One Month Later

Papers slid across the polished desk by a pair of weary, aged hooves. The elder colt's silver coat was rugged with the wear and tear of his daily tasks, the scent of dried sweat emanating from his forehead and the base of his neck. He readily wiped a hoof across his forehead, sliding another page of a rather short document over to his guest. Another pair of hooves, decorated with a pair of regal, golden horseshoes, pinned the papers to the brown desktop, her eyes quickly scanned for any new information.

"This is perfect," Steele mumbled loud enough for Princess Celestia to overhear, "Locks and Trace have done a great job getting the details from Mrs. Justis."

Equestria's solar princess lifted the page into the air with her magic, passing it on to one of the pair of guards rooted to the ground behind her. One guard broke his stance, grabbing the page and quickly securing it in a saddlebag with a lock. Once the safeguard clicked back into place, she turned back to her old friend.

"Mystery Hart's been harboring important knowledge for such a long time, it seems."

"Hart and I went through some difficult times after Conroy's passing," Steele regrettably lowered his head. "If today was the first time she's said anything up until now, then she's probably still pissed at me."

The Princess hummed out a curious little tune. "May I ask what it was that you did to upset her, Flex?"

Steele turned to the Princess with an emotionless glare, "I did what the royal family ordered, Princess. I shut down the investigation for Conroy."

Celestia, expecting Steele's forsaken expression, helplessly sighed. "I apologize on behalf of the council, but you know that we had to cut it short for," she paused, searching for the proper term, "external reasons."

"I know," Steele coldly replied.

"The royal family wishes to preserve as many Artifacts as possible. Losing Conroy Justis set us back on decades of progress, Steele." Celestia turned back to a handful of reports Steele passed to her. "I refuse to risk any more lives on his investigation."

"That's understandable," Steele's eyes glanced by Scarlet and Locks' signatures. "That's why I gave these rookies the option to deny the case. Better to have those willing to sacrifice over somepony who never had a choice. Sounds right to you, doesn't it?"

"I still have far too many reservations about making the investigation a number one priority for the Agency Flex, but as much as I wish I could at times," Celestia's head turned away from Steele, looking at the full moon through the shattered glass window in his office, "I can't stop free will."

"That same free will has brought us closer in two months to the truth than the entire Agency's workforce was able to do in two years," Steele waved the reports to grab her attention. "If we can get any closer to something, anything, then I say that we should let these two youngsters have at it to their heart's content."

"In any other situation, believe me when I say that I would absolutely agree with you," the Princess started, "I respect your decision, but I can't help but feel that these two detectives aren't prepared for the danger they're throwing themselves in."

"Scarlet and Locks," Steele wondered, "Heh, those two. The two of them are unique. You wanna know why I presented the mission to them, and nopony else?"

Celestia replied with a wordless nod of her head.

"First off," Steele started, tapping at their names on the reports, "They both had intimate bonds to Justis, so it would've surprised me if they denied the opportunity.

"Locks, he's a goddamn prodigy, a gift to the Agency and a blessing to the world." Steele filtered through a folder with the aforementioned colt's name. "Foal's smart, keeps his cool, knows how to clear his mind to see the path ahead, and take it on. Granted that, he still has some rookie habits." Steele folded up Locks' folder and tucked it away into his desk, "He seldom gets emotionally upset when on the job, but when he does, he crumbles into pieces. He fails to properly manage his emotions," Steele rubbed his chin, remembering some of Locks' less reputable cases. "He also takes a little too long to come up with a proper plan of action. A detriment when hostages are involved."

"None of that is too surprising to me Flex," Celestia commented, "He's still very young and inexperienced."

"But he has the heart of a champion. Princess, I implore you on your next opportunity, to take a deep, long look into his eyes."

"His eyes, Flex?" Celestia inched closer to the stallion, "What exactly are you getting at?"

"His aura...it's exactly like Conroy's."

"...Fascinating," she raised a hoof, prompting one of her guards to approach her. She whispered an inaudible command that sent the guard galloping out of sight. She read through to the other investigator, "And what of the young filly, Conroy's daughter? I'd imagine she would have a similar feel to that of her father."

She could only glare when Steele bellowed a hearty laugh.

"Are you kidding?" Steele raised an eyebrow at her. "Sorry Princess, but that assumption is completely false."

"Explain it to me, will you Steele?" the glowing alicorn asked.

Steele took in a long, deep drag of air, "It really is an unfortunate circumstance," he exhaled. "They gave her a nickname some time after Conroy's passing; the other employees always gave her a difficult time. Most were just afraid to do so with someone as prestigious as Conroy overhead.

"It was reasonable though, she had gigantic horseshoes to fill." Steele popped open Scarlet's respectable folder. "In any case, they started calling her Laya after her first few missions, especially so when the information eventually trailed down to the bottom rung of the Agency. When Scarlet joined our ranks," he passed of several pages of her profile to Celestia, "she proved to have a wealth of insight and basic knowledge to utilize in her investigations. Very book smart. It was proof that her father and mother pounded every single bit of what they knew into her little head."

Steele ran an exhausted hoof through his mangled, silver mane, "Her execution was another story. She...lacked social skills. She was very shy and incredibly awkward to work with."

"Strange," Celestia could only respond with.

"Not so much when you realize," he tapped another page, "she was home schooled by her parents for her entire life. It makes sense for her to be a little socially impaired when she's denied the freedom and experience most foals have, but I didn't think it would be so serious. Even Conroy acknowledged that Mysty and he took far too many liberties away from her. If you ask me, I think all it did was make her a bit too dependent on the parentals for communication. Even now, her work is crippled by the problem."

Steele walked about his desk, filtering through the contents of Scarlet's folder. A picture of the filly, several years younger, was tucked away in between the documents. "I give ranks to everypony in the Agency. The ranks help me filter out missions to the proper ponies." Steele pointed towards a letter posted on the top corner of the front page of Scarlet's folder, "All I have are letter grades, from C to A, with a special reserved S-Class for the more," he cleared his throat, "discreet assignments.

"Jessica, Conroy, and I were all S-Class, no doubt. With his abilities, Locks is an A, but I can easily assign him S-class assignments if he were to iron out the problems he has with his work."

Steele turned away in disappointment, "Scarlet..."

"What class is Scarlet Trace?"

Steele silently slid the folder over for Celestia to see. Her wandering, blank expression warped into a surprised frown. "Oh my."

"C-Class," Steele read her mind, "and it only gets worse, Princess. C-Class is the smallest class group at the Agency as is. Most employees are only a C for a month or two. Usually," he took back all of Scarlet's paperwork, "After that grace period, they're promoted to Bs, quit the Agency, or in some cases," he hesitated, "get killed in action. Scarlet's been at that grade for several years now." Steele tucked her document away shamefully, "Honestly, I'd have had her fired already if it weren't for the fact that she's my best friend's only daughter, and had such a burning desire to work here."

Celestia's eyes narrowed in on her friend, "That's...terribly irresponsible of you."

"I know it is, but I made a promise to Conroy when we started the Agency with you." Steele tapped his hoof to his jaw, "But you know something? There's one thing Scarlet's good at. One thing I have never seen imitated by anypony else."

"Entertain me," The Princess demanded.

"...Poor skills," Steele started, "and incredibly unfit altogether as a detective because of what I've explained before. But somehow, time and time again, she has also proven to have an unbelievably large, untapped reservoir of luck."

Celestia scrambled back a step. "Luck?"

"That's the only way I can describe it. Every mission I've given her has stumped her; put her under a great deal of pressure." Steele chuckled at the shock on Celestia's face, "However, every single time, she's managed to have the answers fall right out of the damn sky and into her hooves. Sometimes it just comes to her in her head, others are by some accident. Some generous, twisted fate..."

"You're rambling, Steele," Celestia commented with an anxious frown.

Steele's head swung quickly from side to side, "She gets lucky, Princess. There's no way to explain it otherwise. To be honest," Steele's mind pulled forth a memory from years past, "I think Conroy and Scarlet realized this right away after she was inducted. Her entire...'style' of investigation caters completely to this strange, ever looming element of luck."

"What?" Celestia skeptically replied. "How can you...how do you invoke luck?"

"Simple," Steele answered. "She drags her cases out as long as possible. Eventually, the answer appears for her."

The Princess' awe was replaced with disgust. "That's...that's horrifying, Steele."

"You know why they call her 'Laya' at the Agency? It's nothing short of a scathing pun some of the employees thought up; a sick joke. Sometime ago," his face wrinkled, "an unfamiliar case started to turn sour for her, as it usually did. When the pressure started to become difficult to manage, and she was no longer able to prolong the case through her conventional methods...she started to lie."

Celestia's stare flared to life.

"She lies to everypony she can. Criminals, coworkers, anypony involved just to keep the case alive. Liar. Laya. Get it?"

"Repulsive," the Princess remarked with her head turned away. "Flex, you need to get rid of her."

"Trust me," he nearly barked back, "I would. Hell, I'd even gamble that Scarlet knows that she doesn't belong. I think she keeps going simply because of the circumstances revolving around Justis' death."

"She works just for that end, you think?" Celestia questioned Steele.

"Without a doubt. Should she find the answers to Conroy's death...I'd be surprised if she didn't quit the Agency immediately afterward. It's just not her calling," Steele thought about Scarlet's element, "her strokes of luck are amazing. For the first time, I wish to intentionally capitalize on her mechanics. It's the chance both Scarlet and I have looked forward to ever since the initial investigation was canceled."

"So," the volume in Celestia's voice boldly rose above his own, "You're going to rely on luck to reveal the truth? Do you understand the dangers that you're putting her in? Somepony," her wings flared out, "that lacks the proper skills!?"

Steele never lost focus, speaking up to match her voice, "Yes, Princess Celestia. I do."

"You're gambling her life on this-"

A crusty hoof slammed down on the desk, "I gave her the option!"

The guard remaining jumped to action, stopped only by a single extended wing by his fair Princess. She shook her head at the guard, who returned to his post. "She's taking the case because it's for her father," she glared back at him.

"She knows the risks," Steele took another step towards her, looking her square in the eyes without a hint of hesitation. "She understands what can happen. She agreed, knowing that she was throwing herself into a dragon's den."

A brief moment of silence helped ease the tension in the room, Celestia's wing slowly receded and Steele took a step back. "She gave consent, Princess. That's all that needs to be said. It's over."

Celestia let Steele's words sink in. "...Do you really believe it'll work, Flex?"

Steele rubbed his forehead, "I said it before, but we're already one step further thanks to her. Between her luck, Locks' skill, and Jessica's utility, I think we finally have the pieces we need to crack this case wide open. Maybe then we can finally expose the truth."

"You always mean well," Celestia hesitated. "I'm just concerned for my subjects. Understand that you're working against my personal intentions, especially for somepony as special as her."

"Absolutely," Steele assured her. "I...do need to apologize for my actions."

"Apologize?"

"To be frank," Steele smirked, "I only felt that I could get away with this because I consider you to be one of my closest friends. I figured you'd forgive me for being a senile fool."

Celestia's blank stare took the boss by surprise. The tension shattered at the sound of her laughter. "Flex, be silent. We'll always be friends. Even when you make your more questionable decisions."

"I wouldn't be the Agency's leader if I didn't take a risk every now and then, now would I?"

Celestia nodded, returning to the final pages of the reports sent in by the two detectives. "So what's going to happen now Steele? You're the leader here."

"Trace'll head back to Ponyville to scrounge up whatever she can about Conroy's missing pony case," Steele robotically called out. "I think Locks and Amethyst could do us some good looking into Nixie Hope's manor."

"Nixie Hope," Celestia's eyes wandered, "I remember her distinctly."

"Mmhmm. Does she have any descendants, your majesty?"

"A sibling," she dwelled in thought, "but that's all there is, I'm afraid. She was single when she passed."

"Didn't pay any mind to the world of glamour myself," Steele waved his hoof in the air. "No time for anything like that. I have no clue about Hope other than name and fame."

"She was a sweet, kind mare. A bit wound up from time to time, but nevertheless."

"In any case," Steele straightened up, "I'll have Locks dig up whatever he can find."

Celestia signaled her guard to the door. "You have the next stage completely planned out. You have my approval to proceed, Flex."

Steele nodded, rolling up the premade orders and sticking the royal seal on them. Celestia's horn pulsed with a golden aura, seemingly vaporizing the pair of parchments on the spot.

"There is another request I have for you tonight," Celestia noted, flexing her wings and whipping her wavy tail. "Before I return to my palace, I wish to know of the whereabouts of Jessica Scrawl. I demand an audience with her."

"You know," Steele wondered with a groan, "Come to think of it, I haven't heard a word from her since Trace was first discharged to Ponyville."

"Is that significant?"

"Well, she never came back with a status report..."

=====

"Two days," a calm, steady voice called out to his accomplice. "It took two days, but we finally have a direction."

Locks stared down at the table in front of him, casually rolling a single bit along the surface with his hoof. His mute assistant nodded her head, her graceful mane bouncing with her movements. The feathers on her back twitched, her wings stretching out to prep for the surveillance she was going to be taking care of today.

"I was hoping that Steele would respond sooner, but better late than never," he quickly shifted his hoof, sending the coin hurling towards the cushion on the opposite side. The gold colored currency jumped from the cushion, spinning back at Locks and straight into his hoof. "Isn't that right Amy?"

Amethyst chirped through her whistle with an impressed smirk.

The cafe, Locks' usual spot, had a steady stream of ponies coming and going, but the sound of the bell at the door nonetheless forced Locks' head to turn. His eyes came to rest on an all too familiar set of baggy eyes and a mess of red hair tucked underneath a black fedora. Amethyst reacted at the same time, whistling over the rest of the crowd to grab Scarlet's attention.

"There's the mare of the hour," Locks called to her as she grew closer to the booth, "Come, we saved you a seat next to Amy."

"Huh," Scarlet took her seat quietly, "You're in an awfully happy mood today, Detective."

Locks quickly straightened himself up, reaching over for the empty mug that he had drained, and lifted it a foot from the table's polished, marble surface. "I've had my coffee, a nice breakfast, and," Locks reached under the table, almost instantly pulling out two rolled up scrolls. He slammed them down on the table in unison with his mug, "we've got a new lead, thanks to you."

The dark blue colt's attention went back to Scarlet, eyeing her over. "You look different somehow. Did you...get a trim?"

"Oh," Scarlet almost jumped. She patted her hooves on the collar of her coat. "It's the trench," she took in her own appearance, "it was my dad's coat when he worked at the Agency."

"A bit big on you, isn't it?" Locks asked after spotting the additional belt.

"I like to think that it helps with my size and appearance. Makes me look a little more intimidating and not so...frail."

Amethyst tooted her whistle.

"See? Amy agrees," she smiled at her coworker before reaching over for one of the scrolls Locks had placed on the table. "Steele finally sent out the reports?"

Locks nudged one of the scrolls towards her, "Sure did. It's a voluntary assignment, but I'm sure that the priority is still number one." He inched closer to the two mares, "Steele's watching the three of us like a Griffin, waiting for anything we send about the cases."

A waiter trotted over to the group. Reacting to the empty coffee container, she quickly poured him a fresh cup. Locks gave her a big smile, dragging the mug to his face before inhaling the wonderful scent.

"Lovely," he dragged his voice, "today's going to be great. I just know it."

"He's a little...excited today. Maybe too much," Scarlet whispered to Amy.

She agreed with a drag on her whistle.

"You're still working with him? I'd imagine so," Scarlet asked the pegasus.

Amethyst nodded, turning back to her half eaten breakfast to finish the job.

"So Locks, what does the boss have planned for us now?"

Locks reached over and tapped the scroll near her. "Why don't you take a look?"

Scarlet's eyes rolled over the text from Steele's documents. "B-back to Ponyville?" She let out a disappointed sigh, "I...I guess that's okay."

"You sound enthusiastic about it," Locks tilted his head in confusion.

"Your sarcasm is too thick."

"Hello Ms. Trace, wonderful to see you here again," a petite voice came from the same waiter that filled up Locks' mug. "Good morning to you."

"Oh," Scarlet stammered, "G-good morning."

"Can I get you anything? Perhaps something to drink?"

"A...a cup of the usual would be fantastic please," Scarlet leaned back. "Thank you."

"Absolutely," the waiter replied, making her way back to the kitchen.

"I'm just surprised, Scarlet," Locks continued from before. "I didn’t think living and interacting with national heroes would be so...uninteresting to somepony like you. I'd think you'd be excited for such an opportunity."

"Well, I'd be wrong to call them boring," she waved her hoof in the air. "Twilight Sparkle's magical potency is absolutely amazing. I was skeptical at first about how genuine she was, but she's given me plenty of proof that she's the undisputable protégé of the Princess."

"I'd imagine she'd be strong if she could take down somepony like Discord or Nightmare Moon," Locks rubbed a hoof along the edge of his mug, "Magic IS her element after all."

"It's not fair to give her all of the credit," Scarlet added, "There's six Elements of Harmony, not one."

"True, but it was her magic that triggered everything," Locks reminded her. "She comes from a talented family after all. We all know how important her brother is."

"Definitely," Scarlet tapped the table, "I'd wager that Twilight could honestly rival Jessica after seeing what she can do firsthand."

"That strong?" Locks questioned. "Really?"

"Yup. She DID manage to crack Jessica's aphrodisiac spell on our first day there."

Locks let out a solitary laugh. "She spiked the drinks," he shook his head, "I expected nothing less from her, but seeing as how Twilight Sparkle was able to reverse the effects...it's nothing short of fascinating. What about the other elements?"

"Well...Ms. Rainbow Dash reminds me of Amy," she looked over at the pony, who raised her head at the mention of her name, "If Amy was more...lithe. She's also the fastest pony I've ever seen."

Amethyst questionably motioned towards Scarlet, pointing a single hoof at herself.

"Yeah, THAT fast. Maybe a little TOO fast. She's a bit clumsy from what I've seen. She falls out of the sky nearly twice a day ever since I've been there." Scarlet looked out of the window, "She's always trying out new stuns, a real daredevil."

Amy responded to Scarlet with another blow on her whistle.

"O-oh. I'd LOVE to see that," Scarlet smiled.

"Nothing better than a pegasi race."

"Mm-hmm. All of the elements are wonderful ponies, no doubt about that."

"...But?" Locks filled in the blank.

"But take away the fact that they're heroes, and you wouldn't be able to distinguish them from anypony else," Scarlet traced on the table. "They're just...regular ponies. Regular ponies like the ones around here...in the cafe."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing to be ordinary."

"It just feels weird," Scarlet rubbed the back of her neck. "Outside of saving the world-"

"Twice."

"T-twice...that they're just so...normal."

Locks rested back against the cushion of the booth, chuckling as he sucked down a large chunk of coffee.

"What's so funny?" Scarlet glared at him.

"You realize," he put his mug down, "that you just identified everypony working at the Agency, right?"

At her skeptical expression, Locks cleared his throat. "Scarlet, the Agency saves lives. I save lives. JESSICA's saved lives..."

Amy's ears flinched.

"...Even you have saved lives. What we're doing at the Agency is no different from what Twilight and her group have done for all of Equestria." Locks tapped the table, "Look at us. Strip away our relationships to the Agency. What do you end up with?"

"...A mute, an oddly dressed mare, and a colt with an addiction to caffeine."

Locks' grin forced Scarlet to reconsider.

"O-okay," she stuttered, "You get ordinary ponies, right?'

"Exactly. Being extraordinary isn't about being a representative of an element, or being a member of a secret government organization. It's comprised of many NORMAL things about a pony. Character, resolve, and the ambition to do what is righteous and true. Any normal pony can be a hero, Scarlet," Locks edged closer to her, "They just need the pieces to fall into the right places."

"That's awfully corny, Locks."

"And yet it's true," Locks swirled his coffee around. "Opportunity, drive, and circumstance are all you need to make a perfect hero...or heroine, as the case may be. You'd understand it better if you took the time to socialize a little more, Scarlet."

A mug was placed right next to Scarlet. She looked up, thanking the waiter for such a hasty delivery. "Thanks," she looked back to Locks, "Maybe so, but that's just what I originally thought about those six. Ordinary with a fancy title."

Locks rubbed his face with a spare hoof, "Doesn't Ms. Sparkle have a dragon? Is that not interesting to you?"

"It's a baby," Scarlet replied with absolutely no enthusiasm, "He resembles a pony far more than a dragon. Nothing like the dragons the Agency has dealt with in the past."

"So much for that," he shrugged. "Well, just try to enjoy your stay, at the very least."

"As if," she sighed, taking a drink. "I'm not even sure that there's anything left to dig up in Ponyville. I even pulled up some older files from the population census for the last century, but it's very...disorganized. Twilight said she could help revise the census, but in addition to her personal studies and running the local library, it would take some time before it would be fully restored for me to look at."

"Well, at least you have something. How long was it going to take?"

What little energy Scarlet was exhibiting seemed to drain from her hopeless expression, "About a year."

"You think this case will last that long," Locks chuckled.

"It's been unresolved for longer, Locks."

"Yes, but after the breakthrough you just gave us? I know you've personally experienced firsthand how fast a case can snowball."

"Maybe, but I can't predict the future."

Locks closed his eyes, taking in another drink from his mug simultaneously with Scarlet. Amy whistled, breaking the silence and pointing out to the sky outside of the cafe. Locks gave her an affirmative, her wings spreading at the table. She lifted herself over Scarlet and straight out of the cafe door.

"Stretching her wings. We're going be to extra busy today."

"I see. What does Steele have you doing?"

"He wants us to visit Hope Manor and try to siphon out some details out of her relatives about Conroy."

"The papers I found never showed any indication that he ever visited them," Scarlet objected.

"It's always best to go snooping around to be absolutely sure, right?"

"R-right," Scarlet immediately caved in.

"Hmm," Locks stared at the dull coated mare, "Scarlet, are you doing alright?"

Scarlet took another drink of coffee, finishing it off to avoid answering Locks' question. "Y-yeah, I'm doing fine."

"First the new look, then the little outburst about Ponyville and the Elements. Scarlet," Locks' crimson eyes twinkled, "you're a terrible liar."

Scarlet finished her drink.

"Something happened when you visited Mysty, didn't it?"

Scarlet nodded, "When I finally got through to her, she showed me the room."

"The locked room," Locks remarked, "Justis' private study?"

"It's...where I found all of those documents regarding Nixie Hope...and my cutie mark."

"Is that what's made you so antsy today?"

"When I walked into that room, and saw those documents...you can't imagine it," Scarlet looked down at her flank. "My cutie mark...I know I'm different because of it."

"One of a kind as far as that's concerned," Locks said. "Not every day that a pony is born into their natural talent."

"My dad had a folder for me...for an individual case study. He had those articles about Nixie Hope in the same file as me."

"I...I see. You think there's some type of relationship between you and Nixie, don't you?"

"He has to have us grouped together for a reason. It makes me so uncomfortable though. Don't you know what happened to Ms. Hope?"

"Not off hoof."

"She died, Locks. She died in an accident."

Locks scratched his head. "So there might be a connection between the two. Is that what you think?"

"That's what I feel right now. That's all I feel right now. It's frightening," she gripped her mug tightly between her hooves.

"Relax, Scarlet," Locks reassured her. "You're safe with the Agency, and Jessica's around to make sure of that."

"She sent me this the other day before I came back," Scarlet reached into her coat, pulling out Jessica's letter.

"Hmm," Locks read over Jessica's note, "This might be a problem. I'm pretty sure this wasn't approved by Steele or Celestia. There's no signature here from either of them. I'll have to report this."

Scarlet's frown propped Locks to continue. "Don't worry about it too much, Scarlet. You're jumping to conclusions. Let Amethyst and I clear all of this up for you. You just focus on finding that missing pony, okay? Just do that and nothing more."

Scarlet slowly agreed to his request. "You know, when I walked into that room, it felt like for the first time since he died, I...I could feel the weight of my dad's work bear down on my mind. The room didn't quite feel right. Or natural."

"Natural? How so?"

"The air felt thick," she grasped at her throat.

"You think it might've been some kind of magic? A spell that works like an extra security measure?"

"Maybe. My body felt like it was being pulled down by some strange...thing."

"Why didn't you mention this in your report? Steele could've probably looked into something like this."

"I thought that...that maybe it was just something about my nerves that just got to me. I found my dad's outfit in the room," Scarlet patted her coat. "Once I put it on, the strange feeling completely disappeared."

"Interesting," Locks pondered.

"It almost felt like the coat gave me closure."

"Well, it COULD be your nerves, to be fair. Your father was an amazing stallion."

"I just don't know what to think of it, is all. It was all so strange."

"I see. Well, if you're confident enough to keep it off the records, then I'm okay with that too, I suppose. Besides," he added with a sneer, "an analysis would require us to get inside Mysty's house, and I doubt she'd appreciate any of that."

"He was definitely inspiring," Scarlet dragged. "Locks...do you think I'll ever..."

"Huh?"

The crowd at the cafe seemed to be dwindling as the conversation continued. "I mean...like my dad. My cutie mark says something...but I don't feel like it's quite right."

"Will you ever...ahh."

"You know," Scarlet hesitated, "be as good as he was?"

"Scarlet, is that what this is all about?"

She refused to answer him.

Locks took another drink. "Scarlet, it might just be my opinion, but I don't think that's something you should be thinking about at all."

"What? How...how come?" she asked the detective.

"You're thinking that because you want to be like him. You want to be able to live up to Justis' name. That's the problem, Scarlet."

She looked down into the remainder of her coffee.

"You can't be Conroy. That's something you just need to understand. You can only be Scarlet Trace, and you should be trying to become the best Scarlet Trace you can be."

"I get that, but-"

"Listen," Locks pulled himself closer to her from across the table, "because I'll probably only say this once: Conroy has a HUGE reputation. Making yourself responsible for perpetuating that reputation is going to tear you apart with stress and expectations, especially if a case just happens to go awry." He pounded on the table with his hooves, "Trust me, cases do go wrong. If you let your father's history dictate your personal goals, then you'll leave no room for mistakes; you'll never be satisfied with the accomplishments you'll have.

"You won't be happy, no matter how well you do at the Agency," Conroy pulled back and gulped down more coffee. "Don't try and please everypony just because you happen to be the daughter of Conroy Justis. Become Scarlet Trace, not The Daughter of Justis."

Scarlet shook her head. "Do you always have to be so dramatic about these things?"

"Heh," Locks sat back in his seat, "If it means being dramatic to get through to you, then I'll do whatever it takes."

"Ha, aren't I the luckiest mare in Equestria then?"

Scarlet lifted her cup. "Then how about a toast? I'll do what I can about my job on my own terms. You just continue being the same Detective Locks I know and love, okay?"

Locks raised his own mug, "I don't have much left in mine, but I'd definitely drink to a promise like that."

The couple tapped their drinks together, downing the remainder of their breakfast in one swoop. Scarlet's hoof slowly lowered her mug, allowing her eyes a perfect view of Locks'. The colt copied her, staring back as his cup ran dry.

=====

The fresh air waved through Locks' mane as he stepped outside the Cafe. He bid farewell to Scarlet, now just a blip in the distance. The train that would take her back to Ponyville could be heard approaching from the distance, puffs of black smoke leading along the railroad tracks miles away.

A silhouette of a pegasus danced around overhead. Amethyst was enjoying her romp through the clouds up above. Locks tilted his head up, giving Amy a quick salute before he turned, walking through the lively district.

"Hope Manor is to the north, near the lots of the royal family. Nothing much to it," he advanced, the breeze picking up.

Up above, Amethyst continued to rise and dive, circling around Locks, her hawk eyes darting from target to target, always expecting somepony to jump out at the detective. Her whistle dangled around her neck, threatening to fall off with each loop Amy made in the clear blue skies.

Locks continued on his trail, meeting up with a chunk of ponies that were waiting on one side of the busy streets to cross. Several chariots stole the attention of the crowd, their radiance shining brightly in the sunlight. Locks forced his way through the pack as the crowd pushed and shoved its way across the street, making sure to apologize to everypony along the way for his hustle.

After finally clearing the crowd, Locks felt a tap at the back of his head. He turned around immediately, spotting nothing within a reasonable distance. He paused, his sudden change in behavior catching Amy's attention from the clouds. Amethyst, working as Locks' guard, squinted her eyes to focus in on the colt, trying to spot what was wrong from up above.

Locks flinched at a tug from his black and white mane.

"I didn't expect to find you here," Locks' eyes flashed, his body relaxing.

The space on his back distorted and twisted. A deal of weight suddenly forced Locks' legs to buckle before getting them under his control again. A pony was sprawled out on top of him, her four hooves hanging off of his sides. Her orange mane overlapped his and her tail gently brushed against his flank. Some of his mane was caught in her playful jaws.

"Ooooh," Jessica taunted him, "So that's what everyone's always spazzing out over. Pity nopony else has a clue."

A sharp whistle came from above, the volume rising as Amethyst shot down from the heavens like a bullet. Jessica's head turned up to the sky at the sound, mimicking every pony on the block. Amethyst nearly paused in midair when her deep purple irises clashed with Jessica's. She came to a halt right above them, her whistle dropping down to a respectful whimper. She landed on her feet, saluting and folding her ears to the Agency's scribe.

"Is that a blush I see?" Jessica teased the embarrassed pegasus, propping herself up and springing off of Locks body with plenty of energy. She slithered up to Amy's side, a hoof rising up below Amy's chin. "My, aren't you just the cutest thing this side of Canterlot?"

Amy flushed at the contact. She tried shaking her head to free her from Jessica's grasp. She blew her whistle, repeating the same frail cry as before.

"Aww, she's a modest little filly too," the wicked pony giggled. She pulled Amy's face closer to her muzzle, "Somewhat ironic given your huge stature. I think I know just what will cheer you up."

Jessica pulled Amy's face in slowly, their lips only inches away from one another.

"A little something," she whispered, "to ease those tense muscles of yours."

Just as the two mares were about to lock together, Jessica's eye caught something between the locks of Amethyst's mane. She stopped her game, moving Amy's head away from her. She lowered her sight, trying to take a peek at what was blanketed by the raven black hair.

Amethyst, shell shocked from how close she was to Jessica, snapped back into reality when she felt Jessica looking below her chin. She quickly blew a sharp note, jumping back several feet and waving her hair around. She glared angrily at Jessica, seemingly yelling at her through her silver trinket.

"Can you forgive this little kitty for being a little...curious," Jessica purred with a grin.

Everypony around them had since resumed their daily routines. Locks cleared his throat to grab the witch's attention. Amethyst was panting, stealing glances from Jessica every few seconds and staying far, far away.

"What in the world are you doing here Jessica? You're supposed to be in Ponyville."

"What's this," Jessica slithered up to Locks' side, "You care about my wellbeing? What's the occasion sweetheart?"

"Don't play games with me, Scrawl," Locks clenched his teeth, "I'm asking for Scarlet's sake. You were assigned to keep watch over her."

"And I am."

Amethyst made several feet of room between her and the pair, shaking her mane out. Taking in a sigh, she took back to the air, still breathing heavily at her close encounter with the black mare.

"How exactly are you watching her from Ponyville when you're here in Canterlot?" Locks straightened out his stance, "Steele ordered you to protect her no matter what."

Jessica's horn pulsed with magic, her lips curving into a grin. "I have her under surveillance, don't you worry much about that."

"...A spell to monitor her with?"

"Snuck it in her punch on the first night," Jessica pranced around Locks, "I have full access to everything she sees and hears so long as I will it."

Locks squinted his eyes at the mare, "I can't say that I approve of something so invasive."

"Well then," Jessica teased, floating up into the air and spinning around the detective, "Fortunate for me that I don't need your approval for anything I do."

He groaned in frustration. "They really should be keeping better tabs on you." He continued walking towards their new destination, "So what exactly are you doing here?"

"Independent research," she barked back with enthusiasm. "I've decided to take on an interesting case on the side, while I help you rookies deal with your mission of course."

"Independent? Did Steele authorize this?"

"Not at all," she gave a toothy grin.

'She gets away with everything,' Locks shook his head, 'Why does the Agency give her so much liberty?'

"So where are you two going? Some place," she licked her lips, "private?"

"Absolutely not," Locks snapped back.

"That's no fun. I thought you'd be the kind of stallion that would take a liking to the strong, silent type," Jessica twirled about in the air around him.

"My taste in mares is none of your concern," he calmly walked beyond the central district barrier. "And if you need to know, we're visiting the manor of the Hope family."

"Hope Family?" Jessica playfully tilted her head. "Hope...Hope." She gasped, her eyes widening as the name turned a switch in her brain. "Hope!? As in, Nixie Hope?"

"Yes," he answered flatly.

"How long has it been since I've heard that name?" Jessica sung, carried by the wind, "I've read so much about the girl from old articles and magazines."

"Articles...and magazines? I thought a pony like you kept strictly to books and scrolls from the Canterlot archives."

"Oh, what fun would that be?" Jessica scolded with her hooves folded, "Every form of media can give you a juicy little detail. You just need to find the sweetest source."

Locks picked up his pace when the traffic running towards the north faded out of sight. Grand, marble walls outlined the perimeter leading to the upper class housing in Canterlot, the pavement polished with a wax that made it shine in the sunlight. Jessica's mane swung around as she followed the colt, upside down and humming a noisy tune.

"What information do you have on Nixie Hope, then?" Locks ended the short silence.

"Nothing more than what I absorbed from the articles and magazines, and nothing you shouldn't already know," she pranced around him before landing back on her hooves.

"Speak what you know of anyways. Any crisscrossing of information can just be disregarded anyways," Locks eyes followed Amethyst as she came in from the clouds, her giant wings kicking up rich, green grass as she took her place on the side opposite of Jessica.

"Nixie Hope," Jessica started without hesitation, the emotion in her face absent. "A famous fashionista that resided in Northern Canterlot nearly two decades ago. Her designs were a sensation that rivaled that of Hoity Toity's personal work, and within that two decade span, she created a new empire of pony merchandise that took Canterlot by storm."

"So she was an incredibly talented mare," Locks spoke aloud.

"Soon after she hit the big times, she started to focus more on management of the fashion shows that displayed her company's work. She hired an assistant manager to help her with the business, and the two became close friends."

"Any idea of the name of this assistant manager?"

"Of course," Jessica rolled her eyes, "she was included in every article Nixie was in after she was hired. Her name was T. Helm, also born and raised here in Canterlot. She shared many of the aspirations of Ms. Hope herself, and her talents came very close to rivaling that of her boss, so it was an easy decision to allow her control of much of Nixie's business. She accepted the offer almost immediately. Their reputation grew so large that they were even allowed to share a lunch with the Princess herself in her private quarters.

"I think most anypony that knows a thing or two about fashion is aware of what happens next," Jessica chuckled to herself. "In the final month of Nixie's career, things started to fall apart for reasons unexplained to most of the public. Articles worldwide only revealed that there was tension between Hope and Helm, and that the friction started to affect their lovely business."

"A grab for more power, perhaps?" Locks questioned. Amethyst closed her eyes and shrugged at the idea.

"No one knows for sure. Nixie Hope became so stressed with the pressure that she announced her retirement from her career. She was going to completely shut down her business after one final show."

"I'd imagine that wouldn't go too well with someone in T. Helm's position," Locks commented.

"Then," Jessica paused to give her story suspense, "Before her final show could begin, there was an accident."

"An...accident? Scarlet's report DID say that she died."

She nodded her head, "As the show was preparing to begin, there was a loud racket that could be heard backstage. See, Nixie Hope had been in her room on the second floor of the building. According to the police reports, while she was on her way to her position at the show, she had herself a little tumble down the flight of stairs."

"How awful," Locks grimaced.

"Mmhmm," Jessica ignored his grave tone and smirked, "Broke her neck clean on the way down. Died immediately. When the crime scene was all cleared up, T. Helm had vanished into thin air."

"That's oddly suspicious."

"That's all I know, except that I've also read some of the reports from the records at the C.P.D. There was little to no evidence that T. Helm was involved in her death at all. Nixie's magic distribution wasn't tampered with, and there was nothing on her body that suggested that there was any kind of struggle or contact with anypony else. Above that, Helm's an Earth. She'd have to get near Nixie to do anything to her. The only thing the police have whatsoever is a motive."

"...What a strange situation. I can see why Justis would be so fascinated by the case."

Jessica giggled to herself. "Wait just a second big boy, there was one other thing I forgot to mention."

"Hmm? Something else about Nixie Hope?"

"Right. See, at the time it wasn't a big deal when juxtaposed with the fact that she died, but in the aftermath, the police noticed something very peculiar about her."

"Don't keep me waiting," Locks started looking at the large estates that stretched for acres beyond the brilliant walls of northern Canterlot.

"Her cutie mark," Jessica spanked her flank to emphasize the situation. "It wasn't there. Or quite possibly, it may have never been there to begin with," she licked her lips.

"W-what? Nixie Hope had no cutie mark?"

"Indeedy," Jessica hopped into the air once again. "Her outfits always covered it up, so no one ever knew what it was, or how it looked, until one day, someone from within the company leaked the information to the media. When she died, there wasn't a single trace of a mark on her sweet little ass. You decide what to think of it from there."

The orange mane filly flew higher into the air with her magic, nearly out of earshot of the pair down below.

"Now if you’ll excuse me," she shouted to the ponies, "I have a very special Scarlet waiting for me back in Ponyville. The remains of Nixie's estate are only a few blocks down. Good luck, baby!"

In a flash, Jessica disappeared from sight.

=====

Locks took in a breath of fresh air, clearing his throat as he calmly knocked on the large, wooden door. The perimeter of the manor was rounded off in shape, similar to the head of a mushroom, with a large, circular window suspended at the very tip of the mansion. Dozens of windows scattered around the yellow structure, the view of the innards of the house completely blocked off by red drapes. A fountain that stood in front of the house as absent of water, dried up and falling apart around the edges. The grass was lazily cut around them, reaching over the concrete by a slight margin.

Hoofsteps could be heard approaching from the other side of the door.

"H-hello? Who's there?" a timid, soft voice called out.

The hesitation in Locks melted away. "Hello ma'am, are you the caretaker of this estate?"

There was a pause on the other end of the door. "Yes I am. May I ask who you are?"

"Ma'am, I'm a member of Princess Celestia's royal guard. May I have a word with you?"

The handle on the door clicked, the barrier slowly pulled backward by the pony on the other end. She poked her head out of the door. She had a pale, blonde head of hair, lazily hanging down whichever way gravity chose. Her hazelnut eyes drooped with exhaustion, and her thin, white coat didn't fail to display her equally tiny body size.

She backed away, closing the door enough so that Locks and Amy could only see her face. "Is this about last month's payment on the manor? I told them I would pay at the end of the month when I could get the money, why the hell did they involve the royal family?"

"No ma'am, this has absolutely nothing to do with your...erm," Locks looked away, "financial situation."

"Then I'm not interested," the frail mare swung the door closed.

"It's about the previous owner of this place," Locks called through the door. "Did you happen to know Nixie Hope when she lived here?"

"Nixie...Hope?" he heard the voice repeat.

"Yes. We need to find some, if any information on Hope."

"Can I ask why?" she continued.

"That much I'd rather keep on a need to know basis."

The door's lock clicked into place.

"But if you must know," Locks' eye twinkled, "Princess Celestia herself requested this investigation."

"...The Princess is finally taking action?"

"...Rest assured that I'm speaking only the truth, miss...?"

The lock on the handle clicked back open, cracking enough just to see her eye. "The Princess has never shown personal interest in Nixie's case," she lifelessly exhaled, "What changed so suddenly?"

"Just a set of circumstances," Locks answered cryptically. "Is it safe to assume you might know something?"

The door opened to reveal her face. "If I share the information with you, can I expect some damn answers out of the police force?"

"Absolutely, but," Locks added with a hoof tapping his chin, "Why is it so important to you, ma'am?"

"Because Nixie was very close to me."

Locks' eyes glistened as he stared into her hazel irises. The door swung completely open, exposing her shaky frame.

"I never did get your name," Locks pointed out to the ivory pony.

She motioned them inside her house. "Call me Lada. Lada Hope."

Author's Notes:

Just updating again. Progress is going good.
Next chapter probably won't be out until the 4th of May.

Enjoy the chapter.

- GarnetRose