Lyra watched the video footage for the umpteenth time. Her eyes were glued to the screen and dark bags were forming under them. She knew what would happen. The stallion would pin the note to the door, knock, then teleport away. Lyra would then open the door and find the note, ten seconds later, the three of them would run out of the room in an attempt to find him.
This was getting old.
Twilight was sitting on the couch sipping hotel tea to calm her nerves. She was still a little worked up about the elevator incedent. The tea was terrible, nothing like Spike made, but it would have to do. She looked over to colgate, who was on the verge of falling asleep. It had been several hours and Lyra was still staring at the screen, looking for any indication of where this pony had gone. Twilight thought back to the elevator. When they heard her screaming, hotel security and the hotel manager had rushed over. After an inspection by the maintanance pony, it was determined that the elevator was unusable due to Twilight ripping open the doors. The manager was angry about that and had threatened to kick them out and have them arrested. Lyra flashed her badge at that point, claiming "the government will pay for any inconviniences this missap may have caused, and I request to see your security footage of the fifth floor, west wing."
Five minutes later, Lyra was sitting in front of a Television watching the footage on an endless loop.
Lyra was getting tired. Twilight decided to brew some coffee for her. The hotel room had a coffee maker and those little packets of ground coffee, Twilight was more of a tea pony, but Lyra enjoyed coffee.
She glanced over to Colgate. The blue pony was leaned over the arm of the coach, her mouth open and drool dripping out as she snored quietly. For the first time since Colgate had been attacked, everything was at peace. Twilight smiled to herself and poured the coffee into a mug, bringing it to Lyra. She took it and smiled, but kept her eyes on the screen.
"You should really take a break, staring at a tiny screen like that for hours isn't good for your eyes."
"Meh. I'll get glasses when I need them." Lyra's 'for the moment' attitude seemed funny to Twilight. It was one of those things that her perfectionist, plan-everything-five-years-in-advance mind.
There was a knock at the door, causing Twilight and Lyra to jump in their seats. Twilight got up to answer it.
The hotel manager was standing in the hallway. He looked bored, but with a hint of hostility towards Twilight. He cleared his throat and gave her a peice of paper.
"Telegram came for Miss Heartstrings." He said coldly. Upon hearing her name, Lyra looked away from the screen. She blinked and rubbed her eyes before standing up to get the telegram. Maybe she should take a break from the screen. She blinked a few more times to focus her burning eyes and took the paper.
Theres been another attack. Get to east side hospital immediately. Victem's name is Ovtavia. Ash-grey earth pony with a Trottingham accent. Being kept in north wing, room 23B.
Thats all the note said. Lyra blinked again and looked around. She cleared her throat and walked over to the screen. Turning off the Television, she looked to Twilight.
"Wake up Colgate. We need to get to East Side Hospital pronto."
"Why? What happened?"
"Another attack. Somepony named Octavia."
"Lets go then." Twilight shook colgate awake, and after much protesting, she finally opened her eyes. She yawned and stretched.
"What's going on?" She asked sleepily. She rubbed her eyes and worked out a crick in her neck from her strange sleeping position.
"Theres been anoter attack, we're going to East side Hospital."
"Alright." Colgate yawned again and made for the door. "I'll meet you two in a taxi."
"Sounds good. Twilight, help me with my stuff." Lyra heard a grunt behind her. She turned around and the hotel manager was still standing there. He had his hoof held out and an eyebrow raised. Lyra rolled her eyes and picked up a few bits from the table. She threw them in his direction. She didn't even pay attention as they bounced off his face and clattered to the floor.
The manager said some harsh things under his breath, but picked up the coins and left the room. Lyra mumbled something about "greedy, good-for-nothing aristrocrats" But Twilight let it go. She had to agree. For most of her life she had lived in Canterlot, and the only nice ponies she had met were lower class workers or some students at her school.
Lyra picked up her bags and walked out the door. Twilight followed, locking it behind them. They went down the hallway to the lobby. The manager glared at them from behind the desk, but they ignored it and left. Colgate was waiting in a taxi, like she said, and she looked much more awake and anxious.
"Alright. Here's the plan." Lyra said once they got in the cab. "We get to the hospital, find this pony, get as much info as we can from her, and hunt this sucker down."
"So the same thing we've been doing the whole time?" Colgate butted in, earning her a angry glare from Lyra.
"No! Its different. We're actually going to get this guy! We arn't going to sit around in a hotel room waiting for something to happen, we're going to make things happen ourselves."
"Alright. Whatever you say."
"Hey, what's that suppossed to mean?"
"I mean, Oh fabulous leader Lyra, that you wern't the one who had her whole life literally torn from her side. Once you get attacked in a dark alley, let me know."
"Look, I'm trying to help you out here, trying to catch a wanted criminal."
"You're treating it like a big game!"
"I am not! This is how you catch criminals!"
"By sitting in a hotel room for hours doing nothing?"
"You son of a-" Lyra came within inches of Colgate's face.
"Son of a what, you street performer?" Colgate retorted, unaffected by Lyras close proximity.
"Thats pretty funny, coming from a toothpicker."
"Spazotron!"
"Toothpaste addict."
"At least I use toothpaste!"
"Don't even go there! I-" Lyra was interupted by a purple hoof shoved in her mouth. She looked over to Twilight, who was visibly shaking. She had her other hoof in Colgate's mouth.
"Driver," She said calmly. It scared Lyra how calm she was speaking. "Take us to East Side Hospital, please."
"Yes ma'am." The driver galloped away from the hotel. Twilight took a breath and pulled her hooves out of their mouths. She laughed out loud. A spastic, cackling laugh that put fear into the hearts of the other two.
"Heheh, I'm going to go crazy from all this, right girls?" Her eye twitched, her mane was suddenly very messy. She had already lost it, but the others felt it was a bad idea to tell her.
It was going to be a long ride to the hospital.