How Not To Use Your Royal Prerogative

by Amber Spark

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sunset Shimmer, Coco Pommel, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Colgate, Alternate Universe, Mystery, Moondancer, Coloratura, Comedy
Length: 68702

After going to Coloratura's concert, Sunset gets both good news and bad news. Somepony stole her identity and is running around with her face. That's the good news.

After going to Coloratura's concert, Sunset gets both good news and bad news.

Somepony stole her identity and is running around with her face.

That's the good news.

Historian’s Note:
Set in the Wavelengths timeline where the Sonic Rainboom didn’t happen, How Not To Use Your Royal Prerogative occurs about five years after Grading on a Bell Curve and about two years before the events in The Application of Unified Harmony Magics.

Knowledge of the previous tales is suggested, but not required.

Cast: Sunset Shimmer, Cheerilee, Moon Dancer, Minuette, Coloratura & Coco Pommel
Co-Starring: Spotlight, Security Chief Gateway, Vinyl Scratch and special guest star Octavia Melody

Stories set in the Wavelengths Timeline in chronological order:

Origins Arc
The Alchemy of Chemistry
Bards of the Badlands
Grading on a Bell Curve
Habits of the Equestrian Phoenix
How Not To Use Your Royal Prerogative

Applications Arc
The Application of Unified Harmony Magics
Princess Celestia: A Brief History
The Cloudsdale Report

Dreamers Arc
Tactics of Snowbound Unicorns
A Study in Chaos Theory
Teahouses of Saddle Arabia
As the Raven Flies

Cover Design by Amber Spark
Coco Pommel Vector: DashieSparkle
Coloratura Vector: DashieSparkle
Sunset Shimmer Cutie Mark: Millennial Dan

Beta Reader & Editor Credits
Ebon Quill: Audio Director & Quest Designer on The Manehattan Project
Little Tinker: Master of Systems at Poniverse & Scripting Engineer on The Manehattan Project
Beltorn: Commenter-at-Large on FimFiction
Tchernobog: AppleDash Fanatic - My debt is paid
Cursori: Reader of Many a Pony Word

Word Count: 64,000
Version: 12.54

Published 2017-07-31 17:10:11 UTC
Last updated 2017-12-11 17:59:47 UTC

Infiltration

“You’ve had a lot of bad ideas, Sunset, but this is probably one of the worst.”

Sunset just grinned at Cheerilee, but the schoolteacher looked thoroughly unimpressed. Cheerilee returned the same flat stare she’d been giving since Sunset suggested her brilliant idea.

“Stop being such a spoilsport, Cheery!” Minuette laughed.

“Somepony around here should set a good example!” Cheerilee shot back with a glare at the blue unicorn behind her.

“For who?” Moon Dancer cocked an eyebrow. “Cheerilee, your students are back in Ponyville. It’s just us tonight!”

“Whom,” Cheerilee corrected automatically.

“Really?”

“It’s still correct,” Cheerilee huffed.

“But of course, your royal teachership!” Moon Dancer gave a great bow to the earth pony. “Point still stands. It’s just us girls tonight.”

“You can’t possibly think this is a good idea, Moon Dancer.” Cheerilee shook her head, looking utterly indignant. “You, of all ponies, should be smarter than this. You’re a librarian, for pony’s sake!”

“See, that’s your first mistake.” Moon Dancer grinned and winked. “You’ve never been to a librarian after-hours party.”

“All the ponies in this hallway are crazy!” Cheerilee groaned.

“All the ponies in this hallway are going to get caught if you all don’t pipe down!” Sunset snapped, but the grin never left her muzzle. “It should be just ahead.”

“You do realize that nopony can hear us, right?” Minuette asked. “After all, they’re all still ‘party-party-party’ out there! We should know, especially after those amazing ciders we had.”

Those were good ciders, Sunset admitted. And, Minuette had a point. Since Coloratura had left the stage twenty minutes ago, the club’s unofficial after-party was now in full swing. Coloratura’s greatest hits pounded through the massive Manehattan nightclub known as Hoofbeats. The guest DJ—a pony by the name of Vinyl Scratch—spun everything from Coloratura’s latest pop sensation, ‘Tailrunner’ to her old duet with Sapphire Shores, ‘Second Miracle.’

The DJ had left the slower stuff out of this particular mix, and Sunset didn’t mind one bit. While she—like everypony else in Equestria—loved Coloratura’s latest single ‘The Magic Inside of You,’ at the moment, Sunset wasn’t in the mood for stirring ballads. She wanted to dance.

Which was why they were sneaking around backstage right now.

The sounds of ponies dancing and laughing echoed up and down the hallway, and the bass from guest DJ shook the floorboards beneath their hooves. Minuette walked in her usual perfect rhythm with the beat. Moon Dancer was sporting the widest grin Sunset had ever seen, while Cheerilee…

Well, Cheerilee was being especially Cheerilee.

“Come on, I know it’s here somewhere,” Sunset muttered as her horn flared and she checked the next door.

Another broom closet? Come on!

“You know,” Minuette chirped. “I think we’ll need to invite this DJ to our next shindig. She’s good.”

“I do have one question, Sunny,” Moon Dancer said, sidling up beside her.

“Hm?” Sunset tried another door.

Stanchion storage. Why does one of them have a lanyard saying “Stan” on it? Whatever.

She closed the door and wished there were signs down here.

“You know a lot of Canterlot nobility, right?”

“‘Know’ is a strong word,” Sunset grunted. “More like I knew of them and they knew of me. Emphasis on the past tense.”

Sunset peeked around another corner. Another empty hallway. The hanging lights above dancing with the bass beats of the speakers on the other side of the wall. There were a few flyers on the floor for some big charity concert called the Grade School Gala tomorrow night. Still nopony in sight.

I wish I could have taken us through the VIP lounge upstairs, but they’ve got crazy security up there. No, we need to do this quietly.

“Still, you have to have some connections you’re still in good with, right?”

“If you have a point, Moony—”

“Failing that, you are the protégée of a certain all-powerful alicorn…”

“Moony, spit it out!”

Moon Dancer hopped in front of Sunset and peered over her thick black glasses.

“Do the terms ‘backstage passes’ mean anything to you?”

Sunset rolled her eyes and shoved past her best friend. “I’m not going to beg the Princess of the Sun for backstage passes, not even to see Coloratura.”

“Moony,” Minuette admonished. “Sunset was nice enough to get us those box seats! And those were her bits!”

“Yeah, sure…” Moon Dancer said with a huff as they passed another storage room, this one filled with folding chairs. “But she’s got plenty of bits stashed away, what with getting room, board, transportation and a half dozen other things covered by the Royal Treasury!”

“Hey!” Sunset protested. “You know how much my stipend is! It’s not a lot! And you also know where I don’t get my bits from.”

“I wasn’t going to bring that up!” Moon Dancer frowned. “Come on, Sunny. Give me a little credit.”

Sunset tried a pair of locked double doors, glanced at a sign that read ‘Electrical,’ rolled her eyes and continued forward once more.

“Fine, sorry,” Sunset muttered as she opened the door to another room filled with arcane devices Sunset didn’t recognize. Maybe something for the sound system? Ugh, I should have paid better attention during the Equine Enchantments Expo last month.

“Just so we’re clear,” Moon Dancer added. “I am totally not envious of the bits you do get.”

Three bass thumps passed through the hallway, accompanied only by Sunset’s silent raised eyebrow.

“Fine, I’m a little envious.”

Sunset laughed, but she still couldn’t help but feel a little pang of guilt. Between her small salary as a teacher’s assistant at Gifted Unicorns and her stipend, she wasn’t actually hurting for bits.

But, it’s not like I asked for it! Half the stores in Canterlot won’t even take my bits. They all want to do a favor for the Princess’s Prized Pupil.

A familiar little voice from the depths of her mind spoke up.

Because they know you’re destined for greater things. Good merchants are smart enough to try to earn favor with their betters.

I don’t need anything from you tonight! Or ever! Sunset shot back in privacy of her own head. She opened the door to a dusty cleaning cupboard, barely big enough for two ponies.

Her angry little pony chuckled, but before it could respond, Minuette shushed everypony. They all froze in their tracks, Minuette holding a particularly uncomfortable-looking pose. A few moments passed in total silence.

“Minuet—”

Minuette pirouetted, and placed her hoof against Sunset’s muzzle. With her other hoof, she pointed at her twitching ears.

Sunset craned her own ears, listening intently. “Voices!” she hissed. “Hide!”

Without any other option, she yanked open the door to a cleaning closet and shoved her friends inside with a flare of telekinesis. Ignoring their protests, she flung herself in and landed squarely on Moon Dancer’s back.

“Ow! Maybe you should cut back on Joe’s donuts, Sunny!” Moon Dancer cried.

“Shush!” Sunset snapped as she carefully closed the door just as she heard two ponies come around the corner, arguing loudly.

“I don’t care what it takes, Miss Beats!” growled a male voice that would have been right at home with the so-called ‘elite’ of Las Pegasus. “I expect results! You’re lucky I happened to be here tonight to correct this mistake! I will not let that showboating wannabe and her senile manager ruin things for me and my client!”

“I am so sorry, I do not know how this happened!” the female voice trembled with fear. “We are all professionals here, and we—”

Their hoofsteps stopped right outside the door, and the stallion growled. “If your staff are as professional as you claim, they’ll get the job done! This place will be clear of anything to do with that… that… Coloratura by the time my client arrives, or I’ll make sure all of Equestria knows what a shoddy operation you run.”

With that, the stallion stomped off, followed by what might have been the rapid flapping of wings.

“Wait! We can work something out! I promise! I’m sure we can work something out!”

The stallion’s growled threats and heavy hoofsteps receded into the distance.

Until Cheerilee coughed.

“For the record, Minuette’s flank is pretty much on my face.”

Moon Dancer cackled. “I’ve always thought Minuette had a fairly nice flank, personally.”

“Why, thank you!” Minuette chirped. “It’s hard work—”

“As nice as it might be… can we perhaps, I don’t know… get out of here so it can stop being on my face?”

Sunset paused to make sure she didn’t hear anything else before she slowly opened the door. Of course, this motion was just enough to unbalance Moon Dancer. A few seconds of toppling ponies later, Sunset groaned from beneath the three other mares. She managed to extricate herself and helped Cheerilee to her hooves. Minuette bounced back up and immediately began bobbing her head to the beat of the DJ.

Moon Dancer managed fine on her own with a great deal of snickering.

“What was that all about?” Sunset wondered, scratching her head as she looked in the direction of the retreating voices.

Moon Dancer shrugged. “Don’t ask me. Sounded like some part of Coloratura’s show is just going longer than that stallion likes. Ooh! Maybe it’s Sapphire Shore’s manager! I’ve heard some stories about him. He can be a real beast. Once trashed a place because they hadn’t sorted the cherries right.”

“Cherries,” Sunset deadpanned.

“Yep!” Moon Dancer replied. “Cherries.”

“Musicians are weird,” Sunset finally said after a few moments of consideration. “Anyway, let’s get going. I’m sure it’s right around here somewhere.”

“You have no idea where you’re going, do you?” Cheerilee asked as she followed Sunset around yet another corner. “I swear, Sunset… I don’t know why I let you talk me into these things.”

“Because they’re fun?” Minuette laughed.

“Because your life would be incredibly boring without us?” Moon Dancer suggested.

“Because beneath that schoolteacher mask, there’s a party animal waiting to break out?” Sunset smirked at her.

Cheerilee scowled again. It was almost her full-blown Teacher’s Scowl. But thankfully, she reined it in a bit.

Doesn’t matter. In a few minutes, we’ll be bumping hooves with the greatest young pop star in Equestria. Cheerilee will thank me then.

And just as they crossed a T-intersection, Sunset spied it. Like Celestia herself had set this place up to reveal their goal just as Cheerilee gave her last protest.

“Here we go!” Sunset cried and did a little dance, which was completely and totally not stumbling.

“Can I remind everypony that this is a really bad idea now?” Cheerilee asked.

Okay, second-to-last protest.

“No!” Moon Dancer and Minuette said together.

There was a large sign on the door at the end of the hallway emblazoned with the words ‘Performers Only.’ They were impressive letters too. Bright red, with a giant exclamation point at the end. They were very intimidating… or would be if she wasn’t Sunset Shimmer.

“Um, Sunset?” Cheerilee whispered.

Sunset didn’t answer. She was too busy grinning.

“You do see what it says under ‘Performers Only,’ right?” Cheerilee pointed and Sunset followed the hoof to the second line she hadn’t noticed.

In my defense, those are really small letters. Still ‘Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted’ seems a bit excessive. Probably to scare away the tourists. Lucky for us, we’re not just tourists.

“Come on, girls!” Sunset giggled and practically skipped forward.

Minuette and Moon Dancer were right behind her, while Cheerilee followed as if dragged by an invisible yoke. Sunset smiled.

She’ll be laughing and dancing like the rest of us once we manage to get in there.

The hallway itself ended at a large intersection. A sign reading ‘Shipping and Receiving’ pointed down one side to a pair of large double doors, while the opposite hall had a sign reading ‘Backstage.’ Just to the right of the ‘Performers Only’ door were a large stack of road crates set in front of a series of cabinets. Somepony had left the crates stacked somewhat haphazardly, as if left there in a hurry.

Maybe they were running late and haven’t had time to put them away?

Sunset frowned when she spotted a pile of brooms leaning against one of the crates. Why in Equestria would a place like this need so many brooms? Maybe it had something to do with whatever song the DJ was currently mixing in the theater, because it almost sounded like it was about sweeping.

Okay, Sunset, you’ve definitely had one too many hard ciders tonight. Nopony would ever remix anything to do with sweeping.

Sunset shook her head, refocusing on the task at hoof.

“Now remember.” Sunset turned to face her co-conspirators. “The key to sneaking into anywhere is to look and act like you belong there. Don’t try to hide. Don’t act all sneaky-like. And don’t you dare start humming the theme to ‘From Stalliongrad with Love.’”

She glared at Minuette, who replied with her trademark brilliant grin.

“If somepony comes up to us, you’re supposed to be there. That’s the key.”

“And you know this how?” Cheerilee cocked an eyebrow at her.

Sunset tilted her head at the teacher. “Uh… books? You know… how most ponies learn things?”

Cheerilee’s eyebrow rose a bit further.

Gah! She’s gotten really good at that look since she left to teach in Ponyville!

“Okay, okay,” Sunset admitted, holding up her hooves in surrender. “I might have snuck into an Equestrian Secret Service meeting with the Princess a couple weeks ago.”

“How long?” Cheerilee demanded.

“How long what?”

“Until you were caught.”

“Why would you assume I was caught?”

Cheerilee didn’t respond. Her eyebrow rose an eighth of an inch.

I should talk to the Princess about weaponizing Cheerilee’s stare. Could be useful in diplomatic negotiations. Tartarus, the new griffon ambassador might stop getting his tailfeathers in a bunch every other week with Cheerilee as a diplomatic attaché.

Finally, Sunset dropped her gaze. “Two minutes.”

Cheerilee just groaned. “We’re doomed.”

“Oh ye of little faith!” Sunset proclaimed. “Now, first thing, hide your hoofbands. Security will be on us in a second if they see theater-seating hoofbands.”

As instructed, the purple hoofbands disappeared into saddlebags and coat pockets.

“Second thing,” Sunset proclaimed. “Once we’re inside—“

The door handle rattled.

Sunset squeaked in surprise. Without much choice, she again grabbed her three friends in a field of teal magic. She threw herself and everypony else behind the stack of road crates. Minuette let out a little yelp as she banged into one of the cabinets. Brooms stacked on the cabinets—they’d hidden in the gloom—suddenly dropped all around them. Moon Dancer, Celestia bless her, caught them all with her levitation. As the door opened, Sunset gestured for Moon Dancer to keep the brooms up and behind the crates. The crates conveniently made an L-shape, blocking them from both the main hallway and the door. However, if somepony came through Shipping and Receiving, the jig was up.

She just hoped that they wouldn’t see the light of Moon Dancer’s levitation. But it was either that or risk the brooms being heard when they were dropped.

“Seriously?” Cheerilee hissed. “We’re hiding again?”

Sunset shushed her.

“I don’t want to hear excuses!” the gravelly voice of a stallion boomed through the hallway, rattling Sunset’s brain. “You know how crazy this place can get!”

Sunset inched forward to peer over one of the crates. A green unicorn, maybe a year or two older than Sunset, backed out of the doorway. He had a security earpiece in one ear, linked to a small radio on his security jacket. The sunglasses looked two sizes too big for him, and nearly fell off his muzzle as he spoke to the pony on the other side of the door. Sunset didn’t dare try and catch a glimpse of the other pony.

“I’m sorry, sir!” the stallion squeaked. “I didn’t know Iron Lock was out sick tonight. I’ll secure this area right away!”

“That’s why you check in when you come on duty!” the unseen speaker snapped. “I swear! If I didn’t hound you all, Coloratura would be swarmed by more fans than Daring Do is by ninjas!”

“Nopony gets past this door, sir! I swear!”

“They’d better not, Crabgreen, or it’s your flank! Do a full sweep of the adjacent hallways first, and then lock the blasted doors that lead to the theater! I won’t have a repeat of Hoofington, not on my watch! Spotlight has been through enough this tour. I won’t have any more interruptions!”

“What’s wrong, Gateway?” The female voice was soft and earnest, with just a hint of concern. “Please don’t tell me we’ve had another issue with security.”

“No, Miss Pommel,” The older stallion—probably Gateway—said respectfully, without losing his gruff edge. “Just correcting an oversight caused by a callout tonight.”

The mare sighed. “There is always something when we come home to Manehattan, huh? And on top of everything else during this tour. Well, I’ll leave it in your capable hooves, Gateway. Just remember last night’s rehearsal. Spotlight’s still rattled from it.”

“It’s at the forefront of my mind, Miss Pommel. It will not occur again.”

“Thank you. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

“Ma’am.”

There was the sound of hooves on tile as the mare walked away. Sunset glanced over at the others. Cheerilee was glowering at her. Minuette looked like she was about to burst into giggles. Moon Dancer looked like she was fighting back a sneeze.

Sunset glanced up at the brooms still floating beside them, then back to Moon Dancer’s scrunched-up muzzle.

“What are you still doing here?” Gateway barked at the poor guard, causing both him and Sunset to jump. “Move it!”

“Yes, sir!” the guard squeaked and scurried out of sight.

“I swear, these ponies get younger every year,” Gateway grumbled.

Next moment, there was a crash and two yelps. Sunset’s eyes went wide and she tried to get a slightly better look at the hallway without actually being seen. It didn’t do much good. Gateway let out a growl that sounded more manticore than pony. Sunset took a few steps back as Minuette squeaked in surprise.

“Celestia save you, Crabgreen!” he barked. “Can you not run over the stagehoofs? If you can’t even see where you’re going, how in Tartarus are you going to do your job?”

“I’m… I’m sorry!” a timid mare said. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble… I was just finishing getting the storage carts ready and—”

“Don’t worry about it, miss,” Gateway grumbled. “Come on through. Crabgreen here is just having a bad night. A bad night that will only get worse if he doesn’t get his flank in gear!”

Hoofsteps scampered down the hallway.

“I’m… I’m really sorry,” said the mare who stepped into view. “I didn’t want to get anypony in trouble, Mister Gateway.”

Sunset stared at the mare. She seemed oddly familiar. She had a light blue coat, and a slightly mussed silver mane. She wore two saddlebags, and a staff lanyard around her neck. She was staring at the ground, as if Gateway had been yelling at her and not the unfortunate Crabgreen.

“Don’t worry about him,” Gateway said in a kinder voice. “Come on through and check in with Spotlight. I heard she was looking for some help with teardown.”

“Of course, sir. Thank you, sir.”

Finally, the mare slipped past and the hallway door slammed closed. A broom that Moon Dancer had missed fell right on the bespectacled unicorn’s head. She let out a curse that instantly turned into a nigh-explosive sneeze. The brooms exploded outward, throwing up dust, clattering on the cabinets and the crates, knocking over a few buckets and generally causing enough noise to wake the dead for a few hundred miles in every direction.

As soon as the sound died away, Cheerilee muttered, “We’re doomed.”

As the dust cleared, Sunset made sure the first thing Cheerilee saw was Sunset’s grin and her glowing horn.

“Sunset…”

Sunset only pointed a hoof up at the teal dome wrapped around the area… which had managed to keep all the brooms contained.

“Nice!” Moon Dancer grinned. “A shield spell with… a bubble of silence?”

“Good old bubble of silence.” Sunset felt a little swell of pride, but quickly swallowed it. “Useful when trying to study next to a room filled with students practicing firecracker spells. Also useful for avoiding detection by overzealous security guards.”

“That was some quick thinking, Sunny.” Minuette’s smile was even bigger than Moon Dancer’s. “Hasty hoofwork! Fast… fah-hah…!”

Minuette sneezed. It was far quieter than Moon Dancer’s.

“Bless you,” Cheerilee muttered, before glaring at Sunset. “That was luck. Nothing more.”

“I beg to differ!” Sunset protested. “That was me being brilliant!”

“It sounds like security is a bit jittery, if you didn’t notice,” the teacher pleaded. “We should get out of here now.”

“We’ve come this far!”

“And for some reason, we haven’t been caught yet!”

Moon Dancer and Minuette both suddenly burst into laughter. Sunset snickered as well, while Cheerilee just huffed at the younger mares.

“What is so funny?” Cheerilee demanded.

“You, silly!” Minuette dusted herself off with another sneeze. “You’re trying to do this whole ‘bah humbug, I’m a serious professor’ thing, but you aren’t fooling anypony!”

“What in Equestria are you talking about?” Cheerilee’s eyes narrowed to slits.

“Cheery, you didn’t have to come with us.” Minuette’s horn lit up and she quickly collected the ninja brooms and placed them carefully against the wall. “You’ve been complaining this whole time about what a bad idea this is, how we’re gonna get caught, and be so sorry, but you’re still here!”

“I-I just…” Cheerilee’s eyes flitted back and forth, her ears flat and her body tense. “I just didn’t want… um… didn’t want you all to get in trouble!”

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “And where was this cautious Cheerilee during your going-away party?”

The teacher’s ears were glued to her head. “I… um…”

“Silly Cheery.” Minuette’s laugh was warm. It seemed to light up the dusty intersection. “You’re acting all responsible because you have to be the responsible one now! You’re the only teacher in that little schoolhouse in Ponyville and it’s a small town! It’s okay!”

“It… is?” Cheerilee cocked her head at her friend. “Sorry, Minuette, but I think you lost me.”

“I think what’s she’s saying,” Sunset interjected, “is you’re not there now. You can relax. You aren’t babysitting us, Cheerilee. You’re hanging out with your friends.”

“Doing something that’s borderline illegal.”

“Oh, please!” Moon Dancer cried. “It’s a misdemeanor at worst.”

“Not helping, Moony,” Sunset growled.

“Help? Sorry, have we met?”

Sunset shot her a glare, but Moon Dancer’s face was the very picture of innocence. As usual.

“Look, Cheerilee.” Sunset let out a long sigh. “If you want to head back, fine. We don’t mind. And if you really want us all to head back… we will.”

“We will?” Moon Dancer asked.

Sunset ignored her this time, but she didn’t miss the droop of Minuette’s ears.

Cheerilee didn’t either. She’d been a teacher far too long to miss a signal like that from one of her closest friends.

“You’d really head back for me?”

“Only if you insist,” Sunset replied. “Though I’d really love to get to talk to Coloratura tonight. If all else fails, I can always pull out the Student of the Princess card.”

“I thought you didn’t like using that.” Cheerilee narrowed her eyes. “You complain about it all the time.”

“I don’t like using it for my benefit,” Sunset admitted with a shrug. “Once upon a time, I used it a lot. And a lot of ponies want to use me because of it. But I don’t mind using it for my friends. Occasionally.”

“I can’t tell if that’s weird, or a little sweet,” Moon Dancer stage-whispered to Minuette.

“Go with sweet,” Minuette said in the exact same tone.

“Stop helping me.” Sunset shot them a look.

“Sorry, Sunny!” they both chimed in perfect unison.

Cheerilee snickered.

“So…” Sunset tried to get the conversation back on track. “What do you want to do?”

The teacher hesitated, but it was only for a moment.

“I reserve the right to say ‘I told you so.’”

I guess she needed permission to have fun. Huh. Weird. I thought it’d take at least a minute of consideration before she caved.

“So noted,” Sunset’s grin reappeared on her muzzle. “Now, let’s get in there and find a way to hang out with Coloratura! After we’re in, see if you can find some backstage hoofbands… or maybe lanyards. That mare was wearing a lanyard. They must have some extras in there!”

She dropped her spell and trotted up to the crates. A quick glance down the three hallways revealed nopony around. Sunset’s grin widened and she nodded toward the “Performers Only” door.

“Moon Dancer, get the lock.”

Moon Dancer popped off a little salute as her horn began to glow in concert with the lock on the door.

“That’s a new one,” Minuette commented.

Moon Dancer smirked. “Sunset finally got sick of my chaos surges when she tried teaching me advanced telekinetic field manipulation the old fashioned way, so she got creative.”

“Hey, you passed the class, didn’t you?”

“Yep!”

“I’m just going to pretend this little conversation never happened, okay?” Cheerilee said with a shake of her head. “I swear, you two are nothing but trouble.”

“At least they’re the fun kind.” Minuette beamed. “Better than the other kind.”

The click of the lock seemed to echo down the hallway like the sound of a gong. All of them cringed, but when nopony came rushing forward to bust them, Sunset took it as a good sign.

“Okay, remember what I said. Act like you belong.”

She opened the door and stepped forward.

Right into a wall of black fabric.

Black fabric around the massive chest of a burly unicorn stallion almost as tall as Celestia herself, accented by a rather snappy red tie. There was a security earpiece in his ear and an utterly humorless expression on his face.

He peered down at Sunset through mirrored sunglasses as the three other mares tried to follow her, only to stop abruptly at the sight of the stallion who could only be Gateway.

“Plan B?” Moon Dancer whispered.

“Plan B,” Sunset hissed back, despite the fact she knew the security guard could hear her.

Not a muscle twitched on the stallion.

Sunset brought herself up to her full height… which gave her a lovely view of his necktie. “I would like to speak to Miss Coloratura,” she said with her best impression of her father. “Please let her know. Unless you want to explain to your manager why you decided that the personal protégée of Princess Celestia was barred from seeing her?”

Dead silence reigned in the hallway. Sunset felt the sweat trickle down her neck. Finally, the stallion named Gateway adjusted his sunglasses to spear her with icy blue eyes.

“I’d be shaking in my horseshoes…” he said in his gravelly voice. “If you hadn’t marched up to Red Rock and said almost the exact same thing three nights ago, ‘Miss Shimmer.’”

Sunset blinked. “Wha—?”

He ignored her and leaned down to the mic on his lapel.

“Yeah, another group marched right in. Tried to get through Backstage B.” He looked back up and a hard smile crept over his features. “This will be the last time the ‘famous Sunset Shimmer’ ever tries to crash one of Coloratura’s sets.”

In a stroke of brilliant wordplay, Sunset replied with another, “Wha—?”

"You know... believe it or not, I didn't see this coming." Minuette asked.

“Well, this is new,” Moon Dancer commented.

“I told you so.” Cheerilee sighed.

Author's Note

Finally, at long last! The first chapter of How Not To Use Your Royal Prerogative is released!

I finished the first draft of this story for NaNoWriMo in November of 2016, believe it or not. So many projects came up and it kept being pushed back. Plus the editing. So much editing. This story literally doubled in size in the course of editing (most of my stories tend to get larger during edits, for some reason). Well, no longer will you be delayed! No longer will you have to wait! This is finally happening! The final major act of the Origins Arc! :pinkiehappy:

Easter Egg Hunt: Find the reference to TSSSF in this chapter and win +10,000 Pony Points! (Fair warning, this one is really obscure!)

If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!

Inquisition

How does one hoofcuff a pony, anyway? Sunset wondered idly, staring at the two security ponies guarding the door.

She’d read about it in books, but she had never actually witnessed it before. Were the cuffs placed above or below the knee? Was it as uncomfortable as mystery novels made it out to be?

A chill ran down Sunset’s spine as something else occurred to her. While hoofcuffs were used on all ponies, they weren’t nearly as effective on unicorns—let alone pegasi. No, she had to worry about something far more terrifying: inhibitor rings.

Sunset fought back the panic that sprung up inside of her as she shoved that idiotic idea away. Even if they were technically trespassing, inhibitor rings were only used on dangerous criminals. They would never be used for something like this.

And not on her. Definitely not on her.

Besides, you’d never let them get that close with one of those things.

For once, she agreed with that little voice. She hated when that happened.

She let out a sigh and shook her head.

“I told you so.”

Sunset rolled her eyes and groaned. “I agreed that you had the right to say that, Cheerilee. I didn’t say you had the right to say it ten times.”

“Don’t care,” Cheerilee chirped in a strange impression of Minuette. “I’m going to enjoy every moment of it before they throw us behind bars for breaking and entering.”

“Too bad the door wasn’t unlocked,” Minuette pointed out. “Then it would just be entering.”

“Sunset.” Cheerilee ran her hooves through her mane. “How could you possibly think teaching somepony lockpicking was a good idea? You’re Celestia’s student, for pony’s sake! In fact, how do you even know how to do it?”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time?” Sunset offered with a smile.

“And it’s been pretty useful for both of us!” Moon Dancer added. “Especially once we found the faculty’s ‘special’ drinks cabinet.”

“That was once!” Sunset protested.

“That you remember,” Moon Dancer replied with an evil little grin.

“You didn’t answer my other question!” Cheerilee shot an accusing hoof at Sunset. “How did you, the personal protégée of the Princess of the Sun, learn how to pick a lock?”

“I don’t really think now is the time or place for that little story,” Sunset hissed as she noted the guards’ perked ears. “Especially since we’re not alone!”

A gray earth pony stallion and a blue pegasus mare stood on either side of the only exit. Neither had broken their stony silence, instead staring at them through matching mirrored sunglasses. They looked about as friendly as sleeping manticores.

Sunset, Minuette, Moon Dancer and Cheerilee had been sequestered in a large storage room inside the ‘secured’ section of Hoofbeats. They were surrounded by stage monitors, microphones and other sound equipment littering the shelves and tables. In the far corner, five immense subwoofers that could probably cause minor seismic disturbances in the wrong hooves loomed over them. Most of it looked like strange alien devices from another world.

“If Mayor Mare ever hears about this, I’m doomed,” Cheerilee muttered.

“I’m sure it won’t come to that,” Sunset said. “They wouldn’t fire you over this. They couldn’t.”

Cheerilee lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, I know. I’m expecting you to fix it. I’m just never going to live it down.”

“Ah. Well, that clears things up.”

“Somepony actually tried to impersonate you, Sunny!” Minuette said. “Yowza! That’s kinda cool. Weird, but cool too!”

“No, it’s not.” Sunset muttered and poked one of the giant subwoofers. “And of course they did it three nights ago. I swear I’m going to find that pony and strangle her with my bare hooves!”

“Yeah, what’s up with that anyway?” Moon Dancer asked, leaning against one of the giant subwoofers. “Why would anypony want to be you?”

“Oh, thank you so very much.”

“You know what I mean, ” Moon Dancer replied with a roll of her eyes.

“To use my status to see Coloratura, most likely.” Sunset shrugged. “Some rabid fan-filly who happens to be good at illusion magic.”

“Come on, Sunny,” Cheerilee said. “It has to be more than that.”

“Oh, let me guess!” Sunset waggled her forehooves in front of her with a few vaguely spooky sound effects. “It’s the mythical changelings trying to infiltrate our society and bring about the fall of ponykind, right?”

Moon Dancer couldn’t help herself. She started snickering a few seconds before Minuette burst out laughing.

All they had gleaned from the few terse sentences from Gateway was that somepony claiming to be Sunset had tried to get into a rehearsal three nights ago. They’d been found out, but had escaped before they could be questioned.

This was ridiculous. She actually was Sunset Shimmer. Granted, she wasn’t technically supposed to be here, but she wasn’t an imposter!

Not that anypony around here believed her.

Sunset fought down the urge to stamp her hooves.

All I wanted to do was treat my friends to a night on the town. Is that too much to ask?

While there wasn’t a lot of hope left for the night she’d envisioned, she could at least figure out what was going on. The whole imposter thing bugged her more than she wanted to admit.

Yeah. No wonder. Somepony’s actually using your power to get what they want now that you won’t, her angry little pony said. Still… you can’t let that go unpunished. Take this place apart and find the truth.

Sunset shook her mane, stood and marched over to the mare beside the door. Neither of them moved an inch at her approach.

I don’t need to take this place apart to get some blasted answers.

“Look, I’m not dumb enough to demand you let us out. But I would like to know what happened three nights ago.”

“Like you don’t know,” the stallion muttered.

Sunset rounded on him as the voice at the back of her head piped up again. You’re an idiot, Sunset. Just blast them and march out of here. You know they can’t touch you. Nothing can stand in your way, least of all these rent-a-guards!

“Shut it, Grayshield,” the mare snapped. “We’ve got our orders.”

Something clicked in Sunset’s head.

“You sure are taking this whole thing awfully seriously…” Sunset rubbed her temples for a moment. “Way more seriously than you should. Why?”

“Gee, lemme think,” Grayshield stared at the ceiling and tapped his chin with a hoof. “We find out the famous Sunset Shimmer is an imposter and she escapes. An hour after we reported it to the police, ten Royal Guards come knocking down our door! All this right after—”

“I said shut it!” The mare turned her full attention to the stallion.

Sunset rocked back on her hooves and gaped at the two of them. “The Royal Guard? But… that doesn’t make any sense.”

“Copper Belle, why are we playing this game?” Grayshield asked—or more accurately—whined. “Why not just get Gateway to use the detection spell on them and get this stupid thing over with?”

“Because, you twit, we have our orders.”

“Orders, orders, orders,” the stallion groaned. “Talking to Gateway is more fun than talking to you.”

Copper Belle growled as her eyes narrowed to tiny pinpricks.

“Okay, I get it!” Sunset shouted, sick of their squabbling. “At least tell me how you found out the pony wasn’t me!”

“I can’t believe you’d pull the exact same stunt just a few days after.” Grayshield snickered and shook his head. “You’re a special kind of crazy, lady.”

Sunset gritted her teeth, trying to keep her temper under control. That last thing she needed was to lose it here. That wouldn’t help anything. She needed to keep her head on straight.

Still, Grayshield laughing in her face was not making it easy. She forced her jaw to unclench and took a breath.

Before she could speak again, Cheerilee stood between the two of them. She focused all of her attention on Grayshield. The stallion’s ears flattened and he took an involuntary step backward into the wall.

“She asked a fair question,” Cheerilee said, unleashing her most devastating weapon: the annoyed teacher’s voice. “Now, be a good little colt and answer it.”

Even Copper Belle swallowed.

Sunset just stared at her friend in awe.

“A-any visitor is required to have a basic detection spell cast on them before they see Miss Coloratura!” Grayshield squeaked. “When Gateway cast it on the pony, there was this sudden flash of light and gust of wind. Then the pony was just gone.”

Copper Belle’s attitude came back, but only in part.

“She wasn’t gone, you idiot. She’d just ducked around a corner and bolted for the exit.”

“Did you get a good look at her?” Sunset demanded.

Cheerilee cocked an eyebrow at the stallion. That was enough.

“No ma’am. I think she teleported, but Miss Belle thinks I’m being stupid.”

“Because you are, Grayshield. You always think it’s teleporting unicorns, or shapeshifting changelings, or—”

“—illusory Sunset Shimmers?” offered Minuette, a look of perfect innocence on her face.

“Yeah! Illusory— wait.” Copper Belle got her hooves back under her. “I mean, crew aren’t to discuss security matters with guests! Venue policy!”

“Now wait, I had another—” Sunset stopped when she heard familiar voices outside the room.

“—a good idea,” Gateway said.

“We’re all a little on edge, Gateway.” It was the friendly mare’s voice they’d heard earlier. “Thank you for understanding. After all, a chance to get some real answers isn’t something we should pass up. Rara would be here herself if she wasn’t sleeping off that last scare.”

“Miss Pommel, Miss Spotlight, I’m sure you’re curious, but I believe this is best left to the police and the Royal Guard.”

“There’s no harm in having a conversation with them,” the mare insisted. “You and your team have always provided us with the best protection. Surely you can prevent four mares from doing further damage?”

“Three of them are unicorns,” Gateway pointed out.

“I’m here too,” Cheerilee muttered. “And I’d love to show them what an annoyed earth pony can do.”

The mare must have given Gateway some sort of silent signal. The next thing they heard was the key in the lock. Sunset and Cheerilee stepped back from the door while Moon Dancer and Minuette came up behind them. They stood together, with Sunset at the lead.

The door opened and the massive security chief stepped into the room, followed by an earth pony mare who looked roughly a year younger than Moon Dancer and Minuette. That alone was enough to throw Sunset off.

Why is this mountain of a stallion taking orders from somepony who looks like she just graduated high school?

The young mare had a pale coat, slightly lighter than Moon Dancer, with a short blue mane and a large red and purple flower pinned behind her ears. She even wore a little collar with a short red tie.

It’s called a cravat, you imbecile. Don’t you remember anything your parents taught you?

Sunset ignored the jab. Her angry little pony was particularly vindictive tonight. The last thing she wanted to do was engage it.

Despite herself, Sunset thought the newcomer looked rather adorable.

As soon as that thought came to her, Sunset shook her head and refocused.

Behind the first mare was a second older earth pony with sharp features, a dark orange coat and a thick gray mane and tail. Under her large spectacles, her face had the lines of a doting grandmother, but her expression held no such warmth. In fact, the older mare looked rather annoyed. On second thought, the word that came to Sunset’s mind was ‘vexed.’ Only certain types of ponies could truly appear ‘vexed,’ and apparently this mare was one of them.

Sunset felt about ten years younger under the older mare's stern gaze.

“Coco, dear,” the older mare said. “We shouldn’t concern ourselves with this. There is no need to engage these ruffians in conversation. Let the Guard or the police see to it.”

“Chief Stablemaker’s deferring to the Guard, Spot,” Gateway said. His teeth were grinding so much Sunset half expected sparks to come shooting out of his muzzle. “He’s dispatched a support team. They’re already en route.”

The young mare frowned. Her eyes locked onto Sunset and a very long moment passed before the filly the older mare had called Coco spoke up again.

“Gateway, have you used your detection spell on them yet?”

“Didn’t see the point, ma’am,” Gateway replied. “Once the Royal Guard arrive, they’ll handle all the logistics, including removing the illusion spell. I’m surprised she hasn’t dropped it yet, honestly.”

“Maybe because I’m the real thing?” Sunset suggested.

“What a crazy thought,” Moon Dancer muttered.

“You’re already in enough trouble,” Gateway growled. “Don’t add more to it, fillies.”

“I’m sure the Guard could handle it.” Coco tapped her hoof on the ground as if pondering something. “But… would you do it anyway? Please?”

“Miss Pommel?”

Coco still hadn’t looked away. Sunset was sure she’d never met this pony before, but the way the mare stared unnerved her.

“Very well, ma’am.” Gateway replied with a sigh. “I don’t see any harm.”

A copper aura ignited around Gateway’s horn. The magic coalesced on the tip of his horn in a small orb of glittering gray light, almost like a dim disco ball. The ball flew forward like it had been hit with a racquet and smacked right into Sunset’s muzzle.

Sunset yelped, but she didn’t actually feel any impact. There was only a flash of light. The brilliant flare left dancing stars in her vision. Besides dazzling her, the spell didn’t seem to do anything. It just drifted across her coat like a warm breeze.

“Well that was overdramatic,” Cheerilee muttered as Sunset blinked the stars out of her eyes. “Who knew the security guards could be as flashy as the dancers?”

Gateway didn’t respond. His glasses had fallen to the end of his muzzle and he, along with almost every pony in the room, was staring at Sunset in wide-eyed shock.

The only one who wasn’t was Coco.

“Satisfied?” Sunset demanded. “For the hundredth time, we didn’t try and break into your rehearsal three nights ago!”

“Then who did?” Copper Belle shot back. “The mare who was impersonating you was an exact duplicate. Even the mane was perfect.”

“I really liked her mane,” Grayshield murmured in a distracted way Sunset found slightly disturbing.

“I don’t know!” Sunset cried, throwing her hooves up in the air. “We arrived at our hotel yesterday afternoon!”

A knock got their attention. Standing in the doorway was another security mare. This one was an earth pony.

“Sir, the Royal Guard are here with a team from the downtown precinct. They’re ready to take the suspects into custody.”

“Thank you, Belt. Please tell them there was a misunderstanding,” Coco replied with a tiny smile on her face. “A case of mistaken identity. Please apologize for wasting their time.”

“But Miss Pommel!” Gateway whirled on the younger mare. “They were still breaking and entering. That’s still against the law.”

Coco paled a little, but stood firm. “I know what they did, Gateway. But… I have a feeling about this. After all, these four mares did go through an awful lot to…”

There was a warmth to Coco’s smile, mixed with what looked like mischief. She was up to something. Sunset was sure of it.

Somepony’s playing games… Sunset realized. But why?

Hey, idiot! her angry little pony shouted. She’s asking you a question!

“Sorry, um…” Sunset tried to get her brain back on track. Behind her, Sunset heard Moon Dancer stifle a giggle. “We really just wanted to… well… talk to her.”

“Fanfillies,” Spotlight sighed dramatically. “Even among the Canterlot elite, Rara attracts them like moths to a flame. Oh well, it’s not for me to complain. You do pay the bills, after all.”

Spotlight flashed them an amused little smile. Sunset returned it, to her own surprise.

“To be honest, Rara is rather tired. It’s been… a long tour,” Coco admitted.

Sunset didn’t miss the hesitation, nor the shared looks of concern between Spotlight and Gateway.

The young mare thought it over for a few more moments before she turned to the security guard at the door. “It’s okay. Go ahead and tell them. Spotlight will be happy to answer any questions they may have.”

“Coco…” Spotlight shook her head, the smile never leaving her muzzle. “Why must you do this to me?”

“Despite how you may whine on occasion, I happen to know you enjoy it.” Coco said brightly.

The older mare sniffed haughtily. “I never whine, Miss Pommel. I complain.”

Coco gazed up at her, the very picture of schoolfilly innocence. “My mistake. Now go complain to our visitors. After you settle them down, please take a break. You need some fresh air after tonight’s excitement.”

Spotlight smiled fondly at the mare. “Do you know, you’re just a tiny bit evil?”

Coco returned the smile and batted her eyelashes. “I try my best.”

“Quite. Although I suspect if you ever did decide to use that charm of yours for evil, Equestria may very well be doomed.” Spotlight nodded. “I’ll speak to them. However, I’m going to check on Miss Scratch before retiring. It wouldn’t do to let our afterparty go untended.”

“If you insist, Spotlight.” Coco said, a hint of worry creeping into her voice.

Spotlight reached out a hoof. “It’ll be okay.”

“I’m more worried about you.”

“I know. And that’s sweet of you, dear.”

With that, Spotlight departed with the other security mare. Coco watched the manager the entire way with a vaguely worried expression, but she didn’t say anything further until Spotlight vanished around the corner.

“What about this lot?” Gateway demanded. “Want me to have Copper throw them out on their flanks?”

“I don’t think we need to do that.” Coco turned her attention back to the four mares. “In fact, I’ve got an idea that might shed some light on our problems.”

“You mean about that pony impersonating me?” Sunset growled. “Yeah, I have to admit, I’m not real happy about that.”

“I’m not surprised.” Coco’s smile never faded. “And while Rara is tired, we’ve all been trying to figure out what’s going on. Gateway thinks it’s part of something bigger—”

“Only because it is,” Gateway grumbled.

Coco continued as if she hadn’t heard the security chief. “And while I understand why he thinks that, I still think it’s just a fanfilly who happens to be good with illusions.”

Sunset wasn’t sure she believed that.

“Either way, I think having the real Sunset Shimmer close to hoof might help,” Coco concluded.

“You can’t be serious, Miss Pommel,” the head of security blurted out. “They can’t be rewarded for breaking in!”

“They’re not,” the earth pony mare replied with another little glint of mischief in her eye. “They’re… oh, what’s the term the police like to use? Oh yes, they’re ‘helping us with our inquiries.’”

“I can’t talk you out of this, can I?”

“Sorry, Gateway. I really think this is the best decision. For all of us. Especially Spotlight.”

“Fine.” Gateway grumbled something under his breath, but he finally nodded. “Will you at least let me post a guard at the room?”

Coco laughed. “If it’ll make you happy, of course.”

Gateway snorted. “What would make me happy is to toss these four into the alley. But since you won’t let me do that…” He glared at the mares.

Sunset cocked an eyebrow as Minuette stuck her tongue out at him. Sunset kicked her lightly in the shin. The blue unicorn yelped, looking a little sheepish.

“Thank you, Miss Pommel,” Sunset said, using her best diplomatic voice. “We appreciate it.”

Coco giggled a little. She hadn’t missed any of Minuette’s display. “Well, after being interrogated and wrongfully accused of something…” she paused and apparently reconsidered. “Though you did actually do the thing you were accused of, just not on the same day—well, for the time being, let’s just call it a favor. Afterwards, perhaps you can give Gateway some tips on tightening his security!”

Gateway’s teeth ground together with the sound of a rock crusher. Coco giggled lightly and put a hoof on his foreleg. He rolled his eyes and grunted.

“Now, let’s go see Rara. I think she’ll actually be pleased to meet you.”

Coco Pommel lead the way out of the storage room and into the hallway. Sunset ended up in the rear, but Gateway stopped her with an outstretched hoof before she could join her friends.

“You try anything funny, you’ll wish the Royal Guard had hauled you away and thrown you in a cell for the night.”

Sunset smirked at him. “Gateway, did it ever occur to you why the Royal Guard would be interested in a mystery involving me?”

Gateway’s face revealed nothing, his large-lensed sunglasses now firmly over his eyes again.

“Because I’m exactly who I said I am,” Sunset said. “Which means I’m the student of Celestia.You know, the one who raises the sun and the moon for the whole planet?”

She tapped the security guard on the chest.

“Trust me.” Sunset smiled. “You’re a teddy bear next to her.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but then closed it. Finally, he sighed. “Okay, fine.”

Sunset laughed. “Yeah. And think of it this way: has anypony ever made it this far?”

“No,” Gateway said with a note of pride. “Not even once. Even the imposter tried to access backstage from the VIP lounge.”

“Then the only pony to almost get past you and get away with it was none other than the personal student of the ruler of all Equestria. That’s still pretty good.”

Sunset gave him a friendly smirk and trotted after her friends, leaving Gateway chuckling faintly behind her.

Author's Note

Coco Pommel is so adorable, even Sunset can't help but realize it. I know Equestria weaponized friendship... but can you imagine if they weaponized cuteness? There wouldn't be a force in all creation that could stand against them... :pinkiegasp:

If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!

Introductions

The labyrinthian backstage hallways of Hoofbeats stretched out before them. The beats from the afterparty pounded through the walls and the floor. Minuette had started to do her little dance-walk thing again, completely unphazed by Moon Dancer’s barely contained chuckles.

Sunset walked beside Coco, still wondering why this mare had decided to not throw them to the Royal Guard. After all, Sunset Shimmer had been a master of guile and manipulation. She knew the signs of somepony playing a game when she saw them. Still, she didn’t get the feeling that Coco meant them any harm, though she couldn’t be sure.

That’s because you aren’t me anymore. I could tell you within seconds if this Pommel filly is lying, if you’d let me help you.Instead, you keep shutting me out.

I don’t need your kind of help! Sunset shot back to the voice in her head. I’m done with that kind of help!

You do need it, the little voice insisted. Unlike most ponies, you understand how this world works. What’s required to make it work. I’m the only part of you that’s willing to make the hard choices to make sure we succeed. Not just for today, but for life. I’m your drive, Sunset. You won’t get far without me. And you know we could get the answers we want in a heartbeat. You shouldn’t be skulking around backstage like a rat. You should be standing tall and proud, as others give you exactly what you deserve.

And what’s that? Sunset snarled mentally.

Everything.

Sunset didn’t respond. Instead, she forced herself out of her own head and back into the real world. The only way to get her angry little pony to shut up was to distract herself.

“Miss Pommel—”

“Please, Coco is fine,” the earth pony interrupted with a small smile. “Only Gateway calls me Miss Pommel. He used to be a detective.” She laughed a little. “He talks to everypony like that.”

Sunset blinked in surprise and wondered how—and why—Coloratura ended up with a former detective as a security chief. She filed away that little detail and returned Coco’s smile.

“Coco, then. I’m still not getting why you helped us.”

“I told you!” Coco smiled. “I think you might be able to help us figure out who our mystery guest was.” She winked. “Among other things.”

“The police or the—“ Sunset coughed nervously, “—Royal Guard could have done that. That’s kind of their job.”

Gateway, who kept a discreet distance behind them, muttered something Sunset couldn’t quite make out.

“Uh, Sunny, please don’t convince the nice pony to throw us to the cops,” Moon Dancer requested.

Coco giggled lightly. “Should I?”

“I’d vote no,” called Cheerilee from behind the two other unicorns.

“What she said,” Minuette chirped.

“I’d prefer you not,” Sunset replied with what she hoped was an easy grin. “Because ending up in jail is not how I thought tonight would end.”

“Funny,” Cheerilee stage-whispered to Minuette. “That’s exactly how I thought tonight would end.”

Minuette stuck out her tongue at her.

“So,” Coco began casually a few moments later. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you really the Sunset Shimmer?”

Sunset almost tripped over herself. "Uh, yeah? What in the hay does that even mean?"

“It’s not every day we get visits from royalty.” Coco paused and shrugged. “Well, royalty that actually matters, I mean. Nopony counts Blueblood.”

“I-I’m not royalty!” Sunset sputtered, slowing a little.

“She’s really not,” Moon Dancer added helpfully.

“I’m not so sure. I’ve heard some stories.” Coco wore a somewhat unsettling smile. They turned a corner and passed through a set of doors into a nicer section of the backstage area, with richly carpeted floors and walls festooned with concert posters going back thirty years.

Despite herself, Sunset had to ask. “What… what did you hear?”

Maybe she’s one of the smarter ones whounderstands how much influence you’ll have someday?

“Oh, all sorts of little rumors...” Coco said casually. “There’s the one about you being the most powerful unicorn since Starswirl the Bearded.”

Sunset paled, her heart hammering in her chest as she tried to control her breathing. “That’s… that’s… that’s not true.”

Don’t play games. Even without me you’re more powerful than any unicorn in Equestria. With me… well, we’ve already seen what someday you’ll become, haven’t we?

For a moment, her memory flashed back to that stupid mirror again.

“Sunny?” Moon Dancer sounded far away. “Are you okay?”

“There’s another floating around that you’re actually…” Coco glanced around before lowering her voice conspiratorially, “the secret daughter of Celestia herself!”

Blood pounded in Sunset’s ears. It was so loud she barely heard Minuette’s little whimper.

Don’t act so surprised. You are in all but name, Sunset. You saw the vision. You saw the crown upon your head. You saw the wings on your back. It’s going to happen.

“That’s why you’re the first unicorn in centuries to harness the power of the sun!” Coco continued, sounding more excited with every word. “I’ve heard ponies say that you raise the sun on weekends as practice!”

Cheerilee cleared her throat.

Hm. You know, that’s not a bad idea. After all, your special talent is drawing power from the sun. All you need to do is take it a step farther. Maybe even a step beyond that.

She froze in midstep as Coco continued onward. She saw herself standing on Celestia’s balcony, focusing on the sun, rising into the air as her horn glowed with Celestia’s golden magic.

A wave of dizziness sent her stumbling. Seconds later, the headache started slamming her brain. Coco’s words became dull and distant, punctuated by worried voices saying her name.

Coco stopped next to an unassuming door with a small sign on it that read ‘Do Not Disturb.’ She wore an impish grin as she turned and faced the rest of them.

“Oh, but I saved the best for last! Sunset Shimmer is going to be crowned Princess when—”

“Shut up!” Moon Dancer cried.

Moon Dancer could have been on the moon as Coco’s words blared through Sunset’s mind. Her heart stopped. Her brain stopped. Everything… just stopped.

She heard a voice coming from somewhere. “I see a pony who isn’t powerful enough. Somepony who could be great, powerful… Somepony that could rule Equestria.”

It was her own voice. Back from that day when…

Sunset blinked and ice filled her veins. Right before her stood the fire-eyed version of herself. A blazing crown, a hardened expression of smug superiority and wings of pure flame with nothing but black shadows for company. The pony who haunted her nightmares.

Celestia said it herself, the vision said in a voice as cruel as the inferno outside the window in that dream so long ago. The mirror shows potential. I’m your potential. I am all that you could be, Sunset! Stop fighting me and let me help you!

“No!” Sunset shrieked and stumbled backward, but with that, any control she had over her body vanished in an instant. A stumble transformed into a convulsion. Her breaths came in ragged gasps. Her heart threatened to explode out of her chest. Finally, she toppled backward like a cracked statue.

Familiar pinkish-gray magic saved her from slamming her head against the floor. Distantly, she heard Moon Dancer’s panicked shout as Cheerilee and Minuette rushed over. Sunset tried to force out something coherent, but nothing emerged from her muzzle other than a faint series of stuttering squeaks.

Though she could see Coco’s stricken expression of horror.

Moon Dancer roared like an enraged manticore. “What in Celestia’s name is wrong with you?”

Coco blinked in surprise, her mouth hanging open only to have Moon Dancer shove herself into the earth pony’s face.

“Don’t ever joke about something like that around her!” Moon Dancer snarled. Coco backed against the door, her eyes wide, her ears plastered to her head. “You don’t have the slightest clue what you’re talking about. If you did, you would never say something like that to Sunset!”

“Back away from her, Miss Dancer,” growled a familiar voice from somewhere behind Sunset. “Do it now.”

“I-I-I never meant…” Coco stammered.

“She is nothing like that!” Moon Dancer’s face twisted in fury. “She’s spent years fighting to not be that!”

But all of that happened somewhere else. The commotion in the hallway faded away again and echoed in her own voice ripped across her mind like the lashes from a whip.

“Because I can. Because I have a destiny, and you were underhoof. That’s all.”

“What are you studying for? Nothing, that’s what.”

“Who needs anypony? The most important thing in life is to be the best.”

“Perfection doesn’t change, Moon Dancer. It just is.”

“—Even if you somehow gained enough arcane knowledge to rival Celestia herself, you’d still be the monster under these foals’ bed. It’s your nature.”

“…somepony that could rule Equestria.”

A surge of panicked magic erupted from Sunset’s horn, imploding Moon Dancer’s levitation field. She buried her head in her hooves and tried to fight back the tears.

You could have already proven yourself worthy of being Celestia’s daughter, you know. You still could. All you need to do is let me help you. Show everypony the sheer power you can command. You’ve seen it, Sunset. You’ve seen the truth. You simply need to accept it.

Leave me alone, Sunset cried to the evil little voice. Please, just leave me alone. I don’t want that life anymore. I’ve changed.

You are what you are. Why can’t you accept there’s no shame in it? It’s almost sad. The voice filled with pity. It almost sounded motherly. One day, you’re going to accept that I am what you are meant to be. Until then, I’ll be here. Watching… and waiting.

“Sunny?”

Cheerilee wrapped her hooves around her. Minuette and Moon Dancer were there too, just being there, being close, reminding her that she wasn’t alone with that horrible, horrible thing that lived inside her mind.

My friends.

“You’re okay, Sunny,” Cheerilee whispered. “We’re here. You’re okay.”

Her voice was like Celestia's, singing an old lullaby, like the ones she used to sing for Sunset when she’d been small. Cheerilee’s voice carried the same comfort and warmth. It was a quiet and gentle thing. Slowly, her friend’s low murmurs washed away the panic in a wave of warmth. Sunset’s breathing started to slow.

Moon Dancer looked up in the direction of Coco and let out an audible growl. She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Gateway now stood between the two of them, his face hard and his muzzle locked into an expression of stoic fury.

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” Moon Dancer hissed through clenched teeth. “We should just go.”

“I think that might be for the best,” Cheerilee agreed.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Gateway growled, his voice the sound of an oncoming avalanche. “Do it quickly, before I decide to call—”

“No! Wait!”

Coco was on her knees in front of Sunset in an instant. Tears spilled from her eyes and trickled down her cheeks, making little damp spots on her cravat. Her chest heaved as if she had just sprinted five miles.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so, so, so very sorry. I meant it as a-a… I don’t know! I was going to make a point about it about… h-how I know you’re not… y-you’re not like that! It’s stupid now. I didn’t know it would upset you. If I had known… I swear I didn’t meant to bring up… whatever… um… this was…”

The sight of the young mare in tears finally snapped Sunset free from her paralysis with a gasp and a shudder. Without her saying a word, all of her friends backed off a little, giving her room to breathe. Slowly, Sunset felt her body relax, though her heart still ached and she could still hear the echoes of those hateful, horrible words.

Her words.

Sunset glanced at her friends. Moon Dancer still looked furious. Minuette chewed her lower lip. Cheerilee looked as if she were restraining herself from grabbing Sunset in another hug. Sunset gave each an awkward little smile and then looked back to Coco.

She didn’t mean it like that. She’s teasing. She just… didn’t know.

“Let’s… just…” Sunset’s voice was raw as she choked back the enormous knot in her throat. “Apology accepted.”

“Sunny, we should go back to the hotel,” Cheerilee insisted. “You’ve had a long day. You should—“

“No,” Sunset mumbled as she slowly wiped away a few stray tears. “No, I promised I would get you in to see Coloratura, and I meant it.”

Coco quickly scrambled to her hooves. “Please again, let me—”

The door behind Coco opened and a bleary-eyed light green-gray earth pony stepped out. Her indigo blue hair was a complete mess, almost hiding a few bright teal streaks. Her eyes were bloodshot as she stood blinking in the stark lighting of the hallway. The earth pony took in the scene in front of her before she focused on Coco and Sunset. When she looked at Sunset, a spark of recognition ignited behind her eyes. Sunset knew she looked like a wreck with lines of tears still trickling down her face, but at the moment, she was too tired to care.

A tiny part of Sunset squeed like mad at the sight of Coloratura herself. Most of her was still trying to banish the thoughts Coco’s careless comments had dredged up.

Even the other girls’s reactions were muted. Minuette hopped up and down a couple times, but Moon Dancer and Cheerilee barely seemed to react to the singer’s presence. They were both still focused on Sunset.

“Coco?” Coloratura asked as she rubbed her eyes. “What’s going on? I heard shouts.”

Coco blushed. “Oh, just… making a foal out of myself.”

“What would make you say that?” The pop star blinked a few times. “Are you okay?”

“No,” the young mare replied, not meeting Coloratura’s gaze. “No, I’m not. Look, Rara, these ponies sort of... snuck in to see you. Gateway caught them. After the most recent fiasco, I thought they could help.”

Gateway grumbled something indecipherable.

“Then… what happened?” Coloratura took a deep breath and blinked a few more times, fighting back a yawn. “It sounded… almost like somepony was getting attacked.”

Coco opened her mouth to speak, but Sunset cut her off.

“I… I’m sorry, Miss Coloratura,” Sunset confessed. “That was my fault. I just got startled by something. It really doesn’t matter.”

To Sunset’s surprise, Coloratura’s eyes bored into hers with a sudden intensity. After a few seconds, something glinted behind the singer’s eyes. With that, Sunset knew without a doubt Coloratura knew she was lying. She didn’t know how or why, but she knew.

Before Sunset could react, the singer’s gaze slid to Gateway. Even though Sunset could have sworn Gateway’s expression hadn’t changed at all, Coloratura seemed to get something from him. She nodded at the security chief and shifted her attention to Coco, who still wouldn’t meet her eyes. After a few awkward moments, Coloratura finally nodded.

“Okay. Why don’t you all come in? I’ll get some tea going.”

With that, the singer stepped back into her room and left the door open. Sunset tried to gather her wits and get her brain back up to speed. Then, Coco held out a hoof to her. Sunset stared at it for a long second before taking it. Cheerilee backed away, allowing Coco to pull Sunset to her hooves.

“Well, are you coming?” Coloratura’s voice came from inside the room.

“I’m sorry,” Coco whispered.

“I know.” Sunset even managed a smile at the young mare. “It’ll be okay. You didn’t know. Anyway, you didn’t let Gateway kick us out… so let’s call it even, okay?”

Coco returned Sunset’s small smile and nodded.

The young mare led the way into the large room, which appeared to be some sort of lounge. Sunset didn’t get a chance to look around. Instead, she finally realized that she stood in the very same room as Coloratura. And Coloratura had just finished putting a kettle on to boil for them.

The pop star trotted up to them with a slightly sleepy smile.

“Sunset Shimmer,” Coco said formally. “I’d like you to meet Coloratura…”

Sunset couldn’t help but laugh a little as Coloratura walked up to shake her hoof. Despite how tired the singer looked, it was a surprisingly passionate gesture. Her hoof vibrated for quite a while after the musician let go.

“For the record, Miss Coloratura,” Sunset said with a smile and a faint hint of a squee in her voice. “This is all my fault.”

Coloratura broke into a grin. “Well, she’s honest at least. I’ll give her that.”

“Occasionally,” Moon Dancer whisper-coughed.

“Well, while I finish with the tea, why don’t you make yourselves comfortable? Then maybe Coco here will tell me all about why I have Sunset Shimmer—the real one, I assume—at my door?”

Sunset rubbed the back of her neck and tried not to blush.

Okay, maybe Cheerilee was right. It’s possible this wasn’t my brightest idea. What with the whole getting caught, imposter thing and panic attack...

As Coloratura busied herself in the kitchenette, Gateway closed the door from the outside with a final piercing glare aimed at both Sunset and Moon Dancer. Sunset turned and took a breath to try and steady her nerves. The lounge wasn’t nearly as impressive as Sunset had expected. There were a few couches in a semi-circle with cushions scattered about, a small bar and a couple of beds against the far wall, next to another door. Though surprisingly spartan, the room was decorated in a style that was warm, relaxing and inviting. All around the walls were framed portraits of headlining performers going back fifty years. Sunset’s own quarters in the Castle—for when she’d stayed too late to make it back to her apartment—were far bigger than this tiny little place.

Somepony of Coloratura’s status should have been able to command an entire suite at some swanky hotel, but from the overnight bag in the corner, it looked like Coloratura was spending most of her time here for the duration of her performance.

Why would she be staying in the green room? Assuming that’s what this is.

Coloratura must have noticed the expression on Sunset’s face. As she stepped over with a tea trolley, she smiled. The singer motioned for Sunset and her friends to take a seat as she put out teacups in front of each of them. Sunset sat on a sofa, flanked by Moon Dancer and Cheerilee, both of whom were still giving Coco the occasional dark look. Minuette peered at the pictures on the wall with various notes of awe and admiration.

Coco sat alone on a small cushion on the opposite side of the coffee table from Sunset, not meeting her eyes. Once Coloratura was done serving the tea, she sat down beside Coco with a faint frown. However, she redirected her attention at Sunset again and smiled.

“You don’t think much of my little home-away-from-home, do you?” Coloratura noted, her bright blue eyes sparkling.

Sunset winced. “Sorry, Miss Coloratura, I didn’t mean to presume anything. It’s just… not what I expected.”

“You sound like a theater manager,” Coco said with a reserved laugh.

“Tabloids like to paint me as somepony who demands the best.” Coloratura blew a bit of steam from her tea. “I’ve been called a diva, a prima donna and a lot worse.” She smiled distantly. “All of it is just rumors and gossip. When I’m not backstage resting, I’m out there with my fans. It’s where I belong. Believe it or not… they help keep my hooves on the ground. Always.”

Coco coughed.

“Okay, fine.” Coloratura rolled her eyes. “Maybe not always.”

“Better.” Coco smiled.

“I do try,” the singer said with a very faint pout.

“You have gotten better.” Coco laughed.

“I don’t get it. Why?” Minuette said, standing in front of a picture of Coloratura at a charity concert a few years ago. “Somepony like you could get… an entire floor at the Ritz Colton with just a wave of your hoof!”

“Minuette!” Cheerilee admonished.

“No, no! That’s fair!” Coloratura laughed again. “When I first started out, Spotlight—my manager—did book us entire suites of rooms. Somepony in upper management even tried to set me up with a fancy title. I think it was… Queen? No. Lady? No. Hm. What was it, again, Coco? I can’t remember.”

Coco’s laugh descended into a short series of snorts. She shook so badly she had to put down her teacup. Finally, she managed to speak as Coloratura smiled at her.

“Countess. They wanted to call you Countess Coloratura.”

Coloratura rolled her eyes and facehoofed. “I can’t believe I almost let the agency talk me into that. Ugh.”

“What stopped you?” Minuette asked.

Sunset smiled at her blue friend and shook her head.

How long have we been here? Five minutes? And Minuette is already making friends with one of the three top performers in all of Equestria.

Sunset rolled her eyes. Only Minuette...

“A long time ago, a filly I once knew warned me about all the glitz and glamor that can come with this life. If you start to let the spectacle get bigger than you are… you get lost. Celestia, I started to think even Spotlight wanted that for me. Turned out, she was just getting pressure from upper management.” She shook her head.

“I still owe her for getting you to see reason,” Coco commented. “If you hadn’t… you would never have hired me.”

Coloratura frowned and scratched at her mess of a mane. “Can… can we not talk about that?”

“Rara, it’s okay. That’s behind you now.” Coco elbowed her in the ribs. “Now you’re the very model of the modern pop star. Good, honest and humble.”

Coloratura snorted. “It’s hard to be humble with friends like you.”

Coco blushed a little at that.

Minuette laughed before downing half of her tea in one long drink. Cheerilee raised an eyebrow at her, but only shook her head and sipped from her cup.

“I’m sorry, Miss Coloratura.” Sunset blinked a few times. “You just met us. Why are you telling us all this?”

“I may have just met you in person, Sunset Shimmer,” Coloratura replied, leaning forward. “But when you’ve performed in Canterlot as many times as I have, you can’t help but hear about Princess Celestia’s prized student.”

Sunset wilted, from ears to tail.

This is the last thing I need right now. Especially after that last attack.

Cheerilee scooted a bit closer to Sunset. On her other side, Moon Dancer put a hoof on her shoulder and ground her teeth a little.

“I’ve also heard about a new Sunset Shimmer.”

“I’m sorry… again,” Coco interjected, putting her hooves up. “Look, what I had been trying to say before? All the rumors of you being the Princess’s successor? Well, Rara and I, we do a lot of charity work.”

“It’s mostly you.” Coloratura beamed at Coco.

Coco blushed, but pushed on. “We met a lot of ponies from the ‘upper class.’ A lot of high-society types.”

“Bunch of stuffy, useless twits,” Coloratura snorted. For a moment, her voice almost became a growl. “I don’t know why the Princess keeps them around.”

Sunset gaped and stared at the singer. A round of collective gasps echoed around her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw all of her friends staring at Coloratura with the same shocked expression Sunset probably wore.

Both Coco and Coloratura laughed this time.

“What?” Coloratura grinned at all of them. “You all live in Canterlot, I assume?”

Cheerilee raised a hoof. “I’m from Ponyville, actually.”

“Oh, so you probably understand this better than anypony… except maybe Miss Shimmer here.” Coco clapped her hooves together. “Perfect!”

“Here’s the thing.” the singer continued. She finished off her tea and slid it to the side so she could stare right at Sunset. “I know about the kind of family you’re from—”

Moon Dancer let out a low growl that silenced Coloratura.

“Moon Dancer…” Sunset sighed.

Coloratura raised her hoof in surrender. “Not trying to push here, but it’s part of the reason.”

Moon Dancer slid a little closer to Sunset, glowering at both Coco and Coloratura in equal measure. Sunset couldn’t help but smile at her overprotective friend.

“As I was saying,” Coloratura continued as if nothing had happened, “it’s hard not to hear gossip about the personal protégée of the Princess of the Sun in these circles. Somepony’s always trying to get in with Spotlight, Coco or myself by offering up dirt on anypony they can. And in the last few years, you’ve become a very popular topic.”

Sunset’s ears flattened and she felt her cheeks burn. Coloratura apparently noticed and had the grace to look a little embarrassed for her. Coco did everything but look at Sunset or her friends.

“And what…” Sunset forced herself to ask. “Do they have to say about me?”

“You stopped playing the game.”

Sunset blinked and ignored the angry little voice in the back of her head. “Sorry, you’ve lost me.”

“They’re saying that you’ve gone soft.”

Sunset blinked again. “Wha—?”

“Maybe we’re reading a bit too much into this…” Coloratura smiled, her eyes sparkling. “But Coco, Spotlight and I have come to the conclusion whenever anypony in ‘high-society’ says something bad about another pony, especially something like ‘going soft,’ that means they’ve changed for the better.”

“That’s the whole point!” Coco cried, finally looking up again at Sunset. “Please, Miss Shimmer, we’ve heard about what you used to be. Even as a filly, you had the Canterlot elite eating out of your hoof. Ponies five times your age were both terrified and in awe of you!”

Sunset winced and felt a little sick to her stomach.

“According to the rumor mill,” Coloratura continued. “You played the game better than Blueblood himself.”

Sunset let out a growl before she could stop herself. Minuette giggled and both the singer and Coco joined in.

“I’d recommend against comparing her with Blueblood,” Moon Dancer suggested. “Just a little safety tip.”

Coloratura’s grin was enormous.

“Now, I don’t pretend either of us know the whole story,” Coloratura said. Coco nodded emphatically. “But something changed in you a few years ago. To us, that’s practically a letter of recommendation from Princess Celestia herself. It means we’re a lot alike.”

Sunset nearly dropped her tea. She blinked and blinked again. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.

“In fact,” Coco said with a sigh, “the rumors are that you’ve gone to actually caring about what other ponies think. I don’t need to tell you what most of high society thinks of that. But despite a rocky start, Rara here is just like you! That’s… that’s what I had tried to tell you, but it came out all wrong. I wanted to tell you that she’s just a normal pony.”

“If anypony says differently, I have some words for them.” Coloratura expression changed into something almost angry. Fire flashed in her eyes as she ground her teeth. “I know who I am. And I refuse to let this industry change me. I’ll be honest… there are plenty of days when that’s hard to do. But thankfully, I have some pretty good friends to help me keep my hooves on the ground.”

Coloratura winked at Coco, who blushed profusely. Finally, the musician took a deep breath.

“In all honesty, Miss Shimmer,” Coloratura said, looking a little hesitant for the first time. “I’ve… always wanted to meet you. To ask you what happened. How you did it. And why you did it.”

“That’s not what Coco said,” Moon Dancer pointed out.

“I didn’t want to embarrass her,” Coco muttered, staring at her hooves yet again.

“Is that the reason for all the guards?” Minuette asked. “Your security chief seems to be taking his job extra-seriously tonight. And if you really want to be that accessible…”

Minuette trailed off when she saw the pained expression on Coloratura’s face.

“There’s a reason for that,” Coco said. Her ears were flat against her head. “Were you by chance sneaking about backstage maybe… thirty minutes ago?”

Sunset nodded. “Sounds about right.”

“Then you don’t know,” Coloratura rubbed her face with her hooves. “Poor Spotlight got nearly scared out of her wits when some of the overhead lighting above us exploded.”

Cheerilee was the first to recover. “Is she okay? She looked fine to me!”

“Spotlight’s tougher than she looks,” Coloratura assured them. “She’s been working Bridleway for years. She’ll be fine. But it’s only the latest in a long line of things going wrong on this tour.”

Moon Dancer frowned. “I read something about you having effects issues in Fillydelphia?”

Coloratura let out an explosive sigh. “That was such a mess.”

“Somepony killed the lights on the entire stage in Hoofington,” Coco groaned. “And there was the incident with that… fan disguised as part of the backstage staff.”

“Effect failures. Missing instruments. Issues with booking the nightclubs. Damaged sound equipment. Security breaches. Even crazy fans trying to rush the stage!” Coloratura buried her face in her hooves. “Poor Spotlight’s been pulling her mane out trying to keep it all from going completely pear-shaped.”

“I’m worried about her,” Coco said, though it sounded like it was more to herself than anypony else.

“Me too,” Coloratura patted her on the shoulder.

“Okay, that’s a pretty good reason for extra security,” Moon Dancer admitted. “It sounds like somepony’s trying to ruin your shows.”

“I know, and I hate it!” Coloratura growled. She slammed a hoof onto the coffee table. The teacups jumped. Right then, Sunset understood the real source of the singer’s exhaustion. “I hate this whole thing! I should be enjoying the after party with my fans! Not hiding in the green room, exhausted out of my mind, trying to get some sleep because somepony double-booked the hotel… and a new construction project started across the street from it.”

“That’s not the worst of it.” Coco frowned. “Our show is starting to get a reputation for damaging clubs. Ponies think we’re running things dangerously behind the scenes. And that’s beginning to affect our charity work. If we have even one more accident in full view of the public… it could cause some serious damage! We’re afraid that some sponsors might pull out entirely!”

“So, that’s why you wanted to see us?” Minuette asked, hopping over a couch to land directly beside Moon Dancer. “You think we can help?”

“I’m a bit curious myself,” Coloratura admitted. “Where are you going with this, Coco?”

“It was just a passing thought.” Coco blushed yet again. She played with her cravat before continuing, “I just thought you might have some suggestions. You are the personal student of Princess Celestia. And while I’m still not totally convinced the imposter a few nights ago had something to do with this, when the real you arrived… it got me thinking.”

“I still don’t know why anypony would impersonate me,” Sunset muttered.

That’s not true and you know it. Other ponies recognize what sort of power you have, even if you refuse to use it.

“I can think of a few,” Moon Dancer mused. “Especially considering everything they’ve just said. But why haven’t you involved the police?”

“We have,” Coloratura sighed. “They’ve never found anything conclusive. Assuming there actually is anypony behind this and I’m not just being paranoid. No matter how much we tighten security, this sort of thing keeps happening. It’s only a matter of time before somepony gets hurt.”

“Well, Miss Coloratura,” Sunset replied. “I’m not sure what we can really do to help—”

Coloratura waved a hoof. “After listening to us go on like this, the least you all can do is call me Rara.”

“…Rara?” Minuette squeaked. “Are… are you sure?”

“Did you not hear anything I said?” Coloratura huffed, but there was a twinkle in her eyes. “Look, I’m just a pony. Just like the rest of you.”

“Who happens to be one of the greatest—if not the—greatest pop stars around!” Minuette pointed out.

It was Coloratura’s turn to blush. “Well… I don’t know if I’d go that far. But do we really want to go around pointing out everypony’s special talents?”

“No,” Sunset interjected quickly. “No, we don’t.”

“Good!” Coloratura said. “Then call me Rara.”

“If you insist… Rara.” Despite her annoyance, Moon Dancer’s voice squeaked a bit when she said the pop star’s name. “Sunny’s got connections. Now, while she didn’t want to play the whole ‘Student of the Princess’ thing—”

“Please… I need to ask one thing first.” Coco interrupted. “I’m sorry, but I’ve been dying to know. What did you intend to do after you got in here? You can’t have expected just to wander around.”

“Yeah… maybe this wasn’t one of my best thought out plans…” Sunset blushed, suddenly missing the bubbling laughter she’d left behind after getting caught. “I wanted to find some backstage passes once we were inside.”

Coco covered her muzzle as she tried to hold back a laugh.

“Um…” Coloratura said with a very similar expression. “We don’t have any of those back here. Why would we? All the staffers have their own badges. Anyway, we haven’t done backstage passes since Hoofington.”

“Fillydelphia,” Coco corrected absently.

“That long? Ugh. Sorry, Fillydelphia,” Rara continued. “So… did you have a Plan B?”

Everypony stared at Sunset, who shrank under their gazes.

“No,” she muttered. “Okay, fine. Maybe I had a bit too much apple cider, okay?”

“Worst. Plan. Ever,” Cheerilee moaned. “Seriously, Sunny, how do I let you talk me into these things?”

“Because it was fun,” Minuette suggested.

Cheerilee sighed again.

Coco and Rara were both grinning like lunatics.

“Well,” Rara admitted, “This isn’t the first time we’ve caught somepony trying to sneak in after having a few too many. But this is the first time a member of the Canterlot elit—”

Rara stopped when Sunset winced.

“Sorry,” the singer said. “I forgot.”

“It’s… it’s fine.”

“I’ll make you a deal,” Rara said, her eyes twinkling. “You help us figure out what’s going on around here and I’ll give you all backstages for life.”

Minuette’s head popped up. “Really?”

Coco smiled at Rara and gave her a rather exaggerated wink. “I think that sounds fair.”

“Didn’t you just say you didn’t do backstage passes?” Moon Dancer asked.

“Don’t ruin this, Moony!” Minuette shot her an annoyed glare, which was rare enough on it’s own to make the other unicorn stare at her friend open-mouthed.

“And if we can’t figure it out?” Cheerilee asked, her voice wavering.

Rara shrugged. “Then we’ll throw you to the Royal Guards and file restraining orders against all of you.”

Sunset and her friends stared at the two earth ponies. Despite herself, Sunset’s heart started to hammer in her chest, right up until Rara broke up laughing, nearly falling onto the floor.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she said between gales of laughter. “I couldn’t resist.”

The rest of them broke into real laughs, Minuette the loudest of all. She actually did fall out of her chair.

“No,” Rara said with a wave of a hoof. “No, there’s no price tag. We’re happy to spend a bit of time with you. And if you don’t feel like helping, that’s okay. We’ll just bring in the police again and hope they find something new.”

Coco grimaced, her amusement fading in seconds.

“And you don’t want to do that,” Moon Dancer guessed.

“If the police becomes involved, it’ll become an even bigger PR disaster!” Coco said with a sigh. “And those ponies I mentioned? They’ll pull their funding for our charity work. Somepony’s out there trying to ruin us and it’s working. Gateway can only do so much! But if we need to bring in the police again… we can probably weather the storm.”

Coco’s face betrayed her. And her ears. And her entire body.

She doesn’t think they can. I’d only heard rumors, but this sounds serious. They’re desperate.

Sunset glanced at the other girls. She already knew Minuette’s answer. Moon Dancer had her trademark cocky grin on—the one she had outright stolen from Sunset herself—and even Cheerilee looked interested.

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” Sunset said with a smile. “You’ve got yourselves a—”

A resounding crash interrupted Sunset, followed shortly by a chorus of panicked screams. Coco and Rara’s eyes widened in shock and they both darted for the door. Sunset didn’t bother. She focused on the location of the crash with a quick seeker spell and found it in a manner of seconds. With a sharp pop of magic, she teleported, trusting her friends to join her soon enough.

The flash of the teleport faded… and Sunset froze.

She had appeared behind the curtain separating the main stage from the backstage area. Sunset could see the silhouette of the DJ on the main stage through the thick fabric. The music had stopped dead. Just like Sunset’s heart.

In the center of the stage, Rara’s manager, Spotlight, lay unmoving beneath a fallen truss.

Author's Note

:pinkiegasp: What a twist!

If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!

Interactions

Sunset’s heart thudded in her chest as she scrambled to Spotlight’s side. In her mad dash, she almost slipped on Spotlight’s glasses, but she caught herself at the last second. Then she flung herself down beside the manager, ignoring the worried shouts coming from the other side of the curtain.

Blood pounded in her ears as she reached out and gently laid a hoof on Spotlight’s chest.

Seconds ticked by, each feeling like an hour.

Then the older mare’s chest lifted and fell.

Sunset slumped backward, dizzy with relief.

She’s breathing. Okay. Good. Now, let’s see how bad it is...

From Spotlight’s expression, she had to be in ridiculous amounts of pain. Not only that, but her breathing seemed erratic. Spotlight twisted a little under the weight of the truss, only to let out a groan.

Sunset’s eyes traveled the length of the mare’s body. It took a bit of light from her horn, but she managed to catch a glimpse of Spotlight’s mangled hindlegs, pinned beneath the enormous metal support beam. The only reason it hadn’t done worse was the truss had gotten wedged against a series of metal elevators used to access the upper catwalks.

“Think Sunset,” she muttered to herself, pushing aside the panic. “Think!”

A healing spell was out of the question. Despite her best efforts, she could only do the most basic of restoration magic. And she didn’t dare try something on a pony with potentially crippled legs… or worse.

I wish I trained harder. Sunset thought as she desperately searched her mind for something that might help. I can’t just sit here and wait! Okay. Let’s see. Moving the truss without a medic on hoof could be dangerous… Or is that for head injuries? Ugh!

Only one spell came to mind. It wasn’t much beyond a general numbing charm, but it should help lessen the poor mare’s pain. She focused and a thin wave of teal magic flowed over the stricken manager. After a few moments, Spotlight’s breathing eased somewhat, though she was still unconscious.

Sunset heard running hoofsteps behind her and turned, hoping to see her friends. However, the newcomers appeared to be Hoofbeats staffers, two pegasi and three earth ponies. All of them gaped at the sight of Sunset, Spotlight and the truss.

Somepony skidded to a halt beside her. Sunset glanced up to see the after-party DJ, a white mare with a wild mane of blue and cyan and oddly reflective shades. Sunset could see her own panicked expression in that pink and purple reflection. The mare didn’t say anything, but instead nodded at the enormous truss itself.

The truss was huge, over fifty feet long. Sunset couldn’t even guess how heavy it was. It was a minor miracle the now-broken elevators had prevented it from crushing the poor manager.

“I don’t know if it’s safe to move it off her!” Sunset bit her lower lip, trying to figure out what to do.

The DJ flicked her shades down and pierced Sunset with a look that told her quite plainly that she was being an idiot. How two red eyes could communicate that so effectively, Sunset didn’t know, but at this point, she wasn’t about to question it. The mare’s horn flared, but she couldn’t even fully wrap a telekinetic field around the truss.

Several of the staffers rushed over, but Sunset waved them away.

“If you move it wrong,” Sunset said, “it might collapse the rest of the way and completely crush her! We need magic for this!”

While the DJ didn’t have enough magic to pull off something like this, it wouldn’t be a problem for Sunset.

“I’ll handle the truss,” Sunset said. “You get her out from under there.”

The DJ nodded and they swapped positions. The two pegasi staffers rushed to either side of the truss while the three others stood around anxiously. Sunset took a few steps back and concentrated. The first levitation field failed entirely. The second faded out after trying to lift it. Finally, on the third attempt, she managed to grab a solid hold on the truss. The effort created a second layer of overglow around her horn. Instantly, both pegasi grabbed the edges and tried to lift, but they didn’t have the leverage to do much.

With a grunt, Sunset began to pull it into the air as Rara and Coco stormed onto the stage, Sunset’s friends close behind.

Rara and Coco both let out screams at the sight of Spotlight pinned under the truss.

Sunset pushed it all away and focused.

Just think of what you could do if you actually followed your true calling… said that obnoxious voice in the back of her head.

Buck off. Those were the only two words Sunset gave her angry little pony as she redoubled her efforts and poured more magic into the spell. A few moments later, as Coco and Rara reached the unconscious mare, Sunset finally managed to get the thing just high enough for the DJ to gently pull Spotlight out from under the truss.

Sunset didn’t hear the cries of her friends as they galloped forward, but even with Spotlight only halfway out, she knew she was losing the battle against gravity. As the spell began to slip, she felt the familiar magic of Moon Dancer and Minuette as they bolstered Sunset’s spell with their own magical reserves. Instantly, Sunset could breathe again.

That’s what friends are for, you jerk, Sunset snarled at the sulking voice in the back of her head.

You could have handled that if you worked harder at being the best instead of doing all this ridiculous friend-making.

“She’s clear!” Rara cried. “You can put it down, Sunset!”

Sunset, Minuette and Moon Dancer gently lowered the truss back to the stage floor. Sunset let out an enormous sigh of relief when she released the magic. She stumbled for a moment, a splitting headache centered right on her horn. It had been way too long since she had done any high-mass telekinetic exercises. She wobbled, but found her balance before she fell over.

“Sunset, you okay?” Moon Dancer called.

Sunset nodded, sighed again and opened her eyes, only to stare at a small gap between the curtains that were the only thing blocking Spotlight’s injury from the increasingly loud crowd outside.

Sunset whirled, but both Rara and Coco were focused entirely on Spotlight.

Coco said this whole thing is only one disaster away from falling apart. And they’re in no state to handle this. She licked her suddenly dry lips. I’m probably going to regret this...

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and stepped out through curtain and onto the main stage.

The clamor in the club slowly died away as Sunset walked up to the edge of the stage in the biggest dance club in all of Manehattan.

Half of the ponies below wore glowsticks. Half of them wore cocktail dresses. All of them were staring in shock at Sunset.

“Um… minor technical difficulties?” Sunset tried.

In the front row, an orange earth pony with a blond mane and an elegant emerald dress cocked an eyebrow at Sunset.

“Minor difficulties?” she scoffed. For a moment, Sunset thought she heard a country twang in her voice, but it faded almost instantly. “That didn’t sound like… that didn’t sound like a minor technical difficulty!”

“Indeed, Jackie,” said an older orange-coated stallion beside her. “I daresay that sounded like something large and heavy collapsing!”

Sunset hated herself for doing it, but she reached deep within and pulled out her most sincere practiced smile. She could feel the eyes of something smug lurking in the back of her mind.

“Nothing like that!” Sunset replied in a carefully cheerful voice. “Simply a misfire of a sound effect spell. Miss Coloratura’s effects team were testing something to give the impression of ‘bringing down the house’ and went a little overboard.”

The ponies in the crowd didn’t seem all that convinced, but they had at least settled down a bit. Sunset spied Hoofbeats staffers moving through the crowd. She let out a slow breath as the partiers started chatting among themselves.

You enjoyed that.

Sunset didn’t reply.

“Hey!” the before-mentioned ‘Jackie’ spoke up again, squinting up at Sunset. “Ain’t—aren’t you Sunset Shimmer?”

“Thank you all for coming! Your afterparty DJ should be back on stage shortly!” Sunset said as she tried to put a bit more sincerity in her smile. “Hoofbeats thanks you for your understanding!”

With that, Sunset darted back behind the curtain. As an afterthought, she added a muffling charm to the velvet drapes. Only then did Sunset actually allow herself to breathe… again.

Smooth. Real smooth.

Oh, who asked you? Sunset grumbled.

Shaking her head, she stumbled back to the others. Gateway was already there with two of his security guards and he looked peeved.

“You get up there and do a thorough sweep of every upper level!” he shouted at his cowering staff. “After all the horseapples we’ve dealt with on this tour, there’s no way this was an accident and I plan to take it out of somepony’s hide! Now find me some damn answers! Move your flanks!”

The two security guards scampered off. The staffers were milling about, apparently completely lost as to what to do. Rara was pacing back and forth with Coco trying to calm her down. Moon Dancer studied the truss with all the intensity of a forensics team. Minuette had vanished. Cheerilee sat next to Spotlight. Somepony had fetched a small medical kit—a yellow box with a pink cross on it—and Cheerilee was sorting through the various salves, bandages and potions. The DJ remained at Cheerilee’s side, silently helping.

“How’s she doing, Cheer?” Sunset asked as she knelt by the still-unconscious mare.

“I hate that nickname,” Cheerilee said, but it was more an automatic response than anything else. It had been a while since Sunset had seen Cheerilee in full professional mode. “She’s got a twisted forehoof and two broken hindlegs, Sunny. Multiple breaks in both, if I’m any judge. Probably a bruised rib. She might have a concussion from being slammed to the stage so hard, too.” Cheerilee glanced up at the magic shielding them from prying eyes. “I saw the muffling charm. Nice work. The last thing she needs is ‘helpful’ fans right now. What happened?”

They both turned to glance at the DJ, but the mare shrugged and shook her head. Sunset couldn’t see anything behind her mirrored pink and purple glasses, but the pony was chewing her lower lip.

“Nopony saw anything. Why am I not surprised?” Cheerilee’s hooves didn’t stop moving as she applied a cold compress to Spotlight’s head. “But Sunset, you have to know… if that truss had landed on her head…”

“I know,” Sunset growled. “Coloratura said there’d been accidents, but nothing like this.”

“Because nothing like this has ever happened!” Coloratura cried from behind them. “How is she?”

Sunset turned to see the singer in tears. Sunset suspected the mare hadn’t completely broken down only thanks to Coco’s efforts. The younger mare was rubbing Rara’s shoulder gently, trying not to look at Spotlight.

“She’ll need to be taken to the hospital, but I can’t say for how long. Broken bones are pretty easy to fix these days, especially in Manehattan, but ...” Cheerilee trailed off.

“But you said something about a concussion?”

“When you’ve been around colts and fillies as much as I have, I’ve found that any nasty crash can result in a concussion. It’s best to play it safe until the medical ponies get here.”

“Cheerilee is Ponyville’s primary education teacher,” Sunset explained. “And that’s after spending a few years teaching at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”

“All elementary school teachers are required to know first aid,” Cheerilee said distractedly as she placed the splint on Spotlight’s left hindleg. “And for teachers at GU, they have special certification courses in dealing with just about anything.”

With the dexterity of an experienced earth pony, Cheerilee swiftly finished splinting both broken hindlegs and put a brace on the twisted forehoof.

“That should do it until the medical ponies get here. Minuette said she was going to go meet them.”

Sunset turned to the DJ. “Miss—”

“Her name’s Vinyl Scratch,” Coco supplied distractedly.

“Miss Scratch, the audience is still expecting you out there. Can you help distract them from what just happened?” Sunset asked. “Please?”

The DJ gave her a smirk and a cocky little salute before trotting through the curtain. While it was open, the muffling charm faded temporarily. The cheers of the crowd welcomed the return of the DJ. A few seconds later, bass was thrumming through the club, so strong the the sound nearly overpowered Sunset’s spell.

Okay, that gamble seemed to have worked. But this is crazy.

Sunset turned and frowned at the singer. “Miss Coloratura, I understand that this was going to be a fun little detective mystery, but this just took a turn for the serious. You know what would have happened if Spotlight had been hit differently. You need to inform the Manehattan Police.”

Coloratura blinked a few times, still staring at the unconscious manager.

“If this was sabotage… or, Celestia forbid, an attempt to actually injure members of your staff, you have a serious problem on your hooves. I’d suggest you cancel tomorrow’s performance and have the police lock this place down. Somepony could have seen something, without even knowing it.”

“You… you can’t do that,” said a weak voice from Sunset’s hooves.

“Spotlight!” Rara cried and collapsed beside her in relief. “How do you feel? Do you need anything? What happened?”

“Rara,” Coco said as she trotted up and put a tender hoof on the singer’s shoulder. “Let her breathe.”

“I’m not quite sure.” The elderly unicorn blinked in confusion. “I had completed my conversation with the Royal Guard and sent them on their way. I intended to speak to Miss Scratch here and make sure the after-party was well-in-hoof when I heard something above me. It sounded like a rather inappropriate swear word and when I looked up, that enormous monstrosity of metal was falling right at me. I couldn’t think or respond… my legs just locked up.” She grimaced. “As for how I feel now? Well, my dear, I feel as if somepony dropped the very moon on me.”

“You’re sure you heard somepony up there?” Sunset looked up into the shadows above them and studied the outline of the catwalks.

“Quite so, Miss Shimmer,” Spotlight replied. “I will not repeat the word I heard. Most vulgar.”

She was just crushed within an inch of her life by an enormous metal beam. Even on a numbing spell and painkillers, she sounds like she’s having tea at a garden party. What is this pony made out of?

Sunset caught Gateway’s attention and waved him over. The security chief looked grim, though the expression softened when he saw that Spotlight had regained consciousness.

“Spotlight heard somepony in the walkways above the truss before the thing collapsed,” Sunset reported.

“Spot, did you see anypony?” Gateway asked.

Spotlight shook her head slowly, but Cheerilee stopped her almost immediately, but not before Spotlight’s eyes were practically spinning in her head.

“You might have a concussion. That’s not a good idea.”

“Ah yes, that would explain why there are suddenly three of you, young lady,” Spotlight murmured as she laid her head down. “I am sorry I cannot be of more help. However, tomorrow night’s event must go on as planned.”

“You’ll need to excuse me,” Gateway growled. The stallion could give an enraged dragon a run for his bits. “I need to find the… individual… responsible for this.”

Sunset had a nagging suspicion that wasn’t the word he wanted to use.

“What’s so special about tomorrow?” Cheerilee demanded. “I know you said if any wind of something like this got out, you’d lose donors, but considering what just happened… No disrespect, Miss Spotlight, but you could have been—”

“I’m quite aware of what could have happened,” Spotlight informed the teacher with an almost eerie level of poise. “It did not. And both dear Coco and Rara know precisely why tomorrow must proceed as planned. It’s not that we’d lose a significant amount of the donation money… it’s who will suffer because of it.”

Rara stared at the younger mare, but Coco’s ears were pasted to her head.

Coco chewed her lower lip and paced back and forth a little bit. Finally, she let out a sigh and lowered her head.

“Rara, we can’t let anypony get hurt,” Coco said quietly. “It’s not worth it.”

“This is your baby, Coco.” Rara looked ready to tear her mane out in frustration. “You’ve been working toward this event for a year. If we cancel now… we’ll lose at least three-quarters of the funds. Everypony else will scream for their bits back.”

“This is about more than bits!” Coco snapped as the calm mask she’d been using with Rara cracked. “I won’t let something like this happen to my friends!”

Coco rubbed at her eyes. She looked like she wanted to scream or collapse into sobs. Maybe both.

“Coco,” Rara said gently, “if we cancel this… the Manehattan schoolponies get nothing.”

“Schoolponies?” Cheerilee glanced up at the two of them. “What are you two talking about?”

“Rara and I have—”

“Coco, it was your project,” Rara said. “I just helped with publicity. For the last time, take some credit!”

“Listen to your friend, dear,” Spotlight said. “You are far too humble about this for your own good.”

“Fine!” Coco said with a grumble. “For the last year, we’ve been promoting a special charity event to help Manehattan’s schools. In a city this big, they’re starting to get overcrowded and understaffed. The teachers are working as hard as they can… but there’s not enough bits to go around.”

Cheerilee’s eyes went wide. “You mean… the Grade School Gala… is yours?”

“Oh, yes,” Spotlight smiled wanly. She shifted position and winced slightly. “Ah… a numbing spell. Thank you, whoever was kind enough to cast that.” She took a deep breath and suppressed another grimace. “The Grade School Gala was indeed Miss Pommel’s idea. Miss Coloratura and I have been quite supportive of it. Wonderful opportunity to help the children. And the entire night’s proceeds will go entirely to Manehattan’s schools.”

“That’s…” Sunset blinked. “That’s really generous of you two.”

Rara waved it off with a hoof, looking embarrassed. “It’s nothing like that. Coco’s always been doing things for Manehattan. It’s her home. She loves this city. So do I… but nothing like her.”

Even under the dried tears, Coco was blushing so hard she was in danger of setting the stage on fire.

“But that doesn’t matter now!” Coco said. “Somepony’s trying to wreck things. Spotlight, you could have been—”

To her own surprise, Sunset stepped forward. “Miss Pommel, somepony is behind this. And you’re letting them win. Ponies like this won’t stop here. They’ll hound you until you’re destroyed.” Sunset swallowed. “I know… I used to be one of those kinds of ponies. Whoever is behind this wants you gone. You can’t let them win, not when—”

At that moment, Minuette trotted back onto the stage with a pair of medical ponies in tow. Sunset smiled. At least the medics arrived quickly.

Minuette grinned brightly at them all. “Somepony called for the medics when they saw the truss go down. Even before the Hoofbeats staff could get to it!”

Sunset frowned. That was strange. The only ponies who could have seen the accident were those backstage.

The medics quickly got Spotlight restituted onto a gurney, but the elderly manager stopped them with a hoof before they could cart her away.

“Coco, dear,” Spotlight said. The young earth pony stepped over to her and took her hoof. “You must go through with this. You have put your heart and soul into this event. We cannot let whatever ruffian responsible destroy all your hard work. If we allow this, thousands of children will go without the funds they need to help build their future. And we must not be intimidated or run off, especially in our own home town!”

Coco nodded slowly. Rara wiped a tear from her muzzle as she smiled at her manager.

Wow. Coloratura really does care for Spotlight. Not that I doubted it, but still…

“I believe in you,” Spotlight said with a smile that defied her splinted hindlegs. “I believe in you both. I trust you will make this work, my dears.”

Coloratura looked at the medics. “You take good care of her, you hear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” one of the medics said. “We’ll get her admitted to Radiant Hope Hospital right away. Best medical care in the city.”

“I expect nothing less,” Coloratura said with an icy tone, probably colder than she intended. “Sorry, please… go ahead.”

The medics nodded and Spotlight weakly waved to them all before she was carted off.

“Sunny?” Minuette had wandered to the far side of the truss, near the wrecked remains of the elevator that had probably saved Spotlight’s life. “Could I talk to you for a second?”

Sunset stepped over to her as Coco and Rara started arguing in hushed tones. Cheerilee joined Moon Dancer by the other side of the truss.

“What is it, Minuette?” Sunset didn’t look at her. Instead, she glared at the collapsed metal support.

“I’m not sure if this is important or not…” Minuette hesitated. “But when I was heading back to the rear exits to meet the medical ponies, I thought I heard somepony crying in one of the offices back that way. But when I went to check on whoever it was… they were gone.”

“Somepony was crying back there?” Sunset rubbed her chin. “Did you see anything else?”

“It looked like a pretty well-used office. There were some lanyards there. A couple for Hoofbeats staff members, some for the ponies who work backstage and a VIP guest badge. Oh! And one of those fancy radio earpieces.”

“That’s not a lot to go on, Minuette,” Sunset pointed out. “Even if that did have something to do with this… I don’t know. That stuff could have just been left there.”

“I know.” Minuette nodded. “But every little bit helps, right?”

Sunset nodded absently. A curse and crying. Now, a radio earpiece, plus staff and guest lanyards…

She peered up into the gloomy catwalks. Several lines of rope dangled from the ceiling. Other rope pieces were attached to various points on the truss. She knelt down and studied them for a moment.

These just look frayed. Not like they were cut or anything. But a few of these seem too loose… Too many, actually…

“Sunny?” Moon Dancer called. “You should see this.”

Sunset frowned and trotted over to where Moon Dancer was kneeling, beside one of the ruined truss’s edges. When she approached, Moon Dancer conjured a large floating disk with an embedded magnification spell, allowing Sunset to get a better picture of a spot on the edge. It was where the hooks should have connected the truss to the rest of the framework above. There were definitely black marks on it, consistent with some sort of fire… or magic.

“Burned through,” Moon Dancer said with a growl. “This is definitely sabotage.”

Sunset stared closer. With a touch of her magic, she shifted the disk and studied the rest of the large hooks along the closest side.

“But these aren’t,” Sunset murmured. “These two have snapped. Look, you can see the jagged edges.”

“Apparently one was enough.”

“I don’t know…” Sunset couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something else going on.

Sunset sent the disk to the other side of the truss. Minuette was there, studying the parts of the truss still visible from the wreckage of the cargo elevator. The unicorn glanced up and smiled at the both of them at the sudden appearance of the magnification disk.

“Minuette, you’re our resident expert on mechanical things. Do you see any damage to the hooks?” Sunset asked as she and Moon Dancer walked up.

“Well, it’s not a bell tower or a pocketwatch, but I did find something! Most of the hooks on this side were damaged from where it hit the elevator, but there are two still intact. Looks like both of the metal hooks snapped. In fact… it looks… hmm…”

Minuette moved the disk with her own magic, searching along the other side for half a minute before she froze. She blinked in surprise and looked up at the two of them.

“They’re rusted.”

“That can’t be right,” Moon Dancer said. “Only one hook was actually damaged? I know this thing is heavy, but just losing one of the supports wouldn’t cause the whole thing to collapse. Not only that… but it was attached to the ceiling by ropes.”

Minuette tapped her chin with her hoof. “But maybe—”

“Oh, by Harmony and the Sun!” cried a new voice. “Thank Harmony you are all well!”

Sunset turned to see a wild-eyed pink pegasus with a dark blonde mane come flying up with wings moving so fast they were little more than a blur. She wore an earpiece in one ear and the jacket of one of the managers of Hoofbeats. Sunset frowned, wondering why the management of the nightclub would send some flunky to deal with such a mess until she saw the gold braiding along her sleeves.

“Hello, Miss Beats.” Rara’s voice was as cold as the Crystal Mountains. “Nice of you to join us.”

“Please, Miss Coloratura!” the pegasus flapped around nervously, doing a reasonable impression of a hummingbird. She sounded as if she’d arrived from Prance yesterday, sprinting the entire way. “Please forgive the... the late response! I only now returned from a... a… summons to PonyGram Records! One nopony seemed to have any knowledge of upon my arrival. Once I returned and discovered what had transpired, I rushed back here straight away!”

“You happened to get called out of the club right before part of the set comes down?” Sunset snapped. “That seems… rather convenient.”

Hm. Somepony’s finally paying attention. About time.

Shut up! I don’t need you right now! With a mental grunt, she kicked the obnoxious little voice into the back of her head. If she was lucky, it would give her a few minutes of silence.

The pink pegasus blushed and her buzzing wings became even more frantic to the point of actually ruffling some of the earth-bound ponies’ manes.

“Forgive me once more!” Miss Beats looked a few seconds away from hyperventilating. “The summons was in error! A member of my staff informed me by radio a courier had arrived with an urgent message. The courier said I was needed immediately at the PonyGram Records office! But when I arrived, they knew nothing of any summons! We spent nearly ten minutes trying to determine the cause of the mixup, but could find no answer!” Miss Beats’ words flew nearly faster than her wings. “As I said, upon my return, my staff immediately informed me as to what had transpired! I flew here as fast as my wings could bear me!”

“So…” Moon Dancer said, rubbing her chin. “It sounds like somepony lured you out of the club.”

“Oui, yes!” She bobbed her head as if terrified. “Please, Miss Coloratura, I beg your forgiveness in my tardiness in responding to this horrible accident. I did the very best I could, but sadly, I do not possess Miss Shimmer’s ability to teleport to and fro! Indeed, I must thank you, Miss Shimmer. I understand you spoke to the crowd. Your quick words helped a great, great deal. I believe you may have saved Miss Coloratura from yet another scandal. And this? This would have been quite bad.”

“Uh,” Sunset rubbed the back of her head. “Sure? It was nothing…”

Is she always this panicky when something goes wrong in her club? Sunset wondered. Yeah, it’s really bad, but still… she seems really high-strung.

“So, somepony drops a truss on Spotlight,” Moon Dancer paced the length of the stage. “After luring the club manager out on a phony errand? Plus there was the whole exploding lights thing you mentioned earlier...”

“Then again, somepony did call the medical ponies,” Cheerilee added. “And their response time was oddly fast. Especially for Manehattan at this time of night.”

“Hm. Wait a minute.” Moon Dancer stopped pacing. “Did the medical ponies come in through the front or the back?”

“Performer’s entrance in the back,” Minuette supplied helpfully. “After one of the staffers promised he’d call them, I went to go make sure they found their way in time.”

“Right place, right time?” Sunset asked with a roll of her eyes.

“Got it in one, Sunny!”

Sunset shook her head and grinned a little. But only a little.

I wonder if her special talent was at play when she heard that crying pony…

“That doesn’t make much sense. Why would the medical ponies come to the back?” Cheerilee asked. “In my experience, they use the main entrance.”

“Maybe whoever called them wanted to make sure there wasn’t a fuss?” Minuette suggested.

Sunset nodded. “That’s… that’s a really good reason, Minuette. But that leaves us with a big question. If the staffers didn’t contact them and none of us contacted them… who did?”

“I don’t know,” Coco said, looking in the direction Spotlight had left. “But whoever did, I’d like to thank them.”

“Please, tell me, have you discovered anything we can tell the authorities?” Miss Beats asked as she flitted up to Rara. “This sort of thing is simply terrible!”

“Not worth calling them,” Sunset said quickly, before anypony could respond.

“Not worth…” Miss Beats stared at Sunset as if she had grown a pair of wings. “Oui, forgive me, madam, but I do not take such things as personal injuries in my club so lightly!”

“If the police are involved,” Sunset said, “ponies are going to catch wind of what happened here.”

The pegasus manager flittered back and forth. “But… this is not the way things are done!”

“Sunset’s right.” Moon Dancer rubbed her head. “If the police show up and start asking questions, it’ll be everything Spotlight fears. The press will descend on this place like parasprites on an apple.”

“Spotlight begged us to keep going.” Rara said. “So, that’s what we’re going to do. I’ll have Gateway bring in everypony on staff. Everypony we trust. We can handle this. Just one more night.”

Miss Beats paled. “I… I will try. But I cannot refuse a direct request by the officers of the law, if they should inquire. Please, Miss Coloratura, I promise we are doing our absolute best! We are professionals here, you must believe me!”

Sunset blinked. There was something oddly familiar about the way Miss Beats had said ‘professionals.’

“Well, you could explain one thing.” Moon Dancer cocked an eyebrow. “Why are the sides of this truss rusty?”

“Rusty?” The pegasus rushed over and for the first time, took in the fallen truss. “Oh my. No, no, no! I told them to use the B Truss, not the C Truss! Those fools!”

Minuette stepped up beside Sunset, squinting at Miss Beats.

“Would you mind explaining that?” Coco asked as she walked up to Miss Beats, who still had yet to put her hooves on the ground even once.

“Please, again, forgive me!” Miss Beats whirled to face her, going pink—well, more pink—with embarrassment. “We had initially intended to use our newest main truss for your show, Miss Coloratura! An excellent Showpony Series Seven with unicorn-controlled lighting, fog machines and focused magical beam effects! However, only a few hours before you arrived, we found that the truss had been damaged! The power had failed and nothing we could do would make it function once more.”

“That seems convenient,” Coloratura commented as she glanced at Coco. Both of them looked as suspicious as Sunset felt.

“Most inconvenient, I say!” Miss Beats said. “We had two other trusses available. A Showpony Six and a Showpony Five. However, the Showpony Five—our C truss—had been in one of the storage rooms where a leak had developed. It had rusted on the sides. We simply hadn’t had the time to dispose of it properly yet! It seems the workponies mixed them up! This is the C Truss! I will have somepony’s head for this!”

“Somehow, I doubt the workponies were responsible for this…” Cheerilee mused.

Miss Beats didn’t seem to hear her. Somehow, her wing beats became even more frantic. Sunset didn’t think it had been possible. Meanwhile, Rara studied the panicking pegasus pony with an oddly intense gaze.

“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!” Miss Beats murmured. Her left eye twitched. Twice. “I again beg your forgiveness. We intended no harm to come to you or any of your staff! You know how important your shows are to us here at Hoofbeats! We would never jeopardize anything with you of all ponies! Not that we would ever jeopardize anypony of course, but, you see—”

Rara smiled and took a deep breath before cutting off the panicking pegasus by lifting a hoof.

“Miss Beats… Free Beats,” Rara said in a disarming tone. “Calm down. Nopony’s pointing a hoof at anypony. All we’re trying to do right now is to figure things out. In fact, you could probably help us out here.”

Sunset blinked in surprise at Rara’s sudden shift in attitude toward Miss Beats.

“Oui! Please! Anything I can do to mitigate this disaster would be most welcome! Please, forgive my rambling, but I cannot recall the last time anything like this has occurred!”

“Could you tell us why these ropes are so loose?” Sunset asked, gesturing to them with a hoof.

Miss Beats flew over and studied the ropes for a second. Her face twisted in a knot of confusion before she darted up into the catwalks with the speed of hummingbird. Muttering and various variations of ‘oh, no’ echoed down for almost a full minute before Miss Beats finally flew back. For the first time, she settled on the surface of the stage. Her wings stopped buzzing and she stared at the large truss in complete bafflement.

“This is not possible,” she stated as if she had just discovered that gravity was an elaborate lie. “The ropes… one of them was frayed, but the rest simply… they are loose. They became untied. But such a thing is simply not possible. Even if somepony were to do such a thing on purpose… it would make no sense. It would be far simpler to simply untie one or two… not loosen all knots, including the ones on the top where few can access. This cannot be.”

“Well, add this to your collection of ‘cannot be.’” Moon Dancer yanked the magnifying disk with her magic and made it hover over the burned section of the clamps that had—until recently—kept the truss secured to the rest of the stage’s rigging above.

Miss Beats paled and her eyes went the widest Sunset had seen so far.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no!” Miss Beats’s wings went into overdrive. The sheer force of her sudden flapping pushed Sunset back a few steps. “I cannot believe this! This simply cannot be! Nopony would dare to attempt such an insane plan! This is insanity! Beyond insanity! Only a true madpony would dare to do such things!”

Well, she’s either the best actor in the world or she’s completely innocent. Either way, we’ll probably need to call the medical ponies back when she gives herself a heart attack.

“Coco?” Rara asked, obviously as concerned about Miss Beats as Sunset. “Would you please help Miss Free Beats here to a couch where she can have some quiet? She doesn’t look well.”

“Of course, Rara.” Coco managed a smile despite the situation. She gently pushed the now-babbling pegasus off the stage, all the while whispering soothing words.

“Well, she didn’t do it,” Moon Dancer said as she watched them go. “She looks about three flaps away from going into shock.”

“I don’t think the staff at Hoofbeats would have anything to do with this,” Rara admitted. “I try not to think about it too much, but I know how many bits my shows usually bring in for them.”

“Then who do you think did it?” Sunset asked and pointed a hoof at the damaged hook. “If they wanted to make a splash, why not do it with one of the trusses out on the main stage? Considering Spotlight said the pony swore, and then there’s the crying Minuette heard in the back offices… I’m wondering if this was an accident.”

Since when are you a private detective, ‘Sunny?’

Shut it, jerk.

Somepony’s been reading too many—

“An accident?” Moon Dancer scoffed, thankfully interrupting Sunset’s angry little pony. “Somepony either burned through this with magic or used some sort of cutting torch!”

“Yeah,” Sunset admitted. “But why are the ropes loose instead of untied or cut or burned or something? Plus there’s the whole rusted truss thing. Something doesn’t make sense here.”

“No matter what, this sort of thing isn’t exactly any of our special talents,” Cheerilee said with a sigh. “Miss Coloratura, while we’d be happy to help you, you need to contact the police.”

“The moment the police become involved, this entire thing will fall apart!” Rara was almost shouting now. “You heard Coco! You heard Spotlight! Sunset is right, if we call for the police, we’re letting whoever’s behind this win!”

“I’m sorry, Rara,” Minuette said, her ears back. “But I don’t think that really matters. Spotlight was badly hurt! And worse could have happened!”

“The police are going to insist on closing the Grade School Gala!” Rara protested.

Sunset tapped her hoof on her chin. After a few seconds, she bit her lip as the glimmer of an idea came to her.

Oh no, you are not doing that! You’re not going to stick your neck out for some prima-donna pop star so you can get her to sign your saddlebags or something!

Sunset ignored the voice and stared up into the shadows again.

“What if…” Sunset said slowly as the idea came together. “What if… Princess Celestia’s personal apprentice asked them to keep a low profile and assisted in the investigation? Maybe without telling them about the latest incident?”

“Sunset!” Cheerilee gasped. “You can’t be serious.”

Moon Dancer, on the other hoof, just cracked up. “Oh, seriously? You’re going to try this again?”

“Princess Celestia is currently in Vanhoover conducting a diplomatic conference with the zebras,” Sunset pointed out. “Even if the police tried to contact Canterlot to confirm if I actually have any authority to do this… it would take at least two days to get a response back from her.”

“Could it work?” Rara asked. “I don’t want to get you in actual trouble…”

“Hey, I don’t like using it for myself. Not anymore.” Sunset smiled and nodded to herself. “But for friends? That’s a different matter.”

Rara gave her a dazzling smile. “That’s kind of you.”

Sunset blushed and tried to shrug the comment away. “Anyway, you need help. We won’t be able to exclude them entirely… and it would be pretty foolish to try. But maybe we can sweep this under the rug? Make it seem routine? Anyway, it would be nice to help with an investigation instead of being the subject of one.”

Moon Dancer winced and rubbed the back of her mane with a sheepish smile.

“Still, that doesn’t really answer my question,” Rara pointed out. “I wouldn’t want to get you into trouble with Princess Celestia…”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’ll probably get in a little trouble with her. But most police officers—even Manehattan ones—don’t want to deal with Princess-level stuff. The police chief will call for confirmation, but he’ll play along until he gets word one way or another. Until then… I’m pretty sure between the four of us and that mountain of a stallion you call a Security Chief can handle it.”

“He is quite a mountain, isn’t he?” Cheerilee mumbled, staring off into space.

Immediately, everypony’s eyes locked on Cheerilee, who shrank back when she realized she had said those words aloud.

“I meant he is imposing!” Cheerilee squeaked, despite her entire body going brilliant apple red.

“Uh-huh.” Minuette giggled.

“Whatever you say.” Moon Dancer fluttered her eyelashes.

“Right.” Sunset smirked. “Don’t worry, Cheer. We all believe you.”

“If it helps, he is single,” Rara added.

Cheerilee let out a squeak before rallying magnificently. “Our topic is Sunset’s latest harebrained scheme, not… Gateway!”

“He is part of that scheme,” Minuette pointed out.

“Not helping!” Cheerilee snapped.

“Wasn’t trying.” Minuette beamed.

Cheerilee ignored her and whirled on Sunset. “You actually don’t have this kind of authority, do you?”

“Not in the slightest,” Moon Dancer supplied with a grin. “Which is why it’s awesome.”

Minuette was smiling like a lunatic. “Sounds fun to me.”

Cheerilee facehoofed. “I’m going to jail. I need to just accept that I’ll be in jail within the next couple of days.”

“Don’t worry!” Minuette patted her on the back. “I’m sure you won’t be alone!”

Cheerilee stared at Minuette for almost a full minute before facehoofing again.

Author's Note

So, who do you think that orange mare with the blond mane was? She seemed familiar. I can't quite place her, though...

Okay, folks! Our actors are in place. Let's nab ourselves a saboteur! After all, there's a lot of stuff going on around here! What's the real game plan here... and are we even remotely close to playing that plan out? Or is something else entirely happening?

Find out in two weeks! Same ponytime, same pony channel! :ajsmug:

If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!

Inclusivity

As dawn filtered through the Manehattan skyscrapers into the already bustling streets, Sunset watched the newsponies on the street corners and fought down another yawn. She took a gulp of her Earl Gray to ward off the late autumn morning chill, but the caffeine hadn’t kicked in yet.

“Anything?” Moon Dancer stomped her hooves on the concrete outside the lobby of Hoofbeats, trying to warm herself up.

Sunset shook her head. “They’re still peddling last night’s news. Doesn’t even have anything on the show.”

“And here I thought the Manehattan press never slept.”

“Apparently they do sometimes.” Sunset took another gulp and wrapped her borrowed scarf tighter around her neck.

“So why now, when it’s freaking freezing out here?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Because it’s all about you.”

“Thank you, Sunny.” Moon Dancer beamed at her. “It’s nice to hear you admit the truth.”

“You two okay out here?” Coco asked as she peeked out from the door behind them. “It’s really cold!”

“Yeah, we noticed,” Moon Dancer quipped.

“Shush.” Sunset sighed before turning to the young mare. “We’re fine, Coco. Anything from Gateway or Rara?”

Coco shook her head, a frown on her face. “Rara’s still at the hospital, and Gateway’s commandeered one of the conference rooms. He’s pretty much defaulted to Lead Detective mode now… and I’m smart enough to stay out of his way when that happens.”

“Lead Detective?” Sunset stared at Coco. “What do you mean ‘Lead Detective mode?’”

“You didn’t know?” Coco fiddled with her cravat. “Gateway was Lead Detective for the Canterlot City Police for ten years. He came out of retirement to work for Rara.”

“Really?” Moon Dancer said. She scratched at her topknot with a hoof. “If that’s the case, I’m surprised you haven’t found out who’s behind this yet.”

“Why do you think I’m avoiding him right now?” Coco paused for a moment before grinning awkwardly. “…you know you could wait for the paper inside, right?”

“I like the cold,” Sunset said after another sip of tea. “Helps me think.”

Coco’s eyes turned to Moon Dancer.

“I like being out here so I can complain at Sunny.”

Coco blinked a few times, opened her mouth to speak, closed it, shrugged and went back inside.

“You’re going to hurt that poor mare’s brain,” Sunset said.

“Nah. That’s what you’re here for!” Moon Dancer replied brightly.

“Oh, and why—”

Moon Dancer lifted a hoof. “Sunny, look.”

Sunset turned her attention back to the street corner and her breath caught in her throat. A worn-looking stallion sweating through his Manehattan Times vest had just pulled up to the corner. Fillies and foals swarmed over the wagon he was carrying. Less than a minute later, the stallion had darted away, leaving the newsponies with their new goods. Most of the newsponies scattered in every direction, but one filly remained on the busy street corner.

Sunset managed to get there first and tossed the filly a bit. The scruffy looking filly wore a tattered scarf and a flatcap though her mane and coat were brushed perfectly. It was an odd combination, like something out of a Bridleway play. Still, the bit vanished and a newspaper was offered with a smile.

“Well?” Moon Dancer said, trotting in place to keep the blood flowing.

“I’m looking, I’m looking,” Sunset muttered as she flipped pages with her magic. “Nothing on the front page, that’s probably good. Politics… only a few mentions of the show tonight… classified section… Oh! Entertainment!”

“Don’t keep me in suspense! Read it!”

Sunset took a gulp of her tea to beat off the cold again before she started reading. “Coloratura’s latest show in Hoofbeats last night was everything we’ve come to expect from one of her performances: a stunning combination of the spectacular and the subtle. As somepony who was there at the beginning of the diva’s ascension from filly to becoming one of the top three best-selling ponies in entertainment history, I can happily say that this mare has surpassed herself with each passing year. Last night’s performance was more exciting than normal when a sound effect spell set up to ‘bring down the house’ misfired, creating a huge racket.”

“That’s one way to put it…” Moon Dancer said.

“But…” Sunset swallowed, “But… even more interesting was the sudden appearance of Sunset Shimmer on stage during a brief intermission at the after-party. Though ponies have seen the Princess’s prized student at these events before, never once has she appeared in such a public role.”

“You’re famous!”

“I was already famous,” Sunset muttered. “And I don’t want to be. This could cause problems.”

“You’re overreacting. Just skip that part. It sounds like we might be in the clear.” Moon Dancer breathed a sigh of relief. “I was starting to get worried there. But if it wasn’t on the front page…”

“There’s more,” Sunset frowned. “However, there have been some nasty rumors following Coloratura on this tour. Anonymous sources within the stage show report poor working conditions, harsh hours and grueling duties. These have been substantiated by various accidents plaguing the Equestria-wide tour. There are more rumors that include scathing complaints against Coloratura’s manager, Spotlight, a representative of the PonyGram Records. Sources from within PonyGram report that Spotlight is being watched very closely regarding these allegations, which have yet to be substantiated.”

“I’m starting to wonder if somepony is after Spotlight instead of Rara,” Moon Dancer muttered. “But if those rumors are coming from inside the record label…”

“There’s a lot of evidence here.” Sunset bit her lip. “But the question is… evidence of what? Let’s see… oh… well, that sets the tone for tonight.” Sunset groaned.

“What is it?” Moon Dancer peered over her shoulder and Sunset shifted it so her friend could see the article on the front page of the entertainment section right underneath a picture of Rara belting out something on stage.

“Tonight is the much-anticipated ‘Grade School Gala.’” Sunset’s breath fogged in the air as she read. “Celebrities from all over Equestria have confirmed their attendance. All proceeds will be donated to Manehattan’s floundering education system. However, even this event has been marred by accusations. Several members of the Canterlot and Manhattan elite have expressed reservations about supporting any endeavor organized by somepony who is rumored to be apathetic toward the plight of her employees, directly or through alleged mismanagement by Spotlight. No matter what happens, tonight is sure to be a night to remember.”

“Well…” Moon Dancer shifted from side to side. “It’s not as bad as it could be.”

“Most of the article is about all the bad stuff going on with her shows!” Sunset grumbled. “Come on. Let’s find Coco.”

Sunset headed back toward the lobby of Hoofbeats. Copper Belle, one of the guards from last night—currently dressed in a sensible security jacket—held the door open for them. Moon Dancer winked at her, eliciting a groan from the pegasus.

“You’re such a flirt,” Sunset laughed as they stomped some feeling back into their hooves in the wonderfully warm lobby of the nightclub.

“Just because you’re completely clueless when it comes to finding other ponies attractive doesn’t mean I am. Even if these days I do prefer stallions.”

“I am not clueless! For example, I think Coco is rather cute.”

Moon Dancer turned with a smirk… which instantly turned into a Minuette-level grin.

“She’s right behind me isn’t she?” Sunset sighed. “How cliché.”

Indeed, Coco was right behind Sunset at the concierge table, beside a blue unicorn stagehand and Grayshield, the other guard from last night. While Coco still wore her cravat with the red tie and her flower clip in her mane, the most noticeable feature was her burning red cheeks.

“I… ah… that is…” Coco swallowed.

Sunset facehoofed and refused to give Moon Dancer the satisfaction of doing the awkward dance she so desperately wanted to see.

“Yes, you’re cute, Coco,” Sunset confessed with an exasperated sigh. “Something I’m sure you actually know. That being said, I’m not really in a position to do anything about it.”

“Um… that’s… that’s okay?” Coco offered. “I’m… look, you’re pretty and all, but… you’re really not my type.”

“And what is your type?” Moon Dancer snickered.

“None of your business, that’s her type!” Sunset tried to smack her friend, but Moon Dancer pranced out of the way with a laugh. “Ignore her, she’s gets even more annoying when she doesn’t get any sleep.”

“Oh, is it time to compare sleep deprivation stories?” Moon Dancer bounced up and down. “Can I go first? I’ve got this great one about this high and mighty unicorn who thought she knew everything and then—”

“I think I’ve heard that one before, believe it or not!” Sunset snapped. “Now, back on topic! Coco, the good news is that nopony seems to have heard about what happened to Spotlight. The bad news is half the article is about the rumors surrounding Rara’s tour.”

Coco didn’t meet Sunset’s eyes as she pulled over the newspaper and scanned the article. Sunset shot Moon Dancer a glare when she realized Coco was still blushing a little. As usual, her friend didn’t look repentant in the slightest.

“This… isn’t as bad as it could be,” Coco said after a while. She chewed her bottom lip as she looked through Hoofbeats’s glass entrance at the early Manehattan morning. “But it’s still pretty bad.”

“Uh… just to remind everypony…” Moon Dancer said, her voice suddenly a lot more serious. “Just because nopony’s printed it yet doesn’t mean they won’t.”

“She’s right,” Coco said with a sigh. “Despite everything, we won’t be able to stop the rumors from getting out.”

“Then we deal with that when it happens.”

“Not to be harsh, but you don’t get it, Sunset.” Coco shook her head. “Spotlight usually handles all public relations. But Rara’s terrible at that sort of thing, especially since these accidents started. She’s not good at spinning things into a positive light.”

“What about you?” Moon Dancer asked.

“I’m… okay,” Coco admitted while she fiddled with her bangs a bit. “But with everything that’s going on… sometimes I just ramble. And rambling would be really bad right now.”

“Gateway’s about as subtle as a bear,” Sunset muttered. “And you really don’t have anypony else?”

“Anypony else with enough authority to speak for us would need to come from PonyGram Records and they’re based in Las Pegasus.” Coco shook her head and tapped her hoof against the counter. The two ponies beside her looked up. “They couldn’t get anypony out here in time. The local office is here for logistics and stuff. However...”

“If you’re going to suggest what I think you’re going to suggest…” Sunset warned. “I was going to try and do stuff behind the scenes, not take over as your official public relations pony!”

“It would only be for a little bit!” Coco pleaded. “The article even mentioned how you explained things! And who knows… it might not even be necessa—”

“Ma’am,” Copper Belle approached the desk with a worried expression. “We have a member of the Manehattan Police here.”

Everypony in earshot glanced up to see a uniformed gray earth pony standing outside the club, tapping her hoof.

“Stop it!” Sunset hissed at everypony. “You want to give us away at the start?”

“Sunny, I’m sorry, but Coco’s right.” Moon Dancer winced. “You’re the best pony for this job. In fact, you’re the only pony for this job.”

A tiny familiar surge of panic welled up within her, but she beat it back down. She didn’t have the time to give into that right now. “But… what am I supposed to even do?” she blurted.

“We already talked about this, Sunny,” Moon Dancer put a hoof on her shoulder. “Last night, remember?”

Sunset downed the rest of her tea, hoping that the caffeine would take effect sooner rather than later. “Yeah, yeah. I remember.”

“It’s standard practice for large charity events to have a police presence,” Coco said quickly. “Since she’s alone, she’s probably just here to check on arrangements.”

“The more police here, the better chance they have about finding out what really happened last night.” Sunset nodded. “Okay. So, we need to show them…” Sunset’s eyes went wide. “Moon Dancer, I need you to get maybe… half a dozen ponies here to do a full sweep of the lobby and get Gateway plus another dozen doing a sweep of the theater.”

Sunset ripped off part of the newspaper, conjured a pre-inked quill and scribbled a hasty note on it.

“What are you planning, Sunset?” Moon Dancer stared at her.

“No time,” Sunset shook her head as she finished the note. “Give this to him. And make sure they have their security jackets and look as official as possible. Coco, I need you to make yourself scarce for a bit.”

“I can do that,” Coco said. “I should double check the costumes for tonight. Make sure nothing has happened to those.”

“Grayshield?” Sunset pointed a hoof at the earth pony stallion going over a floor plan with one of the stagehoofs.

“Huh?”

“Look impressive.”

“Um… sure?”

“And you!” Sunset pointed at the stagehoof, a vaguely familiar blue unicorn. “Just go with whatever Grayshield goes with, okay?”

“Um… yes, ma’am,” the mare said meekly, hiding behind her long mane.

“Good!” Sunset nodded to herself. “Okay. Let’s do this. I can do this.”

Yeah. You can do this. If you let me help you. The voice sounded so blasted smug in her head. She wanted to punch that voice.

I really hate you.

It’s nice to be appreciated.

Sunset could almost see her own glittering, conceited eyes watching from the shadows of her brain.

“And why are you speaking for Miss Coloratura, Miss Shimmer?”

The policepony—who’d introduced herself as Officer Hops—watched with a critical eye as Grayshield completely overdid his part by stabbing the floorplan in front of him with all the passion of a colt’s first play. It was everything Sunset could do not to facehoof. Thankfully, the blue mare beside him was too mortified to actually react with anything but nods.

“Miss Coloratura asked me to help out,” Sunset replied evenly. “Spotlight had a bit of a sore throat this morning, so she’s resting up before tonight’s big show.”

“And nopony else was available? That’s a bit odd. While it’s just a formality, I usually like to be talking with management.”

“Coloratura’s security chief is doing some sweeps right now. He’s coordinating things from the club’s dance floor.”

The gray policepony finally turned away from Grayshield. Sunset breathed a sigh of relief and headed toward the doors leading to the club proper. She shot the stallion a glare so intense he actually recoiled. The mare almost dove behind the concierge desk just by being in proximity to Sunset’s target.

“So, please explain to me again why we don’t need a heavy police presence at tonight’s event?” Hops cocked an eyebrow at her. “In fact, considering the rumors circulating about the accidents following Miss Coloratura’s tour, I would think having more officers on site would be appreciated.”

“Please believe me, I have studied these sorts of things at length during my time with Princess Celestia,” Sunset replied as she opened the doors leading to the main club. “I’ve already coordinated with Miss Coloratura’s security and I find the preparations extremely impressive. I’m sure you’re familiar with former Lead Detective Gateway.”

“I want the mezzanine double-checked from every angle!” shouted the now-familiar gravelly voice. “We need eyes on every corner of this place!”

The massive main dance floor of Hoofbeats was empty save for the imposing form of Gateway. Though Sunset knew the stallion hadn’t gotten any more sleep than she had, the security chief was chewing out his staff with the ferocity of a rabid Ursa Minor. There was also a lot more of security ponies in here than there had been twenty minutes ago, far more than the dozen or so Sunset had requested. Guards were all over the various balconies that comprised the mezzanine of the enormous nightclub. Teams of three were going through the elevated lounge area and the wraparound bar.

“Anyway, you of all ponies must understand the nightmare of logistics, especially between a private security force and the Manehattan Police.”

Sunset caught Hops’s wince.

Gotcha. Somepony’s dealt with jurisdiction issues in the past.

Good, Shimmer, that snide voice commented. Now, set her up for the last act.

She hated it when her angry little pony was right, but she was right.

“Dammit!” Gateway shouted at somepony in the catwalks above the main stage. “I told you to double-check the back storage areas, Brass! Now get your tail back there before I buck it back there!”

A shadow in the catwalks scurried away as Crabgreen approached the rumbling security chief.

“Chief Gateway?” Sunset called as they trotted down the stairs to the dance floor.

“Yes, what is it?” Gateway grumbled as he studied a clipboard from a cowering Crabgreen. “I’m in the middle of fifteen things, all of them annoying.”

Sunset had to fight back a smirk. Damn, he’s good at this.

“Chief,” Sunset needed to play this formally. Authority—or even the appearance of authority—was everything right now. “This is Officer Hops from the Manehattan Police Department. She’s here checking out security arrangements for tonight.”

“I want new patrol routes set up for the third floor,” Gateway snapped at Crabgreen. “We’ve still got a few windows of opportunity on the northwest corner and the south side.”

“Yes, sir!” Crabgreen actually saluted in response. That got a raised eyebrow from Hops as the young security guard scampered off.

“Sorry about that.” Gateway shook his head. He pulled off his mirrored sunglasses in a haze of copper magic and tucked them into his breast pocket. He turned and nodded respectfully to Officer Hops. “You ever run a security detail for a shindig like this, Lieutenant?”

He didn’t even pause. He instantly glanced at her uniform and knew her rank. Sunset, you really know how to pick ‘em.

“Once or twice,” Hops replied and held out her hoof. Gateway shook it with a quick and efficient motion, the movement of somepony with a dozen things to do. “Though I’ve never had this many under me at once.”

“I hope you never have to,” Gateway grumbled as he glowered up at one of the balconies where three ponies were scouting out sight-lines—or something like that. “To call it herding cats would be an insult to cats everywhere.”

Hops chuckled as she surveyed the staff scrambling around. Sunset noticed there were at least a dozen stagehoofs working on the rising orchestra platform behind the main stage. That one must have been Coco’s doing.

More ponies, more busy. This could actually work.

“As I said.” Sunset nodded respectfully at Gateway. “Chief Gateway has shown me his security arrangements for tonight. I’m very impressed. Canterlot lost a good officer when he retired. Coloratura is lucky to have him.”

Hops blinked a few times. “Canterlot? You mean you’re that Gateway? As in that former Lead Detective Gateway?”

“It was almost ten years ago.” Gateway waved a hoof. “Old news.”

“You’re the one who nabbed the Silken Thief, Cat Nap and Troubled Hooves!” Hops protested. “And you must have been there to prototype the spell-switcher communications system when they first launched it.”

“Ugh,” Gateway groaned and rubbed his forehead. “You don’t want to know how that whole thing went down. The less said about the thaumaturgic transmitters that started that mess, the better.”

“I didn’t realize it before last night, but his techniques used at the Grand Perspective Opera House were adopted by the Royal Guard,” Sunset added.

“Okay, okay!” Gateway grumbled. “Enough with the resume! I’ve got too much work to do to sit here and chat about former glories. With the amount of bigwigs coming tonight, I won’t be happy until we’ve got everything covered. So, what can I do for you, Lieutenant Hops?”

The gray earth pony shook her head, her oddly-long ears dangling from beneath her police cap. “Sorry, Chief Gateway. I was sent by Chief Stablemaker to make sure everything is in order for tonight’s event.”

“It isn’t,” Gateway growled as he took out a sheet of paper and scribbled something down. “But it will be by noon or there will be Tartarus to pay. Juniper! Yes, you! Get over here and get this to Flanks!”

A small pegasus zipped over, snagged the piece of paper in her mouth and shot up into the shadows above the stage. A few stagehoofs circled around the three of them, carrying some sort of metal contraption Sunset didn’t recognize.

“Sir...” Hops said hesitantly. “You know it’s standard procedure for the Manehattan police department to have a heavy presence for this caliber of event.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that,” Gateway said distractedly as he held his earpiece closer to his head. “One sec. I don’t care if you’ve got two-seventy coverage! I want three-sixty or I will personally come up there and glue you to the ceiling! Sorry, Lieutenant Hops, you were saying?”

Gateway paused and shot a sidelong look at Sunset. Sunset managed to hide her wince, but it was a near thing. She knew Gateway wouldn’t like this next part of the note she’d scribbled to him.

Hops didn’t miss the exchange. “Is there something I’m missing here?”

“Miss Shimmer was present last night, as you may have heard. After finding a minor breach in our security caused by a callout, she generously offered her experience in helping us secure Hoofbeats for the evening, with the assistance of the club staff, of course.

Hops eyes swiveled to study Sunset.

Okay, Sunset. You knew showing Gateway in his element would be a huge point in your favor, but he’s a known factor to these ponies from previous shows. You’re not. Time to shine.

She heard a faint chuckle in the back of her head.

“Officer Hops, you know who I am.” Sunset drew herself up, glad she was at least a little taller than the policepony. Still, the words made her a little sick to her stomach. “I am quite confident in my abilities to help Chief Gateway in his responsibilities tonight.”

“Oh?” Hops met Sunset’s eyes with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t know that Princess Celestia had you training in crowd control, building security and detective work.”

Sunset had suffered the inquisitive stares of Princess Celestia. She wasn’t about to let some Manehattan cop—qualified or not—intimidate her. There was being respectful and there was having some personal pride. She hadn’t completely ditched that part of herself.

“The Princess has given me an extremely broad education,” Sunset replied flatly. “That’s what happens when you’re the personal apprentice of the Princess of the Sun. You get a little bit of everything.”

“She’s worked with both the Equestrian Secret Service and the Royal Guard,” Gateway said. Only Sunset saw the little eyeroll he gave her. “My contacts back in Canterlot tell me she trains with the Guard’s unicorn specialists on a weekly basis.”

Well, that last part is true. I have the bruises to show for it.

Sunset kept her poker face. After all, Sunset had learned from literally the best.

“You can’t believe that Chief Stablemaker will go for no police presence tonight,” Hops said.

“I’m not suggesting that you don’t have any at all,” Sunset assured Hops. “But as you can see, Chief Gateway has things well in hoof. That’s only helped by my expertise. Miss Coloratura wants to keep things subtle for tonight. And the last thing we need is two security forces getting mixed up in a packed house of the Manehattan elite.”

“And what about the rumor that somepony is messing with her shows? Trying to make them fail?”

“It’s only that,” Gateway grunted. “A rumor. We’ve found nothing to substantiate it. Trust me, we’ve tried with the help of local police. You can check with the departments in both Hoofington and Fillydelphia if you’d like.”

“I have to say, Chief Gateway,” Hops shook her head. “I’m surprised to hear you say that. You of all ponies should recognize a concentrated attempt at sabotage.”

“Are you saying I don’t?” Gateway’s voice dropped somewhere into the subsonic range.

“Now, wait just a minute!” Sunset cried. “Let’s not go accusing anypony of things.”

Dammit! I overplayed it. Time to pull out the trump card.

“Officer Hops, I’ve gone through the records myself. I understand what police procedure is in this case, but as personal apprentice of Princess Celestia, I can assure you an additional presence is not required tonight.”

Hops finally returned her attention fully to Sunset. Her expression changed to one of shock. “Are you pulling rank on me, Miss Shimmer?”

“Not in so many words,” Sunset replied, trying to keep her tone even. She made sure not to break eye contact with the officer. “But I believe Chief Gateway’s preparations and my own skills are more than enough to satisfy the security arrangements for this evening.”

“Gateway knows standard procedure,” Hops snapped. “He’s ran security for shows here before.”

“And if you add my experience to his, what you end up with is a completely secure event that everypony will enjoy without putting undue pressure on your department, making the guests more awkward or having command structure snafus.”

“With respect, Miss Shimmer, I’m not sure you have the authority to make that claim.”

“She assures me that she does,” Gateway said. “Hops, trust me on this one, dealing with royalty is something best left to ponies paid a lot more than a lieutenant’s salary.”

“Miss Shimmer isn’t a member of the royal line,” Hops said with a dark glitter in her eye. “Not to say I don’t know which line she’s a part of.”

Sunset couldn’t hold back the wince even if she wanted to.

“That one struck a nerve, Miss Shimmer?” the officer asked with a slightly smug look. “I’m sure you're used to just getting your way with the amount of influence your parents have over Canterlot, but we’re not in Canterlot.”

“No,” Sunset snapped as she felt her mask crack. “We’re not in Canterlot. And we’re not talking about my parents. We’re talking about the Princess of Equestria. The one who raises the sun every morning and the moon every night? That power isn’t confined to the city of Canterlot, officer. That power covers all of Equestria. It covers the entire world. And that’s who I’m studying directly under. And that’s on whose authority I’m stating that having a full police force here tonight will create a logistical nightmare for everypony involved. I have the experience and the skills to make this work. You need to respect that.”

Silence descended upon the theater. Sunset could feel the eyes of every guard and stagehoof on her. Somewhere, she heard a hoof meeting a face and knew it was Moon Dancer.

Finally, you lay down the law as you should have, Shimmer. It’s about time. Show everypony exactly who you are and how little they matter in the grand scheme of things. It’s just the truth, Sunset. You know it and I know it.

That’s not why I’m doing this! Sunset snapped back at the voice in her head. And you know it!

But you have to admit that you do like this, the voice needled. You love it, in fact. Revel in the power, Sunset. This is what you were born for!

Shut your damn—

I don’t have a mouth, remember?

Fine. Then how about buck off?

Such language, what would the dear Princess think?

“Gateway’s right,” Hops muttered. “This is way above my pay grade.”

Sunset caught herself before she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Fine.” Hops threw up her hooves. “I’ll tell Chief Stablemaker that Gateway and you have things under control down here. Especially you, Miss Shimmer. It’s his call in the end though.”

“Thank you,” Sunset replied stiffly.

Hops narrowed her eyes. “I have a feeling there’s something else going on here, Miss Shimmer. You’re far too adamant about this. If you’re hiding something, well, remember that the law extends to even you.” She shook her head.“I’m also sure the chief will be checking up on this authority you’re claiming. I can understand Chief Gateway’s claims, but you? I won’t pretend I know how you fit into Equestria’s chain of command. That’s not what I’m here for.”

“Thank you, Hops,” Gateway said, his voice suddenly bereft of the gravel that had been there a minute ago. “We appreciate it.”

Hops nodded perfunctorily at Gateway. “Sir, I have nothing but respect for you. I hope your trust in Miss Shimmer isn’t misplaced.”

“I am right here.” Sunset wasn’t quite sure if the annoyance in her voice was real or faked.

Either way, Hops didn’t seem to notice.

“I’m sure Chief Stablemaker will be in touch,” Hops said flatly. With that, she turned tail and marched up through the lounge section of the nightclub and out the doors.

Sunset waited. Almost a minute passed before Copper Belle stepped into the theater and nodded at Sunset.

She collapsed to her haunches with a sigh.

“Miss Shimmer…”

“I know,” Sunset moaned, rubbing her temples. “Trust me, I know.”

“That was probably the stupidest thing I’ve seen in a long time.”

“I know!” Sunset snapped. “Look, she just got to me, okay? I… I don’t like it when ponies bring up my parents. They’re not something I like to think about.”

“Doesn’t excuse you slamming that officer with the equivalent of a royal restraining order.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Sunset said. She buried her face in her hooves. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m just trying to help Rara like I said I would!”

“You acted in a method that’s going to bring Chief Stablemaker right down on you. And by proxy, us. I know how important this is to Miss Coloratura and Miss Pommel. I won’t let you jeopardize that.”

“And how would you have handled it?” Sunset demanded and jumped to her hooves. “Mister ‘I-know-everything-about-security-ever?’”

Gateway didn’t flinch. He pulled out his sunglasses and put them back on his face.

“I would have requested six officers to watch the lobby during the show and used my existing relationship with the Manehattan Police Department to allow us control of backstage areas.” Gateway said simply. “That would have been the best of both worlds.”

“I did the best I could with a plan on short notice!” Sunset retorted as she saw both Coco and Moon Dancer come through a side entrance and head toward them.

“And having a ‘show of force’ was actually a good plan.” Gateway admitted. “But we didn’t need you to force things!”

“I made a promise!” Sunset snarled up at the hulking stallion. “And I intend to keep it! Believe it or not, this is actually important to me too!”

“And why is that, hm?” Gateway growled. “What does the prized student of Princess Celestia get out of this little deal? Is this all so you can just show off to your friends? Maybe exercise a little of that power you claim to have? Pretend to be princess for a day?”

Sunset stumbled backward, staring at the stallion as if he had just punched her.

“Gateway, that’s enough,” Coco said in a calm but firm voice as she stalked up to them. “We’ve dealt with things as best as possible under the circumstances. Shouting at each other won’t help anypony.”

“Sunny?” Moon Dancer asked in a quiet voice. “You okay?”

Sunset shot Gateway a glare, but nodded anyway. “Yeah… just a… difference in opinion.”

Coco’s eyes darted between the two of them. “We need the two of you working together on this. Gateway, I know that Sunset’s technique back there may not have been perfect, but she’s still one of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria. We’re going to need her to get through this.”

“Of course, Miss Pommel,” Gateway said in an amazingly diplomatic voice.

Sunset stared at her hooves.

“And Sunset?” Coco turned to her. “I’ve never seen a more thorough pony than Gateway. Without him, we don’t have any chance at catching who’s behind this.”

“You’re right,” Sunset muttered.

Don’t you dare, Sunset. You’re better than they are. You don’t need to do this. You were finally making progress, don’t slip back now.

Sunset stepped forward and held out a hoof. “I apologize, Gateway. I was out of line.”

Gateway, to his credit, didn’t hesitate. He took her hoof and shook it with the same quick, efficient motion he’d used for Officer Hops. “As was I, Miss Shimmer. My apologies.”

You were once poised to challenge Celestia herself. Now, you’re so soft you’re practically a plushie. How very sad.

Sunset nodded. “Okay. We’ve taken care of the police situation, for now.”

Moon Dancer shook her head. “We’re not out of the woods yet, Sunny.”

Sunset groaned. “What now?”

“I just got a message from the Manehattan office of PonyGram Records.” Coco bit her lip. “They’re a logistics group, not a public relations group. And about twenty minutes ago, they had their door knocked down by several dozen reporters demanding to know how badly Spotlight was injured last night.”

“Meaning our mystery saboteur just upped the ante and leaked what happened,” Moon Dancer said.

“I couldn’t stop it even if I tried.” Coco shook her head. “There’s going to be a press conference this afternoon. But what’s worse, I’ve already received a message from several sponsors. Somepony already leaked the accident to them as well. Even our friends at PonyGram in Las Pegasus said they received a report about something nasty happening to Spotlight.”

“We need to get her here now,” Sunset said. “If they find out she’s in the hospital… it won’t take much for them to contact the police and they’ll have enough suspicion to investigate the club.”

“Already sent one of the club staffers to see Cheerilee and Minuette,” Moon Dancer said with a grin. “He’ll tell them to get over to the hospital and see if Spotlight is well enough to be moved.”

“And what if she isn’t?” Gateway asked.

Sunset rubbed her face with her hooves. “Then we’ll need to improvise.”

Gateway’s expression darkened. “After your last improvisation, I’m not eager to see a repeat performance.”

Sunset winced. “Trust me, I’m not either. I just tried to sell myself as a security expert to the Manehattan Police Department. And after that little… hiccup, there’s no way Celestia isn’t going to find out about this. I’d very much like to have something to show by the end of this whole mess.”

“And you know… prevent Coloratura’s career from going down in flames, destroying a charity event that she and Coco have been working on for a year or so, make sure the Manehattan schoolponies get some much-needed funds and not have Spotlight run out of town,” Moon Dancer reminded her. “Oh yeah! And ensure nopony else gets hurt.”

“Thank you ever so much for that summary.” Sunset groaned and rubbed her temples.

“That’s what I’m here for!” Moon Dancer chirped.

“So, what’s the next play?” Sunset asked.

“I get back to securing this facility,” Gateway grumbled. “I wasn’t lying when I said there’s still a lot to do. We’re going to need to make this place look perfect to avoid suspicion and keep tonight’s event from falling apart.”

“Which won’t mean anything if the sponsors pull out,” Coco pointed out. “We’re going—”

A stagehoof suddenly came rushing up to them. She almost faceplanted on the dance floor. All four of them stopped and turned.

“What seems to be the problem?” Coco asked in an amazingly level voice.

But the blue unicorn didn’t look upset or worried. If anything, she looked thrilled.

“Miss Spotlight is back with Miss Coloratura!” she cried. “It looks like Spotlight is going to be okay!”

Coco breathed an enormous sigh of relief. Sunset sagged under the released tension.

“Thank Celestia,” Moon Dancer murmured. “Wow, the girls were fast.”

“They’re waiting for you in the green room, Miss Pommel. They also asked me to find Miss… Miss Shimmer here and Chief Gateway.”

Sunset studied the stagehoof, who didn’t seem willing to meet her eyes.

“Hey!” Sunset cried. “I recognize you! I saw you in the hallway last night outside the employee entrance!”

“You did?” The unicorn’s ears flattened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize, I was running late for my shift again just trying to get through the crowds. I’m still not used to how busy Manehattan gets.”

“It’s okay,” Coco said in a soothing voice. “I know the whole team had been run ragged lately.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the mare replied. “I’ve… I’ve been doing my best.”

“Still… you seem familiar. I think I’ve seen you somewhere else before.” Sunset frowned. “Ugh, I can’t place it though.”

“Not sure where, ma’am,” she replied meekly. “I’ve been working for Miss Coloratura for almost a year now. And I wasn’t anypony special before that.”

Sunset’s frown deepened. Something in the way she had said those last few words bothered her. Because they sounded familiar. As if the mare was running from something.

Well, if there’s anypony who can understand trying to run from your past, it’s me.

“We should get going,” Moon Dancer said. “We probably want to talk to Spotlight to see how we should deal with the sponsors and the press conference.”

“You’re right,” Coco replied and turned to the nervous mare. “Why don’t you take an extended lunch today? I know I speak for the whole staff when I say we appreciate how much work you’re putting into the show lately.”

“I’m… I wish I had done more.” She seemed like she was ready to melt into the floor. “Maybe if I had done a better job, Miss Spotlight wouldn’t have been injured.”

“It’s not your fault,” Coco said with a smile. “We were all shocked. The important thing is that she’s back and she’s okay.”

That got the mare to brighten. “Yes, that is what’s important. I’m so glad she’s okay. I was really worried about her.”

“We all were. Now, go ahead. If Ringing Bell puts up a fuss about you taking a long lunch, point her at me, okay?”

“Thank you, Miss Pommel!” the mare said as she headed for the front entrance of Hoofbeats. “I appreciate it.”

“Let’s get going.” Coco turned and headed for one of the backstage doors.

“I’ll check on her later,” Gateway called before growling at another one of his guards.

“One question as we go,” Moon Dancer said to Coco. “Who are you exactly?”

Coco smiled as she opened the door for them.

Sunset shot a grateful glance at Moon Dancer. The more Sunset saw Coco in action, the more she had wondered that herself.

“You first,” Coco replied. “I guess with everything that happened, we never got a proper introduction, huh?”

“This is Moon Dancer.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “My best friend and favorite pain-in-the-flank.”

“Think you could make that an official title?” Moon Dancer smirked at Sunset, then turned back to Coco. “I’m also a librarian at the Canterlot Cosmopolitan Library. Now… your turn. Who are you?”

“Sorry, I’m used to working in the background. Rara normally gets the spotlight.” Coco laughed again once they’d entered the hallway. “I’m Coco Pommel, Rara’s Lead Designer.”

Sunset and Moon Dancer’s mouths dropped. Coco giggled and trotted down the hallway.

“What… how?” Moon Dancer demanded as they followed. “You look younger than me and I graduated from Gifted Unicorns a year early!”

Coco shrugged. “It’s a bit of a long story. Short version is a few happy accidents, a cancelation or two and a really good interview with Spotlight.”

“But why are you running things now?” Moon Dancer persisted as they headed deeper into the recesses of Hoofbeats. “I mean, no offense, but all this stuff isn’t the sort of thing that designers normally handle.”

Coco shrugged again as she turned a corner. “As we worked together, Rara would often bring me in to discuss things with Spotlight, since she handles most stage stuff. As time went on, I started to learn about how her shows were put together.” Coco’s voice filled with nostalgia. “I used to help run a little community theater so I knew a lot of the tricks already. Eventually, I kind of became the substitute manager when Spotlight got caught up in everything else.”

“So, you basically fell into it?” Sunset said.

“I guess?” Coco said. “I think I’m a pretty good designer, but I found out I have a knack for stagework too. I do know that I owe my success entirely to Spotlight and Rara. Without them taking me on, I’d probably still be an intern for some overdramatic diva. Considering how young I am… probably would be for years.”

“Well, that does sound miserable,” Moon Dancer said.

Coco shivered. “Definitely not something I want to think about too much. But I have had to put in a lot of extra hours helping Spotlight. She’s pushing herself so hard lately… especially with this event. We’re both worried about her.”

“Wait…” Sunset narrowed her eyes. “You don’t think… you don’t think she actually is so tired she’s making mistakes in management, do you?”

“No!” Coco cried, almost too quickly. “She’s our friend and we want to make sure she’s okay. That’s all.”

Sunset exchanged a look with Moon Dancer and knew instantly her friend was thinking the same thing.

I’m starting to see suspects everywhere. I need to relax and focus. Anyway, I met Spotlight. She doesn’t seem the type to ruin her own shows, even if by accident. She cares too much.

Don’t you remember? a snide little voice inside her skull asked. Only a friend can hurt you. She could have her own motivation. Other things she’s not saying.

That’s ridiculous. She would have never insisted on the charity event going on after being almost crushed if that’s the case!

Really? And just what lengths did you once go through to make sure your goals were accomplished once upon a time, Sunset?

Sunset didn’t want to answer that question and her angry little pony knew it.

As they arrived at the door to the green room, a loud buzzing filled the air. Each of them looked around for the source of the sound.

Sunset saw it first. A pink blur rushed down the corridor at a breakneck speed right for them.

“Duck!” Sunset cried and all of them dropped to the floor.

“Eep!” something squeaked as the thing shot past them. Sunset looked behind her to see Free Beats, the Hoofbeats manager, skidding to a stop. “Sorry, sorry, sorry! I’m ever so sorry!”

“What’s wrong, Free Beats?” Coco asked as she picked herself up off the ground.

“I heard that Miss Coloratura and Miss Spotlight have returned and desperately wanted to find out what condition poor Miss Spotlight is in! I couldn’t bear the thought of her being… permanently injured by the failing of my staff!”

“I’m sure it’s nothing that bad,” Coco assured her. “You need to relax, Free. You’re going to fly yourself into a wall!”

“I have,” Free Beats said, flittering her way back and looking sheepish all the way. “Several times. Today. I haven’t slept since that awful, awful incident.”

“Well, we’re about to check on them, so you’re welcome to join us.”

Moon Dancer sidled up to Sunset. “That might not be a good idea,” she whispered. “We don’t know if Free Beats is in on this. Remember last night in the hallway? The voices we heard? I’m pretty sure that was her.”

Sunset almost facehoofed.

Why hadn’t I placed the accent before? Or the thing about being professional?

You never would have missed that if you were paying attention like you used to, Sunset.

Now that Sunset replayed the conversation she’d overheard last night in her head, she realized it could be seen in a completely different light.

“Why don’t we check on her first?” Sunset suggested. “She just got out and we don’t want to overwhelm her.”

“Oh,” Free Beats fell to the floor and scuffed her hooves on the carpet. “But… but of course. You must attend to your fallen friend before all else. Please… I-I’ll just be out here.”

Sunset almost felt bad for the pegasus, but she knew all too well how easy it was to play emotions against other ponies. She’d done it herself once upon a time.

You still do it, you know. This whole goodie-goodie act is just another example of you being fake and insincere.

Shut up!

She was spared further arguing with the voice in her head when Coco nodded and opened the door.

The room looked the same as it had last night when Moon Dancer and Sunset had tried to catch a few hours of sleep after things had settled down. Minuette and Cheerilee sat on one of the couches, both looking like they were fighting the urge to nod off. Rara sat next to Spotlight.

The manager gave them a warm but tired smile from her wheelchair. There was a rather heavy-looking cast on her right hindleg. Her left forehoof was in a brace and she even had some bandages wrapped around her middle. It was strange to see the pony without her sharply-cut business suit. It seemed like she was half-dressed.

Rara looked exhausted. Bags hung under her eyes and her mane and tail were flat and creased in random places. Sunset suspected the poor mare had been up the entire night tending to—or worrying over—her injured manager.

“Oh, Celestia,” Coco moaned as she dropped to Spotlight’s side, holding her unbandaged hoof. “Spotlight… I’m so sorry!”

Spotlight made soothing noises at Coco as Sunset walked over to Rara, who had collapsed into a chair with a yawn.

“How is she?”

“Cheerilee’s got a good eye.” Rara rubbed her face with her hooves and smiled at the teacher. “Broken hindleg in three places and a badly sprained forehoof. She won’t be walking for at least a month.”

Cheerilee winced and fought a yawn. “It could have been worse.”

“But…” Sunset frowned. “I admit, I’m pretty terrible at restoration magic, but the unicorns at Radiant Hope should have been able to do something.”

“They did,” Rara said with a sigh. “The bones have been healed… but muscle damage is another thing entirely. She tore several around the breaks. And one of the breaks was a nasty one. Splintered a little in her leg.”

Sunset winced in sympathy.

Minuette let out a little snore as she snuggled up against Cheerilee. The teacher rolled her eyes, but didn’t shove her away.

“I don’t know how I’m going to do this without Spotlight,” Rara moaned. “I don’t suppose your studies have included concert management courses?”

Sunset smiled wryly. “If the Princess has that planned, then I haven’t gotten to it yet.”

“Worth a shot,” Rara said with another faint smile, which fell the moment she turned her eyes back to her manager. “She’s a good pony, Sunset. Why would somepony want to do this to her?”

“If we knew that,” Sunset shook her head. “You wouldn’t be suddenly juggling multiple press conferences.”

“Multiple?” Rara blinked. “What happened?”

“Your saboteur leaked the fact that Spotlight was injured just a half hour ago. To the press, to PonyGram and to your backers.”

Rara winced and closed her eyes. “Anypony back out yet?”

“Not yet, Rara,” Coco replied from Spotlight’s side. “I managed to get them to settle down enough for a meeting in the early afternoon.”

“That is a problem, my dears,” Spotlight replied. She sounded exhausted, yet her voice remained calm and even. “I’m afraid if I am seen in this condition, it will be nigh impossible to prevent at least a quarter of your sponsors from departing in all due haste.”

“There’s got to be a way to cut this off,” Moon Dancer insisted. “This is insane!”

“Forgive me, Miss Dancer, but you aren’t looking at the whole picture.” Spotlight shook her head. “This leak confirms that whoever is behind this has been working toward this moment from many angles. From the sides of our sponsors, from within PonyGram, from within the management of the clubs. What you are seeing now is this mysterious individual’s endgame.”

“Spotlight’s right,” Rara sighed and rubbed her temples. “Sunset, I do appreciate that you are trying to help us investigate this, but now that it’s falling apart, I’d rather not see you get caught in the middle. This isn’t your fight. You don’t need to be involved any further.”

“No,” Sunset snapped. “I’m not going to leave you at the mercy of this… this… jerk. Whoever is behind this needs to get shut down and shut down hard.”

“You seem rather passionate about the subject, Miss Shimmer.” Spotlight raised an eyebrow. “Dare I ask why?”

Sunset swallowed and glanced around. Cheerilee gave her an encouraging nod. Minuette smiled in her sleep—for some reason. Rara watched Sunset very carefully. Coco’s expression was wary, while Spotlight looked curious. Moon Dancer, however, smiled warmly at her, completely without the normal snark.

“Because all the rumours you’ve heard about me used to be true,” Sunset admitted. “I’ve played these sorts of games before. I’ve never done anything that could potentially hurt somepony—at least, not physically—but I’ve done some horrible stuff.”

You did what was necessary.

Sunset bucked at the voice in her head, but all she got in response was a bubble of panic threatening to overwhelm her again. She gritted her teeth and fought it down. She was sure Moon Dancer noticed.

She was also very grateful Moon Dancer didn’t react.

“The way I see it, if I can stop somepony from doing the same thing to you… maybe it’ll even the scales. Even if only a little.”

“That’s not your only reason,” Rara said, her eyes still burrowing into Sunset.

Sunset sighed. “I do really want to try and help.”

Silence descended upon the green room. Everypony turned to Rara as she continued to study Sunset. Sunset couldn’t quite meet the singer’s gaze. She knew that didn’t say a lot for her.

“That’s good enough for me.” Rara broke the silence. “I’m glad you were honest with us, Sunset.”

Sunset scratched her head, frowning. “I’m not sure how much good it did.”

“Well, I learned that my impressions of you from last night were true. You definitely aren’t the same pony we once heard stories about.”

“Yeah, well… somepony showed me a better way.”

Sunset shot a grateful look at Moon Dancer. Moon Dancer replied by batting her eyelashes. Sunset snorted.

“So!” Spotlight said, clapping her hooves together and then wincing slightly in pain. “What have you found out?”

Sunset hung her head. “Not a whol—”

An urgent knock came at the door. Sunset frowned. That was suspicious timing.

“Who is it?” Coco asked.

“Gateway, ma’am.”

“Why are you even knocking?” demanded Rara as she got up and opened the door herself.

“Didn’t want to intrude, ma’am,” Gateway replied stiffly.

“You were listening.” Sunset said with narrowed eyes. “You were listening at the door.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Your earpiece is out.”

Gateway winced and Sunset grinned.

“Well done, Sunset,” Rara said with a laugh as she plopped back down in her chair.

Sunset glanced at Cheerilee to see that she’d finally dropped off, her head resting on Minuette’s.

“So, what did you find?” Moon Dancer asked.

“You know, occasionally I would like to get the spotlight once in a while,” Gateway grumbled. “A nice dramatic reveal or something?”

“I’m afraid I’m taken, Gateway,” Spotlight said with a glint in her eye. “But I’m flattered.”

The stallion went bright red, something Sunset didn’t think was physically possible. Everypony in the room—save for Gateway and the sleeping girls—broke into giggles.

“He must have found something good,” Coco commented. “He only wants to do a dramatic reveal when he’s proud of something.”

Gateway lifted up something with his magic. It looked like a lanyard, similar to the ones the club and show staff wore, though it was soaking wet and the lettering on it had smudged.

“Copper Belle found this in one of the bathrooms near the upper catwalks,” he declared. “The name is too badly mangled to make out, but it’s definitely one of our stagehoof lanyards.”

“Not a Hoofbeats one?” Spotlight asked as she took it from the security chief. “That… makes sense. Any idea who it belonged to?”

“No.” Gateway scowled. “And that’s what’s so frustrating. We believe this is the lanyard for whoever was on the catwalks last night.”

“Then do a search for anypony missing a lanyard!” Moon Dancer shrugged. She inspected the lanyard and peered at the ruined lettering where the name should have been. “Easy!”

“Doesn’t work like that,” Gateway replied. “All stagehoofs have backup lanyards. It’s not uncommon for them to get lost or damaged during rehearsals, tear down or other activities.”

“So, how do you know it’s from the pony who was up on the catwalks?” Sunset asked.

Gateway took the lanyard back in his magic and showed the lanyard itself to Sunset.

“What do you notice about the knot where the card meets the fabric?”

Sunset took it in her magic and peered closely at it.

Seems normal enough. Nice fabric, but that’s probably Coco wanting to make sure the ponies got something that didn’t chafe. There’s really nothing out of the ordinary… except…

Sunset squinted and tugged slightly with her magic.

Instantly, the knot at the bottom of the lanyard became undone, allowing the card to come free. It fell to the ground with a faint plop.

“A loose knot…” Sunset murmured. “Just… like… just like Free Beats said there were in the catwalks above the truss!”

Gateway nodded. “And we’ve confirmed that as well. In fact, every rope within a twenty yard radius of the estimated spell origin was looser than expected. It was a minor miracle the truss was the only thing that collapsed.”

“Twenty yard radius?” Moon Dancer’s ears perked up. “Sunny, that sounds a lot like a—”

“A chaos surge.” Sunset’s eyes went wide. “A damn chaos surge!”

“Mind telling us what that is?” Rara said with a smirk. “For us simple-minded earth ponies?”

Sunset didn’t even bother to acknowledge the poke. “A chaos surge is caused when a unicorn’s spell goes wild. They’re common in younger unicorns, since they can’t really control their magic as well as older ponies, but it’s still very possible for adults to get them as well, especially when a pony is exhausted or under huge amounts of stress.”

“Yeah! It’s a miracle Sunset doesn’t have one every day!” Moon Dancer chirped.

Sunset glared at her. It had as much impact as every other glare Sunset had used on Moon Dancer.

“And just what do these chaos surges do?” Coco asked.

“Anything!” Sunset started pacing as she fiddled with the lanyard. “They can do anything, but they’re usually somewhat—if only tangentially—related to whatever was being attempted. In this case… somepony…”

Sunset jumped in place and spun to face Spotlight. “It was never supposed to drop on you!” she cried. “The truss was probably only meant to come loose! Maybe swing free to freak somepony out. Maybe it wasn’t even supposed to be the truss, but the front curtain instead!”

“That would have been a quite different story.” Spotlight nodded. “If the front curtain had suddenly collapsed in the middle of the after party, it could have fallen into the crowd… or at least rolled into it. The simple act of it falling could have been enough to pull several of our more nervous backers out of the Grade School Gala.”

“That makes a lot more sense than dropping a truss behind closed curtains, don’t you think?” Sunset said. “So, we’ve got our saboteur up in the catwalks. But it’s somepony who was either stressed, tired or unused to this kind of magic. When she tried to loosen the hooks on one side, she overdid it and it caused a chaos surge that untied every knot within twenty yards.”

Sunset lifted the lanyard, now little more than a line of fabric with a hook at one end. “Including this one!”

“Forgive me, my dear,” Spotlight said, rubbing her head. “I am still somewhat woozy after the painkillers, but how does this help us?”

Sunset smiled at Gateway who inclined his head with a small measure of respect. Her smile blossomed into a grin and she levitated the lanyard back over to him.

“I had already figured out most of what Miss Shimmer had just said. When you work a beat in Canterlot, you need to know everything for a city that houses some of the most magically gifted unicorns in the world.”

“No kidding,” Sunset muttered.

Gateway lifted up the lanyard again. “This tells us a few things. One: our saboteur is a unicorn. Granted, that was a safe bet already considering the damage on the truss and the fact that there were loose ropes everywhere. Second: the unicorn in question is a member of our own staff, either a member of my security detail or a stagehoof. Third: this is almost certainly the pony behind all the problems we’ve been having.”

“There’s one you’re forgetting, Gateway,” Sunset said, rubbing her chin. “They have to be good at illusion magic. After all, somepony pretending to be me was here three days ago.”

“Sunny,” Moon Dancer interjected, “that could have been done through an illusion charm, an artifact or even a potion.”

“And there’s a possibility that was a coincidence,” Coco pointed out. “After all, we don’t know what they were after.”

“But think about it!” Sunset cried. “Gateway, you’re the former Lead Detective for Canterlot. There’s no way somepony could just up and vanish on you. How easy would it be to duck a corner and then come out as a security guard or a stagehoof?”

“But why?” Coco asked. “If they’re already on the inside, what do they need a disguise for?”

“Well, it does make the show look bad…” Sunset frowned and tapped her hoof on the floor. “And using my appearance? Hmm...”

“What are you thinking, Sunset?” Rara asked.

“They may have been trying to use my… ugh… name,” Sunset said slowly as she paced back and forth. She ignored Moon Dancer’s snicker. “What if somepony wanted to get backstage and make some sort of scene with the management? Or even get injured? What if it was an act to further ruin your show’s reputation?”

“That’s a bit of a stretch, Shadow Spade.” Moon Dancer smirked at her. “Anyway, you’re missing the trenchcoat. And the fedora. And the—”

“Not helping, Moony.”

“Wasn’t trying, Sunny.”

Sunset shook her head and ignored her best friend.

“Even if that’s true,” Rara said. “We’ve got a staff of almost a hundred ponies with the show. There’s no way we can interrogate them all before tonight’s event.”

“A hundred?” Moon Dancer gaped at her. “Why do you have so many?”

“We tend to provide a great deal of our own labor and materials for the shows,” Spotlight answered. “It’s a somewhat archaic method. A holdover from my time on Bridleway, but it’s served us well. Anyway, half of them are security and as you’ve seen, we’ve been required to increase that side of things substantially.”

“We could bring in entirely new staff from a temp agency,” Coco suggested, though she didn’t sound happy with that option.

“That would just give us even more unknown elements to work with.” Gateway shook his head. “And we don’t know how good those ponies would be. For all we know, the one behind this already has that possibility covered.”

Minuette let out another snore. Cheerilee shifted on the couch. Sunset rolled her eyes at the both of them and refocused.

“Well, they’re going to be more careful after this morning,” Sunset said. “Whoever is behind this almost certainly saw my little performance. And if they believe it… they might be extra careful, making it impossible to find them before the show. Heck, they might panic, and do something really bad.”

“That is a good point,” Spotlight said, tapping her hoof on the side of her wheelchair. “A very good point indeed. Most of our staff know you by reputation. If you did play yourself up as a security expert...”

Sunset’s ears flattened and she blushed. “I didn’t mean for it to—”

Spotlight waved away her apology. “No, no, my dear. I may have the beginnings of an idea.”

“Well, let’s hear it, Spotlight!” Rara said, leaning forward.

“Well… it would require two parts,” Spotlight began. “First of all, our adversary is attempting to tar this show with accusation of mismanagement. As the manager of the show, I am the most likely target for further acts. So… I believe I will be required to act as… what is the term… oh yes, ‘bait.’”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Gateway declared.

“Absolutely not!” Rara shouted.

“We can’t let you do that!” Coco protested.

“Are you out of your mind?” Moon Dancer demanded.

Minuette let out another snore.

Cheerilee shifted a little in her sleep.

Sunset was simply too shocked to say much of anything.

This mare is willing to risk further injury—or worse—to flush the saboteur out? This is crazy!

“I am the most logical target, my dears,” Spotlight said with a weak smile. “It is only fitting that I be the one to draw out our saboteur. However, while that would assure—and pray, control—the location of said incident, I’m afraid it wouldn’t do much in the way of securing this individual.”

“We are not letting you do this,” Rara said, her indigo and teal mane flying as she leapt from her couch to come to her manager’s side. “You were almost killed, Spotlight.”

Spotlight put a hoof on Rara’s shoulder. “I told you at the beginning, my dear Coloratura, that I would always do anything to make sure your shows are a success. Anything for such a close friend of my beloved niece.”

“This is too much!” Rara protested again. To Sunset’s surprise, there were tears in the singer’s eyes. “I’d rather cancel the entire show than risk losing you.”

“Well,” Spotlight said as her smile turned to Sunset. “We do happen to have one of the most gifted unicorns in Equestria on hoof. And she did profess a most sincere desire to help. Perhaps this will be enough if something were to go dreadfully wrong?”

Sunset blinked in surprise. “And just what do you have in mind for me?”

“Actually,” Spotlight said with a sparkle in her eye. “There are several things I think you can do to assist us in rectifying this little snafu. The first being handling our sponsors. The second being… your departure.”

“Wait, what, now?” Sunset asked.

Spotlight’s smile grew to something approaching dazzling.

“Therein lies the second part of my plan. It’s one of the most classic things used in the performing arts, my dear,” Spotlight said with a twinkle in her eye. “In a word… misdirection.”

Author's Note

I've mentioned that I love Moon Dancer, right? Because I love this Moon Dancer. Yeah, I know, she'd not the same Moon Dancer we get to know in Amending Fences, but continued exposure to Sunset Shimmer over a long period of time tends to have... side effects.

Don't believe me? Ask Albinocorn or Oroboro. They'll tell you all about it. :pinkiecrazy:

We've narrowed down the suspect list and we've dealt with the first major obstacle in the form of Manehattan City Police. Next time? It's time to get things in motion to catch our saboteur! I wonder what Spotlight has in mind...

If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!

Ingenuity

“I really, really don’t want to do this,” Sunset said for the tenth time as Coco went over her mane with a brush. “This is a terrible idea. I never should have agreed to it. I really don’t want to do this.”

“We know, Sunny,” Moon Dancer groaned as she let in Cheerilee and Minuette. Both were sprinkled with chalk dust from the runes Sunset and Spotlight had them set up on the third floor.

From Sunset’s spot in front of Rara’s green room vanity, she caught sight of something she desperately needed. Immediately, she grabbed the teacup from Minuette and gulped down the scalding liquid, trying to steady her nerves and calm her racing heart. It didn’t help much.

Ugh, I shouldn’t be fighting back a panic attack right now! I’m used to these kinds of ponies! I grew up with these kinds of ponies!

Sunset stared into the mirror and swallowed as Coco finished with her mane. She had been working hard to make it look like Sunset had gotten some measure of sleep. Thankfully, the young mare apparently had talents in makeup in addition to design.

I used to be one of these ponies.

You still are.

We both know that isn’t true! Sunset snarled back.

You’d better hope it’s true, Sunset, the snide little voice murmured. Because if it’s not… you’re going to completely fail every one of your precious friends.

“Sunny?” Minuette asked from beside her in the mirror. “If you really don’t want to… I’m sure we can find another way.”

Sunset saw Coco’s image in the mirror stiffen. The lapse was short, and Coco tried to hide it, but Sunset had too much experience reading ponies to miss a tell like that. Finally, Sunset took a deep, shuddering breath and shook her head.

“No. It’s okay. I can handle it.”

“Girls?” It was amazing how much Cheerilee could put into a single word. “Mind if I talk to Sunset for a minute?”

Moon Dancer, Minuette and Coco nodded and headed over to the other side of the room to talk to Rara and Spotlight. Cheerilee pulled up a small chair beside the vanity.

“How are you doing, Sunny?”

“Fine.”

Cheerilee raised an eyebrow. That’s all it took.

“What do you want me to say?” Sunset stopped staring at her reflection and met Cheerilee’s eyes. “That I’m terrified of this meeting? That I’m fighting down a panic attack right now? That, for the second time today, I’m going to have to use all those skills I developed back in the bad old days at GU to manipulate ponies?”

“Tell me the truth, Sunny,” Cheerilee said gently, putting her hoof on Sunset’s shoulder. “Is that what you’re afraid of? Backsliding?”

Sunset hesitated for only a moment before nodding to her friend.

“Sunset, you have to know that you’re a completely different pony than you were back then.”

“Doesn’t change anything,” Sunset muttered, shaking her head.

“Sunset—”

“No,” Sunset interrupted. “I know what you’re going to say, Cheerilee, and while I appreciate it… it won’t change the facts. I’m always going to be fighting that piece of myself.”

“You don’t have to,” Cheerilee insisted. “Not to sound like a bad cliche, Sunset, but those skills can be used for more than evil.”

“We’re about to find out,” Sunset said. She got to her hooves and smiled wanly at her friend. “I’ll be fine. I did it this morning.”

“This morning wasn’t with the Manehattan elite.”

“I know. It was just a police officer.” Sunset sighed. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t get blamed when they come to arrest me.”

Cheerilee smiled. “Well, if that happens, I promise not to say ‘I told you so.’”

“Then I’ll know you’re an imposter.” Sunset smirked. “Because the real Cheerilee is always trying to stop me from doing dumb things.”

“Well, this whole thing might still be dumb,” Cheerilee admitted, putting a hoof on Sunset’s chest. “But I know you’re doing it for the right reasons. And don’t worry, you’re not alone here. You’re never alone, Sunset.”

She’s right about that.

“I know.” Sunset’s smile twitched a little. She knew Cheerilee noticed, but the teacher was kind enough to let Sunset pretend it worked.

Sunset took one last look at the pony in the mirror. Then, she reached down to find the part of herself who was used to dealing with the ‘elite’ of society. It took a bit of rummaging, but she found it. With the help of her angry little pony.

I hate you, Sunset growled at the thing.

Doesn’t matter. You need me.

I need them. Not you.

Uh-huh.

“Okay, Sunny,” Moon Dancer trotted up with her trademark smirk. After adjusting her glasses, she glanced at a clipboard in her magic. “Let’s go over this one more time. Coco’s arranged for the major sponsors to meet you in the VIP lounge. They’ve all been told that you’ll be the one handling things as a personal favor and everypony else is busy preparing for tonight’s event. All you need to do is settle them down enough so they won’t back out tonight.”

“When’s the press conference?” Sunset took another deep breath. She hated how her heart was still racing.

“At one.” Moon Dancer lifted a page. “This meeting is scheduled to be about thirty minutes, no longer. Spotlight pulled some strings behind the scenes and pushed this meeting against the press conference to give you an out.”

Sunset nodded.

“You’re sure you know the story?” Moon Dancer asked, her voice oddly imperious.

“Since when are you the one lecturing me? I was your tutor, remember?”

“Says the pony who couldn’t even get along with a phoenix without doing a research paper on them.”

“That… that was completely different!” Sunset sputtered. “And you know it!”

Moon Dancer’s teeth glinted. “Yes, I do. But it’s so fun to poke you about. Now, do you know the story?”

“The rumors are false. She just had a cold, blah, blah blah.” Sunset sighed. “We’ve been over it a dozen times, Moony.”

“Just making sure. It’s… well, it’s been a while since you’ve pulled something like this, Sunny. You’re bound to be rusty.”

“I can handle it,” Sunset insisted.

“I know.” Moon Dancer smiled, her teasing dropping away. “You’ll be fine, Sunny. You’re not alone. Minuette, Cheery and I will be right outside if something goes wrong.”

“Okay… let’s just get this over with,” Sunset growled as Rara came up to the two of them. “The sooner, the better.”

“I don’t like all this lying.” Rara frowned. “It isn’t right. But… if I have to choose between a few lies to some really stuffy ponies or Coco’s dream…” Rara shook her head. “Still, this bothers me. A lot.”

“If it helps… I’m not thrilled with it either,” Sunset muttered.

“I’m fine with it!” Moon Dancer chirped.

Rara and Sunset gave her a look.

“Is she always like this?” Rara asked with a shake of her dark hair.

“Pretty much.”

“You must really like her to put up with so much.”

“I am right here you know,” Moon Dancer grumbled.

For the first time since Spotlight had come back… Sunset smiled for real.

“I’ll make this happen, Rara,” Sunset said. “I promise.”

“I’m going to hold you to that, Sunset.”

Sunset took a final deep breath and headed out the door with Moon Dancer at her side. Minuette and Cheerilee followed the two of them, almost acting like an honor guard.

The walk to the VIP lounge didn’t take long. Moon Dancer led the way, while Sunset reviewed the story Spotlight had come up with. That part should be easy. The hard part was the Manehattan elite were comprised of shrewd and crafty businessponies, while the Canterlot elite were generally—in her experience—useless. Canterlot had a lot of Old Money and a lot of ponies resting on that for their social status. Manehattan was a place where the concept of capitalism had really taken root.

She’d need to have her guard up. It was the only way to get through this with her skin intact.

“We’re almost there, Sunny,” Moon Dancer whispered.

Sunset looked up to see them approaching the large glass double doors of the Hoofbeats VIP Lounge. A flicker of motion to her right caught her eye, but it turned out to be a pair of stagehoofs setting up lighting for tonight’s event.

Moon Dancer held back as they approached the doors. She gave Sunset an encouraging nod. Sunset put on her best imperious expression—one she’d seen from Princess Celestia when she was particularly busy and being bothered by inane things. It wasn’t common, but it did happen from time to time.

Making sure her mask was firmly in place, Sunset took a deep breath and opened the doors.

The VIP lounge was ornately furnished with dark blues and purples with glittering lights set into the ceiling to give the impression of being under a night sky. A massive floor-to-ceiling panoramic view of the stage and dance floor dominated the far wall. Sunset could see members of Gateway’s security staff and various stagehoofs feverishly working on the sets for tonight’s big piece. A large bar stood on one side of the room, where an amber unicorn in a Hoofbeats bartender uniform checked on various bottles in her magic.

While there were plenty of couches, cushions and lounge chairs, none of the ponies present were seated. Some of them looked shocked at Sunset’s appearance. Some—too many—looked suspicious. And a hooffull looked curious.

As soon as Sunset Shimmer entered the lounge, all conversation stopped. She didn’t let it phase her. Instead, she walked up to the small stage set up on the south side of the room and took her position. She took a moment to glance out over the ponies. She swallowed when she recognized Filly Harp, Rock Dee Fell and all three Cartwhinny brothers in the front row.

“Good morning, everypony,” Sunset said. “I’m given to understand that you have concerns with the event tonight held by Miss Coloratura.”

“You could say that,” Evergreen Cartwhinny said, a well-dressed stallion who looked like his nose had been in the air since being a colt. “But right now, I’d like to know why the personal student of Princess Celestia is here to talk about a nightclub event.”

Here goes nothing…

“Are you serious?” Sunset rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Besides being asked by Coloratura herself to help out? After all the work Miss Coloratura and Miss Pommel have put into raising funds for the schoolponies of Manehattan, you think I’d just walk away? Princess Celestia taught me better than that.”

Keep it imperious. You’re the one in charge here, not these stuffed shirts.

“What are you even doing here?” This came from a stallion in the back. The voice was oddly familiar, though Sunset couldn’t remember where she’d heard it before. “I happen to know for a fact that the Grade School Gala is not sponsored by the Princess.”

Well, that pony needs to be taught a lesson in humility.

“I’d thank you not to speak for the Princess on her behalf. Least of all to me!” Sunset snapped, ignoring the irony of her words. “The Grade School Gala isn’t sponsored by the Princess. Personally, I’m doing this because of the cause. I happen to be a fan of education. Working with Princess Celestia does that to a pony. As for the Princess, while she hasn’t been able to support Miss Coloratura’s endeavor, I’m sure she would fully endorse it if she hadn’t been needed elsewhere.”

“You’re…” an orange stallion Sunset vaguely recognized from last night stared at her. A mare about Sunset’s age was standing beside him and studied at her with piercing green eyes. “You’re telling us that this show will have the stamp of approval of Princess Celestia herself?”

“Officially, no. But as I said, I’m confident in my teacher’s wishes. After all, I’m her personal student.” Sunset shook her head as if in disbelief. “Anyway, Miss Coloratura and I have run in the same circles for years. I know of her, she knows of me. After we happened to meet last night, she asked for my help. She’s trying to do something important here!”

Not bad, Sunset. Keep it coming.

“And so are we!” screeched the elderly Filly Harp. Despite her being the biggest art patron on the east coast of Equestria, her voice could cut glass. “Namely, protecting our assets! We’ve heard the rumors! We know that Spotlight hasn’t been seen since last night!”

Time to see how well you can dance!

“Ugh, I’m so sick of this.” Sunset rubbed the bridge of her muzzle, half in act and half out of annoyance at the running commentary in her skull. “Spotlight worked herself too hard in the last few weeks and came down with a minor cold.”

“Convenient,” snapped the heckler from the back. “Because she should be the one here, not you!”

Sunset drew herself up. Her face darkened and a few ponies in the front of the small group took a step or two back.

“Are you questioning my authority?” Sunset said in a low and dangerous voice. “You all know who I am. I even know who a few of you are. I am the personal student of the Princess of the Sun! I don’t need to explain myself to you.”

“So, you’re saying that the report that last night, a truss crashed down on Spotlight… that’s all a lie?” That same stallion shot back. Sunset wanted to see who it was, but couldn’t get a good look at him through the crowd. “I find that hard to believe. Let’s also add the fact that a Royal Guard squadron was dispatched to this very nightclub with a police escort shortly before that happened!”

“Listen,” Sunset snapped. “Believe it or not, I actually have things to do, so I’m not going to stand here and reply to every rumor that pops up!”

“But that doesn’t—”

Sunset ran right over the other pony. “My friends and I are heading back to Canterlot this afternoon. I came out here to see the show last night. When I went to visit Miss Coloratura, there was a misidentification issue with security and the Royal Guard were called. Afterward, I assisted Security Chief Gateway with some minor security issues. Now, I’m here talking to you to let Spotlight rest up. That’s all there is to it!”

“Are you sure, Miss Shimmer?”

This was a new voice. It came from the mare beside the orange stallion. Sunset remembered her from last night. The one called ‘Jackie’ or something like that.

“It seems like there might be something else goin’—going on,” she said. “I don’t mean to make a—to cause any offense, but there’s something odd about this whole thing.”

Sunset met the mare’s green eyes again. It felt… strange. It was almost like looking into Rara’s eyes. Sunset swallowed reflexively, but managed to beat back an intense surge of guilt for her ‘creative application’ of the truth.

“There’s nothing else going on,” Sunset declared.

“Excuse me,” Rock Dee Fell interjected. “But after all the rumors of misconduct, bad work conditions and incompetence, I have trouble believing you!”

“Is that right?” Sunset stepped down off the stage and approached the stallion. Rock Dee Fell: one of the most powerful ponies in Manehattan, the owner of more factories in Equestria than she could count, not to mention half the Manehattan harbor district.

Still, she kept her hesitation to herself and it payed off wonderfully. In only a few seconds, the stallion stood alone as the rest of his elite friends realized being beside him might not be the best call. “So, you’re questioning the word of the personal student of Princess Celestia?”

To his credit, Rock didn’t back down. He tried to peer down his nose at Sunset. And while Sunset was shorter than the stallion, she had looked down on far more powerful ponies than him.

“Yes,” Rock declared. “I am. And I’ll be upfront with you, Miss Shimmer. Everypony in this room knows your reputation. We’ve heard the stories. Both the old and the new.”

Sunset cocked her head at him.

Well, I’m impressed. I wasn’t expecting somepony to actually stand up to me.

So, you know what you need to do, right?

Sunset felt her face go wooden at the realization of the slip she’d almost made. She’d been seconds away from enjoying this.

You’re evil, Sunset growled.

I told you a long time ago that good and evil aren’t that simple. I’ve never been evil, even when you saddled me with that stupid nickname. I’m pragmatic. I get the job done.

By any means necessary? Sunset shot back.

All that matters is the job gets done, Sunset.

There’s more to life than getting the job done.

“Then let me be upfront with you. I’ll make it simple.” Sunset’s eyes raked over the crowd. “I’m given to understand that there are some of you who wish to pull your support of tonight’s charity event, which, may I remind you, is focused on raising money for the schoolponies of Manehattan.”

There were a few awkward shuffles, but Rock simply nodded.

“It is bad business to have your name associated with a group who have been confirmed to be running a shoddy operation!” Rock said. “If safety and working conditions are so unimportant to these ponies, how do we know the funds won’t be as mismanaged as the show?”

Go for the kill, Sunset. It’s easy.

“I haven’t seen one thing that shows signs of mismanagement on the part of Miss Coloratura or Miss Spotlight.” Sunset shook her head. “All of you know I have the ear of the Princess. While I am leaving in an hour or so because of prior obligations, I will be looking at the ponies who contribute to the future of Manehattan education. Or more precisely, the ponies who don’t contribute when they promised to.”

“That almost sounds like threat,” Rock growled. He adjusted his tie—easily worth more than the yearly household income of most ponies in Manehattan.

Exactly.

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “It’s not a threat. It’s a simple gathering of information. I believe in what Miss Coloratura and her group are doing here. Believe whatever you want about the past me, I’ll tell you now that I don’t like ponies who commit to something and then back out when things get a little rocky. You’re businessponies. You understand that a little risk is required for the gain.”

“Are you implying—” Filly Harp began, but Sunset cut her off with a shake of the head.

“I’m not implying anything. I said I’ll be paying attention to what happens tonight. What happens next depends on you.”

There was a ripple through the room as the ponies realized what the implications were—despite Sunset’s own words.

Excellent! You just threatened the most powerful ponies in Manehattan with nebulous—but high-risk—consequences if they back out of the charity event. That should keep them in line. Because a frown from the Princess in their direction could destroy their entire business from the bottom up.

Sunset suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She beat it back down. She needed to fix this. She couldn’t let that hang like it did right now.

If you try and backpedal, you’ll weaken your position and just encourage them to run! You want to help your friends? This is the way to do it!

“Look,” Sunset said in a voice far calmer than she felt. “All I’m saying is that pulling out of a big charity event a few hours before it occurs isn’t going to look good for you. It’ll be worse PR for you than even if something goes wrong with the money, which won’t happen.”

“We don’t know that!” snapped Rock Dee Fell. “Manehattan is built on reputation!”

“And do you want reputations as ponies who abandon schoolponies in their time of need?”

That one seemed to get through, if the worried expressions were any indicator.

“She’s right,” Evergreen Cartwhinny said. “Reputation is everything in this town. Almost as much as Canterlot. And while protecting our assets is critical… if our clients don’t believe we are looking out for their best interests…”

The orange stallion from earlier finished the sentence. “Then they’ll go elsewhere. Because it is simply impossible to escape this at this juncture without losing face.”

Mutters and whispers filled the room.

“You can’t listen to her! She’s got an agenda!” the stallion in the back said once again. “You know her reputation.”

“And we know ours,” Rock Dee Fell replied. “Very well, Miss Shimmer. We will do this, not because you all-but-threatened us… but because you are right in saying the public relations fallout would likely do more damage than funds lost due to mismanagement.”

Sunset allowed herself to relax a little.

“But if something does go wrong tonight?” Rock growled. “We’ll be filing an official complaint with the Princess herself about this conversation.”

Sunset heard a few mutters from the crowd that sounded like complaints would be sent no matter what happened tonight.

“Thank you all,” Sunset replied in her most diplomatic voice as a knock sounded at the door.

Moon Dancer poked her head in with a clipboard and a quill nestled against her ear.

“Sunset, they’re ready for you downstairs.”

“I’ll be right there,” Sunset replied. She turned to the Manehattan elite. “If you’ll excuse me, mares and gentlecolts, I also agreed to help with a small press conference for Miss Coloratura before my friends and myself leave on our train.”

The room broke up into small knots of conversation. Sunset scanned the back of the lounge for any sign of the pony who had been constantly challenging her, but there was no way to tell without questioning every stallion in the back. Shaking her head, Sunset followed Moon Dancer out of the door.

It wasn’t until they got into the stairwell that Sunset finally let herself collapse to the floor. But Moon Dancer, Cheerilee and Minuette were there. The fit didn’t last long.

“You turned it around in the end, Sunset,” Moon Dancer said, her voice full of encouragement. “I was worried there for a bit.”

“I almost blackmailed them, Moony,” Sunset moaned. “I almost threatened them with a Royal Inquiry if they didn’t do what they were told.”

“But you didn’t,” Moon Dancer insisted. “You pulled back. Now, they’re going to do it for their image. If you tried that a few days ago, that wouldn’t have worked, but this late in the game? You handled it well.”

“Those ponies aren’t going to forget this,” Sunset muttered. “I’m so screwed.”

“Hey, it’ll be fine. I’m sure Princess Celestia will laugh about it after it’s all over.”

“I wonder if I’ll hear it down in the cells beneath the Castle,” Sunset muttered.

“Considering how loud the Princess can laugh…” Minuette waved her hoof. “I’d say it’s a fifty-fifty chance.”

Sunset, Cheerilee and Moon Dancer all stared at her.

“What? Not helping?”

“Thank you all for coming,” Sunset said to the small crowd of press in the main lobby of Hoofbeats. The early afternoon sun streaked through the windows, glinting off cameras and clipboards. Not to mention the sunglasses of Gateway’s security ponies. A few members of Hoofbeats’s staff and various stagehoofs rushed in and out of the room on various errands to prepare for the Grade School Gala, but Sunset kept the attention on her.

She was fairly good at that. Well, at least now that she had a chance to calm down.

Ready for round two? her angry little pony cooed.

Sunset didn’t bother responding. She kept herself calm and cool.

A few reporters tried to get in some choice questions before things began, but after dealing with the Manehattan elite—and the panic attack immediately afterward—she refused to let them rattle her. Anyway, she had even more experience with this than with what she had just pulled off in the VIP Lounge. Celestia had trained her extensively in dealing with the media. In fact, it had been one of the first lessons she’d learned from the Princess that hadn’t involved magic.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Dealing with the media was a special kind of magic. And if she was being honest with herself, it was probably the darkest magic she’d ever wielded.

Sunset took a deep breath, ignored the shouted questions and started with her planned statements.

“First of all, I’m appearing here as a favor to Miss Coloratura to help fill in for Spotlight since she’s run herself ragged the last few weeks,” Sunset began. “In fact—“

“How do you respond to claims that Spotlight is dead and this is an elaborate sham?” one pony shouted.

“Does this mean that Princess Celestia is officially endorsing Coloratura?” another reporter interjected.

“How long have you and Princess Celestia been planning on adding Coloratura to the Royal Harem?”

“Seriously?” Sunset stared at the pony who’d asked the last question. The badge said it all: Equestria After Dark. “Yeah, I’m not going to even bother talking to you for the rest of the afternoon. Ask something like that again and I’ll have the Chief of Security escort you out.”

By your ears, you lewd moron!

Sunset was fairly sure both her angry little pony and herself thought that at the same time.

“Anyway!” Sunset chirped. “I’m here to quell any rumors about anything sinister happening last night. The loud noise was a misfire of a sound effect spell. Miss Spotlight is down with a small cold and we expect her to make a full recovery in time for tonight’s big event. The Grade School Gala will proceed as planned.”

“What involvement do you have with this?” an Equestria Daily reporter Sunset recognized by the nickname Viccy demanded.

“As I said, Miss Coloratura asked me to help last night. My friends and I were attending the evening’s concert and were fortunate enough to get a chance to speak with Miss Coloratura for a short time. We happened to be in the right time and the right place.”

Heh, let’s just leave out the details of that particular time and place.

Sunset paused and replayed her own words in her head. I wonder… did Minuette somehow know about this whole fiasco with that weird thing of hers? I’ll never understand that mare’s special talent.

“In exchange for helping them out when they’re so hard-pressed, Miss Coloratura has been gracious enough to offer my friends and I lifetime backstage passes for our assistance. However, while my friends and I would love to attend tonight’s concert, unfortunately, we have prior commitments. I do hope everypony enjoys the concert tonight and please remember, it is for a good cause.”

“If Spotlight just has a cold, why isn’t she up here doing the press conference?” somepony else demanded. “Or Lead Designer Coco Pommel? Or Coloratura herself?”

“Spotlight is working very hard to make sure all preparations are made for tonight’s big show, though at present she’s doing it from a bed,” Sunset replied smoothly. “Spotlight is an amazing manager and Miss Coloratura is very lucky to have her. As usual, with all of her shows, Spotlight will be there on the front of the stage opening up the event. Coco Pommel is currently putting the finishing touches on the designs for tonight and Miss Coloratura is resting in preparation for tonight’s festivities.”

Okay, time to wrap this up. These ponies can be even more bloodthirsty than the last group. Anyway, we need to make sure this gets out to all the evening editions before the concert starts.

“I’m afraid that’s all the time we have for today,” Sunset said, pulling out the same practiced smile she’d used earlier. “I’m on a rather tight schedule and Cheerilee would be quite grumpy if we missed our train.”

More shouts. More questions. What felt like a few thousand flashbulbs. But thankfully, Gateway’s security guards had experience keeping a pony from being mobbed by reporters. Anyway, most of them were shouting out questions more about Celestia and herself than anything to do with Rara.

When she finally retreated to safety behind the curtain, she sighed at the assembled ponies. “Well?”

“Simply divine,” Spotlight said with a smile. She was still confined to her wheelchair, but with a little magic, Sunset and Moon Dancer already had a plan to deal with that snag. “Without a doubt, your time under Princess Celestia in handling public relations has been well spent indeed. You make a fine spokespony, Miss Shimmer.”

“Though I would have liked it if you had smacked that After Dark reporter,” Moon Dancer smirked. “Or said yes, just to screw with him.”

“And why’d you have to use me as the grumpy one?” Cheerilee asked with an annoyed pout.

“How about because you usually are the grumpy one?” Moon Dancer said with a grin.

Cheerilee swatted her, but that just made Moon Dancer laugh harder.

“Okay, ponies,” Sunset said with a nod. “Time for the next part of the plan. We need to be seen leaving and getting on the train.”

“It shouldn’t be a problem,” Coco said with a smile. “I’ve already contacted the Friendship Express and reserved you a private car.”

“And we’re sure that storage room’s runes are right and will remain clear?” Sunset asked.

“Sunny,” Moon Dancer said with a roll of her eyes. “Come on, this is me you’re talking about. Minuette and Cheerilee spent half the morning doing them and I proofed them. Anyway, Cheerilee was a teacher’s assistant for runic spellcasting at GU for two years.”

“I don’t like blind teleports,” Sunset insisted. “I want to be sure.”

“Would you stop worrying?” Moon Dancer facehoofed. “The spatial runes will work perfectly. We’ve done this before. And let’s be honest, it’s nice to have a little prep time.”

Gateway nodded solemnly. “We’ll be sure to keep the area secure. I have two of my best on the main door. They are under orders to make sure nopony enters. We’ve even locked it from the inside.”

“Then how’d you get out?” Minuette asked.

“We locked it while it was open and closed it behind us.” Gateway said with a surprised blink.

“Right!” Minuette chirped. “I knew that!”

“This really isn’t necessary,” Rara said. “Spotlight, it’s not too late to—”

“Hush, dearie,” Spotlight interrupted. “I refuse to let this event be ruined by parties unknown. You two have worked too hard on this. I also happen to like what I do and I intend to stay to do it. And you two have worked too hard on this. We’ve convinced the sponsors and now the media has their official statement. We will be fine.”

Rara and Coco both blushed and wrapped the elderly manager in a hug. Sunset couldn’t help but smile.

“So, everypony knows their places after we get back in here?” Sunset asked.

“You and I will be hidden in the catwalks,” Moon Dancer said in a bored voice. “Cheerilee will watch stage left from near the dressing rooms and Minuette will watch stage right from the crafts table.”

“I’ll have the illusion charms ready by the time you get back,” Gateway said. “But these things are unreliable at the best of times. Any heavy-duty spellcasting will break them and they’ll wear off after maybe a couple hours. If we’re lucky.”

“It will suffice,” Spotlight insisted. “We’ve used them before to avoid certain crowds. Yes, they are indeed weak and have a high rate of failure, but they will do for tonight. All they need to do is get the girls into their hiding spots.”

“I don’t like it,” Gateway grumbled. “If the pony or ponies behind this see them… who knows what will happen?”

“Gateway, dear,” Spotlight smiled up at him. “I do appreciate your concern. This plan is not without its flaws, but considering we are working on a very tight timetable… well, it is simply the best we can do. Unless Miss Shimmer is able to do better with her magic.”

Sunset shook her head. “Not with that many ponies over half the backstage. I’d be drained in about five minutes. Gets exponentially harder the more illusions are cast.”

“I’ve pulled in everypony I have,” Gateway declared. “I even called in some favors and got a few trusted ex-cops to come help out. We’ll nab these ponies… and after that—”

Crabgreen suddenly barged through the door. “Sorry to interrupt, sir, but Police Chief Stablemaker is here!”

Gateway winced. “Please tell me the reporters are gone.”

“Everypony except for the one from Equestria After Dark,” the young security guard replied.

Moon Dancer snickered and Minuette followed suit.

“I don’t think it matters, though,” Crabgreen continued. “Stablemaker came around the service access, not the main entrance.”

“Thank Celestia for small favors,” Sunset murmured. “Is he alone?”

Crabgreen shook his head. “No, ma’am. He’s got a squad of five uniformed police ponies with him.”

“Five?” Cheerilee frowned. “That’s not going to cause too much trouble, will it?”

“No,” Spotlight said with a wave of her hoof. “I know Chief Stablemaker. He’s a good officer with a solid head on his shoulders. He occasionally is a little overeager, but I’m sure he’ll be most amenable to our situation.”

“You know the Chief of Police?” Cheerilee asked.

Spotlight smiled. “I have worked in this town for forty years, Miss Cheerilee. It’s called networking.”

“We’ll take care of things with Chief Stablemaker,” Gateway said. “You four should get going.”

Sunset nodded. “Well, hopefully we’ll see you in an hour or so.”

Coloratura walked up to her and to Sunset’s surprise, gave her an enormous hug. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me. I know you’re not comfortable using your status like this… but I appreciate that you’re willing to do it to help out Spotlight… and us.”

Sunset blushed a little. “I’m just happy to help.”

“Oh, and by the way?” Rara said with a smile. “You and your friends will always have backstage passes from us. Even if they don’t exist.”

Sunset laughed. “Thanks for that.”

It took a few minutes for them to get situated. As expected, while all but the Equestria After Dark reporter had left the main lobby, several remained outside. As soon as Sunset led their group out into the bright October sun, the reporters were upon them.

“Just ignore them and keep walking,” Sunset muttered to her friends. “Remember, we want to be seen.”

Cheerilee’s ears were flat against her head. Moon Dancer looked vaguely annoyed. Minuette was cheerfully waving at the reporters. Finally, they reached the side of the street where a line of taxis waited. Sunset hopped up into one with Moon Dancer, while Minuette and Cheerilee took another. After flipping each driver a few bits, they were on their way to the Manehattan’s Galloping Central Terminal. A few of the pegasi reporters kept up with them as their taxies wove through the afternoon traffic. Thankfully, it wasn’t rush hour yet.

They arrived at the Terminal without incident. Only one pegasus had remained to see them enter the Terminal. After that, she figured out that they were actually leaving. Part of the plan included contingencies even as far as the reporters actually following them onto the train, but thankfully, it looked like those wouldn’t be needed. Because things started to get silly at that point.

Like things aren’t silly now. After all the progress you made today, Sunset and now you’re running around playing spy. This is ridiculous.

Sunset ignored the voice and breathed a sigh of relief as she threaded her way through the milling throng of ponies amassed in the gigantic transportation hub for the city of Manehattan. After all the attention she’d been getting in the last day or so—had it really only been a day?—it was nice to just be another member of the faceless masses.

Until another one of the faceless masses collided with her when Sunset was staring at the local Starbucked and wondering if she had enough time for a cup of tea.

“Nuts and shrews,” spat a pony from a few feet away. “Ah mean… aw, ponyfeathers…”

Sunset blinked in surprise as Cheerilee hurried over to help her up, while Minuette went to help the other pony, only to have a pegasus rush in from above and gently pull the other pony to her hooves.

“Sorry about that,” Sunset said as she dusted herself off. “Got distracted by thinking—”

She froze as her eyes fell upon the earth pony. Her eyes took in the elegant blonde mane, the sleek cut jade and pink dress and the stern green eyes. The same eyes that had questioned her less than a few hours ago in the VIP Lounge.

By Celestia… seriously? Why’d it have to be her?

“You okay, Jackie?” the pegasus asked. Sunset glanced over and blinked in surprise when she recognized the blue-coated mare.

“Lieutenant Dash?”

The lieutenant turned and her magenta eyes went wide. In an instant, the young Wonderbolt snapped off a crisp salute while looking an inch above Sunset’s head.

“Sorry about the trouble, ma’am!” she barked in a voice that was far too loud. A few ponies glanced their way, but for the most part, the crowd seemed to flow around them. “We didn’t mean to get in your way, ma’am!”

“Hey now, she’s the one who ran into me,” the orange earth pony muttered. “And I was watching… oh ponyfeathers.”

Jackie looked up and had almost the same expression as Lieutenant Dash. What was strange was the sudden shift in her accent. For a moment, it sounded almost rural, maybe from somewhere like Dodge Junction or even Ponyville. Then it flipped into the traditional cultured voice of Manehattan high society, only to flip back when she saw Sunset.

“Sunset?” Moon Dancer asked. “Do you know these ponies?”

“This is Lieutenant Dash,” Sunset said with a nod at the rainbow-maned pegasus. “She did a year with the Royal Guard before joining the Wonderbolts.” Sunset glared at her with a faint smirk. “I could never get her to stop saluting me.”

“Still appropriate, ma’am!” the lieutenant barked. “Showing proper respect for the Royal Apprentice, ma’am!”

Sunset facehoofed. There were times when royal prerogatives were just bucking annoying. Still, she let it pass and turned to the orange mare, who had sidled a bit closer to Lieutenant Dash, as if Dash was protecting her.

“And you are…?”

“This is Jackie,” Lieutenant Dash commented with a faint blush on her cheeks. “She’s… a… uh… friend of mine. Jackie, this is…”

“Oh, I know who this is, Lieutenant,” Jackie said with a bow to Sunset. Her elegant accent had returned, which Sunset found disappointing. She liked the country drawl. “I would have to be deaf, blind and dumb to not know the personal student of the Princess of the Sun. She was at the meeting I mentioned, the one with Uncle Orange?”

Moon Dancer tapped Sunset on the shoulder and pointed at the clock. Sunset winced. The train was scheduled to leave in ten minutes.

“I’m sorry to be in such a hurry,” Sunset said with a faint smile. “But we have a train to catch.”

“No problem, ma’am! Sorry for the inconvenience!” Another salute. Sunset reluctantly returned it before the lieutenant sprained something.

But the earth pony mare was still staring at her. Finally, Sunset cracked under the weight of her gaze.

“Is there something wrong, Miss Jackie?” Sunset asked, trying—and failing—to hide the annoyance in her voice.

Lieutenant Dash’s eyes darted back and forth between the two mares. Her wings trembled as if unsure what to do.

“I beg your pardon,” Jackie asked, her eyes serious. “I’m just…”

“Yes?” Sunset prompted.

“You lied.”

A bubble of silence seemed to well up between the two of them, but Sunset didn’t blink. She’d faced off against Celestia. But this was nothing like Officer Hops earlier this morning. There was something in those green eyes that seemed to peel away the layers Sunset had worked so hard to set up.

“What are you doing?” hissed the lieutenant.

“I want to know why,” Jackie said. “Nine times out of ten, I can tell when a pony is playing games, Miss Shimmer. It comes with doing business in this city. I don’t mean any disrespect, but I know you weren’t telling the truth. Last night or this morning. I’d like to know why.”

Sunset glanced around them. This wasn’t the place to have this conversation. Yet, Jackie’s stare reminded her a lot of the way Rara had looked at her last night. There was a strange intensity about it, something Sunset couldn’t put a hoof on. And that bothered her.

“Over here,” Sunset muttered as she led them to an unused hoof-shine bench. Jackie and Lieutenant Dash both followed her, though the lieutenant looked like she wanted to grab Jackie and bolt.

“How did you know?” Sunset demanded. “Tell me that first. What did I do wrong?”

Jackie shook her head, but her elegant mane didn’t so much as twitch. “Nothing, ma’am. As I said, I have knack for business. After years in Manehattan, I can almost always catch when somepony’s trying to pull a fast one on me.”

“Just a feeling, huh?”

Jackie nodded.

“And that was enough to confront me?”

“Ma’am, I know what I heard last night. That wasn’t a spell. That was something falling. I remember the shouts of alarm coming from behind the curtain, too.”

Sunset glanced at her friends, but all of them seemed at a loss for words.

“This really isn’t necessary…” Lieutenant Dash tried to pull Jackie away, but Jackie shook her off.

“If you don’t want to answer, that’s your prerogative,” Jackie said. “But I would like to know why.”

Sunset closed her eyes for a moment, then made the call. “Because somepony’s been trying to mess up Coloratura’s shows for months now,” Sunset said quietly. “And my working theory is that whoever is behind it is trying to get the sponsors to pull out if anything goes wrong. If tonight’s event fails, it’ll destroy Coloratura and her manager, Spotlight.”

Jackie watched her for a long few seconds. “And you’re trying to prevent that?”

“Yes.”

Jackie blinked and nodded. “Well, thank you for telling us the truth. We’ll get out of your mane.”

It was Sunset’s turn to blink. “Wait… what?”

“My uncle has invested a lot of money into the Grade School Gala,” Jackie replied. “I wanted to be sure he wasn’t getting swindled. I can’t stand swindlers. And I’ve heard the rumors going around. After seeing you lie up there, I was worried, but he didn’t believe me when I talked with him after the meeting. Since I happened to run into you…” She shrugged. “Now seemed a good a time as any.”

“So…” Sunset paused and stared at the pony in wonder. “You were just protecting your family?”

“She’s like that,” Lieutenant Dash said fondly, her earlier annoyance gone. “She’s almost as dedicated as I am.”

“Oh, shush you.” Jackie took a swipe at the lieutenant, who laughed in return.

“So, that’s it? You just wanted to know what happened?”

“That’s all. Poor Dash here missed all the excitement.”

“Yeah and I miss the big splash at the end because I was in the little fillies room,” Dash muttered.

Jackie punched Dash on the shoulder, eliciting another laugh, this time accompanied by a telltale blush.

“Anyway, sorry to run into you and give you the whole interrogation routine, Miss Shimmer,” Jackie said with another bow. “We won’t take up any more of your time. Have a lovely trip.”

When Sunset nodded dumbly, Jackie and Dash headed off together. Sunset was about to turn around when she noticed that Dash had gently brushed Jackie’s flank with a wing—right where her cutie mark would be under her gown. She smirked as Jackie smacked Dash a third time.

“Well, that was… unexpected,” Sunset said.

“Those two aren’t even trying to be subtle,” Cheerilee said with a laugh.

“I think it’s sweet,” Minuette chirped.

“You would,” Moon Dancer said, but she was smiling too.

“Come on, we have a train to catch,” Sunset said.

“So, how’d you meet a member of the Wonderbolts?” Cheerilee asked as they neared the platform for the Friendship Express.

“She crashed through my front window one day during combat training,” Sunset said with a chuckle. “You should have seen her face. I swear every bit of color drained out of her when she realized who I was. Never seen a pony clean up a mess so fast. And I think she gave me more salutes than the entire Royal Guard for the last year in that one hour.” Sunset laughed again. “I practically had to throw her out by her tail to get her to stop ‘helping me.’”

“She seems nice enough,” Cheerilee commented.

“I don’t know,” Sunset said with a shrug. “I’ve seen her doing exercises. She’s just driven by something. And she’s always been super-serious and intense. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look as happy as she did back there.”

“So what?” Moon Dancer asked. “Most of those military types are intense. Even showboaters like the Wonderbolts.”

“It’s more than that.” Sunset shook her head. “I wonder what makes a pony like that. A couple months ago, after my training with the Royal Guard, I saw her in a combat exercise. She took on six Royal Guards at the same time. After twenty minutes of fighting, she was the only one left standing… and then demanded another six come at her. It’s as if she’s punishing herself for something.”

“Like what?” Minuette asked in an oddly somber voice.

“I don’t know.” Sunset shrugged and glanced back to where Jackie and Dash had disappeared into the crowd. “Still, nice to see her let her mane down for a bit.”

“Enough yammering!” Moon Dancer said. “Let’s get on this train and catch us a saboteur!”

They gave their tickets to the conductor, who personally led them to the private car Coco had secured for them. It wasn’t much different from any other train car, save for they had it to themselves. Minuette and Moon Dancer made sure all the curtains were drawn so nopony could see inside. After that was done, Sunset immediately sat down in the middle of the car and expanded her senses. As she got comfortable, the train car shifted and the train started moving.

Moon Dancer headed to one of the windows and stood watch so she could see when they were approaching the section of track that was closest to Hoofbeats. Though the train would only get within a block, it should be enough with the work they’ve had put into the runes set in one of the upper storage rooms of Hoofbeats. Enough to get them in without anypony the wiser.

I just really hope that whoever is behind this thinks she’s in the clear. Maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll try to impersonate me again. Then again, she might impersonate Cheerilee or Moon Dancer. I doubt she’d do Minuette. Nopony can out-Minuette Minuette.

“Gather as close as you can,” Sunset called. “I want to make this as simple as possible.”

“You sure about this?” Cheerilee asked. “I mean… we could always just find a way to sneak back inside.”

“Moon Dancer and Sunny are the best spellcasters in Equestria!” Minuette declared. “I’m sure we have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

Even with her eyes closed, Sunset could hear the glare in Moon Dancer’s voice. “You do realize saying something like that is simply begging for trouble, right?”

Minuette sounded completely innocent. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Sunset heard the familiar sound of a hoof meeting a face and smirked.

“Okay, looks like we’re coming up on Bridleway,” Moon Dancer reported. Sunset could feel the other unicorn get as close to Sunset as possible without actually touching her. “You should be feeling the beacon anytime now.”

Sunset reached out with her magic as two spells began to unfold. First was the basic structure for a medium-range teleportation spell. She had worked out the math and all the different parameters into the spell matrix. The second was trickier. Teleporting from a moving vehicle was hard even under the best of circumstances. She had to be sure to counter the inertia the group was currently experiencing. While they didn’t feel it, their bodies were moving at the same speed as the train. A rookie would have missed that. And Sunset Shimmer was definitely no rookie.

Just because she had learned a thing or two about humility didn’t mean she didn’t know she still had talent. She was just better at toning it down these days.

With a surge, she used the first part of the spell to lock onto the homing beacon they’d created with the intricate set of runes and sigils. A few magic pulses slammed through the connection, confirming a solid lock, but it wouldn’t last long.

She poured the magic into her horn.

“Should her horn be glowing like that?” Cheerilee asked. “I can barely see!”

“It’s called overglow,” Moon Dancer said with a sigh. “Seriously, Cheerilee, you taught at GU. You know what overglow is!”

“Yeah, but even I can feel the magic!”

“That means it’s working.”

Sunset ignored them and focused, mentally picturing the path of the train as it reached its nearest point to Hoofbeats. The geometry was solid as she charged the spell even further. She would probably pass out shortly after casting this, but it was worth it for a couple different reasons.

First, she wanted to make sure her friends were safe.

Second, she wanted to make sure nopony saw them.

Third… because it was simply awesome.

While there were probably a lot easier ways to fake their departure from the city… this had style.

Sunset took a deep breath and mentally brought up the framework of the teleportation spell. The train reached the intersection with Bridleway.

Then, she unleashed the magic.

It felt like sticking her horn into one of those new power sockets, if only for a bit. She heard the yelps of her companions, a rush of air, a surge of speed and then a resounding crash.

A second later, she opened her eyes to find herself in a musty storage room on the third floor of Hoofbeats. The runes beneath her hooves had been scuffed and burned by their magical entrance.

There may have also been a small part of the floor missing, but nopony was in the costume room down below, so that was fine.

The rest of her friends let out various groans of protest and pain as they picked themselves up and dusted themselves off Sunset stared at the ceiling.

“This is comfy,” Sunset declared. “Good for naps.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” Moon Dancer muttered as she stumbled over to Sunset. “You’d better get off your flank. We’ve got work to do.”

“Can’t I have five minutes?” Sunset groaned. “I’m running on fumes here.”

“No rest for the wicked.”

“I thought I was a good guy now,” Sunset said.

“You are,” Moon Dancer replied. “That makes you the most wicked of all.”

“That doesn’t make even the slightest bit of sense,” Cheerilee pointed out.

“That’s never stopped her before,” Sunset growled.

Still she pushed herself to her hooves as Minuette opened the door. Gateway was standing outside with Coco. Coco smiled at them, while Gateway nodded.

“Rara’s getting ready for her opening number,” Coco said without preamble. “We’ve got about an hour before ponies start arriving for the concert.”

“So, what now?” Minuette asked with a smile.

Sunset smiled back. “Your favorite thing, Minuette. We get ready to party.”

Minuette squeed.

Repeatedly.

And very loudly.

Oi, this is going to be a long night, Sunset thought.

Author's Note

Good golly, people. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this reveal about another member of the Mane 6. I've had this in the works for Wavelengths for a year now, believe it or not. Cool, eh? :rainbowdetermined2:

And yes, Tchernobog was involved (I know, shocker).

If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!

Intersections

Trance beats thrummed through the catwalk to the accompaniment of a simply magnificent cello performance. Vinyl Scratch—the DJ from last night—spun her turntables on the main stage of Hoofbeats while the crowd went mad with shouts and cheers. However, tonight she wasn’t alone. This evening, the indomitable Octavia Melody had joined Vinyl on stage.

Octavia had graced almost every concert hall and opera house in Canterlot. Sunset had attended her concerts dozens of times, but never once had she seen the musician quite so passionate.

Sunset had never heard dance combined with classical before, but she had to admit, she liked it. She liked it a lot. It sounded—for lack of a better term—epic.

Even Moon Dancer was swaying to the rise and fall of strings and bass. And Moon Dancer—despite her name—was a terrible dancer. Sunset had to use all of her self-control not to burst out laughing at Moon Dancer’s twitching tail and tapping hooves. She almost wanted to tell her to stop so she didn’t give them away, but it was too damn cute.

Thankfully, Moon Dancer presently didn’t look anything like Moon Dancer. She looked like some random stagehoof with a curly white mane, a blue coat in a black suit. The illusion charms had worked perfectly for everypony. At least in application.

Why’d I have to end up with a white coat and a green mane? Seriously? A green mane?

Moon Dancer had laughed herself silly when she’d seen Sunset’s disguise.

The club itself was a coruscating living organism of light, sound and color, all moving around a massive central pillar. Tonight’s charity donations floated in a giant forcefield construct acting as the concert’s centerpiece. Set below the massive dome dominating the ceiling of Hoofbeats, thousands of bits and gemstones swirled around in a dazzling light show that pulsed with every beat of the music. It was spectacular—if somewhat gaudy—but it was definitely impressive. Not only because of the design, either. It showed how much money Coloratura and Coco Pommel had managed to rake in for the schools of Manehattan.

Sunset had inspected the construct beforehoof and found it an excellent example of master spellcraft, apparently the work of several professors of the Manehattan Institute of Technomancy as a gift for tonight’s event.

Okay, in reality, it’s really gaudy. Still cool though.

Sunset managed to keep her smirk under control as she tapped the small magical transmitter in her ear.

“Anything yet?” she whispered over Gateway’s secure communications channel.

“Negative,” Gateway’s replied. “Minor accident at the south entrance, but Crabgreen was being klutzy again.”

“Sorry, sir,” Crabgreen’s tiny voice said over the line.

“What accident?” Sunset asked as she covered her other ear to hear the security chief easier.

“The foal thought he found an intruder. Turned out to be a janitor. And before you ask, yes, he used the detection spell on her. She was clean.”

“Why’d he think she was an intruder?”

“She had the audacity to be sweeping the floor on the second level where your little entrance ripped a hole in the ceiling. You know… doing her job.”

“Sorry, sir,” Crabgreen said again.

“Kids these days,” the chief muttered.

“It happens, Gateway,” the gravely voice of Chief Stablemaker interjected. “You get used to it.”

“Anything on your side, Chief?” Sunset asked.

“You ain’t my boss, Miss Shimmer,” Stablemaker growled back at her. “You’re just lucky the Princess is in Vanhoover right now or else I’d have thrown your pretty little tail out of here hours ago. The only reason I haven’t stopped this is because, somehow, you actually came up with a semi-decent plan.”

Chief Stablemaker was obviously still miffed she’d tried to ‘horn in on his precinct.

“Answer the question, Stable,” Gateway said. Sunset could hear Coloratura’s Chief of Security rolling his eyes. “It’s a legitimate one and I was about to ask for an update myself.”

“You Canterlot types are all too big for your yokes, you know that?” Stablemaker groused. “No. We’re fine. Trotter’s got the west wing covered. Hops is covering the sublevel. I’ve got Silver on crowd control in civvies and Mayberry on east. Elm’s topside. Nopony’s reported a single peep.”

I don’t like this. This pony—or ponies—has to be here already. There’s no way anypony trying to sabotage Coloratura would miss this chance. There are so many ways this could all go wrong.

What could she be planning? Sunset wracked her brain.

You could always ask me.

No! Sunset snapped back at her angry little pony. I don’t need you messing with my life any more than you already did. You already enjoyed the meeting in the VIP Lounge way too much!

Come on. This whole thing has your hoof-prints all over it. This is exactly your style. What would you do in their place? And what would they do to make it all work?

“We’re about three minutes from Spotlight taking the stage. Are you two ready?”

Sunset, you know I’m right, the voice cajoled. You can’t deny it. This is your gift. Power. Control. Using it to influence and manipulate.

I’m a better pony than that! Sunset snapped.

No, you’re not! Don’t delude yourself. Just because you’ve been able to push me back doesn’t mean I’m gone.

“Miss Shimmer?”

“Sorry,” Sunset said, trying to buck the voice out of her skull. “We’ll handle anything that happens. You can count on us.”

“I don’t like this, Shimmer,” Gateway growled. “Spotlight is a friend of mine. Her putting herself in harm’s way…” He paused and Sunset actually heard the grinding of teeth. “I will hold you personally responsible if anything happens to her. And I don’t care if you’re the Princess’s personal student or not.”

Now, that’s a threat I can respect. He’s not afraid of you.

No, he’s protective of his friend. Something you know nothing about!

But the voice had a point. She didn’t want to admit it, least of all to herself, but this kind of scheming was something she had mastered, once upon a time. She’d manipulated professors, students and even Celestia herself—if only barely—for years before the former Dean Slate almost destroyed her entire life.

That’s it. It’s not so hard, the voice cooed. Just think like me.

I really hate you.

Come up with something original already. Doesn’t matter. I’m still here and I’m never leaving.

She gritted her teeth as her eyes searched the dance floor, the VIP Lounge, the sound booths, the catwalks… anything that might give her some clue as to what was going to happen.

Finally, Sunset bowed her head. She couldn’t deny it. She needed that edge right now. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to Spotlight on her watch. She’d made a promise. To Coloratura. To Coco Pommel. To Gateway. To Spotlight.

And to herself.

She may have done a lot of really screwed up things in her past. But she could make that actually mean something. She could make it useful.

So, what would I do?

“One minute,” Gateway called.

Sure enough, Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody were wrapping up their set. Ponies of every race and color danced, laughed and generally had the time of their lives. Sunset spotted a familiar rainbow mane dancing rather intimately with a blonde one and grinned a little. Magic lasers pulsed over the audience. Sunset wished she was down there enjoying the party, but she had a job to do and a promise to keep.

She refocused on the task at hoof.

Sunset stared down at the stage and the mic that was already set up for Spotlight’s opening remarks. They’d triple-checked the trap door beneath the stage and made sure it had been bolted shut. They’d double-checked every piece of stage equipment. Every piece of sound equipment. Every instrument. Everything.

With a final flourish, the two musicians finished their set to absolutely thunderous applause. Sunset had to grab the catwalk just to not fall over from the sheer vibrations the ponies below were sending through the building.

What would I do in the saboteur’s place? I could take a page from Slate’s book and impersonate Spotlight like that mare did when she impersonated me. Then maybe humiliate her? But that would be an easy fix after the truth came out… probably...

Sunset shook her head. That couldn’t be it.

I could stage somepony getting injured in front of the whole audience. A member of Hoofbeats staff would be best. Then, assuming there were more of them, I’d probably put a spotlight right on that pony. Mumble something about being too tired and overworked…

That was a possibility, but they had the catwalks covered. There was no way anypony was going to get seriously hurt tonight. She put that idea aside.

Think dammit! Sunset pounded her own head, trying to come up with something. I could steal the bits from the charity, but there’s no way to get it out of here, not without teleporting. And unicorns who can teleport are few and far between. No, if they had somepony with that level of power, they’d have done far worse by now.

Vinyl and Octavia took one final bow.

Sunset’s mind raced until she remembered her meeting with the sponsors. Threats against their business had barely worked, but when Sunset had mentioned the importance of saving face, that had gotten their attention.

In a city like Manehattan, reputation was everything. Everypony had seen Gateway’s security staff out in force tonight. Everypony knew that the Grade School Gala had to have taken every possible precaution. Everypony had seen Sunset Shimmer, Celestia’s personal student, give her stamp of approval.

At this point though… even something completely beyond their control would be taken as a failure on the staff’s part. No matter how chaotic the situation, anything but perfection would look horrible for Coloratura and Spotlight.

No matter how chaotic the situation…

Sunset thought about that fateful day when Moon Dancer had stood up for her. And what had happened beforehoof.

She wouldn’t…

She couldn’t…

“Spotlight’s on!” Gateway cried. “Places, ponies!”

Below were the some of the richest and most powerful ponies in Manehattan. And more than anything, what matters more to ponies like that?

The same thing that matters to the elite of Canterlot, answered a smug voice in the back of her head.

Sunset nodded to herself.

Appearance.

As Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody gave an encore bow to the rampaging crowd, Spotlight slowly stepped out with a wide grin on her face. Sunset caught sight of the faint magical field Minuette was generating to help the older mare walk without pain. Spotlight wore a smart dark gray pantsuit that made her look every inch the professional—and also happened to hide her bandages. She shook hooves with the performers and waved for one more round of applause. The crowd happily obliged.

If you can’t go after the pony directly… go after the audience!

Sunset remembered Spotlight’s little smirk.

“It’s one of the most classic things used in the performing arts, my dear. In a word… misdirection.”

Spotlight approached the microphone.

“Anypony see anything?” Gateway demanded.

Several of his security guards sounded off, but none of them had seen anything suspicious.

“Nothing on our end,” Stablemaker growled.

“My area’s clear,” Minuette replied. “Though I don’t understand why I couldn’t have gotten a better spot to watch.”

“Focus, Minuette,” Cheerilee said. “Nothing on my side.”

“Topside’s clear,” Moon Dancer reported from beside her. “Sunny?”

Sunny was scanning the crowd, trying to find something, anything that might give a hint as to what’s going on.

“We’re missing something,” Sunset whispered. “But what?”

“Thank you, everypony!” Spotlight cried into the microphone. “And another round of applause for our spectacular opening duo of DJ-PON3 and Octavia Melody. I know I look forward to seeing what those two talented minstrels cook up together!”

Once more, thunderous applause echoed through the massive dance hall of Hoofbeats. Bits of plaster dust rained from the ceiling and around the clear dome that looked up into the Manehattan night sky. The dome itself still shimmered with the colors of the opening act.

That’s odd… that should have stopped with the music.

“Now, there’s been some concern as to the state my health!” Spotlight called out. “As you can see, the rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated. As Miss Shimmer was kind enough to communicate to you all before tonight’s festivities, I had nothing more than a cold from running myself ragged making sure you fine ponies have a wonderful evening! Show business is a most difficult business, is it not?”

There was a round of chuckles and some minor applause from the crowd.

“Now, I’m happy to announce that the moment you’ve all been—”

A resounding boom echoed through the entire dance club. Sunset lurched and almost fell off the catwalk. Moon Dancer dropped to the steel surface, her illusion glamor shattering on impact, but managed to hold on.

“What in Equestria—” Sunset cried, looking around wildly.

Another resounding boom exploded through the dance hall, seeming to come from everywhere at once. One of the speakers to Sunset’s left suddenly blew out, sparks flying as the quaking broke something in the arcano-tech device. A few ponies below screamed. Sunset reeled from the feedback but managed to keep her hooves under her, though the blast had shattered Sunset’s illusion charm.

“Report!” Gateway bellowed over the radio.

Sunset caught sight of a figure in the VIP Lounge across the club staring out with almost gleeful anticipation. It could have been a stallion, considering the build, but with that mess of a mane, it could have just as easily been a mare. There was one more figure in the auxiliary sound booth located directly above the lounge.

Could that be…

“Just… just a moment everypony!” Spotlight cried, though panic had started to slip into her voice. “I’m sure it’s nothing—”

Another boom crashed through the dance hall, only this time, several of the doors on the east side of the room erupted in plumes of smoke. More screaming echoed through the room. Ponies started to run to the exit.

“Somepony give me a damn report!” Gateway shouted.

“We’ve got an explosion near the main electrical breaker!” somepony cried. “It looks like—”

A second explosion slammed through her earpiece, making Sunset yelp as she ripped the thing from her ear. The catwalk shuddered as another speaker exploded… right before every light in Hoofbeats went out.

Now, the screaming started in earnest. Sunset could hear the cries of panicking ponies below her and knew she had to do something. She charged her horn and prepared to throw out the most powerful light spell she could muster. Then she saw movement through the dome above the still-intact forcefield containing all of the charity donations.

“Sunny…” Moon Dancer whispered beside her. “Tell me that’s not…”

A gigantic claw delicately reached through the dome and ripped it out of the ceiling with such care and precision that not a single shard of glass fell to the ground.

Sunset gaped and forgot about her invisibility spell. In fact, the entire world seemed to vanish save for what she saw next.

A massive head with two enormous slitted eyes lowered itself into Hoofbeats.

The black dragon scanned the suddenly frozen crowd below as ponies peered up at a snout that could swallow at least five of them in one bite. Its eyes burned, spearing various ponies like incandescent spotlights.

Sunset heard an agonized scream and thought she saw a light on the other side of the room, but her view was blocked a moment later when the dragon’s head finally shifted around to stare straight at a dumbstruck Spotlight. The mare was white with terror, frozen in the gaze of the enormous dragon.

It smiled wickedly at her.

“Thank you for adding to my hoard,” it said with an almost silky smooth voice. “I’ve been waiting some time for this chance.”

Okay, that’s… not what I expected…

Sunset was mildly surprised to hear her angry little pony saying those words, but found herself agreeing wholeheartedly.

Then, before Sunset could do anything, the dragon’s head snapped straight down. Giant teeth clamped around the construct containing every gem and bit donated for tonight’s event.

To Sunset’s horror, the dragon was actually pulling it out of the floor.

Another agonized scream pierced the room, but nopony else seemed to notice it. Everypony was too transfixed on the dragon slowly dragging the massive tube containing the treasure out of the dance club. A few ponies in the back snapped out of their trance and ran.

This can’t be right. How can nopony have noticed this outside the club? The police should have sent in a Pegasi Squadron! Or the Royal Guard! Somepony!

Sunset cantered to the side, trying to figure out some way to make the dragon drop its prize, but she couldn’t get a clean shot at anything vital. The angles were all wrong.

However, moving did allow her to see a brilliant pale magenta star burning in the sound booth.

No… it couldn’t be...

Sunset flared her power, charging her detect magic spell as hard as she could. The second it was ready, she unleashed it in a blast of teal force that swept across the room.

The dragon’s head rippled under its effect.

The spell also revealed a pulsing, chaotic line of orange magic connecting the dragon to the sound booth.

I knew it! Illusion magic. Plus, something else!

Sunset growled under her breath. “Moony! She’s in the auxiliary sound booth! Get everypony there, now!”

Sunset lined up her shot. She couldn’t see the pony inside the booth because of the blinding light of what had to be the other pony’s horn… but that horn made the perfect target.

She flung herself forward and unleashed a bolt of pure kinetic force. After years of training with the Royal Guard, Sunset had honed her gift for precisely-controlled spellcasting to an art form. And it showed.

The teal bolt shot through the club and struck true. Sunset heard a startled cry of pain and the light winked out.

The dragon vanished. The dome reappeared in a blur of magic, though a large circle on the top was missing.

Okay, that was impressive.

As the ponies below started shouting, Sunset supercharged her light spell. A miniature sun soared into the air, illuminating the darkened nightclub in a blaze of false sunlight. The ponies below demanded to know what in Tartarus was going on, but Sunset ignored them.

Instead, her eyes locked on the cloaked figure now fleeing toward the east side of the sound booth.

“Moony, I’m going after her!” Sunset shouted. “Get everypony to the east side and secure all the exits!”

Without waiting for a reply, Sunset teleported directly into the sound booth. She stumbled, a little woozy from so much magic in such a short time. After taking a few seconds to steady herself, she bucked the door open and gave chase.

Smoke filled the doorway into the staff entrance on the east side of the Hoofbeats. Sunset hesitated just long enough to light her horn. Then she dove into the roiling mass of gray and black.

Instantly, she knew there was something strange. There was no heat or ash. No smell of anything burning. In fact, it seemed more like the clouds from a… a smoke bomb.

She gritted her teeth and pushed onward, her ears perked and listening. Finally, she heard the sound of a slamming door and she galloped forward. Half-visible walls flew by her and she almost ran headfirst into a door before she stopped and shoved it open.

Sunset found herself in a smoky stairwell lit by emergency lights. She couldn’t see the ground floor, but she could see up several levels all the way to the top of the club. She glanced down, only to hear another door slam above her.

She’s going for the roof.

Sunset reached for her radio, only to realize that she didn’t have it anymore.

Dammit, I must have left it back on the catwalk!

Sunset galloped up the stairs, only to find that the third level door was ajar. Sunset hesitated, looking between the door and the stairs

Come on, Sunset, that eager little voice said. You know how this is played.

With a growl, she threw open the third level door and found herself in the old storage rooms just as the club’s lights came back on. The same rooms Sunset had teleported everypony into a few hours before. She slowed down and listened, but heard nothing but the background noises of the club.

Gritting her teeth, Sunset slowly crept forward, looking for any sign of the intruder. With all the activity in the last few hours, the dust had already been disturbed enough to make it impossible to track any hoofprints through the maze of storage rooms and old offices. She muttered to herself and began to check the doors as quietly as she could. She ignored the locked ones, but there were still too many doors for her liking.

It wasn’t until the broom closet she heard something from a few doors down. It almost sounded like panicked breathing. She froze, her coat tingling as she heard the quiet scramble of hooves.

Sunset whirled and saw a flicker of movement, then it was gone. She swallowed and tried to ignore her pounding heart. She carefully slipped forward, trying to look everywhere at once.

Then she heard a different sound. It was muffled and she couldn’t quite make it out. To Sunset’s surprise, it was coming from the very room they had teleported into only a few short hours ago.

Sunset readied her best shield spell and took a deep breath. With a final glance up and down the corridor—all the while hoping this wasn’t a terrible idea—she slowly pushed the door open and peeked inside.

There, cowering behind a desk, just barely visible in the dim light of her horn, sat the small form of a familiar cloaked pony.

Author's Note

Pesky dragons. They're almost like pigeons! Just can't keep them away! :moustache:

If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!

Intentions

Equal parts fear and excitement filled her as she pushed open the door the rest of the way, revealing the dim interior of the room with the scratched remnants of the runic circle and a small chunk of missing floor.

The figure shifted and vanished ducked behind the desk. Only then did the sound she’d heard from the hallway finally become clear.

Is she... crying?

“You can’t hide,” Sunset called into the darkness. “Let’s make this easy. I won’t hurt you.”

You should. Bang her around a little. She’s been a pain in your flank.

That’s dark, even for you, Sunset snapped at the little voice.

This pony has it coming! If she was that damn powerful, she should have figured out something better than a dumb illusion spell!

Sunset pushed the thoughts away, gritting her teeth against the impulse to do exactly what her angry little pony suggested. She was more than tempted.

Another sniffle. This time, louder.

Sunset swallowed and conjured a small ball of light. It fully illuminated the shaking figure in a dark cloak cowering behind a small moldering desk.

Sunset slowly approached the crying pony.

“Just… just get it over with,” the pony said through sobs. “Just throw me in chains.”

Come on! Do it! She’s even asking you to do it!

Forcing herself to be gentle, Sunset pulled away the cowl, revealing a disheveled unicorn’s long silvery-white mane and bright blue coat. The mare favored her left foreleg and the coat around her horn had been singed slightly. She looked up at Sunset with two bloodshot purple eyes. A second later, her head fell with a fresh bout of tears.

Wait… don’t I know you?

The temptation to do exactly what the unicorn had asked was strong. This pony could have killed Spotlight, after all. And Sunset rather liked the old manager.

But when Sunset looked down at her… she only felt sorry for the poor mare.

You’re stronger than this! Look at what she did! She deserves whatever she gets!

Sunset found herself wondering what Cheerilee would do.

Ignoring the shouting voice in her head, she reached out a hoof to the other unicorn. She cringed away and whimpered.

“There’s no need for that,” Sunset said gently. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

The pony looked up at Sunset with an incredulous stare. “Why not?”

“Because it’s not what I do.”

“Yes you do! I’ve heard the stories!”

Sunset flinched, but she didn’t back away. “Those stories aren’t true anymore.”

“But you should do it! You should!” the mare blubbered. “Throw me away. It’s nothing less than I deserve.” There was a hitch in her voice. “You’re even here… and I was sure you were gone! I’ve failed… Everything I worked for is gone…”

“And… what were you working for?”

“Everything she has!” The mare looked up, enraged. “Because she has everything I should have! She’s famous when it should be me! I should be getting all the attention! All the fans! All the bits! All the love! After all I’ve worked for! All I’ve suffered! I deserve it! He—I deserve it!”

And that’s when it clicked.

“I do know you.”

“Don’t know how,” the mare grumbled, her muzzle twisting into a sneer. “I’m nopony. Thanks to showboats like that stupid Coloratura!”

“You’re one of Coloratura’s stagehoofs. It’s… it’s…” Sunset couldn’t remember the mare’s name for the life of her. Had she ever even heard it?

Dammit, Sunset! This is not the time for soft hooves!

Suddenly, the door burst open, but to Sunset’s surprise, it wasn’t Gateway or Chief Stablemaker. It was Cheerilee, followed closely by Coco Pommel. Cheerilee’s illusion charm had broken, too.

“There you are!” Cheerilee cried. “When you ran off, we were worried—”

The earth pony froze and looked at the huddled, whimpering figure of the cloaked unicorn as a fresh wave of crying consumed the saboteur once more.

“It’s over. I’m done for. Forever,” the unicorn moaned and buried her head in her hooves. “But I got the job done. That’s all that matters.”

Sunset tried to say something, but Cheerilee stepped over and gently moved the desk aside before kneeling down in front of the pony. Sunset only now registered that the pony’s cloak was soot-stained and scorched in places. There was a rather nasty bruise in the center of her chest.

“Here, let me get that for you,” Cheerilee said quietly as she pulled the cloak off the mare, who shuddered under her touch. “Coco, could you get a medical kit?”

Coco nodded. “I’ll be right back.” She headed out the door.

Sunset winced as she surveyed her own spellwork. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to hit you that hard…”

“Nothing less than I deserve…” the unicorn whispered.

“Hush,” Cheerilee murmured. “What’s your name?”

“T-Trixie,” the unicorn mumbled, not looking up at either of them.

“You were the pony I saw in the hallway,” Sunset murmured. “The one who arrived late last night. And… I’ve heard that name before...”

Coco returned with a yellow and pink box. She set it down and Cheerilee began to work her medical magic. She passed a healing potion to Trixie, who hesitated for a few seconds before chugging it down. Trixie hissed through her teeth when Cheerilee placed a cold compress on the mare’s chest.

Coco stepped forward and knelt beside Trixie. “I remember you. You came on… what? Eight months ago? That was…” Coco trailed off and her eyes widened.

“Let me guess,” Sunset said. “About when things started to go wrong.”

Yet another wave of tears flowed from Trixie’s eyes. That was answer enough.

“But… I don’t understand why,” Coco said, her voice still gentle. Sunset was impressed with just how delicate the young mare was being with the saboteur. “You were behind it all?”

Trixie nodded, not meeting any of their eyes.

“Why?” Sunset asked, repeating Coco’s question. “Why would you do it? It can’t be jealousy. You’re…”

“I’m nopony!” Trixie screamed, flailing. They scrambled backward, but Cheerilee wasn’t fast enough. She let out a yelp when Trixie’s hoof cracked her across the jaw and sent her spinning to the floor. “Don’t you get it? I’m nopony! I just wanted them gone!”

“Cheerilee!” Sunset dove to her friend’s side and conjured a shield bubble around Trixie. Trixie let out an enraged scream as she pounded on the shield.

“Just get it over with! I know what you’re like! What you’re all like!” Trixie screeched. “Don’t think this false kindness horseapples is going to get you anything! All that matters is that Spotlight is gone! Trixie finally did the job! Spotlight will never work in this town again after tonight!”

Coco staggered to her hooves, staring at the sobbing and screaming mare trapped in the teal bubble. She gaped and shared a look with Sunset.

By Celestia, what is wrong with this mare? Sunset couldn’t tell which part of her thought that. She opened her mouth, but didn’t get a chance to speak.

“That’s enough!” thundered a voice from behind them.

Everypony in the room froze and all eyes turned to the door.

Security Chief Gateway stood there like a stone monolith. For a split second, Sunset could see unbridled rage in the way he held himself. This wasn’t the gruff but well-intentioned stallion she’d gotten to know over the last day. She was seeing a glimpse of Gateway as he was in his former life: Lead Detective for the Canterlot First Precinct. Even Trixie had gone silent at the security chief’s appearance.

Sunset took a few steps backward and sucked in a quick breath.

“I assume this is her?” Gateway said in a voice so low it shook Sunset’s bones.

Ooh, this is going to be good! a voice in her head cackled.

“Yes,” Trixie murmured, once again staring at the floor.

“I know you.” Gateway rumbled. “You’re one of Spotlight’s stagehoofs. You’ve been with us for eight months.” He paused for a moment, as if going through a mental filing cabinet. “Trixie Lulamoon. Native of Fillydelphia. Former traveling illusionist. Only daughter of the well-known Aether Lulamoon. I always thought it odd that the only daughter of one of the most gifted professors at GU wanted to be a stagehoof for Miss Coloratura.”

At the mention of her father’s name, Trixie went pale as a fresh snow. She stared at nothing for a few seconds, and then curled into a little sobbing ball of misery.

What is going on here? I took classes under Aether Lulamoon!

Sunset dropped the shield. This mare wasn’t going to be hurting anypony anytime soon. She found it hard to believe the mare could have hurt anypony anyway.

This is wrong, Sunset thought, gritting her teeth.

Why? She’s a monster. You need to crush her like the bug she is. She screwed with you. She screwed with your precious friends. Tartarus, she’s right there. She’s at your mercy! End her.

I have told you today that I hate you?

Probably. Don’t care. I’m still right.

“You’re the one who set up an enormous dragon to attack tonight’s event?” Gateway stalked forward like a jungle cat about to pounce on his prey.

A mumbled “yes” came from the crying ball.

Sunset stared at Trixie. She almost looked like a pony ready to be executed. Almost. There was something else going on here. Something Sunset was missing. Another piece of the puzzle.

“And how, by Celestia’s Mane, could a single pony pull off an illusion that powerful?”

Trixie gestured vaguely at her cloak.

Coco handed it over to Gateway, who quickly searched it and found a small pocket. With a grim expression, he pulled out a small ring. It was made of some sort of crystal with runes etched over the surface. Gateway spun it in the air in his copper aura.

An inhibitor ring? But… that doesn’t make any—

Gateway glanced up at Sunset, his frown deepening. “You recognize this, don’t you?”

“It looks like an inhibitor ring. I’ve only used those a couple times when I was doing practice with the Royal Guard. Hated them.”

“It’s not an inhibitor ring.” Gateway growled. “It’s the exact opposite of an inhibitor.”

Sunset sucked in a breath. Oh no, it couldn’t be. She couldn’t be that insane… could she? No unicorn in their right mind would use one of those…

Gateway put a hoof up to his ear and tapped his microphone.

“Stable?” Gateway said into the mic. “We’ve got her. Third floor. Storage room J.”

Sunset didn’t think Gateway could look any darker. She was wrong. His expression went from angry to thunderous.

“Don’t worry. She’s not going anywhere.”

“Chief?” Coco hadn’t missed the change in Gateway’s demeanor. “What’s wrong?”

“The entire theater is in a panic, that’s what’s wrong!” Gateway advanced on Trixie, fire in his eyes. “Her little stunt got a lot of ponies injured when they tried to escape the dance floor! They’re still trying to settle things down! Stablemaker’s furious. But he’s got nothing on me right now.”

“Gateway, take a breath,” Coco interjected, standing between him and Trixie. “Before this goes any further… what is that thing?” She gestured at the ring.

“This,” Gateway growled. “This is an amp. An arcane amplifier.”

Sunset’s eyes slid to Trixie.

“But… those are illegal!” Cheerilee protested. “They’re almost impossible to find!”

“They’re almost impossible to find.” Gateway gritted his teeth. “But if you know the right ponies… you can still get them.” His eyes focused on Trixie. “Okay. I want to know where you got this. Right now.”

Trixie was silent, still curled up in a ball.

Gateway’s eyes went wide with rage.

“Chief…” Sunset warned. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

Let him, Sunset! Tartarus, you should be helping him! You need to make sure ponies know they shouldn’t screw with their betters!

“Don’t tell me how to do my job, Shimmer!” Gateway snapped. “Spotlight could have been—”

“I know!” Sunset said, wincing as a headache welled up inside her skull. “But she wasn’t.”

“She was still hurt.” Gateway slipped around Coco and advanced on Trixie. “And that’s not acceptable. So, she better start talking. Or else.”

Finally, somepony around here willing to do what’s needed and punish idiots stupid enough to get caught! Since you’re too weak to do what’s necessary!

Shut up! I don’t have time for your horseapples right now! I’m sick of you and I’m sick of this!

Trixie was still crying.

Gateway was less than a yard away.

Sunset didn’t waste any more time. She threw up a shield around Trixie once more. This time, it wasn’t a bubble, but a glittering wall of magic between her and Gateway.

Gateway didn’t even turn to look at Sunset. “Drop the shield, Shimmer. I want my answers. And I’m going to get them.”

Before Sunset could say another word, Coco was in front of Gateway with a hoof on his chest. The enormous stallion looked down at the young mare.

“This isn’t you, Gateway,” Coco said quietly. “This mare has been through enough tonight.”

“She—”

“I know what she did.” Coco’s voice never changed, but Gateway stopped talking the moment she interrupted. “We all do. But beating a confession out of her isn’t the right thing to do.”

“I wasn’t going to beat a confession out of her!” Gateway snarled. “I was—”

“Going to scare her?” Sunset said.

Gateway didn’t respond.

“You’re better than that, Gateway,” Coco replied. “Take a breath.”

He obviously didn’t want to, but the burly stallion took a few steps back and faced the door. As he took several deep breaths, Sunset dropped the shield and Coco was at Trixie’s side again.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Trixie muttered. “I don’t deserve it. Not worth it.”

“That’s not true,” Coco said. Then, to Sunset’s surprise, she pulled off her cravat and used it to dry Trixie’s tears. “I, for one, think Rara’s show could use a little razzle dazzle, especially from somepony who could cast such impressive spells.”

Trixie finally looked up. She also looked completely incredulous.

“Um…” Cheerilee raised a hoof. “I’m all for helping this poor mare out… but are you suggesting…”

“I’m not promising anything. But it’s worth thinking about, isn’t it?”

Trixie’s brain seemed to stop working.

“But we should know where you got that thing from,” Sunset said. “Amps are dangerous, Trixie. I heard you screaming.”

Trixie cringed. “It felt like I had a bolt of lightning tied to my horn.” She tried to touch her horn, only to wince and pull back upon contact. “But… I had to. It’s what was needed to get the job done.”

“And what was that job?” Sunset asked.

Trixie looked up into Sunset’s eyes. “I already told you. Ruin Coloratura. Ruin Spotlight.” Her eyes hardened. “Anything to get rid of those two has-beens.”

Coco’s eyes narrowed, though Sunset couldn’t tell if it was from suspicion or annoyance.

“Only then would the field be clear for entertainers like the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

She’s lying.

Well, duh, said the snarky voice from the back of her head, though it seemed weaker than before. Obviously.

“Trixie… that… doesn’t even make a ounce of sen—”

The door burst open as Chief Stablemaker made his appearance. An older stallion a decade or so past his prime, he wore a thick gray mustache and the uniform of the Manehattan Police Department. He was also smoke-stained and looked very, very annoyed.

“This her?” Stablemaker barked at Gateway.

Gateway nodded and levitated the amp over to the police chief.

“An amp,” Stablemaker nodded as Officer Hops and two more policeponies came in, all of whom looked rather beaten and worn. “Even possession of one of these is a criminal offense in Manehattan. Who’s the supplier?”

“Won’t talk,” Gateway grumbled.

“Is that right?” Stablemaker growled. “Well, let’s see how quiet she is after a few hours in interrogation. Cuff her!”

Hops stepped forward and slapped a pair of hoofcuffs around Trixie’s forelegs. Sunset idly noted that they were indeed put below the knee.

“Stable, I want in on the interrogation,” Gateway said.

“You know the regs, son,” Stablemaker shook his head as Hops pulled Trixie to her hooves. The unicorn didn’t even struggle. It looked like somepony had sapped the life from her. “While I admire your work in Canterlot, interrogation is for active duty policeponies.”

“Then question her here.”

To Sunset’s surprise, she’d been the one to say it. Everypony in the room stopped. Hops glared at her, but Stablemaker just shook his head.

“Miss Shimmer, right now, you’re lucky I don’t charge you with something for convincing Officer Hops to send a small group tonight. If we had a normal presence, we could have controlled that disaster downstairs! I’ve already sent a letter of protest to Princess Celestia’s personal aide.”

Well, at least Raven likes me. Usually.

“It’s not a good idea to keep pushing this ‘royal power’ thing.” Stablemaker’s voice dropped to a rumble almost on par with Gateway’s. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but I’m not having it any more in my city!”

“Chief Stablemaker,” Sunset said. “You have to admit that none of us expected the use of a dragon illusion to disrupt tonight’s event. There’s got to be more to this.”

“Really?” Stablemarker dropped his half-hearted attempt at civility. “Is that so? Why don’t you enlighten us? Or maybe the suspect would like to tell us what in Celestia’s name is going on here!”

Trixie shied back, but she kept her eyes glued to the floor. Oddly enough, she seemed to be whispering something. Sunset thought it might be some sort of spell, but the unicorn’s horn wasn’t glowing.

Hops noticed and frowned down at Trixie.

“What is it, Hops?” Stablemaker snapped.

Trixie must have realized what she was doing because she shut up.

“She was mumbling to herself,” Hops said, her muzzle scrunched in confusion. “The same three words, over and over.”

“Well, what was she saying?” Gateway demanded.

“‘I deserve it.’”

Stablemaker marched up to the pony who was—allegedly—the source of Coloratura, Spotlight and Coco’s problems for the last several months.

“Want to explain that little mantra, hm?”

Trixie shook her head.

“I’ve had enough. Drag her downtown and throw her in lockup. We’ll see if she’s feeling talkative in the morning. Now, I need to—”

“I have an idea,” Coco Pommel—who’d been quiet since Stablemaker had entered—spoke up. She stood between Trixie and the door.

“Yes, Miss Pommel?” Gateway asked.

“Let Rara talk to her.”

A stunned silence once more echoed through the room, even deeper than the last.

“Miss Pommel,” Chief Stablemaker said, sounding exhausted. “We’ve all had a long day. While we managed to settle things down so that your concert will go on as planned—more or less—I’d rather avoid any further complications.”

“Rara will do it,” Coco said with absolute confidence.

“Why?” Stablemaker demanded, his mask cracking a little more. “Isn’t Coloratura supposed to be going on stage soon? Why waste her time with this mare?”

Coco’s eyes slid to Trixie. The silence stretched until Trixie finally lifted her head and locked eyes with the earth pony.

Sunset could see Trixie’s face. And to her shock, she recognized the expression. Or at least the feeling behind the expression. She’d felt the exact same thing years ago in Professor Polish’s classroom as Dean Slate descended upon her.

Sunset nodded at Coco just as Moon Dancer and Minuette stepped into the room.

“Because I think Miss Lulamoon has something she needs to say to Rara,” Coco replied. “And I think she should get the chance to say it. Nopony appreciates the truth more than her.”

“And you’re just doing this out of altruism?” Stablemaker grunted.

Coco shrugged, but her eyes never left Trixie. “She deserves a chance to explain it to the ponies she hurt the most.”

Trixie’s wide and disbelieving eyes were glued to Coco.

“She should be kept away from them,” Stablemaker snapped. “She’s a menace.”

“That’s not how we work,” Coco replied. “We try to be better than that. Anyway, I doubt there’s anything she could do to us all.”

“Is she always this insistent?” Stablemaker muttered to the security chief.

“No,” Gateway said with a sigh. “But when she decides to be, she’s usually right.”

Stablemaker didn’t stare at Trixie. He stared at the small pale earth pony with the blue mane and tail. He seemed to reach some sort of conclusion just from that alone.

“Fine.” Stablemaker grunted. “It’ll take at least thirty minutes to get the audience settled again, anyway. But if she tries anything, she’ll get stunned so hard she won’t wake up for a week.”

“One thing,” Sunset added. “If you’ll indulge me one more time…”

“What?” the chief of police growled.

“Could you make sure that nopony leaves until after Rara talks to her?”

Stablemaker narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“If there are other parties involved in this… wouldn’t they want to be close to the action to see how it played out?”

“Assuming they are,” Stablemaker said, “why stay? The operation is done, no matter what the actual goal was. They could be halfway to Canterlot by now.”

“It’s a hunch, Chief Stablemaker. Please. Last time.”

“You’re not threatening me with rank?” Stablemaker raised an eyebrow.

Sunset shook her head. “No games. Just a request.”

Stablemaker thought about it for a bit before nodding. “Fine. But I’m going to be telling ponies that you’re assisting in the investigation and you’re the one who said everypony needed to stay.”

Sunset flushed. “Fair enough. It’s… actually true.”

“I guess it is,” Stablemaker muttered. “Now, let’s go. I’m not having Miss Coloratura come up here.”

“I know just where we can have a private conversation,” Coco replied.

Due to Trixie’s burns, the policeponies couldn’t put an inhibitor ring on her horn, but between the policeponies, Moon Dancer, Minuette and Sunset, they were all ready for anything Trixie might pull. However, as they took a backstage elevator down to the first floor, Trixie showed no interest in doing anything. Instead, she occasionally snuck looks of disbelief at Coco. The entire time, Coco just smiled while Cheerilee fussed over Trixie’s wounds.

Sunset shouldn’t have been surprised where Coco ended up taking them. It was fitting, somehow. She chuckled to herself when they stepped into the sound storage area. The place had been cleared of most of its equipment for tonight’s show, but in the corner still stood those massive speakers that looked capable of creating seismic disturbances.

A few chairs had been added to the room and Hops shoved Trixie into one of them. Stablemaker himself locked a chain from Trixie’s hoofcuffs to the heavy metal table in the back.

Silence descended as Coco went to fetch Rara. While a few of Gateway’s guards took up positions outside the door, two other policeponies stationed themselves inside. Trixie stared at the ground. Minuette chatted excitedly with Moon Dancer, who just kept smirking at Sunset occasionally, though Sunset had no idea why. Cheerilee watched Trixie with an almost motherly expression. Gateway and Stablemaker talked in a corner, casting suspicious glances at Trixie and Sunset equally.

Finally, Cheerilee walked up to Sunset.

“They don’t seem to like you very much,” Cheerilee said with a small smile, nodding to Gateway and Stablemaker.

“Well, I haven’t exactly been subtle lately,” Sunset admitted. “I’ve trod on their hooves a lot. Fitting we end up back in here, huh?”

“Look… about last night…”

Sunset shook her head and lifted a hoof. “Hey, you were right. I was pretty dumb.”

Cheerilee paused for a moment before shaking her head. “No, Sunset. You weren’t pretty dumb. That little plan of yours was downright idiotic.”

“You sound like Moon Dancer.” Sunset burst out laughing before nodding at her friend. “Yeah, it really was, wasn’t it?”

“Still… I had fun.” Cheerilee’s eyes brightened. “And… I think we might be doing something really important right now.”

“How do you figure?”

“I don’t know.” Cheerilee shrugged. “I just think getting Rara and Trixie in the same room to talk… It’s just the right thing to do. That Coco is rather unique. She seems eager to give ponies second chances.”

“Yeah. Rara does too… but for her… there’s something else.”

“I know what you mean. I almost wonder if—”

The door opened and the singer stepped into the room. Her makeup was perfect, leaving no sign that she hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night. Her mane was done up in simple ringlets. She wore a simple dark blouse with a veil-like skirt and collar. Coco followed her in, a gentle smile on her face.

Rara and Coco walked toward Trixie, who shied back and let out a little whimper.

“Hush,” Rara cooed. “Nopony here’s going to hurt you.”

“Why?” Trixie mumbled, staring at her hoofcuffs. “I deserve it.”

To Sunset’s surprise, Rara looked pained hearing those words. She frowned and shared a glance with Coco. Some sort of unspoken conversation went between the two, though it only ended with a nod from both mares.

“And why do you deserve it?” Rara asked gently, still trying to capture Trixie’s eyes and failing.

“Don’t play games with me.” Trixie let out a snort. “You know what I did.”

“And what exactly did you do?” Rara asked, her voice still as calm as Celestia’s.

“Uh… dragon?” Trixie shook her head.

“You sure scared some ponies,” Rara admitted. “But aside from a few sprained ankles, everypony’s fine. In fact, some ponies thought it was part of the show.”

That was enough to get Trixie to finally meet Rara’s eyes. Instantly, the singer stared at Trixie with a gaze that was both piercing and gentle at the same time. Trixie let out an audible gulp, but didn’t look away.

“Coco tells me that you’ve been with us for about eight months. And that’s as long as we’ve been having trouble with our shows. You’re responsible for all of that?”

Trixie licked her lips and nodded.

“All of it?” Rara pressed. “That’s a lot of work for one pony, just to make Spotlight and me look bad.”

Trixie nodded shakily, though she twitched slightly as she did it.

Sunset narrowed her eyes, but smirked just a little. She was almost positive now. Her mind raced, trying to put the pieces together.

“And that’s why you deserve to be arrested?”

Trixie nodded again.

“Well… that may be.” Sunset couldn’t believe just how calm the singer was. After the complete disaster of the evening and the disruption of the event they’d worked so hard to get right, she sounded like she was chatting about the weather. “You do realize that… one of these acts went beyond sabotage, right?”

Trixie stiffened as if she’d been hit by a petrification spell.

“Did you drop the truss on Spotlight last night?”

Something inside Trixie broke. Tears once again washed down her face. Her entire body shook with great wracking sobs so intense her hoofcuffs jingled with every gulp of air.

Got you, her angry little pony spat.

Sunset herself had a different opinion. Her heart broke for Trixie while that little voice of darkness just gagged at the sentiment.

“I never meant for that to happen!” Trixie wailed. “T-that wasn’t supposed to happen! Trix-I-I-I thought I heard somepony up on the catwalks and I-I-I panicked! My magic went wild! I… I… I—”

Trixie started gasping for air.

Oh, Celestia…

Sunset jumped into action a split-second before Cheerilee did. She was at Trixie’s side in an instant as the pony tried to clutch at her chest and her throat. But with her forehooves locked in the hoofcuffs, she couldn’t really get a grip on much of anything. She stared at them, her eyes wide and almost unseeing as she let out a wordless wail. Her entire body went into spasms. Little whimpering cries of pure desperation echoed in the sudden silence.

“What in Tartarus is going on?” Gateway thundered. “What wrong with her?”

Sunset ignored him. Moon Dancer skidded to a halt beside Sunset and they shared a single look. That told Moon Dancer everything she needed to know.

“She’s having a panic attack,” Cheerilee said.

“Back off!” Moon Dancer shouted. “Everypony back off!”

“C-c-can’t—” Trixie looked like a fish gasping for water. “C-can’t breathe—”

This is almost as terrifying as it is from the other side, Sunset thought as she tried to figure out what to do. Her friends knew what to do when this happened. Even she had her own coping mechanisms for those very few times it happened when she was alone. They weren’t very good, but they worked. But would those work for Trixie?

Then, to Sunset’s shock, Coloratura shoved her aside and grabbed Trixie’s face, forcing the thrashing mare to look at her again.

“Trixie, listen to me!” Rara said in a strong, clear tone. For a split second, Sunset thought she saw the singer’s cutie mark glow. “Spotlight is fine! You’re not alone!”

That was apparently the wrong thing to say.

Trixie shrieked and flung Rara backward, who stumbled and crashed into Coco, sending them both down in a heap. But Rara was up a moment later, looking like a cowpony who’d just been thrown from a bull.

“Sunset! Cheerilee! Don’t hold her down, you need to—”

“We know.” Sunset said.

Cheerilee took Trixie’s left side. Sunset took the right.

And they both hugged Trixie as gently as they could.

It was ridiculous. It was absurd. It also worked when Sunset was at her worst.

It took almost half a minute, but Trixie’s thrashing stopped and her breathing steadied. As soon as she settled, both Rara and Coco were in front of Trixie again.

“Officer, I need the keys to these cuffs,” Rara said to Hops.

“Miss Coloratura, I—”

“Now!”

Hops glanced at Stablemaker, who seemed taken aback by the entire thing. He gave her a short nod and Hops tossed Rara the keys. After a second of earth pony agility, the hoofcuffs clattered to the ground. Instantly, Trixie’s twitching subsided even more.

“Trixie, you’re okay. You’re not alone,” Rara said in a voice that was eerily similar to the one Cheerilee had used on Sunset last night. “You’re not alone. And you’re safe.”

“I could have killed her…” Trixie mumbled. “Somepony could have died because I was so stupid… Celestia… he was right about me. He was so right about me.”

While some piece of her jumped for joy at the confirmation, Sunset knew nothing good could come from asking for details now. She held herself back, but shared a look with Moon Dancer and Minuette, who hovered to the side, each looking worried. Moon Dancer, in fact, looked a little sick.

“Coco, Gateway? I need you to get Spotlight in here,” Rara said.

Trixie let out a strangled squeak. Rara made gentle soothing noises.

“You sure, Miss Coloratura?” Gateway asked.

Rara speared Gateway with a single glance that spoke volumes. Gateway took a step backward and nodded. In a few moments, both Coco and Gateway were gone. Trixie continued to twitch slightly, but Rara made sure to keep a hoof on her.

Sunset gently pulled back, as did Cheerilee. Both of them stayed close in case they were needed, but Trixie seemed to finally calm, despite the occasional shiver.

What was more disturbing was that Sunset could almost hear every word likely running through the mare’s head.

Hey, look at it this way, came a snide voice from the depths of her mind, though it seemed to have only a shadow the heat it normally did. I could be saying things like that. Aren’t you glad I’m not something like that? You know, constantly telling you you’re worthless? Useless? That you’ll never live up to your Daddy—well, that last one is true.

Buck you. Even Sunset was impressed on just how much rage she put into those two words. They were enough to shut that little voice up and send it scurrying back into its hole.

Sunset wasn’t sure how much time passed before the door opened again. Everypony in the room—save Trixie—turned to see Spotlight being wheeled in by Gateway with Coco close on his heels. Spotlight gasped the instant she saw Trixie. Her glasses nearly fell off her muzzle.

“Gateway, please, bring me over to the poor dear immediately,” Spotlight said in a strong and clear voice.

Gateway hesitated, but complied.

Rara finally stood up and moved out of the way for Spotlight’s wheelchair.

“Dry those tears, child,” Spotlight said in a voice that vaguely reminded Sunset of her grandmother. “There is nothing to cry about here.”

“You… you can’t say that. You can’t mean that,” Trixie blubbered. “You’re… you’re the worst of the lot. You… you… I almost… I-I-I almost…”

Sunset poised herself to hold the mare again, but Spotlight heaved herself out of her chair and slid to the ground, wincing from pain. Then she wrapped the unresisting mare in a hug.

“Hush, child,” Spotlight whispered. “I know you didn’t mean any harm by it. It was an accident.”

“But—”

“No buts,” Spotlight interrupted. “Sunset told me her friend heard somepony sobbing last night. That was you, wasn’t it?”

Trixie twitched something that could have been a nod, all the while burying her face into the older mare’s chest, soaking the orange coat with her tears. Spotlight didn’t bat an eye.

“He was right about me. I’m so pathetic.”

“You are no such thing,” Spotlight sounded positively affronted by the statement. “Anypony who could conjure an illusion that impressive, even using an amp, is a master illusionist in my book.”

Trixie twitched again and then slowly moved away from Spotlight, staring at her with nothing but distrust.

“Trixie,” Rara said as she sat down next to her manager. “You’ve said ‘he’ several times. There’s somepony else involved in all this, isn’t there?”

“No,” Trixie said, far too quickly. “Nopony else but me. I deserve the punishment.”

“You don’t sound all too convinced of that,” Rara noted.

“Arrest me!” Trixie cried. “I deserve it!”

Sunset took a few steps backward as Coco sat down on the other side of Spotlight. Sunset noticed that Stablemaker, Gateway, Hops and the two officers had all positioned themselves to cover the door in case Trixie made a break for it. But Sunset had felt the mare buck under the throws of that panic attack. She had a hard time believing anypony was that good of an actor.

Spotlight tapped her hoof on her chin for a little bit as she studied the mare. Finally, she came to some sort of conclusion as she let out a little sigh.

“Let me tell you a story, child,” Spotlight said. “It’s about a young mare who was just getting her start in show business.”

Trixie didn’t look interested. Spotlight didn’t look like she minded.

“She wanted to be a director,” Spotlight said wistfully, staring at something only she could see. “Wanted to direct Bridleway musicals. Sit in those wonderful folding chairs, have a megaphone, the whole thing. But she knew she had to work for it, just like her mother had before her. This mare all but worshipped her mother’s hoofsteps. The mare came onto Bridleway with fire in her eyes, ready to take Manehattan by storm!”

Rara let out a little giggle as Spotlight punched the air with a hoof.

“She had a few temporary positions, then she landed her first real role as a member of the cast on a big number. She was going to be an assistant to the Lead Producer for Lions. She couldn’t believe her luck. Not only that, but this producer was renowned for knowing everypony there was to know on Bridleway. One of the most powerful ponies in Manehattan, in fact. It was a dream come true.”

Trixie’s expression softened. Maybe it was the passion in Spotlight’s voice. Maybe it was the sheer exhaustion. Whatever the reason, Spotlight had her full attention. Sunset smiled, taking a wild guess where this was going.

“But this young mare soon found out why the producer knew everypony. It was because half of her time was spent getting information on her rivals. Using that information against them. Leaking false reports to the media. Poaching up-and-coming understudies—and sometimes actors and actresses! Using them as a means to advance her career.”

Spotlight shook her head with a sad little frown.

“The mare was torn. She didn’t want to do these things, but after seeing just how successful the producer was… it was hard to imagine any other way of doing things. It didn’t hurt that the producer started to bring in the young mare on her schemes. Sometimes she was sent to spy on other productions. Or maybe switch labels on shipping crates. Or whisper a few secrets into the ears of the wrong ponies. She started to learn. She started to become good at it.”

Both Coco and Rara were now staring at Spotlight, though Sunset had a nagging suspicion they’d heard this story many times before.

“Then… the young mare’s best friend ended up being cast as an understudy to a rival theater production. The producer had a vendetta against this particular group and did everything in her power to get it shut down. And she did. She succeeded… and the young mare helped. The night the show was shut down before the doors ever opened, the mare comforted her friend, knowing she was responsible for ruining her friend’s dream.”

Spotlight paused and met Trixie’s gaze. She was silent for long enough that Trixie finally asked the question. She looked terrified. She looked sick. But she still asked.

“So… what happened to her?”

“She marched into the producer’s office and threw down a file, demanding that the producer stop all this underhoofed dealings or she’d reveal what the producer had done to the whole world. The producer laughed and pulled out another file—a much bigger one—and asked the mare who the world would believe. The young mare stormed out. For a time, she bowed, until she couldn’t look her best friend in the eye anymore. When that happened, she finally told her friend the truth. Her best friend was shocked and hurt. But after about a week, she forgave the mare. That’s the day the mare reported the producer.”

Spotlight sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

“The producer destroyed her. Ran her out of show business entirely. The young mare had lost it all. But… she could sleep well at night, something she hadn’t done in years. She moved in with her best friend, who knew about an opening in a music production company she was working at. And, though it took a while, the young mare ended up falling in love with her new job.”

Trixie’s expression was sour. Spotlight’s eyes sparkled.

“And exactly three years after the young mare got her new job, that producer was found out and arrested for embezzlement. And so much more. It took a long time, but the producer lost. The young mare, on the other the hoof? She succeeded. It took a lot of time to build up her reputation again, but ten years after the producer fired her, the young mare got a letter from her best friend telling her that she’d been cast as the lead mare for one of the biggest productions on Bridleway. Through her, that mare got to be a producer for The Pirates of Ponyzance. And while the mare stayed in the music business, she cherished her time living out her dream… and learning the price of pursuing that dream the wrong way.”

Spotlight took a deep breath and let it out. “You seem like a smart mare. I don’t think I need to tell you the end of the story.”

“That was you,” Trixie said.

Spotlight nodded with a matronly smile. She adjusted her glasses. “Tell me, child. Does this sound familiar to you?”

“She never almost killed somepony,” Trixie mumbled.

“Maybe she didn’t,” Rara interjected. “But she ruined her best friend’s dreams. Set her back ten years. She didn’t mean to. It just… spiraled out of control.”

Spotlight nodded approvingly.

Trixie sniffled and rubbed a hoof across her muzzle. “She was an idiot. Just like me.”

“Yes, she was,” Spotlight said, though her smile was warm. “But she trusted her friend. She told the truth. And while that hurt, in the end, her life was so much better. For the producer, there wasn’t a single pony who came to her defense when she was caught. She ended up in prison for many years. She’s out now, but she’s alone, living somewhere north of Tall Tale. She used up everypony around her. Now... I just feel sorry for her.”

“I don’t have any friends,” Trixie mumbled.

“Yes, you do.” Coco replied.

Trixie stared at the mare. “You’re crazy.”

“You know, Rara, I mentioned that we’ve been looking for somepony to help liven up our opening acts,” Coco commented casually with a little grin. “She didn’t seem to believe me. What do you think?”

“Put me on the spot, why don’t you?” Rara let out an enormous sigh. “That can probably be arranged. What do you think, Spotlight?”

“I think anypony with the skill I saw this evening would make an excellent addition to our special effects team,” Spotlight replied. “I happen to also be familiar with the name ‘Trixie.’ As in… ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie.’ She does some masterful stage magic. Saw her in Baltimare two summers ago.”

Trixie’s eyes were enormous at the mention of what was apparently her stage name. Sunset was barely able to stifle a laugh.

“You’re just trying to get me to give up a name,” Trixie glowered at them all. “The moment I do, you’ll hand me over to them! Just like I—”

“No,” Rara said.

Trixie blinked. “What?”

Rara glanced at Spotlight and Coco for a moment. Both smiled back. “We’re not pressing charges.”

“What?” This time both Trixie and Stablemaker shouted in unison.

“Miss Lulamoon,” Coco said. “We’re offering you a job. A real one. One better suited to your talents.”

“And… if I don’t tell you who it is…?”

“Then it changes nothing,” Coco replied. “The offer stands.”

“Why?” Trixie demanded. She sounded furious. “What’s your angle? Why are you doing this?”

“It was Coco’s idea,” Rara said with a smile at her friend. “She said that more than anything… you needed another chance.”

“But I don’t deserve it!” Trixie wailed. “I’m a horrible pony who’s done horrible things!”

Before the other three mares could respond, Sunset stepped up beside them. “So am I.”

All eyes turned to Sunset. She blushed a little.

“Trixie,” Sunset said slowly. “Those feelings of guilt you have won’t go away overnight. Mine have been with me for years. The only reason I’ve managed to make it this far is because of my friends. This chance doesn’t happen often. Trust me… don’t turn away from this.”

Sunset’s eyes slid to Moon Dancer.

Moon Dancer beamed at her. “You’re still more trouble than you’re worth, Sunny.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Thank you so very much for ruining the mood.”

“Anytime.”

“There’s no price tag,” Coco repeated. “You’ll have a real job where you can use your talents and your gifts, Trixie.”

“But I don’t deserve it…” Trixie mumbled.

“If we always got what we deserved,” Spotlight beamed at her. “The world would be a much sadder place.”

“And if I say no?” Trixie’s eyes darted back and forth between Spotlight, Rara and Coco.

Sunset shook her head, a wry smile on her lips. Even she wasn’t sure if it was in amazement or amusement.

“Then you leave here a free pony.” Rara replied. “The only catch there is we won’t be able to help you if you leave.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.” Rara said.

“Even after sabotaging your shows for eight months?” Panic edged into the unicorn’s voice.

Rara nodded.

“Even after dropping a metal truss on you?” Trixie’s voice was almost hysterical.

Spotlight nodded.

“Really?” The word came out as a squeak.

Coco nodded.

Silence descended upon the room. Sunset glanced between the ponies. Everypony else was watching Trixie with a look of disbelief. Stablemaker looked like he was barely keeping his temper in check, as was the rest of the officers. Gateway had an unreadable expression, but if Sunset had to guess, he wasn’t very happy about this offer. Minuette was actually vibrating with glee. Moon Dancer was smirking. Cheerilee was smiling.

Coco, Rara and Spotlight just waited patiently.

“Um…” Trixie finally managed to put a few thoughts together. “Yes?”

The three mares beamed at her.

“But I… I have one request.”

“And what’s that?” Spotlight asked.

“I want to be there when you arrest him. It should be easy. He’s in the VIP lounge right now.”

“Who is it, Trixie?” Rara asked.

Trixie’s ears went down and she cringed. Sunset winced. Whoever this was, he had done a serious number on Trixie. Finally, after a long pause, Trixie mumbled out a single name.

Rara let out a hiss. Coco’s face immediately darkened. Spotlight stiffened.

After taking a moment to compose herself, Rara’s eyes glinted. “I think that can be arranged.”

Author's Note

Writing Trixie's panic attack gave me shivers. Also, I bet a bunch of you are feeling annoyed and a bunch of you are feeling validated!

But we've got one more player to deal with. You'll get the final revelation next week!

If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!

Influences

“I don’t like this,” Sunset muttered as the group filed off the elevator. “I’d rather know who we’re dealing with.”

Spotlight smiled up from her wheelchair and adjusted her glasses. “All I ask is your patience, Miss Shimmer. The pony in question possesses considerable influence. I would rather be sure before letting his name slip.”

Sunset still didn’t like it. Apparently it showed, as Spotlight chuckled slightly.

“If it’s any consolation,” Spotlight’s voice lowered so that only Sunset could hear. “I’d also rather not say the name around poor Trixie. At present, she brings to mind the impression of a rather skittish cat. She will need courage to help end this.”

Sunset glanced back at Trixie, flanked by Cheerilee and Minuette. The former saboteur continued to stare at her hooves, which made the singed area around her horn stand out even more in the bright light of the upper corridors of Hoofbeats.

Well, considering what this stallion did to her, I can wait a few minutes to find out who this jerk is.

Sunset finally nodded and Spotlight patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t fret. This is almost over.”

Rara had taken point, storming through the hallways of Hoofbeats like a warrior queen. Coco walked on her right, with Moon Dancer on Rara’s left. Beside Sunset, Gateway pushed Spotlight’s wheelchair, while Chief Stablemaker and Officer Hops took up the rear of the impromptu procession behind Trixie, Cheerilee and Minuette.

While most of Hoofbeats had been settled back onto the main dance floor through the efforts of Stablemaker’s officers—including two dozen reinforcements—and Gateway’s security forces, there were still plenty wandering around the atrium and the lobby. They’d been shocked into silence upon seeing the group marching through. To Sunset’s quiet delight, most of the attention seemed focused on Rara. Nopony spared a glance at Sunset or her friends. It was only fitting, since this wasn’t their moment.

This moment belonged to her new friends. Sunset had already decided Trixie deserved to be counted among that number. After all, she’d earned it. Plus, Sunset saw a lot of herself in the mare. What might have been. Another path her life might have gone if it hadn’t been for her friends.

The group rounded the corner that led to the large frosted glass double doors of the Hoofbeats VIP Lounge. Only the most elite of the elite could afford entrance to this place. The most powerful ponies in Equestria waited inside for Coloratura’s show.

At Spotlight’s earlier request, Stablemaker had dispatched a pair of officers to the Lounge to ensure that nopony left before the party arrived. The leading ponies of Manehattan were all still there, drinking fine cider and chatting excitedly. The officer happened to mention several complaints, namely from a member of the Orange family, Filly Harp, Rock Dee Fell and all three of the Cartwhinny brothers. All part of the same group who had been there this morning.

Among those ponies was a snake. Sunset was going to enjoy seeing that snake thrown into a cage.

You realize that this pony—whoever he is—is just like you, right? You’ve done far worse in your ‘previous life.’

Sunset twitched and shook off her angry little pony.

Two members of Gateway’s security staff were guarding one of the access doors that led to a stairwell, while the pair of officers were a little further down near a small office.

To Sunset’s surprise, Free Beats, the Hoofbeats manager, rushed out of the office before the group had made it halfway down the corridor. She darted up to them on buzzing wings.

“Miss Coloratura!” she squeaked. “Please accept my abject apologies for any role that the staff had in this complete disaster. I’ve done everything I can to stop ponies from storming out, but my staff has simply been overwhelmed with the chaos! Without the help of your security chief and the police, we would have been completely lost, so I must commen—”

“Did you know?” Coloratura asked in a voice laced with ice.

Free Beats froze. She dropped an inch or two to the ground, cowering under the weight of the group’s stares.

“K-know what?”

“That he was here.”

Sunset found herself rather impressed with the sheer weight of that single word.

Free Beats’s mouth opened. Then shut. Then opened again. A vague squeak came out of her.

Well, she definitely knows who Rara’s talking about.

“Yes?” Free Beats finally said, sounding terrified out of her wits. “H-He’s Sapphire Shore’s manager and she’s set to be next weekend’s headliner! He came early to make sure that everything was just right for her arrival! Why? Is… is he a friend of yours?”

Coco let out a rather unladylike snort, the most hostile noise Sunset had ever heard from the mare.

Stablemaker’s ears perked and his jaw tightened. Apparently, he had figured out the identity of the suspect from Free Beats’s description.

“How long has he been here, Free?” Spotlight asked. “Please, answer honestly. We need the truth.”

“I-I don’t understand w-what this is all about!” Free Beats wailed. “Look, I know I’m not the greatest manager around and sometimes I screw things up but I don’t want to go and get somepony as important as him in trouble! I’m sure any problems you’ve had are just misunderstandings.”

“Free,” Rara replied, her voice cool. “I need you to answer Spotlight’s question. When did he arrive?”

“A-a week ago? Maybe a few days before your crew did? Said he wanted to do a full inspection of the facility to make sure everything was up to code!”

Rara turned to glance at Sunset. Sunset nodded.

Yeah, Sunset thought reluctantly. That’s exactly what I’d do if I was planning on sabotaging an operation. Get in early to put all the pieces in place.

“I’m sure,” Rara replied. “Has he made any strange requests?”

“I-I’m probably not supposed to talk about those…”

“Am I the only one getting annoyed that nopony’s using names?” Moon Dancer whispered to Sunset.

“Apparently this is about as political as it gets in Manehattan,” Sunset said quietly. “They need to tread carefully.”

Moon Dancer rolled her eyes and shrugged. “Fine.”

Chief Stablemaker suddenly pushed himself to the front of the group. He loomed over the terrified mare, his grizzled features made even more menacing by the overhead lighting accents.

“Know who I am, Miss Beats?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Good.” Stablemaker backed off a bit. “Now, I need to you answer that question. It’s part of an ongoing investigation. And, at the moment, my suspect list is fairly long.”

Okay, Stablemaker. I know you’re ticked off about all this, but that’s taking it a bit far.

“He’s made a-a great many demands about perks for Sapphire Shores. M-much more than the last time. And a great many new ones for himself! But… but that’s show business!”

“What else?” Stablemaker growled.

Free Beats looked ready to melt through the floor. She was actually shaking in fright.

“That’s enough!” Cheerilee snapped. It was her turn to shove herself to the front of the group. She planted herself squarely between Free Beats and the Manehattan Chief of Police. “Where do you get off intimidating mares like that, Chief?”

Stablemaker’s ire instantly transferred to Cheerilee. “Ma’am, you have about five seconds to move aside before I charge you with interfering with a police investigation.”

“This isn’t an investigation. This is interrogation that sounds like it was from some cheap Shadow Spade knockoff!” Cheerilee shot back. “Why don’t I show you a different technique?”

With that, Cheerilee turned her back to Stablemaker and reached out a hoof to the trembling Free Beats. Free Beats hesitated, but finally allowed Cheerilee to pull her back to her hooves.

“Ignore them, Miss Beats,” Cheerilee said with a gentle smile. “Tonight’s been difficult for all of us and some of us aren’t handling the stress very well.”

Cheerilee shot a dark look at Chief Stablemaker. Stablemaker shot a dark look at Sunset in turn.

Celestia’s going to put me on house arrest for six months after this. I just know it,Sunset mentally groaned

For a moment, she swore she heard the sound of somepony munching popcorn in the back of her head.

“We think this pony’s been behind some of the problems Miss Coloratura has had during her tour. Here and in other places. We’re just trying to find out if you can help us.”

It took another moment or two under Cheerilee’s sunny smile for Free Beats to come around.

“He…” Free Beats poked at the carpet with a hoof. “He made it clear that Miss Shores hated Miss Coloratura. Wanted every hint of her existence from the club erased by Monday. That… didn’t make a lot of sense. I thought they were friends.”

“We were until a few months ago,” Rara muttered. “I’m starting to figure out why she’s been giving me the cold shoulder, though.”

“He… he also insisted on checking every inch of the club personally and without an escort so ‘he could see it without us trying to hide anything.’ I can’t remember the last time anypony wanted to do that.”

Sunset suddenly had a hunch. “Does that include the storage rooms for the trusses?”

Free Beats blinked at her before nodding quickly. “Yes!”

“He’s the one who put the wrong label on the trusses,” Sunset muttered. “Got to be.”

“That’s speculation,” Stablemaker growled.

“It also fits.”

“We’ll see.”

“Chief Stablemaker, I think it’s time we have a little chat with this individual,” Rara declared. “What do you think?”

“Hops, stay with Free Beats and get a full statement. I want everything in writing.”

“Am… am I under arrest?” Free Beats quavered.

Finally, Stablemaker’s rage settled just a bit. “I suspect it won’t be necessary. If the suspect is who I think it is, I doubt you were a willing accomplice.”

“He… he did promise to yank Sapphire from our lineup if we didn’t comply with all his demands,” Free Beats said. “Oh my, oh my… he’s going to do that…”

“I doubt he’ll have that kind of clout for much longer,” Rara said.

Finally, the singer turned to Trixie, who had been shrinking against the wall during the entire confrontation. “Are you ready?”

Trixie swallowed and nodded. She looked about as far from ready as a pony could get.

“Then let’s get to the bottom of this.”

Rara led the charge with Coco at her side. Gateway and Spotlight followed immediately after, with Trixie and Sunset next. Moon Dancer, Cheerilee and Minuette all walked behind a grumbling Stablemaker.

As they approached, the two ushers opened the doors with a little bow.

Inside, all conversation in the lounge stopped at the sight of the procession.

“Miss Coloratura?” The impeccably dressed Rock Dee Fell blinked a few times. “What are you doing here? I was under the impression you were preparing to start off your show…” he coughed, “properly.”

There was a general murmur of assent from the three dozen or so high-class ponies in the room. Sunset repressed a shiver. During her previous ‘conversation’ in this room, the ponies hadn’t been dressed to the nines. Now they were, showing off every bit of wealth and power through dresses, suits and jewelry.

Just like home…

Sunset took a breath. This isn’t about me.

Spotlight, Gateway and Coco were scanning the crowd as Rara put on her best smile.

“And the show will go on,” Rara said. “There is no need to worry about that.”

“Well, be that as it may,” said Filly Harp, wearing a gown worth at least a couple thousand bits. “I’m afraid you have much to worry about, young lady.”

Rara cocked an eyebrow. Sunset wished she knew who she was looking for, but to the best of her knowledge she’d never seen—

I did see a figure right before the dragon appeared. A figure in this very lounge with poofy hair! The only figure who had been watching and hadn’t seemed afraid!

“While I doubt anypony could have expected an illusionary dragon to attack your event, I’m afraid news of this incident has already gotten out,” Filly Harp continued in that ear-wrenching voice of hers. “If your security staff is this incompetent, I can only imagine that the other rumors surrounding the management of your tour are also true. I’m sorry to say but most of us have agreed to put our money into something more stable.”

“You may want to wait to make that decision.” Rara replied in a casual tone. “I have somepony with me that may change your mind.”

“What is this?” said the annoyed yet familiar voice of a stallion as he threaded through the crowd. “Oh, I see. The doomed diva has finally decided to grace us with her presence. What a lovely surpr—"

The stallion’s eyes fell on Spotlight, still in her wheelchair. He paused, seeming taken aback, but recovered almost instantly. While Spotlight beamed at the stallion, he simply laughed.

“That must have been quite the cold, my dear Spotlight.” The stallion smiled and rolled his eyes. “Quite the cold indeed, especially if you ended up in a wheelchair. It’s odd. You seemed in satisfactory health on stage a few minutes ago. What possible ailment could you have contracted to leave you in such a terrible state?”

That’s the same voice that heckled me this morning! Sunset’s eyes went wide. And I think the same one from last night in the hallway!

“Hello, Svengallop,” Spotlight replied sweetly. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Svengallop lifted his muzzle into the air and ran a hoof through his expertly coiffed mane. Even Blueblood would be hard-pressed to top the haughty expression on his face. Aside from the oddly poofy peach mane—and a tail that looked like it was styled by a rabbit—he looked every inch the model of the Manehattan business elite. Sharp red tie, collared shirt, a gold vest and starched blue jacket. In fact, there were half a dozen ponies in the room dressed nearly identically. But the one thing that set him apart was the pair of rounded spectacles atop his muzzle. They sparkled in the glittering lights of the lounge.

Everything about this stallion screamed snake to Sunset. This had to be him. Just the mere sight of him made her want to grind her teeth.

“Yes, it has, dear Spotlight,” Svengallop scoffed. “Now, I believe I asked you a question.”

“Oh this?” Spotlight shrugged, adjusting her own glasses with a hoof. “A lighting truss fell on me last night.”

A collective gasp rushed through the room as Svengallop’s expression flickered with uncertainty before it solidified into smug satisfaction.

“Considering the veritable river of rumors coming from Miss Coloratura’s shows, I can’t say I’m surprised. Why, I can't think of a single production in the last thirty years with such a flagrant disregard for simple safety precautions. If you'd heard half the reports I have, it'd turn your mane white!" He coughed politely. "Well, white-er, my dear. No offense.”

“Oh, none taken!” Spotlight replied brightly.

Svengallop rolled his eyes again and glanced at the chief of police. “I assume our esteemed Chief Stablemaker is here to make a statement regarding your arrest for criminal negligence?”

“Not exactly,” Stablemaker rumbled.

“I see.” Svengallop shook his head sadly. “Then I’m quite sorry that somepony as important as the Chief of Police became involved in this boondoggle. After speaking to my colleagues here about tonight’s fiasco, I fear the refunds alone may bankrupt poor Free Beats. That’s not even taking into account the liability claims or the workpony compensation… it boggles the mind. It truly does.”

He took a sip from his drink, and sighed. He sounded almost wistful.

Sunset glanced at Rara and Spotlight. Spotlight’s expression remained completely cheerful, though her eyes bored into Svengallop as if they were two diamond-tipped drills. Rara, on the other hoof, was looking more furious by the second. Gateway took a step forward before Coco put a hoof in his shoulder.

“And to think, my friends, this could have all been avoided! Sadly, dear Spotlight just couldn’t keep up with such a passionate young pop star.” He bowed his head to Rara in something approaching respect and took another sip of his drink. “Miss Coloratura really shouldn’t be blamed for Spotlight’s inability to see her own failings. If only Spotlight had the sense to bow out after a long and successful career… instead of riding it into the ground. I do wish you hadn’t snatched her out from under me, Spotlight. Now, you have sets falling apart, reports of misconduct and even suspected embezzlement. Such a pity.”

A well-dressed orange stallion stepped up beside Svengallop. “I must say, Miss Coloratura, I have to agree with Svengallop. One disaster after another during your latest tour… and then a truss falls on your own manager?”

“Dear Mosely Orange makes an excellent point!” Filly Harp screeched. “But even worse, they lied about it. Sunset Shimmer there said just today that Spotlight only had a cold!”

“Ah yes. The Princess’s ‘prized’ student and her little friends. You all know Sunset Shimmer. She terrorized the student population of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns for years, ran the venerated Dean Silver Slate out on his flank, humiliated his granddaughters, and, from what I hear..." he paused, swirling the dregs of his drink around the olive.

Sunset raised an eyebrow and tried not to grit her teeth.

"No," he said. "I shouldn’t. You all know her reputation. I don’t think any more needs to be said."

More murmurs of assent. This time, Moon Dancer was the one who took a step forward, but Minuette stopped her with a shake of her head.

“Are you done now?” Rara said in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Me? I haven’t done anything.” Svengallop raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow, and smirked. “And let’s be honest. I hardly need to. The proof is right here. Spotlight sits in a wheelchair. She freely admits why. Miss Shimmer even lied to everypony in this room and the media! We know you lied to keep your precious secret, trying to extort all of us fine and upstanding ponies.”

He tossed back the last of his drink, and slammed the glass down on a nearby table. “Who knows what else you’ve lied about? Why don’t you tell us, hm? Isn’t it time to come clean? Don’t we deserve the truth?”

“Truth?” Rara’s voice sounded like the rumblings of an ancient volcano. “You stand there and dare to demand the truth?”

“Oh please.” Svengallop sighed. “This charade is over, Coloratura. Spotlight’s career is finished, but you don’t need to go down with her. You’re young and talented. It’s easy to get turned around in this business. In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb here and offer you a second chance. I could probably squeeze in a second client, though with me managing Sapphire Shores, it would be a challenge. However, I think you may be worth the effort.

“All you need to do?” Svengallop smiled beatifically. “Just come clean. Give us the truth.”

Rara closed her eyes and took a very long, deep breath. Sunset just watched her.

“If truth is going to be our theme,” Rara said in an eerily calm voice. “Then let’s start from there. The real reason I didn’t speak to any of you earlier was that yes, we hid what happened to Spotlight last night. Sunset Shimmer here was kind enough to speak with both you and the press.”

“Speaking of which,” Gateway held a hoof to his ear. “We’re about to have about two dozen pressponies descend on us, Miss Coloratura.”

Sunset could hear the clamoring of voices from down the hall.

“Wonderful. Please invite them in.”

“Excuse me,” Filly Harp retorted. “This is supposed to be a lounge for very important ponies, not just any sort of camera-wielding riffraff!”

“Tonight is a special night,” Rara replied. “Invite them in.”

This obviously ruffled a few feathers—literally, in the case of a few pegasi—but Rara didn’t seem to care. Instead, she stepped up to the small platform that had been used by a jazz band earlier and motioned for the others to join her. Stablemaker remained near the door, as did Gateway after putting Spotlight up on the stage between Rara and Coco. Trixie just hid behind Cheerilee, who stood on Coco’s left. Moon Dancer and Minuette took a corner on the back of the stage, while Sunset stood on Rara’s right.

The newsponies arrived shouting questions with flashbulbs popping. It was sheer bedlam for several seconds until suddenly Rara belted out a single clear note.

Sunset’s ears flattened instantly, as did the ears of everypony else in the room. It was even enough to shock the media into silence, at least for a second or two.

“If you’ll all settle down,” Rara said pleasantly. “I believe you’ll be interested in hearing what I have to say. After all, as my colleague Svengallop was saying, tonight is all about the truth.”

Svengallop stood at the head of the Manehattan elite, each of them looking more annoyed by the second. A couple flashbulbs went off, but Rara just smiled.

“As I was saying, Sunset Shimmer here was kind enough to speak to all of you earlier,” Rara continued. “I admit… not telling the truth was difficult for me. Extremely difficult. But my new friends convinced me it was for a greater good. For two reasons: first, to raise enough funds for the schoolponies of Manehattan, which is supposed to be the reason we’re all here.”

“As if that money was ever going to go to the schoolponies.” Svengallop rolled his eyes dramatically.

“The funds were for the schoolponies,” Rara said, “and while I know this deception may have ruined my image and your trust in me, there was another reason why it was necessary: to discover who was responsible for the sabotage plaguing my show.”

“And let me guess,” Svengallop said with a casual smile and a glint in his eye. “That sad little blue unicorn you’re hiding back there is the true culprit, right? I hope you at least gave her a meal after pulling her off the street.”

Sunset almost gaped at him. She heard earnest applause from the depths of her mind.

Every eye fell on Trixie. Trixie let out a squeak of terror and ducked behind Moon Dancer. Moon Dancer’s glower was enough to get most of the eyes off of Trixie and back to Rara. But when Sunset looked back, she saw a crack in Rara’s pleasant exterior. She looked almost ready to jump down from the stage and start pummeling Svengallop with her bare hooves.

“Yes. I’m afraid I did read your ‘little script.’” Svengallop sighed. “This is the part where they offer up some poor little thing and claim she’s the one behind all this so-called ‘sabotage.’ How much did they offer you to take the fall for their blunders, filly?”

Trixie whimpered and Sunset had to fight to keep a snarl off her face.

“Not a single bit,” Rara replied, her voice teetering on the edge of calm. “Miss Lulamoon is here of her own free will. While my Lead Designer, Coco Pommel and I have offered her a position on staff—which she accepted—it was done without any promises from her.”

“I’m sorry,” Rock Dee Fell said after adjusting his black cravat. “You’re telling us that pony was responsible for the troubles plaguing your show? And you’ve hired her? Have you taken leave of your senses, Miss Coloratura?”

“No,” Rara replied. “We did it because, as Svengallop so succinctly put it, everypony deserves a second chance.”

“I’m afraid that’s not how business works in Manehattan,” Evergreen Cartwhinny interjected, speaking up for the first time. His two brothers nodded. “In Manehattan, image is everything. In fact, Svengallop’s gesture to assist you is beyond generous and quite risky for him. For you to do this… Even if we were to assume you are telling the truth—something I find highly unlikely—taking a known criminal into your employ… I daresay, I doubt you will find a single pony wanting anything to do with you after this.”

Sunset’s eyes bored into smirking Svengallop.

Keep smiling, she thought. I’m going to enjoy seeing that expression wiped off your face, you jerk.

“That’s your choice,” Rara said to Evergreen. “But while Miss Lulamoon may have been the one performing the acts, she was not the one responsible. Trixie? If you would?”

“This is a joke!” Svengallop rolled his eyes behind his glittering glasses yet again. “As if we’re supposed to believe some waif you dragged in from the street. This little nopony has nothing to offer us but some pre-rehearsed sob story. Do you think we’re going to believe her after you just told us she joined your tour? Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with, Coloratura? My colleagues and I have made our fortunes by being the best. You think we can’t see through this?”

The ponies in the room—and even a few members of the media—seemed to agree with Svengallop.

Rara didn’t even blink.

“Trixie, I’m sure they would be interested in hearing what you have to say.”

Once again, all eyes fell upon Trixie, but she didn’t move. She cowered, frozen in terror. Rara shared a glance with Sunset. The two of them stepped back and reached out for her. Coco and Spotlight smiled at her, as did the rest of Sunset’s friends.

“You can do this,” Sunset whispered.

“All you need to do is tell the truth,” Rara added.

“They won’t believe me,” Trixie whispered and buried her head in her hooves. “He… he’s right. I don’t matter. Nothing I say will matter. They won’t believe a word I say!”

“I believe you,” Rara said and for just a moment, her cutie mark lit up with a flash of light.

Trixie shook her head, still trembling.

“I believe you,” Coco echoed. Her eyes glittered in complete assurance.

Trixie whimpered.

“I believe you,” Cheerilee whispered, her voice full of compassion.

Trixie managed to peek out, but she still shook her head.

“I believe you,” Minuette chirped with a smile that could never be a lie.

Trixie’s eyes still shook, but the rest of her had stopped trembling.

“I believe you,” Moon Dancer said with a smirk brimming with confidence.

Trixie put her hooves down and just stared at them all.

“I believe you.” Spotlight’s voice once again reminded Sunset of her grandmother.

Finally, Trixie’s eyes latched onto Sunset. Sunset just smiled at her.

“I believe you.”

Trixie straightened up and took a deep breath. Her first few steps were wobbly, but by the time she’d reached the edge of the stage, she stood with only a hint of fear.

Rara stood on one side with Coco and Spotlight directly beside her. Sunset stood on the other, with Cheerilee and Moon Dancer.

Svengallop looked as if he was considering getting a hooficure after the show.

“M-my name is Trixie Lulamoon,” Trixie said. Her eyes wandered the crowd, looking at everypony except for Svengallop. “And… and… I was hired… to sabotage Miss… Miss Coloratura’s shows. T-to make her look incompetent. To make her manager look… foolish.”

“And would you tell these ponies who hired you to do this?” Rara asked.

Sunset put a hoof on Trixie’s shoulder. In that brief moment, she almost felt something. It almost felt like magic.

Trixie’s eyes locked onto her target.

“Svengallop.”

A collective gasp rose from everypony in the room. Reporters started shouting questions. Businessponies started chattering. Flashbulbs exploded. Trixie cringed away from it all, but she didn’t back down. She still held Svengallop’s gaze.

Eventually, the commotion gave way to Svengallop’s slow clapping.

“Well done,” the stallion said, sounding positively delighted. “All these smoke and mirrors for a shot at me? I have to admit, Spotlight, I didn’t see you trying to pin this all on me. I should have in hindsight. You’ve always been the jealous sort.”

“Hardly,” Spotlight replied airily. “I’ll leave the jealousy and spite to ponies far better at it than I.”

“Excuse me!” Rock Dee Fell cried. “Young lady, are you saying that this stallion right here, the manager for none other than Sapphire Shores herself and one of the most powerful ponies in show business hired you to ruin Coloratura’s shows?”

Trixie nodded weakly.

“Why?” Filly Harp cried. “Why in Equestria would we believe you?”

“I… I didn’t realize it at first. I… I used to be a performer and I fell on some hard times. Svengallop approached me after a show… offered me a job. P-promised that I’d get to open for Miss Coloratura!” Trixie’s voice cracked with hope. “All I had to do… was get rid of Spotlight.”

Spotlight waved at everypony, looking utterly unperturbed.

“It started out with small things. S-some broken lights. Missing instruments. Wardrobe malfunctions.” Trixie flushed and her lip trembled. “But… he started to demand more when it didn’t work. I tried to quit five months ago… and he told me he’d hoof me over to the police if I tried. I… I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t go back to being on my own again. I knew I would fail.”

Trixie’s eyes fell to her hooves.

“So… I kept doing it until last night…”

“You were the one who dropped the truss?” Rock Dee Fell cried. “On Spotlight?”

“It was an accident!” Trixie cried, tears streaming from her eyes. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen! You have to believe me!”

“Oh, of course we believe you!” Svengallop crowed, putting his hooves in the air like some poofy-haired cheerleader. “I’m just going to ignore this flimsy attempt at... slander…”

Svengallop paused and seemed to consider Trixie in a new light.

Oh, this can’t be good.

“Actually…” Svengallop rubbed his hoof along his jaw. His glasses flashed as he nodded. “I’m sorry, everypony, but I have seen this filly before. I can’t believe it…”

“Svengallop?” Mosely Orange looked at the other stallion in confusion. “Whatever are you talking about?”

“This sad excuse for a unicorn used to bill herself as the ‘Great and Powerful Trixie.’” Svengallop let out a bark of a laugh. “Hardly. A barely adequate illusionist on her best days. When one of my talent scouts called out ill, I found myself forced to endure her arrogant prattling on a rickety stage in south Fillydelphia. It was disgraceful, even by stage magic ‘standards.’ She managed to get booed off her own stage before I could take three sips of my tea!”

All the color had drained from Trixie's face. Her mane fell over her eyes, and she was trembling again.

“I’m shocked they even let her type into Manehattan at all.” Svengallop fixed Trixie with a glare.

A strangled whimper emerged from the mare as she shivered.

“Tell us, you little charlatan. How does it feel to be surrounded by the truly great? The truly powerful?”

Trixie flinched with every word. A fresh bout of tears fell from Trixie’s eyes.

Sunset’s temper screamed in fury. It took every ounce of self-control to rein it in.

He’s going to get away with this… Sunset realized. He’s got them wrapped around his hoof.

“If that’s the case, Svengallop,” Rara answered, her voice dangerously cold. “Would you mind telling your fine colleagues, the media and the chief of police who your informant is about the conditions for my tour?”

“Endanger my sources?” Svengallop laughed. “These ponies risked their livelihood to reveal the truth. I refuse to jeopardize them, even in such esteemed company.”

Rara sat back and spread her hooves. “After everything that’s happened tonight, if we’re lying, we’re already finished. It’s not like they could fear reprisal with so many witnesses.”

“She has a point, Sven,” Rock Dee Fell said. “Right now, learning about your source would do nothing but strengthen your case.”

“While I understand where you’re coming from, I promised my sources complete anonymity.” He gestured to the amber-coated bartender for another cocktail. “I’m not about to break my agreement over some half-baked scheme cooked up by Spotlight as a last desperate attempt to escape justice.”

“Is that maybe because that source happens to be her?” Sunset snapped, pointing at Trixie.

Svengallop’s expression darkened just a fraction.

“It’s… it’s true,” Trixie sputtered. “I was the anonymous informant to the press. I told them about Spotlight’s accident.”

“Why are you still even here?” Svengallop said as he stepped over, fetched his cocktail and dropped a hooffull of bits on the bar. “Nopony believes your sad little story.”

Trixie wilted like a cornflower without sunlight.

Svengallop met Spotlight's cheerful gaze. "Well, nopony who matters, anyway."

“We do,” Rara snapped. “All of us up here. Everypony.”

Sunset’s eyes drifted to Chief Stablemaker, who was still standing quietly at the door to the Lounge, watching everything like a hawk. He raised an eyebrow at her.

Even he doesn’t look convinced anymore. Good job, Shimmer. You backed the wrong horse. Svengallop’s almost as good as you are.

“You have to have some sort of proof!” cried an Equestria Daily reporter.

“I… I don’t have any physical proof,” Trixie admitted. “He… he was very thorough.”

“So even their lack of evidence is evidence of my involvement?” Svengallop laughed so hard he almost spilled his drink. “Do you even hear yourselves?”

“That’s not quite true,” Gateway said quietly. His rumble cut through the room as he lifted a small ring from the pocket of his security jacket.

Mosely Orange gasped. “That can’t be what I—”

“It is,” Gateway said. “It’s an amp. I’m guessing I don’t need to tell you what this does?”

A shudder went through almost every unicorn in the room.

“This was found on Miss Lulamoon when she was apprehended by Miss Shimmer, Miss Pommel and Miss Cheerilee,” Gateway said. “If she had this… why bother trying to steal from a nightclub during its busiest time in the middle of a massive event?”

“Who knows what a pony desperate for a taste of real magic might do?” Svengallop shrugged.

Gateway raised an eyebrow at the stallion. “I can think of at least ten different ways to make five times the same amount of bits with an amp. Simply selling it would net a substantial sum. In fact, there are any number of legal or safe magical enhancers that could be purchased for far less than the cost of an amp.”

Gateway lifted his sunglasses, revealing his icy blue eyes that were surprisingly gentle as he looked at Trixie.

“Svengallop gave it to me for tonight,” Trixie whimpered. “He told me that if I didn’t ruin the entire show, he’d hand over the file he had on me to the police tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, shut up, you little foal. Do you know who I am? You don't matter. You don't deserve to be within twenty miles of me,” Svengallop growled. “Be silent before I have Stablemaker haul you off for slander.”

Something about those words seemed to shake up the crowd a little. A few ponies in the back murmured.

That’s when Sunset finally got it. She took a look at Trixie’s tears and Svengallop’s smug look of complete confidence. She’d seen that look before. She’d seen it a lot.

“He’s almost as good as you are…”

“Why are you being so cruel to her, Svengallop?” Sunset asked as she stepped off the stage and approached the stallion. “The last time I heard a pony sound so demeaning it was me, talking to a young freshman at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I remember that feeling. The feeling of absolute power and complete control. It’s a heady sensation, isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening,” Svengallop said as he blinked at Sunset. “What was that?”

“You’re abusing her in front of the most powerful ponies in Manehattan.” Sunset stopped only a foot away from the stallion. “That must give you such a rush, especially to see somepony you’ve manipulated for so long crash and burn.”

“I told you, I’ve never actually spoken with this… individual. And if I’m talking down to her, it’s because she needs to be reminded what she really is.”

Sunset glared at him. “And what’s that?”

“A silly little filly who doesn’t even deserve to serve drinks in our company,” Svengallop answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“‘Our’ company.’” Sunset worked the phrase around her mouth like a lemon drop. “Interesting choice of words. You seem pretty eager to classify us as either the kind of pony everypony should know… or the kind of pony nopony should know.”

"This from the famous Sunset Shimmer?" Svengallop glared at her over his glasses. “I’ll have you know you can’t hold a candle to your mother, let alone your father. You aren’t ready for this kind of dance, Shimmer. Not yet. And don’t forget: I know who you really are.”

“That makes two of us,” Sunset shot back, ignoring the jab about her parents. “I know who you really are, too. The difference is, I’m owning up to it.”

Sunset turned away from him and looked at the assembled ponies.

“Everypony knows that in this city, reputation is everything. Every one of you have amassed your wealth by knowing how to work the system. Tell me, how much of that system is image?”

A few ponies nodded in agreement.

“And what’s the best way to ruin somepony’s image?” Sunset demanded. “Destroy their credibility.”

“Not this again. Haven’t you—” Svengallop drew himself up.

Sunset didn’t stop. “Svengallop is trying to blacken Trixie’s name so you ignore what she has to say. Well, maybe you should stop and look at the ponies who are telling you to listen to her!”

Sunset spun on a hoof and pointed at Gateway. “Security Chief Gateway is the former Lead Detective for the Canterlot First Precinct! He served there for ten years. He has the experience of an entire Royal Guard investigation squad put together!”

Sunset pointed at Cheerilee. “Miss Cheerilee is a former teacher for Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, a special advisor to the Board of Education of Equestria and now is solely responsible for the education of the youth of the entire town of Ponyville!”

She moved on to Minuette. “Miss Minuette is known as the best clockmaker in all of Equestria! I can see several of you wearing her designs right now."

Minuette bounced a little.

Sunset nodded at Moon Dancer. “Miss Moon Dancer is one of the most brilliant ponies to ever come out of GU and the best librarian in all of the Canterlot. Not to mention she’s a personal friend of Princess Celestia.”

She stabbed a hoof at Spotlight, Coco and Rara. “Miss Spotlight has been in this business for forty years, managing stars even bigger than Coloratura—no offense. And let’s not forget Miss Coloratura and Miss Coco Pommel. Both of whom put everything on the line to create a charity event for the schoolponies of Manehattan!”

Sunset whirled and stared the crowd down. “You want reputation? You want image? It’s standing right in front of you! There’s only one pony in this room who’s telling you to ignore that experience. Instead of just blindly believing everything he tells you… what do your instincts say?”

Dead silence.

Sunset swallowed and headed back up to the stage. She didn’t glance behind her, but instead smiled at Trixie, who was just staring at her with an open mouth.

Well, this is either going to be really good or really bad.

Finally, Sunset turned around. The Manehattan elite were no longer staring at Trixie.

They were staring at Svengallop.

“Well said.” Svengallop grinned. “Too bad we already know you’re the most manipulative pony in this room.”

“I used to be,” Sunset replied. “I’m better now.”

The tense silence continued to stretch until it felt like the very air would shatter. Finally, Svengallop took a step backward from his ‘colleagues.’

Gotcha!

“You know,” Rock Dee Fell said as he studied the stallion. “I would actually like to see some reports of the working conditions. Now that I think of it, I’ve never seen anything concrete.”

"I would be happy to,” Svengallop replied. “Of course, any personal information about my sources would have to be removed first. And by then, you must realize that Spotlight would have already covered up anything we could use against her."

“Really?” Evergreen Cartwhinny said. “Considering how incompetent you claim she is, I’m surprised to hear you think she’d be that thorough at covering her own tracks.”

Trixie sat down with a thump, as if her legs could no longer support her. They probably couldn’t.

Svengallop met her eyes once before returning his attention to Evergreen Cartwhinny. “Spotlight is just as good as spinning lies as anypony. And all of us know how fluid ‘the truth’ is in this town.”

“Really, Svengallop?” Rara asked sweetly. “And here I thought tonight was about the truth.”

Svengallop fired her a dirty look.

That was the crack that broke the dam. In moments, the media descended upon him, shouting questions, demanding to hear direct reports about his ‘informants’ and asking what sort of connection he had with Spotlight or Coloratura. It took less than a minute for his former colleagues to abandon him to the media, but Chief Stablemaker didn’t let that go on for much longer. A single blast from his whistle silenced the room. Everypony took a few steps back from Svengallop, who just looked furious.

“Have anything to say for yourself, Svengallop?” Stablemaker said with a raised eyebrow.

“Me? No. Not one word about how easily you all have been played by a few fillies with eyes on your wallets. Or how stupid you’ve been to let yourselves get so turned around, you think I’m somehow the villain.” Svengallop shrugged. “But my lawyer will have plenty to say on the matter.”

“I’m sure he will,” Stablemaker growled. “Let’s go.”

Sunset was vaguely disappointed Stablemaker didn’t cuff the stallion, but as Stablemaker escorted him out among a sea of press, she realized that it really didn’t matter in the end.

With a sigh of relief, Sunset joined Trixie on the floor and excited murmurs broke out among the remaining businessponies.

“Thank you,” Trixie whispered. “I… I thought I was a goner.”

“All I did was make them realize they were being played,” Sunset said. “Without you, none of this would have worked.”

“She’s right,” Rara said beside Trixie. “If you hadn’t stood up and told the truth… we could have never gotten him.”

Officer Hops came back into the room. She cocked an eyebrow at Sunset before nodding to Trixie.

“Miss Lulamoon? Chief Stablemaker asked me to bring you down to the station to get an official statement.”

Gateway approached. “Officer, would you mind if she gave an initial statement here? I’ll escort her personally to the station after tonight’s event?”

Hops sighed and gave Sunset a sidelong glance.

“Depends. Is she going to get involved?”

“No,” Gateway said emphatically. “Her involvement in this is done.”

Sunset nodded equally as emphatically.

“The Chief said one of you’d ask for something like that. Fine. But we do need at least a preliminary statement.”

“Gateway, dear?” Spotlight asked. “Perhaps you and I could accompany Miss Lulamoon and help her?”

Trixie’s eyes went wide. “You’d do that for me?”

“After finally getting that turkey?” Spotlight laughed as she slapped her hoof against the armrest of her wheelchair. “Oh, my dear, I’m halfway tempted to march up to the Mayor of Manehattan and demand a ticker tape parade in your honor. Svengallop has had this coming for years.”

Hops rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. Let’s go, you three.”

Spotlight put a hoof on Rara’s. “Don’t worry, dear. I’ll make sure she’s there for the song.”

Rara beamed at her for a second before enveloping her manager in a hug. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Spotlight.”

Spotlight’s eyes drifted toward the still-open doors. “I do. That’s why I’m still here.”

After they had left, Rara settled down beside Sunset on the stage and gave her a tired little smile. Then, Evergreen Cartwhinny, Filly Harp, Rock Dee Fell, and Mosely Orange hesitantly approached them. Sunset couldn’t help but notice that everypony in the room had gone suspiciously quiet.

Rock Dee Fell coughed awkwardly and adjusted his cravat.

“Miss Coloratura,” he said. “I… that is to say… we… We believe we owe you an apology. When one works in this city for so long, it’s easy to believe that everypony only looks out for themselves. We rarely see such traits as those you displayed here tonight. They were… unfamiliar to us and we allowed Svengallop to twist our perceptions.”

“You’re not the only ones he twisted,” Sunset muttered darkly, thinking of Trixie’s expression every time Svengallop had said something to her.

“Indeed.” He fiddled with his cravat again. “I personally had seen such things before in other ponies because of other business practices. I daresay that this was a good reminder for all of us on just how dangerous that line of thought can be.”

“You owe Miss Lulamoon an apology more than me,” Rara pointed out, though she didn’t do it unkindly.

“And we intend to settle accounts with the young Miss Lulamoon,” he replied. “After all, it’s only good business.”

“Does that mean you won’t be backing out of tonight’s event?” Coco asked. Sunset was amazed at just how demure and cute she could sound at the same time.

No! Bad Sunset! Stop that!

She chuckled, wishing she knew which voice had said that.

“Absolutely not!” Filly Harp said. “If anything, we intend to increase our donations to your cause. Maybe then, we can save a little face ourselves.”

Sunset still had her ears down when Filly Harp sauntered away.

“She does have one of those voices,” Rara murmured as Moon Dancer, Minuette, Cheerilee and Coco Pommel sat down around them.

“Don’t you still have a show to put on?” Minuette said.

“Is that even possible?” Sunset asked. “This took a lot longer than expected.”

Rara shrugged. “The show must go on.”

Coco nudged her and smiled.

“Anyway,” Rara continued with a little smirk. “There’s one very special song I had been thinking of doing tonight. Originally, it was going to be a thank you for you, Sunset.”

Sunset blushed. “Me? What… what is it?”

Rara’s smile only deepened. “Well, I hope you don’t mind… but I think I’ll dedicate it to somepony else.”

Her eyes drifted to the door.

Sunset beamed at her. “That sounds great.”

Minuette began vibrating. Again. “So, what’s the song?”

Rara’s smile grew and her eyes twinkled.

Author's Note

Fun fact: When I was writing this, Svengallop actually almost escaped me. When Sunset makes the comment about Svengallop about to get away with it, that's actually me panicking going "Oh crap, what the heck do I do? I wrote him too smooth!"

Thankfully, Sunny's smarter than I am. Take that you smug poofy-haired jerk!

Two chapters remain! Warning: you may cry during the next one. I always do.

If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!

Invincible

Sunset sat back down in her plush balcony seat after Rara’s fourth standing ovation. The singer had just left the stage for a short ten-minute intermission. Sunset was happy for the reprieve, if only to rest her aching hooves. They were starting to hurt from so much applause.

Moon Dancer, Cheerilee and Minuette sat beside her in the private box seats overlooking the massive dance floor. Sunset’s eyes drifted over the crowd. There was an energy to the place that she couldn’t begin to describe. But it was infectious. Sunset couldn’t have stopped herself from smiling even if she wanted to. Not that she did.

“Think Trixie is okay?” Cheerilee asked with a glance back at the door.

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Sunset leaned back and closed her eyes, allowing the sounds of the nightclub to wash over her. “Spotlight is a pony who looks after her own.”

“I still can’t believe they offered her a job,” Moon Dancer said. “She’s been ruining them for almost a year! I hope they weren’t making that up.”

“They weren’t,” Sunset said without looking at her. “Rara is definitely the type to keep her word. And somehow, it didn’t surprise me at all that Coco offered it to her.”

“It could have just been to get her to talk,” Moon Dancer pointed out.

Sunset shook her head. Even with her eyes closed, she could sense Cheerilee doing the same.

“You didn’t see Coco’s eyes, Moon Dancer,” Cheerilee said. “She would have made it happen, even if Trixie hadn’t turned on Svengallop.”

“That Svengallop pony is bad news,” Minuette declared. “I hope they put him away for a long time.”

Sunset cracked an eye open to see her friend scowling. That sight alone sent shivers down her spine. Anypony who managed to annoy Minuette had to be evil. There was simply no other explanation.

“I think we’re all on the same page there,” Moon Dancer said with a slight snort.

Cheerilee turned and patted Sunset on the shoulder. “You did really well in the VIP Lounge, Sunset. I’m impressed.”

“Hardly. We won by the skin of our teeth.” Sunset winced and opened her eyes. “Svengallop had been ready for everything. Spotlight in a wheelchair hardly phased him. Trixie’s accusation didn’t cause him to so much as a blink. He had everything lined up perfectly.”

“He didn’t count on you though.” Moon Dancer punched her on the shoulder.

“He tried,” Sunset admitted. “And he almost won. After the dragon and the smokebombs, they were ready to completely pull out. Trixie planted the seeds of doubt. Without her, none of this would have been possible.”

“Without you, they would have never listened,” Cheerilee reminded her gently. “You showed them just who they were ignoring by siding with Svengallop. You made them see the truth. You cleared the way for Trixie.”

“I just opened the door,” Sunset said with a shake of her head.

“You led the charge,” Moon Dancer corrected her. “You’re good at that.”

Sunset frowned and poked at her seat cushion. “I don’t think I want to be.”

“Sunny!” Minuette almost whined. “When are you going to get it? You’re good at this sort of thing! There’s a reason Princess Celestia chose you.”

“Ugh, thank you for reminding me.” Sunset groaned, rubbing her face with her hooves. “I am so screwed when she catches wind of all of this.”

“I told you so,” Cheerilee sing-songed.

Sunset shot her a glare. Cheerilee smiled back at her.

The sound of doors opening cut off Sunset’s retort. All four of them turned to see Coco Pommel leading a bewildered-looking Trixie. Behind them, Copper Belle pushed Spotlight onto the balcony, while the shadow of Officer Hops remained on the other side of the door. It couldn’t be anypony else but Hops. Those long ears were a dead giveaway.

You think she’d be part rabbit with ears like that, Sunset thought with a smile as Coco and Trixie joined them on the bench.

The former saboteur now wore a beautiful purple cloak, something Sunset guessed Coco Pommel had made. Sunset decided the look fit Trixie, though she thought the multicolored stars seemed a bit much.

Spotlight rolled up to the small handicap section beside where Trixie looked out over the dance club.

“It’s a nicer view than the sound booth,” Trixie murmured with a blush and a smile.

“Best seats in the house,” Coco replied. “Perfect for the heroines of the day.”

Trixie’s ears went flat and she blushed furiously. She was about to respond when a cheer went up from the crowd.

Rara had returned to the stage.

A curtain opened behind her to reveal a single grand piano. A second dark violet curtain hung behind it. Sunset thought she saw movement behind the second curtain, but when the spotlight came on and speared Rara’s beaming face, Sunset gave up and just watched her new friend.

Rara waited for the crowd to settle a little bit before speaking in a loud and clear voice.

“Tonight has been a crazy night,” Rara said. The crowd laughed. “I’m sure you’ve all been wondering what happened. Well, now that a very special pony is in the audience, I’m happy to tell you.”

Trixie huddled into her seat beside Sunset, but still kept watching over the lip of the balcony.

“First of all, the truth.” Rara beamed at the crowd and Sunset could have sworn her eyes flitted up to their balcony. “Tonight’s ‘entertainment’ was caused by those trying to ruin this show. They were trying to ruin the work my dear friend Coco Pommel and I have done to help the schoolponies of Manehattan. I’m sure you’ll read all about it in tomorrow’s newspapers, so I won’t bore you with the details.”

Murmurs of surprise bubbled through the crowd, but Rara’s smile never even flickered.

“But due to the courage and honesty of one very special pony, tonight we discovered who was really responsible for these events. She took an incredible risk. She faced some of her greatest fears… and most importantly, she let others help her. For all that and more, I’d like to dedicate this next song to her.”

Rara slipped behind the piano and tapped her hoof a few times.

And then… she began to play.

The music was gentle, washing over the nigh-silent club. The tones of the piano flowed out from the instrument for a few seconds until Rara began to sing in her powerful and compelling voice.

“I’m here to show you who I am…”

“Take off the veil, it’s finally time…”

“There's more to me than glitz and glam, oh-whoa…”

“And now I feel my stars align…”

Rara poured her very soul into every note, her passion and conviction filling every word with more meaning than Sunset thought possible.

This… this is true magic, Sunset thought with a smile.

Little specks of light flickered into existence as the unicorns of the dance club ignited tiny light spells at the tip of their horns.

Sunset giggled and joined them. With a glance, she saw Moon Dancer and Minuette follow her lead, smiling at each other sheepishly. Trixie, however, didn’t. Sunset chewed her lip as she looked at the burn marks around the base of the mare’s horn.

“For I had believed what I was sold…”

“I did all the things that I was told.”

Sunset nudged Trixie and gestured at the other unicorn’s horn. Then, with a little focus, Sunset tweaked her own spell and managed to land a tiny ball of light atop Trixie’s horn.

Trixie looked ready to cry.

“But all that has changed, and now I'm bold…

'Cause I know…”

As Coloratura’s song entered the first chorus, the backstage lights ignited. To Sunset’s surprise and delight, there was an orchestra silhouetted through the curtain. The dignified shape of a stallion conducted the gorgeous music with a steady beat of his baton as a familiar shape of a cellist played near the center, accompanied by two harpists, two violinists, a second cellist and a guitarist.

It was beautiful. Sunset wiped a few tears from her eyes and felt a wonderful warmth in her chest when she saw Trixie do the same thing.

“That I am just a pony…”

“I make mistakes from time to time.”

“But now I know the real me…”

“And put my heart out on the line”

Despite the delay, the moment Coloratura had first taken the stage, the audience had simply gone nuts. They cheered and stomped in applause, no matter how young or old, how noble or how common, everypony—including Sunset and her friends—were swept up in the sheer energy of the presence of the legendary pop star. This feeling was all that magnified ten times over.

“And let the magic in my heart stay true…

Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa…”

In the spotlight, Sunset could appreciate the dress Coco had made for Rara on a whole new level. She’s simply outdone herself. Rara’s gown was simply gorgeous with a short black piece covering the chest and a beautiful gray veil-like train that floated around the singer as if it was Celestia’s mane. It was simple. It was elegant and it was stunning.

“And let the magic in my heart stay true…”

“Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa…”

“Just like the magic inside of you…”

And it was perfect for tonight. After the grand illusion of the ‘dragon attack,’ such simplicity was sorely needed. It was… perfect.

“And now I see those colors…

Right before my eyes.”

Trixie put a hoof on Sunset’s and smiled at her shyly.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “You… you didn’t need to help me.”

Sunset nodded, finding herself barely able to speak because of the knot in her throat. She only now realized that she had saved Trixie as Moon Dancer had once saved her.

“I hear my voice so clearly…

And I know that it is right!”

“I’ve made some pretty big mistakes too,” Sunset whispered back to her. “Granted, my last one didn’t involve quite as much smoke… but it was for much worse reasons.”

Moon Dancer poked Sunset in the side and Sunset winced.

“Okay, fine, there was just as much smoke. Be thankful yours didn’t actually have any fire.”

“They thought I was weak, but I am strong!

They sold me the world, but they were wrong!”

“He offered me everything I ever wanted. A chance to be part of the show. A chance to be something more than just me,” Trixie whispered. “Then he… tore me apart. He… he wanted to be sure I would always need him.”

Sunset put a foreleg around the blue unicorn and pulled her tight. A wave of guilt tried to wash over her, but Rara’s words beat it back.

“And now that I'm back, I still belong…

'Cause I know…”

“Then you should listen to this song,” Sunset said with a smile. “I think you’ll like it.”

Trixie’s gaze turned to Coloratura’s radiant form… which only became more radiant as she belted out the second chorus. To Sunset’s amazement, Coloratura’s cutie mark actually started to glow. Sunset had seen it once or twice before, but had dismissed it as a trick of the light. Now, it shimmered like a sunbeam striking a prism. Light spilled out from the earth pony as she unleashed her magic in a way Sunset never could.

“That I am just a pony…

I make mistakes from time to time!

But now I know the real me…

And put my heart out on the line!”

Sunset found herself choking back tears as the crowd went wild with applause. Tiny sparks of joyous magical fireworks burst from some of the unicorns below. She blinked a few times, but the tears kept coming. Every word resonated with the pony she was desperately trying to be.

Years ago, it was that pony she had accepted as the better piece of herself. The polar opposite of the angry little pony that was sulking in some corner of her mind right now. Even it couldn’t get any wisecracks in under such wonderful, gorgeous music that reached into Sunset’s very soul and stirred everything good and true within her.

“And let the magic in my heart stay true…

Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa…”

Sunset glanced to the side. Tears streamed down Trixie’s face. She didn’t even try to hide them. But for the first time since she had met the blue unicorn, Trixie was really smiling. These were tears of joy. There was something about the song… something that reminded Sunset of Moon Dancer. And Minuette. And Cheerilee. And Coco Pommel. All sung with the power of Rara’s voice.

It reminded Sunset of all of her friends and what she had found within them, even if Sunset was sure she would never deserve it or them.

“And let the magic in my heart stay true…”

Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa…”

Trixie didn’t try to wipe the tears away. She just sat and let the glory of the artist on stage wash over her, allowing the words to flow through her—into her—as if they were a cleansing river washing every dark and evil thought away.

Sunset knew the look. She knew the feeling. Because it was exactly what she felt right now.

“Just like the magic inside of you…”

The silhouette of the orchestra behind her began to fade and the stage behind the curtain slipped to the ground as the platform was lowered. Coloratura wound down the song with the skill of a master craftspony.

“Just like the magic inside of you.”

As her voice faded from the dance hall and she stood up from the piano, the applause was like a living force. If Sunset had thought the applause at the end of Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody’s duet had been thunderous, then this would be the sound of planets colliding. Everything around them shook, but it shook in a way that was fundamentally right.

The cheers seemed endless. Sunset watched the crowd and smiled, the feeling of warmth intensifying. It took her a moment to realize she felt proud. She felt proud that she helped make this happen. Not only for Coloratura, but for Coco, for Spotlight and especially for Trixie.

Sunset looked over the crowd. Near the front, she caught sight of a certain rainbow-haired pegasus kissing a certain blonde earth pony. She smiled even wider. But then the crowd went quiet as Coloratura approached the edge of the stage.

“Thank you all,” she said in her amazing voice. “These last few days have been hard for me and the ones I care about. But I’m happy to say that tonight, through the help of some new friends, I’ve made another friend. A friend who reminds me a lot of myself.”

Trixie perked up beside Sunset and leaned on the balcony railing. Sunset shot a glance at Spotlight and Coco, but both of them had little smiles that gave away nothing.

“When I first came to this city, a certain pony tried to become my manager. However, a dear old friend of mine pointed me at somepony far better: my beloved manager, Spotlight.”

Fittingly, a spotlight pierced the darkness of the club and speared Rara’s manager. She gave a little wave at the cheering crowd. Trixie flinched away from the light.

“Not everypony has had the chances I’ve had. While pursuing my career, I found my best friend, Coco Pommel, a young mare who just needed a chance. I have never met a more generous soul in all my life. She’s the one who made tonight really happen.”

The spotlight shifted slightly and Coco waved, blushing a little.

A pony who does things because she wants to… not for the glory. That’s the mark of a good pony.

She heard the rattle of chains in the back of her head as something inside her disagreed, but Sunset’s joy pushed it aside.

“And while some ponies in this business may think that lying, cheating and selfishness are the only roads to success, I’m here to tell you that every single one of them is wrong.”

Rara’s voice held the absolute conviction of a prophet. Even Sunset couldn’t tear her eyes from the mare.

“So, as I said earlier, this song is dedicated to somepony who proved this fact this very night by standing up to her greatest fear. This song is dedicated to my newest friend… and I’m proud to say the pony who will be opening for me in our next stop in Vanhoover… The Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Trixie let out a squeak of surprise as the spotlight shifted and speared her just like her illusionary dragon had speared Spotlight. Her shock was so intense Sunset had to actually use her magic to get Trixie to wave at the cheering crowd.

“She looks a little shocked, huh?” Coloratura said with a laugh. “Well, that’s okay. I’m sure she’ll be fine by the time our next show comes around.”

Another resounding cheer went up as the spotlight released its grip on Trixie. The blue mare collapsed to the floor, twitching ever so slightly. Sunset had to help her back up to her seat. There, she looked at Sunset.

“This… did… um… did that really just happen?” she squeaked.

“Looks like you’re famous now.” Sunset nodded with a smile. “But more importantly… you’re free.”

Trixie stared at Sunset for a long time before her eyes slid to Rara down on the stage where she was getting ready for her next number. Tears spilled down Trixie’s cheeks again.

“I could have never done it on my own…” she whispered.

Something in Sunset cracked and she wrapped Trixie in a tight hug as their friends looked on with smiles.

“We never can,” Sunset replied.

Author's Note

When I first heard this song, I cried my eyes out. In my final pass of this chapter, I cried even harder. Because now, the song means a lot more to me… and to these ponies I’ve had the privilege to bring to life.

One final chapter remains! I’ll see you next week for the long-awaited grand finale of How Not to Use Your Royal Prerogative!

If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!

Indulgences

“Headline reads: Former star music manager Svengallop of Los Pegasus arrested last night under charges of conspiracy, blackmail, extortion and slander!” Moon Dancer announced as she read from the front page of Manehattan Times.

A resounding cheer erupted from the collected ponies in the green room of Hoofbeats. Trixie’s cheer was twice as loud as everypony else’s.

“Let’s see here…” Moon Dancer’s eyes scanned the page and she grinned. “Oh yeah! Here we go: Police Chief Stablemaker himself escorted Mister Svengallop out of Hoofbeats after a tense confrontation between Miss Coloratura and Mister Svengallop in the club’s VIP Lounge.”

“Aw,” Minuette complained. “No mention of us.”

“Hush.” Cheerilee sipped her morning tea and gestured for Moon Dancer to continue.

“During the confrontation, several major charges were levied at Mister Svengallop. Both the elite of Manehattan Society—including Filly Harp, Rock Dee Fell, Mosely Orange and the Cartwhinny brothers, among others—and several members of the press were present for this heated argument. While Mister Svengallop’s lawyer had assured the media that the charges against his client are ‘a complete and total fabrication,’ sources within Hoofbeats have come forward to corroborate the charges. This morning, an anonymous tip was given to the Manehattan Times and several other media outlets that PonyGram Records—the record label who employs Mister Svengallop—is launching a full inquiry into the allegations.”

Spotlight smiled and let out a happy little noise as she bit into a scone.

“However, in the incident last night…” Moon Dancer winced and glanced up at Sunset with an apologetic expression, “it has been confirmed that the rumors regarding the injury of Miss Coloratura’s manager, Miss Spotlight, were indeed true. Neither Miss Coloratura nor Hoofbeats management have responded to inquiries regarding the situation, but eyewitness testimony reports that Spotlight herself admitted that a truss fell on her two nights ago after Miss Coloratura’s show.’”

Trixie hunched down on her sofa, but Sunset poked her in the side, eliciting a small squeak and a large blush. Spotlight chuckled wryly.

“In a surprising turn of events, Sapphire Shores came forward to speak to the press regarding the alleged actions of her manager.” Moon Dancer paused and took a sip of her coffee before plowing onward. “In a public statement made from her home in Fillydelphia, Miss Shores said, ‘I am completely shocked by these allegations against Svengallop. He’s always been rough around the edges, but I never would have guessed he was capable of this. The mere idea that he could be involved in such a terrible plot against Coloratura makes me sick. As of today—with the support of PonyGram Records—Mister Svengallop is no longer managing my shows. I have every confidence that my dear friend Rara and I will be able to put aside our past differences and rekindle our friendship. I look forward to seeing her in Manehattan later this week.’”

“I already got a letter from her by courier,” Rara said from one of the couches. She was positively glowing with joy. “Svengallop been lying to her about me for months, telling her all sorts of crazy stories. She pledged five thousand bits to the charity fund as an apology! We’re having dinner on Thursday. Even mentioned doing a joint album together.”

Minuette clapped her hooves together. “That’s great news!”

“I did hate seeing you two at odds,” Spotlight said with her motherly smile.

“Okay, now that’s all out of the way, let’s get to the really good stuff.” Moon Dancer cleared her throat. “Mister Svengallop allegedly blackmailed another pony into acts of sabotage against Miss Coloratura’s show, up to and including the use of an illegal Amp. The unnamed pony in question was apprehended during Miss Coloratura’s Grade School Gala charity event for the schools of Manehattan. Those assisting in the capture of said pony were the Manehattan police, the security staff of Miss Coloratura—headed by Gateway, formerly Lead Detective of the Canterlot First Precinct—and the Princess’s personal student, Sunset Shimmer, in addition to her friends Moon Dancer—hey I know her!—Cheerilee and Minuette. After last night’s concert, Miss Coloratura and Miss Spotlight praised Miss Shimmer and her friends for their diligence and their assistance in ‘apprehending the true culprit behind these attacks.’”

Rara, Coco and Spotlight all burst into applause. Sunset blushed, her ears going back.

“Although Mister Svengallop’s attorney informed reporters that his client had no comment at this time, Chief Stablemaker said this morning in a press conference that ‘we have a very compelling case against Mister Svengallop. His fate is in the hooves of the courts now, but I’m confident the truth will come out.’”

Another round of applause and cheering echoed through the room.

Moon Dancer folded the newspaper with a grin and tossed it onto the coffee table next to the massive mountain of doughnuts, scones, fritters and other assorted high-sugar and high-calorie pastries. She took a huge swing of her coffee and laughed, her glasses falling down her muzzle a bit before she shifted them back up. With a little hop, she landed next to Sunset and nudged her.

“Not bad, Sunny. Not bad at all.” Moon Dancer smirked.

Sunset’s eyes fell on the newspaper where the indignant looking stallion with a fluffy peach mane and circular glasses looked out with a contemptuous sneer from behind what had to be his lawyer.

“Wow,” Moon Dancer said, beaming at everypony in a room, obviously a bit drunk off sleep deprivation. “I’ve never been part of a real police mystery before. Well, not one that didn’t involve the Royal Guard.”

She leered in Sunset’s direction, but Sunset rolled her eyes. “The police were never involved that time and you know it.”

“Could have been!” Moon Dancer insisted. “Still, this was almost better.”

Sunset knew better than to ask about the ‘almost.’

“Trixie and Free Beat’s testimony was enough to get things moving,” Spotlight declared. “Now, that snake’s dirty little secrets are unraveling. PonyGram Records has already declared him in breach of contract. I’m afraid Mister Svengallop won’t be getting any help from them. Other venues have come forward with reports about his behavior, too, from here to Vanhoover! Even better, Stablemaker informed me they have a strong lead on the amp. As soon as he makes the connection between the amp and Svengallop, I’m afraid Svengallop’s days of manipulation are over.”

“And I’m sure the Manehattan elite will be galloping as far away as they can from him,” Coco added. “After all, nopony wants to be associated with a pony with his new reputation.”

Sunset smiled and leaned back, taking a bite of a simply wonderful strawberry glazed cake donut with sprinkles. “He can try all he likes… but I doubt he’s getting out of this.”

Spotlight nodded in agreement in her serene and dignified manner. “It gets better, my dears. According to my own sources within the PonyGram, the Board of Directors is taking another look at several recent retirements and transfers that allowed Mister Svengallop to jockey his way into a position of authority within the label. Even if he does manage to weasel out of jail, he shall never work in this town again.”

“Everypony’s dropping him faster than a horseshoe on fire,” Cheerilee said with a grin.

Sunset, Moon Dancer and Minuette all stared at her.

“What?” Cheerilee demanded defiantly. “Ponyville was founded by earth ponies. You pick up things there!”

The three of them burst into laughter, and everypony else joined in.

“Could Svengallop have really taken over your contract?” Minuette asked Rara.

The singer nodded. “He was blackmailing half of the Board into letting him take over for Spotlight if she ever retired. I would have fought it, of course. I would never work for that terrible stallion. In fact, I would have quit.”

“Wait,” Sunset said, holding up a hoof. “You mentioned it last night, but I never heard the whole story. How do you all know him anyway?”

“After a—”

Somepony knocked on the door. Gateway, who’d been standing silently by the door this entire time, opened it briefly and then nodded.

“Miss Coloratura, Miss Spotlight, the guest you’ve been expecting has arrived.”

“Gateway,” Spotlight said with an admonishing tone. “Don’t you dare leave her out there on the doorstep! Bring my dear niece in.”

Gateway opened the door to admit a pony Sunset hadn’t been expecting. A smooth wave of dark gray locks flowed over her light gray coat. Purple eyes sparkled as they fell on Spotlight and Rara. But the most telling feature was the tiny bit of clothing she wore: a pink bow-tie with a white collar.

“Octavia, dear!” Spotlight called, holding her hooves open. “Come give your Aunt Spotlight a hug.”

For a pony who had managed to work her way into the greatest concert halls of Equestria, Octavia Melody could drop the dignified act at a moment’s notice. She rushed forward to embrace Spotlight in a tight hug.

“I only just heard about your injury!” Octavia said as she let go and knelt before her aunt’s wheelchair. Her elegant Trottingham accent washed over the room, as refined as the mare herself. “I cannot believe you didn’t tell me! Are you well, Auntie?”

“Yes, yes,” Spotlight said with a wave of her hoof. “These fine ponies were quite helpful in getting me back on my hooves… so to speak.”

“Still, Auntie, should you be up and about, even in a wheelchair? I do know just how dreadfully heavy stage rigging can be!”

“Don’t fret, my dear. I’m as fit as your cello,” Spotlight winked at her and Octavia blushed just a bit. “Now, I do believe it’s time for proper introductions.”

Octavia got to her hooves as Spotlight gestured to Sunset and her friends.

“Octavia Melody, I’d like you to meet Miss Sunset Shimmer, Miss Moon Dancer, Miss Cheerilee and Miss Minuette. They were instrumental—if you’ll pardon the pun—in discovering the pony truly behind these dreadful occurrences and freeing Miss Lulamoon from the clutches of Svengallop.”

Octavia smiled warmly at Sunset, Moon Dancer, Cheerilee and Minuette in turn. She even gave Trixie a nod of respect.

“Thank you all ever so much for looking after my dear Aunt,” she said with a warm smile. “I am in your debt.”

“It was nothing much, really,” Sunset replied, rubbing the back of her neck. “We just happened to be at the right place at the right time.”

Gateway let out a cough from behind her that Sunset choose to ignore. It didn’t stop Moon Dancer and Minuette from snickering though. Cheerilee just rolled her eyes.

Coloratura rose and stepped over to give Octavia an enormous hug.

“I missed you, Tavi,” she said with honest warmth. “It’s been so long since I’ve got to hear your wonderful cello!”

Octavia waved away the compliment in a manner all-too-similar to her aunt. “Please. I am and always shall be a background pony for you, Rara. Between the two of us, you’ve always been the brighter star. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I’m not starting this argument with you again,” Rara said with a smile. “Especially after that wonderful little number you did with Miss Scratch.”

To Sunset’s surprise, Octavia went a little red, looking like a filly caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. “Yes well… despite our different mediums, we have been known to make beautiful music together.”

A beat passed before Octavia’s face lit up like the sun.

“Not like that!” she squeaked, but it was far too late.

Minuette was already rolling on the floor laughing her tail off. Moon Dancer had to hold herself against the coffee table to stay upright. A few seconds later, the rest of the room had joined in, even Spotlight, who simply wrapped Octavia in another hug.

“Okay, okay,” Rara said with an even bigger smile. “That’s enough teasing of poor Tavi. After all, I think she might be the unsung hero of the last few days.”

Octavia grabbed a white-glazed doughnut. After Rara had sat, Octavia settled herself beside her friend, a quizzical expression on her face. “Whatever do you mean, Rara?”

Rara beamed and looked at Sunset and her friends. “When we were fillies, I met Octavia at Camp Friendship, an earth pony summer camp. It was the year after we both got our cutie marks.”

Octavia stared at Rara with an odd expression, her eyebrow cocked as she took another bite of the doughnut. Sunset decided to steal another one with extra sprinkles as she listened.

“We hit it off instantly. After all, we both loved music in our own way. I’ll have you know that underneath that refined Trottingham accent is a pony who isn’t afraid to dive into the mud with a friend.”

“Rara!” Octavia wailed. “You promised to stop telling that story!”

Rara chuckled. “I’ll let you off the hook for today. Anyway, one afternoon, for the camp talent show, we did a little variant of the Equestrian Anthem that I wrote. Tavi here played beautifully… though weren’t you fooling around with a guitar back then, Tavi?”

The gray earth pony shrugged sheepishly. “They wouldn’t let me bring my cello to camp and somepony had already claimed the only violin. I had to make do with what I could find! At least it had strings!”

“It still sounded amazing.” Rara giggled. “The irony is that Tavi only got to come to Camp Friendship when another camper dropped out at the last moment.”

Tavi nodded and smiled wistfully. “I was the first name on the waitlist. I had so looked forward to ‘cutting-loose,’ as they say. I remember jumping about the house for a good twenty minutes after we got the letter!”

Sunset grinned, imagining a filly-sized Octavia bouncing around like Minuette. It was almost too cute to handle.

“Well, when camp was over, we both headed back home,” Rara said. “I was living in Fillydelphia at the time while Octavia was still in Trottingham. We wrote back and forth for a while until I told her I was moving to Manehattan to try and make my way there professionally. She was thrilled and promised to meet me when I arrived. Even chipped in a little for my first flat. But she did something far more important.”

Both of them turned to Spotlight, who just smiled maternally at the two of them.

“I had already made some progress at PonyGram Records,” Rara continued. “In fact, the management there was getting ready to set me up with…” Rara trailed off.

“You’re kidding,” Minuette said. “Svengallop?”

“The very same.”

“Yowza! You dodged an arrow there!”

“I didn’t know how much until today,” Rara admitted. “After I got settled, Tavi introduced me to her Aunt Spotlight and asked her to look after me. Spotlight pulled a few strings and got herself assigned as my manager instead of Svengallop. And the rest… as they say, is history.”

Coco took a sip of tea and sighed. “If you hadn’t ended up making friends with Tavi, I think I can safely say all our lives would have been different. I don’t think that stallion would have let me anywhere near you.”

“Probably not,” Rara said. “I can say I definitely got a better deal in Spotlight.”

“I’m just happy to be of service, my dears,” Spotlight said with a little smile. “Nothing more, nothing less. My job is to make you shine… and you make it a very easy job.” Spotlight hesitated. “Well, when there aren’t pieces of the stage falling on me, after all.”

Once again, Trixie winced and huddled in her seat.

Coco was the first to notice this time.

“Trixie, what are we going to have to do to make you believe that we’ve forgiven you?” she asked, sincerity pouring from every word. She took another drink of her tea. “We’re not pressing any charges against you. We’ve even brought you on board to tour with us! You signed the paperwork this morning! What more do you need?”

“I… I…” Trixie swallowed. “I’m sorry. I… I still have trouble believing this is really happening.”

“Whatever do you mean, my dear?” Spotlight asked, leaning forward in her wheelchair. “Have you never seen generosity or kindness at work before?”

“Well… The Great and Powerful Trixie hasn’t,” Trixie admitted, rubbing her hooves together awkwardly. “Svengallop was right about that. Like Miss Coloratura said, that’s… that’s what I used to call myself. Used to always say ‘Trixie’ instead of ‘I.’ Used to think I was the greatest thing on four legs. But then my shows started to fall apart. One night after a… terrible act in Fillydelphia, Svengallop showed up. I was living in my wagon at the time. Didn’t have any other home. Barely had enough bits to pay for food.”

“Why?” Cheerilee asked, looking aghast. “What about your family or friends?”

“When you think you’re the greatest thing in the world, making friends isn’t high on your list.”

It was Sunset’s turn to wince. “Okay, I could see that.”

Trixie looked up at her and her eyes softened. “You actually get it.”

“Yeah,” Sunset said. “I wish I didn’t… but I do.”

“As for my family… well, that’s complicated.” Trixie shook her head.

“Trixie,” Sunset said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “If anypony understands issues with family… it’s me.”

“She does,” Moon Dancer said with an emphatic nod. “Trust us on this.”

That seemed to give Trixie the little extra push she needed.

“Well… Gateway was right. My father is Aether Lulamoon. All I ever wanted was to be just like him.” Trixie sniffled and fiddled with the hem of the cloak Coco had made for her. “But… he earned his reputation and position on his own. I wanted to prove I could do that too! I even added ‘Lulamoon’ to my name to remind me of what he had been doing at my age. He always encouraged me to come home… but I was too proud to listen. I can’t imagine what he’d think of me now.”

Cheerilee smiled and leaned forward.

“I’ve met Aether. I got to assist him at GU for a few months when his usual aide went on maternity leave. I remember him going on and on about his wonderfully stubborn daughter. I remember becoming pretty tired of it, actually.” Cheerilee winked at Trixie. “It was a few years ago, but I can’t imagine anything has changed.”

“I know.” Trixie’s voice cracked. “That’s… that almost makes it worse.”

“You should see him,” Coco said soothingly, putting a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder. “But you can do it in your own time. We won’t push.”

Trixie shook her head as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You… you really are everything Svengallop wasn’t. At the start, he offered me a chance at something I never thought possible. He offered to pay me to sabotage a few shows just to run some pony out of a job. Then, he promised he’d make me an opener in Coloratura’s concerts! I couldn’t say no! He… wasn’t exactly nice though. He... um… let’s just say he… forced me to stop the whole third-person thing. And… other things.”

Sunset’s blood boiled. She thought back to how he had talked to Trixie last night and just how degrading he’d been. Suddenly, Sunset wanted nothing more than to teleport down to the police station to buck him into next week. Then find some way to travel forward in time just so she could buck him back.

“It all got out of hoof so quickly. At first it was just a few spells. A few smoke bombs. Designed to scare ponies or create accident reports. But when Miss Spotlight didn’t leave, he started to get desperate. Ordered me to do more and more things. Dangerous things. After the accident with the truss, he gave me the amp. Anyway… you pretty much know the rest.”

“But why didn’t you just leave?” Moon Dancer asked. “You had to be able to walk away!”

“Like I said last night…” Trixie bit her lip and didn’t met anypony’s eyes. “I tried. Every time I tried, he told me if I did leave, he’d tell the police everything and pin it all on me. He was good. He made sure nothing could be traced back to him. It would be the word of a respected manager in PonyGram Records versus a two-bit illusionist.”

Moon Dancer gritted her teeth. It looked like she wanted to buck Svengallop into next month.

Trixie let out an explosive sigh. “I just… went along with it, hoping that it would work out. I even think I knew he would throw me to the timberwolves in the end, but I was just so scared, I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t face my father, knowing what I’d done. And…” Trixie trailed off, her voice hitching again.

Sunset’s heart twisted in her chest, thinking back to a conversation she had once had with a yellow unicorn filly in a dark classroom.

“He made you feel worthless, didn’t he? Just… constantly ripped you apart? Made you believe he was your only way out.”

Trixie nodded.

“I understand,” Sunset muttered.

Trixie looked up, surprised. “You do?”

Sunset winced, even as Moon Dancer nudged her.

“Well… once upon a time… I was a lot like him.”

“She’s better now,” Moon Dancer said instantly. “A lot better. Still screws up all the time, of course. But she’s definitely not evil anymore.”

“Thanks.” Sunset raised an eyebrow at her best friend. “I think.”

“What are friends for?”

“Trixie, you are no two-bit illusionist,” Rara said, getting the conversation back on track. “I think everypony in the room can say that with quite a bit of confidence. We all saw that dragon, Trixie. It was amazing. Terrifying, but amazing.”

Everypony—including Spotlight and even Octavia—nodded.

“Yeah, but I was using an amp!” Trixie protested, wincing as she tried to touch the singed area around her horn. “Celestia, it still hurts.”

Sunset winced. “Sorry, but that’s not something any healing potion will fix. You’re probably not going to be able to use any magic besides basic levitation without pain for at least a few weeks.”

“It’s a small price to pay,” Trixie said quietly. “And one I’ll happily pay since all of you have forgiven me so easily.”

“Everypony deserves a second chance.” Sunset nudged her on the shoulder.

Trixie smiled at her with a few more tears in her eyes and nodded.

Sunset blinked and bopped herself on the head. “I do have one question though…”

“What’s that?”

“I can’t believe I forgot about this… but why did you try and impersonate me of all ponies a few nights ago?”

Trixie blinked at her, the tears vanishing as she stared at Sunset. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, I assume it was you.” Sunset shrugged. “Gateway said that somepony impersonated me a few nights ago trying to get inside.”

“I… I’ve never been able to do an illusion spell like that before,” Trixie said, shaking her head. “Anyway, I was already a stagehoof. Why would I need to sneak in?”

“Ah.” Everypony turned to look at Gateway. For the very first time, Sunset saw the gigantic stallion look almost awkward. “That. In the chaos of everything that happened last night, I’m afraid I forgot to mention that we found out who that was.”

“Wait, what?” Sunset stared at Gateway. “Who was it? Don’t leave me in suspense! Was it some sort of contingency plan by Svengallop?”

“No,” Gateway said. “In this case… it was just a fanfilly good with spells. She tried to get through the main doors without a ticket. Crabgreen—believe it or not—caught her shortly after Svengallop was escorted out.”

“So… who was it?” Sunset demanded. “I’d really like to know who’s been running around using my face!”

“She actually was just a fanfilly.” Gateway chuckled. “She’d put an illusion rune on a necklace. I had a long talk with her about it and confiscated the necklace. Handed it over to Officer Hops for proper disposal.”

“Wait… so it had nothing to do with Svengallop? Or the sabotage? Or any of it?” Sunset cried. She flailed her hooves.

Give me a break! I need some answers here!

“I’m afraid not. This one was just a run-of-the-mill fanfilly.”

“Well, did you arrest her? Or something?”

“I let her off with a warning,” Gateway grumbled. “After everything that happened with Trixie, I felt it was within my jurisdiction to be… lenient.”

Trixie looked surprised, but Coco and Rara just grinned.

“I always knew you were a softie at heart, Gateway.” Spotlight giggled.

“Don’t you start with me, Spot!”

“At least tell me you got a name!” Sunset pleaded. “Please!”

“She’s harmless,” Gateway replied with a roll of his eyes. “Listen, I may come across as intense, but I can tell when somepony got caught up in the moment. I doubt this Starlight Glimmer filly will ever bother you again.”

Sunset ground her teeth until Moon Dancer poked her in the side. “Come on, he got the necklace, so it’s not like she’s going to sneak into any secret meetings or anything. She just wanted to see the show last night.”

“Okay! Okay!” Sunset threw up her hooves and let out an explosive breath. “You all win. I can let it go. Anyway, you’re right. Just a fanfilly. Sorry, since that’s kind of what got us involved in all of this… it’s hard to believe it was really nothing.”

“I’m glad you agree,” Gateway replied with a hint of a smirk. “Because once I reported it to the Royal Guard, they agreed with my assessment.”

Sunset speared him with a look that should have frozen him solid. “You were waiting for that, weren’t you?”

Gateway smirked at her. “You had it coming.”

Sunset groaned and buried her face in her hooves. “It’s a conspiracy.”

A knock at the door interrupted whatever Moon Dancer was going to say next. Gateway once again opened the door, only this time, he looked surprised.

“Miss Shimmer?” Gateway called. “I think this one’s for you.”

Sunset stood and faced the door, only to have a white pegasus stallion in Royal Courier armor—a sleeker version of the traditional Royal Guard armor—march into the room with a small package. Sunset gulped as she recognized the seal.

Oh, ponyfeathers.

The courier hooved her the package and nodded before marching back out.

“Sunset?” Rara asked. “What is that?”

“Oh,” Sunset said weakly. “It’s only from the Princess.”

“Why do you look so scared?” Trixie asked.

Sunset grinned and hoped that her friends didn’t see the nervous twitch. “Because I may have played a little fast and loose with my ‘authority’ in the last few days.”

“No point in drawing it out, Sunny,” Moon Dancer said. “Just get it over with.”

Sunset nodded and broke the seal on the brown package. She tore away the wrapping to reveal a small book with a note attached. On the top of the note was Sunset’s name in Celestia’s iconic flowing script.

“Let’s hear it,” Moon Dancer prompted.

“Moon Dancer!” Cheerilee said. “You don’t need to force her to read it out loud!”

“It’s good for her character!” Moon Dancer said.

“You might as well, Sunny,” Minuette said with a shrug. “You’ll have to tell us all anyway.”

Sunset nodded. There really was no escaping it. So, she unfolded the note and began to read it aloud.

“‘Dearest Sunset. I just received today’s copy of the Manehattan Times with a rather interesting report from Police Chief Stablemaker by way of Raven. I find myself somewhat surprised about your involvement in the incident with Miss Coloratura in Manehattan, especially as I do not recall authorizing you to have any sort of police authority in any city, let alone the biggest city in Equestria. As such, I believe you may need some further lessons in a subject that’s come up from time to time. I wrote this some years ago. The last time somepony needed a copy, it was dear Blueblood. After this incident, I think you’d benefit from reading it. We’ll discuss your thoughts on it when I see you in Canterlot next week.”

“Okay,” Moon Dancer said. “That’s not the worst she could have sent you. So, what’s the book?”

Sunset, feeling numb and a bit giddy for getting off with such a comparatively light slap on the hoof—despite the comparison to Blueblood, of all ponies—moved the paper aside and lifted the small book up so she could read it in the light.

She facehoofed and groaned.

“It’s called How Not To Use Your Royal Prerogative.”

The laughter echoed through Hoofbeats like music and didn’t stop for a very, very long time.

Author's Note

Theme Song for How Not to Use Your Royal Prerogative

And so, at long last, How Not to Use Your Royal Prerogative, comes to a close. With this, I'm delighted to say that the Origins Arc of the Wavelengths Timeline is now complete! While I may add stories to this part of Sunset's life at a later date, now it's time to finally move forward and see what happened after the events of the Applications Arc!

As usual, I have a full-blown retrospective of Prerogative, exploring everything from how a 32,000-word short story evolved into a 64,000-word novel, the science and magic of Amps and all about that little name drop I did at the end. You can read it here!

A huge thanks goes out to the Wavelengths Editing Team, with the special guest pre-reader of Tchernobog, who was absolutely essential to working out that wonderfully fun AppleDash angle. And yes, you may see more of AppleDash in this universe sometime!

Ebon Quill, as usual, remained the voice of reason and made sure I had the best version of this story ready for you guys to enjoy. Beltorn kept us on our toes by finding more details than I ever thought possible. Little Tinker, of course, worked tirelessly on the original version of Prerogative and helped out some on the "May 2017" edition.

A very special thank you goes out to Cursori. How Not to Use Your Royal Prerogative is actually how he joined the Wavelengths Editing Team! Personally recommended by none other than Monochromatic herself, he joined the team to provide a fresh new perspective on a story we'd all worked ourselves to death on, Cursori helped me tremendously (and continues to do so every day). Cursori is a font of encouragement and positivity that I cherish more than you can possibly believe. He's always fighting in his own way to make these stories the best they can possibly be, while staying true to the overarching vision.

He's also the only person who's seen the FULL SCOPE of Wavelengths. He knows where I'm going and what I'm planning. Poor guy.

Finally, thank you all for bearing with me. This story has made me scream, made me cry and made me bleed, but at long last, you finally get to experience it in full. I hope you enjoyed the final product as much as we did. And I hope it makes you look forward to what's to come. Because there's a whole lot to come. Saddle up, folks. We ain't done yet. Not by a long shot.

I'll see you all for the next story!

-Amber

(P.S. I still can't believe this story doubled in length. Heck, even Rara has opinions on it!)

Stories set in the Wavelengths Timeline in chronological order:

Origins Arc
The Alchemy of Chemistry
Bards of the Badlands
Grading on a Bell Curve
Habits of the Equestrian Phoenix
How Not To Use Your Royal Prerogative

Applications Arc
The Application of Unified Harmony Magics
Princess Celestia: A Brief History
The Cloudsdale Report

Dreamers Arc
Tactics of Snowbound Unicorns
A Study in Chaos Theory
Teahouses of Saddle Arabia
As the Raven Flies

If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!