Gusty and Ember

Chapters

Chapter 1: Manehattan
Chapter 2: Coffee
Chapter 3: Reading List
Chapter 4: Sleeping Arrangements
Chapter 5: Breakfast
Chapter 6: Booking
Chapter 7: The West Side
Chapter 8: Thursday Dinner
Chapter 9: Islander
Chapter 10: Catch-Up
Chapter 11: Saturday
Chapter 12: Sapphire Stone
Chapter 13: The Column
Chapter 14 - Before the Show
Chapter 15: Reunions

Chapter 1: Manehattan

Trixie stepped off the stage, having just finished packing up after a reasonably successful performance – not a huge audience, but not one willing or able to heckle her out of the building, as had been the case for a long time after the Ursa Minor incident. She had had to sell her cart and start renting out venues under a new stage name, the Amazing B.G. Lulamoon, but her act was finally close to being afloat again.

She walked into the manager’s office. Publican was telekinetically sorting the takings. After he’d finished, he pulled out a bag and dropped her share in it. “The room you were asking about earlier is going to eat up a lot of this. But I think I can make you a deal.”

“Name it,” Trixie replied.

“Would you be willing to help out behind the bar until we close up tonight? The mare I had rostered on was in some kind of accident this morning, and she only got in contact with me half an hour ago.”

Trixie nodded. “Very well.” She wasn’t exactly happy about it, but it would ensure that the performance had earned a profit, and it wouldn’t be the worst job she’d had recently.

Publican returned the bag to his desk, then stood up and led Trixie to the barroom. “Do you plan on making another booking here? Because I can assure you some nights are better for this kind of act than others, especially if you give me more than a few hours for advertising.”

Trixie shook her head. “Thank you, but I will be moving on in the morning.” It was too much of a risk, especially after what happened in Neighagra a few weeks back – if anypony in tonight’s audience made the connection between B.G. Lulamoon and the Great and Powerful Trixie at this point, word of mouth would likely prevent her from making a profit in this neighbourhood again. Granted, that was a worst-case scenario – somepony might make the connection and recognise that she’d made an effort to avoid the attitude that had alienated past audiences, leading to more positive word of mouth. But for now, she felt staying on the move was the best choice.

There were only a few customers left at the bar, and all of them were close enough to the max drink limit that Trixie’s supervisor, an Earth Pony stallion named Salty, told her that he expected to be throwing them out soon. Two customers overheard this comment and quickly finished their drinks.

Since Trixie didn’t have an RSA, Salty put her to work cleaning glasses in the backroom. This kept her occupied for about ten minutes, and as she walked back into the bar, she saw an purple Earth pony mare with an orange mane walk in the door. Their eyes met, and the mare smiled. “Miss Beatrix G. Lulamoon, I presume.”

Trixie’s eyes widened – she hadn't used either of her given names in the last two months, ever since she’d left Ponyville. Not to mention that nopony had called her Beatrix in years. Thankfully, Salty didn’t seem to make the connection, but since he could tell it had meaning to her, he told her to take a break once this customer was served.

The mare sat down at the corner of the bar and Trixie walked over. “Can we get you anything?”

“Just an orange juice tonight,” she replied, in an accent that Trixie had begun to recognise as Brumbilandian. "One of those 500ml bottles, in a dimple mug if you have one."

Trixie nodded and walked over to the fridge while Salty found the requested mug from the backroom. She got out the bottle and brought it over to the bar, where Salty put the mug down in front of her. She poured out as much as she could and handed the bottle and the mug to the mare, who handed her a few bits, along with a decent tip. Once she saw that Salty was making a point of working down the other end of the bar, she asked the customer, "Do you intend to tell me how you know my name?”

The mare took a sip, put down the mug and smiled. “A Lulamoon family get-together on Hearth’s Warming Eve, about five or six years ago.”

Trixie blinked. “I wasn’t aware of any Earth ponies in my immediate family.”

The mare shook her head. “I’m not a Lulamoon, but my college roommate was and she invited me along, since I wasn't going home that winter. It was the year you did the Hearth’s Warming pageant as Princess Platinum, and stayed in character a bit longer than necessary.” She smirked at the memory, though she seemed to regret doing so a moment later.

Trixie remained perplexed. “I remember the play, but nothing else about your story is ringing a bell. Did I really leave such an impression on you?”

The mare muttered, “You have no idea.” She turned to open her saddlebag. Reaching inside, she pulled out a thick hardcover book and dumped it on the bar. Trixie picked it up and stared at it: Daring Do and the Amber of the Smooze. Written by Ember Roundup, who, judging by the several-years-old photograph on the back cover, was sitting right in front of her.

Trixie looked back up. “I’ve never read this series. What point are you…” She paused as the mare – Ember – pulled out a second book and placed it next to the first. Trixie stared at the title: Daring Do and the Curse of the Golden Key. Written by Ember Roundup and… Gusty Lulamoon?

Trixie dropped the first book and went silent, as various memories came flooding back, starting with an obituary she’d come across not long after the Ursa incident. After a minute or so she looked back at Ember, who said, “As you may have figured out, I owe a lot to your cousin, and to you, which is why I’ve spent the last year trying to track you down.”

“You… owe me?” Trixie had never felt more lost in a conversation than she did right now.

Ember paused before taking the second book back. “She never told you. Nopony ever told you…” She put the second book back in her bag and pulled out a card. “If I have your stops for the last week right, you’ve been traveling down the East Coast, and you’ll hit Fillydelphia in a few days.” She dropped the card on top of the book. “Here’s my address. I have much to discuss with you, and if you read the book you’ll know why.”

“Last orders, please!” called Salty from the other end of the bar. Ember quickly finished her orange juice and left without another word. The remaining customers followed within the next few minutes, and Salty asked Trixie to clean and put away the remaining glassware while he locked up.

Half an hour later, Trixie entered her room for the night and shut the door. She then put down her saddlebag on the bed and began searching through it. She soon found what she was looking for: the obituary she’d cut out of an old newspaper a few months before her return to Ponyville.

She ran her eyes over the short biography of her cousin. It provided a few details about her bestselling books, her minor literary awards, her career as an equinologist, and the ongoing investigation into the cause of her death, but had little to say about her personal life, save for a brief mention of her regular writing partners: Ember was one, the other was J. Thunderlane Hurricane, Jr, a name Trixie knew well, from a couple of her favourite horror short stories.

Trixie returned the clipping to her bag and turned to the book Ember had given her. She’d never been one for this kind of adventure book – though not so much the films, thanks mainly to John Barrowmane - but apparently Ember wanted her to find something in this one. She looked over at the clock bolted to the desk and decided she’d give it an hour before going to bed. She sat down, switched on the desk lantern and started reading.

Half an hour later, Trixie had found it.

Chapter 2: Coffee

As the train pulled into Fillydelphia Station, Trixie put her saddlebag back on and disembarked. Trotting down the platform, she pulled out Ember’s business card and looked around for a map or an information desk.

A week had passed since the meeting in Manehattan and Ember’s prediction had proved on target – Trixie had spent two more nights in different parts of Manehattan, giving comparatively more successful performances. She had then departed the city and travelled south by train, stopping in a few small villages on the East Coast. Her earnings had been reasonably good, so she was taking a couple of nights off to relax, enjoy Fillydelphia, and possibly come to blows with an internationally renowned author.

***

An hour later Trixie had managed to navigate her way to the address on the card. She knocked on the front door. Moments later, Ember answered the door with a smile. “Trixie! Come on in!” Trixie stepped inside and shut the door behind her as Ember walked into the kitchenette and opened a cupboard next to the stove. “I put the kettle on when I saw you through the window – tea, coffee, hot chocolate…?”

Trixie paused, a little overwhelmed. Noting the clearly extensive range of options in the cupboard, she replied, “I prefer coffee. Mocha, if you have it.”

A chuckle came from the kitchenette. “No problem there, Lanie’s the same. Incidentally, do you have a room in Fillydelphia booked yet?”

“Not yet, but I passed by a motel a few blocks back with vacan-”

“I won’t hear of it, you can set up in the spare room. At the end of the hallway, on your right.”

Trixie nodded, somewhat surprised at the offer considering the conversation the two were quite obviously going to be having later. Nevertheless, she walked down the hall and entered the bedroom on the right. She looked around, noting that though there were no decorations, there were pinpricks all over the place. She put down her bags and tried out the bed. It was comfortable, especially compared to her last few nights of camping out, but she decided she probably shouldn’t get used to it.

She got up and went over to her saddlebag. She opened it, pulled out Daring Do and the Amber of the Smooze, and left the room. But before she could walk back to the kitchen, two things caught her eye.

The other two rooms at the end of the hallway had wooden plaques nailed on the doors and names carved in – the room opposite was evidently Ember’s. Trixie closed her door and examined it – two recently filled-in nail holes, what she guessed to be chisel marks around a rectangular space, and room for, going by the proportions of the other two plaques, about five or six letters. Trixie’s heart sank as she put the pieces together. The anger she’d felt while retrieving the Daring Do book subsided, if only temporarily. She put the book under her cloak for now.

Suddenly something clicked in Trixie’s head, shaking her out of her reverie, and she turned back to the third door and reread the plaque: THUNDERLANE. She thought back to what she’d learned from Gusty’s obituary, and she couldn’t stop herself from geeking out. She ran back to the kitchen and exclaimed, “You live with J. Thunderlane Hurricane Jr?!”

Ember turned to her in surprise and only just managed to keep hold of the kettle. She grinned. “You’re a fan?”

“Buck yeah! His Demon trilogy are all on my desert island list, and his short story collection Hurricane Unplugged is amazing! Is he here?”

Ember finished pouring the drinks and started stirring. “No, unfortunately. He’s in Ponyville and Cloudsdale on busin-”

Trixie was glad she hadn’t started drinking yet. “Ponyville?”

Ember facehoofed, realising she probably should have thought that revelation through. “Two reasons: one, he’s visiting family and friends in Cloudsdale. Two, he’s working on a book with a Ponyville local. He’s been in the area for a little over two months, so he might be back while you're here, he hasn’t been clear on it.”

Trixie did the math in her head and froze. “So, he arrived shortly after I left?”

Ember nodded, as she passed the coffee mug over. She and Trixie walked into the living room together as she kept talking. “Lanie contacted me immediately after he found out about you and the amulet. It was the first trace of you I’d managed to find in over eight months.”

“So when I started working for the Pies… Wait - when you tracked me down in Manehattan, you said you knew I was heading down the East Coast. How did you figure out that much?” asked Trixie.

Ember smiled. “I’m a journalist – I have my sources.” She took a sip. “More specifically, though, it was when you got run out of Neighagra that put me on your trail, thanks to learning of your new stage name. So I alerted my contacts in surrounding cities and towns to listen out for a magician called BG Lulamoon or something similar, and I got better and better at predicting your course. You know, I think I was only minutes away from catching you in Vermount.”

Trixie nodded. “Okay, so what now that you’ve found me? I guess you realise that I’ve finished the book by now,” she said icily. Using her telekinesis, she pulled it out from her cloak and threw it on the coffee table.

Ember froze, her face displaying that she really hadn’t been looking forward to this conversation. “Right.”

“Did Gusty know about ‘Princess’ Sparkler?” asked Trixie, her fury starting to spill over. “That when you wrote, as one of your main villains, a hammy, narcissistic, lying blue unicorn with delusions of grandeur, a talent for stage illusion - and significantly less character depth than the rest of her cult - you were basing her on me?”

“Gusty found the caricature as amusing as I did,” retorted Ember, who instantly regretted it. Wincing, she rubbed her forehead and muttered, “Okay, that came out wrong.”

Trixie was stung. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. She spent a lot of that Hearthswarming week ganging up on me with Checker.”

Ember removed her hoof from her forehead and stared at her. “What are you talking about? Checker cares about you more than anypony.”

Trixie snorted. “Oh, please. You didn’t grow up with her. You didn’t see how smug she got after I was banned for life from future Hearth’s Warming Eve pageants.”

“You didn’t see how worried she was when she found out nopony knew how to get in touch with you for Gusty’s funeral. Or when Lanie told her what he’d heard about the Ursa,” replied Ember calmly.

Trixie had no response to that.

After a few minutes, Ember finished her coffee and broke the silence. “Trixie, for what it’s worth, I deeply regret writing Sparkler the way I did. Even if you didn’t know, even if it never impacted your career, your reputation, I still realise it was insulting, exploitative and wrong.”

Trixie looked at her. “But you didn’t realise it at the time?”

Ember shook her head. “It was – is – one of my biggest shortcomings – I suck at predicting how ponies will react to what I write or what I say, especially those close to me. And that’s part of why my partnership –why my friendship with Gusty and Lanie meant so much to me – they helped me keep my failings in check, I did the same for them.“

Trixie nodded, beginning to soften towards the mare who’d come so close to libelling her. “How did you three meet? College, you said?”

Ember nodded. “First year at university here in Fillydelphia. I had my Journalism, Lanie had his Psych, Gusty had her Equinology. But we all ended up in the same Popular Fiction elective, and as the three biggest Daring Do geeks in the class, we just gravitated towards each other.

“Even back then we made a great team. We never officially collaborated on any course work, but with all the time we spent bouncing ideas off each other, everything felt like a joint effort. At the start of the second year, we moved into a sharehouse off-campus together. We all kept up with our own goals, but we still got a lot of worthwhile creative writing accomplished between us – granted, most of it was Daring Do fan-fiction, but none of us could say it hasn’t paid off.” She chuckled at that thought, as did Trixie after a moment.

After a brief silence, Ember spoke up. “Thinking about it, I never answered your question before, why I wanted to bring you here.”

Trixie blinked. “So, not just to apologise?”

“Not just a verbal apology, at any rate. First of all, I want to work out a deal for royalties, over the Princess Sparkler issue.”

“Wait, is this going to involve signing a legal waiver or a non-disclosure agreement or something?” asked Trixie.

Ember raised an eyebrow. “You’d really be willing to go public about being the inspiration for “a hammy, narcissistic lying blue unicorn with delusions of grandeur”, a detail that has so far had no impact on your reputation and is largely unknown outside of one of my friends and maybe your immediate family?”

Trixie went red. Ember continued, “Which is why I’m offering to do this off the books. That’s if you’re not interested in a paid position on the project I’m planning.”

Trixie stared at her. “Go on.”

Ember inhaled, then said, “When you called me out on creating Sparkler before, you mentioned her having ‘significantly less character depth than the rest of her cult.’ And you’re right. Making her an insane, violent, bitchy comic relief character with only a token reference to the kind of traumatic backstory that the rest of them had - it was a mistake, regardless of who she was based on. What I want to do is write another book to flesh her out, and I have a story in mind. But whether or not this book happens is entirely up to you.”

Trixie took a moment to process this. “I’m… I’m really not a writer, wouldn’t Thunderlane be better suited -”

Ember shook her head. “He has two projects on the go with different partners at the moment. And I’m not looking for a co-writer right now, what I’m looking for is a… creative consultant.”

“A consultant? Just what is this story you have in mind?”

Ember leaned forward in her chair. “Daring Do and the Alicorn Amulet.”

Chapter 3: Reading List

Trixie stared at Ember in silence as her anger slowly returned to the surface. Finally, she spoke up. “I do not believe this. You bring me here wanting to apologise for exploiting my foalhood behaviour for a book, then turn around and ask me to go along with you exploiting the lowest point of my life for another book?”

Ember rubbed her forehead again. “That’s… not exactly how I’d put it,” she muttered. “Like I said, I don’t want to take this project any further without your complete involvement. My goal here is to do Sparkler right on your terms, and if you want her to stay gone, she stays gone.”

Trixie wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Ember stood up and walked over to the desk in the corner. She picked up a stapled document and turned to Trixie. “If it helps you trust me on this, I managed to secure this agreement from my bosses at Polo House.” She walked back to her chair and handed the pages to Trixie. “You can go over it in detail yourself later, but the gist of it is that unless you give your consent, both Princess Sparkler and the Alicorn Amulet will be permanently off-limits to the entire Daring Do writing staff, myself included.”

Trixie managed to calm herself down as she realised the power Ember had arranged for her. “And if I do want somepony other than you to write Daring Do and the Alicorn Amulet?“ she asked, her tone still a little icy.

Ember smiled. “I’d recommend Steeplechase Moffat – he did a good job with the Colt Leader in Daring Do and the Universal Cracks. Or Lanie, if you’re willing to wait for a few months.”

Trixie’s jaw dropped at how well Ember was taking her implied rejection. Ember continued, “It’s all there in the agreement. You have Checker to thank for that last clause – it seems she wasn’t any happier about me using you for Sparkler than you were.”

This was all it took – Trixie, who in the last half hour had come to realise how much her sister cared and how much she’d hurt her in her largely self-imposed exile, was now unable to hold back the tears. “Could… could you get in touch with her for me?” she asked, her voice shaking. “I don’t think I’m ready to go home, but I do want her to know I’m surviving.”

“Of course I can,” answered Ember. “But what I tell her will depend on how long you’re planning to stay in Fillydelphia.”

Trixie smiled, trying to wipe away the tears. “Long enough to meet J.T.H, at least. And… I do want to hear your story outline. I assume it’s not so shameless as to involve Sparkler getting hold of the Amulet and using it to force Daring out of Canterlot?”

Ember laughed, and answered, “Not quite. She has other goals. Getting back from the spirit world and finding a new body, for starters.”

Confused, Trixie asked, “This universe has ghosts now?”

Ember hesitated. “You really haven’t read much of this series, have you?”

Trixie shook her head. “Just the one you gave me, though I did skim through a guide book I found in a Manehattan library. I think it predates most of the Expanded Universe. And I’ve seen one or two of the movies, though I was a little… distracted.”

Ember nodded, deciding not to ask. “Right… I think maybe I should give you a reading list before I tell you any more.” She got out of her chair and walked over to the bookshelf, where she started picking books out and dropping them on the coffee table.

As the pile grew higher, Trixie spoke up, “Seriously, are all of these going to be relevant? I didn’t want to stay in Fillydelphia for another three months.”

Ember laughed and replied. “Just be glad you’ve already been introduced to Daring and Ahuizotl – Sapphire Stone has way too much padding for my tastes.”

As Ember moved on to the second row of the bookshelf, Trixie looked over the pile. The first seven were by the series creator, AK Yearling: Daring Do and the Platinum Crown, Daring Do and the Griffon’s Goblet, Daring Do and the Wooden Mask, Daring Do and the Alicorn’s Shadow, Daring Do and the Temple of Nightmare Moon, Daring Do and the Legacy of Nightmare Moon and Daring Do and the Staff of Star Swirl the Bearded.

As Ember returned to her chair, Trixie looked over the second pile - six books, one of which was incredibly thick - and her eyes widened: Gusty’s name was on the cover of Daring Do and the Ruby of the Blank Village.

Ember saw what Trixie was looking at and said, “Gusty was planning on writing a sequel to that one – she was on a research trip when she died, mapping part of the forest.”

Trixie looked up. “Did the medical examiner ever find out the cause of death? The obituary I found for her was vague on that point.”

Ember shook her head. “Not for certain. Which, for Lanie and me at least, is even worse than if she had been found in pieces. We’ll never know whether or not we could have saved her had we not been tied up in contract negotiations with Polo House that week.”

Trixie nodded sympathetically. Ember continued, “A few months after the funeral, Grant brought me, Lanie and a few others in on a big collaborative project.” Trixie glanced over the books on the table and held up Daring Do and the Tinker’s Seal, which had six authors credited on the cover, including Ember, Thunderlane and Grant Mareson. Ember nodded. “That’s the one. He said he wanted to bring together some of the plot threads still hanging from the New Adventures into one big adventure. Because that worked so well for him with Church of the Blue Sun.” She rolled her eyes at that, before realising that Trixie had no way of getting the reference. “Never mind. Anyway, part of his story involved the Blank Village, and he persuaded Lanie to write that subplot using the notes that Gusty had left behind.”

“He didn’t think it might be just a little too soon?” asked Trixie, finding herself starting to dislike this Grant Mareson.

“Most of us did, especially considering where it happened,” answered Ember. ”Medley and Waterfire backed out in disgust at that point. But Grant convinced the rest of us that it would be following Gusty’s dying wish. And I guess I can’t disagree with that. The book was still pretty draining for us though, Lanie especially.”

Trixie decided to change the subject. “So you’re sure that these…” she counted. “Thirteen books are going to be relevant to the Princess Sparkler story?”

Ember sheepishly shook her head. “Admittedly I may have gone overboard a bit. Some of them are just introducing characters who’ll be important later, and most of them won’t involve the Colt of the Smooze. But I honestly think they will help set the scene for you better than just reading Amber of the Smooze and some of its successors would.”

Trixie nodded. “Okay. I’m willing to give it a try. But if I’m staying here for a couple of months, there’s something I want your help with.” Ember gestured for her to go on. “I want to keep performing, to keep building up B.G. Lulamoon’s reputation in a way that will distance her from the attitude the Great and Powerful Trixie ha– oh dear Celestia, I’m talking in the third pony again, aren’t I?” she muttered breathlessly and facehoofed.

Ember laughed. “Don’t worry, I know what you’re getting at. And I can tell you right now that there’s a dinner theatre a few blocks up the street that would be ideal. If you’d like to join me for dinner tonight, I can help you scope it out, and I’d even be willing to fund a booking if it meets your needs. Consider it your first royalties payment.”

Trixie smiled and held out her hoof, which Ember bumped. “It’s a date.”

***

The dinner had been delicious, possibly the best meal Trixie had had in years. And while the entertainment - a decidedly amateurish attempt at 12 Angry Mares - had been poor, the venue was undoubtedly up to her standards. Before they left, Ember had arranged an appointment between the manager and the two of them for the following morning.

As they trotted down Ember’s street, Trixie’s horn lighting their way when necessary, Trixie spotted a chariot parked outside the house that hadn’t been there earlier. Specifically, a sky carriage.

“Does this mean Thunderlane is back?” asked Trixie.

Ember frowned. “Possibly, but he didn’t take a carriage with him when he left, and the only reason he’d need one coming back…” She galloped across the street and up to the front door. Trixie followed, catching up by the time the door opened. Trixie gasped upon seeing that the grey, silver-maned Pegasus stallion holding the door was… not her idol, though there was a definite family resemblance.

“Ms Roundup,” he said, holding out his hoof. Ember shook it.

“T.L. It’s been a while. I take it my housemate is back?”

He nodded. “With company.” He led them inside.

As Trixie stepped through the door, she looked into the kitchen. Two pegasi were sitting at the table, coffee mugs in their hooves. One was a turquoise mare with a green mane, somewhat muscular and a few years older than Ember. The other: J. Thunderlane. Hurricane. Jr.

Trixie managed to control herself, though, giving Thunderlane time to get up and hug Ember. “Okay Emmy, before you say anything, Medley will be staying with her sister, and T.L. will be heading back to Cloudsdale tonight. The girls have just gone to set up in the spare room.”

Ember pulled back from him. “The girls?!”

Thunderlane only now seemed to notice Trixie in the hallway. “Gusty’s cousin? When did you find her?”

Before she could answer, a voice called from down the hall, accompanied by hoofsteps as the speaker approached them. “J, do you know who these bags belo- What are you doing here?!”

Shocked, Trixie turned to see… a vaguely familiar mint-green unicorn with a harp cutie mark, scowling in her direction.

Chapter 4: Sleeping Arrangements

Trixie racked her brains, trying to remember where she’d seen this unicorn before. “OK, you’re going to have to refresh my –” she paused as a second mare came out of the bedroom to investigate the commotion. A cream-coloured Earth pony, and one she definitely recognised. “You!”

The mare blinked. “Trixie?”

The unicorn glared indignantly. “You remember Bon-Bon but not me?” She turned to Bon Bon. “I thought we did everything together.”

Trixie glared back. “You didn’t show up at three of my performances in the north-west and turn the crowd against me.”

“So that explains her mysterious trip to Vanhoover,” muttered the unicorn.

Bon Bon ignored her and scoffed. “Right, like you weren’t already doing that yourself by humiliating anypony who tried to challenge you, just like you did to Applejack and Rainbow Dash.”

“By the third time, you didn’t even let me get started!” retorted Trixie. “You arrived a day ahead of me and passed out fliers about the Ursa Minor incident. It never occurred to you that I might have been ready to change my approach?”

Bon Bon flinched as the question struck home. But she recovered and replied, “And what you did to Ponyville two months ago, was that you changing your approach?”

It was Trixie’s turn to flinch, as she was hit with a wave of remorse. “That wasn’t even my plan, not until after I found the Amulet. I wanted to show up Twilight, I wasn’t after the whole town.”

Bon Bon was unmoved. “That’s your excuse? ‘The Amulet made me do it.’?”

Trixie’s glare returned. “Yes, that’s my excuse, and it doesn’t seem worse than, ‘Our hero worship of a stage performer made us endanger our whole town in an attempt to make her look good.’ How much time did you devote to harassing those idiots?”

Bon Bon sensed she was losing this argument, but she pressed on. “None, once they’d helped worked off the damage the Ursa did. How much have you ever done to atone for your mistakes? Let's see, you supplied a few fireworks for Twilight’s show. Uninvited, I might add, which could have gone horribly wrong for-”

Ember finally stepped in. “Girls, this is getting us nowhere.” She looked around at each of them. “Lyra, Medley, nice to see you both again. Bon Bon, I’m pleased to finally meet you. – Wait, has anypony seen T.L?”

“He told me he was going to take off and then slipped out during the argument,” answered Medley. “On his way back to Cloudsdale, I guess.”

“OK then.” Ember gestured for the group to follow her into the living room. The six of them sat down, Trixie and Lyra levitating chairs in from the kitchen. “So, Lyra and Medley, I take it you’ve both come here to continue working with Thunderlane?”

Medley nodded. “He'd hit a bit of an impasse on both books, so we decided it might help if he had you around.”

Suddenly, Trixie put a few pieces together – Ember had said Thunderlane was in Ponyville and Cloudsdale, working with a Ponyville local. He had brought back Lyra, who quite obviously wasn’t from Cloudsdale. Two of the Daring Do books on the second pile, still on the coffee table, had the name L. Heartstrings on the cover – and now she recognised where she’d seen her before: she had been watching her rematch with Twilight Sparkle.

“You’re L. Heartstrings?” blurted out Trixie, pulling the two books in question out of the pile with her telekinesis.

Lyra turned and smiled. “That’s right. You’re a fan?”

“Actually… no, I’ve never read your work,” said Trixie, deflated, as she returned the books to the pile. “They’re on my reading list though.”

Medley seemed to notice the pile for the first time and looked through them. “None of mine are,” she said, with a tone of feigned indignation.

Ember spoke up. “My fault. I’ve asked Trixie for help on a book, and I picked these out to help set the scene for her. She has little to no experience of this series before.”

“Not even your cousin’s books?” asked Medley. Bon Bon shot Lyra a surprised look, which went unnoticed by the rest of the group.

Trixie shook her head. “Gusty and I weren’t on great terms, and until last week I didn’t even know about her involvement in this series.”

Thunderlane turned to Ember. “You found her a week ago? Why didn’t you write to me?”

Ember looked at him, surprised. “I did! Why didn’t you write and tell me you were bringing three mares back with you?”

“I did,” answered Thunderlane slowly. After a few seconds, he, Lyra, Bon Bon and Medley facehoofed simultaneously. “The Cloudsdale Postal Service really needs to do something about Raindrops,” he muttered.

Ember changed the subject. "Okay then, sleeping arrangements. You said Medley would be staying with her sister?” Thunderlane and Medley nodded. Ember turned to Lyra. “I have an extra mattress, but it’s only big enough for one pony. How about you and Bon Bon take the spare room, and Trixie can share mine?”

Lyra and Bon Bon seemed receptive to the idea, but Trixie shook her head. “Thank you, Ember, but I was planning to start on the books tonight, and I’d rather avoid keeping you awake”

Ember nodded. “That’s fair. The living room?”

Trixie looked over the room and thought for a moment, then turned back to Ember and shook her head. “The amount of furniture that would need to be moved just to make enough space for a mattress, it’s not a great long-term plan.”

Thunderlane turned to Medley. “How much room would Bow Tie have?

Medley hesitated. “From memory, her spare room would be big enough for both of us – and no, I wouldn’t have a problem with you being up late reading, I’m much the same – but I don’t know if I could convince her at this short notice. I can ask her tonight and give you an answer in the morning.”

Trixie smiled. “Thank you Medley, but that still leaves tonight – it looks like the inn two blocks away is the best option. I’ll just have to hope they still have vacancies.”

“Wait, if we’re going to resort to a rented room, wouldn’t it be better to give it to the two who… er… might have more use for the added privacy?” Ember finished awkwardly.

Bon Bon scowled at that. “What exactly are you insinuating?” she asked.

Thunderlane interrupted. “Conversely, wouldn’t it be cheaper for us to just pay for a single room?”

“Lanie, this is Gusty’s cousin, if anypony has the right to her room-” she stopped as Trixie stood to leave.

“Well, if that’s the case, I’m definitely taking the inn. I’ll meet you at the theatre in the morning Ember,” said Trixie dispassionately. She took two of the books off the table – Daring Do and the Platinum Crown and Daring Do and the Griffon’s Goblet - then walked back to the bedroom, grabbed her bags and walked back to the front door.

As she was walking down the path to the street, she heard Ember behind her. “Trixie, wait! Was it something I said?”

Trixie turned to her. “Look, Ember, I accept your apology for Princess Sparkler, and I’m willing to hold up my end of this “creative consultant” deal. But if you're going to use my cousin as an excuse to do favours for me - which I don't believe for a second she would have been willing to do herself - don't think I'm going to take it well, especially now that I know she was the one who persuaded you to use me for the book. And while I can believe that I might have misjudged Checker’s attitude towards me, somehow I don’t think you can convince me the same of Gusty. Interesting that at the last few Lulamoon family get-togethers we both came to, she never once bothered to tell me about knowing, let alone living, with one of my favourite writers.”

Ember had nothing to say to that. Trixie turned and walked down the street, not looking back.

Chapter 5: Breakfast

It was the following morning. Trixie put on her saddlebag, exited her room and walked down the stairs. She then followed to the signs to the inn's restaurant and walked inside. The bad news: all the tables were occupied. The good news: JTH was sitting in the corner waving her over. She smiled and walked over.

As Trixie sat down, Thunderlane passed her the breakfast menu. “So you didn’t have any problem getting a room?”

Trixie shook her head. “No, but it seems the inn is already booked out tonight, so I’ll have to check out after lunch.”

“Well, Medley will meet you outside the theatre at 11 – the appointment was for 10:30, right?” Trixie nodded, as looked over the menu. “Hopefully she’ll have an answer about Bow Tie’s spare room.”

Trixie looked up. “How well do you know Bow Tie?”

“Not well. I think I met her once at a birthday party,” answered Thunderlane. “Medley and I go back a few years, though. Same Psychology course, similar interest in horror literature -” He noticed Trixie smiling at that last bit. “And similar interest in the Daring Do books. But we sorta fell out of contact with each other after she got married and moved to Cloudsdale, and for some reason she never worked quite so well with Ember or Gusty.”

At this point, the waiter came over to take their orders – for both of them, a vegetable salad with a cup of coffee. After he left, Thunderlane continued. “So, Ember tells me you’re a fan of my books.”

Trixie nodded enthusiastically. “Hurricane Unplugged, some of the best short stories I’ve ever read. I'm more a horror fan than an action-adventure fan, though.”

Thunderlane smiled. “I hope Krastos lives up to your standards.” At Trixie’s visible confusion, he added, “Daring Do and the Coronet of Chaos, my first book for Polo House. You’re still on the Core Series, right?”

Trixie nodded. “I started Platinum Crown last night – Ember told me it was set before Griffon’s Goblet. Not too bad of a read - it helped that I'd already seen the movie. But after about fifty-something pages, I started struggling to concentrate from... fatigue I guess. I’ll come back to it later.”

Thunderlane suspected that hadn’t been the whole truth, but he dropped the subject for now. “So has Ember told you much about the book she wants your help with?”

“Only that it involves Princess Sparkler coming back and getting some kind of character development.” She paused and looked around the room. Everypony within earshot was deep in their own conversations. "You know where she got the idea for Sparkler, right?”

Thunderlane nodded slowly. “Yeah, she told me, though not until after she’d pitched it to Gusty, so I chose not to comment.”

Trixie stared at him. “And if you had? What would your position have been, on caricaturing your friend’s family members in insulting ways for profit?”

Thunderlane hesitated. “I would have told Ember to think carefully about how you’d react if you ever read it. Just how did you react, out of curiosity?”

Trixie thought for a moment. “Annoyance at being insulted in such a public fashion, though that was somewhat muted since it didn’t seem that anypony had actually made the connection with me or gone public with it. But then I found out that not only did Gusty know in advance, she found it amusing enough not to try and talk her out of it.”

“Hence why you stormed out last night when Ember was trying to talk me into giving you Gusty’s room,” replied Thunderlane.

“That wasn’t the whole reason,” said Trixie. “When we were talking over coffee earlier, Ember told me about how and when the three of you had met and started working together. And while I was trying not to think about it, it made me realise that Gusty had never told me any of this, even after she knew how much of a fan of you I was.”

Thunderlane shook his head in disbelief. “I’m honestly kind of shocked that she would have done that – are you sure she didn’t mention me at some point before I had been published and thought you already knew later?”

Trixie shook her head. “I've thought of that, but then I remembered the farewell party Dad threw me the night before I went on the road. Gusty came along with my Uncle Lancer, but as usual she made it clear she was more interested in seeing Checker than seeing me. She watched as I opened Dad’s present, a bound copy of Hurricane Unplugged, then immediately headed off with Checker for a night on the town. And no, neither of them bothered to invite me.“

“And she didn’t so much as tell you she could arrange to get the book autographed?” asked Thunderlane, disgust now creeping into his voice.

“No, and neither did my uncle, which raises the question of how much effort she was putting into keeping us apart. I mean, I know we didn’t get on well before, and I don't deny that a lot of that was my fault, but I never thought she had been quite that spiteful.”

At this point the waiter returned with their coffees. After each of them took a moment to sweeten and stir them, Thunderlane took a sip, then asked, “Do you still have that book with you? You know I’d be happy to autograph it.”

Trixie smiled but shook her head. “Actually I left it with the Pie family. Their older daughter really got into them, plus I have most of them committed to memory anyway. Maybe you could sign one of my spare hats later.”

Thunderlane smiled back. “Agreed.” He noticed the waiter, now approaching with the salads, and made space on the table for them.

After they’d both been eating for a minute, Thunderlane turned to her. “So all this about Gusty keeping you from finding out about me, you figured it out last night?”

Trixie nodded. “Subconsciously, I guess, after Ember told me when the three of you moved in together.”

“So you came out of that conversation with a lot more bitterness towards her than when you went in?” asked Thunderlane. “But not consciously, hence why it took you as long as it did to start railing against her.”

Trixie nodded, a little surprised at his perceptiveness. “That about sums it up. I guess I wasn’t dwelling on it because I had spent so much of that afternoon and evening bonding with Ember, after she apologised for writing the book and offered to make it right. Not to mention what she told me about Checker at the funeral.”

“Your sister, I remember…” Thunderlane trailed off as something clicked in his head. “Just how far did you get into Platinum Crown before you put it aside? How long after Derring's conversation with Darrin?”

Trixie's first reaction was confusion at the sudden change of subject. Then she realised what conclusion Thunderlane had come to, and almost choked on a piece of carrot.

“You’re good at this!” she said, with grudging respect. “Yes, it was the argument between Darrin and Derring, and yes, it hit a little too close to home.” She put down her fork and stared at the plate. “I mean, I know it’s hardly a perfect parallel – we were both adults, neither of us in a parental role, she was the older one. But I left home, I never contacted her, then I completely dropped off the map and unlike Derring I didn’t even have the excuse of a successful career.

"I could have gone home after my reputation was destroyed, but instead I disappeared and let my whole family think I might be dead – even after I stumbled across Gusty’s obituary, I still wasn’t thinking about anything but my plans for revenge on Twilight Sparkle. And I don't know how I'm ever supposed to look Checker or my father in the eye now. I know they were searching for me after Gusty's funeral, but..." Trixie could barely hold back the tears.

Thunderlane shuffled around the table so he could put his wing around her. “Well, we’ll find out when Checker replies to Ember’s letter. But if it helps at all, Derring did manage to make up with her siblings.”

Trixie tried to smile, and dabbed at her eyes with one of the spare serviettes. “Hopefully when I finish Platinum Crown tonight it'll give me some tips – that's if I’m not too busy with performing. Come on, let’s finish these and get over to the theatre.”

Chapter 6: Booking

Trixie and Thunderlane arrived at the theatre at 10:25. Ember, Medley and an unfamiliar green Pegasus mare were waiting for them outside.

Medley reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a key with a wooden tag attached. “For Bow Tie’s apartment - you can come round later, I'll show you the way.”

Thunderlane was surprised to see her. "I wasn't expecting you for another half hour."

The other Pegasus – Bow Tie, Trixie guessed – stepped forward. "That was my fault, I wanted to meet her first and my shift is in a few minutes. She turned to Trixie and held out her hoof, which Trixie took.

She then froze as she remembered something from yesterday afternoon. “Didn’t I see your name on Ember’s-“

Bow Tie shook her head and cut her off. “That Bowtie is an Earth Pony stallion. Yeah, I get that a lot when Medley introduces me to ponies.” Trixie smiled, a little sheepishly. Bow Tie returned it. “I have work to do, but I’ll see you at home this afternoon.” She walked off, Medley remaining behind.

Ember stepped in. “Trixie, do you feel ready for this?”

Trixie nodded. “I have everything I need for an audition.”

Thunderlane looked at Ember. “Em, I need to talk to you. Trixie, will you be able to handle this for a few minutes?”

Trixie turned to Thunderlane and nodded. “I’ll be fine.” She turned to the entrance and walked inside. Medley looked at the two quizzically, before deciding to follow Trixie.

Once they were both out of earshot, Thunderlane turned back to Ember. “You told her to read Platinum Crown first? Did you put any thought into that one?”

Ember blinked in confusion. “Well, the Platinum dynasty is going to be important to the project. Besides, compared to Griffon's Goblet, it’s a better introduction to Derring and her relationship with-“ Ember trailed off as she figured out what Thunderlane was getting at. “Oh, Tartarus," she muttered, rubbing her forehead. "Darrin's confrontation with Derring. Why didn't I make the connection?"

Thunderlane nodded, a slightly grim expression on his face. “Yeah. Don't worry, it hasn't turned her off the series, or even turned her off finishing the book. But I’d suggest you get Checker and their father out here as soon as you can. And maybe add Trials of Unity to that reading list."

Ember hesitated. "She said yesterday she wasn't sure if she was ready to go home yet. Are you sure forcing their reunion is the right play?"

Thunderlane considered it. "Maybe not... You're still sending that letter this afternoon?" Ember nodded. "Okay, we'll wait for their response, then try and figure out how they'd react to seeing her again."

"Agreed," answered Ember. "Now, are you coming in?" She turned to the theatre entrance and walked through the door. Thunderlane followed her.

The dining area was almost empty, save for the manager sitting in the corner with Medley, and a green unicorn stallion who Ember recognised as their waiter from last night on the stage with Trixie. She had had a small table set up and was demonstrating a card trick. Whatever it was, the waiter was visibly impressed. Ember approached the manager, who got up and shook their hooves. "Miss Roundup, Mr. Hurricane. Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," replied Thunderlane, smiling. "How's she doing, Mr...?"

"Call me Emcee," he answered. "Her voice carries well enough, and I think she'd be able to impress a crowd. The question is when we could fit her in... Miss Lulamoon, could you come down here please?"

Trixie walked down the stairs at the side of the stage and over to Emcee's table.

"How long does your performance typically last?" asked Emcee.

"With my current set of of props, about half an hour," Trixie answered. "However, I do have experience with harder tricks, and once I'm making more of a profit I could probably get..." she trailed off as she saw that Emcee was smiling, somewhat triumphantly.

"Actually, half an hour would be ideal right now - as it happens, we have a group performing Everypony Comes to Brick's on Tuesdays and Thursdays this coming month, and the play doesn't quite fill the slot they've booked, so we could use somepony to warm up the crowd for half an hour before they go on stage."

Trixie nodded, intrigued. "So this group would be okay with that?"

Emcee nodded. "Yes, though they might ask you to reimburse them for that share of the timeslot. It wouldn't be much, and of course you'll get a share of the takings as well, as well as a place in our advertising leaflets."

Trixie wasn't seeing a downside to the offer, though there was something holding her back. "I'm not sure about scheduling so many performances at once, though - I've had problems with heckling during repeat performances before... It's a long story."

"I'm aware of your situation, Miss Trixie," replied Emcee. He grinned as Trixie and Ember's jaws dropped. "Very aware. And I can assure you that this establishment rarely has to deal with heckling, since it's a very fast way for patrons to get banned for a season, if not longer." He pointed to the bulletin board behind the bar, which had a couple of dozen poloroids pinned to it with a sign at the top reading "Equina Non Grata". He turned back to Trixie and continued, "So, if you do want to go back to 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'..."

Trixie shook her head. "No. Maybe one day, but I can't see it doing either of us any favours right now."

"Fair enough. So should I take it you're willing to take the slot?" asked Emcee.

Trixie smiled and held out her hoof. "I'll take it."

Emcee shook it and returned the smile. "I'll let the cast know and pass on your details. Speaking of-" He stopped as Ember got out her card and passed it to Medley, who wrote down Bow Tie's address on the back before passing it to him. "So, either of these addresses?" Medley and Ember nodded. "Thank you." He turned back to Trixie. "They'll contact you about your share of the booking fee and the takings, and I'll have the schedule for next month printed shortly, with your name in it." He stood up and gestured for them to. "Between now and then, I hope you enjoy Fillydelphia."

***

"So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Thunderlane asked Trixie. The two of them were sitting in a cafe around the corner from the theatre. Ember had left them, saying she had work to do at the Tribune, but Medley had agreed to join them for a coffee.

"Well, if Medley's free..." Trixie turned to Medley, who smiled and nodded. "I want to get the rest of my stuff from the hotel, settle in at Bow Tie's apartment and explore that neighbourhood a bit. Then I'm going to relax and finish Platinum Crown.

Thunderlane nodded, approving. "I'll be working with Lyra for most of the day - or trying to at least - but I'll be over after dinner. I'll bring a few more books from the pile for you."

"Thank you, Lanie," replied Trixie with a grin, much to his annoyance.

Chapter 7: The West Side

Lyra and Thunderlane were eating lunch in the living room, taking a break from the book, when Ember walked in. "I'm just picking up some stamps for that letter to Trixie's sister, then I'm going to post it and head back to the office," she explained as she walked down the hall.

Bon Bon, who had been sitting reading in the spare room, overheard her. She picked up a letter she and Lyra had written the night before and walked over to the door. As Ember was coming out of her room with the small book of stamps, Bon Bon passed the envelope to her, along with a few bits. "While you're doing that, would you mind posting this for us?"

Ember glanced at the envelope: Cheerilee, Ponyville Schoolhouse, Ponyville. "Something to do with the book?" she asked, looking up at her. "I thought Lanie got all the information he needed when he interviewed-"

Bon Bon shook her head and interrupted. "No, nothing like that, it's... I'd rather not say just yet."

Ember decided not to press the issue. She passed the bits back, saying "It's okay, I've got plenty of stamps here."

Bon Bon thanked her, and Ember left the house.

***

Trixie and Medley arrived at Bow Tie's apartment block in West Fillydelphia at around twelve o'clock, having taken a tram from the hotel. As they walked up the stairs, Trixie calculated that the trip back to the theatre would take about half an hour on hoof, probably a few minutes more if she was carrying her full bag of props - hopefully there'd be some kind of storage space backstage. She made a mental note to memorise the tram timetables for next month once she had the theatre's schedule.

Trixie arrived at the door first and unlocked it with the key Bow had given her. She held the door open for Medley, then followed her down the hall to the spare room. As Medley started setting up the trundle bed, Trixie dumped her bags in the corner and went to look around the apartment.

The living room was largely decorated with what Trixie guessed were Bow's sketches - Medley had told her on the ride over that her sister worked in a clothing factory, mostly in neckwear. Trixie turned her attention to a small bookshelf - mostly books on the history of fashion, some historical fiction and definitely no adventure novels.

Medley returned from the bedroom. "If you're still interested in looking around the shopping arcade, it'll have to wait a bit - I need to go over Thunderlane's Krastos books and fact-check some details before he comes over."

Trixie nodded. "That's okay, I have my own reading to be getting on with. We'll save it for later."

Medley smiled as she thought of something. "You know, I have a Blockbucker voucher due to run out tomorrow. Are you up for a movie night this weekend?" She gestured toward the TV and MVD player, which Trixie hadn't noticed earlier. "I could probably get ahold of the first few Daring Do movies, maybe the ones not on Ember's list."

Trixie liked the idea and nodded. "I'll try and finish Platinum Crown and Griffon's Goblet by then. Do you think Bow would go for it?"

Medley nodded. "Knowing her, she'll want to invite the others over - Ember, Thunderlane, Lyra and... Bon Bon." She trailed off at that, remembering their argument the night before. "Actually, how would you feel about that?" she asked anxiously.

Trixie swallowed. "Thunderlane, definitely. Ember, yes, it should hopefully help ease the tension from last night." She noticed Medley open her mouth to ask the obvious question before deciding against it. She pressed on. "But last I checked, Bon Bon and Lyra hate me. And not without good reason." Her face fell as her guilt returned to the surface.

Medley walked over and put her hoof on her shoulder, giving her a sympathetic look. "I don't think it's quite that bad. Keep in mind that neither of them would have had a problem with living under the same roof as you last night. Besides, Bon Bon isn't blameless for what happened to your career, and Ember and Thunderlane made that very clear to her after you walked out."

Trixie looked up at her, her spirits lifted slightly by the thought of her idol going in to bat for her after only a few minutes of conversation. "And Lyra?"

Medley hesitated. "Well... she still resents you for taking over Ponyville. Partly because of how your dome interfered with the television signals on Saturday morning." Trixie couldn't help giggling at that, despite her remorse for everything she'd done under the Amulet's influence. Medley continued, "But at the same time, she knows you weren't in control of yourself, and she wasn't impressed with Bon Bon when she found out about the way she ruined your show in Vanhoover. Add that to what Ember and Thunderlane have told me about working with her, and I really don't think burying the hatchet with her should be all that difficult."

Trixie nodded slowly, somewhat relieved. "Okay, I guess I can give it a chance. What time do you expect Bow to be home?"

Medley thought for a moment. "4:30, maybe? I'll talk to her about it then, before we go over to the arcade. If she's okay with it, I'll pass on the invite to Thunderlane when he comes over tonight."

Trixie smiled. "Sounds like a plan. Well, anyway, for the next few hours, I'm going to try to finish Platinum Crown. Call me if you need me." And with that, she walked back to their room.

Chapter 8: Thursday Dinner

Bow had evidently been delayed, so Trixie and Medley set off for the shopping arcade around 4.40. Trixie had enjoyed browsing in the bookshops, but she had quickly realised that anything she might have been interested in would likely be readily available for borrowing, considering her new contacts. On the other hoof, she had done well at a small stage magic shop, and made a mental note to start planning out her half-hour slot at the theatre later.

It was around 5:30 when they met up and started to head back. As they walked along the street back to Bow's apartment block, Trixie looked at the MVD boxes Medley had ended up with: Daring Do and the Quest For the Sapphire Stone, Daring Do and the Platinum Crown, Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet, and Daring Do and the Curse of the Yeti. She noted that Sapphire Stone had a running time nearly half an hour shorter than the others, and that the synopsis on the back didn't suggest a very complex story. Then she thought back to what Ember had said about the book yesterday and found herself laughing out loud.

Medley turned to her, puzzled. "What's so funny?"

Trixie calmed down and replied, "The reason Ember didn't give me Sapphire Stone to read was something about having too much padding for her tastes. And yet it apparently became the one of the shortest movies."

Medley chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, AK Yearling wasn't exactly at her peak back then. The action scenes are repetitive and most of them don't advance the story at all, not to mention that a significant percentage of the book is just detailed descriptions of the jungle, the temple and every other location. Beautiful descriptions, but still. And it doesn't help that Daring doesn't have anyone to talk to for most of it."

"So how did the series become so popular, with such a poor first impression?" Trixie asked, intrigued.

Medley shook her head. "I honestly can't explain it. I mean, certainly, the later books were better, but what's weird is that no one I've ever talked to recommends using Sapphire Stone to get ponies into the series, and yet despite its problems I still hear about it winning new readers over more often than turning them off."

Trixie returned the MVD boxes to Medley's saddlebag. "I guess those elements have greater appeal than anypony would expect them to."

They arrived at the apartment block and walked upstairs to find the door unlocked. Bow greeted them as they walked in. "I'll have dinner ready in an hour. Trixie, you don't have any allergies I should know about, do you?" Trixie smiled and shook her head.

As Medley pulled out the MVDs and asked her sister about her plans for the weekend, Trixie walked down the hall to retrieve Platinum Crown from their room. She returned to the living room and sat down. "Just call out if you need a hoof," she said in the direction of the kitchen, before turning back to the book. Less than 100 pages to go.

***

Dinner had been about as delicious as the previous night, but as pleasant as the conversation was - Bow had been eager to hear about the places she had seen when she was on the road with her magic act - it had gradually became awkward, in large part due to Medley and Bow's obvious closeness and the fact that Trixie had just read through Derring's reconciliation with her siblings. While the book had made her feel somewhat better about her chances of reconciling with Checker, she still knew it wasn't going to come easily.

Trixie and Bow were just finishing off the dishes together - Trixie washing and Bow drying - when there was a knock on the apartment door. Bow dried her hooves on the towel and went to open it. It was Thunderlane, right on schedule. He held out his hoof and shook Bow's. "Good evening, Bow. Trixie," he added, seeing her in the doorway.

As Bow closed the door behind him and returned to the sink, Thunderlane walked into the living room and reached into his saddlebag. "Two more books from Ember," he said to Trixie, who had followed him in. He passed them to her, and she looked over the titles: Daring Do and the Wooden Mask and Daring Do and the Trials of Unity.

Trixie placed them on the coffee table. As she picked up Platinum Crown to return it to him, she did a double take. "Trials of Unity? I don't remember that being on Ember's list from yesterday."

Thunderlane shook his head. "An afterthought, after she realised how you would react to Derring. I'm not certain how well this one will help, but..." he trailed off at Trixie's smile.

"Thank you Lanie. I think I'll concentrate on Griffon's Goblet for the moment though. And on that subject - " she paused as Medley entered the room carrying the MVD boxes. "Medley suggested that the seven of us could get together over the weekend for a movie marathon. The first few Daring Do movies, including the ones that Ember didn't put on the list."

Medley passed him the boxes. Thunderlane looked through them, then put them down on the table and nodded. "Okay, I"m in. It's been a while since I watched these ones, and that would have been on an MVHS. Is it Saturday night you're suggesting?"

Medley nodded. "Most likely spilling over to Sunday morning, unless you want to start sometime before dinner. But Bow said she'd be fine with us camping out in the living room - we might need an extra sleeping mat from your place, though."

"Not a problem," replied Thunderlane. "I'll pass on the invite to the girls in the morning."

"And when I come by in the afternoon to work on the book, we'll decide on a time," finished Medley.

Trixie remembered the book she was levitating. "Oh, Lanie, you can return this to Ember, and tell her that I plan to have Griffon's Goblet finished in 24 hours." She passed it to him, then picked up the books he'd brought over and went back to the room.

Chapter 9: Islander

Chapter 9:

"J? You have a letter," called Lyra from the hallway, picking up the envelope that had just been dropped through the mail slot. Thunderlane stood up and walked out of the living room. Lyra passed it to him and walked back to the kitchen.

Thunderlane looked at the return address as he opened the envelope. "From TL," he said aloud.

Lyra looked up from the counter. "Did you leave something at his place?"

TL shook his head. "He wouldn't bother with a letter, he'd just fly back and drop it off. Best I can guess is he must have got some big news after he got home." He unfolded the letter and read it.

Lyra finished pouring her soda and carried it as she walked back into the hallway. "Well? Did he?"

Thunderlane shook his head. "Apparently, but he won't tell me in a letter. It's good news, though, and he wants me to fly back to Cloudsdale as soon as I can." He walked back to the living room and sat down.

"So does this mean you're missing the movie night?" asked Lyra anxiously as she followed him in and sat down.

"I don't think so," Thunderlane replied. "It depends what he wants me for, but if I have plans he won't try to make me make him a priority. I'll be back in time." He put the letter on the coffee table. "I suppose I should still let Trixie know, just in case I do get delayed in Cloudsdale."

Lyra nodded. "Don't worry if you can't make it back in time, J. I think I can keep Bonnie under control."

"You know I'm in the room, right?" asked Bon Bon, glaring at them over her newspaper.

***

Trixie put down Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet, finding herself strangely impressed - while she hadn't read Sapphire Stone for herself yet, she'd heard enough about its thin, badly padded story that the idea of this outstanding, complex thriller coming from the same writer so soon after the first was baffling. The characters were diverse and interesting - even down to that clumsy university page - the conspiracy story worked well with its action-adventure formula, and that last cliffhanger - she made a mental note to ask Ember why Curse of the Yeti wasn't already on her reading list. It wasn't all great, though - it was hard to ignore that the author didn't have much of Derring's and Darrin's backstory worked out yet. Even so, she was more excited than before at the prospect of seeing the films tomorrow night.

Trixie walked back to the bedroom to retrieve Daring Do and the Wooden Mask. The doorbell rang as she was walking back, and she put Wooden Mask down on the table before answering it. It was a yellow unicorn mare, about Trixie's age, telekinetically holding what appeared to be Ember's card in front of her.

"Miss Lulamoon?" Trixie nodded, and shook her hoof. "I'm Ingreen Brokeman, one of the actors from Everypony Comes to Brick's." She pulled some papers out of her saddlebag and passed a flier over to Trixie.

It took a moment, but Trixie made the connection. "So Emcee from the dinner theatre sent you? I wouldn't have expected one of the stars for something like this."

Ingreen laughed and nodded. "We're not exactly a big company, so we all try to pitch in at every job. Anyway, the premiere is Sunday night, with dress rehearsal around 3:30, and we're booked for every Tuesday and Thursday for this month. We go on at 8:00pm, you go on at 7:30. Any problems?"

Trixie shook her head. "No, that works for me. The tram schedule's pretty good on weeknights and - wait, do you need me at the dress rehearsal?"

Ingreen smiled, amused at her double take. "Depends. Do you have any acting experience?"

Trixie paused. "A couple of school plays, though nothing I'm especially proud of. Long story."

Ingreen hesitated, before passing the other document to her, which Trixie now realised was a script. "I was wondering if you'd be interested in being my understudy. It'd put you in a better position for negotiating your share of the takings."

Trixie had not seen this coming. "I've seen this play before, and somehow I'm not sure if Islander would be a good fit for me. Do you expect to need an understudy?"

"No, but given that we had to cancel several shows in Baltimare last month due to illness, we don't want to take any chances," replied Ingreen. "Just have a look over the script. I'll come by with one of the guys by tomorrow morning to get your answer. If you're not up to it, we'll move on to sorting out your shares. Don't worry, we won't hold any reluctance against you," she finished.

Trixie thought for a moment. "Very well. I'll go over Islander's role tonight and see if I know how to rein in my... usual delivery." Ingreen smirked at that. "You'll have an answer tomorrow. It's been a pleasure, Miss Brokeman." Ingreen shook Trixie's hoof, then turned to leave.

Trixie was about to close the door when she saw a mailpony approaching from the stairwell. She watched as he walked down the hall, stopped outside Bow's apartment and reached into his bag. After a moment of searching, he pulled out an envelope and passed it Trixie, who thanked him before closing the door.

Back in the living room, Trixie looked at the envelope - it was addressed to Medley - she couldn't make out the surname - with a Cloudsdale postmark. Trixie put it down on the coffee table. She was just about to return to Wooden Mask when the doorbell rang again. Mildly annoyed, Trixie went to answer it.

It was Ember.

Chapter 10: Catch-Up

The two stood in awkward silence for a moment. Finally, Trixie broke it. "I've finished Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet, but since I'm several hours ahead of target, I'm guessing that's not what you're here for."

Ember laughed and shook her head. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd join me for a coffee and a catch-up. The one I missed out on yesterday."

After a moment, Trixie nodded. "Just give me a few minutes, and I'll meet you at the diner on the corner." Ember nodded and closed the door.

Trixie walked back to the spare room and put on her saddlebag. She then picked up her key to the apartment and levitated it into her pocket. Next, she walked to the kitchenette, picked up a marker from the counter and took it over to the whiteboard near the door. After writing a short message to Bow and Medley, she headed out the door.

***

Trixie walked into the diner and soon saw Ember sitting in a booth by the window. She walked over and sat down, noting the coffee already waiting for her. She tasted it and smiled. "Mocha. You remembered."

Ember returned the smile. "So, your thoughts on Platinum Crown and Griffon's Goblet?"

Trixie took a sip as she thought about that. "Both well-written adventure stories. Both of them introduce the characters well, though I did find it hard to ignore that the author clearly hadn't worked out Derring's relationship with the other two before she wrote Platinum Crown."

Ember nodded, her smile fading. "Yeah I get that. Listen, I'm sorry I gave you that one so soon. I should have realised that Derring might hit a sore spot."

Trixie shook her head. "It's okay. I don't expect that kind of foresight from you." She paused. "Okay, that sounded a lot better in my head."

Ember laughed, despite herself. "I wouldn't either, especially after how I outdid myself on Wednesday night." Trixie stared at her. "Ignoring the fact that you had no problem with renting a room. Bringing Gusty into the argument with Lanie and somehow forgetting you had every reason to be pissed at her. And continuing to not figure that out in the time it took you to pack up and walk out the door."

Trixie took her hoof under the table. "It doesn't excuse my rudeness. She was your best friend, you obviously owe a lot to her. And if nothing else, I was raised to never speak ill of the dead. I could have left without making a scene."

"But I made it for you," Ember replied. "You were happy to give up the room, but I started arguing with a flimsy position that embarrassed everypony in the room and pushed all the wrong buttons. You have nothing to apologise for about Wednesday night."

Trixie smiled, despite not being entirely convinced. "By the way, thanks for sending over Trials of Unity, though I think I got a bit of closure from Platinum Crown."

"Good to know," replied Ember. "Though, for what it's worth, there are reasons I wanted you to read Platinum Crown aside from it establishing the Do family dynamic."

Trixie look at her, somewhat excited. "Does this mean you're actually going to tell me something about your idea for Daring Do and the Alicorn Amulet?"

"Not much - I'm trying to avoid giving away too much about what happens to the surviving cultists, especially now that I seem to have got you genuinely hooked," replied Ember with a smirk. "But just for a clue - do some research on the Platinum dynasty when you get the chance. Just over the last century."

"I'll keep that in mind," replied Trixie. "It'll take a while, though - just before you came around I had a visit from one of the actors in the play I'm opening for." Ember stared at her, her interest piqued. Trixie told her about Ingreen's offer and how she'd be sorting out her shares in the booking fee and the takings tomorrow morning.

"I'll try to be there around 10.00 am," replied Ember. "I did agree to fund your first booking in Fillydelphia, even if this isn't the full show we'd expected."

Trixie nodded. "Not to mention the possibility of an interview with the cast"

Ember laughed. "Not my beat, though I'll certainly be passing the schedule on to the Tribune's theatre criitc."

Trixie smiled, appreciating the favour. "Actually, now that I think about it, what do you do for the Tribune?"

"Mostly I cover crime and local politics," answered Ember. "And I also run the Equestrian bureau for the Sydneigh Morning Herald. They send us major Brumbiland stories, I send back Equestrian stories."

Trixie's interest turned to confusion. "Wouldn't that take at least a couple of days by griffon mail?"

Ember smiled. "Actually we have an almost instantaneous system - dragon mail."

Trixie blinked. "I've heard of using dragonfire to send letters, but I didn't think it could work over that kind of distance."

"It requires a lot of practice to be reliable," Ember explained. "A couple of years ago my assistant was fired after we realised he'd accidentally been sending our exclusives to the Inquirer for nearly two weeks. Turned out he hadn't been as successful in the training program as he'd led my boss to believe. Thankfully, the magic works better between blood relatives, so the Herald sent over their assistant Fairfax's sister Halifax. Since then we've only lost maybe two or three stories to the Sydneigh Daily Telegraph, which is a pretty good success rate."

Trixie could read the admiration and affection in Ember's face. "I take it the two of you are close, then?"

Ember nodded. "Especially over the last few months. After Lanie and I finished work on Daring Do and the Tinker's Seal, I needed a break, maybe a permanent break from the series, and I started putting in a lot more hours at the paper. Eventually, I started confiding more in Hal than in Lanie, especially after he went back to Daring Do and found new partners. Well, a new partner and an old partner," she corrected.

Trixie didn't need Thunderlane's psychology training to sense what Ember wasn't saying. "You know, whatever he may have with Lyra and Medley, there's a reason he came back to Fillydelphia once he was hit by writers block," she said.

Ember managed a smile. "Part of me knows that," she said.

***

After the two finished their drinks, Trixie and Ember returned to the apartment so that Ember could retrieve her copy of Griffon's Goblet. Once there, Trixie found a note on the kitchen counter in Medley's hoofwriting. "She's gone back to Cloudsdale overnight for... something. She hasn't gone into detail."

"Did she say anything this morning before heading out?" Ember asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Nothing comes to mind. I think it must be to do with that letter that arrived just before you turned up." Trixie put the note down and walked past Ember into the living room. The letter wasn't where she'd dropped it. "And I guess she's taken it with her. Oh well, we'll have to ask her tomorrow afternoon. I hope she can make it back in time," she said as she walked back into the hall, levitating Griffon's Goblet as she went.

"She says she plans to," replied Ember, reading the note again. "But she also says not to wait up, and that the rest of us should try to be over here at 5:30 pm." She turned to Trixie, who was putting Griffon's Goblet in Ember's saddlebag. "And I intend to make sure if it," she finished with a grin.

Chapter 11: Saturday

Trixie didn't wake up until 10 on Saturday morning, in part due to her having had difficulty putting down Daring Do and the Wooden Mask the previous night. Her horn had lost power around 2am and Trixie had fallen asleep mere seconds later. She was now eating breakfast in the kitchenette, avoiding telekinesis to help her magic recharge. Bow had left a note on the whiteboard, saying she was visiting a friend on the East side, and would be back around 4pm with refreshments for the movie marathon.

After finishing breakfast Trixie washed and dried her dishes, then walked to the living room, sat down and started reading over the play again. She'd just finished rereading the first scene between Islander and Bricklane when the doorbell chimed. Ember was waiting, wearing a saddlebag with four books sticking out of her open pockets.

"Ember! Come in and sit down," Trixie said, holding the door open. Ember walked through to the living room and shook her bag off.

"I have some... news," said Ember, her hesitation getting Trixie's full attention. "Not bad, necessarily, just really strange: Lanie got called back to Cloudsdale by TL yesterday afternoon, and I'm not sure why, or what time he'll be back."

Trixie blinked. "Do Medley's and Thunderlane's families have some connection?"

"Other than Cloudsdale? Not that I know of, and I know Lanie first met Medley at university, I think the same week as me and Gusty. Besides, the letter Lanie got wasn't anymore detailed than the one Medley left you and Bow."

"Oh well, something to ask them tonight, hopefully," said Trixie, brushing the matter off for now. "So, four more books? Really?" she asked, gesturing to the saddlebag on the floor.

Ember laid the books out on the table. Three had the now familiar Daring Do logo - Alicorn's Shadow, Temple of Nightmare Moon and Legacy of Nightmare Moon. It was the fourth that got Trixie's attention - a history book about the Canterlot nobility, including - as Trixie guessed and then quickly confirmed by looking over the contents page - the Platinums, in a chapter to themselves spanning a little over fifty pages.

"Just when you have the time. I realise you have enough on your plate right now," said Ember.

Trixie smiled. "Yes, I suspect I'll have to slow down over this next month, especially if..." She was interrupted as the doorbell rang again, and she got up to answer it, Ember following her into the hallway.

Trixie opened the door to see Ingreen waiting with a (relatively) short male griffon. "Trixie Lulamoon, my co-star Rainclaw," Islander said.

Trixie shook his talon, then stepped back to let Ember do the same. She greeted him in griffon, which he returned after a moment of surprise. By way of explanation, she added, "My old colleague, Lewis. He was the deputy-editor of the World News pages when I came onboard." Ingreen nodded as she shook Ember's hoof, while Rainclaw raised an eyebrow in mild amusement.

Trixie and Ember led the actors into the living room. While Ember cleared away her books and took them to Trixie's room, Ingreen sat down in the recliner and pulled a notepad out of her saddlebag. "So, Miss Lulamoon, have you thought any more about my offer?"

Trixie nodded. "Last night I went over Islander's scenes with my... landmare, I guess? And I think I was able to adapt to the part well enough. I don't exactly have it memorised, but I think I'll be ready by Tuesday at the latest. Maybe tomorrow depending on how the dress rehearsal goes."

"So if I'm going to be put out of action, I could do it before the rehearsal, thus giving you the best opportunity to prepare?" asked Ingreen dryly, after taking a moment to figure out the other unicorn's reasoning.

"That's... one way of putting it," replied Trixie with a nervous chuckle. Ember returned, joining Trixie on the couch. "So, if I do agree to be your understudy, how does that effect my investment?"

"It doesn't. In short, you reimburse the company for the half hour slot you're using for your magic act. In return, when we get the company's share of the takings, you'll receive 25%, discounting the customers who arrive towards the end of your act or afterwards. And I'll give you a small bonus out of my own share as long as you're attending rehearsals with us, and of course a much bigger bonus if you actually do have to go on in my place. With me so far?"

Trixie slowly nodded. "I guess, but are you sure that's fair? 25% for one pony vs... how many in your company?"

"Six of us, counting me and Rainclaw," answered Ingreen. "And yes, we all consider this offer fair - remember, you're paying more than any of the rest of us, so you deserve a bigger return."

Trixie nodded, feeling better about the deal. "Okay, I'm with you now. What are you asking?"

Ingreen passed over her notepad, containing the relevant calculations. Ember looked over the figures, then, without a word, got out her chequebook.

***

Ember had left as soon as the meeting was over, stating that she had a press conference to get to, and Ingreen followed suit to meet up with her other co-stars in the city. Rainclaw stayed behind to practice lines with Trixie, doing his best attempts at Bricklane and Lasso. Thankfully, he seemed satisfied with her delivery. The griffon had left around noon, but not before inviting Trixie for a coffee the following afternoon before rehearsal, to which she had agreed.

Trixie spent the next few hours finishing Daring Do and the Wooden Mask, and by the end she was beginning to realise just how much of a fanfilly she was becoming: Daring's recovery from the mask's influence had moved her to tears and turned her into a Herpy/Daring (Herring?) shipper - impressive, considering that she knew his rival was played by John Barrowmane. What's more, this was her first reaction to the chapter, despite her own recent experiences with corruption by powerful artifacts.

Before she could dwell on it, Bow walked in the door, carrying several bags of groceries. Trixie got up and followed her into the kitchen to help her unpack. As Bow put the soda bottles in the fridge, Trixie updated her on the meeting that morning, and what she'd learned about Thunderlane. Bow had no explanation for his absence coinciding with her sister's.

While they were waiting for the girls to turn up, Trixie had a look through the history book Ember had given her. By the end of the chapter, she was at a loss to figure out what Ember wanted her to find - none of the events coinciding with what she believed to be the timeline of the books seemed to be relevant to them. Maybe there'd be something in the three books Ember had brought over that morning. Or maybe she needed to borrow Amber of the Smooze again for clues.

Ember, Lyra and Bon Bon arrived a few minutes after half past 5. "Sorry we're a little late, but Bonnie insisted on waiting as long as we could in case the mailpony was running late," explained Lyra, prompting a glare from Bon Bon.

"Whereas I insisted that we make sure at least somepony would be here on time for the first movie," finished Ember, as she walked into the kitchen to inspect the snacks. "No word from Lanie or Medley?" she asked, turning to Bow and Trixie, who had followed her in.

Trixie shook her head as she tore open two large bags of chips. "Not since yesterday. But both of them said to start without them, so..." She finished pouring the chips out and carried the bowls into the living room. Bow followed her, carrying two bottles of soft drink. She put them on the coffee table and walked back to the kitchen to wait for the microwave. While Ember and Bon Bon carried the glasses in and Lyra got an extra chair from the kitchen, Trixie walked over to the television to set up the Sapphire Stone MVD.

As the other four mares took their seats, Trixie pushed play and sat down as the familiar theme music began.

Chapter 12: Sapphire Stone

Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone

Starring Harerion Trot

Pigroot Cullen

Dante Bronco

and Ellen De Jennet as Coco Pie

Director of Photography - Welterweight

Editor - Match Cut, ECE

Music - Carnauba Scratch

Produced by Flank Marshall

Screenplay by Minty Coral

Adapted from the novel by AK Yearling

Directed by J.J. Thistle-Whistle

Shown in silhouette, a pegasus mare stepped out from behind the camera and looked at a distant mountain. As she walked through the jungle, her face kept out of sight, her noir-esque narration began: "'A few days'. That was my brother's unqualfied prognosis, after he bandaged my wing up. A few days, grounded in an Amazon jungle, the wet heat sapping my energy. It might as well be a few months. Or a few years."

The pegasus leapt over a log and turned her head, her face finally coming into view - as she came nose-to-nose with a tiger.

Trixie watched as Daring was surrounded by a variety of wild cats, erupting with laughter along with Lyra and Ember when a small white cat appeared. Even so, the ensuing chase had her on the edge of her seat until Daring landed and realised she could see the temple she was searching for.

The scene dissolved into a flashback, to a week earlier. Daring was finishing up a lecture. Once the class was over, she walked over to what Trixie guessed was a teacher's aide, and passed him an envelope from her desk. "Take this to Masra, then get a message to my brother: 'Meet me at Bridlewild Airport, 6:00 pm.'" The young stallion nodded and left the hall.

Daring finished packing up and exited the room, walking over to the campus library. The scene then cut to Daring and... Darrin, Trixie guessed, in a small airship. Daring told Darrin everything she'd managed to find out about the Sapphire Stone in the last seven weeks. She pulled out the best map she'd managed to find. "Took me three hours in the campus library to track this down."

"That long? Couldn't you have got one of the pages to help?"

"The only one on call was Herpy, and with his track record it would have taken us five hours."

Trixie reacted with a strange mix of glee at the colt's mention and indignation over his implied incompetence, compared to what she'd read in Wooden Mask, much to the amusement of Lyra and Bow. Ember seemed to anticipate it, and leaned over. "Characterisation marches on..." she muttered. "He wasn't expected to have such a big role in later books. Actually, he wasn't supposed to be called Herpy to begin with."

Trixie calmed down and watched in silence as the flashback continued. The plane landed outside a desert town, where Daring tracked down a mint green Earth pony, who Daring immediately recognised as Coco Pie. The two briefly haggled over a biplane, which Coco warned her was "pretty rickety".

This proved to be a rather large understatement.

After the crash, the scene returned to the jungle, and over the next half hour or so, Trixie found herself becoming bored with the exercise. Despite how close the temple had appeared before, several, rather repetitive chase scenes - mostly

involving the various cats seen earlier - had been shoehorned in. Trixie could already see the point Medley's had raised earlier - so much of this could have been removed without affecting the story. The upshot, though, was that Bon Bon wasn't exactly eating up this part of the movie either - she proved to be a surprisingly good riffing partner.

Things improved when Daring finally reached the temple. While the hallway of traps went on for far too long, there was at least a bit of variety - where the Tartarus did those crocodiles come from?! - and Trixie found herself amused by Daring's deadpan reaction to each of them.

In the room where the Sapphire Stone was located, the floor was paved with images of various birds and animals. Daring threw a stone out, and, as she'd predicted a volley of darts were fired from the wall - much to Trixie's confusion, they formed the shape of a pegasus pony on the opposite wall.

Daring stepped back and examined the tiles, quickly coming to a deduction: "These animals are all predators... except... rats!"

Trixie turned to the sound of four mares slapping their foreheads. Seeing her confusion, Ember muttered, "You'd think they would have corrected that. I'll have to find you the Celestia Radio version."

Putting it out of her mind, Trixie turned back as Daring made her way across the floor, climbed up to the pedestal, examined the statue and... somewhat anticlimactically swiped it away. Trixie immediately knew this had been a mistake - the pedestal sank into the floor and the room began falling apart. Somehow.

Daring's narrow escape from the rising lava was interrupted by the doorbell. Trixie paused the movie as Bow got up to answer it. She turned her head as Medley walked in with another chair. "Where were you last night? And where is Thunderlane?" she asked.

"Bulk, TL and a few other locals got their Wonderbolts acceptance letters," Medley explained. "So they invited us both to Ponyville for drinks. As for why it took us so long to get back, I had pets to feed, and Thunderlane was keeping an eye on Rumble while his brother recovered." She turned to Lyra. "On that note, we'll both have to head back to Cloudsdale in a few days, so I guess he's all yours until then."

Lyra nodded. "So where is he now?"

Medley turned to Ember. "He said he'd stop by your place and make sure you brought the extra sleeping mats over. So, where are we up to?" She turned to the screen, frozen on a shot of Ahuizotl's leg. "Cue Cullen." she muttered with a grin.

After a moment, Trixie decided to resume the movie. The last, gripping act passed in relative silence from the six mares - Trixie was not the only one on the edge of her seat as Daring struggled to stay above the quicksand. But she was also not the only one cheering when Daring and Darrin escaped in the (rather conveniently recently repaired) biplane, statue in hoof.

***

After a fifteen minute bathroom/refreshment break, Trixie pressed play on Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet - only to pause it one line into the movie ("Another day, another lesson."), as the doorbell rang again. Bow stood up to answer it. After a moment Thunderlane hobbled into the living room, the sleeping mats tied to his back. Ember got up to help him untie them. "Enough for everypony, excellent," she muttered.

Once the bags were released, Trixie could see a thin, cylindrical package sticking out of Thunderlane's saddlebag. He reached back and pulled it out with a wing. "This was in the mailbox when I got home. The afternoon post must have been later than usual." He turned to Lyra and Bon Bon and passed it to them. "Addressed to you two."

Trixie stared at the two as their expressions turned strangely fearful, in an, "Oh horseapples, we did not want anypony to know about this yet," way.

Author's Note

Credit for that one line from "Griffon's Goblet" goes to Daniel Mayben. Also, some of the Sapphire Stone refers to the Pony in a Box version.

Chapter 13: The Column

After about twenty seconds of awkward silence, Trixie broke it. "Um, if you want to leave that by the door and forget about it until tomorrow... I'm sure it's none of my business, so..."

"Well, actually-" started Bon Bon, before putting a hoof to her mouth in panic, realising she'd said too much.

Trixie picked up on it. "What? Don't tell me you ordered..." she trailed off, then turned to the package and yanked it out of Lyra's hoof with her telekinesis. She looked around the outside - addressed to Lyra Heartstrings and Bonita Bonet, sent from... the Ponyville schoolhouse?

Trixie turned back to Lyra. "Okay, I can see this isn't mine to open, but I don't think we can exactly go back to the movie at this point."

After a moment's hesitation, Lyra sighed. Her horn lit up and the package tore open, revealing... a thin newspaper dated nine months ago. Trixie pulled it out and unfolded it. "We were going to ask Ember about this in private first," Bon Bon said, nervously.

Trixie soon found the relevant article and read through it in silence. After a minute, she put it down and stared at a confused Ember. She then rolled up the newspaper, floated it over to Ember and smacked her across the muzzle with it.

"OW! Trixie, what the-?" Ember ducked as Trixie took another swing. Before she could take a third, the other ponies intervened - Thunderlane grabbed Trixie's horn with his wing to cancel the spell, Bon Bon and Bow moved to restrain her from behind, and Lyra grabbed the newspaper with her telekinesis before it hit the ground. She passed it to Ember, who unfurled it and read the headline aloud: "'The Great and Powerful Trixie's Secrets Revealed'?"

"It's all in there, Ember," Trixie said, quietly furious. "Your friendship with Gusty, writing Daring Do and the Amber of the Smooze, basing Sparkler on me. Even down to the Hearthswarming Eve party where you met me."

Ember's eyes widened as she started to read through it. "Trixie, I have no explanation for-"

"Save it Ember, you were quoted!" Trixie snarled. "I don't care what you were trying to accomplish with this. You swore to me that you hadn't gone public about this and weren't going to without my consent. And now that I know you were lying, any agreement between us is over. Get out!"

Ember, stung, didn't move. "Uh, Trixie, this isn't actually-"

Bow moved around, stood between them and spoke up. "Ember, if you really think you have any chance of making amends for this, I suggest you leave and come back later another day, with a very good explanation."

Struck by Bow's sudden, barely restrained anger, Ember nodded, walked to the doorway and quietly left, struggling to figure out how this had gone so badly. In the awkward silence that followed, Trixie turned off the TV and retreated to her bedroom.

***

"Three pre-cutiescent fillies," Ember repeated, bewildered. It was an hour later, and the four of them had only just regrouped at her house.

Bon Bon nodded. "They were exposed a few days after this," - she gestured to the article - "by the sister of one of them. They wrote an apology, claiming that they'd been blackmailed to continue churning out gossip, and their editor-in-chief was demoted. Anyway, by that point a lot of their stories were so obviously fabricated that most of us were taking even earlier stories with a grain of salt."

"That explains why this one didn't spread to any bigger newspapers. 'The Colt Who Cried Timberwolf,' Ember thought aloud. "But the question remains: where in Tartarus did they get this information?" She picked up the paper again and reread the article, paying close attention to the quotes.

After a moment, her eyes widened and Thunderlane picked up on it. "What have you found?"

"The letters," Ember whispered, half to herself. She turned to Thunderlane. "After I found out Trixie was missing, I sent out a few dozen letters in hopes of getting in contact with her, addressed to ponies all over Equestria. Gusty's family and friends, my old co-workers and fellow students, my contacts at newspapers in other cities - basically anypony who I could trust to take "For Her Eyes Only" seriously. I can't remember the exact wording, but I'd bet you anything that that's where these quotes came from," she finished, jabbing a hoof at the article.

Thunderlane nodded. "Well, if you explain that to Trixie-"

He stopped as he saw that Ember was shaking her head vehemently. "Not yet. At this point it sounds like a badly improvised excuse. For one thing, the letters were sent out nearly a year before the article was written. For another, I still don't know how one of them got into these fillies' hooves."

"Do you have any suspects? Any contacts in Ponyville?" Lyra asked.

"Zecora and Twilight, but not well enough to send either of them letters," Ember muttered, mentally kicking herself over that oversight. She closed her eyes in thought for a moment, then turned to Bon Bon. "The Earth pony, you said her name was Apple Bloom?" Bon Bon nodded. "A member of the Apple family?" Another nod. "Possible connection there, I definitely remember meeting some of them when I was doing research for Amber of the Smooze," she mused.

Bon Bon shook her head. "It's a stretch. The last time the Apple Family held any kind of large-scale reunion was over two years ago. Not only had Trixie not shown up in Ponyville yet, Gusty wasn't even dead yet. And I don't remember seeing any non-local family members helping on the farm recently."

Ember brushed that aside. "It's a lead. In any case, the only way I'm going to find out is to go to Ponyville and talk to 'Gabby Gums' myself. Their teacher, Miss Cheerilee - do either of you have her home address?" she asked Lyra and Bon Bon, who both nodded. "If I can talk to her tomorrow afternoon, I might be able to arrange-"

Thunderlane interrupted. "What? Please tell me you're not talking about spending the night down there - what about Trixie's performance?"

Ember turned to him. "Lanie, even I can see that me being there is not going to give Trixie the support that I want to." She sighed. "She said she was ending our arrangement - I hope she doesn't think I'm going to mess with the investment I made for her."

"Don't worry. I'll go and see her tomorrow, try and keep her mind on performing," Thunderlane replied with a smile.

"And we'll make sure we're in the audience when she goes on," Bon Bon added. Lyra nodded, before staring at her in mild surprise. "What? Everypony Comes to Brick's is one of my favourites."

***

Across town, Trixie, unable to sleep, turned away from her tear-stained pillow and reached out with her telekinesis to Daring Do and the Trials of Unity.

Chapter 14 - Before the Show

It was early afternoon when Trixie woke up, soon realising that she'd been moved into the kitchen and propped up in a chair by the table while she was sleeping. Also, there was a bowl of oatmeal on the table apparently waiting for her.

As she tried to get her bearings, Bow entered the kitchen and sat down across from her. "Rainclaw will be over around three pm, that gives you just over two hours to eat, shower and rehearse your act with me."

Trixie blinked as she processed Bow's words. Her scowl returned as she thought back to last night. "My deal with Ember is over. There's not going to be a show tonight if she cancels-"

Bow interrupted. "Do you really think she'd do that?" Trixie remained scowling, but she didn't answer. "Look, I get that you're pissed about the article, and whether she misled you, lied to you or just slipped up somehow, I'm not going to defend her. But at this moment, to our knowledge, you have a show tonight and I expect you to be ready for it."

Trixie sighed and picked up her spoon.

***

Ember stepped off the train onto the platform feeling overdressed, and not just because this was Ponyville. "Unbelievable," she muttered. "I spend seven years trying to get used to a freezing cold holiday season, and then this happens." She made a mental note to ask TL about the unseasonable warmth she'd been feeling since Rambling Rock Ridge.

As she walked out of the station, Ember glanced at her watch. "More than enough time to find Cheerliee. Shame Bon Bon couldn't give me more information than an address." She looked around for a familiar landmark, smiled and headed over to the Golden Oak library.

Twilight Sparkle looked up from her desk as the door opened and smiled as she recognised the visitor. "Ms Roundup! I wasn't expecting to see you back in town so soon. Did you want me to set up another meeting with Zecora? Or do you need more research materials?" Without waiting for an answer, she teleported over to the library's Arcane Magic section and began scanning through the spines.

"No, thank you Twilight, I'm here on very different matters this time," Ember replied. Twilight turned back to her, curious. Ember pulled the newspaper article out of her saddlebag and put it down on the table.

Twilight's eyes widened in recognition. "I thought this was another of their fabrications. You're not telling me-?"

"I'm not going to comment on this until I've spoken to them," Ember interrupted.

Twilight took the hint. "Well, I know the fillies personally. Do you want me to take you to their clubhouse?"

Ember shook her head. "My gut's telling me I should be getting their teacher's help with this." She pulled out the card Bon Bon had given her and put it down on top of the article.

Twilight read the card and smiled. "Follow me."

***

Rehearsal with Bow and Medley had gone well, though the living room's area didn't really allow Trixie to set up anything more complicated than card tricks. Hopefully, there would be time to try out the stage later that afternoon.

Thunderlane turned up at the apartment around ten to three, while Trixie was packing up her equipment. "I thought you'd be writing with Lyra today," she commented.

"She wanted to work on a couple of chapters solo, though of course I'll look over them later tonight," Thunderlane replied. "She and Bon Bon have promised they'll be at the show."

Trixie smiled to herself, though it faded quickly. "And Ember?"

Thunderlane hesitated. "Out of town, trying to track down the source of that leak," he answered evenly.

Trixie turned back to him. "She's really sticking with that story, even despite the quotes in the article?" After a moment of silence, she turned back to her case. "...I guess she did seem shocked last night. But even if it's true, the information's out there and I don't believe it could have come from my family. I don't care how it happened, there's no way she can make this up to me now."

Before Thunderlane could think of anything to say in defense of his friend, the doorbell rang.

***

Cheerilee answered the door to find Twilight Sparkle and an unfamiliar mare about her age. After Twilight quickly introduced the two, Cheerilee invited Ember in and listened to her story.

"So, what exactly do you want my help with?" asked Cheerilee.

"If I'm going to confront them about this, I want to do it on school grounds, preferably with you there. Somewhere they'd normally feel safe but not to the point that me being there would seem... intrusive or scary I guess."

Cheerilee nodded. "I see what you're getting at." She paused in thought for a moment, before smiling. "Supposing I have you in for a Q&A session to the class tomorrow morning. You introduce yourself, answer questions about your career and how any of them can make it as writers - then I ask the three of them to have a word with the two of us at recess. Don't worry, it won't throw off my lesson plan much."

Ember returned the smile. "Perfect."

***

The 3:25 train from Baltimare pulled into the station. A light blue unicorn with a long grey mane stepped off and trotted along the platform, suitcase in mouth and Fillydelphia travel-guide in hoof.

Chapter 15: Reunions

Ember finished her coffee and watched as Cheerilee looked over her schedule to make sure she could squeeze her in the following morning. “I really appreciate this,” she said, after Cheerilee had closed the book and put it down on the coffee table.

Cheerilee smiled. “Don't worry about it. Have you given talks like this before?”

Ember chuckled, a little nervous. “Well, I've been a guest lecturer at UFilly a couple of times...”

Cheerilee gave a smirk. “Well, this can't be too different.” She paused as an idea came to mind. “I could give you some advice over dinner tonight, if you don't have plans.”

Ember nodded. “That would be great.” She glanced at her watch. “Wait, do you have plans?” she asked, sensing there was more to the invitation than had been said.

Cheerilee smiled. “I was planning on eating out with a friend on the PTA. She won't mind if you join us, and her daughter's in the class you'll be talking to.”

Ember nodded. “If you're sure, I'm happy to meet her. Where and when?”

***

Trixie and Rainclaw's...”date” had gone well, with Trixie managing to refrain from venting once she'd confirmed that Ember hadn't cancelled her investment. The two had talked at length about their travels around Equestria – they had quite a few towns in common, even a couple of venues.

The two arrived at the theatre shortly 4pm, having lost track of time. If Ingreen was annoyed, she didn't show it, and had clearly been prepared for the likelihood of having to rehearse scenes out of order while they were waiting. Trixie was quickly introduced to the other four cast members, who took turns to practice illusions with her backstage in their spare moments.

A second dress rehearsal began at 5, this time from start to finish, and this time Ingreen insisted on giving Trixie a turn at each of Islander's scenes. It was pretty clear to everyone that Trixie would not be ready tonight, but Ingreen and Rainclaw seemed satisfied with her progress.

With rehearsals over, the group changed out of their costumes and returned to the restaurant area, currently occupied by non-ticket holders. The performers ordered and ate a quick dinner, mostly salads. Few of them were especially hungry at this point.

Trixie waited until 7:20 pm observing the room, disconcerted by the apparent absence of her friends. Only when every other table in the room had been taken did it click, and she and the cast quickly hurried backstage to prepare, freeing up the table.

Trixie changed into her outfit and prepared the stage for her act, only seconds before the curtain rose.

***

Ember arrived at the restaurant Cheerilee had directed her to around 7pm. She looked around the room from the doorway and quickly located her sitting beside an indistinct mare, her face hidden by the menu. Cheerilee noticed her and waved her over.

Ember walked over to the table, sat down and picked up the glass of water provided. “Ember Roundup, this is-” Cheerilee was cut off when the other mare lowered the menu, her face giving Ember a mild shock, triggering a coughing fit from the water.

An awkward silence followed, with Ember unsure how or what to explain. “It's the eyes, isn't it,” Ditzy muttered, a thick tone of dejection in her voice. “If it helps, I can do this for a while,” she continued, giving Ember a wink and forcing her to hold back a giggle.

“I'm... sorry. You caught me off guard a bit, normally I'd be a lot more sensitive,” Ember stammered.

Cheerilee seemed to take it at face value and continued with the introductions. “Ember Roundup, Ditzy Doo, and I apologise for not bringing that up earlier.” She got out of the chair. “I'll go and order us a large salad to start, you two can get to know each other.”

Once Cheerilee was out of earshot, Ember spoke up. “So, you're still not telling ponies about 'Muffin Parcels' yet?”

Ditzy smiled and shook her head. “I can do without the attention.”

Ember nodded, understanding. “How is Zappapple Tock and the Nightwing Conspiracy coming along?”

“It's okay. But I wish I knew how to squeeze more of my own ideas into the original book's events,” Ditzy replied.

“Any plans for another New Adventures book?” Ember asked. “You know, there are a lot of ponies who would love to work with you.”

Ditzy shook her head. “Writing Daring never really came naturally to me. Not like Zapp.”

Ember smiled. “Don't sell yourself short. Universal Cracks was brilliant, and that can't all be down to Steeple.”

Ditzy returned the smile. “What about you, do you have a comeback planned?”

Ember's face fell. “I had a story in mind, but I'm not sure if I can do anything with it now.”

Ditzy opted not to press further. “So, what are you doing in Ponyville?”

Ember hesitated. “Cheerilee invited me to give a talk to her class about my career, tomorrow morning.”

“Ah, Dinky's class! Any topics I should ask her to bring up?” asked Ditzy with a grin. It soon faded to a thoughtful look. “Actually, thinking about it, maybe my other daughter could use some advice from you.”

Ember's interest was piqued. “You have another daughter?”

Ditzy nodded. “Fostered, actually. Anyway, I've noticed over recently that she has a minor talent for writing, probably better than mine, but I haven't been able to convince her of that.”

Ember frowned. “So, she enjoys writing but doesn't think it's worth her pursuing?” Ditzy nodded. “Well, I don't know what you expect me to say to convince her, especially if it's not even her Cutie Mark talent. Besides I'm heading back to Fillydephia early afternoon tomorrow, depending on... how things go at the school.”

Ditzy considered that. “Well, I could have her walk Dinky to school and have her meet you either before or after the talk.”

Ember nodded, a little reluctant. “I'm still not sure the timing works, but if she does show up I'll do what I can.” As if on instinct, she put her glass down and swallowed before asking the next question: “What's her name, anyway?”

***

Trixie walked downstage as the curtain closed, more satisfied with her performance than any she'd given in the last two years. Ingreen and the others walked onto the stage and Trixie quickly helped them assemble the scenery for the opening act. Once they were ready, Trixie walked backstage, removed her costume, then made her way back to the dining area.

The lights were down, but Trixie had no trouble finding the table, thanks to Lyra flickering her horn to get her attention. She quietly walked round to the remaining seat, taking a moment to realise that all seven seats were now taken despite Ember's absence. She lit up her horn and looked around the table – Thunderlane, Medley, Bow, Bon Bon, Lyra... and Checker, who proceeded to glomp Trixie before she could even react.

After a brief awkward moment, Trixie returned the embrace. “What happened to the part where you slap me for not contacting you for over a year, and making you think I was dead? Or is that still to come?”

At those words, Trixie felt two drops of water fall on her shoulders. “You've been punished enough,” her sister replied.