• Published 1st Aug 2020
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Ponyville Noire: Misty Streets of Equestria - PonyJosiah13



Scarred from their final encounter with Zugzwang, Phillip Finder and Daring Do struggle to make peace with the past while balancing a slew of new mysteries that will take them beyond Ponyville.

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Case Fifteen, Chapter Five: Spotlight

The sunlight filtered through the mist that hung stubbornly over the asphalt. Despite the hour, the neon lights on the Heavenly Bawdy were lit, the ghostly orange mirage of the blimp before the false sun luring visitors and hopeful auditioners into the den.

Daring sat on a low-hanging cloud, frowning at her target beneath her as she puffed on a cigarette. She reached up and scratched at the silver teardrop earring that was now clipped to her left ear. She could feel a static-like buzz of Twilight’s magic emanating from the accessory when she touched it, the energy of the glamour spell that had turned her mane and tail from a greyscale rainbow to a solid silvery blonde with blue highlights, transformed her eyes into a shade of bloodstone red, dyed her coat a darker shade of yellow-orange, and hid the brand on her right hoof.

Then she glanced down at her clothes and her scowl deepened. Her cargo shirt and pith helmet were concealed inside the cloud beneath her, covered by a thin layer of cloud so that it wouldn’t fall through: a pegasi trick that she’d learned in the Family. Instead of her normal attire, she was wearing a sapphire saddle and four blue and white striped stockings. The ones that were on her hind legs were strapped to the saddle, hitched up high enough to cover most of her cutie mark: she’d covered up the rest with some makeup just to make sure. Hopefully, no one would recognize her.

She shifted to adjust for the costume’s unfamiliar embrace. She had to admit, for a rush job made from some leftover dance costumes for the Bawdy that had been lying around the Boutique, Rarity had done an excellent job of making the costume fit her well...and judging by the way Phillip’s ears had turned a deep shade of scarlet when he saw her in the finished ensemble, it did look nice on her. As Rarity had promised, it “hugs your curves in just the right way, accentuates all of the right angles to make stallions and mares alike admire that athletic body of yours. You’ll have ponies eating out of your hoof, darling!”

Daring hadn’t bothered telling Rarity that the point was to not attract too much attention. And while the thing did keep her warm and disguised, she still felt naked without her pith helmet and shoulder holster. All she had to rely on right now was the cache in her rear and her wits.

Hearing voices below, she looked down and noticed a couple of young mares wearing colorful panties and stockings, their coats brushed and manes adorned with highlights and beads, chattering to one another in high, nervous chirps as they exited the sidewalk and headed for the door. One of them passed a flyer detailing the Bawdy’s auditions to the other, smiling in forced confidence and assurance.

Daring sucked in a long breath of minty smoke and let it out in a long sigh, releasing some of the tension in her shoulders along with the cloud of smoke that petered out to join the rest of the clouds. “The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can get out of this ridiculous costume,” she muttered, dousing the cigarette in the cloud and flicking it away and patting the stocking on her front left leg, checking to ensure that the warrant was still tucked inside the cloth.

She spread her wings and glided down to the ground. As she reached the asphalt, the totem of Awely-Awely bounced against her chest. She knew it was silly, but the cool carved wood against her chest felt oddly comforting, just like it had felt in a dream of dark temples buried in hot sands. And maybe it would be another distraction from her face.

She landed on the asphalt and trotted towards the beckoning neon light. As she passed through the mist, she spotted a familiar rust-colored Diplomat 600 sitting in the parking lot. One more distraction to keep anypony from noticing her.

Inside the Bawdy, the warmth of the interior dispelled the tendrils of cloud outside. She flashed a smile to the attendant and passed him some bits for the cover fee.

“Here for auditions?” the stallion asked, his eyes roving hungrily up and down her body, ignoring her face.

“Yeah,” Daring chirped, feigning a little nervous giggle as she headed for the entrance, following the sound of music.

“Good luck!” he called after her, eyes hovering on her flanks right up until the door closed behind her.

Daring looked around the Bawdy, taking in her surroundings. There was a larger crowd of ponies here today, most of them crowded around the stage, cheering and applauding as Petina danced with two auditioning unicorns to the familiar beat of Crooning Diamond’s Doctor Wanna Do. The two mares twirled and pranced with the fluidity of long practice, shaking their flanks and tails for the crowd to admire; Petina was following their routine with relaxed confidence, her gaze on the auditioners as they performed. Dricka was back at the bar, grinning as he served drinks to thirsty customers.

As Daring watched, the door to the kitchen opened and another staff pony in a suit exited, frowning over his shoulder at the figure in the doorway. Red Herring only gave Daring a cursory glance before beckoning over a costumed hippogriff that was anxiously hovering near the door.

Daring didn’t even look twice at him. Instead, she focused on her target, the door to the backstage next to the stage. A female unicorn bouncer was manning the door with a clipboard.

“Morning,” the bouncer greeted Daring as she approached. “I’m guessing you’re here for auditions?”

“Yup!” Daring chirped.

“Name?” the bouncer asked.

“Shining Shuffle,” Daring said.

The bouncer scribbled down her name on the clipboard, then opened up the door for her. “Follow the signs to the dressing rooms and wait for Petina to call you up. Good luck!”

“Thanks,” Daring smiled at her, heading inside the stark white hallways of the Bawdy’s backstage. A paper with a red arrow was taped to the wall, pointing auditioners to the dressing rooms.

Daring followed the sign towards the voices into the dressing room to find that it was occupied by almost a dozen mares, all of them in costumes and gathered in little clusters of groups, chattering nervously to one another, performing stretches, or practicing short routines. A pair of bouncers were leaning against the walls, faces impassive as they kept watch over the newcomers.

Daring looked around the room, taking in the rows of mirror tables, low couches with fluffy cushions, and the racks of lockers in the back wall, slightly hidden from view by some black curtains. A glance up confirmed that a pair of security crystals were set in opposite corners of the room, staring down at the dancers. She breathed deep, inhaling the scent of jasmine and lavender perfume that hung around the room, masked by sweat, makeup, and a tense nervousness that she felt as a hot, heavy pressure like an oncoming storm front.

She wandered into a corner and started doing some stretches and light warmup exercises, subtly looking about beneath her mane. Most of the other dancers were paying her no heed and the security guards were relaxed, leaning against the wall and allowing their gazes to wander out of boredom. Now would be her chance to look around.

The police had already checked Quick Step’s locker and found nothing. But if Gold Signature had come here to hide his papers and proof, where had he hidden them? In another dancer’s locker? If so, why hadn’t somepony found it and come forward?

Unless it was found by somepony who was working with Eagle Trust…

She opened up a pocket in her saddle and pulled out a small blue notebook, scribbling a note in it with a blue pen:

I’m in. You got anything?

Her writing faded after a moment, then new writing in Phillip’s familiar quick scratches appeared as the notebook grew warm in her grasp.

No. Security crystal didn’t help: couldn’t find Gold on there. Look around quick, but be careful.

Swallowing back a curse, Daring put back the enchanted notebook, having at least assured herself that Twilight’s charm worked. Wonder if Sparks helped her with that…

A familiar voice made Daring’s ears perk up as her body froze. No way. She couldn’t be here.

And yet, when she looked up, her eyes confirmed her suspicion and elicited a low groan. A creamy kirin with autumnal orange hair wearing light green and white striped stockings and a red ribbon around her body like she’d gift wrapped herself was chatting with a couple of unicorns who were studying her with skeptical expressions.

“Great,” Daring grumbled to herself, lowering her head.

Autumn looked up and spotted Daring, bouncing over with a grin. “Hi! I’m Autumn Blaze!” she said with a giggle, leaning in close to Daring’s ear. “So you had the same idea I did!” she whispered.

“What?” Daring said out loud. “I’m not--”

Autumn just grinned at her. “Nice glamour, but it doesn’t hide your build, or your body language, Daring. I’ve seen quite a few disguises in my time,” she whispered with a giggle.

“You’re going to get us both in trouble,” Daring hissed, stretching out her wings. “Just stay out of my way.”

“I figured that Gold might’ve hidden his notes at the Bawdy,” Autumn continued unabated, trotting in place as if warming up her limbs and tilting her head from side to side to loosen up her neck. “I mean, I already checked everywhere else he might’ve gone, the bar where we met up, the restaurants he frequented. And when I figured out that Quick’s backstage key was missing from her apartment, I thought I’d look around--”

“How did you--?” Daring interrupted, unable to stop herself from snapping her head up to stare at the kirin. “Did you sneak into Quick’s apartment?” she hissed.

“I asked the superintendent to let me in last night,” Autumn replied. “I told him I was a friend of Gold’s and I was looking for something he left behind, something that might help the police. Technically not a lie!”

“You could go to jail for that!” Daring hissed at her.

“Oh, and you’re going to tell me that everything that you and Phil have done is legal?” Autumn smirked, raising an eyebrow.

Daring fumed silently at Autumn for a few seconds, then sighed and relaxed, shooting a small, reassuring smile at a security guard that was frowning quizzically at them. “Okay, touche. But you’re still putting yourself in a lot of danger.”

“It’s worth it,” Autumn replied quietly, grim determination etched into her face. “Eagle Trust has ruined enough ponies’ lives. Quick Step has to be the last one. I’ll make sure of it.”

Daring admired Autumn for a moment, then let out a soft sigh. “I can understand that,” she admitted. “Just...you gotta be more careful. You’re gonna get yourself killed if you’re not careful.”

Autumn let out a soft, nervous chuckle as her eyes darted around the room. “That’s what you’re here for,” she quipped. “So, any idea on where Gold might’ve hidden his stuff?”

“We’re looking for papers or something,” Daring hypothesized. “I was thinking he hid it in one of the lockers, since that key would’ve let him in there, but now I’m not sure.”

“Bad place to put ‘em if you didn’t want ‘em to be found, or if you wanted to get to ‘em again quickly,” Autumn pointed out. “Plus, he came in here with a suit and tie, right? It’s what I’d wear if I was a dude and wanted to blend in here: I don’t think Gold would look good in a saddle!”

Daring tried to picture the stallion in the missing photograph that she’d seen--a unicorn with a coat as white as paper, severe green eyes and a stern brown manecut--wearing a colorful jeweled saddle and stockings. The mental image caused her to burst into a fit of giggles, which sent Autumn into a laughing fit herself.

Daring quickly recovered herself when she realized that most of the other dancers were staring at them. “Sorry,” she said, clearing her throat and elbowing Autumn to try to get her back under control. “Just nerves.”

She leaned in back close to Autumn. “Okay, point. But where would he…?”

She blinked in realization. “The security guard’s break room?”

“Possibly,” Autumn shrugged. “But how are we gonna get in there?”

Daring looked over the kirin’s body, noting the mare’s lean, fit form, her cream-colored coat and full, fluffy, brightly-colored mane. “What?” Autumn asked.

“I think we can come up with a distraction,” Daring smirked. “C’mon.”

She led Autumn out of the room, making a “need a smoke” gesture at one of the bouncers, who nodded in understanding. The two mares exited out into the hallway and started to trot down towards the end of the hall.

As they approached the door marked “Security,” the backstage door opened and two mares reentered the building. Daring recognized one of them and casually leaned against the wall, shuffling her hoof to imitate nervousness. Autumn paused as well, tilting her head against Daring’s as if they were having a private conversation.

“I know they’re doing their best to find Quick’s killer,” Honey Melody sighed, running a hoof through her brown and green mane. “But why did they have to do this on audition day? Like we haven’t got enough to think about!”

“I know,” the blue hippogriff that had been dancing with her the previous day sighed, shaking out her silver mane so that the golden highlights caught the light. “But I guess they’re trying to move things along.”

“I just can’t imagine any of us killing her,” Honey said. “Not even over that stupid headliner thing.”

“Maybe you need another night to chill out,” the hippogriff said. “How about tomorrow night, I come over and cook again? I just learned this new dish with salmon at culinary school that I’ve been dying to try out!”

“Sounds great,” Honey smiled, draping a wing around the other mare and kissing her cheek as they passed by Daring and Autumn, not even giving them a second glance.

Daring glanced back at the other mares, then nodded to Autumn, gesturing her head to the door. Autumn nodded with an excited grin and gently pushed open the door.

The bouncers’ break room was a small but tidy affair, with a set of lockers all along one wall, rows of comfortable chairs, a couple of well-stocked vending machines, and a large table in the center littered with magazines and cheap paperbacks. Currently, there was only one bouncer in the room, a young blonde earth pony stallion that was sitting back on one sofa, scanning a well-used gun magazine. He looked up with a start when the two mares entered.

“Huh? Um, you’re not supposed to be in here…” he mumbled uncertainly, lowering his magazine but not rising from his seat.

“Oh, sorry!” Autumn chirped. “My friend and I were just looking for the restrooms and got a little lost.” She smiled bashfully and sauntered over to the bouncer, flicking her tail from side to side. “We’re not in trouble, are we?” she asked, lowering her head and batting her eyelashes at the bouncer.

The young stallion blinked and swallowed nervously, his eyes traveling up and down her costumed body. “Um,” he mumbled.

Autumn giggled and approached him, her expression not unlike a mare who found a delicious piece of candy that she’d been craving. “You’re kinda cute,” she purred, running a furry hoof up and down the bouncer’s chest. “Been working here long?”

“No, actually, I...just started a few weeks ago…” the bouncer admitted, a goofy grin spreading across his face.

While Autumn kept the bouncer distracted, Daring walked into the room, her movements slow and unobtrusive as she started to search the room. Keep your feathers crossed, folks, she thought, considering the trash can and the kitchenette table, looking over the vending machines, considering where she would go to hide a set of documents.

Come on, Daring, she thought to herself as she walked past the kitchenette countertop. You’ve found hidden treasures in mansions, sunken ships, caves, and underground temples. This should be easy. Her eyes fell on a plate of brownies that somepony had brought in to share and she snatched one, gulping down the savory chocolate with a smile. Easiest treasure hunt ever. Okay, back to work.

Daring dismissed the trash can and the cabinets as unlikely hiding places. She paused in front of the sink and bent down, pretending to adjust her stockings as she scanned the floor. In her experience, the best places to hide something in plain sight were either very high or very low.

She cracked open the door and quickly scanned the area beneath the sink, finding nothing but some cleaning supplies and paper towels. But as she closed the door, something caught her eye: a piece of loose string that was poking out from beneath the coffee vending machine, like the head of a curious snake peeping out of its den.

Any loose thread was worth pulling: in this case, quite literally. Daring glanced over to find that the young bouncer was now petting the emerald scales on Autumn’s back with a slow, hypnotic rhythm while Autumn cooed appreciatively and gave Daring a quick wink. Daring nodded back and quickly walked over to the vending machine, bending down and pulling at the string.

Something relatively heavy was on the other end, being dragged along the floor. When Daring pulled it out, a grin lit up her face.

A manila folder, almost an inch thick, papers practically spilling out of the edges, stared back at her. The thin white cord was tied to the folder’s clasp.

Daring slid the folder back underneath the machine, then snatched up her notebook and scribbled out a quick message:

Found it! It's under the vending machines in the bouncer's break room.

A moment later, Phil's reply appeared:

Got it. We'll get it in a moment when we go back to question somepony else.

Rising, Daring headed for the door, nodding to Autumn to follow her. “You’re cute, but we’ve got to get going,” Autumn giggled, booping the young bouncer. “Maybe I’ll save a dance for you later.”

The blushing stallion nodded slowly, letting out a half-formed affirmation through a wide smile. Autumn winked at him and turned to follow Daring.

“Hey! What are you two doing back here?!”

Both mares froze, staring up at the speaker that had just rounded the corner. The tall coal-black unicorn with the cutie mark of a padlock made of stone was built like she’d been carved from a mountainside, her two-toned silver and brown mane and tail cut in a short, no-nonsense style. She wore the same suit and tie as the rest of the bouncers, every crease so sharp it could’ve sliced fruit. Her granite-colored eyes blazed with cold suspicion as she glared at Daring and Autumn.

“Oh, we were just looking around,” Daring said quickly, feigning a nervous grin up at the bouncer. “My friend here met that guy and thought he was kinda cute, so--”

The mare bouncer glared at the young stallion, who looked like he wanted to sink through the floor, then glared back at Daring. “You’re here for auditions, and yet you sneak into the break room. And don’t tell me you were looking for the bathroom or something, because there’s one in the dancer’s break room. What were you doing?”

“Just looking around, like I said,” Daring said, holding her ground as her options flashed through her mind.

“Doing more than that,” Autumn said with a giggle, wiggling her flank at the younger bouncer, who turned as red as a tomato.

“Hey,” the dark mare squinted. “You’re that reporter that was asking questions around here a few days ago.”

“Uh...yeah, but...I just like to dance, you know?” Autumn said, standing up and doing an expert pirouette, ending with a toss of her mane and a winning smile, shaking her shoulder at the bouncer. “Journalism doesn’t always pay the bills, so I thought I could get a job here! If you love something, why not get paid for it? So my friend and I were just checking around back here and I thought I’d get to know some of the guys here--”

“Likely story,” the mare huffed. "Like you'd waste your time auditioning. No way we'd hire a freak like you."

Autumn flinched, then lowered her head, her ears folding back and her lower lip trembling. Indignation flared up in Daring's gut, and she growled at the bouncer. "You--"

"Shut it," the taller mare snapped at her. “You two are going--”

“Stone Lock, ease off, it’s all right,” a familiar Neigh Orleans-accented voice declared. Petina approached, wiping sweat from her mane and giving Daring and Autumn a quick glance.

“Boss, these two were sneaking around backstage,” Stone protested, gesturing angrily at them. “This happens soon after Quick Step gets murdered? It’s not a coincidence. We’ll let those cops that are here sort them out.”

Behind Stone’s back, Daring nodded rapidly. Petina glanced at her, then looked back at Stone Lock. “Stone, it’s fine. They’re not spies or with the mob or anything. I’ll vouch for them. And I'll ask you to be polite to our auditioners,” she added in a colder tone, giving Stone a piercing stare.

Stone Lock stared at Petina for a few moments, then huffed and stalked off. Petina waited until she was out of earshot before turning back to Daring.

“You’d better have a warrant,” she hissed, beckoning for them to follow her back down the hall.

Daring reached into her stocking and pulled out the small sheaf of papers with Judge Gavel’s signature and shoved it at Petina. “How does everypony keep recognizing me?” she muttered to herself, flicking irritably at the earring.

“It’s a good glamour, but I’ve seen better,” Petina commented as she studied the warrant before nodding and handing it back. “Honestly, I first recognized your friend.” She gave Autumn a wink, her gaze panning up and down her body. “Nice costume.”

“It’s one I keep on standby for occasions like this,” Autumn giggled, twirling around to show it off.

Petina gave the kirin another appraising look before turning back to Daring, her expression serious. “You wouldn’t be snooping around here for no reason. What’s going on?”

Daring shook her head severely. “That’s not your business. But it is related to Quick’s death.”

Petina frowned at her for a moment, then sighed. “Well, whatever you’re looking for, I hope you find it.”

A sharp whistle sounded from down the hall. “Boss, two minutes!” a male voice called.

“Shit,” Petina hissed, grabbing Autumn and Daring’s forelegs in her magic and tugging them along with her as she hurried down the hall. “We’re coming!”

“Wa-wait!” Daring protested, trying to stop herself only to have Autumn start pulling her along as well. “I didn’t--”

“You came in here pretending to be an auditioner. What did you expect?” Petina smirked at her. “Besides, it’s good for your cover.”

“Oh, come on, it’ll be fun!” Autumn giggled. “You know how to cut a rug, don’t you?”

“Well, yes. But not in front of others!” Daring protested.

“Do you both know Tape Five?” Petina asked.

“Yup! I love their albums!” Autumn nodded. Daring nodded curtly, accepting her fate as she was positioned behind a set of red curtains

“Good.” Petina patted Daring’s cheek. “Just relax and follow along with me. This is an easier piece, so you should be able to keep up.”

Daring seethed at her, then glared at Autumn. “Hey, don’t blame me,” Autumn said, raising her hooves.

“I blame you,” Daring hissed through her teeth.

“Smile, you two!” Petina hissed as the music started playing from a record system, a chiming piano melody that was joined by a brass set. Daring’s ears perked up in recognition: Bad Colt, Good Stallion.

For a moment, she was eighteen years old again, standing in a basement decorated with crates of equipment and trophies ranging from a gold-plated pistol nicked from a drug dealer’s safe to a mold-eaten cask containing silver coins retrieved from a sunken ship at the bottom of Horseshoe Bay. An old, tinny record player croaked out swing music, the saxophone and piano melodies mixing with the laughter of two mares as they practiced.

“No, no, okay,” Sparks giggled, her emerald irides sparkling as she practiced, the floorboards creaking beneath her steps. “It’s like this, one, two, shuffle, three!”

“One, two, shuffle, three,” Daring repeated, mimicking the motion.

“There, you’re a natural!” Sparks grinned. “Okay, let’s go through the whole song again…”

Reality reasserted its presence when the curtains parted and the crowd cheered. The mask of a smile slid easily onto Daring’s face and she struck a pose alongside Petina and Autumn, drawing further cheers. The trio strode out onto the main stage, taking positions at the three poles.

Petina whirled into the music with controlled enthusiasm, nodding her head and shaking her shoulders and flanks as she spun around the pole. Daring was just a step behind, mimicking her movements while Autumn grabbed the pole and lifted herself up, shooting the crowd glowing smiles as she flicked her tail.

As Daring twirled around, her gaze panning over the entirety of the Heavenly Bawdy’s clientele, she caught sight of some familiar faces near the back of the room and her smile turned into a brief grimace. Flash Sentry was staring, mouth agape in disbelief. Phillip, standing near the doors to the backstage, had lowered his face onto one hoof, while Red Herring looked like he couldn’t decide whether to laugh or roll his eyes.

Phillip looked up as Daring followed Petina down the runway, exasperation in his gray eyes, and Daring gave him a helpless grimace. Rearing up on her hind legs, Petina leaned against one of the poles, expertly posing against it. Daring lifted herself up onto another pole as Autumn joined them, wiggling her body so that the light caught the scales on her back to form a kaleidoscopic display of color.

“I’m a bad colt and I need to dance!” the record declared and all three ladies shook their flanks and shoulders in time to the beat, bobbing up and down on their knees. One beat behind Petina and Autumn, Daring casually leaned up against her polished gold pole, lowering her head and shaking her shoulders so that her mane fell down over her eyes. She puffed it out of her face with a sharp exhalation.

As her gaze panned over the crowd, Daring saw him, leaning against the back wall near the bar. A dark green unicorn with a silvery-blue mane, three-foot six, his green eyes lidded as he sipped from the bourbon he held in his left hoof. As Daring watched, he shifted the dark blue trench coat he wore, almost as if he was adjusting for some weight he was hiding beneath his clothes.

Doing a quick cross-step to keep up with Petina, Daring made eye contact with Phil and tapped her head next to her eye twice.

Phillip’s face darkened and he quickly glanced around, hiding the examination by pretending to cough. Spotting the stallion out of the corner of his eye, he scratched his nose in affirmation. Breathing out a sigh, Daring fixed the mask back onto her face and shook her flank in time to the chorus.

Phillip glanced over at his target. The unicorn in the trenchcoat didn’t seem to notice him, sipping languidly from his shot glass. With a frown, Phillip turned and headed back through the swinging doors into the pantry. “Are you sure she knows what she’s doing?” Flash whispered to him, his wing twitching as he fought the urge to bring it up to his mouth.

“Just keep an eye on that wanker. But don’t make it obvious,” Phillip hissed, proceeding past the racks of cheeses and vegetables. Red was standing in the back, questioning Honey Melody.

“Look, I told you already,” the mare huffed, leaning against a stack of soup can crates. “The night before Quick…” She swallowed and shuffled her hooves. “Died...I was at my apartment with my marefriend, Pearl Lake, having a home dinner and a lie-in. I woke up around nine in the morning--Lake was already gone--got myself squared away, and took the bus into work. I didn’t see anything suspicious.”

“Hmm,” Red muttered, glancing at his notepad.

“And before you ask, yes, I was upset that she got picked to be the headliner over me, but that’s not a reason to kill her!” Honey snapped. “That’s all I’ve got to say. Can I go now?”

“Sure,” Red nodded. “Just don’t skip town.”

Honey huffed and stomped out, giving Phillip a brief glare and a disdainful flick of her tail as she passed him.

“What do you think, Phil?” Red asked, snapping his notebook shut.

“I think we still need to figure out where our poisoner got the poison,” Phillip muttered.

“Well, once Twilight figures out how many markets carry that...poison fish thing, we can get to work on that,” Red replied. “Now, what do we do about the guy out there? Think we should grab him now?”

“We grab the minnow, the big salmon could get away,” Phillip replied. “Let’s just keep an eye on him, see where he leads us.”

“Got it,” Red nodded. “Bet Trace can--”

He froze for a moment, his face twisting in pain, and a scream echoed in Phillip’s ears as a vice gripped his chest. It took a moment for both stallions to recover, pulling themselves back to reality with slow breaths.

“It’d be easier if we had a unicorn,” Red grunted, lowering his head under the pretense of rechecking his notebook.

An explosion of applause announced that the song was over. Red and Phillip exited back onto the main lobby to see Autumn, Daring, and Petina posing on the rear stage, accepting the laudations of the crowd before bowing and heading backstage as the curtain dropped. Flash’s eyes were directed towards the stage, but his head was cocked so that he could watch the unicorn in the trench coat out of the corner of his eye. Their target continued to lean against the wall, stirring his drink in a bored manner as his emerald orbs panned over the room.

“What’s the play?” Flash whispered.

“Keep watching the other wanker,” Phillip said, heading to the backstage door, entering with the spare key that he’d borrowed.

When he entered the backstage area, he found three sweaty mares, two of them grinning from ear to ear. “Woo! I haven’t had that much fun in ages!” Autumn whooped, rearing up onto her hind legs and kicking her forelegs in the air.

“You are magnificent!” an enraptured Petina cried, giving Autumn a brief but glowing hug. “I have got to have you!” She gave Daring a sideways glance. “You...need some practice,” she said through a slightly forced grin.

Daring stuck her tongue out at Petina, then spotted Phil. “Oh, thank Faust,” she sighed, hurrying over to him. “Can I get out of this now?”

“Soon,” Phillip said, giving Petina a meaningful look. Her face fell into a serious countenance and she exited with a nod and a whisper of “good luck.” Phillip waited until she was out of sight, then gestured the two mares into a small alcove. “What are you doing here?” he hissed at Autumn Blaze, glaring at the kirin, who was still smiling happily up at him.

"Causing problems," Daring grunted.

"Hey, I helped!" Autumn protested.

"You're putting yourself in danger," Daring replied. "Was having a gun pointed at you not warning enough?"

Autumn opened her mouth to protest, paused, then sighed. "I just wanted to help..." she mumbled, shuffling her hooves.

Daring sighed and mopped her face. "I get it," she said. "I do. I know you want justice for Quick Step and for the ponies that these bastards have hurt. But in the future, leave it to the professionals."

Autumn nodded. "I get it."

"Right now, we need to get you two out of here safely," Phillip cut in. "There's a wanker outside waiting for us."

Autumn’s golden eyes widened in excitement. “Ooh, what’s the plan?” she asked eagerly. “Are we gonna don disguises and sneak out right beneath his nose? Pull him into a trap?”

“He’ll have recognized me. And I’m willing to bet that he brought friends,” Phillip mused. "Wait here."

He vanished down the hall, then returned a few moments later, drawing a manila folder from beneath his vest and handing it to Daring. “Daring, take this. Your job is to get her somewhere safe.”

“What about you?” Daring asked, a flicker of worry in her red irides as she tucked the binder beneath a wing.

“I’ll lead him away,” Phillip said grimly. “I…” His hoof shook a bit and he had to take a breath, clearing away the pressure on his chest. “I’ll have Red and Flash backing me up. I’ll be fine.”

Daring’s face twisted as she tried to form a protest, but she finally sighed and nodded. “Got it. We’ll head out the back. I’ll grab the rest of my gear from the cloud outside and take her to the precinct.”

“Aces. Stay safe,” Phillip said, giving Daring a brief kiss on the lips. She broke away all too quickly, then grabbed Autumn and tugged her down the hallway.

Phillip watched them go, then turned and headed back to the door that led onto the lobby. He pushed open the door, looked around, and his stomach dropped.

Red, Flash, and the unicorn in the trench coat were gone.


“What do you think they’re doing back there?” Flash asked Red, keeping his eyes on the closed door labeled Employees Only.

“I learned long ago there’s no point worrying about those two,” Red muttered, shaking his head. “Just focus on the job, kid.”

Flash frowned, allowing his eyes to slowly roam around the room. He spotted a couple of bouncers in suits wandering amidst the crowd, the chatter having quieted a bit while the patrons waited for the next show. One bouncer, a blue griffon, gave the detectives a brief nod as he passed them.

The other, a white unicorn with a blonde mane and beard, kept his gaze on the stage. Flash studied this pony closer, something nagging at the back of his mind. The unicorn was wearing a dark blue suit and red tie, all of it closely fitting his form. His cutie mark was a horseshoe with wings, his mane and beard well-trimmed.

But when Flash looked closer, he noticed some traces of brown in his hair. He spotted sweat gleaming on the pony’s head. And when the bouncer passed beneath a light, his cutie mark gleamed oddly, unnaturally.

Flash nudged Red. “I think that’s Gold Signature,” he whispered, nodding to the bouncer.

“You sure?” Red hissed back.

“His mane is dyed, and he’s covered up his cutie marks with makeup,” Flash replied. “I’m sure of it.”

“Okay, let’s see if we can escort him out of here safely,” Red replied. “If you--”

The blonde unicorn suddenly looked up. His eyes, a brilliant amber, met Flash’s, and he froze like a mouse that had just spotted a cat. His gaze then panned over to the cold green irides of the watcher, who met them coolly.

“Shit,” the blonde unicorn breathed, then sprinted for the entrance. Surprised patrons whipped their heads about to follow his progress as he dove out the doors.

“Dammit,” Red grunted, sprinting after their target. Flash hesitated for a moment, looking at the spy still sipping his drink, then ran after Red.

Both pegasi burst out into the fog to find Gold Signature leaping onto a blue motorcycle parked in the lot. “Gold, stop!” Red called.

Gold merely gave them a brief, desperate glance before bringing the motorcycle to life with a roar and speeding off, leaving a cloud that smelled of exhaust and burnt rubber in his wake. He jumped the sidewalk and swerved onto the road amidst the blaring of horns.

"Damn!" Red shouted, diving into the driving seat of his Diplomat. Flash hopped into the passenger seat and just managed to close the door as Red peeled after their target, red lights spinning and sirens howling.


Phillip scanned the crowd, his thoughts and his innards churning violently. What had happened? Where had they gone?

Calm. Calm down. There’s a good explanation. Just stick to the plan: lead any other pursuers away from Daring and--

He didn’t hear the pony shuffle up next to him until he felt the hot breath, stinking of alcohol and halitosis, on his neck. The cold, hard touch of a gun barrel rammed into his side.

“We warned you, Finder,” a voice hissed into his ear.

Before Phillip could turn around, his vision was assaulted by a blinding flash of cyan light. He heard gasps of surprise, tried to jump away only to feel an iron vice seize his foreleg.

And then the world spun and he felt himself falling through spinning vortexes of blue stars.


“C’mon,” Daring urged Autumn quietly as they headed for the back door, passing several more dancers and staff. As they passed the bouncer’s break room, Autumn spotted the blonde pony from earlier inside and gave him a glowing smile and a wink, which he returned with a blushing smile.

Pushing open the back door, Daring breathed out a sigh of relief as she exited into the cold midmorning air. A layer of mist still hung low over the ground, the watery scent soothing to Daring’s nerves. A couple of bouncers, a male pegasus and a female griffon, stood smoking next to the door.

“Okay, let’s go!” Autumn chirped excitedly.

“Keep it casual,” Daring hissed, continuing to walk away from the building. “Don’t want to attract--”

“Hey, excuse me!” the griffon called behind her. Daring paused and turned around.

Instantly, a cloud of dust and pepper assailed her eyes like a thousand stinging hornets and she staggered with a cry, raising a hoof to shield her face from further attack. She heard the swoosh of an incoming club a split second before her head exploded with pain. Her limbs failed her and she felt the cold, hard embrace of the asphalt as she fell.

“Hey! Let go--!” she heard Autumn shriek before her cries were cut off by the sound of flesh impacting flesh, turning her screams into a coughing fit.

“Got her! What about this one?” the female barked. Daring tried to force herself to stand up, but a hoof came down like a pile driver, ramming her skull against the asphalt with a blaze of pain.

“She's that fucking journalist! Take her too!” the male replied as rough hooves grasped Daring, trapping her wings.

Blinking rapidly, Daring looked through tears to see the griffon toss a blue crystal up into the air. It hovered over them, and all of Daring’s senses were washed away by a wave of azure light.

Author's Note:

Okay, full admission: I wrote this entire case almost solely for this scene. For some reason, the image of Daring being forced to dance on stage was amusing to me. I was actually stuck on what song to use for a bit: I was leaning towards "That Man" by Caro Emerald for a long time, but eventually went with "Bad Boy Good Man."

But once again, all their well-laid plans are falling apart at the seams! What happens next, reader? Tune in next week and see, same pony-day, same pony channel! And leave a like and a comment if you enjoyed!

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