Counter Culture

Chapters

Caput Lupinum
Victis Honor
Graviora Manent
Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

Caput Lupinum

The white unicorn woke up on the couch, she looked around; she couldn't remember what had happened. Then it hit her. She rushed herself to the bathroom, releasing what little contents her stomach had left. She spit once wiping her face with her hoof. She sat in the corner, waiting for the feeling to pass. As she recounted the horror of the night before she realized that she had left all her things back at the club.

"Buck, on top of everything else you left all the gear back at the club." she sighed "Shut up, I know." Vinyl clambered to her hooves, walking to the kitchen where her host was lounging with her breakfast.

"Look who's up," she smiled, " you look decent considering what happened. Are you hungry?" She pushed half of a bagel towards the unicorn.

"Not right now Octavia," she sat next to her friend, her hooves pressed against her cheeks.

"What's wrong Vinyl?"

The unicorn lowered her eyelids in disbelief, raising one hoof up for emphasis. "Seriously? One of my best friends was murdered right in front of me so that's one thing. On top of that I left all my equipment on site. I'd say that that would bother just about anyone,"

Octavia looked at her stressed friend, contemplating a means to fix the problem. "I was just inquiring on your well-being Vinyl, there's no need to be rude. As for the latter half of your problem, why don't you go retrieve your things? I'll even accompany you." the earth pony held a stoic smile, she had no real desire to travel to Manehatten, especially not to the part of town she knew the club invariably had to be in. She did however know that her friend was in need of any small kindness she could get.

The unicorn looked up from her food, having slowly started nibbling the bagel compulsively, "Yeah? You will?" her face gave a weak smile.

"Of course Vinyl, I have nothing else to do today."

The unicorn sat up straight, a new energy invigorating her. "Alright awesome let's get going." She stuffed the rest if the bagel in her mouth and chewed quickly.

"Well I didn't mean" it was too late, the unicorn had already grabbed her hoof and performed her spell. "this very instant..." the sentence was finished outside of the Canterlot train station.

"Vinyl I look a mess," the earth pony said brazenly. Her mane was tied back, she lacked her bow tie, and her tail was unbrushed.

She scoffed, "Oh you look fine, we're going to lower Manehatten, not the Grand Galloping Gala."

Before Octavia could make her rebuttal, the whistle of the Friendship Express blew as it rolled into the station. Vinyl quickly trotted onto the car, Octavia looked around, considering making a hasty retreat. She sighed, she couldn't just abandon her friend, she lowered her head and followed reluctantly.

The train rolled smoothly, Vinyl was sharing fond memories of her friend, she wasn't sure why but it made her feel better. Octavia just sat and listened, hoping in the back of her mind that no pony would recognize her as she was.

"I remember when we first met, we were both just starting out. He had been on the club circuit a few weeks by then. I had just made my first few tracks and was still learning the ropes but I was desperate to get my chance. We met at a party one night, some pegasi had had too much cider and started a fight." she smiled as the image flashed across her mind. "We kinda just bumped into each other then." she laughed, causing her companion to raise an eyebrow.

"Well, nah, I guess he kinda got shoved into me. The point is we hit it off after that. I told him about what I was trying to do and he's all like 'Hey, you should come check out this club I MC at, it's pretty chill. They're looking for a new DJ, you know, if you're cool enough.' We hung out a lot more after that. He gave me my first break, i could never thank him enough." She wiped a hoof across her face quickly, trying to hide a small tear. "Then I moved in with you, and well you know the story from there."

"Wow Vinyl, I'm sorry. He was a great guy. I know it can't be easy, but we'll figure it out." Octavia smiled, she spoke casually, it seemed to fit her appearance at the moment. She only met Neon on a few occasions but she felt like she knew him from Vinyl's stories. Compulsively she wrapped her hooves around her friend, offering what little solace she could.

Vinyl struggled for a second before returning the hug, tears trickling into her shoulders, "I'm gonna miss him Tavi." she couldn't help but cry. "Besides you, he was my closest friend." the grey pony didn't speak, she just held her friend, offering her comfort alone.

They rode the rest of the way in a comforting embrace, the train finally rolling to a stop at the Manehatten station. They trotted off together. The train stopped in the lower parts of Manehatten before heading up into the ritzier part of town. They didn't need to walk far, only a few blocks away.

Two Royal Guards passed their way as the continued to the club. They shot a curious and threatening look at the pair before preceding onwards, leaving the two to their business.

They found the immediate area of the club to be completely empty, and given the circumstances and time of day the club was closed. "Let's head around back, maybe we can get in the stage entrance," Vinyl said as she trotted around the side of the building. Octavia walking up beside her as she futilely tried to open the door. "it's, locked" she grunted before stepping back and looking at her companion. "Well..."

The Grey mare looked at her curiously, "Well what?"

"Can't you? You know, buck it?" She said pointing her hooves at the door.

Octavia looked offended, "Is this because I'm an earth pony?"

"Well," Vinyl scratched the back of her head, "kinda"

She gave her friend a stern look, "That's rude you know."

"Oh, sorry Tavi, I just thought you could, you know..." her head dropped in embarrassment.

"Well of course I can, I'm just offended that you perpetuated a stereotype against me." as she spoke she trotted over to the door, planting her forelegs in the ground she kicked it with her backlegs, the door slamming open on its hinges.

"Alright let's get going," Vinyl said as she trotted into the dark back hall, a small glow emanating from the tip of her horn. Octavia followed the faint glow in front of her, taking careful steps over the trash and spilled drinks littering the floor.

"This place is disgusting," she mumbled as she carefully avoided a shard of broken glass.

"Well I doubt anypony had time to clean up last night."

They walked on in silence, until they finally reached the stage; Vinyl quickly retrieving her bags. A blue glow surrounded them as they floated onto her back. She smiled as she walked back to her friend.

"Did you find your things?" the earth pony asked.

"Yeah, I'm all set, let's go."

The two Royal guards had quickly found a unicorn within their ranks and had him send a letter to the Manehatten police department.

"As you know, the Royal Guard are not allowed to meddle in the affairs of civilian lives unless a direct threat against the kingdom has been made. Thus being the case we must inform you that your suspect Vinyl Scratch was spotted In lower Manehatten, heading south. We hope this information can aid in your investigation."

Ronnie sat at his desk reading through the letter, Inspector Bangtail still hadn't returned from her investigations the previous evening. Knowing that he had no other choice but to apprehend the suspect himself, he quickly rang the alarm and trotted outside.

He addressed the crowd of police ponies quickly. "A suspect, one Vinyl Scratch, has been spotted in lower Manehatten. We have reason to believe that she will be returning to the crime scene, suspect is a unicorn, white with a blue mane. Roughly 4ft tall, any questions?"

"is she single?" came a voice from the back.

"Any real questions?" he sighed compulsively.

A small Pegasus raised his hoof before speaking, "How do you know that she'll be there?"

He smiled, lowering his sunglasses, "Suspects always return to the scene of the crime."

"That's so cliché..." the Pegasus mumbled as they trotted away.

Vinyl and Octavia were just exiting the building when they noticed the large crowd of ponies standing outside, a few unicorns were busying themselves casting a spell. As she turned to look she could see various walls of colored light on either side of the small stairwell that led to the back door.

"Vinyl Scratch. You are wanted for questioning for the death of Neon Lights." the pony beside him whispered something in his ear. "And for breaking and entering apparently."

Vinyl looked out at the crowd of ponies, her legs locked in confusion. "Oh man, what are we gonna do?" the answer came in the form of 4 bottles of cider flying over her head in quick succession. Each one landing and shattering in front of the colts pushing them back. Octavia quickly grabbed the unicorn and slammed the door shut, barricading it with what few objects she could find.

"Vinyl it's the fuzz, we need to get out of here. I can't go back in the hole." She yelled in a way that was completely out of character.

"Back?" her eyebrow raised in question.

"Putting myself through school was hard, I was a vagrant for some time. I fell into a bad crowd, it was a dark time in my life." she sighed, regaining her composure. She looked back at the door as it started shaking from the hooves striking it. "So what's the plan?"

"Don't look at me, you're the one who started chucking cider bottles at the police, I'm just along for the ride now." she started walking towards the front of the club. She took a peek out the window to see if it was being guarded.

"Octavia, I think we're clear out this way, move your flank, we're getting the buck out of here." Vinyl unlocked the door and quickly double checked the exit, Octavia had trotted up beside her. As the stepped outside the door behind them burst open, and the police flooded in.

They had a twenty second advantage before the first of the guards rushed out behind them. He was gaining quickly, Vinyl was struggling to keep up with her more agile counterpart. Octavia noticing, quickly slid under her friend and carried her on her back, sprinting down the various alleyways in front of them.

The police were in hot pursuit, 30 paces behind them. Determined in there chase, a pair of pegasi had zoomed off ahead, hoping to cut off their escape.

Octavia took notice of the shadows on the ground beside her long before the unicorns warning hit her ears. As the pegasi dived after the pair she bucked her flank forward, hurtling Vinyl over a fence in front of them. The earth pony quickly jumped up, landing on the assaulting Pegasus and used him to jump over the fence herself.

The second Pegasus crashed into the fence, having lost focus watching the stunt before him. Octavia quickly scooped up her friend and rounded a corner.

"You need to get us out of here Vinyl," she yelled.

"Right, I know where to go, give me a sec." The unicorn wrapped her hooves around the earth ponies neck, closing her eyes she concentrated hard, her horn sputtering blew light and sparks before finally bursting forth magic.

Ronnie and his group of colts stood staring at the spot they had been; they had rounded the corner just in time to see the two disappear out of the area. He loomed over the blackened circle the had left on the ground. His eyes focused on it. His mind quickly shifted to Bangtail, knowing what her reaction would be. His legs began shaking as sweat drip down his face. "Oh, buck me."

Vinyl and Octavia landed outside the Manehatten Municipal Library. The grey pony was still running as they landed and quickly slowed her pace down to a smooth canter, and finally a slow trot. She set her friend down on the ground, staring quizzically at their destination.

"Why are we at the library?"

Vinyl had began walking up the steps that led to the rather large building. "Well because we need a book, obviously." she said plainly.

The grey mare followed her up the stairs, entering the library alongside her. It was a large building, very open and well lit with natural light. They walked until they found a librarian, stopping to ask a question.

"Hey, we're looking for a reference guide, can you help us out." The old mare pondered for a moment before replying, right down this way, past the fiction section, it'll be on your left." She smiled and pushed her cart down the row of shelves in front of her.

Vinyl led the way, reaching the aisle she was looking for. "Why are we here?" Octavia looked annoyed.

"For this." Vinyl smiled as she levitated a large book down from the shelf. 101 Easy Spells for a New Beautiful You.

Victis Honor

........................................................................................................................................................................................

The hotel was rather large, one of the biggest ones in Canterlot; it was frequently holding events within its convention hall. It had recently, however, decided to renovate its basement level concert hall into yet another mindless club.

Arpeggio sighed, she had been sitting outside the hotel for some time, reviewing the layout and her strategy as she waited for her moment to arise. The opening act for the club had began at 5, she was giving them 20 minutes before she set off, ample time for them to work the crowd into a loud mindless mess of nonsensical and horrifying acts. She shuddered at the thought.

She took one last look at the sun, standing as she took note of its location. She swiftly entered into the hotel, a rather large crowd blocking her from the desk clerk's view. She was making her way up the stairs to the suites where her objective lie. As she approached the top floor she zeroed in on her target. Her ear to the door listening carefully to the conversation within.

Storm Gate and his fellow DJs were relaxing in the main suite,which connected their 4 adjacent rooms. They were talking about their new tracks, equipment, and other general gossip. They were performing a last minute systems check before getting ready for their show downstairs.

"Alright fellas, show's in 15 minutes; time to start getting ready." The grey pegasus spoke quickly to his friends. They all nodded and departed for their rooms, except for Shadow. He stood looking out the window, nibbling on his leftover lunch.

Arpeggio waited until she heard the last of the doors closing, then she knocked.

Shadow Blade was still absentmindedly staring out the window when he heard it. His ears perked up and flicked in the direction it had come from.

"House keeping," Arpeggio tried to sound as demure as possible. Downstairs the band was beginning to finish up there set. The echoes of the music making its way up the hall.

Shadow quickly walked up to the door, a faint doubt in his mind. He opened the door as the band downstairs began to play.

(Someone kill the DJ)

The irony of the song was lost to the two ponies who stood together in the doorway.

(Shoot the bucking DJ)

Arpeggio's horn glowed as it shot out a blast of concussive magic, the newly defenestrated grey pegasus never had the time to react; the blast launching him backwards through the large pane of glass. His unconscious body cut by the shards of glass as he fell from the top of the 6 story building, he landed head first on the hard ground below. The injury snapping his neck, leaving him dead and bleeding among the bushes of roses.

(Someone kill the DJ)

Featherwood rushed out of his room when he heard the glass breaking outside, as his door swung open Arpeggio quickly spun to her right and he was greeted by two arrows being flung swiftly at him. The magic guided them with precision and force; the first striking him through the chest and the second in the neck.

(Shoot the bucking DJ)

The force of the two arrows pushed him back and pinned him to the door behind him, suspending him and further disrupting his breathing. His mouth was filling with blood and his lung was punctured, he quickly began choking, before falling limp.

(Someone kill the DJ)

Arpeggio walked over to the third room opening the door and quickly entering. Day Dreamz was finishing up his look at the dresser when he noticed her in the mirror.

(Shoot the bucking DJ)

She shot a blast of magic towards him, slamming his head against the table. He struggled to move but the pain in his broken nose kept him down. He managed to looked up at her as she trotted back to the door. He reached a hoof out in a vain attempt to crawl as she launched another arrow from her quiver, hitting him squarely through the eye.

Storm Gate had drawn a bath and was sitting in the bathroom waiting. He was looking over some old notes trying to focus on his work. Arpeggio walked in grabbing him with her magic and forcing him against the wall.

(Hold him underwater Til the motherbucker drowns)

She was choking him, her magic constricting his neck ever tighter, but upon noticing the now full tub of water she smiled wickedly. She flung him against the bottom of the tub, his faced completely submerged. He struggled, thrashing violently, and flaring his wings out against the tubs edge. He pushed his body up but his faced remained underwater, he continued to fight against her magic but was unable to break free. He gasped as he exhausted the last of his oxygen, a large gush of water quickly filling his throat and lungs, his struggles began to slow until they ceased completely. His body collapsing into the water as the strength of his wings gave out. She released him after a moment, staring at his body regretfully. As she walked out of the room she looked around at her work. She never thought that her years of training to be a concert pianist would have led her to this moment. She shook the thought from her head. It was all for the greater good.

The show downstairs was finishing; the crowd was loud, frenzied, and cheering. The band bowed, taking time to talk and play a few more minutes for their fans. They never noticed the light green unicorn appear behind them and move backstage.

She began to ruffle through her saddlebag, quickly opening the vials and containers she had been given. She wasn't sure what they were, she was a musician not a chemist after all, but she knew what they could do. She tied them to various strings before laying down a tripwire to the backstage entrance. It wasn't necessary to her current assignment but she felt she should put 110% into everything she did, be it music or well... wetwork. With everything set she quietly left the building.

It was 5 minutes later, as she was walking away from the hotel that she heard the faint explosion. A small cloud of smoke rose as the fire spread. She calmly turned, hiding her quiver within a saddlebag, and began her trip back home.

The club was in pandemonium, the crowd was panicked; the stage ablaze and the band a burned and bloody heap. They all scrambled away up the stairs as the fire alarms began to kick in. It was a night to remember.

.........................................................................................................................................................................

Bangtail had spent 2 days in Ponyville's precinct, inquiring amongst the townsfolk about Vinyl Scratch. It was futile, no pony could say where she would be and she soon decided to try elsewhere. As soon as the sun rose she caught the first train back to Manehatten. As she sat on the train, staring at the scenery as it zoomed by, a scroll fizzled into existence beside her.

"Case update, murder spreads into Canterlot. 4 more DJs killed, plus 4 other musicians, collateral damage, and 3 civilians in the ICU. Location: Cloud Fall Hotel. Crime occurred last evening, news just reached the precinct here. Rondeau 'Ronnie' Lines"

She looked over the note, sighing. Canterlot wasn't within her jurisdiction, being chief investigator of Manehatten after all, but the similarities in the location and victim were enough to pique her interest.

She stayed on the train as it passed through Manehatten, quickly headed to Canterlot.

It was mid-evening when she had arrived, the scene still packed with police ponies, the pegasi of the fire brigade, and the paramedics; they were all milling about, she quickly set to work.

She entered through the front door, bypassing the police line and officers. She took in the scene before her, two pegasi removing the stray storm clouds that had been dragged in to fight the fire. Obviously this wasn't the murder scene.

She approached a dark red unicorn, tapping him on the shoulder. "Flatfoot, what happened here?"

The unicorn turned, his eyes opening wider as he noticed her. "Bangtail? Ya're out of your jurisdiction. What are ya doing here?"

"I'm looking for leads Flats, we had a similar case down south, although it wasn't this grand." She motioned with her hoof, referencing all the damage done to the building.

"Ya can't be here, ya know that." He looked down, he refused to lock eyes with her.

"You owe me Flats, I put you where you are. You wouldn't even be on the force if it wasn't for me." Her words were forceful, but her voice remained calm.

Flatfoot looked up at her, she was staring at him defiantly, like he knew she would be. He sighed, "Alright, follow me."

He led her first down the stairs to the destroyed stage. It would be rather dark had it not been for the 4 or 5 unicorns who were illuminating the room. She walked carefully, avoiding the weak and damaged steps on the stairwell. The air was thick and humid, everything soaking wet but hot. It was an odd experience, like walking through soup she thought. She shook her head and focused back on the task.

He led her to three bodies, each one a charred and blackened husk. There was no resemblance to life, if it wasn't for the shape she wouldn't even be able to tell these were ponies.

"What happened?" she asked as she stared at the charred remains.

"A carefully coordinated, crafted, and controlled caustic chemical catastrophe." He calmly commented, congratulating his cleverness.

"Very impressive, but could you cut the alliteration please?" she said a bit irritated.

He cleared his throat quickly, "Um, a small chemical explosion."

"Who were they?" she asked scanning the area as she circled the bodies.

"An up and coming band, at least they went out with a bang. Isn't that what all rockstars want?" he gave her a remorseful smile.

She only glared at him, she could never figure out why people thought making puns at a murder scene was funny, "well at least he didn't say they went out in a blaze of glory." she shook her head. "Are there any leads?"

"My team is still investigating the area but so far no evidence has turned up." his tail flicked nervously as he spoke.

Bangtail sighed, it was looking to be the same as the case prior, a lot of important questions and a concerning lack of answers. She turned to head back up the stairs when a faint shimmer caught her eye. She turned to inspect it, as she got closer she recognized it as a small vial. She leaned in close, hoping to find some incriminating print. As she eyed the small glass tube Flatfoot walked up beside her.

"Find something?" he asked confusedly.

She let go of the breath she had been holding, "It's nothing... The vial is clean, the fire probably removed the marks if there were any." she hung her head down "Where are the other victims?"

Flatfoot turned, his tail brushing against her flank, causing her to turn and follow. She took in her surroundings one last time as she walked out of the room; she was hoping that something would stand out to her, but nothing did.

They walked on in silence, slowly making their way to the suites above. It was a rather long walk, a few stories from where they had started, they both breathed a bit strenuously as they reached the appropriate floor.

"The remaining victims are in here," he pointed at the door with his hoof, "it's a pretty bad scene though."

She brushed her way past him, nudging the door open with her shoulder. As she stepped into the room she was treated to a cool breeze, she quickly attributed this to the large broken window in front of her. She slowly trotted towards it and peeked over the edge. Far below she could make out the scattered police ponies and between them was the faint outline of a body amongst the bushes. She turned away, her vision suddenly upon Featherwood. The arrows had been removed, placed on a piece of parchment, and his body now lay slumped against the door. She noticed the coagulated blood near his wounds, it matted the fur down his neck.

She walked closer, leaning in to look at the murder weapon. She looked it up and down "it's the same as the last one. Same arrows, same motif, same killer."

This conclusion only brought minor satisfaction, knowing that there was only one killer did little to solve the problem at hoof. She stepped away and turned to face the doorway to her left. She met eyes with Flatfoot, he was leaning against the door frame, watching as she worked. They remained silent as she entered Day Dreamz room.

Upon first glance she noticed the sheer muss of the room. The dresser overturned, a single mark of blood on the edge. The body lay in the corner, amongst a broken lamp and scattered and blood soaked papers, again the arrow had been removed and lay on the ground. She took note of the bruising that was evident on the forehead. "No marks," she sighed, unicorns were the hardest to apprehend, magic is clean and untraceable after several minutes.

She looked over her shoulder, "Only one more body to check," she walked into the last room, past the bed and into the small bathroom. The body remained in the tub, no pony had thought to remove it, though the water had been drained. It remained damp, slightly bloated from its short time submerged. The usual signs of asphyxiation were there: Slight discoloration of the skin, trace amounts of blood near the mouth and nose, and slight vomiting and water pooled in the mouth. She looked at him with a feeling that resembled regret. As she left she noted that his throat was clearly bruised from where the magic had held him.

She trotted out, head hung low and tail between her legs.

"Ya find anythin'?" Flatfoot looked at her with an air of detachment.

"Nothing concrete, just knowledge," she replied quickly, brushing her hoof through her mane.

"What do ya mean?"

"The arrows are the same, there are no clear marks, and the targets are again musicians," Flats raised an eyebrow at this, "what I'm getting at is this: the unicorn from Manehatten, the one who ousted Neon, has to be the same one who did all this."

“Fantastic, now if ya could only identify them ya'd have a case.” He spoke a bit harshly, he wasn't trying to be rude, but his attitude did little to prove this.

“I don't need you're snide comments Flats, I have a case.” She let the words sink in, mulling over possible solutions in her head. “Are there any witnesses?”

“Everypony was at the concert downstairs, and we've already questioned the patients in the ICU.”

“Well forgive me if I don't think you did a wonderful job at that. Give me names, I'd like to do my own questioning.” He stood up straight at that, shifting his weight from the wall to his hooves,

“Nigh, ya already know I can't do that.”

“And why the hell not?” she was visibly annoyed, her hind legs spread in a defensive stance.

“Because ya're out of yar jurisdiction.” His tail flicked back and forth, he knew he was asking for trouble.

“When a murderer moves from my city to another and the police there don't give a buck about it, it becomes my jurisdiction and my problem. So give me names Flats or Celestia help me I will hurt you.”

Flatfoot was visibly taken aback by this, his demeanor changing from one of pride to that of defeat, “Fine Bangtail, ya win.”

She stood outside Canterlot General Hospital, the names she was given being repeated in her head over and over again. They gained a certain rhythm and she had them memorized by the time she walked into the main hall of the hospital. She took a quick look around, eyes darting from placard to placard until she found the one she was looking for.

“ICU Third floor”

She made her way to the stairwell, turning slightly so her badge was visible to the nurses stationed at the desk. They quickly lifted their eyes from the folders they were reading but returned them back to the work upon seeing this gesture. As she made her way to the proper floor, she continued to analyze the details of the case. She could only hope that the victims could provide some information to narrow down her search.

She approached the nurse's station at the ICU, the violet pony looking up as she sat in front of the counter. “Patient name?”

“Zephyr”

“Room 302. Reason for visitation?”

“Patient wanted for questioning in a ongoing investigation.”

The nurse looked down at her, retrieving a separate form and rewriting the information.

“Name, rank, and badge number?”

“Chief Investigator Bangtail, Badge Number 0761.”

“Location of department?”

“Manehatten.”

As she scribbled the last of the information down she placed the file in a folder and put it away. She returned her attention to the original folder she was reading, lazily pointing her hoof towards the left hallway, “Rooms down that way.”

She continued down the hall until she reached the desired room, looking in cautiously. Zephyr lay quietly in the bed, his bottom left hoof wrapped and bandaged. She noted that he looked remarkably well for somepony in Intensive Care, she chalked that up to either magic therapy or overreaction, most likely the latter. She knocked twice as she entered; the yellow and orange stallion turning to face her.

“You're new, do I need to take more medication or something?” he smiled lamely, he wasn't much younger than she was although she couldn't speak for his maturity.

“Actually I'm from the Manehatten Police Department, Chief Investigator Bangtail. I need to ask you about last night.”

“I already told the colts back in Canterlot everything, which isn't much just so you know.” He tried to roll over onto his side to better see her.

“I heard, but I need you to really think. Just tell me what you can remember. Everything helps.” She moved towards the window, leaning against it. She cast a glance to the yard outside, the gowned ponies being escorted by nurses, it was a sad sight.

Zephyr sighed, he looked at her a moment longer waiting for her eyes to move back towards him. As they did he shifted slightly, taking note of their determination, before recounting the night.

“It was like any other show, I guess. Everypony was just enjoying the music and dancing or whatever, it was the new club's grand opening so it was a big deal, you know?” She nodded when she heard the pause, urging him to continue. “The opening band was wrapping up a really good set, the DJs were supposed to headline after that, but well it kinda...” His mind drifted away from the sentence, shuddering at the thought.

“Got bucked over?” she finished. He nodded at the words, “Yeah.”

“Do you remember anything unusual?” She leaned towards him, looking hopeful.

“Not really,” He rubbed his hoof against his forehead, pushing his mane out of his eyes.

“Nothing seemed out of place at all?” She was moving back towards the door, standing in front of the bed as she asked.

“One of their road crew showed up onstage towards the end, kinda just appeared but then they just took off.”

She shot him a curious glance, “A unicorn?”

He shook his head, “Yeah, had to be, the way they just appeared like that.”

“Zephyr, listen to me, I need you to think. Describe them as best you can.”

“Um, like I said the were just there a second but they looked like a chick, light green coat, light blue mane. I don't know that's all I can remember.”

“Thanks, that'll be all.” she slowly trotted out of the room, she felt accomplished. “If I can cross reference this information with the list of crew on staff maybe I'll be one step closer to figuring this out.” She made her way out of the hospital, a lead hopefully within her grasp.

Graviora Manent

........................................................................................................................................................................................

Vinyl sat quietly, she was nibbling on a piece of toast waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. Octavia was cleaning the small dish she had used shooting glances at Vinyl every few seconds.

“Will you knock it off? Geez.”

“Well honestly Vinyl, you magically turned your hair red, how am I supposed to react?”

“I don't know, like a normal pony maybe?” she sat back in the chair, tossing the toast unto the plate,.

Octavia went back to her cleaning. Remembering how just a day prior they had been pursued by the police and then ended up staring at a cosmetics book at the Manehattan library. “Tell me again Vinyl, What are we doing here?” She had asked her unicorn counterpart who was currently seated; her magic quickly flipping through the pages of the book.

“I'm looking for a spell, something simple but useful.” The reply came quickly. Octavia sat and waited, her eyes examining the other books on the shelf. Nothing caught her eye but she was casually lost in thought when the white mare beside her let out a slight exclamation. “Alright, haha I found it.” She smiled as she read the spell to herself, a light blue glow expanding from her horn and engulfing her entire being. Octavia barely had the time to react before the spell was complete and she was left to stare and wonder.

“So what do you think? Pretty good right?”

The grey mare stood a bit confused, a faint smile adorning her face, “Vinyl your hair is red,” it was all she could manage to reply.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, but it'll at least keep the police off my tail for awhile.”

Tavi let the thought process in her head, nodding at the notion. “I suppose that only makes sense, wait... shouldn't I get some sort of disguise or cosmetic enhancement as well?”

“Nah, they aren't looking for you and I seriously doubt they recognized you looking like that.” Vinyl pointed a hoof at her friend, chuckling softly; Octavia frowned at the comment but motioned for her friend to follow. They trotted slowly, the need for urgency behind them. They had been laying low in Octavia's apartment ever since.

Vinyl sighed, she was getting tired of being cooped up inside. Octavia had just sat down next to her friend when there was a small thud at the door. Octavia made a motion to get up but Vinyl had already opened the door with her magic; already the object floated its way towards them as the door shut behind it. As the unicorn set the object on the table they both gasped, one from recognition and one from shock. The newspaper's headline was written plainly

"Death on the Dance Floor: Four DJs found dead at Cloud Fall hotel.

'opening act caught in what is being called a horrible pyrotechnic malfunction."

Octavia remained quiet; Vinyl remained still, her eyes darting back over the newspaper in a desperate attempt to process the information. As the notion finally sank in she quickly ran out of the room. The grey earth pony turned to follow her finding her rummaging through her bag of things. The earth mare cleared her throat before speaking, "What are you looking for Vinyl?" she sounded like she was going to be sick.

Her friend ignored her, continuing on her task. "I know it's in her, where is that damn thing?" as she spoke Octavia Moved closer to her, now looking over her friend's shoulder.

"Here it is," the unicorn smiled triumphantly, "Come look at this Octavia." She jumped back a little as she turned to see her friend so close to her.

"What the buck Tavi? Geez nearly gave me a heart attack," she chided as the pamphlet floated towards the grey pony who carefully plucked it from the air. She looked over the paper and then to her friend, "What is this?"

"Doesn't it look familiar?" she walked towards her friend, "See? That first bullet that's where me and Neon were when..." she paused and shook her head, dislodging the image. "... And this second one is the Cloud Fall."

"Well that is a coincidental isn't it?"

"It's not a coincidence, this is my list of all the new clubs in Equestria. Tavi, somepony's offing all the DJs!"

Octavia gave the thought consideration, "But why Vinyl?"

"I don't know but we have to figure this out. Look the next club doesn't open for a week; that's plenty of time to figure this out."

The earth pony sat down, her flank hitting the hardwood with a small thud. "Shouldn't we alert the authorities?"

Vinyl shook her head using her front hooves for emphasis, "No colts, they're already looking for me and these guys. Plus... I owe this to Neon."

Octavia shook her head but knew her friend would go with or without her. "Okay Vinyl, where should we start?"

"At the Cloud Fall."

.................................................................................................................................................................................................

Arpeggio sat quietly, she was alone in the large common room. She slowly hummed a tune to herself; she thought it was something reminiscent of Buch or Beethooven. Slowly she rose, trotting up to the living quarters levitating her cloak so that it trailed wistfully behind her. Nopony was around, no doubt they were in the concert hall rehearsing, she smiled; she enjoyed being alone.

She stored her cloak away, her eyes drifting across the many accolades she had acquired, which now were shelved above her piano. It was a struggle to convince Requiem to allow such a thing, it required her to take one of the larger bedrooms which were reserved solely for the high ranking members of their organization; she quickly earned her place. She sat before the large oak piano, it had been hoof-crafted in that very room, and began to play.

It was a slow, melancholy tune, similar to Beethooven's Moonlight Sonata. She smiled sadly: her piano, her music, her art; it was her only solace. A sanctuary of peace and serenity to block out the Violent acts she committed, she found it odd that those words brought to mind images of beating somepony with a pipe; something she had never done. She shrugged away the thought as she continued to play the symphony that lived only in her head. it would be quite some time before she'd have to be an assassin again, for now she was once again a musician.

........................................................................................................................................................................................

Vinyl and Octavia sat on the opposite side of the Hotel. Vinyl had received a few glances but it seemed that her temporary disguise was working like a charm. The hotel was relatively empty, closed due to the damage caused by the incident. A few police ponies remained to keep watch over the situation.

"Alright, all we need to do is sneak past them and into the hotel." Vinyl rubbed her hooves together as she spoke, a smirk etched across her face.

"What are we even hoping to find in there Vinyl? I mean really, there can't be much left." Octavia sat, staring at the clouds, a Pegasus drifted slowly on one; the grounded pony frowned, she wasn't sure about the plan anymore.

"Clues Tavi, anything that might be helpful. Don't be a so uptight about it, chill okay?"

"Fine, let's go then." The grey pony slowly began to walk towards the hotel.

"Wait... What are you doing?"

"I'm going to... distract them," her smile could only be described as practiced seduction. "You sneak in and I'll meet you inside."

Vinyl only nodded as she watched her normally reserved friend casually muss up her mane and tail. She walked a ways behind the grey mare, watching for her opportunity.

Octavia took in a deep breathe before she began walking again, her flank swaying a bit more than necessary. She held her head tall, that same sexy half-smile plastered on her face. As she approached the staggered line of officers she began to look around confusedly, talking to herself. When she had their attention she began to make little half-circles; making sure her tail swished and swayed just enough to tease.

"Oh, I think I'm lost. Excuse me, but could one of you handsome officers help me?" she pouted innocently.

The four stallions took notice of her request, each one scrambled over to where she stood.

"You boys are too kind, oh and strong," she nearly cooed as her hoof traced over the chest of one of the bigger officers. She was smiling and flirting as they all tried to maintain her attention. She shot a glance at her friend, nodding in the direction of the hotel.

Vinyl quickly shook herself out of her state of shock, impressed by her friend's apparent skill. She quietly trotted over to the hotel, slipping in as the plan intended.

She sifted through the items scattered about the main lobby. Her magic floated each item closer for inspection. As she finished looking through all the items she heard a noise. Reacting quickly she jumped behind the counter. She ducked out of view listening carefully. The footsteps approached slowly, then stopped; Vinyl peeked her head over the counter.

"Thank Celestia, it's only you Tavi." She let out a sigh of relief as she trotted over to her friend. "Nice work out there, I didn't know you had it in you."

"I learned a few things in my life, one being that all stallions are the same." she brushed her mane back into place. "I slipped in the basement window, that looks to be the place where it all happened." she started trotting towards the stairway, Vinyl followed suit. The light grew dimmer as they wandered down into the moist and humid club. Vinyl illuminated what she could as they trotted toward the stage. They looked around, burn marks were scorched onto the metal stage, some broken glass bottles and soaked papers were pasted to the floor.

"Notice anything?" Vinyl said as she combed the area.

"No, not really. Wait..." Octavia trotted over to the doorway that led backstage, the tiniest shimmer catching her eye. "Vinyl, come over her." As the unicorn turned to walk over Octavia stooped down and took a closer look.

"Do you see that?"

"What am I supposed to be seeing?"

Octavia pointed her hoof at a considerable length of near invisible string, "That's piano wire, how many bands have a real piano?"

"Well buck, what do you think?" Vinyl stared at the wire, barely able to distinguish it from the trash.

"The police said there was an explosion, a sort of tripwire was used to activate it, this must be it." Octavia felt happy with her conclusion.

Vinyl smiled, it wasn't much but it was at least something. They continued to search but found little else to support their last claim. The grey mare sighed as she repeated her scan, "What now Vinyl? There's nothing else."

The white pony stopped to think, "You said you fell into a bad crowd when you were younger, right"

"Well yes, but I don't want to talk about that."

"Where was that?"

"Here in Manehattan, I was attending the Manehatten Institute of the Classical Arts. What does this have to do with anything?" Octavia stared confusedly, sitting down before realizing the floor was wet and covered in trash.

"I think we should pay your old friends a visit." Vinyl smiled, the grey mare before her shaking her head in disagreement.

They had walked for hours, Octavia begrudgingly led her friend through the twists and turns of Manehatten's many side streets and back alleys. To any normal pony this would be an endless maze of twists and turns, to the earth pony it was just a walk down memory lane. She sighed, her creamy white friend followed close behind her. She swished her tail to indicate which turns they would be taking.

Slowly they approached a convergence in the alleyways, a small pillar of smoke rose from the central fire. Tents in various states of disarray were scattered about the square. Ponies of all kinds lay or sat, their clothing and hair disheveled and unkempt.

"You used to run with this crowd?" Vinyl spoke quietly, almost afraid to disrupt the group before them. Octavia sighed and shook her head, the only answer she was willing to offer.

"Let me do the talking, okay? Because Celestia only knows if you'll understand."

Vinyl raised her eyebrow at this but remained quiet as two tall ponies took notice of them.

"Well well well, what 'ave we 'ere. Dva dobby Devotchkas looking ta filly an eegra? Chicago you bezoomy bratchny come govereet with the ptitsas."

"What did he say?" Vinyl whispered quietly.

Octavia quickly turned away from the gruff orange stallion in front of her. "He said, 'look at this, two girls looking to play a game. Chicago you crazy bastard come talk to them.' Don't worry I know these two, they just haven't recognized me." she whispered before returning to see a faded yellow pony with a red mane approach.

"Ah dva fine ptitsas, huh? Can I interessovat ya in peet or pischna? Or just the old' in-out in-out." He chuckled a bit too madly at that.

Octavia cleared her throat before speaking. "Chicago Lightning mi merzky gloopy ded droog, ya don't pony mi goloss?

He shook his head in surprise, the stallion at his side looking at her closer. "'Tavia is 'at you?" he smiled softly, "You ol' kot we haven't viddied you since we was just nadsats in the staja," he cooed in remembrance.

Vinyl just stood and stared, it was unintelligible to her. Her eyes swept across the camp as her friend continued with her conversation. She took note of them all, they were performers from what she could tell. Each had something that they did; music, art, dance, perform. They made their living from their work, they lived off the streets, but they were happy. She watched as a young colt began to juggle by the fire, a small crowd of foals sat and watched. Another colt sat beside him, tossing objects within his reach, until his total was 8. Vinyl watched, hypnotized by the simple act. Her eyes fixed on an orange and she tracked it as it traveled from hoof to hoof and back again. She was awoken from her reverie by her friend, Octavia nudged her side, "We finally have something to go on."

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

A/N There's going to be some minor character jumping as it is necessary, early on they are quite frequent but I promise each subsection will get longer and you'll see less of it. I'll identify the focus of the narration after the section break and before the beginning of the next section. So to be quick this means Octavia

This means Vinyl

This will stand For Bangtail

And this will be Arpeggio

Any combination will mean the narrative is equally focused on both, Now that that's done, please enjoy

Walking in the dark, the streets of Manehatten, Neigh York barren save for the few peddlers looking for last minute donations. The light green unicorn walked alone. Turning down into one of the park's pathways; seconds after disappearing, carriages raced down the street from where she came.

Their lights bright and horns blazing, she smiled as she tucked her quiver under her cloak trotting off into the darkness. "Another job well done Arpeggio." she smiled as she walked down the many alleyways of the city, finally making her way to a large rustic looking door, knocking twice she quickly let herself in. Across town she had left chaos.

The scene was packed, some ponies were dancing; they still hadn't noticed what had happened. Between the music and the lights, as well as the stray hallucinogen here and there, no pony expected them to. The colts in blue pushed their way through the crowd, the beats still thundering around them, the lights flashing and strobing in various directions. Under different circumstances this would have been one heck of a party, the new club would have been put on the map. It still was of course, but for slightly more morbid reasons.

"What happened here?" the blue policemare asked as she arrived on scene.

"Evening Inspector Bangtail. Victim goes by MC W1SH, he was hosting an event to celebrate the opening of this here club." The mustachioed Pegasus paused before continuing, "poor guy dropped faster than the bass though."

The blue mare nodded grimly before raising a hoof and smacking him on the back of the head, "Puns aren't funny Ronnie." she said seriously.

He stared at her, momentarily taken aback by the attack, "I'm not even sure that was a pun..."

"Whatever," she straightened her vest as she looked around. "How'd it happen?"

The Pegasus stared at her a moment, she made him uncomfortable; he shook his head, and gestured for her to follow. He led her through the crowd and under the police tape, showing her the scene.

Neon Lights lay slumped over his equipment, half his tie soaked red from the blood that had now clotted over his wound. The arrow had gone in clean, death was almost certainly instant. His face looked calm, his glasses fogged and the mic still near his hoof.

She grimaced slightly at the sight, turning away momentarily, her hoof at her mouth. "What's the ETD?"

"Judging by the blood on the wound here, we'd say it happened between an hour or two ago."

"Do we have any ideas?"

"Only clue we could find is that there are none," the mare furrowed a brow at the Pegasus in front of her. "What I mean is that the crime scene is too clean. Even the arrow doesn't show any signs of handling, we have deduced that the killer must have been a unicorn."

She sighed, "at best that only narrows our search by one third of the population." She took another look, then gathered Neon's equipment, and placed it in her bag. The music soon faded and the lights died down as she disconnected his work, cutting all ties he had with the physical world. She began to walk away as the stretcher-bearers arrived to gather the body, before turning to notice something, a pair of purple tinted sunglasses.

Octavia had just settled down; she had removed her bow tie, finished practicing and cleaning her cello, and had just sat down with a cup of tea when a loud banging came from her door. She set down her tea in a flash, her refined demeanor not showing any signs of irritation save for a slight eyebrow twitch. She quickly trotted to the door and looked through the peephole.

"Tavi you stuck up pony, I know your not asleep, open the door."

"Nice to see you too Vinyl," she sighed, "who else would it have been?"

She quickly unlocked the latch and the door swung open, a distressed looking white unicorn bursting into her foyer. Indignation was on her face as she panted and slumped to the floor. She looked defeated as she sat on the soft carpet of the apartment.

Octavia moved quickly, lifting her friend in one motion onto her back; she carried her to the living room where she had been prior to the disturbance. She laid her friend down on the couch, sitting across from her. "Vinyl, what in the name of Celestia is going on? Weren't you in Manehatten?" She took a sip of her tea but set it down, her nose upturned slightly. "Cold."

The white unicorn in front of her began breathing deeply, trying to compose herself before she told her story.

The night was young, she had just set up all her gear on stage, she was smiling. Work had been slow lately; she was happy to show off her new set. "Alright Vinyl, drop the first track," she placed the needle down, a soft melody flooded the club. "6 seconds in overlay the second track," she used her magic to start the second record on the table, adding a steady electronic beat. "13 beats in," she smiled as she floated a pair of headphones on, "drop the bass." The club erupted into a endless wave of fluid motion. Ponies dancing wildly to keep up with the beats she was producing.

Her set lasted an hour, she was happy with what she had created, she had just set down her glasses and given a bro-hoof to her friend as he went to address the crowd.

"Ay, are y'all having a good time?" he shouted, a loud uproar was his response. "Let's give it up for DJ PON-3, she hooked us up with all the music tonight." another loud uproar, she smiled and lifted a hoof in the air as she nodded to the ongoing beat. "Let's lay down the next track, I'll be back to check on ya in a bit. Stay classy Manehatten."

She was packing up her equipment when he trotted back into the booth. It was above the stage, nearly invisible from the dance floor. He trotted back up the stairs, frowning as he saw her packing up. "You're not gonna stick around for the party?"

"Not tonight Neon, I have a previous engagement." She gave him a wink and smiled, it wasn't true but she liked teasing him.

"Oh," he looked down sadly before rummaging through a bag, "alright well let me just get the bits I owe you for the show, awesome set tonight," he said as he tossed a small sack of coins her way. She floated them down into her bag along with her table.

"Hey we'll meet up later, alright?"

"Whatever loser," he smiled slipping back into his stage persona, "catch ya later."

She trotted off backstage before she realized that she had forgotten her glasses. As she turned around to retrieve them it happened. She saw him, the arrow quickly piercing through his chest, she was shocked, frozen in place. She looked back at her friend, she couldn't hear him over the noise but she could see what he was saying. Run.

She bolted, as fast as her legs would carry her; when she felt she was far enough away she stopped. She thought back on what she had seen, finally able to process it all. She threw up, from shock and exasperation."Where do we go? We need a place to stay, where where where?"Her mind wracked around the issue until it finally hit her. "Tavi." She took a deep breath and concentrated as hard as she could, the spell she was trying to perform was new to her. She had only seen it down by that purple unicorn back in Ponyville. It took every bit of her strength and focus, a vein on her forehead twitching slightly as she finally disappeared in a flash of blue light.

The two friends sat in silence, Vinyl exasperated from her story. Octavia shifted uncomfortably, thinking before she pried further. "Poor Neon, who would do such a thing? He seemed like such a nice fellow when I met him at that little soirée."

"You mean the Bonfire Kickback last month?" she smiled slightly remembering. "That's not important right now Tavi, someone killed Neon. I need a place to lay low. Can I crash here for awhile?"

The Grey pony placed her hooves under her chin, seemingly contemplating the idea. "Alright fine, but we will not have a repeat of that little fiasco when we were living together." she scolded.

"How was I supposed to know that chickens would react so violently to wubs," she shook her head, "never mind, thank you Tavi. You're the best."

"Yes well some would say that," she smiled wryly, "don't worry Vinyl we'll get this all sorted out on the morrow"

The unicorn was already snoring on the couch by that time. Octavia sighed, sauntering over to her closet and retrieving a blanket. She covered her friend before retiring to bed. *Sigh,* "What have you gotten into old girl?"

Arpeggio slipped out of her cloak, levitating it into her quarters. The quiver lay slung over her body before it too was stored in her closet, one arrow being levitated and placed in the quiver. As she rearranged her things a gruff voice struck her ears “Wie ist es gelaufen?”

“All went well Klangfarbenmelodie, I believe we'll all be quite pleased come morning.” she closed the door to her cabinet, revealing the large brown stallion who stood beside her cot. He smiled, clapping his hooves together. “Ah das ist gut, ja?”

“Quite,” she replied inattentively.

“Herr Requiem wishes see du.” His English was broken but she understood.

She sighed quietly, “Tell Master Requiem I will be in his chambers soon.”

He smiled as he trotted away down the hall, passing the living quarters and up the grand staircase in the foyer. Arpeggio sat a moment longer before straightening her mane, “Well, best not leave the old boy waiting.”

She rose quickly from her seat, turning to her door, and mimicking the path of her foreign associate. As she reached the top of the grand staircase, she was greeted by two white colts. "Ah yes the twins, Requiem's best bumbling bodyguards." “Good evening Adagio, Allegro, how do you fair?”

The first brother looked up rather slowly, he was in a constant state of lethargy. “Well enough I suppose.”

The second brother shot to attention, quickly staring back at her “Fine, just, fine. Everything has been swell.”

“Right, well if you boys don't mind, my presence has been requested by Master Requiem.” She paused, giving one enough time to register the statement and the other time to act upon it. She smiled as Allegro opened the door before her and she trotted by. Once the door was shut her face became one of incredulity, “You really need to get those boys analyzed Requiem, I worry for their safety sometimes.”

The dark green pegasus to whom she addressed was busying himself playing a low dirge on the organ, he held one long low note before turning. “Arpeggio my child, don't be so hard on the boys, why together they're almost one competent pony.” He smiled, pouring himself a drink and trotting to the fireplace. “Do come in child, I had some business I wished to discuss with you.”

She walked slowly, "More business, no rest for the weary as they say." “What can I do to better serve our cause?”

“You see, there is a reason you are my favorite.” He placed a hoof around her, handing her a drink with his wing, “always looking for the betterment of our establishment. I have another target for you child.”

She smiled, taking a sip of the cider in the glass, “Requiem I thought you said this was business, what you're offering is a night on the town.” They both smiled at that, letting out a small chuckle as they began to discuss the finer details.

“I need results!” Inspector Bangtail slammed her hoof on the desk. “We have one deceased musician and a killer at large. Give me suspects, not excuses.” The Pegasus in front of her stared blankly, having no information. She sighed, rubbing her temples with her hoof. "Ronnie, get out of my office and don't come back without something useful." he left quietly, nodding nervously.

She sat staring at the case file on her desk, it was nearly blank except for the victim, the weapon, and the location. She let her head slip downward, her eyes finally settling themselves on her saddlebag. She reached in and pulled out the purple sunglasses she had found at the crime scene. She held them up above her head facing the light, turning them every which way hoping for anything that might be a clue.

As she did so Magnum Opus walked by her office, turning to look in out of curiosity. As she stared at the mare she couldn't help noticing something familiar and let herself in.

"I didn't know you were a fan of DJ PON-3 too. You know, you never struck me as the partying type."

"Of who?" she looked at the intruder with confusion.

"DJ PON-3, those are replica sunglasses aren't they?"

"Actually for the time being they're evidence." she stood up and walked over to Magnum. "Do have a picture of this DJ with you?"

Magnum smiled, "Well yeah actually. She autographed this for me a few months ago, I bring it everywhere. Is she under investigation?"

Bangtail stared at the picture, taking in every detail. “Hmm Vinyl Scratch.” She quickly grabbed the case file, "She is now." she responded as she left Magnum alone and confused in the office. The blue mare rushed to the file room, her second office as the others called it. She quickly began opening files until she found the one she was looking for.

Name:Vinyl Scratch

Species: Unicorn

Previous charges: 3 charges of disturbing the peace, 2 charges general misconduct, 2 charges public drunkenness- later dropped due to misunderstanding - and 1 charge mistreatment of farmyard fowl.

Bangtail sighed, "Well it's no clean slate but she doesn't seem the murderous type." She stood up, "Well a lead is a lead, can't take any chances. If anything she may be able to shed some light on the situation." She took one last look at the file

Current Address: Ponyville.

As the train stopped outside Ponyville proper, Bangtail awoke from her thoughts. It had been a long trip from the Manehatten Department of Criminal Investigations; she stretched her legs out, slinging her bag onto her back before exiting the train. She looked around the small town trying to get her bearings. The sun hung low in the sky, it was already early evening and the streets were fairly empty. As she began to walk she felt something grab her and she was rushed inside a building.

"What's going on? Kidnapping an officer is a federal offense punishable by 6-9 years in the dungeon." she shouted as she was sat down inside a building, a cake and a rather large group of ponies staring at her. "Oh you gotta be kidding me." her hoof met her face for the umpteenth time that day.

A pink pony approached her and began smiling widely. "Oh welcome to Ponyville Mz. I noticed you step off the train and I've never seen you before, and if I've never seen you then you've never been here and if you've never been here then you don't know anypony. So I gathered everypony up and set up this party Lickety-split, so welcome to Ponyville."

The pink pony hadn't stopped for breath once and she still didn't look like she needed to, she quickly set up a line and introduced everypony to their guest. Bangtail sighed "I really don't have time for this, best be not be hostile though, can't arouse suspicion." after she had met everypony, her host left her to her own accord, mingling with her guests.

Bangtail rose from her seat quickly moving outside seemingly unnoticed, she trotted down the road a piece before a voice stopped her. "Pinkie can be a bit much sometimes huh?" a rainbow mare trotted up to her side, a cupcake in her hoof; one cheek full with the pastry. "You got to hand it to her though, she makes an awesome cupcake."

"Well I didn't really have the time to have a sample platter," her voice was impatient, laced with sarcasm.

"Yeah I noticed, so... What are you investigating?" the blue pony asked.

"Wha- nothing, I'm not looking for anything." she looked down but kept walking.

"I used to have a cousin who was an investigator in Cloudsdale, I recognize the badge." she smiled victoriously as the mare in front of her stopped.

"Look here rainbow, I'm here on important business and I don't need you mucking things up, so stay out of my way." she had turned around, a hoof in Rainbow's face.

"Hey, how'd you know my," she paused "oh right the mane. Anyway I'm only trying to help, I'm sure you'd like to find your evidence and leave, so what are you looking for?"

Bangtail sighed, her shoulders relaxing, "At this point who am I to deny help."

"I'm looking for Vinyl Scratch."

"She lives in that cottage down the road, I hope it's nothing serious."

The blue earth pony stared at the Pegasus daring her to pry further.

"look, like I said my cousin was an investigator, I know you can't tell me anything but whatever it is Vinyl probably didn't do it. Sure she likes to party but she's no menace." the rainbow mare turned, heading back to the party.

"Hey," she looked down at her hooves then back at the retreating pony, "thanks kid."

Bangtail trotted down to the aforementioned cottage, looking in it appeared empty. She gave the door a hard knock, waiting, but no response came. She tried once more, “Vinyl Scratch, I have some questions concerning your whereabouts last night.” Still he door remained closed, not a sound came from the other side. She sighed, defeated. She kicked her hoof at the ground, unsure of what to do next, She trotted over to the Ponyville branch of the the police force. "Only one thing left to do." As she entered the small office, only one or two ponies occupied it, she shouted “I'm putting out an APB for Vinyl Scratch.”

"Whether she did it or not, she's the only lead I have, and I'm going to find her one way or another."