My Little Investigations: Marehunter

by Metool Bard


Softer Sides (S)

December 14, 12:33
Epiphany University
Staff Building
***

"Man, this bites. Why does the Griffon Magistrate want us to do her dirty work, anyway? I'm pretty sure we're not trained for this."

"If you have time to complain, you have time to investigate, Privé Gilda."

Oh, joy. Just what I want to hear when I come back to a crime scene: Disputes among the investigators. I mean, I see Gilda's point and all; the Proud Pride doesn't normally handle this kind of thing. Nevertheless, I'm guessing that Pierre volunteered their services to find out what happened to his comrade. From what I've been hearing out of Gilda's beak since I met her, she's not too happy about that. And when we entered Kierra's office, we didn't exactly improve her mood.

"What're you guys doing back here?" she snarled, giving us the evil eye. "I thought the Griffon Magistrate sent you packing."

"We had a bit of a discussion with her," I said. "She's allowing us to investigate for the time being. Oh, and just so you know, she doesn't consider this to be a suicide anymore."

Pierre nodded. "That's welcome news, Capitaine Spitfire. I personally didn't think that was the case, either."

"Yeah, but she still doesn't seem to like us," said Blaze with a pout. "What's her deal, anyway?"

Pierre sighed. "You have to forgive her, Mademoiselle Blaze. She is the first hippogriff to earn the prestigious position of Griffon Magistrat, and because of that, she feels that she has something to prove."

"I don't see what her big deal is," said Gilda with a shrug. "I mean, so what is her mom's a pony? That's not a reflection on her as a magistrate. Heck, any pony that has the guts to fly with a griffon is pretty badass in my book."

Wow. That's, actually a very intelligent way of looking at things. Maybe Gilda's not as bad as I thought.

"Heh, I guess that means we're cool with you, now that we're working together, huh G?" said Rainbow Dash hopefully.

Gilda scoffed. "Don't get your hopes up, Dash. You're still a flip-flopper."

Rainbow Dash flattened her ears and sighed. I'm starting to think that Eagle Eye isn't the only one around here who feels like she has something to prove. Again, I've seen ponies who are just like Gilda all the time at the Academy. They think that being tough means you have to be an insensitive jerk. That is simply not the case. It's a very inauthentic way of looking at yourself, and I just wish it would stop. But, I'm getting off-track.

"So, you guys find anything new?" I asked.

"Just a bunch of egghead stuff," said Gilda indifferently. "Books, random notes, more books, y'know."

Rainbow Dash deadpanned. "I think we're looking for something a bit more specific here, G. I mean, did you even bother to read any of those notes?"

Gilda blinked. "Dash, who do you think you're talking to? Do I look like an egghead?"

"Since when is that a prerequisite for reading?" inquired Misty Fly.

Rainbow Dash cringed a bit at Misty Fly's statement (or it might've been in response to Gilda; I can't really tell). I don't really know why, nor do I think it's any of my business.

"Mind your tongue, Privé Gilda," Pierre scolded. "Epiphany University is a place of study and learning. No one here wishes to listen to your imbecilic insults."

"Pfft, whatever," said Gilda, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I want to be here."

"Right, 'cause the rest of us were really looking forward to investigating a murder today," Rainbow Dash said dryly. "You're not alone on this, G, so don't act like it, alright?"

Gilda glowered. "Shut up, Dash," she spat. She then opened one of Kierra's desk drawers and started rummaging through it.

Drake let out an exasperated snort and shook his head. Honestly, I'm right there with him, and I don't even know Gilda all that well.

"I take it you've been having these issues with Private Gilda for a while now," said Misty Fly.

"You could say that," said Pierre sheepishly. "Truth be told, when Privé Gilda learned that I was bringing back the Proud Pride, she was one of the first to volunteer."

"No surprise there," said Rainbow Dash. "Heck, I pretty much did the same thing when I heard about the Wonderbolt Reserves."

"Yeah, but you were basically a shoe-in for that," said Blaze, playfully nudging Rainbow Dash with her elbow.

Rainbow Dash blushed. "Y-you really think so? I-I mean, I am awesome and all, but..."

"Knock it off, Blaze," I sighed. "Really, you should know better than to tease new recruits like that."

"Who said I was teasing?" Blaze said with a shrug. "I'm just saying that Gilda here doesn't seem to have the same credentials as Private Dash."

"Um, hello?! I can still hear you!" Gilda snapped. "And I'll have you know that I'm just as awesome as Dash, if not more awesome!"

I resisted the urge to smack my forehead. Blaze really has to think before she speaks. The worst part is I know she's fully capable of doing that. Sometimes, I think she just does that to annoy me. While I wouldn't put it past her, this really isn't the time for that.

"Well, while we're on the subject, Private Gilda, I'm a bit curious," I said. "What are your credentials for joining the Proud Pride?"

Gilda smirked. "Heh, I'm glad you asked," she gushed. "Top-ranked flyer of the Junior Speedsters, star athlete of Antiock Academy Arrows rugby team, formal boot camp training, and I was a warden at Nemean Correctional Facility."

Okay, for all intents and purposes, that's really not half-bad. I question the boot camp training as she seems to be anything but disciplined, but if I saw that on an application to the Wonderbolts, they'd have a decent shot of getting into the Academy.

"Uh, you had me up until that last part, G," said Rainbow Dash, rubbing the side of her head. "What's being a jailer have to do with flying?"

"Perhaps I can answer that," said Pierre, clearing his throat. "Nemean Correctional Facility is the highest security prison in the Griffon Kingdom. It is the home of the most ruthless of criminals, meaning the staff needs to be trained and dedicated to dealing with anything and everything that might happen there. Privé Gilda here has thwarted at least three jailbreaks according to her record, and before you ask, le Griffon Magistrat can vouch for her."

I figured it was something along those lines. Seeing as the Proud Pride was originally a military strike team, it makes sense that Pierre would look for someone with the same skill set. However, I don't think he was expecting Gilda to be a total thug. Nothing in her dossier could possibly attest to that. Still, nice to know that her inclusion in the Proud Pride wasn't completely arbitrary.

"I think we should get back on track with the investigation," said Misty Fly. "Captain le Grand, did you happen to read any of the notes Professor Kierra left?"

"A few," said Pierre, furrowing his brow. "Nothing of interest as of yet. In fact, none of these are dated any later than the sixth."

According to my calculations, that would mean these notes were taken before Kierra started her research. Right away, that doesn't sit right with me.

"What about the books?" I asked. "Any idea what she was researching?"

"Magic, apparently," said Pierre with a shrug. "We found several books on alchemy and natural magic, and all of them have at least one bookmarked passage. None of those books were part of her personal bookshelf."

Meaning she must've checked them out from the campus library. Now we're getting somewhere.

"Tell me, Captain le Grand. Would one of these books happen to be about Pan's Music Code, by any chance?" I inquired.

Pierre's eyes went wide. "Th-that's correct, Capitaine Spitfire. H-how did you know?"

"It's part of a hunch I have," I said with a shrug. "May I see it?"

"O-oh, of course. Drake, if you please."

Drake saluted and handed me a tattered old tome with what appeared to be sheet music on the cover. The title read: Pan's Music Code: A Revolution in Natural Magic Theory. I do believe this was the book that was checked out five days ago.

"If you haven't done so already, I think we should make note of the specific passages she bookmarked," I said, opening the book. "I'm very sure that Kierra's research ties in with her murder. It would explain why she was acting strange."

"What's so strange about an egghead reading too much?" asked Gilda.

Ugh, really? Did she really just ask that? I can't tell if this is merely her tough guy act talking, or if she's seriously just that ignorant. At this point, both explanations are equally plausible. There wasn't much point in responding to it either way, so I simply ignored her and flipped the page to where Kierra had left her bookmark.

"Huh. Now this is fascinating," I said, reading the title of the chapter. "'The Kurama Tengu.' I thought Kierra was the only scholar to talk about this kind of thing."

"Apparently not," said Misty Fly. "What does it say, Spitfire?"

I quickly skimmed the chapter. "According to this, the Kurama Tengu were among the most powerful clans in the Tengu Dynasty, and it was all thanks to Pan's Music Code. One unnamed tengu somehow learned the code from Pan, but was quickly assassinated. The Kurama Tengu used this new magic to overpower their foes, warding off disease and bringing them good luck in battle."

"I don't think we ever had to deal with anything like that when we trounced them at the Ghastly Gorge Gauntlet," said Blaze, tapping her muzzle. "You'd think the Tengu Empress would like guys like them on her front lines."

"That's just it," I said, reading further. "The Tengu Emperor at the time deemed them to be too much of a threat, so he had the entire clan slaughtered and their musical instruments destroyed. There's nothing to suggest that any of them escaped, at least not in this book. Pan himself is quoted to say that this was his greatest mistake as a minstrel mage, and that he vowed to make sure his magic was never used for violence ever again."

"Riveting," said Gilda, her voice slick with sarcasm. "So, what does that have to do with Professor Kierra biting the dust, huh?"

"I don't know yet," I admitted. "But if Kierra was looking into this, there has to be a reason why. And it could very well tie in with Mare-Do-Well and her impostor."

"And Gypsy Moth. Let's not forget about her," Blaze added.

Misty Fly knitted her brow. "Something seems to be bothering you about Gypsy Moth, Blaze. Are you okay?"

"Huh? What're you talking about?" said Blaze. "I'm fine, really. I just think we need to keep that option open, y'know?"

"Blaze, trust me. We're keeping that option open, I promise," I said firmly. "But we can't just accuse her when we don't have any proof that she did anything wrong. She is in prison, after all."

"Wait wait wait. Are we talking about the same Gypsy Moth here?" said Gilda.

Rainbow Dash tilted her head. "You know her, G?"

"'Course I do. She's over in Nemean," said Gilda. "I've talked to her plenty of times when I was a warden over there. She's very senile, but she wasn't making any plans to break out last I checked. Not that she could, anyway."

Hmm. Maybe I'm looking too much into this, but Gilda was kinda quick to jump to Gypsy Moth's defense there. Again, there's nothing saying whether she's involved or not beyond Kierra's research, and even that is kinda sketchy at the moment. But while I can understand why Blaze seems adamant about indicting her, I don't know why Gilda is acting as her advocate. This might be something to bring up with the Griffon Magistrate, as I doubt Gilda is at liberty to discuss her reasons.

"Let's come back to that later," I said, clearing my throat. "Is there anything else of interest?"

"Actually, there is one more thing Drake found," said Pierre. "Drake?"

Drake nodded and pulled out a miniature cassette tape. There were no visible labels on it indicating what it was. Upon closer observation, I could see that the tape was exhausted.

"You think Kierra recorded something on this?" I asked.

"It's highly possible," said Pierre. "However, much to our confusion, we could not find her tape recorder anywhere. I'm sure Directeur Hawke or le Griffon Magistrat have access to a tape deck, though."

First the blotted-out letter, and now a missing tape recorder. I'm starting to think that someone else was in this room, and that they were trying to dispose of evidence. However, I know full well that Kierra and campus security were the only ones with access to this room. And since the door was locked when we first arrived, we know that the lock wasn't picked. So then why...

Hang on. I think I might've answered my own question just now.

"One last thing, Captain le Grand," I said. "Is Kierra's key in this room right now?"

Pierre stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, it's not on her person, if that's what you mean. We haven't found it in any of her desk drawers yet, either. Why do you ask, Capitaine Spitfire?"

"I've got another hunch," I said darkly. "I'm kinda hoping this one's wrong, but just in case, I think you guys should really start looking for that key."

Pierre's brow furrowed. "We'll keep our eyes out for it, Capitaine Spitfire. What will you be doing in the meantime?"

"Saving you guys a trip," I said, snatching up the cassette tape. "You said that the Griffon Magistrate might have access to a tape deck, right? Well, I think we need to listen to whatever's recorded on this thing."

"I see. Good plan, Capitaine Spitfire," said Pierre with a salute. "Best of luck."

"Same to you, and more of it," I said, returning the salute. "C'mon, Wonderbolts. Let's head back to the library."

"Sure thing, ma'am," said Rainbow Dash. "Seeya later, G."

Gilda simply grunted in response, and with that, we left the Proud Pride to their investigation.

"Hey, private?" said Blaze.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Has that Gilda girl always been like that?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Kinda. I don't remember her holding grudges for this long; that's for sure."

"I notice that she constantly refers to you as a flip-flopper," said Misty Fly. "Perhaps she feels you betrayed her somehow?"

"Yeah, I think that's the case," Rainbow Dash sighed. "Still, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Being loyal means you gotta let your friends know when they're screwing up, y'know?"

I let out a self-mocking snicker despite myself. I know full well what Rainbow Dash is talking about. After all, she gave me the same treatment whenever I messed up. Unlike Gilda, however, I take her advice to heart and become a better pony because of it. Maybe if Gilda did the same, she wouldn't need to act like such a thug.

But, that's neither here nor there. We still have an impostor to catch, and we all need to work together to catch her, personal baggage notwithstanding. If tensions between us mount too high, well, she can use that to her advantage. And I'm not about to let that happen. I can't let that happen. Not now, not ever.