Once again returned to the dark lair, the pony who called himelf Gabby slammed the poster down onto a blackened table, hissing all the while like a boiling kettle.

"...Those insolent foals... how dare they criticize me... " he muttered angrily under his breath. "How dare they!"

They knew. Somehow, they knew that he didn't want to use his trump card: to publish all the secrets those morons on the throne kept hidden away. What kind of world would he live in without the Princesses on the throne? It was too soon... too soon...

He snarled, and pulled a small book from a shelf, sliding it open. If he couldn't reveal the secrets of the Princess sisters, then he'd sure as Tartarus write about every other pony in Ponyville.

He began to cackle.

"Fluttershy... what do you think will happen to your animals when they're taken from you, hmm? The musician... ha, yes, that is one secret too many, you lying tramp. Those filthy Cakes... Liars! They're all liars!"

He got to work, screaming something between a wail of agony and a maddening laugh.

"Liars!

Rainbow Dash realized rather painfully that the room they were in was far too small to accomodate both her and Private Eye, a rather bulky pony. Featherweights room was quite adequate for a child his age, not to mention slight frame, but two other adults made the situation untenable.

Rainbow winced as she recalled her first encounter with a small toy brick she had stood on. Those little things hurt.

"Okay, Featherweight. You told us to come here... what do you have for us?" she asked. She already knew why Featherweight asked them to come to his house instead of their headquarters: school began in a half hour and it was a long walk to Carrot Top's house.

The colt pulled out a few pictures he had taken. They were of all the ponies that weren't at the charity event. All those ponies that were in Ponyville in secret, and that Featherweight had found.

"I got everypony, I'm sure of it. Some of them were hard to find, too... but nopony can stay hidden forever."

Private Eye chuckled as he rifled through the photographs.

"Ever considered a career in the guard, kiddo?"

Featherweight beamed. Private raised his eyebrow as he pulled out a few select pictures.

"What in the hay is that thing?" he asked, amazed. Rainbow chuckled.

"Oh, that's Zecora. She lives in the forest, though, and I'd have noticed for sure if ink and printer deliveries went in there. It's not her."

Rainbow had decided to consider that Gabby might have been hiding during her stunt at the charity ball, especially after she had almost been unmasked. It was a possibility she didn't like to consider, since it meant that the suspects on her wall would get company soon, but Shining had eventually managed to convince her otherwise.

Private Eye pointed at another pony.

"Who's that?"

"She's called Lyra. Come to mention it, it doesn't surprise me too much that she was in hiding. Lyra is a bit of an odd bird."

Private Eye shrugged. "Well, we'll get back to that later. I was working a bit on my own, lately... trying to figure out more about Gabby's 'power'.

Rainbow frowned. She didn't like the idea that Gabby might be using a spell, or something... although given the circumstances, it seemed awfully likely. For somepony to get the darkest secrets in Equestria... it boggled the mind. It would either take incomparable patience, or access to sources beyond imagination.

"I decided to look at ponies with access to the kind of information that is being published. That means guards, doctors, and... Discord."

Rainbow already knew that it wasn't Discord: Celestia had been quite adamant on that point when she had asked permission to lead the task force.

"Why guards?" Featherweight asked.

"Well, they can get into Canterlot library. Celestia's secrets would probably be kept there, I'd imagine."

Rainbow nodded. "That makes sense, but I haven't seen any guards around town, and no sign that one was here recently." she said. "Doctors, on the other hoof..."

Featherweight piped up, a little concerned. "My dad's a doctor... does that mean he's a suspect?"

Rainbow fluttered her wings, her memory sliding around into place. Featherweight's father... slight, pale... he had been at the event... but it wasn't him. He didn't fit. No ink, no printer parts... he was most likely clean.

Rainbow rubbed her eyes. If she had just missed some crucial detail, then maybe her whole investigation would fall apart. It was risky... too risky. She had been feeling very tired lately, and she had been using her eyes far more often than usual. What if they were getting weaker?

"Uhm... I don't think so, kid." she placated. To Private, she added: "Any other doctors you can think of?"

"I have a list." he said. "All practising doctors in Ponyville."

"What if Gabby is just a really good spy?" Featherweight asked.

Or if she really is magical?

"Then we'll have to rely on my eyes instead." Rainbow said. She yawned. How early was it? Early enough for Gabby to have not posted one of her accursed leaflets yet, that was for sure.

"Here." Private grunted, handing Rainbow the list. "Anypony you can cross off?"

Just about everypony, unfortunately.

Rainbow rubbed her eyes again. They must be bright red by now. She'd look like she hadn't slept properly in days...

Everypony froze as they heard somepony come up the stairs. Featherweight panicked.

"Oh no! It's my dad! If he finds out I'm working with you guys I'm done for!"

Rainbow and Private Eye both looked around for someplace to hide. Whilst they weren't afraid of Featherweights father, they were more afraid of what would happen to the kid if Gabby found out he was working with them. She didn't seem the type to care about hurting children. She had hurt pretty much everypony else, after all. Why not a child?

Private ducked under Featherweight's quilt, and the young colt threw a few pillows and bags over him to avoid looking suspicious. Rainbow dove out the window, using her wings to hold herself aloft. The door opened.

Featherweight's father was a tall, slender stallion, as pale as his son but with a rather reddish mane. Rainbow scrutinized him: as a doctor, he would have access to the sort of secrets Gabby liked to publish: births, deaths, genetic heritage...

There were a few holes in the theory, though. The very first published secret was how Filthy Rich had gotten his fortune, which had nothing to do with medicine. Could Gabby have come by that secret on her own?

Rainbow groaned inwardly. She disliked Private Eye's method of theorizing. She preferred to trust in what she saw, but her eyes couldn't fix everything.

Her eyes scanned the stallion before her, her peripheral vision taking in all the details the rest of her eyesight could not. Every subtle movement, every smile, every micro-expression.

He's a perfectly sane and happy pony... if a little annoyed.

"Featherweight, you've got to come down and help out around the house sometime," he chided his son. Featherweight chuckled awkwardly, hoping that his father wouldn't notice the rather conspicuous lump under his quilt.

"Sorry, dad. Homework... and stuff."

More like police-work...

"Well, that's all right, I suppose," his father replied. "Can I see?"

Featherweight swallowed nervously. "Oh, I've just finished. It's just math: I can do math."

The doctor smiled. "Then you won't mind help prepare the dining room for your uncle this evening?"

"Not at all."

I guess that's our cue to leave...

Featherweight glanced at the window, almost apologetically. Rainbow imagined he wanted to continue helping them. In any case, his assistance had been invaluable: between his pictures and knowledge of Ponyville, he had advanced their case greatly. Private Eye, especially, had benefited from his knowledge.

Once the pair had gone, Private Eye threw the quilt off of him.

"Horseapples, that kid needs to wash more," he grunted. Making his way to the window, he held his hoof towards Rainbow Dash. "Help me down, would you?"

Both ponies trotted down the streets together, Private Eye still going on about his theories. Rainbow did her best to listen, but fatigue was catching up to her, and she could swear that she was sleepwalking some portions of the journey.

"Gabby being a doctor is the only solution that makes sense: after all, I can't think of that many other ways somepony would learn that Mayor Mare abandoned a child.

"Yeah, but I've been keeping an eye out on everypony, and nopony fits. Redheart is too bust: she works all night and doesn't have access to any sort of printer. Doc' Needle sleeps like a log. I catch glimpses of him sleeping from his window on fly-overs. And Featherweight's dad looks completely normal."

Private Eye nodded. "Okay, sure, fine. But how about anypony connected to those ponies?" he asked. "They could gain access to their files... that sort of thing."

"That's a lot of suspects."

Private Eye nodded. "Yes, but less than the whole town, which is what we're looking at for the moment! I think we've reached the limit of what you can do with those eyes of yours. It's time we fall back on my experience as a detective."

"I'm still pinpointing the location for the press. If we just continue on that angle, we can get her," Rainbow countered. Private Eye sighed.

"Well, there's no reason we can't do both."

Rainbow Dash harrumphed. Her mood was awful today, and she knew it.

"I guess. I'm going to get back to HQ and take a long nap. I think I need one."

Private Eye looked at the dark shadows under her eyes, and nodded. "I agree. I'll clear a space on the couch whilst I work through the possible suspects we gained."

That sounded like a good plan, as far as Dash was concerned. This was Private Eye's arena now.

If I hadn't let my identity slide earlier, I'd still be scrabbling in the dark. I really should have trusted Private and Shining from the start...

"Okay."

They then finished their trip in silence, their thoughts turning to more mundane matters.

Dammit... what time is it?

Rainbow's eyes snapped open, her memory flooding back to her like a cold shower. The warm sensation of sleep made every movement uncomfortable. Her mind slowly locked onto the gentle force applied to her shoulder.

Shining Armour...

The unicorn was leaning over her, gently shaking her awake.

"Wh-what? Do you have a lead?" she asked. She was back at their headquarters, above Carrot Top's house. Private Eye was there, too. He was poring over some documents and scribbling notes down, barely paying attention to the pair.

There was another pony there, too.

"Rainbow, somepony is here to visit you." Shining said with a smile. Rainbow widened her eyes, at the same time amazed and shocked. The pony that stood before her was none other than Princess Luna herself.

"Oh... uh, hi."

Very smooth, Dash. Very smooth.

The Princess smiled. "Good day to thee, Rainbow. We— I came to review your progress. Since it is our secrets that are apparently on the line."

Rainbow paled. She wasn't sure what to tell her... after all, they didn't have a definite lead on Gabby, and until they recieved a significant breakthrough they'd just be crunching numbers until they found a location. It was hardly inspiring stuff.

"Uh... well..." she began.

"I've been reviewing likely suspects for Rainbow Dash, your majesty." Private Eye told her, generously stealing the spotlight. "And I'm cross referencing them with ponies without alibis, thanks to Rainbow's special skill."

Luna brightened. "That sounds like progress to me. Does anypony stand out?"

Private Eye's face fell slightly. Rainbow garnered that he had been less than successful.

"Well, not so far. All the doctors are clean, as far as we know. Their relatives don't really fit the profile we're looking for, or live away from Ponyville." he said. "And since Rainbow has confirmed that Gabby is here..."

"I see." Luna said, a little more worried. "I wish I could be of assistance, but it seems out elusive culprit is a dreamless thing."

Rainbow Dash frowned. "Dreamless?"

"Yes. As you know, I am the guardian of the night and all sleeping ponies. I am entrusted with their dreams, hopes, fears... and secrets."

The pegasus went cold. Did that mean Luna knew?

The Princess smiled warmly, picking up on Rainbow's unease. "I meant nothing by it, aside from the fact that you and I are very much alike, young Rainbow."

That required some explanation, Rainbow thought. How was she like a thousand year alicorn princess who raised the moon every night?

"How so?" she asked, suspiciously.

"Your eyes give you power over those you see, much like myself. Their secrets are yours, and unlike this Gabby Gums, you are wise and kind to keep them," Luna explained. "I am glad that it was you blessed with this ability, and not some other."

Rainbow pondered that. It was true: she knew a lot more about her friends than she probably should. She could see their reactions before they said anything, and tell when they were lying. Coupled with a little investigative know-how and there wasn't much you could hide from her...

But she wasn't like Gabby, or Luna. She couldn't purposefully delve into the secrets of the ponies around her. She had been just as surprised as anypony when Applejack's secret had been revealed, or Twilights. They were all in the past, after all, and Rainbows vision couldn't see that far. Nopony could see that far.

"Do you know if there's a place where medical documents are kept?" Rainbow asked, a thought forming in her mind. "Specifically, dated records. Old ones."

"There are a few places. Medical records are always stored in individual hospitals, though. The sort of place you are thinking about sounds more like the Canterlot Legal Archive."

Rainbow frowned. "I was hoping for medical documents," she confessed, but what Luna said gave her an idea. She turned to Private Eye. "Can you hold the fort for a bit? I want to fly with Luna for a while."

Private nodded. "Sure thing. I might have to pop by Featherweights house later though. We left the pictures he took there, since we left in such a hurry."

Rainbow groaned. "Yeah, yeah, sure thing. I may be onto something."

The flight was peaceful, the skies unencumbered by the turmoil on the ground. Rainbow could see signs of distress here and there... Fluttershy's cottage was active, the Cake household was being turned upside down...

"What happened?" Rainbow asked. Luna handed her a small pamphlet.

"Oh," Rainbow muttered, reading it through. "Whoa. Fluttershy had to put down an entire family of animals? I can imagine that'll upset some ponies around here."

"She was doing them a kindness, I'm sure," Luna said. "Not many ponies will agree, however. It's often considered a legal offence."

Rainbow's heart stopped at the mention of the word 'legal'. Slowly but surely, the gears were turning in her mind.

"What about... let's see... Mrs. Cake concealed an abortion from her husband. That would leave a legal paper trail, correct?"

Luna nodded. "Yes, although they're confidential, of course."

"Yes, sure, but what if it was a long time ago? Eventually it gets moved to the archive, right?"

"Yes... it does."

Rainbow's breath was halted. Could Private Eye be right about Gabby being some sort of official, just looking on the wrong trail? Not in medical records, but legal ones?

Come to think of it, an inheritance was a legal affair. Maybe that would explain how Gabby knew about Filthy's dirty money... Adoption too... all of it left legal documents.

"All of it gets stored? Including Equestria's national secrets?"

"No. My sister told me for the few times she felt the need to be... less than honourable, she destroyed all evidence, in order to protect the names of the ponies involved in Equestria's defence."

If all the evidence was destroyed, then could Gabby have simply been... bluffing?

It made sense... with no way to contradict the claims, and with a solid reputation for honesty, there wasn't much Gabby could say that wouldn't be instantly believed. It was hypocritical to the extreme, however... fighting dishonesty with slander and libel.

"If it's all right with you, Princess, I need to get to Canterlot," she said. Luna nodded.

"Of course. Let's alter course—"

"Eh, I'll get there faster on my own. Thanks for the talk, though... and please tell Private I may have an idea."

The Canterlot Legal Archive looked like a prison... a holding place for the dark documents of the world. The justice system and administration had evolved to be flawless these days. There was a record of everything. Criminal offences, insurance, ownership... nothing anypony did honestly wouldn't leave a trail of words behind them.

It was almost laughable. For following the system, and complying with the law, most ponies were being punished for being liars. Rainbow strolled into the building, wondering what kind of madpony would think that her methods were justified.

"Can I get a list of your employees, please," Rainbow asked. Only a moment afterwards, she realized that she had let her identity slide. Her horror was quickly replaced by relief when she realized that the pony behind the desk sported massive glasses.

I bet she can barely see the hooves in front of her face.

"That'd be the employees from... how long ago?" the mare asked her. Rainbow raised her eyebrow.

"What? You're not gonna' ask me for ID, or something like that?"

"What good'd that do me? Employees are public citizens hired in the law sector. They wear badges: everypony has a right to know who they are."

"In that case... all of them. From the past twenty years."

The mare gaped.

"Twenty... that's a whole lot of 'em. You'll have a long evening of reading on your hooves, young lady."

Not if I read them whilst flying...

"I'll be fine."

It took a while for the names to be pulled up... but eventually, all the papers were in front of Rainbow on the desk. It was a good few inches high, and complete with photographs of the workers, too. There had to be ponies of all sorts in there... lawyers, janitors, secretaries...

"Thanks a bunch, miss."

Rainbow left, and instantly took flight, keeping the pages firmly between her hooves. If she flew quickly, she could be back at Ponyville in an hour... and be done with these papers too.

She began flicking through as she soared across the fields.

There are so many...

She concentrated on flying and let her peripheral vision do the rest. Names and faces started creeping into her mind, and she slowly started to piece together how many of them were relevant.

I might need to go over the list a few times to be sure...

Rainbow finally put the last page down. She had flown all the way back home, and what she had found hadn't pleased her.

It wasn't because there weren't any leads or suspects in there: in fact, there was somepony who had been on leave just when Gabby Gums started writing. Somepony who was currently in Ponyville, visiting family.

It wasn't because it was somepony she knew and cared about. She had never even met this guy before in her entire life, so there was no conflict of interests there.

The reason the name and face scared her, was because he was currently at the very same house that Private Eye had left their investigation notes in.

"If he goes anywhere near Featherweight's room... he'll know all about me, and who I am," she muttered. "And then I'm done for."

Next Chapter: Chapter Six: Face to Face Estimated time remaining: 10 Minutes