I woke to a pounding headache.
It centered on my forehead, directly between my eyes. Half-awake, I rubbed it and paused. There was something there.
I rolled out of bed, scrambling towards my mirror. I parted my bangs, and the events of last night came crashing back, shattering the peaceful calm of sleep.
The Gallery. The attack. Verdant Moss and Vinyl. Violence. Syzygy.
I drew a deep breath and let out a long, shuddering sigh. On my forehead, barely an inch long, was a tiny gray nub of horn.
It will fade.
Vinyl had been clear on that. I shook myself, composing my emotions, and brushed my bangs carefully back over the nub.
The apartment was silent. I checked the clock. Shimerelle was gone, studying pegasus flight with the early P.E. class, and wouldn't be back until after noon at the earliest. I reveled in the solitude, wrapping the silence around me like a familiar symphony. My room was quiet. A soft breeze sighed through the windows, late spring warmth filling the bright space with calm and peace.
I took my time with my morning rituals, letting my headache dissipate as I enjoyed a warm shower and fluffy towel, before carefully combing my coat and mane. Afterwards, I felt almost normal. But despite it all, a familiar craving crawled in the back of my throat. I methodically prepared for the day, gathering what I'd want for lectures, but I knew what I needed. I stood in silence a moment longer before proceeding.
I opened the fridge, reaching into the back. The dark glass bottle sloshed quietly as I drew it out, barely a third left. I'd have to ask about getting more.
I drew a clean glass from the cupboard, pouring the deep crimson liquid carefully. I replaced the bottle and sat at the table. The breeze ruffled my mane, drying it.
For a long, quiet moment, I simply sat and stared at my breakfast.
The smell was still wonderful. Roses, vanilla, cinnamon, deep, earthy scents. This was earth pony blood. Life-essence, red and rich.
I sloshed the glass slightly, watching carnelian ripples rise up the sides and settle back into the impenetrable center.
I had Vinyl's assurance that there had been no violence involved.
I took a sip.
Warmth spread through me, life and peace simmering gently on my tongue. Calm and comfort trailed down my throat, spreading from my core as the blood slipped into my stomach.
I stared at the glass again. Revulsion rose, abhorrence and disgust at what I was doing warring against the wonderful sensation of consuming something so good.
I took another sip.
Visceral feelings warred quietly. Slowly, the disgust gave way to satisfaction, leaving only the deeper unquiet at just how easy it had been, just how quickly I'd succumbed to liking this.
The obvious alternative, though, was enough to keep me from pursuing that thought very far.
As I sipped, I contemplated.
My world was changing, and it was changing fast.
I liked change. The flow of music, the twist and reveal of a performance, the understated surge and ebb of the seasons and weather, all of it sat comfortably with me. But even more than I liked change, I liked control.
I wasn't a happy-go-lucky pony. I didn't gamble recklessly or thrill in risk. I calculated, measured, prepared… and then threw the dice. Last night, as the hunter, I'd moved in a position of strength, drawing the ponies tailing us into my flow, directing them to the end I'd wanted. As the hunted, I'd been forced to react, run, hide, fight, and I'd found myself severely wanting.
And then I'd met Syzygy.
Besides even the blood he'd given me, and the strange, crackling energy that it surged with, everything about him made me uneasy. It was like Silver, but worse. Discovering his intent was sheer simplicity, since he'd told us all, but that really answered nothing. He was a player, an excellent one. He'd carefully layered a sharp-edged persona over an uncomplicated, single-minded drive, just enough of the first to distract from the second, giving an excellent picture of completion. It was a masterful performance, and I was itching to uncover what he had hidden under that. I didn't buy his 'misunderstood' for a moment. How many ponies looked at the first, uncovered the second, and simply thought 'oh, that explains it'? How many of them really considered why he was so fascinated by vampires, when it was so interesting trying to guess what he'd do next?
My only consolation was that, as long as I played his game, the rules wouldn't change until he was ready. And it was quite obvious I was a big piece in his estimation, big enough to keep him playing along while I held his interest.
I'd have to be careful to keep it.
I sipped my… drink again, contemplating. I'd smelled his proffered glass, hadn't even considered thinking about it. Vinyl had accepted readily, and it had been good. Warm, which was pleasant. It had smelled more alive, vital, fresher. Oranges, lemon, mint, perhaps. I thought back to the whiff I'd gotten when Shimerelle had cut her leg, wondering. I'd been so caught up in the smell of life, I'd barely even noticed the higher notes—
A grimace crawled across my face, unchecked in the silent privacy of breakfast. Was I seriously thinking of ponies, friends, like I considered wine?
I gulped the dregs of the glass convulsively, moving quickly to wash the cup. I wiped my mouth, rinsing everything with splashes of clean water.
Magic. That was what I'd been contemplating.
After finishing the dose he'd given me, a tingling energy had crawled over my coat, scrambling from the tips of my hooves up to the center of my forehead. It had knocked my thoughts loose, a frantic effulgence of power demanding release. I remembered trying desperately to reduce it, lashing out with uncoordinated strength in ways I really didn't understand.
I had been casting spells.
Vinyl had grabbed me, urging calm and control, but the world had been distorted, like looking through warped lenses. The strangest things had demanded absolute attention, undivided focus. There had been a moment of music, and then shattering. I'd cut myself, and the healing had fascinated me, the purposeful reknitting of my skin and muscle thrumming with an amazing interplay of power.
I winced, recalling how I'd cut myself again and again, simply to watch the magic.
I'd stumbled home in something of a haze. My bed had been welcome, although I still felt restless. My sleep had been light, although refreshing enough.
Finally, my thoughts fell quiet as well. After a long, peaceful moment, I shrugged on my saddlebags and composed my feelings.
The apartment door closed quietly behind me.
Time to start the day.
"Miss Octavia?"
"Hmmm?" I looked up from my page of notes. A uniformed courier was proffering a letter. A few of my classmates gave me curious glances, but the lecturer was too enraptured with the wonders of ancient Minoa to notice what was happening in the back of his classroom. "Ah, yes." I signed, taking the envelope. It was signed 'Syzygy Stardust'. I frowned, considering. Couriers were exemplary, but this was more than a little odd.
Sighing quietly, I broke the seal and withdrew a simple sheet of notepaper. It was covered in sharp, exact writing.
Miss Octavia
Thank you for your help last night. I apologize for the deception, but your assistance was truly invaluable to my research! I would very much like a chance to speak with you at length, and perhaps attempt a few more experiments. I eagerly hope for your consent. However, I have a more urgent matter for your attention.
After comparing your story with Silver's, I've reached a worrying conclusion. He mentioned a 'tracker' for the necklace, and I feel whoever was behind your attack last night must have access to something similar. The specimen you retrieved is crude, much less capable than the dusk walker. It can be likened to a point-and-release weapon, judging by what I can glean from fragments of its magic system. It was aimed at you by somepony, and they had specific information on where you were at the time. Putting aside the questions these anomalous vampires raise, the inference somepony is tracking the necklace is obvious, although we can hope they don't know who holds it currently.
Needless to say, this is an urgent matter. Unfortunately, I can't conclude anything more concrete. Even after a simple scan, I found your artifact relatively easy to trace, although that was likely because I observed it actively interacting with you. I apologize for invading your privacy, but I leveraged that to notify you as quickly as possible. I hope I didn't interrupt an important lecture?
On the reverse, please find a short term enshrouding spell. I urge you to seek better protection as soon as reasonably possible, and I hereby offer my own services. With a more detailed examination, I may be able to produce a more permanent effect. Please call on me anytime. I think we can benefit each other greatly.
Wishing you safety and success in all you endeavor,
Syzygy Stardust, Hunter, Self-Styled Vampiricist, Thaumotrician M.D.
I stared at the letter for a long moment, reading and re-reading it. His conclusions seemed firm to me, and a little frustration welled up. I honestly should have seen this possibility myself. In retrospect, it was startlingly obvious. What were the chances we just happened to bump into a vampire that was hunting me? Of course it had been tracking us! If only Silver had mentioned the spell to me earlier… I gritted my teeth and shook my head. No, second-guessing did nothing for hindsight, and I was no magician.
I flipped the page over, and a precisely printed set of runes spread before me.
At least, I'd never been a magician before last night. Still, this was probably out of my league. I folded the letter carefully, filing it in my binder with the rest of my homework.
Maybe Vinyl could help.
I walked home slowly. After the letter, I'd been hard-pressed to focus on the rest of my classes, instead mulling over Syzygy and my predicament.
"Octy, hey, Octy!"
"Please." I stopped, turning to where a familiar unicorn rested on a nearby bench. We were close to my apartment. "Please. Stop. Calling me that."
"But hey, it's so much shorter than your full name!" Vinyl pushed her shades up on her head, grinning broadly and patting the seat next to her.
"Two syllables." I wandered over, slipping off my saddlebags and sitting down.
"And that's, like, fifty percent." She waved the discussion away. "Anyways, how're you holding up? Thought I'd check in, since we were all like 'you need help' yesterday."
"Not so well." I squished my eyes shut, trying to organize my thoughts. "Can I trust Syzygy? Why is he so… I don't know, cavalier? Why should I believe anything he says?"
"You can trust him to keep his word, at the very least." Vinyl gave me a serious stare. "It's very important to him. I joke about his personality, but don't take that too seriously. He's pulled things like that on me before, and I can say for certain he's actually very careful about not hurting patients; he takes his hippomedic oath seriously. Actually, I think it's something of a defense mechanism. The ponies who can't deal with him never come back, but those who stay realize he's not simply insane, because he really is very good at what he does. It's like an extreme trust filter."
"Extreme is right." I rubbed my forehead. The nub of horn was nearly gone. "Is he really a doctor?"
"Yeah. He studied thaumology or something, how magic works in your body and how to fix it when its broke. Where's all this coming from?"
I shuffled through my binder and pulled out the note. She studied it for a minute, before flipping it over.
"Oh. Well, hay."
"Can you cast it?"
"Let me try." She frowned, concentrating. After a moment, the runes glowed, and an itchy feeling crept over me.
"Ah, yuck." I shivered, trying to rid myself of the sensation. It faded slowly.
"Did it work?"
"It did something."
"Well, it ought to have some effect, but I’m not very unicorn right now. I usually go half-and-half with earth pony. Your type is pretty useful for lifting amps and going twenty hours without sleep. Maybe Lyra can help."
"What's with her, anyways?" I took the paper back, carefully folding it away. "Everypony said she's completely normal. How'd she end up with you guys? Is she secretly some sort of martial artist or necromancer or assassin or something lethal?"
"What?" Vinyl gave me a nonplussed stare. "No, Lyra's about as dangerous as a cinnamon roll. She's actually totally normal, as far as we can measure."
"Do you usually compare your friends to delicious sugary food?"
"Ehehe, well. Um. Anyways, it's not like we're some exclusive weirdo club, but there is something strange about her. None of us have any idea why, but she's stupid lucky."
"Good luck?"
"Yeah. I'm surprised she didn't sweep you clean at cards. Never, ever dice with her. She knows it, and even how it works, I think, but she won't talk about it."
"Huh. Poker's more about observation, though."
"When I had them searching for you, I expected her or Mossy to find you, really. It's a good thing it was her. For some reason, she absolutely terrifies the Pict.”
"Weird, I wonder—" I froze, as a sudden crushing pressure descended on me. It was worse than Silver or Syzygy, worse than the vampire we'd fought. Terror literally froze me in place.
"Dragon!" Vinyl yelped, scrambling backwards and tumbling off the end of the bench.
"Indeed." The voice was rolling and chill. I slowly cranked my head around, finally seeing an ice-blue form behind us. He might have passed as a pony from a distance, if I hadn't noticed the scales, claws, or teeth. He sniffed deeply, eyes narrowing. "A daylight corpse, consorting with the half living. No wonder I smelled familiar magic on that bubbly mare. Your kind was always fascinated by the carcanet. It seems lying in wait here was a good choice." He glanced back over his shoulder, towards… my apartment?
Wait, bubbly? Was he talking about Shimerelle? What did she have to do with this?
"I'm sorry?" I wound up my self-control, fighting past the chills racing across my coat. "You seem to have me at a disadvantage."
"Don't I just." He grinned, glacier-green eyes fierce. "I'll have my treasure back, little pony. One way or another, I'll know if it was you. Not even the dead can thieve from me with impunity."
"Treasure?" My confusion was real, although conflicting emotions helped keep my face calm. "I have no idea what—" I flinched as a shard of magic zipped past. The dragon watched impassively, even as it nearly skimmed him. I heard Vinyl shuffle behind the bench.
"Of course you don't." His voice took on a wry tinge. "Why, if I mentioned the blood of stars, you would claim it's just a phrase. As if any of your kind is a guileless innocent."
"I've never heard of—"
"I'm not playing games." He stepped forward, and hot breath pinned my ears back. When had he gotten so close? "I've been searching for long enough, and your very existence—"
"Beau, wait, please!"
"Silver?" The dragon's head snapped around, and a little of the pressure lifted from me. "You have a stake here?"
"She's a friend of mine." The pegasus swept in, alighting gently, though his stance was aggressive. A touch of relief warmed my emotions. "Both of them."
"You won't fight me."
"I would, as I value my honor. I wouldn't win." He spread his wings, and I saw glints in the feathers. "Still, let's not cheapen our actions, and talk for a moment."
"Words are worthless here." The dragon dismissed him completely, turning back to me.
"By your name, please wait!"
"You will invoke that so easily?" He snorted in frustration and stepped away from me. "Do not wear it out, Silver."
"I apologize." He bowed deeply. "Thank you for your patience. Before you act, please consider this. I'm friends with both of these mares, and consider them both good ponies. I don't know what they did to anger you, but surely it's not worth hurting them over."
"Your opinion is fiat." Beau pointed at us. "These two are undead, living corpses who steal life from others." He paused a beat. "You're not surprised."
"My word is worth gold." I winced as Silver raised his voice, but Beau didn't seem to notice. "Vinyl is honorable, doing harm to none, and Octavia is newborn as of this week! Even the meanest appraiser won't price a piece apart from its history. Are you any less?" He leaned forward challengingly.
"Newborn?" Beau's looked me over slowly, and stepped back. "Truly?"
"Truly." I nodded. Some of my initial reaction was fading, and the fact that we were talking now, instead of being attacked, assuaged it further. "I'll swear on whatever you ask, I had no hoof in robbing you." Keep it simple; that, at least, I could be certain of. "Do you hate what I am so much, you'd condemn me for something I had no say in?" A tinge of bitterness entered my voice. "I never asked to be like this!"
"Hmm." He considered my outburst, cocking his head.
"You were robbed?" Silver sounded horrified.
"Indeed." Beau snarled slightly. "Sometime over a year ago, a thief violated my hoard.”
“And you think I should know about it.” I was curious now. He knew something, and I’d love to know what.
“Well.” He considered me for a long moment. “Yes, unless you truly have no connection to the one who turned you. Much of what was taken was simply mundane jewels, but one was a piece above price, an ancient inheritance. Something the ones ponies call ‘daywalkers’ have always coveted.”
“This ‘carcanet’.” I tasted the word, wondering. “And it brought you here.”
“Indeed. I will have what is mine. And the clue I found..." He breathed a plume of flame. I winced, but it never reached me, curling to hang in the air. After a second, it shimmered and morphed, forming the image of a smudged rune-circle. "The thief was prepared beyond expectation and knew when I was absent. They escaped via teleportal. Truly pinpointing the destination was impossible, but they landed within a thousand leagues of here. This is the only place it could be hidden with any certainty until my scent faded."
"So you joined the University?" I tried not to sound incredulous, but Silver shot me a warning glance.
"Tearing the city apart stone-by-stone would be frowned upon." His lips curled upwards. "And slightly onerous. After my initial canvass failed, I decided to enjoy myself gainfully as I continued my search. There's always something to learn. The living dead were always my primary suspect, and apparently they now walk openly among ponies."
"Um." Silver paused, as Beau looked to him. "About that. Please don't spread their identity around."
"Hmmm?" Beau glanced at us again. "Why ever not? You claimed they are above reproach." He quirked an eyebrow.
"Reproach, yes. Unreasoning fear? No. They don't exactly 'walk openly'. Tell you what; how about I make it worth your while?"
"Intriguing. Continue."
"We'll help you with your search for the thief. These two have connections. I'm a Hunter, and I can ask my boss to look into it, if you give us some details."
"You'd work for me? Hah!" Beau threw his head back in a laugh. "You'd work for me, without even pay, and Intaglio, too! Truly, that's rich! Poetic, even! Hah!" After a moment guffawing, he calmed, seriously considering. "Well, I have little to lose, and it would at least be entertaining. Very well, I will keep your secret for now, and I may demand your assistance later."
"I will be bound by this." Silver bowed.
"See that you are." Beau stepped back further, spreading his wings. "I will watch you two corpses. Be careful, now." He flapped once, soaring away with surprising grace.
"Hah." I let out a long breath. "You can come out now, Vinyl. He's gone."
"Thanks for calling me." Silver stepped over to her as she shuffled to her hooves. "Good thing my home was in range of your spell."
"Huh?" I blinked for a moment, but remembered the shot that had whizzed past. "Oh, that's what that was. Good thinking, Vinyl."
"Thanks." She roughly dusted herself off. "Sorry I wasn't more use. I've got a 'thing' about dragons."
"It's fine."
"But why'd you go making promises, Silver?" She gave him an aggrieved stare. "Now I'm beholden to that lizard, on your word! Who knows what he'll ask?"
"He won't ask us to break the law." Silver shook his head. "And as for why? You heard him. Carcanet. It's archaic, but the word means 'necklace'." He pointed to my scarf, wrapped snugly even in the warm weather. "I'll give you three guesses on which stolen, magical, vampire-related artifact he's been searching for, and the first two don't count."
"Oh." I said.
"Oh." Vinyl echoed.
"Exactly." He paused, drawing in a deep breath. "I only wish he'd told us more. We need to go see Intaglio." Frustration crawled into his voice. "That slippery snake has some explaining to do."
Intaglio, surprisingly, was much less intimidating than Beau.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Octavia." He was taller and bulkier, standing on two feet to greet us. He had golden scales, shining in the afternoon sun streaming through the window in the small office, but he was also covered in a strange tracery of black lines, an angular, geometric pattern that seemed almost burned into his hide. I pondered the lack of wings for a moment, but dismissed it as he offered me a clawed hand.
"I'm glad we can meet like this." I smiled, letting him shake my hoof. "From what I've heard, it was the less likely outcome."
"Ah, well." He grinned and shrugged. "We've been fortunate. And you must be Silver's friend." He turned to Vinyl.
"Yes, this is the invert I've been working with." Silver waved her forward.
"Vinyl Scratch." She offered a hoof, clearly uneasy.
"A pleasure." Intaglio grinned again. "I can't help but feel I've seen you before. Have we met?"
"I think I'd remember something like that." Vinyl gave a nervous laugh, and Intaglio nodded absently, before shrugging and letting it drop.
"Anyways, what brings you three here?" He sat down at his desk again, leaning back in his chair as we took seats.
"Things are getting complicated." Silver leaned forward, suddenly serious as we got down to business. "A few days ago, you urged me into a job at the University. What you failed to mention was that one of the students was a dragon. A dragon you know, who could tell you'd sent me, who happens to be searching for a precious magical artifact related to vampires which he termed a 'carcanet'. This caused problems for them," he pointed to us, "and problems for me, Intaglio. It nearly came to blows, and there's no way that could have ended well. I need more information, and I need it now." He rapped a hoof on the arm of his chair, emphasizing. "Talk, Intaglio."
"I… Hmmm." Intaglio rubbed his eyes, grimacing. "Well, I'll start with an apology. I had no idea Beau was searching for something, but my actions did endanger you three. I'm sorry."
Silver nodded tersely, waving for him to continue.
"I'd hoped sending you would encourage him to come see me, simple as that. I also expected to stir up the other factions slightly, perhaps misdirect their attention. Your actions are unusual, Silver, but if they're unusual because of me, they may not notice her." He pointed to me. "You know a flat denial is much less likely to be accepted than subtle misdirection, as much as you dislike that tactic."
"You could have told me this." Silver's voice was accusing.
"Yes." Intaglio nodded slowly. "But it would have made your job harder. I couldn't guess their actions. What if you were questioned about my aims? You're a horrible liar. Better to frame you as pawn, keep the attention on me."
"Haaaaa." Silver sighed, acquiescing. "Fair enough. I can accept that. You’re the boss, I suppose. And if it had stopped there, I probably wouldn't even come like this. But. Beau knew things. He talked about the carcanet; he talked about vampires. He knows things, and you know him. Is there anything you're not telling us?"
"You think the carcanet is the necklace." Intaglio gave Silver a sharp stare.
"It fits." He shrugged. "Magical. Stolen. He claimed vampires were fascinated with it. Actually, scratch that. He claimed Octavia should be fascinated with it, and mostly ignored Vinyl."
"He called me a 'daylight corpse', and her a 'half alive'." I shook my head slowly. "I can't believe I was wearing this the whole time…" I loosened my scarf, and the necklace gleamed softly.
"Interesting…" Intaglio leaned closer.
"We cast that shroud spell right before," Vinyl added.
"He wouldn't track it with magic." Silver waved that away. "Dragons don't really do spells like unicorns. He would know his hoard by scent, but if it's been more than a year, that would fade."
"He's right." Intaglio shrugged. "Especially since this necklace isn't dragon magic. It's pony in origin, no doubt about it."
"How can you tell?" I watched closely as he considered his reply.
"It's not dragon, because I'd feel a resonance. Also, the effects are much too mild." He shrugged. "The design is a clue, but the way it's enchanted means it's either made by or for ponies."
"Or bloodsuckers," Vinyl interjected. "I guess we'd have to ask—"
"Syzygy." I sighed.
"Again, I'm sorry." Intaglio nodded to me. "I don't know any more about this. I've been around a while, but Beau and I are from vastly different backgrounds. Dragon histories are usually not written, and I've never had a chance to talk to him. It's the same for vampires. I didn't even know they existed until I left the griffons, what, a century and a half ago? If he's been involved with Equestrians for longer, he's got a completely different perspective. Still." He pulled out a sheet of paper and made a few notes. "I can ask questions, see if 'carcanet' comes up. There are other ageless around."
"Before that," Silver said, "look into jewel thieves. He said this was stolen over a year ago, by a pony who went to ground here. A prepared expert, who made a tactical entry and retreat."
"I'll check the fences," Intaglio muttered, brows furrowed. "But that was a while ago. Profiling might help; that sort of skill and backing aren't common. I wish we had more connections underground, but that's hard, working with high-profile legal mercenaries. Everything is third-claw at best. I could petition Celestia for help, but she would want details."
"She's likely watching Beau too." Silver frowned. "Hope we don't get caught up in that."
"So, wait a sec," Vinyl asked, "you need to talk to some jewel thieves?"
"It could help." Silver turned to her. "You know somepony?"
"Maybe." She frowned. "I don't think he'll be happy about it, but we might be able to convince him."
"Are. You. Serious."
"Unfortunately, Mossy, we are." Vinyl gave a firm nod.
We were standing just inside a broken-down apartment building, filled with… junk. Road signs, take-out boxes, discarded furniture, scrap iron, and chunks of paving stone were tossed about the room, as if somepony had swept up the detritus of a busy street, poured it in, and shaken well.
Grimy sunlight oozed through cracked windows, and the empty alleyway outside was empty of traffic, but in here, the discussion was just getting started.
"Look," Verdant Moss said, "I've been avoiding Cracked Ruby for weeks, for very good reasons. I don't want anything to do with her. She's not some two-bit player. She's a professional, and she doesn't take no for an answer. She wants my skills, and she'll leverage any hold she has over me to the fullest. What's this about, anyways?" He was pacing, full of energy, although he didn't look nervous or emotional. His brown coat shimmered in the scattered light, blue mane flashing as he stepped solidly back and forth.
"Well, there's this dragon." Vinyl flopped onto one of the less-destroyed couches. "Somepony stole a thing from him, and we're trying to find out who it could have been. There aren't many thieves in town with the skills and backing to pull something like that off."
"Why are you so jittery?" I asked, curious about his ceaseless twitches.
"Rush hour." He waved a hoof, swaying and turning. "Too much energy around. Can't stop myself. Some days it's better, some worse. On holidays, I dream electric and breathe parade music. Yeah, Cracked Ruby is your best bet. Even if she didn't do it, she'd know who could, maybe even who did. She won't tell you, though." He sighed, and turned. "Not without convincing. Which, of course, is where I come in. You need a bargaining chip."
"I…" Vinyl trailed off. "Yeah. Basically."
"You're a friend, Vinyl, but this isn't exactly a small favor." He frowned.
"What would make it worth your while?" I stepped forwards, taking the lead. Never start negotiations with an offer.
"Nothing. There's got to be some other way."
I shared a glance with Vinyl. She shrugged.
"Look, we don't even know what we're aiming for, here." Silver waved a wing, cutting through the discussion. "I mean, we came over with the idea: stolen jewel, jewel thief. Jewel thief, Cracked Ruby. Cracked Ruby, Verdant Moss. We haven't made any suggestions, we don't even know what you're thinking. You've obviously got some idea as to how you could get something out of Cracked Ruby, and you don't like it; fair enough. But we don't even have that. Why don't you tell us what you won't do, and we can think about it from there?"
"Right." Verdant paced a few more steps. "Okay. Well, Vinyl here wants info out of Ruby. Ruby's not stupid, though; she doesn't brag about her past heists, and she's careful to stay disconnected from crime in any meaningful way. Asking nicely won't work. Threatening her probably won't work. However, if I agreed to join, there's a chance she would pay me with information. If she didn't do it, she's got some idea who did, and even a refusal would tell us something."
"Hmm…" I rubbed my jaw, thinking. "Well, you're right. We can't ask that of you. But what about one of us?"
"Wouldn't work." He dismissed the idea with a flick of his ear. "Silver's a Hunter. If she wanted Vinyl, she'd have asked, but with that reputation…" He shrugged. "Probably too unpredictable. And you're simply too unknown. It won't happen."
"No, that's not how it works." I shook my head firmly. "You've said she's got a price. As long as it's negotiable, we can figure something out."
"I don't think—" Silver started, but I cut him off.
"Just hear me out. I know a little about negotiation, and it's not a simple either-or until all the cards are down. We can't dismiss this yet; we just need to go deeper. If we can find what she wants, we can offer her that. She's interested in you, Verdant, because of your skills. Sure, you're probably unique in the city, but there's a situation she wants those skills for, and a reason she cares about that situation. It's more than just 'wants you', and there's no point in limiting ourselves to that."
"You're saying we need to seize initiative, force a change." Silver gave me a piercing look.
"Exactly. Are we sure this is worthwhile?" I looked at them, reading their reactions. Silver was reserved, Vinyl uncertain, and Verdant was staring intently. "Well?"
"This necklace started things off," Silver said slowly. "And it's tied up with the dragons and vampires, somehow. If we don't know what we're dealing with, we'll regret it."
"I don't like waiting for Intaglio." Vinyl shook her head. "But when it comes right down to it, isn't this really your choice, Octavia?"
"My choice…" I mumbled, looking down. She was right, wasn't she? For days now, I'd been swept along, despite my best efforts at any sort of control. Running from Vinyl had worsened things, and I'd been a helpless against two attacks. But the necklace was important. And here, now, was a chance to learn something, take a meaningful action, step forwards and grasp the flow of events on my terms. If we could find out who had stolen it, maybe we could discover who had owned it, who had kicked this whole mess off.
I felt it around my neck, beneath the scarf. I still had no idea what it was doing to me. I wanted to know 'who', and I craved understanding on 'why'. Maybe Beau could tell me more, what this thing meant or did, but if he knew I had it… No, that came later. I did want this.
"We should do something." I looked up, deciding. "We need to at least talk to Cracked Ruby. I think we should proceed. Carefully. Let's try to discover something useful."
"Well, I'm with you." Vinyl grinned. "This sounds like fun."
"I'll help as I can," Verdant added. "As a friend."
We all looked to Silver, who was slowly scrunching his face tighter and tighter with frustration.
"I…" He blew out a breath. "We'll see. I'm not good at subtle, for the most part, but I do think we need to know."
"Well!" Verdant smiled widely. "This should be interesting! So, how do we start?"
"What do we know about her?" I looked to him. "Anything at all."
"Very little." He frowned. "The name, some of the ponies she employs, that's about it. Although…" He scratched an ear. "There is a rumor. They say that if you want to talk to her, you need to go through Azure Mist. I have no idea what you'd even say, though."
"Azure Mist, the socialite?" I flicked my ears forward. "She's not exactly low profile."
"There's bound to be some sort of protocol screen." Silver frowned. "Maybe my contacts…"
"Even if we knew how to get her to listen, those high-class types like to keep to themselves," Vinyl added. "The only place we could be sure of finding her would be at some hoity-toity get together."
"I could do it." They turned to me. "I can get into one of those parties, easily. If I knew what to say, I could sound things out."
"I'll need time to gather info," Silver said, "but I might be able to find out a little more about how this works."
"You can use my name," Verdant offered. "She'll listen if she thinks it came from me. Let me know before you make any moves, though. I've already got a lot on my plate."
"Right." Plans began to form in my mind, threads of action and knots of complication spiraling and winding as I traced my options, plots and schemes emerging as I considered variables and challenges. "This could work."
"Haaah."
"Long day, huh?" I glanced at Silver. He'd offered to walk me home. It wasn't dark, but night was near. Vinyl had bowed out as we left Verdant's house, and I'd spent most of the walk in slightly unsure silence.
"Yeah." He ruffled his wings, as the warmth of the day started to fade. "Students and a dragon. Vampires and a dragon. My boss, a dragon."
"Students?" I gave him a curious glance.
"Like I mentioned to Intaglio, I got… urged, into subbing for a class at the University. Beau, the dragon who threatened you, is a student there. Only one class in, and things are interesting."
"Where did you learn to deal with dragons? I was impressed with how you handled that, even if you were a bit… direct."
"Protocol lessons." He grimaced. "Dragons, griffins, zebras, minotaurs; being polite is important. That's about all I can do, though. Syzygy would have him paying you damages, and Intaglio would have stripped his wings off."
"Huh." I studied him again, wondering. "Where did you go to school?"
"I never have, not formally." He glanced away at that, clearly uncomfortable, and I let it drop.
"You've put a lot on the line for me."
"You're not thanking me again, are you?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Well, maybe a little." I smiled back. "I'm sincere, though. You're risking your reputation on me, aren't you? I've picked up that much."
"Yeah. A little. Look, Octavia." His face turned serious for a second. "Did you actually mean it, when you asked me to take responsibility?"
"Sort of." I chewed the idea over. "I seriously wanted to see your reaction, but… I never expected more than what I got."
"You're kinda like Syzygy." He laughed, lightly.
"I know." My voice was somber.
"No, I didn't mean—"
"You did, though." I smiled, not letting it sting. "And you're right. I wanted to know if I could trust you, what made you tick, and I wasn't very polite about it."
"So?"
"Huh?"
"What did you decide? Am I trustworthy?"
"Yes." I nodded slowly. "You're still strange to me, but you're a good pony."
"Thanks."
We fell into silence again. The streets were fairly empty as we climbed the mountain, downtown slowly yielding to the richer suburbs higher up. There was a bit more life as we reached the belt around the college, a jumble of bars and apartments and small, chintzy shops.
"I wish I could do that." He broke the silence with a sigh.
"Know you're a good pony?"
"Know others are trustworthy. I've got these rules, codes, and guidelines I follow. As long as I stick to them, I can stay hidden, fly under the clouds. That's all I ever do, because I'm too afraid to risk more."
I gave him a long look, trying to reconcile his willingness to go claw and hoof against a dragon with 'afraid'.
"We all do that, though." I looked up, contemplating, but the stars weren't out yet. "I've been kicked so far out of my comfort zone I can't smell it from here. Is your reputation so important to you?"
"No." He paused. "Or rather, it shouldn't be. When I saw you hurt, I made a decision. I won't regret that. I've been thinking it over, and I won't give in."
"Good pony, see?"
"Thanks."
As we neared my apartment, he slowed and stopped, holding back.
"Look, Octavia." His ears twitched nervously, and he paused.
"Yes?"
"I was pretty meh about helping you, earlier."
"That's not—"
"No, hear me out. I can't offer you much more than this, but I do want to take your offer."
"Huh?"
"Let me be responsible for you. At least a little. If you’re hurt, I’ll take it personally. If you need my strength, I'll be there for you. Not just as a friend, but as somepony who saved your life, who's willing to protect you."
"Like with Beau?" I remembered how he'd threatened to fight for us, and felt a touch of warmth.
"Like with Beau." He nodded. "If you need me, just call. I'll come quick." He smiled slightly, and spread his wings. "And I do mean quick."
"Thank you." I gave him a sincere smile, and a little of my stress faded. An offer like that meant a lot, especially with the honest resolve I saw in his eyes.
"You're welcome." He bowed, deep and formal. "Sleep well, Octavia Philharmonica."
I watched in silence as he winged slowly away, turning to my door only when he was out of sight.
The apartment was quiet.
I smiled quietly, thinking of my cello, threads of intrigue shimmering in my mind.
Maybe it was time for a little noise.