The Adventures of Peaches and Mandy

by marmalado

S1E6: An Odd Squad Gala

Mandy was an agent of very little fashion sense. Aside from her Odd Squad uniform, she didn't really pay too much attention to what looked good on her. In essence, she could wear shorts and Ugg boots, together, out in public and not bat a single eye at someone telling her how hideous she looked.

So perhaps it was rather ironic that she had some knowledge of sewing and making clothes.

She had Rarity to thank for offering to teach her -- after all, she had nagged her often enough and had been the mare's model so many times that she might as well start getting paid for it. On her off time, when she wasn't napping or eating, she was trimming hems, drawing up designs as legible as she could make them, and grabbing unwitting agents to use as impromptu models.

Rarity had to admit that Mandy's approach to entering the fashion industry was rather...unusual. It wasn't like she was actively trying to make it in the industry, of course, but if she were serious about designing, she would be laughed at by most any of the elite. Still, she let Mandy do her thing, guiding her as needed and critiquing her on her works.

During an hour of free time the hybrid had obtained, she had set up in Rarity's Odd Squad boutique, sewing a rather complicated hem together on an Investigation suit and humming the theme song to, what else, the Odd Squad TV show. She was so deep into her work that she didn't hear Applejack enter the boutique and call out her name.

She did, however, feel her chair being tilted back, so that she was upside down and nose-to-nose with the farm pony.

"Oh, hey, Applejack! Didja need something?"

"Yes, I did." Applejack let go of the chair and allowed Mandy to return to her upright position. "As ya know, Ms. O's puttin' together a gala to celebrate her leadership, and she, uh...wants t' see ya. Says it's mighty urgent."

"Urgent..." Mandy scoffed. "I'm sure it's not that bad. She thinks having no fruity ice cubes at her juice bar is an urgent issue! But...I'll go and see her now."

"Wait! Before ya go, how's my suit comin' along?"

"Fine! I'm waiting for Rarity to get back, though...could you tell her I'm busy with Ms. O if you run into her?"

"Sure thing, sugarcube. Good luck."

"Won't need it!" Mandy called, bouncing out of the boutique and clearly not worried by anything her boss would happen to throw at her.

Which, thankfully, was nothing of major concern.

"Wow, I can't believe you're throwing another party!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, a big grin on her face as she placed her front hooves on her boss's desk.

"I know, Pinkie. I don't know what I was thinking, making that announcement. There's this sort of..." Oprah waved her hand, trying to find the right word. "Air. Tension. It's rubbing me the wrong way."

"Aww, don't worry! That's why you made the right choice hiring me for the party planning committee!"

"I didn't hire you. You came up to me and demanded you help me." Oprah deadpanned.

"Eh, same thing!"

"Hiya!" Mandy strode in. "You called me?"

"Oh, Mandy, thank odd. You remember that announcement I made about me putting together a gala, in honor of my leadership?"

"Um, yes? What about it?" Mandy gasped. "You're not cancelling it, are you?! Ohh, I had a nice dress picked out and I still need to put sequins on it, and, and the other dresses-"

"Agent!" Oprah bellowed. "I'm not cancelling the gala. I want you to help me set it up." She glanced past Mandy, to the bullpen area that her office overlooked. "See...ever since I made the announcement, there's been tension in the air. I can feel it. It's not good."

"Well, to be fair, boss, the last time we had a celebration in honor of your leadership, Otis, Olympia and Oona almost wrecked the future by going back in time, remember? Of course people are gonna panic!" She did her usual giggle-and-snort laugh. "They don't want that to happen again! As Twilight Sparkle says, 'Time travel is not something to be messed with.'"

"Rest assured, I've asked them to not do any time-travel-related stuff this time. And I'm locking up all of the time gadgets we have as a safety precaution. But I don't know if that's why everyone's so tense." Oprah sighed. "I know the announcement itself got mixed reactions too...like a lot of agents were concerned about something."

"Hmm." was all Mandy could say in response.

"Well, I'm sure everything can be fixed, easy-peasy!" Pinkie chimed in. "We just gotta loosen up some nerves around here!"

"I really want this gala to go off without a hitch. It's in three days, but that's not a whole lot of time to prepare..." Oprah shook her head, regretting not making the date a week ahead at the least.

"Aww, c'mon! With Pinka-Ponka and I, we can get this place ready for showtime by tonight!" Mandy boasted.

"That's nice, but I set it three days ahead to gauge agent reactions. As I said, a lot of them are tense." The Director glanced at Mandy. "It wouldn't be too much if you and Rarity helped to make a dress for me, would you?"

"Of course not, boss!" Mandy conjured up a pencil and a small notebook, opening it to a random blank page. "Any specific design?"

"I'm thinking purple..." Oprah began, listening to Mandy as she scribbled. "Maybe some medium-sized sequins...sparkly, not twinkly. There's a difference. Maybe a flower crown would be nice...oh, and short sleeves, nothing poofy...a couple purple necklaces, and a flower brooch. In purple."

"Ah!" Mandy nodded. "Something like this pique your interest?"

She flipped the notebook around. Oprah squinted at the messy drawing of her that her agent had made, with none of the features she had asked for even depicted. There was a reason why she wasn't the best artist in the precinct -- her drawing of a human girl looked less anatomically correct than the figures on women's restroom signs. "That's barely legible, Mandy."

"Eh, I tried." The hybrid shrugged.

"Don't stick strictly to it. I'll be flexible. Just give me a dress with those features. That's all I ask."

"Okay!"

A pause, and then Mandy blinked twice.

"Wait, what were they again?"

A long sigh escaped from Oprah as she rolled her eyes and leaned back into her chair.

---

As Mandy roamed the bullpen, she muttered to herself in a way that was incomprehensible to anyone that just so happened to listen. She was gazing at the list of features Oprah had given her, sketching all sorts of ideas to try out.

A thump made her give a cry of "oof!" in pain, and her mouth scrunched up.

"Oh!" Olive blinked. "Sorry, Mandy, I didn't see you there."

"Aww, c'mon, who-" The hybrid shook her head and got a better look at who had bumped into her. "Oh hi, Momma!"

Olive found herself being lifted and crushed in yet another one of Mandy's tight hugs, the air from her lungs wheezing out. "H-hi!" She coughed. "D-don't...don't...air...air...air...!"

Finally, she was put down, and allowed to refill her lungs.

"Hey, have you noticed the air's kinda tense around here?"

"How would I know..." Olive gave another cough. "You squeezed almost all of it out of me!"

"I'm sorry! But you know how I looooove hugs!"

"Yeah, well...to answer your question seriously, kind of. Everyone's avoiding Rarity the most, it seems."

Mandy's face fell. "Oh no. If Rarity's having a fashion crisis, no one tell her! It won't be a pretty sight! I can attest as a witness!"

"She looked fine, but everyone kept shooting her wary looks. Like she was the worst Odd Squad villain to ever hit the streets!"

The comparison made Mandy laugh and snort a little. "Rarity, a villain? Ha! Aah, that's a laugh, Momma!"

"Anyway, I stopped by here with Otto -- he had other business to attend to -- to ask if you wouldn't mind sewing a dress for me? I could do it myself, of course, but I need a bit more expertise beyond sewing Burly Bears uniforms."

Ah, yes, Mandy had completely forgotten that Olive herself was quite the seamstress, even if only in one kind of clothing. It always seemed to escape her -- mainly because Olive never really brought it up.

She gave a sigh. "All righty, guess I'm playin' Rarity! And if I'm playin' Fashion Mare, I gotta look the part!"

With her horn alight, her brown curly tail changed from the style of Pinkie Pie to that of Rarity. Her wings took care of her Pinkie Pie-styled hair, as she spread them out and used its feathers to make one swiping pass through her hair, instantly changing her hairstyle. This change was rather common for Mandy, as she had gotten good at styling her hair and tail and making slick impersonations of all five of her equine friends that would make a killing at any comedy night. Of course, this wasn't just limited to the Mane Six -- she could imitate Olive, Otto and Oprah as well, with just a little touch of magic to style her hair and change her clothes.

The hybrid cleared her throat. "Now, darling, I simply must ask you..." she said, putting on her best Rarity accent that, if one hadn't met Rarity, would fool them into believing that accent and that voice were part of the real deal. "What kind of dress do you prefer?"

Olive could only stare wordlessly for a few moments. She was well-familiar with this stunt of her adopted daughter's, but that didn't mean she liked it. Mainly because she thought it was rude and inconsiderate...and because Mandy could never seem to nail the impersonation of her accent.

Finally, words spilled out. "Mandy, what in the name of odd are you doing?"

"Ah-ah-ah." Mandy shook her head. "I am not 'Mandy', darling, I am Rarity, and you shall" -- she tapped herself on her head with each following word -- "address me as such!"

A full-body feeling of cringe settled in Olive's body.

"Now, what kind of dress do you wish to have at this wondrous gala, darling?"

The feeling only got worse on the "darling". Olive hated being addressed by cutesy words like that. It made her sick. It made her want to hole herself up in the bathroom and puke all of her organs out but her heart and brain.

Still, she forced herself to stay steady. Mandy never did keep up impersonations for very long, anyway. And adults were far more frequent offenders.

"Okay, well, nothing too fancy." She watched as Mandy conjured up her notebook and pencil again and got to scribbling. "A simple gray dress, maybe with a waist bow, waist ribbon, whatever you call it. A flower as a hair decoration, doesn't matter which one."

"Yes?"

"That's it."

Mandy blinked once, and then twice. "That's it?"

"That's all I want."

"Hm. Rather simplistic. Although you aren't one for high-end fashion." Mandy shrugged. "All right then, I shall get started on your dress and have it done by the gala!"

"Thank you Ma- er, Rarity." Olive glanced behind her. "Where is Rarity, anyway?"

"Oh, she's off doing...well, actually, I'm not quite sure where she went." Mandy unclipped her badge phone. "Let me call her and see, darling."

The hybrid opened her phone and pressed 9-1 for Rarity, and it only took six rings before voicemail kicked in.

"Hello, darling! You've reached the one, the only, Rarity! I am not available to come to the phone right now, but you are more than welcome to leave a message after the beep! Hmm-hmm, thank you!"

A beep sounded before Mandy closed her phone and put it back onto her suit. She sighed. "It seems like she is not answering her phone. Quite a shame, really."

"I wonder where she is. As far as I know, it's not like her to miss work..." Olive mused. "Maybe she had a big order to fill at the Carousel Boutique?"

This only earned her a laugh. "Oh, darling, Rarity can handle both her boutiques and work. She's such an efficient pony!" Mandy glanced behind Olive. "But I do agree. It certainly isn't like her to be absent, on today of all days..."

It was then that Olive had had enough of the Rarity charade her daughter was putting on. In her eyes, it had been going on for far too long, and she much preferred the real Rarity's voice over whatever pale imitation this agent was trying to do.

So she decided to fight fire with fire.

"Darling, I do appreciate your...efforts to find Rarity, but I simply must tell you something!" she declared, in the best imitation of Rarity's voice she could muster.

"Oh, anything, my dearest mother!"

Olive smiled warmly at Mandy, in that way the hybrid loved and cherished.

And then her expression soured.

"CUT THE RARITY ACT!"

Mandy's eyes widened. She blinked twice. She wasn't sure how to react. Finally, a scoff danced on her lips, just before she took a deep breath, held it, and returned her tail and hair back to their normal curly states with a loud "pop" sound.

"Jeez, Momma, you're no fun!"

"And don't call me 'darling'".

Mandy's mouth scrunched up, and she muttered something under her breath that Olive could barely recognize except for the term "fun-ruiner". Just before the Director could respond, however, she heard the steel double-doors open and the sound of her partner.

"Hey, Olive, I just spoke to Twilight. She's concerned for Rarity, said she left in a hurry as soon as Oprah made her announcement but hasn't been able to get in touch with her all day!"

"Neither have I!" Mandy remarked, before her ears picked up on the sound of two agents having a conversation.

"This gala's going to be horrible!" one agent exclaimed, a blond twin-tailed girl with black rimmed glasses.

"Why's that?" her partner remarked, a dark-skinned boy with curly black hair.

"Remember the last time Ms. O held a party?" The first agent groaned. "Agent Rarity simply had to ruin it with her showy outfit!"

The mention of Rarity's name made Olive's attention and Otto's attention snap to the duo.

"Wasn't the outfit 'casual wear required', anyway?"

"Sure was! But nooooo, Rarity simply had to outshine everyone!" the first agent lamented. "She does it at every single party. Like she thinks every time, it's a competition for Best Costume! This isn't Halloween, man!"

"And now there's a gala..." The second agent looked away distantly, his expression one that Mandy couldn't recognize.

"The last time Ms. O held a gala like this, Olympia, Oona and Otis went back in time and caused a horrible butterfly effect! Tons of agents here have talked about it." The first agent sighed. "Granted, Rarity wasn't involved, but it was still pretty disastrous! Time travel's tricky stuff..."

"I agree." The second agent nodded. "At least Ms. O's gonna lock up all the dangerous gadgets during this gala..."

"Which leaves us with one more issue: Agent Rarity." the first agent said matter-of-factly.

"So what do we do?"

"I don't know. Maybe Ms. O will realize how dangerous Rarity is at parties and...exclude her from the gala?"

"Well, maybe we can try and convince her. Let's go!" The second agent bolted for the stairs, his partner quickly following suit.

Mandy watched them go, a flicker of concern darting across her face. "Well, that answers all my questions!" was all she had to say in response to the conversation she had unwittingly eavesdropped on.

"I do remember Rarity having very showy outfits, but I didn't realize it was such a problem for people. Oprah never said anything about it to us." Olive mused.

"She hasn't said a thing to me, either! All she did was ask me to make her dress and put me on the planning committeeeeee..."

All Olive and Otto could do was stare as Mandy looked like her brain had blue-screened and needed a reboot.

"Pickleferries, the dresses!" she finally cried out. A quick "gottagoseeyoulaterbye" marked her swift exit, as her wings took her down the right hallway towards Rarity's boutique.

"Mandy wait- and she's gone and why do I even bother." Olive groaned and sighed.

"So what are we gonna do about Rarity?"

"Rarity has common sense, Otto. Maybe she realizes that her outfits are causing issues at parties."

"Clearly she doesn't, if she's continuing to do it!" Otto said. "Maybe we should tell her."

"But we don't know where she is!" Olive racked her brain, trying to figure out where she would be if she were a white-furred unicorn mare who lived a double life as an Odd Squad agent and as a fashion designer with four boutiques. But she didn't get very far before an idea formed. "Ah! Why don't I look around town for her? You can ask the other ponies about her whereabouts."

"Sounds like a plan! Catch up with ya later!" Otto nodded, before heading for the hallway on the right that flanked the steel double-doors of the bullpen. Olive, likewise, headed for the double-doors themselves, coming up with a plan on how to cover the most ground in Toronto in the search for one little pony.

---

Before Mandy could even attempt to start working on Oprah's or Olive's dress, fatigue had gotten the better of her, and she had slipped into an impromptu slumber right at the (thankfully nonfunctional) sewing machine.

The door to the boutique opened, and its potential customer glanced up at the tinkling bell that marked her arrival.

"Oh, Rarity installed a bell for this thing. Hm." Peaches remarked, fighting the urge to bat it a couple times, send it careening downwards to the floor, and play with it for several hours. Instead, she closed the door and glanced around. "Mandy? Hey, cuz, you in here?"

Loud snoring flooded her ears, and she made her way to the back area. Sure enough, a quick swivel of her head to the right, and there was Mandy, sleeping without a single care in the world. Under her wrist were two pieces of paper with drawings on it.

"What are these?" Peaches grabbed the papers and scanned them. "Dress orders?" She glanced at Mandy. "Oprah and Olive...for such a prestigious event like this...is she taking over for Rarity?"

Something in her mind asked the questions of "how does Mandy know how to sew" and "how often does she sew" and "is she even any good at making clothes in the first goshdarn place", but she pushed them to the side. She had known the hybrid long enough to know that making clothes was probably something she did for kicks more than anything else, regardless of skill.

"Well, the least I can do is finish these dresses for her. Sure, the gala's in three days, but she's a busy hybrid." Peaches mused aloud, before scanning the area. "Come to think of it, where's Rarity?"

Sure enough, out of pure convenience, the entrance door opened again, the sound of the bell echoing throughout the place as not a human, but a pony made her way in.

"Hey, Rarity? You in here?" Rainbow Dash called, before her gaze settled on the only other awake being in the entire room. "Oh. Hey, Peaches."

"Hey, Agent Rainbow Dash." Peaches waved. "What's going on? You're looking for Rarity too?"

"Yeah. I wanted to know if she could make me a dress for the gala, but I haven't seen her all day. Thought she was in here. Or I guess I could just ask Mandy." As Dash flew in, a look crossed her face, her eyes boring into the sleeping Mandy. "Ooooor not."

"Oh! I was, uh, gonna take over sewing duties for her, actually." Peaches rubbed Mandy's back. "The poor thing's gonna wipe herself out before the gala even starts, and she already has dresses for Oprah and Olive on backlog!"

Dash blinked. She certainly didn't pin Peaches as the type to make her own clothes, and she had to sit on that piece of information for a few moments before responding. "Well, would you mind, then? Rarity's usually our go-to mare when it comes to stuff like this."

"No, I don't mind! I've got a lot of time on my hands. And some amazing sewing experience." Peaches lifted up part of her yellow dress, pointing to the red V-shaped band that wrapped around her waist. "Did you know I hand-stitched this dress myself?"

"Really?"

"Yep! But, uh, no one really cared for my designs. Catpeople aren't really about looking fancy, you see." She cleared her throat. "Um, but I digress. Would you mind showing me around this place, in exchange for making you and the others dresses? I haven't really been in here too much to know what it looks like."

"Sure. Follow me and I'll point ya to what ya need."

"Great!" Peaches began to follow Dash, but then stopped. "Wait. Rarity won't mind if I use her supplies, will she?"

"She does get a liiiiittle touchy, but she isn't in here right now, so, uh...I guess not?"

Peaches shrugged. "Works for me. Lead the way."

A few hours later, the bell rang again, and two more potential customers walked in.

"Rarity has a bell here?"

"Would that make it...a doorbell?" Otto snickered at his own joke.

"Okay, okay, you can have that one." Olive rolled her eyes. "Mandy? You in here?"

"In here!" came the distant voice of Peaches.

Both Directors couldn't help but exchange looks of confusion. "Is that Peaches?" Otto asked, before he and Olive headed for the source of the sound.

What both their visions met was a workspace that perhaps even Rarity herself would let her jaw drop to the floor at. Supplies littered almost every single inch of the table that bordered the room, and a bunch of papers with all sorts of designs that branched off from Mandy's own drawings were hung up like they were food orders in the kitchen of a bar. On the right, Peaches was hard at work, the sewing machine whirring away as she was applying a hem.

"You can sew?!" Otto asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth without any thought.

"Yep!" Peaches turned off the machine and smiled at Otto. "Sewed this dress of mine, and I can certainly sew yours, Olive. In fact...I'm already done! It's over there."

Olive followed the fingerpoint over to a white hanger that was attached to the knob of a cabinet. Situated on the hanger was a stunning and vibrant gray dress, with everything Olive had asked for. The only thing missing was the flower hair dec, but she figured either Peaches didn't know how to make those, or she wanted to leave something for Mandy to do. Maybe both.

"I can't necessarily fit it on a mannequin because there are no human mannequins around here, but you're welcome to try it on! I made it according to Mandy's notes."

Olive gave a simple "thank you" before taking the dress and rushing towards the fitting room, one of two rooms that lied just ahead of Peaches.

"Where's Mandy?"

"Sleeping, over there." Peaches directed Otto towards the snoozing hybrid further back in the other room. "I'm guessing she was overdue for naptime."

As if summoned, Mandy exited the room and came towards the duo, giving a loud yawn.

"Hey, any 'f ya seen th' zzewin' machine? I need it t' sew Momma's drezz..."

"Oh! Hi, cuz." Peaches smiled. "I'm helping you with making the dresses, so I borrowed the sewing machine. Rainbow Dash came and asked me to make her dress, and since I knew you were going to wear yourself thin with eight dresses, I decided to help you out!"

"Eight?!" Otto glanced at the slips of paper. Sure enough, some of the slips had depictions of his fellow equine friends in various dresses -- no doubt drawn by Mandy, given the hornwriting.

The hybrid gave a loud yawn, conjured up a Chocolate Moo-Moo Surprise drink, and guzzled it down. A satisfied "aah" left her lips, and her usual cat smile returned to her face.

And then the whammy hit her.

"Wait, you can sew?!"

"Yes! Hand-stitched this dress myself!"

Mandy, completely bug-eyed, looked at the dress. Precisely hemmed and trimmed, clean, with a smooth color and a nice design...and it came from her cousin. Maybe learning all this stuff from Rarity wasn't a bad thing after all, she thought. But maybe I should have learned from Peach instead!

"D'aww, cuz, you didn't have to do that! I-it was my naptime, anyway." she said. "I did finish Oprah's dress, though! And one for Rarity, as a treat."

"Perfect!" Peaches clapped her hands together. "Maybe it can serve as an apology for me using all of her items."

"Oh wow!"

The exclamation caused the trio to turn their heads towards the direction of the fitting room, where the door opened and Olive stepped out. Otto's eyes widened, shocked by the sight of his partner wearing perhaps the fanciest clothing he had ever seen her wear. His mouth ran dry, and he found himself unable to say anything in response.

"It's exactly what I asked for, waist ribbon and everything!" Olive smiled. "Thanks so much, Peaches!"

"No problem! I do have to advise you not to wear it until the gala, though. Preserve its beauty and integrity a bit, you know?"

"Oh, of course!"

Olive's smile slowly faded when she spotted Mandy, who went completely slack-jawed. For a minute or two, she struggled to find the words to say, and struggled even harder with the urge to not try her hand at putting makeup, lipstick, and other such cosmetics on her.

"Momma, it's...beautiful!" she cried out, stars forming in her eyes.

"Nice to see you too, Mandy." Olive said. "I know you didn't make this, but thank you for taking my desires into considera- ohhh no. Nonononono-"

And before the Director knew it, she was being drawn into another one of Mandy's tight hugs, the threat of death by asphyxiation rearing its ugly head yet again.

"It's so beautiful and you look sooooo stunning and you're gonna be the belle of the ball and that giant waist ribbon is such a plus and-"

Mandy's gums quickly stopped flapping when Olive held up her entire hand to her lips. "Don't wrinkle the dress. Or you're going to have to make me a new one."

"Sorry! Sorry." Mandy set Olive down, then her face lit up and she snapped her fingers. "Ooh, the flower dec!"

She moved towards the countertop on the other side, her eyes scanning the area for where she put the decoration she had spent a good fifteen minutes making. Finally, she found it buried in a mess of papers and thread spools, and she levitated it towards Olive, fastening it to one side of her hair.

"Voila! And a mirror."

She conjured up a mirror next, for Olive to see her reflection.

Olive's chocolate-brown eyes shimmered. She delicately touched the decoration, wondering how the gardenia on top of her head looked so...good on her. It was like a pop of color amidst the drab, and it brought back memories -- memories that made her want to cry. Memories of...

Of...

...She couldn't remember. Maybe it was because she didn't want to remember. But she had dressed up like this only a sparse few times before. She felt the memories swirling around in her brain.

But it didn't matter now. She could reminisce on her past later if she wanted to. "It's beautiful. Thank you, Mandy."

"No prob!"

A sad smile danced on her face, just for a moment, before she made her way back into the fitting room to change out of the dress.

"Hey, Mandy." Otto interrupted. "Haven't you decided what you'll be wearing?"

"Ahh, don't worry about that, Otto. I have it all planned out! Just gotta add sequins." Mandy smiled. "It's hanging in the Bedroom. Protected." She narrowed her eyes. "By invisible lasers."

Peaches shot her an incredulous look. "For a dress."

"I take no chances!"

All the catgirl could give in response was a mighty sigh before she resumed her work.

"In the meantime, I better go get started on the other ponies' dresses!"

"Aha...here's an idea." Peaches stopped her work again. "How about you and I split the other five dresses? I'll finish Rainbow's, and I can take...hmm..." She stopped and glanced at the design concepts. "Pinkie's. I'll welcome the challenge."

"Then I'll do Twi's, Fluttershy's and AJ's!" Mandy chirped. "I just gotta finish Oprah's dress first!"

And with that, the hybrid bounced away, just as Olive stepped out of the fitting room, dress in hand. "All right, I have the dress here. Is there anywhere you want me to put it?"

"Hmm..." Peaches scanned the room again, looking for something high up where not a lot of dust would get on the clothing. It didn't take her long to find a coat rack near a clustered stack of mannequins. "Aha! Over there, on that hook. Otto, can you create a label for it, so Rarity will know it's Olive's?"

Otto nodded and quickly left the area, hoping to find some labels, or at least a label maker of some kind. He had been in Rarity's boutique before, and so he knew his way around the area for the most part -- good luck for him. Peaches, meanwhile, resumed her work once again.

"Oh hey, Momma! I forgot to ask ya, how'd the search for Rarity go?"

"Huh? Oh!" Olive chuckled. "I got so sidetracked by Peaches, I forgot that's what I came in here for. Unfortunately I couldn't find her. Otto couldn't find her, either. He said that none of the other ponies had seen her, not since this morning."

The sewing machine stopped. Mandy heaved a sigh and was about to retreat into her thoughts when the sound of the bell tinkled through the shop again.

"Yeeeeee-eeeeeees?" she called in singsong.

"Oh good, you're here." Oprah closed the door and made her way over to Mandy.

"Hiya, boss! What can I help ya with?"

"Two agents just came up to my office and educated me on the 'dangers' of bringing Rarity to the gala. They want me to exclude her from it. That's what I want help from you for!"

You goose-laden dum-dum. Of course Oprah would seek you out the second those two agents communicated with her about Rarity. Mandy took an inhale. "In hindsight, boss, not inviting Rarity to the gala might be a wise choice. I overheard a conversation from those exact agents about the last party Precinct 13579 held. How Rarity ruined them with her unique fashion choices."

"I will admit, I didn't notice the chaos of the last party. I was away at the time. Did she do anything like that at previous events?"

"Looking back on it, she has always stood out with her outfits, but...I didn't know it bothered people!"

"You and me both. But barring her seems like a stretch." Oprah sighed. "You know I love Agent Rarity, Mandy. She's one of the best agents of the precinct, always bringing her all to cases and assignments and adding her own little twists of flair. But she's an agent who often can't miss a chance to show off." Her eyes became reduced to pinpricks as she whispered, "I still see that horrifically bedazzled uniform in my nightmares..."

"Must be showing off for a really long time if no one can find her." Mandy said. "Momma and Otto went searching, but they couldn't find her no matter who they asked or what they tried."

"That's not good. I'm worried she may have gone missing or something."

"Maybe she went back to Equestria?"

Olive shook her head. "Rainbow Dash already went across Equestria. Or so she claimed. No dice."

Rarityyyy...I know you're a fashion designer, but ya gotta have self-restraint! Mandy's brain screamed. She wanted to badly to put it into words. She wanted so badly to teleport Rarity to her and say it straight to her face. But it was a thought that had to stay in her mind, unfortunately.

"That aside, how's my dress coming along?" Oprah asked.

"Well, I'm almost done with yours. I, uh...kinda fell asleep in the process. Lucky I shut the machine off! Would've been a disaster otherwise..." Mandy gave a nervous chuckle as she clutched her scalp.

"Keep it up, and let me know when you're done. I'm going back to my office. I need a juice box."

"Okay! And, um, boss?"

"Hm?"

"You might want to consider letting me help you out at this gala. I made a dress and everything!" Mandy nodded. "I can help keep Rarity under control."

Oprah's expression went dour, and she raised an eyebrow. "You sure you're not gonna go crazy too?"

This question, however, was dismissed with a breezy laugh. "Oprah. This is a gala. I know better!"

"Mhm." The Director gave a sly smile, then turned and headed for the door. "See you later."

"Bye!"

The sound of the bell tinkling marked Oprah's exit, although it didn't cheer Mandy up like it did all the other times it rang. She swiveled around in her chair and restarted the sewing machine, Olive looking on in worry as four words danced simultaneously on their lips.

"Rarity...please come back."

---

Over the course of three days, Precinct 13579 had given up.

Not the fight, of course. Odd forbid. The world would end then.

They had given up their search for Rarity.

In spite of Odd Squad's modus operandi of perseverance, there are only so many tries you can pursue before you become on the brink of collapsing and giving up. Agents had hit that point, believing that Rarity had got AWOL without telling anyone.

Still, when the gala went underway, the air was somewhat lively, with just a twinge of anxiety and upset lingering. Lights emitted from a large disco ball that melodically spun around the room, making the bullpen look more like an easy trap for a mare with a keen eye for design -- which wasn't its intent, but would be great if it did trap a mare with a keen eye for design.

"I wonder when Mandy's going to get here." Olive mused, sitting at a nearby table with Otto, who happily finished sipping his drink of sparkling apple juice.

"She did say she wouldn't be late, but the gala's already starting!"

"At least the other ponies are here. And they look so regal!"

Indeed, the Mane Five were willing attendees at the gala, all sporting the dresses that Peaches and Mandy had teamed up to make them. They hadn't gone for overly fancy -- not like Rarity's designs for the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot -- but they were enough to turn heads. The ponies were all huddled together, conversing about something that neither Olive nor Otto could hear.

"No Rarity, though."

"No..." Olive sighed. "I just hope this gala goes off seamlessly."

Lucky for her, fate was out to try and prove her wrong, just this once.

The double-doors opened, and in walked someone that made almost every single guest do a double take.

"Is that Mandy?"

"She looks so..."

"Refined!"

"Beautiful!"

"Like a...princess!"

Clad in a golden emerald-studded tiara, with her brown curly hair styled into a tight bun reminiscent of Oprah's, with makeup and lipstick adorning her face, was none other than Agent Mandy. Her rainbow-colored dress, plastered with silver sequins that shone when the light hit them in just the right spot, brought some color to an otherwise normally-dull aesthetic. Her curly tail was straightened and swooped down into a small curve at the end, and of course, it was adorned with a big, red, butterfly-shaped bow in the middle, with her bun sporting the same bow to secure it to her head. On her feet were a pair of high heels, silver in color, that clicked when she walked in a way that she adored. She certainly looked like a princess, and intended to make her entrance with that in mind.

As Olive and Otto stared, they snapped back to their senses enough to realize that she was approaching them and quickly arose from their seats, respectively curtseying and bowing. "Your Majesty."

Mandy giggle-n-snorted. "Hey now, no formalities! Not for this princess."

Olive straightened up and looked behind Mandy. "Peaches isn't with you?"

"She's coming. Aaaaany second now."

Olive and Otto immediately exchanged glances with each other, as if to say, "Who's gonna top this?"

The answer, of course, was walking through the door and turning heads at that moment. Gasps rippled through the area as agents became entranced by Peaches's stunning cyan-colored dress, which wasn't as flashy as Mandy's, but it was enough to pin her as an easy standout for more than just being a catperson with unique ears, claws, and a tail.

"Whoa." Otto blinked. "Glitter?"

"Peaches, you look amazing!" Olive exclaimed as the catgirl made her way over to the trio.

"Oh, it's nothing, really..."

"When you showed me your dress, I didn't think you had a whole ensemble planned!"

"Mandy and I had a sort of...fashion challenge when making the dresses for everyone." Peaches glanced at Mandy's attire. "And I think she won."

"Darn right I did!"

"Rarity's not here, though..." Olive mused aloud.

"Maybe she stayed away from the gala this time." Peaches responded.

"Doubtful." Mandy said. "Rarity wouldn't miss an event like this for the world!"

"Attention, everyone!"

A loud cry from the second floor made everyone's heads swivel towards its source. Oprah was dressed at nowhere near the level that Peaches or Mandy had achieved, but with her gold clothing and accessories, it made her look stunning nonetheless.

"Welcome to the Jackalope Gala!" she began. "I am hosting this gala in honor of my many years of serving as the Director of Precinct 13579. I am proud to have seen this precinct make strides in defeating oddness wherever it may be, with agents never giving up the fight.

"I will admit, my past stint as a Director was very disastrous. I wish not to go into details, for those uninitiated, but regardless, those days are well over now. Since I became Director again in 1983, I have led this precinct through thick and thin, and I have remained loyal to Odd Squad since I first became an agent here even in spite of the events that unfolded. It is thanks to all of you that I have been able to continue leading, and I wish for many more years of leadership -- for all of you, and for future agents!"

Applause erupted through the crowd.

"However, despite my strong leadership, there has been one person who has always been by my side. One of my best agents, who has been the heart of this precinct, always bringing her best to every single case and every single fight, and managing to lift the spirit of Odd Squad as a whole when all hope is lost." Oprah smiled. "I would like to call up my second-in-command. The one, the only...Agent Mandy!"

This time, cheers accompanied the applause as the hybrid stood up and took a bow before making her way towards the left staircase. The clinking noises her heels made were radiant and sounded almost like the impact of a hoof on the floor, but they were barely heard above the roar of the crowd. After she hugged Oprah, Mandy cleared her throat.

"Thank you, everyone! I am proud to have served as Ms. O's second-in-command for many years, and I hope I can continue to serve as such throughout many more years! I hope you'll all have fun at this Jackalope Gala tonight! Be kind, 'kay?"

The crowd applauded once more, and then dispersed. Mandy walked down the stairs with grace and headed back to the trio.

"Wow, Mandy...that was an amazing speech!"

"Eh, it was kinda impromptu! I didn't wanna go into a whole spiel or anythi-"

Mandy's words were interrupted by the sound of the double-doors opening, indicating another guest. The reactions of agents, however, quickly turned from joyful to sour.

"Oh great, it's her."

"Who's that with her?"

"Looks like...a bunch of ponies?"

Trailing behind the guest were four ponies, dressed in fancy clothing that could certainly place them on equal footing (or hoofing, perhaps) as Mandy and Peaches. The head of this group was a strikingly-brilliant stallion, with a white coat and an azure mane. Befitting of his name, he also wore pants to go along with his dashing tuxedo. Three other ponies followed suit, one a unicorn with a gavel for a cutie mark, one with spectacles resting on the bridge of her nose, and the other wearing a rather extravagant hat with a design of a swan adorning its top.

"I don't recognize those ponies..." Olive tilted her head, listening as the crowd had their eyes pinned on the new arrivals.

"Whoever they are, they sure look fancy!" Otto remarked, his tone having just the slightest twinge of jealousy.

"Rarity!"

"Hm? Oh, Mandy, darling!" The unicorn mare made her way over to the group, her plus-ones all following suit. "How lovely to see you! Do you like my dress?"

She turned, exposing a shining, near-blinding dress studded with layers of blue and diamonds at its ends that Mandy could have sworn were real...or at least as real as Equestrian diamonds were. The hybrid took in the rest of her friend's appearance -- her neat bun, her diamond-studded golden tiara, and the blue bow that sat atop her dress that looked akin to a small pair of butterfly wings.

But why was she obsessing over her appearance when there was a bigger issue at hand?

"I had it sewed just for this momentous occa-"

"Rarity, where were you these past few days?! Everyone's been asking about you, a-and I had to pose as you, and I even made some of the others' dresses for you!" Mandy could feel the stares of the crowd boring into her as she practically shouted, but didn't bother to address them. "I even made one for you, and you didn't even bother to pick it up! Instead you're wearing..." A series of scoffs bubbled up from her throat. "What, one from an Equestrian boutique?"

"Yes." Rarity nodded. "But you see, I wanted this gala to be one of the most historical in all of Odd Squad! After all, Ms. O has been a Director for many, many years, and it would be wrong for this gala to be one of those plain old boring events like in the past."

"Is...is that why you...the flashy outfi-"

"So I invited some close friends from Canterlot to attend!" Rarity giggled. "Oh, they do so enjoy fancy galas like this."

"Did you even get Ms. O's permission?" Peaches asked, although she was nearly dead-sure she knew the answer.

"Mm, well...Ms. O doesn't necessarily doesn't have a set guest list, you see. But she does seem to be a very open-minded person, especially when it comes to events like this."

Olive and Otto both stifled a giggle. "Open-minded"? Try explaining why she's refused to hire ponies into her precinct!

"Rarity...this event is for Odd Squad agents, not your stuck-up Canterlot friends!" Mandy could spot Fancy Pants and the others looking rather offended, and she shot them apologetic looks before continuing. "Do they even know Ms. O?! Do they even work for Odd Squad?!"

"Ooooh, well, no!" Rarity blinked. "But when I told them of the event, they absolutely begged me to come! And I simply cannot say no to them. It would leave such a mark on Odd Squad."

"Pardon us, Rarity." Fancy Pants and the others made their way forward. "Are these some of your human friends you've told us about?"

"Oh, yes, yes! This is Mandy."

"Nice to meet you."

"That's Olive and Otto."

"Hi!"

"Hey."

"And this is Peaches."

"Greetings."

The Canterlot denizens looked each person over, muttering various words of praise -- no doubt about the outfits.

"It's simply wonderful to meet all of you." Fancy Pants nodded. "My name is Fancy Pants. This is Swan Song..." He pointed to the mare with the swan hat. "Silver Frames..." He pointed to the mare with the spectacles. "And Golden Gavel." He pointed to the only other stallion of the group. Everyone exchanged friendly hellos.

"I must say..." Silver Frames remarked. "This seems like quite the gala."

"Oh, yes!" Mandy said, setting aside her beef with Rarity for now. "Um, it's our boss's...uh...w-well, she's led Odd Squad -- that's the organization we work for -- for a long time, and this gala is in honor of her!"

"I see. May we meet her?" the mare asked.

"Um...see, she's very busy right now. Talking." Sweat beads began to form on Mandy's face, and Peaches could swear she saw her cousin visibly shaking. "P-perhaps I can introduce you to her later?"

"That would be wonderful." Fancy Pants nodded, apparently oblivious to Mandy's anxiety as he turned to the other guests. "Now, let us go and get acquainted with some of the other humans here, hmm? I, for one, would simply love to meet them all!"

"Yes, of course, of course!" Golden Gavel said.

"Let us go!" Swan Song cheered, before the group departed with Rarity in tow as she waved at an on-the-verge-of-an-anxiety-attack Mandy.

Howcouldthisgetanyworseonoddhowcoulditgetanyworse-

Just as Peaches, Olive and Otto were about to ask Mandy if she was okay, it got worse.

"Oh, there you four are!" Oprah waved. "Mandy, that was an amazing speech you gave. Even if it wasn't much of a speech."

All the hybrid could do was let her mouth open itself and let out a series of ungodly noises from her throat that no one would ever think someone of her species could make.

"Are you all right?"

The noises continued, then coalesced into something that could best be described as either an inarticulate yell, or a long gasp being sucked in with harsh force.

"She's- mmph!" Any comfort Olive was willing to give was quickly silenced by Mandy holding a hand to her mouth.

In an effort to save face, the hybrid conjured up a glass of water and quickly chugged it, giving a satisfied "aah" and a big grin as a way to say "all righty, pipes are cleared".

"You're not getting sick, are you?" Oprah asked, a worried expression settling on her face. "I know you looked fine when you gave the speech, but many odd illnesses can progress quickly. The last thing I need is another odd outbreak, let alone one during the gala!"

Mandy didn't say anything, just let the grin turn lopsided out of nervousness. Go and tell her, you moron! If you don't, she's gonna find out eventually, and then she'll punish you and she'll probably kick Rarity out and she'll-

"Oprah...Rarity arrived at the gala a few minutes ago."

She snapped out of her thoughts. It took every single inch of willpower she had not to strangle the source of the voice with her tail.

"Agent Rarity arrived?" Oprah looked behind her. "Where? Where?!"

"Um...about that."

The noise Mandy made was somewhere in between a long slow wheeze and a soft squeal. She didn't know if it was happening to her physically, but she could mentally feel her body beginning to deflate, and any semblance of rationality or thinking had gone out her ear and was flying off to another needy person.

"Over there."

Peaches pointed to where Rarity and her guests were chatting with two agents, both of whom looked visibly uncomfortable.

"Rarity...wha..." Oprah blinked. "Wh-who are those ponies?!"

"We don't know, but she says she brought them from Canterlot to attend this gala. Apparently, word got around." Olive explained.

"So that's where she's been these past few days?!" Oprah's voice was a shout, although it attracted the attention of hardly anyone. "Out gallivanting in Equestria, telling everyone about the Jackalope Gala, instead of working?!"

If Mandy wasn't shaking before, she certainly was now. Sweat cascaded down her face, threatening to ruin the makeup she had spent hours just putting on. Villains, break in here and take me away from here. Abduct me! Capture me! I don't care, she's gonna punish me and it's gonna sting like a gajillion Staticbees!

"I will admit, I didn't prevent anyone from coming, pony or human. But I thought Rarity would have enough common sense not to bring guests!" Oprah scoffed. "No one has ever brought guests to past events unless they're parties!" She got a good look at Rarity's outfit. "And what is she wearing?! She looks like she's trying to outshine me in fashion!"

"You're pretty much right on the mark with that last bit." Otto gave an eye roll.

"Those ponies can't be here. As...refined as they may seem..." Oprah sighed. "I am limiting this gala to Odd Squad agents only!" And with that declaration, she marched off to deal with the gala crashers.

A pause lingered in the air, and then Mandy completely snapped.

Next thing she knew, Peaches was getting a nice hearty smack to the cheek. "Ow!"

"You IDIOT! You absolute IDIOT! Now everyone's gonna blame me! They're gonna think I made Rarity bring in guests, but I didn't! I didn't bring guests in and- mmph!"

Now it was Mandy's turn to have her mouth plugged by a hand. By Olive's hand as payback, in fact. "Mandy, stop! You're ridden with anxiety. You're not thinking straight!"

"Momma, don't you get it?!" Mandy snapped, throwing Olive's arm down. "These agents come to both me and Oprah for support. If she suffers, I suffer along with her. If agents hate her, then they will most certainly hate me as well."

Peaches could only blink for a few moments before words came tumbling out. "Cuz, that's the stupidest logic I've ever heard! You and Oprah aren't one in the same. You're different people in different positions!"

"If I don't take action then I will be seen as a failure! Agents will hate me! My position at Odd Squad will be no more!"

It was now Mandy's turn to receive a "you're acting stupid" slap, one given by Peaches herself.

"Mandy, calm down! Just...calm down." Olive said. "Look, Oprah will handle the situation. It's her gala."

The slap was what made the hybrid snap out of it. She took a deep breath. "Y-you're right!" A bout of nervous laughter slipped its way forth either way, though, as she rubbed her cheek. "You're right. I-I'm fine! I'm fine."

Otto had to bite his tongue so the words "no, you're definitely not fine" weren't said.

"Well, I say! If we are not welcome at this gala, then I do suppose we should take our leave!"

The sound of Fancy Pants's voice caused the group to turn their attention towards the stallion, looking rather offended as he began to make his way towards the steel double-doors. Upset murmurs from the crowd lingered overhead.

"Fine! Take Rarity with you!"

The upset murmurs quickly turned into angry shouts with just those five words, spoken by an agent that no one could see.

"M-me?!"

"Rarity, don't go with them. That's an order!" Oprah bellowed, following the Canterlot elite through the bullpen while keeping her piercing brown gaze on her agent.

"Rarity? If you do not wish to come with us, dare I say, it would hurt your social standing in Canterlot." Fancy Pants remarked. "Considering you own Canterlot Carousel, ponies might stop buying your clothing."

The unicorn mare's eyes widened. For all the time she had once spent with Fancy Pants, she certainly hadn't thought of how her boutique and her business would be affected. She glanced at Oprah, then at Fancy Pants and the others, and back and forth again.

"Rarity..." came Oprah's voice, through gritted teeth.

"Is Oprah really making Rarity choose?" Olive asked, although the repeated chants of other Odd Squad agents to "get her out, get her out" made her question rather rhetorical.

"Oh cattails."

"Those agents aren't looking too happy!" Otto tacked on.

"They're gonna riot, they're gonna riot!" Mandy panicked. "I hafta get out there!"

"Mandy, don't!"

The hybrid ignored Olive's cry, instead running as fast as her high heels would allow her to go...which only ended in disaster when one of her heels snapped off, sending her tumbling to the ground. A pain began to rocket through her leg, and it didn't take her long to deduce what had happened. "Oww, my ankle!" she cried out, pulling herself up as she gazed backwards at her wings. At least I can still move...

"EVERYONE STOP!!"

The echoing cry made everyone, even Rarity and her guests, stop and look at Mandy, hovering in midair with her right foot hanging completely limp.

"Ms. O, are you really making Rarity choose between going back to Equestria or staying here?"

"These agents don't want her here, Mandy. Rarity's only intent was to show off and that's it!"

"Wh- now, that is simply not true!"

"Then how come you were missing for three days straight? I've been worried sick about you, and so have Peaches, Mandy and the other ponies! Not one of them could find you! All because you were gathering up some other ponies from Equestria to attend the gala when I thought I had implied this was strictly for Odd Squad agents!"

"But it was all in good intention! I-I wanted this gala to be special for you, Ms. O!" Rarity cried out. "After all... Odd Squad and Equestria are connected, no? It would do you some good to connect with some Equestrian natives."

That was the boiling point for the Director. Her face began to turn red, and her expression twisted into one of rage that most every agent was familiar with. Mandy landed on her feet, the pain seeming nonexistent to her as she watched her boss let it all loose.

"I don't want Equestrian natives in my Odd Squad! I am happy with my precinct the way it is, and I don't need some...some..." She squeezed her eyes shut. "...prissy ponies to change it!"

This earned her a collective gasp from Rarity and her guests. The other Mane Five, likewise, looked hurt as well.

"Well!" Fancy Pants slammed a hoof down. "I think it is safe to say that we will not be returning here again! We are leaving!"

His other guests agreed, giving disgruntled murmurs as they shot Oprah killing glares and followed the stallion out the doors.

Rarity's eyes began to fill up with tears. "M-Ms. O-"

"Go."

A pause.

"But-"

"What are you waiting for? GO!!"

Rarity sniffled. She looked at all of the guests, most of whom nodded in agreement with their boss. She looked at Mandy and her group, all giving sympathetic looks.

And then she looked at her friends, who were wearing looks of disapproval. The looks she hated the most.

With that, the mare took off running, sobbing loudly and dramatically as she went through the double-doors.

"Rarity, wa- aah!" As Mandy began to take off after her, she promptly fell on the floor again, forgetting that she had an injury. The pain came back, and she grit her teeth.

Olive was quick to race over to her. "Mandy, are you okay?"

"My ankle's sprained..."

"Keep your weight off of it for now." Olive urged, helping Mandy to her one good foot. "Fly instead."

"This gala is over." came Oprah's voice, sending a ripple of concerned murmurs through the crowd.

"But at least Rarity's gone!" one agent called out. "Oh, we were so worried she was going to outshine you again, boss!"

The murmurs turned into sounds of agreement.

"Really?" Mandy said, her expression turning into one of disgust as she hovered above the group. "Maybe it's true outshining Ms. O was Rarity's intent, or maybe it's not. I don't know. It still doesn't give you a right to go against her!" She scoffed. "Has anyone even tried just talking to her and addressing their concerns with her?"

As expected, a lot of the answers were something along the lines of "no" or "I never thought of it".

A growl burst its way forth from the hybrid's throat. "Ms. O-"

"Don't."

The Director gazed towards the stairs.

"I'm going to be alone."

Wordlessly, the crowd watched as their gala star ascended the left staircase, her heels clinking on the metal with a sound that everyone could hear now. When she reached her office, she opened the door, then slammed it closed as hard as one could get with a glass door without it breaking into a million pieces. A concerned collective gasp then followed.

"I'm disappointed in you. All of you!" Mandy said, watching as the agents turned their attention from their boss's office to her. "Odd Squad is supposed to be about teamwork. Working together to achieve a common goal. Well here's some logic for you: teamwork doesn't work when all of you gang up on someone else!" She narrowed her eyes. "The least you could've done was talk to Rarity and tell her that her outfits are too flashy. She probably would've listened if you did that!" A scoff. "But noooo. You had to shoo her out when the time was right. Some pathetic lot you all are."

To accentuate her point, she flew down to a table filled with assorted cups and a punch bowl, and slammed her fist on it. "Fashion designers know where to draw the line between being fashionable and being a show-off! I should know, I AM ONE!!"

Her angry gaze swept the room. She didn't take in the others' concerned and startled reactions, instead hyperfocusing on one particular agent.

"You."

"M-m-me?"

"You're one of the agents I saw the other day, talking about Rarity and how she acted at previous events."

The girl's eyes widened. "You listened?!"

"Well, we were standing right there and you happened to walk by with your partner. These pony ears aren't just for show, ya know!"

The girl looked like she was on the verge of crying. "I-I'm sorry."

"Don't tell it to me, tell it to the pony you hurt!" After her gaze swept the room for any sign of her partner, it stopped on Olive. "Momma!"

"Yes?"

"Take this agent, find her partner and Rarity, and have both of them apologize to her. Now. Make sure they settle their differences."

"Right!" Olive obeyed, if not on instinct, then because she knew Authoritarian Mandy was not a Mandy you wanted to mess with on any given day.

"As for the rest of you..." Mandy's gaze softened. "You heard our boss. Go home. The gala is over."

"Sugarcube..." Applejack's disheartened voice briefly broke the hybrid out of her sad stupor. "We'd like to help with cleanup, if we can. I think Rarity just needs some time to herself. To talk with these agents about their concerns n' such."

"I have no problem with that." Mandy said. "Rainbow Dash, can you get some gauze from the Medical Bay for my ankle, please? It's sprained and it's gonna get infected if I don't stay off of it."

"Yeah, sure." The Pegasus quickly soared up to Dr. O's workplace, finding it still lit and making her way inside.

"Let's move!" Two claps were given -- a signal, albeit a rare one from Directors, for agents to begin moving on their assigned tasks. Whatever they were doing after that, however, Mandy didn't care about. Her entire body began to ache with sadness.

All the work I did...all the work everyone did...and for nothing. Three days were spent planning this gala...and for nothing.

And it's all because of that stupid,[i/] arrogant...mare-ogant...ha...

She took a deep breath. Pun aside. I shouldn't get mad. I'm not gonna stoop to these agents' level. Let them work it out amongst themselves. Maybe then, Rarity will see the error of her ways, and things will be fine again.

Be that as it may, though, there's one thing that's undeniable.

"This gala was a disaster."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, cuz." Peaches said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault."

"Yeah, it was just a misunderstanding." Otto said.

"I know, but...I really wanted this to go off without a hitch for Oprah. She's done so much for this precinct, and for Odd Squad. To have this gala ruined, it's...a disgrace to her!"

No one gave a rebuttal to that. The group stayed silent for a while, until Mandy snapped her fingers. "Ah! I have an idea!"

"What is it?" Peaches tilted her head.

Mandy smiled. "What kind of cake flavor does Oprah like?"

Otto caught on immediately, and nodded. "Now that we can do!"

---

Long after having cried her eyes out, Rarity sat in the back of her Odd Squad boutique. Mascara streaked down her face in an artistically gloomy way. Her dress had been taken off and thrown on the cyan couch that she still had to get rid of. She looked to be a mess all around -- surely a prospective villain who just needed to jump off the slippery slope.

Three knocks at the door.

"Rarity, can we come in?"

It was Olive's voice.

A pause, and then the door opened, the little bell tinkling its familiar tune.

"Rarity? It's Olive. I've brought someone who has something to say to you."

The mare summoned up what anger she had left to give a "hmph" of protest. She didn't know whom Olive had brought, but that didn't mean she was so keen on turning herself around and scaring them with her horrid appearance, allowing them to mock her further.

"Rarity? We, um..." The sound of a boy's voice. "We've said some really awful things about you that we shouldn't have."

"See, me and a bunch of other agents...we all think that the outfits you wear to parties and stuff are too...well...they make you seem like a showoff."

Rarity lifted her head, her expression contorting into one of upset. The girl continued.

"And we know you're a fashion designer, and you take pride in your work, but we'd appreciate it if you perhaps, um...maybe toned it down with your outfits?"

A pause lingered in the room. Rarity's expression turned into one of a softer upset. She stood up and gave a soft inhale. "All I wanted was to make this gala special for Ms. O. I never meant to steal the show for myself with my outfit, but..." She bit her lip. "Part of what I love in being a fashion designer is having creative freedom. Perhaps I...do go overboard with my outfits, but when I do, it is only out of love and passion for what I do for a living."

Olive could see the two agents gritting their teeth, no doubt feeling massive regret now that they were aware of just how much Rarity loved her job.

"I'm terribly sorry for what I've done, but please...do try to understand."

The boy opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word in, Olive spoke in his stead. "You know, Rarity, part of the reason why you and Mandy work so well together on making clothing is because Mandy doesn't usually go overboard with creating outfits like you sometimes tend to do. Key word being 'sometimes', of course..." She rolled her eyes. "But why don't you consult her if you ever feel like something you make might not be fitting for an event? Or just in general? After all, she is a fashion designer as well. She just doesn't do it for a living like you do. But it's a fun hobby for her." Her face brightened. "Peaches as well. And me. I can only sew up Burly Bears uniforms...but Peaches? She sewed that yellow dress she wears herself. One of the reasons she was a pariah of Vallea was because of her love of fashion. I'm sure she would love to help you out if you would just extend a hoof to her."

Rarity wanted to snap at her right then and there. Tell her that she didn't need her worldly Odd Squad Director advice. Why was she even apologizing anyway, when she wasn't telling Rarity to haul flank?

But deep down inside, she knew she was right. Why did she have to drag Peaches and Mandy into this, tho-

"Believe in your friends, Rarity."

...Oh. Maybe that was why.

She thought back to all the fun times she had with her friends.

I grew up with Mandy, the little doll. Ever since she was a baby...she's never had a mean bone in her body for anyone but nasty villainous ruffians. A pain stabbed her heart as she thought back to the gala. She wanted this gala to be perfect, too, perhaps. She even made outfits together with Peaches. And I just ended up ruining it...for what? Just to bring a couple guests from Canterlot who didn't even know Ms. O?

I didn't just let Ms. O down. I let Mandy down, too.

She's my friend. Why did I do this?

And Peaches...I admittedly have not known her for very long, but she's so nice. Would it be too much of a stretch to say that this was her very first party she ever attended? Perhaps. Any way you slice it, all I did was mess things up for her.

And Olive...the dress she's wearing is so stunning I simply must wonder if she's lying to me and she made that herself. It is the perfect dress for her. But I only ended up ruining the gala for her too.

Thoughts swirled around in her head like a slop stew of every food imaginable. She began to cry again, feeling her nose clog up and something wet streaming down her face.

But before she sent herself into another crying fit, she uttered out, "I...suppose I could do that."

"Wonderful!"

The girl stepped forward. "I'm really sorry for saying all those things, Rarity. Mandy was right. I should have come straight to you instead of talking behind your back."

"I'm sorry too." The boy nodded. "From now on, I'll talk to you if there's an issue between me or my partner."

Rarity stood up. The agony of a meltdown was coming, and she couldn't stop it. She needed to get out of here as quickly as possible. "I just...think I need to be alone for the night."

"We'll respect that." Olive nodded. "The other ponies are helping with cleanup in the bullpen, so feel free to contact them if you need anything, okay?"

She received only a soft "mmm" in response.

"And don't go near Ms. O right now. She's..." Olive winced. "Not happy. To put it mildly."

That tidbit didn't matter to Rarity. She wasn't going to see Ms. O anyway. That would be a fool's errand. Besides, she had some crying to do.

She quickly speed-trotted past Olive and past the agent pair, opening the door and closing it. The sound of running hoofsteps were heard going to the right -- no doubt the mare was heading for the Bedroom for some alone time.

"Is she gonna be okay?" the boy asked.

Olive nodded, although it wasn't one of her usual confident nods. "You two did the right thing. Once she reflects on our words, I'm sure she'll be fine. Now come on." She made her way towards the door. "You can help clean up in the bullpen."

The two partners exchanged glances with each other, as if telling each other that they weren't sure if their senior's words rung true, but followed her out the door nonetheless.

---

Oprah set the flower crown she had made herself and worn to the gala down on her office desk. She contemplated taking off her dress as well, but realized that she wasn't wearing anything under it. Odd forbid some agent wandered in and found her naked...she needed to spare herself the embarrassment.

A knock at the glass door nearly made her jump, and she swiveled her head to find Peaches and Otto entering the room.

"Hey, Oprah!" Peaches waved. "Otto and I brought you a cake! You know, as a present of sorts."

The three-layer chocolate cake was set down on the table. Oprah had to resist gawking. And how do you think I'm going to eat all of that? Not to mention, chocolate isn't even my favorite flavor! Still, her mouth watering spoke words of the contrary. She shook her head. "I'm not hungry right now, Peaches. But thank you."

"You still upset over the gala?"

Oprah sighed, her tired brown eyes fixating on Otto. "I'm not upset over the gala so much as I'm upset with...Rarity." The dryness in her mouth was only made worse by the name dancing on the edge of her tongue, like a poison. "She brought her haughty little pony friends to the gala and didn't even tell me!"

"I'm sure she didn't have malicious intent behind it." Peaches said. "I will admit, I don't know Rarity as well as the two of you do, but from what I do see, she's very loyal to Odd Squad."

"Then how do you explain all the other times she supposedly outshone me?" Oprah snapped. "Now I see those two agents weren't lying to me when they talked about barring her from the gala."

"I guess you could say she got a little carried away." Otto scratched the back of his neck. Peaches nodded in agreement.

"It's just...this Jackalope Gala was meant to be a celebration for me. For my leadership. I didn't want it to turn disastrous like this." The Director heaved a sigh and made her way over to the couch, taking off her bracelets and necklaces next. "I should have clarified."

"Hm?"

"The blame's on Rarity, and on me. I didn't clarify that only Odd Squad agents were allowed to attend. And as a result...this is what happened."

"Not that that would have stopped her..." Otto remarked. "But as a suggestion, do you feel like...talking to Rarity? First thing tomorrow? You can sleep on it tonight."

"Good idea!" Peaches nodded. "If you two talk it out and take the time to listen to each other, you can both apologize and this whole problem can be fixed."

"It's-" She stopped herself from instinctively saying "a bad idea", instead exhaling slowly. "Not a bad idea, I suppose. But I don't know if Rarity will even want to see me again."

"Tomorrow is a new day, a fresh start!" Peaches chirped. "Just trust us, Oprah."

The Director had to resist the urge to remark on when Peaches turned into Mandy -- the wisdom she gave sounded awfully familiar. She glanced from her to Otto and back again, finally giving a resigned sigh. "You're right. Both of you. I can't brood over this." She stood up. "It's like...this has left a hole in my heart. And if talking to Rarity is what'll fill it back up again...then it's what I have to do."

Peaches and Otto exchanged smiles.

"Now, why don't you have some cake? I know you said you weren't hungry, but why not have some to cheer you up?" Peaches said, turning around and walking towards the doors. "We're gonna go downstairs and finish cleaning up in the meantime."

"Have a good night!" Otto waved as he turned on his heel and made his way out the door, Peaches following suit and leaving Oprah alone in her office once more.

She looked at the cake. She felt hungry now, even though she had a lot of juice at the gala.

"Talking to Rarity...perhaps that will fix everything." She huffed. "Perhaps. Maybe."

She closed her eyes.

"Hopefully..."

---

Cleanup hadn't taken terribly long, but between it and the events of the gala, it still left Mandy wiped clean of energy. After using the bathroom, she limped back to the Bedroom in her pajamas, her legs feeling like they were made not out of blood and bones and whatever else legs were made out of, but pure lead.

She entered the room and glanced at the clock, which read 9:00 AM. A yawn wracked her body. "I could go for two more hourzz..." she muttered, slipping back into bed and allowing her eyes to close as her head rested on the pillow.

"Mandy!"

Her eyes snapped awake and she perked up.

"Huh?!" Her head swiveled back and forth. "Where's the fire?! I didn't do it, I'm innocent!" Her gaze then landed on Rarity, who was nothing more than a blurry white-and-purple shape in her line of vision. "Oh...Rarity, look, lazzt night wazz a dizzazzter n' I just need zzleep..."

"No no, you simply must come now! Come, come!"

If Mandy had enough energy, she would let out a muffled scream straight into her pillow. Instead, she simply buried her face in it.

Rarity squinted, then gave a resigned sigh and lit up her horn.

Next thing Mandy knew, she was on the floor, the ankles of her pants being dragged by this disturbance of her peace who just so happened to be a friend of hers. She let out a faint cry of protest, being the only way she could actually protest since fatigue left her bogged down enough for physical protesting to be off the board.

The duo entered Rarity's boutique, where Oprah was standing and talking to both Peaches and Olive about a conversation that Mandy didn't care to understand.

"See, Ms. O and I, we...we had a little talk about last night. Ms. O believed that the best course of action was to make up with me." Rarity explained a few minutes later. "And..."

"We want to apologize."

For a few moments, Mandy didn't respond. Her mind had almost completely shut down. But she knew that she couldn't leave without answering -- and even if she did, these four would just hunt her down and disturb her again, anyway. So she used only a small bit of her energy to give out short responses.

"For what?"

"You're my second-in-command, Mandy, and you have been for a long time. Even if you haven't been around since the second time I became a Director, this gala was supposed to be special for you. And...I'm sorry it had to get ruined like this."

"Mm. Z' okay."

"Oprah and Rarity already apologized to us." Olive explained. "They've made up. To Peaches and I, that's all that matters."

A suggestion popped into Mandy's head.

"Hozzt 'nother gala..."

Rarity's eyes widened. She glanced at the other three girls. "Host another gala, you say...that wouldn't be a bad idea."

"I agree." Oprah nodded, and once she saw Olive and Peaches nod in agreement, she declared, "Then it's settled. Next week, we'll host another Jackalope Gala! No conflict, no interruptions, and a fun time for all of Odd Squad!"

Rarity, Olive and Peaches all let out various cheers. Mandy, on the other hand, was too tired to cheer, and could only settle for a pumped fist.

"Oh, while I have you here, why don't I look at your ankle?"

"I don't think her sprained ankle is on the list of Mandy's priorities right now, Olive."

A sad and pitiful moan left the hybrid as her face rested on the floor.

"Cuz, go to bed."

Immediately, the hybrid perked up.

Her eyes shimmered.

Her horn lit up, and she teleported away without another sound uttered or another word spoken.

"Wh- wha- I'm- what did you do that for?!" Olive cried out. "She's hurt!"

"Did you see the way Rarity dragged her in?"

"Well, she wouldn't come in any other way, darling. She's much too heavy to carry on my back. I can't practice feats of self-levitation like Twilight can. And none of you were willing to get her."

The other three remained silent.

"Anyway, the point of the matter is, me and Ms. O are good again. And now, if you will be so inclined to please leave my boutique so I may work on my dress for the next Jackalope Gala, that would be wonderful."

"Can I help?" Peaches asked.

"Oh, of course, darling. Olive, you as well. I'd like to teach you the more finer points of sewing than just running needles through fabrics of maroon and white."

Olive shrugged. "By all means. It would help with Otto's ripped suits that he somehow manages to complain about at least once every month."

"Wonderful! Please, do grab another sewing machine from the back room, if you will."

Olive nodded and headed to where Rarity pointed.

"A juice box for your efforts?"

Rarity swiveled her head to find an apple-flavored juice box being held in front of her face by a smiling Oprah. "Ms. O, darling, you've...never offered me one of these before!"

"I know. But this time is special."

"What's the occasion?"

Her smile grew wider.

"Friendship reunion."

---

Rarity, Olive, Peaches and Mandy all worked overtime on making dresses for the other ponies and for themselves. It was hard work, considering Olive's many messes and many mistakes, but the group got the work done, and were proud of what they had created.

The second Jackalope Gala, unlike the first one, went smoothly. Everyone had fun, and Rarity even got a chance to debut her new plain-and-simple-but-still-very-fashionable dress to the surprise and delight of everyone.

After many hours of dancing, socializing, and eating, agents began to clean up. Mandy had been tasked with cleaning up the Breakroom, and was scrubbing the table in an attempt to get one particular sticky juice stain out.

"Hey, Mandy?"

"Hmm?"

"You know the cake Otto and Peaches brought to me a couple days ago?"

"Yeah. What about it?" Mandy asked, not bothering to turn around.

"They said it was your idea, and I just wanted to say...thanks. But I'm not really a big cake person." Oprah made her way over to the fridge and took the cake out, which had a slice missing but was otherwise intact. "You can have it."

Any focus that Mandy had on her task was completely lost, dropped into the abyss of the Volcano Room and being incinerated by the lava below. Scrubbing the table be darned, there was a huge cake just waiting for her! A gift, from the best boss in the world!

"You're going to eat it in one bite, aren't you?" Oprah deadpanned, noticing the wide grin on her agent's face.

"Don't mind if I do!"

With her tongue quickly wrapping around the foodstuff and pulling all three layers into her mouth at once, Mandy chewed thrice, and then swallowed.

Oprah, in spite of having seen this feat before, stared, completely dumbstruck. "You didn't even taste it!"

"Aww, I know! But I can always make another one. You know that."

The two stood in silence for a long time.

Mandy blinked.

"Actually, I'm gonna go make another one."

Oprah simply rolled her eyes and chuckled, walking away as Mandy began to take out supplies to whip up another cake with.