was found. "That being said, researching the Platinum Staff may not be the best idea for two reasons."

"What do you mean, dear?" asked Rarity.

"First, it may not help us in our investigation. Just because we know where it is doesn't mean we'll be much closer to solving the mystery. Secondly, those bandits are likely curious about us."

"And what about them just checking out the library?" asked Vinyl. She shrugged, a bemused expression across her visage. "They have to know books on the staff exist."

"Maybe it's to not draw suspicion." Octavia shrugged. "If their members checked out or studied a number of books linked to the Platinum Staff, everypony will know who to question and go after if they find it. And if they're not suspects, they can do their dirty work without trouble. There's a chance it could be as simple as that."

"But we can't rule out something weirder," Spitfire added. She raised a hoof. "Most reasonable hypotheses are possible."

"They're probably more interested in secretive schemes." Crossing her forelegs, Octavia exhaled and loosened her chest. "That cave is proof enough. If they were out in the open about it, I'd imagine it wouldn't take the princesses too long to untangle the mystery."

"If a book were to know where the staff is, how come nopony has found it yet?" questioned Vinyl, arching an eyebrow. "Surely somepony must've discovered the Platinum Staff. Either that or they have some clues about where it is." Vinyl trotted back toward where the entrance was; Octavia followed close behind, lips pursed. "Tavi, maybe you're just overly anxious about this."

Octavia nodded. She couldn't have denied that her heartbeats echoed in her ears and that her cheeks became pale. Lying about her anxiety would've just wasted time, and if anypony wouldn't judge her harshly for such emotions, it was Vinyl. There was something to be said about living in the same house as her.

And maybe it was all just anxiety feeding her mind with outlandish situations.

At the same time, if this older mare among the bandits was able to send thoughts into the minds of others, it wasn't a stretch in her imagination that she'd also be able to read minds like an open book. And there must've been something missing given how Wind Rider just casually told some key evidence. If his group cared about secrecy, they would've ensured he kept quiet.

Or maybe they didn't.

A sigh left Octavia's lips. "Maybe you're right," she said. "Perhaps this is all anxiety."

She glanced at the different books she passed by, noticing a variety of documents or novels that piqued her interest. None of them were related to the case, but reading them in the near future was a possibility. Octavia cracked the slightest of smiles. Those books were likely something Moondancer was aware of. If everything fell in place, perhaps books akin to those in the library would've made intriguing topics of conversation.

While Octavia wasn't lonely or anything like that, the soft visages her friends wore alongside her bright eyes a symbol of that, the possibility of forging another friendship tickled her chest.

In a flash, Octavia's eyes widened. "Hold on a moment," she blurted out. "Maybe we're going about this the wrong way."

"What is it, dear?" asked Rarity. "Did you come up with something?"

"Moondancer might know where to go from here."

Rarity cracked a smile, nodding. "I do like that idea, but asking her about the Platinum Staff is the same as finding it in a book. It'd be a marvelous discovery for us, but if what you're saying is true, those ruffians could still get the answer they're looking for." She swished her tail. "Are you thinking of something else?"

"I am." Octavia pressed her hooves together. "Moondancer may know somepony that can give us more clues about PA or the group that Wind Rider joined. If this organization is as widespread as Wind Rider claims, maybe there are friends of former members we can contact. It may not get us anywhere, but it's worth a shot."

"But Moondancer was a recluse for over a year." Rarity arched an eyebrow. "At least that's what Twilight told me."

"For only a year, but that means she was interacting with others before and after that time period." Smirking, Octavia then made a beeline toward the library's front door. She placed a hoof on the smooth surface, chills coursing down her foreleg at the touch. "She doesn't even have to be friends with somepony she knows about. If she has a lead, it's worth investigating."

Vinyl bobbed her head and flashed a radiant grin.

"I see where you're going with this," said Spitfire. "Don't investigate what PA wants, but look into the organization itself by trying to contact as many ponies as possible. That way, we can catch those who tried to hurt you at the Twilight Ball." She ruffled her wings, donning a sheepish expression. "As interesting as the staff is, we don't have to worry about it too much right now."

"But we should remember it moving forward," said Vinyl.

"Naturally."

"Sounds like we're all in agreement," Octavia muttered. "Let's get some rest and resume investigating tomorrow." Yawning, she placed a hoof in front of her mouth. "We'll need to be fully rested up if we're going to get anywhere."

"That sounds fantastic, dear," Rarity replied, stretching her forelegs. "I do need to get some beauty sleep."

"Same," said Spitfire.

Octavia pushed the door open, holding it until Vinyl, Rarity, and Spitfire all trotted outside. "Let's meet up at the train station tomorrow at nine." She momentarily snickered, a soft breeze swirling past her. "And let's also not wake each other up by screaming at our bedrooms this time. I'd rather not roll off of my bed and risk banging my head."

"No promises that I'll control my tone." Spitfire winked. "But I'll try my best for all of you."

"Same here."

However, as Octavia stepped out of the Royal Canterlot Library and back into the lush gardens, flowery scents soothing her nostrils, her throat tightened nonetheless. Even if she and her friends did everything in their power to solve the mystery, an itch at the back of her mind filled her with uncertainty. And regardless of whether the old mare could've peeped into the minds of those who knew about the Platinum Staff, Octavia couldn't help but also think that researching its origins was a lost cause.

She just hoped that her fears were incorrect.

As Spitfire promised, no shrieks had reached Octavia's ears as she opened her eyes and rose from her bed. An elongated yawn left her mouth as she stretched her forelegs. And by a sheer coincidence, she noticed the clock to her left reading a time of around eight o'clock. It was the perfect time for meandering over to the train station, maybe checking up on how Vinyl, Rarity, and Spitfire were doing outside of the investigation. The growing mysteries and oddities surrounding her only produced headaches; some casual conversation for once was a possible antidote in her eyes.

However, something about the idea of the culprits planning on seeping information about the Platinum Staff's origins made less sense the more she thought about it. Octavia rubbed the top of her head and scrunched her muzzle. While such a plan was within the realms of possibility, the inconvenience of that hypothesis compared to just reading the books poked her nerves just thinking about it.

"Maybe I was just tired and anxious," Octavia muttered to herself. "That must be it."

And after completing the usual rituals of cleaning up, having a small breakfast, and locking the hotel room upon leaving, Octavia soon found herself back in the outside world. Given that this was Canterlot, however, early mornings still showcased roads and paths packed with ponies of all shapes and sizes.

Coffee was the dominating scent of the morning, Octavia's nostrils clearing up. The hurricane of gossip that lingered was at least softer, though Octavia's ears twitched as she heard mutterings about her situation and a few stories that originated from Ponyville. She chuckled at a few of the more lighthearted conversations.

Octavia glanced to the left, then to the right, and nodded. "The train station is to the right of here," she reminded herself. "I should be able to—"

Something gently tapped Octavia's shoulder; she shivered and hopped in the air. Turning around, she spotted Vinyl carrying a small bag, her trademark headphones, shades, and bright smile adorning her face. Vinyl merely waved and nudged a step back, snickering for a moment.

"Sorry, Tavi," said Vinyl. Flicking a switch on her headphones, she took them off her ears and placed them around her neck. "Anyway, I woke up about an hour ago." She paused for a moment, exhaling. "I toured around the city to pass the time. Nothing important or anything." She crossed her forelegs, a sheepish smile adorning her. "I just wanted some fresh air."

"That sounds lovely," Octavia replied. She motioned toward Vinyl and trotted forward, the latter following right beside her. "I was planning on making my way over to the train station. I imagined Rarity and Spitfire would get here a little earlier than scheduled." She glanced back to Vinyl and gazed into her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

Vinyl pursed her lips "A bit nervous."

Nodding, a sigh left Octavia's mouth. "I'm nervous as well. Hopefully, this investigation will be over soon. If Wind Rider was telling the truth, at least we know who to look out for." She rubbed her muzzle. "But without a lot of detail to go off of, finding PA or the old mare will be quite troublesome. They're the most vital parts of that organization, after all."

"Yeah." Vinyl playfully nudged Octavia and forced a smirk across her visage. Nevertheless, her cheeks were tautened and pale. "By the way, I got you a gift." Rummaging through the small bag, Vinyl procured a small booklet, its cover a faded brown and the words Legendary Composers printed on it in a gleaming silver. "I know ya love reading and music, I tried picking up something that brought both of 'em together." Blushing, she stretched her hoof out toward Octavia. "If I was buying some stuff, I thought it was only fair."

"Thank you, Vinyl." In a heartbeat, Octavia briefly wrapped her forelegs around Vinyl, the pair giggling together for a moment. "I'm honored to have you as a close friend." She released Vinyl from her warm embrace, her lips curling into a grin. Even if it wasn't something that pertained to her interests, any gift or action that brightened the world warmed her heart. "Can you place it in your bag for the time being, please?"

Vinyl bobbed her head and followed Octavia's instructions.

"What did you get for yourself?"

"Just the usual stuff," Vinyl replied. "Tracks for my turntable and new supplies. Ya know, stuff like that."

"Maybe we'll both be able to perform as usual once this is all wrapped up." Octavia turned to the left with Vinyl following suit. "Even though it hasn't been that long since the Twilight Ball, I deeply miss the days where I could sit down, read a book, and practice my music without worrying so much. Your company and a smooth glass of wine if I'm ever in the mood add to those moments." She paused for a moment, sulking somewhat. "I miss Ponyville as well. Having to spend another few days in such an overly posh community will—" Octavia stuck her tongue out, pretending to hack up something "—you know."

"I miss home, too. Even if the investigation doesn't end right away, maybe we can move our efforts to Ponyville for a bit."

"If anything comes up where that's an option, we should take it." Octavia squinted at the large, marble building before her, train cars sticking out in the distance. Small clouds of steam bellowed out of a metallic pipe and rose into the air. "It looks like we're almost there. Are you ready for today's investigations?"

Bobbing her head and smiling, Vinyl then adjusted her shades. "And do you think Rarity and Spitfire are waiting for us?"

"If their behavior is anything to go by, they probably are."

Vinyl feigned a chuckle. "Good point."

Given that Spitfire was waving at them in the distance, her uniform and bright orange mane instantly recognizable, Octavia returned a snicker. Rarity stood beside Spitfire as well, twirling her own mane and swishing her tail about. Galloping toward the pair, both Octavia and Vinyl reached them in a matter of seconds, their friends donning smiles upon their arrival.

However, Octavia was drawn toward Rarity's sagging eyes, the fashionista yawning and her normally combed mane somewhat messy. Perhaps she was on the receiving end of the alarm clock known as Spitfire, though her smile quickly reverted into a glum frown, Spitfire's eyes focused on Rarity.

"Good to see you, everypony," said Spitfire. She fiddled with her goggles. "Did you get some much needed rest?"

"I did," said Octavia. "Vinyl also slept well." She shifted her focus back to Rarity. "And is everything okay, Rarity? Did you have trouble sleeping last night?" Octavia knew the answer if Rarity's bloodshot eyes indicated anything. As for why she was this way, Octavia only pursed her lips thinking about it. "Did you have nightmares last night?"

"Or was somepony making loud noises outside?" Vinyl questioned.

"The first one and a bit of the second," said Rarity. She shuffled toward the other three, yawning. "Octavia, you could've been right about your theory."

"Excuse me?" Octavia blurted out, eyebrow arched. "You couldn't possibly mean—"

"Yes." Rarity nodded. Her shoulders sagged for a moment. "Your concerns about the Platinum Staff might be warranted."

"How?" With shrunken pupils, Octavia trudged toward Rarity until they were inches apart. Her heartbeats became audible. "I know I was certain back then, but that might've been me being too careful. Do you think it could've just been a typical nightmare? After all, the Platinum Staff was the last thing we investigated before going to bed."

"It's a bit odd—" Rarity swallowed a lump "—and distressing, but something about it made me think of your hypothesis."

"Can you remember what your dream was?"

Rarity tilted her head, rubbing her muzzle. "The details of that horrible nightmare are a bit fuzzy, but I do recall the Platinum Staff being involved in it somehow. For some reason, I found it within a closet and tucked in between some of the fabulous dresses I've sewn. The gemstones decorating the staff were marvelous as well, yet I also distinctly remember my heart beating faster than ever."

"And you touched it and something bad happened, right?" asked Vinyl.

Biting her lip, Rarity nodded in response. "That's exactly what happened. All I recall was this sudden surge of power. I vaguely recall a horrifying inferno."

Chills coursed through Octavia's spine. She gulped. "Was Ponyville ablaze or something?"

"Well, it was something bright. And the scent was the exact opposite of glamorous." She shuddered and her coat turned pale. "It felt so real, yet so dreamlike as well, and it was when I saw a strange figure trotting toward me that I woke up. It was one of the worst nightmares ever."

"Maybe Princess Luna might be able to help," said Spitfire. With a sigh, she then sat down on one of the nearby benches, eyes glued to Rarity, Octavia, and Vinyl. "And if it was something other than a typical nightmare, there should be something different about the dream or the seconds after you woke up."

"Other than how your dream felt, was there anything peculiar about it and the moment you woke up?" Octavia questioned.

Rarity shook her head. "Aside from a brief gust of wind, nothing caught my attention."

"That's odd." Octavia trotted closer to Rarity. "If I remember correctly, last night wasn't particularly windy." She blinked and swiveled her head toward Vinyl; the pair made eye contact with each other. "Vinyl, were there harsh winds last night or was everything rather calm regarding the weather?"

"Calm," Vinyl replied.

"Was it the same for you, Spitfire?"

Spitfire bobbed her head. "No strong winds I heard of. And if there were, I probably would've woken up from the sound."

Raising her brow, Octavia then approached toward the same bench Spitfire resided, sitting down next to her. Octavia's muscles loosened as the bench's curved frame perfectly accommodated her seating posture, a deep breath leaving her lips. However, her chest twinged at times nonetheless.

Something about Rarity's story seemed peculiar. If none of her other friends heard a gust of wind, let alone one fierce enough to disturb even the heaviest sleeper, perhaps it was the work of imagination or somepony hurriedly dashing off somewhere else. And if it was somepony attempting to flee the hotel Rarity rested at, they'd have perched themselves right on her porch in order to create such a sound.

Octavia rubbed her muzzle.

Every possible outcome she thought of just produced headaches.

There had to have been some sort of detail to explain such a phenomenon.

"It just doesn't add up," muttered Octavia. Sulking, a sigh left her lips. "Maybe it was just a coincidence." She stood up and swished her tail about; Octavia then stretched her hooves and trotted forward. "Let's not dwell about it too much, especially with no leads of the sort. We should still meet up with Moondancer as planned."

"Maybe somepony was perched on the porch," said Vinyl. "They could've escaped when Rarity woke up. Athletic pegasi can carry ponies into the air, so maybe they worked with PA or the old mare to torment Rarity with a nightmare. It'd be risky and stupid, but possible."

"Perhaps, but are you sure they could've gotten away with that?"

"Almost anything can happen at night. Trust me, Tavi, my work as a DJ comes with plenty of strange sights once the sun sets and the moon rises." Blushing, she rubbed the back of her neck and snickered. "It's pretty much drinking a little too much or doing things that most ponies would consider childish. You probably wouldn't believe half of the stuff I've seen."

Octavia gently nodded, lips pursed. While she had only attended some of Vinyl's performances as her friend, even those brought glowing neon lights, frantic cheering, and the occasional whiff of alcohol with them. The latter tickled Octavia's nostrils at the thought; she almost yearned she could've sneezed them away. None of those compared to the performances after Vinyl, however, both Octavia and her friend rolling their eyes at what some considered music.

Those were supposedly the calmer events.

"If you insist," said Octavia. She brought her focus toward Rarity. "Do you think we could investigate your apartment? If some of the group's members were stirring up trouble there, they may have left behind some evidence by accident. Strands of hair or dropped items might prove useful for the investigation."

Less than a second later, Rarity bobbed her head. "That would be marvelous, dear."

"And we'll visit Moondancer afterwards."

Octavia's friends nodded in unison.

"Let's get—"

"Hold on a second," said Spitfire, extending her foreleg toward Octavia. "I think we're being watched."

Octavia donned a bemused expression. "Watched?"

Nodding, Spitfire pointed to her right; a peach-colored unicorn with sagging eyelids and a faded, gray mane jotted words down on a notepad, occasionally glancing to where the four ponies were. At first, she seemed like any other pony, minding her own business as she worked on something and checked the sights around her, eyes widened as though she had expected somepony. However, every time she turned away from her notepad, she gazed blankly at the group, lips pursed.

In most situations, this would've been nothing noteworthy.

Octavia wasn't bogged down in anything ordinary.

This was an investigation, after all. The mare's wrinkled visage coupled with her checking up on the same sight prodded Octavia's nerves. Perhaps this was the old mare Wind Rider mentioned, this time being right in the open for reasons unbeknownst to anypony but her and perhaps a few others.

Octavia rubbed the top of her head.

"I'd hate to bother her, but maybe we should ask if she knows anything," whispered Octavia. "It's worth a shot. If she tries running away or acting suspiciously, we might have a major discovery on our hooves."

Vinyl, Rarity, and Spitfire all nodded in response.

With light steps, Octavia and company approached the enigmatic mare. A palpable aura lingered in the air. Octavia's chest tightened the closer she was to the old mare, her mind wondering what would become of the group should this figure be the pony they're looking for and a constant troublemaker. But with other ponies out and about, all of them just trotting, shopping, or just gawking at Canterlot's architecture, the odds of her doing anything nefarious were slim.

Such comforts still weren't enough to loosen the tension within Octavia's chest.

She exhaled, forelegs squirming a little.

"Excuse me," said Octavia. The old mare raised her head and arched an eyebrow. "But do you mind if I ask you a few quick questions?"

The mare shielded her notepad with her hooves. Slowly turning to face Octavia, her pupils shrunk. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice raspy. "I'm not in the mood for questionnaires or surveys, so it better be quick."

"I just wanted to ask you two questions." Octavia stepped back. As a chill coursed through her spine, she shivered and took a quick breath. "Anyway, what have you been writing during this time? You've been scribbling all sorts of words or phrases ever since I got here, and that notepad your covering does suggest it means a lot to you." She then feigned a snicker. "I'm not going to take it."

"It's for—" the old mare scrunched her muzzle "—it's for a novel."

"A novel?" Cracking a smile, Octavia gently nodded. "I love reading the classics. What kind of novel are you working on?"

"It's a—a romance." The mare bobbed her head, lips pursed momentarily. A minuscule glow shone in her eyes. "That's what it is. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I do like the romantic novels." Octavia twiddled her mane and smiled. It wasn't recalling the myriad of romantic tales she perused through during breaks and free time, but rather something about the mare opening up like a book. Such blatant cues couldn't have been coincidences, especially how much the mare has tried hiding the notepad. "Sometimes, they warm my heart. Others make me weep for the characters, especially the tragedies. Many of the greatest works in fiction have been romantic in nature."

"I know." The mare ruffled her brow and groaned.

Octavia arched an eyebrow, her focus glued to the covered notepad. "By the way, would you mind if I took a quick look at it? Don't worry, I'm good at keeping secrets."

"Tell me your name."

Octavia shuffled her hooves back an inch. She leaned away from the old mare. "Why?"

"I need to make sure I can trust you." The mare furrowed her brow.

"Trust me? I already gave my word."

"The name is more important."

Octavia's cheeks tautened. There was no denying it; sitting before her was the same old mare Wind Rider had mentioned in his confession. And if those cursory glances toward her and her friends were anything to go by, the contents of the mare's notepad must've pertained to them in some manner. Whether they'd reveal useful information was a mystery, however.

A sigh left Octavia's cheeks. "Tell me the truth," she said. "You're not working on a romance novel, are you?"

The old mare clenched her teeth. Sweat dripped down her wrinkly forehead as no words left her lips.

"You've heard of PA, right?"

Nothing.

"I'll take that as a yes." Octavia sighed. "You're going to make this difficult, aren't you?"

Scanning the environment around her for a moment, she noticed a few ponies all gazing directly at her, their visages blank. While most of the crowd went on their merry way, those few who focused on her as if they'd suck the magic out of her turned her pale. The tautened expressions Rarity and Spitfire wore told a similar story; Vinyl's horn emitted a bright blue light, though she bit her lip.

As Octavia turned to where the old mare was, she leaped into the air as emptiness took her place. She gulped, rubbing her eyes. Perhaps it was just an illusion conjured by somepony. She'd heard about plenty of illusion spells in the past. Magicians like Trixie utilized such spells to great effect as she recalled, though Trixie hadn't caused a ruckus in ages. But there was one problem with that hypothesis.

It felt too real.

Octavia wiped her forehead. "Was I hallucinating?" she asked.

"You weren't," said Vinyl. She approached Octavia and gently placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I saw it all unfold."

"And those strange ponies staring at me were real as well?"

"I saw them, dear," Rarity replied. "They were definitely real, not to mention ghastly. I've never seen expressions so mellow in such a long time; I thought I'd pass out."

"And it looks like our suspect dropped something," murmured Spitfire. The Wonderbolt trotted toward a notepad resting atop the cobblestone road. Squinting at it for a second, she checked her surroundings before swiping it and rushing back over to Octavia. "I think it was the same one she was trying to hide, though it could be something else." She paused for a moment. "Either way, she must've dropped it after disappearing. It might be our lucky day."

"Let's hope," said Octavia. She stared into Spitfire's eyes, then shifted her attention to the notepad. "What does the latest entry say?"

Spitfire flipped through the various pages that made up the notepad, eventually stopping three-quarters of the way through. "We'll read through all of them, but here's the latest entry." She paused for a moment and fiddled with her goggles. "You might want to check this out. It's serious."

"Serious?" Vinyl blurted out. She peeked at the page's contents, Octavia and Rarity following suit. "How bad are we talking?"

"Terrible. Read it for yourself."

Octavia nodded as she studied the page.

PA,

I'm still in Canterlot at the moment, but I must inform you that not only has our attempt at knocking out Octavia failed, but Wind Rider was captured as well. However, even if he confesses, we know he'll keep the details as vague as possible. And he'll undoubtedly mention the Platinum Staff, too. Such a setback can be easily corrected, however, especially since we're far from done.

As you know, our efforts at discovering where the Platinum Staff is haven't gotten anywhere. Even after checking every library we could get our hooves on, nothing has come up yet. There are simply too many ancient temples to excavate. And despite encouraging ponies to discover the staff for us, just to make our job easier, we haven't heard a peep about it. But I know the Platinum Staff is out there. It cannot be mere myth, so don't worry.

With this in mind, I've devised three new targets for us to focus on. The first two shouldn't be too difficult to track down, though the third will be a pain. However, I think we can get the third if we employ some help. I've heard stories and rumors, some outlandish, and it might be in our best interest to check the validity of that rumor.

I've listed the names of the three ponies to message down below.

1. Cloudchaser

2. Cheerilee

3. A.K. Yearling

I'll update more on the situation when I can. Our dreams are within reach.

Velvet

Octavia rubbed her eyes, cheeks pale. "At least we have a suspect," she said. "But I don't like the sound of the last part at all."

"Cloudchaser is one of my cadets," Spitfire added. "She's not the fastest or the strongest, but she's an incredible pony. She's a friend as far as I'm concerned. I see a bit of myself in her, which might be why it's unsurprising as to why Velvet and PA are interested in going after her. We should hurry to Ponyville as soon as possible and warn her."

"We can warn Cheerilee about what's to come as well. She lives there, too."

Spitfire bobbed her head. She donned a stern expression, eyebrows sagging. "Let's not waste any time, but we'll need to investigate Rarity's apartment before the evidence disappears." A quick breath left her mouth. "If we hurry, there's a possibility we could warn everypony before it's too late. We'll also send our questions to Moondancer once things calm down." She ruffled her wings. "Let's move."

In a flash, the four ponies grouped up together and stormed toward where Rarity's apartment was. Octavia knew sending their questions to Moondancer via letters were a possibility. She'd understand given the severity of the situation. The limited communication was unfortunate, but something she could've worked around without too much trouble.

What tensed Octavia's muscles most of all was the danger looming over Cloudchaser, Cheerilee, and A.K. Yearling.

Much to her dismay, the mystery had metamorphosed into something much more than just an isolated incident.