April 9, 1:02 PM
Lincolt Center
The Bent Trumpet
***
We didn't encounter any complications during our practicing session, much to my relief. Well, partial relief. The paranoid part of my mind is telling me that the killer is either lulling me into a false sense of security or has already marked me as a target. I know that sounds crazy, but I can't help it. I'm a worrywart, plain and simple. You've, probably gathered that by now.
Anyway, after we were done practicing, we went over to the Bent Trumpet to get some lunch. Once we entered, Fiddlesticks waved us over. She was sitting at a small table with Kazooie and Pitch Perfect.
"Howdy, Tavia," she said cheerfully. "Care t'join us?"
"Are you sure we're not intruding?" asked Parish.
"What? Nah, it's fine," said Fiddlesticks. "Ah was aimin' to introduce y'all to Kazooie an' Pitch Perfect, anyways."
"Howdy-do," said Pitch with a radiant smile.
Kazooie merely grunted.
"Well, he's certainly a sociable one," said Frederick.
"Forgive 'im. He ain't used to talkin' to city folk," said Pitch. "This is our first time out of Ponyville, y'see."
"Hmm," said Frederick with a nod. "Well anyway, I'm Frederick Horseshoepin, and these are my colleagues Beauty Brass and Parish Nandermane."
"Please, call me Harpo," said Parish, bowing before Pitch.
"Nice to meet you," said Beauty Brass. "So, it's just you three in this band, huh?"
"Two," Kazooie corrected. "Fiddle here comes and goes as she pleases. It's very annoyin'."
"What can Ah say? Ah like the freedom to roam," said Fiddlesticks with a shrug.
"And I respect that," said Kazooie. "But that don't mean I gotta like it."
"Alright, alright. Knock it off," said Pitch with a sigh.
"This, happens a lot, I take it," I said.
"Eh, every once in a while," said Pitch. "It's kinda strange, 'cause otherwise, we all get along great."
"Well, that is rather key if you're all playing in the same band," said Frederick.
Kazooie raised an eyebrow. "You tryin' to be funny?" he said with a snort.
"It's nigh-on impossible to tell with Frederick," said Parish. "Pay it no mind."
Kazooie shrugged. "Well, are y'all gonna take a seat and have some lunch, or are ya content with just gabbin'?"
"Oh, right. Sorry," said Beauty Brass as we all sat down. "So, what did you guys think of Vinyl's set last night?"
"Alright, I guess," said Kazooie ambiguously. "I'm usually not into that newfangled stuff kids are listenin' to these days. However, that first song had a very profound message, and I can respect that."
"I liked it, too," said Pitch. "Although that second song just sounded off to me."
"Well, I thought that was painfully obvious to everypony in the room," said Frederick. "It's a miracle nopony was seriously injured by that feedback."
"I ain't talkin' 'bout that," said Pitch. "Even before the accident, something didn't sound right. Couldn't tell ya what; I just got this feeling that it ain't how the composer wrote it."
Something clicked in my mind, and my eyes went wide. Neon Lights just mentioned to me how he heard a strange sound that wasn't part of his score just before the feedback occurred. How did Pitch know about that?
"A-are you sure?" I asked. "I didn't hear anything odd until we were all bombarded by that feedback."
"I didn't expect you to," said Pitch with a shrug. "See, my special talent is that I've got a great ear for music. I can hear stuff that other ponies don't usually pick up on. So when I play my harmonica, well, let's just say they don't call me Pitch Perfect for nothin'."
I must say, that's quite an admirable special talent; especially for a musician. And it did explain how she managed to hear the transmitter when nearly everypony else did not. Between her testimony corroborating with Neon's and the transmitter found inside the subwoofer, I was starting to get a clear picture of what happened last night. All I was missing was the culprit.
Then I remembered something else. I was planning on letting Fiddlesticks in on my secret. For one, I need all the help I can get with this endeavor. Vinyl's help is much appreciated, but there's only so much she can do. Plus, well, I can tell that she's worried about me. I shouldn't hide this from her.
"Um, Fiddle?" I said. "Do you mind if I talk to you in private?"
"Hmm? Sumthin' botherin' ya?" Fiddlesticks inquired.
"You, could say that," I said.
Fiddlesticks nodded. "Alright, sure," she said, getting up from her seat. "Beggin' yer pardon, y'all. Ah'll try not to be long."
"Please excuse me as well," I apologized as I got up myself. Fiddlesticks and I then made our way to an empty booth off in the corner.
"Alright, Tavia. What's up?" asked Fiddlesticks.
I breathed a deep sigh. "I need to tell you something, Fiddle. It's very important, and it also sounds a little crazy. All I ask is that you'll hear me out, and that you won't tell anypony else. Okay?"
"Yeah, sure," said Fiddlesticks somberly. "Ya have mah word."
I nodded. "Good. Alright, here's the thing..."
I proceeded to tell Fiddlesticks about everything I experienced thus far. I told her about Mare-Do-Well, the death threats, the transmitter, et cetera. When I finished, Fiddlesticks furrowed her brow and folded her forelegs.
"That's, quite a story, Tavia," she said.
"I know. I can hardly believe it myself," I said with a sigh. "But it might very well be true."
"Ah don't doubt ya on that, Tavia," said Fiddlesticks. "There's jus' one thing that's buggin' me."
"Oh?"
"Y'all said that you, Vinyl, an' Neon Lights got death threats, right?"
"Yes."
"An' you think everyone here got the same threat."
"That's the working theory."
"Well, looks like this dock-hole screwed up. Ah didn't get one."
I had to do a double take. "You what?"
"Jus' what Ah said," said Fiddlesticks. "Ah didn't get any death threats."
"Are you sure about that?" I asked. "Maybe you overlooked it, and it's still in your hotel room. That's what happened to Vinyl."
"Maybe. But that ain't the only thing confusin' me," said Fiddlesticks. "Y'all heard me an' mah band practice this mornin'. If the threat says that the killer will strike if we so much as play another note again, how come none of us have been attacked yet?"
"I, don't have a good answer to that," I said. "Actually, my ensemble and I just finished a practicing session ourselves, and we didn't have any difficulties."
"Huh. This is very strange," mused Fiddlesticks. "But, now that Ah think about it, Kazooie did mention sumthin' 'bout a low-brow prank somepony pulled on him when he first got his room. Maybe that threat is what he was talkin' about."
"That's very likely," I said. "So far, everypony I've talked to hasn't been taking the threat seriously."
Fiddlesticks nodded. "Alright, Ah'll do what Ah can t'help ya out," she said. "When Ah get back to mah room, Ah'll be sure to look fer that note."
"Thank you, Fiddle," I said with a smile. "I'm glad I can trust you on this."
"Don't sweat it, Tavia," said Fiddlesticks with a tip of her hat. "Jus' happy to oblige."
Before anything else could be said, a unicorn suddenly ran up to our booth. I immediately recognized him as the talent scout who was arguing with Bon-Bon over breakfast at Au Bon Pony.
"So sorry if I'm interrupting anything," he said. "Would either of you fine fillies know where I can find Lyra Heartstrings?"
Fiddlesticks raised an eyebrow, and then extended her hoof. "Hi, Ah'm Fiddlesticks. Nice to meetcha."
I'd, be lying if I said I didn't find that a little amusing. I could see the embarrassment on the unicorn's face as he was caught off-guard by Fiddlesticks's response.
"Oh, right. I apologize," he said, clearing his throat. "My card."
Using his magic, he produced two business cards and levitated them before us.
"'Star Maker: Can turn anypony in Equestria into a star,'" I read aloud. "That's, quite a claim."
"Thankfully, I can back it up," said Star Maker with a complacent grin. It seemed that he had regained his composure. "It's my special talent, after all. I can take any dull, ordinary pony and help them get the recognition they deserve."
"An' y'all are interested in Lyra?" inquired Fiddlesticks.
"Well, of course," said Star Maker, adjusting his shades. "I come to the Manehattan Music Festival every year to lend an ear to some of the most woefully underrated talent in Equestria. It's a great opportunity to find future stars and help them reach their full potential."
Assuming that's what they want. Which, if I recall correctly, Lyra doesn't. With that in mind, I wasn't going to rat her out.
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Maker. But I haven't seen her," I said.
"Ah, shame," said Star Maker, taking out a handkerchief and cleaning his shades. "Ms. Heartstrings is truly talented, and yet she leads such an ordinary life. I'm sure she'd love stardom if she just gave it a chance."
"How do ya know that?" asked Fiddlesticks.
Star Maker gave Fiddlesticks a blank stare. "I'm sorry?"
"How do ya know she wants all that fancy-shamcy fame an' fortune?" said Fiddlesticks. "Not everypony likes the limelight. Ah don't."
Star Maker chuckled. "Oh, come now. Why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary? That's my motto."
"That so? Well, here's mine. Don't go around tellin' other ponies how to live their lives," said Fiddlesticks bluntly.
Star Maker didn't take kindly to that. "Look here, madam. You could be the most talented musician in the world, but it doesn't amount to anything if nopony is listening to you."
"Plenty of ponies listen to Lyra. What's yer point?" said Fiddlesticks.
"The point is that not enough ponies are listening to Ms. Heartstrings," said Star Maker tersely. "And those ponies are missing out because all she can do is play for ponies who already love her. She's preaching to the choir and not getting anything out of it."
"That's fer her to decide, doncha think?" said Fiddlesticks firmly.
Star Maker snorted. "Clearly, you don't know the glory of being a star," he said, readjusting his shades. "I'm sorry to have taken up your time."
With that, he marched off. Fiddlesticks sighed and shook her head.
"Can ya believe that guy?" she said. "Ah mean, really."
"Well, I can't say he's entirely wrong," I confessed. "There are ponies who want that kind of recognition and need that extra boost."
"Well, Ah ain't one of them," grumbled Fiddlesticks.
"For the record, I don't think Lyra is, either," I said. "And sooner or later, he's probably going to have to accept that."
"Ah jus' hope it's sooner rather than later," said Fiddlesticks. "Anyway, Ah reckon we should join the others, yeah?"
"Agreed. I think we've dallied for long enough," I said, getting up from my seat. We were just about to leave when another pony ran up to us. It was none other than Bon-Bon.
"Hey, sorry. Have either of you seen Lyra?" she asked. "I need to talk to her, and I can't find her anywhere."
"Last Ah checked, she was hidin' out in Performance Studio B," said Fiddlesticks.
"Right, thanks," said Bon-Bon before darting off.
"Well, that was, interesting," I said. "I just hope Bon-Bon doesn't interrupt Lyra's practicing. She's performing tonight, after all."
"With that talent scout hoverin' over her head? Yeesh," said Fiddlesticks, obscuring her eyes with her hat. "Ah really feel sorry fer the poor gal."
"Agreed," I said as we returned to the others. Indeed, this was a big night for Lyra. Star Maker was right about one thing: Lyra's not all that famous. She's played outside of Ponyville before, but not for an audience as big as the Manehattan Music Festival. Anypony in her situation would be nervous. I suppose that's why Bon-Bon was looking for her. She wanted to offer her moral support. Well, that and discuss the overly-persistent talent scout breathing down her neck. Yeah, that probably wasn't going to help her.
Maybe I should go check on her after lunch and see if she's alright. Normally I'd just leave it to Bon-Bon, but let's just say that Star Maker isn't the only thing Lyra should be worried about. That killer is still out there somewhere, and for all I know, she might be next on the chopping block.
...
Oh Celestia, why did I just think that? Ugh, I bloody hope she's alright, in more ways than one...