My Little Investigations: The Silent Dirge

by Metool Bard

Minor Key, Major Crisis

This isn't the first time I had to carry Vinyl and put her to bed like this. When you have a roommate who likes to go out partying until the wee hours, you'll soon find that this sort of thing is almost part of your daily routine. But this was different. This time, she was seriously hurt, and I had to help her.

In hindsight, I probably should have informed the concierge of our situation, or perhaps take Vinyl to a hospital instead of back to the hotel. But honestly, after what had happened back at the festival, I couldn't think straight. All that mattered to me was to get Vinyl to bed and sort the rest out later. Assuming I recovered from my shock by then.

I opened the door to our room, and it made a slight creaking sound. Vinyl winced and gripped her head in pain. Truth be told, it was an odd sight. The mare who thrived on being loud and bombastic was now flinching at the slightest sound. It was, heartbreaking to look at. As quietly as I could, I entered our room, slowly closed the door behind me, and lay Vinyl down on the bed. I brushed my hoof against her cheek.

"How are you feeling?" I whispered.

"Let me put it this way," mumbled Vinyl. "Now I know how you feel every morning."

Well, at least her rapier wit was still intact. I sighed.

"Vinyl, could you please take this seriously?" I said.

"Let me get back to you on that when my head stops throbbing," Vinyl muttered as she massaged her forehead. "Ugh, buck it, Neon. I thought you said there weren't any problems."

"There's no use dwelling on it now," I said. "Now, I'm going to go down to see the concierge and ask him about getting you a doctor. Don't move."

I made a move to leave, but Vinyl quickly held me back.

"Tavi, wait," she said weakly. "Y-you don't have to do that. I-it's not that bad, really."

I turned to face her, and my heart sank like a stone. I knew what Vinyl was trying to say. She didn't want me to leave her alone. I let out another sigh.

"Alright," I conceded. "But I'm getting you a doctor first thing tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Vinyl grumbled. She didn't really sound too keen on the idea. I think she was upset that she was probably going to miss out on the rest of the festival. I can't say that I blame her, but by the same token, her well-being was a higher priority. I let out yet another sigh and shook my head.

"You are such a child sometimes," I said.

"And you're a worrywart," Vinyl retorted.

I had to smile at that. "Maybe so, but somepony has to worry about you," I said softly, brushing back her mane. "Here, I'll get you some medicine to help you sleep. I won't be long."

"I'm holding you to that," said Vinyl with a slight sneer.

I let out a brief laugh despite myself. It's amazing how Vinyl thinks she can just shrug off every problem that comes her way, no matter how big it is. I shudder to think of what would happen if I wasn't there to look out for her.

"Fair enough," I said. I then brushed back Vinyl's mane one last time. I was about to get up to leave when I noticed a crumpled-up piece of paper in the waste basket.

"Um, Vinyl? What's that?" I asked.

"What's what?" inquired Vinyl.

"This," I said, taking out the paper.

"Oh, that," said Vinyl. "It's nothing, Octy."

I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of nothing?"

"I dunno, the nothing kind of nothing," said Vinyl with a shrug.

"Vinyl, please..."

"Tavi, I really don't have the strength to be pulling your leg here. Trust me on this one," said Vinyl.

Okay, she had me there. Still, this was rather curious. "Well, what do you mean by that?"

"I found it on the floor while I was unpacking," said Vinyl.

"It was just lying on the floor like this?"

"No, it was in this blank envelope," said Vinyl. "At first, I thought the maid forgot her tip or something, but there were no bits inside. Just that piece of paper."

"Did it say anything?"

"I dunno, I didn't bother to read it," said Vinyl.

I deadpanned. "Of course you didn't," I said, unfolding the paper. "Vinyl, somepony could've misplaced this. I know it's difficult for you, but you should try to show a bit more..."

I trailed off as I read the paper. The words on the page caused my heart to freeze:

It didn't take me long to connect the dots, but when I did, I wasn't sure what to think. Part of me thought this was just a coincidence, but that part was overshadowed by my worries and fears. What if someone had tried to kill Vinyl simply for playing music? And what if that same someone was also aiming to kill me? The very thought caused me to tremble all over.

"Hey, are you okay, Tavi?" Vinyl asked.

I tried to answer her, but I simply didn't know what to say. I didn't want to lie to her, but I didn't want to scare her, either. What's more, I was still very much in shock, so I couldn't form a coherent thought even if I wanted to.

"E-excuse me for a moment," I said, dropping the paper to the floor and running into the bathroom.

Once I was there, I rushed over to the sink and splashed some cold water on my face. I then looked at my reflection in the mirror.

"Okay. Get a hold of yourself, Octavia," I told myself between pants. "You're probably just imagining things. Everything is fine. It's just a coincidence. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"You don't sound particularly convinced."

A voice I did not recognize caused a chill to go straight up my spine. I became as still as a statue, fearing that I would die if I made the slightest movement.

"It's alright. I'm not here to hurt you," said the voice in a dull whisper.

"H-how am I supposed to believe that?" I stammered.

There was a pause.

"Good point," said the voice. "Here."

I then saw something dangling over my head in the mirror. Before I could react, the object was placed atop my head, revealing it to be a wide-brimmed purple hat. I recognized it and turned around. There standing before me was the mysterious stranger who saved Vinyl back at the festival.

"So sorry we had to meet like this," said the stranger. From her tone of voice, I could safely say that she was a mare. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"Well, you could've fooled me," I said. "How did you get in here, anyway?"

"Trade secret," said the stranger with a shrug. "Oh, forgive my manners. I should probably introduce myself."

She then plucked the hat from my head and bowed before me.

"My true name is a well-guarded secret," said she. "But you may call me the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well."

I could just picture Vinyl rolling around on the floor laughing at that. Seriously? The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well? That sounds like the kind of name that belongs to a comic book superhero. Which is fitting, considering her fashion sense.

"Um, right," I said. "Anyway, my name is..."

"Octavia Melody. Yes, I know," interrupted Mare-Do-Well. "I happen to be a fan of your work. And before you ask, no, I'm not stalking you. Not intentionally, anyway."

"Not intentionally?" I parroted.

"Allow me to explain," said Mare-Do-Well. "I am a vigilante by trade. I protect ponies who are in peril."

"So, that's why you saved Vinyl?" I asked.

"Is there any other reason?" Mare-Do-Well replied.

"I, suppose not," I said. "But, how did you know that Vinyl was in danger?"

Mare-Do-Well obscured her eyes with her hat. Suddenly, the room felt a lot colder.

"I go where I'm needed, Ms. Melody," she said darkly. "And I feel that I'm needed here."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"I think you already know," said Mare-Do-Well.

Something clicked in my mind. "Are you referring to the death threats that Vinyl and I received?" I asked.

"Yes and no," said Mare-Do-Well. "I was actually unaware that Ms. Scratch received one until she was attacked."

"But, how did you know about mine?"

"I see no reason to tell you," said Mare-Do-Well.

"And why not? You've told me everything else," I retorted.

"That was to give you peace of mind," said Mare-Do-Well firmly. "You are in enough danger as it is, Ms. Melody. The last thing I want to do is make it worse."

I was about to protest when I heard a knock on the door.

"Excuse me," I said, turning away. "I'll be out in a minute, Vinyl."

"You've been in there for a while, Tavi," said Vinyl. "Is everything okay?"

"Just get back to bed, Vinyl," I said. "You need your rest. I'll be back with your medicine in a..."

When I turned around, I was perplexed to see that Mare-Do-Well had vanished into thin air. How, I have no idea. Sure, there was a ventilation shaft, but I can't imagine anypony crawling through that without making a sound.

"Tavi?"

Vinyl's voice brought me back to reality. "Just a second," I said.

With that, I got some medicine out of the medicine chest and opened the door. Vinyl had a very concerned look in her eyes.

"Okay, Octy. Spill," she said. "What's wrong?"

I sighed. I can never hide anything from Vinyl.

"I'll, tell you about it in the morning," I said. "We've, both been through a lot tonight. I think we should turn in early."

"You promise that you'll tell me?" said Vinyl.

I nodded. "I promise."

"Okay. I'm holding you to that," said Vinyl with a wink.

I couldn't sleep a single wink that night. Even though that Mare-Do-Well character wanted to give me peace of mind, I still kept wondering about why someone would wish death upon me and Vinyl. Or, was it just me and Vinyl? The more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that this was bigger than just two musicians.

Mare-Do-Well didn't want me getting involved for a reason, and I'd wager that reason is that Vinyl and I weren't the only ponies to receive death threats. Meaning that someone is targeting every musician in Equestria and threatening us not to practice our craft. The very thought made me sick to my stomach. What kind of monster would do that, and why?

That's when I made my decision. I don't give a flying toss about Mare-Do-Well's warning. Music is part of my life, and it's too important for me to simply leave in some stranger's hooves. I'm going to get to the bottom of this and make sure this bastard gets what's coming to him. Not alone, of course. That would be stupid.

Mind you, I'm still rather apprehensive. I don't know what awaits me in this mad endeavor, and that frightens me to no end. But I will not allow some madman to take away something that's so precious to me. Not without a fight.