Muddy Waters - A Detective Story

Chapters

I: The Mare
I: The Case
I: The Socialites

I: The Mare

Vinyl Scratch, detective extraordinaire, reduced to this. She sighed inaudibly and looked at the seven musicians who stared at her in various emotions, ranging from outright anger to utter bafflement. The white unicorn, just moments ago, pointed at a brown musician, claiming he was the culprit.

"How dare you!" A bristling yellow mare approached Vinyl with a furious glare. Her speckled hoof raised in an accusatory fashion as she neared. "Yovi would never do such a thing! How dare you, you uncultured slob! You barge in here and accuse poor Yovi with your incessant hoof gestures! If you want to say something, you say it to my face!"

To the yellow mare's shock, Vinyl only grinned. For reasons unknown to her and many others, she always liked it when somebody disagreed with her assessment. She liked it even more when they started yelling. Vinyl's horn started shimmering a violet and the musicians watched as she pulled out earbuds out of her ears. The mare in front of her went beet red in rage.

Before anything could happen from her or the other musicians, Vinyl held up her hoof. She then walked over to Yovidaphone and patted his back almost comforting-like. The stallion in question could only stare back, in worry or guilt, Vinyl didn't know. She never was good at reading emotions.

The unicorn then started ruffling through Yovi's bag, looking for an item that would back her claim. It didn't take long and soon she placed the object in question onto the table. Resounding gasps echoed in the room as the musicians beheld the glaring evidence in front of them.

"B...but how?" The yellow mare stuttered, disbelief evident on her face.

Vinyl grinned and started waving her hooves in patterns and in forms that would, hopefully, get them to understand her thought process. Her explanation was met with thorough confusion and some annoyance. The mare sighed inaudibly, this always happened. However, before she could turn around and signal the Royal Guards outside to apprehend Yovidaphone, a voice poked upwards.

"She said that dear Yovi here was jealous of Metronome ever since grade school and when he got the part instead of him, Yovi lost control for a tad. Thus resulting in this situation." It was like a voice from the heavens. A pony worthy enough to understand the glorious language of hoof gestures. Vinyl turned around and grinned at the pony who translated for her. When she saw the pony in question, however, her grin slightly wavered, but it was quickly put back up.

Nopony seemed to have noticed it as they were too busy looking at the mare in shock. It was a gray earth pony mare, purple eyes and adorned with a treble clef for a cutie mark. To make things even more interesting, the mare had a pink bowtie attached to her neck.

When the other musicians looked back at Vinyl, the unicorn nodded vigorously to confirm that this was indeed, true.

"Poor Metty, poor Yovi." A small mare muttered, tears visible in the corners.

"Poor us!" A stallion cried. "We won't be able to get any performances with an occurrence like this, blemishing our statures!"

Muttering followed, some agreeing, some uncertain, but none were disagreeing. Vinyl decided that she didn't like the stallion. All those prissy musicians, only caring about themselves and their wealth. As if they didn't have enough already.

Vinyl decided enough was enough and stomped down, her hoof echoing through the room, silencing the clamoring musicians. They all looked at the white mare with various degrees of disdain.

"What do you want?"

"Haven't you destroyed our lives enough!"

"I will destroy you! You and your career!"

Vinyl Scratch sniffed at all of them. Their threats meant nothing to her, she reports directly to Princess Celestia after all. After a few minutes of senseless shouting, Vinyl walked outside and poked her head through the door. Two Royal Guards noticed her and walked in with her. The three of them ignored the musicians, and Vinyl pointed at the cowering Yovidaphone. The guards didn't ask questions and roughly picked up the stallion with magic and trotted away.

Vinyl took one last look behind her and grinned at the furious musicians. The unicorn's gaze became curious when she landed on the gray mare. Deciding that she'd been here long enough, Vinyl donned her trademark earphones, blocking out the noise, and bowed deeply before leaving.

***

This was the last set of the evening, Vinyl had to make it grand! The speakers around her blared dubtrot, neon lights danced around her and the room, and the mass of ponies on the dance floor. This was the life. She grinned widely and started bobbing her head enthusiastically, her headphones and magenta glasses somehow not falling off, and started playing with her mixing board, sending the music in wubs and throbs that got the crowd crazy.

It went like that for a minute before Vinyl decided to give what the crowd wanted. She waited a few more seconds after that, and dropped the beat like the professional she was. Cries of joy echoed throughout the club, glowsticks thrown up and down, and Vinyl could only grin with delight. If there weren't any lights behind her, she would've been enough.

The last song lasted for a full five minutes, her longest and greatest. She ended it all with a flourish, the club's lights flickered on and the strobes got turned off. Vinyl breathed a silent contented sigh as she slowly drifted out of her wub-induced high. As she started packing her mixing table, she had the oddest feeling. Vinyl glanced up, wondering what it was and saw a stallion, wreathed in shadows. Eyes, like a hawk, pierced her very core. It was unsettling, to say the least. Before the white mare could do anything, the stallion disappeared. Vinyl could only stare where she saw him last until Neon Lights, her lights coordinator, yelled at her.

"Yo, Vinyl! Got another letter from Princess Celestia!"

Vinyl grinned and quickly forgot about the stallion. Another mystery, another day. This really was the life.

***

Vinyl Scratch walked up to the Equestrian Investigative Bureau of Awesomeness, it's a work in process, considering she's the only member. It's a moderately sized building and it looked like every other Canterlot building with only one abnormality. It was right next to the castle.

Princess Celestia ordered the building to be built right here so she could go from the castle to the bureau with ease and discretion. Vinyl's not entirely sure about that one, but hey, if the princess says so, you don't argue. Vinyl grinned, remembering that day she got hired.

ooOOoo

Five years ago, one a day not unlike this one, a young Vinyl Scratch was lost. Her parents allowed her to go to Canterlot by herself to get the newest Dr. Prey album. She wasn't patient enough to wait for them to arrive in Ponyville two months later, so she begged and pleaded till her parents allowed for her to go. After all, she was nearing adult age.

Now, she was in Canterlot, surrounded by unfamiliar ponies and buildings. Even the cobbled floor was different. She sighed inaudibly, trying to find some landmark she could make her way to, but it was hopeless, the buildings were too tall. She had tried earlier to ask for directions, but the ponies all looked at her in disdain and disgust. It nearly broke her little heart, but she was a strong filly!

Several more hours had passed and Vinyl still had no idea where she was. It was when she was trotting around a corner did she bumped into a pony. The young unicorn was terrified of being verbally bullied again by the Canterlot elite, she threw herself to the ground and silently groveled, tears dripping down her cheeks.

But instead of insults, she felt a hoof underneath her chin and forced her to look up. Vinyl, through her blurry vision, saw a kindly pegasus. Her coat, white as fallen snow, and her mane, pink as the prettiest flower, and a simple sun covered by clouds adorned her flank.

"What's wrong my little pony?" The pegasus looked down with the warmest smile Vinyl, to this very day, had ever seen. It gave her the sense that she would do anything to see that smile again. Without planning to, Vinyl spilled everything. To the unicorn's surprise, the mystery mare didn't question why Vinyl used her hooves and her inability to talk. She appreciated it all the more.

"Ah, so you got lost looking for the music store." The pegasus paused, with a contemplative smile on her face. Vinyl appreciated that even more. Only four ponies could understand her, well five now. Then the pegasus let out a giggle, "it seems that you have found it! Want to come in with me?"

Vinyl gasped in silence and looked around. True enough, the white pegasus was in a long queue to go into a music store called Pitch Perfect. She wasn't sure how long she was staring in awe, but her vision was interrupted by a white hoof getting waved in front of her. Vinyl blinked, then looked at the white pegasus in embarrassment. She was rewarded with a giggle. It was then did Vinyl realized what she was asked and she nodded vigorously much to her delight.

The two of them waited in that line for 20 minutes, just talking about life and the sort. The pegasus' name was Sunny Skies and she never gave her background and Vinyl didn't ask for it, she was just happy enough to have a friend in this big city. Imagine Vinyl's shock when Sunny said that she too was waiting in line for Dr. Prey's new album. When they finally got to the counter however, the clerk was sorry to say they only had one left. The others behind us groaned in despair but I wasn't focused on them. I had my own sadness, I looked up at Sunny's face and smiled wanly, gesturing for her to take the album.

"No, I could not. You came all this way, it would be cruel of me to take it from you." Sunny then bought the album and gave it to Vinyl. When the filly protested, the pegasus smiled and said it was a gift for her. Vinyl was moved to tears and gave Sunny the biggest hug ever.

Her joy was interrupted by a shout. "Hey! Where's my money?" A red-brown stallion patted his saddlebags to only find nothing. Other ponies in the store looked at him in sympathy but otherwise didn't do anything. This didn't sit right with Vinyl, so she decided to actively search for the culprit.

She's always had sensitive ears, and it caused minor problems growing up, but over the years she got used to it. Unlike now, now it is so much worse. Vinyl constantly needs her headphones in busy areas. But back then, Vinyl used those small ears of hers to listen.

"What am I going to do?"

"Poor stallion."

"...shoot, I think I forgot to blow out the candle."

"Argh, I waited for two hours for that album!"

"I need to quickly get out of here before somepony finds me out."

"I wonder, do I need potatoes for this evening?"

Through the cacophony, Vinyl heard exactly what she needed. Tugging on Sunny's wings, she pointed at a fleeing figure. It was a mint green unicorn mare who was quickly getting away. The white pegasus shot a confused look and the filly replied by saying she was the one who took the bits from that stallion. Sunny tilted her head at the filly before smiling and taking off. The mare didn't have a chance and the bits were quickly given back to the rightful owner.

"How did you know it was that mare?" Sunny asked later when the two of them were walking down to the train station. Vinyl shrugged and pointed at her ears as if that explained everything. She didn't expect the pegasus to get what she meant, but it seemed like she did. "Vinyl, if you ever need a job sometime in the future, find the captain of the Royal Guard and tell him that you want an audience with Sunny Skies. That should be enough."

When Vinyl asked how she could possibly find the captain of the Royal Guard of all ponies, Sunny only giggled. "I'm sure you'll find a way. You're smart!" The white pegasus ruffled the filly's mane before trotting away, leaving Vinyl at the train station with an album and an awed expression.

It was two years later that Vinyl found herself back in Canterlot. This time equipped with sick magenta shades and a pair of headphones she got for her birthday. Today she had a goal, to find the captain of the Royal Guard. It was easier then she expected, all she had to do was trot up to the castle and ask for the captain. Once he heard the name Sunny Skies, he let Vinyl right through. Around and passed the various hallways Vinyl went and soon she was confused but, thankfully, soon enough they made it to wherever the captain was leading her.

"Come in." Vinyl instantly recognized Sunny's voice and barged in before anypony could stop her. She trotted in with a happy grin which immediately fell into a horrified expression once she saw who spoke. Princess Celestia smiled back at her, and it was the same exact smile as Sunny's. "Vinyl, what a surprise!"

It took several moments for the young mare to orient herself after that bombshell and it took even longer for her to realize that Sunny was Celestia in disguise. After finally accepting that fact, Vinyl went back to her eager self, after all, if Princess Celestia went through all that trouble to go into disguise, she must've not wanted the attention and awe she was giving her right now. The moment she started treating Princess Celestia like how she would've treated Sunny, the alicorn's smile widened and became more genuine.

"So, what brings you here?" It was the question that Vinyl was waiting for. She smiled sheepishly and reminded her of the offer way back when. For a moment she was scared that the Princess forgot about it, but her worries was quickly dispelled when Celestia clapped her hooves and smiled. "I've been waiting for this day!"

Vinyl gestured something with a confused look.

"Yes I have. Sorry, it's been a dream of mine for a while. I've always enjoyed those Shadow Spade novels and I've always wanted to set up my own detective agency here in Canterlot. I spare my little ponies from the horrors what some really cruel ponies can do, but they do exist and I need help locking them away." Princess Celestia paused in her explanation to sip some tea before continuing. "I almost decided that creating one was a fruitless endeavour but then you showed up! So what do you say, Vinyl Scratch. Will you be my private investigator?"

And the rest is history.

ooOOoo

Vinyl quickly snapped herself out from these thoughts and opened the Bureau's door. Inside was a mess, organized with Vinyl's trademark style. Documents and newspapers were scattered in one corner, a desk covered in pencils and quills, a couch in the center of the room with empty drink containers left carelessly. Since she was one of two ponies who actually came in here, she never really had an incentive to clean up. That all changed today.

"Ah Vinyl, glad you could join us." Us? Sure enough, a pony was standing next to Princess Celestia. In fact, this wasn't anypony, it was the pony from yesterday, the gray mare. "This is Octavia, I hired her to be your partner. I hope you approve." One thing about Celestia, Vinyl learned over the years, was that she was a completely normal pony, just like everypony else. So with that last statement, the unicorn heard a note of nervousness, as if the Princess wasn't entirely sure of this decision.

Vinyl grinned and trotted over. She didn't bother with taking off her glasses or her headphones and peered at the gray mare. Octavia, for her part, didn't do much but look back with a semi-queasy expression. Vinyl trotted around the mare and poked her once on the flank. When Octavia gasped indignantly but didn't do anything else, the unicorn grinned even wider and gestured something.

Celestia breathed a sigh of relief and smiled warmly. "Well Octavia, Vinyl. I shall leave you to it. The new case is in the same place like always." Vinyl bowed mockingly to the princess of the realm and Celestia returned the favor before trotting out of there.

It was quiet for a few moments before Octavia's voice rang out, startling Vinyl out of her content stupor. "Shouldn't we get to it then?"

Vinyl whipped her head around and grinned at the gray mare, she thought she was going to like this pony. After nodding her confirmation, the unicorn trotted over to the messy desk and picked up a case folder. Vinyl gestured for the earth pony to come over and watched in amusement as the mare skirted various piles of unmentionables before coming to her side.

Together they opened the file and peered inside. Vinyl cleared the coffee table and spread the information given to them across the surface.

Victim: Diamond Wishes

Sex: M

Race: Unicorn

Family: Destiny (Wife) (Deceased)

Ruby (Daughter) (Deceased)

Broadside (Brother) (Deceased)

Cause of Death: Suicide. Sleeping pills.

Extra Notes: Vinyl, I do not believe this was a suicide, it's too peculiar. Also, the murderer seems to be calling you out. There's a note here with your name. Could really use your skills here. -Shining

Octavia looked pale once she finished reading. By the time she recovered, Vinyl already had two ciders opened and she offered one to her. The earth pony gratefully took it and drank deeply. The unicorn grinned and took a sip of her own. Imported from Ponyville, the best of the best. She quickly finished it and tapped Octavia, signaling that they needed to do their jobs.

The gray mare reluctantly got off the couch and out the front door they went. Despite how morbid her line of work was, Vinyl could only grin. This really was the life.

Author's Note

Weee, another story. One that I've wanted to do for a really long time. So what do you think? Hope you enjoyed.

Kudos to Chessie, author of Starlight Over Detrot, for writing that story. An absolute beaut of a story and crazy detective story.

I: The Case

Vinyl Scratch, the one and only detective in Equestria, strolled down the street with a easy smile. Her headphones blearing some dubtrot music and her shades making everything purple. Everything about her was so...natural, so real. Octavia was consumed in her thoughts, not paying attention to the world around her. This white unicorn was probably the most genuine pony the gray mare had ever met, and it astounded her. This backwards mare with abhorrent tastes in music and style, with no notable background whatsoever, yet she has the Princess as her friend and has a sustainable amount of bits.

Octavia pondered on this fact. Her lifestyle, however crude, seemed to be working for her. Do a case, figure out who is responsible, and then get paid. From Princess Celestia no less! The gray mare couldn't wrap her head around it! Then she thought of herself. She's now working for the Princess! Her mind did a little tapdance, but she didn't show it on the outside. A musician must always keep her cool.

"Miss Scratch?" Octavia called, realizing that she had no idea where they were going. "Do you know where we are going?"

The white unicorn did a 180 and gestured something that Octavia interpreted as 'yes', grinned widely, and then turned back, all the while walking. The earth pony was not too proud to admit she was in awe of the unicorn. She wished all her might she could be as easy going as Vinyl, but all her life she was not trained to do so, and old habits die hard.

The walk lasted for another ten minutes before they arrived at the train station. Luckily for the two of them, the train was about to arrive in two minutes. They quickly bought tickets and boarded the train. Octavia glanced at the destination and raised an eyebrow at 'Detrot.' She played there several times, although the city didn't impress her that much.

The two made their way into their designated seats and the moment Vinyl reached hers, she flopped down on it unceremoniously. Octavia took her time with her seat, taking a dainty and polite way. The train soon took off after she sat down, sending her reeling backwards. The landscape outside the window started to blur as the train sped away from the station.

"Miss Scratch?" Octavia started, but was quickly interrupted by a hoof. Without getting up, Vinyl then proceeded to do a dance with her right hoof. "Right, sorry. Miss Vinyl." She stopped again when the white hoof made an aggressive gesture. Octavia felt her cheeks grow hot. "My apologies, it just seems improper." Another movement. "Fine. Have it your way."

"Vinyl, as your new partner, I wish to see the case file. If I am to help you, then I have need of the information that is vital to this operation." Octavia waited patiently, which quickly became impatient as she saw that Vinyl wasn't moving at all. She got out and was prepared to give a stern talking to when she saw that the white unicorn was shaking and had tears in her eyes.

"Oh dear, Vinyl, are you alright?" The gray mare attempted to feel the unicorn's forehead, but that just made the white mare shake harder. It took a while, but the earth pony grew indignant once she saw it. "You're laughing at me! I will not be insulted like this!" The gray musician got up and attempted to move to another seat, away from the mare that grieved her so, but before she could take a step, she got held back.

Octavia turned back and saw Vinyl, tears still in her eyes and had a wide grin, but then she saw the hoof. She harrumphed but sat back down. She did her best to glare Vinyl down, perhaps even get her to apologize. The white unicorn did no such thing, merely grinned like a fool.

Then the mare did something of a surprise. She asked how Octavia got the job. It was out of the blue and caught the gray mare off guard. She quickly recovered however, life in Canterlot taught her that.

"You mean how Princess Celestia hired me?" A nod. "Well alright..."

ooOOoo

Octavia sighed and packed away her cello, her most prized possession. Many hours have been pored into the upkeep of the instrument and in return, the gray mare received notes of sophistication and beauty. There simply was no other instrument like it.

But her mind wasn't focused on music for once. It was on that white mare. The detective. In complete honesty, she had thought that detectives only existed in books and in stories, yet there was one, in the flesh. At first glances, and the fourth and fifth if the earth pony had to admit, the unicorn was of a most uncouth nature, someone unworthy of the spotlight. A vagabond in all the ways that taint a pony.

It surprised her even more to learn that the pony couldn't talk and could only communicate through hoof gestures, it was almost barbaric. Yet, with surprising efficiency and delicacy, the mare had somehow solved the case. The results were met with the expected response of the Canterlot Elite, something Octavia despises the most out of the city.

Vinyl Scratch then tried to explain her reasonings and to Octavia's horror or fascination, take your pick, she was able to understand what was being shown. To make matters worse, she just had to blurt out the translation. Her fellow musicians don't trust her now, giving her the occasional look of disdain. It was suffocating.

The gray mare finished packing and trotted out, yelling a farewell to those still inside. From the theater, she made her way towards her home. It takes 15 minutes to trot from her house to here, which definitely helps with an instrument as heavy as her cello.

Well, she was on her way when suddenly a large shape blocked out the sun. Octavia blinked and glanced upwards and was surprised to see two royal guards floating downwards. The two pegasi then said that a pony named Sunny Skies wanted to meet her for a job proposition.

The guards didn't look like they were the impatient sort so she made a split decision then and there. It definitely was much better then the alternative of having no job, of which she was sure she was going to lose her place in the orchestra after that fiasco. So if somepony was asking her for a job, then she'd take it.

She followed the two guards to the Canterlot castle, which didn't help her anxiety. When they entered, the levels increased. The escort took quite a while with all the winding hallways and Octavia could feel herself snapping from the stress of not knowing what this was all about.

The moment they finally stepped into the room, it took merely a glance and then Octavia fainted. It was most unladylike...

ooOOoo

Octavia stopped in her tale to glare at the now shaking Vinyl. The gray mare was now questioning her choice. If she was going to be treated like some laughing stock by this two-bit mare, then she'll ditch the detective on the next stop. All of the previous admiration was now replaced with searing annoyance. She'll distract her and then finish the case on her own! She smiled faintly as she pondered the idea, but then quickly wiped it off her muzzle once she saw Vinyl starting to recover.

"Good, you're lucid. Now, where was I? Right, I fainted..."

ooOOoo

Octavia wasn't sure how long she was unconscious, but when she woke, she was face to face with the Sun Regent of Equestria. If Princess Luna somehow walked through the double doors right now, the gray mare wasn't sure if she would survive it.

"Octavia Philharmonica, or is Melody?" Princess Celestia's voice sounded as if it tinkled through the air before landing delicately in her ears. It was musical in its purest form. The thought alone gave her the chills.

"Pri...Princess Celestia!" Octavia wasn't proud of that moment. She immediately flushed with embarrassment and tried to cover her muzzle with her forehooves, but then forgot about standing. She promptly fell and her nose bumped painfully against the floor. Her normally luscious colored coat was now a deep crimson.

"My little pony, are you alright?" The princess tittered softly and Octavia couldn't get enough of it. "Most ponies prostrate after meeting me, but you didn't have to do so with such force."

"Ah...oh...uh..." Then a shriek split the air as Octavia shook herself out of her royal stupor, then froze. She just screeched in front of the Princess. She painfully and slowly tilted her head to look at the alicorn in question and saw, to her endless relief, that the Princess was smiling softly.

"Right, my apologies. It's just it isn't everyday one gets to meet royalty." Octavia cleared her throat. All of a sudden, it felt dry. "Anyways, to your previous question, it is neither, I prefer Octavia. Nice and simple."

"And a fine name it is!" The Princess smiled gently, her eyes warm and full of love. Octavia had to mentally slap herself several times to not get lost in those depths.

"With all due respect Princess, as much as I am in awe to be simply in your presence, why am I here?" The earth pony had felt that this was the best way to end whatever this was.

"I have a proposal for you Octavia, one that you might find interesting." Princess Celestia then took a moment to sip her tea of which Octavia just noticed. There was even a cup for her. She daintily took the cup in her hoof and drank in small sips. "What do you think of investigative work? Going around, asking questions, finding clues, putting all the pieces together."

"I would not know Princess, I have had no experience in that department. You might find this funny, but I just happened to have met a real detective just a few hours ago. Funny how the world works." Octavia took a sip, her gaze anywhere but the Princess's. It's simply impolite.

"Indeed, that is actually why I have called you here. You seem to have an understanding of Vinyl Scratch, that is truly unique." Princess Celestia smiled and all Octavia could feel was pure warmth. "Only three other ponies, including myself, can understand her. That is only one reason why I think you are perfect for this job."

"How much does it pay?" Octavia suddenly asked, then blushed intensely at how rude she just was. Her mother would disapprove. Much to her relief, the Princess merely chuckled.

"It pays triple your fund at the orchestra. You get your own workspace at the bureau. Free lodging if needed. And as extra bonus, I'll get you reinstated in the orchestra if you accept this offer." The Princess then chose to sip her tea while keeping her gaze trained on Octavia.

The offer was immense, truly the best of the best. There wouldn't be another one better. There had to be a catch. There just had to be! Octavia stared back, paralyzed, thoughts running at 40km a second. Detective work for the rest of her life!? Could she do that? But free lodging! Lots of bits! She could be living the good life! But that mare, that horrible commoner pony with no tact. Could she work with somepony like that? But what else could she do? There was no other option besides...

"I'll do it."

ooOOoo

"And now we are here." Octavia finished with a flourish, as expected of a pony with class. She expected an applause or at least some respect, but received neither from the white mare. Instead all she got was a grin. The gray mare was getting sick of that grin.

Vinyl motioned something and Octavia understood. She watched as the unicorn levitated out the case file and dropped it in front of Octavia. She then laid back down and closed her eyes. The earth pony watched her for a few seconds and after determining that the mare was asleep, she dived into the case file and all of it's contents.

***

It took an hour and a half for the train to arrive at Detrot and the two mares made their way out onto the train station. Vinyl turned and asked if Octavia had put the file back in her saddlebags. The gray mare hesitated slightly but then nodded. The white mare smiled and then continued walking.

Octavia felt faint with relief. Tucked in her tail, despite how uncivil it was, was the file. She wasn't finished with it yet and she thought that she would have better chances by herself instead of hanging around with this uncultured bumpkin.

"Are we nearly there?" A horrible question that a proper lady should never ask, but this isn't a proper scenario. Vinyl replied by saying that the building they were heading for was Starlight Tower. Octavia pondered on that for a moment and decided to split off here.

"You can go on ahead, I'll meet you there." When the obvious question was asked, Octavia replied with. "I just saw my favourite food chain and I haven't had dinner yet." Vinyl just shrugged and kept on trotting without a care in the world.

Octavia allowed herself a smirk and galloped off to find a faster route. It didn't take long and soon she was streaking along the sidewalks heading towards the large tower that held the answers. While she was galloping however, her stomach rumbled, reminding her that her lie wasn't a lie and that she would need sustenance soon.

She made it to her destination without a moment to spare and waltzed in. She flashed the ID that Princess Celestia gave her to the guards who were patrolling a yellow taped perimeter. They didn't glance twice and let her through. A red stallion in a lab coat came over and started explaining things.

"Okay, so Mr. Wishes was found on the top floor, not the roof, lying in his favourite chair. According to his employees, he brings his chair from his office to that floor and sits there. Nopony is exactly sure why, but it was not out of the ordinary. Secondly, we found a pill bottle next to him on the coffee table. They were under the counter substances that are relatively new so they are unnamed, so far. After you are done with him, we'll take the body to the coroner, that alright?"

"Yes, thank you Mr...?" Octavia stalled, her body locked in a civil war. Her body wants to expel the meager amounts of food she has in her belly after hearing that last part, but her mind and soul rebelled, determined to not make a fool out of herself.

"Salsa, ma'am. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got work to attend to." And with that, the red stallion trotted away, muttering something under his breath. Octavia couldn't catch any of the words even if she would have tried. She sniffed and trotted away, determined to solve this case. By this point, she had no idea why she was doing this, but it was about principle!

It took several minutes for her to finally get to the top floor and it left her breathless. She was met with more guards but a quick ID check granted her access. She looked at the body, felt bile rising up but forced it down. Octavia then shooed the guards out of the room so she could 'work' in peace. After the last pony left the room, she ran up to the nearest trash can and spewed her lunch. It was most unpleasant.

"Alright Octavia, you got this." The gray mare hyped herself as best as she could and trotted over to the remains of Diamond Wishes. The body was underwhelming concerning ponies. A dirty white coat with a dark purple mane streaked with gray. His flank bore a circular diamond with three sparkles set into it. And with a name like Diamond Wishes, Octavia was expecting a unicorn but he turned out to be an earth pony. She paused, checked the case file and did a double take.

The file says that the pony in question IS a unicorn, yet the stallion in front of her was an earth pony. Octavia tilted her head in confusion, none of this makes any sense. She stood there for an undetermined amount of time before snapping out of it.

"Right, clues." The gray earth pony went around the room, searching under and over objects, peeking at newsletters and books, all in vain. Nothing looked vaguely related to murder, sleeping pills, or motives! Octavia sat down in a chair and sighed deeply, this detective job was going to be much harder then she thought. But she wasn't a mare to give up. She just has to figure things out a different way.

"Okay Mr. Wishes, where do you live?" Octavia started rummaging through the nearby containers, trying to find a wallet or a business card, but no such luck. That means there is only one other place to look. "My apologies, but it seems I need to search you."

After a quick search and several bile swallows, Octavia found a brown wallet with a few bits, pictures of his family, and his address. The gray mare did a happy dance before stopping and coughing. "Calm and collected. Now let's go find his house."

***

"VINYL!?" Octavia stood in front of the open door, mouth open in shock. The pony who opened the door was none other then Vinyl Scratch. "How did you get here!?"

She was half expecting to not get an answer, but Vinyl granted her the knowhow with a grin. She apparently met up with Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard, at the local Hay Burger. It was sort of a habit for them, to meet up at the nearest Hay Burger since every city and village had one, not to mention the food was delicious. There, the two brainstormed and shared info and they found themselves here. Then Vinyl paused in her hoof gestures, looked at Octavia and then asked why she was here.

"Oh, uh, hehe. I went to the tower, Starlight Tower that is, and rummaged through poor Mr. Wishes and found his wallet. This is his address." The gray mare smiled sheepishly, which she knew was all too revealing but what could she do? Tell the truth?

"Oh, is this Octavia?" A deeper voice echoed into the mare in question's ears. Octavia squeaked once she saw the large white stallion loom over Vinyl. After the initial glance, the gray mare did a double take and stared even longer. The two were exactly the same! The coat and mane color was perfectly in sync! They both had the same smile even! If it weren't for her money issues, she would've bailed oh so long ago.

The earth pony looked back up to the two unicorns was saw that they were in a conversation. She was still sane enough to take note that Shining seemed to also know what Vinyl was saying through her hooves. She murmured some incoherent nonsense and strolled in. Dragging her hooves until she made it to the couch and then promptly collapsed. To Tartarus with Canterlot standards, they weren't made to handle somepony like Vinyl!

"Scratchie, if this is your new partner, you need to share things!" Shining put a hoof atop Vinyl's head and ruffled her hair, much to her silent annoyance. He chuckled and put his hoof back down. "Show her the 'suicide letter.'"

Octavia watched as a piece of paper floated towards her, wrapped in Vinyl's magic. It came closer and then rested near her head so she could read it.

Very inadequate, that is my life. Everything is very inadequate.

I used to have a family, now I am the last one. What does that tell you?

Never will I suffer again, because I won't be here. Don't bother with my inheritance, I've got it covered.

Yes to the funeral or that pyre. Yes to whatever end of life ceremony you want me to be in. I didn't have a choice in life, why should I have a choice now?

Long live me! -DW

"This suicide letter is most peculiar." Octavia murmured softly, her body in danger of getting sucked into the soft cushions of the couch. Octavia marveled at the craziness of the pillows before collapsing back down. She tried at playing detective, but things didn't seem to be working for her.

Vinyl laughed and gestured that the gray mare looked again, but closer. Octavia sighed and looked at the paper, but this time with a scrutinizing eye she saves for analyzing music sheets. It took a while and neither Vinyl or Shining made a noise, but Octavia finally saw what they were talking about. The first letters of each row spelled out 'VINYL.' She glanced up with wide eyes and saw that grin.

"Yep, that's why I don't think it's a suicide." Shining stepped in and looped a leg around Vinyl's neck. "Scratchie's got work to do!"

The mare in question nodded vigorously before pulling away. She whacked the burly stallion and then whipped around and set off. Octavia watched her trot away and then saw the unicorn was gesturing or her to follow. The earth pony heaved herself and followed the detective. Shining Armor watched before grinning widely.

"I wish you luck, fair Octavia. Scratchie is quite the mare." The stallion dipped his head in a polite bow before cantering out.

The gray mare sniffed and then continued to follow Vinyl. She found her rummaging through some drawers and occasionally pulling out random objects with her magic. Octavia peered closely at the objects and couldn't see anything of importance in them and muttered a small "what" under her breath.

Vinyl blinked and turned to look at the gray mare. Octavia was unnerved, how did she hear that? Even with her headphones on! The white unicorn wasn't grinning and gestured furiously. It was Octavia's turn to blink. She felt some heat rise up and apologized. Her lack of knowledge of how investigative work works was really burning her. She decided that it wasn't worth it and sat back on her haunches and watched.

It didn't take that long and soon Vinyl had everything she collected on the table. She gestured for Octavia to join her and the unicorn wasn't smiling. The earth pony decided that an unsmiling Vinyl was the most disturbing thing she had ever seen, but nevertheless she went up.

Spread out on the table was several knickknacks. There was a brochure for the Ponyville Ciderfest from three years ago, a faded glowstick, a Grand Galloping Gala ticket dated for this year, an incense stick packet labeled with a maple leaf, and a pin with a bird on it.

"Why are these important?" Octavia asked, confusion evident on her face.

The grin came back. Vinyl explained that she performed at that exact Ponyville Ciderfest and that glowstick came from her gigs. Which meant that Diamond Wishes was either a fan of hers or a family member was. Octavia did a double take on that fact. Vinyl, a musician? The unicorn ignored her surprise and continued. If he had a Grand Galloping Ticket that meant he was a Canterlot socialite, or at the very least, friends with one. It may also prove that this wasn't a suicide attempt as the elite never miss a chance to go to the Grand Galloping Gala. The incense packet was manufactured by a famous company, it might not mean anything, but you never know. The gray mare was beyond perplexed. How is she getting all of this from just small trinkets! And lastly, the pin comes from a well known bookstore.

Vinyl grinned after her hoof explanation. Octavia was still reeling, this was detective work? It was clear the unicorn loved it and the earth pony could've sworn she saw stars behind those magenta glasses. She had no idea how long she was standing there, but she was finally pulled out of it when Vinyl waved a hoof in front of her eyes.

"Oh, sorry. It's just a lot to take in." The gray mare fanned herself as if it would do something. But before she could fully orient herself, Vinyl stomped a hoof on the ground catching her attention. The unicorn gestured wildly that they had to go, something about the game being a hoof? Octavia wasn't sure if she interpreted that correctly, but she quickly followed, not wanting to be left behind.

***

The two mares were heading towards the bookstore Vinyl mentioned earlier. Before, they had gone back to Starlight Tower so the detective could actually see the body and perhaps find anything else in the room, but there wasn't anything that seemed to interest the unicorn. However she did seem disappointed when she found out that Octavia had searched the body without any protective gear or with any care for the body.

Octavia stopped in front of the bookstore with a confused expression. Vinyl stopped and looked back with an eyebrow raised. She didn't have to gesture anything for the earth pony to understand what the question was.

"Why is it called Mockingjay Publishing?" From her limited experience with birds, she was quite sure that a mockingjay didn't exist. Vinyl just shrugged and proceeded to walk in, but before she could set hoof inside, a shout called her.

"Miss Vinyl Scratch!" A brown pegasus with a weary expression landed next to them with a heavy thud. "I've be...been looking for you since this morn...morning!" He wheezed and his poor wings twitched with misuse. Octavia then realized that she hadn't eaten in forever, and as if on cue, her stomach growled. She blushed slightly and looked back up to the mailstallion.

Vinyl stretched out a hoof and the brown pegasus gave her a letter. Octavia watched as the unicorn opened it then immediately frowned. Without any asking, the white mare gave Octavia the letter.

"Great, another one dead."

Author's Note

AHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
This chapter took forever
Kudos to Blu and new55. This chapter is for you!

I: The Socialites

Vinyl Scratch was intrigued. She'd never handled two murders before and she was certain the second dead pony was murdered because why would anything be easy. The white unicorn immediately went to Hay Burger and dragged Octavia along, much to Vinyl's amusement, after receiving the letter from the mailstallion. Vinyl ordered several things to go and pestered her partner to get something and after the seventh poke, the gray earth pony finally relented and ordered some hay fries. Better then nothing, she supposed.

Now, she was currently marching towards the location of the second victim. Vinyl had a sneaking suspicion, one that she shouldn't grin at but the corners of her mouth was turning upwards, that both deaths were connected. That's how murder mystery novels work, right? She wouldn't know, books are for eggheads.

The victim was a mare this time who went by the name of Entropy, and just like Diamond Wishes, she too had many a reason to commit suicide. Although the chances of something like this happening within two days of each other are extremely slim, Vinyl couldn't overrule anything out. She told Octavia this much through gestures while they were walking. The earth pony nodded like she understood but Vinyl had a feeling she didn't really understand that much. She tsked internally, if Octavia wanted this job, she better learn quickly.

"Vinyl, are we suppose to abandon the other case like this? Surely not, we can't disregard one for the other." Octavia's voice drifted through Vinyl's headphones causing her to pause slightly. She grinned slightly, perhaps she wouldn't answer this time, and then continued to walk.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Octavia grumbled and muttered something about delinquents and headphones. Vinyl grin went even wider, these were the moments she loved. Ponies underestimating her ability to simply listen. Ponies truly take it for granted, their senses and how it allows them to perceive the world as it is. The white mare tilted her head in thought, perhaps that's why she enjoys wearing purple shades, to change her view of the world around her.

The duo made their way through the busy streets of Detrot, it's civilians trotting around, unaware of the blackness hiding in the shadows. Vinyl couldn't hold it back anymore and let her delighted smile shine through, a hunt! The two finally made it to their destination, a small apartment building with a few royal guards hanging outside.

Lieutenant Finders Keepers, a great pony for search and rescue and second in command when Shining Armor isn't around, came up to Vinyl and nodded his head respectfully. "Miss Scra...err, Vinyl, the victim was find this morning when the landlady went by to collect payment. Ever since she called, nothing has been moved."

Vinyl flashed a grateful smile and strutted by the guards and made her way inside. From the patter behind her, Octavia followed her in. Good mare. It didn't take long for the unicorn to adjust to the light difference due to the tinted glasses and allowed for a royal guard to show her to the victim's room.

Before she could raise her foreleg to open the door, she heard a scuffle. Vinyl immediately froze and gestured for everypony else to do so. She slowly lifted her headphones and then pricked her ears for any peculiar noise.

Breathing from various ponies.

Buzzing of a fly.

Wood being dragged across the floor.

Metal screeching against each other.

Birds twittering outside.

A grunt of exertion.

Vinyl waited for a few more seconds after that then let herself in. She ignored the questioning and frustrated glance of Octavia and immediately started looking around. The living room was a mess, the carpet in ragged strips and the furniture smashed. Drawers were ripped open and objects were scattered like a dust devil tore through. In the back, a window high up was open and a chair was underneath it.

"Vinyl, I get that this is your forte, but if you don't give me something to do, as your partner, might I add, I might die of boredom as it were." Octavia's haughty voice intruded in Vinyl's thoughts. She snorted in annoyance before pulling out hay fries out of her saddlebags to cool herself down. Then she pointed and gestured for the gray mare to search the other rooms with careful consideration.

She waited until Octavia trotted away and then Vinyl went back to her hunt for clues. She made her way to the chair, careful and deliberate as if scared that her steps would disturb something important. The white unicorn peered closely and saw scuff marks of the chair being dragged confirming the noise she heard earlier. She pondered on this for a while, while she checked the drawers just in case something remained. Why was somepony here? Was it the killer?

Then a terrified shriek pierced Vinyl's head and burrowed deep, forcing her to cringe in pain. When she recovered, if somewhat slightly, she placed her headphones back on to block out the cacophony she forgot about and stumbled to where the noise came from. It didn't take long for Octavia to stumble out of the bathroom and collapse in the hallway, dry heaving. Vinyl concluded two things out of this. One, the dead body was in there and the earth pony couldn't handle her gore. And two, Octavia didn't eat any of the hay fries she ordered.

Vinyl sighed and patted the gray mare on the back. Most ponies weren't cut out for this type of work and then made her way into the bathroom. What was inside did somewhat shock the detective, but it wasn't something worth hurling over. Entropy, as a mare, was beautiful in her own right. She had a meadow green/yellowish coat that contrasted really well with the soft pink and purple mane. Her cutie mark was eight arrows all pointing in different directions. What she was now, however, was a sight to behold.

The body was in the bathtub which was filled with water and blood, due to the slit open hooves. Her coat and mane was completely disheveled and her throat was bruised badly. Now, Vinyl wasn't an expert, but she was certain that this body wasn't fresh at all due to how cold and stiff it was. It certainly raised some questions, but unfortunately it wouldn't be answered until the coroner looked at the body. After a quick check, Vinyl deduced that there was nothing else she could determine from the body.

The white unicorn walked out and closed the door behind her. Octavia was still lying there in a fetal position, whispering frantically and murmuring nonsense. Vinyl sighed and grabbed the earth pony without warning and then heaved upwards. She then made sure she was right in front of Octavia when she started gesturing for her to calm down and focus on the goal, find clues. Breakdowns could happen later, after the job was done.

ooOOoo

Vinyl Scratch, her very first ponicide case, and to say she was excited was an understatement. Up until now, Princess Celestia had only been giving her simple cases, like who stole this and where is the lost that. It was boring! Now Vinyl had her chance to finally see some action!

***

The whole case backfired horribly, but Vinyl was able to push herself just long enough to finish the case and make it home, to the bureau. The moment she hit the couch, she curled up in a fetal position not unlike what Octavia was doing now and bawled for all that she was worth.

The victim, a young colt who had just gotten his cutie mark, had his intestines ripped out and was fashioned into streamers for a psycho pony's bloody picnic. The theme was cannibalism and it turned out that several more pony carcasses were found all over the compound, all desecrated and violated. Vinyl managed to keep everything in, her fears, her terror, her disgust, but her horror was the hardest one to keep in.

Sometime later, Vinyl was crying her eyes out, Princess Celestia made her way into the bureau and wrapped her massive wings around her young detective.

"I'm so sorry my little pony. I'm so sorry you had to see that. I'm sorry...so, so sorry..." and the two of them stayed together like that for who knows how long, holding themselves together by the barest of comfort and words. It wasn't enough to solve everything, but it was enough.

ooOOoo

After an hour of searching, nothing of interest could be found. Vinyl deduced that the mysterious visitor from earlier must've gathered evidence and clues and left, leaving the detective none the wiser. It made Vinyl annoyed and elated. Nothing could be simpler, could it?

"Vinyl, it seems that there is nothing here." Bless this gray mare, she truly is in need of working her thought processing. Vinyl had come to this conclusion 20 minutes ago but still insisted on looking another time because any detective worth their merit should never leave a crime scene unless they had searched it thoroughly.

Nevertheless, she said nothing but gestured for them to get ready to go to a party. Specifically a rooftop social gathering for the upper class, called the Canterlot Garden Party. A place neither musician wanted to be, but for the sake of the case, they must. The party would be held the day after, so Octavia and Vinyl went their separate ways in order to prepare for the upcoming event.

Vinyl Scratch, detective extraordinaire and best DJ in all of Equestria, considered herself to be peak fashion and didn't dress up at all. The unicorn saw no point in it. She was sure Octavia would get a dress of some sort. Something that matched her high and mighty attitude. She shrugged, someday that mare will learn.

For now, she decided to return to the bureau and crash, perhaps get a cider or two. What she didn't expect was to see Princess Celestia waiting for her, cider already in her hoof. Once she overcame her shock, she grinned and waved enthusiastically as her greeting.

The alicorn merely smiled serenely before saying, "Vinyl, how has the case been going?"

The answer came as a shrug, but with a positive air to it, as if saying that it was going alright.

"That's good. How has Octavia handled all of this?"

Vinyl did a complex dance number with her hooves and forelegs, and soon both Princess and DJ were both giggling uncontrollably.

"Oh, you are terrible!" The alicorn grinned and hugged her sides despite her natural calm and tranquil state. She then grabbed her bottle of cider with her magic and drank a considerable amount before setting it off to the side. "Well, Vinyl, it's certainly been a pleasure, but now I must go." Vinyl nodded, it wasn't her place to keep a diarch from her duties. "But know this, if either you or Octavia need of me or of anything I could provide, feel free to ask. I care about you two, so don't do anything stupid."

Vinyl nodded again, this time with a grateful smile. And to relieve a bit of seriousness, she snapped off a salute much to Princess Celestia's amusement. Once she disappeared, Vinyl collapsed on the couch, turned the lights off with her magic, an then closed her eyes.

***

The two arrived together by carriage. The party gathering thing was taking place in Canterlot, maintained by Jet Set and Upper Crust, one of the richest couples in the city, if not the entirety of Equestria. Vinyl played for them once, and then she was never hired again by any of the Canterlot elite, which was fine by her, all of them were snobs.

"Vinyl! Why aren't you wearing anything! And that garish headset and glasses! This is a very important occasion, you can't just waltz in there wearing that horrible ensemble!" The gray mare herself was wearing a large black and purple dress that also somehow incorporated her signature bowtie, which highlighted her eyes and curves really well. Most of the stallions and some of the mares were ogling her openly for sure, the thought itself disgusted Vinyl to no end.

The white unicorn grinned in response to Octavia's question and then did a little dance that also included a ton of hip movements, to suggest that this body needed no improvement. Vinyl's grin went even wider once she saw that Octavia's face went slightly red.

"Fine. Have it your way." Octavia grumbled something incoherent before the two made their way to the front door. Vinyl trotted up and opened it before stepping to the side and gave a bow. No translation needed, it was quite obvious what she wanted. Octavia's face went even brighter before she composed herself and lightly smacked the unicorn. Much to Vinyl's amusement.

"Announcing Lady Octavia Melody and Sir Vinyl Scratch...er, Lady Vinyl Scratch?" A white posh looking stallion stood by the door, no doubt posted there to announce the arrivals. Vinyl grinned even wider when she realized that the poor fellow mistook her for a stallion. The one who hired him will definitely give him Tartarus later on.

After that announcement which left a slight ringing in Vinyl's ears, several ponies if not most, turned to look at the new arrivals. Most wore a contempt expression while some had more of a curious look. Vinyl wasn't looking at them however, that food table beyond them looked divine. She bolted without a care for Octavia nor the prissy upper class ponies. Several shouts of indignation and surprise followed her, but she didn't care. Once she got to the table, she immediately lifted several food items with her magic, before pulling a disappointed face at how bland and similar all of the options looked.

"Ugh, how did that mare get a ticket?" A voice floated through her music and the utter disgust piqued Vinyl's interest.

"I have no idea, she looks like a commoner."

"Ha! Imagine that, lowlives storming our parties, thinking that they own the place."

"And did you see that face when she tried out one of Zesty Gourmand's pies?"

"I know! We should call the royal guard on her."

"Yes, let's. Such an act cannot go unpunished."

The white mare turned just in time to see two mares trot away, their noses pointed abnormally high. Vinyl could only grin at what she overheard, even if they called the royal guard, she had jurisdiction to be here, which means, she outranks them. She humored herself with this fact for a few moments before it got spoiled by a so called 'pie.'

"Miss Vinyl Scratch, is it?" The mare in question whirled around to see a handsome gray stallion standing behind her. She blinked, how did he do that? Nopony's been able to get behind her without knowing. Then she slowly started to smile, she liked a challenge. Nodding carefully in response to his question while simultaneously hiding the 'pie' remains.

"I must say, I am a fan of your work! Truly! That case with the missing Coltese Phoenix? Absolutely brilliant!" The stallion laughed whole-heartedly which gave him a pleasant air. That alone made Vinyl put up her guard. Nice rich ponies, especially the ones who know about her, always have something up their sleeves. "Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself, you can call me Silvered Art. I consider myself an artiste, a real appreciator of the creativities of what ponies come up with, and your work is some of the finest! Truly, it's been a pleasure, but it seems I have to go. Would you pardon me?"

Following a subtle nod, Vinyl watched as the strange stallion glide his way over to a silver mare before the two made their way out of the party. The white unicorn tilted her head in thought, a most peculiar encounter. Then her eyes caught some frantic movement. Octavia was standing, in her stunning dress, beside a couple and she was waving desperately. Deciding that the poor mare had suffered enough, Vinyl trotted over to see what the commotion was.

"Miss Vinyl Scratch, Miss Octavia here has told me quite a bit about you." Jet Set said with a haughty expression on his face. The stallion was a unicorn and had a light gray coat, unlike the ashen one from earlier, and had a simple black curly mane. His blue eyes were slightly covered by a pair of what looked to be reading glasses. For some reason, and Vinyl was sure the reason was what the elite called 'fashion', Jet was wearing a green shirt and white sweater draped on his back with the sleeves knotted at the front of his neck.

"Yes, although I'm not entirely sure why we need to talk to you, you absolute brute." Upper Crust, another unicorn, and the wife of Jet Set. She had a yellow coat with a white and a lavender mane, coifed with a wavy pattern. She also had a similar outfit to her husband's, with a white shirt and a pink sweater wrapped around her neck. For pretty purposes, she also had a blue necklace and pink earrings. All in all, the standard rich pony couple, and they pride themselves on originality. Vinyl smirked slightly at that thought.

"Please, Mr. Jet Set and Mrs. Upper Crust, we just want to ask you a couple of questions and then we'll be out of your mane." Octavia reasoned, although something was off with her voice. A tad lighter as if trying to appease the snobby elite, but Vinyl could definitely hear a slight strain in her voice.

Upper Crust sniffed at that, before setting her demeaning gaze on the white unicorn. "I don't see the point of respecting you enough for me to answer questions when she won't respect me with those utterly ridiculous headphones." Then she harrumphed and twisted, lifting a foreleg up high and attempted to canter away, just like every other high-born.

Before she could take another step, however, Vinyl's leg shot out and caught Upper Crust, stopping her. All the chatter around them died instantly and Vinyl could feel all the glares on her pelt. Ignoring the look of utter horror on the couple she just so 'rudely' interrupted, she started gesturing widely without breaking eye contact with the mare she was holding.

"What is that? A form of barbaric speech, pfha!" Jet tried to regain face by making a mockery of Vinyl's hoofspeech, but the glare he got in return was enough for him to whimper.

"What she said was that she wanted to know if you two know of a pony named Diamond Wishes." Octavia stepped in, translating what Vinyl had said previously.

"And why should we answer any questions from a clearly insane mare." Upper Crust then proceeded to swat Vinyl's hoof away. "And never touch me again, you ruffian!"

So Vinyl did exactly that. That hatred that was poring out of the mare was enough for everypony, besides the detective, to take a step back. The white mare looked up with a clear determined gaze and even lowered her magenta glasses using her magic so that Upper Crust could clearly see her red eyes. She then deliberately and aggressively waved her hooves around in an almost martial combat kind of sense.

Octavia cleared her throat and translated. "She is Detective Vinyl Scratch, working directly underneath Princess Celestia, and you will answer her questions. Two ponies have been murdered and she doesn't want anymore to die."

All of the patrons and guests of the party immediately turned pale, despite Vinyl having her back to them, she knew that's exactly what happened because Upper Crust and Jet Set acted exactly the same way. The two started spluttering, knocking each other over with their words and frantic hoof waving, but a warning stomp from Vinyl immediately quieted them down. She then repeated her question with Octavia translating.

"Diamond Wishes, yes I knew of him. He occasionally would come over to our gatherings. Besides that, I have no idea." Jet Set nodded vigorously, as if his wife had said everything that needed to be said, which of course, wasn't. Vinyl stared at the duo for a couple more seconds, before finally turning around and trotting away.

"There! That's the mare with the improper manners!" The two mares from earlier galloped in and immediately called out Vinyl once they saw her. Behind the two, there were two more ponies, but these were royal guards. Those poor ponies looked up to where Vinyl and Octavia were standing and then heaved themselves forwards with tired sighs. Vinyl didn't have time for this, so she picked out her detective badge and much to her pleasant surprise, the two guards nodded and then turned away like nothing had ever happened.

Vinyl bowed once, expressing her gratitude, before trotting away. Octavia quickly followed her, but from the way she was trotting, she was annoyed. Without stopping, Vinyl gestured with a hoof, basically asking what was wrong with the gray mare.

Octavia sighed and answered. "Why did you leave like that? There could've been more information from other ponies! And the way you left, it was really rude."

The white unicorn made a sour face, displaying her displeasure at the Canterlot elite and stormed out of there with Octavia hot on her heels. The two had barely made it out of the building when another mailstallion divebombed them and dropped a letter. Vinyl took a single look and then sighed heavily.

Author's Note

Weee another chapter done! Please say something if you find something off, my mind is somewhere else right now, but hoped you enjoyed it!