A Balance of Fire and Light

by Stolenalicorn

17 Missing

Starlight groaned as she looked at the stacks of books still to be put away. It had been three days of sorting, arranging, and categorizing, and that was before even beginning to put anything away.

Determined to make the best of a bad situation, Twilight had chosen to take this opportunity to completely reorganize all of her books once more. This led to another discovery that even the books that had been stored away were ransacked.

Starlight paused as she considered current events, thinking that maybe it wasn't Twilight making the best of a bad situation. Perhaps she was just coping.

“Okay Starlight.” Twilight eagerly said. “I just finished my new categorization plan, of course taking into account everything we may yet still find …”

“Still find? I've lived here a while Twilight, and I know we've looked everywhere you keep books.”

“Oh, not everywhere.” Twilight said with a laugh, “After all, my collection of …” She paused abruptly and cleared her throat, a blush spreading across her face. “Not everywhere I keep books has been completely overturned.”

Starlight couldn't help but grin as Twilight abruptly finished her thought. “Do you mean the trashy romance novels you keep hidden in the pantry behind the bags of dried beans?”

Twilight's blush doubled as she heard the casual way Starlight mentioned one of her secret stashes of novels.

“Yeah, I found those years ago when I was looking for a midnight snack. I've even read them all.” Starlight added with a chuckle.

“They're so badly written, but so fun to read.” Twilight quietly admitted.

“Oh they are just the worst, I love them.” Starlight agreed. “If you want any recommendations I have a few I could lend you.”

“Maybe another time.” Twilight quietly said, still blushing.

“Well, if you ever want somepony to talk to about them, I'm your mare.” Starlight said, feeling distinctly better at the moment, even as she turned to face the task ahead of them. “So what's the plan?”

“Oh, right. So I made a couple models on my omnitool about ideal layouts, and I think this new system will save a whole point forty two seconds over the last system. On average obviously, I already had things arranged pretty well before. And I've made sure to leave space for the books that are still missing.”

“Wait.” Starlight said abruptly, turning once again to Twilight. “So there really are books missing, and not just in one of your hiding spots?”

Twilight's jaw tightened at the remark, and she slowly breathed in. “There are a few things still unaccounted for.” She said, far too evenly.

“Twilight!” Starlight said firmly, looking Twilight in the eye. “Things don't just go missing. If we can't find everything … then I think you've been robbed.”

Twilight's eyes didn't fully focus as she forced a laugh. “Nonsense, Starlight.” She said just a bit too loudly, “I'm the Princess of Friendship, who would rob me?” She shook her head as her smile started to turn deranged. “I mean, if any creature wanted to borrow one of my books they could just ask.”

Starlight smacker her forehead with her hoof and shook her head. “Ponies aren't robbed because somepony wants to borrow something, Twilight.” She said, fixing Twilight with a hard stare. “What's missing?”

“Nothing really … just some … study material.” She hesitantly said before quickly finishing, “I'm sure we'll find it as we put everything away.”

“What “study material” is missing, Twilight?” Starlight insisted, having caught Twilight's inflection. “If it's just something for the school we can replace it easily enough.”

“Well …” Twilight slowly said, refusing to look directly at Starlight. “Maybe, it could have been, possibly …” Twilight paused a moment before she blurted out in a second. “everything Princess Celestia sent for me to study when she was still planning to retire.”

Starlight sat right where she was, and slowly breathed out as she allowed the information to sink in, growing pale as she absorbed what she had just heard. She took a deep breath, shook her head, blinked several times, and moved her mouth as if to speak, forming out the words Twilight had just hit her with.

She swallowed the hard lump forming in her throat, and felt the world slip briefly as she now breathed the words Twilight had said.

Starlight closed her eyes once more and nodded, reminding herself of what these materials were. Another breath and the color returned to her face and everything felt firm and real once more. “Okay, so it's not so bad really. It was all just things like duties, tasks, celebrations, history. General stuff, like what Sara and Amber have to study.”

“Yeah,” Twilight said with a laugh and exaggerated smile. “Just that …” Her smile faded quickly as she much more quietly said the next part. “Just that … and Equestria's secrets.”

Starlight nearly fell over as she heard that last part. “What were Equestria's secrets doing here?!” Starlight nearly shouted.

“I guess Celestia thought I should know them before I took the throne.” Twilight said defensively.

“But here?!”

“I didn't keep them in the library!” Twilight insisted, “As soon as I figured out what they were I moved them to keep them safe. I even bought an actual safe from New Guardia to make sure nopony could easily break in.”

“ …You bought the safe only a couple weeks ago!”

“I only learned what they were recently!” Twilight said emphatically. “It's not like Celestia advertised what it was she was sending me to study in private.”

“I'm kind of surprised you hadn't read them already.”

“I was so busy learning everything else, I didn't have the time. And when it was all finally well enough in hoof to start, Xellos attacked, and …”

Starlight put her hoof to Twilight's mouth and nodded. “I get it, there were more urgent things going on.”

Twilight's horn lit up with a golden flecked violet luminescence and moved Starlight's hoof away. “And after all that, I just couldn't concentrate on anything related to ascension.” Twilight sadly finished.

“But we found you reading that stuff so often since then.” Starlight said as she gave Twilight a confused look.

Twilight simply shook her head. “I was trying to read them, but every time I got distracted. I … I don't think I wanted to read them after, so I couldn't focus or even remember what I did read. It was only recently that I was even able to concentrate long enough to get through one.”

With a sigh Twilight dropped her head. “I should probably call everypony, huh.”

Starlight nodded slowly, confirming what only seemed obvious to her.

***

Twilight paced around her map table as her friends patiently watched, knowing full well the method she had.

Eventually Twilight dropped back into her throne as she sighed.

“Y'all ready to tell us what's wrong, Sugar Cube?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, you've been Twilighting forever.” Rainbow Dash said, more than ready to start.

“Eight and a half minutes on just pacing!” Pinkie excitedly announced. “A new record.”

“Competitive Twilighting?” Rainbow Dash asked with a scoff. “Yeah, count me out of that one. We've got enough of that already.”

Rarity glared at Rainbow Dash from across the table.

“What?!”

“She has a good reason to be Twilighting right now.” Starlight said as she walked up to the table. “A couple actually.”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy breathed, “what happened?”

“A few days ago …” Twilight hesitantly said, her tone awkward and uncomfortable, “I may have been robbed.”

At the admission the room erupted as nearly all her friends spoke up in astonishment and disbelief.

Rarity gasped, trying to fathom the motivation. “Who in Equestria would rob you?” she asked.

“Who was it?!” Rainbow Dash demanded, punching a hoof into the other one. “We'll mess them up good.”

“Yer darn tootin.” Applejack readily agreed. “Nopony gets away with stealing from my friends.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Fluttershy quietly asked, “I can make you some tea and have Barry sit with you. That always makes me feel safer.”

Pinkie let out a long and loud gasp as she heard the news and waited for Twilight to elaborate.

“And that's not the worst of it.” Twilight quietly said.

“Oh dear, you weren't hurt were you?” Rarity was quick to ask.

“Somepony robbed you and that's not the worst?” Applejack asked as Rainbow Dash continued to grind one hoof into the other.

“The worst is what's been stolen …” She hesitantly said, speaking up only after her friends insisted she continue. “Reports containing Equestria's national secrets were stolen.”

“We had secrets?” Applejack asked, genuinely confused.

“I was just starting to learn them too.” Twilight said as she thought about what she could say.

“We'll find them.” Rainbow Dash casually said with a shrug, making everyone stare at her. “What, like we don't save the day all the time?”

“I guess you're right, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity said as she began to think on their past. “Oh, and I can even get out my Shadow Spade inspired outfits again. They're about due to come back anyway.”

Applejack turned a confused eye to Rarity, who was herself quickly getting lost in a daydream. “This isn't some kind of game Rarity. Somepony has information that, for whatever reason, Princess Celestia felt needed to be kept secret.”

“This is going to be so fun!” Pinkie announced, completely contradicting Applejack.

“So why don't we ask James for help too? No need to wait until it's dire.” Rainbow Dash suggested.

“I thought about that,” Twilight said, “but we are dealing with Equestria's secrets. And as much as we trust him, even with our secrets, politically we have to leave him out of it.”

“What?”

“James is the head of a foreign power, even though we're allies it's highly informal and we still have to think about what this would look like to everypony,” Twilight explained, shaking her head. “If there's a problem and the first thing we do is run to another country, ponies may loose faith in us.”

“But who would know that's why he's here? Who even knew that there were secrets here?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Clearly somepony.” Applejack countered.

“We have to do this ourselves,” Twilight reaffirmed, “and we have to do it quietly.”

“Obviously the first step is locating clues.” Rarity calmly said. “Where were these secrets? In your library?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, I was storing them in a safe.”

“I didn't even know you had a safe.”

“I had hoped that nopony would actually know.” Twilight said with a sigh.

“Oh oh!” Pinkie hooted as she produced her deerstalker hat and bubble pipe. “To the safe!” she announced, as she began to produce a steady stream of bubbles from the pipe.

“I'll be right back, Twilight dear.” Rarity said, standing from her throne and moving towards the door. “I just need to get prepared.”

“You don't need an outfit just to look for clues, Rarity.” Rainbow Dash complained.

“Of course I do,” Rarity insisted, “and it's not just the clothes, there's tools we'll need to properly investigate.”

Rainbow Dash sighed and rolled her eyes as Rarity opened the door to go and collect her wardrobe and tools.

“I think we need any edge we can get.” Twilight said, resigned. “I didn't even know anything was missing until I had taken inventory of everything, and by then we'd already cleaned up so much that we may not have any clues left to find.”

“Oh there's clues,” Pinkie declared as she walked towards the door, her head close to the ground and eye held close to the magnifying glass held by her mane. “I'm certain of it.”

“I'll go ask the creatures in the castle, maybe they saw something.” Fluttershy offered as she too made for the door.”

Applejack sighed and shook her head. “I don't know how much help I'll be for an investigation, but if you need anything, I'm here for you Sugar Cube.”

“Thanks.” Twilight answered with a weak smile.

“So we can't go to James for help.” Rainbow Dash began to reason, thinking about what Rarity had said before leaving. “What about tools he gave us already?”

“Like what?” Starlight countered.

With a shrug Rainbow Dash used her wing to retrieve a golden bracelet from her mane. In a quick motion she slipped it over her hoof and activated the omnitool. “Oh I don't know, these maybe.” she gloated.

“Ours don't have access to everything even standard ones have.” Starlight continued as Rainbow Dash poked around on her omnitool, “Oddly enough, just in case something like this happened and it was the omnitool stolen instead of books.”

Twilight's eyes opened wide, “You're right Starlight!” She said excitedly. “My omnitool wasn't even touched! So whoever it was must have been so focused on the books and files that they ignored everything else of value.”

“We figured that out already, Twilight.” Starlight said.

“It's more than that. Whoever it was knew about the secrets, but not the technology. They can't have that much information about us if they missed something that glaringly obvious compared to the secrets.”

“I found a scanner.” Rainbow Dash piped up, having been absorbed finding what tools were available.

The remaining ponies all turned, giving her a curious look.

“What?!”

***

Pinkie and Rarity both examined the area around Twilight's new safe, searching for anything that may have been missed in cleaning.

“Twilight, when you found the safe had been emptied was it open or closed.” Rarity asked as she examined the hinges.

“It was open, but only barely.” Twilight explained as Pinkie squeezed behind the safe, “As if they'd tried to close it but couldn't get it to lock.”

“Aha!” Pinkie Exclaimed as she stood up on her hind legs, holding the safe above her head as she did.

“What?” Twilight eagerly asked as Pinkie appeared to sink beneath the safe, vanishing briefly as it came to a rest with Pinkie popping out from underneath it.

“I can't find anything.” Pinkie announced.

“That's not exactly something to “aha” about Pinkie.” Applejack calmly said.

“I know, but what about inside the safe?”

“You may have a point.” Rarity reasoned, adjusting her hat. “But first, we should finish examining the outside. Whomever it was had to open the safe somehow, and that can't have been easy.”

As she finished speaking a snap caught her attention as Pinkie approached the safe with a single latex cover for her hoof.

Without any hesitation, Pinkie began spinning the dial of the lock. It spun nearly silently, over and over again.

“Pinkie, what are you doing?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Investigating!” Pinkie announced before giggling and spinning the lock once more and catching Rarity's attention.

“Looks to me like you're playing with the lock.” Applejack countered.

“That dial is very quiet.” Rarity commented, standing beside Pinkie and listening carefully to the dial spin. “Pinkie, may I give that a try?”

“Oh, yeah.” Pinkie happily said, “it's fun.”

Rarity produced a white linen handkerchief and gingerly turned the dial, making several complete turns.

“And this helps how?” Rainbow Dash asked, flying up and crossing her forelegs.

“This is a good safe. I can't tell at all where the first number is.” Rarity commented. “I should be able to at least find that first digit.”

“You know how to break into safes?” Applejack asked, clearly confused.

“I wouldn't go that far, but I do know a bit about how it's done.”

“When did you learn that?” Twilight asked.

Rarity blushed slightly as she continued her attempt at the lock. “I was at a fashion show and had a brand new trunk with a built in combination lock in the same style as this. I forgot the combination and it was either learn how to lock-pick or destroy my new piece of luggage. And I'd payed good bits for that trunk.”

“Wait, wouldn't somepony need to have their ear against the door or something? You know, to hear when they get the right number.” Rainbow Dash said as she watched.

“Not necessarily, these can be done by feel too.” Rarity said, giving up on her attempt. “It's the mechanism setting that makes the click, which also vibrates the lock ever so slightly.”

Rarity's horn lit up as a compact and brush flew from her pocket.

“Why are you putting on more makeup?” Rainbow Dash asked, exasperated.

“Oh no dear,” Rarity said with a smile, “this isn't make up, it's powder to find an ear print if there is one. You made a good point when you suggested listening to the lock and I want to see if you were right.”

“I did?” Rainbow Dash asked before quickly embracing the idea. “I mean: Of course I did. Heh, I am pretty awesome after all.”

They watched intrigued as Rarity brushed a great deal of powder onto the safe, covering nearly the entire front with the white substance.

“And just how does that help?” Applejack asked as she watched the area getting coated and a large amount of the dust fall to the floor.

“Just a little patience please.” Rarity said as she put the compact away and produced a hand fan, gently blowing away the excess dust and revealing a clear ear-shaped mark. “And there we are.” Rarity said with a smile as she put the fan away and began searching her coat for some other item.

Pinkie “ooh”ed and rushed up to the print, getting within centimeters of it. Rarity reacted quickly, her horn lighting up and surrounding Pinkie in a light blue luminescence and dragging her back.

“Pinkie!” Rarity scolded, “You must be careful! This is the only evidence we've found so far. It's too important to be so reckless with.”

With a sigh, Rarity produced a roll of clear tape from her coat and proceeded to tear off a length from it.

“Is that packing tape?” Applejack asked as she watched Rarity press it onto the safe.

“Yes it is.” Rarity said with a smile.

“Uhm. I know we need to keep it safe, but how is taping it down going to help us?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I'm not taping it down,” Rarity easily said, “I'm lifting it.” As she finished speaking her light blue luminescence pulled the tape away from the safe and adhered it to a black paper similarly produced from her overcoat.

“There we are,” She said with a measure of success. “One ear print, ready to compare when we have a suspect.”

“So we're still trying to figure out who it could be?” Applejack asked with a sigh.

“This is an investigation. We take the evidence we have to either confirm or exclude a suspect. The evidence just tells us if we suspected correctly, not who to suspect.”

“I dunno, everypony was ready to blame me back then.” Rainbow Dash complained, clearly remembering her attempted framing by Wind Rider.

“Only because the evidence was planted to exclude anypony but you.” Rarity explained.

“Maybe we should see if Fluttershy has found anything.” Twilight recommended.

“Perhaps,” Rarity agreed, “but I would like to see if there's anything else to be found here.”

“Well, you keep investigating here, and we'll go find Fluttershy.” Starlight suggested.

“That would be lovely.” Rarity agreed.

“Come on Pinkie.” Twilight said as her gold flecked magic carried the excited pony out.

Even as they began searching for Fluttershy another problem became quickly apparent.

“Hey girls.” James calmly said as the group came into sight.

Pinkie “eeped” and quickly ran up to James, turning him abruptly around.

“Woah!” James yelped. “What's going on?”

“Nothing.” Pinkie said eagerly, “I just think that right now would be a perfect time for you to meet Cheese Sandwich. He's a super fun party pony, like me!”

“Okay, but I …” James began before being interrupted.

“Rainbow Dash is coming too!”

“But what about …” Rainbow Dash managed to get out before being interrupted herself.

“Come on Rainbow Dash!”

“Pinkie …” Rainbow Dash tried once more.

“It'll be a double date!” Pinkie shouted as she turned her head to Rainbow Dash and mouthed for her to come along.

Rainbow Dash shrugged and flew alongside the two as Pinkie continued shoving James.

It wasn't long after that the now group of three found Fluttershy, appearing to talk to a vase.

“Any luck Fluttershy?” Starlight asked as they got close.

“Some.” She said quietly. “The spiders near the entrance remembered several ponies coming in, they were very polite and kept quiet.”

“How many?” Twilight asked.

“I couldn't get an exact number, but it's probably somewhere between three and six.”

“Six ponies?” Twilight asked, her mouth agape.

“Well, a centipede said it could be ten, but they couldn't see the actual ponies.”

“That's a lot of ponies, are you sure about this Fluttershy?” Applejack asked, shaking her head.

“Oh no, not at all. But I am confident that it was several ponies and not just a single pony.”

“Do they know what kind of ponies came through?” Starlight asked.

“Does that matter?” Applejack countered.

“Actually it may. Getting in the safe would be easier for a unicorn than a pegasus or earth pony, but they would have more trouble moving all the books than an earth pony.” Starlight explained.

“Unless they teleported.” Applejack offered.

“Teleporting that much is a strain. I'd only try it in an emergency.”

“I dunno Starlight. This is starting to sound like some kind of conspiracy.”

“Yeah, you're right.” Starlight admitted. “But it is strange that whoever did this was certain to take everything Princess Celestia gave Twilight and not any of the easier to get things that would actually sell.”

“Yeah, that is strange.” Applejack admitted, only now hearing a curious crumpling noise.

Looking towards Twilight they found her sitting on the floor with her wings wrapped tightly around her as she hyperventilated into a paper sack.

Starlight rushed over, rubbing Twilight's back. “It's alright Twilight. It's …” However, she couldn't get the rest of her thought out before Twilight interrupted.

“It's alright?!” She snapped. “How?! Just tell me how it's alright that somepony clearly targeted me to steal Equestria's secrets from, because clearly I'm the worst princess ever! I didn't even have somewhere to put them until recently! Somepony could have come in at any time and learned Bonbon was a secret agent! The information was just sitting around for anypony to see! Celestia and Luna were right to not trust me, I shouldn't be a princess, I can't be trusted with anything!”

“Twilight!” Fluttershy said surprisingly loudly, before clearing her throat and speaking softly again. “You are a good princess, and yes, you may have made a mistake but we're working on fixing that right now. You are trustworthy, no matter what anypony else might think.”

Twilight's breathing slowed down, though it was still shaky as she began to regain control of herself.

“What was that about Bonbon?” Applejack asked.

Twilight's eyes went wide again as she promptly resumed hyperventilating into her paper bag.

“No, Twilight! Twilight!” Starlight was quick to say, using her magic to pull the paper bag away. “This is a good thing. If Bonbon really was a secret agent, she probably knows things about this that we don't. She would certainly have training that we don't.”

Twilight still looked panicked as she turned to Starlight.

“At least we can ask for her input.”

“Come on now, Sugar Cube,” Applejack said comfortingly, “we need all the help we can get.”

Defeated, Twilight looked up and nodded her head. “Mind if I go alone … I don't exactly want to let Bonbon know that I just blabbed her secret.”

***

Twilight took a steadying breath as she once again found herself standing at the door of Lyra and Bonbon's home.

“Just once I'd like to come and visit them and not feel like I've just really messed something up.” Twilight quietly said to herself.

“If we invite you over more often, then I'm sure that'll happen at least once.” Bonbon said, walking up behind Twilight and making her yelp.

“I'm so sorry Bonbon.” Twilight said as she looked to the mare smiling over at her. “I just don't know who else I can turn to about this.”

“Well, come on in and we'll talk about it.” Bonbon offered, opening the door and walking inside where she began to unload her saddlebag that had been filled with her shopping. “Let me get these in the kitchen quick and I'll be right out to help you.”

“Thank you.” Twilight said, helplessly.

Twilight's anxiety didn't lessen at all as she stood around, hoping more than anything that somehow everything that was missing would just show up. She quietly swallowed again, trying to rid herself of the nauseated feeling creeping up on her.

After a few minutes Bonbon came back in and gestured for Twilight to sit down. “I'll do whatever I can,” She began once the two had taken a seat, “but I don't know what I can do for you that your friends can't. Or that you can't do yourself.”

“Yeah …” Twilight said uncomfortably, “this is going to take some explaining.” With a sigh she began to talk about her training to take over for Princesses Celestia and Luna, which Bonbon took in stride, when Twilight got to the study material Bonbon paid close attention.

As Twilight finished her rambling explanation, Bonbon's mouth hung agape.

“That bad?” Twilight hesitantly asked.

“I'm still trying to understand who would try to steal from a princess. I mean, everycreature that may have been a problem earlier you've managed to ally us with. Then again, a rogue faction may have sprung up somewhere.”

Twilight moaned as she covered her head.

“That leaves changelings and griffons as the most likely.” Bonbon reasoned as she rubbed her chin with her hoof. “I mean, dragons wouldn't be out of the question, but they can't exactly disobey Ember.”

“Would it help if I took you to see the safe?” Twilight hesitantly offered.

Bonbon was silent as she considered the idea. “Yes, but probably tomorrow. I may not be an agent anymore, but I should still have my contacts. I'll throw out a few lines and see what I comes in.”

Bonbon chewed on nothing as she considered what she would ask. “I can't be too precise, but it's no good if I'm too vague.” She hemmed. “Yeah, tomorrow should be good.”

As Bonbon spoke, Twilight visibly relaxed and even smiled a bit. “Thank you so much Bonbon.”

“Of course,” she answered casually, “I mean even if this weren't about our secrets, somepony robbed you. Nopony should have to go through that.”

Bonbon watched as Twilight left, walking a little lighter than she had minutes earlier.

“Okay.” Bonbon whispered to herself. “Let's see who's willing to tell me things I don't need to know.”

***

“I'm so glad you're here to help.” Twilight said as she led Bonbon towards her safe.

“Well, I can't say for certain I'll be any help, but I'll do what I can.” Bonbon said as the door opened, revealing not only the safe, but Twilight's friends looking around the room.

After a quick hello the room was filled with a cacophony of voices all trying to speak at once.

“Hush!” Starlight shouted, her horn glowing as an emerald luminescence held everyone's mouth's shut. “Let's do this one at a time, okay.”

Rainbow Dash began to mumble, though her mouth remained shut.

“Starting with Rarity since she examined the safe the whole time.” Starlight finished.

Rainbow Dash humphed and kept her mouth shut as Starlight's luminescence faded.

Rarity began to explain to Bonbon the few clues they had as Applejack nudged and whispered to Rainbow Dash. “What're you so eager for? You weren't here."

“I came back, duh.” Rainbow Dash whispered back. “And I asked around Ponyville …”

“You what?!” Applejack asked, still keeping her voice to a whisper.

“I didn't let anypony know anything.” Rainbow Dash was quick to answer “All I asked was if any deliveries or services came by the castle. You know, something that doesn't happen every day.”

“I guess that doesn't say anything, but how does that help?”

“They said that Twilight had a cleaning service cart parked in front of the castle for a while.”

“But Spike does the cleaning here.”

“Duh, but not everypony knows that. So they thought nothing about a couple pegesi cleaning the windows for over an hour, and a unicorn sweeping up around the road to the castle.”

“Yeah, that is suspicious.”

“I know, right?!” Rainbow Dash whispered enthusiastically, turning her attention back to Bonbon. “And why is Bonbon here again?”

Applejack went wide eyed and pursed her lips as she quickly thought about what to say. “She …”

“Wait, not now AJ, Rarity's done talking,” Rainbow Dash interrupted, much to Applejack's relief. “Bonbon!” Rainbow Dash called out, rushing forward.

“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said, exasperated, “you and Pinkie weren't even here yesterday.”

“But I actually have something I need to tell Bonbon.”

“Can it wait until Fluttershy's talked to her?”

“I need to tell her about the cleaners!” Rainbow Dash insisted, immediately catching Bonbon's interest.

“The cleaners?” Bonbon quietly noted.

Starlight raised an eyebrow at the comment, “Spike does the cleaning.”

“Exactly!” Rainbow Dash said, as if everyone immediately knew what she was saying.

“What?” Twilight asked, looking around in her confusion.

“I think I should hear more about this, actually.” Bonbon said, walking up to Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash sighed and nodded. “Thank you.”

“Do you know what cleaning company it was?”

“But Spike does most of the cleaning.” Twilight insisted.

“Shadow Cape, or something like that.” Rainbow Dash dismissively said.

“Shady Cloak.” Bonbon corrected. “You'll never know we were there,” she continued to quote. “I think I might know who to ask, but anything else you can tell me would be good so I can pass it on.”

Just as Rainbow Dash was about to speak once again a light began to blink in her mane.

“Uh, Rainbow Dash what's that?” Bonbon asked, pointedly looking to the light.

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash asked before digging out her omnitool and moaning as she checked the message left for her. “James is wondering if now is a good time. If somepony hadn't invited him back today he'd probably be asleep right now.”

“I panicked,” Pinkie insisted, “besides, I thought we'd have this all done by now.”

“Well I have to stay here right now.” Rainbow Dash argued.

“I'm not missing two days of this in a row.” Pinkie said, almost pouting.

“I'll keep him distracted,” Starlight said shaking her head, “I could use a walk anyway.”

***

The cool night air was refreshing as Starlight and James walked through the quiet streets of Truce's residential district. While they were walking towards the nightclubs several blocks away Starlight took a moment to enjoy the quiet while they still had it.

“Normally you just show up.” Starlight commented after a moment, “Why message first this time?”

“Well, between Pinkie and Rainbow Dash, it was pretty obvious you're trying to keep me out of the loop on something. I just thought it would be easier if I gave you all the chance to just tell me now's not a good time.”

Starlight moaned, clearly he would notice such tells, he relied on his ability to read others in negotiations of all sorts. “It's not that we want to cut you out. We just kind of … have to.”

“Fair enough. It's not like I can include you girls in everything I do either.” He casually mentioned.

“One of these days we're going to learn that we can ask you to leave if we need to.”

A low rumble of laughter escaped James just as he began to talk. “I'm surprised you haven't already. I'm not the easiest guy to get along with.”

Starlight tried to force a laugh, but just shook her head. “It could also be that we don't want you to leave.”

“Thanks,” James quietly answered, “that's nice to hear.”

Starlight looked up once more at the large man she walked with now, then further towards the lights showing them where the first of the scattered night clubs were located. “How are you feeling today?”

“Well, you know me,” James said dismissively, “I'll probably just watch.”

“That's not really what I meant. Rainbow Dash said you'd probably be asleep right now had you not been invited to Sugar Cube Corner.”

“It's certainly possible.” James answered with a shrug.

Starlight paused a minute, looking towards the club once more. “You know what, I think I'd like the quiet more today.”

“Sure … everything alright?”

“Oh, I'm fine, I just don't feel like going clubbing right now. That, and the other day Lucca told me that you haven't been sleeping again. And what little you've gotten hasn't been good.”

“I happens.” James said with a shrug.

“James,” Starlight said firmly, “you don't have to avoid it with me. I've seen what goes on in your head when you're having issues.”

James slowly nodded. “Yeah, it's been a bit touchy lately, but I get a few minutes here and there.”

“If we went back, would you be able to get to sleep?”

James considered her question, weighing the idea against his current feelings. “Yeah, I could probably sleep. Of course Lucca's got the bed to herself tonight, and she's enjoying that right now.”

With the acknowledgment, Starlight turned around and began walking back towards the castle. “A night on the couch won't kill you.” She said offhanded, “Or do you think you'll be lonely?” She added with a chuckle.

James began to laugh as he followed close behind the mare. “You're welcome to the loveseat if you want, though you're probably not tired. … And you were also in the middle of something if I remember.”

“Yeah …” Starlight hesitantly said. “A “date night” would have been fun though,” she added with a chuckle.

“We could turn around again.” James calmly offered.

Starlight smiled as she sighed. “Nah, you need the sleep.”

“A rain check then.” James conceded.

***

“Wow you've been gone all day, Bon.” Lyra said with a smile as she walked over to her girlfriend.

“It's only four.” Bonbon said with a chuckle.

“Well I missed you so it feels like all day,” Lyra countered.

“I missed you too,” Bonbon said as she hugged Lyra.

“So what's going on with Twilight?”

“I have a good idea, but I'm going to have to ask somepony to confirm.”

Lyra “ooh”ed eagerly, hoping that Bonbon would explain more.

“Lyra,” Bonbon said disapprovingly, “I said I have an idea, but I have to check with a few old friends about it first.”

Lyra pranced eagerly as she heard even that much. “Ooh, this is so exciting.”

Bonbon couldn't help but smile at the infectious excitement, and regretted that she would have to tap that down. “If it's what I think it is … then there's actually a big problem.”

Lyra stopped suddenly, growing quiet as she turned to Bonbon. “Like how bad?”

Bonbon stayed serious as she tried to think. “I don't exactly know … maybe like, I don't know, Cozy Glow bad.”

“Oh, that's bad.”

“Yeah, that's bad.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Not right now at least.” Bonbon said as she walked out of the front room and towards their room where they shared a small writing desk.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

11453973
Does this mean that this story will be shorter?

[Stolenalicorn]

11658284
That's the plan right now. But if I get some good ideas for arcs I may make it longer. (Or would it be better for me to do arcs as separate stories?)
Anyway, as it stands now I do have a planned ending point for this story.