Ch. 2
The giant blue pegasus was the only indication that the run-down, shabby-looking building was playing host to a multi-Diamond-selling recording artist.
"Hey there, Ice." Twilight gave a friendly wave as they approached.
Ice nodded in greeting, but didn't move away from the door. "Sorry, Miss Sparkle, but he says you're not allowed in."
"Wha-?" Twilight and Trixie shared a confused look. "But he can't do that! I'm a princess!"
"And he's my boss. So you're not allowed in."
Trixie gently nudged Twilight. "Trixie thought you had a meeting?"
Twilight didn't respond. Instead, her horn lit up and she was instantly in the recording studio.
On a nearby couch sat a green unicorn and, at the sight of her suddenly appearing, his smug smile was smacked away by a facehoof. "How the buck did I forget you can teleport?!"
"Peacevic, I need to talk to you."
"Last time you had to tell me something, I ended up being sonically uppercutted off a bucking stage." He lazily stretched, and as he did he made a shooing motion with a hoof.
"This is serious!" Twilight growled. "Did you get my letter?"
"Obviously. Why do you think I had Ice posted at the door to keep you out?" Peacevic sat up, suddenly remembering his now-unnecessary sentry. He crossed to the entry. "Ice! You can come in now! I'm not mad!"
Trixie and Ice both filed in, the magician first with the large pegasus hovering behind her. She tipped her hat. "Peacevic."
"What's up, Trixie?"
"You two know each other?"
"We're both famous." The rapper threw a smirk Twilight's way. "Of course we've met. Several times..."
Trixie's eyes narrowed. "You had better not be insinuating what Trixie thinks you're insinuation."
"Of course not, that would be inappropriate." Peacevic flopped back down on the couch. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Trixie."
"As your bodyguard, it behooves me to ask why you insist on throwing rocks at hydras." Ice piped up from the corner he had drifted to.
"Because it's so much fun. Besides, you're here. Why would I be afraid?"
"Well if you stop being a snarky plot-hole, I could tell you." The Princess kicked the couch Peacevic was laying on. "Celestia's told me there have been a bunch of ponies, in cloaks, committing strange crimes. I think it's them."
Twilight's urgent tone didn't perturb Peacevic, who just kept smiling. "Oh I know it's them. A group of them attacked me the other day. Called me 'The Troubadour' and everything."
"There was Sun Writing."
"Ice, you and Trixie are not part of this conversation. Shush." Peacevic was suddenly serious, and Twilight felt bad a little. It was kind of her fault Peacevic was involved at all, and therefore it was also her her fault that the rapper was being so harsh. He turned back to her. "And yes, we found a rune."
"The word?"
He nodded. "The word."
She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Ok. What else have you found out?"
He just shrugged.
Twilight scoffed in disgust. "You mean you didn't look into the resurgence of a huge threat to Equestria? And to you!"
"How am I supposed to do that, Twilight? With the vast network of spies that I don't have because I'm just a rapper?"
"You may have a point there. I don't have one either." She admitted. Luna might, though. She should ask her. "So what are you going to do?"
He pointed at himself. "Me? I'm not going to do anything."
"And why is that?" She demanded.
"I have no idea where they are." Peacevic explained, in an extremely patronizing way. "Thus, a defensive strategy is my best bet. Let them come to me."
"You're not their only possible target."
"But I'm who they're going to go after. They're vindictive like that."
"So basically there was no point in my coming here, was there?" Exasperation was a word that seemed so insufficient to what Twilight was feeling right then.
Peacevic stood again and walked to a small ice box, telekinetically pulling a drink out of it. "At first, yes. But since you've been asking me so many questions, maybe I can ask one of my own?"
"Sure, I guess. What is it?"
"What's it like being so madly in love with me?" He took a swig.
This time, she actually did chuck him through a wall. Then she turned and stomped out. Ice didn't move to stop her. He was too busy smothering a bout of laughter.
"Didn't spill it!" She heard Peacevic call after her.