Symphony of Peril

One troublesome event was awful enough for Octavia, but a whole series of them grouped together into one melting pot was a nightmare brought to life as far as she was concerned.

Every second felt like a minute. Sweat poured down Octavia's forehead as she huffed and puffed, tongue sticking out. If Canterlot's roads weren't packed with ponies, she'd have dashed toward the hotel and just crashed on one of their couches. Anything to heal the tightness throughout her body was welcome.

Standing to her left was none other than the building where Rarity's room was. Large, red letters adorning the hotel read Divine Rooms, a hotel Octavia vaguely recalled as being the home to some of the more snobbish ponies. Of course, such stereotypes didn't describe all of the hotel's patrons; some were likely friendly and easy to get along with. Others, however, wore slight scowls and often stuck their noses up.

It was the perfect place for flaunting wealth.

Growls erupted from Octavia's stomach for a moment, her cheeks turning green.

The somewhat dim lights weren't helping matters.

Octavia glanced over to where Rarity, Vinyl, and Spitfire were. All three of them wore stern expressions and ruffled brows. Her heart thrashed about. Maybe finding a scrap of evidence would've proven almost impossible, if such evidence even existed. Turning toward the hotel's front door, Octavia exhaled and pressed her hoof against the door's smooth frame.

A slight creak pierced the air.

There was no turning back now.

Standing before Octavia was a taller mare, her light blue coat and orange mane commanding attention. The faint smile she wore across her face was innocent enough, though the gaudy dress that adorned her exuded a fashionable aura. Octavia stepped back, making eye contact with the mare.

There was a small speck of light in the mare's eyes. Octavia couldn't help but wonder if she'd met her before; curiosity prodded her hooves.

"Excuse me," said Octavia. She cleared her throat. "Have we met before? And I'm awfully sorry, but we're in a bit of a hurry. My friend needs to check her room with us. I know that my friend would be best to talk to than somepony who'd never stepped inside the hotel before, but—"

The mare gently poked Octavia's lips with her hoof. "I'm not with the hotel," she replied. "And it's fine. There's a meeting I'm required to attend, so I just stayed here for the night." Rubbing her muzzle, the mare stepped back and gazed behind Octavia's shoulders. Not a second later, her eyes sparkled as a gasp left her mouth. "Rarity, is that you?"

Rarity trotted forward, making eye contact with the mare, and cracked a bright smile. "Yes it is, dear." She then shifted her attention to Octavia. "This is Sassy Saddles. I once worked with her on a few extravagant dresses for the then new Canterlot Boutique." She rubbed her neck, blushing. "It was a bit of a roller coaster, but I think we all learned something marvelous from it."

"It's a long story." Sassy stepped out of the way and stretched her forelegs to her right. "But what brings you and your friends here?"

"We're investigating a possible intrusion into Rarity's room," said Vinyl. She cocked her head. "Well, it was only her balcony that was messed with."

Sassy's eyes widened, lips pursed for a moment. "That sounds awfully serious. Was anypony hurt?"

Shaking her head, Rarity then trudged inside. "Not really, though the culprit plagued me with the most horrific of nightmares. We've already collected some evidence, but they're after my friends and a few other ponies as well." She twiddled her mane as Octavia and company joined her inside the hotel's lobby. "By the way, are you familiar with PA?"

"Princess Amore?"

Rarity shuddered; she then arched an eyebrow. "Sassy, do you know something that we don't?"

"Sort of, though I don't know if you'll believe me." Sighing, she meandered toward one of the sofas and plopped onto the velvet cushions. Reclining on it like a bed, she raised her head and stared at the group with a blank visage. "You're in deep trouble if you're messing with this group."

"So you know about them," said Spitfire as a matter of fact. She made a beeline toward Sassy, her eyes unblinking. "We've heard about their activities from an ally of theirs. Now that we know that some of his story was true, I'd like to ask if you have more information about this group. Are you a member or a former member? Is a friend of yours a member?"

"The second one. Suri Polomare once told me she'd joined some strange group, though she never saw it as weird." Sassy raised an eyebrow. Lighting her horn, she brought a glass toward her and squinted at it, licking her lips. "I think I recall it during a dinner one day. I think it was after she lost a competition in Manehattan. She was on her own and needed the money, so some strange figure approached her."

"Was her name Velvet?" asked Vinyl.

With sealed lips, Sassy nodded.

"How come you never told anypony about this before?" questioned Octavia. "If it was as unusual as you're implying, it was worth informing the Royal Guard about it." She approached Sassy and maintained eye contact; Octavia then sat on an adjacent chair, shimmying around a bit until she felt comfortable. "Was there a threat if you broke silence?"

"There wasn't."

Vinyl adjusted her shades. "Then why keep quiet?"

"Because from what Suri told me, it wasn't anything serious."

Sassy glanced up as a waiter passed by, filling the empty glass and those nearby with red wine, the other glasses all pushed toward Octavia and company. The scent was rather strong, Octavia's nostrils picking up the fruity aroma; it was one she associated with a recent trip to Griffonstone, though why the hotel had that wine puzzled her momentarily. It wasn't as though Griffonstone's wine was commonly exported due to the complications of bringing it over; its rarity was one of its selling points, after all.

Maybe it was one of those occasional specials the hotel was offering.

Sassy took a sip from her glass, then sighed. "She said it was just to get some extra money after Coco left her," she continued. "When I asked for the details, she just blathered on about how it'd be the chance she had at glory once again, so I only assumed she was referring to dresses."

"That's an understandable assumption, darling," said Rarity. She brought one of the glasses toward her, gently shaking it as the wine swirled like a whirlpool. "But if you're telling this to us now, does that mean Suri quit or already discussed it with other ponies? I don't see why you'd share it so readily if Suri wanted it secretive."

"It was the first one. Suri quit over something she referred to as 'morally wrong,' but she only cringed whenever I asked what they wanted her to do. I only assumed it involved dressmaking, to be honest." As she pressed her hooves together, Sassy clenched her teeth. A quick breath left her mouth. "Look, if I was in your position, I'd just let bygones be bygones and try to avoid them, though I'd imagine Princess Twilight could deal with them if things became troublesome."

"She can't do everything on her own, dear." Rarity feigned a chuckle. "Anyway, it must've been quite horrific for Suri to find it morally reprehensible. I'm guessing they'll go after her if she shares it with the princesses, the Royal Guard, or the Wonderbolts." Rarity placed the glass back down, a soft clack reaching Octavia's ears. She pursed her lips, cheeks tautened. "This is much more troubling than expected."

"If they were willing to hurt Suri if she reported them, I'd imagine their numbers must be larger than we think," said Octavia. "Of course, if that journal entry we found from Velvet is anything to go by, they must have a large network of bandits and spies working for them." Her chest tightened. Octavia glanced around the open room, though nothing stood out. She exhaled. "If the journal is anything to go by, I'd imagine their current goal is to knock out targets so that PA or Velvet can transfer their messages. Maybe they're looking for Cloudchaser right now."

"That's probably what they're doing," Spitfire replied. She fiddled with her goggles and then approached Octavia. "However, that doesn't change the fact that they're probably interested in us right now. We've interrogated one of their members and you've eluded their trap, so maybe they're focused on us at the moment."

"Did you just say they're targeting ponies and knocking them out?" asked Sassy. With shrunken pupils, she nudged away from the group, mouth agape. "That must've been what Suri meant when she referred to immoral actions! I'd have never imagined that such a strange organization could've ever existed!" She swiveled her head toward Octavia and donned a stern expression. "You must be careful up there. I don't know what they're planning, but whatever it is, I bet it's serious."

"It's to do with the Platinum Staff," said Vinyl. "Something about having a lot of power or money, maybe both."

"Either way, they mean business. Promise me you'll try staying safe."

"We can't make any promises about that," Spitfire responded. She sighed, head hung low for a second. "However, if we're careful and take this one step at a time, we might be able to get out of this mess in one piece." Spitfire gnashed her teeth. "Because they're this dangerous, we might have to get dirty at times, but I think we can handle it."

Octavia nodded, as did Rarity and Vinyl. While fighting wasn't something she was fond of or anything fitting a light mare like herself, Octavia accepted the fact that physical confrontations were probably in her future. The idea turned her coat pale and sent shivers through her spine, but such was one of the moments where bravery was essential. Octavia took a deep breath and stood upright.

"We'll go check the room now," muttered Octavia. She adjusted the pink bow adorning her. "Sassy, thanks for sharing some of what you know. Please let us know if anything else comes up. The more witnesses and information we have, the sooner all of this can be resolved."

"You're welcome," Sassy replied. "Anything else?"

"Do you know Suri Polomare's whereabouts? If she was a former member of this group, there's a high likelihood she may be willing to step forward and share some of their secrets." Octavia rubbed the top of her head. "Of course, she might be too nervous to share a single fact, but if we can get her somewhere away from prying eyes, it's worth a shot."

"Suri is over in Appleoosa at the moment." Sassy shrugged. "She never told me why she went there, but if I was a betting mare, I'd wager it has to do with her failure in that fashion contest and how getting caught for plagiarism practically ruined her career. She still makes dresses, but they're nothing amazing."

Octavia bobbed her head. "We'll be sure to check Appleoosa when we can." She brought her focus to Rarity, Spitfire, and Vinyl, the three of them standing straight and wearing blank visages. "We're ready to check out the room, right? Is there anything we should do before investigating?"

"We're good," Vinyl answered, nodding. "Just nervous."

"Let's be careful."

The four ponies grouped together and trotted up the staircase, Rarity taking the lead as she brought the keys to her room along for the ride. The carpet beneath Octavia tickled her hooves, though each step was heavier than the last. It was almost like climbing a mountain as far as she was concerned, the air becoming thinner. Her heart raced as she pondered if anything or anypony was waiting at Rarity's hotel room. Even not having normal access didn't prevent them from possibly being able to wreak havoc, as Velvet or PA must've done. However, if Velvet had fled to Ponyville in search of Cloudchaser, Octavia figured the room was safe.

Her chest tightened nonetheless.

The group was already at the third floor, Rarity still ascending the staircase as everypony else followed close behind.

Seconds passed.

Spitfire bit her lip.

Vinyl twisted her head about.

Rarity made a sharp left upon reaching the sixth floor. Taking a deep breath, she gazed at a door with 602 emblazoned on it in a gleaming bronze. Fiddling with the set of keys, Rarity shivered as she placed it into the lock and twisted it. Yet despite the door being unlocked, she merely remained static, though sweat dripped down her mane.

A soft clicking sound reached Octavia's ears. Her heartbeats were audible as she watched her friend quivering.

Anything could've been inside, though nothing could've been expecting their arrival as well.

Rarity pushed the door open, everypony else following her inside.

Awaiting them was something Octavia hadn't expected.

Nothing was inside.

The room itself was nice; a lavish interior with a cozy fireplace and plenty of couches and chairs for sitting on welcomed Octavia and her friends. The slightest hint of ash still lingered in the air, Octavia's nostrils twitching at the scent. The oak tables were polished to the point that they outshone mirrors, though the showy decorations adorning its legs earned cringes from Octavia. At least the paintings clinging onto the wall and some of the cabinets were modest, though the rest was extravagant enough to the point of being an eyesore. Even the closed doors throughout the room exuded opulence.

And as Octavia continued scanning the room, she couldn't help but notice no hiding spots anywhere. The few statues littered about were too small for crouching behind. Only a spider would've had luck in blending in, and even that would've been trouble for the arachnid.

Vinyl swished her tail about, lips pursed. "A bit much for nothing, don't you think?" she asked. "All I see are a bunch of fancy things."

With a slight scowl, Spitfire stretched a foreleg toward Vinyl and shook her head. "We're not done yet," she whispered. "For all we know, somepony could still be waiting inside. If we find something quickly, we might be able to wrap it up before anypony will even know that we were here."

Octavia nodded. "Check the balcony first, right?"

Bobbing her head in return, Spitfire donned a slight smirk. "You've got it."

The four all made a beeline toward the nearby balcony in a flash. Rarity slowly pushed the sliding door, a soft ruffling sound filling the air as they stepped onto the balcony. The floor was a warm, soft slab of stone, though no specks of dirt covered it at first glance. There wasn't much in the way of items or furniture either; only a circular table and a trio of chairs surrounding it rested atop the floor. A vase with a flower inside adorned the table's face.

It was one of the few humble parts of the apartment, Octavia cracking the slightest of smirks at the sight. Yet as she surveyed every inch of the balcony, nothing out of the ordinary jumped out at her. There were a few puddles here and there, possibly residue from one of the higher floors, but she figured that wasn't a clue of sorts.

Minutes passed by as she and her friends all squinted at the different parts of the area.

Nothing came up.

A sigh left Octavia's lips. Her shoulders sagged. "If somepony was atop this balcony, they must've made sure to leave no evidence behind," she said. Octavia then glanced over to her friends; Rarity stood out in that she rubbed her muzzle and hummed, gently swishing her tail about. Raising an eyebrow, Octavia trotted up to her. "Did you find something?"

"Maybe I have, dear," muttered Rarity. She stepped back and gazed at the small puddle. "I'm sorry for not pointing this out sooner, but I think this water wasn't here before. The service at this hotel is impeccable, and if they cleaned up while I was out with you, they'd have made certain that nothing so blatant remained."

"One of the newbies could've been on the job," said Vinyl.

Spitfire shook her head. "I've been to hotels like these with my team before. If there's one thing about their service you can take away, it's that they don't let anypony clean the hotels and that they ensure even the tiniest speck is spotless. If I had to guess, this might be the work of Velvet or one of her cohorts."

"That's possible," Rarity replied. "We should keep this in mind. It might lead us to more information about those ruffians." She twiddled her mane. "Still, it's a shame that no hairs or anything like that were left behind. That would've simplified everything."

"The job is never simple." Spitfire rubbed the back of her neck. "Trust me."

Nodding, Octavia briefly glanced behind her shoulder. There was a slight chance something from inside Rarity's apartment held a clue to those after her, though the tightness in her throat suggested otherwise. Time wasn't on her side with Velvet targeting Cloudchaser next, each minute moving as quickly as a second. With a deep breath, Octavia nudged forward and bit her lip. As before, it was just a lush room with plenty of luxuries.

Octavia noticed one of the doors slightly opened; her heart skipped a beat.

"Somepony is here," whispered Octavia. Her legs wiggled as she pressed forward and her breathing quickened. Glancing over to Rarity, her cheeks tautened. "Rarity, do the ponies who clean these rooms enter without asking first? Is there protocol when it comes to cleaning rooms like this?"

Rarity's pupils shrunk as she nodded. "They usually ask first or put a notice on the door before cleaning the rooms." As she swiveled her head around, a gasp left her mouth upon gazing at the squished curtains to her right. She nudged closer to the purple fabric and bit her lip. "The curtains were moved recently, too. I always make sure they're in exquisite condition, but they're now a horrible mess."

"Then somepony entered uninvited."

"Oh, great," muttered Vinyl, groaning. A bright aura enveloped her horn. "If this pony tries fighting back, I'll stop them."

"Please don't destroy any of the furniture," said Rarity. She grabbed onto Vinyl's foreleg in a flash, the aura surrounding the latter's horn vanishing. "The owners of this hotel aren't going to let me hear the end of it if those statues are blasted into rubble. Do you know how expensive they are?"

"Very?"

With her mouth closed, Rarity quickly nodded, sweat dripping down her brow.

"We should be careful regardless of the furniture," said Spitfire as a matter of fact. Flapping her wings and hovering an inch above the floor, she placed her hooves on her flanks. "The suspect might try knocking things over if they try escaping, so being mindful of our surroundings will be the key."

"Understood," said Octavia.

With another deep breath, chest expanding and contracting, Octavia shuffled toward the opened door. Upon arriving, she poked her head through the gap.

Twinges covered much of her body.

She blinked. The bathroom that made up the room was decorated with the usual essentials and toiletries, though behind one of the curtains were a pair of silhouettes. One of them was clearly a unicorn while the other was a pegasus with her wings unfurled. Their lips moved as if they were whispering something, though not a sound escaped them.

Octavia winced, nearly gasping.

They must've been hiding the moment she and her friends arrived.

Chills coursed through Octavia's spine.

Why they'd spend time in Rarity's apartment instead of somewhere else, however, prodded her nerves. It wasn't as though they'd be any closer to finding out where the Platinum Staff was if they rifled through Rarity's belongings. Perhaps they were merely petty thieves, but most who had the ability to break locks would've gone for something more special.

Without warning, the unicorn turned his head; the mare next to him followed suit.

Octavia dove back into the living room, her eyes locked onto the two ponies emerging from the bathroom. The gray unicorn lifted his hoof up, thrusting it toward Octavia, though he missed by a few inches.

As for the grape-colored pegasus, she grabbed onto Rarity and pulled her mane. The latter clenched her teeth and cringed as she flailed about.

Octavia glanced around the room, hoping to find something she'd be able to defend herself with. But as she spotted one of the statues, the stallion from before stepped in front of her and exhaled. His jaw cracked as he shifted it from left to right and his bulging muscles froze Octavia's blood; even a sword would've proved ineffective against the unicorn's rock-like build.

Octavia gnashed her teeth.

If she was escaping this mess, she needed a plan. Physical activities never connected with her; she needed something else.

A quick breath left her nostrils. Her chest twinged a little upon spotting a faint glow surrounding the unicorn's horn.

In a flash, Spitfire wrapped her forelegs around the unicorn, the green aura surrounding the latter's horn vanishing in an instant. The stallion furrowed his brow and glanced at Spitfire.

"Get him, Octavia!" Spitfire shouted at the top of her lungs, grunting as she tightened her grip on the enemy. "I don't care how strong you are! Just—just—hit him as hard as you can!"

Nodding, Octavia threw a quick jab at the stallion's stomach. She cringed; it was like crashing into a boulder, aches coursing throughout her hoof. As she made eye contact with the unicorn, Octavia stepped back and punched him across the cheek, a snapping sound reaching her ears.

Hardly any signs of damage decorated the unicorn's face.

Octavia shook her hoof, cringing.

However, as Octavia prepared for a third hit, the foe broke free from Spitfire's grasp. He lifted his foreleg once again and wrapped it around Octavia's neck. Air was forced out of her throat, Octavia choking and gasping as she flailed around. The world became a slight blur seconds later. Her coat turned pale.

"H-help me," she murmured.

Barely moving, Octavia's limbs then became limp seconds later. She blinked, struggling to remain conscious.

The tightness crushing her throat dissipated without warning. Deep groans from the unicorn's mouth rushed into Octavia's ears. If her still hazy eyesight was telling the truth, Spitfire was making quick work of the bandit, the blue, yellow, and orange streak consistently striking the enemy each second.

The unicorn released Octavia and fell to the ground.

A sickening thud echoed in the air.

Spitfire landed before Octavia and gazed into her eyes, the former's brow furrowed and muzzle scrunched up. "Are you okay?" she asked. Kneeling down, she gently placed a hoof on Octavia's muzzle. "Do you need help?"

Octavia slowly nodded. "I'm fine," she said, shifting her focus to the turquoise mare wrestling with Rarity and Vinyl. All three of them were wrapped in a ball, rolling back and forth as they occasionally bumped into marble statues. "Thank you for saving my life." Octavia placed a hoof to her chest, exhaling. "Shall we—"

Before Octavia finished, the pegasus shoved Rarity and Vinyl aside and charged forward.

A hoof struck Octavia's cheek; she crashed into the floor with a harsh clunk, grunting.

"Octavia!" Rarity shrieked at the top of her lungs.

In a heartbeat, Octavia pushed herself upright, her eyes locked onto the bandit. Why her foe was so focused on her as opposed to anypony else earned a raised eyebrow from Octavia. And as the pegasus dove toward her once more, Spitfire slammed her hoof into the mare's back.

Octavia clenched her teeth. She smacked the bandit across the cheek. And just to top it all off, Vinyl grabbed onto the mare's forelegs while Rarity delivered a swift kick, her leg a white blur. A crunching sound rang in Octavia's ears; the sound prodded her nerves and turned her cheeks a pale green.

The bandit then collapsed onto the ground at last.

Nopony uttered a peep.

Spitfire panted as she surveyed the two intruders. As for Vinyl and Rarity, they pressed their hooves atop the motionless enemies. If the groans escaping their mouths were anything to go by, they were still alive. Octavia stepped away, muscles constricted. Among the rubble of marble and stone were a few trinkets that must've belonged to the criminals. Most were chipped, fake gems or some basic supplies anypony could've procured, but a pair of cards caught the corner of her eye.

"Is everypony okay?" asked Octavia.

Her friends all nodded in unison.

Octavia trudged toward one of the tipped over statues as the tension vanished from her chest. Kneeling down, she picked up both of the cards, her eyes darting about as she studied the words printed on them. They were a bit hazy, though the text and pictures were just clear enough to make out.

Identification: Stonewall

Unicorn

Platinum Project

Identification: Purple Mist

Pegasus

Platinum Project

"At least we know who they are," said Octavia. She trudged toward the others. Splitting aches covered her forehead seconds later. She rubbed the afflicted area, eyes closed for a moment. "And we know the name of the organization Velvet and her fellow bandits are a part of. That should make it easier when it comes to finding clues."

"Yeah, we can ask if anypony knows something about them," Spitfire added. Huffing and puffing, she sat down on the floor and ruffled her wings. Sweat trickled down her mane. "We'll have to be polite about it, as being too confrontational about the group will likely mean that ponies will be hesitant to share details."

"That does make sense, dear," said Rarity. "However, how are we going to find anypony who knows about the group? As stellar as touring Canterlot is, even I'd grow weary of spotting the same sights while making no progress." She glanced over to Vinyl. "Do you have any ideas of where to start?"

"Maybe we should meet up with the three ponies Velvet is after," said Vinyl. She pursed her lips momentarily and took a quick breath. "Perhaps one or more of them know a thing or two about what they do." Shrugging, Vinyl then adjusted her shades and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "They are being secretive."

"They are," said Octavia. "And—" She cut herself off, the headaches intensifying as the world became a blur. The floor was at an angle for some reason as opposed to the flat surface Octavia recalled, gravity urging her to topple over and crash into the carpet. Closing her eyes, Octavia slowly leaned to the right, a sigh leaving her lips.

She closed her eyes.

"Tavi!"

Moments later, Rarity's room was shrouded in darkness. No words or cries reached Octavia, the floating sensation slowly dragging her toward unconsciousness. Her limbs and chest relaxed all at once. Something about her mentioning a train station reached her ears, though the words were somewhat muffled. A moan left her lips as she struggled opening her eyes.

Silence then lingered around her.

The world had a habit of not connecting with reality.

And even as Octavia drifted in and out of consciousness, she struggled in rationalizing what appeared before her.

She pondered whether she truly had meandered about the Royal Canterlot Library once again. Unlike the visit with her friends, something about the library was surreal, almost as if she was floating in some sort of void. And all of the books seemingly pointed her toward the Platinum Staff, something she knew wasn't true.

Barely opening her eyes, images of the train station then flashed before Octavia.

She could've sworn she was standing with her friends, Vinyl propping her up and noting how she wasn't hurt. It was as if she floated above the gray floor. While her lack of injuries had some truth to it, the aches coursing throughout Octavia's head were sharp enough to where she couldn't merely ignore them. Such twangs were likely temporary, Octavia knowing that headaches weren't permanent and more of a nuisance, though the context behind it churned her stomach.

Brief glimpses of entering a train reached her mind.

And then, a blanket of darkness surrounded her.

Octavia returned to unconsciousness seconds later.

"You almost had the right idea. I can't believe you'd turn down a chance at finding out where something so special might be hiding. Yet while I do appreciate the fact that you didn't delve deeper into the subject of the Platinum Staff, I must remind you that you mustn't look any more into it. I don't care who you are or what your goals are, but stay away."

Those words were glued to Octavia's mind as she slowly opened her eyes, groans escaping her mouth. Blinking, all she noticed was a canvas covered in a green watercolor. The sounds of something rolling across metal and chugging away reached her ears, starting out as muffled and then growing louder and clearer. Everything around her cleared up as well, the green revealing itself as a roof. At least the stylized pattern adorning it was pleasant, though Octavia could've sworn she saw it before.

"W-where am I?" Octavia murmured. She pushed herself upright and rubbed her eyes, head still twinging a little. She gazed at the window beside her, the lush landscape a slight blur. "All I remember is there being a fight in Rarity's apartment, but after that—" she briefly pursed her lips "—after that, I can't remember a thing."

"Good to see you're awake, Tavi," said Vinyl. "You've been unconscious for what must've been an hour."

Shuddering, Octavia swiveled her head toward Vinyl. The pair made eye contact. "I was unconscious?"

"You passed out after the fight with those bandits." Vinyl reached into the bag sitting on her lap, procuring a small cracker. "Don't worry, Spitfire, the Wonderbolts, and the Royal Guard took care of them. They're sitting in some sort of guarded room right now. Shining Armor is supposed to interrogate them later."

"But is everypony okay?"

Vinyl nodded. "Yes. Nopony else was hurt."

"That's a relief." Octavia rolled her shoulders. As she thought about it, perhaps informing Vinyl about the words plaguing her mind while she was out cold was necessary. Other than the cryptic message about avoiding the Platinum Staff, however, much of it was shrouded in a thick fog. She could've sworn she saw herself perusing through the library once again, but other than that, nothing. A sigh left her lips. "I had that dream."

"What dream?"

"The one about being told to avoid the Platinum Staff."

Vinyl nodded, cheeks tautened. "Do you think Velvet could be on this train?"

"Train?" Octavia rubbed her head. Seconds later, she blushed upon noticing the view outside once again. "Right, I'm on a train." She clenched her teeth for a second. "So I assume we're heading toward Ponyville, right?"

With a closed mouth, Vinyl bobbed her head.

"And where are Rarity and Spitfire?" Octavia glanced over to the left, then to the right. "I don't see them anywhere. Are they looking for Velvet?"

"Another good guess." Crossing her forelegs, Vinyl cracked the slightest of smirks, eyes twinkling underneath her shades. "I would've joined them, but since you were still unconscious, I thought it was more important to make sure you were okay and undisturbed. Besides, it's not like we need a whole army to find Velvet."

Octavia gently tapped Vinyl's shoulder. She donned a soft smile of her own. "I do appreciate the compassion, Vinyl."

"That's what friends are for."

In a heartbeat, Octavia wrapped her forelegs around Vinyl, her friend responding in kind. They released each other from their warm embrace seconds later. There was something about Vinyl looking after her that warmed Octavia's heart. From the moment they first forged their friendship, Vinyl always encouraged her and helped her along the way. Even if she wasn't as fond of classical music as her, the fact that she'd do anything to help tickled Octavia at the thought.

Octavia's smile widened.

It was the medicine she needed.

Shortly after, Rarity and Spitfire returned and sat down at the seats across from the two. Both wore warm visages upon making eye contact with Octavia; Rarity commanded most of the attention with her joyful squealing and twinkling eyes, however, though Spitfire donned a wide grin Octavia found cute.

"Glad to see you're okay," said Spitfire. She crossed her hind legs and fiddled with her goggles. "I'll admit, I was worried while you were still out cold." She froze in place, lips pursed. "By the way, did you hear those strange messages about the Platinum Staff while you were unconscious? Rarity and I couldn't find a trace of Velvet, so I just wanted to make sure."

Octavia quickly nodded. "I did. It was—surreal."

Spitfire leaned closer to Octavia. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Other than the cryptic warning, I recall myself looking through the Royal Canterlot Library again." She rubbed her muzzle. "It's odd, especially since I'm positive that there are no books about the staff's location there. If such a book existed, somepony would've found the staff by now."

"Maybe it's just a general request to continue searching," said Rarity. "But they're determined to push you or Spitfire toward finding out the Platinum Staff's location." Twiddling her mane, she then shrugged. "While we'll likely be forced into finding out more about the Platinum Staff at some point, our goal right now should be to catch the criminals and prevent those cruel ruffians from getting that staff."

"Naturally." Octavia blinked, then raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "By the way, I have a question."

"Fire away," Spitfire replied.

"How did you get me on this train while I was out cold?"

Vinyl shrugged. "Well, you did request that we head on over to Ponyville just before passing out." Blushing, she rubbed the back of her neck. "You weren't seriously hurt or anything, so we agreed to your request after some debate. And when we got to the train station, you were alert enough to be allowed on the train."

"That's it?" Octavia pressed her weight against the inner wall. A chuckle left her lips. "Well, I was desperately trying to stay conscious, so I guess that might have something to do with it." She exhaled. "Anyway, when we arrive at Ponyville, we should inform Cloudchaser about what's going on as soon as possible. We have to ensure her safety."

Everypony around Octavia nodded in unison.

Octavia brought her attention toward the outside world, much of the trees decorating the horizon a green and brown smear. Already, the sky was painted a light orange, the brightest stars in the sky revealing themselves. If they were lucky, they'd arrive at Ponyville before nightfall. Yet Octavia's chest twinged at the thought of what awaited her and her friends.

Maybe members of the Platinum Project weren't in Ponyville.

She took another deep breath.

Hoping for the best would've only taken her so far.