Just a little ways inside the Odd Squad Boutique (name pending), Rarity was hard at work, humming a small ditty and hemming her suit together after having torn it earlier while on a rather difficult case. She had lost track of how many times her suit needed to be repaired -- she already had a list of complaints lined up to march right over to the Tailoring Department with when she had the time.
As she was halfway done, an elated laugh, followed by a high-pitched "Whee!", whizzed past her door, breaking her concentration slightly. In spite of this, however, she didn't dare look up, and pressed onward with her work.
The sound of galloping and raucous high-pitched laughter together made her eye twitch as she bit back a groan. Still, she forced herself to keep it together. She could not, would not, let all of her hard work come undone due to something as simple as a noise breaking through the barrier of her focus.
Unfortunately, a noise did break through the barrier of her focus, although it was by her own volition.
"Hey, hey, wait for me, silly!" came the voice, followed by another bout of laughter, which was accompanied with the sound of chattering creatures and bouncing noises. Rarity knew what was going on -- but that didn't mean she liked it.
She made her way to the door and telekinetically opened it, identifying the owner of the voice rather quickly.
"Agent Pinkie Pie, darling!"
"Hold on, Rarity!"
A Centigurp passed through the unicorn's field of vision, bouncing up and down with Pinkie frantically chasing after it. Finally, with the pink pony giving a mighty leap, she caught it in her hooves.
"Gotcha!" Pinkie smiled. "Whaddya need, Rares?"
"Would it be too much to ask you to keep it down?" Rarity asked. "I'm quite busy with work, and I wish to not be disturbed!"
"Oh! Sorry! I'll try to be quieter."
Rarity gave an exhale of a breath she hadn't realized she was holding in. "Thank you." she responded, before closing the door and beginning to make her way back to her workstation.
She didn't get more than a few hoofsteps before her ears picked up the sound of chirping, followed by some light banging noises.
Her eye twitched again, and it was quickly accompanied by a very angry growl.
"PINKAMENA DIANE PIE!!"
The cry made not just Pinkie, but the Centigurps that were still loose, turn their heads towards a unicorn whose face was as red as a cherry tomato.
"I have just about had it with your antics!" Rarity snapped as she threw open the door. "It has been the same thing, every day, every time I try to get work done! And I simply cannot get any work done with you galloping about like a schoolfilly!"
Pinkie blinked. "But the Centi-"
"I do not care!" Rarity closed her eyes. "Ms. Pie, I hate to be so blunt, but..."
She trotted over to Pinkie and thrust her muzzle into the party pony's face, winding up her lungs for a mighty yell.
"TAKE YOUR NOISE SOMEWHERE ELSE!!"
Before Pinkie could respond, Rarity was already back inside her boutique, slamming the door shut and walking away.
"Goodness! Some ponies just do not understand common decency." She brushed the front of her suit and gave a sigh, allowing herself to calm down and tackle the situation head-on as she asked aloud, "How can I get Pinkie Pie to stop making so much noise?"
Her mind flashed to a conversation she and Pinkie had, many years ago -- how Pinkie didn't like her dark side, and when she slipped into it, the "good" part of her became scared of the "bad" part of her. She had one too many bad experiences with her own personal dark side, and she resolved to stay as far away from it as she could.
The idea Rarity had seemed silly in hindsight. Foalish, even. It was something far more suited for someone like Mandy to do.
But the mare had to admit, Pinkie's straight hair was a rather gorgeous style...and Rarity herself had always wanted to try having her long hair short and straight, just for curiosity's sake.
Smirking, her horn's magic levitated a pair of scissors and a comb, and once she had gathered her shower products as well, she booked it for the Bathroom and shut the door without Pinkie or the loose Centigurps ever being the wiser.
This is going to work. It has to work.
If it doesn't...there's simply no way I'll be able to get all of my work done!
In the bullpen, Mandy had somehow secured a spot on Chopped.
If "securing a spot on Chopped" meant "securing a spot for the record of the most innovative way to use a sharp knife".
Try as she might, she couldn't slice open a gadget she had been trying to open in vain.
"Any luck?"
"No good." Mandy shook her head in response to Peaches' question. "At this rate I'm gonna hafta take a chainsaw to the thing. Go big or go home, baby!"
The sound of chirping reached her ears, and as she spun around in circles, the chirping only served to grow louder. Finally, her gaze settled on Peaches, and she gave a frown.
"Peach, what are you, a bird? Quit your chirpin'!"
"Uh, that's not me." Peaches picked up a Centigurp. "It's these round fuzzy things attached to your tail."
"Huh?" Mandy wagged her tail once, then twice, then wagged it as hard as she could, each to no avail. Eventually, she resorted to picking up one of the "round fuzzy things", nearly doing a double-take when she realized what she was holding. "Centigurps?!" she cried out, giving a groan of frustration while Peaches simply looked confused.
"What are Centigurps?" the catgirl asked, watching her cousin sit down, pull her tail closer to her, and start with yanking the creatures off.
"They're creatures that like spherical things and can multiply fast when exposed to light. They tend to escape and bounce all over the place 'cause some agent falls for their adorable purring and chirping."
Peaches nodded, still a little confused but deciding to roll along with what Mandy said regardless. Her eyes caught Pinkie Pie approaching them, clutching a container tight to her body, her pupils and irises shrunken down to pinpricks as though she had just witnessed an unspeakable horror.
"Partner! These yours?" Mandy asked, holding out a Centigurp.
"Uh-huh..." came the murmured response.
Mandy gave a sigh. "Don't tell me you opened the container..."
"Uh-huh..."
Peaches tilted her head in concern and confusion.
Mandy, on the other hand, couldn't care less. "All righty! Be right back. Gotta turn all these Centigurps back into one."
With that, she grabbed the container from her partner's grasp and moved towards the lab, where a ton of the fuzzy little things were bouncing about in the quarantine chamber. The ones on her tail chirped in protest, something that she didn't pay any mind to.
"Hey, Pinkie...what's the matter? You look skittish." Peaches asked.
"Rarity..." Pinkie dragged her hoof along the floor, dipping her head down low, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "She...she yelled at me..."
"Yelled at you? Why?"
"'Cause I was trying to catch all the Centigurps...and she straightened her mane and tail..."
Peaches blinked. "Straightened her mane and tail?"
"Like what I've done before."
"You had a straight mane and a straight tail before?" Peaches scratched her head. "I'm a little confused."
Pinkie only gave a sigh in response, before following it up with, "Just give Mandy my thanks, I guess. I'm gonna...go back to Equestria." She turned and began heading out the steel double-doors, catching the eyes of agents who seemed concerned that the pink party pony wasn't her usual cheery self.
"Okay, have fun!" Peaches waved her off, then muttered to herself, "Huh. That was weird."
"Hiya! I'm back." Mandy approached her cousin, hairbrush in one hand and big poofy tail in the other. Her head swiveled back and forth. "Where'd Pinkie go?"
"She's returning to Equestria. She was acting...really weird." Peaches explained. "Said Rarity yelled at her because she was trying to catch the loose Centigurps, and she straightened her mane and tail like how Pinkie had it before."
Mandy digested this information with a nod, and then a smile began forming on her face. "Rarity? Straighten her mane? And straighten her tail?" She burst into giggle-and-snort laughter. "The day Rarity straightens both her mane and her tail is the day Oprah might as well retire. She's always kept it in loose curls! Even as a filly it was a lil' curly!" A sigh escaped her. "Besides, she's busy with work. Hemming clothes and working on suits for Momma and Otto's precinct and all that. When's the mare gonna have time to straighten her mane and tail, huh?"
Peaches didn't even try to protest Mandy's words. "Do they not have their own tailor?"
"Oh they do. Every precinct has their own Odd Squad Tailor. We have O'Q. Lovely chap, nice and bright, pip pip, cheerio cheerio." Mandy said, slipping into a brief British accent on the last sentence. "Momma and Otto have Osiris. And believe you me, that kid is a god on the sewing machine."
"So why is Rarity making suits for Olive and Otto?"
"She's helping Osiris out, as a favor. There are a lot of agents in that precinct."
A simple "mm" was all Peaches gave in response. She was still a little confused, but she chalked it up to her inexperience in making clothes for other people besides herself, although she could slightly understand why Rarity was helping out -- her Element was generosity, after all.
The sound of approaching hoofsteps made both girls turn their attention towards its source. Sure enough, speak of the mare and she doth appear -- in an entirely new manestyle. Her mane had the same appearance it did when it was wet, only it wasn't actually wet at all, and was neatly brushed to only give off the appearance of such, being curled at the ends. The same went for her tail, which drooped down and touched the ground.
Peaches was impressed.
Mandy...not so much.
"Hello-oooo! Do you two like my new look?"
"It's great!" Peaches nodded. "You look amazing."
"Why thank you, darling." Rarity's gaze flicked to Mandy. "And you, Mandy?"
Mandy stared. Her eyes flitted just a little ways to and fro as she fully absorbed her friend's new appearance. She bit her lip.
On odd, it looks hideous. Almost makes me wanna vomit. Almost. I can see why Pinkie had such a negative reaction to it...but she was just horrified by it.
...Yeah no, I am horrified. But I'm also disgusted. What is this? She reminds me of...
Suddenly, flashbacks hit her like a battering ram. Flashbacks of her partner's flat mane and tail, and all the anger and upset that came with it. The many rumors of her psychosis when her mane and tail were in such a state didn't help matters.
Still, she knew that she had to be a supportive friend, and forced herself to put on an act.
"I-it's, uh...unique?" she weakly offered, giving a splitting unsure grin and a half-hearted shrug.
"Is it?" Rarity fiddled with her mane. "Honestly, I really don't know of anypony with the 'wet mane' look...but it seemed to scare away Pinkie Pie, so it seems like it works!" She then poked the white-polka-dotted bandana that she wore around her neck. "I also added a bandana, to make the style really pop out. Could you tell me what you think?"
Peaches eyed the accessory for a few moments, then smiled. "It looks nice! I think the red is a good contrast to your white fur. But I say experiment a little!"
Rarity returned the smile, and once again looked to Mandy for her opinion.
Oh my odd, Peach, stop being a yes-man! You're not the one tryna save face over here! "U-um..." The hybrid twiddled her fingers. "I-it's, um, well...y-your mane and tail are your business, and...you can do with them what you want."
She's asking about the bandana, ya nitwit.
"Also the bandana is...nice."
"Ooh, I just knew you two would love it!" Rarity giggled. "See, I decided to spruce up the look after taking inspiration from your own wet hair, Mandy!"
Mandy blinked. "What?"
"Yes! It always looks so luxurious, so elegant. Especially when it's halfway dry! So fluffy..." Rarity began to blush slightly, but a quick couple shakes of her head restored the color to her face. "Anyway, I tried to copy that as best I could! I do hope you don't mind."
"That's...nice, Rarity...but..." Mandy began to fiddle with her own hair, now. "As much as I'd love to keep my hair and tail wet, I'd much rather keep them dry. And with this fall weather, wet hair can stiffen up and become icky and crunchy and gross." She shuddered. "I can speak from experience."
"Oh, I know that." Rarity waved a hoof. "That is why I am stopping by the store after we deliver the suits, to get some nice shampoo and conditioner in order to keep my new style in tip-top shape!"
Mandy wasn't sure what to be more scared by -- the fact her friend was going to go out looking like that, or the fact that she was going to face people looking like that. "We?"
"Oh! Yes, yes, I wanted to ask you." Rarity said. "Would you mind helping me deliver the finished suits to Osiris when I'm done with my current project?"
"Huh? S-sure, I guess."
"Thank you, darling! You are a lifesaver." She turned to leave. "I'll be here in my boutique if you need me. Ta-taaaaaa!"
Peaches watched the mare leave, then her gaze landed on Mandy. "Mandy, you're quivering."
Sure enough, the hybrid was visibly shaking. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Her eyes were shrunk down to pinpricks. "I'm about to go into cardiac arrest..." she wheezed out, feeling suddenly aware of her heart racing a million miles an hour like she was in a dogfight in her personal plane.
Knowing she had to snap back to reality, she shook her body out and let her head move towards the chainsaw that laid on her desk. "Um...a-anyway, we should-"
"You operate that chainsaw the way you are now and it'll do more damage than my claws could ever do to anyone." Peaches said, grabbing ahold of her cousin's head and jerking it back around. "What's wrong, cuz?"
Mandy had to take a few deep breaths to stabilize herself so she could give an explanation, reminding herself that Rarity was no longer here and she didn't have to look at...that again. "See, whenever Pinkie has her mane and tail straightened, it usually means she's sad. Other times, it means she's gone completely off the deep end. I remember one time, I was sleeping, and I woke up to find Pinkie leeeeeeeaning over me with her mane flat like she was gonna rip me to shreds. I might've broken every glass item Oprah has in her office with the scream I gave!"
"Why was she sad?"
"That..." Mandy's mouth pinched inwards as she tried to think. "...is a good question. Might hafta rack the ol' brain for that one."
"So let me get this straight. You think Rarity straightening her mane and tail means she's gone off the deep end? Which is...going completely insane?"
"Certainly seemed like it! I'll never get the word 'fashion' outta my head now!" Mandy gripped Peaches by the shoulders and got closer and closer to her. "And the worst part? And the worst part?"
"What's the worst part?"
"I HAFTA SEE THE MARE EVERY DA-A-AAAAAAAY!" Mandy slumped to her knees and began wailing. This, of course, attracted the attention of almost no one, save a few agents-in-training who hadn't quite gotten familiar with the concept of ignoring her whenever she did something crazy.
"Look, I'm sure Rarity will realize what she's done and change her style back to normal." Peaches blinked. "You're overexaggerating, cuz. It's probably just one big joke between Rarity and Pinkie that you're out of the loop on."
"No it's not a joke!" Mandy got back to her feet and then shook Peaches. "She's gonna turn on us!"
"Okay, now you're acting hysterical." Peaches broke free from Mandy's grasp and grabbed her by the tail. "C'mon."
Mandy immediately began to make a run for it. "H-hey, let go of me!"
"Nope, c'mon. We're going outside. You've been cooped up in Headquarters all day. It's not healthy for you. A little fresh air will do you some good."
Peaches began dragging Mandy with ease, not showing any signs of struggle, even as the hybrid's body fell to the floor and she began scrabbling at it in a futile attempt to escape.
"No! Don't put me outside! I don't wanna go outside! We're in trouble, Peach, real trouble, that starts with T and ends with RARITY KILLING US ALL! We gotta stay here! PEACH, YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND ME, WE'RE DEEEEEEE-"
The automatic doors closed before Mandy could finish her proclamation.
Some time later, after Mandy had been dragged around town against her will, she went with Rarity to give the suits she had so lovingly made to Osiris, a pit of dread rolling about in her stomach like a dung beetle rolling...well, dung.
"We're heeeee-eeeeere!" Rarity declared, taking the cart from Mandy's hands and wheeling it through the hallway on the second floor. "I'm going to bring these to Osiris, all right?"
"'Kay..."
"Thank you for helping me out, Mandy. You're a doll!"
The hybrid watched her go wordlessly, only giving a ragged sigh and a ruffle of her hair as she trudged to the one place she knew she could find reprieve right now. That, and hopefully some advice.
"Who eats black licorice anymore?"
"Hey, black licorice is good!"
"No it's not! It's a charcoal version of red licorice!"
Olive and Otto, with a bag of black licorice spilled out on their desk, butted heads, growling at each other. However, their conflict quickly subsided, and both Directors shared a hearty chuckle.
"Help me please..."
Olive's gaze moved towards the glass doors, where Mandy was stumbling in. "Mandy? You look like a wreck!"
"What happened to you?" Otto chimed in.
"Hold that question." Olive held a hand up. "Let me make you some tea."
"Tea? I thought you were off tea."
"On and off. I like it whenever I'm stressed and need to relax a little." Olive began making her way towards the drink bar. "I have a few bags left over here. Let me surprise you."
Taking a coffee pot filled with hot water and a mug, Olive poured some water out and topped it off with a tea bag, making sure she didn't mess up any steps like she had done numerous times in the past.
"Here. Drink this." she offered, as Mandy flopped down onto one of the couches. "It'll help calm you down."
Mandy eagerly took the drink and took a giant swig out of it, smacking her lips a couple times to try and identify the taste before it clicked. "Aah...chamomile." she purred, her tail flicking about happily.
"Now, why don't you tell us what's going on?" Olive urged next.
"Rarity..."
"Oh! Did she deliver the suits to Osiris yet?"
"I would say that's why Mandy's here, partner."
Olive blinked. "Oh." was all she said in response, before she shook her head in a futile effort to save her own skin. "Are you helping her out?"
Mandy took another swig. "Yes. She asked me to."
"Okay. So, uh...is...something wrong with her?" Otto asked, tilting his head.
"Her mane's straight."
"And?"
A groan. "Kids these days..."
"So this is about hair?"
"Would you SHUT YOUR FOOD HOLE AND LET ME SPEAK, CHILD?!" Mandy very nearly threw the mug down onto the coffee table, but forced herself to take another swig to keep herself steady. Clearly, the tea wasn't a fast-acting kind of tea. "Do you two remember when you heard an ear-piercing scream and it broke nearly all the glass items in Oprah's office?"
"Yes. And then your yelling at Pinkie that came out of it." Olive tenderly touched her ear, knowing that her sensitive hearing had given her absolute hell that day. "What happened there, anyway?"
"Pinkie, with her mane and tail straighter than a wooden plank, was staring at me. On my bed. Just...staring. Like she was gonna destroy me." Mandy began flailing her arms about. "Do you know how scary that is?!"
"I can think of at least six different times where you've done just that, Mandy. To me. In the wee hours of the morning."
"That's not my point!" Mandy sighed in response to Olive's snark. "Let me rephrase...do you know what happens when Pinkie's mane and tail go straight?"
"Oh, oh!" Otto raised his hand. "Doesn't it usually mean she's depressed or angry?"
"Aaaaaaand lo and behold, one of these guys can actually think for themselves!" said Mandy to the reader, clapping her hands and letting loose a bout of belly laughter.
Olive gave a groan in response.
A final squeak came out of Mandy, and she sighed happily before continuing. "Yes, Otto, it does mean exactly that. Most of the time, though, it also means her mental stabilihillbilly...isn't stabile."
"'Stability'. And 'stable'." Olive corrected. "I'll have to ask Santa Claus to bring you a dictionary this coming Christmas."
"Yeah okay." Mandy waved her off. "Anyway, I fear it may be the same case for Rarity."
"So what happened with Rarity?" Otto asked, a little less confused now but still struggling to understand what kind of point Mandy was trying to make.
"Pinkie was making too much noise while Rarity was working because she was trying to catch Centigurps. So Rarity, in some sort of weird revenge plot thingie, straightened her mane and tail and deemed it her new style." Mandy sighed. "And you know how carried away Rarity can get with fashion sometimes."
"So why don't Rarity and Pinkie Pie just make up?"
"Beats me!"
"Hmm..." Olive took a moment to think. "Maybe Osiris can help."
Mandy took another swig of tea. "Your tailor? How can he help with hair?"
"He may be skilled in clothing, but he may also have a few hair tips for Rarity to-"
"Embrace her curls!"
Olive shot her partner a look that just screamed "dead". Her eyes half-lidded, her lips pursed tight, her body stance rigid. "Thanks for finishing my sentence." she snarked.
"Well, it's better than nothing." Mandy took her final swig of tea and set the cup down onto the table. "Thankies for the tea! And the advice!"
"No problem. Remember, we're a call or a tube ride away if you need anything, okay?" Olive's expression went from annoyed to sweet, something that made Otto roll his eyes.
Mandy nodded, got up, and went to leave, waving to the two Directors eagerly. She was so focused on giving goodbyes, in fact, that she almost didn't hear Rarity exiting the Clothing Room.
"Oh, Mandy!" The mare trotted up to her, toying with her mane. "Osiris complimented my mane!"
Sorry about that, Momma...what was that about Osiris maybe having a few hair tips? A sch sound forced its way out of Mandy. When ya find an actual hairdresser with actual taste, call me, huh?
Realizing that Rarity was staring at her with intrigue, she broke out into nervous laughter. "D-did he now?" She pressed her thumbs together. "That's...nice, Rarity! Very nice!"
This seemed to satisfy the unicorn. "I'm off to Lather Love now. Would you like to come with?"
She might as well have asked the question of "would you like to die of second-hand embarrassment", because as much as Mandy was running low on shampoo and conditioner and needed to stock up, she really didn't want to be made the laughingstock of Toronto, being seen with a mare who had questionable mane and tail choices for somepony who worked in the fashion industry.
"I think I'll decline. But have fun!"
"All right. I'll see you later, okay?" Rarity skipped away, giving a hearty "Ta-taaaaaa!" in singsong to mark her departure.
Mandy simply looked at her hands, one thought pushing its way to the forefront of her mind.
That tea Momma gave me? Weakdrink. Utter weakdrink.
Still, she wasn't about to go home empty-handed. Olive and Otto had given her advice, and aside from the risk of Osiris feeding her bad advice in equal measure, there was no possible way this could go horribly. He was a good kid, she was sure -- Olive and Otto hired him, probably, so of course he was good.
Her lungs pushed out air as she gave three tentative knocks on the door.
"Come in." came a voice. Silky, inviting, and with just a slight twinge of a British accent.
Mandy opened the door and gave a wave to the brown-haired, hazel-eyed boy that was fixing up a few ties on display. "Hi. You're...Osiris, right?"
"That I am." Osiris turned around. With his gray plaid vest, his white long-sleeve undershirt with well-made cuffs and a well-fluffed collar, and navy pants that looked similar to Mandy's own, he looked every bit like someone in the Tailoring department. "And you must be Agent Mandy, of Precinct 13579."
Mandy blinked. "How did you-" She paused as she came to a realization before the question could even fully tumble from her mouth. "Ah, never mind. Momma and Otto must've told you about me!"
"Indeed." Osiris cleaned some dust off of the Tailoring department symbol that adorned his undershirt in place of an actual tie. "What can I help you with today, Mandy?"
"Um...do you know Agent Rarity?" Mandy asked. "N-not just in Odd Squad, just...in general. Outside of Odd Squad."
"Why, as a matter of fact, yes." Osiris nodded. "I have heard talk of her throughout the town. People and ponies alike, all spreading rumors that she will be opening up a boutique here in Toronto to sell human clothing." He smiled. "She certainly has become popular for her designs. The suits she made in particular were stunning."
Mandy's gaze flicked to the cart with the suits on it, tilting her head. Rarity? Opening up a boutique here? Wouldn't surprise me. But with that...style... She couldn't help but shudder slightly at the thought of her friend being review-bombed and eventually closing her new store, all because she didn't look presentable to too many customers.
"Y-yes, well, see..." She twirled her fingers about. "While she was making the suits, my partner, Agent Pinkie Pie, kept on interrupting her work. She got fed up with Pinkie's antics and she changed her manestyle and tailstyle so it looks wet, but it's not actually wet. Like it's straight."
"And is this a bad thing?"
"When my partner has a straightened mane and tail, it usually means that any sanity she has is gone out the window. I worry that it might be the same for Rarity. She tends to be very...overbearing with her fashionista...ism sometimes."
Osiris didn't bother to point out how "fashionistaism" wasn't a real word. "I see. So what is it you're hoping to accomplish?"
"Well...I want Rarity to see that changing up her manestyle and tailstyle isn't going to get my partner to stop being herself. She was trying to catch Centigurps when Rarity was making the suits, and that's a bit of a loud activity. There are better ways to get someone to stop doing something than..." Mandy scoffed. "...changing your entire 'do! And I certainly don't want to be on the brunt end of whatever psychotic thing Rarity's cooking up."
Osiris nodded and gave a soft hum as he thought for a few moments. "I must admit, I'm not good with hair so much as I am with clothing."
Called it, Mandy thought, mentally giving an "I told you your advice was terrible" smirk at Olive and Otto.
"But perhaps Rarity needs something else that she can be inspired by. Someone to rival her in style. Someone who can become the new go-to person for fashionable hairstyles, or so she believes."
As he looked knowingly at Mandy, all she could do tilt her head. "And how will that help?"
"If she feels that she is outclassed by you, it might just get her to crack."
Mandy bit her lip. It seemed like a good idea, but one thing weighed on her mind. "I'm not sure...I mean, what if it just becomes a big ol' hairstyle battle? I top her, she tops me, and it just keeps on going until..."
"Then you will need to take your entry in the first round a step further." Osiris placed a hand on Mandy's shoulder. "You work with Rarity on clothes, do you not?"
"Yes, but-"
"Then add some clothes to the mix. Something to make yourself stand out." Osiris smiled. "I have the utmost confidence in you, Agent Mandy. You can do it."
For a moment, she almost wanted to ask Osiris for tips on what clothes, exactly, would make her "stand out". But something told her he wouldn't be so keen on giving that advice.
For me, someone who doesn't know much about fashion, to do battle with Rarity, a mare that's well-respected in Equestria for her taste in fashion...it seems foolish. But if it'll stop her killing someone or going completely insane... She shuddered as she imagined Rarity dressing up everyone she saw in outlandish clothing. And then, a memory of her "Inspiration Manifestation" story came forth, as a haunting reminder of the possibilities that could ensue if she kept on going down the path she was on.
Forget about the cons of it all. I have to do this. It's for the good of Odd Squad, for the town...and for the world.
"It wouldn't hurt!" she said, settling on an answer.
"Good luck."
"Thanks." Mandy turned to leave. "Feels like I'm gonna need it."
As she made her way back to her own Headquarters, ideas began bubbling forth in her head, moreso about her hair than about her clothing. The clothing was easy--she could sketch ideas and make them as she needed to, right in the comfort of her own room. The hair, though...not so much. She wore the same style every day and never bothered to change it up too often, aside from the occasional mockery gag.
Suddenly, a realization came to her. Her eyes widened, and she was gone, teleporting away in a bright flash.
Mandy's teleportation took her right in front of the Lather Love shop on Green Street. She would be lying if she didn't say that she loved haircare stores in general -- the scents alone were enticing.
"There's gotta be lots of haircare stuff here!" she chirped, bouncing her way inside.
An orange-yellow Pegasus mare with an orange mane was working the front counter, and gave Mandy a friendly wave. "Ah, Mandy, what a lovely surprise! Haven't seen you in a while!"
"That's 'cause you guys were sold out of my hairspray last time!" Mandy said, making her way over to the counter. "Is your laser chicken wound doing okay, Honey Breeze?"
"It's healing well, thanks to Dr. O's treatment! He's such a darling!" The mare held up her bandaged leg for Mandy to inspect, giving a lighthearted giggle. "Can I help you find anything?"
"Oh, yes. See, I'm looking for something that'll make these curls bounce." Mandy toyed with her hair. "Specifically, new hairstyles are what I'm testing out."
"Well, if it's new hair-"
"Ooh, ooh, got anything that'll make my hair look like this?!" From hammerspace, Mandy levitated a drawing of a girl who had two corkscrew twintails on the side of her head.
Of course, far be it from Honey to question where Mandy got the drawing, and whether it was hers or not. "Ah, the twintails!" She nodded. "Yes, yes, I can actually recommend you some hairstyle books if you want the-"
"No, no! I have books on those! I just need haircare stuffs."
Honey nodded again, emerging from behind the counter. "I see. In that case, follow me, and I'm happy to get whatever you need!"
A few minutes later, Mandy was walking out with an absurd amount of bags that not even her own magic could handle.
"See you soon!" Honey called.
Mandy tried to give her goodbyes, but a pained squeak pushed forth from her lungs instead as the door closed. She refrained from collapsing onto the dirty hard ground.
"Might've...gotten...too much stuuuuaaaaaaaahhh..." Shifting some of the weight to her hands only made things worse, as she nearly toppled over. "No matter...I'll make sure my hair's wild n' stylin' by tomorrow!"
Gritting her teeth, she flapped her wings as fast as she could -- which wasn't saying much, given they usually went at a hummingbird's speed -- and took the bags with her to a tube entrance that, luckily for her, was right across the street in the entrance to an alleyway.
By the time Mandy returned to her room, she couldn't fly anymore. She collapsed right onto the floor of her room, products spilling everywhere from their bags as she gave ragged breaths.
"Why...did I buy...so much stuff?!" she yelled. It was bad enough her wallet had taken blow after blow -- now her wings felt cramped and tired from beat after beat of trying to support a body that had what had to amount to at least 150 pounds of haircare stuff attached to it. Everything from dyes, to hairsprays, to ties, to her own shampoo and conditioner that she had originally meant to buy.
"Oh! I knew I'd find you in here, darling."
Mandy slowly rose to her feet, finding Rarity standing in the doorway but not finding the energy to give even a simple "hello".
Rarity's gaze drifted across the items that laid on the floor. She gasped. "Did you go to Lather Love too? Why, I thought you said you didn't want to go!"
"I wanted to talk to Osiris first." Mandy explained, magically conjuring up a glass of water and chugging it.
Rarity nodded in understanding, then levitated a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of conditioner that both had the label SPRITZ'S on it. "I bought the most fabulous shampoo and conditioner for my mane and tail! And some wonderful brushes too." Out came a couple hairbrushes. "Tomorrow, I think I'll freshen up this look even more! I simply cannot wait for you to see it, darling. It will be divine."
"Yeah, I'm...sure it'll be divine..."
"What's wrong? You sound so tired!" Rarity asked, seeing that Mandy's eyes were now half-lidded and she was now slightly swaying on her feet.
"It's...just been a long day for me, that's all."
"Mm, I see. I'll leave you alone then." Rarity turned. "Mind if I use the shower first?"
"Go ahead."
"Thank you, darling!"
Mandy watched as Rarity left with skipping hoofsteps, humming a short but sweet ditty to herself as she did so. A sigh escaped her that morphed into a yawn.
"Mm...better eat dinner 'fore I collapse..." she murmured, trudging off towards the kitchen while keeping a note in the very back of her mind to clean up and put away the stuff she bought later. It wasn't priority, however -- what was priority was getting food in her belly and getting washed up before she ended up falling asleep in a place that wasn't her bed.
The door, as white as snow, creaked open.
The mare, as white as snow, crept inside.
Raucous snoring and unintelligible sleep-talking filled the room -- nothing surprising for the mare.
Slowly, she made her way towards the bed, with the sleeping agent on it, and hoisted herself up onto it. Her four hooves dug into the agent's stomach, although it wasn't like the agent minded very much. She was in a state of very deep sleep, so much so that it didn't seem like she needed her white noise to help her out (the mare had to wonder whether a timer would be installed for that thing).
With her horn alight in blue, the mare grabbed ahold of the girl's shoulder and shook it.
"Mandy! Mandy, darling, do wake up, won't you?"
It took several seconds, but the girl did wake up with a start. A snort put a dent in her snoring as she sat up, her eyes flying open. "Whozawha?! Bennington, if I've toldja once I've toldja 'm thousand timezz..."
What met her vision was a mare she recognized, but a hairstyle that looked almost the same as yesterday. Her straight mane had a sort of sheen to it that gave it a glossy fresh look, as did her straightened tail. Said tail was tied up with a black hair tie in a high ponytail.
Finally, Mandy (somewhat) snapped to her senses. A "NYAAAAAAAAH!" left her as she scrambled backwards, completely bug-eyed as she stared at the one who was directly on her. "R-Rarity, what are you doing?!"
"Oh, I am sorry, Mandy. I didn't mean to frighten you. It's just..." Rarity gave a giant squee. "I wanted you to see my new manestyle!"
Sleepiness began to settle in, now. Mandy glanced at the clock on her nightstand, which read 9:00.
"I used a mix of manespray and water, and tied my tail up a little so it wouldn't drag so much. See?" Rarity turned, showing off her tail for just a few moments before she thrust her face into Mandy's. "Don't you think it looks positively stunning?!"
One blink. Two blinks. Mouth hanging slightly open. Truly, such raw emotion could only come from a near-vegetable in a hospital bed.
"Ohh, you don't have to say a thing, darling. You're speechless!" Rarity giggled. "Anyways, I just wanted you to see. I think I'll get to work on some clothing that will look tres magnifique with this new style of mine! Ta-taaaaaa!"
And with that, the unicorn mare hopped off of the bed, skipped out the door, and let out a few excited jumps as her magic aura closed the door.
A few moments later, Mandy was back on the sleeping game. Somehow, the "you need more sleep" switch clicked on in her brain, and she was going to get as much sleep as she could.
Or at least, as much as she could before that white blob with the weird accent woke her up again.
It wasn't until she saw Rarity around Headquarters a few times that she realized what, exactly, the mare had been trying to communicate to her.
And that was her cue to hole herself up in the bathroom, with all of her hair supplies. Every last one of them.
"Oho, Agent Rarity. This agent will not take this hair issue lyin' down. Not when it gives me terrible bedhead!"
She cracked her knuckles, a mischievous glint to her eye.
The first book of hairstyles flung open.
"Let's do this."
Water from the sink and the shower ran. The sweet smell of hairspray filled the room. And the suit was flung out of the door completely. From struggling to comb and tame her poofy curls ("How does Pinkie Pie do it?!") to consulting every single hairstyle book she had bought (yes, including How to Create Fabulous Twintails in Five Easy Steps), Mandy was ready to work towards a new her. A her that would wow people, make them turn heads, make them see who was really the hairy best boss around these parts.
"Hair extension here, hair extension there, a little pinkery-doo!" she sang, applying bobby pins to her loose hair as she read the next step in her book.
She had to admit, a lot of her time was spent running the hair dryer. The warm air it gave off felt especially nice on cold days, and she loved how it felt on her hair. But now, she had an actual reason to use it that wouldn't get her yelled at for it, and so, she dried her hair over and over as she experimented with different twintail styles.
Meanwhile, Oprah went down the hallway, Olive, Otto, Peaches and Twilight following her.
"So that's what's been happening?"
"Pretty much." Olive sighed.
"And all of this because Agent Pinkie Pie was doing nothing more than trying to catch Centigurps..."
Oprah groaned. "This is going to turn out like the Jackalope Gala incident all over again if this keeps up."
The sound of whirring caught the attention of everyone. Their heads immediately swiveled towards the Bathroom door. Just as Twilight opened her mouth to ask what was going on, a cry burst forth.
"Et voila! Now this...this will be my most grand masterpiece yet! That'll put that ragged old mare in her rightful place!"
And of course, in typical Mandy fashion, a bout of insane laughter topped it off -- laughter that, for Olive and Otto, almost rivaled Oprah's own insane laughter when she tried to win her first Jackie Award. Almost.
"I'm not sure I want to know..." Olive said, her gaze drifting towards the suit that still laid on the floor.
Unfortunately, she was about to know, as the Bathroom door swung open. Steam poured out of it like Mandy had just gotten out of the sauna, causing everyone to cough.
With a mighty whoosh, however, the steam was cleared, and a new Mandy was revealed.
A Mandy that looked absolutely hideous.
Her hair was now loose in two brunette twintails that managed to reach the floor, and then some. However, loose hairs stuck out all over the place, the twintails themselves looked jutted out in ways that went far beyond looking like mere lightning bolts, and her hair overall was dyed in a complete myriad of colors that ranged from the simple to the extreme. Her tail was the same way, being separated into twintails and dyed all kind of colors while also sticking straight out from her body, like it had been flash-frozen.
Both Peaches' hair and tail stuck straight up as she gave a hearty yowl, her eyes nearly bugging out of her own skull as she bore witness to the horrors of Mandy experimenting with hair.
Oprah, likewise, turned a color that no juice flavor in existence could be reasonably matched with. "Oh my odd..." was all she murmured, her brown eyes shrinking to small dots.
"Sweet Celestia!" Twilight's ears folded down, and she was forced to take a few steps back, using her wing to shield her eyes from the awful sight.
"Mandy..." Olive was the most unfazed, and slowly stepped forward, taking a deep inhale before what came forth was "WHAT IN THE NAME OF ODD DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAIR?!"
"It's the twintail look!" Mandy chirped. "Like what you see in anime all the time! Ya like?"
Oprah audibly gagged.
"Aww, c'mon. Is it really that bad?"
"You tell us!" Peaches cried, taking out a mirror from hammerspace and thrusting it in front of Mandy.
Within seconds, the mirror developed a spider-web crack in it that encompassed the entire thing.
"Mm..." Mandy's mouth pinched inwards. "I guess it wasn't the perfect twintail look..."
Her gaze drifted towards Olive, looking utterly floored. She looked like her brain was doing a complete and utter hard reset.
Mandy gasped and made her way over. "Mommamommamomma!" She grabbed Olive's curly ponytail, yanking it towards her to get a better look and ignoring Olive's cry of protest. "Yes! This is perfect! Ha, I forgot ya had a lil' corkscrew! Hold on, gotta take pictures!"
Olive went from floored to confused in just a minute, trying to comprehend what was happening while Mandy was snapping pictures of her hairstyle with a camera she had pulled from her hammerspace spine.
"Perfecto!" Mandy grinned as she looked through the pictures. "If I can't make twintails, then I'll make corkscrew ponytails!"
"ALL RIGHT, ENOUGH!" Oprah cried out, causing Mandy to stop as she stared at her boss. "Agent, what are you doing?"
"Weeeeell..." Mandy took a deep breath. "I stopped by Momma and Otto’s precinct the other day, and I asked them for advice, so they told me to go to Osiris, their tailor, so I went to him and he told me that I could only rival Rarity in hair, so I had to get a whooooooole lotta stuff from Lather Love so I could style it, and then Rarity, bless her equine heart, scared me when I woke up with her new manestyle! So I knew I had to rival her somehow, and that’s what I’m doing now!"
All she got in response were four blank stares as she inhaled and exhaled.
"Well, you're not going to rival Rarity looking like that." Twilight pointed out. "What were you thinking?"
Mandy shrugged and giggled. "I never think!"
"Isn't that the understatement of the year." Olive snarked, rolling her eyes.
"Cuz, look. Calm down, first and foremost. You're gonna wind up being as overenthusiastic as Rarity if you keep this up." Peaches took a deep breath, as though the advice was directed to herself as well as Mandy. "To put my opinion of you bluntly...you look like a train ran you over, immediately followed by three semitrucks. Each in rapid succession."
That analogy seemed to stick in Mandy's head. She gave a pitiful whine, poking at one of her twintails. "Is it really that bad?"
"Yes." Peaches responded. "You don't know much about hair, do you?"
"Yes I do! I read all the books, and, and I spent a whole ton of money on hair supplies!" Five half-lidded stares made her revoke that comment right quick. "...No. B-but that's why I had to ask for advice!"
"Well, I'm not a big old hair expert or anything, but if you're looking to rival Rarity in hair, you need a different style." Peaches explained. "And not corkscrews. She already has curls."
"But I wanted twintails!"
"A-and I can get you twintails!" Peaches reassured, slightly wincing at Mandy's high-pitched whine. "But if you let me help you, then you'll come out looking much better than...ehhh..." She pointed. "Whatever this is. What do you say?"
"Okay-dokay, let's do it!" Mandy pumped a fist into the air.
"Great!" Peaches turned to Olive, Oprah, Otto and Twilight. "Now, the rest of you, head into the bullpen. I want you to be surprised!"
Everyone else exchanged curious glances and smiles, knowing that even though Peaches' knowledge in hair was lacking just as much as Mandy's was, she at least had a better grip on the concept of hairstyles.
"Oh oh oh! I know what else I can do!" Mandy raised her eyebrows. "Are your...fashion skills up to par?"
"Always!" Peaches winked. "Clothes make the agent."
"Clothes are gonna make the agent! They're gonna make the agent the star of the show!" Mandy jabbed a finger at Twilight. "Twilight Sparkle! Get me my sewing machine! We're about to make magic!"
The mare complied with only a single nod, heading in the direction of Mandy's room while everyone else made their way towards the bullpen, telling Peaches and Mandy that they couldn't wait to see what they had in store for them, for Rarity, and for the rest of the precinct.
It didn't take long for Peaches to undo Mandy's work and get started on her own -- a lot less time than she had thought it would take. She cut, she washed, and she brushed to what she viewed as perfection. Mandy let her go through the motions, placing her full trust in her cousin. She worked diligently on an outfit for herself, with Peaches' advice on how to make it glamorous without looking utterly ridiculous.
"Glad you bought hair dye." Peaches said, tossing a box to the side. "But why did you think you were going to need it?"
"To be honest, I dunno why I bought the hair dye. I just grabbed whatever I could!"
Peaches opened her mouth to ask how, exactly, Mandy could afford all the stuff she bought, but before she could get a word in edgewise, the hybrid teleported a small bottle into existence.
"Sequiiiins!" she squealed, opening the bottle and beginning to apply them to her outfit. All Peaches did was sigh and playfully roll her eyes in response before she got back to work.
Fifteen minutes later, and both girls were "Done!"
Peaches held up a mirror for Mandy to eye her new hair. "Do you like it?"
"My hair...it's soooooo coooool!" she exclaimed, toying with it. Her hair, now pink instead of brunette, was wrapped in long twintails that nearly reached the floor, secured by two hair ties with four circles each that mysteriously floated in midair around the ties themselves. The ends of the twintails curled upwards quite a bit, and the twintails themselves were touched with stripes of the seven colors of the rainbow in the middle. Her bow had been removed entirely, and her hair had been parted down the middle, creating short bangs that fell across her forehead. Her pink tail had the same stripes, and had her iconic red bow tied tightly around it. It was lined with sparkly multicolored ribbons that spiraled down it, creating a small trail just past its end.
Peaches looked over Mandy's shoulder at the outfit she had designed. "You really took a theme and ran with it, huh?"
"Yup!" Mandy grinned. "I had it in mind when I first tried doing my own hair!"
"Well, why don't you put it on, and I'll gather everyone in the bullpen so they can see it, okay?"
Mandy nodded, watching Peaches leave the Bedroom. She stared at the mess on the floor, knowing that she would have to clean it all up later but not finding the heart to complain about it.
"Now this...this will make me the talk of the town!" Mandy gave an evil chuckle. "Watch out, Rare-Rare. You've got a new competitor!"
Laughter, twinged with just a touch of evil, echoed throughout the halls, causing some agents to become started and look around for the source.
"It's weird, but I haven't seen Rarity all day." Oprah said, glancing at the steel double-doors.
"Maybe she went back to Equestria?"
"Or maybe she's just in hiding 'cause she's afraid of Mandy!"
Olive rolled her eyes. "Partner, I doubt she even knows Mandy's competing against her."
"What's taking Mandy so long?" Peaches muttered to herself. "Doesn't take this long to put on a piece of clothing..."
The sound of whooshing caught everyone's attention as a figure began soaring through the bullpen.
Up and down the figure went, doing all sorts of acrobatics in what looked to be a truly fantastical outfit. Agents began gathering around, giving curious reactions as they watched the show in progress.
"Oh no." was all Peaches could utter, her cat ears folding downwards as she did a facepalm.
The figure soared right above the heads of the group, causing Olive to instinctively crouch low to the ground.
"Ooh, showy!" Otto remarked, watching as fireworks began to go off. His eyes gained a shimmer in them as he became captivated by the show.
With a few speedy midair somersaults, Mandy landed on the ground, hammer in hand.
"My hammer will crush anything that stands in the way of normalcy!"
She struck a pose.
"I'm Agent Mandy!"
This incredible display, which Oprah and the others all knew was done in the style of magical girl transformations, was met with raucous applause from agents, some of whom wanted an encore. However, instead of honoring those requests, Mandy made a mighty leap into the air and did a couple of cartwheels, followed by a few more midair somersaults before proudly landing on her feet.
It was then that the agents could fully take in her entire outfit. She wore a pink-and-white bodice adorned with two logos of the Investigation department and her badge on the front, a frilly pink skirt with a cloud-like bottom layer, tight pink shorts underneath, and a pink choker with a golden emblem around her neck. On her feet were a pair of rollerskates, bedazzled with glitter and painted with stripes of every color imaginable, and blue bracelets adorned her ankles as well as her wrists. Her wings seemed more fluffier and looked far more angelic in appearance than they usually were. A spiky golden crown sat on top of her head with a sky-blue diamond embedded into the middle, and her face consisted of just a tiny amount of blush. Her golden spherical dangle earrings, as well as her painted pink-and-red nails, completed the ensemble.
"S-she actually pulled it off..." Peaches uttered.
"Have to agree with you, Otto. That's just a little too showy for my taste." Oprah dryly remarked.
Lots of staring and jaw-drops ensued. No one said anything for a while.
Finally, Peaches snapped to her senses. "Cuz, you shouldn't have made such a grandiose entrance like that. Your hair's gonna be all messed up!"
"Nonsense!" Mandy waved a dismissive hand. "My hair's fine now, isn't it? And just look at the fabulous display I've put on!"
Oprah suddenly had a juice box in her hand, taking a swig of it. "Well, if it's any consolation, you look stunning, Mandy." She smiled.
"Thank you! But I'm not done."
"There's more?" a despaired Peaches asked.
"There's always room for more!" Mandy giggle-and-snorted. "Just wait 'til Rarity gets here!"
Sure enough, speak of the mare and she doth appear.
Or...perhaps not.
The automatic doors opened, drawing the attention of the entire group, who waited with baited breaths for Rarity to step through and be surprised at Mandy's new design.
Instead, the pony that came through the door was Pinkie Pie, in tears and heading for the hallway as she gave a violent wail.
Rarity followed shortly after. "Darling, wait! I didn't mean to..." she called, knowing that Pinkie couldn't hear her but still reaching a hoof out regardless. She shut her eyes tight and folded her ears down as she tried not to cry.
"Uh-oh."
"I'm guessing Rarity and Pinkie tried to reconcile, and it...didn't go well." Peaches said, sharing a look with Olive.
With her eyes still closed, the unicorn mare walked.
"Goodness, the one time I try to talk to Pinkie Pie and she- oof!" Rarity opened her eyes and backed up, rubbing her head as she looked up to apologize to the agent she had bumped into.
It was right then, when Mandy cleared her throat and opened her mouth, that the "more" part of her entire facade kicked in.
"Oh! Agent Rarity! Whatever is the matter?"
Oprah did a complete spit-take.
Jaws dropped again.
A "You. Have got. To be kidding me." slipped from Olive's lips.
Rarity's eyes were shrunk to more than pinpricks. They were shrunk to the point where there was 95% sclera and only 5% pupil and iris. There is no way...everything...from her nails, to her hair and tail...she...
Her mouth ran dry.
Mandy is glamorous! Why, I didn't think it was possible, I...
Ohh, what am I saying? Mandy works with me in the Odd Squad Boutique. Of course she would know a thing or two about fashion. But if I don't do something fast, my new style's popularity will soon be no more! No one will turn heads to look at the one, the only, Rarity!
She violently shook her head and steadied herself. No, no. I must remain composed. Just...speak to her normally, Rarity. Surely you can manage that.
With a polite smile, the mare snapped out of her thoughts. "Hello, Mandy." She sighed. "See, I had attempted to make up with Pinkie Pie regarding yesterday's...ahem...issue, but we got into a rather heated argument instead. Now she hates me even more!"
"Well, if I may give you some advice...perhaps you should give up on your whole...mmm, what was the word, now? 'Schtick'? Yes, give up on that whole schtick of yours."
Otto, Oprah and Peaches all saw Olive's dumbfounded expression. They all knew Mandy had a pretty good grasp on the English language, but couldn't help internally cringing at her faking obliviousness when it came to a word that certainly was in her everyday vocabulary.
Rarity took a step back and gasped. "And give up this fabulous new look? Why in the name of Celestia would I ever do that?" She squinted. "Are you trying to de-throne me?!"
In response, Mandy gave a raucous noblewoman's laugh that caught the attention of any agent that hadn't been paying attention to her show previously. "De-throne you? Why no, darling, that is certainly not my intent."
Rarity wasn't convinced. She squinted harder.
"Really now, have I ever steered you wrong?"
"Yes, actually, you have." the mare deadpanned.
Mandy cleared her throat. "Er, anyway. My point is that your look was originally created to drive away Miss Pie, correct? An...ah, what do they call it...'hoist by their own petard'?"
"Hoist by their own petard?"
"Yes, yes. It means to defeat someone using their own weapons or battle methods. In this case, you used 'Rarimena', as I so call it, against Miss Pie, whose full first name is 'Pinkamena' and whose mane and tail also go flat, to scare her away." Mandy explained. "And you also borrowed her...mmm...well, let's just say that your new style invoked some strong memories in her. Memories that she would not rather dig up."
Rarity's shock died down slightly, enough for her to fully understand what her supposed opponent was saying. Guilt began to fester inside of her, and she mindlessly toyed with her mane. "I see. I suppose I got carried away with this whole new style, but...all I wanted was for her to leave me alone as I worked!"
"There are better ways to tell someone to leave you alone than to take such dramatic measures, darling." Mandy soothed. "Simply sitting her down for a bit and talking things over with her would have likely worked out just fine!" Biting her lip, she muttered under her breath, "And saved us a good portion of time in this chapter..."
"Ooh, now I feel so guilty!" Rarity whined. "Poor Pinkie Pie...I simply cannot imagine what stress she's under right now..."
"Why don't you go talk to her?"
"I think I'll do just that." Rarity gave a grateful smile to Mandy, then perked up with a gasp. "But this style!"
"I would suggest you get rid of it. Go back to your old loose curls! Straight hair does not look good on you, darling."
Rarity nodded. "Oh, thank you, Mandy. You are truly a wonderful friend. I don't know how I can ever repay you." She cleared her throat. "But, um...I can think of one way. Let me share a good piece of news to you, from one friend to another."
Mandy blinked.
"Drop the act! You are not fooling a single person nor a single pony!"
And with that, Rarity sauntered off, down the hallway where Pinkie had rushed towards earlier.
"Darn. And I thought I really had her goin'...but at least that's all resolved!"
With Mandy's voice back to normal, everyone gave a unisonant internal sigh of relief. Olive, in particular, looked about ready to die before she was given sweet release.
"Yeah, I don't have to hear your horrific attempt at a Trans-Atlantic accent anymore." she remarked with a smirk on her face.
Mandy's eye twitched. Her mood did a complete 180 as she thrust herself at the Director. "You wanna say that to my face, Momma?!"
"Hey, hey, take it easy! You know you wouldn't stand a chance against me."
"Technology's evolving, Momma..." Mandy raised her hammer, twirling it about in the air before letting the head of it make impact with the concrete floor. "And so are my fighting skills!"
"HEY!!" Oprah shouted. "No one is fighting in my precinct!"
Olive and Mandy only gave a respective groan and scoff in response before they shared a smile.
"We're still doing a 1-on-1 someday. Mark my words."
"Positivi-rutely marked. With pleasure."
Peaches watched as the agents who had been watching everything go down return to what they were doing before. "I guess all that's left to do now is to make sure that Pinkie's cheered up and back to her usual self."
"Here's hoping that Rarity can make amends with her..." Otto remarked, trailing off as his gaze lingered on the right hallway.
A loud yawn forced its way out of Mandy, and she rubbed her head. "Oh wowee, I'm overdue for a nap! Guess I should undo all this schtuff..."
For the next few minutes, everyone watched in both amusement and pity as the hybrid began yanking on her hair ties to let her hair loose, only to find that they weren't budging so much as an inch. No one said anything or offered to help -- just watched her go at it using her hands and using her magic, to no avail.
A moment of silence as Mandy slumped over, forfeiting the war with her own accessories and looking defeated to match.
"Cuz, can you help me undo this hair?"
Peaches bit her lip as she contemplated denying Mandy help just to be a troll (not in the literal sense, of course), but ultimately went with a playful sigh and a lighthearted rolling of her eyes.
"Oh, all right. If I must."
"Thank you."
As Rarity opened the door to the Bedroom, she found Pinkie Pie curled up on her bed, her back to her. She didn't seem to be moving, and Rarity wondered if she had fallen asleep or was just moping around.
"Pinkie Pie?" she said, a tentative tone to her voice. "I truly am sorry, darling. I never meant to scare you away or anything of the sort. Honest!" She pawed at the ground. "It's just that Osiris is an agent who simply craves perfection when it comes to his outfits, and I wanted to make sure the suits were perfect for him."
Nothing happened. No noise was made.
And then, Pinkie spoke, her voice cracking on every word.
"All I did was what I was supposed to do...catching the Centigurps." She sniffled. "Is it my fault they're all so noisy?!"
"N-no, not at all! When they multiply, Centigurps can be very loud creatures."
"Not only that, but...but...even when I wasn't on a case..." Pinkie squeezed her eyes tight, remembering the horrible words Rarity had thrown at her after she had just done some simple paperwork. "...you yelled at me anyway!"
"I know. And I shouldn't have." Rarity moved closer to the bed and climbed her way up, taking a seat on the end of it. "It wasn't just the Centigurps. But Pinkie, you need to understand when someone is working and needs quiet. Like...oh!" She straightened. "You know how upset Peaches can get sometimes when someone ruins one of her naps. She gets all hissy, like Opalescence!"
Pinkie curled her body tighter.
"Now how would you feel if you were napping and someone woke you up? Or if you were baking a cake and Ms. O pulled you away at the last possible second to give you a case? That wouldn't feel good, would it?"
"I guess not..." came the mutter that Rarity could barely make out.
"We are both in the wrong, darling. I shouldn't have yelled at you like I did, and I am very sorry. But please, do try to be respectful and understand when I am in the middle of work and when I am not."
With no response after a few moments, Rarity hopped off of the bed. "I shall leave you alone to think about it, all right? I will be around, in either Odd Squad or Equestria. You can reach me with your badge phone."
She couldn't fight the worry that crept into her voice as she made her way out of the Bedroom, making sure to close the door behind her.
Slowly and involuntarily, Pinkie's eyes began to close until she was greeted by darkness.
It was only a short while before she realized she was running.
Her hooves took her across a dark and vast land, tinged with black and purple. The Centigurps that she was chasing provided a pop of color, although not by much.
"Wait, come back! Please!" she cried out, extending a hoof towards the small furry bouncing creatures to no avail.
Suddenly, an apparition of Oprah appeared in front of her, slowly beginning to circle her head as it spoke. "Agent Pinkie Pie, you need to catch those Centigurps! If you fail in your task, then you'll be kicked off the force!"
Pinkie skidded to a halt, watching as the Centigurps bounced away, chirping their merry tunes of mischief. She tried to swat the ghostly figure away, and to her surprise, she did so successfully, as it vanished in a puff of blue smoke.
Unfortunately, that was not the end of her troubles.
A bout of sinister laughter rang through the space. It felt familiar to Pinkie, but how, exactly, was something she could not place. Her head swiveled from left to right, struggling to identify its source.
"Who said that?!" she cried out, after a source did not seem to present itself.
"I did, darling." came the chilling response of Rarity, who seemed to suddenly appear in front of Pinkie as the party pony looked away for only a second. She was sitting at a red desk with a sewing machine that had a piece of blue fabric inside of it. "I am trying to work, and I cannot be disturbed! Ever!"
Pinkie tried to swallow the lump that had begun to form in her throat, feeling her legs quaking from the cold tone her friend had adopted.
"So leave me be...if you know what's good for you."
"W-w-wait, Rarity! Please!" Pinkie said. "I need your help catching the Centigurps, there are so many and-"
"Help you?" Rarity delved into a bout of evil laughter that struck Pinkie like an arrow to her heart. "Why would I help you? Your noise would only... drive them away."
Somewhere, the whine of a low string instrument played. Pinkie was too scared and too desperate to comment on it, let alone notice it.
"Rarity!"
"I need to get these ssssuits done for Osssirisss. Sssso do not disturb me!"
The unicorn mare's horn flared.
"Or else!"
A burst of magic was fired at Pinkie, who gave a yelp of surprise and quickly rolled over to the side to dodge it.
"Drat, missed. Oh well...there's always tomorrow."
Pinkie didn't bother to get up, instead folding her ears down against her body as hard as she could and squeezing her eyes shut to block out the evil laughter that once again echoed through the land.
"Pinkie!"
The party pony slowly opened an eye, only to find a seemingly-in-the-flesh Oprah standing over her with an upset look on her face.
Almost on instinct, she scrambled to her hooves. "M-Ms. O!"
"Why are there Centigurps all over the place?!"
"I-I can explain!"
The sound of cracking reached her eardrums, and she watched as the world faded away, pixel by pixel. It began to horribly glitch as a result, in a way that she had only seen in the video games that Otto played. Oprah also began to glitch out and her words became muted, although her mouth was still moving.
"W-what's going on?!" Pinkie crouched down to the ground and squeezed her eyes shut once more. "Let me out!"
It wasn't until she felt a wave of peace wash over her that she opened her eyes.
Immediately, her vision became flooded with white. It looked a lot more pleasant than the weird world she was in before, but that didn't mean she was so keen on taking it at face value.
"Pinkie."
Okay, maybe she would take it at face value a little.
"Partner? Where are you?! We have to get out of here!"
"Calm down. You're safe."
Pinkie watched as her partner materialized in front of her. A small piece of her told her that this was most likely just a hologram or some other kind of magical projection of Mandy, but she didn't care, so long as she was here. Tears began to spring to her eyes.
"Oh, thank Celestia! I'm so scared...Rarity, she- she tried to hurt-"
"Shh. Say no more."
Mandy knelt down and opened her arms, and Pinkie rushed right into them, nearly knocking the hybrid over in the process. Within the silence of light, the pair hugged for a long, long time, Pinkie crying her eyes out.
"This feels nice..." she softly remarked, once her tears had mostly stopped coming forth.
"Pinkie...you should listen to Rarity. In the real world. She's very sorry for what she's done."
The mare blinked. "You heard that?"
"I hear all and see all." came the simple response, before Mandy continued. "I had to go through quite a lot to get Rarity to realize what she was doing and cease it. I had to change my entire look, head to toe. It was a stressful time...but a rather fun one."
Pinkie only gave a soft "mmm" in response.
"She does have a point, though. You're both in the wrong. She apologized to you." Mandy smiled. "Can you find it in your heart to apologize to her? For her? For Odd Squad?"
Pinkie's eyes began to water again.
"For me?"
A few moments passed, and then she went into another crying fit, this time her sobs becoming hysterical as she buried her face into Mandy's chest.
"Shhh, it's okay. Let it all out."
The sound of her own crying echoed through the empty space, which only served to make her cry harder. She stayed like that for a good long time, embracing the warmth of her partner's love and friendship and appreciating it with everything she had.
Pinkie's eyes flew open, and she bolted upright in bed. Her head began to ache as she looked around to try and collect her bearings.
"Weird...Mandy's not here?" she asked, giving a big loud yawn as she rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes. "Where is she?"
Tumbling her way out of bed and somehow still managing to land on her hooves, she left the Bedroom and went down the halls until she arrived at the bullpen, where she saw Peaches eating a whole raw fish.
"Hey, Peaches?"
"Huh?" Peaches swallowed her bite and gave a friendly smile. "Oh, Pinkie, hi. What's going on?"
"Have you seen Mandy at all?" Pinkie asked. "I wanted to talk to her about something."
"She's asleep right now. Or she should be, anyway...but Mandy's definitely not one to miss a nap." Peaches chuckled. "Is something bothering you?"
"Oh! No, it's...it's fine. It can wait. I'll just, uh..." Pinkie's eyes darted about until she found her desk. "Do some paperwork!"
Peaches watched as the Earth pony mare hastily trotted over and grabbed a random piece of paper and a pencil, beginning to fill it out. Her head slightly tilted in confusion. "Okay, then. Have fun." she said, waving her friend off as she took another bite of fish and headed for the back of the bullpen.
Something inside of Pinkie tugged at her right then and there. Before she knew it, her hooves were taking her down the right hallway, and no matter how hard she tried to resist, she couldn't stop herself.
Eventually her hooves did stop, right at the doorstep of Mandy's room. She pressed an ear against it, not being surprised in the least when the sound of loud snoring reached her eardrums.
I knew it. So she really is sleeping. But how did she get into my dream? She tapped a hoof to her chin. Usually Mandy's not so wise in my dreams! She's the funnerific hybrid she is in the real world!
Finding the door ajar, she nudged it open just enough for her to slip inside. The room was dark, which certainly wasn't to her detriment when she could just reach inside of her hammerspace mane and pull out a flashlight. As she walked, she made sure to avoid the absolute mess of hair products that were strewn about, noting that Mandy certainly wasn't one to keep her room in such a messy state.
She began to approach the bed where Mandy was sleeping in the position of a 180-flipped L, her head on the middle pillow and her back up against the left two pillows. Biting her lip, the mare briefly contemplated saying "screw you" to her own standards and waking the hybrid up, but ultimately decided against it.
As she got closer, she felt something round and hard under her hoof, which rolled backwards and sent her careening to the ground, the flashlight falling loose from her forelock and clattering on the floor along with her.
"Whuh-huh?!" Mandy awoke with a start, blinking and yawning. "Who'zz there...?"
Oh, phooey. "U-um...it's me." Pinkie slowly got to her hooves. "I'm really sorry for waking you, partner, but I have a question!"
"If izz a long one, I don't wanna hear it..."
"Oh, it's not long!" Pinkie smiled. "What I wanted to ask is, do you have dream-walking powers? Like Princess Luna?"
"Dream-walking...?" Mandy tilted her head as her jaws opened wider to let another yawn slip out. "'Courzze I walk in my dreamzz, y' expect me to move like a walruzz?"
"No, that's not what I..." Pinkie heaved a sigh. "Never mind. Just go back to sleep. And when you wake up again, clean your room, okay? Olive's not gonna be happy if she finds it so messy."
"Mmm-hmm..." came the sleepy murmur, quickly followed by the symphonic snoring and sleep-talking continuing as soon as Mandy's head flopped the pillow once more.
As Pinkie picked up the flashlight and held it in her forelock again, she made her way through the room, being more aware of her surroundings this time around. She felt relief that Mandy didn't get too upset over being woken up -- the last thing she needed was to disturb what someone else was doing and have them get mad at her for it, let alone when that someone else was her own partner.
She closed the door as soon as she was out, letting out another sigh. The gears in her mind began turning as she walked aimlessly through the hallway.
Maybe I really did dream her up...but she looked and felt so real! She had to have been using some kind of cool alicorn magic! If only Princess Luna knew about her...or maybe...
She stopped suddenly and perked up.
"I know! I'll go and ask Twilight! She's the bestest when it comes to magic!" she declared, turning around and beginning her journey towards the Odd Squad Library, as a starting point when it came to looking for her friend.
A couple hours later, Mandy was feasting on dinner in the Breakroom, deciding to settle on some chicken nuggets. Olive sat across from her, silently reading the latest issue of The Shmumbertimes.
"Y' want one?" the hybrid asked, as she swallowed her bite of chicken.
"I think I'll pass, thanks."
As Mandy set the nugget back down onto the plate, her ears picked up the sound of approaching hoofsteps, and she swiveled her head around to find Pinkie and Rarity trotting side-by-side together and in good spirits.
"So then he starts monologuing while I'm setting up my party cannon, and then I blast him! Wha-bam!"
Rarity chuckled. "Oh, that is a wonderful story, darling. Good for you!"
Pinkie's expression brightened when she saw Mandy, and she gave a furious wave. "Hiya, partner!"
"Hi! Seems you made up with Rarity."
"I did!" Pinkie giggled. "We're gonna have such an amazingly fun time together!"
"Pinkie Pie and I thought we would do a little shopping on the town tonight." Rarity explained. "We've gotten all our work done, and we both have some free time, anyway."
"Ooh! Have fun with that." Mandy said, a twinge of jealousy to her voice as she knew she couldn't attest to the same.
"We will!" Rarity began to leave, heading for the double doors. "Now come along, Pinkie. We've got lots of shops to visit."
"Whee-hee! Let's go!"
With Rarity trotting away and Pinkie Pie bouncing giddily behind her, Mandy couldn't help but smile.
"That dream-walking definitely helped..."
Olive looked up from her newspaper. "What was that?"
"Nothing! Just, uh, t-talking to myself!" A dubious look was shot Mandy's way. "Oh, don't give me that look."
"Well, anyway..." Olive sighed. "I'm glad that Rarity and Pinkie made up in the end."
"Because you didn't want me to whip out the Trans-Atlantic accent again?"
"Your impression is horrible and you know it."
"It is superior!"
"It is inferior."
Both girls squinted at each other for a long beat before erupting into laughter.
"You gonna join them on their shopping night?"
"Would if I could..." Mandy chewed on another nugget. "But I've got a ton of work to do!"
She gestured to two tall stacks of papers that both looked about ready to topple over.
Olive gaped. "Those two entire stacks?!"
"Hey, being the second-top chiefaroo around here is a blurse. It's a real blurse." Mandy rolled her eyes. "And I lost some time with the whole Rarity and Pinkie shinangleafangle."
Olive closed the newspaper and set it down onto the table. "Hey...I have a question."
"Hm?"
"What made you decide to go the magical girl route to upstage Rarity?"
Mandy gained stars in her eyes as a whimsical expression sat on her face. "I've always wanted to be a magical girl! You can fly and do awesome magic and beat up bad guys..."
"You can already do those things."
"But I don't have the super-cool outfit to go with it! Or the super-cool hair!" Mandy complained. "Instead I'm stuck in a business suit with this blah hair!"
"You could always change it. Nothing's stopping you."
Mandy scoffed. "I like my nice poofy curls to stay as my nice poofy curls, thank you very much. I'm not changin' this hairstyle again anytime soon!" She paused. "Well, unless I wanna experiment again-"
"No!!" Olive reached out a hand. "Don't experiment. I'm gonna have nightmares about that hairstyle. Both of them. For weeks."
"All righty then, suit yourself!"
Peaches approached the duo right then, a bottle of hairspray clutched in her hand as a growl rolled about in her throat. "Mandy...you want to explain why I tripped on this in your pigsty of a room?"
Olive raised an eyebrow at the hybrid, who gave a nervous chuckle as her face became flushed with red.
"...Oopsie?"
More glares.
Mandy gave a sigh, and then got up from her seat, nabbing the bottle from Peaches' hand and marching to her room without another word.