Of course, I was not there to see or be part of this, but I learned about it later. This is what was going on while I was playing matchmaker.
Trixie crossed her arms as she rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Twilork. Trixie swears, sometimes she wants to tweak her right on the nose until she realizes how annoying she is at times."
Starlight's chest swelled with air as she slumped down onto the desk she was seated at. "Look, let's take the positive side of this. We know Linda is alive, sorta. Worst case, she's back in Equestria."
Trixie moved her hands to her hips. "That's great for her, or him now, she supposes, but that leaves us here."
"Twilight could reach us." Starlight sat up, composure returning. "If she could reach us, we're alright... We just have to avoid doing anything... stupid."
"Trixie does not do stupid things, so we should be fine."
Starlight leveled an even glare at her friend. "I love you, Trixie, but that was a lie."
Trixie grabbed a purse that had been abandoned, Linda's purse. "She thought to grab this before everyone finished freaking out. At least we will not go hungry."
"We don't exactly have permission to be using any of that."
"Do you think Linda wants us to be destitute? Besides, if we didn't have the signal, where would we be? Trixie was entirely justified." She fished out a wallet from within the purse and flashed one of her cards at Starlight. "With this, we can get what we need."
Starlight peered at it suspiciously. "I've seen her use those before. She has to sign for them."
"So sign it with her name." Trixie shrugged. "What's the problem?"
"What if they don't beleive we are her?"
Trixie poked Starlight right in the center of her chest. "Remember what everyone has said? You look like her, could pass as her sister. If you use her identity card, who will know if we don't tell them? We won't buy anything fancy, just what we need when we need it. If we do it responsibly, then she will not complain."
A sudden noise made them both jump before they realized it was the sound of Linda's phone. They exchanged a glance, silently asking one another what to do before Trixie made the call for them and pulled out the phone. "Hello?"
"Hello," came a stern female voice, Director Swanson. "Please put Linda Frohein on the line."
Starlight's teeth clenched. "Hello, director. We can't do that right now."
"Miss Glimmer?" There was a pause. "Update me."
Trixie wriggled her fingers. "Well, she's a little..."
Starlight attempted to shove her hoof in Trixie's mouth. Alas, she had a hand, and hands in mouths felt strange on both ends, not to mention it didn't fit as perfectly as hooves tended to. She pulled her moistened hand back, grimacing in disgust with her tongue extended. "It's complicated..."
"Complication is my line of work. No editing, no revision. I need a status report. Where is Miss Frohein and what is her condition?"
Trixie smacked her lips. "You taste... interesting."
"What?" asked the voice on the phone.
"Sorry, she was speaking to Starlight. We don't know where Linda is, exactly."
"What do you know?"
Starlight took a slow breath. "She went out swimming too far, but she made it back to land, but fell unconscious on the beach, from what she told me."
"She told you that she passed out?"
Starlight put a hand to her face. "Yes, she did. Did I mention it's complicated? She's still out there, somewhere, and we don't know where."
"But she was able to inform you of this."
Trixie glared at the phone. "Didn't Starlight just say this? Why ask questions if you don't listen to the answers?"
"I called to ask her to look into something for me. Perhaps you could explain what would cause a sudden spike in equine radiation in the area?"
Starlight looked around nervously, but that was not an emotion Trixie was feeling. "Equine radiation?"
"Magic," spoke the director flatly. "There was a burst of it. I wanted her to look into it since she was there and was the most convenient contact I have in the area."
Trixie snapped her fingers. "Why didn't you say so? She imagines a pony being turned into a statue is probably a lot of magic."
Starlight grabbed the phone. "Gotta go, bye!" She hung up the phone and threw it across the room with a frustrated cry. "Trixie! You don't need to say everything that comes to your mind."
"Trixie is fairly certain she does." She rolled a hand. "Besides, is she not a figure of authority? Trixie would be making trouble if she didn't say what she knew. Didn't you ask Trixie to not make trouble? Which do you want?"
The phone rang from where it had landed on the ground. Trixie waved at it. "Well, now what do you want to do?"
Starlight bit at her bottom lip as the phone gave a second ring. With trembling fingers, she snatched the thing off the ground just as I started its third call. "Hello?"
"Miss Glimmer, please do not do that again."
Starlight sagged. "Sorry, ma'am."
"I am given to beleive that you are concerned with Miss Frohein's well-being, is this not true?"
"Yes, ma'am." Starlight glanced towards Trixie as she held the phone to her head, not sharing the call. "Look, we're doing what we can."
"On that I can verify you are incorrect. If Miss Frohein is in danger, than I need to be appraised of the situation, for her benefit. You are capable of communication with her?"
"Not exatly. She, and Twilight--"
"The princess?"
"That's the one." Starlight smiled a little. "You know her?"
"Please, continue. What can they do?"
"They can call us, like you did on the phone, only without a phone."
"And they did, not long before I called you."
"Er, yes. How did you know that?"
"We have our ways. Next time she makes contact, getting her location is our number one priority. A beach was mentioned. Were you present? Can you give me its address?"
Starlight lowered the phone slightly. "I can ask. Wait here, alright?"
She set the phone down and hurried from the room.
Trixie glanced after her friend before picking up the abandoned phone. "This is that 'Director', yes?"
"Hello, Miss Lulamoon. Imagine my surprise when I was informed one of our watchlist was put under investigation for Homeland Security violation."
"Home? Trixie was harassed at an airport, not in anyone's home." She huffed softly. "They weren't even in the right place? Incompetents!"
There was a pause. "Miss Lulamoon."
"You can call her Trixie the Great and Powerful."
"Miss Lulamoon." The voice held little humor. "Your friend, Miss Frohein, appears to be in danger. I need you to be serious."
"Trixie is entirely serious." She leaned back in her seat, a leg swinging through the air. "But there is nothing for her to do right now. Do you have a suggestion?"
"I do. You are capable of 'magic' as you call it, are you not?"
"Trixie is quite good at it." Trixie gave a prim nod as if affirming a clear fact. "What do you require?"
"Can you find Linda Frohein with it?"
"She... never learned a spell to find people, she admits." Trixie frowned at a weakness in her arcane mastery being pointed out. "She would find one, but there are no good libraries of that sort in this entire world."
Starlight suddenly snatched the phone back from Trixie, having entered moments prior, unseen by the inattentive, if great, magician. "Miss Swanson?"
"Miss Glimmer, welcome back. Did you get the address?"
Starlight named the beach. "I didn't get the address, but that's a start, I hope?"
"That's fine. We can look that up. Thank you, Miss Glimmer. With Linda out of contact, you and Miss Lulamoon are the closest operatives of any kind I have to the situation. I'm going to do what I can from here to get a thorough search of the area, but it may not be that simple. A rogue alien may be involved, and, if the patterns remain true, they are likely a magic user."
Starlight's face hardened. "You want me to look for any unicorns in the area then?"
"Exactly so. They may be acting in Linda's benefit, or not, we can't know. If they are holding her, even out of benign intent, they could be preventing her from reaching proper medical care. The people I can summon will be law enforcement and emergency medical. They don't understand you, magic, or your people at all. it would be best if they don't have to. My hunch remains just that, but time is critical. I need you back at that beach, doing what you can to help locate Miss Frohein. Do you understand me?"
"Since I have you here." Starlight plucked the card Trixie still had. "We have Linda's cards. is it alright to use them?"
There was a pause. "Did she... authorize your use of them?"
There was a dictionary wedged between the words there, and Starlight could feel their presence. "Um, yes."
"Good. Just sign with your own name. If asked, tell them that you were authorized to use the card. If they balk, then move on. Do this and you will cause less trouble."
"Right, my own name... We should get moving. She isn't going to find herself."
"While that would be ideal, it seems likely not. Good hunting, Miss Glimmer."
"Bye." Starlight pressed the hangup button and turned to Trixie. "We have to go."
"Go where? And give Trixie her card back."
"It's Linda's card." She tucked it into a breast pocket and grabbed the purse to go with it. "And we're going to search for her."
Trixie looked up as the door to their room slipped a few inches shut. "Who is spying on Trixie?" Rapid footsteps implied retreat. Trixie hopped up to her feet with agility in defiance of her rounded form. "You won't escape so easily!"
"What?" Starlight watched Trixie take off in a bolt and followed behind at a more sedate pace. "Where are you running off to?"
Trixie arrived at a closed door and raised a hand as if to bang on it, but it turned into a light knocking.
"Go away," came a male voice.
"That is no way for a fan of Trixie to speak to her. Open this door now."
Starlight arrived just in time to see Tod peeking out of his room. "Tod?"
"You're not... cosplaying, are you?" asked the teen.
Trixie put her hands on her hips. "This is not a costume. This is Trixie's astounding outfit. Now, why were you spying on Trixie, and why did you run away?"
Starlight slid in, putting up a hand in front of Trixie. "I don't think that's what he means." She gave Tod an unseasy smile. "Is it?"
"Can you find auntie Linda?"
Starlight crouched slightly. "I hope so. We're going to try."
Trixie pushed the door open with far less tact. "Tell Trixie what you mean, right now."
Tod hopped away from the door in surprise, his eyes widening a moment. "Don't curse me or anything."
"Trixie wouldn't curse a fan, but a fan doesn't keep secrets from Trixie either, so what will it be?"
He came to a quick decision. "You're not just a lady pretending to be her."
"Trixie does not need to pretend to be herself, that's silly."
Starlight gave a nervous little laugh. "Well, that much is true. Look, Tod. Linda is in trouble, and we want to help. Now isn't the time to scream or panic."
Tod gave a little nod. "I'll help."
Starlight frowned at that. "How can you help? You're just a kid."
Tod's expression darkened. "Look, this is my home town. I know how to get around better than either of you. I mean, at first it was kind of cute, but you two really don't know much."
Trixie rolled her eyes. "If you wish to be Trixie's guide, than she will accept, out of care for her fans."
Starlight's face drew into a grimace. "Trixie!"