"Lada Hope," Locks zoned in on Lada's frame. "Ms. Nixie's younger sister. It's a pleasure."

"Yes," she opened the door wide, "Please come in."

The inside of the house shined gloriously with the reflection of the sun on the window above. The den was rounded just as the outside of the house, yet significantly smaller than the shape outside. The room had small tunnel-like hallways surrounding it, leading to rooms that Locks and Amethyst had no interest in. The floors clacked loudly with their steps, their marble white appearance mimicking the concrete outside.

"Please excuse my appearance. I wasn't prepared for any kind of company today," Lada welcomed them to the center of the room, where the rays of sunlight struck the brightest. Her coat sparkled with every small movement she made as she nudged them to the couches that surrounded a small, rounded coffee table.

"That's fine," Locks and Amy took their seats, watching as Nixie's younger sister put herself opposite to them. Pony shaped shadows stretched across the ground, silhouettes of pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies decorated the room.

Amy's whistle blew simultaneously with a tug at his mane. Locks turned to his guardian, who pointed up at the roof. Multicolored mannequins had been suspended from the ceiling, each one wearing a different dress.

"Oh those," Lada reacted to the detective's gaze. "Those were some of Nixie's best works. Absolutely gorgeous," she dragged her words as she took a gander.

"I'm not a good judge of what makes a fabulous dress, but I imagine that you'd know better than me," Locks looked around at each outfit. "Nixie must've been a master at the craft."

"Most of those are of her design, but she didn't always make them herself," Lada adjusted herself, clearing her throat. "So I understand that you're here on business from the royal guard, right?"

"That's right," Locks waved his forelock out of his face. "Pardon the lack of formalities, but we need some of our questions answered."

"By all means, I'd be glad to if it can give me some answers in return," she gave a hopeful glance at the pair, "but I think you're jumping the gun."

"Excuse me?"

"Well," she hesitated, "Introduce yourselves first."

"Oh," Locks chuckled to loosen up the atmosphere, "My name is Detective Locks. I represent Princess Celestia's royal guard. I work with her forces to help solve bizarre or mysterious cases handed to me by my department.

"And this," he pointed to Amethyst, who gave a gentle wave to the pony half her size, "is Amethyst. She keeps a sharp eye out for any potential dangers that we may run into on our cases."

"I see," the younger filly smiled, "Now I have a name to attach to the face. Again, I'm Lada Hope. I'm Nixie's younger sister, and the last living pony with the 'Hope' name."

"What of your parents?" Locks asked, "and how did you come across this residency? I don't mean to sound skeptical, but I find it odd that somepony like you could afford such a...luxurious estate."

"My parents passed years ago of old age," Lada's eyes softened, "They went peacefully."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Locks broke eye contact for a moment.

"Thank you. They're at peace now." Lada looked up at the outfits, "This was Nixie's old house. She lived here before she died, and was gracious enough to take me in with her once our parents had gone."

"How exactly do you pay for the house? You hinted at the door at some financial problems."

"...Yes, I'm not exactly getting by too well," she admitted. "Nixie left plenty of money to help me out, but of course it wasn't enough. I followed in my sister's hoofsteps and took up a life of dressmaking, so I sell my work to keep up with the rent."

"Ah, so you're in the same field."

Amethyst grabbed Locks' attention with a blow of her whistle.

"Hmm? Ms. Hope, Amy says that she never hears of your brand in the market. I'd think that as a Hope, you'd have a little more publicity."

"As if," Lada snapped. "The Hope name was tarnished by all of the papers upon Nixie's death. Haven't you ever read the article?"

Locks remembered Jessica's words. "Does it have anything to do with her cutie mark situation?"

"Being the sibling of a mare who fell to that kind of scandal doesn't bode well with the public, even though my work does sell well. I sell my dresses under an alias, and I ship them directly from this house, so I rarely go out."

"You keep yourself anonymous to avoid being discovered," Locks figured her out.

"Several big name designers do appreciate my work, so I'm fortunate enough that they take it at all. If it doesn't work out too well, I'm forced to sell some of my sister's older designs as a means of keeping up with the finances."

"I see."

"That's enough about me though, you two came here for my sister."

"That we did," he agreed.

"You said that Celestia had new interest in this case, but you also told me that it was on a 'need to know basis'. I think my interest in the situation qualifies, don't you?"

"Absolutely, and I'll be glad to answer any questions you have before we begin," Locks relaxed, leaning his back against the couch to prepare.

"The truth is," he began, "There's another case that's gone unsolved for quite some time. It involves one of our superior officers, and we recently came across some new information that lead us back to Nixie's situation. The royal family believes that we can find new leads to that case if we're able to soak up more information on this one. The records don't give us much information to work on from Nixie, and as far as we're concerned, she died from an accident just as it was reported."

Locks hunched back over to get a better look at Lada's face, "What we need is more information, if any, on Nixie. Was there anything special or different about her that lead up to her passing? Anything involving T. Helm that could've provoked it at all? We need as much information regarding Nixie from you as we can."

Lada Hope rested her neck against the back of the couch, flicking her ears and shutting her eyes. "Nixie and I...we were very close," she looked back at the light in the ceiling. "You ever hear of 'Blood-Bond Spells'?'"

"I have," Locks thought to his studies, "Spells that ponies can utilize with the power of another pony who has a similar magical disposition. In most cases, family is the strongest form of these type of spells because there's only a minor deviance from the composition of their magic."

"That's it," Lada pointed at him, "Nixie and I would use a certain spell in particular on each other every day before we would go to bed. We trusted each other completely," she continued, "With the blood-bond spells, we were able to communicate on a higher, more intimate level than anything we thought possible. We shared many...many things with each other through the spells. We kept it all locked up in our minds, like a sort of-"

"Magical diary," Locks interrupted.

"Yes. We shared our lives with each other because we were so close."

Locks stared at her with more intensity. "Every day, huh? Your bond with Nixie must've been incredibly powerful at that point. I could only imagine how you're still alive."

"Yes," she replied, aware of what he had implied, "When she died, the backlash on the void it created completely severed a part of my heart. I'm not sure how I managed to pull through, but here I am, alive and well."

"Too many ponies end up dead because the bonds become too strong amongst themselves. It becomes something of a lifeline between the two ponies that they both share with one another. You severe the line, and both ponies suffer indescribable mental pain."

Lada took a deep gulp. "In...in any case, we went through with that process. We agreed to weaken it should something endanger us, but we never thought that something like...like what happened to Nixie...would happen."

"If she shared her 'diary' with you, then that means you have insight into her last days that no one's siphoned up until now, don't you?"

"Yes. The police asked me several questions in regards to Nixie's death, but she didn't give me her memories on that day. I didn't have anything to tell them that would help solve their case, so it was written off as an accident."

"And Helm?"

Lada's expression grew fierce, "She vanished. Completely and utterly vanished. I haven't heard a single word from her ever since that day."

"I see," Locks rubbed his chin. "Thank you for the insight, Lada. So will you help us?"

"Whatever it takes to reveal the truth. I'll pass on any information that she fed to me up until the final day, if that's alright."

Locks and Amy stood at attention. "Please, begin whenever you're ready."

==========

10 Years Ago

"T, over to this side! Wardrobe malfunction at two o' clock!"

A short, plump mare walked over to the other end backstage, heading in the direction of the voice with haste. Her hair was curled up in a bun, capturing the light all around her and sucking it into her deep black mane. Her golden coat flickered against the stage lights, and a pair of dark red sunglasses blocked out her eyes from the rest of the world. A quartet of elegant red shoes finished off her entourage, along with her pearl earrings that sparkled with each step she made towards her partner. On her flank was the image of a sparkling, regal crown, embedded with a sapphire bead on the tip.

The other pony in question had a beautifully crafted frame, her cream colored body was slender and her coat as smooth as silk. Her bouncy, blonde hair jumped around with every delicate move of her nimble head, and her blue eyes welcomed ponies all around her to get a second glance. Her tail poked out of the end of a glamorous dress that mirrored the color of her fur, but sparkled and gently reflected the light off of her at every angle. Her hoofsteps clunked around the floor above the rest thanks to four dark black horseshoes, each one decorated with a golden bead on their centers.

"What's going on Nix?" Helm looked at the model that was wearing the newest design. A quick point to a torn sleeve was all the designer replied with before rushing off to the end of the line.

Mares, all wearing different, spectacular dresses were prepped for yet another show. "The show hasn't even begun and I'm wiped out," Nixie panted. She ran across the line, her horn constantly alit with her magic, making quick fixes and straightening out any dress she spotted on the elegant mares.

"Always remember," she smiled as she galloped down the line, "Always look ahead with a smile. We're looking for 'joy and ambition' this time around!"

The music boomed from the other end of the stage, her fur bristled with excitement. Nixie rushed back to Helm.

"Come on, we have to get to our seats," she hurried Helm along enthusiastically. "We've done everything we could, so come on!"

"W-wait, give me a moment," Helm stuttered as she was shoved through the hallway and to the side of the stage. She fixed her hair before hurrying back to Nixie, who was already several yards in front of her, rushing to their seats at the show. Cameras had already gone berserk from the celebrities that were already in attendance, and Helm couldn't help but flinch when some of the flashes made their way to her and Hope.

"Oh, look!" Nixie pointed out as Helm took a seat, "There's Hoity!"

Following her hoof, Helm spotted the bulbous mass of silver atop the familiar stallion's head. She quickly grabbed a handkerchief and wiped her brow as fatigue caught up to her.

"I don't understand how you can be so energetic. We just ran a million laps around this wretched stage," Helm caught her breath.

Nixie didn't seem to respond, still waving madly to try and get Hoity Toity's attention, standing from her chair and leaning on the crowd in front of her. Using her hoof, she called out to him through a whistle that carried itself above the crowd. His ears perked up immediately. He turned around, his dark glasses blocking his eyes from the crowd. He lowered his purple shades to reveal his soft blue eyes to Hope. She gave him a sweet smile and waved at him before returning to her seat.

Hoity's eyes rolled over to Helm. He seemed to huff before putting his shades back on, Helm's teeth grinded against each other.

"Come on T, don't worry about him so much," Nixie pat her partner on the back. "You really need to just relax and enjoy the show, it's about to start."

As if on cue, the lights faded, and the faint beat of a drum started up in the front of the stage. Cameras sparked to life at the sight of the first model on stage, the rest of the night illuminated by the dazzling light show from the crowd.

==========

"Hoity," Nixie dashed through the crowd as the show ended. "Hoity, wait!"

The clap of her shoes grabbed the colt's attention, his ears perked up as his head turned to her. He welcomed her with a grin when he recognized her bulbous mane. "Ms. Hope, it's a pleasure once again."

Gasping for air, she reached out a hoof, feeling his pat against her own. They formally greeted each other before she continued, still panting. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to wait until you were already leaving to talk to you, but I had to deal with some more chaos backstage right before the show. I didn't get the chance until just now."

"Make no fuss over something so petty," he shook his head, "I understand well enough what happens behind the curtain of these shows. Now," he waved her further away from the ponies and the stage. When they were out of view, he lowered his glasses to expose his eyes to her, "How may I be of service, my dear?"

Nixie gave herself time to think with a chuckle. "W-well, I just wanted to say hello...and to hear your thoughts on the show tonight, of course."

"I appreciate it, but you already know how I feel about your work, Nixie: Marvelous as always. I look forward to making some arrangements with your distributors right away."

Nixie couldn't help but giggle at the optimism behind his tone. "Why thank you very much Hoity."

"Business aside, how goes your days? I assume Lada is fine and well?"

Nixie started walking alongside Hoity, inching in a bit closer than both expected. "Lada's doing great. She's just about ready to graduate from primary school." Nixie rubbed her chin with a hoof, a spaced out expression leaving Toity clueless to her thoughts. "She still doesn't have a cutie mark. It drives her mad sometimes.

"She wants to grow up so fast," Hope weakly laughed at the thought.

"I see," Hoity enthusiastically motioned closer, Nixie obeying his whim, "So what do you think her mark will be?"

"I could just be dreaming here," she answered, "but she's amazing at dressmaking. Some of her outfit designs...considering her age, I mean..."

"Hopeless," Hoity playfully jabbed at her optimism, "If she shares your passion, then there won't be any doubts."

"Mhmm. She says she wants to grow up to be like me. Can you imagine that?"

"That's excellent news to me. I'll be keeping an eye on her as she develops her skills."

"Thanks a lot, Hoity," Nixie created some space between them, her trot developing a bounce as she continued, "Anyways, I'm doing fine myself. I'm just getting things out of my mane. You know how it goes."

Hoity's nod encouraged the conversation, "The headaches have been getting worse though. I've gone to the doctor, but they just keep jamming different colored pills down my throat."

"Strange," Hoity fixed his shades, "It's the first time I've ever known a migraine to last over a few months. I recommend a visit to a professional, dear. A doctor is fine, but a specialist would probably be more beneficial...if you have the funds to support it, of course."

"I'm seriously considering it," she shook her head, "I'm fine right now, but the breaks between the aches are becoming fewer and farther apart. "

"Well, I hope you get well soon," Hoity glanced at a nearby window, towards the moon in the sky, "I'm afraid I have to make my exit, unfortunately. I need to take care of some shipping arrangements for a new boutique in Trottingham that I'm opening in the next month.:

As Hoity Toity bowed his head to her, he felt a hoof tug him by the shoulder.

"W-wait, Hoity." A long pause kept his attention on Nixie Hope. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

He removed her hoof from his body, patting himself off before looking straight back at her face. He reached up and completely removed his glasses. "Nixie Hope, how can I be of service?"

"What?"

"Nopony ever touches me," he almost huffed, "Nopony. If it wasn't something important, you wouldn't have done it."

Nixie looked around, making sure the two of them were alone. "Thank you Hoity. I...I want to make a permanent arrangement with your company."

"Yes? Speak dear, speak."

"I'm shutting down, Hoity. It's over."

Hoity stared at her for a few seconds in shock. His bangs fell over his face, brushed away only when he regained his composure. "That's huge news, Hope. I don't think I'm completely understanding you."

"I'm quitting my job, and I have nopony else besides Tanita to take over when I'm gone."

"Helm," he snorted after saying her name, "Surely you're joking."

"I know, Hoity. She's an amazing manager, but she's never been the best...pony. I don't want to see my business fall apart, but I also don't want her to turn it into a cold-hearted machine either."

Hoity leaned in closer, "And you've surely thought all of this through? Ms. Hope, this is enormous. What about the ponies that work for the company? Those hard working seamstresses and designers. They'll all be out of a job."

"That's," she hesitated, "That's what you'll be there for."

"Excuse me," he flinched.

"Hoity, I want to merge my company into yours. Those designers are amazing ponies. They still haven't been given their chance to shine. If they work under you, they'll still have that opportunity."

"Nixie Hope...this is ridiculously generous of you to offer."

"I know. It's the best option I have to making everypony happy," she lowered her head to him.

"I've never turned down a talented worker, and I trust that you've hired only the best..."

"You also need to understand that if this goes through, you'll have a monopoly on this business in Canterlot. You'll have no other competition anymore..."

"Don't try to tempt me with that," Hoity retorted in an insulted manner, "I already have all of the wealth that I desire."

"So then...do you have anything holding you back from saying no?"

Hoity backed away from Hope, slowly starting a pace around the hall they were in. "Nixie, before I decide, let me ask you: Why are you shutting down?"

"My sister," Nixie immediately sighed, "I did all of this," she waved to the show in the other room, and all of the dresses that had been put on display in the hallway, "Not only to realize my dream, but to get the money I needed to support my younger sister. I've done it all. I've lived my dream, and it was a wonderful ride...but the more success I gained, the more Helm and my business required my attention."

Nixie Hope pranced to the same window, looking at the moon slowly arc across the glittering sky. "As I progressed, I drifted further and further from my sister. I don't want that to happen anymore. It's over."

"Over," Hoity repeated.

"I've saved a large sum of money to support both Lada and I for decades. When I quit, I'll have all of my life to be with her. It's what she deserves, and it's what I had promised her so long ago."

Hoity continued his pace, his eyes locked onto her frame. "Nixie Hope, you really are too kind..."

"So," Nixie approached her friend, extending a single hoof out to him, "do we have a deal?"

"How can I say no," Hoity looked down to her hoof, "to a heart like yours? But..."

"But what?"

"I would like to request a single condition, Hope. Your associate, Tanita Helm. I do not want her working at my company. She's toxic, and I won't have that kind of behavior running amok in my studios."

Hope sighed in frustration. "I was afraid of that. Is...is there nothing you can do to have her on board?"

"I'm sorry Hope," Hoity's tone was concrete, "but that is my one and only condition."

'If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't even be here,' Nixie's head rang. 'But I can't let thousands of hard working ponies get kicked out of a good job just because of the way she is...'

"Just do what you feel is best for everypony," Hoity added. "I'm truly sorry for putting somepony as wonderful as you into this kind of pressure, but I have to keep my company's reputation in mind with such a huge transition."

"I completely understand," Nixie shook her head. "I'll have to deal with her later..."

'I'm sorry T.'

Hoity's hoof shook her own. "It's a deal, Hoity."

"Excellent," he reassured her with a gentle smile. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Hope."

"I'm not vanishing into thin air," she joked for the first time since she caught him after the show. "I'll still swing by from time to time to check up on everything. It'll just be on special occasions."

Nixie Hope looked Hoity Toity in the center of his eyes. "Thank you so, so much. I look forward to great things from my crew under your name."

The savvy business colt grabbed his glasses and fixed them back over his face.

"Before we head our own ways," Nixie stared at him, struggling to continue her sentence, "can I ask one more small thing from you?"

"Why, absolutely."

Nixie leaned in and whispered in his ear.

Hoity's ear flickered when she moved away, his response in the form of a quick, subtle nod of approval.

Nixie Hope quickly moved into Hoity Toity, pecking him on the lips for no more than a moment before breaking away. She quickly turned around and ran off towards the direction of the stage, her voice carrying over the hallway as she disappeared.

"You're amazing, Hoity Toity! I'll cya later!"

"Give my regards to Miss Lada!" Hoity waved her off. Once she was out of sight, his expression seemed to reset back to its seemingly snooty demeanor. He quickly fixed his glasses and collar, brushed his mane to the side, and made for the nearest exit.

==========

[Helm was short on breath, resting her legs on a nearby seat while the crowd around her thinned out. Her hoof ached from the hoofshakes she had given, many of her subordinates congratulating her and Nixie on another successful showing. She tossed away the spare quill she was given at the end of the show, authorizing the approval and sale of some of the more dazzling designs showcased on stage earlier that night.

"Nixie?" Helm called out, trying to peel the crowd away from the walkway with her eyes with little success. Her ears picked up the all too familiar clack of Nixie’s coal colored shoes, turning back to the exit of the small stadium. Nixie's smile gave her away, shaking hooves with the aforementioned Hoity Toity from the showcase. He escorted her from the premises as the two discussed something that was drowned out by the noise in the room. Helm sighed, letting her body crumble on the chair for a minute, fanning her face with her hoof.

"What's that girl up to now? Business before pleasure," she huffed, brushing back a strand of hair with an exhausted hoof. "She can't expect me to run everything all by myself. Come to think of it," Helm massaged her neck, "Hope's been awfully lax for the last two weeks. Maybe I should talk to her."

She hopped off of her now bent chair with a whine, "Tonight at the recap will be perfect. I need to tell her the good news after all."

After the ponies in the hall thinned out enough, Helm made her way to the exit, eager to discuss the future of Hope Inc, a business the two mares of Canterlot had established together nearly a decade ago, built from the ground up from a strike of good fortune. Helm's trot down the bustling streets of Northern Canterlot regained strength as her mind carried her through the success Nixie and she had gained from the business. Together, with Hope's magnificent designs and Helm's awe inspiring leadership and control, she couldn't help but feel that the road to her future was paved in solid gold.

"This is what I've dreamt about since I was just a small filly," Helm whispered to herself, smiling at all of the faces around her who gave her recognition as she strolled down the street. "If Nixie hadn't come to work at Hoity's..."

Her eyes snapped out of her trance, locked on to a nearby cafe, where her partner was already seated, patiently waiting for Helm to come and take her seat across from her.]

=====

"T! Over here, c'mon!" Nixie shouted across the room, gaining the attention of everypony dining, their curious eyes lit up when they saw the two fashionistas coming together for a late night meal. Helm beamed at the flash of a camera nearby, intentionally slowing her walk to give the mares and stallions all of the eye candy they desired.

"Stop showing off, you're embarrassing me," Nixie teased her closest friend, hurrying her to the table with a steadfast hoof. Their salads had already been served, fresh and crisp, just as Helm always demanded.

A clock on a nearby wall slowly ticked away as the two ponies engaged in the friendly banter that bonded them together over the years. Helm fanned herself after her face swelled from a joke Nixie pulled, and Nixie nearly fell asleep when T eased their conversation towards business, her face plunging into the empty salad bowl in front of her. The pair continued their fun until the late hours of the night, and everypony else had since disembarked from the restaurant.

"And everypony loved the show tonight," Helm grabbed the last strip of lettuce from her bowl. A candle stood firm between the pair, and had been burning since the beginning of their meeting. Its flame continued to burn, well beyond the first half of the pillar of wax. Sweat ran down the shaft of the figure, creating a shimmer of light that forced the shadows around the table to quiver. "Nixie, what new ideas do you have for next month? Time's ticking, after all."

Nixie hummed in her bowl, popping her head from the opening. Her face was suddenly frozen with a critical expression, her usually soft features hardening as the words came from Helm's mouth. Nixie gulped down her final morsel, the bright and cheery color in her face draining as she swallowed.

"Next month, huh?" She dusted off her dress. "T, what about next month?"

"What's this, Nix?" Helm brushed her serving aside, "Next month, like always. We gotta keep the business going, after all. I've already set up another show for next month, and I already have several companies willing to pay extra to reserve several seats, and-"

Nixie hushed her with a bounce of her hoof.

Helm's eyes softened at her friend's sudden melancholy. "Nixie, are you okay? Was the salad bad?"

"No," Hope shook her head, "I'm just not interested in next month."

"W-what?" Helm almost jumped back in her seat. "But we need to plan! There's so much that needs to be done, and...well," she scrambled for a good reason, "We always gotta look to the future of the company, right?"

"Actually Helm," Nixie waved her arm at a nearby waiter, "I've been meaning to talk to you about that." The waiter came and went as quickly as he could, clearing the table of everything but their drinks and the burning candle, burning away the final fraction of wax that was left. Nixie swirled a spare hoof around the rim of her wine, watching the ripples in the cup bounce around the walls and back to the center, "I told you that I have a sister, right?"

Helm caught sight of the pale color in Nixie's usually shining blue eyes, "Nixie. Are you...are you feeling alright? You seem sick."

"I'm fine, T," Nixie nodded, "Better than I've been for months. I've introduced you to Lada before, haven't I?"

"Your little sister," Helm recalled the frail little pony. "Yeah, I remember her, but what does that have to do with anything? Why bring it up?"

"You don't understand?" Nixie stopped playing with her drink, lifting it to her lips. "When I was still a filly, and Lada was still a baby, our parents passed away. The two of us found ourselves trapped."

Helm remembered their days at their old job, "Nixie Hope, the new seamstress down the aisle. Two bits an hour...that was so long ago..."

"My mother and father worked themselves to the bone to put food on the table for our family. They barely managed to get by, living paycheck to paycheck, doing whatever it took to keep both Lada and I happy. Because of how difficult it was for us to survive, we never had the opportunity to invest any spare bits into our future together."

'Please, I'll work for anything! Just give me something to do! I have a baby sister at home. She needs food and water...and clothes.' the two mares shuddered when Nixie's words replayed in their memories.

"Thank Celestia, they took me in when I begged them," Nixie sighed, the light from the candle revealing some moisture gathering in her eyes. "I kept us alive from that point on, and as she grew up, I never let her out of sight because I was terrified. I was scared of losing her to the world outside that was just waiting to swallow us whole."

"I pulled the two of us out of that hell of bare bones and ragged cloth by working myself to exhaustion each and every day at Hoity's old workshop. All day, all night, always putting in one hundred ten percent to feed Lada.

"One night, after I came home after working overtime at the factory, Lada came screaming to the door. She had a nightmare, where I left to work and never came back."

"Nixie, I...I don't know what to say," Helm anxiously bit her lip.

"T, my heart hurt when I saw the look in her eyes. She had the same look on her face that I had when I begged for the job. She was afraid that I would leave her all by herself. I didn't want her to live with that fear for the rest of her life. I needed her to trust me, to be reassured that I would never miss a beat when it came to her. That night..."

"That's the night that you started it?" Helm asked, her eyes slowly transitioning to Nixie's polished horn sitting atop her blonde hair.

"The blood bonding spells are the one type of magic that we unicorns can instinctively call upon. We started creating that link together through the magic we'd channel between one another. I wanted her to know how much she meant to me, and those spells were the only way I knew how to do that."

"Blood bond spells are dangerous though, Nixie. You can seriously hurt her if you do that."

"I know," Hope grimaced, "Months passed, and the love and commitment we had for one another grew stronger every day. Around the same time, back at the factory, my crafts evolved, but nopony seemed to care, much less the management."

"But I did," Helm replied. "You had that natural talent. You could create a wonderful dress simply by visualizing it in front of your eyes."

Nixie nervously twitched at the remark. "You gave me that chance to prove it, Helm. You helped me prove to the management that I had what it takes. You know the story behind it all after this point."

"That chance started us on this career. You became huge."

"And it's all thanks to you, Helm. I'll never be able to thank you enough for that," Nixie looked back at her glass. "But as my fame and fortune grew...so did my responsibilities. A business can't run itself, right?"

Helm agreed with a single shake of her head.

"I had to spend more time with you and the company, and when we branched off and created Hope Inc, the demand tripled. The time I was able to spend with my sister vanished. The bigger my name became, the less I saw Lada."

"True," Helm agreed whole heartedly, "But you also need to realize that you've given her everything she'd ever need. Your legacy is going to keep Lada secure for decades to come."

"Lada's well off, and my fortune's given us everything we've ever needed...but T, the one thing that kept us together up until that point for so long started to fade. I only see her for an hour or two a day now."

"...Does this have to do with the blood bonds?"

Nixie's eyes started to water, "Lada's already a young mare, Helm. I can barely remember any of the time I spent with her when she was just a sweet little pony, playing with her toys or trying on some of my young designs. I can't even remember the last time I got to go home early and just spend time with her.

"T, the world that I thought would steal away my sister, had stolen me away from her."

Helm's voice started to tremble. "Nixie...what are you saying...?"

"She's even following in my hoofsteps," tears streamed down Nixie's face, "I've come home to find her asleep, with some of her own outfits spread out in the den. I've been so busy running the company that I haven't had much time to even acknowledge them.

"Nixie, wait...please."

[The words Helm feared the most came]:

"T. I'm...I'm shutting down Hope Inc."

Helm's face froze on the spot, her mouth ajar and her cup almost falling over on the table. The stray strand of her mane fell over her eyes unnoticed.

"I've lived a life of luxury, and I've seen my dreams become reality, but I've sacrificed the bond I cared so much for with the only family I have left in all of Equestria. The bonds have been burning stronger over the last few years, and it's become too painful to bare in the condition they're in now. T, it hurts me so deep. I can only imagine what poor Lada's going through...all alone back at home. She needs me."

"Nixie...Nixie, what about-"

"I talked to Hoity about my situation after the show tonight," Hope interrupted her, wiping her eyes clean. "I'm handing over all facilities and employees over to him to use as he pleases."

Helm's glasses almost fell from her face. "Nixie," her voice cracked, paralyzed with fear, "all employees?"

"T," Nixie started, "Hoity...he..."

T. Helm's hooves started to tremble. The brightest moment of her day was burning away like the wax on the table.

"You're amazingly talented, Helm. I'm...I'm sure anypony else in Canterlot would gladly have you on board. Hoity doesn't define fashion in all of Equestria." Nixie pushed her chair back, leaning closer to her friend, "You...you understand why I'm doing all of this, don't you?"

"Y-yes," she shook, looking away from Nixie's face, "Yes."

"This way, all of our workers get to keep their jobs...and you have plenty of money set aside until you can set yourself up elsewhere. I'd...I'd be happy to help you if you need anything after this blows over..."

Helm tightly closed her eyes:

['This isn't real. This can't be real. It's a dream...it's all a dream. When I open my eyes, it'll all be over, and me and Nix will be enjoying a wonderful dinner together...']

"Thank you so much Helm. For everything," Nixie picked herself up from the table, dropping a handful of bits onto the table. "I'll take care of the check." She couldn't help but stare at Helm, who was busy muttering something to herself, "I'm...I'm sorry, T. I really am. Please forgive me..."

Helm had since stopped listening to her. Her quaking body calmed down for a moment, but her eyes remained closed.

"Lada needs me far more than this business," Nixie grunted, recoiling when a sudden burning sensation pulsed from her horn. She looked at her oldest friend, and with a frail hoof, waved to her as she left the building. She turned down to her flank, which was covered by her splendid outfit, 'Besides, this is a world I've never belonged in.'

"I want Lada to be happy," Nixie opened the door to the cafe. "T...Good bye, and good luck."

The door shut behind the ivory mare, leaving Helm inside with nothing but silence to accompany her.

"..."

['Everything I've worked for.'

".........."

'I tried so hard...I can't lose it all.'

The candle finally surrendered to the flame, falling into the darkness with the rest of the room.

Helm's hoof quickly reached for her glass. Like a cannon, she hurled the drink across the pathway. It slammed against the exit, shattering into tiny pieces.]

==========

Locks held his hoof up to stop Lada's consistent flow of detailed information. She paused at the sudden motion, pinching her lips together when she saw his glistening crimson eyes scanning over.

"You said that Nixie and yourself actually committed the blood bond?" Locks lowered his stance.

"Yes sir," she looked at her horn. "It burned whenever we stayed away from each other too long, and it swelled with warmth whenever we were near."

"Sounds just like one," Locks leaned back against his seat. "I'm surprised a fashion pony like Nixie even remembered such a thing. She was only half right about the spell being 'instinctual'."

"Half right," the young filly scooted in, "What is the other half?"

"Blood bond spells used to be practiced all the time in days long gone, back when unicorns were still independent from both pegasi and earth ponies. It was a way for them to keep each other close when separated from their loved ones for long periods of time.

"But," Locks fixed his drooping mane, "It fell out of practice decades ago, around the same time Canterlot was founded. You'd be troubled to find any unicorn in this generation who is even aware of the spell's existence."

"W-well," Lada responded with a murmur, "From what I know, Nix was originally going to practice magic like most Canterlot ponies. She wanted to attend Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns before our parents died."

The detective nodded at the information, "That would explain how she knew it. She must have been very committed to you, Lada."

The pale pony smiled, "I owe her for everything I am. She was the best big sister I could've ever asked for."

"She destroyed an entire company to be with you. If you don't mind me asking," Locks cleared his throat, "How long were you two together...before she passed?"

Lada looked down and away from the pair. Amethyst's expression softened at the pain the question brought the teenage pony. She couldn't stop the light choke that came from the back of her throat. Locks lipped a silent, heart-filled apology to his guard.

"Not long," she answered with a flat tone, "One month, at best."

"A month. What happened in that final month?"

Lada almost rolled her eyes back, trying to recall the bond's memories while her horn flared to life. "The bond helped the two of us keep tabs of our lives. It's the only reason I know so much information about her. I'm trying to remember..."

"Take your time," Locks assured her. He turned to Amethyst, who seemed confused by what Lada has meant.

"Amy, the blood bonds...you can think of them like...like a piece of parchment."

Amethyst whistled with a quick tilt of her head, causing her hair to flow over one of her eyes.

"Imagine that each and every experience, memory, and thought of yours can be transformed into a parchment. That parchment has every single bit of information from that feeling or memory, and it's all stored inside of a," Locks hesitated to find a metaphor, "A diary which would, in normal cases, represent those feelings and emotions in their totality."

The pegasus blew her whistle in four quick spurts.

"Good. Now, imagine that you are able to share that diary, and all of its content, with anypony you chose. That is how the blood bonds work."

"The only problem," Lada added, "is that you're adding in memories that aren't yours. When you try to remember them...it starts off hazy and unfamiliar, like right now.

"Mr. Locks," Lada continued, "We didn't do much that month. She took care of me and stayed home nearly every day."

"Hmm," Locks mind rushed with questions, "Did you two meet anypony during those months? Did Ms. T. Helm ever show up at the door?"

"Neither. Nix and I always used the bond at night before bed, so anything that happened that day to her, I'd know. Almost everything feels ordinary about that month."

"Did she ever say anything about somepony named Conroy Justis?" Locks wildly asked.

"Justis?" Lada shut her eyes gently. "No. I don't think so. Nixie DID have a talk with Helm a few days before she died."

"Helm sounded extremely upset with Nixie's decision to pass her company to Hoity Toity," Locks mentioned.

"She was right to," Lada replied, "Nixie didn't...really handle that issue too well. Hoity and Helm never really saw eye to eye, but Nix really liked him, so giving him all that power pretty much meant that she was leaving T out to dry."

"What exactly did Helm talk to Nixie about on that day that they met?"

"She," Lada's horn popped, "She wanted Nixie to come to one final fashion show. Nixie didn't want to go at first because...that was the month..."

"Huh?"

"It...it was in all of the papers," Lada hung her head with a regretful sigh.

'Papers? Scarlet...the report said something about a scandal in the papers,' the detective recalled the thick report his partner provided.

"Hmm...I read some of the report, but can you recall what happened?"

"Absolutely. Nix didn't want to go to the show because right after that meet at the cafe, somepony at the company leaked a picture of her without any of Nix's signature outfits on."

"...And that's a scandal?"

Lada looked at her flank: A decorative dress design that sparkled on the edges. "It's a scandal when you don't have a cutie mark."

"I've heard the basic outline before," Locks hoof planted itself firm against the couch.

"Everypony always assumed Nixie had a cutie mark that responded with her fashion business. It only makes sense to, doesn't it?"

"Nixie Hope didn't have a cutie mark. How-"

"Look at every publicly released image. Nix always hid her flank from view with an outfit of some sort."

"But what I've always wondered is...how? From your story, even history itself...it all points to fashion being Nixie's greatest talent."

"That's what I asked her one day," Lada frowned. "She didn't want to go to the show because she was still humiliated from everypony figuring out the truth."

"So what ended up happening?"

"I," Lada started, "I don't know. That was the night she died. We never bonded that day, so anything that happened on that day after she left the house, I'm completely unaware of."

"I understand," Locks readjusted himself in his seat. He moved closer to Lada, his eyes shining with curiosity, "And you're absolutely sure you've never heard the name 'Conroy Justis'?"

"No. Sorry," Lada immediately answered. "Who is that, if you don't mind?"

"...Listen closely, Lada," Locks started to explain, "Conroy Justis was my superior at the station we work at. He took on a free study that, at some point, brought him to Nixie Hope's situation."

'Extra information concerning cutie marks is highlighted amongst the documents,' Locks recalled Scarlet's report. "Justis was interested in Ms. Hope, but met with an unfortunate end right at the beginning of his investigation, so nothing beyond her name and a few scraps of newspaper articles were discovered from his work."

'And nothing to correlate why Nixie and Scarlet are related besides a very broad cutie mark interest,' he organized his own thoughts.

"I could think back," Lada pondered, "It's not a pleasant memory, but I can definitely figure out what the cutie mark meant to Nixie."

"It's up to you, Lada. You don't have to revisit anything painful if you don't want to. I'm not going to provoke it," Locks gave her a gentle grin.

"It's the only way I'll get closer to the truth, isn't it?" Lada mimicked his expression. "If it's her cutie mark that you're after, I'll be glad to hand over any information I know. It's been a long time coming," Lada muttered.

"Please, proceed," Locks waved.

=====

A young, pale coated pony lifted her head from her drawing, her ears picking up the sound of what seemed to be a stampede incoming from down the street. Her eyes turned to the window, lifting the drape to get an eye on the commotion outside. The staggered wave of photo flashes knocked her on her back, multicolored spots danced in her vision as the sound of voices came crashing over one another, growing in volume and edging closer to the house.

Wiping her face with a hoof, the foal stole another glance through the window and cameras. A familiar face was seen in front of the crowd, her older sister was rushing through the mob to get to the door. Her horn pulsed with a furious energy; a large blanket wrapped itself around her body, covering most of her save for a few inches off of her hooves and tail, with strands of her usually bouncy mane dangling around her head.

Lada gasped at Nixie's appearance, galloping over to the door as fast as her small legs could carry her. She grabbed the knob and swung the door open for her sister. The hectic mare burst through the opening, her sobs heard amidst the hustle of the paparazzi still heckling her at the entrance. A magical energy swallowed the door and slammed it viciously in their faces, every drape in the house following suit and engulfing the house in darkness.

"Nix!" Lada kept her distance from her sister. The elder Hope had fallen to the floor, her body still hidden underneath the large towel wrapped around her body. Her frail cries reached out to Lada, her horn whined in unison with a small, pathetic cry that came from Nixie's. She cautiously made her way to her sister.

"Nixie," Lada trembled as she inched closer, "Nixie, are you okay?"

Nix's crying paused at the sound of her sister's voice. Her panting filled the room with suspense, gathering her bearings now that she was safe in her own house.

"I just don't understand," Lada heard Nixie whisper quietly through her huffs. Unable to respond, Lada huddled up next to her sister, nuzzling the towel, into the spot that housed her older sister's heart. Their horns calmed down, and a warm, numbing pleasure slowly coursed its way through their unified bodies.

"I'm sorry," Nixie sniffled, a hoof wiped away what Lada assumed to be tears, "Are you okay Lada? I didn't mean to scare you."

Lada responded by pressing herself harder against Nixie.

"They found out about my cutie mark. I...don't know what to do." Nixie pulled the towel off of her body, letting the warmth of her body press up against her shivering sister. Lada's eyes cautiously wandered over to Nixie's flank, pristine and vacant of a significant marking.

"Lada, I'm so sorry. I don't know what's going to happen...I just don't understand," she gently hit her head against the ground on its side. Lada crawled up to meet Nixie eye to eye; the siblings stared at each other in a clueless daze.

"It's a rite of passage, and it's something that happens to everypony. Why hasn't it happened to me yet?" Nixie closed her eyes and rested her head against her sister's, "Don't I...deserve one?"

"N-Nix," Lada stuttered, wincing at the sound of another camera shutter, "You'll get it eventually. Everypony does."

"It's a message to the bearer of the mark," Nixie started, reminiscing upon her days as a carefree foal, "a message that reflects the inner talents of the pony the mark belongs to. It's a way for nature to guide the pony to their respective future. It's like," Nixie opened her eyes, meeting her sister's hazel, "Like having a guardian...a brother or a sister...somepony to help you find your way."

"But why is it such a big deal now?" Lada's confused frown begged.

Nixie looked down at her blank flank, letting out a defeated moan. "It's all my fault that it's a problem, Lada." She picked herself up, tumbling a bit from the dizziness she felt after her first step. "I never got a cutie mark as a filly. The very idea that I was the last pony I knew that was a blank flank...it crawled under my skin. I always felt that I would eventually get my own, and that at the time, it was just me being, well, dramatic about getting my mark.

"But," Nixie gently let herself lean against the couches that covered the center of the den, "The months started to pass me by faster and faster. My cutie mark was still missing years later, when everyone I knew was already embarking on their own futures, guided by their marks." The bewildered mare took off her horseshoes, letting them tumble onto the floor as they chose, "I expected my own cutie mark after T helped me get by at my job in the factory, but even then, it never showed up. Around that time...I decided to ignore it completely. My career seemed bright, and my talent was laid out clear for everypony to witness. I didn't care what my flank said, I knew that becoming a fashion pony was my destiny."

"So it never came," Lada sat on the other couch parallel with the one Nixie was on.

"Yes, Lada. The problem stemmed from the fact that I...I was ashamed all the same," Nixie rubbed the empty spot on her body. "As a filly, you were always the laughing stock of the class if you were last. I guess my fear of being ridiculed carried over...I hid it from view. I hid my flank at every moment of the day whenever I went out. I couldn't let anypony know that I was...talentless."

"But you have talent," Lada squeaked, "You wouldn't have gotten us this far without it."

Nixie smiled, "My mark became a problem for my company because of the fact that I hid it. It's like...hiding the real you from everypony around you. The press is making such a big deal about it because...because it's equal to...to lying to anypony I've ever known. They thought my talent was in being a designer. I became friends with them through the assumption, and now they all know that I'm not what I seem to be."

Lada looked down at the floor, kicking her legs. "But...but you're still the same Nixie as you were yesterday...or the day before..."

"Only for you, maybe," Nixie sniffed. Her hooves trembled against the cushion. "I don't get it. I just don't understand it all."

Lada looked up at her sister. A sharp pain stung her at the tip of her horn, her eyes fired open as wide as dinner plates. Nixie's horn pulsed on the other seat, her eyes pouring with tears.

"My talent is to be a great designer...a great fashionista," Nixie covered her face from her sister. "Everything that's happened up until now proves it. I am Nixie Hope! I'm a hotshot from Canterlot!"

The pain drained Lada's eyes of her own tears, her whimpers fell silent to Nixie's voice.

"If this is all true," Nixie clenched her teeth in frustration, "Then why does my body deny it?

"Why does my body refuse to accept my love for my life? Why does it disagree!? I want this! I WANT THIS!"

==========

The door to the aged Hope manor slammed shut. A pair of wings could be heard cutting through the air as a familiar pegasus took flight. Locks looked from the door to Lada, whose face was moist from recalling her memories of that day.

"Excuse Amethyst," Locks apologized, reaching out for Lada's hoof to comfort her. "She...doesn't take too well to stories like this. Underneath that stoic exterior of muscle and feather beats a very soft heart."

"It's fine," Lada's voice shivered. "The pain is just incredible. It happened so long ago, but simply retelling it is...agonizing."

"Thank you," Locks patted her foreleg, "I'm sorry that you had to remember something so awful."

Lada cleaned her face, "I'm okay now. That's all that seems relevant about the cutie mark in that month."

"So Nixie Hope's big secret was that she never earned a cutie mark. Interesting."

"Has such a thing ever happened before?"

Locks nodded, "It's rare, but it happens to a few poor ponies every few generations. Ponies who just fail to find what they feel their true calling is. It's that realization that there is something in that pony's life that they have infinite passion for, regardless of the reason. If a pony is never given the opportunity to realize how they truly feel about that passion...then the cutie mark never comes."

"I don't get how fashion couldn't have been Nixie's calling," Lada tapped her hooves together, "She loved nearly nothing else more than that."

"I wouldn't be able to tell you much about that either," Locks admitted, readjusting himself as a silhouette of Amy flew overhead from the window in the ceiling. "Tanita Helm was her closest friend wasn't she? Didn't she do anything about the scandal?"

"She tried getting my sister out of the house. She tried to get her mind off of it, but that's all I can remember."

"Even from Nixie's bonded memories?"

Lada paused, "Well...if I recall, Helm actually managed to set Nix up with the Princess a week after the scandal. They both really wanted answers about her cutie mark."

"Nixie Hope met with the Princess?" Locks straightened his back.

Lada gave him a quick affirmative.

'Why hasn't the Princess herself replied about such an occasion,' Locks pondered. 'Steele would've given her the report immediately. I'd think she'd be able to recall something as oddly specific as a meeting about a rogue cutie mark.'

"Oh," Lada added, "This isn't purely from my perspective, but T...she was different in that last month, ever since Nix gave her the news of the trade."

"Different?"

"Well...Nix's memories make Helm seem more...aggressive than usual. She kept insisting on Nixie going to some of the last shows that led up to her death."

"...It's interesting enough that Helm even cared for Nixie after the news. You'd expect somepony like her to stop talking and break all relations to Nixie."

"That's what I have always thought too," Lada agreed with the detective. "She was too nice to Nixie."

Locks picked himself up and out of the couch. He paced around Lada's couch, his crimson eyes staring her down from the top of her mane. "You said that Nixie met with Celestia because of Helm?"

"Yes sir," Lada gulped at Locks' sudden change of pace.

"Tell me everything you can think of from that day. Start at the meeting, and cover everything from the rest of that day that was specific to that day; nothing typical."

"W-why of course."

"Thank you again," Locks stepped closer to Lada, not moving away from the direct eye contact he made with her from that position.

==========

"B-but I was scheduled for today," an aggravated white pony stamped her hoof at the guard. The metal gate behind him remained shut, and the even mightier wall of magical golden aura surrounding it fortified itself at her irritation. "Just check with her royal highness, please?"

"Sorry ma'am. If you're not on this list, then you cannot pass." The guard's armor glistened in Celestia's sunlight. He turned back to his post, looking away from the elder Hope, "Go take your business elsewhere now, if you don't mind."

"Oh come on!" Nixie growled, her shoes digging into the dirt. "I had to learn a coat changing spell just to get past the ponies in town for this!"

The guard carelessly looked away from Nixie, straightening the spear he kept tucked underneath one of his hooves.

Defeated, Nixie Hope turned her back to the guard, lowering her head in disappointment. As she took her first step, she heard the gate behind her unlock. Her body swung around completely, both ponies with nothing but surprise on their faces as the barrier surrounding the gate completely vaporized into the air. The iron gate dragged along the pathway that lead to the towering castle ahead of her, slowly revealing from the ground up a large creature on the other side.

Her mane was a dazzling display of blues that transitioned from light to dark, ending with a large, thick section of pink hair. Her mane and tail floated about in the air, inherently ignoring the laws of gravity. Her golden horseshoes outshined Nixie's, and her crown fell a few inches short of her pointed horn that rose a foot above the tip of her head. Her light purple eyes welcomed Nixie beyond the barrier.

"Nixie Hope, so good to see you," Celestia took a step towards the opened gate, "I've been expecting your visit."

The guard immediately bowed at the sight of his powerful leader, Nixie welcomed the Princess with a quick kneel before the taller alicorn, looking up into her light purple eyes, hoping that she could finally have some answers.

"This way, Ms. Hope. We have a nice lunch set up just for you in the dining hall. Come."

The guard refused to look up as Nixie cautiously walked past him, crossing the gate's threshold and trailing five ponies behind Celestia. The magical barrier instantly bounced back to life the moment Nixie entered the castle, the gate following suit with an ear deafening slam. She felt her body jerk from the force behind the shut gateway.

"They can be a bit surprising to anypony that hasn't been here before," her highness assured the fashionista. "I assume you're okay with something simple? A slice of cake with a cup of tea."

"A-anything's fine, your majesty," Nixie wiped her brow.

The entrance to the castle led them down a long, spiraling hallway with multiple rooms and passages to take for the two ponies. Nixie's mind failed to keep track of the direction they were heading, watching as they continuously ascended and descended based on the halls they took at each turn.

"How do you not get lost in here," Nixie shook her head, "I'm getting dizzy just trying to keep up with you."

Celestia paused in her stride, looking back at her company with a sweet smile. "I still get lost from time to time. The castle's amazing, and I have never put time aside to explore every nook. There are probably still some rooms in here that I haven't even visited myself."

She felt her face turn pale, "That's...comforting."

"Don't worry my little pony. I know exactly where the dining room is. You can relax."

The red carpet on the ground ran through each path, a combination of stone walls and ivory pillars towered above them, with a roof that would lock the sunlight out if the pristine windows hovering on the walls didn't illuminate the room. Unlit torches hung from every pillar, and every few feet, an empty shell of a guard's armor stood on a pedestal, decorating the hall with an intimidating atmosphere.

Celestia led her beyond another turn, gently opening another door that opened inward. A large, quiet room stretched out for several yards, decorated only with a long, rectangular table and a handful of chairs. Every wall in the room was painted white, a small lantern of magical energy hung suspended in the air above the table, giving the room light. Another door on the other end of the room lead to the kitchen in the back, a small commotion signaling that there was more life in the room than just the two ponies.

"Please, have a seat wherever you please," Celestia walked over to the seating at the end of the table across the room. She took her seat, taking the time to stretch out her magnificent wings, flapping them gracefully before folding them back into her sides. Nixie couldn't help but gasp at the sheer beauty of her country's leader, stumbling nervously over to the chair on the opposite end of the table, near the entrance.

Another voice came from the kitchen, that of a younger filly. Nixie's attention turned to the door near Celestia, the voice reminding her of her own little sister. She shut her eyes and rubbed her forehead, looking over her body to make sure that she looked her best for her majesty.

"Ms. Helm came to me earlier in the week," Celestia started the conversation, "She begged me to talk to you about your predicament."

"I'd be surprised if you hadn't heard about it," Nixie's ears folded down, "It's been the talk of Canterlot for the entire month so far."

"A mare talented in the fashion world, who never received a cutie mark for her efforts," Celestia started, "I cannot deny that I'm somewhat fascinated by the entire ordeal."

"I'll just get right to it then," Nixie sat back at attention, cupping her forehooves together. "Is there any way for you to help me out? Do you know what's wrong with me?"

The door to the kitchen swung open viciously, crashing against the wall to the side of the swinging door. A strong, purple aura disappeared from the wall, followed by a frustrated grunt from the foal on the other end.

"Forgive the commotion," Celestia chuckled, "She's new."

Nixie watched as a young, purple pony came stumbling from the kitchen, struggling to hold up the two trays of food that carried both pony's lunches. Nixie couldn't help but smile at the young filly. Her mane was colored with a deep blue and purple blend, with two individual strands of purple and pink that followed her mane from front to back. Her tail's pattern and style mimicked her mane, the entire mass bounced with every step she took. Her stubby horn frizzled with power as she carried the trays across the room.

"Twilight, take it easy and relax," Celestia coached the young foal, "Focus only on the trays and the destination. Don't be distracted by the smaller details."

Twilight Sparkle clumsily made her way to the table with the rest of the materials, each tray shook as she placed it down on each end of the table. The magic enveloping Nixie's tray vanished, but Celestia's lunch didn't fare as well, still encased in Twilight's power.

The tiny pony gasped as her magic discharged, the aura funneled into the cup of tea that was sitting on Celestia's tray. It sprayed up and into the air, splashing on the startled child's face. She crashed onto the floor, her horn dripping with the tea she had served Celestia.

"Don't be discouraged Twilight," Celestia lowered her eyes to meet with her apprentice, "Now pick yourself up and keep practicing. I'll be fine without tea today."

The unicorn's face gave a cheerful smile, nodding at Celestia's orders and running back out of the room through the kitchen.

"She's definitely advancing her magic by leaps and bounds. She could barely turn the pages of a book a few days ago. Can you believe that?"

"She looks like a lovely little filly. I'm sure she'll get the hang of it," Nixie agreed with the Princess. "I used to practice magic myself."

A wave of her horn, and Celestia brought her fork down to the cake, taking a small piece and easing it into her mouth. Nixie waited for her to finish her mouthful before she could continue.

"Answer me this, Hope: What do you mean by wanting my help?"

Nixie hesitated, "W-well...can you help me figure out why my cutie mark isn't there?"

"Interesting," Celestia took another bite of cake, "You feel like you should already have a cutie mark?"

"Yes," Nixie looked down at her snack, "Besides my little sister, there's nothing I love more than the job I do, and the ponies I work with."

Celestia looked at Nixie's aching face, "I can't tell you what exactly it is that's wrong with your mark. I've never seen this type of mishap before. You do remember what it takes to get a cutie mark, do you not?"

"Who wouldn't?"

"The simple answer would be," the Princess cleared her throat, "That you simply haven't found the calling in your life that is right for you. So long as the cutie mark doesn't appear, your destiny will continue to escape you."

"But what else do I have?" Nixie looked at her majesty, "I've met so many great friends through my career. I've kept my family alive, and, well, I've never been happier. Why isn't it there?"

"I...don't know," Celestia bluntly responded. "But before you respond, answer me this: Why is it so important for you to have a cutie mark? You just said that you've never been happier with your life. It seems to me that the cutie mark itself is causing you more grief than the life you have."

Nixie looked down at her reflection in the small cup of tea. She placed a hoof next to it, watching the ripples distort her figure. "Because if I don't have it...then doesn't that mean that...that everything I feel about my life right now is a great big lie?"

"A lie, Ms. Hope?"

"If my cutie mark has nothing to do with fashion...or my sister, then what does that make of all of my efforts I've put into both of those things for all of these years?"

Nixie flinched, her vision blurred for a split second before she continued, "Everything I've worked for is just a waste of my time if my destiny doesn't point me in that direction. Isn't that a pony's job? To find what makes them special?"

"That's true," Celestia gave Nixie a critical look, taking a mental note of her weakened posture, "Everypony needs to find that one talent that they feel the strongest about in their lives. Nixie Hope, I've encountered many ponies who lived their entire lives happily without a cutie mark before meeting with you here today," she took another quick bite of cake, "Every single one of them decided in the very end to forgo finding their 'destiny' for the sake of the happy lives they had in front of them.

"What makes you special isn't something that's simply decided by the symbol on your flank. It's what you find the most precious in your life."

"You're saying," Nixie shuddered, "To...to give up on finding my cutie mark?"

"Absolutely not," Celestia responded. "I'm asking you to live a happy life. If the cutie mark comes from your work or your sister, then it will come. If it doesn't...then it's something you shouldn't worry yourself about. Let your heart decide what your destiny is, not your cutie mark."

Nixie's eyes twitched, "I...I see."

"Have some cake, Ms. Hope. It's delicious."

The confused white unicorn obeyed the request, taking a small bite of the cake in front of her. The sweet, strawberry filling that was hiding underneath the yellow frosting helped cheer her up. Nixie swallowed her bite before speaking, "You're telling me to move on then, is that right?"

"To avoid repeating myself, yes," Celestia looked straight at the smaller pony, "That's what I want of all of my subjects."

Nixie let another small grin creep up on her face.

"That's what I love to see," Celestia laughed, finishing her cake with another bite. Nixie couldn't help but copy her Princess, laughing before taking another bite of her treat, chasing it down with some of the sweetened tea Twilight had served.

"Can you do that for me, Nixie Hope? Can you live a happy life?"

Nixie Hope twitched again, blinking rapidly before looking at the Princess. "I'll do what I love to do. That will keep me happy," she beamed at the Princess. "Princess Celestia," Nixie Hope bowed her head, "Thank you for giving me the chance to talk to you."

"Anything for my subjects," she said, "You should thank Ms. Helm for helping to set up this little arrangement."

"I would...but the press is constantly covering her. If I get anywhere near her, they'll trample me."

"I've already made arrangements for that little problem," the Princess flapped her wings, "The media shouldn't be messing with you any more from this point onward about your cutie mark."

"...Thank you so much, Princess Celestia," Nixie finished her tea.

==========

"Are you sure this is okay," Nixie nervously asked the plump mare on the other end of the table. The sun had since gone from the sky, and most of Canterlot was already silent and ready for sleep, save for the diner she had been summoned to.

"Don't worry about it, Nixie. I just want to help you out," Ms. Helm replied between bites of her salad. "You've had a rough month, and I want to help you out a bit."

Nixie gave her friend a friendly smirk, "Is this about the last show at the end of the month? You've been trying to pull me away from my house for the last few weeks to go."

"I'm sure all of your fans and friends would appreciate it. Everyone wants to give you a proper send off, and I can think of no better way."

Nixie played with the green on her plate, "You're all too kind."

"The media has been blowing your cutie mark out of proportion," Helm continued, "They're making a big fuss about something that's none of their business."

"It's their business to make a fuss," Nixie replied with a punctual certainty. "They did a fantastic job, if anything else."

Helm pushed her sagging red glasses back up to block out her eyes. "Yes, well, any news is juicy news to them. Actually," she brushed a strand of forelock out of her face, "I wanted to see you after you met with Celestia. Did anything happen?"

"I'm fine, if that's what you mean," Nixie gave her empty flank a quick once over, "Celestia helped me clear my mind about the whole problem. I'm just glad to be over it."

"That's excellent news," Helm took another large bite of her salad, chasing it down quickly with her glistening glass of mineral water. "But did Celestia find a cure?"

Nixie swung her head left and right, "No. To be honest, T, she said it was a special circumstance, but that it shouldn't be something to worry about."

"So whatever it is you have," Helm's voice was filled with concern, "You still have it? Is it contagious?"

"She didn't say," Nixie waved her hoof at the question, "But I suppose I do still have the problem. Won't be a problem at all if I just move on regardless, right?"

"Right," her ex-co manager acknowledged.

"I'll just live how I want, and to hell with the mark!" Nixie finished the entirety of her martini, rapping on the table for another round."

"Easy Nixie, you're still not in the best condition."

"What are you talking about," Nixie took a deep breath and sighed, "I have a wonderful sister, I've lived out my dream, and I have one of the best friends I could've ever asked for. I'm feeling great right now. I deserve this."

Helm forced her glasses up to the base of her snout. "I'm just surprised, I guess. You really are a strong pony, damning the idea that your dream might not have even been your true calling."

"Like Celestia said," Nixie smiled when her refill showed up, "I define my true calling, not my cutie mark." The ecstatic unicorn grabbed her cup and brought it to her mouth, licking her lips. Her hoof jerked to the side suddenly, splashing her anticipated beverage across the floor. Nixie giggled it off, tapping for another serving while apologizing for the accident.

"Are you absolutely sure you're fine," Helm repeated, "That didn't convince me."

"You worry too much," Nixie rubbed her face, "I don't get why you're being so protecti-"

A bright flash blinded Nixie and Helm for a brief moment, coming from the entrance to the diner. Nixie stumbled nearly off of her seat, grabbing the back of the chair with an arm to keep herself up.

"What are you doing!" Helm lowered her glasses. A young colt was huddled at the door with a camera wrapped around his neck, the bulb still warm from the flash it gave off. "The Princess gave a royal order that prevents any further harassment of Ms. Hope! I can have you arrested for this!"

"Thanks for the snapshot, but I gotta dash," the quirky colt responded with a sly look, "There's far too much money on the line for this picture. A snapshot of Nixie Hope and the one who exposed her will fetch a precious penny out of any news stand here in Canterlot."

"Police, guards!" Helm shouted, pointing at the pony that darted off into the streets. A single pegasus in armor seemingly came from the roof of the building, heading over in the direction of the camera colt.

The round pony looked back at her friend. There was an odd silence on the other end of the table, the only sound that of Nixie crawling back into her chair. Helm tucked her glasses back up to hide the fear in her eyes, clearing her throat.

"...Exposed?" The words came expectantly from the confused ivory pony. "Did I hear him right? Did he say exposed?"

Her assistant remained silent, blocking out her eyes with the shades on her head.

"T...what did you do?"

Her golden coat seemed to lose its shine. Helm looked away from her friend's glare, holding her glasses up to her face. "Nixie, let me explain."

"Explain? Please. Explain," Hope sloppily responded through her teeth. Her ears twitched anxiously for her explanation.

"I," Helm nearly froze, "I was the one...who told the press about your blank flank. It was me."

Nixie got out of her chair, lowering her head.

"You need to understand though. You left me with no option. You threw me and my career into the trash with the merger. My job, my success, everything. Your friendship with Hoity Toity completely screwed me."

"Hoity is a longtime friend, Helm," Nixie grunted, "Much like you."

"It could've been ANY other designer in this city. Hoity doesn't control the entirety of Equestira's fashion," she justified herself, "You had so many other choices you could've made just as easily, but you chose him."

"Those ponies? They aren't friends of mine. They're business partners. That's all they've ever been."

"I was upset, Nix. I didn't know how to react," Helm backed up out of her chair, unwillingly meeting Nixie's glare.

"Do not call me Nix," Hope grinded her teeth. "Do you even KNOW what you put me through? What Lada went through because of how difficult it was to cope with?" Nixie stamped her hind leg, "So what was the meet with Celestia then, or this dinner? An apology? Is that what it was? A fucking apology?"

Nixie twitched again, jerking towards Helm. "I didn't know how else to say I was sor-"

"You never even admitted to it!"

"Nixie, please calm down," Helm hastily asked.

"You know," Nixie's tone shifted, her anger oozing out of her mouth, "Now...Now I'm glad you're going to be on the god damn streets. I'm glad I chose Hoity."

Helm's body, almost mechanically, took a few steps around the table. Her eyes helplessly followed her hoof as it slammed against Nixie's face. A gasp escaped her mouth as Ms. Hope tumbled out of her chair in a heap.

A camera flash erupted from the other end of the cafe, opposite that of where the other camerapony was moments ago. Hurried hoofsteps could be heard tearing away from the scene as Nixie pulled herself to her feet.

The table fell to the side as Helm gathered herself, backing up so suddenly that she stumbled over her seat. She was gulping down mouthfuls of air, her usually well-kept hair falling to the sides.

"N-now Nix...please, please, let's calm down...this is getting out of hoof," Helm stammered when she saw the vengeful look in her coworker's eyes. "W-we can get through this," she tried to assure Nixie, who only stared at her with a malevolent glare.

Nixie took a single step towards Helm. She quickly pivoted her entire body, facing in the opposite direction. Her hind legs shot out like a pair of bullets, slamming straight into Helm's face, easily shattering the glasses against the hard bearings of the horseshoes she wore. T's hefty body shot back several feet, crashing into a puddle against another table behind her, kicking up the chairs and burying her in the furniture.

Helm's body remained motionless. Nixie gasped for air as tears came flowing from her eyes. Her footing against the ground became shaky from the impact, and her vision started to blur from all of the excitement.

"I thought," Nixie cried, "we were best friends. I thought you'd understand."

A sharp pain rang out in Nixie's head, a high pitched whistle that felt as though it was scrambling her mind. Exhaustion collapsed on Nixie Hope's body, the young pony struggled to keep herself on her feet. She turned to head to the exit, but just as she saw the nighttime sky, she fell to the floor in a miserable heap.

Author's Notes:

Sorry about the delayed update. Got caught up in other business. :(

Enjoy the chapter. Next one should be released next weekend. :applejack: