The wind howled through empty streets like Rainbow Dash does after missing a mug of cider.
"No, that isn't it..."
"What was that, dear?"
"Uhm, nothing, sis."
Tonight was the big night. The pair had gone out to one of Rarity’s favorite cafes right after Sweetie got out of school, celebrating with an early supper. Now they were both back at Carousel Boutique, each doing their best to stay calm. Sweetie had tired of helping Rarity re-tidy the place up when there wasn't anything left to clean, so she knew was just staying out of her mane. At the moment, she was trying her best to start writing a story of her own. It was a whole lot different (and a bunch more work) than just reading a book – she couldn’t even decide on a first sentence!
"How long do you think we're going to have to wait?" she asked, once she heard Rarity stepping closer.
"I don't know, Sweetie. It's only a while until sundown, though so not too much longer.” Rarity crossed over to one of the mirrors and looked over her reflection uncertainly.
“Why sundown?” Sweetie asked, rolling onto her side, cheek pressing down against the piece of paper she couldn’t write anything clever on.
“Well this is a private order, and she did ask for our discretion. Why would she want to be seen walking down the street to us if she could simply wait until everyone’s back in their homes?”
“She’s a filly too, so she probably had to get out of school. You think it’ll be her and someone else?” Sweetie frowned. “It isn’t like I would take the train to Canterlot all my myself.”
“Exactly.”
Sweetie Spade turned the page in her notebook, looking over all the notes. On a stake-out, there wasn’t anything else to do except think. All the pieces were falling into place: the double agent, the clandestine rendezvous, the secret exchange. Now that she and Double Agent Rarity were finally on the same page, they were going to solve this mystery, and maybe even find a way to welcome her back to the Canterlot Shadow Agency, and the thanks she deserved. If she was going to solve this case she was going to need constant vigilance.
It wasn’t long after sundown before the tinkling bell at the door began to ring, startling Sweetie from her nap in the window.
“Good evening! I’ll be right there!” Rarity called from the other room, while Sweetie blinked the sleep from her eyes and looked at their guests.
A filly and a mare stood side by side in the doorway, both looking very excited. The unicorn was quite tall, her coat a brilliant white, while her tail and mane were a streaked mix of pink and sky-blue. The pegasus filly beside her was, strangely, black as ink, with a mane like sea-foam. She didn’t appear to have a cutie mark yet, either.
“Hiya!” Sweetie chirped to the two, climbing off her cushion and trotting over. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique! My sister Rarity will be out in one second!”
“Why thank you, Sweetie Belle.” The strange unicorn said with a motherly smile.
"Oh! You're welcome!" Sweetie straightened a bit, surprised: how did this unicorn know her name?
"Rarity wrote to us all about you," the unicorn continued, apparently some kind of mind-reader. She really must have been a fancy Canterlot noble - her posture was perfect, and she spoke like she was addressing a whole crowd of fillies, not just herself. It made Sweetie feel bigger and smaller all at once. “We heard that you were a big help.”
“She certainly was! Thank you so much for letting her join us, we’ve been talking about this for days!” Rarity explained as she walked in, her horn aglow. Behind her marched a dozen filly-fitted dresses which made the pegasus gasp in surprise.
“Oh, sister! Look how wonderful they are!” the filly exclaimed, bouncing on her hooves.
Sweetie Belle beamed with pride as the pair stepped out of the doorway and began to examine the ponyquins that Rarity had prepared for them. One by one, a dress neared the pair, did a slow turn, and carefully removed itself from the ponyquin, sliding neatly into one of the wheeled chests Rarity had waiting by the door.
“So you think these are acceptable, little sister?”
“Indeed!” the filly agreed, stomping a hoof in her excitement. “They will be perfect for the court.”
“For… the court?” Sweetie gasped. “You mean the royal court? At the castle?”
The unicorn smiled. “We do, my little pony. My sister is going to make her debut in court very soon, and all of the nobleponies will be there.”
“Wow…! That’s great, Rarity!” Sweetie pranced over to her sister, nuzzling her excitedly. “That’s almost like making a gown for one of the princesses!” the unicorn filly beamed at her pegasus counterpart, who laughed happily to hear that.
“Actually, I hope that with these beautiful gowns, they will think I am a princess.” The pegasus explained, cheeks aglow. “We certainly hope to act like one.”
“Are you going to see them?” Sweetie asked, feeling very excited for the filly. “The princesses?”
“Every night!” she replied with a little laugh. She sounded so happy about it that Sweetie wouldn’t think for a second she was bragging or fibbing. Instead, her eyes were wide with awe: these two really were fancy nobleponies!
“Every night? How?” she asked.
The pegasus’ eyes shone. “Do you not know? Perhaps word has not yet reached Ponyville.” she looked back at her side, hesitated, and then her ears flattened against her head. “Ah- sister? Do you have one of the - er - ‘flyers’?” she asked, pronouncing the last word like she was unfamilar with it.
“Indeed I do.” the unicorn’s elegant little saddlebag popped open, and out came a scroll bound with a beautiful length of indigo ribbon. “Have you found a new guest to invite, little sister?”
The pegasus nodded excitedly. “Yes, very much! Do you think it will be improper?”
The unicorn shook her head, still sharing that calm, warm smile with the room. “I think it is a wonderful idea. I want you to have as many friends to give you support as you can.”
“I read the Canterlot Herald, but I’ve not heard a word of this yet.” Rarity admitted as Sweetie pulled the ribbon off of the scroll with her teeth and unfurled it for the pair to read. It wa a beautiful sketch of Canterlot at night, lit from above by a cascade of shooting stars and the light of a full moon. A sample of brilliant (if dated) calligraphy had been faithfully reproduced by the magic of unicorn scribes to advertise beneath: The Return of the Night Court, and in far more legible print beneath that, a brief description.
“Princess Luna, Warden of the Moon and Protector of Dreams, wishes to revive the ancient Equestrian tradition of Night Court,” Sweetie read aloud. “A judgement-free place for all citizens of Equestria to network and seek each other out to help share solutions and solve problems. To celebrate the court’s re-opening, all are invited to attend a grand celebration to mark its rededication in the Western Pavillion!”
“I see! So you’re going to go in front of all those ponies for the first time at the Princess’ Night Court?” Rarity asked the pegasus filly.
“I am! I do not think I will fit in with all of the nobles in the Day Court, but perhaps other ponies will feel more welcome to come, and to ask for help, at the Night.”
Sweetie clapped her hooves together. “That’s really generous of you! Wanting to help regular ponies even though you are - I mean - all fancy, and stuff, yourself.” she explained, stumbling a bit as she strove to keep hoof out of mouth.
“Well... I hope I can help them, at least.” The pegasus admitted, wings fluttering anxiously. She smiled in a way that Sweetie could only describe as humble, and the little filly nodded, determined.
“Of course you can! And if there’s anything I can do to help, you can count on me!”
“Truly? Then! Then you shall be my guests of honor, the both of you!” she declared with a firm nod.
“Oh! Can we Rarity?”
“Well of course, Sweetie. How could we turn down such a generous invitation?” Rarity smiled down at her sister and nuzzled the grateful little unicorn. “...of course, it would only be polite if we knew of whom we were accepting an invitation from...” she added, smiling at the pegasus.
“Hey! You’re right!” Sweetie gasped, looking back a their visitor. “I still don’t even know your name! After I spent all that time trying to figure out who the noblefilly ordering a dozen dresses was!”
The pegasus stared at the two unicorns with a blank look, momentarily stumped. She glanced back over her shoulder at her sister, who, still smiling, was quietly manuvering trunks newly-filled with fine dresses out the front door. “Well, are.... Are you sure you want me to ruin it?” she finally asked.
“Ruin what?” Sweetie asked.
“Your mystery! It would be unfair of me to spoil your game now, wouldn’t it? I would much rather play it with you!” The pegasus’ eagerness came back at full force, her little voice actually quite loud when she put her mind to it. “Yes! You have yet to learn just who I am. For now, you only know me as- Er...” the filly paused, and blinked. “…uhm-“ she glanced back behind her, from her cutie mark, to her wings, and back to Sweetie Belle. “Ah… Dark Feather!”
“Dark... Feather?” Sweetie made a face. “Did you just make that up?”
“Nonsense!” the fiilly laughed. “You have until the Night Court to discover my identity, Sweetie Belle! The fun shall be doubled, as both of us shall play a game together: We shall write to each other, and you shall ask questions, and I will give hints, and perhaps you will prove yourself to be a great detective after all!”
“I—but—” Sweetie’s forehead crinkled so much that she wasn’t sure if her horn would start to spark. She’d finally gotten to meet this mystery-filly, and what did she do? She was giving her another mystery? Why was life so ironic?!
“Oh dear, she’s turning red! You shouldn’t tease other ponies like that, sister.” The pegasus’ older sibling chided, still smiling.
“Oh, it is just a little fun!” The pegasus trotted back towards her sister, tail swishing victoriously. “We will have a new pen pal, besides!”
Rarity patted her sister on the back, but the little filly was quiet for a moment, looking at the noble pegasus’ hooves.
Sweetie Belle slowly lifted her head, sizing up the Pegasus Crime Queen, the Dark Feather, with her steely gaze. The gauntlet had been thrown down, and now she had no choice but to pick it up. If she couldn’t solve this mystery, how could she ever face her friends again?
The little unicorn nodded, filled with determination. “Well… fine! I’ll figure out who you are, and you’ll tell me when I get it right.” She stuck out her hoof. “Deal?”
“Huzzah!” the strange noblefilly cheered, smiling excitedly at Sweetie Belle. All at once, the little unicorn had to smile back – she really did seem so happy to have someone agree to play along with her. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad – and like she’d said, now she had a new pen pal, too! “It is a deal!” the blue pony agreed, meeting her hoof with a firm bump.
“Well I am glad that our little visit has sparked a new relationship, but I think the two of us have to be getting back home.” The older of the sisters said, her horn igniting brilliantly. “I’m going to have to be up with the sun, after all.” She said, winking playfully at Rarity as she did so.
“Oh! Of course..!” The fashionista agreed, smoothly. “Why don’t I help you with your things, then? It is getting rather late, Sweetie, and I know you’ll want to stay up and read a little, so why don’t you go get ready for bed, and I’ll be up to check on you once I get our guests settled?”
“Uhm… fine! Yeah, I’ll just… do some research! Shadow Spade will inspire me to figure out your mystery, whoever you are!”
The pegasus looked back over her shoulder, nodding eagerly. “It will be a glorious contest!” she proclaimed with a stomp of her hooves. “Farewell, Sweetie Belle!” And quickly scampered out the door after her sister, leaving Sweetie alone in the boutique.
“Huh. Dark Feather, huh..?” Sweetie sighed, then turned and headed up the stairs. Maybe she could finally finish The Moscolt Connection tonight. And tomorrow she’d figure out who the heck Dark Feather really was: Sweetie Spade was on the case!