//------------------------------// // Ingenuity // Story: How Not To Use Your Royal Prerogative // by Amber Spark //------------------------------// “I really, really don’t want to do this,” Sunset said for the tenth time as Coco went over her mane with a brush. “This is a terrible idea. I never should have agreed to it. I really don’t want to do this.” “We know, Sunny,” Moon Dancer groaned as she let in Cheerilee and Minuette. Both were sprinkled with chalk dust from the runes Sunset and Spotlight had them set up on the third floor. From Sunset’s spot in front of Rara’s green room vanity, she caught sight of something she desperately needed. Immediately, she grabbed the teacup from Minuette and gulped down the scalding liquid, trying to steady her nerves and calm her racing heart. It didn’t help much. Ugh, I shouldn’t be fighting back a panic attack right now! I’m used to these kinds of ponies! I grew up with these kinds of ponies! Sunset stared into the mirror and swallowed as Coco finished with her mane. She had been working hard to make it look like Sunset had gotten some measure of sleep. Thankfully, the young mare apparently had talents in makeup in addition to design. I used to be one of these ponies. You still are. We both know that isn’t true! Sunset snarled back. You’d better hope it’s true, Sunset, the snide little voice murmured. Because if it’s not… you’re going to completely fail every one of your precious friends. “Sunny?” Minuette asked from beside her in the mirror. “If you really don’t want to… I’m sure we can find another way.” Sunset saw Coco’s image in the mirror stiffen. The lapse was short, and Coco tried to hide it, but Sunset had too much experience reading ponies to miss a tell like that. Finally, Sunset took a deep, shuddering breath and shook her head. “No. It’s okay. I can handle it.” “Girls?” It was amazing how much Cheerilee could put into a single word. “Mind if I talk to Sunset for a minute?” Moon Dancer, Minuette and Coco nodded and headed over to the other side of the room to talk to Rara and Spotlight. Cheerilee pulled up a small chair beside the vanity. “How are you doing, Sunny?” “Fine.” Cheerilee raised an eyebrow. That’s all it took. “What do you want me to say?” Sunset stopped staring at her reflection and met Cheerilee’s eyes. “That I’m terrified of this meeting? That I’m fighting down a panic attack right now? That, for the second time today, I’m going to have to use all those skills I developed back in the bad old days at GU to manipulate ponies?” “Tell me the truth, Sunny,” Cheerilee said gently, putting her hoof on Sunset’s shoulder. “Is that what you’re afraid of? Backsliding?” Sunset hesitated for only a moment before nodding to her friend. “Sunset, you have to know that you’re a completely different pony than you were back then.” “Doesn’t change anything,” Sunset muttered, shaking her head. “Sunset—” “No,” Sunset interrupted. “I know what you’re going to say, Cheerilee, and while I appreciate it… it won’t change the facts. I’m always going to be fighting that piece of myself.” “You don’t have to,” Cheerilee insisted. “Not to sound like a bad cliche, Sunset, but those skills can be used for more than evil.” “We’re about to find out,” Sunset said. She got to her hooves and smiled wanly at her friend. “I’ll be fine. I did it this morning.” “This morning wasn’t with the Manehattan elite.” “I know. It was just a police officer.” Sunset sighed. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t get blamed when they come to arrest me.” Cheerilee smiled. “Well, if that happens, I promise not to say ‘I told you so.’” “Then I’ll know you’re an imposter.” Sunset smirked. “Because the real Cheerilee is always trying to stop me from doing dumb things.” “Well, this whole thing might still be dumb,” Cheerilee admitted, putting a hoof on Sunset’s chest. “But I know you’re doing it for the right reasons. And don’t worry, you’re not alone here. You’re never alone, Sunset.” She’s right about that. “I know.” Sunset’s smile twitched a little. She knew Cheerilee noticed, but the teacher was kind enough to let Sunset pretend it worked. Sunset took one last look at the pony in the mirror. Then, she reached down to find the part of herself who was used to dealing with the ‘elite’ of society. It took a bit of rummaging, but she found it. With the help of her angry little pony. I hate you, Sunset growled at the thing. Doesn’t matter. You need me. I need them. Not you. Uh-huh. “Okay, Sunny,” Moon Dancer trotted up with her trademark smirk. After adjusting her glasses, she glanced at a clipboard in her magic. “Let’s go over this one more time. Coco’s arranged for the major sponsors to meet you in the VIP lounge. They’ve all been told that you’ll be the one handling things as a personal favor and everypony else is busy preparing for tonight’s event. All you need to do is settle them down enough so they won’t back out tonight.” “When’s the press conference?” Sunset took another deep breath. She hated how her heart was still racing. “At one.” Moon Dancer lifted a page. “This meeting is scheduled to be about thirty minutes, no longer. Spotlight pulled some strings behind the scenes and pushed this meeting against the press conference to give you an out.” Sunset nodded. “You’re sure you know the story?” Moon Dancer asked, her voice oddly imperious. “Since when are you the one lecturing me? I was your tutor, remember?” “Says the pony who couldn’t even get along with a phoenix without doing a research paper on them.” “That… that was completely different!” Sunset sputtered. “And you know it!” Moon Dancer’s teeth glinted. “Yes, I do. But it’s so fun to poke you about. Now, do you know the story?” “The rumors are false. She just had a cold, blah, blah blah.” Sunset sighed. “We’ve been over it a dozen times, Moony.” “Just making sure. It’s… well, it’s been a while since you’ve pulled something like this, Sunny. You’re bound to be rusty.” “I can handle it,” Sunset insisted. “I know.” Moon Dancer smiled, her teasing dropping away. “You’ll be fine, Sunny. You’re not alone. Minuette, Cheery and I will be right outside if something goes wrong.” “Okay… let’s just get this over with,” Sunset growled as Rara came up to the two of them. “The sooner, the better.” “I don’t like all this lying.” Rara frowned. “It isn’t right. But… if I have to choose between a few lies to some really stuffy ponies or Coco’s dream…” Rara shook her head. “Still, this bothers me. A lot.” “If it helps… I’m not thrilled with it either,” Sunset muttered. “I’m fine with it!” Moon Dancer chirped. Rara and Sunset gave her a look. “Is she always like this?” Rara asked with a shake of her dark hair. “Pretty much.” “You must really like her to put up with so much.” “I am right here you know,” Moon Dancer grumbled. For the first time since Spotlight had come back… Sunset smiled for real. “I’ll make this happen, Rara,” Sunset said. “I promise.” “I’m going to hold you to that, Sunset.” Sunset took a final deep breath and headed out the door with Moon Dancer at her side. Minuette and Cheerilee followed the two of them, almost acting like an honor guard. The walk to the VIP lounge didn’t take long. Moon Dancer led the way, while Sunset reviewed the story Spotlight had come up with. That part should be easy. The hard part was the Manehattan elite were comprised of shrewd and crafty businessponies, while the Canterlot elite were generally—in her experience—useless. Canterlot had a lot of Old Money and a lot of ponies resting on that for their social status. Manehattan was a place where the concept of capitalism had really taken root. She’d need to have her guard up. It was the only way to get through this with her skin intact. “We’re almost there, Sunny,” Moon Dancer whispered. Sunset looked up to see them approaching the large glass double doors of the Hoofbeats VIP Lounge. A flicker of motion to her right caught her eye, but it turned out to be a pair of stagehoofs setting up lighting for tonight’s event. Moon Dancer held back as they approached the doors. She gave Sunset an encouraging nod. Sunset put on her best imperious expression—one she’d seen from Princess Celestia when she was particularly busy and being bothered by inane things. It wasn’t common, but it did happen from time to time. Making sure her mask was firmly in place, Sunset took a deep breath and opened the doors. The VIP lounge was ornately furnished with dark blues and purples with glittering lights set into the ceiling to give the impression of being under a night sky. A massive floor-to-ceiling panoramic view of the stage and dance floor dominated the far wall. Sunset could see members of Gateway’s security staff and various stagehoofs feverishly working on the sets for tonight’s big piece. A large bar stood on one side of the room, where an amber unicorn in a Hoofbeats bartender uniform checked on various bottles in her magic. While there were plenty of couches, cushions and lounge chairs, none of the ponies present were seated. Some of them looked shocked at Sunset’s appearance. Some—too many—looked suspicious. And a hooffull looked curious. As soon as Sunset Shimmer entered the lounge, all conversation stopped. She didn’t let it phase her. Instead, she walked up to the small stage set up on the south side of the room and took her position. She took a moment to glance out over the ponies. She swallowed when she recognized Filly Harp, Rock Dee Fell and all three Cartwhinny brothers in the front row. “Good morning, everypony,” Sunset said. “I’m given to understand that you have concerns with the event tonight held by Miss Coloratura.” “You could say that,” Evergreen Cartwhinny said, a well-dressed stallion who looked like his nose had been in the air since being a colt. “But right now, I’d like to know why the personal student of Princess Celestia is here to talk about a nightclub event.” Here goes nothing… “Are you serious?” Sunset rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Besides being asked by Coloratura herself to help out? After all the work Miss Coloratura and Miss Pommel have put into raising funds for the schoolponies of Manehattan, you think I’d just walk away? Princess Celestia taught me better than that.” Keep it imperious. You’re the one in charge here, not these stuffed shirts. “What are you even doing here?” This came from a stallion in the back. The voice was oddly familiar, though Sunset couldn’t remember where she’d heard it before. “I happen to know for a fact that the Grade School Gala is not sponsored by the Princess.” Well, that pony needs to be taught a lesson in humility. “I’d thank you not to speak for the Princess on her behalf. Least of all to me!” Sunset snapped, ignoring the irony of her words. “The Grade School Gala isn’t sponsored by the Princess. Personally, I’m doing this because of the cause. I happen to be a fan of education. Working with Princess Celestia does that to a pony. As for the Princess, while she hasn’t been able to support Miss Coloratura’s endeavor, I’m sure she would fully endorse it if she hadn’t been needed elsewhere.” “You’re…” an orange stallion Sunset vaguely recognized from last night stared at her. A mare about Sunset’s age was standing beside him and studied at her with piercing green eyes. “You’re telling us that this show will have the stamp of approval of Princess Celestia herself?” “Officially, no. But as I said, I’m confident in my teacher’s wishes. After all, I’m her personal student.” Sunset shook her head as if in disbelief. “Anyway, Miss Coloratura and I have run in the same circles for years. I know of her, she knows of me. After we happened to meet last night, she asked for my help. She’s trying to do something important here!” Not bad, Sunset. Keep it coming. “And so are we!” screeched the elderly Filly Harp. Despite her being the biggest art patron on the east coast of Equestria, her voice could cut glass. “Namely, protecting our assets! We’ve heard the rumors! We know that Spotlight hasn’t been seen since last night!” Time to see how well you can dance! “Ugh, I’m so sick of this.” Sunset rubbed the bridge of her muzzle, half in act and half out of annoyance at the running commentary in her skull. “Spotlight worked herself too hard in the last few weeks and came down with a minor cold.” “Convenient,” snapped the heckler from the back. “Because she should be the one here, not you!” Sunset drew herself up. Her face darkened and a few ponies in the front of the small group took a step or two back. “Are you questioning my authority?” Sunset said in a low and dangerous voice. “You all know who I am. I even know who a few of you are. I am the personal student of the Princess of the Sun! I don’t need to explain myself to you.” “So, you’re saying that the report that last night, a truss crashed down on Spotlight… that’s all a lie?” That same stallion shot back. Sunset wanted to see who it was, but couldn’t get a good look at him through the crowd. “I find that hard to believe. Let’s also add the fact that a Royal Guard squadron was dispatched to this very nightclub with a police escort shortly before that happened!” “Listen,” Sunset snapped. “Believe it or not, I actually have things to do, so I’m not going to stand here and reply to every rumor that pops up!” “But that doesn’t—” Sunset ran right over the other pony. “My friends and I are heading back to Canterlot this afternoon. I came out here to see the show last night. When I went to visit Miss Coloratura, there was a misidentification issue with security and the Royal Guard were called. Afterward, I assisted Security Chief Gateway with some minor security issues. Now, I’m here talking to you to let Spotlight rest up. That’s all there is to it!” “Are you sure, Miss Shimmer?” This was a new voice. It came from the mare beside the orange stallion. Sunset remembered her from last night. The one called ‘Jackie’ or something like that. “It seems like there might be something else goin’—going on,” she said. “I don’t mean to make a—to cause any offense, but there’s something odd about this whole thing.” Sunset met the mare’s green eyes again. It felt… strange. It was almost like looking into Rara’s eyes. Sunset swallowed reflexively, but managed to beat back an intense surge of guilt for her ‘creative application’ of the truth. “There’s nothing else going on,” Sunset declared. “Excuse me,” Rock Dee Fell interjected. “But after all the rumors of misconduct, bad work conditions and incompetence, I have trouble believing you!” “Is that right?” Sunset stepped down off the stage and approached the stallion. Rock Dee Fell: one of the most powerful ponies in Manehattan, the owner of more factories in Equestria than she could count, not to mention half the Manehattan harbor district. Still, she kept her hesitation to herself and it payed off wonderfully. In only a few seconds, the stallion stood alone as the rest of his elite friends realized being beside him might not be the best call. “So, you’re questioning the word of the personal student of Princess Celestia?” To his credit, Rock didn’t back down. He tried to peer down his nose at Sunset. And while Sunset was shorter than the stallion, she had looked down on far more powerful ponies than him.  “Yes,” Rock declared. “I am. And I’ll be upfront with you, Miss Shimmer. Everypony in this room knows your reputation. We’ve heard the stories. Both the old and the new.” Sunset cocked her head at him. Well, I’m impressed. I wasn’t expecting somepony to actually stand up to me. So, you know what you need to do, right? Sunset felt her face go wooden at the realization of the slip she’d almost made. She’d been seconds away from enjoying this. You’re evil, Sunset growled. I told you a long time ago that good and evil aren’t that simple. I’ve never been evil, even when you saddled me with that stupid nickname. I’m pragmatic. I get the job done. By any means necessary? Sunset shot back. All that matters is the job gets done, Sunset. There’s more to life than getting the job done. “Then let me be upfront with you. I’ll make it simple.” Sunset’s eyes raked over the crowd. “I’m given to understand that there are some of you who wish to pull your support of tonight’s charity event, which, may I remind you, is focused on raising money for the schoolponies of Manehattan.” There were a few awkward shuffles, but Rock simply nodded. “It is bad business to have your name associated with a group who have been confirmed to be running a shoddy operation!” Rock said. “If safety and working conditions are so unimportant to these ponies, how do we know the funds won’t be as mismanaged as the show?” Go for the kill, Sunset. It’s easy. “I haven’t seen one thing that shows signs of mismanagement on the part of Miss Coloratura or Miss Spotlight.” Sunset shook her head. “All of you know I have the ear of the Princess. While I am leaving in an hour or so because of prior obligations, I will be looking at the ponies who contribute to the future of Manehattan education. Or more precisely, the ponies who don’t contribute when they promised to.” “That almost sounds like threat,” Rock growled. He adjusted his tie—easily worth more than the yearly household income of most ponies in Manehattan. Exactly. Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “It’s not a threat. It’s a simple gathering of information. I believe in what Miss Coloratura and her group are doing here. Believe whatever you want about the past me, I’ll tell you now that I don’t like ponies who commit to something and then back out when things get a little rocky. You’re businessponies. You understand that a little risk is required for the gain.” “Are you implying—” Filly Harp began, but Sunset cut her off with a shake of the head. “I’m not implying anything. I said I’ll be paying attention to what happens tonight. What happens next depends on you.” There was a ripple through the room as the ponies realized what the implications were—despite Sunset’s own words. Excellent! You just threatened the most powerful ponies in Manehattan with nebulous—but high-risk—consequences if they back out of the charity event. That should keep them in line. Because a frown from the Princess in their direction could destroy their entire business from the bottom up. Sunset suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She beat it back down. She needed to fix this. She couldn’t let that hang like it did right now. If you try and backpedal, you’ll weaken your position and just encourage them to run! You want to help your friends? This is the way to do it! “Look,” Sunset said in a voice far calmer than she felt. “All I’m saying is that pulling out of a big charity event a few hours before it occurs isn’t going to look good for you. It’ll be worse PR for you than even if something goes wrong with the money, which won’t happen.” “We don’t know that!” snapped Rock Dee Fell. “Manehattan is built on reputation!” “And do you want reputations as ponies who abandon schoolponies in their time of need?” That one seemed to get through, if the worried expressions were any indicator. “She’s right,” Evergreen Cartwhinny said. “Reputation is everything in this town. Almost as much as Canterlot. And while protecting our assets is critical… if our clients don’t believe we are looking out for their best interests…” The orange stallion from earlier finished the sentence. “Then they’ll go elsewhere. Because it is simply impossible to escape this at this juncture without losing face.” Mutters and whispers filled the room. “You can’t listen to her! She’s got an agenda!” the stallion in the back said once again. “You know her reputation.” “And we know ours,” Rock Dee Fell replied. “Very well, Miss Shimmer. We will do this, not because you all-but-threatened us… but because you are right in saying the public relations fallout would likely do more damage than funds lost due to mismanagement.” Sunset allowed herself to relax a little. “But if something does go wrong tonight?” Rock growled. “We’ll be filing an official complaint with the Princess herself about this conversation.” Sunset heard a few mutters from the crowd that sounded like complaints would be sent no matter what happened tonight. “Thank you all,” Sunset replied in her most diplomatic voice as a knock sounded at the door. Moon Dancer poked her head in with a clipboard and a quill nestled against her ear. “Sunset, they’re ready for you downstairs.” “I’ll be right there,” Sunset replied. She turned to the Manehattan elite. “If you’ll excuse me, mares and gentlecolts, I also agreed to help with a small press conference for Miss Coloratura before my friends and myself leave on our train.” The room broke up into small knots of conversation. Sunset scanned the back of the lounge for any sign of the pony who had been constantly challenging her, but there was no way to tell without questioning every stallion in the back. Shaking her head, Sunset followed Moon Dancer out of the door. It wasn’t until they got into the stairwell that Sunset finally let herself collapse to the floor. But Moon Dancer, Cheerilee and Minuette were there. The fit didn’t last long. “You turned it around in the end, Sunset,” Moon Dancer said, her voice full of encouragement. “I was worried there for a bit.” “I almost blackmailed them, Moony,” Sunset moaned. “I almost threatened them with a Royal Inquiry if they didn’t do what they were told.” “But you didn’t,” Moon Dancer insisted. “You pulled back. Now, they’re going to do it for their image. If you tried that a few days ago, that wouldn’t have worked, but this late in the game? You handled it well.” “Those ponies aren’t going to forget this,” Sunset muttered. “I’m so screwed.” “Hey, it’ll be fine. I’m sure Princess Celestia will laugh about it after it’s all over.” “I wonder if I’ll hear it down in the cells beneath the Castle,” Sunset muttered. “Considering how loud the Princess can laugh…” Minuette waved her hoof. “I’d say it’s a fifty-fifty chance.” Sunset, Cheerilee and Moon Dancer all stared at her. “What? Not helping?” “Thank you all for coming,” Sunset said to the small crowd of press in the main lobby of Hoofbeats. The early afternoon sun streaked through the windows, glinting off cameras and clipboards. Not to mention the sunglasses of Gateway’s security ponies. A few members of Hoofbeats’s staff and various stagehoofs rushed in and out of the room on various errands to prepare for the Grade School Gala, but Sunset kept the attention on her. She was fairly good at that. Well, at least now that she had a chance to calm down. Ready for round two? her angry little pony cooed. Sunset didn’t bother responding. She kept herself calm and cool. A few reporters tried to get in some choice questions before things began, but after dealing with the Manehattan elite—and the panic attack immediately afterward—she refused to let them rattle her. Anyway, she had even more experience with this than with what she had just pulled off in the VIP Lounge. Celestia had trained her extensively in dealing with the media. In fact, it had been one of the first lessons she’d learned from the Princess that hadn’t involved magic. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Dealing with the media was a special kind of magic. And if she was being honest with herself, it was probably the darkest magic she’d ever wielded. Sunset took a deep breath, ignored the shouted questions and started with her planned statements. “First of all, I’m appearing here as a favor to Miss Coloratura to help fill in for Spotlight since she’s run herself ragged the last few weeks,” Sunset began. “In fact—“ “How do you respond to claims that Spotlight is dead and this is an elaborate sham?” one pony shouted. “Does this mean that Princess Celestia is officially endorsing Coloratura?” another reporter interjected. “How long have you and Princess Celestia been planning on adding Coloratura to the Royal Harem?” “Seriously?” Sunset stared at the pony who’d asked the last question. The badge said it all: Equestria After Dark. “Yeah, I’m not going to even bother talking to you for the rest of the afternoon. Ask something like that again and I’ll have the Chief of Security escort you out.” By your ears, you lewd moron! Sunset was fairly sure both her angry little pony and herself thought that at the same time. “Anyway!” Sunset chirped. “I’m here to quell any rumors about anything sinister happening last night. The loud noise was a misfire of a sound effect spell. Miss Spotlight is down with a small cold and we expect her to make a full recovery in time for tonight’s big event. The Grade School Gala will proceed as planned.” “What involvement do you have with this?” an Equestria Daily reporter Sunset recognized by the nickname Viccy demanded. “As I said, Miss Coloratura asked me to help last night. My friends and I were attending the evening’s concert and were fortunate enough to get a chance to speak with Miss Coloratura for a short time. We happened to be in the right time and the right place.” Heh, let’s just leave out the details of that particular time and place. Sunset paused and replayed her own words in her head. I wonder… did Minuette somehow know about this whole fiasco with that weird thing of hers? I’ll never understand that mare’s special talent. “In exchange for helping them out when they’re so hard-pressed, Miss Coloratura has been gracious enough to offer my friends and I lifetime backstage passes for our assistance. However, while my friends and I would love to attend tonight’s concert, unfortunately, we have prior commitments. I do hope everypony enjoys the concert tonight and please remember, it is for a good cause.” “If Spotlight just has a cold, why isn’t she up here doing the press conference?” somepony else demanded. “Or Lead Designer Coco Pommel? Or Coloratura herself?” “Spotlight is working very hard to make sure all preparations are made for tonight’s big show, though at present she’s doing it from a bed,” Sunset replied smoothly. “Spotlight is an amazing manager and Miss Coloratura is very lucky to have her. As usual, with all of her shows, Spotlight will be there on the front of the stage opening up the event. Coco Pommel is currently putting the finishing touches on the designs for tonight and Miss Coloratura is resting in preparation for tonight’s festivities.” Okay, time to wrap this up. These ponies can be even more bloodthirsty than the last group. Anyway, we need to make sure this gets out to all the evening editions before the concert starts. “I’m afraid that’s all the time we have for today,” Sunset said, pulling out the same practiced smile she’d used earlier. “I’m on a rather tight schedule and Cheerilee would be quite grumpy if we missed our train.” More shouts. More questions. What felt like a few thousand flashbulbs. But thankfully, Gateway’s security guards had experience keeping a pony from being mobbed by reporters. Anyway, most of them were shouting out questions more about Celestia and herself than anything to do with Rara. When she finally retreated to safety behind the curtain, she sighed at the assembled ponies. “Well?” “Simply divine,” Spotlight said with a smile. She was still confined to her wheelchair, but with a little magic, Sunset and Moon Dancer already had a plan to deal with that snag. “Without a doubt, your time under Princess Celestia in handling public relations has been well spent indeed. You make a fine spokespony, Miss Shimmer.” “Though I would have liked it if you had smacked that After Dark reporter,” Moon Dancer smirked. “Or said yes, just to screw with him.” “And why’d you have to use me as the grumpy one?” Cheerilee asked with an annoyed pout. “How about because you usually are the grumpy one?” Moon Dancer said with a grin. Cheerilee swatted her, but that just made Moon Dancer laugh harder. “Okay, ponies,” Sunset said with a nod. “Time for the next part of the plan. We need to be seen leaving and getting on the train.” “It shouldn’t be a problem,” Coco said with a smile. “I’ve already contacted the Friendship Express and reserved you a private car.” “And we’re sure that storage room’s runes are right and will remain clear?” Sunset asked. “Sunny,” Moon Dancer said with a roll of her eyes. “Come on, this is me you’re talking about. Minuette and Cheerilee spent half the morning doing them and I proofed them. Anyway, Cheerilee was a teacher’s assistant for runic spellcasting at GU for two years.” “I don’t like blind teleports,” Sunset insisted. “I want to be sure.” “Would you stop worrying?” Moon Dancer facehoofed. “The spatial runes will work perfectly. We’ve done this before. And let’s be honest, it’s nice to have a little prep time.” Gateway nodded solemnly. “We’ll be sure to keep the area secure. I have two of my best on the main door. They are under orders to make sure nopony enters. We’ve even locked it from the inside.” “Then how’d you get out?” Minuette asked. “We locked it while it was open and closed it behind us.” Gateway said with a surprised blink. “Right!” Minuette chirped. “I knew that!” “This really isn’t necessary,” Rara said. “Spotlight, it’s not too late to—” “Hush, dearie,” Spotlight interrupted. “I refuse to let this event be ruined by parties unknown. You two have worked too hard on this. I also happen to like what I do and I intend to stay to do it. And you two have worked too hard on this. We’ve convinced the sponsors and now the media has their official statement. We will be fine.” Rara and Coco both blushed and wrapped the elderly manager in a hug. Sunset couldn’t help but smile. “So, everypony knows their places after we get back in here?” Sunset asked. “You and I will be hidden in the catwalks,” Moon Dancer said in a bored voice. “Cheerilee will watch stage left from near the dressing rooms and Minuette will watch stage right from the crafts table.” “I’ll have the illusion charms ready by the time you get back,” Gateway said. “But these things are unreliable at the best of times. Any heavy-duty spellcasting will break them and they’ll wear off after maybe a couple hours. If we’re lucky.” “It will suffice,” Spotlight insisted. “We’ve used them before to avoid certain crowds. Yes, they are indeed weak and have a high rate of failure, but they will do for tonight. All they need to do is get the girls into their hiding spots.” “I don’t like it,” Gateway grumbled. “If the pony or ponies behind this see them… who knows what will happen?” “Gateway, dear,” Spotlight smiled up at him. “I do appreciate your concern. This plan is not without its flaws, but considering we are working on a very tight timetable… well, it is simply the best we can do. Unless Miss Shimmer is able to do better with her magic.” Sunset shook her head. “Not with that many ponies over half the backstage. I’d be drained in about five minutes. Gets exponentially harder the more illusions are cast.” “I’ve pulled in everypony I have,” Gateway declared. “I even called in some favors and got a few trusted ex-cops to come help out. We’ll nab these ponies… and after that—” Crabgreen suddenly barged through the door. “Sorry to interrupt, sir, but Police Chief Stablemaker is here!” Gateway winced. “Please tell me the reporters are gone.” “Everypony except for the one from Equestria After Dark,” the young security guard replied. Moon Dancer snickered and Minuette followed suit. “I don’t think it matters, though,” Crabgreen continued. “Stablemaker came around the service access, not the main entrance.” “Thank Celestia for small favors,” Sunset murmured. “Is he alone?” Crabgreen shook his head. “No, ma’am. He’s got a squad of five uniformed police ponies with him.” “Five?” Cheerilee frowned. “That’s not going to cause too much trouble, will it?” “No,” Spotlight said with a wave of her hoof. “I know Chief Stablemaker. He’s a good officer with a solid head on his shoulders. He occasionally is a little overeager, but I’m sure he’ll be most amenable to our situation.” “You know the Chief of Police?” Cheerilee asked. Spotlight smiled. “I have worked in this town for forty years, Miss Cheerilee. It’s called networking.” “We’ll take care of things with Chief Stablemaker,” Gateway said. “You four should get going.” Sunset nodded. “Well, hopefully we’ll see you in an hour or so.” Coloratura walked up to her and to Sunset’s surprise, gave her an enormous hug. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me. I know you’re not comfortable using your status like this… but I appreciate that you’re willing to do it to help out Spotlight… and us.” Sunset blushed a little. “I’m just happy to help.” “Oh, and by the way?” Rara said with a smile. “You and your friends will always have backstage passes from us. Even if they don’t exist.” Sunset laughed. “Thanks for that.” It took a few minutes for them to get situated. As expected, while all but the Equestria After Dark reporter had left the main lobby, several remained outside. As soon as Sunset led their group out into the bright October sun, the reporters were upon them. “Just ignore them and keep walking,” Sunset muttered to her friends. “Remember, we want to be seen.” Cheerilee’s ears were flat against her head. Moon Dancer looked vaguely annoyed. Minuette was cheerfully waving at the reporters. Finally, they reached the side of the street where a line of taxis waited. Sunset hopped up into one with Moon Dancer, while Minuette and Cheerilee took another. After flipping each driver a few bits, they were on their way to the Manehattan’s Galloping Central Terminal. A few of the pegasi reporters kept up with them as their taxies wove through the afternoon traffic. Thankfully, it wasn’t rush hour yet. They arrived at the Terminal without incident. Only one pegasus had remained to see them enter the Terminal. After that, she figured out that they were actually leaving. Part of the plan included contingencies even as far as the reporters actually following them onto the train, but thankfully, it looked like those wouldn’t be needed. Because things started to get silly at that point. Like things aren’t silly now. After all the progress you made today, Sunset and now you’re running around playing spy. This is ridiculous. Sunset ignored the voice and breathed a sigh of relief as she threaded her way through the milling throng of ponies amassed in the gigantic transportation hub for the city of Manehattan. After all the attention she’d been getting in the last day or so—had it really only been a day?—it was nice to just be another member of the faceless masses. Until another one of the faceless masses collided with her when Sunset was staring at the local Starbucked and wondering if she had enough time for a cup of tea. “Nuts and shrews,” spat a pony from a few feet away. “Ah mean… aw, ponyfeathers…” Sunset blinked in surprise as Cheerilee hurried over to help her up, while Minuette went to help the other pony, only to have a pegasus rush in from above and gently pull the other pony to her hooves. “Sorry about that,” Sunset said as she dusted herself off. “Got distracted by thinking—” She froze as her eyes fell upon the earth pony. Her eyes took in the elegant blonde mane, the sleek cut jade and pink dress and the stern green eyes. The same eyes that had questioned her less than a few hours ago in the VIP Lounge. By Celestia… seriously? Why’d it have to be her? “You okay, Jackie?” the pegasus asked. Sunset glanced over and blinked in surprise when she recognized the blue-coated mare. “Lieutenant Dash?” The lieutenant turned and her magenta eyes went wide. In an instant, the young Wonderbolt snapped off a crisp salute while looking an inch above Sunset’s head. “Sorry about the trouble, ma’am!” she barked in a voice that was far too loud. A few ponies glanced their way, but for the most part, the crowd seemed to flow around them. “We didn’t mean to get in your way, ma’am!” “Hey now, she’s the one who ran into me,” the orange earth pony muttered. “And I was watching… oh ponyfeathers.” Jackie looked up and had almost the same expression as Lieutenant Dash. What was strange was the sudden shift in her accent. For a moment, it sounded almost rural, maybe from somewhere like Dodge Junction or even Ponyville. Then it flipped into the traditional cultured voice of Manehattan high society, only to flip back when she saw Sunset. “Sunset?” Moon Dancer asked. “Do you know these ponies?” “This is Lieutenant Dash,” Sunset said with a nod at the rainbow-maned pegasus. “She did a year with the Royal Guard before joining the Wonderbolts.” Sunset glared at her with a faint smirk. “I could never get her to stop saluting me.” “Still appropriate, ma’am!” the lieutenant barked. “Showing proper respect for the Royal Apprentice, ma’am!” Sunset facehoofed. There were times when royal prerogatives were just bucking annoying. Still, she let it pass and turned to the orange mare, who had sidled a bit closer to Lieutenant Dash, as if Dash was protecting her. “And you are…?” “This is Jackie,” Lieutenant Dash commented with a faint blush on her cheeks. “She’s… a… uh… friend of mine. Jackie, this is…” “Oh, I know who this is, Lieutenant,” Jackie said with a bow to Sunset. Her elegant accent had returned, which Sunset found disappointing. She liked the country drawl. “I would have to be deaf, blind and dumb to not know the personal student of the Princess of the Sun. She was at the meeting I mentioned, the one with Uncle Orange?” Moon Dancer tapped Sunset on the shoulder and pointed at the clock. Sunset winced. The train was scheduled to leave in ten minutes. “I’m sorry to be in such a hurry,” Sunset said with a faint smile. “But we have a train to catch.” “No problem, ma’am! Sorry for the inconvenience!” Another salute. Sunset reluctantly returned it before the lieutenant sprained something. But the earth pony mare was still staring at her. Finally, Sunset cracked under the weight of her gaze. “Is there something wrong, Miss Jackie?” Sunset asked, trying—and failing—to hide the annoyance in her voice. Lieutenant Dash’s eyes darted back and forth between the two mares. Her wings trembled as if unsure what to do. “I beg your pardon,” Jackie asked, her eyes serious. “I’m just…” “Yes?” Sunset prompted. “You lied.” A bubble of silence seemed to well up between the two of them, but Sunset didn’t blink. She’d faced off against Celestia. But this was nothing like Officer Hops earlier this morning. There was something in those green eyes that seemed to peel away the layers Sunset had worked so hard to set up. “What are you doing?” hissed the lieutenant. “I want to know why,” Jackie said. “Nine times out of ten, I can tell when a pony is playing games, Miss Shimmer. It comes with doing business in this city. I don’t mean any disrespect, but I know you weren’t telling the truth. Last night or this morning. I’d like to know why.” Sunset glanced around them. This wasn’t the place to have this conversation. Yet, Jackie’s stare reminded her a lot of the way Rara had looked at her last night. There was a strange intensity about it, something Sunset couldn’t put a hoof on. And that bothered her. “Over here,” Sunset muttered as she led them to an unused hoof-shine bench. Jackie and Lieutenant Dash both followed her, though the lieutenant looked like she wanted to grab Jackie and bolt. “How did you know?” Sunset demanded. “Tell me that first. What did I do wrong?” Jackie shook her head, but her elegant mane didn’t so much as twitch. “Nothing, ma’am. As I said, I have knack for business. After years in Manehattan, I can almost always catch when somepony’s trying to pull a fast one on me.” “Just a feeling, huh?” Jackie nodded. “And that was enough to confront me?” “Ma’am, I know what I heard last night. That wasn’t a spell. That was something falling. I remember the shouts of alarm coming from behind the curtain, too.” Sunset glanced at her friends, but all of them seemed at a loss for words. “This really isn’t necessary…” Lieutenant Dash tried to pull Jackie away, but Jackie shook her off. “If you don’t want to answer, that’s your prerogative,” Jackie said. “But I would like to know why.” Sunset closed her eyes for a moment, then made the call. “Because somepony’s been trying to mess up Coloratura’s shows for months now,” Sunset said quietly. “And my working theory is that whoever is behind it is trying to get the sponsors to pull out if anything goes wrong. If tonight’s event fails, it’ll destroy Coloratura and her manager, Spotlight.” Jackie watched her for a long few seconds. “And you’re trying to prevent that?” “Yes.” Jackie blinked and nodded. “Well, thank you for telling us the truth. We’ll get out of your mane.” It was Sunset’s turn to blink. “Wait… what?” “My uncle has invested a lot of money into the Grade School Gala,” Jackie replied. “I wanted to be sure he wasn’t getting swindled. I can’t stand swindlers. And I’ve heard the rumors going around. After seeing you lie up there, I was worried, but he didn’t believe me when I talked with him after the meeting. Since I happened to run into you…” She shrugged. “Now seemed a good a time as any.” “So…” Sunset paused and stared at the pony in wonder. “You were just protecting your family?” “She’s like that,” Lieutenant Dash said fondly, her earlier annoyance gone. “She’s almost as dedicated as I am.” “Oh, shush you.” Jackie took a swipe at the lieutenant, who laughed in return. “So, that’s it? You just wanted to know what happened?” “That’s all. Poor Dash here missed all the excitement.” “Yeah and I miss the big splash at the end because I was in the little fillies room,” Dash muttered. Jackie punched Dash on the shoulder, eliciting another laugh, this time accompanied by a telltale blush. “Anyway, sorry to run into you and give you the whole interrogation routine, Miss Shimmer,” Jackie said with another bow. “We won’t take up any more of your time. Have a lovely trip.” When Sunset nodded dumbly, Jackie and Dash headed off together. Sunset was about to turn around when she noticed that Dash had gently brushed Jackie’s flank with a wing—right where her cutie mark would be under her gown. She smirked as Jackie smacked Dash a third time. “Well, that was… unexpected,” Sunset said. “Those two aren’t even trying to be subtle,” Cheerilee said with a laugh. “I think it’s sweet,” Minuette chirped. “You would,” Moon Dancer said, but she was smiling too. “Come on, we have a train to catch,” Sunset said. “So, how’d you meet a member of the Wonderbolts?” Cheerilee asked as they neared the platform for the Friendship Express. “She crashed through my front window one day during combat training,” Sunset said with a chuckle. “You should have seen her face. I swear every bit of color drained out of her when she realized who I was. Never seen a pony clean up a mess so fast. And I think she gave me more salutes than the entire Royal Guard for the last year in that one hour.” Sunset laughed again. “I practically had to throw her out by her tail to get her to stop ‘helping me.’” “She seems nice enough,” Cheerilee commented. “I don’t know,” Sunset said with a shrug. “I’ve seen her doing exercises. She’s just driven by something. And she’s always been super-serious and intense. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look as happy as she did back there.” “So what?” Moon Dancer asked. “Most of those military types are intense. Even showboaters like the Wonderbolts.” “It’s more than that.” Sunset shook her head. “I wonder what makes a pony like that. A couple months ago, after my training with the Royal Guard, I saw her in a combat exercise. She took on six Royal Guards at the same time. After twenty minutes of fighting, she was the only one left standing… and then demanded another six come at her. It’s as if she’s punishing herself for something.” “Like what?” Minuette asked in an oddly somber voice. “I don’t know.” Sunset shrugged and glanced back to where Jackie and Dash had disappeared into the crowd. “Still, nice to see her let her mane down for a bit.” “Enough yammering!” Moon Dancer said. “Let’s get on this train and catch us a saboteur!” They gave their tickets to the conductor, who personally led them to the private car Coco had secured for them. It wasn’t much different from any other train car, save for they had it to themselves. Minuette and Moon Dancer made sure all the curtains were drawn so nopony could see inside. After that was done, Sunset immediately sat down in the middle of the car and expanded her senses. As she got comfortable, the train car shifted and the train started moving. Moon Dancer headed to one of the windows and stood watch so she could see when they were approaching the section of track that was closest to Hoofbeats. Though the train would only get within a block, it should be enough with the work they’ve had put into the runes set in one of the upper storage rooms of Hoofbeats. Enough to get them in without anypony the wiser. I just really hope that whoever is behind this thinks she’s in the clear. Maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll try to impersonate me again. Then again, she might impersonate Cheerilee or Moon Dancer. I doubt she’d do Minuette. Nopony can out-Minuette Minuette. “Gather as close as you can,” Sunset called. “I want to make this as simple as possible.” “You sure about this?” Cheerilee asked. “I mean… we could always just find a way to sneak back inside.” “Moon Dancer and Sunny are the best spellcasters in Equestria!” Minuette declared. “I’m sure we have absolutely nothing to worry about.” Even with her eyes closed, Sunset could hear the glare in Moon Dancer’s voice. “You do realize saying something like that is simply begging for trouble, right?” Minuette sounded completely innocent. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Sunset heard the familiar sound of a hoof meeting a face and smirked. “Okay, looks like we’re coming up on Bridleway,” Moon Dancer reported. Sunset could feel the other unicorn get as close to Sunset as possible without actually touching her. “You should be feeling the beacon anytime now.” Sunset reached out with her magic as two spells began to unfold. First was the basic structure for a medium-range teleportation spell. She had worked out the math and all the different parameters into the spell matrix. The second was trickier. Teleporting from a moving vehicle was hard even under the best of circumstances. She had to be sure to counter the inertia the group was currently experiencing. While they didn’t feel it, their bodies were moving at the same speed as the train. A rookie would have missed that. And Sunset Shimmer was definitely no rookie. Just because she had learned a thing or two about humility didn’t mean she didn’t know she still had talent. She was just better at toning it down these days. With a surge, she used the first part of the spell to lock onto the homing beacon they’d created with the intricate set of runes and sigils. A few magic pulses slammed through the connection, confirming a solid lock, but it wouldn’t last long. She poured the magic into her horn. “Should her horn be glowing like that?” Cheerilee asked. “I can barely see!” “It’s called overglow,” Moon Dancer said with a sigh. “Seriously, Cheerilee, you taught at GU. You know what overglow is!” “Yeah, but even I can feel the magic!” “That means it’s working.” Sunset ignored them and focused, mentally picturing the path of the train as it reached its nearest point to Hoofbeats. The geometry was solid as she charged the spell even further. She would probably pass out shortly after casting this, but it was worth it for a couple different reasons. First, she wanted to make sure her friends were safe. Second, she wanted to make sure nopony saw them. Third… because it was simply awesome. While there were probably a lot easier ways to fake their departure from the city… this had style. Sunset took a deep breath and mentally brought up the framework of the teleportation spell. The train reached the intersection with Bridleway. Then, she unleashed the magic. It felt like sticking her horn into one of those new power sockets, if only for a bit. She heard the yelps of her companions, a rush of air, a surge of speed and then a resounding crash. A second later, she opened her eyes to find herself in a  musty storage room on the third floor of Hoofbeats. The runes beneath her hooves had been scuffed and burned by their magical entrance. There may have also been a small part of the floor missing, but nopony was in the costume room down below, so that was fine. The rest of her friends let out various groans of protest and pain as they picked themselves up and dusted themselves off Sunset stared at the ceiling. “This is comfy,” Sunset declared. “Good for naps.” “Oh, no you don’t,” Moon Dancer muttered as she stumbled over to Sunset. “You’d better get off your flank. We’ve got work to do.” “Can’t I have five minutes?” Sunset groaned. “I’m running on fumes here.” “No rest for the wicked.” “I thought I was a good guy now,” Sunset said. “You are,” Moon Dancer replied. “That makes you the most wicked of all.” “That doesn’t make even the slightest bit of sense,” Cheerilee pointed out. “That’s never stopped her before,” Sunset growled. Still she pushed herself to her hooves as Minuette opened the door. Gateway was standing outside with Coco. Coco smiled at them, while Gateway nodded. “Rara’s getting ready for her opening number,” Coco said without preamble. “We’ve got about an hour before ponies start arriving for the concert.” “So, what now?” Minuette asked with a smile. Sunset smiled back. “Your favorite thing, Minuette. We get ready to party.” Minuette squeed. Repeatedly. And very loudly. Oi, this is going to be a long night, Sunset thought.