//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 "Story of a Girl" // Story: Equestria Noir Case 12 "The Vinyl Scratch!" // by Jacoboby1 //------------------------------// Chapter 3 “Story of a Girl” I walked around Ponyville in the hopes of finding Octavia, before she left town. I couldn’t deny just how pale she got when she saw the message. I was tired of being in the dark about this cello player. I wanted answers and I want them now. I eventually found her as I walked down the street leading to the train station. Sure enough, there she stood. She handed a train worker her luggage and was about to step onto the train. When she saw me, I made a break for the train. She leaped onto the train just as it started moving. I galloped along the tracks behind the train, and leaped onto the caboose. I climbed the ladder onto the back platform of it. I looked over and saw that Octavia was climbing on top of the train car. I followed by climbing on top of the caboose. As we stood facing each other on top of the train, I glared at her, “I know who you are Octavia Val Jean!” “So you finally remember me,” Octavia said, with a small smile “It was quite a pleasure to see you again.” “Enough games, Octavia,” I growled, lowering into a fighting stance. “I know that the victims were all jurors at your mother's killer's trial. I want to know why they are ending up dead!” “Ask the killer, for I had nothing to do with their deaths.” Octavia replied, lowering into a practiced fighting stance as well. “Then why are you skipping town?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “My reasons are my own, Detective” She met my eyes. “I will not let you stop me from protecting the ponies involved.” “You think you’re protecting them?” I questioned her, as the train picked up speed, and the wind rushed by. “I’m sorry, but that is police business.” “Still thinking like a cop,” Octavia growled, as she leaped at me. She almost got me with a swift kick, but I managed to dodge it. I swung a left hook back at her, but she dodged as well. She grabbed my left leg and twisted it around cussing me to fall over onto my back. Clearly, she had martial arts training. “Pudo? Tai Buck Do?” I asked, delivering a swift kick to her stomach. She fell back, letting go of me. She sprang back to her feet. “My own brand of martial arts, thank you. I spent a good portion of my life honing it” “For what purpose?” I asked, wiping the sweat from my brow. “To do what the cops can’t,” Octavia charged towards me. I was prepared to fire a stun spell, but she kicked my horn before I could. She then grabbed my jaw and slammed my face into the roof of the train. I shook my head to clear it, and managed to fire a magical bolt into her neck. She flew back a few feet but landed upright on her hooves, despite us being on a moving train. She was good… I decided enough was enough, I pulled out Blackbird and aimed it at her, “I’m sorry Octavia but you’ve forced me to play my hoo-“ I was cut off when Octavia suddenly appeared in front of me and slammed her hind legs into my chest. I fell back dropping Blackbird; it fell between cars onto the platform below. I wiped blood from my mouth and looked up at Octavia, “You’ve forced me to play my hoof as well” she gloated, with a slight smirk I got up and charged the cello player again. We grappled for a minute, before I finally managed to pin her to the ground. Octavia had flexibility, but I had the brute strength. She didn’t stand a chance up close like this. My horn glowed and my aesthetic spell took hold of her. Her violet eyes slowly closed. I wiped sweat from my brow. “I hope nopony saw that; if Twilight found out that Octavia almost kicked my ass I would never live it down.” ____________________________________________________ Octavia’s violet eyes opened slowly to find herself handcuffed to the seat in the private car. I sat in front of her with my legs crossed. She struggled for a minute before giving in. She glared at me, “If you think I’m going to talk to you, you're quite mistaken!” “It's a long train ride to Manehatten,” I said smoothly “You didn’t think I would ask the conductor where your ticket was bound to. Just what are you planning on doing in Manehatten?” “None of your business,” She replied, flatly “It is my business when I know who you are. I only know your name, though; I want to know how you fit into all of this.” “Or what?” She scowled at me. “You’ll keep my leg cuffed until I sing like a birdie?” “I’m trying to help ponies here. I don’t see why you have something against me helping you.” She got quiet for a minute, and then sighed, “If I tell you what I’m doing, and who I am, will you promise to hear me out until the end?” I narrowed my eyes, “You helped me once before, what's so different this time?” “Last time I helped you because somepony was in trouble,” She explained. “This time, it’s a personal venture, and if you try and send me off to some cop, you’ll find I’ll only talk to you.” “Why me?” I asked, looking at her. “Is it because of what happened six years ago?” “Yes,” She replied, nodding. “Everypony else only wanted to get my case closed. You helped them remember that there was a pony that lost her mother in the whole business.” “All right then, I’ll hear you out.” Octavia sighed then spoke looking at me directly in the eyes, “You are aware who my father is?” “Neigh Val Jean, He was a gangster wasn’t he?” “Yes, originally he was from Prance. He left the city to get away from EW1 as a teenager. He came to Manehatten and chose to set up a business there.” She frowned a little, “He didn’t have much luck since nopony was willing to deal with the messy business of hiring an immigrant. After the war, however, came his pot of gold.” “Prohibition?” I guessed, looking at her. “Indeed, some Canterlot nobles got the idea of banning alcohol and it was passed through the lines to Celestia herself. It was a noble idea but in reality all it did was create opportunity for my father, and others to make it big. He turned an old store into a speakeasy. He believed firmly in giving ponies a choice rather than simply taking the choice away” “I don’t understand,” I said shaking my head “Do you think banning alcohol is a bad thing?” “Everypony always wants what they can’t have,” Octavia replied, matter of factly, “its simple pony nature. Sadly, when ponies desire something really badly they’ll do anything they can to get it. There were a lot of gunfights over speakeasys and shipments of alcohol. My father made quite a living on the whole era.” “You don’t sound too proud of it.” “I’m not one to say that playing on ponies suffering is a good thing, but my father did create quite an empire off it. I do not condone the means he used to build it, but my father did change for the better.” “Your mother,” I stated, remembering my earlier conversation with Fenlock. She nodded “My father’s real name is Lamount, but he always loved the play Les Ponies Misreables. So, when he came to Equestria, he changed his name to Neigh Val Jean to hide his identity. His love for that play led him to meet my mother as she played Éponine on stage for the first time” I thought for a moment, that was also how my dad said he met my mom. Crazy how musicals can bring couples together too. “So, colt meets filly, and your dad decided to leave the life of a criminal behind?” I asked. She nodded “Yes, he decided to leave his criminal ways and marry my mother. He was afraid, however, he couldn’t provide for her. So, he decided to join the military and earn money honestly” “Didn't he still have all that money from his criminal empire?” I wondered aloud. “Yes, but if you don’t add water to a pot, you can’t keep pouring it,” Octavia said. “When my father decided to reform he spent a lot trying to keep his new family in comfort. He joined the military to bring some honor back to him.” She lowered her head “He didn’t make it back.” “I heard about that,” I said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.” She slapped my hoof away with her own free one “I don’t need your sympathy! I need you to let me go!” “You were willing to have it before, I’m going to give it whether you want it or not." “Why do you have to be so noble?” Octavia asked, with a shake of her head. “Octavia, did what happen that night change how you viewed law enforcement?” She slowly nodded, “Yes, when I was sixteen my mother and I received a threat letter in the mail from somepony. We tried to call the police, but the minute they heard who my father was they only sent a minor detail.” Her hoof quivered in anger “When we got to that damn alley the pony who was supposed to protect us wasn’t there! The cops didn’t come until after she was shot full of holes! My mother died because of some bureaucratic bullshit!” I noticed there were tears in her eyes and I reached up to wipe them. “Octavia, you can’t blame me for what happened.” “I know I shouldn’t,” She said wiping more tears away. “When I was sitting in that office, all I could think about was how everypony let me down. Then you came along, and offered sympathy, when everypony else was willing to just toss me to my butler the first chance they got.” “It’s hard to look at the big picture, Octavia.” I offered her a small smile “I still have to know what you’re doing now. Why you’re on this train to Manehatten?” “I know who the next victim is going to be,” She said calmly. “All of the victims are members of the jury at Jocvert’s trial.” “You know Jocvert?” I looked at her with wide eyed. “I don’t know if he’s the same Jocvert who failed to show up in time to protect my mother,” she replied, with a shake of her head “I do know that the only victim who could be next is in Manehatten. A pony by the name of Matzo Roll” “Matzo Roll?!” I asked, astonished. “I know him!” “You know a pizzeria owner from Manehatten?” Octavia shot me a questioning look. “Of course I do! I’m best friends with his son!” ____________________________________________________________ We got to Manehatten and exited the train in a flash. Octavia and i were galloping side by side, along the streets of the metropolis. “The Rolls have a Bitalion restaurant over in Bucklyn! They should be open by now!” Octavia looked over at me “Why are you letting me help you? You have every reason to arrest me for resisting arrest” “Right now is not the time!” I yelled back at her as I moved past a couple walking down the sidewalk. “I need you to help me get your- why do you have your cello case?” Indeed, Octavia had her cello case strapped to her back. She showed she could move surprisingly well despite the extra weight. She smiled at me, “You never know when an emergency might call for a cello.” Its official, everypony in Ponyville is crazy! ______________________________________________________________ We got to Bucklyn and found the restaurant with the window broken in. I rushed inside and saw to my horror Matzo Roll, a large red coated pony with a brown mustache was standing before a pony covered from head to hoof in black. “You get out of my home!” He said trying to sound braver then he probably felt. I saw Potso leap out from behind a counter and swing a frying pan held in his mouth. The pan hit the mystery pony in the back of the head. The pony just turned and bucked my friend into the wall. Potso wiped blood from his red mouth, “You’re not gonna get my family, you bastard!” The black covered pony looked at me and Octavia, as we entered. He ran towards me and got to me before I could pull out Blackbird. He tackled me into the wall, and slammed his left front hoof into my stomach. I let out a gasp of pain before shooting him in the face with a blast of magic. He fell back and he then was surrounded by all four of us. He made a motion with his hoof and a blade appeared from under the fabric of his covering. He made for Matzo but Potso grabbed the intruder from behind. “Papa, run!” Potso yelled, as he struggled with the obviously stronger pony. Octavia ran for her cello case and opened it. I yelled at her, “This is no time for a musical number!” She ignored me, as she pulled out her bow and shook it. Suddenly the wooden part folded inversely into a sharp sword. She then rushed at the enemy with the blade. He slammed Potso into a nearby wall before clashing blades with Octavia. I just stared at her; she kept a sword in her bow! She looked at me as she clashed blades with the intruder “Take care of them! He’s mine!” I nodded and went to Matzo, “Are you all right, Mr. Roll?” “I’ma fine Private! Who is this man?” He asked, frantically. “Trouble, now get out of here!” I exclaimed, pointing to the door. Potso stopped before he left with his father, “Seems I owe you once again, Private” “Stay alive, that will be your payment. I'm too busy to make a new best friend.” I grinned at him in relief, as I drew Blackbird. My best friend nodded and galloped out with his father in tow. I aimed Blackbird at the enemy pony as Octavia clashed blades with him. Her sword caught on something around his neck and the chain holding it broke off. The object fell onto the ground as I fired Blackbird into the enemy’s leg. He let out a grunt of pain, and fell back as the bullet entered his leg. Octavia tried to slice him across the chest, but before she could he dropped a small ball. The ball exploded, and a light filled the room disorienting me. When the flash was gone so was the intruder. I looked over at Octavia, as she flipped the bow back to its normal state. She looked at me, “What?” “Your bow can change into a sword.” I stated, inanely. “Well,” She said in a very dignified manner. “One can’t be too careful in today’s society.” I rolled my eyes; this whole mystery thing was getting annoying. My eyes landed on the object that had fallen on the floor. I picked it up and examined it, my eyes narrowing. It was a necklace with a strange seal of two interlocking rifles with a sword in between them. On the bottom was an inscription, “221st Special forces unit?" I read, aloud. "This guy is ex-military!” “Did you say 221st?” Octavia asked, her own eyes growing wide. “That was my father’s unit in the war!” “Which was also Fenlock’s unit,” I pointed out. “Our killer is military…”