//------------------------------// // Inclusivity // Story: How Not To Use Your Royal Prerogative // by Amber Spark //------------------------------// As dawn filtered through the Manehattan skyscrapers into the already bustling streets, Sunset watched the newsponies on the street corners and fought down another yawn. She took a gulp of her Earl Gray to ward off the late autumn morning chill, but the caffeine hadn’t kicked in yet. “Anything?” Moon Dancer stomped her hooves on the concrete outside the lobby of Hoofbeats, trying to warm herself up. Sunset shook her head. “They’re still peddling last night’s news. Doesn’t even have anything on the show.” “And here I thought the Manehattan press never slept.” “Apparently they do sometimes.” Sunset took another gulp and wrapped her borrowed scarf tighter around her neck. “So why now, when it’s freaking freezing out here?” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Because it’s all about you.” “Thank you, Sunny.” Moon Dancer beamed at her. “It’s nice to hear you admit the truth.” “You two okay out here?” Coco asked as she peeked out from the door behind them. “It’s really cold!” “Yeah, we noticed,” Moon Dancer quipped. “Shush.” Sunset sighed before turning to the young mare. “We’re fine, Coco. Anything from Gateway or Rara?” Coco shook her head, a frown on her face. “Rara’s still at the hospital, and Gateway’s commandeered one of the conference rooms. He’s pretty much defaulted to Lead Detective mode now… and I’m smart enough to stay out of his way when that happens.” “Lead Detective?” Sunset stared at Coco. “What do you mean ‘Lead Detective mode?’” “You didn’t know?” Coco fiddled with her cravat. “Gateway was Lead Detective for the Canterlot City Police for ten years. He came out of retirement to work for Rara.” “Really?” Moon Dancer said. She scratched at her topknot with a hoof. “If that’s the case, I’m surprised you haven’t found out who’s behind this yet.” “Why do you think I’m avoiding him right now?” Coco paused for a moment before grinning awkwardly. “…you know you could wait for the paper inside, right?” “I like the cold,” Sunset said after another sip of tea. “Helps me think.” Coco’s eyes turned to Moon Dancer. “I like being out here so I can complain at Sunny.” Coco blinked a few times, opened her mouth to speak, closed it, shrugged and went back inside. “You’re going to hurt that poor mare’s brain,” Sunset said. “Nah. That’s what you’re here for!” Moon Dancer replied brightly. “Oh, and why—” Moon Dancer lifted a hoof. “Sunny, look.” Sunset turned her attention back to the street corner and her breath caught in her throat. A worn-looking stallion sweating through his Manehattan Times vest had just pulled up to the corner. Fillies and foals swarmed over the wagon he was carrying. Less than a minute later, the stallion had darted away, leaving the newsponies with their new goods. Most of the newsponies scattered in every direction, but one filly remained on the busy street corner. Sunset managed to get there first and tossed the filly a bit. The scruffy looking filly wore a tattered scarf and a flatcap though her mane and coat were brushed perfectly. It was an odd combination, like something out of a Bridleway play. Still, the bit vanished and a newspaper was offered with a smile. “Well?” Moon Dancer said, trotting in place to keep the blood flowing. “I’m looking, I’m looking,” Sunset muttered as she flipped pages with her magic. “Nothing on the front page, that’s probably good. Politics… only a few mentions of the show tonight… classified section… Oh! Entertainment!” “Don’t keep me in suspense! Read it!” Sunset took a gulp of her tea to beat off the cold again before she started reading. “Coloratura’s latest show in Hoofbeats last night was everything we’ve come to expect from one of her performances: a stunning combination of the spectacular and the subtle. As somepony who was there at the beginning of the diva’s ascension from filly to becoming one of the top three best-selling ponies in entertainment history, I can happily say that this mare has surpassed herself with each passing year. Last night’s performance was more exciting than normal when a sound effect spell set up to ‘bring down the house’ misfired, creating a huge racket.” “That’s one way to put it…” Moon Dancer said.  “But…” Sunset swallowed, “But… even more interesting was the sudden appearance of Sunset Shimmer on stage during a brief intermission at the after-party. Though ponies have seen the Princess’s prized student at these events before, never once has she appeared in such a public role.” “You’re famous!” “I was already famous,” Sunset muttered. “And I don’t want to be. This could cause problems.” “You’re overreacting. Just skip that part. It sounds like we might be in the clear.” Moon Dancer breathed a sigh of relief. “I was starting to get worried there. But if it wasn’t on the front page…” “There’s more,” Sunset frowned. “However, there have been some nasty rumors following Coloratura on this tour. Anonymous sources within the stage show report poor working conditions, harsh hours and grueling duties. These have been substantiated by various accidents plaguing the Equestria-wide tour. There are more rumors that include scathing complaints against Coloratura’s manager, Spotlight, a representative of the PonyGram Records. Sources from within PonyGram report that Spotlight is being watched very closely regarding these allegations, which have yet to be substantiated.” “I’m starting to wonder if somepony is after Spotlight instead of Rara,” Moon Dancer muttered. “But if those rumors are coming from inside the record label…” “There’s a lot of evidence here.” Sunset bit her lip. “But the question is… evidence of what? Let’s see… oh… well, that sets the tone for tonight.” Sunset groaned. “What is it?” Moon Dancer peered over her shoulder and Sunset shifted it so her friend could see the article on the front page of the entertainment section right underneath a picture of Rara belting out something on stage.   “Tonight is the much-anticipated ‘Grade School Gala.’” Sunset’s breath fogged in the air as she read. “Celebrities from all over Equestria have confirmed their attendance. All proceeds will be donated to Manehattan’s floundering education system. However, even this event has been marred by accusations. Several members of the Canterlot and Manhattan elite have expressed reservations about supporting any endeavor organized by somepony who is rumored to be apathetic toward the plight of her employees, directly or through alleged mismanagement by Spotlight. No matter what happens, tonight is sure to be a night to remember.” “Well…” Moon Dancer shifted from side to side. “It’s not as bad as it could be.” “Most of the article is about all the bad stuff going on with her shows!” Sunset grumbled. “Come on. Let’s find Coco.” Sunset headed back toward the lobby of Hoofbeats. Copper Belle, one of the guards from last night—currently dressed in a sensible security jacket—held the door open for them. Moon Dancer winked at her, eliciting a groan from the pegasus. “You’re such a flirt,” Sunset laughed as they stomped some feeling back into their hooves in the wonderfully warm lobby of the nightclub. “Just because you’re completely clueless when it comes to finding other ponies attractive doesn’t mean I am. Even if these days I do prefer stallions.” “I am not clueless! For example, I think Coco is rather cute.” Moon Dancer turned with a smirk… which instantly turned into a Minuette-level grin. “She’s right behind me isn’t she?” Sunset sighed. “How cliché.” Indeed, Coco was right behind Sunset at the concierge table, beside a blue unicorn stagehand and Grayshield, the other guard from last night. While Coco still wore her cravat with the red tie and her flower clip in her mane, the most noticeable feature was her burning red cheeks. “I… ah… that is…” Coco swallowed. Sunset facehoofed and refused to give Moon Dancer the satisfaction of doing the awkward dance she so desperately wanted to see. “Yes, you’re cute, Coco,” Sunset confessed with an exasperated sigh. “Something I’m sure you actually know. That being said, I’m not really in a position to do anything about it.” “Um… that’s… that’s okay?” Coco offered. “I’m… look, you’re pretty and all, but… you’re really not my type.” “And what is your type?” Moon Dancer snickered. “None of your business, that’s her type!” Sunset tried to smack her friend, but Moon Dancer pranced out of the way with a laugh. “Ignore her, she’s gets even more annoying when she doesn’t get any sleep.” “Oh, is it time to compare sleep deprivation stories?” Moon Dancer bounced up and down. “Can I go first? I’ve got this great one about this high and mighty unicorn who thought she knew everything and then—” “I think I’ve heard that one before, believe it or not!” Sunset snapped. “Now, back on topic! Coco, the good news is that nopony seems to have heard about what happened to Spotlight. The bad news is half the article is about the rumors surrounding Rara’s tour.” Coco didn’t meet Sunset’s eyes as she pulled over the newspaper and scanned the article. Sunset shot Moon Dancer a glare when she realized Coco was still blushing a little. As usual, her friend didn’t look repentant in the slightest. “This… isn’t as bad as it could be,” Coco said after a while. She chewed her bottom lip as she looked through Hoofbeats’s glass entrance at the early Manehattan morning. “But it’s still pretty bad.” “Uh… just to remind everypony…” Moon Dancer said, her voice suddenly a lot more serious. “Just because nopony’s printed it yet doesn’t mean they won’t.” “She’s right,” Coco said with a sigh. “Despite everything, we won’t be able to stop the rumors from getting out.” “Then we deal with that when it happens.” “Not to be harsh, but you don’t get it, Sunset.” Coco shook her head. “Spotlight usually handles all public relations. But Rara’s terrible at that sort of thing, especially since these accidents started. She’s not good at spinning things into a positive light.” “What about you?” Moon Dancer asked. “I’m… okay,” Coco admitted while she fiddled with her bangs a bit. “But with everything that’s going on… sometimes I just ramble. And rambling would be really bad right now.” “Gateway’s about as subtle as a bear,” Sunset muttered. “And you really don’t have anypony else?” “Anypony else with enough authority to speak for us would need to come from PonyGram Records and they’re based in Las Pegasus.” Coco shook her head and tapped her hoof against the counter. The two ponies beside her looked up. “They couldn’t get anypony out here in time. The local office is here for logistics and stuff. However...” “If you’re going to suggest what I think you’re going to suggest…” Sunset warned. “I was going to try and do stuff behind the scenes, not take over as your official public relations pony!” “It would only be for a little bit!” Coco pleaded. “The article even mentioned how you explained things! And who knows… it might not even be necessa—” “Ma’am,” Copper Belle approached the desk with a worried expression. “We have a member of the Manehattan Police here.” Everypony in earshot glanced up to see a uniformed gray earth pony standing outside the club, tapping her hoof. “Stop it!” Sunset hissed at everypony. “You want to give us away at the start?” “Sunny, I’m sorry, but Coco’s right.” Moon Dancer winced. “You’re the best pony for this job. In fact, you’re the only pony for this job.” A tiny familiar surge of panic welled up within her, but she beat it back down. She didn’t have the time to give into that right now. “But… what am I supposed to even do?” she blurted. “We already talked about this, Sunny,” Moon Dancer put a hoof on her shoulder. “Last night, remember?” Sunset downed the rest of her tea, hoping that the caffeine would take effect sooner rather than later. “Yeah, yeah. I remember.” “It’s standard practice for large charity events to have a police presence,” Coco said quickly. “Since she’s alone, she’s probably just here to check on arrangements.” “The more police here, the better chance they have about finding out what really happened last night.” Sunset nodded. “Okay. So, we need to show them…” Sunset’s eyes went wide. “Moon Dancer, I need you to get maybe… half a dozen ponies here to do a full sweep of the lobby and get Gateway plus another dozen doing a sweep of the theater.” Sunset ripped off part of the newspaper, conjured a pre-inked quill and scribbled a hasty note on it. “What are you planning, Sunset?” Moon Dancer stared at her. “No time,” Sunset shook her head as she finished the note. “Give this to him. And make sure they have their security jackets and look as official as possible. Coco, I need you to make yourself scarce for a bit.” “I can do that,” Coco said. “I should double check the costumes for tonight. Make sure nothing has happened to those.” “Grayshield?” Sunset pointed a hoof at the earth pony stallion going over a floor plan with one of the stagehoofs. “Huh?” “Look impressive.” “Um… sure?” “And you!” Sunset pointed at the stagehoof, a vaguely familiar blue unicorn. “Just go with whatever Grayshield goes with, okay?” “Um… yes, ma’am,” the mare said meekly, hiding behind her long mane. “Good!” Sunset nodded to herself. “Okay. Let’s do this. I can do this.” Yeah. You can do this. If you let me help you. The voice sounded so blasted smug in her head. She wanted to punch that voice. I really hate you. It’s nice to be appreciated. Sunset could almost see her own glittering, conceited eyes watching from the shadows of her brain. “And why are you speaking for Miss Coloratura, Miss Shimmer?” The policepony—who’d introduced herself as Officer Hops—watched with a critical eye as Grayshield completely overdid his part by stabbing the floorplan in front of him with all the passion of a colt’s first play. It was everything Sunset could do not to facehoof. Thankfully, the blue mare beside him was too mortified to actually react with anything but nods. “Miss Coloratura asked me to help out,” Sunset replied evenly. “Spotlight had a bit of a sore throat this morning, so she’s resting up before tonight’s big show.” “And nopony else was available? That’s a bit odd. While it’s just a formality, I usually like to be talking with management.” “Coloratura’s security chief is doing some sweeps right now. He’s coordinating things from the club’s dance floor.” The gray policepony finally turned away from Grayshield. Sunset breathed a sigh of relief and headed toward the doors leading to the club proper. She shot the stallion a glare so intense he actually recoiled. The mare almost dove behind the concierge desk just by being in proximity to Sunset’s target. “So, please explain to me again why we don’t need a heavy police presence at tonight’s event?” Hops cocked an eyebrow at her. “In fact, considering the rumors circulating about the accidents following Miss Coloratura’s tour, I would think having more officers on site would be appreciated.” “Please believe me, I have studied these sorts of things at length during my time with Princess Celestia,” Sunset replied as she opened the doors leading to the main club. “I’ve already coordinated with Miss Coloratura’s security and I find the preparations extremely impressive. I’m sure you’re familiar with former Lead Detective Gateway.” “I want the mezzanine double-checked from every angle!” shouted the now-familiar gravelly voice. “We need eyes on every corner of this place!” The massive main dance floor of Hoofbeats was empty save for the imposing form of Gateway. Though Sunset knew the stallion hadn’t gotten any more sleep than she had, the security chief was chewing out his staff with the ferocity of a rabid Ursa Minor. There was also a lot more of security ponies in here than there had been twenty minutes ago, far more than the dozen or so Sunset had requested. Guards were all over the various balconies that comprised the mezzanine of the enormous nightclub. Teams of three were going through the elevated lounge area and the wraparound bar. “Anyway, you of all ponies must understand the nightmare of logistics, especially between a private security force and the Manehattan Police.” Sunset caught Hops’s wince. Gotcha. Somepony’s dealt with jurisdiction issues in the past. Good, Shimmer, that snide voice commented. Now, set her up for the last act. She hated it when her angry little pony was right, but she was right. “Dammit!” Gateway shouted at somepony in the catwalks above the main stage. “I told you to double-check the back storage areas, Brass! Now get your tail back there before I buck it back there!” A shadow in the catwalks scurried away as Crabgreen approached the rumbling security chief. “Chief Gateway?” Sunset called as they trotted down the stairs to the dance floor. “Yes, what is it?” Gateway grumbled as he studied a clipboard from a cowering Crabgreen. “I’m in the middle of fifteen things, all of them annoying.” Sunset had to fight back a smirk. Damn, he’s good at this. “Chief,” Sunset needed to play this formally. Authority—or even the appearance of authority—was everything right now. “This is Officer Hops from the Manehattan Police Department. She’s here checking out security arrangements for tonight.” “I want new patrol routes set up for the third floor,” Gateway snapped at Crabgreen. “We’ve still got a few windows of opportunity on the northwest corner and the south side.” “Yes, sir!” Crabgreen actually saluted in response. That got a raised eyebrow from Hops as the young security guard scampered off. “Sorry about that.” Gateway shook his head. He pulled off his mirrored sunglasses in a haze of copper magic and tucked them into his breast pocket. He turned and nodded respectfully to Officer Hops. “You ever run a security detail for a shindig like this, Lieutenant?” He didn’t even pause. He instantly glanced at her uniform and knew her rank. Sunset, you really know how to pick ‘em. “Once or twice,” Hops replied and held out her hoof. Gateway shook it with a quick and efficient motion, the movement of somepony with a dozen things to do. “Though I’ve never had this many under me at once.” “I hope you never have to,” Gateway grumbled as he glowered up at one of the balconies where three ponies were scouting out sight-lines—or something like that. “To call it herding cats would be an insult to cats everywhere.” Hops chuckled as she surveyed the staff scrambling around. Sunset noticed there were at least a dozen stagehoofs working on the rising orchestra platform behind the main stage. That one must have been Coco’s doing. More ponies, more busy. This could actually work. “As I said.” Sunset nodded respectfully at Gateway. “Chief Gateway has shown me his security arrangements for tonight. I’m very impressed. Canterlot lost a good officer when he retired. Coloratura is lucky to have him.” Hops blinked a few times. “Canterlot? You mean you’re that Gateway? As in that former Lead Detective Gateway?” “It was almost ten years ago.” Gateway waved a hoof. “Old news.” “You’re the one who nabbed the Silken Thief, Cat Nap and Troubled Hooves!” Hops protested. “And you must have been there to prototype the spell-switcher communications system when they first launched it.” “Ugh,” Gateway groaned and rubbed his forehead. “You don’t want to know how that whole thing went down. The less said about the thaumaturgic transmitters that started that mess, the better.” “I didn’t realize it before last night, but his techniques used at the Grand Perspective Opera House were adopted by the Royal Guard,” Sunset added. “Okay, okay!” Gateway grumbled. “Enough with the resume! I’ve got too much work to do to sit here and chat about former glories. With the amount of bigwigs coming tonight, I won’t be happy until we’ve got everything covered. So, what can I do for you, Lieutenant Hops?” The gray earth pony shook her head, her oddly-long ears dangling from beneath her police cap. “Sorry, Chief Gateway. I was sent by Chief Stablemaker to make sure everything is in order for tonight’s event.” “It isn’t,” Gateway growled as he took out a sheet of paper and scribbled something down. “But it will be by noon or there will be Tartarus to pay. Juniper! Yes, you! Get over here and get this to Flanks!” A small pegasus zipped over, snagged the piece of paper in her mouth and shot up into the shadows above the stage. A few stagehoofs circled around the three of them, carrying some sort of metal contraption Sunset didn’t recognize. “Sir...” Hops said hesitantly. “You know it’s standard procedure for the Manehattan police department to have a heavy presence for this caliber of event.” “Yes, I’m aware of that,” Gateway said distractedly as he held his earpiece closer to his head. “One sec. I don’t care if you’ve got two-seventy coverage! I want three-sixty or I will personally come up there and glue you to the ceiling! Sorry, Lieutenant Hops, you were saying?” Gateway paused and shot a sidelong look at Sunset. Sunset managed to hide her wince, but it was a near thing. She knew Gateway wouldn’t like this next part of the note she’d scribbled to him. Hops didn’t miss the exchange. “Is there something I’m missing here?” “Miss Shimmer was present last night, as you may have heard. After finding a minor breach in our security caused by a callout, she generously offered her experience in helping us secure Hoofbeats for the evening, with the assistance of the club staff, of course. Hops eyes swiveled to study Sunset. Okay, Sunset. You knew showing Gateway in his element would be a huge point in your favor, but he’s a known factor to these ponies from previous shows. You’re not. Time to shine. She heard a faint chuckle in the back of her head. “Officer Hops, you know who I am.” Sunset drew herself up, glad she was at least a little taller than the policepony. Still, the words made her a little sick to her stomach. “I am quite confident in my abilities to help Chief Gateway in his responsibilities tonight.” “Oh?” Hops met Sunset’s eyes with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t know that Princess Celestia had you training in crowd control, building security and detective work.” Sunset had suffered the inquisitive stares of Princess Celestia. She wasn’t about to let some Manehattan cop—qualified or not—intimidate her. There was being respectful and there was having some personal pride. She hadn’t completely ditched that part of herself. “The Princess has given me an extremely broad education,” Sunset replied flatly. “That’s what happens when you’re the personal apprentice of the Princess of the Sun. You get a little bit of everything.” “She’s worked with both the Equestrian Secret Service and the Royal Guard,” Gateway said. Only Sunset saw the little eyeroll he gave her. “My contacts back in Canterlot tell me she trains with the Guard’s unicorn specialists on a weekly basis.” Well, that last part is true. I have the bruises to show for it. Sunset kept her poker face. After all, Sunset had learned from literally the best. “You can’t believe that Chief Stablemaker will go for no police presence tonight,” Hops said. “I’m not suggesting that you don’t have any at all,” Sunset assured Hops. “But as you can see, Chief Gateway has things well in hoof. That’s only helped by my expertise. Miss Coloratura wants to keep things subtle for tonight. And the last thing we need is two security forces getting mixed up in a packed house of the Manehattan elite.” “And what about the rumor that somepony is messing with her shows? Trying to make them fail?” “It’s only that,” Gateway grunted. “A rumor. We’ve found nothing to substantiate it. Trust me, we’ve tried with the help of local police. You can check with the departments in both Hoofington and Fillydelphia if you’d like.” “I have to say, Chief Gateway,” Hops shook her head. “I’m surprised to hear you say that. You of all ponies should recognize a concentrated attempt at sabotage.” “Are you saying I don’t?” Gateway’s voice dropped somewhere into the subsonic range. “Now, wait just a minute!” Sunset cried. “Let’s not go accusing anypony of things.” Dammit! I overplayed it. Time to pull out the trump card. “Officer Hops, I’ve gone through the records myself. I understand what police procedure is in this case, but as personal apprentice of Princess Celestia, I can assure you an additional presence is not required tonight.” Hops finally returned her attention fully to Sunset. Her expression changed to one of shock. “Are you pulling rank on me, Miss Shimmer?” “Not in so many words,” Sunset replied, trying to keep her tone even. She made sure not to break eye contact with the officer. “But I believe Chief Gateway’s preparations and my own skills are more than enough to satisfy the security arrangements for this evening.” “Gateway knows standard procedure,” Hops snapped. “He’s ran security for shows here before.” “And if you add my experience to his, what you end up with is a completely secure event that everypony will enjoy without putting undue pressure on your department, making the guests more awkward or having command structure snafus.” “With respect, Miss Shimmer, I’m not sure you have the authority to make that claim.” “She assures me that she does,” Gateway said. “Hops, trust me on this one, dealing with royalty is something best left to ponies paid a lot more than a lieutenant’s salary.” “Miss Shimmer isn’t a member of the royal line,” Hops said with a dark glitter in her eye. “Not to say I don’t know which line she’s a part of.” Sunset couldn’t hold back the wince even if she wanted to. “That one struck a nerve, Miss Shimmer?” the officer asked with a slightly smug look. “I’m sure you're used to just getting your way with the amount of influence your parents have over Canterlot, but we’re not in Canterlot.” “No,” Sunset snapped as she felt her mask crack. “We’re not in Canterlot. And we’re not talking about my parents. We’re talking about the Princess of Equestria. The one who raises the sun every morning and the moon every night? That power isn’t confined to the city of Canterlot, officer. That power covers all of Equestria. It covers the entire world. And that’s who I’m studying directly under. And that’s on whose authority I’m stating that having a full police force here tonight will create a logistical nightmare for everypony involved. I have the experience and the skills to make this work. You need to respect that.” Silence descended upon the theater. Sunset could feel the eyes of every guard and stagehoof on her. Somewhere, she heard a hoof meeting a face and knew it was Moon Dancer. Finally, you lay down the law as you should have, Shimmer. It’s about time. Show everypony exactly who you are and how little they matter in the grand scheme of things. It’s just the truth, Sunset. You know it and I know it. That’s not why I’m doing this! Sunset snapped back at the voice in her head. And you know it! But you have to admit that you do like this, the voice needled. You love it, in fact. Revel in the power, Sunset. This is what you were born for! Shut your damn— I don’t have a mouth, remember? Fine. Then how about buck off? Such language, what would the dear Princess think? “Gateway’s right,” Hops muttered. “This is way above my pay grade.” Sunset caught herself before she breathed a sigh of relief. “Fine.” Hops threw up her hooves. “I’ll tell Chief Stablemaker that Gateway and you have things under control down here. Especially you, Miss Shimmer. It’s his call in the end though.” “Thank you,” Sunset replied stiffly. Hops narrowed her eyes. “I have a feeling there’s something else going on here, Miss Shimmer. You’re far too adamant about this. If you’re hiding something, well, remember that the law extends to even you.” She shook her head. “I’m also sure the chief will be checking up on this authority you’re claiming. I can understand Chief Gateway’s claims, but you? I won’t pretend I know how you fit into Equestria’s chain of command. That’s not what I’m here for.” “Thank you, Hops,” Gateway said, his voice suddenly bereft of the gravel that had been there a minute ago. “We appreciate it.” Hops nodded perfunctorily at Gateway. “Sir, I have nothing but respect for you. I hope your trust in Miss Shimmer isn’t misplaced.” “I am right here.” Sunset wasn’t quite sure if the annoyance in her voice was real or faked. Either way, Hops didn’t seem to notice. “I’m sure Chief Stablemaker will be in touch,” Hops said flatly. With that, she turned tail and marched up through the lounge section of the nightclub and out the doors. Sunset waited. Almost a minute passed before Copper Belle stepped into the theater and nodded at Sunset. She collapsed to her haunches with a sigh. “Miss Shimmer…” “I know,” Sunset moaned, rubbing her temples. “Trust me, I know.” “That was probably the stupidest thing I’ve seen in a long time.” “I know!” Sunset snapped. “Look, she just got to me, okay? I… I don’t like it when ponies bring up my parents. They’re not something I like to think about.” “Doesn’t excuse you slamming that officer with the equivalent of a royal restraining order.” “No, it doesn’t,” Sunset said. She buried her face in her hooves. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m just trying to help Rara like I said I would!” “You acted in a method that’s going to bring Chief Stablemaker right down on you. And by proxy, us. I know how important this is to Miss Coloratura and Miss Pommel. I won’t let you jeopardize that.” “And how would you have handled it?” Sunset demanded and jumped to her hooves. “Mister ‘I-know-everything-about-security-ever?’” Gateway didn’t flinch. He pulled out his sunglasses and put them back on his face. “I would have requested six officers to watch the lobby during the show and used my existing relationship with the Manehattan Police Department to allow us control of backstage areas.” Gateway said simply. “That would have been the best of both worlds.” “I did the best I could with a plan on short notice!” Sunset retorted as she saw both Coco and Moon Dancer come through a side entrance and head toward them. “And having a ‘show of force’ was actually a good plan.” Gateway admitted. “But we didn’t need you to force things!” “I made a promise!” Sunset snarled up at the hulking stallion. “And I intend to keep it! Believe it or not, this is actually important to me too!” “And why is that, hm?” Gateway growled. “What does the prized student of Princess Celestia get out of this little deal? Is this all so you can just show off to your friends? Maybe exercise a little of that power you claim to have? Pretend to be princess for a day?” Sunset stumbled backward, staring at the stallion as if he had just punched her. “Gateway, that’s enough,” Coco said in a calm but firm voice as she stalked up to them. “We’ve dealt with things as best as possible under the circumstances. Shouting at each other won’t help anypony.” “Sunny?” Moon Dancer asked in a quiet voice. “You okay?” Sunset shot Gateway a glare, but nodded anyway. “Yeah… just a… difference in opinion.” Coco’s eyes darted between the two of them. “We need the two of you working together on this. Gateway, I know that Sunset’s technique back there may not have been perfect, but she’s still one of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria. We’re going to need her to get through this.” “Of course, Miss Pommel,” Gateway said in an amazingly diplomatic voice. Sunset stared at her hooves. “And Sunset?” Coco turned to her. “I’ve never seen a more thorough pony than Gateway. Without him, we don’t have any chance at catching who’s behind this.” “You’re right,” Sunset muttered. Don’t you dare, Sunset. You’re better than they are. You don’t need to do this. You were finally making progress, don’t slip back now. Sunset stepped forward and held out a hoof. “I apologize, Gateway. I was out of line.” Gateway, to his credit, didn’t hesitate. He took her hoof and shook it with the same quick, efficient motion he’d used for Officer Hops. “As was I, Miss Shimmer. My apologies.” You were once poised to challenge Celestia herself. Now, you’re so soft you’re practically a plushie. How very sad. Sunset nodded. “Okay. We’ve taken care of the police situation, for now.” Moon Dancer shook her head. “We’re not out of the woods yet, Sunny.” Sunset groaned. “What now?” “I just got a message from the Manehattan office of PonyGram Records.” Coco bit her lip. “They’re a logistics group, not a public relations group. And about twenty minutes ago, they had their door knocked down by several dozen reporters demanding to know how badly Spotlight was injured last night.” “Meaning our mystery saboteur just upped the ante and leaked what happened,” Moon Dancer said. “I couldn’t stop it even if I tried.” Coco shook her head. “There’s going to be a press conference this afternoon. But what’s worse, I’ve already received a message from several sponsors. Somepony already leaked the accident to them as well. Even our friends at PonyGram in Las Pegasus said they received a report about something nasty happening to Spotlight.” “We need to get her here now,” Sunset said. “If they find out she’s in the hospital… it won’t take much for them to contact the police and they’ll have enough suspicion to investigate the club.” “Already sent one of the club staffers to see Cheerilee and Minuette,” Moon Dancer said with a grin. “He’ll tell them to get over to the hospital and see if Spotlight is well enough to be moved.” “And what if she isn’t?” Gateway asked. Sunset rubbed her face with her hooves. “Then we’ll need to improvise.” Gateway’s expression darkened. “After your last improvisation, I’m not eager to see a repeat performance.” Sunset winced. “Trust me, I’m not either. I just tried to sell myself as a security expert to the Manehattan Police Department. And after that little… hiccup, there’s no way Celestia isn’t going to find out about this. I’d very much like to have something to show by the end of this whole mess.” “And you know… prevent Coloratura’s career from going down in flames, destroying a charity event that she and Coco have been working on for a year or so, make sure the Manehattan schoolponies get some much-needed funds and not have Spotlight run out of town,” Moon Dancer reminded her. “Oh yeah! And ensure nopony else gets hurt.” “Thank you ever so much for that summary.” Sunset groaned and rubbed her temples. “That’s what I’m here for!” Moon Dancer chirped. “So, what’s the next play?” Sunset asked. “I get back to securing this facility,” Gateway grumbled. “I wasn’t lying when I said there’s still a lot to do. We’re going to need to make this place look perfect to avoid suspicion and keep tonight’s event from falling apart.” “Which won’t mean anything if the sponsors pull out,” Coco pointed out. “We’re going—” A stagehoof suddenly came rushing up to them. She almost faceplanted on the dance floor. All four of them stopped and turned. “What seems to be the problem?” Coco asked in an amazingly level voice. But the blue unicorn didn’t look upset or worried. If anything, she looked thrilled. “Miss Spotlight is back with Miss Coloratura!” she cried. “It looks like Spotlight is going to be okay!” Coco breathed an enormous sigh of relief. Sunset sagged under the released tension. “Thank Celestia,” Moon Dancer murmured. “Wow, the girls were fast.” “They’re waiting for you in the green room, Miss Pommel. They also asked me to find Miss… Miss Shimmer here and Chief Gateway.” Sunset studied the stagehoof, who didn’t seem willing to meet her eyes. “Hey!” Sunset cried. “I recognize you! I saw you in the hallway last night outside the employee entrance!” “You did?” The unicorn’s ears flattened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize, I was running late for my shift again just trying to get through the crowds. I’m still not used to how busy Manehattan gets.” “It’s okay,” Coco said in a soothing voice. “I know the whole team had been run ragged lately.” “Yes, ma’am,” the mare replied. “I’ve… I’ve been doing my best.” “Still… you seem familiar. I think I’ve seen you somewhere else before.” Sunset frowned. “Ugh, I can’t place it though.” “Not sure where, ma’am,” she replied meekly. “I’ve been working for Miss Coloratura for almost a year now. And I wasn’t anypony special before that.” Sunset’s frown deepened. Something in the way she had said those last few words bothered her. Because they sounded familiar. As if the mare was running from something. Well, if there’s anypony who can understand trying to run from your past, it’s me. “We should get going,” Moon Dancer said. “We probably want to talk to Spotlight to see how we should deal with the sponsors and the press conference.” “You’re right,” Coco replied and turned to the nervous mare. “Why don’t you take an extended lunch today? I know I speak for the whole staff when I say we appreciate how much work you’re putting into the show lately.” “I’m… I wish I had done more.” She seemed like she was ready to melt into the floor. “Maybe if I had done a better job, Miss Spotlight wouldn’t have been injured.” “It’s not your fault,” Coco said with a smile. “We were all shocked. The important thing is that she’s back and she’s okay.” That got the mare to brighten. “Yes, that is what’s important. I’m so glad she’s okay. I was really worried about her.” “We all were. Now, go ahead. If Ringing Bell puts up a fuss about you taking a long lunch, point her at me, okay?” “Thank you, Miss Pommel!” the mare said as she headed for the front entrance of Hoofbeats. “I appreciate it.” “Let’s get going.” Coco turned and headed for one of the backstage doors. “I’ll check on her later,” Gateway called before growling at another one of his guards. “One question as we go,” Moon Dancer said to Coco. “Who are you exactly?” Coco smiled as she opened the door for them.  Sunset shot a grateful glance at Moon Dancer. The more Sunset saw Coco in action, the more she had wondered that herself. “You first,” Coco replied. “I guess with everything that happened, we never got a proper introduction, huh?” “This is Moon Dancer.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “My best friend and favorite pain-in-the-flank.” “Think you could make that an official title?” Moon Dancer smirked at Sunset, then turned back to Coco. “I’m also a librarian at the Canterlot Cosmopolitan Library. Now… your turn. Who are you?” “Sorry, I’m used to working in the background. Rara normally gets the spotlight.” Coco laughed again once they’d entered the hallway. “I’m Coco Pommel, Rara’s Lead Designer.” Sunset and Moon Dancer’s mouths dropped. Coco giggled and trotted down the hallway. “What… how?” Moon Dancer demanded as they followed. “You look younger than me and I graduated from Gifted Unicorns a year early!” Coco shrugged. “It’s a bit of a long story. Short version is a few happy accidents, a cancelation or two and a really good interview with Spotlight.” “But why are you running things now?” Moon Dancer persisted as they headed deeper into the recesses of Hoofbeats. “I mean, no offense, but all this stuff isn’t the sort of thing that designers normally handle.” Coco shrugged again as she turned a corner. “As we worked together, Rara would often bring me in to discuss things with Spotlight, since she handles most stage stuff. As time went on, I started to learn about how her shows were put together.” Coco’s voice filled with nostalgia. “I used to help run a little community theater so I knew a lot of the tricks already. Eventually, I kind of became the substitute manager when Spotlight got caught up in everything else.” “So, you basically fell into it?” Sunset said. “I guess?” Coco said. “I think I’m a pretty good designer, but I found out I have a knack for stagework too. I do know that I owe my success entirely to Spotlight and Rara. Without them taking me on, I’d probably still be an intern for some overdramatic diva. Considering how young I am… probably would be for years.” “Well, that does sound miserable,” Moon Dancer said. Coco shivered. “Definitely not something I want to think about too much. But I have had to put in a lot of extra hours helping Spotlight. She’s pushing herself so hard lately… especially with this event. We’re both worried about her.” “Wait…” Sunset narrowed her eyes. “You don’t think… you don’t think she actually is so tired she’s making mistakes in management, do you?” “No!” Coco cried, almost too quickly. “She’s our friend and we want to make sure she’s okay. That’s all.” Sunset exchanged a look with Moon Dancer and knew instantly her friend was thinking the same thing. I’m starting to see suspects everywhere. I need to relax and focus. Anyway, I met Spotlight. She doesn’t seem the type to ruin her own shows, even if by accident. She cares too much. Don’t you remember? a snide little voice inside her skull asked. Only a friend can hurt you. She could have her own motivation. Other things she’s not saying. That’s ridiculous. She would have never insisted on the charity event going on after being almost crushed if that’s the case! Really? And just what lengths did you once go through to make sure your goals were accomplished once upon a time, Sunset? Sunset didn’t want to answer that question and her angry little pony knew it. As they arrived at the door to the green room, a loud buzzing filled the air. Each of them looked around for the source of the sound. Sunset saw it first. A pink blur rushed down the corridor at a breakneck speed right for them. “Duck!” Sunset cried and all of them dropped to the floor. “Eep!” something squeaked as the thing shot past them. Sunset looked behind her to see Free Beats, the Hoofbeats manager, skidding to a stop. “Sorry, sorry, sorry! I’m ever so sorry!” “What’s wrong, Free Beats?” Coco asked as she picked herself up off the ground. “I heard that Miss Coloratura and Miss Spotlight have returned and desperately wanted to find out what condition poor Miss Spotlight is in! I couldn’t bear the thought of her being… permanently injured by the failing of my staff!” “I’m sure it’s nothing that bad,” Coco assured her. “You need to relax, Free. You’re going to fly yourself into a wall!” “I have,” Free Beats said, flittering her way back and looking sheepish all the way. “Several times. Today. I haven’t slept since that awful, awful incident.” “Well, we’re about to check on them, so you’re welcome to join us.” Moon Dancer sidled up to Sunset. “That might not be a good idea,” she whispered. “We don’t know if Free Beats is in on this. Remember last night in the hallway? The voices we heard? I’m pretty sure that was her.” Sunset almost facehoofed. Why hadn’t I placed the accent before? Or the thing about being professional? You never would have missed that if you were paying attention like you used to, Sunset. Now that Sunset replayed the conversation she’d overheard last night in her head, she realized it could be seen in a completely different light. “Why don’t we check on her first?” Sunset suggested. “She just got out and we don’t want to overwhelm her.” “Oh,” Free Beats fell to the floor and scuffed her hooves on the carpet. “But… but of course. You must attend to your fallen friend before all else. Please… I-I’ll just be out here.” Sunset almost felt bad for the pegasus, but she knew all too well how easy it was to play emotions against other ponies. She’d done it herself once upon a time. You still do it, you know. This whole goodie-goodie act is just another example of you being fake and insincere. Shut up! She was spared further arguing with the voice in her head when Coco nodded and opened the door. The room looked the same as it had last night when Moon Dancer and Sunset had tried to catch a few hours of sleep after things had settled down. Minuette and Cheerilee sat on one of the couches, both looking like they were fighting the urge to nod off. Rara sat next to Spotlight. The manager gave them a warm but tired smile from her wheelchair. There was a rather heavy-looking cast on her right hindleg. Her left forehoof was in a brace and she even had some bandages wrapped around her middle. It was strange to see the pony without her sharply-cut business suit. It seemed like she was half-dressed. Rara looked exhausted. Bags hung under her eyes and her mane and tail were flat and creased in random places. Sunset suspected the poor mare had been up the entire night tending to—or worrying over—her injured manager. “Oh, Celestia,” Coco moaned as she dropped to Spotlight’s side, holding her unbandaged hoof. “Spotlight… I’m so sorry!” Spotlight made soothing noises at Coco as Sunset walked over to Rara, who had collapsed into a chair with a yawn. “How is she?” “Cheerilee’s got a good eye.” Rara rubbed her face with her hooves and smiled at the teacher. “Broken hindleg in three places and a badly sprained forehoof. She won’t be walking for at least a month.” Cheerilee winced and fought a yawn. “It could have been worse.” “But…” Sunset frowned. “I admit, I’m pretty terrible at restoration magic, but the unicorns at Radiant Hope should have been able to do something.” “They did,” Rara said with a sigh. “The bones have been healed… but muscle damage is another thing entirely. She tore several around the breaks. And one of the breaks was a nasty one. Splintered a little in her leg.” Sunset winced in sympathy. Minuette let out a little snore as she snuggled up against Cheerilee. The teacher rolled her eyes, but didn’t shove her away. “I don’t know how I’m going to do this without Spotlight,” Rara moaned. “I don’t suppose your studies have included concert management courses?” Sunset smiled wryly. “If the Princess has that planned, then I haven’t gotten to it yet.” “Worth a shot,” Rara said with another faint smile, which fell the moment she turned her eyes back to her manager. “She’s a good pony, Sunset. Why would somepony want to do this to her?” “If we knew that,” Sunset shook her head. “You wouldn’t be suddenly juggling multiple press conferences.” “Multiple?” Rara blinked. “What happened?” “Your saboteur leaked the fact that Spotlight was injured just a half hour ago. To the press, to PonyGram and to your backers.” Rara winced and closed her eyes. “Anypony back out yet?” “Not yet, Rara,” Coco replied from Spotlight’s side. “I managed to get them to settle down enough for a meeting in the early afternoon.” “That is a problem, my dears,” Spotlight replied. She sounded exhausted, yet her voice remained calm and even. “I’m afraid if I am seen in this condition, it will be nigh impossible to prevent at least a quarter of your sponsors from departing in all due haste.” “There’s got to be a way to cut this off,” Moon Dancer insisted. “This is insane!” “Forgive me, Miss Dancer, but you aren’t looking at the whole picture.” Spotlight shook her head. “This leak confirms that whoever is behind this has been working toward this moment from many angles. From the sides of our sponsors, from within PonyGram, from within the management of the clubs. What you are seeing now is this mysterious individual’s endgame.” “Spotlight’s right,” Rara sighed and rubbed her temples. “Sunset, I do appreciate that you are trying to help us investigate this, but now that it’s falling apart, I’d rather not see you get caught in the middle. This isn’t your fight. You don’t need to be involved any further.” “No,” Sunset snapped. “I’m not going to leave you at the mercy of this… this… jerk. Whoever is behind this needs to get shut down and shut down hard.” “You seem rather passionate about the subject, Miss Shimmer.” Spotlight raised an eyebrow. “Dare I ask why?” Sunset swallowed and glanced around. Cheerilee gave her an encouraging nod. Minuette smiled in her sleep—for some reason. Rara watched Sunset very carefully. Coco’s expression was wary, while Spotlight looked curious. Moon Dancer, however, smiled warmly at her, completely without the normal snark. “Because all the rumours you’ve heard about me used to be true,” Sunset admitted. “I’ve played these sorts of games before. I’ve never done anything that could potentially hurt somepony—at least, not physically—but I’ve done some horrible stuff.” You did what was necessary. Sunset bucked at the voice in her head, but all she got in response was a bubble of panic threatening to overwhelm her again. She gritted her teeth and fought it down. She was sure Moon Dancer noticed. She was also very grateful Moon Dancer didn’t react. “The way I see it, if I can stop somepony from doing the same thing to you… maybe it’ll even the scales. Even if only a little.” “That’s not your only reason,” Rara said, her eyes still burrowing into Sunset. Sunset sighed. “I do really want to try and help.” Silence descended upon the green room. Everypony turned to Rara as she continued to study Sunset. Sunset couldn’t quite meet the singer’s gaze. She knew that didn’t say a lot for her. “That’s good enough for me.” Rara broke the silence. “I’m glad you were honest with us, Sunset.” Sunset scratched her head, frowning. “I’m not sure how much good it did.” “Well, I learned that my impressions of you from last night were true. You definitely aren’t the same pony we once heard stories about.” “Yeah, well… somepony showed me a better way.” Sunset shot a grateful look at Moon Dancer. Moon Dancer replied by batting her eyelashes. Sunset snorted. “So!” Spotlight said, clapping her hooves together and then wincing slightly in pain. “What have you found out?” Sunset hung her head. “Not a whol—” An urgent knock came at the door. Sunset frowned. That was suspicious timing. “Who is it?” Coco asked. “Gateway, ma’am.” “Why are you even knocking?” demanded Rara as she got up and opened the door herself. “Didn’t want to intrude, ma’am,” Gateway replied stiffly. “You were listening.” Sunset said with narrowed eyes. “You were listening at the door.” “And how do you know that?” “Your earpiece is out.” Gateway winced and Sunset grinned. “Well done, Sunset,” Rara said with a laugh as she plopped back down in her chair. Sunset glanced at Cheerilee to see that she’d finally dropped off, her head resting on Minuette’s. “So, what did you find?” Moon Dancer asked. “You know, occasionally I would like to get the spotlight once in a while,” Gateway grumbled. “A nice dramatic reveal or something?” “I’m afraid I’m taken, Gateway,” Spotlight said with a glint in her eye. “But I’m flattered.” The stallion went bright red, something Sunset didn’t think was physically possible. Everypony in the room—save for Gateway and the sleeping girls—broke into giggles. “He must have found something good,” Coco commented. “He only wants to do a dramatic reveal when he’s proud of something.” Gateway lifted up something with his magic. It looked like a lanyard, similar to the ones the club and show staff wore, though it was soaking wet and the lettering on it had smudged. “Copper Belle found this in one of the bathrooms near the upper catwalks,” he declared. “The name is too badly mangled to make out, but it’s definitely one of our stagehoof lanyards.” “Not a Hoofbeats one?” Spotlight asked as she took it from the security chief. “That… makes sense. Any idea who it belonged to?” “No.” Gateway scowled. “And that’s what’s so frustrating. We believe this is the lanyard for whoever was on the catwalks last night.” “Then do a search for anypony missing a lanyard!” Moon Dancer shrugged. She inspected the lanyard and peered at the ruined lettering where the name should have been. “Easy!” “Doesn’t work like that,” Gateway replied. “All stagehoofs have backup lanyards. It’s not uncommon for them to get lost or damaged during rehearsals, tear down or other activities.” “So, how do you know it’s from the pony who was up on the catwalks?” Sunset asked. Gateway took the lanyard back in his magic and showed the lanyard itself to Sunset. “What do you notice about the knot where the card meets the fabric?” Sunset took it in her magic and peered closely at it. Seems normal enough. Nice fabric, but that’s probably Coco wanting to make sure the ponies got something that didn’t chafe. There’s really nothing out of the ordinary… except… Sunset squinted and tugged slightly with her magic. Instantly, the knot at the bottom of the lanyard became undone, allowing the card to come free. It fell to the ground with a faint plop. “A loose knot…” Sunset murmured. “Just… like… just like Free Beats said there were in the catwalks above the truss!” Gateway nodded. “And we’ve confirmed that as well. In fact, every rope within a twenty yard radius of the estimated spell origin was looser than expected. It was a minor miracle the truss was the only thing that collapsed.” “Twenty yard radius?” Moon Dancer’s ears perked up. “Sunny, that sounds a lot like a—” “A chaos surge.” Sunset’s eyes went wide. “A damn chaos surge!” “Mind telling us what that is?” Rara said with a smirk. “For us simple-minded earth ponies?” Sunset didn’t even bother to acknowledge the poke. “A chaos surge is caused when a unicorn’s spell goes wild. They’re common in younger unicorns, since they can’t really control their magic as well as older ponies, but it’s still very possible for adults to get them as well, especially when a pony is exhausted or under huge amounts of stress.” “Yeah! It’s a miracle Sunset doesn’t have one every day!” Moon Dancer chirped. Sunset glared at her. It had as much impact as every other glare Sunset had used on Moon Dancer. “And just what do these chaos surges do?” Coco asked. “Anything!” Sunset started pacing as she fiddled with the lanyard. “They can do anything, but they’re usually somewhat—if only tangentially—related to whatever was being attempted. In this case… somepony…” Sunset jumped in place and spun to face Spotlight. “It was never supposed to drop on you!” she cried. “The truss was probably only meant to come loose! Maybe swing free to freak somepony out. Maybe it wasn’t even supposed to be the truss, but the front curtain instead!” “That would have been a quite different story.” Spotlight nodded. “If the front curtain had suddenly collapsed in the middle of the after party, it could have fallen into the crowd… or at least rolled into it. The simple act of it falling could have been enough to pull several of our more nervous backers out of the Grade School Gala.” “That makes a lot more sense than dropping a truss behind closed curtains, don’t you think?” Sunset said. “So, we’ve got our saboteur up in the catwalks. But it’s somepony who was either stressed, tired or unused to this kind of magic. When she tried to loosen the hooks on one side, she overdid it and it caused a chaos surge that untied every knot within twenty yards.” Sunset lifted the lanyard, now little more than a line of fabric with a hook at one end. “Including this one!” “Forgive me, my dear,” Spotlight said, rubbing her head. “I am still somewhat woozy after the painkillers, but how does this help us?” Sunset smiled at Gateway who inclined his head with a small measure of respect. Her smile blossomed into a grin and she levitated the lanyard back over to him. “I had already figured out most of what Miss Shimmer had just said. When you work a beat in Canterlot, you need to know everything for a city that houses some of the most magically gifted unicorns in the world.” “No kidding,” Sunset muttered.  Gateway lifted up the lanyard again. “This tells us a few things. One: our saboteur is a unicorn. Granted, that was a safe bet already considering the damage on the truss and the fact that there were loose ropes everywhere. Second: the unicorn in question is a member of our own staff, either a member of my security detail or a stagehoof. Third: this is almost certainly the pony behind all the problems we’ve been having.” “There’s one you’re forgetting, Gateway,” Sunset said, rubbing her chin. “They have to be good at illusion magic. After all, somepony pretending to be me was here three days ago.” “Sunny,” Moon Dancer interjected, “that could have been done through an illusion charm, an artifact or even a potion.” “And there’s a possibility that was a coincidence,” Coco pointed out. “After all, we don’t know what they were after.” “But think about it!” Sunset cried. “Gateway, you’re the former Lead Detective for Canterlot. There’s no way somepony could just up and vanish on you. How easy would it be to duck a corner and then come out as a security guard or a stagehoof?” “But why?” Coco asked. “If they’re already on the inside, what do they need a disguise for?” “Well, it does make the show look bad…” Sunset frowned and tapped her hoof on the floor. “And using my appearance? Hmm...” “What are you thinking, Sunset?” Rara asked. “They may have been trying to use my… ugh… name,” Sunset said slowly as she paced back and forth. She ignored Moon Dancer’s snicker. “What if somepony wanted to get backstage and make some sort of scene with the management? Or even get injured? What if it was an act to further ruin your show’s reputation?” “That’s a bit of a stretch, Shadow Spade.” Moon Dancer smirked at her. “Anyway, you’re missing the trenchcoat. And the fedora. And the—” “Not helping, Moony.” “Wasn’t trying, Sunny.” Sunset shook her head and ignored her best friend. “Even if that’s true,” Rara said. “We’ve got a staff of almost a hundred ponies with the show. There’s no way we can interrogate them all before tonight’s event.” “A hundred?” Moon Dancer gaped at her. “Why do you have so many?” “We tend to provide a great deal of our own labor and materials for the shows,” Spotlight answered. “It’s a somewhat archaic method. A holdover from my time on Bridleway, but it’s served us well. Anyway, half of them are security and as you’ve seen, we’ve been required to increase that side of things substantially.” “We could bring in entirely new staff from a temp agency,” Coco suggested, though she didn’t sound happy with that option. “That would just give us even more unknown elements to work with.” Gateway shook his head. “And we don’t know how good those ponies would be. For all we know, the one behind this already has that possibility covered.” Minuette let out another snore. Cheerilee shifted on the couch. Sunset rolled her eyes at the both of them and refocused. “Well, they’re going to be more careful after this morning,” Sunset said. “Whoever is behind this almost certainly saw my little performance. And if they believe it… they might be extra careful, making it impossible to find them before the show. Heck, they might panic, and do something really bad.” “That is a good point,” Spotlight said, tapping her hoof on the side of her wheelchair. “A very good point indeed. Most of our staff know you by reputation. If you did play yourself up as a security expert...” Sunset’s ears flattened and she blushed. “I didn’t mean for it to—” Spotlight waved away her apology. “No, no, my dear. I may have the beginnings of an idea.” “Well, let’s hear it, Spotlight!” Rara said, leaning forward. “Well… it would require two parts,” Spotlight began. “First of all, our adversary is attempting to tar this show with accusation of mismanagement. As the manager of the show, I am the most likely target for further acts. So… I believe I will be required to act as… what is the term… oh yes, ‘bait.’” “Oh, no you don’t!” Gateway declared. “Absolutely not!” Rara shouted. “We can’t let you do that!” Coco protested. “Are you out of your mind?” Moon Dancer demanded. Minuette let out another snore. Cheerilee shifted a little in her sleep. Sunset was simply too shocked to say much of anything. This mare is willing to risk further injury—or worse—to flush the saboteur out? This is crazy! “I am the most logical target, my dears,” Spotlight said with a weak smile. “It is only fitting that I be the one to draw out our saboteur. However, while that would assure—and pray, control—the location of said incident, I’m afraid it wouldn’t do much in the way of securing this individual.” “We are not letting you do this,” Rara said, her indigo and teal mane flying as she leapt from her couch to come to her manager’s side. “You were almost killed, Spotlight.” Spotlight put a hoof on Rara’s shoulder. “I told you at the beginning, my dear Coloratura, that I would always do anything to make sure your shows are a success. Anything for such a close friend of my beloved niece.” “This is too much!” Rara protested again. To Sunset’s surprise, there were tears in the singer’s eyes. “I’d rather cancel the entire show than risk losing you.” “Well,” Spotlight said as her smile turned to Sunset. “We do happen to have one of the most gifted unicorns in Equestria on hoof. And she did profess a most sincere desire to help. Perhaps this will be enough if something were to go dreadfully wrong?” Sunset blinked in surprise. “And just what do you have in mind for me?” “Actually,” Spotlight said with a sparkle in her eye. “There are several things I think you can do to assist us in rectifying this little snafu. The first being handling our sponsors. The second being… your departure.” “Wait, what, now?” Sunset asked. Spotlight’s smile grew to something approaching dazzling. “Therein lies the second part of my plan. It’s one of the most classic things used in the performing arts, my dear,” Spotlight said with a twinkle in her eye. “In a word… misdirection.”