Another Mystery Solved

Meanwhile, during the Mane 6 and Mystery Incorporated’s final face off with Dewey, the SirenSong Sisters and Emma’s parents were currently watching her amazing performance, and in just a few moments, the winner of Talent Star would be revealed.

But... the other thing that leopard sisters were thinking about were their new friends-- did they catch Dewey yet? Were they okay?

But before they had time to ask someone if they had seen their friends, Emma had finished her performance, causing the audience and those watching off to the side to cheer. “Emma Gale, everyone. Fantastic. Just fantastic, heh,” Brick said as everyone kept their eyes glued to the votes increasing on the screen. “Hey, look at those numbers. Oh, it's going to be close. Oh, it is going to be close! And the voting closes... now!”

At that second, all the votes stopped, and while Chrissy had the least amount of votes, Emma and Fred and Daphne had the same amount of votes each! “Fantastic, fantastic! Unbelievable! It's a tie!” Brick announced to the audience, just as Chrissy growled and angrily stomped away with her mother following. “Ladies and gentlemen, we're going to need a tie-breaking encore performance. Right here tonight, right after these messages.”

The audience applauded at this, and the SirenSong Sisters were giggling and congratulating Emma as Brick came over to her, the leopards and her parents. “This is...?”

“Fantastic?” Emma assumed. “Yes!” Brick chuckled. “A tie! Do you have another piece you can do?”

“Yeah,” Emma said with a frown, “but Daphne and Fred…”

“What about them?”

“They’re not here,” Eden said. “They’re chasing down another phantom with the rest of our friends!”

“Another?!”

“Apparently,” Emma’s mother added, “this time, it’s Dewey!”

“They told us leopards to keep an eye on things here,” Breena said, “and they’d be back as soon as they can.”

“Heh, always knew there was something not right about that Dewey guy,” Brick spoke before turning to Collette. “You. You're the new assistant director.”

“Sir,” Collette said in delight, “you won’t regret this--”

“Don’t care,” Brick interrupted. “Emma's up after the break. We'll just hope Blake and Jones get back in time. Go!”

And just like that, everyone separated to get ready, and Pavari sighed sadly. “I just hope Daphne and Fred get back in time…”

“We all do, sis,” said Breena, “but in case they don’t, I have an idea as to how we can stall.”

XXXXXXXX

At the same time, the gang and ponies had slid down the bridge toward the awaiting officers after Dewey had been taken into custody, and one of the officers turned to Fred and Daphne, alongside Pipp and Zipp. “Blake and Jones?”

“That’s us!” Daphne chirped. “Yep,” Zipp smirked. “And we caught…”

“Dewey Ottoman,” the officer interrupted. “Yeah, that Brick guy called, we know everything.”

“Here’s the soap diamond, officer,” Fred smiled. “Good work,” the officer said as he took the diamond. “Now, hop in. You tied with the violin girl so you gotta do a tie-breaker. We'll take you back to the show.”

“Wow, thanks!” Pipp smiled. “But, you really don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do,” the officer smiled. “I got 50 bucks on your friends to win.”

XXXXXXXX

After everyone in the groups had piled into the police truck, they zoomed toward the opera house at top speed, and Velma took this chance to explain to the others some of the things she and Zipp found earlier. “So Dewey was the Phantom who faded away in that stairwell.”

“Like, how did he do that?” Shaggy wondered. “Zipp and I checked the camera in the stairwell,” Velma explained. “He had made a video loop of the empty stairwell and spliced it into the camera feed.”

“Of course!” Sunny realized. “So when he ran in there…”

“He activated the loop with a remote,” Zipp concluded, “switching the view on the monitor to the empty stairwell and making it look like he disappeared!”

“Honestly, that’s pretty clever,” Misty pointed out. “In a villainous sort of way.”

“But, guys,” said Velma, pulling a DVD out of her pocket, “you’ll never guess what we found when we went through all the backstage camera footage.”

“Velma’s right,” Zipp smirked. “This is gonna blow your socks, horns and hooves off!”

XXXXXXXX

At the same time, Breena was using her fiery magic to add a little more special effects to Emma’s final performance, and let Breena and her sisters tell you…

…Emma was a sure contender for that prize money.

After her performance was finished, the crowd applauded, as well as the sisters, as Brick came onto the stage again. “Fantastic, Emma, just fantastic. And look at those numbers!” Brick smiled. “Now it's Blake and Jones's turn and… apparently, they are NOT in the building. So it looks like they forfeit their…”

“Wait a second!” Breena interrupted as she and her sisters flew in front of him, hoping to stall until their friends returned. “Me and my sisters could always perform our new song while we wait for them to get here! You know… as a crowd-pleaser?”

“Sorry, girls, but we just don’t have that kind of time,” Brick said, “So, I’m afraid that--”

“You can't bring that dog in here!”

Everyone gasped as they saw Mystery Inc and the Mane 6 trying to get to the stage, but the security guard stopped them in their tracks. “Hold it right there.”

“Sir, you don’t understand!” Misty said sternly. “We need to get in here!”

“Exactly! And just because Scooby is a dog,” Pipp agreed, “doesn’t give him any less right to be here!”

“They’re exactly right,” the officer from before said, stepping forward. “That dog was instrumental in the apprehension of a dangerous felon.”

The security guard blinked a moment before moving aside. “Uh… you can bring that dog in here.”

“Finally… and all it took was a police officer to help us,” Hitch rolled his eyes. “Come on,” Velma said to the others as Fred, Daphne, Hitch and Pipp took the stage. “We have to make some arrangements.”

Scooby shot the security guard a little smirk as they walked past, and Hitch and Pipp waited off to the side with the SirenSong Sisters as the audience cheered and Fred and Daphne walked onstage. “Ladies and gentlemen, Blake and Jones are here for their tie-breaker!” Brick announced before turning to them. “Where were you?”

“We caught another phantom,” Fred smiled. “Fantastic, just fantastic,” Brick congratulated. “How many does that make now?”

“Three,” Fred spoke. “Four,” Daphne added, “if you count the original phantom.”

“Call me Steve!” Steve called as he waved from the front row. “Fantastic work. Fantastic,” Brick told the duo. “Are you ready for your tie-breaker performance?”

However, Fred seemed confused at this. “We have to perform our song again?”

“No,” Brick answered, “you have to do another song, heh. Grab your guitar, you're on. Blake and Jones, ladies and gentlemen! Aren’t they fantastic?”

But, as Fred and Daphne went offstage, they turned to their temporary manager. “Pipp, what are we gonna do?” Fred asked. “We didn't rehearse anything else!”

“Well, in show business,” said Pipp, “sometimes you just have to work with what you have. But we need to come up with something fast.”

Suddenly, as Pipp said this, Daphne got an idea. “Wait… we actually do have something else!”

“Oh my pony, you’re right!” Pipp smiled, remembering what Daphne had said the previous night before turning to Fred. “Freddy, that song you wrote? Well, Daph wrote some words for it.”

“She did?” Fred looked surprised. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“Just start playing,” Daphne told him. “ This will work. It has to.”

XXXXXXXX

Up in the control room, K.T could see that Fred and Daphne were walking onstage as a soft guitar tune began to play throughout the opera house... and then, Velma, Shaggy, Scooby and the rest of the Mane 6 walked in. “What is it now?”

“Well, K.T,” Zipp said with a smirk, “we thought you might be able to help us with a little surprise.”

XXXXXXXX

“Do you really think Daphne’s lyrics and Fred’s song will be enough?” Hitch asked Pipp and the leopard sisters from off to the side. “I mean… Emma is some pretty tough competition.”

“Once you hear it, Hitch,” said Pipp, eyes focused on the stage, “it’ll blow you away-- trust me.”

“Well, we’re about to hear it for ourselves,” said Pavari nervously… just as Daphne began to sing to Fred, imagining no one else was in the room.

Daphne: We’ve been close a long time
As close as friends can be
But in my heart's a secret
For only you and me

I've tried to tell it many times
But my nerves got in the way
Well, I can't wait another night
To say what l must say

I love you…

Fred: I love you…

Daphne: I love you
Yes, I do…

Fred and Daphne: I love you…

And then, just as the melody came to a close... Daphne and Fred shared their first kiss in front of that audience, causing the ponies, the rest of Mystery Inc and the SirenSong Sisters to smile in happiness.

Daphne had finally shared her feelings for Fred, and at the perfect time.

By the time the kiss ended, so did the song, and the audience roared in applause. Daphne was sure that she and Fred were going to win with this performance... at least... until she saw Emma and her parents waving on the other side of the stage, making her remember that they were close to losing pretty much everything they had.

A thought she couldn't bare to think about. “Fred…”

Fred looked over at Emma too, and remembered the same thing before he and Daphne turned to look at Pipp.

Pipp wanted Fred and Daphne to win more than anything, but… Emma and her family needed the money a lot more.

So, she, Hitch and the SirenSongs nodded at each other before nodding at Fred and Daphne.

And this nodding made everyone silently agree that they had to throw the contest in Emma’s favor.

Daphne then cleared her throat and decided to pull some of the jokes Shaggy had come up with earlier to stop people from voting for them. “Say, Fred, what bone will a dog never eat?”

“I don’t know, Daphne.”

“A trombone!”

As Fred and Daphne continued to laugh, the audience muttered in confusion, prompting them to continue with the scheme.

“Say, Fred, what vegetable do you get when you cross a dog with a rose?”

“I don’t know, Daphne.”

“A collie-flower!”

XXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, back in the control room, the others were seeing what was happening, and Shaggy was confused beyond measure as the audiences began to boo. “Like, what the heck are they doing?”

“They’re throwing the contest!” Izzy realized. “Right!” Sunny nodded. “So Emma can win and her family can keep their farm!”

“Awww…” Scooby cooed. “That is so sweet.”

“Way to go, sis…” Zipp smiled at her sister’s allowance to Fred and Daphne to pull such a stunt. “Way to go.”

XXXXXXXX

“Say, Fred,” Daphne continued telling some more jokes, “what did the dog say to the tree?”

“I don’t know, Daphne.”

“Bark!”

Fred and Daphne laughed for a few moments more, and the booing got even louder, so Daphne and Fred decided to walk offstage and rejoin their friends just as Brick walked onstage, clearly confused by the events. “Well, that was uncomfortable, heh. All right. The voting closes… now!”

“Come on, come on…” Eden muttered, wings around her sisters in anticipation. “Come on…!!”

And at that moment, the votes stopped coming in, and it was clear to the world who the winner of Talent Star that season was. “Fan-tas-tic!” Brick smiled. “The winner is… Emma Gale!”

The crowd ultimately went wild at this, and Emma joyfully hugged her parents before walking onto the stage and hugging the SirenSong Sisters before shaking Brick’s hand. “Congratulations, Emma. Fantastic. Just fantastic. And Blake and Jones,” Brick said, shaking Fred’s hand as Fred and Daphne walked onto the stage, “you may not have won, but congratulations on catching all of the phantoms. All of them, every last one.”

“Not quite all,” Fred told him. “Velma, roll the footage!”

Zipp activated a lever that activated the DVD that Velma had showed them earlier, and no one, not even Brick himself, could believe what was on it.

Brick dressing up as the phantom as well!

Brick was stunned that he was finally caught and tried to run for it, but Pipp and Hitch, along with the SirenSong Sisters helped the police officers block his path. “That’s enough, Pimiento!” the officer who got them back to the show sneered. “Wait, you don’t understand! I had to do it. The ratings have been dropping for years. I needed the publicity. You don't know what it's like, being around all you talented people all the time and being… me!” Brick exclaimed in frustration. “What am I good at? Nothing. All I do is smile and say ‘fantastic’ a lot. I am pathetic!”

“Well, guess what?” Breena snarled. “You’re gonna look a lot more pathetic behind bars.”

“Come on, Pimiento,” the officer said, taking Brick by the arms. “I would have gotten away with it,” Brick sighed, “if it weren’t for--”

“--those meddling kids, ponies and their nosy dog,” the officer finished. “Yeah yeah, we know.”

“Do you think this is the last one?” Hitch asked. “Don’t know,” one of the officers said before turning to the audience. “Hey, is anyone else the phantom? Show of hands?”

But, when no one raised their hands, the officer turned to Hitch and Pipp again. “Yeah, looks like we got them all.”

The officers began to escort Brick away when the officer from earlier turned to Fred and Daphne. “You guys owe me 50 bucks.”

Fred and Daphne chuckled nervously as the officers were leading Brick away… just before Breena spoke up to the crowd. “Well, everyone, the show isn’t over yet! Who wants to hear the song me and my sisters wrote right now?!”

The crowd cheered at this, and this led Eden to giggle. “All right, guys! Hit it!”

Pipp hit a button on her phone, and music that started out as whistling began to play, just before the sisters began to sing and take the stage as the ponies and Mystery Inc watched from down below.

Breena: It’s some kind of love, it's some kind of fire
I'm already up, but you lift me higher
You know I'm not wrong, you know I'm not lyin'
We do it better, yeah, we do it better, yeah

Eden: I don't mind if the world spins faster
The music's louder

Pavari: The waves get stronger

Eden and Pavari: I don't mind if the world spins faster
Faster, faster

SirenSong Sisters: Just let me take you to a better place
I'm gonna make you kiss the sky tonight
Yeah, if you let me show the way
I'm so excited to see you excited

I'll take you to a better place, yoo-hoo
And, baby, you can love me on the way
We're flyin' up to outer space
I'm so excited to see you excited, yeah

“And now,” Breena announced to the crowd as their new friends got up on the stage with them, “please welcome Mystery Incorporated and the Unity Squad!”

The crowd cheered as the ponies and Mystery Inc took to the stage, and they began to sing alongside the sisters as well.

Hitch: You like the bass down low

Zipp: I wanna lose control

Pipp: I wanna dance all night, you like it nice and slow

Izzy and Misty: Don't want it any other way, tell all your friends you're gonna stay
When we're together, you know that

Ponies and Mystery Inc: We do it better

Sunny: I don't mind if the world spins faster
The music's louder, the waves are gettin' stronger

Ponies: I don't mind if the world spins faster
Faster, faster, faster

All: Just let me take you to a better place
I'm gonna make you kiss the sky tonight
Yeah, if you let me show the way (Show the way)
I'm so excited to see you excited

I'll take you to a better place, yoo-hoo
And, baby, you can love me on the way
We're flyin' up to outer space
I'm so excited to see you excited, yeah

I like to see you lose control
(Ain't nobody better, we do it better)
I know a place, say that you'll go with me, yeah
(Ain't nobody better, we do it better)

Then, the ponies' cutie marks sent fireworks blastiing upward and above the audience, who cheered louder with every lyric sung.

All: Just let me take you to a better place
I'm gonna make you kiss the sky tonight
Yeah, if you let me show the way (Show the way)
I'm so excited to see you excited

I'll take you to a better place, yoo-hoo
And, baby, you can love me on the way
We're flyin' up to outer space
I'm so excited to see you excited, yeah!

The song ended there, prompting the audience to cheer, and all members of that group took a bow.

The portal would soon come to take the Equestrians home, but they were almost too happy to care. Cause they knew that if they stuck together in unison, just like the members of a band...

...they were going to harmonize their way to victory.

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