> How to Tell Your Friends You're Dating a Changeling
>  by Infinite Carnage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Hey, you awake?"

Rainbow grumbled in annoyance as her eyes fluttered open. Her eyelids still felt heavy, but her natural stubbornness pushed her to open them and face the new day. Next to her was a black figure with a satisfied grin on his face. Rainbow poked out her tongue at him and tried to roll the other way.

"Ugh, five more minutes, alright? Don't changelings get tired?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing about ponies. Judging by last night’s performance, you rarely do." She lightly punched him in the foreleg. But this only caused the changeling's smile to grow wider. "Anyway, this has been most enjoyable, but I must depart."

Dash's eyes flew open as she quickly shot up from her bed. The changeling made his way towards the window, but took a moment to stretch his limbs out first. Rainbow wasn't completely sure what had come over her, but she knew if he left, it would be the worst possible thing.

Great, now I'm thinking like Rarity, she thought to herself.

"You're leaving today?" She couldn't hide her disappointment from the changeling.

For years, she had dealt with the gossip and rumours about her being gay. Many colts back at flight school were intimidated by a mare who was stronger than them. So to bring her down, they started spreading rumours about her sexuality. They never really stopped, even when she went to Ponyville.

Even her best friend, Fluttershy, had thought she was for several years before realising Rainbow's real preference. As you might imagine, finding a coltfriend was pretty tough when everypony thought you preferred the same sex. So on Saturday nights, she would often find herself drinking her sorrows away, hoping that she would get lucky.

Then she met him.

"I'm sorry, Dash. King Daedalus is expecting me to return with love, and I can't disappoint the hive."

Her eyes pointed downwards.

Left again, she bitterly thought. Well I don't need him! I can go on my own like I always do. Who needs a...

She felt a pair of black lips make contact with hers for just a brief second, before letting go. She shook her head, stunned at the suddenness of the kiss. Then, when her mind caught up with reality, a rosy red covered her cyan cheeks.

"As I said, I must go back to the hive. However, although I have no orders to come back here, I would like to. I... have grown very fond of you. If that is alright with you."

OMYGOSHOMGOSHOMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH

"Uh, sure. I'm sure I can put you in my schedule," she said as coolly as she could muster. She could only barely contain the untold amounts of glee she had rising in her.

"I am glad. I will see you soon... my love."

With that, the bug-like being flew through the window, leaving the multicoloured pegasus to gaze at him as he flew off.

Then she realised something.

How the buck am I going to tell the girls that I'm dating a changeling?

> Disrupted Harmony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rarity was overjoyed today. It usually wouldn’t take a lot to bring her into a good mood. A creative spark, a visit from a friend, gaining a new client, even the smallest bit of luck would make her absolutely giddy with happiness.

Today, Rarity was gaining her newfound joy by simply having all her friends in her shop. Minus Rainbow Dash, but the pegasus assured her the other day that she would be there as soon as she could.

Since the boutique was being renovated, she had led them all to the only room she deemed suitable for her closest friends: her inspiration room, after it had been tidied up a bit. It only took her a moment to teleport a table, several chairs, and a tray of tea and cakes, and her room had become a makeshift gossip chamber. Sadly, Rarity had severely cut down on taking part in gossip since the Gabby Gums incident, but the less said about that, the better. At least Sweetie had learnt her lesson.

She was happy though at how marvellous the room looked with a bit of added furniture and the sun beaming through the window. The odd unfinished dress surrounding the room and the occasional piece of fabric still on the floor didn’t harm the charming effect in her eyes.

What she found quite interesting though, was why they had all been called together. Ever since she had known Rainbow, not once had she seen a single interest in romance from the athletic mare. However, she had noticed that Rainbow had all the signs of a mare who was head over hooves in love with somepony else. It was as if the pegasus was walking on air, literally. To make things even more obvious, the mare herself had randomly approached Rarity with some questions about ‘how to tell if somepony liked you.’ Rarity had respected Rainbow’s privacy, and played along when Dash said that she was just curious about it in case she had to deal with the odd stalker fan in the future.

Rarity looked up at the clock to find it was two minutes to two, and Rainbow had yet to appear to her own requested gathering. Rarity decided to take this moment to satisfy her own curiosity.

She and her friends were sitting around the oval shaped table, all sipping their cups of tea. Applejack was relaxing for once in her life, lounging in her chair with her trademark Stetson covering her eyes. Fluttershy was keeping herself to herself as usual, only occasionally joining in on the conversation. Pinkie, much to the others’ surprise, was rather quiet. Rarity assumed this was because she was too busy enjoying the cake. Finally, there was Twilight, who was the main source of conversation. That was the mare Rarity wanted to talk to.

“Oh Twilight dear,” her voice chimed throughout the room. Twilight’s head turned to Rarity expectantly. “I was wondering if you could sate my curiosity.”

“Of course, Rarity. I would be happy to help,” Twilight replied with a genuine smile. The small exchange between the two mares had garnered the attention of Applejack and Fluttershy. Pinkie was still too busy eating her cake.

“Well, I was wondering if Rainbow Dash had checked any different books out lately. What I mean by that is has she been browsing any different genres than she normally would?”

Twilight’s face scrunched up in thought. She didn’t think about the unusual nature of the question itself, as she was more focused on answering it, just like she would if she were taking a test.

“Actually, when she came back with the latest Daring Do book, she asked if I had any romance books.” Applejack adjusted her Stetson so the hat was no longer covering her eyes.

“RD, readin’ a romance story? Ya sure about that, sugarcube?”

“Yes, I found it rather odd myself. She told me that when she got to the part where Daring falls in love with a writer, she became curious and wanted to try a pure romance novel.”

Only Rarity was able to read between the lines of Dash’s actions. She felt an odd sense of pride in her athletic friend. Perhaps it was the fact that Rainbow had never really shown interest in pursuing a relationship before, and it seemed like she was maturing in a sense.

Those nasty rumours spread about her were probably the cause of her reluctance in finding love, Rarity mused to herself. This was something she had been musing over for sometime now. What brutes! How dare they spread outright lies about a lady’s sexuality!

The thought made her think back to when she had tried to set up Dash with Roseluck, only to be told by Dash she didn’t like mares that way. On top of that, Roseluck didn’t either. She’s had her eyes on Big Mac for some time. Rarity had to give both mares numerous apologies till she felt the embarrassment wear off.

“Um… excuse me, Rarity.”

A tiny, squeaky voice invaded the white mare’s ears, and caused her train of thought to come to a complete halt. Fluttershy had somehow managed to quietly move her chair next to Rarity’s. Rarity was used to Fluttershy unintentionally sneaking up at her, but Fluttershy seemed more conflicted than she usually did.

“Yes, darling. Whatever is the matter?”

Fluttershy took a quick sip of her tea to calm herself. She knew what this was all about. She had a feeling Rarity knew too. She just wanted to be certain.

“Rarity, I think I know why Rainbow wanted us to come today.”

“You do?”

“Two days ago, I saw her coming out of the Everfree with… another pony. He was a stallion, but I didn’t get a very good luck at him. She was nuzzling him a lot though, so I think they were together.”

“You mean as a couple, darling?” Rarity had joined in with her own hushed voice.

“I think so. Oh, I hope Rainbow isn’t mad at me for snooping. I was just…” Rarity raised a hoof in front of her friend to silence her. She would not allow Fluttershy to worry herself over nothing like she did so often.

“Fluttershy, you did absolutely nothing wrong. Tell me, did you just happen to be close by when you saw them? You didn’t actively look for Rainbow, did you?”

“Oh goodness no. If I had, I would have gone to her house. I would never follow her without her knowledge.” Rarity smiled warmly at her friend.

“You see? Darling, you have nothing to worry about. You didn’t do anything wrong at all. And you were correct. I did have a suspicion of what this was all about. But how did you know that?”

Fluttershy began to hide behind her long mane. This was something she often did when she felt pressured or nervous about talking. It was why she would never consider cutting it. The elongated pink hair acted as her last line of defence in awkward social situations.

“Well, when we talk at the spa, you usually have this twinkle in your eye when you know something others don’t. And since you don’t gossip any more, I see that twinkle an awful lot. I just thought you might know.”

Before Rarity could think over the fact she apparently had a ‘twinkle’, a knock at the door caught everypony’s attention. Rarity’s eyes drifted to the window, where she found it was still closed. Rainbow very rarely used the door, unless she was arriving with others, so she assumed it must have been a client, or perhaps another fabric delivery.

She took another sip of her tea, savouring the milky taste of the brew, before gently placing the cup and saucer on the oval table.

“If you would excuse me, everypony, I believe that must be a client. If Rainbow arrives, tell her to continue without me.”

“Ya can take yer time, Rare,” assured Applejack. “RD probably won’t be here for a while yet.” 

Pinkie, for the first time in the conversation, put down the cake and joined in. “Yeah, Dashie’s always late! Not for my parties though, she’s never late for my parties because she always likes my parties. But there was that one party we had for Octavia when she hooked up with the Doctor, and she was late for that because she knocked herself out when she hit her head on her kitchen table when doing a balancing trick in her house. Hey, don’t you think the Doctor is a silly name? When I first asked who he was, he said he was the Doctor. Then I asked, Doctor who? But he just laughed and said, just the Doctor. He’s super smart though, just like Twilight, so I thought he would like to ask her out, but then Tavi asked him out first and he said yes and she was super-duper happy. Oh wait, I just called her Tavi. I think only Vinyl is allowed to—”

Rarity had stopped listening when Pinkie began talking about the Doctor. She abandoned the rest of her friends to suffer through a Pinkie rant and descended down the staircase to investigate the knocking on her front door.

Some scaffolding was still up from the renovations, but the entrance leading into the shop was generally tidy. Rarity had insisted on this so none of her clients would be put off from entering the building. Luckily, few of her ‘friends’ from Canterlot had paid a visit since the renovations began. Only Fancy Pants and his wife, and they were some of the least judgemental ‘friends’ she had made in the capital city.

The knocking continued.

“Just a minute, darling. I’ll be there in a moment.”

The knocking sounded urgent, so Rarity assumed whoever it was, was in a rush. She had no intention of making the pony at the door wait, so she quickened her pace and arrived at the door at a brisk speed. She cleared her throat and opened the door with her usual dramatic flair. With a tossed mane, and her best posh voice, she swung the door open with a greeting.

“Welcome to Carousel Bout—”

Rarity stopped mid-sentence when she noticed exactly who she was addressing. It was the chromatic-maned pegasus mare herself, Rainbow Dash. Rainbow’s usual bravado and confidence was missing, and in its place was a meekness that was normally saved for Fluttershy. She was shyly rubbing a hoof along the back of her head, and avoiding eye contact with her friend.

“O-oh, hey, Rare. What’s up?” Rarity had barely shaken off the surprise of seeing her friend acting like this when she replied.

“Rainbow Dash? Are you alright?” Rarity was beginning to become worried. The last time she saw her anywhere close to this was when she was preparing for the Best Young Flier’s competition.

“I-I’m good, I guess. Is everypony else here?” Rainbow still had yet to look at Rarity directly.

“Rainbow, are you sure you’re alright? Has something happened?”

Rainbow finally looked up, and her eyes were filled with worry. Rainbow also looked very tired, as if she had been up all night. When the Element of Loyalty had visited the other day, and asked if they could meet at Rarity’s the next day, she seemed perfectly fine. Rarity decided to take a chance and confront the athletic mare with what she knew.

“Rainbow, I know why you called us here today.”

“YOU DO!?”

Any sign of how tired Rainbow Dash was miraculously disappeared in that moment. Her head snapped forward and she jumped up in the air and remained up there with the use of her wings. Rarity had gone this far, so she decided to go all the way.

“Yes, I know about your coltfriend. That’s why you called us here, to tell us the news, yes?” A wave of relief fell over Rainbow as she wiped some sweat off her brow.

She doesn’t know, she thought. Well, she kinda knows. Only half of it I guess. I’d better get this over with. She gently floated down so she could address Rarity properly.

“Yeah, you got me, Rare,” she nervously chuckled. Rarity smiled when she noticed that Rainbow had cheered up slightly. “But uh, there’s a little bit more to it. So we should probably get this over with.”





“So, what’s all this about, RD?” Applejack asked curiously. “Ya look more nervous than the time Ah caught Apple Bloom with ’er hoof in the cookie jar.”

The meek nature that Rainbow Dash had displayed before was returning the more her friends continued to stare at her. The awesome persona she had built for herself over the years was more fragile than she would like to have thought. She had gratefully accepted the cup of tea, and at first, was making idle chat with her friends like she usually did. However, Twilight continued to press on about why they had been brought here. Her natural curiosity had gotten the better of her. Because of this, Dash could no longer change the subject, and would have to face the music. Or rather, the judgement of her closest friends.

In one single motion, Rainbow swallowed her courage, and began to speak.

“So, thanks for coming, guys. It means a lot to me. I guess I had better tell you guys what’s going on.” Pinkie’s eyes practically bulged out of her head as she got right in Rainbow Dash’s face.

“Oh my gosh, are you sick? No wait, you look nervous. Oh my gosh, my ear flop, twitchy eye and hoof itch means one of my friends was going to reveal a massive secret to us! ARE YOU PREGNANT!? BABY SHOWER TIME!”

The walls of the boutique nearly came down as Pinkie Pie shouted the last line. Fluttershy dropped her tea cup in shock while Applejack’s jaw nearly came unhinged at the thought. Rainbow saw the looks she was getting, especially around her belly, and was going to have none of it.

“What!? No, I am not pregnant!” A large sigh of relief escaped her friend’s mouths and they began to get comfy again. “I’m… seeing somepony.”

The mood shifted back to surprise, but this was more of a nice surprise, opposed to the sheer shock and horror of Pinkie’s sudden outburst. Speaking of which, Pinkie, who was still directly in front of Dash, started to giggle to herself.

“Silly Dashie,” she managed to get out through her laugh, “I’m seeing somepony too.”

Everypony in the room was suddenly blown back by Pinkie’s announcement. Eyes darted towards her as the pink mare began to hop in front of each of her friends.

“Pinkie? You’re seeing somepony as well? For how long?” inquired Twilight. Pinkie waved a hoof nonchalantly.

“All the time. I see all the ponies coming into the shop, I see Mr and Mrs Cake, and I’m seeing all of you guys right now.” Twilight had to use all of her strength to resist facehoofing when she realised what Pinkie meant.

“Pinkie, do you mean you’re looking at us?”

“Yeah, that’s what Dashie said.”

Applejack shook her head. “Actually, sugarcube, Dash meant she’s dating a fella. Am Ah right?” Dash nodded in agreement.

Pinkie suddenly came to a halt in mid-air and just stayed there for a moment. Twilight would be freaking out about how Pinkie just casually broke the laws of physics for months after, but it was as if a light bulb had been switched on inside Pinkie’s head. She craned her head towards Dash, blinked several times, and then suddenly launched herself at her rainbow-haired friend and wrapped her in a gigantic hug. The sheer glee on Pinkie Pie’s face would be hard for anypony throughout time to match.

“Dashie! I’m so happy for you! We have to throw you a party! A ‘Dash is finally getting herself some’ party! And everypony in town will come and—”

A hoof shoved in Pinkie’s mouth was the only thing that would stop her at that point. Dash had managed to wriggle a foreleg out and stop the party mare’s tirade before she went too far. Dash’s previous fear was gone, and in its place was annoyance.

“Pinkie, nopony wants to go to a party just because I got laid. And where did you get the idea I wasn’t getting it before?”

Rarity avoided eye contact.

With Pinkie finally calming down, the rest of the girls decided that congratulations were in order, and delivered them with relief and sincerity. Many of them were glad that Dash had finally shaken off the romantic chip on her shoulder. Before things went too far though, the sound of Rarity clearing her throat gained everypony’s attention.

“Now, congratulations, Rainbow, but you haven’t told us a thing about the stallion in question. Please elaborate for us. Who is the devilish rogue who has won your heart?”

I forgot how much Rare likes to ham it up, Rainbow thought to herself. The anxiety and the fear had returned, leaving Dash’s cyan coat to turn as white as a ghost. Her throat began to feel as dry as sandpaper, and she reached for her tea as a desperate remedy. As she chugged the boiling-hot liquid down her throat, her friends returned to their seats, all equally hungry to know who Rainbow was talking about.

Rainbow nearly slammed the small teacup on the saucer, but managed to restrain herself at the last moment and gently lowered it. She cleared her throat which only helped slightly with her voice as it came out raspier than usual.

“Well… um… I can’t… tell you his… name,” she said as she smiled nervously. She was met with confused stares from her friends.

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking… why not?” asked Fluttershy. Her voice was barely audible, but strangely seemed far more confident than Rainbow’s. Rainbow desperately shook her head to clear it and her normal tone of voice briefly returned.

“I need to tell you guys some… things about him first. I need to know if you’re cool.”

Again, more confused stares.

“Why the hay wouldn’t we be cool with ya dating, RD?” asked Applejack.

“By any chance, did this pony do anything bad? Has he done jail time for example?” Inquired Twilight, who seemed more curious than confused.

Once again, Pinkie jumped into the middle of the room. “Oh! Was he a robber? Did he have a getaway cart and everything? Did he have a tommy gun?” To avoid the inevitable barrage of questions, Dash waved her hooves around.

“Nah, he did some bad stuff, but he’s done some good stuff too. I guess you could say he helps stop bad guys.”

“Wait, is he a superhero? Like Batmare, Iron Pony, Captain Equestria, Blue Lantern, Dr Fate, Spider-Mane, Flash, Gravity Queen…?”

“No, no, no. Pinkie! He isn’t a superhero like those ones up in Manehattan or Maretropolis. He’s a regular dude… sort of. He isn’t a pony.” Rarity scoffed at this.

“Oh please, Rainbow. You shouldn’t be embarrassed. Interspecies relationships are nothing new. Why, just the other week I had the pleasure of gaining a wolf client from up north. And I say, if he had been sticking around, I would have…”

“That’s not the point!” Rainbow shouted all of a sudden, shocking her friends. They remained silent as Dash buried her head in her hooves.

Oh sweet Celestia, I just need to get this over with. They’ll figure it out eventually. Twi is way too smart to not figure it out at some point. Rainbow let out an exasperated sigh and lifted her head from her hooves. She was tired. She hadn’t been able to sleep a wink last night, as the thoughts of what she would do today had been constant inside her mind.

“Look, he isn’t a pony, wolf, griffon, minotaur or whatever. He’s…”

Just say it.

“He’s…”

Just say it.

“He’s…”

JUST BUCKING SAY IT, YOU COWARD!

“He’s a changeling…”

The silence that followed was the most nerve-racking that Rainbow had ever experienced in her entire life. Nopony dared to make a sudden movement in the tense atmosphere at first, but eventually they began to move very gingerly. Applejack shook her head slightly, Fluttershy had moved so she was hiding behind her chair, Rarity could only blink a couple of times, Pinkie had stayed frozen solid with an unnerving smile on her face, and finally, Twilight was rubbing her ears to make sure her hearing was working properly.

Twilight was the first to speak.

“I’m sorry Rainbow, but I think I might have misheard you. Did you say were dating a changeling?” She said the last word with extra emphasis.

“… I did, Twi. I’m dating a changeling.”

Rarity fainted. Applejack’s jaw hit the floor. Fluttershy curled up into a ball. Pinkie continued to stay still. But Twilight fired one single bolt of magic directly at Rainbow’s forehead.

The suddenness of the magic spell, and the fact that Rainbow had highly doubted an attack, caught her completely off guard. She fell backwards off her chair and the back of her skull smacked against the wooden floor. She could hear distant voices around her.

“What the heck are you doing?”

“She’s being controlled. I have to remove the spell on her!”

“No… Rainbow, are you alright?”

“Goodness, I think she’s out cold…”

“… Rainbow…”

A blackness began to take her vision. Because of a mixture of fatigue, stress, and pain, Rainbow made no attempt to stop it. She allowed herself to drift off into dreamland. There, she would be happy. The last thing her mind was able to pick up was the single drop of wet fluid coming from her eye.

My eye’s leaking again, she lied to herself. Heh, it always seems to do that lately.

> Old King Daedalus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The old monarch’s toothy grin could not have been wider. He had been resting on his throne, content with only the hive mind buzzing around in his skull. It was peaceful, it was quiet, it was… boring. Very, very, boring. Daedalus hated boring, but then again, that was sometimes the price you paid for peace. His lings were content inside the forest. He could sense no serious discomfort for the moment. This meant he was feeling useless today, and he hated that more than anything.

His boredom did not last though, much to the changeling king’s relief. One of his guards had informed him over the hive mind that he had a changeling requesting an audience with him. Despite his age, the king nearly leapt out of his seat with joy when he heard who it was and gave the order to have him brought in. Remembering he was a king and should act like such, he rushed backed to his throne and sat down with a regained sense of authority. While trying not to look like the time he had been informed the new Daring Do book was receiving an early release.

That had been a good day.

His throne room was similar to the one in Canterlot, minus the windows. In their place were murals to famous changelings of the past. His father, King Ares, was one of them and alongside him was Leonardo da Hoofci, the greatest disguised changeling to come from his hive. The mural closest to him was of his late son, Icarus, the first changeling in space, and the last. His throne sat at the far end of the room, and a green carpet made of silk led from the chair to the large doors at the end. The room was lit by a great number of candles that helped add to the majestic—and slightly creepy—atmosphere.

The doors gently opened, and in trotted the changeling that Daedalus had been so excited to hear from. Again, managing to keep his composure, he allowed the changeling to make it to his throne and kneel before him.

“King Daedalus, it is a pleasure to see you again.”

The king in question was not like most changelings. Like his fellow kings and queens, his anatomy was slightly different. Instead of four legs, he walked on two. And on the ends of his forearms were not hooves, but rather claws that were similar to a dragon. He stroked the long, flowing green beard on the end of his chin for a moment, looking over his friend to see if he was physically fine. He scratched the long green mane on his head, careful not to knock his top hat off. He only wore his crown on diplomatic missions as he hated the ghastly thing. He flicked a clawed finger upward and his subject rose up.

“You may stand, my little ling. I believe we have some things to discuss, and I imagine that will be quite difficult with your face on the floor.” His voice was deep and as smooth as chocolate. The changeling before him quickly righted himself with a hint of embarrassment. “Now, shall we call you by your pony name, or your birth name?”

“My birth name, please,” the changeling replied with a thick Trottingham accent.

“Alright then, Toxotis, how have you been? I was expecting you two days ago.” The changeling quickly bowed before righting himself again.

“Your Majesty, before we begin, I would like to inform you I have made a large love deposit to allow our magic to continue.” The king nodded in response. 

“I have heard the most disturbing news though, so please allow me to ask this. Is Chrysalis truly alive?”

“I assume you heard this when you entered the hive mind again?”

“Yes, so is the imposter still among the living?”

“Sadly so. Queen Chrysalis has done more than enough to tarnish our name. First she failed the monarchy test, but became delusional and started an extremist group. Then she had the nerve to attack the capital of Equestria, with what was possibly the worse invasion attempt in the history of… forever. So bad was this attack that she and her army were defeated by the power of love. That still hasn’t sunk in yet. I mean she’s made us look like morons.”

If Toxotis had an eyebrow, he would have raised it. Instead, he opted for a confused stare.

“Your Majesty, shouldn’t you be more upset that she revealed our very existence to the world, and Equestria has technically declared war on our race? Actually, you don’t really seem bothered about the fact that she’s still alive.”

Daedalus let out a deep chuckle that echoed throughout the room. Oh, he had been angry at first, infuriated by the fact that his race could be wiped out in an instant. But then he remembered how good he and his kind were at hiding, so he quickly got over it. Plus, his problems may well be fixed sooner rather than later. He cleared his throat and shuffled in his seat to feel more comfortable. After a thousand years he still had a tendency to slip up when it came to etiquette.

“Toxotis, would you like to know something about the insane?”

The changeling’s silence was more than enough for the king to continue.

“Funny thing is they can only hide their insanity for so long till it’s revealed to the entire world. The other thing about the insane is that they mess up, a lot. It doesn’t matter how concrete a plan is, they always find some way to let their own madness ruin it for them. So it’s only a matter of time before good old Chrysi messes up again, and this time finds her head is no longer attached to her neck. By the way, those ponies you sent here, I assume they were your doing?”

“… How did…?”

“I know things, Toxotis. Let’s leave it at that. They were a lovely bunch of ponies, not sure about that one with the razor sharp teeth and that invisible one, but a lovely bunch all the same. It was nice to see Mimic again as well…”

“Your Majesty, what if we are discovered?” Toxotis almost panicked when he even considered the concept. The king narrowed his eyes which made his subject cower slightly. The rare moments when he allowed his mere presence to become disturbingly powerful was a sight to behold. There was one thing Daedalus hated: being interrupted.

However, he was a merciful soul.

“I will forgive that interruption. We have become close, you and I, over the last couple of months. You with your calculating and uptight attitude, me with my fatherly and carefree nature. I like to think I’ve taught you a few things. But don’t you dare interrupt me again. Next time, I won’t be so forgiving.”

Toxotis was losing the feeling in his hooves, and his knees went weak. He forced himself to swallow the large lump that had built in his throat as he gazed up in terror at his master. Many could easily forget who they were talking to when they met Daedalus because of his likeable nature. But this was the changeling that had defied Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago. This was the changeling that had driven out a race of hairless apes and claimed the forest as his own. This was the only living being who has been able to tame this damnable area and bend it to his will. Arguably, this was one of the greatest kings, let alone changelings, who ever lived. And Toxotis had just pissed him off. He desperately searched for the courage to voice an apology, and thankfully did.

“I-I’m s-s-so sorry, your Maj…”

“BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

The changeling’s eyes snapped open towards his king, who was in a hysterical fit of laughter. The monarch was clutching his stomach in an attempt to prevent the pains he was receiving from laughing so much, but it was in vain. Tear droplets were forming in his eyes and his neck craned backwards as the laughter continued. All the while, Toxotis was putting two and two together, and realised he had been tricked. Again.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” he muttered under his breath, “I can’t believe I fell for that act again…”

“You should have seen your face!” Daedalus managed to get out through his uncontrollable laughter. He was able to take a deep breath and calm himself down slightly, but couldn’t stop the smirk from remaining on his face. “I’m sorry,” he said insincerely. “It’s just you fall for that every time, EVERY TIME! I’ve missed you, Toxotis, I really have.” He snorted once or twice before his laughter finally began to die down.

“As for your other question,” the old ruler continued through the ending of a chuckle, “They won’t find us. Trust me on this. Even the royal guard doesn’t explore the Everfree, so we’re safe. Even if they did, they would only become lost in this grand maze. This forest has always been kind to us, and the hive mind always guides us home. Anyway, since you’ve come all this way, do you have any more questions?”

The changeling shook his head, but he was still trying to process all the new information. He hoped his majesty wasn’t going to ask a question that required a lot of brain power.

“In that case, how have things been for you? Has your noble quest for redemption borne any fruit by chance?”

Oh goodness, I’m going to have to tell him, Toxotis nervously thought. “Well… I’ve only had a few new cases as of late. My mentor, Sherclop, has been kind enough to send me a few he couldn’t be bothered with, but business has been a little slow, I must admit. Despite the chaos Ponyville regularly receives, there’s not much call for a detective.”

“… While I believe you, I get this feeling you’re not telling me everything. Am I wrong?”

Toxotis knew that wasn’t going to work, but it was worth a shot. He sighed heavily and gazed up at his leader. He bit his lip for a moment, allowing the small ounce of pain to act as a reprimand for his own actions.

“You are correct, King Daedalus. May I ask how you knew?”

“I didn’t need to use the hive mind, especially since you’ve cut off access to what it is. You can trust me, Toxotis. Did you do something bad?”

“No, it’s not like that. I’ll be blunt with you. I… have found myself… in a relationship.”

Toxotis didn’t have time to react as he was swept into a bone crunching hug. The king let out a hearty chuckle as he wrapped his friend in his arms and picked him up from the ground. They spun around for about two minutes and all the while,Toxotis was feeling more and more queasy, until Daedalus put him down and almost broke out into a jig. However, he forgot how to do one, so he settled for the hokey pokey.

Toxotis just stared as the idol of thousands broke out into a foals’ dance. He wasn’t really sure what to do with himself as his king got to the part where his right leg was in, so he just continued to watch, and made a mental note to delete this from his brain forever. Thankfully, after five minutes of dancing, the old king managed to control himself and approached his friend with the biggest smile Toxotis ever saw him wear.

“Finally! Well done my friend. I was wondering if you’d ever try and settle down. This is a pony, I’m assuming?”

Toxotis somehow found the means to pick his jaw off the floor and reconnect it to his head. “Uh, yeah, she is.”

“Excellent, we should have a party. It will be a ‘Toxotis is finally getting himself some’ party and…”

“Your Majesty, I doubt anyling would come to a party just because I got laid.”

“Oh, so you haven’t done her yet. Saving her for marriage, eh?”

It took all the strength the changeling had to not facehoof. The sheer absurdity of this moment had made him forget all his worries. His body relaxed and his tension began to subside. The feeling of relief wouldn’t last long though.

“So, who’s the lucky mare?”

“Oh, uh, well, it’s a weather manager.”

“Interesting, that would make her a pegasus. And what’s her name?”

“Her name?”

“Yes, what’s her name?

Time seemed to stop for a moment as the detective analysed the situation. There was no escape. There were no more chances to dodge the question without Daedalus becoming suspicious. There was only one option left for Toxotis. He would simply have to confess.

“Your Majesty, her name is Rainbow Dash. But you and I know her as the Element of Loyalty.”

Her name and description hadn’t completely registered at first for Daedalus. But when it did, Toxotis swore the king’s left eye twitched. The leader’s smile began to falter. The lines that curved up to make a smile began to lower until it became a large frown. His eyes were unreadable, but his entire posture had become significantly tenser. He closed the gap between himself and his subject with one long stride till he was towering over him.

“Toxotis,” he uncharacteristically growled. “We need to have a serious talk about your taste in partner.”





Twilight Sparkle was a good pony.

You wouldn’t find many who would claim the unicorn was malicious or ignorant. If anything, Twilight always sought to understand and think rationally about nearly every scenario she found herself in. When it came to heat-of-the-moment decisions though, Twilight had a tendency to panic, and when one of the most powerful unicorns in all of Equestria panics, you might find yourself on the receiving end of the mare’s crazed state.

Still, Twilight was a good pony. At least she liked to think so.

Just moments ago, Twilight had fired an overpowered spell that hit the forehead of one of her best friends, Rainbow Dash. The mare in question was left sprawled out on the floor, losing consciousness. For a moment, nopony dared to utter a word. Rarity was on the floor too. However, she had overdramatically fainted, and immediately brought herself back to her hooves.

Applejack stood up from her chair, but remained slack-jawed as Rainbow Dash continued to lose consciousness. Fluttershy had gotten up from her hiding spot and quickly flew over to her best friend to comfort her. She wrapped her foreleg under Rainbow’s head and waved a free hoof over Dash’s face. There was no response. Pinkie remained quiet, not saying a word.

Applejack blinked several times before slapping a hoof over her face, still in disbelief at what she saw. Then she asked, “What the heck did ya do ta her, Twi?” As her face contorted into anger, she found herself in debate on what course of action she should take. She had to think rationally, but what Twilight had done was beyond shocking to Applejack.

“She’s being controlled. I have to remove the spell on her!” Twilight shouted, unable to control herself at this point. Everything was going wrong. She didn’t mean to knock out Rainbow, she had simply overcast the spell and had left her friend drifting in and out of consciousness.

Fluttershy’s eyes scanned over Dash’s body. As her hoof gently wandered over Rainbow’s body, she could see there were no visible signs of damage, not even on her forehead, but her eyes were glazing over. Fluttershy wasn’t exactly sure what kind of spell Twilight had cast, but she didn’t want to take any chances. “No… Rainbow, are you alright?” she asked as she tried to shake her friend conscious again. Her attempt was in vain though.

“Goodness, I think she’s out cold,” Rarity spoke softly, still slightly dazed from fainting moments ago. In her confusion, she had forgotten what this whole thing had been about. A free hoof covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.

“… Rainbow…” Fluttershy squeaked out one last time before Rainbow Dash entered dreamland. Tiny tear droplets began to form in Fluttershy’s eyes.

With Dash out cold, all eyes turned towards Twilight Sparkle, whose brain was going haywire. Sweat began to leak from her forehead, her breathing became harsher and more panicked, but the stares directed towards her were only making things worse. Twilight had completely forgotten why she had cast her spell on Rainbow Dash in the first place. Instead, she was panicking over what to do next.

Fluttershy was in the process of making sure Dash was comfortable, when a purple aura snatched Rainbow away and towards Twilight. Twilight looked over Rainbow herself, first checking if she was fine. As she suspected, Rainbow was only unconscious. But then her panicking began to grow worse as different scenarios played out inside her mind.

How long will she be out for? she first thought. This thought would snowball out of control. What if she suffers ill effects from the power of the blast? What if she doesn’t wake up for longer than she should? What if she’s in a coma? What if she does wake up, but doesn’t remember us because it affected her brain? It would be entirely my fault!

The stares from her friends caught her attention again. With a bit of focus, she could make out the hidden message behind each glare. Fluttershy, who had been looking worriedly at Dash in her condition, now looked upon Twilight with fear. Whether it was because she didn’t know what Twilight would do next, or because she was afraid of Twilight herself was unknown. Applejack had an angry, venomous glare directed at her friend. Rarity just seemed unsure of what to do and Pinkie… just looked depressed. The purple mare could just make out Pinkie muttering to herself.

“… I thought this was supposed to be a rom-com…”

The pressure had gotten to her. And just like a kettle, she was about to explode.

“I CAN FIX THIS!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. Before any of her friends could react, both Twilight and Rainbow Dash were gone in a flash of light.





Twilight reappeared in her library with Rainbow Dash in tow. Most would have taken Rainbow to a hospital at this point, but Twilight wasn’t thinking clearly again. She was determined to fix this herself and also make sure that Dash would be alright. She needed Spike though. Her little brother would be essential in taking care of Rainbow.

“Spike! Are you here!?” She had told the young dragon to stay at the library to do his chores and look after the tree while she was out. Despite the fact that Spike had been invited to hear Dash’s confession also, his chores had backed up so much that he had to miss it in order to catch up. Her ears stood to attention, trying to make out even the tiniest sound.

“Oh, Twilight, you’re back,” came a response from above. That was definitely Spike. Twilight let out a sigh of relief and trotted upstairs, making sure Rainbow was still in her magical grip. As she made her way up though, Spike’s voice became slightly panicked. “Oh… Ugh, by the way, that cold I had. Um, the aftermath just sort of happened.” Twilight was confused as to what he meant until she reached the top and found several burnt books spread out on the floor.

An event such as this would have normally led to Twilight suffering a nervous breakdown, followed by several hours of crying, desperate attempts to fix them which normally didn’t work, more crying, ice cream with the girls, and finally ordering replacements for the destroyed books. Luckily for Spike, who looked ready to jump out the window, Twilight had something bigger to worry about. She just had to hope one of those burnt books wasn’t the one she needed.

“Spike, do we have that book on mind spells? Specifically volume two?”

Spike stared blankly at Twilight for a moment, occasionally blinking as the realisation dawned on him that he wasn’t in trouble. Spike was smart enough to know that there was something really important going on.

“Yeah, it’s downstairs, I think.”

“Could you get it, please?” Twilight levitated Dash up the stairs, stopping Spike dead in his tracks as he gazed at the unconscious form of his pegasus friend.

“Twilight, what hap—”

“Not now, Spike! Get the book!” she snapped at him.

Spike sprinted off down the stairs and Twilight floated Rainbow onto her bed. She groaned in frustration as she placed Dash in the recovery position to be safe, and waited patiently for Spike to return. Twilight hoped that she would have a moment to herself to try to calm down. However, Spike had been quicker than she thought he would be and before she knew it, he had joined her back upstairs with the book in hand. She noted that he must have been concerned for Dash.

“Here you go, Twilight,” Spike said while nearly out of breath. Twilight didn’t give her usual thank you. Instead, she snatched the book away with her magic.

“Alright, Spike, I need you to look after Rainbow while I check through this book. She should be fine, but I just need to be sure, so keep her monitored. Can you do that for me?” Twilight received a salute from her adopted brother, who went to work on checking over Dash. She smiled to herself. She always did that when she had the chance to witness those moments where Spike acted like the mature drake he was. But she didn’t have time to think about that; she had to look over the spell.

She trotted over to her work desk and laid the tome on the table. She didn’t even need to look at the index as she knew exactly what page the spell was on. The spell was very practical for those in the military and special agency groups. It was multipurpose in the sense it could remove both hypnotic suggestions and full on mind control. That Twilight knew, but earlier was the first time she had ever tried it on a pony, and in her panicked state, she overpowered the spell. Now she was looking for any side effects. Her brain took in every word as she carefully scanned over the page. Every note, every minute detail was of the utmost importance and finally she came to the section she needed.

It is important to note that this spell is rather easy to overpower. We would advise several practice tests before trying the spell out on a living subject. However, apart from perhaps a slight concussion depending on the impact of the blast, an overpowered shot should not cause any lasting damage. At most a pony may receive temporary memory loss, but it will have the same effect as a safely cast spell. The pony the spell is cast upon will have all hypnotic suggestions removed from their mind. If there was no mind control present at the time the spell was cast, they should suffer no ill effects.

Finally, Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. The worry and fear that was haunting her mind began to melt away and a tiny smile embraced her lips. Rainbow would be fine. She almost felt like hopping around the library in happiness, but decided against it until she knew if Rainbow was completely out of the woods. I’ll have to make sure Rainbow hasn’t suffered any memory loss, she mused to herself as she closed the book. What a day! Ever since Rainbow told us about her new coltfriend…

Twilight froze on the spot.

What felt like hours ago, but in reality was only several minutes, began to play back in her head. Going to the boutique, Rainbow’s announcement and a sense of sincere happiness for her friend. Then Dash’s second announcement, and a shot of confusion, then anger, then worry. She wasn’t mad at Rainbow, she was mad at whoever this new coltfriend of Dash’s was.

Her muscles tensed and her breathing became harsher as she thought over exactly what Rainbow had told her about him. In the end, Dash had only specified a gender, and that this changeling was most likely living in, or close by, Ponyville. She didn’t have a name, an occupation, a coat colour or anything that could help identify this probable imposter. She wasn’t too worried about that though; she could get any information she required from Dash once she awoke. With that knowledge safely tucked away in her brain, Twilight could relax.

Until the library door swung open.

“TWI!” cried out a Southern voice from the doorway, “ya’d best get yer flank down here right this second!” Judging by the sounds of multiple hoofsteps, she came to the conclusion that her friends had arrived, and they sounded very upset. Before she could do anything, the sound of tiny steps running down the stairs reached her ears.

She intercepted her brother by teleporting just in front of him at the foot of the stairs. He came screeching to a halt just before he crashed into Twilight. She pointed her hoof upstairs. “I’ll take care of this, Spike. You keep monitoring Dash for me.” Spike nodded and ran back upstairs.

Twilight craned her neck towards the door to see her friends walking themselves in. Since she did live in a public library, the door was never locked during opening hours. Twilight grimaced when her eyes met Applejack’s. Her other friends were avoiding eye contact for the moment, realising that AJ and Twi were about to go at it, or rather, Applejack was moments away from laying the verbal smackdown on her friend.

“Twi, what have ya done with RD?” she simply asked, trying in vain to calm herself down.

“She’s upstairs, resting,” replied Twilight.

“That’s not what Ah meant! What did ya do ta Rainbow Dash?”

“… Oh, uh, I simply cast a spell that would clear Dash’s mind of all hypnotic suggestions and manipulation.”

“And was this here spell meant ta knock out mah best friend?!”

“…”

“Ah didn’t think so. What in the hay is wrong with you, Twilight?!”

Her friends were staring at her again. This time though, Twilight refused to panic like she did before. She took a deep breath before addressing Applejack. “Do you remember what Rainbow Dash told us? She claims to be dating a changeling. Something has happened to Rainbow, and it must be some sort of mind manipulation. You all remember how vocal she was about her dislike for the changelings after the wedding, right?”

Fluttershy gently raised a hoof to catch her friend’s attention. “Yes, we were all very upset and scared after the wedding. Many ponies say and do things when they’re upset that they don’t necessarily mean. Maybe Rainbow moved on.”

“Yeah, I bet this changeling is a nice changeling,” said Pinkie who was hopping around her fellow elements. “That means I can still throw my ‘congrats on becoming a super cute couple’ party, right?”

Twilight let out an annoyed grunt. “Girls, focus. Fluttershy, I understand what you’re saying, but changelings are manipulators, and Rainbow isn’t known for letting go of grudges. She’s way too prideful for that. And no, Pinkie, there is going to be no party.” Pinkie’s lip began to quiver as Rarity cleared her throat, garnering everypony’s attention.

“Twilight, please explain to us why our poor friend is lying unconscious upstairs.”

“I… overpowered the spell. I’ve had very little practice actually casting it. I’m sorry.” As Twilight spoke, she lowered her head in shame.

“Don’t apologise to me, darling. Apologise to Rainbow once she wakes up.”

Twilight nodded eagerly, still wearing a frown. “Yes, she should be fine. The worst thing that could happen is Rainbow could have temporary memory loss…” Fluttershy’s gasp interrupted Twilight’s explanation. Shy, in a rare moment of speed, shot upstairs to check on Rainbow. From the corner of her eye, Twilight could see steam coming from Applejack’s nostrils. “… but it is very unlikely that anything’s wrong with Dash.” She smiled sheepishly. A desperate attempt to show innocence was her next plan, but then Rarity said something that caught her attention.

“Twilight, have you possibly considered that you may have not thought this through?”

Twilight looked puzzled. Going through the mental checklist in her head provided herself with no faults in her logic. “Rarity, Rainbow Dash told us she’s dating a changeling. She must have obviously been given some kind of mind control spell or drug.”

“But darling, that’s the problem. I won’t claim I’m some sort of expert on mind control magic, but if Dash was being manipulated, why would she outright tell us she was in a relationship with this changeling character? If the changeling is meant to be controlling her, wouldn’t the manipulator make sure Dash never told us about their relationship in the first place?”

Twilight really wanted to argue with her, but logic had prevailed. She considered what her friend said. Normally, mind manipulation spells would prevent the pony under control from thinking for themselves. They were essentially a living puppet. From what her brother had told her after his wedding, he said that Chrysalis had made him believe that she was Cadence. But from what she read, she could have also given him the subconscious order not to reveal her identity. It was similar to hypnosis in a sense.

With that reasoning, Rainbow would have been given the same order to not reveal this changeling’s identity. Logic, her best friend, was leading her down the right path. It wasn’t a conclusion she especially liked, but it was the truth, something her friend Applejack held to a very high standard and would definitely appreciate once Dash could explain for herself. There was a small possibility that the changeling had simply never given the order to reveal his identity, but this was very unlikely considering how often changelings hid in pony society. The conclusion was simple. Rainbow genuinely had feelings for this changeling

This in itself only raised more intrigue for the unicorn. Of all the ponies Twilight knew, Rainbow was one of the most stubborn. The only one more stubborn than her was AJ, and that was quite a statement in and of itself. After the invasion attempt, Rainbow had been particularly vocal about her distrust for the race. She went on a tirade in front of the townsfolk about the freaky bugs that they should all be keeping an eye out for. Twilight also had a personal vendetta against them, but she wouldn’t allow any past experiences to cloud her mind again. All she knew was that Rainbow was going to be very mad when she woke up.

“Ah know that look.” Twilight left her train of thought to stare at Applejack. “Ya’ve jus’ figured something out, haven’t ya, Twi?” Applejack was a little more relaxed now. Instead of anger, her eyes were filled with concern. “What’s wrong, sugarcube?”

“It seems impossible, but it must be true…” muttered Twilight.

Pinkie had managed to overhear. “What’s impossible? I like doing the impossible! It’s super funny to see ponies look at me like I just destroyed reality for them! I remember the time Twilight did that, too! She got so mad she set herself on fire—” A purple hoof shoved in Pinkie’s mouth stopped the tirade.

“The facts simply don’t lie,” continued Twilight. “Thinking over what Rarity said, I believe she’s absolutely right. How could I have been so stupid!? A changeling would have told Dash not to reveal his identity. That must mean she did it of her own accord. If she did that on her own, then it’s most likely that she was never brainwashed in the first place. She’s dating this changeling because she wants to.”

At that moment, the sound of a pony clearing her throat came from the top of the staircase. When Twilight and company looked up, they found Rainbow standing at the top, looking down directly at Twilight.
> Memory Lane
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A horde of black figures walked under a green glow as they began their busy schedules. The sunshine falling from the sky could not reach this place, but the hive knew when it was time to sleep and when it was time to rise by instinct alone. Survivors, they would often call themselves. They hid, they planned, they worked together, but above all else they were survivors. The hive always came first. They did not eat the love here, but instead they allowed the love given from others to fuel their abilities and community. Each changeling had one being to thank for where they lived now: King Daedalus.

All eyes turned towards the king making his way through the hive. Daedalus was strolling along the street, flanked by two guards and Toxotis. This was not an uncommon occurrence as Daedalus would often delight in taking a stroll amongst his own kind, yet he had long ago accepted the fact that he would never be seen as an equal amongst them. The point was driven home every time they all began to bow to him. He raised his claw to signal them to rise, something that had become second nature to him over the years.

Daedalus stroked his beard as he turned his head in different directions. His eyes scanned from street to street, trying to decide where to go. He often wondered if ponies would be surprised at how the hive looked, considering it greatly resembled a city. There were structures filled with housing arrangements that closely resembled skyscrapers. Streets had been carved to direct the masses of lings walking them each day, going about their business for their families and the hive. Above them all was the dome that covered the city and blocked out the sun. In its place was green nectar that illuminated the darkness. Enough of it had been placed on the ceiling in specific places that it shone down on the city below. Despite how large the hive was, the Everfree kept them hidden. While most kings and queens opted for caves and caverns to build their homes, the forest acted as the perfect place to settle down once it had been tamed. It was not his original choice to settle down here of all places, but he couldn’t deny that fate had dealt him a good hand.

“I think I’ll have some tea today,” Daedalus muttered to himself. He took the closest right while Toxotis and the guards did their best to follow. The crowds never got a chance to form as Daedalus sent a request through the hive mind to be left alone. All the changelings around him continued on with their business, but couldn’t help but take the occasional glance.

A tiny little café, one that Daedalus often visited, was in his sights. The owner of the establishment was immediately updated on who was approaching and quickly set to work on making a fresh pot of tea specifically for the king. Daedalus walked up to a little table just outside and gently sat down so he wouldn’t break the chair. He had a history of forgetting he was much larger than most of his kind. With a simple pointed finger, he motioned for Toxotis to join him at the table. “Guards, I want you to leave us. I wish to speak to my friend alone.” The order was much sterner than usual, but the guards made no objections and left.

“Y-Your Majesty. May I—” Toxotis was silenced by a single finger to his lips. Daedalus wanted his cup of tea first before any conversation began. He could have asked for one at the palace, but he wanted to be as relaxed as possible before the inevitable conversation he was about to have. Being in the presence of so many of his subjects would hopefully prevent him from going into a rage. Unfortunately for Toxotis, there weren’t many changelings about at the time. There was only the café owner, and a few other customers inside who were trying to look like they weren’t staring at the king, and spectacularly failing. One or two changelings would occasionally walk past them, but due to the previous request, many didn’t even look in the direction of the king out of fear of reprisal. They were essentially alone.

“I’ve ordered for you. I hope you don’t mind,” Daedalus casually spoke as he removed his hat and placed it on the table. At that moment, the owner arrived with two cups of tea and gave them one each. The owner quickly bowed and left, leaving the two alone again. Daedalus took a quick sip from his cup and gave off a happy hum of pleasure. “Ah, with a hint of honey. This is my daughter’s favourite, you know?”

“I was not aware,” replied Toxotis. “I’ve only met her once or twice.”

“I imagine so. Despite being a celebrity now, she still likes to keep herself to herself.” The conversation fell back into silence as both changelings took another sip of their tea. “We could just keep drinking like this. I would like that. The two of us just catching up as friends would. Sadly though, from what you’ve told me, that cannot be an option.”

I had a feeling you’d say that, Toxotis thought glumly.

“The last security threat we had to this hive was over six hundred years ago. Ever since then we have flourished with prosperity and peace. Being the eldest living monarch amongst my fellow kings and queens, I have garnered myself some measurement of respect from them over the years. At least, I would like to think so.” The king took one more sip before getting to the point at hoof. “But now, after six hundred years, your relationship has opened up the biggest threat we’ve had in a long time.”

“Please, let me ex—”

“YOU CAN EXPLAIN IN A MOMENT!” Daedalus closed his eyes in frustration and bit his tongue to keep himself quiet. His voice had been so loud that half the hive had heard the king explode in anger, but to what it actually was about they were clueless. He requested another cup of tea and the owner wasted no time in bringing it to him. Daedalus took another sip and waited for Toxotis to crawl out from under the table. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted. However, before we continue I must ask you this. Have you told Rainbow what you really are?”

“… Yes, she knows I’m a changeling.”

“So tell me, then. Why could this be a risk to the hive? I mean, you’re a smart changeling, I’m sure you can explain it to me.” Toxotis gently lowered his cup and forced down a gulp as the gears in his head began to turn.

“Well… if Rainbow were to tell her friends and they reacted badly, they would likely inform the princesses of what was going on. Especially considering one of them is the personal student of Celestia, and the sister of a pony who had been brainwashed by a changeling over a period of at least three months. Since the princesses have declared war on our entire race, they would eventually find the hive located in the Everfree and destroy it and us.”

“Granted that is the worst-case scenario but generally spot on.” Daedalus rolled his shoulders and let out a long sigh. “So tell me this. Of all the mares in the world, why did you have to fall for the Element of Loyalty? I mean granted, she’s hot, but—”

“SHE’S MINE! YOU CAN’T HAVE HER!” The outburst caught Daedalus off guard. He picked up his cane defensively, only to realise it was Toxotis he was talking to. Meanwhile, Toxotis was coming to the realisation that he had just barked at his ruler and put a hoof in his mouth. Daedalus put down his cane and put his claws up defensively.

“You’re very protective of your marefriend, aren’t you?” he asked with genuine curiosity.

“I—uh, what I… I’m so…”

“It’s alright,” he assured, “I’m not mad at you for snapping at me. Honestly, It showed me how you really feel for her. Why don’t you drink some more tea and try to calm down? I think I could do with that as well.”

Toxotis didn’t need any more convincing. He graciously found solace in his cup and chugged it down till there was nothing left. Thinking of happy thoughts and fond memories helped to relax him slightly. Working his first case, meeting his mentor, finally talking to Rainbow, for a moment all his worries and fears had been dispelled. Daedelus just looked on and tried to rethink his position on the matter. He knew just from how the conversation had gone that Toxotis had not asked Rainbow not to reveal he was a changeling to her friends. It was a foolish move, but love could often make a changeling do stupid things. He theorised that Toxotis didn’t want to seem too suspicious to Rainbow, but how he had revealed his identity to her and how she accepted it was a mystery to him.

“I’ve been in love myself, y’know,” muttered the king, just loud enough for Toxotis to hear him. “I’m thinking about pursuing another again, actually. Strong mare, I’ve had a thing for them judging by my last wife. I’ve had many lovers, though. Many changelings, but I’ve been with a griffon and one or two ponies. What I’ve learned from that is love can be found in the most unlikely of places. I will tell you this now to put you out of your misery. I will not force you to end your relationship…”

“Oh, thank you, sir. I promise I’ll…”

“… However, you must do one thing.” Toxotis eagerly nodded, Toxotis nodded, not even caring what it was he had to do. He was merely relieved that Dash could still be his. “I want you to convince her to not reveal your identity, or our location to the rest of them.” He put a clawed hand on his friend’s shoulder and looked straight into his eyes. “I know it may be tough, but this is how it has to be for now. Perhaps one day you can tell them, but the wedding was too soon and fear and paranoia still run rampant in many.”

“I understand. My life is yours, after all.”

“Well, let’s not get too dramatic with this. I mean it’s been what? A couple of months now since you came to me all bloody and beaten.” Daedalus could remember that day very well. He had been sitting in his throne as usual, when a group of guards brought to him a changeling from Chrysalis’ invasion. They had not bothered to check his wounds or take him to a medic; they had thrown him at the clawed feet of Daedalus to receive immediate judgement for his crimes.

“I remember all too well. They found me on the edge of the Everfree, that’s how far back I was thrown by…”

“… The power of love,” Daedalus finished with a smirk. He pinched himself to keep himself from falling into another laughing fit while Toxotis gave him a deadpan look.

“Yeah… seems kind of silly when you say it out loud.”

“The power of love is a mysterious thing. It can make a grown mare weep, and another mare sing…”

“If you start singing that song I will personally lead a revolution against you… Your Highness.” Now it was Toxotis who was laughing, and the king wearing a look that simply said “I am not amused.”

“I thought you liked my singing voice,” Daedalus said darkly. His pouty look, though, was enough for Toxotis to tell the king was merely joking again.

“Correction, you think your singing voice is good when you’re drunk. If you’re singing some Flank Sinatra when you’re sober, you are a wonderful singer, You Highness. However, when you’re drunk is another story entirely. Besides which, I believe we’re getting off topic.” Toxotis got up from his seat and straightened his trusty fedora on his head. “You wish to know the whole story of how Dash and I got together, yes?”

“That could be helpful I suppose. I mean, it certainly couldn’t hurt to know the full story.”

“Then I give you permission to look into my memories.” Royalty were much more powerful than the usual drones that inhabited the hive. One thing they could do with the hive mind was look into the memories of another. It was limited of course. They couldn’t force their way in, and the changeling would have to let them in willingly first. They also had to be in close proximity, so it wasn’t performed often. Only when important information had to be given and it was too dangerous to speak aloud. It also cut down time as a whole flurry of information would be in Daedalus’ mind in a matter of moments.

“Are you sure, Toxotis? I will see everything you know about your time with her. Even the more… intimate moments you’ve both shared.”

“I know. Perhaps it will put you at ease, though. Besides, I sure you won’t see anything you haven’t done yourself.” Toxotis trotted straight up to the king, who was suppressing a chuckle. Toxotis presented his head by taking off his hat. “I can assure you I’ve never told her where the hive is and this will confirm it. I’m ready.”

Daedalus let out a heavy sigh before weakly nodding. It had been a very long time since he had last performed this trick, and it wasn’t a completely pleasant experience, even at the best of times. He got on one knee in front of his friend and placed a clawed hand on either side of Toxotis head. Daedalus closed his eyes and linked himself completely to the hive mind. He lost himself for a moment; the rush of information overwhelmed him, but he quickly regained control. He took another deep breath as he slowly joined his consciousness with Toxotis. Sudden impulses like a craving for jammy dodgers and a love of the rainbow sparked in the king’s brain, but he shrugged them off as side effects.

“Toxotis, I want you to visualise a pathway. The path will begin with how this all started, meaning what led you to meeting Rainbow, and the path will finish when you began your trek here today. I will do the rest from there,” assured Daedalus.

Toxotis knew exactly where this all started. It started with a little bit of help from an unlikely friend.

“Thank you for everything, Question. It has been a pleasure.” The blue pegasus nodded to the disguised changeling. Question Mark in turn shook the hoof of his newfound friend.

“Before you and your company leave, Carnage, I want you to do me a favour.” Carnage eyed Question suspiciously, but made no argument. “When your mission is over, I think you should pay a visit to your mother.” Carnage felt a sudden desire to argue, but Question Mark wouldn’t allow it. “I know your feelings for her, but since you’re immortal, do you really think you can avoid her till the end of time? I made a grave mistake by allowing anger and hate to eat away at me. That was what convinced me to side with Chrysalis. Please, I don’t want you to lose yourself also. You have to at least find some resolution.”

Carnage looked over to where his team was standing. They seemed just out of earshot, but the topic itself often troubled him when others could hear. He stretched his wings out, desperately trying to find a counterargument, but came up with none. Question Mark smiled to himself, knowing that Carnage was always a stallion of his word.

“Alright, I will on one condition. You have to ask that Rainbow Dash out,” Carnage proposed with a smirk. Question’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates and he suddenly felt his throat dry up. “We both know you like her, you’ve said so yourself. So let’s come to an agreement. I swear to face my mother, if you swear to confess your attraction to the Element of Loyalty. Deal?”

“… Deal!”

Daedalus couldn’t help but smile to himself as the memories continued to flow into him and spin their grand old tale.





The only thing that prevented Rainbow Dash from flying forward and smacking Twilight in the face was a single thought that kept repeating over and over inside her head. Twilight was her friend. She kept glaring though, as Twilight continued to cower at the sight of Rainbow. It was almost laughable that arguably the most powerful unicorn alive today was trying to hide from a mere pegasus. Rainbow wasn’t just a pegasus though, she was the Element of Loyalty.

She knew how important and how complicated true loyalty was. Ponies often thought it was as simple as sticking by your loved ones and supporting them. To follow them to wherever they may go. The reality was that sometimes it required you to simply say no. To tell a pony you love that they’ve gone or are going to go too far. To let them down easy, and on rare occasions, to hurt them to help them. Loyalty was far more complicated than most ever considered, and it wasn’t until you found yourself in one of those situations did you begin to truly understand what loyalty really was. Looking out for your friends, and sometimes making the hard decisions for them.

Twilight had struck her, and ordinarily, Rainbow would have retaliated. She was her friend though, and although a good smack might do Twilight some good, it would have likely only served to antagonise both mares. Rainbow began to fly down to her friends while Pinkie had pulled out a bag of popcorn from seemingly nowhere.

“Sugarcube, what are ya doin’?” asked Applejack.

“If Twi and Dashie are gonna fight, then I’m gonna be ready.” She then put on a T-shirt that simply said “Team Dashie!” The dot above the I was a heart. “Go, Dashie, go!”

“Honestly, darling, the last thing we should be doing is taking sid—” Rarity stopped when she noticed Fluttershy was also wearing a shirt labelled with “Team Dashie!” on the front. “Really, Fluttershy?” Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.

Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane. “Pinkie put it on me,” she said quietly. “… Also, I like the design.” Rarity would have rolled her eyes, but the inevitable confrontation drew her attention back along with the rest of the mares’. Spike was too busy helping himself to Pinkie’s popcorn.

Twilight and Rainbow were snout to snout now as the unicorn’s eyes began to falter again. She struggled to look at Rainbow directly, hoping that she could crawl up into a hole and simply die there. Rainbow wouldn’t have that though, and used her right hoof to bring Twilight eye level again. Applejack was at the ready to break up the fight any second, and Rarity was regretting not bringing her fainting couch with her. Rainbow took one last breath of air, and let out a short sigh.

“Why’d ya do it, Twi?” The question was much simpler than Twilight expected. In fact, a question was the last thing she suspected. Angry words and possible slaps had been much more likely in her mind. Due to the suddenness, she fumbled for an answer, but Pinkie was more than happy to answer as she jumped up in the air and waved a hoof fanatically.

“Oh, I know, I know! You we’re telling us that you were having super-hot make-out sessions with a changeling, and Twilight got all xenophobic on your flank and zapped your head,” Pinkie said with an innocent grin. Both Rainbow and Twilight had gone red in the face. One of them from embarrassment, and the other from anger.

“I am not xenophobic, Pinkie!” shouted Twilight. “I made a heat-of-the-moment decision based upon the information known about the changeling race. I will acknowledge that it may have not been the wisest course of action in hindsight, but I… I was scared, okay? I was scared.”

Something about that last sentence made Rainbow’s nostrils flare, and she found her voice rising. “Scared!? What the heck do you have to be scared of?”

“I was scared for you. I thought I’d lost you!” Twilight shot back, forcing down a sob in the process. “Changelings have shown themselves as nothing but manipulative and deceptive. They steal love, for goodness’ sake! Knowing what they did to my brother and the months of psychiatric tests he still has to go through, I couldn’t bear the idea of that happening to you as well.”

Applejack had seen enough and forced herself between the two mares. “Both of y’all lay off now,” she said with a firm stomp. “I won’t see you two go at it for no good reason. We need answers.”

“Thank you, Applejack,” agreed Rarity. “Twilight, you must apologise straight away for what you did to Rainbow.”

There was a short pause. Not because Twilight didn’t want to say she was sorry, but simply because she wished to compose herself for what would come next. “Rainbow, I am so sorry. I overcharged my mind-clearing spell and you got hurt because of it. For that, I hope you can forgive me,” she said with sincerity. Before Rainbow could accept, Twilight continued. “However, we need to settle this business over your affiliation with an enemy of Equestria. I’ve got an idea though. You’ll lead us and the guard to the changeling, and I will speak to Celestia on your behalf so you won’t…”

“Buck off, Twilight.” Twilight’s eyes opened wide. Rainbow didn’t shout, her words didn’t need volume as she simply told her friend to… well… get lost, as it were. Rarity would have fainted, but even she thought that would be overdoing it today.

“I-I beg your pardon!?” cried Twilight.

“You heard me, buck off! You don’t know anything Twi. I bet you still think he manipulated me somehow, don’t ya? That he wooed me and seduced me or some crap like that. Well, I want you to listen and listen good. I CAME ON TO HIM!”

That time, Rarity did faint. Fluttershy and Pinkie looked ready to burst into glee, while Applejack looked more confused than the time Apple Bloom came home with a cart that transformed into a robot and asked if she could keep it. That had been a weird day. Meanwhile, Twilight was screaming internally. Her brain and sanity were in tatters, and then she fell onto her rump in defeat. Her friend had willingly started a romantic relationship with a changeling. Twilight was questioning if it was all her fault, like Rainbow was punishing her for something.

“Um, can I say something?” Due to the deathly silence that had followed Rainbow’s outburst, Fluttershy’s quiet voice could be clearly heard. All eyes turned towards her, Twilight’s desperately searching for answers to this insanity. “Maybe Rainbow should explain to us how she met this changeling. This might help clear any confusion, and then we can all make a fair and balanced decision on what to do next.”

The logic was very sound, and it was refreshing to Twilight to hear a sane opinion on the matter. Twilight’s brain overload prevented her from replying though, she didn’t even put up a fight when she felt herself get dragged onto a seat. When reality had caught up to her, she found herself sitting on a stool between four of her friends. Rainbow Dash had been placed just in front of them by Pinkie. In an effort to get everypony more relaxed, Pinkie had brought more popcorn to share. Spike grumbled about not getting a seat, when Pinkie exploded with enthusiasm.

“Alright, story time! C’mon, Dashie, I’m so excited to throw you that ‘super cute couple’ party!” Rainbow Dash sighed at the sight of her friends (most of which were fully conscious) and saw no real reason to delay the inevitable.

“Okay, this all started four weeks ago. One Saturday night at the bar…”

> Uptown Mare
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	All around him, there was only white. Daedalus crept on the transparent surface, carefully making sure he was heading in the right direction. If he squinted, he could barely make out very light grey objects moving around the nexus of information. Numbers, letters, and unreadable symbols spun around each other in an infinite circle that seemed to have no end. They fell forward into the infinite abyss before the changeling king. Daedalus was definitely on the right track though; he could feel it in his old bones.

“Huh, the first monarch who did this must have crapped himself when he found this place,” he said aloud. Daedalus often talked to himself; when a guard overheard him and asked why he did this, he always replied, “I don’t like listening to silence. It never has anything interesting to say.”

Daedalus wasn’t simply in Toxotis’ mind. He was in an endless realm of boredom and unlimited excitement, all at the same time. It was a place where one could see the darkest secrets and most joyful moments of any being that had ever lived. This was the full reach of the hive mind. Of course, someone would need a pathway to find anything in this place. That was why Daedalus needed Toxotis to let him in, otherwise he’d never find his way to what he needed to see. The pathway Toxotis had provided was crude, but it would have to do. In truth, Daedalus hadn’t expected much, but he would’ve liked a pathway he could see. The hive mind was so much more expansive than anyling or anypony would ever be able to fathom. Although it was widely believed that only changelings were connected to what they called the hive mind, in reality, every living thing had a connection to it. Most, though, never realised it, or were never able to use it. The hive mind was a pocket universe created by thoughts, ideas, hopes, fears and dreams.

The changeling race had evolved with the hive mind and had gained the ability to use it to their advantage. While all changelings could communicate without vocalization, it was commonly used in places of business, rather than everyday life. Of course, there were military advantages to this as well; however changelings had always been more equipped for stealth and espionage than battle. A changeling’s magic was commonly weaker than a unicorn’s, but an influx of love could increase their magical potency. Daedalus had theorised that Celestia, a being more powerful than himself and his entire hive, had only been beaten by the element of surprise and the amount of love inside Chrysalis back at the Canterlot invasion. Otherwise, Chrysalis would have been splattered like a bug, literally. Daedalus focused back on the path ahead.

“Now it would appear that he’s leading me to his very first meeting with Rainbow. By the gods, I love and hate this place.” He looked around the area again, a hint of wonder in his eyes. “With this, I could even see into the memories of those long passed,I would just need a descendant. I’d better not see any assassins again, or I swear I’ll…” Daedalus went quiet when he spotted a door at the end of the path.

It was wooden, with a brass knob. In big bold letters, ‘The Bar’ was written on the top of the door. With no other exit in sight, Daedalus approached the small wooden door and looked for any other details the might aid him. He came to the conclusion that this must be where he was supposed to go. So without further ado, Daedalus turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. He was then surrounded by a blinding light as he stepped through.





The light disappeared as quickly as it came, and Daedalus found himself in a place he had not been to in a very long time: a bar. It was small in size, and very rustic, but Daedalus was quite big, so he attributed it to the fact that it was built for creatures much smaller than him. There were very few patrons in the building, and the bartender seemed content with cleaning glasses until a new order came. The floor and the bar table were made of wood, but the seating was made of specially developed cloud so that any type of pony could sit on them.

The full extent of what the hive mind could create was before the king. Toxotis wasn’t in the room yet, and knowing what he was like, this was certainly a onetime visit. All of this had been created so perfectly because of everypony present that day. From the squeaky floorboards, to the clinking of glasses, and even the music playing on the broken down jukebox, the room had been recreated thanks to the subconscious memories of everypony who had visited that day. That was the potential of the hive mind. The other ponies didn’t even know they were recreating this memory, but they were, as their subconscious was happily feeding the info required to the catalyst, Toxotis. Daedalus couldn’t help but take a moment to appreciate what he was seeing. His eyes drifted off to one of the mares sitting alone on a barstool. Her rainbow mane and healthy physique were eye-catching, so it confused the king greatly as to why she was alone.

It then struck him who she was, Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty herself. He let off a cheeky whistle as he took a peek at her flank. “You’ve done well for yourself, Toxotis,” he muttered to himself. There was a perverse pleasure in knowing that these were only memories. What was annoying to the king, was that he couldn’t interact or mess with anything, but the upside was that he could go anywhere and do whatever he wanted within reason. He tested this by walking through a departing patron like a ghost, but the pony didn’t even react, as Daedalus was nothing but an observer. Looking at the time, Daedalus noted it was close to midnight, and began to wonder what brought Rainbow Dash there so late. She seemed very depressed. She wore a large frown and occasionally took a gulp of her hard cider.

Daedalus would have taken a seat next to her, but he would have just fallen through it. He found a pang of sympathy go out to her, as he could tell she was very lonely, a feeling he sometimes felt from wives. However, something else began to catch his attention. The rusty old jukebox across the room started to change its song, and a new harmony began to lightly fill the sombre atmosphere. Daedalus recognised it almost immediately.

“Wait, that song…”

Uptown mare;
She’s been living in her uptown world.
I bet she’s never had a backstreet guy;
I bet her mama never told her why.

“I LOVE THIS SONG!” Before he knew it, the King was moving his feet to the music.

And when she knows what she wants from her type;
And when she wakes up and makes up her mind.

“She’ll see I’m not so tough, just because, I’m in love with an uptown mare.” Daedalus had totally forgotten why he was here. The sweet call of music had taken him over and nothing could stop him from shaking his stuff. His feet moved in all directions as he spun around in time to the beat. Having perfected river dance, tap dancing and, most recently, breakdancing, the king was no slouch when it came to showing his moves. Daedalus lamented the fact that nopony could appreciate his talent. He looked at his side, wondering what his cutie mark would have been. Something in dance, he thought. Daedalus froze when he saw somepony else enter the bar, or rather, someling.

Toxotis, or as he was known in his pony form, Question Mark, gingerly walked inside the bar. His shifty eyes and cautious steps were a sign that he was suspicious, or entering an unknown environment, and Daedalus would put money on it being the latter. Question looked over to where Rainbow was sitting, but Rainbow was too absorbed in her cider to take notice of the stallion. Question looked over his surroundings again, and noted the bathroom doors to the side. He quickly made his way over, with Daedalus in following behind.

Question Mark practically leapt in, while Daedalus casually walked through the door. The bathroom had seen better days. The pristine white had been edged away, and in its place were browns and greens and other colours that Daedalus could only shudder to guess their origins. Random graffiti marked the walls. Poorly written jokes probably thought up during a drunken stupor, fake phone numbers asking ponies if they ‘wanted a good time’ and sheer vulgarities were plastered everywhere. Question was at one of the sinks, using the (hopefully) clean water to wash his face and try to rid himself of his panic.

Daedalus wished he could place a reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder, and tell him that he could do it. Alas, these were only memories, and he would have to watch his friend go through this alone. Question finished washing his face, and through his harsh breathing, looked at himself in the mirror. Staring back at him was a stallion with a ‘snow white’ coat, and a mane that was as black as coal. His cutie mark was a magnifying glass, and his irises were emerald green. His coat was such a contrast that he often stuck out, much like the mare of his affections’ mane. His small crush had grown to near obsession now, and because he made a promise, he would have to go out there and at least talk to her. He made sure his fedora was on straight, and was now regretting not bringing a tie.

Maybe it was a bit too much, he thought. Still, I looked nice with a tie. Maybe she’ll think I’m… no, she seems to be the more carefree type. The tie would make me look like a stiff. Or maybe… UGH! He shook his head and turned the tap on again, splashing more water on his muzzle. He let out a large sigh as he turned the faucet off and took one more look into the mirror. Why does she have to be so beautiful? Why a pony of all creatures!?

He had first seen her on his first day coming to town, a couple of days after Daedalus commanded him to seek his redemption by helping those he had wronged. He couldn’t face Canterlot or Trottingham again, so he chose Ponyville. That way he could be caught easier. At the time, there was a part of him that wanted to crawl up into a hole and die, to end his miserable existence. Also, it was close to his hive, so he could always deliver his report to Daedalus easily. On the way to town though, he spied a rainbow-maned pegasus flying over an empty field. It was only for a few seconds, but his brain couldn’t help but register her beauty. Of course, the moment passed, and Question totally forgot about her until his welcome party.

Ponyville tradition dictated that when a new pony moved to the town, Pinkie would throw them a welcoming party. Question had put up little fight in the matter, and saw it as a way to help him blend in more with the townsfolk, so he allowed it to continue. He introduced himself to the town and explained his occupation as a private detective. What kept catching his eye at the party though was her. Rainbow Dash. He recognized her then as the Element of Loyalty. They talked for a very short time, but in that time he could tell she was a fun, if not boisterous, mare. She had big dreams, and the means to obtain them if the stories were to be believed. From that point on, he was smitten.

After that day, he never spoke to her again. Work kept him preoccupied, and as time passed, he became a friendly face around town. After a year of turmoil, in only a few short months, he had finally found some semblance of peace. For some reason, though, she refused to leave his thoughts. As the days passed, more and more often he’d spot her soaring through the air, or among her friends. Question had made a point to keep his distance from the Elements, but something kept drawing him to Dash. Finally, after a talk with Carnage, he promised he would at least talk to her. He didn’t really know what to expect, he just hoped he wouldn’t make a complete fool of himself tonight. For the tiniest moment, he let his disguise drop, revealing his changeling form. As quickly as it appeared, he changed back and walked out of the bathroom, with Daedalus following closely.

Dash was still drinking alone, not paying attention to anypony else in the room. This relieved Question slightly as he made his approach, ignoring the other drunk patrons in the bleak bar. Daedalus put everything out of his mind; despite the jukebox playing “Shoot to Thrill,” he refused to ignore his friend’s story. He knew Question could do it, he already had, but something made him doubt this would be the usual romance story. Question reached a stool next to Rainbow Dash and took a seat.

Silence followed.

Question knew this wasn’t a good sign, but the bartender’s approach gave him reason to speak. “Whisky, please.” The bartender nodded and got to work on a drink. Silence fell again until the drink was placed in front of Question, and the bartender returned to cleaning glasses. He cleared his throat, gently catching Rainbow’s attention. She turned an eye to him, sizing up the smallish stallion that she didn’t recognise at first glance. When Rainbow didn’t say anything, Question decided to break the ice. “H-hello there,” he said nervously.

“What do you want?” Dash asked, not used to strangers approaching her while she was drinking. A new song began to play, and Daedalus found his foot instinctively step to the beat.

To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day.
Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say.
No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip;
For the stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip.
Big iron on his hip.

“I-I’m so-sorry. You probably don’t remember me, but we’ve met before. My name is Question Mark.”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes, and in a flash, she remembered. “Oh, yeah. You’re that detective who moved here a while back. What’s up?” she said, a bit friendlier.

“Oh… um, I’m fine I suppose, just thought I’d have a drink.”

“Bad memories, huh?” Question was taken aback by this, but he assumed she was speaking from experience. He shuffled in his seat, trying to think of a response.

“I suppose you could say that. It will be the anniversary of a… well, dark part of my life I suppose you could say, very soon. That’s not why I came to talk to you though.” He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a little parched. He avoided taking a drink of his whisky, though; he could be a bit of a lightweight when it came to alcohol. “I was wondering why a mare such as yourself is sitting here drinking alone?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Question instantly regretted saying them. Rainbow’s face morphed into a venomous glare that cut straight through the stallion. Daedalus made an ‘eep’-like sound as he took a few steps backwards, waiting to see what would happen next. “What do you mean, “a mare like me”?”

“Oh—uh, well I…” Knowing he may be on the verge of having his flank kicked, Question opted for honesty. “I mean… a mare as beautiful as you. I just thought it was odd that you were on your own is all.”

The harsh gaze Rainbow wore immediately softened when she realised he wasn’t joking. Then her cheeks began to feel a little hotter. She looked forward, avoiding eye contact as she mumbled, “You serious?”

“Of course, I don’t lie.”

“How do I believe that?”

 “I’m a detective, I always seek the truth.”

“That’s an egghead job.”

“Egghead?”

“Yeah, egghead. For super smart ponies. Being a detective sounds boring.”

“I can assure you, it isn’t. It certainly isn’t easy. Why on earth do you think it’s boring?”

“Duh, it means thinking all the time and just looking at crime scenes. You don’t actually catch the bad guy.” Dash’s embarrassment had melted away, and the two ponies had flowed into a natural conversation.

“When you say catch the criminal, if you mean me physically apprehending criminals, then I have done that as well.”

“Really!? That’s kind of cool, I guess. Have you caught any killers?”

“… Yes, but I take little pride in throwing anypony in prison. One in particular was… well…”

“Yeah, go on.” Question now had Rainbow Dash’s full attention, but despite that, he was afraid the subject matter wasn’t exactly romantic. Despite this, he had no reason not to tell her, so he fully turned towards her and told her a story.

“A while back, I was working in Trottingham. The son of this rich bureaucrat was murdered, and his dad wanted to help the police track down the ponies that killed his only son. I accepted of course, and went straight to work. That was the case where I almost let the killers go.”

Rainbow Dash nearly spat out her drink, while Daedalus had to do a double take to see if he had heard correctly. “You never told me that,” the king said aloud, almost expecting a response. Dash looked at Question as if he was insane; looking over him properly, she could tell he was a neat stallion, and looked quite handsome too, especially with his hat. She wasn’t thinking about that though, she was wondering what would make him almost let murderers get away with their crime.

“But you’re a detective. Why would you let them get away with it?”

“I met this blue stallion recently; you might have met him in fact, as he left only the other day, but he told me once that there is no black and white, only many shades of grey. Do you know what I mean?”

“Uh, yeah,” she said, nodding weakly. “Course I do. I mean, who wouldn’t?”

“… You have no idea what that means, do you?”

Rainbow folded her forelegs and pouted. “Alright smartass, what does it mean?”

“Well, basically, it means there really is no basic form of good and evil. That ponies’ motivations are far more complicated than that. Like if somepony gives to charity, are they doing it because they want to help others? Or are they doing it just to feel better about themselves? When somepony mugs another, are they doing it to be malicious and greedy? Or are they so desperate to feed their family that they’ll do anything to make sure they’re well-fed? Honestly, I used to buy into the whole good and evil thing, but this case and my mentor kind of opened my eyes.”

“I guess I kinda get what you’re saying,” Dash said while staring into her mug. “I mean, Nightmare Moon just wanted ponies to appreciate what she did, she wasn’t a bad pony. Heck, the princess is like my friend now. But I gotta know, what happened with your case?” Daedalus chuckled a little when he realised how entranced Dash was with the story. He was curious himself though, so he made a point to stand as close as possible, almost walking through the pair.

“I won’t bore you with the details,” Question said, “but the trail led me to this flower shop. It was run by this mare with her two sons and her daughter. I discovered after some interviews and putting the evidence together, specifically hoof prints on the murder weapons, that the two brothers were the killers. Their motive, though, was the thing that got me.”

“You mean, why they did it?”

“Yes, their sister had an encounter with the murder victim. In short, she was raped by him.”

“Whu—” Dash’s jaw nearly hit the floor when Question spoke his last line. She was thankful she wasn’t drinking her cider at the time. How blunt he had been about this told her he had experienced stuff like that before. It had almost become routine to Question, hearing depressing talks of sons and daughters cruelly taken from their families, innocence stolen away, and the worst of ponykind in general.

“She attempted to press charges, but the case was doomed from the start. The mother had paid off the jury for an easy innocent verdict, despite the compelling evidence. The father seemed to truly believe his son was innocent, despite his son’s less than clean record. In any event, the rapist was found innocent.”

“How do you know all that?” Dash took the words right out of Daedalus’ mouth. The king could only wonder why Question had never told him this before.

“When I came to the conclusion of who murdered him, I wanted to back up the motivation before telling anypony. I looked through his files, and incidentally, a friend gave me something she told me I should see. They were bank transactions from his mother to multiple different ponies days before the trial. All of those ponies were on the jury for the rape case. It pretty much guaranteed that the son did it, giving a definitive motive to the brothers. Then I realised something… all I had to do was contaminate the hoof prints, and the case would have never stood in court. They would have a motive, but no hard evidence.”

 “Y-you nearly did that?”

“… I did, didn’t I? Just a heat-of-the-moment thing, I suppose. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, as they say. I thought I had learned that lesson that day, but I guess I still had more growing up to do.” Rainbow cocked an eyebrow, and Question realised he was rambling. “Th-the point is I didn’t do it. Murder is murder, no matter the justification. The family was distraught and the brothers got a long sentence, just narrowly missing life imprisonment. It wasn’t easy looking at the mother after that.”

Rainbow let out a large sigh. “I thought I had problems. Mine don’t seem as big of a deal now. I guess being a detective isn’t as boring as I thought.”

“Well, I imagine being a detective pales in comparison to being the Element of Loyalty.”

Dash puffed out her chest slightly and made an exaggerated pose. “Yeah, ya got that right. Discord, Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, they ain't got nothing on me. But my problems don’t have anything to do with that. It’s ’cause… wait, why the heck am I telling you all this?”

Question paused for a moment, before flashing her a smile. “Maybe it feels good to get it off your chest. Is it something you’ve dealt with for a long time?”

“Yeah, I have actually. It’s just… it’s… everypony thinks I’m gay.”

“I think I heard a song about that.”

“That’s it? You’re not going to ask if it’s true?”

“I’m guessing that isn’t the case, considering how upset you seem to be about these rumors.” Rainbow nodded. “Well, since I told you a story, you might as well tell me one.” Dash shrugged and began.

“It started after I did the sonic rainboom for the first time. You hear about that?”

“Who hasn’t? When you did it in front of all the press the second time, all of Equestria and beyond were talking about it. I would have made you a Wonderbolt on the spot.” Dash blushed again and instinctively turned away. She was confused as to why praise from this stallion was making her blush so much. Normally it just fed her ego, but here, she felt funny inside. Daedalus noticed the red cheeks and cracked a knowing smile.

“Uh, anyway, these jerks at the school got really jealous and started making up crap about me. The rumor that got around was that I was into mares and well… it just never really went away. I still get ponies saying stuff like that about me. Not mean stuff, they just assume I am.”

“I guess that would be rather frustrating,” cut in Question. “But was it all out of jealousy?”

“They always see the rainbow mane, and when they find out I’m athletic, they immediately guess that I like mares.”

Question sat there for a moment, gazing into his whisky before gulping it down. This action was so sudden that Rainbow was caught off guard when he slammed it back down. “Typical, really. The whole stereotype of athletic mares being gay was started because males feel their masculinity is threatened by somepony who can fight back. They can’t handle somepony as tough as them, and would rather have a lover with a softer touch. It’s subconscious really, but it’s there. They call strong mares gay as a way of satisfying themselves and knocking down the mares that threaten them. It’s commonly how most stereotypes are started. It’s not your fault of course, but I chalk it up to being beaten by a mare. They were scared of you, Rainbow. They felt inferior, they felt like crap, so like most bullies, they try to put down others to make themselves feel better.”

Rainbow just stared at him wide-eyed. She took another swig of her drink while thinking of what to say. “… Did you get all that just from my story?”

“If what you told me is true, then yes. It’s the most logical theory anyway. I mean… you’re very beautiful, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before a stallion asks you out.”

Again, Rainbow blushed. “Well, uh, that’s not likely since I’ve lived here a while now, and still no date. I don’t think anypony will.”

“… I will.”

“What?” Dash’s neck snapped towards Question, as he looked as serious as possible.

“Um, sorry, I’m not very good at this. Will you go on a date with me?”

“YES!” Daedalus screamed in victory. “Get in there, Question. You, my friend, are about to get yourself some pu—”

“Are you bucking with me?”

“… Or maybe you’re not. That was a bit of a misfire apparently.”

Rainbow was eyeing Question over again, but this time with added ferocity and suspicion. Question could feel beads of sweat start to leak from his forehead, confused as to what he had done wrong. Everypony else in the bar was too hammered to notice, but this didn’t make the detective feel any better. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“Is it pity you’re giving me?” she pressed. “Or did you just think it would be funny to mess with me a little?”

“What? No! I’m being serious. Look, I’ll be blunt. I like you. I think you’re beautiful and I’ve wanted to talk to you for the longest time, but I haven’t had the courage until tonight. I just spent ten minutes in the bathroom trying to work up the nerve to even speak to you. So, will you go out with me?”

“…”

“…”

“… Okay.” Both Daedalus and Question let out a sigh of relief when that word left Rainbow’s mouth. Rainbow’s face was still stern though, and she kept her eyes locked on Question. “There’s this place a friend of mine likes. This is the deal. If you’re serious, then meet me there at seven exactly. If you’re even a second late, I’m taking off, got that?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Question said, giving her a salute that he quickly put down. His cheeks went slightly red.

“Good, it’s called the Grassy Knoll. Y’know it?”

“Yes, I’ve passed it a few times.”

“Good, see ya tomorrow then.” Dash didn’t wait for a response as she took off and zoomed out of the bar, waking up a sleeping patron in the process. Question was left sitting there, but slowly, a relieved smile crossed his face as he ordered a celebratory drink. Daedalus then heard a small sound from outside. Curious, he stepped through the wall to find Rainbow Dash on the other side, hopping about like a madmare. All the while, she kept chanting the same words.

“OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!”

She then took off upwards as Daedalus broke out into joyous laughter. His deep chuckle would have been heard by all, if it were not a memory gone by. Then, without warning, Daedalus was surrounded by a bright light and everything before him disappeared.
> A Little Help From My Friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Colour returned to the world, shapes morphed into everyday objects, and before he knew it, Daedalus was in a new place and time. The white, blinding light signified to Daedalus that he had moved ahead through the memories. Making sure he had his bearings before walking around, Daedalus stretched his muscles and rubbed his eyes. He could hear a pop in his old joints, and once he was satisfied he could move freely, he took in his new surroundings. Daedalus briefly paused when he noticed how odd it was that he felt the need to stretch inside his own head, but then he shrugged and moved forward.

He was inside the first floor of a house. He noticed two comfy-looking chairs and assumed that he was in the living room. Apart from a few pieces of furniture, and the likelihood the pony living here had the essentials, the house looked barren. No pictures of family, no mementos, no artwork or anything to liven up the place and make it feel like a home. The walls were a dull brown, but the roof was a contrasting white. Daedalus furrowed his brow and stepped into another room.

“This place needs a mare’s touch,” he muttered. Daedalus was now in the kitchen, and judging by the large table, it also acted as the dining room. There was a stove, a fridge, counters, drawers; in fact it was just your everyday kitchen. The room was white and shiny, showing that the place had been cleaned only recently. Great care had been taken, as Daedalus couldn’t see a speck of dirt anywhere on the floor.

Entering the next room, the king found what looked like an empty space. Nothing was in there at all, but the room led to a hallway with a set of stairs and the front door. Either somepony had moved in only recently, or somepony didn’t own many things. It was rather depressing and very boring to Daedalus. If there was one thing Daedalus hated, it was boring. Seeing nothing else to do, Daedalus ascended the staircase to the next floor. Along the hallway were several locked doors. At the far end he could hear a few shuffling sounds and somepony cursing under their breath. Before the king could enter, though, his eyes locked onto the door just several feet from the end of the hall. Something was different about it. The colour for one, as this door was pure black, while the others were the same dull brown.

Stepping through the door, Daedalus was greeted by a surprising mess. Perhaps a better description would be organised chaos, as despite the stacks of folders and general clutter, everything seemed to make sense. Looking closely, the folders were all related cases, and the papers seemed to be centred around a trashcan near the corner of the room. It was all still a mess that seemed completely out of place with the rest of the house, but there were enough clues in the room to give Daedalus an idea of who lived here. This was definitely the home of Question Mark.

At a guess, Daedalus assumed that Question retreated in here to work on cases, and perhaps to help focus and clear his mind. This was not unheard of with artists, but it was odd to Daedalus that Question would willingly work in these conditions, and in a very small room that could be mistaken for a broom cupboard. Question had regaled the king with many of his past cases he received from Sherclop and other clients. Most had happy endings, but a select few bothered Question greatly, and he was unable to let go of one in particular.

This was evident from the large board across the room.

It was somewhat surreal for the king to see it before him, the case that broke Question Mark. They had talked about it at length, both acknowledging the fact that the investigation’s aftermath pushed Question over the edge and led him to joining Chrysalis in her attempted takeover of Canterlot. There had been other factors of course. Losing faith in ponykind had been a steady process. Being a detective was the thing Question was born to do in Daedalus’ opinion, but everything Question had seen in his line of work had steadily affected him. This only became worse and worse until he met the Ripper.

Daedalus approached the board slowly, dreading how much was there. It was worse than he thought. Various newspaper clippings of interviews, suspects, and general reports on the victims were pinned onto the board. There were pictures of crime scenes and mutilated bodies. A normal ling would have retched at the sight, but instead, Daedalus shook his head sadly. Various pieces of multi-coloured string connected it all together. It would only make sense to Question himself.

“Why can’t you just let this go?” The king found himself asking the obvious question. Of course it was a distressing time for the young changeling, but in Daedalus’ mind, this was something that should have been put to bed by now. It would sound cold to some, but living for over a thousand years taught Daedalus that holding on to bad memories was never healthy. A part of Daedalus wanted to smash up the board, but he had to remind himself none of this was real. Besides which, this was Question’s responsibility to deal with; the king could only give a guiding hand. He made a mental note to talk to Question about this in the future, but for now, the king left the offending room and re-approached the muffled sounds.

He marched straight through the door and was greeted by another curse. Daedalus stood there, amused to find Question Mark fretting over ties. He was currently wearing a bright, flowery one that hurt the king’s eyes. It reminded him of the time he met one of the Doctor's many incarnations. A green stallion who wore the most dreadful coat ever created.

“Maybe she would like this one,” Question muttered. “I mean, she has a very colourful mane and this is certainly colourful… but her colours are beautiful. This is a damned train wreck!” Question ripped the tie from his neck and chucked it at the nearest wall. He dropped his pony disguise and was in his chitin form. He made an near inaudible clicking sound common to changelings when they were frustrated or angry.

Looking around, Daedalus realised he was in Question’s bedroom. Unlike the rest of the house, the walls were a nice red and the roof was black. The bedroom was actually quite nice, and felt very comfortable. Daedalus assumed Question spent most of his time here when he wasn’t in his case room.

Question flopped onto his bed and grumbled, tired of being so worried. He had spent all night in glee, overjoyed that Rainbow Dash had agreed to a date. Sadly, worry soon followed. What should he wear? How should he treat Dash? What if he messed up? These questions spun around in his head constantly, no answer in sight. Question had swapped one group of problems for another, and he didn’t know what was worse. The fact that he was falling for a pony? Or blowing his chances to be with her?

A loud knock came from the front door that caught both changelings’ attention. Instinctively, Question changed back into his pony form. He grabbed his hat and straightened it in a nearby mirror.

Tell me that isn’t Dash, he begged in his own head. Why would she be here now? It’s still morning for crying out loud. He hurried out of the bedroom with Daedalus following behind, but Question paused half way down the stairs. Wait a minute. I was supposed to meet her at the restaurant.

Another knock reminded Question what he was meant to do. Without another thought he opened the door to find two friendly faces. Cloudchaser and Flitter were two of the first ponies to meet Question Mark when he came to Ponyville. As part of an act made by Mayor Mare one year ago, all pegasi who lived in Ponyville were given the offer of being part-time members of the weather team for a small allowance. Of course, one had to be trained to handle lightning, snow, and other extreme conditions, so it only required part-time members to help move large shipments of clouds.

Question Mark had agreed, seeing it as a step forward in his path for atonement. He was called up and paired with Cloudchaser and Flitter, two full-time members of the weather team, to assist in moving a subsection of clouds while the rest of the team focused on another. The three of them had become interesting friends, and at Cloudchaser’s insistence, Question found himself telling more and more about his life to the pair—that is, what he was able to tell without revealing too much about who he really was.

“There you are,” chirped Cloudchaser happily. She had a large smile on her face, but she was breathing heavily.

“Oh, hello, you two. You both seem out of breath,” Question commented, looking both mares over and then noticing beads of sweat form on their heads.

“I was—I mean WE were worried about you. You were meant to meet us at the park, remember?”

Question looked at them blankly, before his eyes opened wide in realisation. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry. We were supposed to meet up for brunch today, weren’t we?”

They both nodded. “’Fraid we already ate,” cut in Flitter. “You’re never late, so we were just a little concerned. You look like crap if I’m honest.”

Daedalus took a good look at Question and noticed the stallion had bags under his eyes. His mane was a mess, and he looked like he was going to freak out any second. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little stressed.”

“Can I help!?” Cloudchaser shouted excitedly. She shoved a hoof into her mouth as her cheeks went a tiny shade of red. “I mean, would you like to talk about it? It might make you feel better.”

“Sure, you two could actually help me. Take a seat on the couch, would you like anything to drink?”

“I’d like some coffee, black,” answered Flitter. “Make sure you get some for yourself, you look like you need it.”

Question chuckled lightly as he headed for the kitchen. Daedalus stayed with the sisters as they sat on the couch. He couldn’t help but grin wildly to see that his friend had been successful in making friends of his own. Some pretty cute friends for that matter… bah, get that out of your head. Focus, Daedalus, focus! the king scolded himself. He already knew who they were as Question brought the pair of them up between talks, especially when it came to life in Ponyville.

“Sweet Celestia, just ask him out already.”

The king nearly did a three-sixty when he heard those words. He found Flitter whispering to her sister. Her eyebrows were arched in annoyance as she looked at Cloudchaser. The other mare refused to meet her gaze and looked away.

“I-I-I know, alright. I was going to wait a little longer, okay?” Flitter rolled her eyes and resisted facehoofing.

“We both know he’s as dense as a rock when it comes to flirting, and don’t get me started on your technique.”

“I thought stallions like it when a mare brushes her tail on their face.”

“Yeah, their face, not their eye.”

“It was an accident. I said I was sorry.”

“I know, but at this point you’ve got to be direct with him.”

Daedalus looked on in sheer disbelief. The fact he was hearing this made him question his sanity. Question Mark wasn’t a bad-looking stallion, but every time they had talked, Question would tell Daedalus that mares had never really taken an interest in him. Looking back, Daedalus realised how obvious it was just from the conversation at the doorway that this Cloudchaser had a thing for the detective. He stroked his beard, wondering whether Question had really just never realised this, and if Cloudchaser was the first mare to show an interest in Question Mark.

“Question has some game. Too bad he has no intuition to play,” muttered Daedalus.

“I-I-I was going to invite him to a picnic tomorrow,” blurted out Cloudchaser. Her sister raised an eyebrow and smiled.

“Oh yeah? Fastest way to a stallion’s heart is through their stomach as Mom would say. Sounds like a good chance to confess one's feelings?” Flitter teased. Before Cloudchaser could respond, Question Mark returned with two cups of coffee.

“Here you go, Flitter. Black, as you requested,” said the changeling as he handed her the coffee.

Flitter took a sip of the dark liquid and said, “Mhm, black, just the way I like my mares.”

Question paused upon that comment. Does she like changelings, then? What in Tartarus does that even mean? Realising applying logic would be pointless, and since Cloudchaser didn’t seem perturbed, he seated himself between the two sisters and took a swig of his coffee. He could feel the rejuvenating effects of the liquid course through him, and despite its powerful taste, a tiny, relaxed smile reached Question’s lips.

“So, what’s bothering you, then?” asked Cloudchaser. Question had almost forgotten she was here.

“Huh? Oh, sorry. Well, I could give the generic answer of ‘life.’ Knowing you two, though, you mares wouldn’t be satisfied with that answer. Basically, I guess you could say I’m nervous about something.”

The sisters exchanged an annoyed look before turning back to Question. “You’re being very vague there, Question. Give it to us straight,” said Fitter.

“Fine. Last night… I asked Rainbow Dash out on a date.”

The only sound that could be heard was the ticking of a clock mounted on a nearby wall.

Everypony had gone silent upon Question’s admission. It was as if somepony had suddenly died, but nopony wanted to acknowledge it. Question found himself gazing into the depths of his coffee, waiting for one of the sisters to respond. Flitter was casting a cautious glance towards her sister, but Cloudchaser didn’t look back. She was looking straight forward, with a few noticeable twitches to her left eye. Cloudchaser opened her mouth, trying to find the right words to say, and then it suddenly struck her.

“Wait, Dash is gay.” Both Question and Flitter looked over to Cloudchaser who had a relieved smile on her face. “Since she’s gay, that means she said no, right? I’m so sor—” Before she could continue her mock condolences, Flitter interrupted her sister.

“She isn’t gay, Cloud.”

A look of terror crossed Cloudchaser’s face. “Wh-what do you mean? I thought she was. How do you know she isn’t?”

“’Cause I asked her out a while back and she turned me down.” Question gave Flitter a sceptical look. “What? It’s true. We work with her all the time and she’s pretty hot, so I thought I’d try my luck. She let me down gently and told me she only liked stallions, gave me the whole story too.”

“So what did she say?” asked Cloudchaser desperately. Question was confused as to Cloudchaser’s change of demeanour, but he opted to just answer.

“Well… she said yes.”

Instead of being greeted with happy smiles, Question was only facing worried faces. One sister looked worried for the other, while Cloudchaser had great difficulty trying to hide her sadness at the news. Question was very confused by the reaction. He assumed they would be happy, if not a little surprised. It was evidently a slow morning for the detective as he was unable to put two and two together.

“Is something the matter? I thought you’d be happy for me.”

“Uh… well, you see—” Flitter wasn’t able to finish her sentence because a hoof covered her mouth.

“Oh! We are happy!” assured Cloudchaser. Her grin was wide and borderline psychotic. Question scootched up the couch away from her. “We were just thinking, you see. You and Dash will be… great together.”

“You really think so?”

“Oh, I know so.” For a moment the smile broke, but Cloudchaser forced it back in position. Flitter looked on, dreading what was happening inside her sister’s head. “Hey, I’ve got somewhere to be. Is it alright if I head off, Question?”

“Sure, I’ll see you later.”

The pegasus picked herself off the couch and trotted out of the room. When Question and Flitter heard the front door close, the detective turned to the other sister. “Well that was odd. Is she alright, or…? What the heck is that!?”

A loud thumping sound began to resonate from the left wall. Question nearly spit his coffee from sudden noise, while Flitter stood up and headed for the door.

“I’ll be back in a sec,” she called.

While this was all going on, Daedalus stood up and walked straight through the wall to find the source of the sound. He found Cloudchaser banging her head against the outside wall. The king sighed at the display. He put a clawed hand over his face, massaging his eyeballs in the process. He couldn’t do anything to stop her in his position, so he settled for not looking. Cloudchaser didn’t hold back on her self-punishment either, repeatedly smacking her skull against wood. Luckily for everypony, Flitter rounded the corner and grabbed her sister.

“What the heck are you doing?” she asked, visibly upset. Upon hearing Flitter’s arrival, Daedalus removed his hand. The passion in Flitter’s voice was out of sisterly concern; something Daedalus had never experienced himself. Being an only child was odd for a changeling, but all the other eggs produced by his mother were destroyed in a flooding accident. Only his survived. Some called it destiny, Daedalus said it was sheer dumb luck. He had never known what it was like to have a sibling, though he would like to think he would be a good brother.

“What does it look like? I’m punishing myself for being a stupid coward,” Cloudchaser explained, not meeting her sister’s gaze.

“Well first off, if you’re going to do that, try not doing it while the stallion you’re nuts for is on the other side of the wall.” When Cloudchaser didn’t respond, Flitter rolled her eyes and continued. “And second, stop! You’re better than this and I’m not gonna stand here while you hurt yourself like that.”

Again, Cloudchaser didn’t respond, apart from a few sniffles. Flitter sighed and brought her sister into a hug. “What am I going to do with you?”

Daedalus looked on in fascination as the pair had their forelegs wrapped around each other. He stroked his long beard, trying to picture what it was like. When you’re siblings, does a hug feel even better? Bah, my thoughts are running away from me again.

“He’s gonna want your advice,” Cloudchaser said in her sister's legs.

“What do you mean?” Flitter replied.

“I don’t think he knows what to do with a date, that’s why he said we could help. You should get back there,” said the other sister, rubbing at her eyes.

“Well, uh, what do you want me to tell him? Like, maybe give him bad advice so—”

“NO!” Flitter jumped back at her sister’s outburst. “Look, he’s an idiot, but a nice idiot. He deserves to be happy, alright. Make sure his date goes well by trying to help. Please, for me?”

“… For you. But are you going to be okay?” Flitter asked, wrapping a foreleg over her sister and pulling her in again for a mini hug.

“I don’t know yet,” Cloudchaser said honestly. “I feel kind of down right now.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell. I thought self-harming was something you did all the time.” Both sisters let out a small chuckle. Despite the slightly morbid joke, the king found himself smiling at the display. “Tell you what. You go home, run a nice hot bath, and when I get back we’ll have a mares’ night in. I’ll get some of the others and we’ll eat ice cream and complain about stupid mares and stallions all night. Sound good?”

“Yeah, sounds like fun.” A small, genuine smile, found its way to Cloudchaser’s lips. “You’d better get back in now. I’ll see you later.” Flitter reluctantly let go of her sister.

“Alright, but you keep your head away from all walls apart from the cloud ones, you hear?” Cloudchaser nodded and Flitter headed back inside. The pegasus stood outside for a moment, allowing the smile to drop. She was unsure of what to do now, but knew she should head back home upon her sister’s advice. She spread her wings and picked herself up off the ground, flying to the porcelain sanctuary known as the tub.

Daedalus kept his eyes on her until she was out of sight, disappearing behind the clouds. He pondered what Cloudchaser would have done without her sister by her side. He had survived a thousand years without a brother or sister, but maybe it all would have been easier with one, ready to help pick him up when he fell. Again, he pushed the thoughts from his mind as mere distractions, but distractions were worth getting lost into, eh? Before he could head inside to rejoin Question, the scenery began to disappear again, and the king found himself being taken to a new place.





The first thing Daedalus saw when he reappeared was a rainbow. He was looking straight down at the multi-coloured mane of Rainbow Dash. That is until she walked straight through the king. Daedalus looked around to see if he could spot Question Mark anywhere, but he was nowhere in sight. It was still daytime as well, so Daedalus assumed he was now following Rainbow Dash instead. Looking up, the sun was at its highest point, signifying that only half the day had gone by.

Rainbow Dash held her head up high as she approached the shop of her friend, Rarity. Although she appeared calm on the outside, she was a wreck on the inside. At first it had all been so wonderful for the pegasus. She was so excited for what her date would entail that she had trouble getting to sleep, but then doubt struck. Familiar taunting began to ring in her ears, failed dates and pathetic pranks kept turning up in her dreams. All these things caused doubt to appear in the young mare’s mind.

Did Question really like her?

It would seem silly to anypony else, but Rainbow Dash was far more insecure than most ever realised. When her confidence was smashed, her other side was laid bare for all to see, and Rainbow refused to allow that to happen this time; she would not allow a repeat of the Best Young Flier’s competition. After spending most of the morning unable to concentrate on performing simple tricks, Dash decided to seek help from one of her few friends who might know enough about love to help her understand if the detective was being serious, Rarity.

The fashionista had never hidden the fact that she was looking for her Prince Charming. This usually induced many eye rolls from her friends when she went on a tirade on how to find Mr Right. Despite the less than stellar results, Rarity may be Rainbow’s only hope for finding some much needed confidence. Rainbow entertained the idea of going to Fluttershy, but she dismissed the idea when she remembered how shy Fluttershy was. Seeking confidence from somepony who had to pump themselves up just so they could leave the house didn’t seem very practical.

Rainbow was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice she was right outside Rarity’s boutique until she collided snoutfirst with the door. Daedalus stifled a chuckle while strolling through the town. Being closer to the centre of town, Daedalus watched as the ponies went about their busy lives. The market seemed like the busiest place with the exchanges of food and other essentials for tiny gold pieces. There was no need for this in the hive. Everyling was given a decent amount of love to fuel their magic and keep them alive at the beginning of each week, while food was more of a leisure item. Most changelings could go without love for two whole months, but the consequence was that their magic would become weaker and weaker the longer they went without it.

Noticing that Dash had stopped cursing and massaging her sore muzzle, the king followed her as she entered the shop. Inside, Daedalus thought he had entered a meeting with his fellow kings and queens, his least favourite place to be. Everything was far too fancy and frilly for his liking. The colours blended nicely together, but there was a sort of uptight attitude that hung in the air like a bad smell. Daedalus then noticed the odd pieces of scaffolding inside which contrasted with the overall vibe of the shop. It appeared it was in its beginning stages of some sort of renovation.

“Who is it?” chimed a beautiful voice from upstairs. Dash had been pacing the floor at the time, unsure of how to discuss the matter with Rarity. She didn’t want to tell her about the date, she simply wanted to know a few things. If this was a disaster, telling the town gossip she was dating would only lead to questions that Dash simply didn’t want to answer. She would have to be subtle, something Dash wasn’t very good at.

“It’s me, Rare,” Dash called back.

“Just a moment darling, I’ll be with you momentarily.” Rainbow found herself staring at her hooves, suddenly noticing how dirty they were.

Whoa, these things are chipped and everything. Don’t even know how I got mud there. Maybe I should get them cleaned at the spa— Dash suddenly snapped out of her temporary insanity. What the heck am I talking about? Stupid brain. I wanna get laid, but I don’t wanna get all girly to do it.

Daedalus was watching Dash examine her hooves with a cocked eyebrow. Huh, she should really clean those things or something. I don’t even know how she got mud there. Daedalus suddenly felt the need to check his claws. Before he could though, Rarity began to descend the staircase.

“Darling you could not have appeared at a better time. This shop has been an absolute nightmare.” Rarity put a hoof to her forehead and swung her head dramatically. Resisting the urge to facehoof, Rainbow assumed Rarity was referring to the scaffolding.

“Didn’t you already refurbish the shop a little while ago? That was when the Doc was in town.”

“You are correct, dear. Sadly the last job I had was rather shoddy. Most of the workers moved onto making the cyber tower during the invasion. The poor dears were so shaken I couldn’t possibly ask them to continue, so I allowed them to return home. The downside of course was that it was all a patch job at best.” Rarity reached the bottom and let out a tired sigh. “But you haven’t come here to listen to me complain. How have you been dear? You very rarely pay me a visit at the boutique.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Dash said while rubbing a hoof along the back of her head. She made a mental note to try to visit Rarity more often. “I’m good and all, but I need your advice.”

“Advice? On what darling?”

“Just… stuff in general.” Rainbow put on her most convincing smile, the irony being that it only succeeded in making her look guilty of something. Rarity placed a hoof on her chin as she squinted at the pegasus. That’s when a devious smile reached Rarity’s lips.

“I would love to help you, Rainbow, but I have a tiny problem. My stands were destroyed by some falling debris, you see, and the replacements I ordered haven’t arrived yet. If only there were somepony about with a natural athletic, slim body that could model these dresses while I work on them.”

“Generous, yet clever and dangerous. My kind of mare,” chuckled Daedalus. Dash tilted her head downwards and sighed loudly.

“Alright, you win.”

Rarity clapped her hooves together and dragged Rainbow upstairs to her inspiration room.





“If Gilda could see me now, I’d never hear the end of it—HEY! Watch it!”

Rarity quickly retracted the needle. “Well if you would stop moving around then you wouldn’t end up as a pin cushion, as you so crudely put it. Honestly, darling, is it so hard to simply stand still for a moment or two?”

The dress Rainbow was wearing was a bright purple that clashed heavily with the mare wearing it. Rarity had to remind herself that this was a custom order, and certainly not made for Rainbow Dash. Rainbow grunted but said nothing else on the matter. Meanwhile, King Daedalus was in hysterics. The sight was something truly glorious to behold. The great and mighty Element of Loyalty was reduced to modelling, all because a changeling asked her out. Daedalus also found it amusing that two ponies who were so different could be such good friends. Despite the annoyance they both shared, he could tell it wasn’t mean-spirited.

At the same time, Daedalus couldn’t help but notice some surprising similarities between the two ponies. When the elements had been assigned to actual ponies many years ago, he had done his best to gather information on them, a sort of know-your-enemy motive, but Daedalus was also simply curious about who they could be. Both mares were clearly passionate about what they did. Dash aimed to be recognised as the greatest flier in all of Equestria, while Rarity wanted to be seen as the greatest fashion designer in the world. Which brought up another similarity between the two: they both constantly sought the recognition of others. They wanted everypony to know how great they were. They had great skills in their respective crafts, large amounts of confidence that was hard to shake, large amounts of stamina, and when they were doing what they did best, their happiness shot up all the way to eleven. Neither of them probably even realised how alike they were.

During Daedalus’ observations, Rarity was regaling Rainbow Dash with a story about her trip to meet up with Fleur, the wife of Fancy Pants.

“… I mean she seemed quite unsure if she could adopt a filly so unlike her, let alone an entirely different species. But she has really warmed up to that little bat pony. Oh wait, what’s the PC term for their kind? Oh, that’s right, thestrals. They have such a fascinating culture, some ponies when they join Luna’s guard actually decide to become one, I mean can you imagine? Their colours are so dark yet so rich, it’s like…”

Rainbow was only half listening to her friend. Not that what Rarity was saying wasn’t interesting. Dash had to confess she was a little curious herself about the thestrals, but she was still trying to figure out how to approach her predicament to Rarity. Part of her just wanted to tell her about the date, but then she knew what that would lead too. There was no way Rarity would be able to keep her mouth closed on the matter, and once her other friends found out, then she’d never hear the end of it. She would rather know if she had something concrete with Question before telling anypony that they were dating.

Dash looked at the dresses on the rack and realised they had already been through four of them, and she still hadn’t even attempted to ask Rarity for her advice. She sucked in some air, nearly causing Rarity to prick her again, and just decided to wing it.

“Hey, Rarity. Can we talk about why I came here?”

“Of course, dear. You seem very quiet, actually, is everything alright?”

Well, I made it this far, might as well go all the way with it, Dash thought. “You see Rare, I’ve got to ask you a question.”

“Yes, go on darling, I’m all ears,” Rarity replied while continuing with her needle work.

“Well uh, how do… uh…”

“Darling, you can trust me. Anything you ask me will be in the strictest confidence.”

“… How do you tell if somepony likes you…? OW!”

Caught off guard, Rarity accidently stabbed Dash again. She quickly pulled the needle out but couldn’t stop the tiny pool of blood beginning to form. As a quick as a flash, Rarity jumped into action and levitated a nearby first aid kit, opened it, and placed a tiny plaster on Rainbow’s injury. The blood didn’t have a chance to trickle down Dash’s body.

“I am so sorry, Rainbow Dash. I have no idea what came over me.” Dash barely felt the pain as she was more shocked by Rarity’s swiftness in the matter.

“Why’d you have a random first aid kit lying about?”

“Injuries, darling. Sweetie is staying with our parents because bits of plaster and mortar occasionally break off and fall. I can’t leave, of course, as I need to work, so I keep these around in case of an injury.”

“But, you moved so fast?”

“Of course, dear. There’s no time to faint when one of my friends are injured. Although I must confess, that blood has left me a little woozy. I think we’re done for the day.” Rarity levitated a couch behind her and gracefully fell upon it. A tiny smile crept onto Dash’s face, and a small well of pride in Rarity formed in her stomach. “Now, what was it you asked me, darling? How do you tell if somepony likes you?”

“Uh, yeah, that.” Rainbow gulped.

“What an odd question, dear. By any chance, is there somepony that’s caught your—?”

“No.”

“Are you—”

“Yes.”

“Okay then,” Rarity said, slightly deflated by Rainbow’s bluntness. “If I may ask then, why do you wish to know? It isn’t like you to show any interest in romance.”

Daedalus would be lying if he said he wasn’t getting curious also. The conversation had taken an unexpected turn, bringing Daedalus to the edge of his seat, metaphorically speaking. I wish I could sit down. How does one get tired standing up inside their own head? The king glumly thought.

“Well, because of weirdos and stuff,” Dash tried to casually remark, but it came off as more of a mumble.

“You’ll have to be more specific.”

“Like, you go all over Equestria, right? I heard your folks used to take you travelling when you were younger.”

“Yes, they did.”

“Well, I bet you met some weird ponies, right? And when you go to fashion shows and stuff or whatever you do, how do you know when somepony hits on you they actually like you? Or they’re trying to get something from you?”

Rarity tapped a hoof to her chin as her face scrunched up in thought. She sat up, trying to decipher Rainbow’s incredibly jumbled question, then realisation struck her. “Are you asking me how I can tell if somepony likes me for me, or for less than civilised reasons?”

“Sort of, yeah.” Rainbow sighed in relief, seeing as she had Rarity on the track she wanted her to follow. “So nopony is trying to jump in the sack with you and you never see them again.”

“AH! Now I see. You never told me why you wish to know, though.”

“Well… if I become a Wonderbolt, I’ll be super famous and stuff—”

“Darling, you’re already “super famous” as you put it. We’ve saved Equestria several times.”

“Yeah, but I mean as a celebrity. Plus I’ll be travelling all over the place. Everypony will want a piece of this. I mean, who could blame them.” Rainbow’s usual cockiness had returned, much to the amusement of Rarity, who giggled. “I need to know if they actually like me for me, or just because they want my flank. Also, try and sort out who’s serious and who’s a… prankster.”

Rarity stood up from her seat and motioned for Dash to take off her dress. Despite her grumbling, as the process always felt awkward for Dash, it was quick, with Rarity floated the dress onto a stand.

“Darling, I’m afraid that there’s little help I can give you on the first matter,” Rarity replied, turning to Dash again.

“What do you mean?” Dash asked, masking her disappointment.

“When it comes to a gentlestallion’s intentions, they can be easily guessed on the date itself, especially the first one. It is hard to tell who’s serious just by them asking you out. Say if they were nervous, that is more of a telling sign. It shows that they had to dig into their reserves of courage to ask you in the first place, thus showing commitment, and thus showing how much they admire you. Whether that be for your looks, abilities, or personality; it is hard to tell.”

Dash looked back to the night before, trying to remember how Question had acted around her. The conversation had been interesting to say the least. Not the kind of subjects you would bring up around a mare you liked, but perhaps that showed how nervous Question was. She also remembered how long it took for him to actually ask her out, trying to sway the conversation to the right moment. The more Dash thought about it, the more she was certain that Question had been serious in his intentions.

“It would be harder to tell if they were confident of course, so that is why you would have to rely on the date itself. Saying yes or no depending.”

“Okay, cool. What else?”

“Secondly, there are two things I can tell you. One, do not, and I mean do NOT, sleep with him on the first date. You will have to forgive me, darling, as I sometimes—” Rarity gently cleared her throat, “forget these rules, but I know from experience that it is a bad move.”

Rainbow smiled coyly but nodded her head. “Sure, I ain't no tramp.”

“Language, dear,” Rarity scolded. Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“What, is the word tramp too hardcore for you, Miss Fabulous?”

Rarity ignored her. “The second thing is also important. Of course your date will treat you well, at least I hope he would, but make a note of how he treats other ponies.”

“Other ponies?”

“Oh yes, dear,” Rarity said with a knowing smile. “It’s easy for somepony to treat the one they're trying to please or impress well, but everypony else is another matter. That is when their true self comes out for all to see. Say if you went to a restaurant and the waiter accidentally spills something on them, their reaction is good way of gauging their character.”

“Oh, I like you, I like you a lot. If only you were one of my spies,” Daedalus whispered, more out of instinct than anything else.

“Hey, I think I get you now. If he, like, explodes and stuff and gets pissed off for no reason, then he’s a jerk. If he’s all cool about it and just shrugs it off, then he’s awesome.”

“Yes, I suppose you have the gist of it. It’s refreshing to see you think—”

“Yeah, that’s all good, Rare, but I need to get out of here. Thanks for everything!” Dash jumped to the nearest window and pulled it open.

“But be careful not to turn the date—” Dash flew out the window into the open sky. “—into an interrogation.” Rarity slumped onto the floor while she dreaded what Dash would do with her advice. “Oh well, she said she would only need this when she becomes a Wonderbolt. No need to worry about that now.” While Rarity returned to her completed dresses with a content smile, Daedalus kept staring at the open window. Speculation was forming in his mind as to Dash’s motives here.

“She was obviously worried about the date as well, but she seemed worried as to Question’s motivations. That poor mare, what caused her to have such doubt? I swear those two are made for each other. Pair of dummies worrying over nothing.” Daedalus was cut off from his pondering for a third time by a bright white light. “Oh, this is going to get annoying quick. I swear if the next memory isn’t that date I’ll—” The white light consumed the king and the world vanished once more.
> Date Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The hive mind is truly a wonderful, yet terrible place; It is connected to all living things, yet only one race could understand and use it. Even then, only their monarchs could use the hive mind to its full potential. Daedalus once described it as a living thing. The hive mind witnessed all and stored it in its infinite web of memories. When Daedalus had asked the entity to show him the relationship between Dash and Question, the hive mind had taken him to only specific points, even showing things from Dash’s perspective as well. That was why he was able to stand alongside Dash and see what she saw.

As Daedalus reappeared once more, he was greeted by the night sky above him. He was now in the deserted market, with barely a soul walking around the town. One of the few still walking around at this hour – or rather flying – was Rainbow Dash. She landed next to the king without the usual fanfare and let out a sigh.

Despite feeling significantly more confident about the date as a whole, Rainbow couldn’t help but feel slightly anxious about the whole thing. She had picked a casual restaurant – partially because she couldn’t stand the stuffy atmosphere of more uptight establishments – but a more relaxed setting allowed her to be herself without risk of upsetting anypony. She told herself that if her date didn’t like her for who she was, then screw him. Dash began to trot forwards and Daedalus followed closely behind.

“Okay, keep it cool Dash, you’ve totally got this,” she muttered to herself.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that, my dear,” Daedalus responded, knowing full well Dash was unable to hear him. “You might jinx your chances for tonight.”

“I mean, heck, what could go wrong, right?”

“… Famous last words, my pegasus friend.” Daedalus looked up at the moon for a moment, reminiscing on events long past. “Sweet Lulu, give this mare strength. Oh, and make sure the date goes well please? Thanks hun.” Daedalus winked at the white orb in the sky. “Gods, I miss that flank.” Before he could allow himself to get distracted again, he looked down at Dash.

“Okay, what time is it?” Rainbow cocked her head around till she met a clock face, reading that it was ten to seven. “Alright, I’ll wait till five past, and if he doesn’t show his face, I’m taking off. He’d better not stand me up—”

Dash stopped in her tracks when she was several meters away from the restaurant, and waiting outside was Question Mark, who was wearing a black tie and fedora. He was pacing just outside of the entrance, keeping his wings tightly wrapped around himself for warmth. Rainbow’s confidence quickly evaporated as she stood still, completely frozen in place. Question was too busy being nervous to notice that his date had arrived.

“Goodness me, if this keeps up, we’re in for a long night,” Daedalus sighed. He glanced at Dash again and smiled. “Well? What are you waiting for? Go get him, tiger.” Almost as if she could hear him, Dash trotted forwards once more. Question heard the approaching hoofsteps and faced his date for the evening. He gulped and met her half-way.

“Good evening, Miss Dash,” Question said politely whilst making sure his hat was on straight.

“Hey, and drop the whole ‘Miss’ thing. It’s either Rainbow or Dash to you, buster.” Dash hoped it would come off as playful; instead, it came out as an order.

“O-o-oh, right. Sorry.”

Silence descended like a bad smell. Daedalus huffed in annoyance but resisted the temptation to roll his eyes.

“So… do you want to head inside now?” Question asked, hoping to break the uncomfortable atmosphere.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, sure.”

The pair hurried inside to be greeted by a restaurant at the beginning of dinner service. Dash had already booked a table earlier that morning, and both of them were led to their seats by a waiter. Silence returned as the pair was left to scan the menu. Daedalus grunted as he looked at all the comfortable chairs in the room. He chose to sit on the floor right next to the table. Due to his size, he was eye level with both Dash and Question, who were both hiding their faces behind the menus.

The world zoned out for a moment as Question looked over his menu. He took a deep breath, mustering his courage again. He told himself that getting here was the hard part, so now it was his chance to find out more about the stuntmare. The worst-case scenario was that they could at least be friends if this turned into a disaster… hopefully, but the detective wanted more than that. Normally, he would plan this all out, but he was so inexperienced in the field of dating that he had no clue of what to expect. Flitter had told him to simply be polite, don’t talk too much about himself unless he was asked, and even then, avoid bragging, and not to come off as creepy. Question wasn’t sure if he had ever come off as creepy in his entire life, but that was the least of his troubles.

Meanwhile, Dash could barely make out the sounds of families arguing, the clattering of cutlery, and the chugging of beverages as she focused intently on the options presented to her. She didn’t even really know what half of the things on the menu were, but they all sounded pretty good to her. Dash’s stomach had temporarily taken over her brain, but she snapped back to reality as she heard her date place down his menu.

Her ‘date’. Why was that word so foreign, yet so fulfilling to her? Dash knew the answer of course, but questioning herself had become routine since yesterday evening. Dash had a game plan for the evening though, she had to gauge who her date was early on. She knew he was a detective, an experienced one despite barely being in his mid-twenties. He had been living in Ponyville for a short time now, moving in shortly after everypony came back from the Canterlot wedding. That wasn’t enough, though, so she decided to delve deeper.

Daedalus was listening in on a foal whining about how his peas and mashed potatoes were touching, and wondering what on Equis was the problem, when he saw Dash place down her menu and open her mouth to speak. He leaned in closer and listened to every word.

“So, who are your folks?”

Question had just been in the process of thinking of something to say to get the ball rolling, when Rainbow beat him to the punch. He paused for a moment, figuring out how best to answer. Both of his parents had been changelings, but he was actually born in Trottingham while they were taking a short vacation in the city. Ten eggs were laid in their hotel room, but he was the only one to survive. The mess had been cleaned up and hidden away by several changeling agents and the three of them had swiftly moved back to the hive.

“Oh, um, my mother was called Gaia, and my father was called Aegeus.”

“Weird names for ponies…”

Daedalus visibly cringed when he saw Question forget to give his parents pony names, a common mistake made by lings taking their first steps into pony society. A bead of sweat trickled down the forehead of the detective before he replied, “They were from up north.”

“… Oh.”

“What do you mean oh!?” Daedalus shouted. “How in Tartarus did you buy that? Wait, why am I complaining?” The king rested his head in his hands as the questions continued.

“How long have you been a detective?”

“I started training under Professor Lantern when I was little younger than eighteen. So roughly about six years now.”

“I thought you said you were trained by Sherclop.”

“Ah, well, not quite. I met professor Lantern when I was trying to figure out what to do with my life. He was an archaeologist who viewed most challenges in life as a visual puzzle. On the side, he would do detective work, and after seeing him in action, I felt inspired to follow in his hoofsteps. I asked him if he could teach me and I spent roughly a year with him in Trottingham. He only taught me the basics though, and sent me to meet with Sherclop to learn more advanced techniques.”

“So you left him on his own.”

“Certainly not. About a week before I left, he came home with a young colt who he told me was his new apprentice. He wanted to make him into a proper gentlestallion. Anyway, for the next five years I was in school or accompanying Sherclop and his assistant.”

“... What’s with the hat?”

“I like fedoras. I know it’s a cliché, but sue me, I’ve always liked them.”

“Ties too?”

“Work attire, but it’s become routine for me, even if they sometimes feel like a noose around my neck.”

Dash paused for a bit as she chewed her lip. She squinted at the pegasus opposite her, who felt slightly awkward being under the spotlight for a change. Dash wanted to catch him up, forgetting that she was on a date.

“Alright then, what do you know about me?”

“Well, I know you're friends with Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Spike—”

“AH HA! How did YOU know they were my friends!?” Dash asked, nearly shooting out of her seat in the process. Her smug smirk would not last long.

“Well, you guys are the Elements of Harmony. I think a requirement to use them is for you guys to be friends.”

“… Oh.” Dash slumped back into her chair, slightly deflated. Suddenly, her eyes opened wide and she sat back up, pointing a hoof in Question’s face. “But how did you know who they were in the first place!?”

Both Daedalus and Question gazed at the hoof dumbly for several seconds, before the detective gently guided it back down to the table with a free hoof. He cleared his throat and put on a serious, almost condescending voice. “First of all, you’re all national heroes; I’d be surprised if somepony didn’t know who you were. It would be like a random pedestrian turning down a Princess’s request because he didn’t know who she was,” he explained. “Secondly, we all live in the same town. And last, but certainly not least, I have met all of you at one point or another. Rarity made this hat for me, I visited Fluttershy when I was considering getting a pet for myself, I go to Twilight’s library to take books out where I’ve met both her and Spike, I buy my apples from Applejack and Big Mac, and Pinkie Pie put together my welcome to Ponyville party. Which, if you recall, you all attended.”

Dash’s jaw nearly hit the table as Daedalus had an overwhelming desire to high five Question Mark. A smug grin was now spread over the detective’s face, but he soon corrected himself to an innocent smile.

“I see you’re trying to play detective.”

“Play detective?” Dash raised an eyebrow.

“Allow me to deduce. Since we sat down at this table, I must confess that this has come off as more of an interrogation, rather than a date. I realise now that your questions mean you’re checking if I am what I claim, a detective. Some of your questions have not been on that topic, so I further deduce that – if you do not mind me saying – you are a bit worried.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a zing moment, but you certainly did sound smart saying all that stuff, my old friend.” Daedalus stretched out a bit, eager to see how this would all play out.

“You’re worried about getting hurt, aren’t you?”

Just at that moment, the waiter arrived.

“Excuse me, are you two ready to order?” Both Rainbow and Question switched their attention to the waiter. As the waiter was standing right in Daedalus’ invisible body, the king decided to distract himself by looking over the restaurant. It had a very homey, relaxed atmosphere despite the rush of the waiters serving everyone and the din coming from the kitchen. The light colour of the walls and the floral arrangements helped complete the place. The waiter soon departed with orders in hoof, leaving the ponies with nothing to do other than either stare at each other awkwardly, or talk. Dash chose the latter.

“Look, I’m sorry,” she said through a sigh, “I’m just not used to this stuff. When you asked me out yesterday, I was pretty pumped for this, and you were pretty cute—”

“—You think I’m cute?” Question asked rather tactlessly.

“Uhh… yeah,” Dash said through rose tinted cheeks. “You’d better not tell anypony I said that, though.” She glared at Question as he put his hoofs up defensively.

“Hey, easy there. I swear on my honour, madam. I just never thought you’d like cute things.”

“Better than a hot guy who’s as dumb as a sack of bricks.”

“Any examples?”

“Do you know who Soarin is?”

“The Wonderbolt?”

“Nice guy, great looker, but super gullible. I don’t know, I make fun of Twi for being an egghead, but dumb ponies seem to be a real ‘turn off’ for me.”

“How dumb do they have to be?” Question Mark asked, fully engaged in the conversation.

“I’m not picky or nothing, but I was talking to him at the gala, and he thought apples grew underground like potatoes.” The only thing that beat Question Mark’s undignified snort was King Daedalus’ ‘full blown’, hysterical laughter. If he had been present that day, his deep, booming voice would have shaken the entire room. Question Mark managed to compose himself, but could not rid himself of his grin.

“Ah, so they have to be especially dumb, then.”

“Yeah, and trust me, sports ponies tend to have less brains and more muscle. I should know, I’m kind of one of them.”

“I wouldn’t say that. You’ve come off as rather intelligent in our previous conversations.”

“Yeah, try telling that to AJ. Besides which, I think Soarin had the hots for Applejack anyway.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t just her apple pies he was drooling over at the gala.”

The pair smiled at each other as Daedalus was finally able to control himself as tiny droplets of water formed in his eyes, but before the silence could settle in, Question extended a hoof across the table. “Listen, why don’t we start this date again? It’s nice to meet you, Miss Dash.” Instead of shaking, Dash bumped his hoof.

“Okay, cool. What’s up, Question?”





As the first course arrived, the date began to go swimmingly. The pair flowed into natural conversation. They had started with some personal background, Question explaining he was born in Trottingham and raised by his mother and father until they passed away several years back. Daedalus noted that Question had told the truth, while simply neglecting to mention they were both changelings; technically, he never lied to Dash. Rainbow Dash had a similar story; apart from the unhappy side of her school life, she had plenty of friends and loving parents while living in Cloudsdale, the same place where Daedalus’ daughter had been raised. Although her mother had passed on, her father was still around, badgering young Dash for grandchildren and pushing her to follow her dreams at the same time, which sent very confusing messages.

The pair continued to tell life stories, Dash had been brave enough to tell the whole truth of the Best Young Flier’s competition, which elicited a chuckle from Question and uproarious laughs from the king. However, Dash noted  Question praising her for her courage and ability. Although praise from anypony else would have fed Dash’s expansive ego, Question’s praise caused her cheeks to flash pink, something the pegasus hated and begrudgingly loved. Question followed – upon Dash’s insistence – with one of the more interesting cases he had to deal with.

“… So the sleeping dart activated when Black Key would play a certain sheet of music on his piano. The thief then walked straight into the apartment and stole the vase.”

“How’d you catch him then?”

“When I figured out the thief was was robbing famous musicians who lived in the area, the vase that Black Key owned was far too big of a prize for the thief to simply ignore; it was only a matter of when. I acquired the help of a journalist by the name of Lens Turner. She set up a camera and we caught the thief in the act. You can figure out the rest. Lens Turner was very nice, a bit of a recluse, and she had this thing for blue boxes and aliens, but nice all the same.”

“Heh, when you hang out with Pinkie all the time, alien talk doesn’t even come into the same league of weird.”

“I suppose,” Question muttered, looking into his wine glass. “Still, with those metal men stomping around Canterlot not too long ago, extraterrestrial talk isn’t exactly considered crazy anymore. We’re in a changing world, Dash. These past few years have presented more threats to world security than in the last six hundred years.”

Dash dumbly nodded, not fully understanding what he was telling her. She noted how Question had a tendency to go on quiet monologues to himself, shutting out the rest of the world as he spoke. Question looked at her, noting her confused expression. “Don’t worry about it, Dash. I’m simply rambling to myself.”

“It’s cool,” Dash assured while nonchalantly waving her hoof. “I hang with Twilight, so I’m used to getting confused by long speeches.”

“From the few conversations I’ve had with her, she comes off as the lecturing type. Very astute, though. I can see why she’s a prodigy.”

“Ugh, but the lectures are a killer though. I feel like my brain is about to melt when she pulls out her blackboard. She has that thing on standby so she can pull it out whenever. Kind of makes me feel dumb.”

“Hey! You are anything but dumb.“

“Now you’re just trying to flatter me.”

“No, I’ve met dumb. You are not dumb, not even close. So you’re on a basic reading level, so you’re not amazing at math, most ponies aren’t. The way you condition yourself and look after yourself is more than enough to tell me you’re quite smart. You just don’t realise it.”

There it was again, the pink tinge that covered her cheeks. Every time Question saw it, it sent his heart aflutter. She was too darn cute for her own good, in his opinion. Dash hated how he so easily complimented her and made it seem genuine. Ponies praised her all the time, but none of them for being smart. Dash actually believed he was telling her the truth, but that scared her for some reason. Something about him being so convincing confused her greatly. Did she really like him after knowing him for only a short time? Or was his silver tongue that convincing?

“Before you ask,” he said, “I know you enjoy reading from your love of the Daring Do books.”

“Pfft, even I could have figured that out. Do you read them?” Question nodded. “What book are you on?” Dash asked excitedly, happy to see they had something else in common.

“As best I recall, I had just finished—”

As Question Mark began to explain, Rainbow’s left eye drifted off towards the waitress who passed her. At that moment – what felt like some sort of divine intervention – Rainbow Dash spied the waitress set down an order for a waiting family. The order was very large, especially for starters, and Dash was certain the waitress wasn’t able to deliver the entire first course and would require a second trip. This would normally be a small and minor detail that her keen eyes would skip over and back to her date, yet when she noticed the waitress place a bowl of hot, piping soup in front of the youngest daughter, the pegasus got an idea. A horrible, ingenious and downright diabolical idea. Discord would have been proud that night.

“Excuse me miss,” asked the mother of the family, “where is my colt’s soup?”

“I’m terribly sorry, I have to make a second trip. I’ll be back in a moment,” replied the waitress.

Dash, by her own admittance (unless she was challenged of course) would acknowledge she wasn’t the most clever pony around. She had street smarts, she could cook, knew more than enough about fitness and even understood her own limitations when it came to training. She only pushed past her limit when she deemed necessary. Yet, to her at least, all the pieces fell into place for what she felt was a genius test. She recalled her conversation with Rarity earlier.

“The second thing is also important. Of course your date will treat you well, at least I hope he would, but make a note of how he treats other ponies.”

“Other ponies?”

“Oh yes, dear. It’s easy for somepony to treat the one they're trying to please or impress well, but everypony else is another matter. That is when their true self comes out for all to see. Say if you went to a restaurant and the waiter accidentally spills something on them, their reaction is good way of gauging their character.”

Meanwhile, Daedalus noticed Dash’s attention slipping from her date. He followed her line of sight which was locked onto the waitress serving the family. He scratched his head in confusion and turned to Question, who hadn’t noticed his date seemingly losing interest.

“I thought she wasn’t into mares,” mumbled Daedalus. “She seems to be checking her flank out or something like that.” Daedalus squinted; trying to figure what had caught her attention, but drew a complete blank. Dash continued to keep an eye on the waitress as she walked through Daedalus, who shivered slightly, and past Dash again. This only confused the king more. Dash listened for the kitchen doors to close.

“Am I boring you?”

“Wha-what?” Dash found her date looking at her in concern. His question hadn’t been accusatory, in fact he looked more sad than anything. “If I am boring you, I’m terribly sorry—”

“No, sorry, I just kind of got distracted is all,” Dash said with a small laugh. “I think you’re kind of cool actually.”

“Y-you do?” Question asked, stunned that things were suddenly going so well.

“Yeah, I mean you’re a pretty nice guy, but I thought you might be a little boring, but you’ve seen some pretty cool things,” Dash said sincerely.

“I don’t think cool would be the exact word I would use. I know I said I wouldn’t go into anything quite as vulgar as last time, but I’ve seen some of the worst the world has to offer in my line of work. Like you yourself must have seen as an Element of Harmony.”

“Well, I don’t know about that. I mean you deal with murders and stuff, I can’t really remember anypony who died during any of my adventures… actually, I don’t think anypony has.” The statement itself dumbfounded Rainbow, surprised that things had gone so smoothly, at least in the sense of physical injury.

“Wow, I envy you there. I have to wait for somepony to die before I can help. Sometimes it’s simple thefts, not always though.”

“Don’t they have guards to handle stuff like that? Why can’t they solve who did it?”

“Most of the time they do, but occasionally they require help from a specialist. I guess that’s what you could call me. Technically, I’m a consultant detective like my mentor, but I generally specialize in all fields. If a murder is simply too difficult to solve or I’m nearby, I’ll be called in—”

Dash had become so absorbed in Question’s explanation that she almost missed the sound of the kitchen door opening again. Dash tensed up slightly, her brain telling her that a choice would have to be made. Go for it, or leave it. She wasn’t sure what had taken the waitress so long to get the order, but it had given the pegasus enough time to start regretting even considering the test. This whole time, Question had been nothing but a gentlestallion to her. He was interesting, nice, cute, and although he didn’t seem very strong or athletic, Dash was surprised how little that bothered her.

Then doubt struck again.

Rarity’s words rang in her ears once more. Don’t just observe how your date treats you, notice how he treats other ponies. This was the only chance she would have to test this before things progressed further. As Question continued, Dash gently edged her hind leg out below the tablecloth. When the waitress was in position, she would stick it out a little further and this would cause her to trip and spill the soup on Question.

Wait, what the heck am I doing? Dash quickly retracted her leg as she realised what she was about to do. She was about to burn a stallion with piping hot soup as part of an experiment. Crap, this is some stupid idea that Twi would come up with. Not me. Am I that messed up in the head? She looked at Question again who had stopped speaking and took a bite of his meal. He looked at her and gave her a small smile.

“You alright?”

“Uh, yeah. Sorry, just spaced out a bit.”

“I know the feeling,” he responded with a laugh. Dash began to calm herself, giggling at Question’s thick Trottingham accent, another thing she liked about him. “Hey, Dash?”

The waitress was about to pass Dash when she asked, “Yeah?”

“I know I’m meant to ask at the end of the date, but, would you like to go out again sometime?”

A great man once said that there are no such things as coincidences, as the universe is rarely that lazy. After multiple attempts at trying to separate his peas and mash, the little colt across the room became so frustrated he flung a chunk of the mash across the room. While his mother began scolding him for throwing food around, only Daedalus noticed the piece of white mash heading straight for the spot he was sitting. Before he could move out of the way, he remembered it wouldn’t hit him anyway as it passed straight through him.

Of course, the waitress wasn’t so lucky.

Her hoof slipped as soon as it made contact with the potato, and the bowl she was holding flew forward from the momentum. Both Dash and Daedalus instinctively caught on to where it was headed, and unthinkingly, Daedalus reached up for the bowl. It fell through his hand, and the bowl’s contents made contact with Question Mark’s lap.

Question’s eyes nearly popped out as the steaming liquid slapped onto his lower region. His face scrunched up as the pain immediately registered in his brain. Instead of a scream of pain, he let out a small whine as he tried desperately not to explode. Dash could only stare in shock, while Daedalus could almost feel the pain Question was going through. The king kept his legs together, unable to look away. The rest of the restaurant had joined in on looking at the scene before them. The waitress had begun apologizing, hoping to keep her job and avoid a lawsuit.

All the while, Question Mark was frozen in place until he took a quick intake of breath. He squeezed his eyes shut, but opened them sharply when he said, “If you’d excuse me, Dash,” he said through the pain, “I’m just going to clean up.”

The detective picked himself up from his seat and hobbled over to the little colts’ room, trying to block out the burning pain he felt. As the bathroom doors clicked shut, the room took a collective breath, and continued on with their meals. Dash hadn’t taken her eyes off Question’s seat the whole time. She looked down at her food, losing her appetite. The cogs in her head began to turn.

Wow, that must have stung, she thought, wrinkling her snout as she tried to imagine how it must have felt. He still didn’t explode though. He was cool about the whole thing. Guilt crept up on Dash when she remembered that she was nearly the cause of his pain. She wanted to do that to him at one point. King Daedalus wiped his brow and let out a sigh.

“Well, I suppose that could’ve gone worse—”

“AAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

The scream of pain was loud enough that it silenced the restaurant again. No other sound came from the porcelain room, so everyone returned to eating, if not even quieter. Dash found herself playing with her hooves, waiting for Question to return. After five minutes, no pony left the room, making Dash even more anxious. Daedalus had stayed with Rainbow, leaving Question to his business, but even he was getting slightly worried at this point.

Finally, Dash could take no more. She stood up from her seat, gaining a few looks from the diners, but she ignored them. She hesitated for a second before entering the stallions’ room, pushing forwards past her embarrassment. Daedalus wasted no time in following.

The ‘medium sized’ bathroom had the typical stalls that one would expect to find in a place like this, but Dash was focused on the sinks where Question was resting. He turned his head, brightening up when he saw Dash looking at him in concern, but then his smile turned upside down as he turned his head away in shame. Feeling awkward, Dash slowly approached before Question spoke.

“I’m sorry about that.”

Dash cocked an eyebrow. “Sorry? What the heck are you sorry about?”

“About the scene I caused… also the scream. I’m guessing you all heard that.” Question Mark turned the tap on and began washing his hooves with cold water. They weren’t dirty, or sore, he just needed to keep his mind off his embarrassment.

“But you did nothing wrong!” Dash immediately argued. “It was that waitress who spilled that crap on you!”

“Well, if we're pointing hooves, or fingers, it was the bratty foal a couple of tables—” Daedalus was interrupted by Dash.

“I don’t get it, why should YOU be sorry?”

“Because I should have moved out of the way!” Question shouted as he punched the wall. Dash took a step back, shocked to see Question’s sudden outburst. Daedalus kept quiet, used to seeing Question like this.

“Please, keep yourself calm, my friend. There is no need to—” Daedalus was cut off again as the scene continued.

“Do you have any idea how many things in my life have come flying towards me? Bullets, knives, heavy objects, but I just sat there and stared at that bowl of soup as it fell right on top of me.” He paused as he turned the tap off and wiped his hooves with a paper towel. “I’ve been in here for so long because I can’t bear to go out there. I messed up, but I can’t afford to mess up, not even in little things anymore. No more mistakes, I’ve made enough mistakes to last a lifetime. I have… I’ve got…”

A choked sob resonated throughout the bathroom before the detective aggressively cleared his throat, hurting it in the process, like he swallowed a nail. Dash looked on, seeing for herself who Question Mark really was. He was damaged, just like her. He pushed himself constantly, just like her. He sought perfection in what he did, just like her. Their motivations were likely different, but she didn’t care. She slowly trotted next to him and rested a wing on his back. He flinched on contact, but eased in as Dash’s wing wrapped around him.

“You hurt?”

“… No. Only very minor burns. The yell was me suppressing the pain and finally letting it out. I’ll be fine by the morning.”

“This is rich, me of all ponies saying this, but don’t beat yourself up over making a mistake. Being an egghead is an important job, but nopony expects you to be perfect.”

“They do, actually.” Question turned to look at her, pushing the wing off his back. “You can’t afford to make a mistake in my line of work. One poorly handled piece of evidence, a failed autopsy, any mistake can lead to a murderer walking free, or the conviction of the wrong suspect. Justice is a cruel mistress, always working with you as much as she’s working against you.”

“I guess I know the feeling,” Dash added, looking at the floor.

“You do?”

“When I’m at the tryouts or performing, I can’t make mistakes. Making mistakes brings the show down. Making mistakes lets the whole team down. Making mistakes makes me look bad. What kind of Wonderbolt messes up their routine in the middle of a show? A Wonderbolt who doesn’t deserve the title.” Both looked into each other’s eyes for a moment; that was all it took to get them to smile.

“I’m sorry for ruining our date,” Question spoke softly, despite his smile.

“Nah, I already told ya, it wasn’t your fault.” Dash lightly punched Question in the foreleg. “Oh, and yes.”

Question furrowed his brow before asking, “Yes, what?”

“What you were asking earlier. Yeah, I’ll go on another date with you.”

Daedalus punched the air while Question’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

“A-a-are you serious? Even after how this went?”

“Hey, it was fun till the burning thing. Besides, I like you,” Dash mumbled awkwardly. “Don’t tell anypony about me saying anything mushy though.” Question stood there astounded, working his jaw for something to say.

“… We should probably get out of the stallions’ room.”





Moments later, Rainbow Dash and Question Mark found themselves walking towards the detective’s residence. They had quickly paid for the meal, Dash insisting she pay for her share, and headed off home. Along the way, the pair had flowed into natural conversation about their shared likes and dislikes.

“Okay, favourite ice cream?” Dash asked as she kept her wing wrapped around Question.

“Um… I’m gonna have to say… raspberry ripple.” Question had his wing wrapped around Dash. Rainbow said she wanted to keep warm, but Question suspected there was an ulterior motive, one he enjoyed sharing.

“Nice choice, but I always liked strawberry.”

“Okay, my turn. What’s your favourite Daring Do book?”

“Griffon’s Goblet, all the way.”

“I like The Zebra’s Coil, personally. Love the mystery element—”

“Nah, I bet you like her romance with that zebra,” Dash cut in with a cheeky grin.

“Yes… well I suppose that’s quite good also. Anyway, your turn.”

“Okay, who’s your favourite Wonderbo—”

“Spitfire.” Dash blinked several times in surprise.

“Well that was quick. She’s mine too.”

“Well, why shouldn’t she be? She’s everypony’s favourite. That tight costume reveals so much,” Question finished with his own cheeky smile. He received an elbow for his trouble, but his hearty laugh made it clear it was worth it.

Daedalus followed on, quietly amused at the back and forth between the two. He felt warm inside, seeing his friend so happy and content for once in his life. “She’s good for him,” he muttered. “I wish them many happy years. Hopefully nopony ever has to know about this.” Daedalus looked up to the moon once more. “And Lulu, you don’t go running your mouth my dear. I know how loud you can be,” he said with a snicker.

“So Question, what’s your flying style?” Dash asked curiously.

“I don’t really have one, I just kind of fly. I’m not a very strong flyer.”

Rainbow stopped, causing Question to stop as well.

“Y-you can’t fly?”

“No, I can fly, just not that great. I can barely make it to Cloudsdale from here if I’m honest. Plus, I grew up on the ground. Despite the population of Trottingham mostly consisting of pegasi, I just never felt the need to fly that much. By the way, we’re here.”

Dash had been so engrossed in their conversation she hadn’t realised that they’d made it to Question’s home. Huh, so this is where he lives, she thought to herself. Dash’s eyes opened wide as she had an idea.

“Hey, you free tomorrow?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then tomorrow, I’ll take you to flying practice with me. That cool?”

“Sure, I like spending time with you.”

Despite the cool night air, her face felt warm. She brushed her mane backwards and cleared her throat. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Without thinking, Dash pecked Question on the cheek. “Goodnight!” She sped off into the night sky.

Question stood there, rubbing his cheek. He could still feel the place where Dash’s lips met his fur. He gave a contented smile and headed towards his front door. All the while, Daedalus was surrounded by a white light once more, and the world around transitioned anew.
> On Cyan Wings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rarity squealed so sharply, the windows in the treehouse strated to  crack. The other five mares grit their teeth and did their best to power  through the inevitable, knowing full well that Rarity would not stop  till she had gotten it out of her system. They had all huddled together  on the treehouse's upper floor, seated around a humble little table with  a tea set constantly being replenished by Twilight's number one  assistant.

No one could be certain exactly how much time had  passed. Every mare (and dragon) had been enraptured with every word that  had passed Dash's lips. Fluttershy had stayed closest to Dash, her  hooves covering her mouth nearly the entire time, making her reaction  unreadable. Pinkie had remained strangely quiet, all smiles and wide  eyes, but resisting any typical urge to interrupt the story with  whatever popped in her head. Applejack had also been reserved in her  reactions. She leant back in her seat, her stetson covering her eyes.  Dash couldn't help but feel that she wasn't only listening, but also  judging every word and statement of her story. Rainbow had expected  Twilight to greet her narrative with the most hostility, but instead she  had simply sat quietly, jotting notes in her pad and only interrupting  to clarify little details. And then there had been Rarity...

"Darling! I am so proud of you." Rarity reached forward and brought Rainbow Dash into a tight hug. "It sounded wonderful."

"Yep,  outside that poor fella's crotch being set on fire," AJ chuckled,  speaking up for the first since Dash had begun her tale. Her attitude  quickly shifted, shooting Rainbow a grave glare. "Did ya really consider  doin' that to him, sugarcube?"

Dash chuckled nervously, trying to  fight against Rarity's vice like grip while retaining enough oxygen to  explain. "Well, I mean, you see-"

"It doesn't matter," Rarity announced, gripping her friend tighter. "Love has prevailed, Applejack! Be happy for her, damn it!"

"Oh,  Rainbow," Fluttershy squeaked, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm so  happy for you." Gently she fluttered next to the pair and squeezed the  both of them in a bear hug so tight her actual bear would have turned  away in jealousy. She burst into tears, destroying whatever composure  Rarity still had. Rainbow found herself sandwiched between her best  friends as they balled their eyes out for her, and she was currently  wishing she was anywhere else in the world.

"Let… me… go!" Rainbow  slipped out between them, leaving Rarity and Fluttershy to cry into one  another's manes. Her escape was only temporary as Pinkie launched  herself into the air and caught Dash into another hug.

"Dashie, I  got so many parties to get ready now! First date party! First kiss  party! DASHIE GOT LAID PARTY!" Suddenly the party pony stopped and  stared blankly at her suffocating friend. "You guys have done it,  right?"

"Uggggh…?" Dash felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead when Applejack finally came to her rescue.

"Alright,  settle down y'all," She belted out while prying Pinkie off Dashie. At  once, Rarity and Fluttershy composed themselves and sat back down.

"So  why don't we review," Twilight spoke up, pen still enraptured in her  magic. "You met this changeling - who you still refuse to reveal his  name - about a month ago at the bar. He approached you, asked you out,  and you both had a date at the Grassy Knoll, correct?"

"I mean that's the gist of it, yeah."

"And during this whole period of time nothing about him seemed strange to you?"

"He  just seemed like some quiet, shy guy. Not really my type, but I mean  I've never been asked out before by a stallion and well, maybe it's more  my type than I thought."

Dash gave a mousey smile between her now  rosie red cheeks, causing everyone else to simultaneously 'awwww.' She  swatted the grin away and replaced it with crossed hooves and a frown.

Twilight  had not joined in though, currently her mind was too focused on her  jotted notes. It all seemed normal, too normal, like this was any other  first love story between a conventional couple, and not the workings of a  creature who existed on feeding off love. She had to be careful here,  not too long ago she nearly put one of her closest friends in the  hospital, any rash action would inevitably come back to haunt her. Calm,  logical, safe, and eventually the truth would be revealed.

"You said you came onto him? But in your story he asked you out, correct?"

"Yeah,  about that," Dash replied while nervously rubbing the back of her mane.  "I may have said that to make a point, rather than it being true." She  finished with an awkward laugh.

"RD," AJ growled from under her stetson.

"Look, I was angry, I didn't lie about what I said though. The story is all true."

"Don't make it right."

"That  does change things slightly," Twilight spoke up before a fight could  break out. "This story hinged on one key point; that you were the one  who approached this stallion. Now we know it was the other way round,  the context of all of this has changed completely."

"I know this  might be a bit like a pot calling the kettle black, but don't you think  you're overreacting slightly," Rarity gracefully cut in.

"Not at  all," Twilight said while shaking her head. "For all we know, this  changeling may have been manipulating the situation from the very  beginning."

"But you said yourself he hasn't used any mind control magic on me," Dash fired back, feeling her blood begin to boil.

"There  is more than one way to manipulate a pony, Rainbow. How many events has  he potentially orchestrated to get you to this point? What about the  rest of your dates? Even you can not deny that this is a very real  possibility."

"Honestly, Sugarcube, Twi has got a point." The  collective of ponies turned in shock towards Applejack's admission.  "Look, I believe ya when ya say this fella likes ya, but I only believe  you believe that. I haven't met 'im. Can't say a thing 'bout his  character or 'nuthin. All I know is what I saw back in Canterlot, and  yer story about this changeling. Either he's as ya say, or he's been  playing ya, Hun."

"Applejack!" Rarity cried out. "How could you! I thought you were on our side!"

"I  called Twi on her bull, and I won't be afraid to do the same to RD. I  wanna believe her, really I do, but Twi is right on this one. There  could be more here than what we all know."

"Look, this is getting  out of hoof," Twilight said as she tried to drag things back onto topic.  "We still have only one account, and not even the whole of that story  yet. Rainbow Dash, I think it would be best if you continue with your  story."

For a moment, Dash eyed her friend with suspicion. She  could not deny the feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her to  flee, to run away and warn Question about what was happening. However,  she knew it would be a futile battle. At best she'd reach him and then  what, go into hiding herself? It would only serve to make him a bigger  target, and possibly ruin the rest of her life. Her only hope was to  commit to the path she was on and try to weather this storm the best she  could.

"Alright, well I woke up early for practice, but I needed to make a stop first."





Daedalus  felt the world shape around him again, revealing he had returned to  Question's bedroom. He quickly took in his surroundings, the white  stallion's coat was gone, replaced by his natural black chitin. He was  fast asleep in his bed, hugging a soft bear toy with his head buried  under his pillow. Daedalus stifled a chortle, admiring how cute his dear  friend appeared. An orange glow trickled from the curtains, the sun had  barely risen, and at best guess, Daedalus would put the current time at  somewhere around six in the morning.

The room still appeared  rather messy, a casualty of Question Mark's panic about his date.  Despite his often lax attitude, Daedalus had a surprisingly compulsive  'spring cleaning' habit he always had trouble kicking. Perhaps in his  uneasy desire to control the world around him, it emerged in ways just a  bit more tangible for him.

Just as his mind began to wander away  from him, a cyan splodge smacked against the window, nearly shattering  it entirely. Both changelings jumped, but just as Question rolled off  his mattress, his natural defences kicked in and he assumed his pony  form. The splodge pulled itself away, revealing her rainbow coloured  mane as she stared blankly through the window.

At first Rainbow  could not see her date-to-be and wondered if she had the right house.  Only when she tilted her head downward did she notice Question was laid  out on his belly, tangled in his own bedsheets and looking up at the  window in such a daze it made Ditzy appear as a valedictorian. Quickly  putting two and two together, Dash nervously giggled and tried to open  the window, but found it was locked tight.

Daedalus watched over  the scene like a bemused father, watching his children try to walk for  the very first time. He couldn't help but give Question Mark a mocking  clap as he struggled out his binds and crawled up towards the window  latch. With no small amount of effort, the groggy ling unlocked the  window and opened the path between them.

"Mornin'" he simply said, clearing his throat.

"Sorry," Dash said quietly, unable to stop her giggling. "Still need to work on my landings."

"This doesn't bode well for the lesson today then," Question grumbled.

"Hey, I can be a great teacher," She countered, puffing out her chest, before quickly deflating. "I think."

"You think?"

"Well, I mean, I've only ever really taught one pony, and she can't exactly fly yet, so…"

"Wait, you're here now!? For the lesson?"

"Duh, of course. You asked for a second date, remember?"

Question  blinked rapidly as he processed Dash's statement. Both his and Daealus'  eyes drifted towards the alarm clock on his desk; five thirty in the  morning. His right eye began to twitch, he could feel a vessel about to  burst on his forehead as he turned back to his date.

"Is this a bad time to mention I'm not a morning pony?"

"Yep,  get your flank into gear mister!" Dash placed her hooves behind her  back and puffed her chest out again. "Shower, eat breakfast, make  yourself pretty for all I care, but be ready to meet me outside this  window at exactly '06:00' hours."

Question found himself forced  into a salute, one Dash quickly returned. She gave him a wink before  zooming off into the sky, vanishing from sight. The detective flopped to  the floor, knocking the air out of him instantly. He let out a pained  groan that lasted just a little bit longer than it should have, before  finally standing back up and marching himself towards his shower.

"It's going to be an interesting day," he muttered dryly.

The  scene vanished and returned just as fast, and now Daedalus found  himself in a vast valley of luscious greenery. To his right was the  village of Ponyville, now but a spec in the distance. To his left a  beautiful lake, shimmering against the sun like a gorgeous blue gem. In  front of him was the borders of Everfree, his hive hidden somewhere deep  within. For some reason, he was now stuck dead centre in an empty  field, with a suspicious lack of the two beings he had been following  down his trip through memory lane.

Suddenly he heard wings  flapping in the distance. He turned to face the source of the noise, the  cyan mare and the white stallion came into view, flying side by side,  or at least they would be if Rainbow Dash wasn't hurtling to the ground  at a frightening pace with Question Mark desperately trying to keep up  with her. Just before she became a puddle in the mud, Dash corrected her  course and turned her wings upright, swiftly cutting off her momentum  and harmlessly landing on her hooves. Question did the same - mostly -  as his landing was far less graceful, causing him to spiral forward and  land on his muzzle.

While he did not appear to be seriously  injured, it was clear to both Dash and Daedalus that Question was hurt,  causing them to wince in unison. Dash hurried over and gave Question a  helping hoof upwards, the ling clutched at his aching snout and shot her  a pained look.

"Sorry, that might have been a bit much, huh?"

"No, it's alright," he assured her through his bunged up muzzle. "It's good practice."

"Yeah,  even if you did get a bit roughed up, it could have been a lot worse.  The point is to learn how to save your flank if you found yourself  tumbling to the ground, this technique is good even if you have a  crippled wing."

"This lesson could have saved my flank a while back," he grumbled.

"How come?"

"W-well  I…" Question caught himself before going too far. "I had an accident a  little while back, guess you could say I got knocked loopy by a stray  blast of magic, sent me flying across Canterlot. Tore up my wing, nearly  lost it entirely."

Rainbow visibly cringed, the mere thought of  it causing a shiver to travel up her spine. "Damn, dude, that's like my  own personal nightmare!"

"As you can see I recovered, but it's  made flying a bit harder for me. Not because it hurts, but I don't know,  I think that day had more of an effect on me than I realised."

Dash  did her best to understand, but it was hard for her to relate. The last  time she had injured her wing - Daring Do aside - she could not wait to  get back into the sky and fly like the wind. She recalled Question  talking about being raised in Trottingham, a Pegasi city completely  ground based. It always seemed so alien for Dash having grown up in  Cloudsdale, why have wings if you didn't use them? You might as well  have been an earth pony. But when she saw the look of pain that crossed  Question's eyes as he recalled that day, she felt a sensation tug at her  heartstrings that she had never felt before.

He folded his right  wing a little too tightly, causing Dash to suspect that it was the one  that was once so badly torn up. Rainbow took his wing into hers, causing  both to blush instantly. The act had been more intimate than either  expected, drawing them closer to one another. Before she could doubt  herself, Dash pushed forward and examined the scarring under Questions  feathers to find… nothing. There was no scar tissue, no notable signs of  damage of any kind. If there ever had been an injury of this severity  it had healed miraculously.

"Wow," she finally said. "Who helped heal this for you?"

"What do you mean?" He replied breathlessly, suddenly unable to look at anything but her eyes.

"You would have had to have some surgery if it was torn up this badly, but I can't even see a single scar."

Both  changelings had the exact same thought cross their mind, 'shit.'  Daedalus stepped forward and saw the wing was too clean, it was a simple  mistake, but a costly one. Changelings relied on keeping their story  straight with every aspect. Toxitis had revealed too much about his real  past and now he found himself in a corner. Daedalus knew, however, that  his friend had one trick up his sleeve, causing a distraction. If you  were a unicorn, flap your wings unseen and knock something over, same  applied for an earth pony, and if you were a pegasus…

"Ouch!" Dash  felt an acorn drop squarely on her head. She looked about in surprise,  the trees were still far off into the distance, there were no birds in  the sky, so how the hay did that happen?

"Are you alright?" Question asked innocently.

"Yeah,  I just-" Dash returned her gaze to his wing, and suddenly she could see  scars. Up and down Question's ligament were stitching and faded scarred  tissue. Dash stared at them dumbly, her mouth agape. She shook her head  clear and looked over them again, unthinkingly trailing her hoof over  them. They were as real as could be, how could she have missed them?

"Are you okay?" Questions voice cut through her marveling.

"Uh-huh," Dash simply said, releasing his wing. "Just wondering if I'm really a morning pony after all."

"Weird  aren't they?" Question said with a hearty chuckle. "Feels like they're  there one minute, gone the next. I miss them all the time."

"Yeah, weird," she nervously chuckled, suddenly feeling uneasy.

"Do you usually train this long?" Question quickly asked, getting the topic away from his curious condition.

"Wha-?"

"We've been flying for what feels like an hour, honestly I barely do this over a day, is this normal for you?"

"Nope,  usually I train twice as long," she announced proudly. "Gotta keep the  merchandise in peak condition, know what I'm saying?" She struck one of  her signature poses, flexing out her wings and arching her back.

"Y-yeah,"  Question replied, suddenly feeling a way he knew would ordinarily get  him in trouble. Dash was no fool though, as she posed, she recognised  where his gaze was drifting too, and she liked it. It was not the first  time she had experienced lustful eyes on her; mostly from mares that  were into that sort of thing. She had a few stallions too, but she  always felt disturbed by them as they either came across as perverts  with their own twisted fantasies, or ponies who were lamenting the fact  she was clearly gay.

"See anything you like?" The query surprised  Rainbow as much as it did Question Mark. As he blathered like he had  lost double digits worth of IQ points, she found her cheeks start to  burn scarlet red.

What was it about teasing this stallion that she  enjoyed so much? It felt exciting to be looked at this way by him, and  maybe the reason was the simple fact she liked him too. He was typically  not her type - or at least what she thought that type would be - but he  was cute in his own ways, a little rough around the edges, but he  always showed an interest in her. He wanted to know her, understand her  in a way no pony seemed too. It felt genuine, not fake like so many  others who had tried to use her before.

For his part, Question  Mark felt like his brain was starting to fry. The events before him had  taken a very sudden turn. Here he was - standing in a field, drenched in  his own sweat after flying around for over an hour - and either Dash  was messing with him for her own amusement, or she was very strongly  coming onto him. Both scenarios terrified him in their own ways.  Mercifully, his savior appeared from across the lake.

"Rainbow  Dash!" Cried a little orange filly, her tiny wings propelling her like a  motor as she zoomed around the body of water on her humble scooter.

Both  of them turned in shock at the sudden intrusion of their intense  moment. She travelled at a thunderous speed, one that left Question  fearful for her safety, but at the least her helmet appeared to be  securely tightened over her messy purple mane. As the filly skidded to a  halt, she ignored the white stallion entirely, keeping her focus  directly on Rainbow Dash as she hugged her foreleg.

"Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!"

"Whoa,  settle down squirt." Dash wrestled her leg free from the filly, only to  use it to scoop her little sister upwards and place her on her back.  "What's up with you?"

"I nearly flew!"

"Really!?"

"Well it was for like, two seconds, but I was totally hovering off the ground after I ramped this huge slope and-"

Whatever  else this strange filly was saying faded into white noise for King  Daedalus, and looking over to his subject, he suspected his friend was  suffering from the same affliction. She talked so fast that it was  nearly impossible to keep up, but from what little the king could  decipher, she had performed a trick and stayed in the air longer than  usual, likely mistaking it for actual flying.

Question Mark was  focused on something very different though, her undeveloped wings. A  pegasi her age should have been able - at the very least - to hover off  the ground. But she was suffering from 'foal wings' as it was often  crudely put, a condition where the bone structure of the wings were  malnourished and unable to develop properly. Either two things would  happen, this filly would be very lucky and have a late stage growth  spurt, or more likely, she would never be able to actually fly.

"Who's this guy?" The orange filly pointed a hoof directly at Question, bringing him back to reality.

"Oh,  yeah, this is Question Mark-" Dash found herself pause, a light blush  crept onto her cheeks. "H-he's a f-friend of mine. Yeah, friend. Quest,  this is Scootaloo. My honorary little sister."

Scootaloo beamed back at the changeling, eyes wide in wonder. "Are you a super amazing flyer too?"

The Detective would have liked to have answered the foal's question, but found his mind otherwise occupied. "Quest? Sister?"

"It's  a nickname, I think it's cool," Dash explained, cheeks blushing  further. "And she's technically not my blood sister, but me and the  squirt are close. She's the sister I never had."

The two nuzzled  one another, one of the rare moments of affection Dash would openly show  towards anyone. Scootaloo took another look at the stallion, glaring  him up and down, her eyes of wonder now replaced with suspicion.

"What were you guys doing out here?"

"Flying lessons," Question answered flatly. "I tend to not be the best flier, so Rainbow was helping me."

"She's  teaching you to fly as well?" Scootaloo's mood switched back to  excitable, jumping off Dash's back and walking up to Question. "Do your  wings suck too?"

"I'm more of a land pony. Never had to use them  much." He flexed out his wings, and felt the strain instantly, his  muscles aching after the intense session. "Looks like I'm gonna be  landlocked for the foreseeable future.

"Yeah, probably best if I bench you for the day," Dash admitted. "You look like you might drop dead."

"I feel like it."

"Oh, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo jumped up excitedly again, bringing something out of her satchel. "I got these for you!"

Between  her teeth were three tickets. Rainbow took them and began to read aloud  in her best snobbish voice, as Question peeked over her shoulder. "You  are hereby cordially invited to the grand reopening of the Trottingham  Art Museum on the thirty fifth risen moon of the one thousand and second  year of our majesty, Princess Celestia's, reign."

"You ponies have got to get a simpler calendar model," Daedalus muttered to himself.

"The heck are these? Passes?"

"Yeah!" Scootaloo jumped excitedly, her wings flapping like a hummingbird.

"I  know about this," Question interrupted. "The museum has been shut down  for maintenance for quite a few years now. Had a lot of attempted  robberies after petty crooks took advantage of the building's weak  foundation. Looks like it's finally open to the public again."

"Did you wanna go with me Rainbow Dash?"

"Squirt, how the heck did you get these? Like this looks super fancy, why do you have three tickets."

Scootaloo  became very quiet. Suddenly she could not meet her idol in her eyes,  choosing the ground as it was far less judgemental of her. Everyone  stared at her in confusion, a sudden tension growing between the four of  them.

"Squirt, what's wrong?"

"They couldn't make it."

"Oh."

Rainbow  felt her heart sink in her chest and her blood begin to boil. Her teeth  began to grit as she wore a mean mug that Question had never seen her  wear before. He'd briefly seen her suspicious, even a little angry, but  nothing like this. Whatever was happening here was something that  brought out a side of Rainbow Dash he wasn't sure he had been prepared  for, far beyond the perfect image of loyalty he saw in his mind.

"What's wrong?" Question whispered quietly, jolting Radinbow away from her haze of anger.

"It's Scootaloo's parents," she whispered back.

"Did they die?"

"Oh no, they're still alive, just not here," she emphasised with no small amount of venom on her tongue.

"It's  okay," Scootaloo spoke up. "My mom and dad go on adventures and stuff.  They can't take me because it's dangerous, but they said they'd come  down for my birthday. They only sent these and said sorry."

"Oh," was all Question could muster, suddenly feeling more awkward than before. "You like art then?"

"... nah."

"Oh," Question said again, wishing he'd just shut up. "Not the most doting parents, then?" He whispered back to Dash.

She  rolled her eyes and fixed Scootaloo with a look of concern. The filly  still had her head hanging low, so Dash trotted over and brought her  into a hug. Scootaloo quickly returned it, burying her head into Dash's  side. Question Mark looked on, unsure of what he should do. He felt like  a third wheel in a play he wasn't a part of and considered walking away  entirely, but Dash's next question gave him pause.

"Why did they give you three tickets?"

"Oh,  they were for my friends," Scootallo chirped, her mood picking up a  bit, "They can't go. Applebloom will be away with her family to see  Braeburn, and Sweetie has a dental appointment."

"Your parents  expected only you three to go across the country to a place none of you  have ever been before for what is essentially a gala event?" Question  asked flatly, feeling utterly dumbfounded. "I'm starting to get it now."

"Did they at least cover your train, Squirt?"

"Yeah, left those at home. My aunts can't take me cause they're busy too. They were really mad."

Rainbow  Dash was torn. On one hoof, her interest in art and 'fancy' culture was  possibly lower than even her number one fan. On the other hoof, it was a  trip to a place neither she nor Scootaloo had been before, so they  could at least make it a fun trip. Most importantly, she couldn't bear  the idea of Scootaloo being all alone on her birthday. Pinkie would  certainly set up a party without being asked, but the trip would be  something different, maybe even special for the two surrogate sisters.

"Alright  Scoot, I got an idea." The orange looked up expectantly at her idol.  "You and me. We walk into that city and own the town. We go everywhere  there is to be, and I'll show you the best little sister birthday ever."

Question  Mark did not think it was possible for such a tiny face to produce such  a wide smile. Scootaloo leapt up and hugged Rainbow's neck tightly,  burying herself beside her with reckless abandon. Dash returned the show  of affection with slightly more reserved enthusiasm, but the two  radiated a sort of love that Question could feel strongly. It awoke a  primal need to feed off their energy that he tried his hardest to block  out.

While Daedalus could not feel that same energy, he knew it  was there. If Question had not been so close to the hive at this moment,  he would have found it impossible to restrain himself. Question Mark  stayed in his meditative state for what could be no more than a minute,  before he felt a hoof prod his side.

"Earth to Quest?"

His eyes shot open, magenta orbs opposite his. "Huh?"

"I said you came from Trottingham, yeah?"

"Of course, it was my home for nearly my entire life."

"Well  hopefully you were actually listening before, cause the Squirt here has  got three tickets and no one left to take the last one." Dash pointed a  stray hoof at said tickets that were now poking out of Scootaloo's  satchel.

"Oh no," he whispered so quietly that Dash was unable to hear.

"Sooooooo,"  Dash whistled out, uncharacteristically fluttering her eyelashes. "How  would you feel like playing tour guide for a few days?"

Daedalus  found his grip on his cane tighten as Question developed what could only  be described as 'a thousand yard stare.' Every terrible memory, every  haunting mention of his legacy, and all his comullated anxiety struck  him at once. It took his remaining willpower not to collapse to the  floor right there. He wanted to say no. Celestia, help him, he wanted to  say no. Yet this was something important to Dash, and by exent, her  little sister. And if there was one thing most ponies valued above all  else, it was family. If he could forge a bond with Scootaloo, then his  bond with Dash could only grow closer.

"Only a few days?"

"Yeah,  I mean I've already used up my vacation days so I can only get a bit of  time off. So I say we head down in the morning, spend the day looking  around, go to the show thing and chill out the next day till we go home.  What do you think?"

"... Doesn't sound too bad."

"Awesome!"  Dash leant forward and pecked him on the cheek, knocking Question Mark  out of his dreaded state, and forcing Dash to lock into place.

Both  of them stared wide-eyed at the other, unsure what to do. It hadn't  been the first time Dash had kissed the detective, but it felt  different. When she had first pecked his cheek it took her the entire  walk back from the restaurant to pump herself up and push back against  her fear of rejection. This time it was as natural as breathing. She  didn't even have to think about what she was doing, she just did it with  reckless abandon.

Her head swiveled on the spot, focusing on  Scootaloo. The filly had caught a ticket that nearly fluttred out of her  bag, narrowly missing the show of affection. Dash breathed a sigh of  relief, resisting her urge to nuzzle Question Mark. "Sorry, I didn't say  this before, but I want to keep this on the down low for now."

"I understand," Question assured her. "Just one thing."

"Yeah?"

"Hey  what's that!?" Suddenly, the stallion cried out and pointed his hoof  towards the air. Both mares looked upwards, but while she was  distracted, Rainbow felt a pair of soft lips grace her cheek. Switching  her focus back to her coltfirend, she was greeted to a smug grin.  "There, now we're even."

"Jerk," she muttered, rubbing her cheek  with her hoof and giving him a tiny smile. Daedalus pumped at the air  and smiled brighter than he had in a long time.

"I don't see anything," Scootaloo called out, still looking up at the sky.

"Sorry,  my mistake," Question answered her as both he and Rainbow walked back  up to the filly. Scootaloo huffed for a moment before jumping back up  and down as if nothing had happened.

"I almost forgot!" She  announced with an extra fast flutter of her tiny wings. "There is going  to be something cool at that gallery."

"Oh yeah? I'll be the judge of that, Squirt," Dash teased with a flip of her mane. "Lay it on me."

"The Wonderbolts!"

Rainbow's  jaw nearly hit the floor. Almost instantly she started to prance about  on the tips of her hooves, an excitable grin plastered all over her  face. She made a noise that Question couldn't quite discern, and for  some reason, the entire act reminded him of someone very close to him.  Unseen behind him, the King was dancing around in excitement as well.  Scootaloo also joined the merry band of dancers, but her excitement came  from seeing Rainbow Dash so excited. Not that she didn't enjoy the  wonderbolts, but in her mind, all of them paled in comparison to the  awesomeness of her idol.

"I take it you're excited?" Question cut in with a raised eyebrow.

"Of  course I'm excited! Spitfire and Soarin will be there, and if I can get  even closer to them, maybe they'll invite me to join the Wonderbolts!"

"I  mean, don't you know?" Scootallo cut in, prodding Question Mark with  her hoof. "Rainbow Dash is only the greatest flyer in all of Equestria."  The usual boastul Dash suddenly seemed unusually bashful. Her cyan  cheeks gave a now familiar scarlet glow as Scootaloo continued her  praise. "If Rainbow Dash wanted to, she could form her own super awesome  team of flyers and be better than everypony else."

"She is pretty  incredible," Question replied without any hesitation, causing Dash's  cheeks to burn brighter. "I've only seen her fly from afar, but the way  she moves… it's indescribable."

"Come on guys," Dash cut in with a wave of her hoof. "I mean, it's true, but I gotta keep some of my humility."

"Not too much though."

"Don't be jealous," Dash fired back, sticking out her tongue.

"Rainbow Dash, can we see you fly?" Scootaloo asked, nearly tugging at Dash's wing. "It's been ages since I last saw you."

"Didn't I fly with you like two days ago, Squirt?"

"I flew on your back, totally different. I wanna see you fly from here!"

Dash  rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny Scootaloo when she got this  excited. Normally she would've flexed out her wings and shot up into the  sky, but a nagging thought gave her pause. Was she nervous? She looked  over towards Question Mark, he stared at her in anticipation. Her ego  was always fragile around him, there was a growing fear within her that  played with the idea she might fail before him. Would he think less of  her?

Before she could think too critically about any of those dark  thoughts, Question spoke up. "Got nowhere else to be. Show us what you  got, Miss Future Wonderbolt."

It was a poor challenge, but Dash  still felt a fire burn within her that set her passion alite. She  grinned back at his taunt and stretched her wings out. "Alright fillies,  let me show you how a mare takes to the sky."

Like a rocket she  shot into the atmosphere. If Question had blinked he would have missed  her entirely, she moved faster than the detective thought possible. A  rainbow streak followed her in her wake, the air around her offered  little resistance as she spun into the beginning of her routine, cutting  through a collection of clouds that had floated into view. She sliced  through them with brutal efficiency, all the while subtly using her  wings to beckon any stray clouds towards her. Leaving the stragglers  behind, she soared back down into the second part of her performance.

She  flew in the sky like a dancer, every movement was deliberate and filled  with such grace it made the ling's heart start to ache. She weaved from  cloud to cloud as if she'd practiced the routine a thousand times over,  and judging by her acumen she most certainly did. It was humbling to  Question to be allowed to watch her practice so closely - in a manner he  had hoped did not seem too creepy - he had only ever seen her tricks  from far away, watching a cyan speck play in the sky.

As he  continued to watch her, something dawned on him that made him suddenly  feel very small. She had slowed down for him. At best he had seen a  fraction of her power during their training, and while he knew she must  have accommodated him somewhat, he could never have guessed it was to  this degree. Question let out a breath he had not realised he was  holding in, when he heard something rustle beside him. To his surprise,  Scootaloo waddled over and sat right n him.

"Isn't she amazing?" The filly chirped loudly, not sparing the changeling a glance.

"Yeah," he replied, unable to look away as well.

Daedalus  watched with them. Being well over a thousand years old, there was  little that could leave any being his age in a state of awe. Rainbow  Dash was truly something special, perhaps even more so than she  realised. The old king did not know for sure exactly how their story  would end, but he now knew for certain that Question Mark was a very  lucky ling indeed. As it had done before, the world around him started  to fade again, the last image Daedalus saw was a beaming Rainbow Dash  soaring through the sky.
> Thunderstruck
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Athena was proud of her job. Being captain of the guard was not a title handed to any old schmuck with a helmet on their head. From the moment she had been hatched, her parents pushed her towards being the very best she could be. She was highly competitive, excelled in infiltration, spear combat, magic, and had passed her final exam with a perfect score, while finishing faster than any ling before her. So dominating was she that on her very first day in the guard, she challenged her commanding officer to a one on one duel. A fight that she infamously won. Some would say she had a tendency to rub other lings the wrong way. She would tell those lings to grow a spine.

She was now the youngest ling to be promoted to the rank of ‘captain’ in over eighty years. Despite her youth, she commanded fierce loyalty from even those three times her senior. Her gross unpopularity amongst her superiors had done little to halt her momentum as she was undeniably the best ling for the job, so much so that she now directly answered to the king himself. For a ling of her station, she had already reached the mountaintop, and there was little else to do but maintain her strict performance and rake in the rewards and adulation her title should bring.

However, today was one of those days where she questioned if this was the right career for her. Whenever King Daedalus left his castle, she was to be notified at least ten minutes before departure so she could properly escort him with her finest contingent. Despite his age, the king was still strong, but it was her duty to keep him - and everyling around him - safe. Conveniently, his majesty neglected to send out that notice until he had already stepped out with untrained recruits who wouldn’t dare question a word he told them.

Athena had practically charged down the roads of the capital in a desperate attempt to catch them. She prayed that she might reach his majesty before he got himself into some mishap, but she was too late. She arrived to find the king passed out in the middle of the street, having entered the hivemind. He was now left slouched in a chair far too small that was starting to buckle under his weight. He was utterly defenceless in this state, and the only other ling present was in no better shape than him.

Athena knew him very well, Toxotis, a known traitor and someling that should be rotting away in the castle dungeon, and not in the good company of the king. She despised him greatly. She found him weak and detestable, but her opinion did not matter when it conflicted with Daedalus, so she held her tongue. Now with her frustration at its peak, she found herself with two unfortunate victims to turn her ire towards.

“Would you care to tell me what happened here, recruits?” Her tone was filled with enough venom to wipe out a small village of griffons.

Her quarry did their best to stop the involuntary shaking that came from being under her ferocious stare, but to no avail. She already knew everything that had happened, this was merely sport for her.

“We were by the gate, mam.” The first ling spoke, his voice as shaky as his form. “His majesty emerged and asked us to accompany him.”

“We’re sorry, mam,” his companion said, her voice just barely holding its nerve. “We know we should have-”

“Summoned me first!” 

“Y-yes. But his majesty said-”

Athena blocked out the rest of her ramblings, that was all she had needed to hear. Deep down she had known it was not their fault. This was Daedalus being Daedalus. In her short time on this earth, he had proved to be her greatest nemesis. Athena had a tendency to dominate anyone that opposed her. She could not do that to Daedalus. Not only because he was her king, but he also had an infuriating ability to play-off anything she would do or say. 

He had pulled this trick before, delighting in watching her fly after him down the street and greeting her with some smartass remark. Did he hate her? Athena reasoned he must have at least thought she was somewhat good at her job to keep her in this position, he gave it to her in the first place. Yet he delighted far too much in playing silly games with her. Testing her, prodding her, perhaps hoping she might break. Well Athena had already decided she would not falter so easily, but she had to admit, her patience was wearing thin. 

“Enough,” she announced forcefully, cutting off whatever the lowly recruits were trying to say. “You will help me take these two back to the castle at once. We will discuss what is to become of you later.”

There would be no punishment of course. Obviously they could not defy the king, and while she was a cold woman, Athena was not needlessly cruel. All she wanted was to put the fear of god in them and leave it at that. She took the lead as always, enveloping the king and Toxotis in magic. The other two marched ahead, signaling to any nearby citizens to clear the way. Athena did not want his majesty to be seen like this.

Part of her was tempted to leave Toxotis behind, but separating two ling’s when they were connected in the hivemind was extremely dangerous. His majesty would likely survive, the detective would not, and while Daedalus was not an angry being by nature, she had heard the barely whispered legends of his ‘old temper.’ She could die a happy ling if she never experienced it first hoof.

“Hold Guard Captain!” Boomed a voice directly behind her. Athena spun on her heel and locked eyes with a ling she had become unfortunately familiar with. “You are in good health, yes? You look terribly haggard, child.”

Minos was a ling that oozed a slimy venere from every gap between his chitin. His eyes were just a little too large, and his horn was a tad too jagged, in fact everything about him always felt just a little off for her liking. Like Daedalus he had a single fang that stuck out from the others, chipped off at its end. The green in his eyes had a tinge of blue mixed deep within. She didn’t like Minos, and it wasn’t just because he looked funny.

Some had called him a radical, others a dangerous influence, though many recognised his way with other lings. Minos was part of the elite, the closest equivalent to the nobility of pony society. They are ling’s recognised for their services, or rather their families service, which they wore as if they had achieved something. Minos was more proactive than his peers, he was not content to roll on his back and grow fat from his opulence. He wanted to turn his family's power into something tangible, and this had led him all the way to the doorstep of the king.

For a moment she wondered how he had gotten the drop on her, she should have sensed his presence from a mile away. Then as she looked over him she remembered his old trick. Minos purposely would disconnect himself from the hivemind for extended periods of time. The practice was not illegal, nor was it even cautioned against, but if one was to try and find Minos in that period of time, it would appear he had vanished from the face of the earth.

“What are you doing here, Minos?” She greeted him with the same warmth she gave to everyling else.

“I merely wish to speak to the king.” His voice was more of a hiss. It was a strained tone that played havoc on his throat as much as it did another's ears. His head tilted to the side, observing the sleeping monarch. “I assume this is a bad time?”

“Evidently. I will be on my way.” Athena had thought she might end this encounter quickly, but she was not so fortunate.

“It was not just him I wanted to speak with, Athena. I was very much hoping to speak to you as well.”

“I have nothing to say to you. If you wish to speak to his Majesty again, you may arrange it like everyling else.”

“But you and King Daedalus aren’t like everyling else. The three of us, were very much the same.”

She didn’t want to react, but finally her mask cracked through. She let out a dark chuckle, bit angrily at her lip and turned to face him, pushing the King and Toxotis further away from her and towards the other two guards who were watching the scene intently.

“Alright, I’ll bite. How are we in any form like a bottom feeding parasite?”

“Not the words I would use,” he laughed off the insult, showing no sign it had affected him at all. “You’re looking at me in the wrong perspective. The three of us are changelings of vision. We see a future for our people, yet the only key difference is while mine and his majesty’s vary somewhat, I believe you and I see eye to eye.”

“This is absurd. I have noth-”

“I know you hate them.” Was all he said, his smile dropping instantly as he stared directly into her soul. “You despise them, and what we have become because of them.”

The fire that was set ablaze within Athena’s soul was suddenly extinguished. She knew what he spoke of, a deep lingering thought that had rested within her psyche she dared not speak aloud, but he had seen it within her. He could be bluffing, but it would be a very strange move to make without certainty, even for a ling like Minos. She had to be sure.

“You two, take the king to the end of the street, I will join you both shortly,” she called out to her fellow guard, not taking her eyes off Minos for a moment. 

She floated the king and Toxotis towards them until they safely held them in their magic. They wanted to say something, voice their objection to being left alone with such valuable cargo, yet neither could muster the courage to speak up. Wordlessly they departed, and the second they were out of earshot, Minos spoke again.

“Ponies rule the earth. It is no secret. The griffons, the wolves, the dragons, the yaks, they would all make their claim, but deep down we all know who holds true power. Who holds our fate in their hooves. And you and I both know very well what we stand to lose if we are discovered. Because you have already lost it…”

“Be. Very. Careful.” She growled through her teeth, her fire reigniting into a burning inferno. “You speak about something that many would not be allowed to walk away from in one piece. Choose your next words carefully.”

Minos did not flinch however, in fact his unnerving smile only grew wider. “Careful is the word, is it not? It doesn’t matter how careful any of us are, one little slip and we are as good as dead.”

“Minos,” she threatened, her eye starting to twitch.

“We are not safe, none of us are. Until the problem is sorted. Is that not your philosophy? The mind of a soldier?” He stalked around her, slowly eking out his doctrine. “You’re a warrior, Athena, a very good one at that. A good soldier knows their purpose is to be useful. But here you are, prancing around like a court jester for a king who does not respect or appreciate you. You are a trifling amusement to him, nothing more. But it’s not just you. An immortal can never appreciate what life truly is, what danger is breathing down our doorstep.”

“The way you are speaking, you are leading down the road to treason.”

“What would ever give you that idea?” He snapped quickly. “I am just speaking my mind, is that not my right? The right of everyling of the hive?”

“Perhaps, but it is also my job to root out threats before they become them.”

“Then perhaps it is finally time to do your job.” He stopped suddenly, their snouts centimeters from one another. “For there is a great threat. The spectrum menace who want us all dead. Should we wait for them, or perhaps we pull the weed before it has the chance to grow.”

Then very suddenly, he turned away from her and began to walk away. It all happened so quickly that it left Athena in a daze. Her mind tried to catch up with what had just occurred, what was just said, and the only answer she had was to get angry.

“You dare walk away from me?”

“I have said all I needed to say,” he hissed, not bothering to turn back to her. “Think on my words. Think of our people.”

He vanished into the dark, slinking away like the snake he was. Yet his words did linger, they echoed in her mind like a siren. ‘Should we wait for them, or pull the weed before it can grow?’ She stood there, for perhaps longer than she realised, before she remembered her duty. She marched back down the street and reunited with her comrades, hoping these strange thoughts would leave her soon.

They would not.





As the world formed around him once more, Daedalus quickly realised he was very high in the air. He stood precariously on top of a fluffy white cloud, pegasi wings buzzing all around him. Looking downward he could make out the bustling market square of Ponyville. It had been sometime since he had seen so many ponies at once, it was a rare joy indeed for him.

He suspected that the element of honesty was busy tending to her family's apple stall, and perhaps the other elements were scattered about as well, mingling among the denizens of the town they called home. But the ponies below resembled multicoloured ants from this altitude, so any attempt to tell them apart would be futile. Oh how he wished he could meet them, to shake each of their hooves and thank them for keeping the world safe, but that was an impossibility now. He would have to be content with watching from afar.

Soaring above his head, pegasi were busy at work moving large bulks of black clouds. They shook and thundered about the place, barely able to hold in their ferocious payload. It was a shame that such a lovely day would have to be ruined by rain, but just as everypony could do with a bit of sunshine, the world would always need a spot of rain. At first they seemed a disorganised lot, but there was controlled chaos hidden within their patterns, all held together by one mare barking her orders from the top of her lungs.

“Alright fillies, we’ve got another shipment drifting in from the east!” A familiar raspy voice boomed just across from him. “Showers are meant to start in an hour. Let’s move!”

Rainbow Dash floated up from behind a very large, dark cloud. It rumbled and shook so strongly that Daedalus feared it might explode at any second. The cyan mare did not share his concerns as she stood atop the bulging beast. Electric sparks crackled and popped around it, and if not for the fact that Rainbow was a pegasus, she would likely resemble a roast chicken dinner about now.

“After that, the main show begins. The whole town needs a good soaking, but don’t forget to put the thunderclouds away from any civilian areas! That means you, DITZY!”

Pegasi magic was truly an oddity. Not only did it help them fly with wings that were far too small for their bodies, but it allowed them to walk among the clouds. This was something changelings could not naturally do. Your average ling would be forced to cast a cloud walking spell on themselves whenever they journeyed to a place like Cloudsdale. But it was often an exhausting process, so unless a ling had a steady supply of love coming their way, it was generally advised to avoid settling in the sky.

“Main team, go fetch the rest of those clouds!” Rainbow Dash shouted towards her legion of pegasi. All of which saluted her before flying away. “Reserves, keep an eye on the ones we have here. Make sure they don’t drift away. We’ll be back in ten seconds flat.”

Rainbow sped off with her signature streak following closely behind. Just as she vanished from sight, Question Mark floated down from above and settled on the same cloud as the king. Dedalus remembered that the detective had taken a second job as a reserve member of the weather team. It paid a pittance, but it was fair work and a decent time waster. Though it appeared Question had not done it justice. Whenever they had talked about it before, he made it seem rather dull and monotonous, not the hectic and dangerous environment it clearly was for him.

Though he appeared to be a pegasus, he was still a changeling. A creature that did not have the same genetic protections again thunder clouds. It was reckless for him to be involved in this line of work, but it had been a chance to get closer to her, and back then he cared little for his own survival. Daedalus frowned, suddenly feeling the pressure of having so many volatile electric bombs around him. And if he felt this way when he did not have a physical presence in this world, he could not imagine how Toxotis felt.

Yet when he looked back at him, his little ling seemed entirely unfazed by the situation. His only care in the world was staring wistfully where Rainbow Dash had just been. Only a few days had passed since his flying practice with Rainbow, and the pair had not seen hide or hair of one another since. Work had consumed them both. Dash had been preparing for some time for the thunderstorm today, while maintaining her practice and workout routine. While Question Mark had been out of town for some consultation jobs, only returning today to help out with the storm.

Work had helped distract him, but his impending doom was slowly creeping up to him. In a few days he would be guiding his fillyfiend and her sister around his former home, the last place on Equis that he wanted to return too. He buried his face in the cloud, one of the few white and fluffy ones that he could find. His anxiety was getting the better of him again; a horrible beast that took far too much pleasure in torturing him.

As he laid there feeling sorry for himself, two more players in this complicated game came into view. Daedalus noticed the forms of Flitter and Cloudchaser poking their snouts out form behind a thundercloud. He left Question behind and floated his way towards the two mares, who quickly ducked back downwards and began to speak in hushed voices.

“Maybe it went really badly?” Cloudchaser said with a small smile.

“Try not to sound too excited about that,” her sister grumbled. “Something else might be eating at him. You’re jumping to conclusions, as per usual.”

“I should’ve brought a snack. Maybe it’s not too late to fly back and grab some choc-”

“Right, you’re taking the food thing too seriously. There’s a time and a place, y’know?”

“I mean maybe it will cheer him up.” Cloudchaser pawed her hoof against the black cloud, pouting like a child.

“Okay, let’s focus. We don’t know anything, for all we know it went horribly, or perfectly, so one more time, how are you going to play this?” Flitter pressed her sister.

“Cool,” she replied, not so confidently. “Were still friends, and we should both be supportive of him, no matter his answer.”

“Now keep telling yourself that, and we’ll get through this just fine.” Just as they were about to fly over, Flitter draped a foreleg over her sister's shoulder. “And in the name of all that is holy, do NOT ask him out now if it went shit. He’ll need time to get over it first. Getting you laid comes later,” she finished with a wink, causing Chaser to blush.

The two mares fluttered over as casually as possible, making no secret of their descent, yet Question failed to notice them entirely. It took them standing directly behind him before the typically keen-minded detective realised something was off. He turned to them and gave the pair a small smile.

“Hi guys, it’s good to see you both.”

“Could have fooled us,” Flitter teased as she punched his shoulder “We haven’t heard from you in over a week. You hiding from us now?”

“Not that we mind!” Cloud said quickly, already starting to sweat. “We understand if you’ve been preoccupied.”

“It’s fine, I’ve just been busy ever since we last spoke. I’ve been out of town until recently.”

“We swung round your place and it was a ghost town, at least more than usual,” Flitter explained. “Figured you were off with the whole detective thing.”

“It’s more consultation.”

“What’s the difference?”

“I’m only advising on cases, not doing any busy work to solve anything. More like a glorified adviser I suppose. Occasionally it’s a bit more than that, but not really full-blown detective work.”

“It’s still cool though,” Cloud insisted. “How you help other ponies is really remarkable.”

“Well if you consider rich stallions with too many bits and too little sense to know where they left their car keys, ‘helping ponies,’ then I appreciate it,” Question chuckled, his sour mood melting away. 

Just as he started to feel elated again, their conversation came to a screeching halt. Both mares turned to the other, knowing they had already reached the end of the line; there was only one subject left to broach. The pair found themselves wishing they could have dragged things out a bit longer, but Flitter, as always, was ready to bite the bullet for her sister.

“Sooooooo,” she began, trying to find the words. “How did your date go then?”

“Funnily enough…” Question paused, staring down at the cloud below him. Cloudcahser and Flitter leaned forward, eyes open wide, ready for whatever his answer was. “Really well.”

“Oh…” Once again, Cloudchaser felt her heart snap in two. “T-that’s-

“Great” Flitter quickly spoke up. “That’s just great.”

“Honestly I was scared witless going in there, and it wasn’t the smoothest transition.” Quickly he swung his head around, making sure no pony else was listening in. “Truth be told, we both have a lot of baggage. Maybe any other time it wouldn’t have worked, but I think something just clicked between us.”

“S-so you’re seeing her again?” Cloud asked, her voice shaking as much as her knees. Flitter turned in surprise, amazed her sister was hanging on and still asking questions.

“We kinda had a second date,” Question admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

“Kinda?” 

“Well it felt more like a torture session, my wings have been aching ever since.”

“Ah! She put you through one her world famous work-outs,” Flitter beamed. “Yeah, not everypony is built for that kinda stuff. Don’t feel so bad, takes years of practice-”

“So what’s your excuse, huh?” Rainbow’s raspy voice rang out above them. “Last time I checked, you barely made it half an hour on my routine, rookie.” She fluttered down with a confident smile, landing dead centre between the three of them.

“Well yeah, that’s because you’re a crazy mare,” Flitter argued back. “I don’t mess with crazy, no matter how hot they are.”

“Couldn’t hang with me anyway,” Dash said with a flex of her wings. 

If Cloud’s face of dread wasn’t anymore transparent, it practically became a warning beacon as Dash descended before them. Daedalus had kept his focus on her, his heart aching as he witnessed Chaser’s shatter entirely. He wanted to give her a friendly hug more than anything, but outside of her sister pressing her side against her, there was little to stop Cloud from breaking down. Despite her notable distress, Question was still oblivious, but Dash had taken notice.

“You alright there, cadet?” Dash spoke up, knocking Cloud Chaser out of her trance.

“Wha-” She blinked at her, suddenly unable to speak.

“Just look a bit shaken. Thundercloud get you?”

Rainbow Dash and Cloud Chaser had an interesting relationship. Not rivals, friends, enemies, yet not quite acquaintances either. Somehow they fit within all those brackets, floating between them whenever the mood suited them. Cloud envied Dash for her confidence and ability, respected her for the same, and liked her just as much as she seemed to hate her. Dash felt little towards Cloud, she was always the little sister of Flitter that followed them around. Never really bugged her, but never cared for her company either.

Perhaps they were destined to be two souls at odds with one another, yet the time and place they were born in led to little reason for any conflict. Until now, because when Cloud Chaser looked Rainbow in her eyes, her vision was filled with red. She bit her lip, afraid of what she might say next. It was an irrational anger, deep inside her heart she knew that to be true, but she couldn’t stop the trembling that crept into her limbs.

“Yeah, she’s just shook up, Dash,” Flitter answered, bringing her sister in closer. “Mind if I take her away for a bit. Just to give her a chance to cool off.”

“Sure, rest of the team should be back in a mo anyway.”

With nothing else needed to be said, Flitter wordlessly guided her sister up towards a bulk of clouds and vanished behind them. Once they were out of sight, Dash gave Question a concerned look. “That was weird.”

“Yeah, maybe she’s sick?”

“I’ll check up on her in a minute, but first,” Quickly looking around them, Dash nuzzled up against Question. But before he could return the favor, she poked her right hoof against his snout.

“Ouch, what was that for?”

“Not gonna make a big deal about this, but what did I say?” She gave him a raised eyebrow and a stern look. 

“I don’t follow.” He responded, giving her a blank expression.

“Keep this between us. I’m not ready for other ponies to know yet.” Her steely edge suddenly softened, her eyes turning downwards as she looked at the fluffy white cloud. “Not until I’m sure about us.”

“I’m sorry, Dash,” he said quietly. “I told Cloudchaser and Flitter about our date before we actually went out. I’ll catch up with them afterwards as well and let them know to keep this hush. If it helps, I doubt they've said anything to anypony else.” Finally she smiled and nuzzled him again, letting him return the favor. “You all set for the big day?”

“Packing tonight, but I won’t be taking much, I always travel light.”

“Let me guess, large bags weigh you down?”

“Y’know it! Gotta stay at my aerodynamic best.”

“Makes sense. Did you get the rooms sorted?”

“Yeah, my bonus came in so I splashed out a bit. Thought the Squirt would like her own king size bed.”

“I could throw a few bits your way to cover my share. I really don’t mind.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she waved him a dismissive hoof. “Money is good for me. Plus it’s the least I can do, considering we’re making you show us around your old home.”

Question felt his smile slip at the mention of Trottingham, but he quickly corrected himself. He wasn’t sure if Rainbow had noticed, either he was a better actor than he thought, or she was too blinded by her own thoughts. Speaking of, he noticed how she went strangely quiet, her cheeks starting to burn as she refused to make direct eye contact with him.

“The one thing I kinda did have to skimp on were the rooms though.”

“In what way?”

“Well I could only get two, partially because we’re booking so close to the day. So Squirt’s got one for her, meaning…”

“Oh!” Question felt his cheeks begin to warm as well.

“No funny ideas,” Dash blurted out. “Just we’ll have to share the bed is all. Good chance to find out if you snore,” she chuckled away, trying to hide her bashfulness.

“Same to you.” He shot back, a comfortable silence settling in between them. He looked out towards where the thunderclouds should have been arriving, but there were no signs of them. “Don’t you need to be helping the others with the clouds?”

“Nah, I left Thunderlane in charge. He needs a bit more practice anyway and he’s got it covered.” Rainbow started to look around nervously again. “Need to talk to you about something else.”

“Go on.”

“Well I was thinking about before, how our last date wasn’t… well… much of a date”

Question vividly remembered how shortly after Dash’s performance, he had been forced to walk home as Dash flew Scootaloo back to her aunts. His body had ached the entire way, and while the pain was now more manageable, it was still a present problem for him. He grimaced at the thought, but smiled as the images of her flying through the sky burned bright in his memory.

“It’s fine, it was a little different is all.”

“Maybe, but I realised there won’t be much time to do anything just between us. We're gonna have the Squirt to look after. So I got to thinking, what if on the last day, we go out in the evening and get some drinks. Just the two of us?”

“I’d like that,” he said quickly, his smile beaming widely.

“Sweet, it's a date then.” She went to peck him on the cheek again, but held back as something else occurred to her. “One more thing…”

“Yeah?”

“Your wings… how often do you preen them?” Question could only blink at her question as he let it settle in for him. “Just cause, when I held it back at practice, it looked a bit rough. Outside of the scarring I mean.”

“Not often, just always forget to sort them out honestly.”

“Do you want me to preen you?”

Daedalus was very rarely left reeling from a question, but both he and Question Mark gasped in unison. To preen another pagasi’s feathers was often viewed as an intimate act, one reserved for close family, or intimate partners. In Dash’s eyes it was an innocent request, she simply wanted to help sort out an issue that was likely affecting her coltfriend more than he realised, but even she could not deny what many would see as the connotation of her request.

“Don’t make it weird, dude. If its too much-”

“I would love you to preen me,” Question blurted out, shoving a hoof in his mouth just as fast. “I mean to say, I would appreciate that.”

“Cool, not here though.” Dash spun her head around, making sure one last time they were completely alone. “Should have at least five minutes before the others arrive. Follow me.”

Dash led the way as they floated away from the king, and for a moment, Daedalus considered following along. Yet he remained where he stood, coming to the conclusion that they deserved their privacy. Perhaps it would be as simple of an act as Dash claimed, or maybe it was her first steps to something more intimate. There was one thing he was certain of though. He had just witnessed two fools in love attempt to figure out just where they stood, and realised they were still too shy to say what they really wanted; the other. Just as he felt the world fade around him, he turned his eyes upwards to catch the peeking snout of Cloud Chaser, who watched on as a bitter sadness took over her soul.
> Crazy, Noisy, Bizarre Town
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the world tried to reform around him, Daedalus could feel his connection with Toxotis begin to strain. Images were left incomplete, faces were obscured, and time went from moving at a snail's pace, to faster than he could comprehend. All that lay before him was a mess of light and colour, that rushed by like a thunderous waterfall of memory. It felt like reality was on the verge of collapsing. If not for the fact he had seen this before, he may not have been able to keep his composure. Something was happening in the outside world.

“Ah, Thea found me,” he chuckled, realising his captain of the guard was dragging his lifeless body back to the palace. “Took you long enough.”

While he and Toxotis were most likely being taken back as carefully as possible, they probably weren’t being kept in sync with one another. With neither body being left stationary,  it became harder to focus on what he needed to see. Things would start to settle soon of course, but to discern anything right now he would have to try and force the world to anchor to a certain point. 

Magic started to tingle at the tip of his horn as he gazed over the flashing imagery. There in the distance he could see a train making its stop, and a familiar white stallion waiting beside it. Instantly a tiny green beam of energy launched itself from his horn. It dodged and weaved past the other memories until it latched onto this singular moment, and once it pierced through, Daedalus felt himself pulled towards this new gateway. He moved faster and faster, at speeds that would have left a wonderbolt in a state of awe, before smashing through and landing right beside Question Mark.

With little time to take in exactly where he was now, Daedalus focused all his magic into locking himself into place, his entire body glowing with vivid green energy. The world felt crooked, devoid of light and colour. Voices in the distance sounded far more muffled than they should. His connection was poor, but he could still make out Question Mark and likely anypony important to him. This would do for now.

And as luck would have it, the king could not have picked a finer moment to jump back into; today was the day. Question Mark stared mindlessly towards the distance, expecting Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo to arrive at any moment. They were late, which he had suspected might happen, and was currently hoping they might miss the train entirely. It was selfish of him of course, but any chance to avoid the inevitable would be welcome right now.

Perhaps Discord might try to take over Equestria again? Pinkie Pie could create some sort of confectionary monster that starts attacking the town? Or perhaps a portal might open in the sky and aliens could attack? Just anything that would delay this infernal trip. Yet the moment he saw Dash soar down towards him, all he could do was let out a heavy sigh.

“Welp, guess that’s it then,” he grumbled under his breath.

Dash looked like she might plant herself into the ground at the speed she was travelling, but just as she had done before, the moment she would have connected with the earth, the expert flyer tilted her wings upward and landed safely on her four hooves. Scootaloo jumped down from her back and started hopping about on the ground.

“That was awesome!” Her wings buzzed happily in joy. “We should have flown all the way there.”

“C’mon, Squirt. I want to arrive with my wings still attached.” Dash rustled Scootloo’s mane, causing the filly to beam wider. To fly to Trottingham was theoretically possible, but Dash was built for short, powerful bursts. Despite her endurance and ability to ace most races put before her, anything akin to a marathon would be a struggle. She’d stand little chance making that journey. Plus the train was fun, and was also a chance to kick back her hooves and relax.

“Good morning,” Question Mark spoke up, swallowing his fears and worries the best he could and putting on a strained smile.

“Well look what we get here, Squirt. Our own personal chauffeur. ‘Looks like were in our personal lap of luxury, we is.’” Rainbow did her best Trottingham accent, which for Question Mark made him want to crawl into a hole and die.

Very rarely did he ever show any sign he was annoyed with his brash marefriend, but in this moment, he was unable to suppress the full power of his side eye. Rainbow scratched the back of her neck, looking away with a nervous grin.

“Sorry, that was pretty rough, huh?” She muttered through her teeth.

“Ah, yes, sorry about that, mam.” Question Mark adjusted himself, bowing low, and speaking like an old butler. “I’m afraid the carriage is in disrepair. The train is the only option left I’m afraid.”

“Well I never!” Dash retorted, perking up instantly with her own ‘old-timey’ accent. “This simply will not do. I will expect compensation for this.”

“You guys are being weird.” Scootaloo complained, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance.

Dash had gotten carried away again, forgetting what filly she was in the presence of. Her cheeks burned brightly and she quickly turned away from Scootaloo, now wishing she was anywhere else. Quickly she tried to change the subject. “You excited to be travelling with Quest?”

Scootaloo looked up at Question Mark, and he looked down at her. Foals were a mystery for the changeling. He often avoided dealing with them all together. Cases involving younger creatures could break the hearts and souls of the most hardened stallions, and while he had dealt with many disturbing cases in his career, he did not think he would have the stomach for that line of work. And in truth there was a far more simple reason while he avoided colts and fillies like the plague; he just wouldn’t know what to say to them. He lacked their perspective. His own childhood was mostly a blur with little interaction with other foals. He had been a solitary hatchling, which really didn’t bother him, he honestly had prefered it. Times like these though, he wished he knew better how to even begin to speak to a young pony without coming across as the uncool loser he feared he might be.

Scootaloo was facing a similar crisis. From the earliest days she could remember, all the most important ponies in her life were mares. Her parents were never about, but her aunties had always been there for her. Rainbow Dash was her hero, Spitfire was the greatest wonderbolt ever, Cherilee was her teacher, her best friends were all fillies, and now there was this mysterious stallion who had popped into her life from out of nowhere. Rainbow Dash liked him, that she was sure of, and he liked her, they seemed like good friends. But where had he come from? One minute it was just her and Rainbow, now it was the three of them going to a place where she’d never been before. She knew it would come across as mean, but she was hoping to spend time with Rainbow on her birthday, and yet, her hero seemed more excited to be going with Question Mark. So she answered Dash’s question in the only way she could.

“I guess,” she spoke softly, turning away from him.

The changeling felt himself deflate sharply. It was a fair answer. He was a stranger, someone cutting in on her time with Rainbow, really he should have expected that. Yet he could not deny the pang in his heart at such a cold answer. He frowned, but as he heard the train whistle, he forced himself back into a smile and turned to his secret marefriend.

“Are you ready to go? Train won't wait around much longer.”

“All set,” Dash replied, having recovered from her spurt of embarrassment. “Had to grab the dresses from Rare for the big night.”

“Do we have to go?” Scootaloo whined. The idea of actually going to the event had soured for her with each passing day. She’d rather just spend the whole time with Dash and skip the whole thing together.

“Look Squirt, I’m not big into artsy stuff either, but events like this mean free food. You want free food, right?”

“I mean, yeah…?”

“Plus, as you told me, the wonderbolts will be there. How bad could it be?”

“Famous last words,” Daedalus muttered.

Just as he spoke, the image before him began to fall apart. Rainbow and Scootaloo became nothing but blurs that started to melt before him.  He could faintly hear the whistle blow again, and just as they began to move towards it, it all fell apart. What was left started to float away and evaporate into the ether. Daedalus stood completely still, preparing to find himself another exit point, but curiously, he felt the world form around him again.

He rooted himself to the ground and focused hard on the image that was trying to bring itself to life. Green magic swirled around him as he could start to make out what this memory was supposed to be. He had to be on the right trail, the hive mind was still leading him down the road he needed to follow, but what on earth could be happening right now to cause so much interference. 





The lifeless form of King Daedalus currently had an oversized feather duster travelling over it. His body was still being held upwards by Athena’s magic, but the captain of the guard had found herself in a blockade made up of servants, maids, cleaners, and even cooks who had formed together under the commanding screech of one mare who was verbally assaulting his majesty.

“What have you done you silly old fool!?” She screamed at the king, the vain on her forehead seemingly about to burst. “I cannae believe how all yooz failed to notice the bloody king leave his flaming castle.” 

Artemis was the personal maid to King Daedalus, and she also happened to be the head of the castle's entire line of servants. She was quite possibly the most abrasive mare Athena had ever encountered. On one hoof, she had to respect her. They were both no nonsense lings who tolerated no level of bullshit from any other being. Yet at times it felt like looking in a mirror, and with the way she so casually put down all those around her while shouting her head off, it made Athena deeply regret what she was witnessing.

Artemis was fast approaching her twilight years; her chitin had lost its sturdiness, her horn appeared more brittle and on the verge of crumbling entirely. Yet the fire in her eyes had not dampened a bit. She dusted the king up and down his body - perhaps assaulting him might be a better word - before turning to the other ling held within Athena’s magic with renewed vigor.

“Oh aye, he brought this muppet with ‘im as well I see.” Artemis turned her feathered attack onto the sleeping Toxotis, but Athena was losing her patience.

“May we pass now?”

“Oh, you’ll get yur turn in a moment, sunshine. Just yooz wait.”

Once upon a time, Artemis had been a captain just like Athena. She was renowned as one of the finest soldiers the hive had ever produced, then one day, out of seemingly nowhere, she gave it all up. She retired and became a caretaker to Daedalus directly. Despite the respect she commanded, she was still just a maid, and ordinarily Athena would have just plowed through anything in her way. There was just one problem, technically, in terms of hierarchy in the castle, Artemis outranked her. Daedalus had made a point to all his staff, guard and servant alike, that there was only one other ling in the castle that could undo any order not given by himself; and that mare was Artemis. If she said jump, it did not matter if you were the Major or a Prince or the richest ling in all the land. The first words out of your mouth should always be, ‘yes, mam!’ 

“Would you like some tea, Captain?”

Artemis had barely registered the whispered words of Arachne, who had seemingly emerged from thin air. She delicately held up a cup and saucer to the Guard Captain, who shook her head. “No, thank you.”

Arachne was a bit on the smaller side. At times she appeared malnourished, but she would always assure lings she was just built that way. Unlike the others around her, her green highlights appeared to be a more light pink, and the jagged parts of her body were a more pleasant curve. 

Athena had a soft spot for Arachne. She was one of the very few in the castle she could tolerate for an extended period of time. She would always appear just as anyling needed something, and would leave the moment her job was done. She was not the only one who shared this sentiment. If there was a testament to how beloved Arachne was, she was perhaps the only ling in the entire castle that Artemis would never dare raise her voice too. Right now, Athena really wished she shared that privilege.

“She’s been very stressed today,” she whispered again, which in truth, was not much quieter than her regular voice. “With the king vanishing, I worry her heart won’t take it.”

“I assume you’ve tried to calm her.”

“Of course, but you know how she gets. She worries, and then she works herself up, then-”

“Right! Now onto you, missy!”

“-this.”

“In all me years I have never seen a more incompetent captain. Why if I had let even one of his nutty escape attempts occur, I would have flogged myself in the street. What yooz fail to grasp is this muppet is our king, and whether he knows it or not, he is the most important bloody thing in our world! If you can get yur wee noggin to focus on the fact that all it takes is one stray bolt of magic, one wee nutter with a bomb, one hulking monstricity to come crashing down on his head to end his reign there and then, then maybe ye wouldn’t be so bloody incompetent!? I have watched this muppet drag a bunch of outcasted - left for dead - miserable bunch of bugs out of ‘ell itself and brought us into paradise. You think Queen Hecate can say that? Naw, she’s too bloody busy worrying about the crocodiles eating at the city walls again. Do we deal with croco’s!? NO! You know why? This muppet you got dangling above the floor like he’s a sack of shite, cause you cannae play babysitta’ for more than five minutes! If it were me still in charge, then-”

At some point, Athena felt herself lose the will to live. And as Atremis’ shouts became mere white noise to her, she realised that she probably wasn’t even half-way through her rant. What started as a long day had just gotten a whole lot longer.





Finally, Daedalus felt himself gain a foothold again. Whatever disturbance had occurred in the outside world had stabilized just enough for him to perceive where he was. For a moment he thought the memory might be corrupted again, everything before him was rushing by faster than it should. Then he realised he was staring out a window, and that he had moved to a moment where the curious trio were riding the train.

It was nothing special, the standard passenger carriage that had become a staple of pony society. Yet there was a rustic charm to it that comforted the king’s soul. To his right he could see Question, Rainbow and Scootaloo nestled together in a tiny booth. Dash and her little sister on one side, Toxotis on the other. Looking out the window again, the king was unable to pinpoint exactly where they were, but he was confident they were far from Ponyville by now.

As he approached them, he was surprised how reserved they all were at this moment. Question gazed out the window, seemingly lost in thought. Rainbow held a book in her hooves, which Daedalus recognised as one of the earliest Daring Do stories. Scootaloo had a small notebook in front of her and was seemingly doing her homework. Even on her birthday, she could not escape the overbearing reach of Miss Cheerilee.

It was a quiet moment in time, one that would easily fade into the well of collective memory. Trailing his eyes downward, Daedalus noticed Dash’s hindleg stroke against the detective’s, who returned the gesture. The two played hoofsie with one another, occasionally sparring the other a glance and a smile. The filly was oblivious to the silly game the adults were playing, too busy smacking her head against her small book in frustration. Rainbow ruffled Scootaloo’s mane and started to move past her.

“Watch the Squirt for a sec, yeah? Need to use the bathroom.”

Immediately, Question Mark felt himself start to panic. Before he could say anything, Rainbow had already left him in the dust. He was now alone with Scootaloo. The filly spared him a quick glance, before going back to her book. Question looked back out the window, praying his marefriend would be quick. He hated this feeling. Why was he so intimidated by a filly? Perhaps because he knew that Scootaloo’s approval might hinge on his own relationship with Dash. If that little orange ball of energy decided she hated him, well, he doubted he and Dash could make it work between them.

“Soooo,” Question began, unsure exactly what he was going to say. “Doing homework, huh?”

“Yep,” was all she said.

“What’s it about?”

“Law and junk.”

“Law? She gave you homework on law? How old are you?”

“I’m not stupid,” she retorted, giving the changeling an angry look.

“Th-that’s not what I meant,” Question blabbered, sweat spewing from his forehead. “I meant it’s very advanced. I took my law degree when I went to college, it wasn’t much of an option before that.”

“It’s just little stuff. Basic things that you can and can’t do. Nothin’ fancy.”

“Well, as I said, I did law myself. So I can help if you’d like?” He gave a hopeful smile, praying this might be his way through to her, but she just looked back at him flatly.

“It’s not hard, it’s just so boring.” She gave a pained groan as she planted her face into her notebooks pages again. “Law is boring.”

“Not always. It can be very interesting to learn how our society works, how some laws vary between nations.”

“That’s cause you're a detective though. You do like egghead stuff.” Question Mark looked at her strangely, trying to recall when he had told her what he did for a living. Scootaloo simply rolled her eyes “Rainbow Dash was talking about it.”

“She mentioned me, huh?”

“Yeah, she kept going on and on about how awesome it was we were all going together. Detectives are so not cool though. They don't do crazy stunts and fight monsters. They just walk around being smart.”

“Well, at least you think I’m smart,” he chuckled, trying to hide his pain. 

Fillies and colts did not have a filter. They were often feeling beasts who spoke aloud on whatever they saw with reckless abandon. If a grown stallion saw another who was disfigured, he would have the social graces to keep tight lipped, his child on the other hand might not. It was not malicious or cruel, just how Scootaloo felt. She was frustrated, she felt that Question Mark was an intruder in her life, and that viewpoint was unlikely to change any time soon.

Before either party could consider saying anything further, Rainbow Dash suddenly reappeared. “You two cool?”

“Of course,” Question answered, perhaps a bit too loudly. 

“Good,” Dash said unconvincingly, looking between the pair. Scootaloo said nothing, her face buried in her notepad again. Rainbow shrugged and ruffled the filly’s mane. Just as she went to take her seat again, Daedalus felt his grip on this moment begin to fade. Colour vanished in an instant, the world rapidly dissolved, and before he could even curse, the world around him reformed itself just as fast.

This was very unusual. It was as if something was cutting down on any detail it deemed unnecessary, but more likely, the connection between himself and Toxotis was still very weak. They had probably still not made it to their room. There was a final flash and they were again in a new place. Before the king was the largest clock tower in the known world; the Grand Fern. 

He stood amongst the curious trio as they stared up at it, their luggage placed beside them. Daedalus noticed the train station was just to side, meaning they had only just arrived. It was a magnificent sight. When Celestia unveiled it she called it the finest craftsmanship in the modern world. That was nearly four hundred years ago now, and Daedalus remembered the day well. He had been among them, hidden of course, staring at its majesty and splendor. It took nearly thirty years to complete its construction, but it remained a symbol of Trottingham’s ingenuity and integrity.

“It’s just a big clock,” Dash commented dryly.

“It’s a cultural landmark, Rainbow. This ‘clock’ is over-”

“Four hundred years old, I know, you said on the way here.”

“Whoa,” Scootaloo spoke softly, a twinkle in her as she stared up at it.

“Well at least somepony appreciates some culture.”

“Can you imagine jumping off that?” Scootaloo asked excitedly. “Rainbow Dash, can we parachute off that big clock thing?”

Rainbow suddenly went pale. There was one thing Scootaloo loved more than her idol, crazy stunts. Dash already knew her little sister wasn’t destined to be a racer or a great flyer; she was a stunt pony through and through. And while the Wonderbolts were a stunt group in and of themselves, Scootaloo’s ideas for stunts were a bit more… extreme. Rainbow hated parachutes. They trapped her wings and she was at the mercy of a device that could potentially fail. The mere idea of jumping off such a height without her wings to protect her sent a shiver down her spine.

“C-c’mon, Squirt. I’ve flown way higher than that.” While technically true, she knew it was a poor excuse.

“Well, duh,” her sister countered, her spurts of brattiness becoming more frequent as of late. “But flying and free falling are way different.”

“I-I-I mean, what about Quest? He could try it with ya? I mean I’ve already done it and all, give somepony else a shot.”

Question Mark stared at her wide-eyed. If he wasn’t already white as a ghost, he certainly would have been after hearing that. He looked up towards the top of the Grand Fern, a sight that just a moment ago inspired him and filled him with hope, now made him feel ill. He looked back towards his marefriend, mouthing an obscenity towards her. Yet he had nothing to fear, as Scootaloo quickly went off the idea.

“Nah, that’s alright.” She kicked at a small stone on the ground and started to walk away.

“Hey, Squirt, that’s the wrong way!”

Rainbow leapt after her, leaving Question behind. He stared at the pair as Dash started to chase after her little sister, both mares filled with familial joy. He felt strangely hollow, as if a gap was opening between them. Daedalus didn’t have to read his faithful ling’s mind to read that about him though, it was written all over his face.

Suddenly, the scene flashed away. Before he could fathom what had occured, Daedalus was now in a hotel room. “That wasn’t normal,” he spoke aloud. His mind was starting to spin, his connection on the fritz again. “That was the fastest transition I’ve ever seen, what in tartarus is happening out there?”





Daedalus’ head smacked against the wooden beam for the second time as both Athena and Artemis wrestled for control of him. After being verbally eviscerated by his majesty’s second, Athena had wrongly thought that would be the end of it. Now Artemis would not let the king out of her sight and had followed the captain all the way to his bedroom.

So inane was her babbling that she even critiqued the way Athena walked down the halls. That had been the final straw. Something snapped within the captain as she began to lash back at the glorified maid, and now they were stuck in a bizarre wrestling match, much to the shock and bemusement or those around them. Toxotis had been more fortunate than his majesty, as he was under the care of Arachne, who wisely kept his lifeless form away from the chaotic scene.

“You’ll be lucky if I let you clean the latrine after this,” Artemis growled. “If I were still in charge-”

“Well you're not! ARE YOU!?” The captain screamed, any composure she had left vanishing in an instant.

The group of spectators around them continued to grow. A who’s who of castle staff and elite members of hive society. At one point, Arachne feared they might tear the king in two, but his majesty’s savior arrived in the knick of time. Athena felt someling tap against her shoulder. At first she ignored who it was, the staring match she was having with her rival taking precedence. Then they tapped again, and the captain reluctantly turned to face them.

At first they said nothing, choosing to wave their hooves about in an attempt to communicate, but quickly, they caught themselves. “Hail, Captain.” He greeted her telepathically, adding a salute. “I was informed there was a disturbance.”

Orpheus was the estranged son of King Daedalus, and one of two of his children still alive. Where he had come from was still a mystery, all that was known was that his mother was not a changeling, and that he had lived outside of the hive for most of his life. At birth he had suffered a unique inflection, he was born without vocal cords and was unable to speak. Even stranger still, he was unaware he was a changeling until two years prior. At birth, lings take a similar form as their parents, and with no ling about, Orpheus was born the spitting image of his mother.

On his eighteenth birthday, she told him the truth of his father, a revelation that took the king by surprise as well. The matter had been horribly awkward and had exposed the greatest weakness that even an immortal could still have; the fairer sex. Their relationship was strained, but once the truth was revealed, Orpheus knew he could never go back to a normal life. He had always felt different; a stranger among the other foals he used to play with. Now so much of his life made sense, even his strange name had a far greater meaning than he first realised.

Soon after, his mother passed away, and Orpheus realised he had nothing left to bind him to his old life. Now he was a member of the guard, not a captain or any real prominent position, but if afforded him the chance to finally get to know the father his mother never spoke of. The arrangement had worked out well enough, especially since Icarus had been in the middle of his training to become a guard when he discovered the truth. Most of the skills he had learned easily transferred over. Yet he was still not used to speaking with the hivemind like so many others. It was still foreign to him. Before he could only communicate with sign language and hope the one he was speaking with knew what he was saying, now there was a whole new way for him to be heard. He simply had difficulty kicking old habits.

“Hail, Orpheus,” Athena greeted him back, thankful some normalcy was returning on this bizarre day. She respected him greatly. He was the son of the king, yet he did not ask for favours or try to worm his way into a position greater than his ability. He was a humble ling who wanted to understand and learn his ancestral culture. Even on her worst day, she had to respect that.

“Thank the almighty, some ling with a bit of sense,” Artemis bellowed, fixing Icarus with an exhausted look. Despite the fire that still burned within her, her old bones were struggling to keep up. “Be a lamb and help me with yer father.”

“I will, but perhaps it would be best if I take him on my own.” He said with a bow, trying to remain as respectful as possible. “I would think it prudent not to cause his majesty any further brain damage today.”

His point was as sharp as his horn, unnaturally straight and smooth, the one genetic trait he had taken from his unicorn mother. Ordinarily, neither mare would have let that type of comment go without a rebuttal, but both ling’s held their tongues when they finally noticed how large the crowd of spectators had become. They looked towards one another, both silently recognising that they looked more like a pair of asses than changelings right now. 

“Fine,” they said simultaneously, neither looking away from the other, their staring match back in full swing.

“I can keep hold of Toxotis, while Orpheus can hold the king,” Arachne suggested, reappearing just at the right moment between the pair. “Why don’t you both lead the way?”

“I suppose that is agreeable,” Artemis mumbled, breaking free of the senseless battle first. She marched ahead, but Athena was fresh on her heels. 

The pair marched side by side as they practically charged through the crowd blocking their way, nearly sending staff and nobles alike flying across the room. Arachne and Orpheus followed closely behind, smiling at one another as they carefully carried Daedalus and Toxotis through the doorway.





The hotel room was surprisingly nice. It was a bit modern for the king's taste, he had grown to love extravagance wherever he went. Everything was kept simple, bright colours that blend well together, and sleek furniture that looked as comfortable as it did practical. There was even a nice kitchen and dining table set-up which Daedalus doubted would get used on this trip, topped off with a balcony view of the whole city. 

The door inched open as the curious trio stepped inside, taking in the scene before them. Toxotis whistled appreciatively, while Rainbow beamed proudly at finding such a nice place on short notice. Scootaloo was far less reserved, she bounded past the door and straight into the first bedroom she could find.

“I call dibs!” She shouted excitedly, jumping onto the bed and launching herself up and down.

“Careful, Squirt. If you clip a wing again, your aunts will never let me hear the end of it.” Dash tried to sound as serious as she could, but she was unable to resist the chortle that came tumbling out of her mouth. She chased after Scootaloo again and softly tackled her between leaps, forcing her into a hug.

Question carried all of their bags between his wings as he followed behind, but instead of joining them, walked into the opposing bedroom instead. For a moment he was alone, and he let out a breath he had not realised he was holding in. The room was nice. A king-sized bed, a calming blue decor, and an ensuite bathroom with all the amenities. He should be happy, yet he wasn’t. He felt a weight in his heart and the only way to lighten it was to set his thoughts free.

“Everything okay in here?” As if on cue, Rainbow appeared in the doorway.

“Where’s Scootaloo?” Question asked quickly, turning to her with a despondent look.

“In her room, making a fort. Establishing her territory, y’know?”

“Could you close the door, please?” Rainbow nodden slowly and did as he asked. She could feel the discomfort ooze from him, and while Dash would typically avoid any emotional situation like the plague, she found herself unable to leave her coltfriend hanging.

“What’s eating at you?”

“I don’t think Scootaloo likes me.”

“Oh… yeah, I figured.”

“So you know.”

“Sort of. I got the feeling the Squirt was unsure about you. Honestly, I think I goofed.” Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck and stared at the floor.

“How do you mean?” 

“Cause I kinda forced this, y’know?” She took a deep breath and looked back at her coltfriend. “When she mentioned those tickets, I thought this would be a great chance for the three of us to hang together. But the Squirt thinks you're replacing her. Look, I’m not the best at reading other ponies, okay? But I’ve been around the Squirt long enough to know when she’s upset. Everytime I mentioned you, her mood would just darken. I don’t think she hates you, just doesn’t want you here. This isn’t on you, I’m sorry.”

Strangely, Question Mark felt relieved. There was still a dark cloud over him, but to know his marefriend was not only aware of what was happening, but took a share of the blame as well, eased the pressure on his soul. Still, the last thing he wanted was to see Rainbow upset herself on this trip. Instinctively, he trotted up to her and draped his wing over her body.

“It’s not your fault. I understand what your idea was, it just hasn’t worked out like we hoped.”

“The Squirt will come around,” Dash assured him, bringing herself closer into the hug. “Just gotta give her time is all.”

“I’m just not sure what to do. Can’t really avoid her if I’m showing you both around.”

“Well I could stick close to her while you lead the way?” Dash suggested, pulling away from him. “If you take charge of the tour, I have her ride my back, so she’s mostly spending time with me. That way she’ll start to perk up as we go along. Who knows, maybe she’ll warm to ya if she doesn’t think I’m forcing you two to mingle.”

Dash lent in to kiss Question Mark on his cheek, causing him to smile. “C’mon Quest, it’s not over yet.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” he agreed. “Let’s focus on making this a fun day.”

“Hey where’d you guys go?” Scootaloo called from her bedroom, her tiny voice carrying through the walls. Rainbow opened the door to their room to find Scootaloo waiting just outside. The filly bemed up happily towards her idol and pointed towards her own room. “What do you think, Rainbow Dash?”

On top of her bed was a mighty pillow fort indeed, but one far larger than it should have been. It was made up of at least twenty different pillows, with sheets of different colours wrapped around it. Both adults looked back at their bed, which only had a single sheet and four pillows.

“Scootaloo, where did you find all of these pillows?” Question asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

“Oh, that was easy. There were these carts outside where somepony had left them all on. Weird, huh?”

Just beyond their front door, someone with a thick Sponish accent cursed loudly. “Where are all the pillows!?”

Both Rainbow and Question looked at one another and smiled sheepishly. This was not going to be a fun conversation. Daedalus could barely hold in his laughter as Scootaloo hid in her room, leaving the two adults to negotiate their stay. Despite facing down a very annoyed manager - who did not have any problem with pointing out that all of the fresh pillows would have to be cleaned again - they survived the encounter, and made a swift escape.

Now the four of them had descended onto the streets of Trottingham, the belly of Equestria. Everything from silks, to fine cuisine, to teas of every variation, to art, to pretty much anything one could imagine, would pass through this city first before setting forth to meet the rest of the world. Even compared to Canterlot, the city had a beat all its own. The sounds, smells, even the touch of her hooves against the cobblestone roads felt wholly unique to Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo held onto her back tightly, her head swiveling on her neck, trying to take in as much as she could.

Question Mark had led them to the city centre, an area he was most familiar with. He could not deny it, now that he was home, he realised just how much he’d missed this place. Even its ponies - who were never the friendliest bunch - he was far more used too than the overly sweet denizens of Ponyville. They were honest, mostly, even if it was to their detriment. Dramattically he waved his hoof around him, letting his companions take in the scene.

“Mares and fillies, this is the city centre of the greatest city in all of Equestria. Welcome to Trottingham!”

Scootaloo’s eyes lit up, her ears tilted backwards, suddenly overwhelmed by it all. Since they had arrived, the filly barely had a chance to let it settle in that she was in a brand new place There were so many ponies about them, they all blended together in a multicoloured ocean. How anypony could tell where they were going was beyond her.

“Before us we have many paths. This will be our start point and our end point. If you ever get lost, meet back here. We’ll all find one another eventually.”

“Hold tight, okay Squirt?”

Scootaloo did as she was told, wrapping her forelegs around Rainbow. “So, Miss Scootaloo?” Question announced, pointing a hoof at her. “It’s your day, where do you want to go? The entire city is your oyster. If there is a place you have heard of, let me know. If you want to pick a direction then let's start from there. So by all means, allow me to lead the way. What is your wish?”

The filly felt a deep rumble in her gut. Most would have been embarrassed by such a loud reaction around other ponies, but not Scootaloo. She beamed happily and gave her answer. “Food!”

“As good a place to start as any.” Question chuckled. “You’re in luck then, because I know a pretty good burger place around the corner. Follow me.”

As the trio ventured into the unknown, Daedalus remained closely behind him. He smiled, as he saw the way Scootaloo looked at Question in this moment. Her eyes filled with wonder and curiosity, her defences down and her imagination on the rise. He suspected that Toxotis was well on his way to winning the filly over.
> Breaking the Law
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash looked at her food the same way a vulture would observe its prey. She devoured her burger with reckless abandon, leaving little time to savour the meal before her. Scootaloo did the same, although slightly slower than her idol, her little jaw struggling to keep up. Question Mark had started eating, but froze as he watched their display. He gave the pair a raised eyebrow but they paid him no heed.

“Well, nopony is perfect,” he grumbled.

“What-d you say?” Dash asked him, her maw still full of food.

“Never mind,” he replied, going back to his fries. “You sure you two are going to eat all that?”

When Question Mark had settled on the idea of going to a burger joint, while it may not have been the greatest example of Trottingham cuisine, it was at least something nearly every colt and filly would enjoy. A simple burger and fries, then for dinner they could have a larger meal someplace fancier. What the detective had not anticipated was his marefriend ordering ten burgers between herself and her sister, and enough fries to feed a small orphanage. The pair of them were already on their second burger while Question had barely ate through his fries.

“You kidding me?” Dash belched loudly. “I’ve tackled way worse than this. You got any idea how much my metabolism eats through a day? A lot!”

“And what’s her excuse?” He asked pointedly, poking a hoof towards her smaller counterpart.

“C’mon dude, she’s a growing filly. Me and the Squirt have got this, right?” Scootaloo nodded along, although she was clearly faltering.

Daedalus on the other hand could symphaise. Despite his old age, he would often have to eat through grandiose meals similar to this one, and that was just to keep himself going. Although, he could not imagine stomaching food quite like this. Like most lings, he had a penchant for sugars and sweets, and while he could enjoy variation in his diet, sugar was always a necessity. Tofu didn’t exactly cut it for him.

Yet Toxotis was different. While Trottingham food could indeed be fancy, he had been raised on the most common of local cuisine. Potatoes, carrots, gravy, food that while tasty, lacked fancy flavorings. His pallet was much plainer than most other lings, which at times proved a point of contention when he and Daedalus would dine together.

“All I’m saying is if that little filly is sick today, it’s your problem to deal with.”

Dash responded by bowling a raspberry at Question, then smiling confidently at her protege. This only spurred the little filly on further, and just as Question Mark had finished his meal, the two mares had done the same. Quickly they departed, heading back towards the centre of town, now suddenly aimless again.

“So you remember what I told you before?” Question spoke aloud, addressing his marefriends sister.

“Eh?”

“It’s your day, meaning you can go anyplace you like.”

Scootaloo looked around the streets and ponies that surrounded her. There was so much to take in that her little heart could barely contain her excitement. But It did not take long for her to make up her mind. There was one place she had seen that she still wanted to go to most of all. “That big clock!”

“The Grand Fern? They do all day tours, they even let up on the top balcony next to the clock face.”

“Sounds cool,” Dash said with a shrug. “Let’s head over then.”

“This is going to be awesome!”





“This isn’t so awesome…” Scootaloo whispered to Rainbow, her head hanging low.

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Rainbow grumbled, tapping her hoof against the floor. “This guy could bore even Twi, and she lives for this kind of stuff.”

The moment they had arrived, Rainbow had felt like something was off. She hadn’t realised the fern was connected to one of the Princess's ‘summer palaces.’ In essence, it was a vacation spot for Celestia (and now Luna) where they could also continue to do work if need be. It was lavish and grand, but as to be expected, had top notch security. They were not alone on this tour, in fact they had to wait for nearly half an hour before being bundled together with a bunch of other families.

Then before long they had met a stallion by the name of Lord something or other - as Rainbow had eloquently put it - before he began to drone on and on about every piece of useless trivia imaginable, ranging from dusty old paintings to the royal bathroom. This was her own personal hell, and she imagined that for Scootaloo, the feeling was mutual. At some point, the three of them had lost their sense of time. They could have been here for minutes, hours, perhaps days.

“I remember it being more… involved the last time I was here,” Question whispered in her ear. She was surprised to see he was faring no better. Her coltfriend was an egghead through and through, but if even he was struggling to make it through this tour, then it spoke volumes to how bad this was.

At this point, the three of them could barely pay attention to what this stallion was saying. His tone of voice was so utterly monotonous that it became white noise to them. He was talking about a painting they had huddled around, that much was certain. It was a very old image of Luna, shortly before she became Nightmare Moon. It was a sad, despondent piece; its colours as dark as the night sky, but without the twinkling stars that made it beautiful. Considering it was big news that Luna herself had stayed here not too long ago, Question Mark was amazed it had been left up.

“This portrait will be joining many others in the reopening of the galley this evening. This may well be the last time it dawns these halls.” The tour guide noted, before directing everypony to follow him again.

Daedalus had not realised one could grow tired when they were already sleeping, yet here he was, on the verge of nodding off everytime this dull as dishwater stallion opened his mouth. He was prepared to start climbing the walls, perhaps even abandon this journey all together and abort back into the real world. He considered the possibility that something was wrong again. Why was he now forced into this slow path where nothing was occurring? Yet as fate would have it, he wouldn’t have to wait long to get his answer.

“How much longer?” Scootaloo asked through a yawn, rubbing her eyes.

“Dunno,” Dash confessed, doing her best to stay awake as well. “Better not be much longer though.”

“It’s not,” Question assured her. “We’re on one of the top floors now. On the next floor is a stairwell that takes you straight up, and another that leads right back down to the very bottom. We’ll be on the balcony soon enough.”

“... I’m afraid that area is closed off to visitors today.”

Simultaneously, Rainbow, Scootaloo, Question and Deadalus froze in their tracks. All four stared wide-eyed at the tour guide. It was the first time he had said anything of note to them, and it brought them all to a stand still.

“Pardon?” Question tried to clarify.

“We had a… incident a few days prior. Vandals or some such nonsense. While they clean the graffiti, we have had to close the balcony off to the general public. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

He said nothing else as he spun back on his heel and led the equally tired families to what would be the end of the tour. Yet the curious trio did not move. Each one felt a range of emotions from exhaustion, frustration, disappointment, but both adults did their best to contain these bitter feelings. Scootallo did not.

“Horse Apples!” The filly spat, flopping to the ground with a pained groan.

Rainbow scooped her up in her hoof and placed the Squirt on her back. Scootaloo responded by burying her head into Dash’s body, wanting to scream till she couldn’t anymore. The cyan mare wanted to do the exact same, but she held firm for the time being.

“Well that was a waste of time,” Dash growled out. “That jerk could have mentioned that part in the first place.”

“Less customers probably,” Question sighed out, looking at the floor. “It’s the main attraction. Keep quiet and technically you're not lying to the public.”

“Whatever, let's just get out of here.”

Ordinarily, Question Mark would have followed along wordlessly, taking the loss on the chin. But as his marefriend spun around, he caught a glimpse of the sadness behind Scootaloo’s eyes. And as he gazed into those light purple iris’, he came to a decision that was most unbecoming of the law abiding citizen that he was. Yet despite how out of character it might have been for him, he had not been more certain on a course of action in a very long time.

“No.”

“Huh?” Rainbow stopped in her tracks again.

“We’re not leaving yet.

“Quest, what are you talking about?”

“We came here for one thing, yes? And that arse made sure to not tell us we couldn’t go until the last possible second. I say if your opponent cheats, then breaking the rules is now fair game.”

Scootaloo’s downturned ears perked right back up. The rest of her body quickly did the same, shooting upwards and landing back on the floor.

“Do you wanna break in?” She asked the detective.

“More take an alternate route,” he replied, looking around to make sure nopony was listening. “I know where the staircase is. We could fly to the top, but they probably have guards flying about the perimeter, stopping anypony getting too close. However, I have a bit of an old trick up my sleeve”

Rainbow couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing. Where in the hay had this guy been the whole time? Her coltfriend had transformed from a dorky, awkward bookworm into a confident rule breaker. He shot her a smile before focusing back on Scootaloo, and Dash felt her cheeks grow warm.

“What do you say? Want to break a few laws on your birthday?”

“Yeah!” Scootally beamed widely and nodded wildly.

“And what do you say, Miss Daring Do?”

She stared at him for a moment, still trying to regain her bearings. But sure enough, she found her own confident smirk. “Hell yeah!”





Daedalus had been left utterly floored to see a side of Question Mark he knew so little about. Yet he knew he had seen it before. It was always in those rare moments when the curious ling would find himself driven beyond reason to achieve a goal. However, the King had only witnessed it when the detective was on the job, never in a situation like this.

Any sense of exhaustion the four of them had felt was replaced with a wave of adrenaline. They crept up to the next floor as carefully as they could, barely keeping their nerves together. To their collective shock, there had been a surprisingly lack of guards. Despite how tight security seemed, they were perhaps focused on the known entrances of the palace, rather than the inner corridors. However, just as Question Mark had suspected, there were indeed two guard ponies blocking the stairwell that led to the balcony. He held out his hoof to make sure nopony went any further, while peeking around the corner.

“Okay, I’m going to lead them away.”

“What do you mean?” Rainbow asked.

“Well I’m going to try to bluff them. Been a while, but I think I can handle this. Just wait here, I’ll motion when it's okay to come back out.”

Just before he turned the corner, Dash grabbed his shoulder. “Quest, good luck. Don’t get hurt.”

He smiled back at her, before making his move. Daedalus followed along as the detective put on his best mask of confidence, strolling up to the pegasi guards as if he was meant to be there. While they did not immediately react, the closer he got to them, the tighter they held onto their spears, crossing them together to block the doorway.

“Halt!” Announced the first guard.

“State your business!” Continued the second.

“My business?” Question questioned. “Do they tell you ponies anything around here?”

“Huh?” The guards said simultaneously.

The Detective rolled his eyes, revealing a parchment of paper from his waist coat pocket, before quickly retracting it back. “Inspector Critical Sight. I’m here to look at the extent of the vandalism.”

“You are?” One guard muttered, looking at the other. “We were not informed of this.”

“Evidently, or you two would not still be standing in my way.” The ling tapped his hoof on the floor impatiently. “I’m a busy stallion you know, I’ve not got all day here.”

“Didn’t somepony already take a look?” The other guard referred to the other. “It was a week ago, wasn’t it?”

“And you can thank the poor job they did for why I’ve been dragged out here.” Question let out a dramatic sigh. “Incomplete damage report, the pictures were unclear, and there was barely a summary on cost and damages. My department can’t go off that information, so I’ve been dragged from MY holiday to come out here and clean up that prick’s mess.”

“That’s rough, buddy,” the first guard said, nodding his head along.

“Yeah, trust us, we have to clean up far too many messes for other ponies here too,” his partner chimed in.

“It’s not even our department half the time.”

“But we gotta clean it up anyway.”

“Speaking of, you lads might want to skedaddle.” He turned his head around, making a show of hoping no one was listening in. “I heard some nutter has clogged the toilets downstairs.”

“What!?” They shouted in unison.

“Yep, overheard a C.O. Talking about finding the pair of guards who done it. If I was you boys, I’d cut him off before he starts pointing hoofs at ya.”

“Not standing for this again,” the first guard shouted.

“Bet you it was Gleamer. What the hell is his wife feeding him?”

“Cheers mate, you go on up ahead, we’ll be back in a bit.”

“Gonna find the boss.”

“Good luck, lads.” He gave them a salute as they marched away. Dash and Scootaloo ducked back round the corner, only peeking out again when the guards marched through the other exit.

“You did it!” Scootaloo yelled as quietly as she could, dancing on her tippy toes. She bounded forward and hugged the detective’s leg, before quickly throwing herself back off and blushing furiously. “I-I mean… that was kinda cool, I guess.”

Before she could embarrass herself further, she ran up the stairs faster than the adults could react. Question turned back towards his marefriend, about to suggest they chase after her, but was momentarily stunned by her genuine look of shock.

“What the hay was that!?” She yelled with much less reservation. It was not an angry shout, but Question did reel back from her voice. “Dude, you were like an entirely different pony!”

“Yeah, I’ve had a lot of practice.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well these days I’m a private detective, meaning I get little to no official support. Ponies can turn me away for any reason they like. So sometimes you have to be a bit more… convincing to get where you need to go.”

“You mean lie?” She deadpanned.

“You could say that I suppose. As I said, I have a lot of practice at it.” He removed the piece of paper from his pocket again. “Exhibit a; a Ponopoly card I claim to be a card confirming my identity. Flash it fast enough, ponies tend not to question if they actually saw what they needed from it.”

“How’d you get them with the toilet though? That was like, so random.”

“Not quite. When we talked, they mentioned cleaning up other ponies messes. I also noticed on the way up here that there was a staff toilet on the floor below. It was a gamble, but it worked nonetheless. Every work place in the world shares the same issues with the community toilet. Trust me on that one.”

Rainbow had her own war stories on that front, more than she cared to think about, so she settled on just grimacing and nodding her head. “Well that was pretty awesome.” Instead of a peck on the cheek, she softly graced his lips. She let the kiss linger, Question returning the favor with earnest. She pulled away just before he could get too excited, sticking her hoof on his snout. “And I should know, I’ve got a degree in it.”

“Oh, truly? Where did you major in?” he teased.

“The Rainbow Dash school for awesome ponies. It’s only got one course.”

“Two if you count big headedness.”

She went to punch his foreleg when Scootaloo called out from the top of the stairs. “Where are you guys!? You're missing out!”

The two looked at one another and smiled, walking side by side up the spiral staircase. Once they were at the top, they found themselves instantly filled with awe. Behind them was the massive clock face of the grand fern. So large was it that if it were a house, it could satisfy the needs of a family of twenty, with more than enough room to spare. A single digit on its face was thrice the size of all of them put together.

The sight of the city ahead of them dwarfed the view from the hotel window. Rainbow had seen so many incredible sights in her short time on earth. They had all started to blend together. She was almost numb to it now, but this clockwork city was like nothing she’d seen before. The architecture, the culture, the grandeur, it filled her with such an awestruck feeling that for a few moments, she felt her knees buckle and bend.

“Nothing quite like it,” Question spoke up, looking out beside her. “A city built by pegasi on the ground. All the scope and verticality of Cloudsdale, with the ingenuity of earth ponies, and the creativity of unicorns. There are times when I’m glad not more ponies visit this place. It’s crowded enough as it is.”

“Do you guys see that?” Scootaloo called out, pointing out towards a zeppelin going overhead.

“I hate those things,” Question admitted, whispering in Dash’s ears. “Death machines if you ask me, only a matter of time till they explode. Still, the foals love them.”

Dash nodded along, pretending to listen. Scootaloo danced around her, bounding from side to side, trying to see as much as she could. Rainbow ignored her, looking out towards the horizon, she approached the ledge and remained silent. Her sudden shift in behaviour didn’t go unnoticed. Question walked up beside her and tried to get her attention again.

“Something on your mind?”

“I just feel like an idiot right now.” She confessed.

“Why?

“I used to have a thing against land pegasi. Not like I hated them, I just thought it was dumb to not live in the sky.” She paused and bit at her lip, looking more downtrodden than before. “God, I was so dumb.”

“I don’t think that’s dumb. You just didn’t know. To be honest with you, there are many pegasi that are born and raised in Trottingham that think living in the sky is utterly ridiculous. Believe me, I used to share some of those sentiments as well. That kind of a mentality is routinely a two-way street.”

“You thought living in the clouds was weird?”

“My whole life was on solid ground. Being able to fly and do mag-” He caught himself and began to cough, pretending something had caught in his throat. “Sorry, where was I? Flying was just a nice bonus of living. Not an essential trait down here. Very different culture than what you were born into.”

“I guess you’re right,” Rainbow acknowledged, perking up just slightly. “But I don’t think that always defines you.”

“Oh?”

“Look at the Squirt.” She pointed towards her protege, who was still bounding about excitedly, peeking over every edge she could. “All she’s ever wanted was to fly like other pegasi, and she was born on the earth as well.”

“It’s different for everypony. If you see somepony with a life very different from yours, you either want it, or hate it.”

“I hope you don’t think I’m stupid for saying that stuff.”

“I told you before, didn’t I? You’re not stupid. Don’t call yourself that.”

“Well thanks for showing me how to be smarter, wise master.” She cheekily bowed at him. “But hey, even I’m not great at everything,” she grinned back.

“There’s what I love about you, your eternal humility.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll be a teacher yourself someday?”

“Who? Me!?” Rainbow let out a loud, long laugh that had her nearly rolling on the floor. Question was thankful he had saved that remark until now, otherwise he would have had to drag her up the stairs. “What the hay would I even teach?

“Well you got Scootaloo to hover off the ground. For her condition, that’s extremely impressive. So flying would be a safe bet. You certainly aren’t a bad teacher, Miss future wonderbolt”

“Heh, I guess that’s not too bad an idea.”

“If that doesn’t work out, you could always teach friendship skills. I mean you are and your friends are meant to experts on that part of life.”

“A school for friendship?” She rolled her eyes. “Like that would ever happen.”

Above them travelled a particularly large zeppelin, that blew its horn so loudly it travelled across the city. They marvelled as it crawled through the sky. Rainbow and Question grew closer to one another. Nervously, Rainbow looked over towards Scootaloo, but she was paying them no heed, too engrossed with the hulking behemoth of a machine. So just as the pair started to relax, heads resting on one another, Rainbow pulled away.

“Wait? Did you say love?”

Dash’s sudden question caused her coltfriend to nearly suffer a heart attack. If Daedalus knew his friend - and he certainly did - then typically Question Mark would become a blubbering mess as he tried to talk his way around the situation. Or at least that would have happened, If not for the sudden intrusion of a group of ponies, who depending on your perspective, had terrible, or incredible timing.

“Hey! Who’s up there!?”

Everypony jumped on the spot as they heard angry shouts from the stairs. Question Mark had already figured out what had happened. The two guards from before went downstairs, started to ask questions, and his little lie was quickly unwound. In short, the three of them had outstayed their welcome. They danced around each other as they tried to figure out what best to do, before Rainbow froze on the spot and grimaced. “Well, Squirt, looks like you're getting your wish after all.”

“Huh?” Was all the filly could say, but Rainbow just placed her on her back, muttering to hold on tight.

“What are you doing?” Question pressed.

“Going skydiving.” She jogged to the edge, poking an eye downward. “Welp, least my wings aren’t bound.”

“We're gonna jump!?”

“Fraid so,” Dash gave him a smile. “Time to pull out that trick I showed you.”

Question reluctantly joined the fillies at the edge of the tower. He really wished he was a better flyer right now. The logical part of his brain kicked into gear. It was their only shot at avoiding spending the night in jail. Yet it also told him - quite plainly in fact - that he may well crash and burn. Rainbow placed one of her wings over his back, grinning at him again.

“Come on. Miss Future Winderbolt taught you all you need to know. I thought I was a great teacher?”

Before he could second guess himself, and just as he heard the first guard reach the very top of the stairs, Rainbow pushed him forward with her wing and the trio plummeted to the ground below. Daedalus jumped after them, yelling ‘yippee’ the entire way. The cyan mare screamed as the adrenaline in her body kicked in, the orange filly cried out in excitement as the winds blasted through her mane, and the white stallion wailed in fear as his life flashed before his eyes.

The ground grew closer and closer, and his heart pounded faster and faster. But just before he could succumb to despair, he regained what little willpower he could muster and remembered what Rainbow Dash had taught him. Gently, he tilted his wings upwards, letting the wind flow against them. He angled his hooves as he felt himself start to move ahead, rather than straight down. Just as his momentum had reached its lowest point, the ground came to call, and instead of splating in the pavement, he stumbled along it, barely keeping his footing.

“Wooo! You did it!” Rainbow yelled, launching her hoof into the air, having landed seconds before him. Daedalus followed suit, landing softly on the ground with a makeshift umbrella he had dreamt up.

Question Mark could scarcely believe it. He did it! But before he could get caught up in the moment, he remembered the guards that would certainly be hot on their tails. Not helped by the fact that everypony around them was now staring in their direction. “Move!” He shouted out.

He led them across the square and ducked into the nearest alleyway. Despite the guards shortening the gap, it did not take long to lose them. If there was one thing Question Mark knew about this city, it was exactly where to hide. Instinct took over as he went from street to street, alley to alley, only stopping when he realised they had gone a step too far. Rainbow nearly chased into his behind as she skidded to a halt.

“Why’d you stop?” Even Dash was running low on breath.

Scootaloo had remained on Dash’s back the entire way, clutching her tightly and keeping her own head low. Now that they had stopped, she took the chance to take in her surroundings, and she quickly wished she hadn’t. Everything here felt darker, grimier, sadder. Graffiti lined the brick walls, trash littered the streets, windows were broken and there was a strange fog in the air, or was it smoke? She couldn’t quite tell.

Daedalus recognised this place well, and knew that Question Mark was not the only being to harbor ill-will towards this place. Dash joined her coltfriend by his side. Looking at his face, he could only stare blankly forward, his eyes now dead and lifeless. “What is this place?” She asked him. He did not answer, he just kept staring. “Quest?”

“This was my home,” he finally said. His eyes darted around the place, taking a step backwards, he simply added, “We should leave.”

He walked on ahead, not waiting for either of the two mares to follow. Rainbow shook off her shock and caught up to him, but felt an ill feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to know more; her coltfriends sudden dismissal leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. But she held her tongue, focusing on getting Scootaloo away from this place.

Daedalus followed on, sensing the very sudden shift in tone from a happy and excitable atmosphere, to a permeating sense of dread. As the day passed on, this feeling would not leave. Of course they would smile and be happy, eat tasty food, laugh and dance along the sights and sounds Trottingham had to offer, yet the elephant in the room remained a present threat. It would not leave until somepony inevitably brought it up, and Question knew it was only a matter of time.





With a sigh of relief, Athena finally delivered King Daedalus to his chambers. Despite his highness now having a potential concussion, he had been delivered safe and sound. The small entourage that she had collected on her journey home, were milling about the place, trying to keep out of the way of Artemis, who focused on fluffing the King's pillows.

"So this ere's the standard for a King's quarters?" She let out a harsh laugh. "Not while I'm still kicking it ain't."

It was never good enough for Artemis; if she entered a room and only mildly grimaced, you had done a good job. The room was as madcap as his majesty. Everything felt wonky and out of place, with a collection of seemingly random portraits and junk lined the walls and shelves. It was a room only fit for the likes of Discord, who would probably treat the place like his own summer home.

It was also surprisingly small, or perhaps cozy was a better term for this odd bedroom. It was humble, despite the status of the ling that occupied it. There was just enough room to fit the six of them in it, but moving about would be an awkward affair. Arachni gently placed Question Mark on a comfortable lounge chair, dusting off his mane along the way.

Orpheus had remained silent since they had arrived. Despite his new found ability to speak, he was often a ling of very few words. He never spoke when he didn't need to, but his eyes were often enough to give away what he was thinking. He was watching Artemis carefully, noting her sluggish movement, her shortness of breath, her weakened posture. Subtly, he moved behind her before speaking up.

"Are you well, Artemis?"

"Oi, commander to you," she stammered through a cough. "Course I'm fine ya daft git. Too much work to do."

The others quickly noticed as well. Her knees were shaking and her back looked to be giving way. Even Athena - who harbored even less love for Artemis than she did most other lings - was growing concerned. “Perhaps you should take a seat?” She suggested.

“Now what in tartarus' flaming arse are ya implying!?” She fired back. “I’m fine I tell ya! I’m fin-”

And then quite suddenly, Artemis collapsed. Athena caught her before she hit the floor, but one look at her face made it clear she was out cold. Arachni bounded towards her, while Orpheus stayed back, not wanting to crowd her.

“Artemis!” Arachni called out in a panic, cupping her head in her hooves. At the call of her name, the retired warrior began to stir. Her eyelids weakly opened, but her eyes were still rolled back in her skull. She weakly mumbled as Athena carried her to the last remaining chair, placing her down as gently as she could. “Artemis, are you alright? Can you hear me?” She mumbled again, but it was completely unintelligible.

“Let her rest,” Athena said softly, placing a hoof of Arachni’s shoulder. “She’s overworked herself.”

Arachni found herself gently pulled away, and instantly her walls began to break. But she stayed firm, her head spinning about as she desperately searched for something to do. Her eyes found their target as she travelled to the King’s side, fixing up his bed just as her mentor had done, giving his pillows an extra fluff.

“What shall we do?” Orpheus spoke to Athena, and her alone.

“Give her a moment,” she spoke back, eyeing the downed Artemis. “She’s a tough old bird. She’ll be back up and nagging us to death soon enough.”

The seconds ticked by as Arachni clambered about the room, looking over every nook and cranny for just about anything to do. But sure enough, Artemis’ body wriggled to life. Clumsily she rose from her fallen state, her eyelids only half open. “The hell…?” She yawned.

All three other lings in the room stopped what they were doing, and despite being the furthest away, Arachni made it to her side first. “Artemis! Are you alright?”

“Course I’m alright, I-” She caught herself as she realised where she was, and why she was sitting on a chair in the King’s bedroom. “Not again…” She grumbled.

“You need to have a proper rest-”

“I cannae rest! There’s too much bloody work left to do.”

“Not if you’re gonna collapse on us again,” Athena spoke up. “If any of us were in your hoofs, you’d order us straight home to sleep off the day. And don’t you dare argue back, you know it to be true.”

“Unlike you three, if any of you’z go down, the whole castle doesn’t go with ya.” She huffed, whacking her hoof against the armrest. “I bet the kitchen has already messed something up again, and it’s not even close to tea.”

“Please, Artemis, Athena is right,” Orpheus spoke up again. “Do the sensible thing. Give the orders you need, and at least take a rest for a few hours. No one wants to see you leave us just yet.”

A long and dour pause took hold of all of them. The old crone scowled at the trio, her eyes meeting each with equal ferocity. She was like a wounded lion, down, but still with more fight than any of them could be prepared for. Yet this time, reason won out. Slowly she pushed herself off the chair and threw a foreleg over Orpheus. Arahcni joined him on her other side and kept hold of her.

“You win,” she admitted, her head pointed downward. “I’ll give the orders as I go. You’d best follow them to the T’. You hear me?”

“Crystal,” Orpheus replied.

“Athena!” She addressed her, the last of her strength was placed in her commanding voice. “Do a once over of the room, then get yourself home. You ‘ave the day off for once too.”

The younger ling bit her lip. Most would have seen this as a reward, and yet it felt strangely spiteful to Athena. Ever since taking her position, she had rarely taken a single day off. She knew any attempt to argue the point would be what the elder ling would want, so she sighed and brought her foreleg into a salute.

“Yes, mam.”

“Good, now let's get out of ‘ere.” As Artemis was practically carried out of the room, Athena found herself pouting over her strange predicament.

When the doors were shut, it dawned on her how odd it was to be all alone with his majesty in his most vulnerable moment. He was entirely asleep and utterly defenceless. She had heard the stories of his power, every ling had, but to see him like this he seemed no more hazardous than a bunny. She wandered the room several times over, yet she couldn’t see why. She severely doubted there would be anything here that both Artemis and Arachni could have missed.

Then she spotted it. Between the two pillows Deadlus’ head lay upon, was a single blue envelope. She stopped dead in her tracks as she glared at it. She could not recall seeing it there before. As not to disturb the king any further, she carefully plucked it away and turned it towards her. To both her shock and horror, she found it was addressed to her.

Athena’s head swivelled all around, making sure no ling was hiding in plain sight. This must have been a trick of some kind, she reasoned to herself. She was tempted to throw the thing out and be done with it. But for whatever reason, the envelope would not leave her magical grip. She opened it up slowly, suddenly afraid of what she might find. Yet all that lay hidden within, was a curious invitation.

To Captain Athena

You are hereby invited to a meeting of like-minded individuals who wish to see real change in our kingdom. We are all from different parts of our society, from the richest and the poorest, and we have joined as one because we truly believe in a better tomorrow for all lings.

We know you are an extraordinary and proud mare, and we would be honoured to have you join our ranks. While we are unable to disclose all the details you may require in this invite, know all will become clear soon enough. Our next meeting will be held in the basement of the Queen’s Chitin, a pub north of Salamander Street. Please arrive at 4pm this afternoon.

We sincerely hope to see you there.

~ Your new friends

Athena read the note over and over again. Everytime she came to the same conclusion; she had to report this to her superiors. There was no other option for her. To not report this, at best, is treason. The message was clear, its implication apparent, and yet she found herself unable too. She looked over to Daedalus, dark thoughts swirling around in her head. She decided it would be best to take the day off after all. Quietly she left, a single eye remaining on the king’s slumbering form until the door shut behind her.
> Defacing the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When all was said and done, Question Mark had come to recognise that it had been a good day. Despite their brief run in with Trottingham’s finest, they had survived their round robin journey around the city with little incident. Rainbow was seemingly happy with how everything went as well, and Scootaloo was over the moon the entire way. The hardened walls the filly had placed around herself were starting to crumble, and the detective could finally ease his way through to the otherside.

Yet he could not shake the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Another part of himself that he wanted to remain buried deep below had been unearthed, and he knew he wouldn't be able to walk things back so easily this time. He sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror, fixing up his bow tie the best he could. He enjoyed wearing formal attire, but he detested dinner suits. The kind the elite of pony society would wear constantly. To him it always seemed overly snobby, and they never quite felt right on his form. Still, this kind of outfit was to be expected at an event like this, so he begrudgingly complied.

Unbeknown to him, Daedalus had remained at his side, making silly comments about his taste in fashion. To the king it was all a distraction from the tense atmosphere that had descended upon them. He hated it, and hated being still stuck on this slow voyage into the unknown. Outside of a few key jumps, Daedalus had witnessed the entire day play out. He had enjoyed watching them act so happy and boisterous, but detested the lack of development between these moments. Something big was coming, he could feel it in his rickety old bones. It was the anticipation of it all that was killing him, and at the rate things were progressing, he was certain he would be trapped for the entire gala as well. 

Question’s bedroom door creaked open, and a familiar voice called out. "Yo, Quest, everything cool in there?"

"Just sorting my tie. You?"

"Finished with me and Squirt. We're ready when you are."

"That was fast," he remarked with genuine surprise.

"Yeah, well, Rare kinda made these dresses with speed in mind. She knows how much I hate putting these things on. Might as well make it quick."

"Fair enough." As Question looked into his mirror, he noticed a cyan hoof still at the door, almost hesitant to enter. "You can come in, you know? I'll be seeing you in a minute anyway."

"Y-yeah," she stammered, inching her way inside. He knew she hated dressing up as much as him, perhaps more so, but nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to see.

Rainbow Dash was wearing a silky black gown that flowed down her body. Tiny sparkles and sequins were sown into the fabric, and a silver trim was stitched along its edges. She wore a headdress that was near identical to her outfit at the gala, but was now a matching silver. She had even styled her mane slightly, fashioning it similar to Spitfire. As the typically boisterous mare finished shuffling inside, she looked over herself again, her discomfort apparent.

“She called this ‘rainbow in the dark?’ I don’t usually like black, but I kinda get it. It looks cool for the most part.”

As she rambled on, Question Mark found himself unable to reel in his doe-eyed stare. He was transfixed by her, and soon enough his marefriend noticed his gazing. "Wh-what?" She questioned him, her cheeks stained red.

"Nothing, you just look really beautiful right now." His mind ran off pure instinct. His words caused Rainbow Dash’s blush to grow brighter. "Not that you don't look beautiful normally, it's just-"





“Daaaaaaw,” announced the collection of ponies around Rainbow Dash. The cyan mare buried her head in her hooves, as her muzzle was now almost entirely red. She was so embarrassed she wanted to die. She knew she would be hearing about this for the rest of her life.

Initially, the six of them had sat at equal distance from one another, but as her story had continued, the group had progressively moved in closer. Now as she tried to hide away from her friends, they instead brought her into a tight group hug. Cooing and teasing her along the way; everypony except Twilight. She had remained away from the others, jotting notes and trying to keep herself as distant as possible, refusing to allow any more emotions to cloud her judgment. 

“Ya like dressing for your coltfirend, RD?” AJ spoke right in her ear.

“Shut up!” She fired back quickly.

“Can I see the dress?” Fluttershy whispered in the other.

“No!”

“Are you embarrassed darling?” Rarity teased further.

“I hate you all.”

“No you don't! You love us like we love you!” Pinkie Pie countered exuberantly, lifting all five mares upward in one bearhug. Her usual stiff smile then shifted into a more perverse one. “But you love your coltfriend a little bit more, huh?”

“Just kill me…”

“Alright, girls, she’s had enough,” Twilight spoke up. Begrudgingly, the bundle of mares released their hold on their prisoner. Rainbow flopped to the ground in shame, still hiding her face.

“Don’t be shy,” Flutter whispered softly as she nuzzled her closest friend. “It’s very sweet that you would dress up for him.”

“It was for the event,” Rainbow muttered softly. “And did you of all ponies just tell me not to be shy?”

“RD, I know you’re lying through your teeth, and I reckon Twi knows as well.”

Rainbow poked her head upward as she looked at Applejack in confusion. She turned to Twilight who allowed herself a small smile. “You forget, but I do my research!” The purple unicorn announced proudly as she pulled out a flyer. “As you’ve been telling us your story, I had Spike collect reference material related to where you went. It says on the flyer for the event, that the dress code is formal or smart casual. Meaning you went the extra mile for the show. So while yes, you would have been required to dress up, you could have easily gotten away with something much more to your taste.”

“And I reckon you left that part out to your coltfriend cause you didn't want him thinking you were trying to be extra sweet that night. Am I wrong?”

It didn't seem possible for Rainbow Dash to blush any harder, but low and behold, she transformed into a deeper scarlet. Even Twilight was unable to resist joining in with the giggling at her expense, but she quickly reeled herself back into her neutral expression.

“It has to be said though, this stallion has an excellent taste in fashion,” Rarity announced proudly with a flip of her mane. “He certainly has an eye for talent.”

"Well of course you'd say that, it was one of your dresses," Dash snapped back, momentarily recovering from her embarrassment. 

“And his daring side,” Rarity continued, unperturbed. “Breaking into one of the Princesses' palaces just to grant the wish of a young filly. A soft and intelligent soul on the surface, but a maverick underneath.”

“Mhm, I’ll have to add that to the report to Celestia,” Twilight grumbled loudly, fixing Rainbow with a harsh glare.

“C’mon, Twi. It was a spur of the moment thing. Like you haven’t broken into loads of places since we met.” Twilight chose to ignore that comment.

“She’s got you there, Twi,” AJ joined in. 

“A-a-anyway,” Twi spoke up loudly, hoping to prevent any further derailment from the topic at hoof. “While that story was nice, it has revealed a bit more about this changeling in question.”

“How so?” Rarity asked.

“Well, it shows that yes, this changeling does have another side to himself. He has the capability to lie. And that also means he has the potential to manipulate too.”

“That is true,” Shy agreed sadly.

“You too?” Rainbow questioned her oldest friend.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow, but Twilight is right about that point. Look how he manipulated those guards, could he have done it to other ponies too? To you?” Everypony went silent at Fluttershy’s simple question. The reserved mare found her own blush as well at the sudden attention. “Though I hope he hasn’t. He seems nice.”

“Well I think you’re all being really silly,” Pinkie spoke up.

“I’m going to regret this,” Twilight said with a sigh. “How are we being silly, Pinkie?”

“Well, duh, yeah he can trick other ponies. But he didn’t hurt those guards, did he? And why did he do all that anyway? To make sure Scootaloo had the best super duper birthday party ever! Why would a bad pony care about another pony’s birthday like that?”

The inquisitive unicorn found herself pause at Pinkie’s question, but not in the typical way the party pony would always stump her. It was a fair question. While Rainbow’s coltfriend had lied, he indeed did it for unselfish reasons. Yet even now, she found a counter to Pinkie’s conundrum.

“Could he have not done all that to get closer to Scootaloo? You can not rule out the possibility of this changeling playing the long con here.”

“I mean, I guess, but isn’t Scootaloo liking Dashies coltfirend a good thing for everypony? If Scoot likes him, then that’s even more of a reason for Rainbow to like him. If you were dating a pony, wouldn't you want their family to like you lots as well? Isn’t that just natural? That’s not evil you goof.”

That time, Twilight had to concede to Pinkie. Yes, her logic was sound, she could not use that argument to establish a direct link to malicious intent. While she herself lacked practical experience with romantic relationships, there is nothing sinister about wanting ponies close to your romantic partner to like you as well. 

“You are right, Pinkie.”

“And I must say, Twilight, after all this discussion, all we’ve established is that this changeling character is capable of lying. But aren’t we all? Applejack excluded, of course.”

And again, Rarity had delivered another fine point. Twilight’s stack of cards had suddenly collapsed under the weight of her flimsy argument. If this was a courtroom, she would have been torn to shreds about now. There was nothing definitive she could gleam, only a character portrait from Rainbow’s perspective. As she had suspected, even after Dash’s story was over, she would need more data to truly decide on her next move.

However, there was one card Twilight could keep close to her chest for now; she had figured out who this pony was. Rainbow had held back his name, yet not his occupation. There was only one detective living in Ponyville, and the timeline of events fit too well. He had come to town just after the wedding, and no other ponies had moved into town since. He was quiet and reserved, she recalled seeing him in the library before, making only brief conversation as he browsed the place. Nothing about him had seemed that strange or striking before, and that’s why his disguise was perfect. Just another ordinary stallion. Still, there was the slim possibility she was mistaken, so she would have to hold her tongue for now.

“Twi, you still in there, hun?” Applejack's familiar drawl drew Twilight from her meditative state.

“Huh?”

“You brain went all loopy,” Pinkie appeared behind her, swirling her hoofs around her own ears. “You just kept staring at the floor.”

“Sorry, it's been a long day.”

“Do you think we should take a break?” Fluttershy asked the group.

“Ordinarily, I would agree,” Rarity cut in. “But I believe that this matter must be sorted here and now.”

“Yeah, I can’t spend the day worrying you’re gonna lock my coltfriend up for existing.”

“Yes, let’s continue,” Twilight said, clearing her throat. “So to review; you all went to Trottingam on this trip for Scootaloo’s birthday. Spent the day in the city, ate at a restaurant and had cake, opened presents, and returned to the hotel to get ready. Yet I recall you mentioning the small event at the alleyway?”

“Yeah…” Rainbow sighed sadly, her ears folding backwards.

“Did you not inquire further?”

“Nah, not then anyway. He clearly didn’t want to talk about it, and we were all so focused on the city and Scoot, it just didn’t seem like the right time.”

“So did anything of significance happen on this museum trip then?”

“Boy, did it ever,” Rainbow perked up. She sat up in her seat as she found her second wind. “Alright, get yourselves comfortable, cause it's gonna be a long one. This is the case of the midnight vandal!”





The trio had arrived just in the knick of time. After another incident with the hotel staff resulting in a cake nearly exploding on all of them, they had been forced to make another quick retreat. Daedalus walked on ahead up the steps leading to the museum. It was not the largest he had seen, not the grandest either, but it was still an impressive sight indeed. Despite its renovations, it had kept its gothic architecture, but it had been decorated with banners and other assortments for the night ahead.

As to be expected of a gala, it was a gaudy affair. The building was now open to everypony again, however, its honored guests would receive the first tour around the refurbished museum. Its guest list was a collective group of pony citizenry, and even a few foreign dignitaries to boot.

Question Mark recognised a few of the ponies ahead of them. The most obvious were the Wonderbolts, Spitfire and Soarin. The captain and her wingpony were must haves for any event like this, and it was always a chance to arrange a new booking or two, so neither pony would ever say no. Then he saw a light yellow face he had become very familiar with; Lens Turner. A kooky pegasus reporter who believed in aliens living in the sky and lizard ponies dwelling deep below the earth. Stil, she was unnervingly good at her job, at times beating most detectives to the mystery behind a crime. Her penchant for conspiracy often led her down the path of looking at angles most wouldn't consider.

Standing before the museum doors was one Baron Feit. Question had never met him, but knew of him well enough. His family line was often credited with the founding of Trottingham, and ever since those days of old, they had pumped much of their wealth into its development. To some they were borderline royalty, and as the de facto head of the household, Mr. Counter was practically a king. By all accounts, he was a reputable stallion, and yet there had always been something seedy in his family’s legacy. Namely the fact that nopony could trace exactly how they came into their fortune in the first place..

The others were a mystery to him, but judging by their attire it was clear who they postulated to be. A mix of nobles and gentry, topped off with servants, rich families, artists, a few other reporters, and museum staff who kept everypony in line. The only notable admission from this list was royalty itself, which for an event such as this one was very peculiar indeed. 

"Rainbow," Question Mark muttered to his date who strolled up beside him. "You wouldn't happen to have any insight as to why the princesses are absent."

"Dunno," she admitted. "Maybe they hate art too."

“I imagine there’s a lot of things they don’t actually like, but there is typically a more important reason to miss an event like this. Half their job is public appearances.”

“I mean, it’s basically night, yeah? So this is Luna’s territory I guess. Twi mentioned something about Celestia making less evening appearances cause of her sleep pattern becoming stable for the first time in a thousand years. Luna doesn’t make a lot of appearances anyway.”

He could not help but concede to her point. It made complete sense when Rainbow put it that way, and yet still, he maintained that inkling there was something more to all of this. Both looked behind them to find Scootaloo bringing up the rear. She had lagged notably behind, barely putting in any effort to keep up with the pair. 

“C’mon, Squirt, we gotta arrive some time,” Dash teased.

“I guess,” the filly replied solemnly, letting out a sigh. Her enthusiasm for the event was still at an all time low, yet she had been dragged along regardless. Free food was still free food after all.

“Cor, there’s trouble!” The three of them spun in place to face Lens Turner who was rapidly approaching them. “Didn’t know you were coming to this thing.”

“Hello, Lens.” Despite his stiff greeting, he returned the hug the mare offered him.

“How’s you?”

“I’m well, all things considered.”

“I can see that,” she muttered, looking Rainbow up and down. “An element as your date? You're moving up in the world.”

“H-he’s not a date,” Dash blurted out quickly. “He’s just a plus one. Showing us around the city.”

“Whatever you say,” she giggled. “Anyway, strange seeing you is all. I’ve had a weird feeling in my gut since this morning. Something’s going down tonight, I just know it.”

Rainbow found a strange nerve fray within her as she watched Lens Turner act so playfully towards her coltfriend. She held her tongue as Question gave her little back, yet it still made her uneasy. She considered drowning out the chatter and moving on ahead, but was interrupted by a pair of familiar faces.

“Rookie! What brings you out here?” Spitfire called out, strolling towards the group, Soarin not too far behind. “Nice hair by the way.”

“H-hey Spitfire,” Rainbow nearly squealed. Despite now being on first name basis with the mare who was destined to be her future captain, she still found it difficult not to fangirl whenever they met. “Squirt here got tickets from her folks. Were tagging along.”

“Art fan, huh?” Spitfire asked, throwing a lazy eye towards Scootaloo.

Ordinarily she would have flat out denied it, but the little filly was currently too occupied with being in the presence of one of the greatest wonderbolts of all time. She shook uncontrollably as she stared at Spitfire in addulation. Rainbow gently picked her up and placed her on her back.

“Sort of,” Rainbow answered for her, smiling bashfully. 

“Well it’s good to have somepony we actually know,” Soarin spoke up. “These things are always so boring.”

“But we try to keep that to ourselves, right?” Spitfire said, side-eyeing Soarin who nodded in response.

“Speaking of, we should really be getting inside.” Question spoke up, motioning for everypony else to follow.

They headed back up the steps, chatting amongst themselves until they rejoined the larger group out front. Baron Feit was flanked by two hired guards, decked out in black attire with matching sunglasses and unreadable faces. The Baron was quite the opposite; a deep purple suit, a goatee and a wide grin. His coat was a dark grey, with a short blonde mane that was swept to the side.

“Welcome everypony,” his voice boomed out. “This has been a long time coming. For too long this city's finest collection of art and history has had its doors firmly shut. No more! With my family's funding, and in coordination with our fine monarchs, this museum is open to all!”

His enthusiasm was quickly infectious. His announcement was met with thunderous applause, even by those who seemed less interested in the building itself. Yet Question could not help but even more confused as to the lack of royal presence at this event. If the Princesses had a hoof in the rebuilding efforts, why would they not attend the opening night?

“All of you have either been invited or bought your ticket to get this special preview of our exhibits before the rest of the public. Behind these walls will be many of the wonders of old, and numerous additions added to its splendor. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the work and effort of every pony who worked together to bring this grand museum back to life.”

“Shame none of them could afford a ticket,” Lens dryly muttered under her breath.

“So without further ado… welcome back to the Trottingham Museum or Art and History!”

He stepped to the side as the massive doors creaked open. Everypony clambered through as they split off in all directions. Each one of them was greeted by the skeletal remains of an elder dragon, positioned at the centre of the foyer. Scootaloo gasped as she stared up at it. If one was able to clone the filly twenty times over, then her collective forms would barely make up its leg. It made the time when Spike became a huge monster seem like a mild tantrum in comparison.

The museum was built like a maze. A quick glance at the map showed eight different hallways sprouting from the entrance, and then crossing with one another towards every exhibit imaginable. Just looking at it hurt Rainbow’s brain, but Question was quick to put things straight.

“If we follow the path to the left, it takes us straight through every part of the museum.”

“Yep, leads all the way to the final exhibit too,” Lens emerged beside them. “The return of the museum's most prized paintings. They’ve all been on loan since the closure, but they’re safely home now.”

“Let’s take it slow then,” Question suggested. “We have plenty of time till the final exhibit.”

“Yeah, and Squirt?” Dash motioned to the filly, and then to the elder dragon. “I betcha there’s way more bones like that in this place.”

For the first time since the night began, Scootaloo looked visibly excited. And so gradually they made their way from exhibit to exhibit, marvelling at the paintings, sculptures, fossils and antiques or era’s long since in the past. For Daedalus this was mostly blasé, for he had seen much of it all before, and lived a fair bit of it too. Still, for a moment it was nice to travel down memory lane, walking amongst creatures and kin he wished he could interact with more.

At some point during their wandering, Daedalus zoned out. He only came to his senses again when he realised they were on the last leg of their journey. Stepping into a spacious room, the four of them were greeted to a wide selection of artwork from across known history. Renaissance, industrial, classical, all era’s were given their moment to shine here. Yet on the far wall one painting that stuck amongst them all.

“Hey, we saw that one earlier, “ Rainbow quickly pointed out. It was the same image of Luna from the tower. None of them had paid it much heed the first time they saw it, it appeared so vividly real, almost as if the princess herself was staring right back at them. 

“That portrait is over a thousand years old and in remarkable condition,” Question commented aloud. “It must have been kept under watchful eye.”

“It was Celestia’s prize for some time, or so they say,” spoke up a dry and gruff voice behind them. “It’s good to see it back.”

Turning to face this new stranger, Question Mark found a weathered old griffon in a dusty blue uniform. There was a tiny smile that edged at the corners of his beak, a hint of mischievousness behind his eyes. His feathers were a dark grey with hints of white and yellow at the edges. He seemed mellow for his kind, unnaturally so. The detective's experience with griffon’s had been nothing short of passionate affairs. They were like to strike you, hug you, kill you or even try to sleep with you at the drop of a dime. They certainly were never subtle about their intentions.

“Prize? What do you mean?”

“After Luna’s defeat, Celestia had nearly everything about her sister confiscated from the public forum. Art to Luna being one of them. Not to destroy or ruin her memory mind you, but to protect it. Took nearly two hundred years before it was slowly released back into the wild.” He scratched the bottom of his beak as he looked the detective up and down. “You got a good eye there.”

“I wouldn’t say that, I would have thought it was a fairly obvious point to make.”

“Bah, you’d think so, wouldn’t you? But the folks that come here don’t have the same appreciation for a bit of culture.” He walked towards the painting, bringing with him a broom gripped in one wing. He was clearly a janitor here.

Question was unsure if he should follow, remembering he was supposed to accompany Scootaloo and Rainbow. As he turned to regard them, he noticed they had already moved on, chatting with Spitfire and Soarin who had just arrived. Lens had snuck off again as well, something the detective had become accustomed to whenever it came to working with her. So he joined his new acquaintance by the portrait.

“Names Gulliver. Yours?”

“Question Mark.”

“Odd one, but all you ponies have strange names.” He sighed to himself, suddenly looking sad. “Forgive an old coot, feel a bit out of place is all.”

“Your first day?”

“Heh, no. Quite the opposite, Been working here thirty plus years. First day back though, and it's been quiet. Usually always something to do, so I’m here waiting to get called on. Just thought I’d come take a look at these returning beauties.” He turned from the paintings and scowled at the crowd. “You see these folk?” 

Question turned as well, looking over the small crowd. He was shocked by this, but it seemed that they had worked their way around the museum faster than they thought. The gathering was still humble, at best there were only a fraction of the guests at the final leg of the tour. Rainbow and Scootaloo were still conversing with the wonderbolts, while Lens Turner was slowly walking back inside, notably more shifty than before. 

He looked over those he did not know. A stuffy stallion stood in the very corner, scowling and trying to make himself look as important as possible. He fixed his pricey suit, barely focusing on the art at all. He seemed to be scanning for somepony else. Only a few feet from him, a mare in a dark hoodie stared angrily at Luna’s portrait. Question was surprised by her attire, he would have thought she’d be turned away at the door. Two elder gentlecolts stood at the entrance way, seemingly eyeing the paintings for their detail, but not in the way Question had. Something seemed off with their intent. And then there was one last pony, a pink mare with a curled blue man in a stunning black dress. She had seemingly no interest in the art itself, and more so in showing herself off.

“An eclectic group for sure,” Question muttered.

“Putting it gently,” Gulliver grumbled. “None of these show ponies have an ounce of appreciation for what's before them.”

“And what is it in your eyes?”

“The same thing you saw: history. You see the detail in the little brushes, the meticulous nature of its form. To all these folk, it's something to muse at and say you’re now ‘cultured.’”

“Well I’m not sure I’d noticed anything close to the brushwork. I suppose I just have some respect for our long history.”

“Well, have a closer look.” He lent in closely, his voice becoming a whisper. “You may notice something interesting.”

The detective was unsure of the implication, but felt there was a hidden intent behind his words. Yet he also had little reason to deny the request. Just as he started to take the image in further, the host for the evening made his unexpected return.

“Gulliver, any trouble?” Baron Fiet strode in from the right, weaving between guests as if he had done so all his life.

“Quite the opposite, Baron. Waiting for something to do.”

“I know that feeling well,” he chuckled. “You’ve always been like me. Can’t rest even for a day.”

“I nearly clawed the walls in my house while the place was shut down.”

“Can’t say I blame you.” He took his focus off the griffon and floated it the detective's way. “Forgive me, I don’t recall your name on the guest list? Mister…?”

“Mark, Question Mark.” He held out his hoof and bumped it against the Baron’s. “I’m more of a chaperone tonight for the young Miss Scootaloo.”

“Scootaloo?” He tapped his hoof on the floor as he thought it over. “Ah! I remember now. The filly of Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood? Were they unable to come?”

“I'm afraid so. Scootaloo was sent the tickets and myself and Miss Dash are accompanying her instead.”

“Such a pity, I had hoped they would all come together. I’m a big fan of her parents, and I was hoping to propose a deal on some artifacts.”

One thing had stuck out for the detective was the admission that the tickets had been sent to all of Scootaloo’s family. Meaning her parents had not bought them and sent them to her thinking it was actually a good treat. Meaning they either lied in their letter to the filly saying it was a gift, or she simply could have misunderstood their intent. This line of thinking only led to more questions. Why refuse the invite? Why send Scootaloo alone? What was this deal? 

“But no matter, I always love meeting new pony’s. What is it you do, sir?”

“I’m a detective by trade. Mostly small consultation work these days.”

“Goodness, I see. Well I feel safer already.” He grinned wildly. "Are you enjoying the art?"

"It's quite the collection."

"Gulliver always had a knack for finding fellow art lovers. I dare say he might know more about these paintings than me."

"You're too kind, sir." Gulliver bowed respectfully. "I'm just a hobbyist though. No more."

"A pity, really. I dare say you would give better tours than the actual guides."

"Then why not?" Question cut in. "If Gulliver is such an expert, what stops him from rising to the position?"

"An unfortunate affliction, I'm afraid." The Baron grinned again. "He hates most everypony else."

"Ah," was all the detective could muster. Both the Baron and the janitor shared a laugh. 

"Well, if you both excuse me, I'll be doing a once over of the room before moving on. Let me know if you need anything."

He nodded towards his boss who returned the gesture. As the janitor went out of earshot, the Baron spoke again. 

"I take it you're not here for any other reason?"

"Pardon?"

"No covert investigations of any kind?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Good. There should be no disruptions for tonight," the baron muttered softly. "Everything must be perfect."

The change in Counter's form was immediately apparent. His expression darkened, his shoulders tensed up, his body language was akin to a man who was about to get away with the perfect crime. Question found himself tense up as well. The way the Baron now looked at him would suggest he was reading him, studying him, trying to solve a riddle with no answer. At the detectives best guess, he suspected the Baron did not believe his claim of being only a chaperone, and why a pony would be so fixated on that point had only opened a can of worms labeled suspicion in Question’s mind.

He was not the only one to notice. Daedalus had remained a constant listener since they had stepped into the room. He knew stallions like the Baron well. Men who wore masks from morning to noon, even among their family. They were ponies so trained in the art of lying it was second nature by now. They knew nothing else. 

"I see I am not too late," called out a deep, yet feminine voice from across the room.

Both stallions switched their focus to a mare with a dark coat and silver dress that was walking slowly towards them. She had the air of a noblemare, a very old one at that, and yet she looked deceptively young. Her mane matched her dress, her eyes were two gorgeous golden orbs that were the only thing that betrayed her youthful look. They showed wisdom, pain, experience beyond her lifetime. Counter smiled and took her hoof in his own, laying down a gentle kiss upon it.

“Miss Noctis, what an unexpected pleasure,” Fiet bowed before her. “I did not see your name on the guest list either.”

“Do not fret, Counter. It has been many moons since I last wandered into this fine place. I suddenly found myself the time. Why not come here?”

“And were happy to have you. You’ve been enjoying the exhibits so far?”

“Very much so, yes.” She looked over his shoulder and spied Question Mark. “And who may you be?”

“Question Mark, just a chaperone.” He replied as he nodded at her. “I’m not familiar with you, Miss…?”

“Noctis Moon. I’m not surprised you’ve not heard of me, good sir. I keep to myself.”

She stepped around Counter, and Question noted his look of disdain as she left his side. He stayed planted where he was, looking over the gallery of guests around him, his bitter expression not easing up for a second. Daedalus eyed her as well, suddenly under the impression he had seen her someplace before. Noctis looked at the painting that had become a strange fixture to the detective’s day.

“I always feel haunted by this piece. Its sadness, its history, it's like looking through a window of time for me.”

“You relate to it in some way?”

“I suppose you could say that. Yet it does not seem the same as when I last looked upon it.”

“Can’t say I have much experience with it,” he confessed. “I know those emotions in this painting though.”

“Oh?”

“The fear, the guilt of what you’re about to do. A crime you know in your soul is wrong, but you feel yourself on a damned road to follow it anyway. There’s nothing quite like it as the anxiety rots your brain.”

“Spoken from experience?”

He ignored her question as he studied it again. For the first time, something started to feel off, like it was all too new. Restoration was common, and for a painting this old it would have to be a necessity, yet an old familiar feeling was beginning to press upon him. There was something more to the painting than he was seeing. Daedalus could feel it too staring down the portrait as it looked back at him.

Then the lights went out.

Instantly there was a din of noise as ponies suddenly screamed in shock and panic. Question stumbled backward in surprise, narrowly avoiding colliding into anypony else. Ordinarily in this period of time, after the initial surprise had worn off, a unicorn or two would have lit the room back up with their horns. But nopony had the chance to do so, as after what could have been no more than ten seconds, the lights came back on.

The room had dramatically shifted, nearly everypony still present was in a slightly different position than before, the only exception was Noctis who was still beside the painting. Just as he noted her though, the detective's eyes brushed across the portrait and was unable to leave it. Not long after, the rest of the room took notice of the sudden new addition to the visage of Princess Luna,

“WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!?” The Baron’s voice rang out across the hall.

Upon the visage of Princess Luna was a fancy moustache. Somepony had defaced a priceless work of art. As the severity of the situation dawned upon Question Mark, he knew the evening had only just begun.
> The Usual Suspects
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of the three faces that Question Mark wore, this was easily the Monarch’s favourite. Daedalus had grown accustomed to his most common mug, the quiet and awkward intellectual who’s every relationship he seemed to stumble into. His rarest was the daring rulebreaker, driven beyond reason to solve any mystery before him, but this was by far his best; the detective. The calculating, authoritarian, ruthless private eye who allowed nothing and nopony to stand in his way. It was always a thrill to watch him work, and he had front row tickets for what now seemed to be an evening none of them would soon forget.

Question Mark snapped straight into gear. He sprinted to the opposite end of the room and blocked off the entrance, making sure nopony dared make a sudden retreat. The rogues gallery was before him, a colourful cast of characters who stood in varying states of shock and panic across the room. He noted all their positions for future reference, made easier by the fact they were all frozen in place like statues. The only one to break out from this menagerie was the Baron himself, who took a few steps towards the portrait and gasped in horror. He looked about ready to cuss up a storm.

“Who would dare!?”

Some of the ponies in attendance clearly wanted to be anywhere else right now, but as they craned their heads towards the only way out, Question was still planted firmly in the way. Anypony who made any gesture towards him, his eyes would fixate on, killing any notion that they might be able to leave the room. 

“This painting is over a thousand years old!!”

The Baron’s wailing grew ever louder, but the detective drowned him out, instead focusing on his next move. Everypony before him was a suspect. The crime took place within a period of time that could not have been more than ten seconds. The room was large, making sprinting in and out quickly enough very difficult, ignoring the fact you’d be running in the dark as well so seeing where you are going would be a nightmare. Theoretically, one could have teleported in and out, however, that would cause a flash of light and make one a huge target. There was no way around it; somepony in the gallery committed the crime.

“Call the guard!” He shouted out down the hallway towards two of the baron’s personal security. They did as they were told, running off in the opposite direction.

“Quest?” Rainbow appeared before him, Scootaloo in tow. They were the only two to dare approach him. “What are you doing?”

“Stay in the room, Rainbow.” 

“Huh?”

“You’re a suspect now. I need you to stay with the others.”

“Suspect!?” Rainbow announced in a mix of surprise and offence, inadvertently garnering everypony else's attention.

“All of you listen well!” Question announced loudly, making sure they all heard him clearly. “I want every one of you to line up in the middle of the room. No pony is going anywhere.”

Rainbow looked ready to argue, but Scootaloo tugged at her tail, leading her back inside. The others looked at one another, unsure if they should follow, until a rich looking stallion stepped forward.

“And why should we listen to you?” His voice grated on the detective’s ears. It was the definition of snooty, formed over years of pampering and reinforced by his lack of self-awareness. “Under whose authority do you work for?”

“My own!” He snapped back faster than anypony had been prepared for. “If you have an issue with that, then I get what I need from you the hard way. I’m getting to the bottom of this now, so line-up!”

Like a wounded animal, he skulked off to the centre of the room, doing as he was told. With his will shattered, it did not take long for the others to follow. The only one not to budge was Baron Fiet, who had collapsed onto the floor in front of the painting. He returned to life however, when Noctis brushed past him.

“You!? It was you!” He exclaimed.

“I beg your pardon?” Noctis replied, dumbfounded at the sudden accusation.

“You were the one closest to it. To think, the refined Noctis is nothing more than a filthy vandal-”

“Silence!” She bellowed back. Her shout was unnaturally loud for one of her size. “You dare throw these accusations at me!? You think I would defile such a work of art?”

“Right, enough of that.” Question Mark emerged between them. “Did I stutter? Centre of the room now.”

The pair looked angrily at one another, before joining the line, making sure to put themselves on opposite sides. Question Mark looked again at the portrait, focusing on the moustache. Permanent marker; while not impossible to remove, it would be tricky. Still, it was very doable, especially with the kind of staff that would work in such a palace. While a guess, he was certain there was an entire division that specialized in restoration and upkeep. Yet that only made the crime more confusing. 

It was such a pointless act. If you wish to defile the painting, why not destroy it? And if this was just a terrible prank, why go to the lengths one would to defile this specific painting? Again, as he stared at it, he could feel something off about it all. Something wasn’t quite right about the portrait. He was pulled away once more as he felt something prod his foreleg. Scootaloo looked up at him in anticipation.

“Everypony is lined up,” she said.

“Ordinarily I’d say you need to get in line too,” he muttered loud enough for her to hear. He gave her a raised eyebrow as she suddenly looked down at the floor. “But if you were behind this, then you must REALLY hate art, huh?” He sighed as he nudged her forward. “Looks like you’re my partner for the moment. C’mon.”

The filly beamed brightly as she proudly trotted beside him. Question Mark patrolled down the line of suspects before reaching Baron Fiet who’s scowl had only grown more distorted with each passing second.

“Can we not simply wait for the guard? They can arrest that vandal down there and-”

“Not a chance, we’re in a unique situation here. Every possible suspect is trapped in the room already. At least one of you is behind this. Not a single one of you is leaving my sight.”

“So why am I here?”

“I cannot rule you out as the culprit.”

“What!?” His jaw nearly crashed to the floor. “Me? The culprit? You’re so dense that you think I would deface my own gallery?”

“First of all, yes, I do. You’re clearly unstable, the second you felt yourself lose control of the room, you lashed out and dropped this carefully constructed facade you present to all your guests. While that would suggest you are indeed upset about the painting, it doesn’t reveal all your intentions, nor does it absolve you of guilt. This too could be a facade, another lie you're presenting to everypony at the expense of your reputation. Second, stop spitting when you speak.”

Fiet went red faced in a mix of anger and embarrassment and kept his focus firmly on the floor. Question ignored him and took a step down the line, coming face to face with his marefirend who still seemed a little sore over being treated like a common criminal.

“But why would anypony deface Luna’s painting?” She asked.

“That is exactly what we need to find out.” He looked her up and down. “What do you make of Luna?”

“Me?”

“You fought her, did you not?”

“Well y-yeah…” She could feel a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead. The room suddenly grew strangely hot and stuffy. “But that’s when she was Nightmare Moon. She’s totally cool now.”

“No lingering feelings of anger?”

“Heck no!”

“I heard a story a little while back about her pranking you before you could get her back? Not bitter about that?”

“Hey! She got lucky! If I hadn’t been busy getting pinkie’s head out of that bobbing apple barrel…” She caught herself as her cyan coat briefly faded into a ghostly white. “I mean… nope.”

He stared her down, his eyes wholly uncharacteristic for the stallion she had come to know. He let off a small ‘hmm’ before looking away again.

“It’s a weak motive anyway.” He took a step to the right, causing Rainbow to let out a sigh of relief. She noted the Squirt following behind her coltfriend, eyeing her up as well, mimicking his movements. If she wasn’t so anxious right now, Rainbow would have found it cute.

Question Mark approached a stallion he did not know, but like many others, had stuck out to him before. Like the Baron he had clearly come from money, but had made a show of presenting his wealth to the world. The suit that had initially seemed so pricey though, on closer inspection, looked almost cheap in comparison. His cutie mark was a spinning void of golden bits; as if they were being flushed down a drain.

“Who are you?” He asked stiffly.

“I sir? Count Cash. Petty Cash. You should be grateful.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, I generally don’t find myself addressing the common folk.”

“Charming…”

“That I am. I humbly apologise for the state of this affair. I hope your tour of my museum has been enjoyable thus far-”

“Your museum?”

“YOUR MUSEUM!?” Fiet screeched.

“Yes, my museum! I funded its reconstruction, I bought supplies-”

“You bought cheap material I wouldn't use to fix my servants latrine. Your contract was terminated months ago.”

“After you took my money! This is as much my museum as it is yours!”

“You had a hoof in this museum’s reconstruction?” Question spoke up quickly, catching the count’s attention again.

“That I did. Even the great Baron Fiet could not finance this museum's renovation all on his own. That is where I came in.”

“And he cut you out of the deal before it was finished?”

“After he had swindled my bits, yes.”

“You broke your end of the contract!” Fiet exclaimed again. “You cut corners and supplied cheaper building material than was required. TWICE! The courts already ruled in my favor. Do I have to get a restraining order as well!?”

“What of my money!? I demand satisfaction, sir!”

Question could not quite believe what was occurring before him. Never before had a suspect revealed a potential motive so quickly. In a matter of moments, Petty had made himself suspect number one. Still, despite his motive, he seemed rather... Dull, for lack of a better word. This was a calculated attack, one that had to have been planned for some time. While Petty had the motive, his ability was another thing entirely.

Quietly he moved on to the next suspect as the bickering pair ranted on. This was the mare in the garrish hoodie, the one that had stuck out to him before. He could now make out a sign on the front of said hoodie, an old world signia for the golden suns. Once a prominent cult that worshipped Celestia and vilified Luna to a fanatical degree. At their peak they were often referenced as one of the causes of the night Princess’ madness. Mere days after her banishment, the group vanished as well. It was as if they had been eradicated entirely. Yet references to their imagery had survived through the millenium, they even started a little comeback with Luna’s return.

The detective could not hold back his amusement at who existed underneath the dark clothing; a fresh faced teen with bloodshot eyes, topped off with heavy set bags under each. She had a light blue coat and a chalk white mane, styled in a way that barely covered one eye. The hoodie was so long and ill fitting it covered her cutie mark entirely. She scowled at him as if she was holding back a flurry of insults. He smirked back.

“And who are you supposed to be?”

“No one.” She responded simply. Her voice was deeper than one might expect.

“Well, no one, you’ve seemed out of place from the get go.” She held her tongue, somehow scowling at him further. “Nice hoodie, but I’d be careful of the type of ponies you’re hanging out with.”

“What’s it to you?”

“Nothing, no one, just take some free advice, eh?”

“I don’t need advice from a filthy loyalist.”

“Ah, you see, there’s the folly of youth. Someone a little wiser, a little more experienced perhaps, would have known when to reel in their misplaced anger. All you’ve done is put a big old spotlight on yourself.” He heard her growl under her breath, but it did not deter him. “So, no one, let's try this again. What’s your name?”

“... Crush.”

“Crush?”

“Blueberry Crush.”

“Well, Crush. How did you find yourself here tonight?”

“Walked through the door.”

Question Mark gave her a deadpanned look and breathed through his nose, bringing a smirk out of her. 

“Let me rephrase; why did you come here tonight?” She remained quiet, so Question continued. “Now some folk would see your top, see the defacement of Princess Luna, put two and two together, and call for your blood. Tad extreme, but ponies are like that. So again, why did you come here, Blueberry?”

For the briefest moment, her uncovered eye betrayed her. She looked towards the end of the line, where Count Fiet was staring at her in unabashed amazement. When he noticed Question meet his gaze, he reeled himself back in, but it was too late, these two were linked as well. Still, the young mare stayed quiet. It would be pointless to push her any further, better to let things play out for now.

“We’ll continue this later then,” he said, moving on. Again, Scootaloo threw a mean glare towards Blueberry, who wasn’t shy at giving back as good as she got.

As the staring match broke out beside him, the detective regarded the two gentlecolts that stood strangely close together. Both looked to be somewhere between their fifties and sixties, wore matching pastel suits, and both wore a monocle over their right eye. The one on his left was a more portly fellow, filling out his suit nicely. His mane curly and his jaw unnaturally square. He had a light brown coat and a dark brown mane, topped off with a pair of hazelnut eyes. On his flank was a pantomime mask with a large grin. The fellow on the right was much taller and slimmer, a more pointed and jagged individual. He had dark grey fur and a black mane, with steely blue eyes. On his flank was a similar mask, instead frowning deeply.

“Now I know what you’re about to say?” The rounder stallion said. “Who might you two be?”

“Well we have nothing to hide here, sonny. We’re just two art aficionado’s out for an evening stroll.” The thinner one continued.

“Unfortunately we have a dinner reservation in the next hour. Luckily-”

“We can still make it if we leave now. Won’t you help us kind sir?” They beamed at him expectantly, but they were met with a firm stare.

“... Nice try,” was all Question Mark needed to say, to deflate the two stallions before him. “What are your names?”

“Blabber Mouth,” announced the left stallion.

“Tattle Tale,” said the other.

“Now I already noted that you two came in together. For what reason were the pair of you here this evening?”

“I was taking my husband here out for our anniversary,” Blabber explained, motioning to his partner.

“Oh it's been a wonderful day so far. Such a pity this has upheaved it all,” Tattle continued. 

“We had won some tickets for the show tonight and we were about to finish up here-”

“Then the lights went out and I’m sure you know the rest.” 

“I noticed the pair of you eyeing the art pieces earlier, would you both hold yourselves to the statement that you're fine art conasaurs?.”

“Oh of course, myself especially.” Blabber blabbered on. 

“Truly?”

“Why yes, my husband is practically an expert on the matter,” Tattle tattled on.

“Okay, so what era of art is your favourite?”

The air was sucked out of the room swiftly. Blabber and Tattle tightened their lips and held in their breaths as what had just been said dawned upon them. They shared a quick glance at the other, before breathing again.

“Pardon?” Tattle squeaked out.

“Well art is often sectioned off by eras. Different techniques and styles tend to dominate each. So, Mr. Blabber Mouth, is there a particular time in Equestria’s long history that speaks to you? As an art lover, of course.”

Again, the peculiar pair stared gormlessly at the detective. Blabber went to say something several times, but just before anything came out he quickly reeled himself back in. It was not until a whole minute passed of little more than ‘um’s’ and ‘ah’s’ that he finally said something substantial.

“… Ready sauce.”

“I beg your pardon?” Question was genuinely unsure if he heard the portly stallion correctly. Tattle had though, and slapped his own hoof across his muzzle.

“Ready sauce is my favourite era.”

The detective found himself staring again, but this time in genuine confusion. He had not a clue as to what Blabber was referring too. But taking a moment to consider how the words sounded phonetically, the answer quickly became clear.

“Do you mean ‘The Renaissance?’”

“Yes, that’s what I said!” Blabber suddenly became defensive.

“No you did not. You said ready sauce.”

“No! I said ren... I mean Renass... I mean…”

“I’m sorry to inform the pair of you, but you’re both very poor liars.” Question stated flatly, already finished with the conversation. “You two are staying right where you are. Don’t you even think about running away.”

Both stallions looked angrily at the other, muttering under their breath. Question ignored them both and simply moved down the line. Once again, Scootaloo followed close behind and glared at the pair, silencing them both. Finally, Question had come to the last pony he did not know, but one look over her told him nearly everything he needed to know.

Striking was the first word that came to mind; from her hot pink coat to her electric blue mane, her sparkling horseshoes to her slick black dress, every part of this mare had been designed to stand out. She fluttered her eyelashes and curled her lips as Question approached. This dame was trouble, he knew that for certain. He had dealt with many of her type, the kind that could lead you off a bridge with false promises of a better tomorrow. He knew he had to be careful.

“Howdy, Sugar,” She greeted him. “What can little old me do for you?”

“You can start with your name.”

“Sweet Nothings. Pleasure to meet you.” She raised a hoof for Question to take, but he left her dangling. She did not react angrily though, instead, she gave Question a wry smile before placing it back down. “Looks like I’ll have to work a little harder on you.”

“That you will,” he replied, clearing his throat. Noting the pair of blue lips on her flank. It looked like stained lipstick.  “So let’s get to the point shall we? What brought you here this evening.”

“I will make no secret to you, Detective. My interest in art is non-existent. I have come here instead for business related reasons only.”

“And what would they be?”

“Confidential, you understand of course? My discussions with Baron Fiet is between us and only us.” She leant forward and looked down the line, directly at Counter. “But of course, he has the choice of making it public any time he wishes.”

Fiet suddenly looked deathly ill. He broke out into a sweat and kept his gaze focused only on what was ahead of him. But his eyes were threatening to bug out of his skull as his breathing grew harsher and harsher by the second.

“He’s always been a silly goose,” Sweet explained. “Gets himself worked up over things that simply don’t matter.”

“And I get the feeling you're a big factor in that,” Question cut in.

“Quite possibly.”

“You don’t deny it?”

“Again, my ‘relationship’ with the Baron is between us… for now. As long as he keeps his side of our arrangement, we have no worries so to speak.”

“And has he?”

“Not recently, no. Thus my surprise visit tonight. Doesn’t he look happy to see me?” Question looked over towards the Baron again, who looked ready to flop to the floor and die on the spot. “He’s such a character.”

“That’s one word for him. And you wouldn’t consider a spot of vandalism to be a sufficient threat, would you?”

“Do I look like a vandal to you?”

“You look like many things, most not appropriately said in pleasant conversation.”

“So hostile!” She said with a laugh. “So much tension. You need to work that out.” She stepped up to him, nearly causing the detective to step back. He held firm though as her muzzle was centimeters away from his.

Down the line, Rainbow watched on with malice in her eyes. She never felt these feelings of envy so strongly before, and certainly never in a manner like this. Daedalus watched on as well with unbridled amusement, knowing exactly how this would end. Question turned from her and avoided her gaze.

“I’m good, thank you. Whatever you’re hiding, I will find out before the end of this night. I promise you that.”

He walked on without another word, Sweet never letting him out of her sight. The Wonderbolts were next on the list. Question had nearly forgotten that Spitfire and Soarin were here considering how strangely quiet they had been. Spitfire came across as the kind of mare who would have argued the detective to death on any accusation, yet here they were, patiently waiting their turn like good little soldiers. With how flashy they were, you would be forgiven for forgetting they were still a military branch and had to act accordingly.

“Evening, you two. Unfortunate we meet again in these circumstances,” Question began. “As per everypony else though, you two are under suspicion as well.”

“Fair enough,” Spitfire replied. “Can’t rule out any possibility.”

“Obviously I know why the pair of you are here on an official basis; you were invited for prestige and partially in place of royalty. However, why the two of you exactly?”

“Well unless I have a prior engagement, I have always made a point to attend these things. Lead by example is what I say. They wanna see Wonderbolts? They get the best representative; the Captain. Soarin has been my wingpony since the start, so he always tags along if he can.”

“Is it usually just the pair of you?”

“Sometimes more, depends on the event I suppose. Bigger it is, more of us attend, and of course we’re all there if we’re set to perform. Most of the other bolts are on leave though after our tour got cut short, so just us tonight.”

“Cut short?

“It’s not important,” Spitfire deflected, and quickly changed the subject. “Still, nice to see a change of pace for once. Tonight’s shaping up to be a crazy one. Been a while since we’ve been suspects in a crime.”

“Wouldn’t that be a crazy headline?” Soarin spoke up. “‘Famed Wonderbolt caught defacing royalty.’ They’d chew us alive for that.”

“We don’t need to give the press any more ammunition against us, Soarin. They have plenty already.”

“I’m sorry, I’m going to have to press both those points, because I’m starting to suspect they’re related.” Question’s tone grew more serious. “You don’t just cancel remaining tour dates for no reason, and what’s this about the press hounding you?”

“HEY!” Rainbow fired out of the line so quickly it caused Question to jump on on the spot. “The hay are you doing!? How could you accuse the wonderbolts of anything except being awesome!?”

“I haven’t accused them of anything,” Question tried to explain. “I’m asking-”

“Good, then move on! Cause that Sweet Whateverherlastnameis is super sus and-”

“Settle down, Rookie!” Spitfire barked out. Rainbow went straight into a salute as she gawked at her idol. “We don't need a wet behind the ears cadet standing up for us. This is a serious matter, and we'll deal with it ourselves. Get your flank back into line on the double!”

“Yes, mam.” Rainbow returned as fast as she came in, looking notably more sheepish than before.

“I take it you don’t keep up with the news?” Spitfire asked the Detective.

“Not as much as I should.”

“Well all I ask is you hear the whole story out first before making any decisions, okay?”

“I always do.”

“Have you ever heard of the Shadowbolts?”

In the history of Equestria, the Wonderbolts had been around far longer than most ponies realised. When Celestia and Luna both first took the throne, they each implemented a special task force in their name. Celestia first made the royal guard, while Luna then made the Shadowbolts, an exclusively run pegasi and thestral task force. When a civil war broke out, Celestia countered Luna’s forces with the Wonderbolts, and the rest was history. The shadowbolts fell into legend, while the Wonderbolts would inevitably grow and drift from their original purpose.

“That I have. Making a mini comeback I heard?”

“Should’ve stayed back if you ask me,” grumbled Soarin.

“Soarin!” Spitfire warned, shooting him a glare. “Yes, they are making a comeback. One we were never warned about.”

“Warned about?”

“Like us they’re becoming show ponies, while keeping direct ties as an official military branch. We knew they were being rebuilt, but none of us were ready when they showed up at the last minute for a ‘collaborative’ performance. They were good, I had to give them that, but they had little synergy with us.”

“It was a disaster,” Soarin grumbled again. “Didn’t listen to a damn thing they were told. Kept trying to show off and-”

“Celestia made it abundantly clear it was on all of us,” Spitfire cut off her wing pony. “It was the princesses idea. It was reunification day, and they wanted our groups to get along for a special show. Me and their Captain rubbed wings the wrong way. Were both bullheaded, it was never gonna end well. With more time we could’ve worked out the kinks and settled our differences, but after the test show, not only did Luna cut short the Shadowbolts run, but our tour as well.”

“She has that power?” The detective tried to clarify.

“Apparently so. Said we all needed to take a long break. Maybe she thought she was doing us a favor, quite frankly I wish she had done just about anything else.”

“The captain here was literally spitting fire for days. I’ve never seen her that angry before.”

“Thank you for throwing me under the bus further, Soarin, I think they might have missed crushing my wings as well.” Spitfire shot him another glare. Her wingpony proceeded to shove his hoof into his mouth, leaving it there to shut himself up for good. “Look, before you say anything, yes I was mad. I have not missed a single show since I became captain, I pride myself on making sure every performance was a success. I felt like I was set up to fail, and to have the rest of the tour pulled was the killing blow. And now I bet you think that gives me the motive to deface that painting?”

“It’s a prized piece, and as I understand it, it's also one of the oldest depictions of Princess Luna that still exists. I don’t know you, not really. I know the public perception of Captain Spitfire, but the mare behind the name could be anything. So yes, you are a suspect. Doesn’t make you guilty, and perhaps it's all too spiteful for a pony like you, but who can say really? Only time will tell.”

The detective turned away as if to say the conversation was over. Spitfire eyed him wearily, for the first time she showed a genuine concern for her predicament, something her biggest fan spotted as well. Nearing the end of the line, Question Mark encountered a now familiar face, Gulliver. The Griffon stood at attention, waiting for the detective to make the first move. His face was utterly blank, not betraying a single thought locked away inside his head.

“Hello again,” Question began.

“Evening,” Gulliver greeted back. “Quite the turn of events.”

“That they are, so let's get to it then. Where did you go off to after we finished talking?”

“As I said, I did a once over of the room. Was about to leave when the bleeding lights shut off.”

Question thought back to the position of the room when the lights came on. As he said, Gulliver was the closest to the exit, but strangely he had walked further in when he noticed the state of the portrait. Most others had quickly looked towards the way out, the griffon had done the exact opposite. By the time Question had launched himself towards the entrance way, Gulliver had reached the other end of the room.

“Why did you go up to the painting? Why not take your leave?”

“Not much point in that, is there?” Would only make me look guilty, besides, seeing that old girl in that way…” He trailed off while looking over towards the defaced portrait, his face still unreadable throughout. “It hurt my soul.”

“Going back to your comment on the lights, you’ve worked here long enough, you must have some insight as to why the power cut out like that. Any natural cause?”

“Power cuts can happen all the time, but we got back up generators for that. Place just got renovated so some muppet could have done a cowpony job with the electrics. But you and I both know the real answer, don’t we?

“Somepony prepared for this outcome. They rigged the lights to go out just long enough for them to be free to do what they please.”

“Don’t know how they managed it, but I suspect somepony fiddled with the fusebox in the security room.”

“You know where that is?”

“Course I do. Not like I’ve been here for more than two decades.”

By all logical reasoning, there was little reason to suspect Gulliver at all. He had no clear motive and had been helpful from the beginning. Strangely, this made him all the more suspect. To Question Mark he was almost too calm and collected about the whole thing, as if everything was playing out exactly as he had planned it to. He held his tongue on this point though, and allowed things to play out accordingly.

“I’ll follow that up with you soon then, but first of all…” Question walked up towards Noctis who gave him a doe-eyed gaze. She had been silent the entire time, patiently waiting her turn. He felt himself in awe of her regal presence, looking into her eyes he saw wisdom and experience well beyond her years. The mare was a wonder indeed.

“Good evening, detective.” She greeted him with a short curtsy. “Forgive my hesitation, this is new ground for me.”

“Understandable, you’re a bit of a recluse, or so I’ve heard?”

“Verily. I’ve been practically stranded until a few years prior.”

“Why come out tonight then?”

“I have been making a point to explore the world more. It’s been many moons for me since I went out this often, and tonight’s exhibit has a special connection for me.”

“Oh? In what way?”

“It’s hard to say, truthfully. Some of these works I have only heard of in passing, and a few others have existed in my mind for far longer than I wish to say. Something drew me here, and I could not escape its call.”

There was silence between them for a moment. Ordinarily that would mean Question Mark was done with the conversation, yet he made no attempt to move. He felt a weight pushing against him as he remained in her vicinity, a being far stronger than he could ever hope to be ready for. He took a shallow breath as he regarded her once more. He felt no ill will or hate, no malicious intentions whatsoever. Noctis Moon simply seemed like a mare caught up in a situation far bigger than her.

“I will ask this once and only once; is there anything that you are keeping from me?”

“No.” She answered a little too quickly.

“As you might understand, it does not look good for you. You were the closest to the portrait, you are the pony with the best opportunity to have defaced the painting. There is no immediate clear motive, yet that does not mean you don’t have one. I will be keeping my eyes on you.”

Question Mark turned away in earnest and made his way back down the line, regarding each suspect in turn once more. Daedalus stayed at the spot where the detective had left, staring down at Noctis in genuine confusion. He knew her. He could not place her, or even understand where this feeling had come from, but he was certain he knew this mare very well indeed.

“So one of you has committed a petty act of vandalism today,” Question announced on his short journey down the line-up. “And while it is far from the worst crime one can commit, to deface such a priceless work of art is not something one can ignore. Each of you is hiding things from me, and I promise you, they will not remain hidden for long.” He stopped just as he reached the Baron, eyeing him intently. “As I offered Noctis, I will offer you the same; this is your last chance to tell me anything you're hiding. I will find it.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Nope, it’s a guarantee. Warranty and all.”

“I am the victim here. Not some dirty criminal.” Before the Baron could begin another rant, a stampede of hooves could be heard in the far distance. The rumble grew louder and louder as the unmistakable sound of Trottingam’s finest were bumbling their way towards them. “Ah, finally, some actual professionals to clean this matter up. You’re little power fantasy is about to be over.”

A small army of guardsman stomped through the entranceway, all decked out in their signature blue uniforms. At the front was a elder gentle stallion in a long trench coat and flat cap. On his snout was a moustache that spread out like the wings of an eagle, and two eyebrows sharp enough the cut through hardened metal. He coughed into his hoof, his smoking habit catching up with him in his later years. He looked ready to lay down the law and arrest everypony on the spot, until he spotted Question across the room.

“Where the bloody hell have you been!?” He launched himself forward and caught Question in a tight bearhug. Despite his initial embarrassment, the Detective returned the gesture.

“Hello, Gumshoe.”

“That’s all you got to say. After two years!?”

“You got older.”

He let out a deep bellowess laugh, one that reverberated across the room. Everypony stood about in a state of confusion, unsure exactly what was happening, all but Counter Fiet, as he gasped in horror at the scene before him.

“No, seriously, what the hell are you doing here?” Gumshoe released the Detective from his vice.

“Night on the town, showing some friends the place, stumbled into this mess.”

“Nothing has changed then. Thought you were gone from Trottingham for good.”

“So did I,” Question muttered quietly. “Funny how fate drags us back.”

“Want me to hang back while you take care of things?”

“That would be ideal, thanks.”

“What!?” Fiet screeched again, but nopony paid him any mind.

“Alright lads, lock the area down,” Gumshoe turned to address his loyal soldiers. “We’ll take care of things here. Nopony in or out, understand?” 

“Yes, sir!” They saluted in unison, quickly filling out and blocking every possible way out of the museum. Question nodded towards his old friend and addressed his line-up once more.

“If any pony had any bright ideas of leaving, quell them now. You’re all in for a long night.”
> Another One Bites the Dust
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rarity had  squealed so frequently in the past few hours, Rainbow Dash felt like she should’ve built up some sort of resistance to it by now. This current squeal in particular was a long one, so much so that even Pinkie Pie seemed mildly fazed by it. 

“This is simply amazing,” she announced with a twinkle in her eye. “Rainbow! How dare you keep this amazing stallion from me for so long!”

“H-hey, he’s my coltfriend y’know?” Rainbow answered, feeling strangely insecure. 

“And it’s a changeling, rare,” Twilight cut in with a deadpan stare.

“I’ve dated worse.”

“Mmm, that is true,” Shy whispered under her breath.

“So this ‘ere mystery?” AJ spoke up with a rising suspicion building up in the back of her throat. “Do these things happen a lot to ‘im?”

“Eh? What do ya mean?” Dash asked.

“Well I mean, this fella just waltzes in on a night that just happens to be a big ‘ol crime? And he just ‘appens to be the only one who can solve it? Seems a little funny for my liking.”

“Oh hogwash, Applejack. Have you never read a mystery story in your life? These things happen all the time. The detective visits abroad, or perhaps arrives to meet an old friend or relative. During their trip, or perhaps at the destination itself, a crime occurs. A murder perhaps? Or maybe a robbery? Either way, they're all trapped in the middle of nowhere with no place to run to, and the detective is the only one who can solve the mystery!”

Rainbow swore she could see little love hearts flutter above Rarity’s head. She made a mental note to keep her and Question apart. Still she smiled all the same. Rarity’s love for mystery was infectious, and even Twilight found herself grinning at her excitement. Still, Applejack seemed unfazed by her case.

“Rare, those are stories. Fiction. This ‘ere is real life. How’d we know he didn’t set this all up?”

“Oh sure, AJ. He totally set it all up just to impress me, that's sooooooo more believable,” Dash finished with a roll of her eyes.

“Girls, let’s stay focused here,” Twilight cut in before a fight broke out. “Okay, so Rainbow, what are your feelings during this time?”

“Huh?”

“Sorry, let me rephrase. From your story, you seemed to be treated rather coldly by your coltfriend. Am I correct in my assumption? How were you feeling at this time?”

For a moment, Rainbow Dash grew quiet. With a furrowed brow, she kept her focus on the background below and grew deathly still. Her friends around her shared worried glances with one another. None of them quite knew how to react, but before they even could, Rainbow spoke back up.

“Me and him, we’re different ponies. Not in a bad way, we just are. I didn’t think I’d love anypony like him. He's smart and shy and awkward. Like we got similarities too, we’re both super good at what we do, and passionate about it too. Then there's this other side of him, where he’s confident and kinda crazy. I love that part, I really do. But I’d trade that away if I never had to experience his ‘detective mode’ side again. He’s a real ass when he’s like that. He’s gotta take charge, I get it, but that whole thing rubbed me the wrong way.”

“You really love him, don’t you?” Twilight blurted out unthinkingly. Colour formed on her cheeks as she cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, it might be obvious, but hearing you say it aloud so casually, it just really hit me.”

“Well yeah, I mean I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

“Honestly darling, I understand your perspective,” Rarity confessed. “If I were in your shoes I’d be taken aback too.”

“You know why I think you don't like it when your hubby gets all grumpy?” Pinkie asked after having been quiet for an abnormally long period of time.

“We’re not married… but go on, shoot.”

“Cause it's when he’s most like you,” Pinkie announced. The room grew so quiet you likely could hear a pin drop all the way from Canterlot. “When you get all bullheaded you try and take control, puff out your chest like you’re super serious, and can be super obnoxious. So then you see your coltfriend do the same things and it gives you the heebie jeebies. Like looking in a funhouse mirror.”

To demonstrate her point, Pinkie molded and contorted her face in several horrifying expressions. While this would normally freak her friends out, they were more preoccupied with her statement, none more so than Rainbow who found herself growing quiet again. She had never considered that point,  perhaps Pinkie’s ramblings were anything but.

“Let’s get back on topic,” Twilight spoke up again. “I’m eager to see how this mystery plays out.”

“Well he started ordering ponies all across the room, myself included. Scoot was sticking close to him the entire time, like she was watching a superhero go to work. At first it all seemed random, like he was trying to make some weird pattern, and I was still miffed with him, so I just flat out asked him.”





“What are you doing?” 

“A little experiment,” he answered. “You’ll see soon enough. Stay beside me and keep watch.”

“No point asking, Hun,” Gumshoe cut in. “He’s showing off. He’ll only let you know when he wants yer to know.”

Both Rainbow and Question grumbled. She rolled her eyes while he kept his focus on what was in front of him. Gumshoe had ordered his guard to watch the perimeter and scour the halls to make sure nopony else was hiding, which also gave Question the space to work. It was clear to Rainbow that these two had history, and she was unsure exactly how that made her feel. Despite the relatively short time they had been dating, Rainbow had felt a rapidly growing connection from the start. Gumshoe, Trottingham, and Question’s behavior had all been harsh reminders that she did not know him quite as well as she had thought.

As they all settled in and the last pony had reached their spot, Question Mark began to address the room once more.

“Each one of you is now standing exactly where you were when the lights came back on. I also believe none of you are much further out of place compared to when they first switched off. What this test will do is determine who of you had the opportunity to deface the portrait.”

The furthest away was Gulliver, who was near the exit. To his right and in the corner was Petty Cash, and to Cash’s left were Blabber Mouth and Tattle Tale. On the opposite end were Spitfire and Soarin who stood a few steps away from the corner, and a little further downwards was Sweet Nothings. In the centre, but only a few feet from where Gulliver stood was Blueberry Crush. The closest to the portrait Noctis Moon, who stood off to the side of the portrait, and finally the Baron himself who was only a few feet from her. 

“So why am I here then?” Rainbow asked, unable to hide her frustration.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you want me in position too?” She pressed him, pointing towards Spitfire and Soarin.

“Rainbow, you’re one of the fastest mares in all of Equestria, I already know you could have done it.”

“... Oh.” She felt her cheeks grow bright. Whether from the compliment, or the embarrassment of missing such an obvious answer she was unsure.

“Scootaloo,” Question addressed the filly. “What can you gleam from the scene before you?”

She blinked at him in confusion before looking out toward the menagerie. She wracked her tiny brain as she felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead. Noticing her discomfort, Question knelt down and patted her mane.

“To be more specific; who here has the best opportunity to deface the painting?”

“Noctis?” She answered slowly, afraid she had got it wrong.

“Correct, she is the closest. Anypony else?”

“Baron Fiet is kinda close too.”

“That he is. What else is interesting about Noctis’ position?”

“Um… I’m not sure.” She squinted as if that would make the scene clearer.

“Specifically; what is she not blocking?”

“The painting!”

“And what does that mean?”

“That anypony could reach it?”

“Exactly. Noctis is one of the only ponies I am certain is in the same position she was in before the lights went off. Assuming she had remained still that entire time, it gives anypony else in the room the opportunity to reach the painting. We now need to determine who can actually do it.” 

Breaking off from his entourage, the detective waltzed into the centre of the room, eyeing up each and every pony along the way. “Now as my assistant has made note, you all have had the opportunity to reach that painting, and obviously Noctis and Fiet could easily do it in the time frame-”

“Are you still accusing me of defacing my own painting!?” Fiet screeched. “This is slander, you know? Do you truly wish to dig yourself a deeper hole?”

“No bigger than the one you’ve already dug yourself.”

“I am a respectable member of the Trottingham elite, my family built this city. You are nothing.”

“You certainly are defensive for such a respectable gentlecolt, no? As I’ve told all of you, I will find the truth, and it starts here.” Turning on the spot, he focused on the mare in the centre of the room. “Blueberry Crush, why don’t we start with you.”

“Huh?” The blue mare blinked her eyes as if she had zoned out, her angry fixation having remained on Counter the entire time.

“I want you to run to the painting and back to your spot.”

“What?”

“You heard me, run to the painting and back.” She did not move at first, instead eyeing the Detective up and down, trying to figure out his motive. “Something the matter?”

“What if I say no?”

“Then I arrest yer on the spot,” Gumshoe shouted out behind her, causing Blueberry to jump. “And trust me love, I’m looking for an excuse.”

Blueberry needed little more convincing. With no warning she leapt forward as fast as she could and reached the painting, before running back to her spot. Despite the short run, she found herself panting in a mix of shock and panic that quickly left her out of breath. If there was one thing she had shown Question Mark for sure, was despite all her bluster, she really didn’t want to go to jail.

“That took you 4 seconds to complete that run. If we’re generous and say it would take you an extra 2 seconds to deface the painting, it means you clearly had enough time to commit the crime.”

All at once it dawned upon everypony else exactly what was going on. What was once a series of confused stares became a mix of wide-eyed panic. Question left little time for his lab rats to formulate a way out of this, turning to his next subject.

“Miss Nothings, you’re up next.”

“O-oh, me?” She spoke innocently, but for the first since he met her, a crack had formed in her perfect visage.

“Is there another Miss Nothings I am unaware of?”

“I hope not,” She said with a tiny laugh, correcting herself. “I’m afraid I can not do as you ask, Detective.”

“And why is that?”

“I have a prior hoof injury. I’ve sprained the inside of my cleft, I can not put too much pressure on it I’m afraid.”

“Really?” He replied, narrowing his eyes. “You walked around earlier just fine.”

“It comes and goes you see, and frustratingly it’s playing up again. I do hate to make a handsome gentlecolt wait, so perhaps it's best you move-”

Unbeknownst to the prim and proper mare, she had a predator at her heels. Rainbow felt herself grow angrier with each syllable that passed by Sweet’s lips. As she spoke, she stalked behind her, waiting for a chance to show her up. As her excuses continued on, Rainbow spied her elongated tail trailing along the floor. With a simple hoof pressed upon it, Sweet took a mock limp forward, but instead fell flat on her snout.

At a pace that could rival a Wonderbolt. Sweet shot back up and stared down Rainbow Dash with murderous intent. Dash innocently whistled and tried to walk back to her spot, but Sweet cut her off.

“You bloody oaf!” Anything but sweet nothings passed by her lips, her charming accent replaced by a ‘northern’ and less appealing tone. “You paying for my extensions are ya!? Did your mum teach you how to walk!? Was she as stupid as you!? You wanna have a go? DO YA!?”

“Why, Miss Nothings!” Question exclaimed, making a mocking gasp. “You seem to be all better!” Sweet’s mouth went agape. “Surely you can demonstrate for us how quickly you can run now?”

Sweet switched between her look of anger and disgust towards Rainbow, and her puppy dog eyes for Question. Neither had much effect. With an expletive muttered under her breath, she awkwardly ran towards the painting and back. It took her eight seconds with the time added on to deface the painting. In part due to her dress which made the trip awkward for her. While Sweet could still have done it, for a task that would require her to be nimble enough to avoid mistakes, Question had to acknowledge her poor choice of attire. While she was not cleared of suspicion, the likelihood of her involvement went drastically down.

“Now hopefully with little more incident, we turn to Mr. Mouth and Mr. Tale.” Neither looked particularly happy about their continued involvement, and Question could already feel another lie being planned out between them. “Be very careful with the next words out of your mouth. If it's anything but, ‘yes, sir’-”

“Actually, we would be happy to show you.” Tattle Tale said suddenly.

“We will?” Blabber Mouth said in a sudden state of panic.

“Of course, honey. What do we have to hide after all?”

And true to their word, they did. Blabber was nudged forward first, and before he even took off he seemed winded. His gluttonous personality had paid off for him the strangest of ways, as Question quickly came to the conclusion that there was no feasible way he could make the run with a time of fifteen seconds. Tattle fared little better. He ran with a noticeable limp, one that slowed him to a time of eleven seconds. Close, but too far out for the detective to keep them on the suspects list. 

“Wh-what did I say?” Tattle Tale spoke as he tried to catch his breath. “Were as innocent as the day we were born.”

“I think I might have a heart attack,” Blabber barely wheezed out.

“Interesting,” was all Question said as he started to walk away. Tattle caught him before he could leave.

“Is that all? Are we not free stallions now? Have we not proved our innocence?”

“For this crime, perhaps. But I don't think you’re in the clear yet. Get comfortable, you’re not going anywhere.” He spared them no further pleasantries as he moved onto Petty Cash, who was limbering up. “You’re eager I take it?”

“Absolutely, my good sir.” He said as he stretched out his forelegs. “It’s been sometime since I was able to show off my athletic prowess for a viewing audience. You’re in for quite a show.”

“Uh huh.”

“Why back in my college days I was the lead player for my college basketball team. Many tried to put down my accomplishments by claiming my father was the financier for the team. That was true, but I led us to quite a few victories.”

“Right.”

“I can run this entire hall several times over and well within the time limit you require. Just watch me.”

“I will.”

“Now don't you blink. I will gone from your field of view befo-”

“Just get on with it.”

Petty found some of his bluster evaporate into nothing, but he let Question’s sudden command roll off his back. He got himself into position. He arched his spine, flexed his muscles, geared himself into high gear, and took off like a bolt of lightning… or perhaps he would have, if not for him tripping on his own hoofs the second he had any momentum. He tumbled onto the ground and slid across the room, plowing pathetically into a wall, causing a notable dent.

“I’d send you the bill, but I doubt you actually have any money to pay it off!” Counter scoffed.

“Somepony help him, would they?” Question mumbled out as he rubbed his eyes with his hoof. Noctis scooped the fallen stallion with her magic and looked him over.

“It would appear he is concussed.” She noted. “I would see him to the hospital this instant.”

A small triage team rolled in within moments, taking the fallen noble away and to the nearest hospital. Not only did Question doubt Petty could actually make the journey there and back in time, but he was so woefully incompetent that he would have fumbled any chance to do so. He was safely scratched off the list of suspects. 

“So now we come to the Wonderbolts,” Question bypassed Gulliver all together and went straight for the show ponies.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Rainbow Dash spoke up.  “How come you scratched me off the list cause of how fast I am, but you don’t rule out the literal wonderbolts! C’mon dude.”

“You make a good point, Rainbow.”

“I did?”

“Indeed, it’s a logical inconsistency, but I’m not playing favourites with you. There is a reason for all of this.” As he reached the two soldiers, they kept themselves at full attention. It was as if they were being inspected by a superior officer. “Soarin, how long has your wing been injured?”

Both Spitfire and Soarin turned to the other in surprise. Rainbow went wide-eyed in astonishment. Question remained stone faced all the same.

“Oh wow, you noticed huh?” Soarin confessed, almost with a relieved smile.

“I had a similar injury not too long ago. Though yours doesn’t seem quite as severe.”

“Got it back at that joint-show.” Soarin unfurled his left wing, revealing the stitching still embedded alongside it. “Whacked right into a Shadowbolt and we went tumbling. She got off unscathed, I wasn’t so lucky.”

“Can you fly on it?”

“Sorta. Can fly short distances and slowly, but can’t build-up speed at all.”

“I figured as much. As good as a flyer as I’m sure you are, you’d have struggled to pull it off with your busted wing.” He turned towards Spitfire. “I take it you don't have the same excuse.”

“Unfortunately not,” she answered. “Fit and healthy as always.”

“For the sake of argument then, could you demonstrate to us how quick-”

Question didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence before Spitfire took off. In less than three seconds she reached the painting on the other side of the room and landed with ease on her starting position.

“I take it I’ve passed?”

“Unfortunately so.” The detective mused. “You could have slowed down you know? You’re the furthest from the portrait, could have made yourself look a bit less guilty.”

“I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

“Fair enough.” For the first time since they had begun, Question showed a moment of genuine warmth as a smile bloomed on his face. He cleared his throat and excused himself, walking back up to Gumshoe and Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, um...” Scootaloo prodded the Detective’s leg. “Where are we at then?”

“Well the suspect list has been successfully narrowed down. Noctis, Fiet, Sweet, Blueberry, Rainbow, and Spitfire all could have done it. Theoretically Soarin could be an accomplice as well.”

“And tweedle dee and dum over there are still suspicious,” Gumshoe spoke up. “Need to follow that up too.”

“Exactly, make sure they don’t make a quick escape,” Question agreed.

“Quest, c’mon,” Rainbow pleaded. “Do you really think I did this?”

“Genuinely? No. Even if you were at your prankster peak, this was way too thought out for a trip that was a last minute holiday. But I have to treat everypony fairly, Rainbow.” He brushed his tail against hers, just so it was out of view of everypony else.

Daedalus sat down in the corner, drinking in the drama of it all. Right now this was better than going to one of those murder mystery dinner shows he used to adore, and no pony actually died this time so that was a plus. He wished he had some popcorn on claw, but dreamstate popcorn always tasted foul to him.

“What about me then?” Gulliver cut in, walking up to the group. “Skipping over me are ya?”

“Not quite. I’d take it you’re in your seventies, correct?”

“Seventy six to be precise. Good eye there, a lot of ponies can barely tell a Griffon’s age.”

“Tips of your wings give it away.” Question explained. “Even if you were in your best condition, your age will slow you down considerably. I doubt you’d make it in time. I’ll need you for something else though.”

“The lights, yeah?”

“Exactly. Would you care to lead us to where the breaker is?”

Gulliver led Question away, with Scootaloo, Rainbow and Gumshoe in tow. The inspector ordered his guard to block the door as they left, making sure nopony could flee. Just as the old griffon had said, it was not far, but what the Detective had not expected was it would be located inside the security room.

“Well, this is new,” Daedalus admired as he strolled in with them. Indeed the room was considerably advanced.

“Gotta say, never been one for all the high tech mumbo jumbo, but it’s a big improvement from my old office.”

“Old office?” Question questioned. “You’re security as well?”

“Not officially, but I’ve been around for so long now it's basically my second job around here. I know every nook and cranny of this place. Even the actual security ends up reporting to me.”

“What is half this junk anyway?” Rainbow rudely inquired.

“I would like to know as well,” Daedalus muttered.

A series of square mirrors were pressed against the side wall. Each one showed a different area of the museum. Scootaloo and Rainbow recognised a few spots from their tour, others were focused on the store rooms and employee quarters. From here, one would have eyes on every key part of the building. In front of them were a series of security uniforms, all hanging in a row, and just to the right was the fuse box in question. The room was dark and for a moment the detective considered the possibility the lights were still on the fritz here.

“They haven’t suddenly developed the technology to see in the dark with these things, have they?” Question spoke up, motioning towards the camera monitors.

“If they have, I wasn’t told.” Gulliver answered. 

“What are these Quest?” Rainbow asked.

“Security mirrors. They reflect what they’re pointed at through these separate mirrors. They can even replay events from before.”

“Can they see who did it then?”

“As I asked, they can’t see in the dark. So it's useless unfortunately.”

“Not as useless as you might think.” In the very corner was a separate door, where a familiar figure emerged. Lens Turner poked her head outside and gave a cheeky grin. “I see you’re keeping yourself busy.”

“And there you are,” Question said with a smile. “I was wondering where you ran off to.”

“Whoa!” Dash exclaimed. “I totally forgot you were here.”

“Ponies tend to do that,” Lens confessed. “Hell of a boon for my line of work.”

“Wait! You let her go?” Rainbow cried out. “You knew she was gone?”

“Of course. I know Lens well enough that whenever there’s a story she’ll sniff it out. Better to leave her to her own devices. We always meet up part way.”

“So she’s not a suspect then?” Scootaloo questioned, giving the Detective an incredulous look.

“Lens is many things; a liar, a lunatic, a loafer, but she’s not a petty vandal. She’d never try anything like this around me. She would have abandoned ship the second she spied me at the museum.”

“And I’ve been doing some spying myself,” she interrupted. “I take it you’re here for the fuse box?”

“That we are.”

“Good, take a look at this.” 

She led them to the box in question, swinging the shutter open to reveal a series of switches that controlled nearly all the power for the entire building. It was a strange place to keep it, considering this wasn’t electrical, but the Detective did concede the point it was secure in here. What did seem odd was the strange orb placed inside a smaller box at the bottom of the panel. It clearly did not belong there, and both Daedalus and Question recognised it instantly.

“An energy drainer,” they bellowed simultaneously. It was a perfect sphere, hauntingly black from top to bottom. Smooth to the touch, they were often mistaken for gems, but it was closer to a pearl in complexity.

“A what now?” Rainbow inquired.

“Literally drains energy of any type,” Lens explained. “Magical, electrical, you name it, it drains it. This stuff is old, like ancient magical trinkets kind of stuff. Now look what it was stored in.” Lens pointed at the small box the drainer was in. Attached was a tiny lock on it. The lock had an even smaller hourglass at its centre. “Energy drainers have to be kept sealed shut, even a crack open and it drains anything close by.”

“And the lock has a timer,” Question surmised. “The box doesn’t shut properly unless its locked, meaning the second the last grains of sand hit the bottom-”

“All the power cut out!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

“Shouldn't it like, be still draining power then?” Rainbow asked.

“Look at the cracks in the side,” Question pointed out. Sure enough they were there, a flaw in a seemingly perfect gem. “It’s been sabotaged. Can't actually hold in energy anymore. At best it can suck in a small burst, and out it flows again. This too was intentional.”

“So no possibility this whole malarkey was spur of the moment then?” Gumshoe hoped.

“If there had been any doubts before, they’ve been permanently erased now.” Question hummed to himself, glaring at the oddity.

“Quest? What’s the matter?”

“The thing is, you don't just find these things just anywhere. They’re rare these days. Someone had to have connections to get a hold of one.”

“Give me strength,” Gumshoe mumbled. “You’re about to tell me this gets a lot more complicated, aren’t ya?”

“Potentially. One of two possibilities exist. Somepony set this all up on their own, or they had a stallion on the inside. I think this was a team effort. Factor in they got themselves into what I presume is a locked room, and either placed this in here before or during the opening tour, that’s a lot to set up all on your lonesome.”

“You’d need a key to get in here,” explained Gulliver, who had been quiet for a short while. “Was this place locked when you got here?”

“Yep,” Lens answered. “Had to pick the lock to get in. Again, would imply official capacity.”

“But all this to deface a single portrait?” Gumshoe countered. “It's a bit much don't you think?”

“I don’t disagree. So let's turn our thinking on its head. We're so focused on who, we have yet to actually establish why. Why do all this? I can safely rule out Rainbow, perhaps the Wonderbolts too, their motives have been so simple and petty it's hard for me to believe they’d go to these lengths just to vandalise one portrait. There’s something more here, perhaps more sinister.”

“I wasn’t there, so I don’t know any motives you’ve established,” Lens explained. “What have we got?”

“Blueberry Crush, junior member of the cult solar. She’ll have some contempt for Luna, no doubt about that, but does she have the means? Sweet Nothings, she’s got something on Baron Fiet, no question. Would that lead her to do this? As a threat? Then the stallion himself, he’s so guarded, so cagey. These high society types very rarely drop their masks, to do so quickly for something that can be fixed suggests this is playing against him. Then lastly Noctis. The biggest enigma of the lot. What is her game here? The way she speaks, acts, it suggests something quite concerning if true.”

“Like what?”

“I don't want to say, not yet anyway. For now, we’ll have to move on to the next step.”

“Interview time!” Gumshoe cackled. “Love this part.”

“Sorry old friend, I’ll take the lead on this one, I’ll need you to check on something else for me.”

“Eh? What’s that supposed to mean?” Dash blurted out.

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain on the way. Shall we go?”

“Before you do, I have something to show you,” Lens practically sang with joy, stopping Question in his tracks. “You remember what I said? These security mirrors weren’t quite as useless as you might think?”

“Oh?”

“In fact, while they may have missed one crime, they might just have caught another~”





The atmosphere in the gallery was a tense one. The remaining suspects had not said a word since Question and company had left the room. All but Baron Fiet, who had proceeded to rant at mind numbing tedium to the guardsmen left behind. His topics ranged from his own upbringing, to suing everypony present, to how important he was, then back to suing, and so forth. A collective sigh of relief was made by everypony present as the Detective made his return.

“My apologies for the wait, I assure all of you we are now on the road to having all of this settled.”

“Finally!” Fiet cried out. “I hope you haven’t made any big expenditures recently. You’re going to need all the bits you can scrounge up to pay back your imminent debt to me.”

“Baron, your threats are as empty as your head. Now be quiet.”

“So this is what’s going to happen,” Lens explained, taking a step forward. “Everypony left here will take part in a brief interrogation led by myself and Question-”

“Where has she been!?” Fiet screeched. “You’ve let this one run about while keeping us under duress?”

“Baron, you're on your last warning, pal,” Gumshoe barked out. 

“Am I!? Who’s one of the biggest donors to the guard of this city? Public services? The arts? Hospitals? All me! I’m not on a final warning, all of you are!”

A sideways glance was all it took for Question to gauge the potential of that threat. The colour drained from Gumshoe’s burgundy coat, and the Detective found himself in a very unfortunate position. Counter Fiet was indeed powerful, meaning any hope of prosecution - if he indeed was involved in any crime - would need to be damning, and be carried out by the highest authority. While the second part would be tomorrow's problem, if his suspicion was indeed correct, he could nail Fiet right here and now.

“Before I was so rudely interrupted, while I will be heading up these interviews, Gumshoe here will be tasked with handling our most key evidence.” With a single pointed hoof, Question Mark presented all. “The portrait of Princess Luna.”

Counter Fiet saw his life flash before his eyes. Wide-eyed and on the edge, he ran towards the work of art and stood firmly in front of it.

“Absolutely not!” He screeched. “This is my museum! My art piece! I will have none of you lay a filthy hoof upon it.”

“C’mon sir, be reasonable,” Gulliver spoke softly, laying a gentle claw of the Baron’s shoulder. The old griffon had calmly strutted around the room without anypony noticing, sliding up to his employer with surprising grace. “We have to check how severe the damage is. No pony thinks you’d deface your own painting, that’s absurd, so why-”

“Don't touch me!” Fiet pulled away, a wild look in his eyes. “So help me, if any of you touch it, you’ll be buried in so much litigation the sun itself will become a distant memory! THIS IS MY MUSEUM! And I-”

“Have said enough,” Noctis stepped in, her voice booming with unnatural force. “No matter your wealth, no matter your prestige, you are not free of the consequences of your actions. You are judged in this life or the next, so pray be it is this one.”

“You have no say in this matter!” He fired back. “You’re the one who did this!? I know it! Who else would!?”

“Baron, my love, are you sweating?” Sweet sang across the room. “Goodness, I thought you only got like that with me.”

“You stay out of this as well! I am in control here! I refuse to be controlled by the likes of you any further.”

“That’s what it's always about to you, isn’t it? Control!” Blueberry shouted out. The mare who barely said a word at all was now unleashed. “If you're not in charge of it then you throw it away like it's nothing to you.”

“You will be dealt with later, young filly! Do not think I have forgotten you.”

“Baron Fiet,” Question called out, his voice deafening all others. “Save your breath. You’ll need it for the interrogation.”

Daedalus felt his heart stop. Enraptured with every word, he was unable to take his eyes off his dear friend. Question looked towards Gumshoe, his final play of the game. He mouthed a single phrase to him, ‘trust me.’ And just when it looked like the inspector might buckle, he took a deep sharp breath and puffed out his chest again.

Nothing else needed to be said, King Daedalus knew that they had him.

“Baron Fiet, stand down,” Gumshoe ordered. “We will be taking the painting for inspection, and you will remain here until you are called for questioning.”

All the fight left in Counter Fiet was knocked out of him. He stood there in silence with his eyes cast downward as the guards worked around him to carefully remove the painting. The next few seconds almost felt like a blur as Question got everything ready. He rounded all the suspects back up again… all except for Tattle Tale and Blabber Mouth.

The couple noticed quickly that the Detective had barely paid them any attention since his return. In fact it was almost if he was avoiding them entirely. They looked towards the entrance and noticed the entrance was still blocked off. Everyone was led to wait against the wall, but again they had been left behind. Without a word, they agreed on their plan of attack as snuck up to Question Mark.

“My dear Detective!” Tattle began.

“Have you forgotten about us?” Blabber continued.

“Hmm? Not at all?” Question was unnervingly calm. “There is simply no reason to interview either of you further.”

“I-i-is that so?” Tattle stuttered out.

“A-a-nd what does that mean exactly?” Blabber asked with shaken breath.

“Well, it’s clear to me not that neither of you defaced the portrait of Princess Luna. In fact I am almost positive of this fact. So in truth, I have no further need for either of you.”

For a moment, the briefest second of time, Blabber and Tattle were filled with hope. They had done it, they were home free. They squealed and danced around together, before regaining their composure.

“Wonderful to hear.”

“Oh just wonderful.”

“It was delightful to meet you, Detective.”

“Simply delightful.”

“We might still make our reservation.”

“My stomach is grumbling already.”

“So we can go, yes?” Both stallions asked in unison.

“... no.” 

“What!?” They screeched together.

“Well you’ll both be leaving now, but certainly not to dinner. I’m afraid you two will have to answer a different set of questions for these fine ponies behind you.”

Faster than either stallion could react, they both found a set of cuffs clasped over their forelegs. Behind them was a trio of guards who looked at them as they had just caught them in the act of a serious crime. For that is exactly what had occured.

“What is the meaning of this? I thought we were innocent!?” Tattle pleaded.

“Would you sentence innocent stallions for nothing?”

“Not nothing, Blabber Mouth. You’re both innocent of defacing Luna’s portrait, because you wouldn’t dare destroy such precious art. Because the pair of you know its true value.”

Without warning, a bag was gently placed between them. The burlap sack unfurled to reveal trinkets, artifacts, small sculptures and even a painting or two all piled on top of each other. The couple looked down at their ill gotten goods and realised their figurative goose was now cooked.

“Shit,” they muttered.

“I take it you lads weren’t familiar with the museum's new security system?”

“What?” Tattle asked.

“Pardon?” Blabber inquired.

“I was just shown your activities before coming into the room. Some classic pilfering techniques, I must say. Keeping the bag in plain sight and making it look like its own exhibit was a stroke of genius too. Needless to say though, not only did the mirrors see everything you lot attempted to steal, but recorded it all too. With so much focus on the defacement, you gents might have even got away with it, but luckily for me, there's somepony here who’s even more paranoid than me.”

“That’s me,” Lens gave a little wave.

“Games up, lads. A goodnight to you both.”

Question Mark did not spare either another breath. He panned back round and returned to what he was doing before. Naturally, both Blabber and Tattle tried to bolt, but both fell flat on their faces. As they were carried away, Question was treated to the bemoaning of two stallions who knew their time was up.

“Mother was right,” Blabber started. “I should never have married you.”

“Your mother was a homophobic piss bag. But maybe she was right, I might have married a stallion who could actually tell a convincing lie!” 

Their argument soon faded into the background, it would be the last time Question would meet either stallion. In the coming days, it would be revealed that both Blabber and Tattle were in actuality infamous art thieves who traveled up and down the country stealing minor sculptures and reselling them on the black market. This had been their most daring score, and both had bitten off more than they could chew.

King Daedalus could sense it in his old bones, they were in the endgame now. Not soon after the case would be revealed. He almost felt sad, as this had been a most enjoyable moment in time, a memory he would likely treasure to the end of his days. Yet it could not be helped, before the night was through, the true culprit would be revealed.
> A Study in Moonlight (Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It did not take long to get everything set up. The room in which Lens had been hiding in when Question had entered the security room, was perfect for an interrogation space. Small, dark, confined, it put pressure on the subject and forced them into a sense of hopelessness. To many it might sound cold, even cruel, but Question had seen the worst of ponykind before, he knew such things were a necessary evil.

Force the subject to sit furthest from the door, then sit on the other side, essentially trapping them in. The walls were a singular dark shade, making the room seem even smaller than it already was, a dull grey also made them boring and lifeless. One would find it difficult to distract themselves by staring off to the side. You would always be forced to return to the pony in front of you. If he didn't know any better, Question would've thought this room was made for this.

“Are you ready?” Lens asked, stepping inside. 

“In a moment, just collecting my thoughts,” Question replied. He had remained in the space for about five minutes, blankly glaring at the table. Despite his knowledge of interrogation, he always hated this part.

“Want them to sweat it out?”

“You remember the Freaky Fuzzy Ursa Arcade?” He asked.

“Ugh, yeah. Course I do.”

“Reminds me of that case. Was done and dusted quickly, but I always liked to take my time with these things. Feels weird to already be doing interviews like this. Also now I’m thinking about those animatronics again,” he shuddered at the memory. It was a gruesome experience he did not want to repeat.

“Yeah, they were the worst.”

“It’s all gone strangely smoothly. Been a while since I’ve done a case like this, most of the ones I take nowadays involve missing pets and petty work for rich ponies. Thought I’d have more work rust I suppose.”

“You think somethings gonna go wrong?” Lens had a knowing smile. 

“Maybe. More it’s this missing piece.”

“Piece?”

“You know I’ve figured this out right? Well most of it anyway.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“The issue isn’t the case itself, it's the one factor that ties all this together. There’s an element in this concoction that’s remained entirely hidden. The second I see it, I’ve got this. I’m just concerned I might miss it.”

“Don’t think that way. You’re good at your job, great even. It’s what you were put on this earth to do. You’ll smash this case wide open, I know you can.” Question Mark grew very quiet. It was so sudden that Lens Turner didn’t quite notice it at first, but the room grew deathly still. He returned to staring down at the table, his expression unreadable. Then he looked back up to Lens Turner in a way that made her jump. “What?”

“Just thinking about other cases is all. You remember Saddle Arabia?”

“Pardon?”

“The one with that flying elephant and ninja penguins?”

“Oh, oh YEAH! That one was crazy.”

“What about that time a bunch a pegasi airlifted an entire vault into Cloudsdale?”

“Yeah, I mean, how in tartarus did they think they could get away with that?”

And then Question Mark grew quiet again. The smirk vanished from his face and his eyes morphed into a cold stare that cut a hole straight through Lens Turner’s soul. She felt something stir within her. A feeling she had felt very rarely in her life. And as he prolonged his distrustful glare, that stirring sensation grew ever stronger, until she felt it might crawl out from her stomach. And then he smiled a toothy grin.

“Send in Spitfire would you?”

“... Yeah, sure.” Lens turned away as fast as she could and left the room. A few moments later she returned with the wonderbolt, and a new found sense of composure.

“Here we are then,” Spitfire began. “Been a while since I was on the receiving end of one of these.”

"You've been interrogated before?" Question inquired.

“Its disciplinaries for us,” she answered confidently, unfazed by her situation. "Don't tell anypony, but I was on the receiving end of quite a few when I was a rookie. I have the distinction for the most marks against my record to still make it as a Bolt. Nopony back then could dream I was gonna' graduate, let alone make Captain."

"That's because you're determined, aren't you?" He cut in before she could ramble further. "You're the kind of mare that doesn't let anything or anypony get in their way."

"You can tell?"

"I've known a few ponies such as yourself."

"Like Dashie, right?"

Question paused at her sudden remark. It was a strange comparison, although not an untrue one. He was more concerned as to why Spitfire would bring her up, while addressing her in such a casual manner. 

"I know you're sweet on her, at least you better, cause damn, she's fallen for you hard!" She snorted and let out a cackle. This Spitfire was far more relaxed than the one he'd briefly met in the gallery. Spitfire was right, she was very similar to Rainbow. "She kept making eyes at you the entire time we were in the gallery. She's got an awful poker face."

"Dashie?" He murmured, still perplexed. He knew what Spitfire was doing, trying to control the room and lead the conversation her way, but he had to bite on that line. "Very casual of you, no?"

"The rookie is gonna be a Bolt, no doubt about that. The only living being to pull off a sonic rainboom, like that's not an immediate entry anywhere else. Honestly, I can't wait for the day I can drop rank with her and take her out for a drink. But she's a rookie, gotta establish respect first. It's all about respect."

"I concur," Question cut in fast. "Respect is the lifeblood of your industry. If you're not respected by your peers and superiors, do they listen to you? I imagine you deal with any signs of disrespect quite harshly."

"… You could say that." Spitfire said quietly, her bluster vanishing in an instant.

"Do you often deal with disrespect?"

"Depends."

"Depends?"

"Depends on what you qualify as disrespect. Talking back or disobeying orders, that's what I qualify as such."

"Would you consider failure as well?" Her eyes narrowed at him ever so slightly. "As in somepony setting you and your troop up to lose?"

Wordlessly, Lens Turner moved from blocking the doorway, to joining Question at his side of the table. Ordinarily he would have told her to keep guard of the exit, but against a pony like Spitfire? It wouldn't be much of a fight at all. The room grew a bit colder as the silence dragged on, the Captain worked her jaw as she searched for the right words to say.

"As I said before, I will not deny that I felt I was set up to fail all those weeks ago. I will also not deny that I have remained angry about the decision since then. You know the press didn't even focus on the fact the Princesses canceled the shows? Just on my failure to keep 'em running. I have been bombarded by article after article all proclaiming the end of my run, that my resignation is imminent, when I'm still in the midst of my prime. I even had recruits start looking at me funny, like I'm an old mare meant to be put to pasture. That stuff beats you down like nothing else."

"If you let it get to you, their prophecy will be fulfilled," Question added gently.

"Don't I know it, that's why I refuse to let it beat me. And the last thing I would do is all of this. To paint a giant target right on my flank for petty revenge. It would be the end of me, and an eternal black mark on the Bolts."

"I believe you," Question exclaimed.

"You do?" Spitfire and Lens asked in surprise.

"Truth be told, I never thought it was you. You had far too much to lose if it all went wrong. The only points working against you are your natural abilities, and the fact you have a known associate in Soarin, but none of it adds up to anything substantial. You have the least to gain out of everypony here, and arguably the most to lose."

"So what now?"

"Now you may go. This was for formality really. I'll have you stay till the culprit is revealed to clear the air. Trust me, it won't take long."

Question turned away to look at the notes before him. Spitfire nodded gently, thankful that the experience was over and went to hop off her seat, when Lens Turner caught her attention.

"A quick word, Captain?"

"Yes?"

"I don't mean to pry, it's kind of my job, but I've done quite a few articles on Princess Luna, I’ve interviewed her several times in fact. You should know she meant no malicious intent towards you."

Spitfire found herself lost for words at Lens' statement. The comment piqued Question’s interest as well as he pulled away from his notepad and glared at her strangely.

"She's flawed, like anypony. I obviously don't know for sure, but I imagine she was trying to teach a lesson, like her sister. But this is all new to her. She comes from a starkly different time than ours. How things are governed and even basic social etiquette has been flipped on its head. My best guess, she thought giving you time to reflect would help grow you as a leader by putting you in an unbeatable challenge. She suspended the Shadowbolts as well, did she not? Her own guard."

"Yes, she did. I wont deny that. But the idea that my squad were just a trial run at her attempts at ruling doesn't sit much better for me."

"Then maybe the best thing to do is hash it out. They run the night courts you know? Doesn't take much to just walk up to her door. She's a much better listener and far more understanding than many presume. She might surprise you."

"Yeah, maybe," the Captain sighed, looking noticeably deflated.

"Better than sulking and growing bitter about it, I suppose," Question added.

Spitfire said nothing else as she nodded at both of them, then walked out the door. Neither could be sure Lens' words had any real effect on her, but it at least seemed to give her something to ponder over.

"That was surprisingly mature of you," Question spoke up after a brief interlude of silence.

"I have my moments," she beamed back at him. The look he gave her was a strange one, as if he was looking right through her again. Then he cleared his throat and returned to his notepad.

"Could you fetch Miss Nothings, please?"





On the other side of the museum, a grand experiment was about to begin. In most situations, Daedalus would have kept following his dear friend, but he had grown restless and interrogations often bored him, so instead he had decided to break off and follow along with the other half of Question’s plan.

He was starting to wish he hadn’t. After their stern march to the underground labs of the museum, the only thing of note to transpire was Gumshoe sending off a hastily written note. Since then they had been taking part in the King’s least favourite activity; the waiting game. It was now him, Gumshoe, Rainbow, Scootaloo and a few guards waiting around for something to happen. The rest of the suspects were still kept at bay by the rest of forces, Gulliver now among them. Theoretically, Daedalus could leave at any moment, but the monarch found himself getting caught up in a sunk cost fallacy. The longer he waited, the more certain he was that his patience would be rewarded.

The room itself was your typical setup. There were microscopes, scanners and intense lighting all about him. It did not take long for him to realise that this was likely a dedicated area for examining the artwork in the museum, and any and all paintings that passed through. There was likely an entire team on hoof whose job was to confirm the authenticity of each and every portrait. One thing did stick out to him though that was rather odd, and the King wasn’t the only one to notice.

“Wow, this room sure is dusty,” Scootaloo nervously chuckled. The entire aesthetic rang eerie for her. “Like it's kinda abandoned.”

“Place just opened back up, Squirt,” Dash spoke up. “Probably just hasn’t been used for a while.”

“Bit weird that,” Gumshoe muttered. He had been pacing up and down the entire time, his eyes scanning over every detail. “This place should have been active. They’d need to look over all the portraits as they entered the exhibit. The curators should have been working overtime.”

“... So what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I understand why Question was so insistent on grabbing somepony from outside of Trottingham.”

Just as he spoke, the curious group heard heavy breaths reach down to them from the top of the stairs. A disheveled mare bounded her way along the steps and nearly plowed through Gumshoe. She pulled the brakes just in time to prevent a disastrous collison. A few seconds later and she would have impaled him with her horn. She stood there for a few moments, utterly out of breath and staring in bewilderment at the stallion before her. Eventually she reached out her hoof.

“Artistic Touch. Pleasure.” She spoke through her gasps of air.

“Detective Gumshoe,” He replied, bumping her hoof.

“Sorry I’m late,” she bowed her head. She was a lanky, frail thing. Her lime green coat matched her chocolate brown mane, purely off colour scheme alone, she resembled a sweet more than an art connoisseur. 

“Don’t worry, love, I understand this was all last minute. You’re here earlier than I expected.”

“I understand you requested aid from outside Trottingham. I was visiting family when I got the call to come down. This is supposed to be urgent apparently?”

“That it is, we need-”

“Who the heck is this?” Rainbow questioned in her typical brash manner. “Is this who we’ve been waiting for this whole time?”

“Miss Touch here is…. Well I don’t know what you’d call it, but she looks over paintings and the like.”

“Archivist, I’m an archivist. My duties require me to maintain and watch over the various artworks and collections that come through our galleries. This includes portraits, documents, sculptures, pretty much anything really,” her exhausted state was quickly replaced with a bright smile and whimsical lift in her tone. She was a mare who loved to talk about her job.

“Uh huh,” Rainbow responded, barely registering what she had just said. “And you’re here cause…?”

Rainbow never quite got an answer to her question, as Artistic - Art to her friends - noticed the state of the room they all occupied. Her mouth was left agape as she found herself overcome in a mix of shock and horror.

“What’s the meaning of this?” She yelled loudly. “When was the last time this room was cleaned? Let alone occupied?”

“Trust me, you’re asking a question that’s been on all our minds,” Gumshoe nodded towards her. “If you need something cleaned, let us know, but right now I need you to focus on this.”

Gently he led her across the room to where a certain portrait was now resting on the centre most table. Art let out a horrified screech as she looked down upon the remains of what was one of the most coveted works of art in the history of Equestria. Gumshoe maintained his grip on her shoulders in fear she might collapse at any moment. Rainbow could only give a roll of her eyes while Scootaloo joined in alongside her.

“WHO DID THIS?” Her horror quickly switched to rage.

“We don't know,” Gumshoe answered. “That’s what we're trying to work out now. We need you to-”

Gumshoe didn’t get the chance to say anything further as Art went straight to work. Understandably she focused on the black markings left upon Luna’s visage. The old detective took a few steps back before letting out a sigh of relief. A deathly silence built up around them as the Archivist simmered in her anger. Finding it hard to bear, Scootaloo spoke up first.

“So what now?”

“We wait,” was all Gumshoe said.

“Seriously?” Dash said with a sigh.

“‘Fraid so. Not much else we can do now but give it time, and hope Question’s gamble pays off.”

“If it does?” Dash pressed.

“Then all this falls into place, and more than one arrest will be made tonight.”

“... And if it doesn’t?” Scootaloo asked quietly, fearful of the answer.

“Then I might be kissing my career goodbye.”





Sweet sauntered in with a swagger that was all her own. Even in such a claustrophobic space she found a way to effortlessly control the room. It was as natural as breathing for her, an art she’d perfected after decades of practice. Question kept a careful eye on Sweet the entire way as she met his glare with a lustful gaze of her own. Even now he felt something tug at his heartstrings, something primal he wrongly thought he was above. She was truly a dangerous mare indeed.

“Take a seat,” he ordered, maintaining his flimsy composure.

She said nothing at first as she sauntered over to him. There was a noticeable discomfort emanating from Lens Turner. She had no clue how best to react to what was happening, but instead of joining him at the table, this time she chose to remain at the door. Silver sat down slowly, drawing out the moment as she finally addressed him.

“Nice place you have here. It’s very cozy.” 

“We won't be here long,” Question replied, not allowing her to derail the point of this interrogation.

“That’s fine by me. A lot can happen between two ponies in a cramp room. No matter how much time you have.”

Lens Turner coughed uncomfortably behind them. She reached for the door handle behind her.

“Hey, I think you got this one,” she murmured. “I’ll just be outside.”

Question Mark could only sigh in exasperation as Lens bowed off the stage. There were now two players in this game, and Sweet clearly had the advantage. 

“You see? Two ponies in a cozy little space. All on our lonesome.”

“I’m not your usual mark, y’know?”

“And what do you mean by that?”

“I think you and I both know the little games you play. First thing I do once the initial investigation gets on the way, I try and establish an M.O. for every pony involved. Yours I think is quite simple, as you haven’t been exactly subtle about it. You ‘entertain’ richer stallions, con them or blackmail them for every bit they're worth, then move on to the next sap. Am I right so far?”

“Heh, you got me,” she answered with a smug grin. “It's not glamorous work… well actually, it kind of is. The gowns and makeup pretty much pay for themselves these days.”

“And clearly you’ve got something hanging over Counter’s head like it's a noose. He’s a married stallion, is he not?”

“Not happily.”

“I figured as much,” Question grimaced. It reminded him of some of his dirtier work, finding proof of affairs. He hated it. Even when he did a job well done, nopony ever left happy over it. And the rare few who did seemed to have been driven mad long ago. It always descended into a game of ‘how many bits can I get out of the cheating bastard.’ “Outside of your little spat at Rainbow Dash in the gallery, you’ve seemingly been unfazed by all of this. Not bored are you?”

“No, not at all. I have to say, this has been a very fun evening for me. I love a good challenge.”

“Then let's cut to the chase here and establish something, I know you didn’t do it.”

“Oh?” Sweet found herself taken aback by Question’s sudden admission. 

“None of it would make sense if you did. Your presence alone seems to give the Baron a heart attack. You’ve still got whatever material you have on him regardless, so why put yourself in the firing line like this? It’s utterly pointless, and you’re clearly not a fool, Miss Nothings. You’ve played your games long enough to avoid the wrong kind of trouble.”

“Charmer,” she breathed out, winking at the Detective.

“So now I come to two separate points; the first, you may have something of use for me.”

“Might I now?” Sweet stroked her front hoof against his, trailing it up his hindleg. The act was so subtle, so gentle, that Question almost failed to notice. Yet the tantalising mark she left lingered against his body. It took all his willpower to ignore her.

“Second, I know why you’re trying very hard to get ‘cozy’ with me.” He looked forward, unfazed by her advances.

“I told you, I like a challenge.”

“Bullshit,” Question fired back. “You don’t do anything without a reason, am I right? At best I’m a fun distraction, but that’s not enough to continue flirting with danger. You’re after something from me.”

Question Mark pulled away and leant back in his chair, shooting his target a stern glare. For the briefest moment, Sweet’s playful and flirtatious aura snapped into a vindictive one. Her brow furrowed and her jaw clenched, but then she softened again just quick enough that most anypony would have assumed it was their eyes playing tricks on them. But the Detective was not so easily led astray. Silver cleared her throat and spoke again.

“And pray tell what could you offer me?” She giggled. “I mean no offence, Sweetie, but you’re clearly not from money. I doubt you have much to your name at all. So what could I want from you?”

“Oh it's not bits you're after, not mine anyway.” Question leant forward again, purposely getting in the face of Sweet Nothings. Once more he unbalanced her, just long enough to see her mask drop. “You want my silence instead.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Let’s go back to point one, how can you help me? Well you see, I suspect you know Counter Fiet quite well indeed. In fact I’m pretty sure you know dirty secrets about him that he doesn’t know that you know.”

“You have proof of this?”

“No, just a little hunch.”

“Seems unwise of you, Detective,” she spoke a little harsher than before.

“Maybe, but I don’t get hunches very often, and when I do, they're usually good. So if we go off the logic that I’m right, then it makes even more sense as to why you're so insistent on keeping my eyes off the prize.” He didn’t wait for her to answer, he sat back in his chair and gave her a smug smile. “You don’t want to lose your meal ticket.”

“Oh please,” Sweet scoffed, not missing a beat. “Like I don’t have several other stallions lined up back home to take the place of one.”

“I don't doubt that to be true, but even if they can get you the money you want, they can't give you what you really crave.”

“And what would that be?”

“Power.” They entered a brief staring match, neither breaking their gaze from the other. “Counter Fiet is the top dog of the pack, the biggest name in this whole city. If he wanted too, I bet you he would have wiped you off the face of the earth by now. Yet he hasn’t, which implies two things; you’re useful, and you’ve got dirt on him that would not only result in the end of his marriage, but the end of his entire world. Am I still off?”

“These are a lot of assumptions you’ve been making, and you know what they say about assuming?” Sweet flicked her hair, gearing herself up for one more go. She poked up her shoulders and fluttered her eyelashes, her words turned into hot spoken breath as she gave Question the full might of her sultry stare. “We both know this doesn’t end well for you.”

“Oh?”

“If he is as powerful as you assume, then what makes you think you’ll beat him? Counter has always gotten flustered the second things don't go his way, he’s a stallion of habit you could say. Yet he always walks away with his head held high. He’s too rich, too well connected for anything to rattle him for too long. You might have a bullet to bring him down with, but all it will do is bounce off like it was nothing more than scrunched up paper.”

“What if it was a silver bullet? A silver bullet that knows every single one of his little plans? That could point and lead specialist teams to exactly what they need in order to bring very important ponies back down to earth?”

“Well I’m sorry to say, that silver bullet has no chamber to fit in. It won't be fired unless it wants to, and I promise you, she doesn’t.”

“Are you both still talking about the case, or…?” Both Sweet and Question craned their necks around to find Lens had walked back in. She looked as uncomfortable as before, and quickly turned back out the door. “I’ll come back later.” She murmured as the door closed behind her.

“No, I don’t imagine you would, not without a very good reason,” Question surmised, looking almost crestfallen.

“Then at least let's not waste the night,” Sweet kicked her advances back in, gently taking the Detective’s hoof into hers. “Sure, your case went bust, but I can make it up to you. All you have to do is go back to your friend and tell him to walk away. Everypony will be much happier then. You, especially.”

He fixed her hoof with a curious stare. It was as primed and refined as she, but there was a small mark of dirt hidden beneath her coat. He grimaced and then quite suddenly smiled again. His grin quickly unnerved Sweet, who retracted her hoof as she realised something was wrong.

“Oh Miss Nothings, you stuck your hoof in the cookie jar one to many times, haven’t you?”

“I’m sorry?”

“You know what’s happening right now? I have requested the help of the Fillydelphia art association to send a member to examine these fine paintings. I think you and I both know what they’re going to find.”

“I don’t have a clue what you mean.”

“Oh, you do. Can’t go back to playing innocent now. But there’s the problem, you’re right, without all the right bits of ammo, I’m not taking Counter down. However, his associates wont be so fortunate. There will still be evidence of fraud, and the ponies involved won't stay hidden for long. Every single one of them is looking to be taken out in the crossfire, unless one key associate provides me with just the right material to deal the killing blow. Then I’ll happily arrange for her to receive her own bulletproof vest.”

“Even I’m unsure if we're still talking about this case now,” Sweet admitted, letting out a nervous chuckle. Her smile was faltering, the Detective noticed her breathing was becoming more shallow. She was nervous. She no longer had control of the room.

“Let me make this very clear to you; I do not have evidence that you are connected to his dirty dealings. I promise you though, I will find it. So now you’ve got to start asking yourself something? Cause since we started this you’ve mentioned more than once I’m a good detective. How good do you really think I am? How badly do you want to bet that I wont find a direct link to you? Enough to stake your freedom? Is the pathetic power you laud over a stallion of high stature truly worth the end of this life of yours?”

Sweet Nothings wasn’t smiling, nor was she putting on another seductive form. She was scared. Very rarely in her life did she truly feel like she had lost control. Everything from top to bottom had to be in perfect working order, just the way she liked it. One slip up wouldn’t bring her down, but this was a catastrophe. She had covered herself so well over the years, by all logical reasoning she should have full plausible deniability. Yet the doubt remained. It would take one error, one miscalculation and all would tumble down upon her.

“And that will be all,” Question finished. He turned back to his notepad and shooed her away. “Off with you now.”

“Wait, that's it?”

“I have nothing more to say, the rest is up to you. When the time comes, and you’ll know when, you either get to put yourself in harms way, or live another day. I reckon we both know exactly what you’re going to do.”

He refused to meet her stare as she looked at him oddly. In her physical appearance, she tried to emit a flippant and confident aura, but in the depths of her mind she knew the game was over. She knew he was serious with his threat, that no matter what, somepony was gonna pay for all of this. It was now up to her to decide if she believed him when he said she could still walk free.





“This is taking forever,” Rainbow groaned loudly, unashamed at who might hear her.

“Patience,” Daedalus replied softly, knowing she would not hear him. He did not care though, as much like Artistic, he was studying every detail of Luna’s portrait. 

“Here, got you one too,” Gumshoe returned, having disappeared upstairs moments ago. He handed her a coffee which she gladly took.

“Thanks, thought I was gonna drop off there.”

“These things always take time. You gotta cover all your bases before you go mouthing off with any accusations.”

“So the complete opposite of what Quest did today?”

“Heh, crazy bastard has always been like that. He’ll preach the slow and steady approach like the flaming gospel, but when he gets fired up he’ll get ahead of himself. Used to be really bad back in the day, nearly cost himself a few cases cause he was prone to pointing hooves before he had all the cards in his deck.”

“You’ve known him for ages then?”

“I was ten years on the job when we first bumped into one another. He was a real shy asshole.” He chuckled loudly, taking another sip.

“In what way?”

“One minute he’s quiet, self-conscious, acts like a pubescent about to ask a girl out for a dance.”

“I know what you mean,” Dash smiled knowingly to herself.

“Then the next, boom, he does one eighty the minute he’s on the clock. I was convinced at one point he was a bloody schizo with the way he jumped back and forth. But that’s just how he is.”

“Guess I’m learning a lot about him today,” she sighed, looking into her mug.

“You’re sweet on him, aren’t you?” He asked quietly. Rainbow looked around in a panic, noting Scootaloo had joined Artistic Touch and was out of earshot. “Relax, had a feeling you two weren’t public yet.”

“How’d you know?”

“Quest. I mean really?” Rainbow blushed. “Also, he doesn’t have a lot of mates. Let alone taking anypony with him on a trip. I figured something had to be going on between you two. He keeps himself to himself.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s still early days.”

“This your first time seeing him work?”

“Yeah, and I see what you mean now. I’ve never seen him like this before. Like he was always a dork, but a nice dork. He always made an effort to connect to me with what I was doing or interested in, but looking at him now he’s like a completely different pony.”

“Take it from somepony old enough to know, it's better you find out now than later down the road. Now you gotta ask yourself what comes next.”

“What do ya mean?”

“A lot of young couples don't deal with the problems in front of them. They let it build up inside them until it explodes in the worst possible way. First, you need to come to grips with something; this is a part of the fella you like. Then you gotta decide if you can accept that, and if you’re willing to talk to him about it. Communication is key in any relationship. If you can't be honest with your partner, you might as well walk away there and then.”

“Why are you telling me all this?” She asked, bewildered by the sudden shift in conversation. “Are you my therapist now?”

“I’m on my third marriage, kiddo, and Question, I’m one of the closest things he’s got to a real pal. I want him to be happy. So if this is a waste of time for both of you, it’s best you come to terms with that now.”

Dash took a long pause as she let his words settle in. She liked Question, but did she like this side of Question? They were the same pony after all, as easy as it would be to disassociate the two, that wouldn’t do either of them any favors. She worried she was being overly emotional, that she took his cold treatment of her too hard when he had treated most everypony today the same way. Yet not Lens, nor Gumshoe, he trusted them in a heartbeat. He didn’t trust her.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Gumshoe spoke up.

“He doesn’t trust me, does he?”

“He doesn’t trust easy. In this line of work you rarely do. He has to consider all angles, no matter how absurd they are.”

“Do you think he really thought I did this?”

“I wasn’t here at the start, but from what I know, you were one of the few in the room at the time the lights went out. He has to treat every single one of you the same. Any bias, good or bad, threatens any investigation.”

“But Lens Turner was in the… room…” Rainbow scrunched up her face and went very still. She felt something click in her brain and she struggled to process it.

“Something the matter?”

“He didn’t suspect Lens Turner. Yet she was in the room with us… but she wasn’t. I saw her in the corner of my eye near the entrance, then the lights went out and she was gone.” Rainbow’s stomach twisted into knots as she felt like something was very wrong. 

“You alright, Rainbow?” Gumshoe nudged the mare.

“... Look after the Squirt for me.” She didn’t say another word as she retreated back upstairs and out of sight. Gumshoe considered chasing after her, but knew he had to keep an eye on the scene here.

The aforementioned Squirt had been marveling at Artistic’s work for sometime now. She watched closely as the elder mare shifted from inch to inch across the surface of the painting, studying every meticulous detail. What had started as the very slow and delicate process of removing the graffiti had morphed into anything but. She looked noticeably distressed as she smacked her hoof against a strange apparatus.

“What are you doing?” She asked

“Having a crisis.” She replied.

“Eh?”

“You’ll see,” she cleared her throat. “Mr. Gumshoe?”

“Aye, everything alright here?”

“I require a working UV light. The one in this facility is seemingly broken.”

“Huh, that’s strange, take it that's important for a place like this?”

“It most certainly is.”

“Even stranger considering the whole place just got refurbished.”

“You're catching on quick, for all our sakes, stop there for now. Fetch me a new one, please.”

He tipped his hat to her and rushed towards one of the guards. While Scootaloo was at a loss as to what was actually happening, she could sense it wasn’t anything good. Daedalus who had been hovering over them grew very aware of everything and everypony around them. This was a big city, a city in a lot of debt to a certain family, and that family would have loyalists and sympathisers everywhere. While the king had faith in his loyal subject, he would have been lying if he said he did not favor Question’s chances.
> A Study in Moonlight (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blueberry Crush had been avoiding Question’s gaze for as long as possible. Everytime he turned his attention to her she did everything she could to avoid any direct conversation, and if she couldn’t, she had kept it as short and unhelpful as possible. There was no dodging him now though. The moment she walked through the door he could see the resigned look upon her face. His eyes drifted back down to the logo on her hoodie, and then back to her youthful form. This was a filly in way over her head, he would have to be delicate here.

“Miss Crush, take a seat please.” He greeted her with a simple nod. She gave him no proper response except a tiny grunt. “Before we begin, I have to ask you one simple question; do you know why you are here today?”

“Cause of your ego?”

“Ah, there she is,” he thought dryly. “Besides that.”

“Cause somepony drew something on the traitor.”

“There we are,” Question muttered, jotting a quick note down with his wing. “Now, where should we begin with you? How about-”

“Wait a sec!” Rainbow burst through the door, nearly sending Lens Turner muzzle first into a wall. Her eyes darted around to everypony, but she gave Lens a much longer, harsher stare.

“Rainbow, are you alright?” Question asked. Rainbow remembered that tone fondly. She looked at him and finally recognised the stallion staring back at her. His hardened edge smoothed away, he regarded her like he did before, filled with love, compassion and wonder. Yet she could also see the genuine concern on his face. He was worried about her. It made Rainbow’s heart skip a beat and she found herself unable to speak. 

“Yeah, course, is Rainbow alright...” Lens angrily muttered as she picked herself off the floor.

“Sorry”, Rainbow said weakly, flattening her ears against her head. “Nothings wrong, just wanted to see if you guys were alright is all.”

“Were fine, nothing to worry about. Just in the middle of interviews right now.” A steely gaze returned to his iris as he motioned for her to leave. Yet Rainbow remained firm.

“I wanna stay. Help out here if I can,” she stated. A curious tension filled the room, not one of the four of them were certain exactly what was going on, but as Question continued to look at his marefriend, her feelings of worry and suspicion started to overwhelm him. “Quest, please.” The moment the words left her lips, her coltfirend made a most unexpected move.

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea. Lens, why don't you have a wander around the museum for me, see if you can find me any last minute clues? You’ve always had a knack for these things. Can’t hurt to do one more sweep of the area?”

“I suppose I can do that. Need anything else?” She gritted her teeth, clearly annoyed at her sudden dismissal. Yet she did not argue the point further.

“Don’t think so. I’m sure Miss Dash would be more than happy to take over your role. Right, Rainbow?”

“Yes, sir!” She gave him a salute and stepped aside to let Lens leave. The journalist did so, but not quite willingly. She gave them each a strange look before trotting away. Rainbow closed the door behind her, and without missing a beat, Question picked back up from where he left off.

“Now, why don’t we start with your affiliates?”

“My what?” Blueberry asked. He thought she was playing with him again, until he realised she genuinely didn’t know what he meant.

“The group you belong to; the cult solar.”

“It’s not a cult.”

“Oh? What would you call it then?”

“My friends.”

“Do these friends make you wear the symbol? Donate money to the cause? Tow the line with their rules and beliefs?”

“... yes.”

“Right, so what happens when you don’t do any of the above?” She didn’t answer, but she didn’t have to. Her silence was answer enough. “Cause if it was anything like ‘you’re out.’ Then they’re not your friends.”

“You don’t understand,” she grunted at him. 

“I do understand,” he responded calmly, not breaking eye contact with her.

“No, you don’t. You think you do cause you read things about them or ponies like them, but you’ll never get it.” 

“I don’t have to, because I’ve been in your horseshoes. I know exactly what it's like to be part of a cult.”

“You do?” Both Rainbow and Crush said simultaneously. Blueberry’s words filled with doubt, but Dash’s laced with surprise. He turned to face his marefriend, his expression quickly morphing into a tired one. He now looked like a stallion ten years his senior.

Daedalus stepped into the room. He had noticed the disappearance of Rainbow quite quickly and trailed her footsteps to the small back room. He could not have picked a better time to join them. He clutched his claws tightly as he sensed the apprehension in the small space. He looked upon Question and saw a familiar weary expression. The Detective looked back at Blueberry and gave her a gente nod.

“You were broken, left wandering the world with no hope in sight. That’s who they look for, the broken, the vulnerable, the ones looking for a purpose in the world. The thing is you don't have to believe a thing they say, you can go through the whole pomp and circumstance but you don't need to care about that. All you need is the feeling of being needed, wanted, that your part of something bigger than yourself. That you have a purpose. I know exactly how that feels, Blueberry. I know that whatever role you think you’re playing, you’re nothing but a pawn to them.”

The room went quiet. Daedalus could feel his friend begin to break. Memories better left dead and buried clawed their way to the surface, but Question held himself together. Rainbow wanted to say something, anything to her coltfriend. However, she didn’t have a clue what or even if she should. Yet she also couldn’t bare the silence that trapped them all within this place. Blueberry’s face was unreadable, but her eyes betrayed her. Both of them knew he had her nailed to the letter.

“So let me assure you, Miss Crush. I’ve been there, I got out, barely alive but I did it. Paid my fair share of dues along the way. If there's any pony in this whole world that can relate to what’s going inside your head, it’s me. Let me help you and stop fighting me.”

“Atta boy,” The king’s heart swelled with pride. He smiled a big goofy grin and resisted the urge to hug an image he knew he could not hold. “Look how you’ve grown.”

“Quest,” Rainbow whispered so quietly not a soul could hear her, except the monarch standing by her side. He saw a tear well up in her eye as she turned away from the scene, unable to keep her eyes on them. She worried she might break as these foreign sensations overwhelmed her.

Daedalus could sense her sympathy, her hurt at seeing one she cared for so dearly on the verge of despair. Yet he could also feel the resentment in her, the little demon on her shoulder stocking the flames of her fear that she didn’t know him at all. Question had lived a lifetime already, and it was clear she had barely scratched the surface of his story. She hated that she felt this way. 

“That’s still a lot of assuming you’re doing,” Blueberry finally replied, not betraying a hint of softness in her voice.

“I’ve been making a lot of assumptions today, going with my gut mostly, and trust me, I hate it. This is the detective's version of Prussian roulette. Yet sometimes you just gotta roll the dice and hope for the best. I note that you didn’t say I was wrong…”

“Just ask your stupid questions,” she relented, resting her head on the table.

“Right well let's continue with that line of thought; give me some background, how did the cult solar recruit you?”

“That really important?”

“I don’t know yet, guess we'll find out won't we.”

“I was fourteen, got out of juvie, I met a pony there who was part of their junior division. I just sort of fit right in. Been part of it for four years now.”

“So to clarify, you are a recognised member of the cult solar?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Now that is very interesting, as it makes your presence here tonight just that bit more confusing for me.” He leant back in his seat and looked up at the ceiling. “Why are there no other members of the cult here?”

“Don’t need them. I can go on my own.”

“No you can’t,” Question fired back.

“Why can’t I?” Blueberry quickly became defensive again.

“Yeah, why can’t she?” Rainbow asked, genuinely confused.

“Cult Solar members can’t operate alone,” Daedalus answered.

“The cult solar never go on solo operations. They always move in groups, making the guard have to scramble to get all of them, so more likely at least one escapes.” Question answered as well.

“Yeah, that,” Daedalus affirmed with a chuckle.

“So to clarify once more, you came here all alone tonight?”

“Yeah,” she sighed.

“And you know what? I believe you. I have not seen one sign of any direct solar activity, cause if you were working in official capacity, that means they would’ve tried something by now to bust you out. Unless they developed another brain cell they don’t have to share amongst the several hundred of them.”

“Harsh, but fair, “ Daedalus added.

“So that means you came here for your own reasons, very curious indeed.”

“I mean I can just not like Luna. Snobby uptight bitch, gets off the moon and given everything she can want in a cushy castle room. I had to fight for everything I had and I still get barely enough to get by.”

“That’s possibly the most you’ve said to me in one go, I see I’ve touched a sore spot.” He mused, with a smug smile. Blueberry could only respond with a roll of her eyes. “So let's discuss that then, is it less about the monarchy for you, and more about classism?”

Blueberry suddenly lost her voice again as she looked away from him. He knew he was on the right track for sure.

“If we are to break down what we know about you now, it paints a curious picture. You’re a pony born into poverty, you joined this cult to have some food and support, and yet you chose to abandon that backup when approaching one of the most revered portraits in the land. Why? Because this is not a cult solar operation, you truly are on your lonesome. So now I ask a simple question; did you deface the painting?”

“No!” She snapped quickly.

“So why did you come here then? To enjoy the art? How did you even get in? I doubt you were on the guest list.”

“It was easy to get in. There’s a back entrance for staff, just waited for a pony to open the door, then I threw a card in the way so it couldn’t close properly.”

“Classic!” Daedalus and Question boomed simultaneously. “Stopped the door from locking itself then waltz right in. Amazing how often that trick works.”

“So you break in often then?” Rainbow asked accusedly. 

“What’s it to you?”

“I don’t care about that,” Question deftly cut in, raising a hoof in the air to silence Rainbow. “I care about the why. Why did you break into this museum?” His question was met with silence. “A robbery perhaps? Were you looking for something to steal?”

“No,” was all she said, not elaborating further.

“Perhaps you’re a greater lover of art than I took you for?”

“Definitely no.”

“Then maybe you did do it!” Question raised his voice just loud enough to send a spark of shock through every pony in the room. “Maybe you're the guilty party I’ve been looking for this entire time.”

“I said I didn’t do it.”

“Yet you refuse to tell me why you were here?” Now why is that? What is so much worse than all the other motives I’ve presented to you?”

Again, he was met with silence. Question sighed in frustration and closed his eyes. He ran back the evening through his head, every interaction he had with Blueberry up to this point, and then looked at how she had reacted to everypony else. There was one moment that stuck out to him, the only notable time the young mare had even looked at another soul in that room. He sighed again and opened his eyes, his plan of attack now clear.

“Let’s change the angle. Rainbow, how else could we look at this?”

“... Whu-” Dash blinked, unprepared for the sudden question.

“Think of it this way. We assume Blueberry came for a thing, what if she came for somepony instead?” For a second, her eyes opened wider, and it did not escape Question’s notice.

“Who the heck would she come here to see? She said she came alone. What would she even want from them?”

“All excellent questions, Rainbow. Well, Blueberry? Care to enlighten us? Or perhaps I should try my little assumption game again?”

“I hate him.” She muttered quietly, a dark look crossing her eyes.

“Speak up, I can’t hear you.”

“I hate him!” She shouted back. 

“Who? Who do you hate?”

“You know who,” she growled as she struck the Detective with a dirty glare. “He gets to prance around like he’s done nothing wrong, like he’s perfect and everypony loves him. He’s a bastard though. I hate him so much.”

“What did Counter Fiet do to you then?” Question asked slowly, sensing the tension in the room steadily rising.

“Nothing. He’s done nothing to, or for me. That’s the problem.”

“Oh dear,” Daedalus spoke aloud. When you live as long as a being like Daedalus has, certain events seemingly repeat over and over again. This was a story that never seemed to go out of fashion.

It took Question longer to figure out exactly what she had meant. The scenario was there in the back of his head, but it was always a long shot. Yet when he factored in what he knew of Counter Fiet, he was clearly a stallion who played fast and loose with his mares. He was on the older side, and he had been in the public eye for a very long time. There was bound to be consequences for his actions.

“Right, I think I see,” Question muttered. “So, you’re mother?”

“Died when I was born. Bet he was overjoyed,” She spoke much softer than before, tears welling in her eyes. 

“And that’s why you’re abandoned to the world. Nopony wanted to claim you,” Question sighed out, this was a story he also knew very well. “He’s aware, isn’t he?”

“I look just like mum. At least that’s what I’ve been told. He knows, he definitely knows.”

“I saw how he looked at you, you’re right. Here’s a query, is that the first time he’s seen you?”

“Dunno, I’ve tried meeting him before. But maybe, closest I’ve gotten at least.”

“And now I have to ask, exactly what did you intend to do if you got him alone?”

The look that crossed Blueberry’s eyes was one far too grim for her age. Murderous intent would be an understatement, more like a raging holocaust would be a better fit. Whatever dark thoughts crossed her mind were not ones for conversation, even one such as this. She needn’t say anything at all, Question only needed to look at her to get the answer he was searching for.

“So you still could’ve done it?” Rainbow spoke up. “Couldn’t get him alone so mess with something of his!”

“I didn’t touch that stupid painting! I don’t care about anything there, just him. Only him.”

“And if you got your way, did you have any plans after that? Or was all of this truly heat of the moment?” She remained quiet, but Question pressed on. “Say you did your dirty deed, did you even have an exit strategy?”

“Don’t need one. Got nothing to run back too.”

“Don’t say that,” Daedalus whispered out softly. “You always have something to fight for.”

Question slumped in his seat as he felt the energy drain from him. He had been in this room far too long already. Even if everything was as it should be in his theory, he could not fully rule out the idea that Blueberry potentially could have done it. She was one the three most likely to have defaced the portrait from her motive alone. Her background did her no favors either. Yet his gut was telling him that she wasn’t lying. While she had never outright said it, her intentions towards Counter were clear, and you wouldn’t admit that sort of thing unless you were trying to misdirect somepony, or you simply didn’t care what became of you anymore. 

“Miss Crush, in a moment I will let you go. You will walk back to the hall and wait for my return. You and I both know there’s no escape tonight. I can not say for certain what will become of you, much of it depends on how the rest of this night plays out, but let me say just one thing; you can start again.”

“No I can’t,” she fired back quickly. “Don’t say that to me. I don’t believe in any of that crap.”

“But I believe it, Blueberry. I have to believe it because it's sometimes the only thing that keeps me going. This is what you need to do: Leave the cult solar, get out of this city, start again in a new place where nopony knows you and carve out a new life for yourself. Doesn’t matter if it's going back to school, getting an apprenticeship, just anything to break free for this cycle. You’re all you’ve got, so stop letting yourself down.”

“... Is that all?” She asked quietly, feeling herself on the verge of breaking.

“That is all. You are free to leave.”

Without a word, Blueberry picked herself off from her seat and walked towards the door. Rainbow held it open for her and watched the young mare trot slowly down the hallway. Rainbow only closed the door once she was out of eyeline, and turned to face her coltfriend who stared blankly at her. He looked defeated.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Rainbow asked, almost fearful of his answer.

“I would be lying if I said yes.”

“Oh,” was all she could say, her ears flattening against her head.

“It is all dependent on if she takes any of what I said to heart, but to be honest, I think she’s long since given up entirely. You won’t fix anything if you don’t try.”

Question returned to his notebook. Their conversation morphing into an uncomfortable silence. She knew what she wanted to say, needed to say, but she was never good at this part. A lot of her coltfriend’s past had slipped out in that moment, things he had never told her. While she was unsure what it had all meant, the implications unnerved her. 

“Hey…” She began, already losing her train of thought. He looked up at her, his gaze barely holding its nerve as well. She was never good at reading anyone, but she could tell he was nervous as well. “... Did you want me to get the next pony?” 

“Yes please, thank you. Time to chat with the Baron.”

“Coward,” she scolded herself, walking out the door.





“This is all wrong!”

Artistic Touch bellowed as she lost control of all her senses. Scootaloo leapt under the table as she feared the volley of another flying cup of coffee. Gumshoe looked on in exasperation, unsure if he should get between her rampage or save himself. After the sixth shattered mug, he knew he could remain silent no longer.

“Alright, I think I know where this is going. Enlighten me.”

“I told you! All of it's wrong!” Artistic screeched hysterically.

“Be more specific,” Gumshoe pressed on.

“The brushstrokes, look at the brushstrokes on this piece!” She waved her hooves all over Luna’s portrait. Scootaloo returned from her hiding spot and looked on in confusion. “Much of it doesn’t match the original work.”

“Um, I can’t really tell, sorry,” the filly admitted sheepishly.

“You’re not the only one, kiddo, “ Gumshoe confessed. “Look, I need something more immediate than that. Anything else that gives me what I need.”

Without a word, Artistic reached for the lightswitch and blacked out the room. She switched on the UV light hanging above the painting, giving it a blue glow. While the image had a few bright specks on it, not much else stood it. It appeared almost dull under the special lighting.

“What am I supposed to be looking at here?” Gumshoe pressed.

“For a painting over a Millennium, this should be covered with fluorophores.” 

“Fluro- What now?” Scootaloo felt her brain ache at the mere mention of a word that long and complicated.

“As portraits age, they develop a fluorescent chemical compound due to the use of different paints and varnishes. It’s completely harmless, just a natural byproduct of their existence. Under a UVA light, they are visible as bright blue splotches.”

“So… old paintings are meant to be super bright?” Scootaloo clarified slowly.

“That is correct.”

“And this one isn’t, because…?”

“It’s not the original,” Gumshoe answered. “This is a fake.”

“And a very good one, even with the brushstrokes, if I had just been a casual observer at the museum I would have simply brushed it off,” Artistic clarified, finally settling down. “But under any critical observation, even by a novice, it’s faults are immediately apparent. I dread to consider how long this has been in place of the original.”

“And that bares the question, where the hell is the original?” Gumshoe trailed off as he stared into the distance. He knew he was stepping into very dangerous territory now, even for his position, one wrong move could lead to severe consequences. “I need to know how damning this is?”

“Considering this was displayed as the original in a public space, I would say very. But you're the inspector, surely you would know better?”

“You would think, huh?” Gumshoe grumbled. He looked towards the doorway, the guard had retreated upstairs for a coffee, meaning they were all alone. “This stays between us for now. I have to make some inquiries.”

He hurried out of the room and out of sight. Artistic let out a shallow breath and felt herself shudder against the crushing realisation of what she had stepped right into. Scootaloo for her part could feel the heavy atmosphere, but the notions of politics and status enraptured in a case such as this was lost upon her.

“Hey, no need to worry,” she said suddenly, unsure what else she could say.

“Oh yeah? How so?” Artistic inquired, finding a strange mirth from the filly’s outburst.

“We’ve got the wonderbolts, and Rainbow Dash, and even a super famous detective on our side. Nopony will stand in their way.”

“Super famous?”

“Yeah, just like Rainbow Dash. Maybe they're not known by everypony, but they will be one day. Cause they go around being awesome and taking out bad guys. Everything is gonna be just fine.”





“You do realise that you won’t be able to just walk away from this,” the Baron as he strolled into the room. “There are going to be severe consequences.”

“A good evening to you too,” Question glibly replied, not even looking up at the stallion. “I see your mood hasn’t improved.”

“Oh, it has actually,” Fiet quickly fired back, an unnatural grin plastered on his face. “I’ll confess, you rattled me earlier. But none of this matters, none of it.”

He roughly brushed past Rainbow, shooting her a dirty look as he took his seat. Rainbow had to muster all of her willpower to resist the temptation of bucking the stallion in the back of his head. The two minutes she had to endure his rantings down the hallway made her wonder how anypony - let alone even the most desperate mare - could tolerate him.

“And what makes you say that?” Question inquired, giving him a quick glance.

“You’re nothing.” He breathed out, taking great satisfaction with his chosen words. “You’re no one. Nothing you can do or say will even touch me. You see, when we were in that hall, I could only wonder who was the kind of stallion that would dare treat me the way you have. The second I locked eyes on you I hated you, I didn’t know why yet, but I have a knack for picking out pests before they become an infestation. I should’ve had you escorted out there and then-”

“Assuming I believe you actually possess the foresight for that sort of thing, which I confess is possible considering what I now suspect of you, you couldn’t do that as you’d be making a show in your gallery over a non-issue. You were in a room full of known enemies, which I’m sure you were aware of. Ponies talk.”

“And that’s the thing, this whole time I’ve been wondering just who you are. I know everypony that’s anypony in Trottingham. I’ve met foreign dignitaries from across the globe and I have never heard of you. I kept thinking you must be important, that you must have some connection to royalty or a house of your own, but now I see the truth. You are nothing. Nothing but a two-bit private eye with an arsenal of false accusations.”

“Well we’re not here to talk about me, are we? We’re here to talk about you.” Question dodged his attack and dragged the conversation back on track. “I’m going to be upfront with you, this won't take long, because I have a pretty clear picture of what has happened this evening.”

“Oh, the arrogance!” Counter laughed to himself.  He rolled his head back and cackled loudly. Rainbow stared at him like he had a screw loose. “This will be good. Go on then!”

“You run a counterfeiting scheme. You forge extremely accurate copies of existing artworks and sell them off to private collectors and you purposely underfund or specifically choose your curating staff depending on who will remain loyal to you. Luna’s portrait is a forgery. You likely sold the real painting during the period of time it left Trottingham palace and arrived at the museum. The reason you have been so panicked about anypony looking at the thing is because your web of lies will easily fall apart the moment this point is revealed. I’m willing to bet this is the biggest painting you’ve ever sold, especially since it's considered a national treasure. ‘Everything must be perfect tonight,’ wasn’t that what you told me?”

“Cute, very cute,” he mocked. “Very entertaining, have you ever considered writing stories? You might be able to write enough to pay off the lawsuit coming your way.”

“I’m sure that’s your tactic for most anypony that gets even a whiff of your sordid industry. Bury them in so much litigation they can’t even breathe. Don’t think I haven’t considered that.”

“You can buy nearly anything these days, even an innocent verdict,” Daedalus grumbled.

“Then have you realised the fact that none of what you said even makes sense?”

“The buck are you talking about?” Rainbow barked, letting loose her ferocious side. “Did you not hear a single thing Quest just said to you?”

“‘Quest’ has failed to take into account that I’m rich, very rich. I’m the richest pony in this city. So why in all of tartarus would I be selling off paintings under the table. I own more businesses than the pair of you have even heard of, I’m sitting on a fortune that can sustain my family for several centuries. So why would I bother dabbling in black market dealings?”

“I had considered that actually.”

In one fell swoop, Question knocked the overly smug grin off Counter’s face. In an instant, the Baron’s mind went straight to denial. He was bluffing, had to be. This was the trump card that always worked for him. Flash a little bit of money, and if that failed, flash a little bit more.  It was an argument of sound logic, one most stumbled upon for they lacked any strong evidence. Yet Question remained unfazed.

“The trick is you have to look back further, much further. To the start of your family fortune. Nopony knows where it all exactly started for your clan, one day you all seemed inexplicably wealthy. Yet there has been very long standing rumors that the origin of those bits were dirty money.” He looked over to his marefriend. “Rainbow, a question for you? What happens when you commit a crime with an accomplice?”

“Ugh, well… um…” Rainbow felt like this was a trick question somehow. “You pull it off?”

“Rather what’s the fallout? You both know what the other did. You become one another's insurance policy. One goes down, they may well take the others with them.”

“What are you getting at?” Counter pressed

“I propose the following theory; your family legacy was born from black market dealings. It's an industry that is practically laced within your bloodline. So much so that you simply can not walk away from it. The criminal underworld is very familiar with your name, and has a rap sheet a mile long with your family's crimes. Now of course if one or two small times crooks speak up, who cares? Right? After all, as you so glibly put it, they’re nothing. Who would listen to them? But you don’t deal with small time crooks, do you? No, we’re talking mafia bosses, foreign sheiks, the top of the scum pile. And if they breath out even a few whispered words, your house of cards come crumbling down.”

Something grew foul in the air. They could all feel it. Question Mark had a feeling that despite all of the things Counter Fiet had done, direct murder wasn’t one of them. Yet with the way he was looking at him now, the Detective very well could be his first victim. Rainbow inched away from the door and closer towards the Baron, ready to pounce if he tried anything. Even Daedalus felt himself instinctively square up, before lowering his guard, chiding himself.

“I’ve been in the hive mind too long,” he grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

When everypony thought something might snap, they found instead a different tension emerge. Counter Fiet began to laugh. It started slow, almost like a creeping sensation trailing up the spine before it exploded into a deranged chortle. His gleeful cries filled the room. He showed no signs of stopping as everypony else just stared on. Question met his hysteria with a blank glare, Rainbow opted for a wide-eyed stare that suggested ‘get me away from this lunatic.’ Even Daedalus, who had seen more than his fair share of insanity through his lifetime, wanted to be anywhere else right now.

“I own this city!” Counter roared. He pushed himself forwards until he was practically snout to snout with Question, inadvertently spitting in his face. “There is no court in Trottingham that would dare prosecute me, and certainly not off hearsay alone.”

“I wish you’d stop doing that,” Question sighed, wiping his face.

“You don’t have a thing!”

“I have the forged painting, you and I both know that’s enough to start a formal investigation.”

“But the minute it comes to investigating me in any official capacity, then that’s where it will end, no questions asked.”

“True, in Trottingham anyway…”

Counter had wound himself up for another verbal volley, but held back his attack. He sat back up and straight in his chair, a look of befuddlement washing over him. 

“What are you getting at?”

“That you’ve enlightened me on one key point, if I want to best you, I must seek out a higher authority.” Question said no more, except to give Counter a wave of his hoof as he finished with, “You may go now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean we’re done, and you will be too. You’ve lived too long in an undeserved high and mighty state, so enjoy your last fleeting moments as the king of your castle, they’re about to be your last.”

Counter wanted to say more, he wanted to be the pony who got the last word. Yet he had nothing to say. His dread had dried up his well of arguments and petty words. He stood up and walked to the door, feeling as if he was headed to the gallows. Rainbow opened the door, giving him a harsh glare the entire way. As Counter stepped through, Question called out to his marefriend.

“Rainbow, make sure you walk Baron Fiet back to the holding area. And when you return, bring Noctis and Gulliver with you.”

“You want to interrogate Gulliver now too?”

“Not exactly, you’ll see.”

Rainbow nodded and walked through the door, letting it close behind her. Question waited but a few moments before he let out a long breath and collapsed on the table. He held his hoof’s together in what appeared to be a prayer. Daedalus felt his heart sink into his chest as he watched him, realising just how much his friend's air of confidence had been a show. He could hear him mutter, and unable to stop himself, the king listened closer.

“Please let me be right. Please.” He repeated over and over.





Artistic finished the touches of her report. She dragged out the last words, her anxiety boiling over with each pen stroke, but she forced herself forward regardless. With her final signature it was done. She might as well have signed her own death warrant. This was her job, this is what she was born to do. She loved it more than she could describe, but at this very moment, she would’ve traded it for just about anything else.

“That’s it, huh?” Scootaloo asked innocently.

“Sort of, but it's the last thing I can do tonight anyway,” she tried to explain, purposefully vague on the potential fallout.

“So what now?”

“Now we wait. With the report, that’s my official evaluation of the portrait. Later I will likely be called into further questioning, possibly to clarify all this in a trial as well. Presuming I still have a job by then.”

“Why would you lose your job?”

“Don’t worry your little filly head about it. You’re likely the one of the only ponies who can walk away from this unscathed.”

None of that helped clear up anything up for Scootaloo, but she didn’t need to think much more on it as the approaching march of hooves drew her attention. Gumshoe entered the room, flanked by two guard ponies as he made a beeline for Artistic.

“Is your report ready?”

“Yes, it’s all here.”

Gumshoe snatched it away before Artistic had the chance to give it to him. He stared at it as if it would suddenly come to life and lash out at him. He read each word carefully, trying his best to make an exact copy of it in his mind. When he was finished, he passed it off to the guard on his right.

“Take this directly to the Trottingham Gazette first! Then once they have their copy, file it in as evidence.” The guard nodded, then Gumshoe switched to the other. “Watch his back. You two will have eyes on you.” They saluted him and marched away, noticeably faster than they had entered. 

“Is this your insurance policy?” Artistic asked, somewhat exasperated at the implication.

“More like covering our flanks.”

“Is this standard protocol?”

“Not at all, but it’s not the first time I’ve played this card. Get the story out first to try and get public perception on our side.”

“Why the Gazette?”

“It's the one paper he doesn’t own. He’s supposedly very unpopular there too, apparently he’s tried to beat ‘em down with so many frivolous lawsuits they dont give a damn if they piss him off for real.”

“So my name is going to be on full display as well?” Artistic pressed, bringing the mood down further.

“It was always going to be,” Gumshoe tried to explain. “Either he smears you to destroy your credibility, or you at the very least get the first shot on him.”

“Damn it,” she muttered in frustration. “I would have appreciated a heads up at least.”

“I’m running on finite time here, love. The minute the interrogations are over, everything has gotta line up in place. I’m sorry, but I didn’t have time to ask permission here.”

“Typical bullheaded response,” she muttered louder, making sure he heard. Yet he remained unfazed by her frustrated jab. “I take it I may leave, yes? There’s nothing else you require of me?”

“We’ll be in touch as things inevitably go to trial, but for now, yes. Go home and get a good night's rest. You’ve earned it.”

Artistic said nothing as she walked around the room, collecting her stuff. She avoided the eyes of Gumshoe and Scootaloo as she did so. Lastly putting on her coat, she made her way out of the room, stopping just before the staircase. She did not turn to look at them, but she did speak once more to the Investigator.

“Gumshoe.” He said nothing in response, waiting instead to see what she would say. “I really hope this Detective of yours is as good as that filly thinks he is. For all of our sakes.”

As she departed, Scootaloo switched her focus to Gumshoe. His expression was unreadable, but she could see his hindlegs shake ever so slightly. She had noticed this reaction before; her Aunt Holiday was the same. Whenever something was bothering her, parts of her body would start to shake. So she did what always helped her, she hugged the offending limb into submission.

“Whoa,” he responded in surprise, having failed to notice what the filly was doing. “You alright there? Not afraid are ya?”

“Nah, you just looked like you needed that.” She let go of him, beaming widely.

Gumshoe felt his pounding heart simmer down. He smiled back at her, allowing himself the tiny moment of calm before the storm. Before he could respond, a guard pony barreled down the stairs, nearly tripping over his hooves as he stepped inside. He corrected himself and saluted.

“Sir, thought it best you know, Question Mark has begun interrogating the last of the suspects. He’ll be ready soon.”

Gumshoe gave a mock salute back and breathed a heavy sigh. At the very least, it would be over soon.





“Miss Moon,” Question greeted the fine mare, having regained his composure moments before Rainbow returned. “Pleasure to see you again.”

“The pleasure is thine, Detective,” giving him a nod. She did not smile, nor frown in his presence. She seemed almost entirely unfazed with the circumstances she now found herself in, which to Question Mark rang a very strange warning bell.

“What am I? Yesterday’s leftovers?” Gulliver squawked up as he followed behind her. Despite his comment, he cackled in glee. “Never been interrogated before. You’re gonna have to guide me through this one, Mark.”

“... Mark?” The Detective puzzled over. That was a new one.

“Anyway, this whole thing gonna take long? I’m not a spring chicken y’know? I feel like I’m going to drop dead any second.”

“Only time will tell, unfortunately,” Question explained, motioning towards the chair opposite him.

Gulliver bowed and offered the stool to Noctis, who gestured back and took his offer. Gulliver stood off to the side instead. Ordinarily this would be improper, and also be flagged as a risk for somepony bolting part way through. Yet Question wasn’t concerned. At his age, any attempt by Gulliver to flee would not get him far, and besides which, he didn’t see the old griffon as the type. Rainbow remained on guard all the same.

“I recognise this is a bit unusual, but I thought Guliver might be able to lend me his expertise tonight. What I’m looking for from you, Miss Moon, is a timeline of sorts.”

“Timeline?”

“Specifically what led you here this evening. I understand you are somewhat a recluse?”

“Ah, yes, I suppose one could say that,” she stared off into the far wall, as if she was looking further back than one her age should. “I said this before I believe, but it has beenmany moons since I was last in Trottingham. My family has a history dating to before this city was even built. Arguably, you could say that we are- oh what is the term? New money?”

“Nouveau riche is the posh term.”

“Yes, but this is not so. Again, my family we’re here long before Trottingham. I suppose one could say I reclaimed an inheritance long thought abandoned.”

“That’s quite interesting actually, where is it you reside?”

“Westmarester Palace.”

“Really? Correct me if I’m wrong, but was that not at one point the summer abode of the Princess of Love herself?”

“I believe so, yes. I never knew her very well, but I have heard her husband and herself are searching for a more permanent residence. Somewhere to carve out a place of their own.”

“And so I don’t think I’m stretching when I suggest that to garner such an estate you must have been in contact with royalty? No?”

“You are not wrong, no,” she answered, unwavering. “I owe much to Princess Celestia and Luna. They have helped me tremendously.”

“Now that is very interesting indeed,” Question spoke as he leaned back in his chair. “So to clarify, when exactly did you return to this city.”

“Two years to the day.”

“About the same time Princess Luna did, no?” His snout twitched, the anticipation of her falling for his trap driving him to the edge. “You must have come to know Luna quite quickly then.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gulliver make a very curious gesture. His feathers ruffled along his wings. Ordinarily, it was an indication of anxiety for his people. It often made them terrible poker players. Why was he so nervous? What did he have to lose here? Yet Noctis remained exactly as she had. Regal and imposing in every way it mattered. She did not waver at his question, but she did pause longer than was natural.

“I was in fact one of the first ponies to visit the night court. I had learned of my inheritance not long ago, I was penniless with little family left, so I took a gamble, scrounged up what bits I could and travelled down to Canterlot. By the time we arrived it was getting late and Celestia’s court was retiring. Even if I had come in time, it was often so busy you would have to make a reservation a few days in advance. However, I was filled with much anticipation, and as I was on the carriage I overheard mumblings of other ponies discussing the opening of the returning Majesty’s court. I took a gamble and approached it as soon as I arrived, and luck would have it, I was able to head straight on through.”

“You said ‘we’ earlier. You travelled with the rest of your family?”

“My Mother and sister, yes.”

“Go on,” Question pressed her, hanging on every word.

“Princess Luna was a most agreeable mare. Nothing like the stories made her out to be. She allowed me to tell her my entire story, and immediately she put all her power into verifying my claim and seeing my inheritance was given. The truth is my family has a very strong connection to her. They were loyalists when she was Nightmare Moon, and they were denied their estate after the war. She wanted to correct that and sure enough, they were able to prove I was a direct descendant of that family.”

“What happened next?”

“I was asked to come back the next day, and I met Princess Celestia. They had deliberated in the morning, and I discovered that while the estate had been destroyed, all the money from my family still existed in the canterlot vaults. It had simply never been utilised.”

“Not in a thousand years?”

“Celest- I mean her Majesty, explained that she often considered it ‘dirty bits.’ She never took pleasure in the punishments she served after the war, but had to make examples of the loyalists. It had all but been forgotten, and the treasury from my understanding has always been at max capacity.”

“And so they gave you formally a title, all your family's money, and gifted you Cadence's old estate?”

“Even for the Princesses, that’s considerably generous,” Daedalus murmured to himself. “And it took a single day to verify her bloodline? Even by pony standards, it surely would’ve taken somewhat longer. The amount of paperwork and legalities involved alone would take several days, even with the Princesses fast tracking it all.”

Unbeknownst to the monarch, Question was thinking the same thing. However, he chose to keep his cards close to his chest. He thought over her story, the conviction of her words, and while there were doubts on the validity of it all, he could deny what his senses were telling him: for the most part, she was indeed telling the truth. The silence between them had been dragged out just long enough to make most ponies feel uncomfortable, before Question turned to Gulliver.

“What do you think of that story?”

“Come again?” Gulliver blinked as if he had just been snapped back to reality.

“Do you think that story is believable?”

“Well of course it is. Never met ‘em myself, but the Princesses are fine mare’s. They allow an old coot like me to settle a new life here. Why wouldn’t they give this lass her due?”

“Liar,” Question thought.

Gulliver was not a complicated griffon. He was the suspicious sort, it was his words that tipped Question off to the painting in the first place. He was knowledgeable, he’d been around the block more than once, and even though Question had known him for a short period of time, there was no way in traturas he’d believe that Gulliver would just buy a story like that. Still, he needed not to call him out on it. Just let the game play out a little longer. 

“So, Miss Moon, if you are considered nouveau riche, why did Counter seem so excited at your presence this evening?”

“I’ve been a recluse since I regained my family’s name. I have been extensively learning the ropes as it were. Managing the estate, setting up my assets and investments, I have put off meeting any of my fellow nobility. My mother is also ill, has been for some time. She is my priority when I am not working. I suspected this would not endear the nobles to me, but the reverse has occurred.”

“In what way?”

“It seems they think of me as some sort of maverick. It’s made me mysterious, or so I’ve been told by the staff.”

“The nobility do so love the loners,” Daedalus chuckled. “They can never quite fathom that someling might just not like them. So they of course must be so important that they're even above them.”

Question found his jaw lock up. He looked down at his notes as he contemplated his next move. Every so often, Gulliver looked at Noctis in a way that didn’t quite make sense. There was concern in his eyes, hesitation as his claws pawed at the ground, trepidation as his beak kept opening and closing as he desperately wanted to cut in. Why was he so concerned for her? There was no denying it, these two were in some way connected, and that missing piece Question had been searching for was starting to become clear.

“Why’d you come then?” Rainbow’s brash tone boomed out across the small room.

Question visibly jumped as his train of thought came to a sudden collision. Noctis and Gulliver fared no better, visibly shaken by her sudden inquiry. 

“I already said to the Detective here, I have a connection to these paintings.” Noctis tried to explain away, but Rainbow jumped right back onto the attack.

“Yeah, I remember. But how? What connection?”

Question felt himself tense up. This wasn’t the plan. However, his marefirend had inadvertently presented a unique advantage for him. She had actually managed to unsettle Noctis. She was now notably flustered as instead of answering her question, she spluttered and stammered as she thought of what to say. Instead of stopping Rainbow, he allowed the scene to play out further.

“I-I-I have difficulty explaining,” she evaded again.

“We can wait,” Rainbow countered.

“Oi, are you doing interrogation here?” Gulliver stepped up. “This isn’t a good cop, bad cop routine.”

“She’s my partner,” Question bellowed. Rainbow instantly went red faced and turned away, embarrassed at the connotation. She could not keep the happy smile off her face though. “Finest one I’ve ever had. And she presents a very good point. I need an answer, Noctis.”

“My family…” She trailed off, staring into space. The cogs in her head were still turning, the gears nearly grinding to a halt. Before a lightbulb went off she came back to earth. “It is believed that one of my ancestors painted Luna’s portrait. The artist has remained unknown, but it's a strong theory, considering many of descendants were artists and they were close to her at the time. Of course I have been studying the paintings ever since.”

“Gulliver, can you confirm?”

“What?” He asked, notably shaken. A bead of sweat travelled down his mesh of feathers. “How would I know?”

“I thought you were practically an expert? Surely with all the time you’ve spent in here, and even your suggestions of the painting's authenticity, you would have some idea where it originated from.”

“Well… ugh…” He hesitated, he would either go all in or throw Noctis under the station wagon. “The fine mare speaks the truth. Honestly I’m surprised you don’t know, the origins of the painting have been debat-”

Before he could finish, Question held up a pamphlet within his right wing. If one could see past Gulliver’s feathers, his skin would have turned white as a ghost. Noctis looked between Gulliver and the pamphlet and joined him in his look of panic. They watched as Question opened it to a specific page and began to read aloud.

“The portrait of her royal Majesty, Princess Luna, is believed to be the last known depiction of her Majesty before her banishment a year later. The haunting expression upon her face, masked within the dark colours has left this to be one of the most prolific profiles of its age, and has transcended throughout the millennium. Another interesting note is that the portrait has no identifiable author. While many theories of its origins have been presented throughout the years, none have ever had any solid weight to their claim. It is believed that the artist will remain lost to time.”

Both Gulliver and Noctis were left speechless. Any argument they might have mustered died before it could even become an idea.They were unable to hide the look they shared with one another. Sheer panic. Rainbow fist pumped the air before turning away again.

“Noctis, remember what I told you?” She didn’t answer. “I asked you if you were hiding anything from me, and you said no. It is clearer now more than ever that was a lie.”

“I can explain-” she began, but Question swiftly cut her off.

“There is nothing to explain. I have all I need from the pair of you.”

Nopony (or griffon) in the room missed the key word; pair. They had been had. Gulliver grimaced and ruffled his feathers, while Noctis stared back off into space. Question allowed the silence to linger before carrying on.

“While I do not know everything that happened tonight, I know exactly who defaced the portrait now. The fallout from this will be heavy, and if this does play out the way I hope it will, I can not guarantee your safety. I will ask you both now to return to the gallery. I will be joining the pair of you in a moment.”

Noctis remained stiff at first, as if she couldn’t move at all. Eventually she lifted herself off her seat and headed back from whence she came. Gulliver joined her, and Rainbow was about to as well, before Question wordlessly motioned for her to stay.

“It’s time, Rainbow.”

“Time?”

“It’s time to put a neat little bow on this mystery. Let’s end this.”
> The Portrait of Princess Luna
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The hour was at hoof. Question felt the anticipation well up inside him. He looked toward the clock, still in disbelief at how little time had actually passed. It felt like he had been doing this for days, when in reality it had been a few hours. He was unnervingly quiet. Rainbow hated it, but was afraid to break the silence.

"This could get very ugly," Question confessed, not looking at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I've been gambling since the start. I can't control myself, Rainbow. When there's a mystery to solve I lose myself in it everytime. I could've backed off long ago, given this to the authorities and let it be their responsibility. But I can't, do you know why?"

Rainbow was unsure if she was actually supposed to answer that question. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't. Anticipation had gripped her vocal cords like a petulant foal who would not let go. Daedalus could only stare at his faithful subject as he felt a similar sensation take over him as well.

"I can't let go because the idea that a rich asshole like him can get away with anything he wants boils my blood like nothing else. But I've been selfish, Rainbow. Don't mistake that. I did this for my own stubborn pride. The second I knew what I stepped into I should have walked away." He paused and then sighed. "And I didn't."

"Quest, what are you saying?" Rainbow found her voice again, it emerged barely above a weak croak.

"I'm saying if this goes sideways, you need to walk away. If this gets to a point where this is all going to backfire on me, then you need to forget about me and this town. Just head back to Ponyville and keep doing what you do best. Being an awesome pony."

"Don't be a martyr you fool," Daedalus spat. Another futile gesture, talking at ghosts who never spoke back. Yet he could not contain himself any longer.

Question looked at Rainbow and smiled with sad eyes. With another deep breath he turned and walked towards the door, ready to see his actions through. Rainbow shot forward and blocked his path. It took a few seconds for the Detective to realise what had just happened.

"You're an idiot," she snarled angrily.

"Agreed," Daedalus chimed in.

"What?" Question balked at the sudden statement.

"You know who you're talking to? I'm the element of loyalty. How can I call myself that if I just abandon you here. I'm not leaving you no matter what."

"Rainbow, I was meant to be your chaperone. I was meant to steer you and that little filly away from danger, not headfirst into it. I already betrayed you. Your honor isn't forfeit if you walk away from me now."

"Oh, trust me, I'm not letting how much of an ass you've been tonight slide. You and me are settling this after we get out of here. But we're both getting out of here. Don't care if I gotta knock that smug Count out to do so."

"He's a Baron, and you intend to fight the entire Trottingham guard on your own?" He asked with a deadpan expression.

"If I gotta, sure. Fought worse things before."

"I can believe that," Daedalus mused aloud.

"The Princesses can't just get you out of that, y'know that right? Neither will your friends. You'd at least be walking away with a criminal record which could greatly affect your chances of becoming a Wonderbolt." Question felt a vein throb on his forehead.

Rainbow paused at that. It was only for a moment, but the Detective could see her gusto falter. Yet Rainbow picked herself back up again twice as fast, raising her head up in defiance, wearing a smirk the entire time.

"Then I just got a cool new prison name. Maybe Rainbow Stab? Maybe I could start my own flying troop? Dunno, but I'm not gonna abandon you."

"That's very sweet, but I'm still hung up on 'Rainbow Stab.' Like what, you planning on shanking ponies now?"

"I would have gone for 'Prism' myself. Find one word names a little cooler," Daedalus commented, amusing himself to give some relief to the tension. It wasn't working.

"Everypony knows that when you first go to prison you gotta make a name for yourself, otherwise they eat you alive. Gotta find the biggest mare in the yard and knock her down a peg."

"Later we're gonna have a talk about how many trashy books you've been reading lately, but right now…" He let out a sigh, shaking his head at her. "What about Scootaloo? Are you going to abandon her for me?"

"That's not the point, I'm not gonna abandon either of you-"

"But you may have to!" Question snapped at her. "That filly has got to get home. You're the best suited to do so. If you pick a fight and get yourself locked up, then who's looking after Scoot?"

"You really think it's gonna go that far?" Rainbow asked incredulously. "Like I get you're worried and this guy has got a lot of bits, but you think he can get you locked up instead? Is that what you're worried about?" Even now she wasn't still fully convinced of the danger of their situation. It frustrated Question somewhat, yet he could not blame her. Her life had been far more sheltered than his.

"Remember the case I told you about the first night we met?" He asked solemnly, dark memories swirling around his head like buzzards. "Money goes a long way…"

"Yeah, I remember, but this is different," she defiantly fired back. "He might be rich, but I've got my friends, and the Princesses, and anypony else who wants to take down that jerk. Have faith in me, Quest. Have faith in yourself."

The Detective felt like he had been punched in his gut. She was not wrong. Not in her blasé attitude to the trouble they were in, but he knew he needed to hold onto his convictions. If he did not, anypony could see right through him. If he could not convince the ponies in that room of what he was about to say, then he might as well walk away. His eyes glanced at the clock again, he knew he could delay this no longer.

"We should go," Question sighed out. "I suppose whatever happens, happens. Just look after yourself, alright?"

He didn't wait for a response as he reached for the door. Rainbow stepped aside but felt a sudden urge to step in again. She resisted just long enough for him to walk through the doorway, but felt something snap as she followed on through.

"Wait, there's one more thing I want to say!" She called out far too loudly. Her voice travelled down the corridors and likely through the entire museum.

"Well hopefully you don't inform all of Trottingham while you're at it," Daedalus spoke through his teeth. Even for a monarch as boisterous as him, he knew when to keep a tight lid on things.

"What's the matter?" Question forced himself to stop. He almost wanted to dismiss her, but he couldn't do that to Rainbow.

"There's something that's been bothering me for a while," she began, pausing as she searched for the right words to say. "There's something weird about your friend…"

"Who? Gumshoe?"

"No, Lens Turner. It's why I actually went to find you. I don't like her."

"Yeah, she has that effect on ponies. To be frank, you're not the only pony she's been off with today." His words trailed off as he thought back to earlier.

"That's the thing. Isn't she super suspicious? Like she wanders around the whole museum, is the only pony who slipped out when the lights went out, just repapears out of nowhere and then is stuck to you like she's the one in charge. Like I know you know her, but-"

"Do I?" Question asked himself.

"What?"

"Do I know Lens? How can I when she doesn't know herself?"

Both Rainbow and Daedalus looked at Question in confusion. He ignored his marefriend, too self-absorbed with the puzzle in his mind space. There he could see the image finally take form. Every piece was now perfectly in place. It was absurd, a ridiculous long shot, but it fit all the same.

"The missing piece," he muttered to himself.

"What?" Both Rainbow and Daedalus tried to clarify.

"I ignored it. Chalked it up to something irrelevant. At best it was forgetful nature, at worst it implied something far more frightening. Yet it is connected. The final player in this game who's been watching over the entire thing."

"Quest, you're not making any sense," Rainbow said flatly.

Then something quite unexpected happened. Question Mark shot himself forward and kissed his marefriend straight on the lips. The act was so sudden she initially tried to pull anyway, before relaxing against his touch. He pulled away just as she was enjoying the moment, his eyes filled with admiration for her.

"Rainbow Dash, never let anypony call you dumb again. You are the smartest mare I know. I love you."

Then he walked away. Back to the gallery to see his journey through. Rainbow remained like a statue amongst the rest of the marble figures. Daedalus stood beside her, his mouth left agape as he felt himself wanting to explode in glee.

"HE SAID IT!" He shouted, jumping in the air.

The cyan mare felt her brain overheat as it tried desperately to process exactly what had occurred. Her heart hammered against the inside of her chest so hard she thought it might blast through to the otherside. She then slumped to the floor. It would take Rainbow Dash several more moments to pick herself off the floor and join her coltfriend at the gallery. While she appeared dazed and disoriented, deep inside herself she was smiling harder than she thought possible.





"Mares and Gentlecolts, may I have your attention please?" Question's voice boomed across the gallery.

Instantly a colourful collection of faces turned in his direction. The Guards zeroed in on him as well, their idle chatter dying in an instant. WIth so many eyes now upon him, he nearly missed the two reporters positioned in the back of the room. He could see one bearing the cap of the Trottingham gazette, and her sidekick with his trusty camera. They were as fast as he hoped they'd be.

Question didn't think it possible for the Baron to look even more annoyed considering all that had happened this evening, but every time he looked towards the camerastallion as he took another picture, he looked as if he might puke.

"This is absurd," he grumbled aloud. "Of all the bloody papers to be let in here."

"All of you… well most of you… alright, some of you have been very patient with me tonight and I thank you for that. I am happy to announce that I know exactly who defaced the Portrait of Princess Luna."

A bulb flashed in the distance. The camera was entirely focused upon him now. Question detested the press. Despite his friendship with Lens and his respect for the profession, he hated it in equal measure. He had seen good people dragged through the streets for nothing but a poorly printed word. He knew how fragile one's standing in society could be. This was not the first time he had placed himself before the court of public opinion, yet he hoped it would be the last.

"On the surface this is a crime of petty vandalism. Yet I assure you the roots of this case run far deeper. This is the story of lingering corruption in the heart of Trottingham that has existed since its inception. What you see here is the end result. This was a calculated attack. I know for a fact that the perpetrator worked in corroboration with at least one other individual to pull this crime off. In fact, we have three of them in this very room."

Everypony started to look among themselves, rampant suspicion quickly taking hold. The suspects were kept in a line, pressed firmly against the wall. Spitfire and Soarin stood at the far end of the line-up. The Captain remained composed, yet Question could see a strange doubt behind her lieutenant's eyes, likely brought on by the intensity of the moment. Sweet Nothings appeared defeated. Her head hung low, her focus squarely on the floor. Blueberry looked the closest to breaking. She found it difficult to remain still since her standoffish demeanor had crumbled to dust. Gulliver now found himself amongst the suspects, having realised he had likely been suspected from the start. Noctis was beside him, refusing to look anypony in the eye. Then lastly the Baron, who was seemingly ready to combust on the spot.

"Just in time," Daedalus muttered as he strolled in, followed by Rainbow who still looked considerably dazed. Scootaloo had remained patiently beside Gumshoe, but upon seeing her idol leapt on her back instead.

"The Perpetrator who defaced the portrait. The one on the inside, and lastly the mastermind behind this entire operation. These are the three responsible for all that has taken place this evening. I suspect there may well be more individuals involved, but their identities will not take long to uncover."

Question Mark noticed Lens Turner emerge from behind the other reporters. She always seemed to vanish even when she should've been in plain sight. She wore an uncharacteristically stern expression.

"In the end, there is only one pony in this room who could have defaced Princess Luna's portrait," he said pointing a hoof straight towards the accused. "Is that not right, Noctis Moon?"

A collective gasp rang out as the colourful herd of ponies looked upon the guilty party. Noctis did not move a muscle. She stared Question down with pure indifference, yet the Detective knew this was only a mask she wore. He had seen her break before. Likely, Noctis had already resigned herself to this outcome.

"I knew it!" The Baron cried out. "I told you all from the start it was her! She was the closest to the painting."

"And I must confess, it is as simple as that. While other ponies had the means, navigating the pitch black room would have proved a nightmare. Too many things could go wrong. This was far too calculated, meaning placement was key. With being next to the Portrait, Noctis, you could accurately deface it in the purposeful way you did. It's one thing to scribble over something in darkness, a whole other to place the moustache and glasses with pinpoint accuracy. Do you have anything to say, Noctis?"

"No," was her only reply.

"That's odd. No denial? No admission of guilt?" She ignored his bait, keeping her mouth tightly shut. "Well that's not very sporting of you. Or do you hope if you keep quiet enough I'll forget all about your cospirators?"

Again, she remained tight lipped. Photos were already taken, notes scribbled on a very old notepad. The Trottingham post reporters were salivating at the story emerging before them, and they barely scratched the surface.

"Now as I said, you did not work alone. When we examined the fuse box, we discovered a very curious artifact. Gumshoe?" The elder Inspector nodded to his friend and revealed a familiar cracked black orb.

"This here is an energy drainer," Gumshoe explained. "Absorbs anything from magic, sunlight, and yep, even electricity. Basically, this is responsible for our little blackout earlier."

"The item in question was left in a box with a timer and had been purposely sabotaged to only cause a temporary blackout," Question continued further. "The fusebox was located in the security room. To get inside you need a key."

"Meaning a member of staff had to plant this sucker inside it. Somepony who wouldn't draw attention to themselves."

"Somepony that everypony knows. Somepony everypony trusts. Who do you think that might be, Gulliver?"

Another collective gasp sucked the air out of the room. The old griffon's feather ruffled in surprise as he felt the weight of everypony's stares upon him. He opened his beak to reply but barely a squawk peaked out.

"You!?" Counter shouted out in disbelief. "Of all the ponies in this museum it's the one elderly griffon I took pity on that tried to screw me?" The Baron seemed strangely hurt, far more so than Question would have thought. He may really have had a soft spot for him after all.

"Even I was starting to doubt it could be you, Gulliver. Everything about you at best seemed circumstantial, and not once did I truly get the impression you were hiding something from me. That is until the interview with Noctis. Tell me, what is she to you? Is she more than a conspirator?"

"Don't ask me that," he said, finding his voice. "You can't ask me that."

"Gulliver, stop it," Noctis lashed out, silencing the bird instantly.

"Another sore spot," Question commented. "So Gulliver has worked here for years and clearly at some point he was recruited to this little scheme, but now we have to ask ourselves, to what end? What was the point of all of this? To vandalize a beloved portrait? Was it an attack on her Majesty? The Baron?"

"It wasn't any of that, oh no," Gumshoe took over, eyeing the guardsmen to make sure they were at the ready. "This here Mares and Gentlecolts is a Celestia damned criminal empire right in the heart of our fair city."

The reporter who had been scribbling notes went teary eyed at the announcement. She must have thought this was the scoop of her lifetime. The photographer was taking pictures at a rapid pace, clearly in agreement with her. Gentle murmurs and whispers were exchanged amongst the ponies. Only Gulliver, Noctis and Counter Fiet remained silent, each in varying states of shock and fear.

"Are you suggesting this actually has nothing to do with the painting?" Spitfire suddenly stepped forward. Some of the guards eyed her and held their spears tighter, but Gumshoe called them off as she approached.

"Not quite. The painting is in fact part of said empire."

"You realise that because of the cultural significance of that painting, that any tampering of it can be treated as an act of treason?" Spitfire pressed. Question was surprised, blinking as he processed how she knew that. "I learned some things in school, and the academy drilled into me the proper decorum when it came to royalty. Even minor snubs can be perceived as far worse in the eyes of the law."

"No way would the Princesses lock somepony up for looking at them funny," Rainbow brashly cut in. She quickly corrected herself when she realised who she was speaking to, saluting Spitfire.

"I agree," Spitfire said as she waved her off. "What I'm asking is, are you suggesting that the painting is connected to criminals? That's a very bold claim, some would say a stupid one."

"I would proudly hold myself to that statement because that is not the original portrait of Princess Luna." Question stood fast, holding his head high. "That is in fact a fake."

Again, another gasp rang out. Daedalus rolled his eyes at the scene. "At this rate, you'll all die of oxygen deprivation."

"In fact, I would be so bold as to suggest that quite a few of these artworks are forgeries. Perhaps even half of this very gallery."

Calculated eyes swirled around them. None of them would really be able to tell from just a mere glance, yet the suggestion had an effect on ponies. One minute something was exactly as it always was, the next you see every flaw upon it. Lines now looked wonky, brustrokes irregular, did their pupils always appear that way? It would only take an expert to tell them apart, but paranoia did not care for professional opinion.

"This is slander!" Counter Fiet roared. Question sighed, knowing it was only a matter of time before he erupted. "Don't you dare write another word or I will sue for libel," he barked louder, switching his focus to the reporters.

They stared at him briefly, looked at one another, and continued on anyway. Counter shook his head in disgust and stepped towards Question Mark, but the guards did not let him through, pinning him forcefully against the wall in retaliation.

"Get off me!" They ignored his command. "The disrespect is sickening. I will have all of you thrown out onto the street for this."

As he pushed against them, Question turned to face Sweet Nothings. She looked up from the floor and into the Detective's eyes. No words were exchanged, none needed to be, both knew exactly what was about to occur. As if a switch was flipped in her brain, she shook off her dreary state and put on her award winning smile.

"Well not quite half, but a fair few are not the genuine article," she began.

"Wh-what?" Counter spluttered out as he made out what she said, his blood running cold.

"Not just in this museum as well, I happen to know quite a few works that might not be on the up and up. Ever heard of the Filly with the Pearl Earring? Perhaps the Final Dinner? I would suggest they need a quick once over…"

Gumshoe threw an eye towards Question who nodded in response. He strode up to Sweet who fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"You seem to know a bit more than you should?"

"Maybe, but I'll tell you what. If you agree to turn a blind eye to some of the less savory details of how I know, then I can divulge with you certain things that will blow your mind."

"Well when you put it like that, how could I say no?"

A bittersweet smile crossed Nothing's face. She did not know what the future held in store for her, nor was she likely to completely avoid jail time. Yet for the first time in far longer than she could remember, her heart felt lighter than a feather. She had lived with a strange weight for so long she had forgotten what it felt like when it wasn't there anymore.

"You idiot!" Fiet screeched. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Piss off, Counter," her voice reverted back to her actual accent. "Game's up, just let it die for once will yer?"

"You dare speak to me that way?" The Baron had completely snapped. He was practically heaving as he looked ready to burst from his own skin. "This city is mine. It is my birthright and I will not allow its legacy to die in my lifetime! Do you hear me!?"

With little warning, The Baron showed a surprising amount of agility as wriggled out of the grip of Trottingham's finest and leapt towards Sweet Nothings. What he might have done when he reached her, nopony would know. In his state of frenzy, any rational thought had entirely left him. He might have struck her, throttled her, or perhaps ran past her and headed for the exit.

Blueberry Crush would have none of it. She shot forward and met him at the centre, clocking him with a stiff right from her forearm. As soon as the strike connected, the lights behind Counter Fiet's eyes went dark. He slumped to the floor and sprawled out like a ragdoll. A sense of catharsis washed over her instantly. For the very first time, Question spied a smile crawl on her face. In that moment, they had failed to notice the camera flash just as the strike had connected.

Blueberry had little time to revel in her victory as the guards swarmed them. They pushed her back against the wall and dragged Counter across the room. A quick checkover showed he was okay, but clearly concussed. As the excitement died down and the spike in adrenaline washed away, Question got back on track. Unbeknownst to him, that would be the very last time he would ever see Counter Fiet.

"Well that was needlessly dramatic," he commented.

"What an idiot," Rainbow spoke up. "What the buck was he thinking?"

"I suspect that was the problem, he wasn't. He just saw red. Fascinating to watch somepony who has never lost in a day of his life finally taste bitter defeat."

"Pride makes the fall that much greater," Daedalus surmised.

"So that's it? It's over?" Rainbow pressed.

"Nuh-uh," Scootaloo spoke up, bouncing off Rainbow's back. "There's still somepony else!"

"The young Scoot is right," Question nodded towards the filly. "The Mastermind."

"You mean to tell me if there really is a mastermind, they willingly stayed in the museum instead of watching from the sidelines? Doesn't seem that smart," Spitfire added.

"I've got to agree with the Bolt," Gumshoe stepped in. "Why are you so damn certain that they're among us? Who could it be if not Noctis? I mean she's got the bits and status."

"Let's go back to the motive. I am convinced that everything here tonight was intentional. In reality, Counter Fiet was in trouble well before the painting was vandalized."

"Cause whoever did this wanted to prove he's full of shit," Blueberry grumbled loudly.

"Not the words I would use, but essentially, yes. By defacing the painting, it would in turn have to be fixed, which in turn would reveal that it was a forgery."

"Isn't that flawed though?" Spitfire questioned. "It's his museum, surely his staff would be the ones to check it."

"That's why it had to be on the opening night. Most of his curator staff are not present this evening, they've likely been working up till today and we're given the night off. Inevitably then this would lead to the guard being called and from there you have the snowball effect. When inspectors need to take it in as evidence, Counter would inevitably refuse, then the mare or stallion behind the curtain has the exact circumstances to unload a more direct investigation."

"Hold up," Gumshoe cut in. "You didn't tell me that. This mare or stallion or whatever they are, your saying this mastermind is an official? Like a politician or head of a law firm or…?"

"Perhaps even more." Inwardly, Question sighed. There really was no backing out now, he was putting all his chips on this theory.

"You're getting into conspiracy territory, Mate." Question hated when Gumshoe called him that. He only used that word when he was genuinely annoyed. It was an unspoken codeword to say 'you've gone too far.' "You really want to bank on that?"

"Nothing else makes sense. If all of this was done with the intention of exposing Counter Fiet, then that means the Mastermind's position is so great that the guard will have to be forced to act on an inquiry. All of this is useless though if there is a pony involved willing to prosecute a stallion as powerful as Counter Fiet. It is not unreasonable to assume that said pony is heading up this little plot as well."

"That's the problem, Mate. The assumption part."

"So you're saying they're scared of Counter coming after them?" Rainbow pressed.

"Possibly, or more likely, they themself are notable enough that even their presence would set him off. Wouldn't take long for him to bury as many leads as possible, and while I doubt he's popular with the criminal underbelly, anypony ratting on him would sink themselves as well."

"So who is it?" Scootaloo asked.

"There's only one pony left, Scootaloo. One pony who has been here from the very start."

Question Mark scanned the room once more, his eye's meeting with every soul contained within it. He could feel his heart thumping away against his rib cage. The silence was deafening. Yet he was certain beyond reason just who the mastermind was. Without another though, he pointed his hoof directly at the accused.

"So just how long have you been impersonating Lens Turner?"

One last collective gasp flooded the room. All eyes rested on the accused who stared at the Detective in bewilderment. Daedalus only now noticed that the journalist had been surprisingly quiet during the whole affair, not even taking notes of her own. This was a big story, yet she seemed content to vanish, merge into the background and disappear from sight.

"Um, Question," Lens nervously giggled. "I know you've been under a lot of stress, but maybe you're missing the mark here. Pardon the pun. Not to step on your hooves but-"

"But what? 'It's me. It's always been me. Don't be silly, it's your best mate Lens Turner.' You can't pull the wool over my eyes any longer. You are not the mare you claim to be."

"Whoa, Quest, this is getting kinda crazy," Rainbow stepped between them. "Like I know what I said, but-"

"And you were right, Rainbow. There is something weird about Lens Turner. From her appearance, to her stories, to just about everything about her. I've ignored it because I thought it was my paranoia getting the better of me." He pointed his hoof directly at her mane. "The style is slightly off. Her mane is wispy with three pronounced curls. Lens is very particular about this, she can barely leave her house unless her mane is exactly to her liking. That's the thing about Miss Turner, she's obsessive. About details and her own life and history."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rainbow pressed.

"Earlier today, the pony wearing Lens Turner's face claimed to have interviewed Princess Luna. This is impossible. Lens was banned from the castle grounds five years ago after she tried to take a scandalous shot of Celestia's supposed cake binge eating habit. Even if she was to sneak in, Luna would have never granted that interview."

Lens noticeably winced. It was an involuntary reaction, one she regretted making the moment she had done it. For the ones who looked at Question in doubt opened their eyes wide at the realisation there was something to this after all. A simple slip and suddenly the accused looked guilty as sin.

"Then I presented you two stories of past cases, both of which I made up. You claimed to remember them, yet of course that is impossible."

"Look, I'll be real with you, I'm losing my edge." The accused spoke, suddenly becoming teary-eyed in the process. "It's been a rough year. My mind is playing up with me and I feel like I'm playing catch up constantly. I'm not the same Lens Turner you know, but it's still me. This is all a big misunderstanding."

"At one point I might have bought that story. Your crocodile tears do you no credit."

"Look, let's just talk this out. We arrest who we can, grab a drink, and talk-"

"What drink?"

"What?"

"What is your alcoholic beverage of choice?"

"Well, um," she paused far longer than she should. All eyes staring at her like tiny daggers pressing against her flesh. "Cider?"

"Lens Turner hasn't been drunk a day of her life. She has a chronic fear of anything that alters her perception of reality, whether it be drugs or alcohol. She won't even touch hard lemonade. You know that but you're panicking, you're getting sloppy!" Lens Turner stepped back as if she had been struck in the snout. "You would have had to do some sort of background check on Lens before taking her position. You've mimicked her voice patterns and mannerisms, but one by one it's all melting away."

"Oi, leave her alone," Gulliver squawked at him.

"Ah, the canary sings. Fitting you perk up for your conspirator."

"I-I-It's not that!" He lied poorly. "I can see you're just bullying her. Shouting her down to make her look guilty."

For the first time that night, Noctis looked noticeably angry. A vein throbbed near her horn as she whacked him on his pointed claw. The old griffon blushed and stepped back into position like a foal.

"Can you prove it?" Gumshoe muttered softly in Question's ear. "I need more than an accusation. If she really is in disguise, we'd need to force her out."

Question Mark went quiet. In this moment of silence, ponies began to speak. They spoke softly a single word that emerged over and over again; changeling. This was of course something the Detective had considered as well. However, he knew that wasn't what the faux Lens Turner was. A ling in practice was able to cut themselves off from the hivemind, this effectively made them invisible to other lings who were searching for their own kind. However, it did not make them immune to an attempted connection. If a ling attempted to connect their mind directly to another, he would feel nothing if it was a pony, but if it was a ling - even one cut off from the hivemind - there would be a familiar tingle in their horn. Question Mark felt nothing as he attempted this connection.

There was only one other option he was aware of; this likely pony was a very powerful mage. This was not a mere illusion, to interact with the space she did she physically had to alter her own body. Question Mark was never the strongest magic user, but he knew enough to understand the level of ability was well beyond him. So now how best to expose her.

"To risk coming here, you needed to see this. This was personal for you. Your only problem tonight was me. To infiltrate Lens turner you need to do a background check on her, know who she knows, and of course I would come up at some point. So there you are at the entrance, waiting to walk in and begin this whole charade, when I waltz up to the grand reopening as well. You must have panicked. Can't avoid me all night, can you? Eventually we'll meet."

"Talk about dumb luck," Rainbow muttered.

"I'm so glad I went to this thing now," Scootaloo beamed as she watched on in awe.

"And as I put this all together, at first I was genuinely puzzled… why did you help me? Surely you would want to sabotage me, the more I look into all this, the more likely I discover your plans as well. You showed me the broken energy drainer, you steered me away from the wrong suspects, and not once did I suspect you were actually deceiving me. So why? Because our goals are aligned. You realised that we wanted the exact same thing, for the truth to be unearthed and for Counter Fiet to pay for his crimes. That's when all the pieces fit in place."

"You said that before, why repeat yourself?" The fake Lens spoke sharply. "You're stalling aren't you?"

"No, I emphasise that point for one reason. Just drop this charade. You and I are on the same side, and this game is over now." Question took a few steps towards her. Instinctively, the fake Lens stepped back until she hit the wall. "So why go on pretending? All I need to do is commission a unicorn in this city to create a dispel on your illusion-"

"You can't," the fake Lens said calmly. Her entire demeanor changed. There was no shock upon her face, no rattling of her knees or sweat on her brow. She glared at Question with neither malice or rage, simply apathy.

"I can't?" He pressed, not allowing her change to shake him. "Even at this hour, you can always find what you need in Trottingham."

"I do not doubt your claim, but alas, you will find most magic can not best me." Her voice shifted too, it sounded significantly more refined, but there was a power behind it. If she bellowed at him, he suspected her vocal tones alone could launch him into the air.

"So you're done pretending then?"

"That I am, Detective. This has been a most memorable evening, but as you say, the game is over."

Lens Turner's body was surrounded by a white glow. Question felt his heart stop in his chest as it dawned on him what was happening. His gambit had paid off, but he still did not know who was about to be revealed. The guards in the room instinctively switched into fighting position. Everypony else took a collective step back at the reveal. The only ones who did not we're Question, who stood his ground, and Rainbow Dash who walked up to his coltfriend and stood by his side.

What was once Lens Turner began to grow much larger. It quickly became apparent that the being was the size of an alicorn. Sure enough when the glow faded, a dark blue princess with a shimmering mane was standing in place. Daedalus felt his jaw nearly unhinge as he felt a familiar flutter in his chest. He knew this pony very well indeed.

"Princess Luna!" Rainbow squawked.

"Lulu…" Daedalus breathed out.

"Tis I, Element of Loyalty. And no, I have not forgotten about the door." Despite her veiled threat, she smiled coyly.

Question Mark suddenly felt very small. He had just called out one of the most powerful beings on the planet in front of the press and an entourage of notable people. His confidence melted away and he was left with the same feeling he had when he first spoke to Rainbow; sheer bloody panic.

"Your Majesty!" Gumshoe saluted her Highness. He fared no better than Question. The rest of the guard did the same.

"At ease, all of you." The Guard did as she commanded, but still seemed on edge.

Spitfire eyed Luna with a mix of contempt and unease. She hated being caught off guard. Soarin joined her at her side, muttering about an escape plan. Blueberry shrank into the corner. Now actually faced with one of the pony's she was taught to hate, she realised that this was not the time to spout her usual propaganda. Sweet Nothings kept her cool, but in front of royalty even she buckled. Gulliver and Noctis shared a look and simultaneously let out a sigh.

"Question Mark?" She called upon him

"Y-y-yes?" He stuttered like a mess.

"You believe yourself to be very smart, don't you?"

"Me?"

"Is there another Question Mark that I am unaware of?"

"No, you're Majesty. At least I hope not…"

"So again, you believe you are very smart?"

"I suppose so."

"Where has your bluster gone? Your confidence? Your gambler's spirit?"

"Think I dropped it when you showed up."

Princess Luna laughed. Her bellow reverbarted off the walls and lined the hallways with her smooth chuckle. Despite the enormous pressure Question felt from her mere presence, he could not deny his comfort as her joy washed over him. At the very least, his knees weren't shaking anymore.

"This has been a most wondrous night."

"Princess Luna, I have failed you again," Noctis approached the alicorn with shame across her muzzle. "Forgive me."

"Oh, Noctis. You did all you could. Neither of us could have seen tonight playing out the way it did."

"I told you something was gonna go wrong the minute I saw him," Gulliver cut in as he pointed towards Question. "Curious eyes that one. Still no idea why you wanted me to talk to him."

"For exactly where we are at now. Be at ease, my subjects, this is a boon for us."

King Daedalus danced around her. He took in every detail from her horn to her hooves. He lost himself in her image, her form. This truly was the Princess of the Night, Luna, his Lulu. She looked well, almost identical to how she appeared before her corruption, but without the bitterness and misplaced anger. His heart swelled in his chest until he was snapped out of his trance by his faithful subject.

"You're going to have to catch me up to speed here," Question interrupted, regaining some of his composure. "There are a fair few gaps here that need answering."

"And I shall. I have nothing to hide anymore."

"First, I assume Lens Turner is alright?"

"You can see for yourself you ninny!" A familiar voice called out behind him. There in the flesh was the real Lens Turner, beaming at him from the entrance way. "You really stuck your neck into this one, I've never been more proud of you."

"So I take it you were part of this too?" Question asked, trying to keep the smile from spreading on his face.

"Lens Turner has been from the very start. I owe much to her invasive methods," Luna vouched for her.

"You actually got an interview with her?" Question asked in genuine surprise.

"Sort of," Lens confessed sheepishly. "More I stumbled on her making plans for all this and kind of got roped into this as well."

"So where did all of this begin? I assume it was when you discovered the forged painting?"

"Somewhat, but I was not the first to lay thine eyes upon it," Luna motioned behind Question.

"That was me," Noctis said, stepping forward. "I was at the beginning of this whole affair."

The enigmatic Noctis Moon was on full display. The camera's gears whirled in place as shot after shot was taken of her. She did her best not to show it, but the pressure of the lens was getting to her.

"This night was not the first time I met the Baron. He was actually one of the first noble's I met when I garnered my estate. I was told that one should remain in his good graces, so it would have been a poor move to turn down his invite. He was very… flirty."

"He had less than noble intentions? Not surprised."

"I do not believe he would have jumped me, but I felt uncomfortable the entire time," she winced, recalling the memory. "He was flashy and tried to show off his vast collection of paintings. That was when he slipped up." She motioned towards the portrait. "He had the forgery amongst them. He claimed it was on loan to him, that it would travel between his estate and the summer palace. This was a blatant lie. I held my tongue, but I could see the imperfections instantly."

"Why were you so confident?" Noctis grew quiet. She eyed the reporters who waited on her every response. She looked towards the princess who only shook her head.

"I can not say here."

It was the kind of answer that Question Mark absolutely detested. It always meant someone was hiding something from him, but in front of Princess Luna, he did not want to challenge the point, so he left it alone.

"Continue then."

"Shortly thereafter, I contacted Princess Luna over the matter. She took an interest in my story right away."

"The one who drew that portrait was very dear to me," Luna explained, speaking slower to maintain her composure. The Detective could only imagine the memories locked away in her ancient brain. "I had not seen it since I returned. Truthfully, I assumed that it was destroyed. When Tia confirmed to me that this was not the case, I raced to see it myself."

"When I met her Majesty at the summer palace, the painting was different from the one at the Baron's home. It was the genuine portrait."

"And I assume you did not see the forgery in the flesh until tonight?" Question cut in.

"That is correct," Luna confirmed.

"That is a lot of faith to have over a stranger…" Both Luna and Noctis remained firm, not giving anything away. "So when did this become a full investigation?"

"I could not act until I had something more tangible. That is when I came into contact with four individuals. The first was Lens Turner."

"I was chasing a rumor about the royals around the same time. When I saw that Princess Luna was in town I thought I'd 'bump into her.' Anyway-"

"What was the rumor?" Question grinned as Lens went wide-eyed.

"... That's not important. Anywho-"

"No, go on, what was the rumor?"

"... That they were all wereponies. Anyway!"

Question maintained his composure, but it took all his willpower not to collapse on the floor into an explosion of laughter. King Daedalus had no such restraint. The monarch loudly roared with a thunderous chuckle heard only by him.

"When we did meet I kinda broke into the palace again. She wasn't mad though, actually impressed. So she hired me to dig further into it. That's when I snapped this."

She handed Question a single polaroid. Rainbow and Scootaloo crowded around him as they recognised it as the portrait of Luna. Yet the young filly was quick on the draw.

"That's the fake!" She exclaimed.

"Good eye, how could you tell?" Lens asked.

"Guess I learned a few things today," she chuckled.

"You got them the proof they needed to move forward then?" Question pressed.

"It was still not damning. The court system is less strict than I remember," Luna bemoaned. "Yet it was enough for me to investigate formally. That is when I encountered the griffon called Gulliver."

"At your service," he bowed. His worry and fear had eased off and his elderly wry smile had risen again.

"As you can plainly see, I am one to take a direct approach. When I can, I see to matters personally."

"You're used to doing things on your own? A thousand years of isolation will do that I suppose."

"Yes, well," Luna shuddered at the memory. "I had arranged to take the place of Lens Turner early on. Not just her though, numerous disguises were required to infiltrate where I needed to go. Whether as a construction worker in this museum, or even a servant of Counter Fiet, I managed to work my way just about everywhere. Gulliver is a griffon that speaks more than he should, initially I thought him a useful tool."

"Old reliable, that's what they call me," he joked.

"Yet I soon realised that not only was he blatantly aware of the falsities of these artworks, but he was actively dropping hints to anypony who paid him the slightest heed."

"Yet nopony actually bit until you came along?" Question pressed and Luna nodded.

"I practically knew more about these paintings than the Baron himself," Gulliver spoke to him. His tone became far more serious. "Was just a job at first, the longer I walked these halls though the more I fell in love with the art. I studied their history, I've even painted a few pieces myself. It hurt me to see what he was doing. Caught on quick, but what could I do? Thankfully, the Baron never paid me much mind, was just another drone to him. Meant I could speak openly and it would never get back to him. Still, I can't go around shouting to the heavens it's all fake, so I could only hope with the right nudge, ponies would start to take notice of what I saw."

"The rest, as you might say, was history. I introduced myself formally to Gulliver and now we had a worker on the inside."

The room fell silent as everypony waited on Question's next response. This whole scenario was surreal. He stared down at the floor and went over the whole story. He wasn't clairvoyant, there was much information that he could not have known of going into this mess. Yet what he was able to guess and unearth fit perfectly within Luna's retelling. Now there was one more part that eluded him.

"That covers your conspirators here, so who are the other two that you spoke of?"

"Why not ask us yourself?"

Standing at the entranceway were two ponies Question Mark had never seen before in his life. Instinctively he felt cheated. Can't beat a puzzle without all the pieces, right? Yet his annoyance was quickly replaced with confusion when he noticed the sudden look of shock on Scootaloo's face. Her eyes opened wide and her jaw nearly hit the floor as she leapt off Rainbow's back.

"Mom! Dad!" She sprinted towards them, colliding into both and embracing them with a massive hug.

"They actually came," Rainbow said in utter disbelief.

"Sorry to make such an entrance on ya, but the Princess didn't want us to step in just yet," Snap Shutter explained as he hugged her back.

"But we couldn't wait a second longer," Mane added. "The minute we saw Counter Fiet being taken away we just had to see you."

"When it's convenient then," Rainbow darkly muttered.

"Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood had been in the employ of several investors these last few years. One of which was Counter Fiet," Luna elaborated to the Detective. "Though they spoke rarely to him, they were able to garner information out of him due to his desire for rare treasures."

Question Mark looked at the photograph again. Among the paintings did indeed appear to be artifacts of some kind. He didn't have the foggiest what they were or what era in history they came from, but he quickly saw the connection to what Luna was saying.

"He's a pricey hoarder basically."

"I knew of these two from their reputation. Convincing them to exploit his desire for artifacts was an easy task."

"Little bugger practically confessed to near murder the minute we showed interest in harbouring and smuggling stuff from other countries," Shutter elaborated.

"He specifically requested us to swap out priceless artifacts from other museums with fakes he would provide. He offered more bits than we have pooled together for entire expeditions," Allgood confessed.

"So this was to garner more evidence against him?"

"Correct, Detective."

"And so finally we come back to this very evening... " Question began, pausing ever so slightly as he allowed the barrage of new information to settle. "The real portrait was meant to be delivered here, yet you and I both know it's arrived at the Baron's manor instead. With the fake piece on display, Noctis would deface it, Gulliver would prepare the lights to go out, and you would masquerade at Lens Turner to oversee the operation. So what exactly have the real Lens and Scootaloo's parents been doing this whole time?"

"Bagging the prize, mate," Snap bellowed out.

"I led Luna's guard to his manor," Lens explained. "They've acquired her royal visage. The painting is back home in Canterlot by now."

"You mean the Shadowbolts?" Lens nodded. Rainbow felt unease just at the mention of their name, and Spitfire fared no better. "So all of you were the insurance policy. If this all fell apart, you'd at least have the real portrait."

"Counter Fiet is a slippery stallion. I did not want to risk losing him. So as you put it, this was to ensure at the very least he did not keep his stolen goods."

"Wait, you've reclaimed all of it!?"

"And even though the Shadowbolts are undercover flyers, they've already synced their investigation to the one you and Gumshoe we're doing here," Lens added.

"And that is where you have come in, Question Mark." The way Luna spoke his name, the Detective felt like he was being knighted.

"When we sent the tickets, we wanted to celebrate it all with Scootaloo," Mane added.

"We thought her and her mates would want to come down and we'd take 'em round the city. It was gonna be a big surprise when she arrived and we were standing there."

"So you really did expect three fillies to travel across the country to meet you in a city they've never been to before?" Rainbow asked, rapidly losing her patience.

Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood looked at one another as if this was truly the first time they had actually thought through their plan. They looked back at Rainbow and could only respond with sheepish smiles.

"Questionable parenting aside, you must have spotted us from the train?" Question cut in, fearing a fight. "So why did you avoid us in the first place?"

"That's cause I was there," Lens stepped in again. "I was with them when the train arrived a bit early. The second I saw you I knew the situation had changed."

"Why?"

"Cause I know you, Dummy. I know you never let anything go. If you were there, that means you were headed to the gallery. The tickets were meant to be for Mane, Snap and Scootaloo. They only accepted to keep appearances but they never actually planned to attend. I knew you'd sniff out whatever bullshit story they'd cook up about not going, and from there who knows what you'd do next."

"That is when I realised you could be of some use to us," Luna spoke softly. She seemed hesitant, almost as if she was being careful with her words.

"What?" Noctis and Gulliver asked simultaneously.

"I apologise to both of you, but this was all decided at the final moment. I wanted you all to maintain the charade as long as possible."

"You've known about me since I arrived. You've had me tagged since I stepped off the train. You incorporated me into your plan." Question spoke slowly as he let it all settle in. "You were taking a chance on me."

"You're not the only gambler in the room," Luna said with a smug smile. "As I said, Lens spoke highly of you. Yet it was a gamble to let you run amok. You have surpassed all my expectations, Detective. You have sped up our investigation efforts tenfold."

"Of course! You must have anticipated it would take weeks at least to get a firm confirmation the painting was forged. Yet I forced things along far quicker than Counter Fiet could prepare for. He was isolated from his lawyers and anypony he had in his pocket."

"Wait a second… Did you call for me?" Gumshoe cut in, suddenly feeling rather small himself.

"Who?"

"The Princess. I wasn't meant to be on call tonight, but I received a message directed to me specifically to bring the guard to the museum. I thought you sent it to me!"

"Nah, that was me," Lens explained. "You're the one inspector in this city that would stick their neck out for Question. Had to be you or this would have got a lot trickier."

"I fear I come across as quite duplicitous," Luna confessed. "I have lived in the shadows my entire life. My work has always been out of sight. Yet now I will tell you all the rest." She turned towards the reporters and flashed her horn. "Thank you for attending this evening, you are no longer required."

The reporters vanished and so did the guard. Unseen to the small gathering, everypony who had puffed out of existence remerged outside the museum entranceway, struggling to process what had just occurred. All that was left were the key players in this strange little game, all huddled around the Princess as she nudged Noctis forward.

"It is time," she said.

"Are you sure?"

"It is only right."

"Yes, of course," she acknowledged, doubt still dripping from her voice. "Detective, you asked me how I was certain that the painting was a forgery?"

"I did."

"I knew because I know that painting very well. I was the one who painted it."

A strange silence fell upon them. It allowed Question the moment he needed to digest her words. The implication was astonishing, if not assuredly untrue. Yet with the way she held on to this confession, she at the very least believed it with her very soul. Seemingly so did Princess Luna as she made no attempt to correct her. He looked the others in the eyes, most seemed skeptical, yet he still held onto her conviction.

"To clarify, you were the one who painted this portrait a thousand years ago?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"First you must understand something that is not public knowledge," Luna stepped in. "I was technically not the only one sent into banishment. Many joined me in their own self-imposed exile."

"We could not join her ladyship on the moon, so we replicated the method Celestia used. We transformed ourselves into stone that would release us on the day of her Majesty's return."

"You became statues?"

"A similar method was used upon Discord," Luna added. "As I understand it, they hid themselves in what would become the catacombs of this very city. Left untouched the entire time."

"And you were one of her loyal subjects?" Question asked Noctis.

"Yes. I make no secret that I adore Princess Luna. I painted that piece on the eve of her final moment before her transformation into Nightmare Moon. I wanted to capture the sorrow and madness in her eyes. Her silent passion. I still consider it my finest work."

"So you had your own army ready when you came back to earth?" Blueberry stepped forward.

Luna threw a curious eye towards her, noting that her hoodie was now inside out. Blueberry recoiled at the intensity of her stare. Yet the Princess drew back and smiled.

"I did not know of them until I had reverted back from my maddening state. I truly thought I was alone upon my return."

"That's why there were Shadow Bolts all those years ago!" Dash shouted. She jumped up and down in excitement as she put two and two together. "They tried to get me to join them. I only just realized how weird it was there was already a whole flying squad for you."

"Again, I was unaware of their existence. Most of my subjects reverted back far from the Everfree Forest. The Shadowbolts were likely the quickest to actually catch up to me and attempted to intervene on my behalf."

"That also explains their attitude," Spitfire muttered. "The way they did things seemed really old fashioned. It's all making too much sense."

"Once we gained our bearings and figured out what had happened, we felt defeated…" Noctis hung her head low. "To learn that all our waiting was for nothing as Luna seemingly betrayed all she stood for, to put it simply, it crushed our spirits. We split apart in search of new homes, fresh starts in an unfamiliar world."

"Once I was reinstated as Princess, myself and Tia looked over Twilight Sparkles report on the matter and discovered the mention of Shadowbolts. I have been systematically attempting to contact any who awoke in this strange time with me. I have found many of my kin, but many others have chosen to remain in shadow."

"So what of this family you spoke of?" Question pressed Noctis. "Did they wake up alongside you?"

"They really are my family, or rather my descendants. I had no one you see, but with public records I was able to trace my family line all the way to a small community at the edge of Equestria."

"Never say the record keepers of this country aren't efficient," Daedalus muttered.

"Convincing them we were related was tricky, but eventually they allowed me to stay. The rest is what I told you. I encountered Princess Luna again, but of course she recognised me from before."

"What a strange story," Question mused. "Who would have thought the Baron's demise was caused by events put in motion a thousand years prior. His family was likely a criminal clan that helped fund this city on the ruins of Luna's defeat. Almost poetic."

"I think its just dumb luck," Dash added.

"Thank you, Rainbow," her coltfriend replied dryly.

"So what now?" Scootaloo spoke up, growing a little bored of all the talking.

"Now I must take my leave," Luna answered. "It will be morning soon and there is still much to do. Before I go however, there is something I wish to say to all of you…"

"You do?" Blueberry trembled, realising the Princess was turning to her.

"Yes, little one. For you I will give you a little bit of advice. You can not wash yourself in the waters of hate and walk away clean. Take that from somepony who learned the hard way."

Blueberry did not respond, she instead hung her head low and let the words settle over her. Luna switched her gaze towards Spitfire who stared up at her defiantly.

"Your Highness," she curtly greeted.

"For you, Captain, an apology. I was wrong in how I handled your group. What I said in that interrogation room was the truth, that it was meant as a lesson. Yet I acknowledge I went the worst way about it. If you would entertain the notion, I would like to start again. With me, you and the Shadowbolts as well."

"I will consider it," Spitfire replied. It was a non-committal answer, yet Question suspected Luna's words had broken through Spitfire's feathered exterior.

"And Soarin, look after her. If nothing else, Spitfire is a mare who has chosen her allies well."

"I always will, your highness." Soarin let off a goofy grin as his Captain lightly punched him in the shoulder.

"You are the one called Sweet Nothings?" Luna addressed the white mare.

"I am, your Highness," she answered with a curtsey.

"All I will say is when you have inevitably served your time, choose your allies more wisely, and use your mind for something a bit more constructive." She noted a flash of irritation across Sweet's maw, who corrected herself and bowed again. "Then we have you, Gumshoe."

"Me, mam?"

"Yes, you. It takes a lot of courage to do what you did today. Question Mark is lucky to have a friend like you."

"Damn straight he is," the Inspector beamed.

"Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, you above all represent an ideology I hold most dear to my heart. Not once did you abandon your 'friend' despite his less than friendly deposition. Next time though, don't be afraid to clip him around the ear."

"Yes, Mam," Rainbow saluted, making Question feel suddenly unsafe.

"Little Scootaloo, you have a bright future ahead of you no matter what path in life you take. Hold onto your loved ones, to your friends and extended family and they will help carry you to the pony you are meant to be."

"Yes, Mam," Scootaloo perfectly mimicked Rainbow Dash, earning a chuckle out of her idol.

"And lastly, Question Mark," Luna seemed strangely cold to him. He felt himself shiver under her glare. "Be careful of the secrets you keep. We all hide things from one another, but there is a time and place to show our true face. Otherwise, it may be too late."

Her words. Those damn words. Showing his true face. She knew. Both Daedalus and Question knew that she knew. For the Detective he had no clue how, yet Daedalus was fully aware. If Luna had been involved in the royal wedding she would have sussed out the fake Candice easily. She knew the signs and tells of his people, and even a spell of two that can pierce behind the veil. And she had learned them all from the King himself.

Question Mark could feel eyes upon him. None more prominent than Rainbow's who's suspicion felt like a burning mark against his skin. Then Luna smiled at him and the tension settled quickly.

"Yet you have a good heart. The passion I felt from you burned so brightly it would rival my sister. Carry that with you no matter where you go and I think you will turn out just fine. It was a pleasure, Detective."

She bowed her head to him and Question swallowed the lump in his throat. The surrealness of a changeling being shown such respect by the highest authority of ponykind had not fully settled into him. He chose to bow back and leave it there.

"Now I must depart. Farewell everypony." She looked ahead of her as Deadalus met her gaze. She paused for just a moment, and if the old ling didn't know better, he swore she smiled at him. In a burst of light, Luna vanished, along with all her conspirators, minus Mane Allgood and Snap Shutter. Daedalus felt a twinge against his heart as she left him behind once more.

"Well this has been a memorable evening," Sweet perked up. "I say we should all have a drink and-"

"Head straight to the station," Gumshoe cut in. "We got some questions first."

"Spoil sport," she pouted in response.

"What about me?" Blueberry asked.

"You? I should bring you in for breaking and entering and at minimum, conspiracy for assault as well…" He paused as he looked her up and down. "But it's not worth it. You get a warning, don't throw this away."

Blueberry said nothing back. She looked around the room, before nodding at Question Mark and walking out of the hall. Nopony stopped her. Question would never see her again. Gumshoe and Sweet followed behind. Sweet gave Question one last sultry look as she departed, and a wink to Rainbow which made the cyan mare boil. Gumshoe gave Question a tip of his hat and stopped at the entranceway.

"Before you leave the city, I better get a pint from you. You owe me."

"Consider it done," Question smiled back.

"And i think we have some long overdue catch up time with our little Dingo," Shutter announced as he rubbed Scootaloo's belly.

"We have our own hotel room with a bed just for you, how about staying with us till you have to go back home?" Allgood added with a nuzzle.

"Can I!?" Scootaloo jumped up and hugged her parents, her joy overwhelming her. She looked back at Scootaloo and Question and settled down. "Can I?" She asked now with less certainty.

"Of course, Squirt," Dash spoke through gritted teeth. "You have fun with your folks."

Scootaloo leapt on her father's back as she began to ask a thousand questions at once. Her hyperactive voice disappeared into the distance as Dash and Quest stood still in the middle of the room. They were the last two standing. With a look they gave each other a strained smile.

"Bedtime?" He asked

"Totally," she groaned. "I feel like I could sleep till winter."

The outside of the museum was truly a crime scene. Caution tape was everywhere and the ruckus had drawn the attention of more reporters and even a small crowd. Rainbow and Question flew away the moment they went through the doors. The journey back to the hotel room was a somber one. Both ponies had so much to say, yet neither was quite able to form it into words. So they settled instead of an uncomfortable silence. Daedalus followed quietly along, his heart filled with a complex feeling he dared not delve into.

Neither bothered checking back in at the front, instead they landed at the bedroom balcony and walked inside. The awkwardness did not subside. They pondered around the place, until each one reached their bedroom door. Question pawed at the handle, feeling he had to say something before drifting off to sleep.

"Quest?" He heard her call out to him.

"Yes?"

"I didn't know you could be a jerk like that." He felt like a dagger had plunged in his heart. Lost in his other side he forgot how his words and actions could affect others. "But I can be a jerk too."

"Don't say that."

"It's true. I've been a real jerk to my friends before. I'll probably be again. I don't hate you, and I'm not mad anymore. I just want you to know that."

"You shouldn't forgive me so easily. That was all on me tonight, not you. I was selfish and reckless. I could have gotten you hurt."

"I wouldn't have done anything different. And even if you were an ass, you were pretty cool."

"Cool? You thought I was cool?"

"Don't make me say it twice," she snorted. He smiled back at her and they fell into silence again.

"Well, it's been a long night. We should-"

"I love you too."

Time froze. The machinations of Question's brain gave in at the mention of those words. In this fleeting moment he had forgotten what he said to her back at the museum. In a second of joy and realisation, he had confessed to her what he was unsure he was ready to say. He felt a momentary panic, qualmed by a sudden disbelief over what Rainbow had just uttered.

"... What did you say?"

"I love you too." Her cheeks were rosey red, but she didn't look away from him.

They moved without thinking, walking up to one another as the world faded away. They kissed and kissed again. Neither wanted it to end. They pressed against one another so tightly it was as if they feared that the other might vanish before them. In the midst of their passionate moment, they had failed to notice their hotel room door slowly open.

"ARE YOU TWO DATING!?"

Scootaloo stood at the doorway with her parents in tow. It did not take long for Question to piece together that they likely popped in to grab Scoot's things. Rainbow looked down at her biggest fan in sheer embarrassment and then buried her head in her coltfriends shoulder.

"Kill me…"

Before the scene could play out any further, Daedalus noticed that it was starting to wash away. He was finally free to move on from this period of time. There was a sudden loneliness in his soul, but as he watched Rainbow remain close to her stallion, he couldn't help but smile. He whistled an old tune as the world fell apart. An old song from a time long since forgotten, one he suspected only one of other being might still remember.
> Brother, Where Art Thou?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Rainbow's story came to a close, she found herself growing strangely numb. She could recall so vividly the embarrassment of the moment, yet the strength of her joy from being so close to her coltfriend. These two emotions formed a mixture that dulled all her senses. Even now it was a strange word for her. Coltrfriend; just the mention of it caused her sense of reality to falter. She felt weightless, peaceful, but dulled and mindless.

The gawking stares of her friends would ordinarily rattle her, yet she felt nothing from them. They were unreadable, shockingly neutral. They looked just like she felt. They looked at one another, each unsure who should break the silence.

"That's a mighty tall tale," AJ finally drawled out. "Kinda hard to believe."

"We have no reason to doubt Rainbow," Rarity interjected quickly. "Though I am surprised just how little I have heard about all this."

"Ain't saying she's lying. Just a lot to swallow."

"It sounded very intense," Fluttershy spoke. "I'm glad you all got out okay."

"It was no sweat," Rainbow assured her friend. "We had it all under control."

"Barely from the sounds of it," Rarity added.

"So it was a gamble, that's what makes it fun!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Put a meanie in his place and got to be a hero for a day! Sounds like it worked out to me."

"Didn't make it smart neither," AJ muttered.

"I agree with Applejack on this one. If I recognised just how dangerous that situation could get, I would have at least had the courtesy of making sure those I cared about were clear of danger."

Rainbow winced as she sensed Rarity's disapproval. Since the beginning she had been her biggest advocate, yet she couldn't argue against her stance either. She felt a growing unease as the room grew colder.

"Well I think he was brave!" Fluttershy blurted out, startling everypony. Their eyes locked onto her as she quickly hid behind her mane. Ordinarily Fluttershy would have been paralysed by the attention, yet she continued on at the same pace. "It takes a lot to stand up to ponies like the Baron. Ponies who do whatever they want because they have all the bits in the world. We all could have stopped fighting for the sake of our loved ones, but we don't because we can't let ponies get away with bad things."

It was a simple point, yet it silenced the girls effectively. In the midst of this awkward moment, all of them missed what Twilight Sparkle held in her magic. Her eyes scanned the page as she began to read what lay upon it.

"The Trottingham museum got more than it bargained for on its opening night. What appeared to be a petty act of vandalism proved to be anything but as a criminal conspiracy was unearthed in the heart of our fair city."

"The heck did you get that?" AJ barked as she pointed at the Trottingham gazette.

"Spike got it for me. He's been collecting source material while Rainbow's been speaking." With her explanation, she continued on. "Trottingham's own Baron Counter Fiet, was arrested this evening under charges of fraud. Details remain slim at this time, however what is known is the Baron was whisked away under prison carriage to the hospital with a possible concussion."

"Did that thing just say slim details?" AJ questioned. "Did those darn reporters hear a single thing back in that museum?"

"Applejack, they can't say anything definitive until anything is settled in court."

"Indeed, one risks being sued for libel that way," Rarity explained further. "Not to mention the connection to royalty, I imagine they would have to go through the palace first to print anything directly involving Princess Celestia or Luna. Better to give what details you can and split out the story over time."

Twilight turned the paper around to show her friends. The front page had a most interesting picture, the Baron was front and centre, his jaw being clipped by the forearm of who Twilight recognised as Blueberry. In the very back of the shot, Rainbow was able to make out Question Mark. There was no further doubt in Twilight's mind the identity of Rainbow's lover. She had definitely seen him in her library before and now all the clues pointed directly to him.

"Well I'll be…" AJ trailed off as she stared at the picture. "You really weren't fibbing."

"So what happened to Blueberry then?" Fluttershy asked.

"Dunno, didn't hear much about anything after," Dash confessed.

"Well thankfully, my little helper has dug up the dirt on all of that too," Twilight revealed, showing off another sheet of paper.

"Woo! Spike's on fire today!" Pinkie whooped. The tiny dragon would have appreciated it, but he was currently napping on his basket after working overtime all morning.

"Blueberry Crush reportedly left Trottingham soon after the incident and travelled to find distant relatives on the Pony/Griffon borders. Despite little prior relationship between the two, they gave her work on their farm. Funnily enough, a blueberry farm."

"Oh so that's why she was called that. Her mom must have been from there," Fluttershy surmised.

"Yes, and apparently she has revitalised the homestead with a series of berry themed slushies that are slowly making their way across Equestria."

"Good for her. Better than just roving the streets and shouting at other ponies," Pinkie added.

"Currently, Baron Fiet is in the midst of his first preliminary trial. The prosecution is confident that most of the charges will stick. The witness, Sweet Nothings is likely to get considerable time off her sentence for her confession, yet is almost assuredly set to serve at least a few years of jail time."

"Can't lie, I kinda feel sorry for her," AJ muttered.

"I don't," Rainbow grumbled.

"How come, dear?" Rarity asked Applejack.

"All her life she's been lying. Ain't no way to live. You lose yourself and everypony 'round you. Eventually, you can't tell what's real no more."

"Petty Cash was released from the ICU shortly after being emitted and has created a new lawsuit against Baron Fiet, he might win this one as well, or at least finally get a payout so Fiet can get him off his back with all his other legal issues."

"I doubt he's none better than Fiet," Aj grumbled.

"Maybe not, but maybe he had a case after all, "Fluttershy acknowledged.

"Blabber Mouth and Tattle Tale are set to serve at least ten years for their spree of robberies. They both tried to get a plea deal by ratting on the other. Coincidentally, they have both filed for divorce."

"Divorce party!?"

"No!" Everypony else said firmly to the pink pony.

"And of course there are the Wonderbolts who are still touring as usual. While no show has yet to be planned with the Shadowbolts, there have been rumors of co-training sessions to build familiarity. Lastly, there hasn't been a peep from either Gulliver or Noctis apart from what they've said on the stand, but if they're working for Princess Luna I'm sure they're alright," Twilight finished. "Counter and Sweet were the main culprits so it makes sense why they were talked about in more detail, I suspect Blueberry only has her mention because of her relation to the culprit."

"And the fact she decked him on the front page," Rainbow snickered

"Yes, that too," Twilight laughed as well.

"So that's it then?" AJ asked.

"The legal process is often slow. It needs to be in order to give all parties adequate time to deal with a case. It may take years before Counter Fiet ever sees justice," Twilight explained.

"What if he isn't found guilty?" Fluttershy asked.

"That is a real possibility. But if Princess Luna is focused squarely on the Baron, I think his chances are pretty poor, don't you?"

A thunderous growl emerged across the room. The source, Pinkie's stomach, was joined quickly by Rainbow's and then AJ's. Everypony stared at one another in shared acknowledgement of their next course of action.

"I think a snack break is in order, don't you all agree?" Rarity teased.

"Woohoo!" Pinkie cheered. "I'll be right back!"

In the space of roughly three seconds, Pinkie Pie leapt out the nearest window and back through said window, now with a freshly baked pie for each of her friends. Twilight felt the logical parts of her brain strain against what she witnessed, but suppressed her urge to delve further into the impossible mystery of her friend.

For a moment, there was normalcy amongst the mares. There were no uncomfortable talks over the love of the enemy, nor recounting a yarn about finding the one you'd given your heart to. It was like before; the six of them against the world. Rainbow was thankful for the respite most of all, as she knew the next part of her story would be the hardest to tell.





Athena had not been home for some time. It had been so long in fact that it felt less like she lived there, and more that it was a place of occasional refuge. Regardless she did not care for it, and would avoid any chance she got to return. Extra shifts, nights over with colleagues and friends, her time away had made her more fearful than ever of stepping inside this place. Yet she had no reason, no excuse, to avoid it today.

A ling's home was created by themselves. They were given a section of the hive to carve out as they pleased and make it their own. In a way they were more like a series of apartment blocks stacked upon one another, each a unique design and placement. As long as one did not dig into their neighbours' lot, there was peace, and some did so intentionally to invite them over for a drink.

She stepped inside and was greeted with the familiar scent of lavender. To most a pleasing smell, yet that too she had grown to loathe. It brought back bad memories. The door creaked loudly and she knew already that she had been heard. Footsteps approached swiftly and she took in a sharp breath as a pair of forearms enveloped her.

"Welcome home," Her mother spoke softly. Rhea pressed against her tightly, threatening to crush her carapace. "Where have you been?"

"Working, mother."

"I got that part, but all day everyday?"

"It's a demanding job, Mother."

Rhea let go and stepped back, marveling at her daughter's growth. She had only one litter of eggs, and only two survived. Rhea had been content with this though, opting to spoil her children rotten as her husband disapproved.

"Your brother will be happy to see you," she said.

"... I'm sure he will," Athena said softly.

The Guard Captain looked past her mother and into the living room, it remained the same as before. A picture of her deceased father, the only one remaining, lay at the top of the mantle. Surrounded by numerous pictures of her and her brother. The rest of the room was sparsely decorated, only for basic comfort. They would tell visitors that they liked to keep things simple, the truth was they had no money for anything nicer. Even with Athena's sizable pay, her own Mother had come to believe in the lie.

"Are you staying for tea?" Her mother pried.

"I don't know."

"Oh?"

"I might be meeting someone," she replied unsure of herself. She felt the letter tucked into her breast plate. It said to meet at 4pm, she had only half an hour to decide if she had any chance to make it on time.

"Well before you go, say hello to your Brother," she lingered for a moment, before quietly adding "please."

She shuffled away towards the kitchen. Athena sighed heavily, knowing full well there was no getting out of it now. She breathed through her teeth and held her breath in before heading towards the downstairs bedroom. The door was open, it nearly always was, not that the ling inside would ever leave on their own. It was just Mom's way of saying that visitors were always welcome to say hello.

Athena poked an eye over the door frame and there he was, her little brother, looking outside the window. Yet she knew he never saw anything, never took the sight in. She wondered if he could tell anything apart at all.

"Hey," she said softly. He did not respond.

She stepped inside and observed the meager, childish surroundings. His physical body had long outgrown the room with his gimmicked bed, the pinned up drawings on the wall, the baby blue curtains and the old toys on the floor. Athena never saw the point in them, it's not like he would ever play with them again.

"How are you?" She began, rehearsing a story she had told a thousand times over. She took the open chair that always remained beside him. "I'm doing well, I left work early for a change. It's been a long day."

Her brother continued to stare out the window. Sometimes she could look past the dead eyes, the drool from his mouth, the hole in his head, and see the lively little ling that bounded around the house. Yet she would always be dragged back to reality. She might as well be speaking to a ghost.

"Is the weather treating you well? I think I saw mother take you out for a stroll once or twice during my patrols. The fresh air must be good."

The ghost did not respond. He was simply there, or wasn't at all, depending on one's viewpoint. Athena carried on anyway.

"I don't know if she's dared to take you beyond the hive yet. Even on her own she wouldn't even go near the border anymore. It's been years since I did too. You remember? When I was still in training, the final drills took place in the Everfree. I can scarcely remember what the wind felt like or the sun against my carapice. I nearly froze the moment I stepped outside…"

Then she paused, paused longer than she had meant to. Her brain struggled against something. An insidious memory crawling in her brain. Everytime she would push it back down, but not here. Never here. Only here would it flourish, would she vent about it, would she let it take her over.

"Speaking of… I've been thinking of that day a lot lately. I keep looking to the future, and I hate how much it's rooted to the past." She could see the fields, her Mother's warnings to not stray too far, her brother laughing and taking one step too many. "I keep thinking what would I be if not for that day? Would I have travelled? Got into cooking? Would I have ever joined the guard?"

She can see the stranger in the distance, a frightened hunter of the many pony tribes with too itchy of a trigger hoof. The bolt leaves the crossbow, and history is forever cemented. She kicks at her own chair in frustration, after all these years, Athena could never stop herself hitting something when the moment crossed her mind.

"Then when I doubt it I think about what you should have been. You could be anything you wanted, everything I wanted and more, and then I remember why. Why I wanted to defend our home, lead a conquest on those who hurt you… but that's a fantasy. I'm stuck in a castle, looking after a monarch who's biggest problem is what he has for breakfast that morning. The same monarch that keeps us hidden against those who would oppress us." she spat the words. "Maybe Chrysalis wasn't wrong about everything."

If any Ling, no matter their position, heard her speak the way she did about Daedalus, she would not have a job the next day. This was her safe place. Her brother who would never judge or question her words. He was her own personal therapist.

"You must be so bored of my stories, you've heard it all before," she sighed. "I never know what else to say. I know you can hear me, but you can't register a thing I've said. You're not even my brother anymore. Just a thing, a lump of flesh mother keeps around for comfort. Everytime I look at you I get sad, then I get angry. So angry. I can't hold it down much longer, I can't hold onto this burden."

She reached for the letter, still tucked away safely. She dared not bring it out again, not even here, but she felt for its texture, she found herself more and more assured and what she was about to do next. She got up from her seat and pressed her snout against the lifeless form of her brother.

"I have something to do, I do not know what is to come of it, but even if it is nothing, I will never forget what they did to you. I will never forgive what they took from me and Mother. I will not forget who you were. I will carry that toward whatever comes next."

Quickly she left the room. She knew she had to or she might break, she spared one final glance to her Brother, still staring out the window. Then she moved with purpose towards the kitchen, knowing she could delay not longer. In reality she still had plenty of time, but whenever Athena had a task or goal in mind, no force could slow her from reaching it as swiftly and efficiently as possible.

"I will not be staying," she announced as she stepped inside.

Rhea looked up from her meal prep. That was an instant look of disappointment, quickly masked away by motherly concern. She stepped away from the counter and approached her daughter carefully, almost as if she were walking up to a dangerous animal.

"You should eat something," she suggested.

"I eat everyday."

"How many times a day?"

"That's none of you concern-"

"I am your Mother. Of course it's my concern. Would it really be so bad to spend one meal with your family?"

Athena bowed her head in shame. She had been neglectful, she knew it to be true, but found it difficult to accept that truth. It fought against her distant nature, her pride, to treat her own blood this way. Yet even after all this time she struggled to be alone in a room with any of them for too long. She had cousins she had not seen in nearly a decade that she used to play with any chance she got. Now they were strangers.

"I'm sorry, I have somewhere important to be?"

"Is this work related?"

Athena could never outright lie to her Mother. At best, she could get away with half-truth's or vague answers, which only amplified her deceit. "It's somewhat related to work, an offer I got at the end of my shift."

"Are you meeting up with friends?"

"I do not know inherently if they are friend or foe, just supposedly they are like-minded."

"They don't exactly sound friendly," her mother dryly commented. "Well I can't exactly force feed you like you're an infant, as long as you have love in your system, that will have to do. Just be careful, okay?"

Rhea turned away from her daughter and returned to her prep. Athena hesitated before she left, casting an eye between her mother and the front door. While her back was turned, Athena snuck up behind her mother and hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry," was all she said.

"I know," was all her Mother had to say back. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Athena let go and walked towards the front door. She felt for the letter, knowing now was do or die. She gave one last look toward the kitchen and doubt settled in, maybe it would be best to just stay for dinner after all? Yet Athena was a ling who could never help but wonder, what if? And if she didn't go today, she knew it would add another question she would wonder about for the rest of her life. She swallowed the lump in her throat and stepped out the door, hoping she would not regret what she was about to do.





The snack break was over and Rainbow Dash had returned to the most important part of their story, just as Daedalus had reached the same point as well. The train rolled back into Ponyville just as he emerged. Judging by the sun it was mid-afternoon and it didn't take the King long to spot Question, Rainbow and Scootaloo exiting the carriage.

The rest of their holiday had been a memorable one. Scootaloo remained with her parents for most of her birthday, giving RD and Quest plenty of alone time. The pair had explored every inch and corner of Trottingham. It had gone so well that Rainbow even found herself musing on the idea of living there someday. Though Question was less enthusiastic about the premise, muttering about a promise of 'never going backward.'

It had also been refreshing for the young couple to not have to hide their relationship anymore. They were able to walk down the streets, tail within tail as the rest of the world was none the wiser. Even if some knew who Rainbow Dash was, she had learned long ago that most ponies seemingly didn't care. That was enough for her. It took all her willpower to avoid pressing herself close to Question as they stepped back into town. She focused on her surroundings, fully expecting to see Pinkie with a welcome home party just for her. Yet the pink pony was nowhere to be found, neither were any of her other friends. For once, they must have been too busy to greet her.

Scootaloo was another factor. Before they returned home, Rainbow had taken her little sister to the side and explained that she was keeping her relationship with Question 'low-key' and wanted it to remain that way. When Scoot asked why, Dash struggled for an answer. Why was she so afraid? The question had bothered her since they departed. The only answer she could gleam was she was afraid it all might end before she knew it, and wanted to minimise the shame and disappointment.

"I've actually missed this," Question mused.

"Missed what?" Dash asked.

"That smell. Clean, countryside air. Nothing like it. I don't miss the smog back home."

"It wasn't that bad."

"Trust me, when you live there long enough, you can smell nothing else."

"You're not the only one," Daedalus commented as he joined them. "Not exactly the most pleasing of odors."

Rainbow gave Question a nuzzle, before quickly correcting herself and checking if anypony saw. She couldn't help herself, these displays of affection were so unlike her, yet they felt like nothing else. It wasn't a rush like soaring through the air, it was warm and humbling. She felt safe, secure, and most importantly of all; happy.

They had grown so much closer. Yet she could not deny there was still something in the way. They had hashed out his behaviour during the mystery, even to the point where they could laugh about it now. However, the moment at the alleyway still preyed on her mind. It was such a dark reaction to such a dreary place, yet so unlike Question Mark. There was anger, shame and dread behind that stare. She had prodded him about it, but he spoke no further on the matter. Either he would pretend to not understand, or ignore her entirely.

"You got everything from the train?" His query snapped her free of her daze. She initially thought he was talking to her, till she noticed his attention on Scootaloo.

"Yes sir!" She saluted as she tugged at her saddlebag. "Everything is accounted for."

"Good, you heading off?"

"Yeah, gonna meet up with Sweetie and Applebloom. They're gonna be so jealous!" She pulled out the front page article of their adventure, Scootaloo was just visible in the frame of the photo.

"I bet they will," he smiled back.

"Also I've got a new idea for a cutie mark!"

"Uh oh, it doesn't involve bees again, does it Squirt?" Dash asked hesitantly.

"Nah, just magnifying glasses and smoking pipes. CUTIE MARK CRUSADER SUPER SLEUTHS YAY!" She screeched as she ran away from the station, waving them goodbye in the distance.

"You're too young to smoke!" Question bellowed.

"Back in my day, they would give you a pipe moments after you hatched," Daedalus chuckled. "Had to stop that after all the fires." He stopped laughing, grimacing at the memory. There had been a lot of fires.

"Don't sweat it, they're probably just gonna use the ones that blow bubbles… probably."

"Probably?"

"What can I say?" She shrugged. "They really commit to the whole bit."

Question Mark narrowed his eyes towards the spot Scootaloo used to be. He focused on the last image he had of her, the way she beamed up at him. It was night and day compared to how she first regarded the Detective. He smiled at that.

"Don't tell anyone I said this, but it's kinda cute," Rainbow whispered.

"What is?" He whispered back, genuinely clueless.

"C'mon, you really didn't notice?"

"No, I mean I think she likes me now if that's what you're referring to."

"It's not just that. She doesn't just like you, she wants to be like you."

"... I don't smoke."

"Not like that," she chortled, punching him lighting in his foreleg. "When she looks at you, it's the same way she looks at me. You're kinda like her hero."

"Never been called that before," he grimaced. "Never thought I would be either."

"You should be. You've done more good than you know," Daedalus muttered.

There was an awkward pause that took both of them off-guard. Not only did Rainbow not know what she could say after a statement like that, but now they were back in town the only natural course would be for them to go their separate ways. She did not want to. She looked around the station, nopony was paying her any mind.

"Hey, did you wanna come over to mine tonight?"

Her words broke Question free from his slump. He smiled and went to say yes, when suddenly he felt a chill travel through his spine. His fur stood on end, his stomach twisted in a knot, his heartbeat quickened and he knew instantly what was happening. He was being watched. This was not a changeling's instinct, this was a detective's intuition. He had felt this way before, when someling took ill of what he was doing and went to shut him up. His eyes darted about but nopony stood out as obvious. There were only a few souls hanging around the station and all of them were definitely typical residents he had seen before.

"Heeellllloooo? Earth to Quest!" Rainbow waved a hoof over his face, trying to get his attention.

"What?"

"You zoned out there."

"Right, sorry," he muttered, still paying her little attention.

Rainbow was not the only one to notice her coltfriend's sudden shift in mood. Daedalus looked over his subject with caution. He noticed his attention was everywhere but Rainbow and he attempted to follow his line of sight, but could see nothing of note.

"So that's a no then?" Rainbow prodded further, starting to feel a little frustrated.

"That might be best. I'm not quite in the mood tonight. Think I'm just… tired." It was still there. He could feel eyes on him. He had to break away now. "I'll talk to you later." Quickly he pecked her on the cheek, so fast that unless you were paying attention you would have missed it, and took off without much more or a goodbye.

Rainbow watched him walk away. Her eyebrow raised and rubbing the spot where he had kissed her, she was annoyed to say the least. However, she understood the need for alone time, and she could do with a nap herself, so with a shrug she shot into the air and back to her home. Question felt a gust of wind strike him from where Rainbow had taken off. He kept walking and no matter how far he got, he knew in the pit of his soul that he was still being watched. He took the slow route back to his humble abode. Daedalus was not the only one to follow him. Another stood in the distance, always just out of sight.